THE REAL BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for June 27, 2019
By Bandit | | General Posts
Hey,
What’s real, what’s hip, what’s it all about? We see it constantly around us. It’s one of the things I liked about being a biker. It was just me and my motorcycle. I wore what I wore for me and nobody else. Most of us looked like hell most of the time. Who cared?
Okay, so what’s it mean for the brotherhood of the future? Will we always be real, riding with the wind and working on our bikes till the end, or is there another reality? I’ll never forget roaming into a Ralph Lauren Vintage Clothing store on Melrose in Los Angeles.
Markus Cuff thought this was the coolest shop on the planet and took great pride is wearing a funky looking plaid shirt made by Ralph Lauren. Unfortunately he could have bought the shirt at Goodwill for five bucks, instead he paid $150.
So, the store had like ordinary Levi denim jackets but they looked worn and splattered with various colors of paint, as if you wore this puppy every time you painted a room. I was lost in this store. What was real? What wasn’t? I wondered if I ran into a guy at a party wearing one of these jackets. Is he wearing a Ralph Lauren exclusive $500 Vintage Jacket or did he just paint his garage? Fuck. I never went back to that store.
Now, the new Easyriders ownership team wants to abandon the base audience and elevate the demographic to something more austere. Hang On. Let’s hit the news:
Let’s hit the news.
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently the Smoke Out and Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.
SALT TORPEDO UPDATE—
I spoke to Dennis Manning this morning about firewalls. He suggested a drain behind the wall in the engine compartment to allow any fluids to escape and not creep into the pilot’s compartment.
He told me that all the holes for cables need to be above the centerline of the wall. We discussed how to seal it and he pointed out that because of air movement in the stern fumes are often pushed forward into the pilots compartment, which means the seal must be tight.
Dennis had a story to tell about each of his suggestions. He’s had experiences with them all. Hang on!
–Bandit
E-bikes, growing in popularity, befuddle regulators–The NPD Group, a market research company, says the category has shot from being almost nonexistent to raking in $144 million in sales last year. Those sales represented a 72% growth from the previous year.
BAR HARBOR, Maine: Electric-assist bikes represent the fastest-growing bicycle segment in the United States, but regulators are still grappling with how to treat them.
The National Park Service currently considers them motorized vehicles and bans them from most bicycle paths. But 22 states have adopted definitions that treat electric-assist bikes more or less like regular bicycles.
The so-called e-bikes are growing in popularity with cyclists including baby boomers and others who might not otherwise be able to get out on a bicycle.
The NPD Group, a market research company, says the category has shot from being almost nonexistent to raking in $144 million in sales last year. Those sales represented a 72% growth from the previous year.
Sixty-one-year-old e-bike rider Janice Goodwin in Bar Harbor, Maine, said they’re becoming more popular and regulators need to “come to reality.”
NEWS AT: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/two-wheelers/motorcycles/e-bikes-growing-in-popularity-befuddle-regulators/69956857
–from Ujjwal Dey
International Editor
Bikernet News Desk India
HORROR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE UPDATE–Timeline: Driving history of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, who is charged in Randolph crash. Zhukovskyy faces seven counts of negligent homicide in case
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
The following is a year-by-year timeline of the driving history of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the man charged with seven counts of negligent homicide in connection with a horrific crash in Randolph.
2013
April 25 – Zhukovskyy received a personal driver’s license in Massachusetts.
June 16 – Zhukovskyy received a violation for operating under the influence of liquor. He served suspensions and attended education classes for this violation, including a youth alcohol program, since he was under the age of 21 at the time.
2017
Zhukovskyy pleaded guilty to drug possession in Massachusetts.
2018
Aug. 3 – Zhukovskyy received his commercial driver’s license in Massachusetts.
2019
Feb.11 – Zhukovskyy was arrested in Baytown, Texas. He was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
May 11 – Arrested on OUI charge in Connecticut. He refused a chemical test, which should have led to the suspension of his driver’s licenses in Massachusetts, officials said.
May 29 – Connecticut officials put information about the charge into a state-to-state computer system. Not enough information was entered to automatically trigger the suspension of his driver’s license, said Massachusetts officials, requiring a manual review of his status as a driver in Massachusetts. As of June 23, the review had not yet been done. Connecticut officials reviewed their process and believe all information was input correctly.
June 3 – Zhukovskyy was involved in a crash in Baytown, Texas. Officials said he was driving a Mack truck hauling a trailer with cars on an interstate when it flipped on its side after hitting a guardrail.
Investigators said Zhukovskyy claimed he overcorrected after a car cut him off. He was not cited in the crash.
June 21 – Zhukovskyy was driving a 2016 Dodge pickup truck that crashed into a group of motorcyclists on Route 2 in Randolph, killing seven people and injuring three others.
June 23 – Authorities identified the seven people killed in the crash.
June 24 – Zhukovskyy was charged with seven counts of negligent homicide in connection with the crash.
June 25 – Not-guilty pleas were entered for Zhukovskyy on all seven counts.
In addition, the head of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, Erin Deveny, resigned after learning Zhukovskyy’s license should have been suspended following the OUI charge in Connecticut.
June 26 – WMUR learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials placed a detainer on Zhukovskyy for after the criminal proceedings conclude.
By KC Downey, CNN
©2019, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WMUR-TV. Privacy NoticeYour California Privacy RightsInterest-Based AdsTerms of UseSite Map
–from Paul Cote
I have been in touch Paul daily since this happened. He and some others are going to a safety meeting today.
A lot of people around the country are upset over this and want to see some changes made.
Not sure what can be done on the safety end but more education and awareness is definitely coming into play.
Enforcing some of the current laws is being pushed as well as increasing penalties.
A example is currently in Florida, if there is a collision and no drugs or alcohol involved the fine for the person is usually around $150.00 with maybe driver training thrown in.
We are talking to people to add to that and add a higher penalty, if there is a injury and a even higher on if there is a death.
A lot of details have to be worked out, but changes do have to be made.
Do not know what we can do about DUI or Driving Stoned. We are asking motorcyclist what changes they would like and if they want to be involved.
We bring things before legislators and try to get them to work with us.
Meetings with some of them have happened and will with others as we have more details worked out.
–Rogue
Senior Editor Supreme
Bikernet.com™
Founder
BikerLivesMatter.com
RODDER’S JOURNAL SWAP MEET–
Summer is here, and we’re hosting our first-ever Rodder’s Journal Swap Meet. Rather than posting up in a parking lot somewhere, we’re bringing the sale to you.
As you can imagine, we found a whole lot of rare, strange and long-sold-out stuff while clearing out our old building in South San Francisco. Now that we’ve moved into our Richmond headquarters, we feel that now is the perfect time to give you, our loyal readers, the first crack at our findings.
So, what did we dig up? Collectible issues going all the way back to TRJ #1, classic posters, calendars and much more. To make shopping a little easier, we’ve compiled all the previously sold-out treasures in one place. Supplies are very limited.
When they’re gone, they’re gone.
If that’s not enough, we’re also offering 20% off storewide (including items in the Swap Meet). Just use the code SUMMER20 at checkout online or over the phone. The sale runs until Sunday June 30th at 11:59 p.m. East Coast time.
To place an order, click the box above or give us a call at (800) 750-9550 in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean or (804) 496-6906 internationally.
Cheers!
Your Friends at The Rodder’s Journal
P.S. Have a question? Feel free to call our office or check out our Swap Meet FAQ page.
QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— A Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $10,000,000.00.
His bookkeeper is deaf. That was the reason he got the job in the first place.
It was assumed that Guido would hear nothing so he would not have to testify in court.
When the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $10 million, he takes along his lawyer who knows sign language.
The Godfather tells the lawyer, “Ask him where the money is!”
The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido , Where’s the money?
Guido signs back, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
The lawyer tells the Godfather, “He says he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to Guido’s head and says, “Ask him again or I’ll kill him!”
The lawyer signs to Guido , “He’ll kill you if you don’t tell him.”
Guido trembles and signs, “OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno s house.
The Godfather asks the lawyer,
“What did he say?”
The lawyer replies,
“He says fuck you, you don’t have the balls to pull the trigger.”
Don’t you just love lawyers?
–from El Waggs
GORMAN ART EXHIBIT
Manhattan Athletic Club
277 Park Avenue – 2nd Floor (Enter on 48th and Lexington | NYC
REVIEW OF THE WEEK–
In case you missed this. Just watched it on Amazon. (Or free on CNN with commercials). Phenomenal.
Ride Forever,
–Andreas
https://www.cnncreativemarketing.com/project/apollo11/
Costa Rica Has Banned Styrofoam — A Major Win for the Environment
Fines for using styrofoam range from about $760 to $7,600.
After rolling out a national strategy to drastically reduce plastic use by 2021 last year, Costa Rica is now taking its environmental protection efforts a step further by banning the use of styrofoam containers.
The new legislation, signed on Thursday, prohibits the import, marketing, and distribution of polystyrene containers — commonly referred to as styrofoam — throughout the country.
The legislation will go into effect in 24 months after it is officially published in the government newsletter, La Gaceta. The legislation is now awaiting President Carlos Alvarado’s signature, and then will be sent to the national printer for publication in La Gaceta.
Fines for violations range from $763 (446,200Costa Rican Colon) to $7,629 (4.46 million Costa Rican Colon). The government is required to aid companies in adapting to environmentally friendly containers before the law is fully enforced.
“This initiative is a giant step for public health, the environment, and the economy of the country because styrofoam generates great pollution,” said legislator Paola Vega.
Plastic is a major environmental pollutant in Costa Rica which accounts for only 0.03% of the earth’s surface but contains 6% of the world’s biodiversity. To preserve one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, plastic waste and other forms of pollution have to be controlled and kept in check.
In an effort to significantly reduce plastic pollution, President Alvarado ordered the restriction of the use of plastics in all the country’s public institutions last year. According to the guidelines set by the president, public school cafeterias, health system institutions, and prisons should avoid single-use plastics such as dishes, disposable cups, and cutlery.
Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, is one of the most widely used forms of plastic, mostly found in items like cups, take-out containers, and plates. Solid polystyrene is used to make everything from plastic cutlery to yogurt cups to DVD cases.
Although, styrofoam is technically recyclable, it can only be recycled if it is clean, un-dyed, and uncontaminated which is especially difficult since it is widely used to hold food.
Experts believe that it may take styrofoam anywhere between 500 and 1 million years to naturally decompose. Most of the product ultimately ends up in landfills and water bodies. Once consumed by microorganisms such as plankton or smaller fish, these contaminated particles enter the food chain, dangerously affecting our health.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health will take the responsibility of regulating the ban on styrofoam in the country and will impose sanctions if required.
White House readies final review of new mpg rules
The administration has rebuffed requests from automakers and some lawmakers to make a last-ditch effort to reach a deal with California to extend national standards after it ended talks in February. The administration plans in the coming months to finalize a dramatic rewrite of fuel efficiency standards through 2026 that would also strip California, the most populous state, which wants stricter rules to fight climate change, of the right to set its own, tougher emissions rules.
The final regulation potentially faces a multi-year legal battle that could leave automakers in limbo about future emissions and fuel efficiency requirements and ultimately decrease the number of U.S. electric vehicles offered by automakers.
At a joint five-hour hearing of two House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittees, Democrats cast the administration plan as a blow against efforts to combat climate change and a boon for oil companies. Republicans said it would reduce vehicle prices and rein in California.
The Trump administration plan aims to roll back emission standards set by former Democratic President Barack Obama. The Obama administration had made a dramatic jump in fuel efficiency requirements a key part of its climate agenda, and said it would save motorists $1.7 trillion in fuel costs over the life of the vehicles, but cost the auto industry about $200 billion over 13 years.
Earlier this month, 17 major automakers including General Motors Co, Volkswagen Group and Toyota Motor Corp. urged the White House to resume talks with California to avoid a lengthy legal battle. Automakers warn that the lack of a deal could lead to “an extended period of litigation and instability.”
The carmakers urged a compromise “midway” between the Obama-era standards that require annual decreases of about 5% in emissions and the Trump administration’s proposal. Reuters reported in April that officials expected the final rule would include a small increase in the yearly fuel efficiency requirements.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., whose district is home to many auto plants, implored officials to return to the bargaining table with California. “I am really not interested in a pissing contest between California and this administration,” she said at the hearing.
Deputy National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Heidi King was skeptical of Dingell’s idea. “I don’t know whether that would achieve the goal,” she told Dingell.
EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum said the agency was moving forward to finalize the rules “as soon as possible” after it had engaged in talks with California for about a year.
Trump administration officials argued its plan — which it says will eventually boost U.S. oil consumption by 500,000 barrels of oil daily — will save lives because it will reduce the forecasted cost of new vehicles and prod more people to sell older, less safe models. Environmentalists and others disagree.
Representative Frank Pallone, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, called the Obama standards “our single most important action taken to combat climate change.”
“So, naturally, the Trump administration is trying to gut those standards as part of its reckless anti-climate agenda,” he said.
‘We like big things’
Republicans cast the issue as a divide between rural areas that use more trucks and urban areas where people are more likely to buy electric vehicles.
“We like big things. We like big trucks. We like big engines,” said Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., whose district covers a heavily rural swath of the eastern part of the state.
The Obama-era rules called for a fleetwide fuel efficiency average of 46.7 miles per gallon by 2026, compared with 37 mpg under the Trump administration’s preferred option.
Mary Nichols, who heads the California Air Resources Board, told lawmakers Thursday the Trump proposal will cost Americans millions in fuel costs, kill jobs, add smog, undermine the auto industry and worsen the climate crisis.
“We have been open to accommodations that would adjust compliance timing and flexibility, that would create new paths to promote innovative technologies and zero emission vehicles, and that would benefit the public,” she said.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a letter to lawmakers on Thursday that California did not negotiate in good faith and said Nichols’s written testimony was “false” — a claim she strongly denied.
NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION AND
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
Come watch NIGHT of DESTRUCTION presented by LKQ Pick Your Part featuring Irwindale Speedway’s famous FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW! Also, LKQ Pick Your Part Late Model TWIN 50’s, Tucker Tire Enduros, Figure 8’s, Skid Plate Racing, a Jet Car Burndown, and the fan favorite Demolition Trailer Race!!
Event ticket sales are currently on record pace, so make sure to pre-order your tickets now while they are still available!!!
[page break]
MONTE MORE ART NEWS–This week I had the opportunity to share my artwork for some worthy causes and that pleased me as I feel it’s important for artists to share their creations when possible to philanthropic endeavors.
It gives me more satisfaction to be able to contribute in this manner rather than just reaching into my pocket to give, as I still get the enjoyment of creating something that brings others joy and that they can purchase, while also providing a donation to a worthy cause.
“The Master” is my newest creation, and was created for the San Diego Comic-Con Museum fundraiser. It will be auctioned off during the event in July to support that organization. Recent purchases of my bronze “King of the Rockies” sculpture have brought me happiness as every sale of that piece also benefits the Alumni Association at my alma mater, Colorado State University.
It doesn’t take much to give…and it certainly shouldn’t matter how much a person can give whether it be their resources or their valuable time…but it always feels good to give when you can. Thank you to all who receive this newsletter to who give of themselves when they can, this is one of the best things we can do for each other.
The Moore we give, the better! – BAM! Monte – #ExpectMoore
Elon Musk foretells future– Tesla boss hints at collapse in human population by 2050
Musk also shared a Wikipedia link to an article titled, “Projections of population growth”.
SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s grim forecast of humanity suggests that a “population bomb” would lead to a worldwide collapse in humans in the coming decades and everybody would start to see the evident effects by 2050.
Musk’s prediction was triggered by a tweet from a page called World of Engineering that said: “1950 (historical) world population – 2,556,000,053. Current world population – 7,712,343,478. 2050 (projected) world population – 9,346,399,468.”
Replying to that tweet on Friday Musk wrote: “Real issue will be an ageing and declining world population by 2050, *not* overpopulation.”
Musk also shared a Wikipedia link to an article titled, “Projections of population growth”.
“Yes, demographics, stratified by age, will look like an upside down pyramid with many old people and fewer young,” the multi-billionaire entrepreneur wrote further.
The SpaceX CEO’s theory believes that when an increasingly-elderly global population clashes with declining birth rates around the world in the near future a ‘population bomb’ would go off, web portal Futurism reported.
Musk first broached the topic back in 2017 when Musk replied to a publication saying, “The world’s population is accelerating towards collapse, but few seem to notice or care.”
NEWS AT: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/elon-musk-foretells-future-tesla-boss-hints-at-collapse-in-human-population-by-2050/69911189
–from Ujjwal Dey
Certified Fortune Teller
Bikernet News Bureau India
IT’S STILL OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— LIFE IS SHORT, SO DRINK THE GOOD WINE FIRST
I talked with a homeless man this morning and asked him how he
ended up this way .
He said, “Up until last week, I still had it all.
I had plenty to eat, my clothes were washed and pressed,
I had a roof over my head,
I had HDTV and Internet,
and I went to the gym, the pool, and the library.
I was working on my MBA on-line.
I had no bills and no debt.
I even had full medical coverage.”
I felt sorry for him, so I asked, “What happened? Drugs?
Alcohol? Divorce?”
“Oh no, nothing like that,” he said. “No, no…”
“I was paroled”.
–from Joe Teresi
BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
SAFETY VS. FREEDOM BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for June 20, 2019
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/SAFETY_VS_FREEDOM_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_June_20_2019.aspx
Easyriders not covering events? Looks like the end is near? Been reading them since ‘75, not as good as they used to be, but I still dig it.. Kinda sad.
–Mike
mikethestealth@hotmail.com
charlotte, nc
Michael Lichter met with one of the partners, while in Los Angeles for Born Free. He didn’t know Mike or his work. Elements started to focus about the partner group and their intentions. Not sure what’s real and what is not, but we’ll keep you posted.–Bandit
NEWS FROM THE DIME BAG HEADQUARTERS— Good morning bro, I sent Jon Towles a message on Facebook few weeks ago to do the logo. I never heard back from him. I believe I sent it to the right Jon.
So, I am working on an idea in my head for a retro pop art with some western flavor into the DimeBag logo.
I completed some hand-tooled leather wallets featuring original Knucklehead and Panhead tank emblems. People really dig them. I stocked my online store www.adamcroftleather.bigcartel.com with plenty to choose from. I am also now getting custom orders for these wallets. Thanks for your help.
More bicycle restorations coming! If you are a vintage collector of American factory made bikes from 1800s to 1979 bicycles and need top notch restoration, original restorations or original restorations with complete polished chrome and mild modifications like this 1969 Schwinn Bantam, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. This one was completed here at Vintage American Cycles.
Follow my work on Instagram @therealadamcroftleather and @vintageamericancycles
Call/text pictures to 309-532-5081 or email extraordinaryartist01@yahoo.com to get quotes for handmade leather motorcycle seats and V.A.C bicycle restorations.
–Adam Croft Leather
Vintage American Cycles
DimeBag Leather Wallets
THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS OPEN FOR LUNCH— A man owned a small ranch near Great Falls, Montana. The Montana Labor Department got a tip that he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an investigator out to interview him.
“I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,” demanded the investigator.
“Well,” replied the rancher, “there’s my ranch hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $1200 a week plus free room and board.”
“The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $1000 per week plus free room and board.”
“Then there’s the half-wit. He works about 18 hours every day, with no days off, and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week and pays his own room and board.”
“But, I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night, and he also sleeps with my wife occasionally.”
“That’s the guy I want to talk to… the half-wit,” says the investigator.
“You’re talking to him,” replied the rancher.
–from Sam Burns
NEWS FROM 5-BALL LEATHERS—We softened the leather on all of our Jak shirts and added collars to the full sleeve Jak shirts.
We just received a new order and they are already sold out. Check out all of our leathers right here.
Remember the Bandit’s Bedroll? We are thinking about making them out of leather. Hang on for the next report.
–Bandit
LIFESTYLE DEAL OF THE WEEK–
2017 Harley-Davidson FXDLS – Low Rider S
ONLY $20,995.00
See it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=7266381
This is a rare and hard to find, very fast, and very beautiful Dyna with some cool extras and low miles. Just 12,384.
If you want to make it tough on your buddies to keep up and look good doing it, this one is for you!
Stripped down, yet stuffed with the largest engine that Haley puts in a motorcycle and a laundry list of features previously reserved for CVO editions, this new dark custom was created for the next generation Harley-Davidson owner. Harley listened to what customers wanted– everything and nothing at the same time. Welcome to the dark side.
With a bigger motor, blackened fork tubes, and anything else that is normally chrome on a Harley, the Low Rider S also gets Vivid Black Ram air treatment, a speed screen and magnum gold painted 5 split-spoke wheels and trim pieces.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT INCLUDE:
This one with Vance & Hines 2:1 black exhaust. It also has a short vivid black sissy bar. Vivid Black paint is like new and has a black powder console.
Vivid Black pullback bars on 8″ risers, Memphis quarter fairing, black mirrors, levers, blinkers, switch housings, and daymaker headlamp.
The fork is chrome (also the push-rod tubes) but that is about it. The fork lowers are vivid Black and sit on magnum gold painted 5 split-spoke wheels and trim pieces that really make this bike POP.
It has a beefy Screaming Eagle black 110 motor with the machine cut fin edges. It has ABS braking system. Vivid Black 90* Ram air with cone filter and sock, and battery case with a black powder strap. Black powder trans, rocker covers, and cam with ‘Twin Cam’ cover.
Black powder chain guard, primary and vivid black derby cover. Vivid black exposed adjustable shocks, shift / brake arms and peg mounts. Even the kickstand is black. A solo seat and side license plate with rear LED stop / turn / tail blinkers in red.
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 101 point safety and mechanical inspection and comes with Lifestyles 90 day/1,000 mile limited warranty. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON–
demur
[dih-mur]
verb (used without object)
1.
to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object: They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred.
noun
1.
the act of making objection.
— Michael Specter, “Inherit the Wind,” The New Yorker, May 13, 2013
MORE FROM THE HORROR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE-– The pick-up truck driver that killed the seven Jarheads MC members and supporters was finally charged. Drugs were confiscated from his home as well. Rather than focusing on this piece of crap, though, maybe instead support the families that were affected:
https://www.gofundme.com/jarheads-mc-victims-and-families-s…
From Marjorie Kleiman
https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/06/volodoymyr-zhukovskyy-of-west-springfield-identified-as-driver-of-truck-that-hit-motorcyclists-in-randolph-new-hampshire-killing-7.html
· Angel Rose Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, of Springfield, is slated to be arraigned Mondaysc in Springfield District Court on charges including seven counts of negligent homicide and being a fugitive from justice, according to a joint press release issued by Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young, Coos County Attorney John McCormick, and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Christopher J. Wagner.
–Rogue
Senior Editor
Bikernet.com ™
SLINGSHOT TO MAUI–Subject: Polaris Invites You To Maui
Today, Slingshot is kicking off its season-long Summer of Fun with a consumer sweepstakes that encourages consumers to enjoy the summer roads in a Slingshot! As the “official vehicle of summer fun,” Slingshot will award two grand prize winners with a once-in-a-lifetime driving experience on the Road to Hana in Maui, Hawaii.
Running throughout summer, from June 21 until September 22, consumers have three unique and fun ways to enter the sweepstakes. Entrants can test drive a Slingshot, rent a Slingshot, or share their experience in a Slingshot on social media.
To test drive, entrants should go to their favorite Polaris Slingshot dealership. Alternatively, entrants can experience all the fun Slingshot has to offer by renting one through a Polaris Adventures Outfitter, which are located around the country. As an added bonus, Slingshot owners who showcase their Summer of Fun by posting videos and photos to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and include the hashtag #SlingshotSummerFun will be entered for a chance to win a trip to Maui.
–Filip
SALT TORPEDO UPDATE—Air Tech fiberglass fenders arrived.
I’m not sure what spindles you are using but if they have any mounts on them for a drum backing plate or caliper mounts you can mount them there… I ran a bracket straight down from there to a hoop that went completely around the bottom edge of the glass pants..
I made this hoop out of 1/2 round metal so it gave a nice radius finish at the bottom.. on the outside of the wheel and inside of the pants, I ran another flat strap straight up from that bottom support hoop to the spindle center bearing castle nut… I took an old castle nut and welded a stub of 3/4 tubing on it and then welded a 1/4-20 nut inside the other end of the metal stub, then cranked that assembly onto the remaining threads onto the spindle….
Now, I could drill a hole through the outside of the pants so a support screw would go through the pants, through the flat strap coming up from the bottom edge hoop and thread into the spindle nut stub and keep the outside of the pants from dancing around..
So now, you have supports on the inside at the spindle flange and outside the wheel at the center spindle nut…
Hope you can understand this….
–Kent
Team Airtech
All prices in USD. All parts are made to order.
Current production lead time: 4 weeks.
CHOW HALL OF THE WEEK--We just shot The River Run ride we stopped at a Kick ass burger spot, rode all the way to the Mississippi to The Iron Horse Social Club and then all the way back to a Kick ass fried chicken place.
https://youtu.be/aodxb0ly_Ms
–BikerDude
[page break]
NEW AMCA MAGAZINE OUT NOW–
If you’re a New Member or a recently renewed member whose membership expired before June 1st, your first (next) printed issue will be the following issue but please enjoy this digital issue this month by joining and going to the AMCA web site.
For those in the U.S. you will receive your printed copy within days, or may have already received it. Members in Canada and Mexico in a week or so and overseas in several weeks. That’s the main reason for this email. Regardless of your postal worker’s speed, everyone gets this version at the same time.
The digital edition is an invaluable tool for members who want to find a story from an old magazine. As new magazines are posted, we are building up an archive of past issues you can refer to anytime, without fumbling through that stack of printed magazines in the corner of your shop.
All you’ll need to take advantage of this wonderful benefit is your AMCA number and your last name. Just fill in that information on the login page and start reading.
In the July / August issue, you’ll get:
A first-person account of the Cherokee Chapter’s National Road Run through the scenic Texas Hill Country.
A closeup look at some of the historic machines on display at the Perkiomen Chapter National Meet in Oley, Pennsylvania.
The story behind a remarkable German motorcycle design from the 1930s that ended up serving as the basis for machines built by Harley-Davidson and BSA.
Plus much more
THE SHANNON REPORT-– Bandit, how ya been doin’, man? I’m slowly getting better after my last operation. Please don’t think I’m complaining, I’m not. I know that it could always be worse!
The movie “Born To Ride”, is that the movie that you started writing back in the ‘90s when you were editor of ‘EASYRIDERS’? Regardless, I think it’s a damn good movie!
How do you like the first issue of the relaunch of ‘CHOPPERS’ magazine? I think it’s a great issue. If Cary can keep the formula of the first issue going he should be successful. That’s all for now.
–Shannon
Hey Shannon, I didn’t write “Born to Ride,” but I did play a roll. It was an amazing experience. Yes, I’ve seen Choppers Magazine and it’s cool. Let’s see how he does with it. I believe he’s trying to keep it real.—Bandit
THE PRESIDENT WRITES TO BEV NESS—He took the time to write Bev about Arlen’s passing.
Alan Alvarez showed me this letter, while we were celebrating JIMS retirement. I thought it was worth sharing.
–Bandit
CLIMATE DEPOT WEATHER REPORT–Now 20 years with no trend in ice breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay polar bears
Now 20 years with no trend in ice breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay polar bears.
Straight from the horse’s mouth: all polar bear females tagged by researchers around Churchill in Western Hudson Bay last year were still on the ice as of 25 June.
With plenty of ice still remaining over the bay, spring breakup will be no earlier this year than it has been since 1999. Contrary to predictions of ever-declining ice cover, the lack of a trend in sea ice breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay is now twenty years long (a hiatus, if you will) and yet these bears are repeatedly claimed to have been seriously harmed in recent years by a loss of sea ice.
In fact, WH bears have faced relatively few ‘early’ years of sea ice breakup and breakup has never come before the 15th of June. The earliest recent spring breakup date did not come in 2012 – when sea ice hit a summer record low – but in 1999, when Hudson Bay sea ice suddenly began to melt by late June rather than mid-July (Cherry et al. 2013; Castro de la Guardia et al. 2017; Lunn et al. 2016). And this year, as has been the case since 1999, breakup looks to be about two weeks later (give or take a week or so, at around 1 July), than was the case in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In other words, there has been no escalation of breakup dates since 1999: there has been no declining trend in breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay polar bears for 20 years (and no trend in fall freeze-up dates either).
UPDATE 26 June 2019: Here is the latest sea ice chart for the week of 24 June 2019 from the Canadian Ice Service (all that dark green is thick first year ice >1 m thick):
Hudson Bay weekly stage of development 2019 June 24
“While it is certainly true that the overall trend in time onshore since 1979 has been decline, the lack of a continued trend since 2001 is not what was expected or predicted, especially given the marked decline in global sea ice levels that occurred from 2007-2015 (Crockford 2017), and the predictions of how devastating such low levels of ice would be to polar bears in areas like Hudson Bay that have only seasonal sea ice.”
Last year, virtually all bears that come off the ice around Churchill had arrived by the third week of July last year (16th-22nd). However, many more would have come ashore later than that in areas further south along the coast and perhaps a dozen came ashore around Arviat to the north as early as late May, long before it was necessary due to ice conditions on the bay.
Most bears leave the ice well after the official ‘breakup’ date, however that is defined. Cherry and colleagues (2013) studied WHB bears between 1991 and 2009 and stated:
“Throughout the study, bears arrived ashore a mean of 28.3 days (S.E. = 1.8) after 30% ice cover…”
That’s important to remember – just because that arbitrary sea ice coverage has been reached, the bears leave the ice when they are good and ready. Sometimes WH bears leave well before they really need to go ashore (as a few did last year in the NW sector as noted above), but on average, they stay about four weeks after the official sea ice ‘breakup’ point is reached. Most of the population leaves the ice well south of Churchill, so the date that Churchill bears come ashore is often earlier than average.
References
Castro de la Guardia, L., Myers, P.G., Derocher, A.E., Lunn, N.J., Terwisscha van Scheltinga, A.D. 2017. Sea ice cycle in western Hudson Bay, Canada, from a polar bear perspective. Marine Ecology Progress Series 564: 225–233. http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v564/p225-233/
Cherry, S.G., Derocher, A.E., Thiemann, G.W., Lunn, N.J. 2013. Migration phenology and seasonal fidelity of an Arctic marine predator in relation to sea ice dynamics. Journal of Animal Ecology 82:912-921. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12050/abstract
Crockford, S.J. 2017. Testing the hypothesis that routine sea ice coverage of 3-5 mkm2 results in a greater than 30% decline in population size of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). PeerJ Preprints 19 January 2017. Doi: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.2737v1 Open access. https://peerj.com/preprints/2737/
Lunn, N.J., Servanty, S., Regehr, E.V., Converse, S.J., Richardson, E. and Stirling, I. 2016. Demography of an apex predator at the edge of its range – impacts of changing sea ice on polar bears in Hudson Bay. Ecological Applications, in press. DOI: 10.1890/15-1256
US cities are joining forces to figure out what the hell to do with all these scooters–
After being caught flat-footed, cities are pushing back against scooter companies
By Andrew J. Hawkins
Scooter sharing caught cities flat-footed. This is not in dispute. But now cities are pushing back and trying to get organized, banding together to form a new coalition to figure out what the hell to do with all these electric doohickeys littered across their streets.
The Open Mobility Foundation, which is what the coalition is called, already has a long list of goals: improving safety; making sure dockless vehicles are equitably distributed across cities; ensuring scooters aren’t blocking the sidewalks or generally effecting the quality of life in cities; analyzing terabytes of data produced by scooters; and guaranteeing the privacy of scooter riders is protected.
That last one is going to be a bit sticky, given the agency spearheading this new foundation is the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
In case you don’t remember, LADOT created a digital tool called the Mobility Data Specification (MDS), to help cities manage all the scooter and bike-share companies hitting their streets. It uses location data from scooters and bikes to inform transportation policy, such as where to place bike lanes, as well as enforcement actions, like which company’s customers aren’t following the rules of the road. Reportedly, the data would not be shared with police without a warrant, would not contain personal identifiers, and would not be subject to public records requests.
“IT’S GOING TO BE A SCOOTER, IT’S GOING TO BE A POD, IT’S GOING TO BE A JETPACK”
Unsurprisingly, cities love MDS — it has since spread to 50 cities across the US and a dozen around the globe — but the scooter and bike companies weren’t thrilled. Uber, which owns the dockless scooter and bike company Jump, said it would lead to “an unprecedented level of surveillance” and vowed to stop it. (A state bill that would preempt cities from regulating micromobility companies, blocking the use of MDS, is currently being debated in the California state legislature.)
MDS is the brainchild of Seleta Reynolds, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s general manager. As more cities adopt MDS as a crucial tool in managing micromobility companies, the foundation can help create some consistency around its use — because today’s scooters can quickly turn into tomorrow’s something-else-entirely.
“That business model, where on-demand mobility is available through your smartphone, the form factor is going to keep changing,” Reynolds told The Verge. “It’s going to be a scooter, it’s going to be a pod, it’s going to be a jetpack, it’s going to be whatever it’s going to be… one of the core pieces of MDS is how do you build something that can work for whatever the next device is, whether it’s something that moves on the ground or in the sky?”
And with huge tech companies lobbying governments to prevent cities from collecting these data points, she realized that “formalizing the governance structure was important to protect it, because it is the seed right now. And we have a vision for where we think it could go.”
The Open Mobility Foundation counts among its founding members Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami-Dade County, Minneapolis, New York City (both the Department of Transportation and the Taxi and Limousine Commission), Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Monica, Seattle, and Washington, DC. It is being co-founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, and will be advised by the NewCities Foundation.
Reynolds acknowledged that data collection and privacy will be a “day-one work of the foundation and probably a forever work of the foundation.” LADOT published its own privacy principles as it relates to its collection of scooter location data, and Reynolds says part of the foundation’s efforts will be to hold scooter companies to those same principles.
“We’re going to collect the bare minimum amount of data that we need, we’re going to apply aggregation and minimization techniques to it, we’re not going to store it for longer than we need it,” she said.
Currently, there are a patchwork of rules across the country related to management and operation of dockless scooter companies — and they seem to be changing every week.
Nashville just announced that it was banning electric scooters after a man with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system was killed while riding a scooter. Uber pulled its Jump bikes and scooters from San Antonio, Texas, recently after the city proposed changes that would cut its fleet in half. One of the last major holdouts, New York state, recently legalized electric scooters, but will allow cities to write their own rules for scooter companies to follow.
As cities get organized, the scooter companies may find themselves subject to more rules and more enforcement. That might be a drag, especially for those who believe that scooters can get more people out of cars and help solve the last mile challenge.
Reynolds sees MDS and the Open Mobility Foundation as an opportunity for cities to share best practices, but also hear from the micromobility companies about their concerns. It’s important to get talking, she says, before the scooters all turn into jetpacks.
BELTS VS. CHAINS—This issue came up a few months ago. Jeremiah wasn’t impressed with his brothers installing chains on their Dynas.
But last week he found himself almost stuck in Hollywood, after his 10-year-old battered belt nearly gave up the ghost. The teeth were crushed under hard-riding abuse and hole-shots. The belt still got him home. He replaced it through J&P.
–Bandit
ABATE of Washington 41st annual Spring Opener, June 27-30–Spring Opener is held at Silver Ridge Ranch in Easton, Washington, which is seventy miles east of Seattle off I-90. Take Exit 70, follow the bikes and you’ll find us just two minutes down the road.
Gates open at Noon on Thursday. There are plenty of places to pitch a tent or park your RV; the campsites range from wooded settings to large open fields. The main hub of activity takes place around a grassy amphitheater referred to as “the bowl” where a variety of vendors will line the upper outer perimeter selling everything from leather, jewelry, t-shirts and airbrushing, to tattooing, pins & patches, sewing & leather repair, and more!
Plus there will be a couple of food vendors on hand offering the biker crowd an assortment of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS—As I often say behind a bottle of whiskey. “Time will tell and shit will smell,” as told to me by a Richmond Hells Angel when I was a prospect.
Life is changing fast and in many respects I don’t like the business formula thrust on us by many companies. I try to keep Bandit’s Cantina and Bikernet simple and to the point, no games.
We just want to ride and write into the future and make it to Bonneville this year. I’m looking for a trailer now, to haul the Salt Torpedo.
I need to get back downstairs and start welding. Let’s hope for starting final assembly Monday. And to paint with the body by the end of next week.
Have a terrific 4th of July!
In the meantime, ride Fast and Free Forever!
–Bandit
New York: Study Finds Red Light Cameras Increased Accidents
By Bandit | | General Posts
There were more accidents after red light cameras were installed in Suffolk County, New York, according to a report released by the city last week. Researchers found intersections had been much safer before the arrival of red light cameras.
“The number of total crashes at the 100 active red light camera locations increased by 59.6 percent, from 3515 to 5612, between the two study periods examined in this study,” the report concluded.
Suffolk began using automated ticketing machines in 2009, and now a private company operates the devices at 100 intersections. The study reviewed crashes at these locations in the before period of 2007 to 2009 and compared them with the after period of 2015 to 2017. The study also looked at an extra eighteen camera intersections that were in use from 2010 to 2013, but were removed by 2015 to 2017, allowing an extra comparison of “deactivated” locations during the after period. The study analyzed a total of 13,365 crash reports in which relevant accidents were defined as those happening within 200 feet of the centerpoint of the intersection.
Countywide, accidents jumped 12 percent from the before period to the after period at all intersections, outstripping the 2.7 percent growth in county population. The analysis used this figure to adjust camera intersection performance as increasing the total number of accidents by 42 percent over what happened at camera-free locations.
The study’s authors highlighted a projected reduction in fatal and injury crashes at camera intersections as evidence that the cameras were worth keeping. The actual number of fatalities, however, was unchanged, and the study admitted “there is no definitive way to prove causality.”
“Since fatal crashes are rare occurrences, statistical relationships and specific projections of increases or decreases in the number of fatal crashes are difficult to forecast,” the report noted. “A single crash has the potential to influence any attempt at assigning trends to rates of fatal crash occurence of any but the most general kind.”
Fifteen individual photo enforced intersections did see higher fatal and injury accidents during the after period. Researchers looked closely at each intersection and were unable to come up for an explanation for the departure from the overall accident trend, except for two locations where increased development increased traffic.
Given the results, the study called for a continuation of the red light camera program. In 2017, Suffolk County Legislators Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) pointed to the massive increase in rear end and total collisions and blasted the county government for rigging data to favor continuation of the camera program.
A copy of the full report is available in a 4mb PDF file at the source link below.
Source: Countywide Review Of Red Light Camera Program (Suffolk County, New York, 6/20/2019)
5-Ball Racing looking for a Salt Torpedo Trailer
By Bandit | | General Posts
We need a trailer for Bonneville this year. It needs to be about 12-feet long. A brother is also looking for a 2-bike trailer in the Southern California area. Let me know if you run across anything.
Thanks,
–Bandit
Bandit@bikernet.com
Harley Finally Unveils New 338cc Modern-Retro Model For 2020
By Bandit | | General Posts
The Bar and Shield Brand reveals its new small-displacement model for the Asian markets born out of a joint effort with established Chinese make, Qianjiang.
A few weeks ago we caught word that Harley-Davidson was working on a new, sub-500cc model slated for the Asian market by the end of 2020. Today the MoCo officially announced the forthcoming model will have a 338cc displacement, and it revealed concept renderings of what the bike will supposedly look like. This announcement is the latest in what the iconic American marque is calling its “More Roads To Harley-Davidson” initiative, which aims to expand and diversify its product lineup in an effort to tap into a new rider base over the coming decade.
Hardly-A-Davidson
Back in the ‘60s small-displacement motorcycle sales were on the rise — a far cry from the heavy, big-bore V-Twins being made by Harley. In order to nab a piece of this lucrative emerging segment, Harley-Davidson purchased a 50% stake in Aermacchi, an Italian firm that produced small-displacement motorcycles and scooters (though Harley later purchased the rest of the company in the ‘70s before it was sold to Cagiva in ’78).
This move enabled Harley to start selling small-displacement Aermacchi models rebadged as Harley-Davidson’s, without having to develop a new model from scratch. Fast-forward more-than-half-a-century to today, and Harley is finding itself in a similar dilemma, that it aims to solve in more or less the same way.
Qianjiang To The Rescue
This time around the MoCo is joining forces with Qianjiang Motorcycle Company Limited, a powerhouse of a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, and the force behind the Benelli, Keeway, and KSR two-wheeler brands. Qianjiang itself is majority-controlled by the Geely Technology Group, which also owns (or has major stakes in) big-name auto outfits like Volvo and Lotus.
As one of the three largest motorcycle/scooter manufacturers in all of China, Qianjiang already has a well-established dealer and marketing network in its native Asia (not to mention some very deep pockets) making the Chinese operation an ideal fit for a foreign company hoping to tap into the Asian market.
A Smaller Piece Of A Bigger Market
The Asian motorcycle market is currently the largest in the world, and with the vast majority of units sold being small (sub-500cc) offerings, Harley’s hopes its new collaborative project with Qianjiang will allow it to tap into that market. Harley has announced it’s aiming for a model release in the Chinese market by the end of 2020. While thus far there’s been no mention as to whether or not Harley plans on releasing the small-bore model in Europe or North America, it’s hard to imagine the company wouldn’t want to capitalize on the research and development already poured into the new model by eventually releasing it to the Western markets.
The 20.6ci displacement also suggests that us North Americans can expect to eventually see the new modern-retro in US and Canadian dealerships. While 300-400cc offerings may be the standard entry-level size in the Western world, that doesn’t mean it’s viewed the same way in Asia, where 400’s aren’t seen as small. The 338cc bore certainly appears to be a compromise of sorts, the result of finding a balance between being small enough to generate satisfactory sales in Asia, while being large enough to compete with the Rebel 300’s, Duke 390’s, and Ninja 400’s.
Comanchero gang raids: Police want quick sale of luxury cars and Harley-Davidsons Edward Gay
By Bandit | | General Posts
The Commissioner of Police wants to sell luxury cars and Harley-Davidson motorbikes belonging to members of the Comanchero gang.
A Rolls Royce, three Land Rovers and five Harley-Davidson motorbikes were among $3.7 million assets seized by detectives during raids in April.
Police arrested six people in the raids that took place across Auckland.
As well as gang associates, police also charged a lawyer and an accountant, alleging they had helped the gang.
The police used the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act to freeze assets belonging to the men which are now subject to court orders.
Under the legislation, if the Commissioner of Police can prove the cars and bikes were bought with money made from selling methamphetamine, the assets can be sold and the Government will keep the money.
The case was called at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday where Crown prosecutor David Wiseman represented the Police Commissioner.
Wiseman said the Commissioner wants the vehicles sold now because they are losing value.
Money made from the sales would be held by the Official Assignee before a hearing takes place to determine if the cars and other assets were bought with drug money.
Defence lawyer Harrison Smith is part of the legal team that represents Comanchero president Pasilika Naufahu and other Comanchero associates.
He said some of his clients are being held in prison and getting instructions from them is proving difficult.
Justice Mark Woolford adjourned the case for a further two weeks to allow Smith to talk to his clients.
The hearing on Wednesday also heard details of other assets seized by the police.
The lawyer charged with money laundering has had a residential address associated with him frozen.
But at Wednesday’s hearing it was revealed that the police also found over $12,000 in cash in his office desk drawer.
That too has now been frozen…
EINNEWS.com
El Diablo Flip-Flops from Biltwell
By Bandit | | General Posts
Festive Flip-Flops |
|
|
We bought approximately one million of these custom-printed flip-flops for this year’s El Diablo Run, so we’ve got a few left over. We just added them to the online store, so even if you didn’t torture your liver in Mexico, your feet can now party like the pros. Art by Russell Murchie. |
|
Paris clamps down on electric scooters as law of the jungle rules
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
More than 1,000 tickets have been issued and about 600 scooters impounded, authorities said, and a new surveillance force has been set up.
PARIS: If you’re spending time in Paris this summer and decide to check out one of the 20,000 electric scooters buzzing along its boulevards, you might want to be careful how you ride and where you end up parking.
Over the past year the city has become awash with the zippy two-wheelers, with 12 start-ups offering the chance to download an app and dash across the Seine for not much more than the cost of a metro ticket.
But the scooters’ popularity, and the relative lack of rules around their use, has prompted City Hall to impose overdue restrictions, with fines for driving them on the pavement or parking them in doorways, crosswalks and other busy places.
After two deaths and scores of injuries, residents have become increasingly vocal against the scooters, which are expected to number up to 40,000 by the end of this year.
From July 1, a spot fine of 35 euros ($40) will be levied on bad parking, while those caught on the sidewalk will be hit with a 135-euro penalty. A speed limit of 20 km/hr has been imposed across the capital.
Even before the legislation kicks in, police have been stepping up their efforts.
More than 1,000 tickets have been issued and about 600 scooters impounded, authorities said, and a new surveillance force has been set up.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has described the scooters as “anarchic”, while transport minister Elisabeth Borne told Le Parisien the city was experiencing “the law of the jungle”.
To regulate the number of scooters, City Hall has introduced a fee of 50 euros per scooter for the first 499 units, rising to 65 euros for companies operating more than 3,000. The biggest operators include Lime, Bird and Jump, operated by Uber.
Yet despite the efforts to put the squeeze on wild scooter riding, pedestrians remain sceptical.
“The fines make sense, but can we enforce them and how?,” asked Yuwei Yeh, a 47-year-old commercial retailer.
“Maybe if we use AI and cameras we can catch people, but we don’t have enough police officers and security guards to fine them, so it will only be a small portion.”
Karim Coulibaly, a 22-year-old employee with Lime said he thought the new laws would not limit the use of electric scooters, but that it was a good thing they are being moved off sidewalks and on to roads.
A representative of Bird said the company had introduced designated parking zones and had not seen a “significant” number of vehicles impounded.
SAVE BIG on Laguna-Seca SUPERBIKE championship tickets
By Bandit | | General Posts
|
Weekend Round-up for June 25, 2019
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
It’s a Mix of Madness and Metal
By Bandit with shots from Wrench and Michael Lichter, the good ones. Oh and girls from Barry Green
I rode to Camarillo to Jim’s Retirement party after having lunch with Rebecca, my 5th wife. In a world gone mad and bikers from hell roaming the city nights, it’s cool to see a solid family like Jim’s unit blossom around motorcycle parts and everything is made in America at JIMS. Mike and his son were returning to the Headquarters after the Born Free Weekend.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ROUNDUP IN THE CANTINA – Subscribe Today
A Voice Vote in Congress Moves Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Forward–SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE NMA
By Bandit | | General Posts
US House Moves To Limit Car Seizures
US House of Representatives votes unanimously to block local police from seizing cars and other property under federal rules.
The US House of Representatives decided last week to limit the federal government’s ability to work with local law enforcement to take cars away from motorists who have not been convicted of any crime. By a voice vote, lawmakers adopted an amendment to the Justice Department funding bill restoring a prohibition on “adoptive seizures” that allow local law enforcement to turn cases over to federal agents who operate with few restrictions on confiscation.
“These forfeiture options provide a loophole that helps local law enforcement evade stricter state laws — like my own in Michigan — governing civil asset forfeiture by seizing property and transferring it to federal authorities in exchange for up to 80 percent of forfeiture proceeds,” Representative Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) explained on the House floor. “For many years, I have worked in a bipartisan way to shine a light on civil asset forfeiture abuses.”
Walberg also introduced a more comprehensive civil asset forfeiture reform bill called the Fair Act, which has twelve Democratic and seven Republican cosponsors. Despite the bipartisan support, the current ideological split between the House and Senate means the only sure-fire way to pass legislation is to add it to the “must pass” end-of-year spending legislation as Walberg did last week. A coalition of conservative groups like Campaign for Liberty and the Heritage Foundation have joined with liberal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the NAACP along with non-partisan groups like the National Motorists Association to urge final passage of the funding bill with Walberg’s amendment.
“Federal law enforcement can confiscate property it seizes from individuals and businesses without ever filing criminal charges,” the coalition letter explained. “Those property owners must then navigate a legal system that is stacked against them if they are to have a chance to get their property back… Even worse, the agency taking the property typically gets to keep the proceeds, which poses an obvious financial incentive to engage in this practice.”
On July 19, 2017, then-attorney general Jeff Sessions reversed a ban on adoptive seizures that was put in place in the prior administration. Over the last five years, the Justice Department has seized 11,739 automobiles.
“Due process means the government can’t take your body, your rights, or your property without a fair process, the presumption of innocence, and the opportunity to be heard,” Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), a Fair Act cosponsor, explained. “But the lawless seizure and ‘forfeiture’ of people’s private property is now standard operating procedure in far too many police jurisdictions across the country.”
The House is expected to pass the underlying Justice Department funding bill by the end of the week.
There is still much work to be done to pass comprehensive forfeiture reform at the federal and state levels. We will keep you apprised every step of the way.
In late April, U.S. Representative Tim Walberg of Michigan introduced the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act of 2019. The proposed legislation, which would institute much of the reform for which the NMA has been lobbying, has strong bipartisan support. The FAIR Act will hold the government to a much higher standard of “clear and convincing evidence . . . that there was a substantial connection between the property and the offense” before that property could be seized. Current seizure standards allow agencies to confiscate property from a person or persons who have not been convicted, or even charged, with a crime.
Why is this important to motorists? Because those on the road have become primary targets of asset seizures in recent years. The Washington Post reported in 2014 that in the 13 years of 2001 through 2013, the government conducted nearly 62,000 seizures on the nation’s highways, resulting in the confiscation of property worth more than $2.5 billion.
That is why civil asset forfeiture reform, along with the prohibition of federal funding for state-based traffic ticket quota programs, is the focus of current NMA lobbying efforts in the halls of Congress.
Rep. Walberg has just proposed a bipartisan amendment, ordered as Amendment #97, to H.R. 3055 which is a comprehensive appropriations bill that includes FY 2020 funding for the Department of Justice. The Walberg amendment will prohibit the DOJ from using any money to undertake specific actions related to state or local civil asset forfeiture activities. This will make it harder for local law enforcement to use the federal government to bypass state laws when pursuing asset seizures.
This isn’t the final solution to reform, but it is an important step along the way. According to the Majority Leader’s office, the House will begin debate on H.R. 3055 later today. While the Walberg amendment could be debated as early as this evening, there will not be any recorded votes on the amendments to H.R. 3055 until tomorrow — Thursday June 20th — at the earliest.
The NMA has joined the Institute for Justice and the ACLU in endorsing the Walberg amendment to all members of the U.S. House. of Representatives. Because this is fast-moving, please call or email your representative today or tomorrow expressing your support of Amendment #97 to H.R. 3055.
We will keep you informed of the progress. If you haven’t already donated to the NMA’s 2019 Legislative Fundraising Campaign, please consider doing so now. The money raised will help us keep up the lobbying pressure for this reform as well as pushing through the NMA’s DETER Act which will stop the National Highway Trafic Safety Administration from funding several hundred million dollars worth of high-visibility enforcement actions every year based largely on ticketing activity.
Donations to the NMA can be made online or by calling us toll-free at 800-882-2785 weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Central.
Thank you.
Gary Biller
President