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Hey, This will be a major year coming up. Our government, truth and democracy is at stake. If you don’t want to take on the task to save the country, join the MRF, the IMA or your local motorcycle rights group and let them do the hard work. I want everyone to have a terrific News Years Celebration. Then we need to hunker down and take care of business. This year will be major… Ride Free Forever or die trying! –Bandit

Click here to read this year’s last weekly news only on Bikernet.com

Getcha Getcha……click to know more.

new fiction from Gearhead and Bandit

Late into the night on Christmas Eve, he cut a quick dusty trail on the old chopper to make it home before the dawn of Christmas day. He left the Gulf burning rubber under the sliver of a moonlit night. Hooking along a southern highway headed north, he figured about 80 miles an hour. He’d slice through 4 to 5 hours, with two gas stops.

About 200 miles into the trip, the Eastern seaboard faced a nasty blizzard push ashore. He pulled the Pan into a wet, wind-swept gas station to top her off. Cold and damp to the bone, he pulled the Santa suit out of his saddlebags. It’s all he had to enhance his layered protection.

Click here to read this adventure only on Bikernet.com

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Ohio Powers Up Consumer Choice in Vehicle Market as Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk

In a major victory for consumer freedom, the Ohio General Assembly passed SAN-supported legislation ensuring Ohioans, not the government, decide what vehicles best suit their needs. The bill, H.B. 201, prohibits any state or local government entity from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles based on their power source, including internal combustion engines (ICEs).

Following its passage through the legislature, H.B. 201 now awaits the crucial decision of Governor Mike DeWine, who will either sign it into law or issue a veto. This bill represents a significant step forward for proponents of consumer choice, who believe individuals should have the right to select the vehicle that best fits their lifestyle and budget, regardless of its fuel type. Ohioans: send a letter to Governor DeWine requesting his support for the bill!

Click here to contact your officials.

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She waited for him by the blazing fireplace, half naked on the bear skin rug. Wearing only a red garter belt and matching corset, she loved their warm rustic cabin by the lake.

Her old man worked on the rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. A true blue rough-neck just like his daddy before him, Blue was a half-blood Choctaw and English. A big man about 6 foot 4 inches, he packed muscles everywhere from working rigs all his life. His first leave in months, he readied himself to ride back to see his sweet Caroline in their cozy cabin by the lake.

He faced a 300 mile trip to the Carolinas, and his candy apple red 1964 Panhead chopper rested under an oily tarp in a rig tool shed waiting for her master. Blue painted the Panhead after the color of Caroline’s ruby red lipstick to always remember why he worked hard.

Late into the night on Christmas Eve, he cut a quick dusty trail on the old chopper to make it home before the dawn of Christmas day. He left the Gulf burning rubber under the sliver of a moonlit night. Hooking along a southern highway headed north, he figured about 80 miles an hour. He’d slice through 4 to 5 hours, with two gas stops.

About 200 miles into the trip, the Eastern seaboard faced a nasty blizzard push ashore. He pulled the Pan into a wet, wind-swept gas station to top her off. Cold and damp to the bone, he pulled the Santa suit out of his saddlebags. It’s all he had to enhance his layered protection. Slipping it on under his dripping chaps and over his 5-Ball racing leather vest, he looked the part of a weathered biker Santa.

Caroline waited patiently for the half breed Indian with anticipation. She kept the fire in the stone hearth stoked, while gazing desperately out the cabin window. Snow flurries blew sideways as blizzard conditions engulfed the coast. Suddenly scared, she wondered would Blue make it home for Christmas?

She grabbed a thick furry robe and put on some soft music by Neil Diamond. Nervously listening to his greatest hits, Caroline knelt by the frosty window and waited. Suddenly, through the roar of the winter storm winds she heard the faint rumble of fishtail pipes in the distance. Thunder claps closer and closer, she strained near the fogged glass to listen for that powerful sound in the storm.

Blue squinted through his steamed wet riding glasses and hunted for the line on the asphalt highway. About to freeze his nuts off, he peered through the sideways flying sheets of snow for her road sign giggling in the wind. What is it about love and romance, about the touch of a woman that drives a man to risk life and limb to conquer the unimaginable to be by her side?

Leather gloved hands frozen to the bars, he slid up to the thick wooden door of the cabin sideways and nearly lost control of the old Pan. Still upright, he kicked the side-stand down, shook off the snow, put on his Santa hat and stomped into to the cabin.

“Have you been a good girl this year?” Cold Blue Santa said.

“Why don’t you come down here and find out,” Caroline hauntingly whispered. The song Sweet Caroline filled the room.

If this year’s holiday discussions veer toward energy and climate issues, I’ve got you covered. Here are 25 facts that will make any honest person think twice about today’s anti-fossil-fuel narrative.

As you sit down at the dinner table this holiday season, I expect many of you will find yourselves in conversations about energy and climate with friends and family who may have come to inaccurate conclusions, in part because they are missing a lot of the relevant facts.

So, I’ve compiled 25 true, succinct, powerful facts about energy and and climate. Each “Power Fact” has significant implications and should make any honest person think twice about the anti-fossil-fuel narrative.

Together these facts show that the world needs more, not less, fossil fuels for as many people as possible to be productive, prosperous, and safe from climate—a job that cannot be done by unreliable solar and wind.

The 25 Power Facts are organized into 4 categories:

· Fossil fuels make us far safer from climate. (4 facts)

· Global fossil fuel use is increasing, and the energy-poor world needs even more to power life-saving machines. (5 facts)

· The “green” movement catastrophizes the future climate side-effects of fossil fuels, which are completely masterable. (8 facts)

· Unreliable solar and wind are not anywhere near able to replace fossil fuels. (8 facts)
Fossil fuels make us far safer from climate.

1. Annual deaths from climate-related causes (extreme temperature, drought, flood, storms, wildfires) have declined 98% over the last 100 years, even as CO2 levels have risen.¹

2. Even though Earth has gotten 1°C warmer in the last century, deaths from cold outnumber deaths from heat by 5-15x. Cold is more dangerous than heat on every continent. Even in especially hot countries such as India, cold-related deaths significantly exceed heat-related deaths.²

3. Near-term global warming is expected to decrease temperature-related mortality, avoiding more cold-related deaths than it will cause heat-related deaths—as it has over the past two decades.³

4. Despite many incentives for global climate-related damages to go up—preferences for riskier areas, government bailouts—GDP-adjusted climate-related damages are flat.⁴

Global fossil fuel use is increasing, and the energy-poor world needs even more to power life-saving machines.

5. Fossil fuel use is 80% of the world’s energy and still growing despite 100+ years of aggressive competition and 20+ years of political hostility and massive solar and wind favoritism.⁵

6. There is a desperate need for far more of the global-scale cost-effective energy that only fossil fuels can provide near-term: ⅓ of the world uses wood and animal dung for heating and cooking, and 3 billion use less electricity than a typical American refrigerator.⁶

7. Since 1980, India’s fossil fuel use has increased by >700% and China’s by >600%. In the same time frame, India’s life expectancy increased by 17 years and China’s by 14. ⁷

8. China, which uses mostly coal to produce “green” tech, has over 300 planned new coal plants designed to last over 40 years.⁸

9. Even nations with little or no fossil fuel resources have used fossil fuels to develop and prosper. E.g., South Korea (83% fossil fuels), Japan (85% fossil fuels), Singapore (99% fossil fuels).⁹

The “green” movement catastrophizes the future climate side-effects of fossil fuels, which are completely masterable.

10. Climate warming is concentrated in colder areas of the world (such as the Arctic), during colder times of day, and during colder seasons. (This means that future warming will occur more in cold situations where it saves lives than in hot situations where it causes problems.)¹⁰

11. The most extreme UN sea level rise projections are just 3 feet in 100 years. (This is a completely masterable level.) There are already 100 million people on Earth living below high-tide sea level.¹¹

12. Mainstream estimates say hurricanes will be less frequent and between 1-10% more intense at 2° C warming. (This is not at all catastrophic if we continue our fossil-fueled climate mastery.)¹²

13. The latest data on global hurricane frequency and intensity (Klotzbach et al 2022) shows no significant alarming upward trend.¹³

14. It is common for leading media outlets to deliberately misrepresent the flat long-term hurricane trend. E.g., the New York Times cherry-picked a starting point—the low point of 1980—to make a flat trend seem upward.¹⁴

15. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have made the point that any increases in hurricane frequency in records are likely due to increasing reporting, not actual frequency.¹⁵

16. The US Annual Heat Wave Index from the EPA has said, “Longer-term records show that heat waves in the 1930s remain the most severe in recorded U.S. history.” (Today’s “reporting” would give you no indication that this is the case.)¹⁶

17. Mainstream science is unanimous that the warming impact of CO2 diminishes (“logarithmically”) as it increases in concentration. Every new molecule of CO2 we add to the atmosphere has less of a warming effect than the previous one.¹⁷

Unreliable solar and wind are not anywhere near able to replace fossil fuels.

18. Battery backup for solar and wind is so expensive that just 3 days of global backup using Elon Musk’s Megapacks would cost $570 trillion, about 6X global GDP.¹⁸

19. Solar and wind never provide the exact amount of electricity that is needed. Electricity requires exactly matching supply and demand, and solar and wind on their own exactly match supply with demand 0% of the time.¹⁹

20. Even mild increases in demand for critical minerals involving solar and wind have led to scaling issues and cost increases. (What will the unprecedented demand increases of “net zero” plans lead to?)²⁰

21. “Net zero” plans to scale solar and wind involve more than doubling the supply of half a dozen major mined materials per decade—even though they can’t point to any examples of any major mined mineral doubling that fast, even with pro-development governments.²¹

22. 6 days after pledging to go all-EVs, California Governor Gavin Newsom told residents there wasn’t enough power to charge their EVs.²²

23. 80% of the world’s energy is not electricity. For non-electricity energy, solar and wind either can’t do what fossil fuel can—e.g., airplanes or cargo ships—or are far more expensive.²³

24. Our dependence on China for key components of solar, wind, and batteries is far greater than our dependence on Russia for fossil fuels.²⁴

Geographical distribution of the global EV battery supply chain

25. Far from out-competing fossil fuels, solar and wind are growing fast only when given massive government preferences—mandates, subsidies, and no penalty for unreliability—along with crippling government punishments of fossil fuels.²⁵

SOURCE: https://alexepstein.substack.com/

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I am a chemical engineer who once did research on removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the emissions of industrial plants or directly from the atmosphere. But I now see CO2 as a critical plant food necessary for all of life on Earth. Frankly, the more the better.

In my former career, I presented my research on optimizing a CO2 capture system for a coal-fired power plant in the 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting. I also contributed to a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, which involved integrating a natural gas power plant with CO2 capture systems.

Despite my career path, I was skeptical about the popular theory of human-induced climate change. Furthermore, at the time, I had a generally positive view of fossil fuels. In fact, my Ph.D. research was funded by Chevron, a descendant of the Standard Oil Co. and among the archvillains of those predicting overheating from emissions of CO2.

Nonetheless, it was not until I read a CO2 Coalition paper titled “Challenging ‘Net Zero’ with Science” that my eyes were fully opened. The authors’ arguments were based on rigorous scientific inquiry. They concluded that CO2 and fossil fuels are beneficial, that there is no climate crisis, and that “net zero” policies seeking the elimination of CO2 emissions from coal, oil, and natural gas are detrimental – even dangerous.

I was struck most by the benefits of CO2, which was something I had not put much thought into. CO2 is essential for plant growth and food production. In fact, doubling atmospheric CO2 from today’s concentrations of approximately 400 parts per million (ppm) to 800 ppm could increase food production by 40-60%.

The CO2 Coalition paper referenced the works of Dr. Sherwood B. Idso. After digging deeper, I found out about experiments with sour orange trees performed by Drs. Idso and Bruce A. Kimball (published in 1993, 1997, and 2001). Compared to trees in ambient air, ones exposed to air enriched with CO2 concentrations of 700 ppm grew 2.75 times larger at the end of the second year, 2.0 times larger at the end of the fifth, and 1.8 times larger after nine years. Beginning in the third year, fruit production for CO2-enriched trees was 25 times greater and eventually averaged to almost twofold through the entire life cycle of the plant.

Higher concentrations of CO2 also reduce plants’ loss of water vapor through lowered transpiration rates, where transpiration refers to the exchange of oxygen for CO2 through openings in leaves known as stomata. In other words, higher concentrations of CO2 increase plants’ resistance to drought. This, in turn, means that more moisture remains in the soil and has been partially credited with a global decline in wildfire. This phenomenon was confirmed through research published in 2003, where the water-use efficiency of sour orange trees exposed to CO2 concentrations of 700 ppm increased by 80% compared to those exposed to ambient air.

As for fossil fuels, their benefits are seemingly endless. First, they are reliable and cheap sources of energy. And their combustion emits the CO2 that is salutary to plant growth.

What was new to me is the role of fossil fuels in providing fertilizers and pesticides critical to growing the food required for the world’s 8 billion people. For instance, ammonia (NH3), a crucial component of fertilizer, can be formed by reacting natural gas with atmospheric nitrogen (N2), and pesticides are produced from oil and gas. One billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the United States, where they keep weeds and insects in check to allow modern agriculture’s extraordinary level of crop production.

In short, CO2 is absolutely necessary for life and more of it is clearly a plus. Fossil fuels improve the quality of life and make rich lives possible for many billions, whereas mere millions once struggled mightily just to survive. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere makes no sense.

Finally, CO2 capture, besides being illogical, is prohibitively expensive. Capturing CO2 from emissions and then transporting and storing it can cost trillions of dollars and decades of investment. CO2 capture systems cannot operate without ongoing government subsidies, and currently, are only removing approximately 0.1% of the 40 billion tons of CO2 emitted per year.

At this point, bottling up CO2 should be left for manufacturers of carbonated beverages and dry ice and for the purposes of other specialized industrial processes. I am very happy to have transitioned from CO2 capture to the CO2 Coalition, and I am working hard to spread the facts about the benefits of this amazing molecule.

This commentary was first published at American Thinker on November 29, 2023.

Frits Byron Soepyan is a Research and Science Associate with the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia. He has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from The University of Tulsa and has worked as a process systems engineer and a researcher in energy-related projects.

www.CO2Coalition.org

There might be an Aprilia model to compete with Royal Enfield Classic 350 which is a top-selling model in its class since launch.

A new test mule has been spotted in Europe and it has a similar engine casing as the RS 457. It also features old-school styling and body parts that indicates that the world is finally noticing the timeless appeal (and profits) of Enfield models which have built a nice empire in mid-capacity motorcycles for over a decade now.

A new retro-styled test bike is getting testes around Europe which on close scrutiny of spied photos suggests it is an Aprilia.

Multiple aspects convince eager enthusiasts to claim it is an upcoming Aprilia motorcycle. Engine casing visible on the right hand side is similar to the RS 457’s unit. This test model’s motor appears to be larger in the images. It has a larger exhaust also. But there are many features giving it an appearance of RS 457.

However, the design is not very impressive so this would have to be a very early prototype. The aesthetics of its headlight, tank shrouds, and the tail section, seem as if they were all assembled by a local garage shop. A retrofitted model is not exactly a test mule so the mystery is intriguing indeed.

RS 457 uses a 457cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with 47.6bhp and 43.5Nm linked to a six-speed gearbox. It has a slipper clutch. Aprilia may carry these forward with different tuning. A slim USD front forks, dual rear shocks, and single disc at both ends are possible indications as well. Its alloy wheels and TVS tyres seem to be borrowed from the RS.

It could take any amount of time before Aprilia debuts this retro-styled motorcycle in production form. The current iteration of RS 457 has just been launched in India after months of anticipation. Royal Enfield has new competition from Honda CB350, Harley-Davidson 440X and Triumph’s partnership with Bajaj apart from the revived Jawa and Yezdi brands.

Since the response to H-D and Triumph’s small engine models were all perceived as a gamble– that paid off more than expected– it seems other brands are catching on to this retro-theme-segmentation within motorcycles which have smaller engines but larger than commuter class models.

Honda 350cc models meant for India were launched in Japan as well and the Triumph-Bajaj models may go overseas too. If Aprilia makes money with its retro-bike in India, then they may realize there is a market for them elsewhere too.

Meanwhile, news comes of a Trademark for a “Goan Classic 350” by Royal Enfield which is fast growing its range of models and brand-name list.

Will there be a 650cc version for Bullet and Classic? While Enfields are chasing and pushing for bigger engines, others want to break its global hold on 350cc engine market.

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Wondering what the future holds? Check out Science Fiction and Motorcycles in “Sam Chopper Orwell” — the future can be stranger than facts. Click here to travel….

This month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its annual report, Traffic Safety Facts 2021: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Data. The 225-page report contains information on crash types, causes and participants involved. Remember that while we are nearing the end of 2023, this report is 2021 data. NHTSA spent nearly two years compiling these figures before releasing the report.

The data on motorcyclist fatalities is especially troubling. According to the report, in 2021, motorcyclists made up 13.8% of all nationwide traffic fatalities, with 5,932 motorcyclists killed on our nation’s roadways. That is the highest number since data collection began in 1975. In comparison, the pre-Covid year of 2019 saw 5,044 bikers killed.

The number of those injured on motorcycles reported in 2021 was 82,686, which is fewer than the all-time high of 104,442 in 2016. This total injury count represents 3.3% of the 2.5 million people injured in all motor vehicle crashes.

It is important to note that 2021 showed a substantial increase in motorcycles registered. The data also shows an increase in vehicle miles traveled by bikers. NHTSA data shows 9.8 million registered motorcycles with approximately 19.6 billion miles traveled in 2021. Those increases mean that while the total number of fatalities and injuries went up, fortunately, the rate per 100,000 registered motorcycles went down.

Here are other takeaways:

• Riders accounted for 95% of deaths, while 5% were motorcycle passengers.
• 57% of fatalities occurred by collision with another vehicle, 26% resulted from a collision with a fixed object, 4% collision with a non-fixed object, while 13% of fatalities occurred without a collision.
• 34% of fatalities involved a rider impaired by alcohol. That number is in line with the 31% of alcohol-related fatalities nationwide.
• Riders were wearing helmets in 59% of fatalities, while riders were not wearing helmets in 38% of fatalities. Another 3% of fatalities occurred where helmet usage was unknown.
• 29% of fatalities involved an unlicensed rider.

While it is easy to get lost in the facts and figures, it is crucial to remember that every death is heartbreaking to members of our community. We all must do better! Alcohol-related fatalities and those involving unlicensed riders are especially disheartening, as they are avoidable. Riding sober, trained and licensed are basic steps to help protect lives.

The burden of fixing this problem involves various groups. At the state level, motorcyclists continue to fight for stronger laws against distracted drivers. Educating young drivers and holding those who break the law accountable is critical.

States like Wisconsin have passed increased registration fees with that money earmarked for motorcycle safety programs. However, motorcycle funding at the state and federal levels remains low. This past year, the federal government awarded states $5.5 million for motorcycle safety programs. With the total registered motorcycles at 9.8 million, the federal government is spending just fifty-six (56) cents per motorcycle on safety grants.

The growing prevalence of self-driving cars also should be addressed. A former NHTSA official recently spoke publicly about the threat these cars pose to bikers, yet the federal government has been slow to act.

Reports like this galvanize the groups that want to keep us off the road. However, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation will continue to fight for our safety and survival! It is up to all of us to stop the rising death toll.

To read the full report click here.

As always Ride Safe and Ride Free.

Join the MRF and support Freedom; visit www.MRF.org

About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. The MRF is chiefly concerned with issues at the national and international levels that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists. The MRF is committed to being a national advocate for the advancement of motorcycling and its associated lifestyle and works in conjunction with its partners to help educate elected officials and policymakers in Washington and beyond.

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We’re having a blast in the Black Hills. Every day is packed with action, parties, meeting with brothers.

I attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Sturgis Veterans’ Cemetery after the Hamster party the night before at the Loud American in Sturgis.

Next year Bikernet will be 28 years old. Holy shit.

Have a helluva Christmas, goddammit!

–Bandit

Click here to read this week’s latest news on motorcycling industry only on Bikernet.com

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BUY SOMETHING ALREADY—-What are you waiting for? Its Christmas weekend upon us!

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