The federal requirement to blend ethanol into gasoline on the theory that it will reduce the hypothetical global warming that hasn’t appeared yet has been a joke from the start. By adding a huge amount of demand for corn, it did push up prices for that commodity, and made vast swaths of the rural Midwest prosperous, though it has injured poor Mexicans and others who depend on corn for a substantial portion of their nutrition and driven up the rice of feed used for animals, raising meat prices.

The net energy balance of ethanol production – subtracting the amount of energy necessary to grow he corn, transport it to refineries, and then transport the ethanol to gasoline producers has beencontroversial. But owing to improvements in cultivation techniques (which have caused increased agricultural runoff – see below), the US Department of Agriculture estimated in 2015 that the balance is positive:

Ethanol made the transition from an energy sink, to a moderate net energy gain in the 1990s, and to a substantial net energy gain by 2008.

Unlike oil, which is produced in large amounts at the wellhead, corn production is widely dispersed, so pipelines can’t be used to transport it. Corn is trucked to the ethanol refinery, and then the ethanol is normally shipped in tank cars to oil refineries, where it is blended into gasoline. All of this transportation uses energy and imposes a cost from accidents, including derailments. Pipelines are more efficient and safer.

Now, the EPA has finally issued a new report, one that it is requited to issue every 3 years but which has been delayed by 4 years, and admits that the ethanol mandate comes at a considerable environmental cost. The Public News Service summarizes:

Federal law requires the EPA to assess the environmental impact of the fuel standard every three years, but the new report, issued in July, was four years overdue. According to David DeGennaro with the National Wildlife Federation, the report documents millions of acres of wildlife habitat lost to ethanol crop production, increased nutrient pollution in waterways and air emissions and side effects worse than the gasoline the ethanol is replacing. “In finding that the Renewable Fuel Standard is having negative consequences to a whole suite of environmental indicators,” DeGennaro said, “the report is a red flag warning us that we need to reconsider the mandate’s scope and its focus on first-generation fuels made from food crops.”

Jaz Shaw points out at Hot Air:

Some of the negative effects aren’t specific to ethanol, such as the loss of wildlife habitat from expanded corn production. That would happen no matter what you were growing or building in formerly forested areas. But the increased runoff of nutrients and chemicals used in this type of farming are impacting water supplies far beyond anything caused by the occasional oil spill from a tanker car or pipeline. The bigger surprise is the fact that ethanol production and combustion significantly increases the production of nitrous oxides (Nox). This combines with oxygen in the atmosphere when exposed to sunlight, producing ozone. Now, when we have ozone far up in the atmosphere it helps shield the planet from the sun’s natural radiation, which is a good thing. But ground-level ozone produces no such benefit and actually contributes to the formation of smog and leads to respiratory ailments for many people.

Those vehicles that feature cuddly images like a new leaf and righteously proclaim themselves to be “flex fuel vehicles” are actually aggravating some people’s respiratory problems, far more than gasoline powered vehicles.

None of this speaks to the excessive costs that ethanol forces on drivers and auto manufacturers. Alas, the mandate is so popular with corn farmers in Iowa, home of the first round of presidential nominations, that President Trump (and other politicians) that they not only maintain the mandate, President Trump just last week “told an audience in Iowa that he was “very close” to having EPA issue a waiver to the Clean Air Act to allow year-round sale of E-15.” The madness continues.

 

 

Fresh off its fourth running at Daytona Bike Week 2018, Sons of Speed is set for its fifth race. The quinary contest will be held Thursday, August 9th, 3 p.m., at the Full Throttle Saloon’s Pappy Hoel Campground racetrack during the 78^th Anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids. Brand new, licensed Sons of Speed merchandise is now available from Hot Leathers.

“Our fourth race at Daytona Bike Week earlier this year was the biggest one yet,” said Billy Lane, renowned bike builder and founder of Sons of Speed. “Hair raising and blood curdling, that’s how we like it. Can’t wait to run it again at Sturgis.”

Inspired by early twentieth-century board-track racers, the Sons of Speed race hearkens back to a stripped down, wide-open approach to motorcycle riding. The fifth race will feature riders sitting astride hand-built racing chassis holding pre-1925 1,000cc American V-Twin engines, a Hot 61” class as well as a 45” class. Most racers will customize their machines by fabricating handlebars, exhaust, fenders, foot pegs and fuel/oil tanks.

The fourth running of Sons of Speed saw some of the best riders and well-known personalities in the business participate, including: Billy Lane, eBay Jake, Go Takamine, Ken Curtis, Shelly Rossmeyer-Pepe, Dan Rose, Rhett Rotten, Brittney Olsen, Rick Petcko, Mark Hanna, Freddie Bollwage, Jody Perewitz, Matt Harris, Josh Young and others. Many of these same riders will participate at Sturgis.

Top honors at Daytona in the Hot 61” went to Matt Walksler on his 1924 Harley-powered Sons of Speed racer, earning himself the Sons of Speed Sturgis McCann Trophy from Bill McCann. Walksler managed to dethrone eBay Jake, who’d taken the checkered flag the last two times running. This time out, Walksler will find himself in the crosshairs, as every rider looks to dethrone and supplant him. This is motorcycle racing at its harrowing, blood-chilling best.

Check out the Sons of Speed Facebook Event Page for updates, breaking news and new merchandise.

August 2018 is the Birthday for our Coast Guard and Law Tigers saw fit to celebrate–The Coast Guard was founded on August 4, 1790, after Congress commissioned the construction of ten ships to help enforce federal tariffs and prevent smuggling.

– The Coast Guard does not only protect our ocean shores, but they protect our lakes and rivers.

– The Coast Guard operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the U.S. Department of the Navy by the U.S. President at any time, or by the U.S. Congress during times of war. This has happened twice, in 1917, during World War I, and in 1941, during World War II.
– While the U.S. Coast Guard is the smallest of the U.S. military service branches, in terms of size, the U.S. Coast Guard by itself is the world’s 12th largest naval force.

Plus the Tiger crew added military bikes on display in Sturgis this year. Read more.

This summer I found myself geared up for a 4540 mile putt sporting some new retro styles by Harley-Davidson for a trial run. I wound my way up and back down the east coast from the Sunshine State to Salem, Mass and onto the land of “Live Free or Die” and a U-Turn thru the Green Mountain state before making the pilgrimage to Woodstock in Bethel, NY and then rolling back down to York, PA.

I took the Steel Toe Tour at the H-D York Operations Center, with a side trip to pick up the cuz and heading back south to the SmokeOut via the Blue Ridge Parkway. From North Carolina, headed over to see friends in Maryville, TN and then onto Jack Daniels Distillery where I happened to plant one on Goose! From Lynchburg, headed south for a Vouja De experience in Alabama (relived from my 2005 jaunt to Sturgis) and onto Rome, GA to home on 27. Definitely in the top 5 ever!

Read more.

The other morning riding to work I made my usual breakfast stop, I pulled out my phone and my friend Palmer from back in Virginia sent me a video. Palmer and his family owned Waugh Enterprises in Orange Virginia for years. In my opinion it was the best Harley dealership in Virginia.

I purchased four Harleys from them. The dealership was family owned and had a great atmosphere.

Back to the video, it was a clip from the movie EASYRIDERS showing Captain America and Billy along with Jack Nicholson riding bitch with Peter Fonda. In the background Born To be Wild by Steppenwolf played. I never get tired of seeing it or hearing it! As I listened I thought about my life and motorcycles and what it had all meant to me.

Read more.

 

But I received a call from the Supreme showman Prince Najar. He was responsible for all the custom aspects at the IMS motorcycle show series for a decade and now he’s involved in the AMD show series. His partner Bob Kay took over the IMS Show and I smell a conspiracy. Jeff organized custom elements for Sturgis shows, SmokeOuts and recently Harley Museum Ride In Shows custom portion.

He’s also involved with the magnificent Marilyn Stemp of the Buffalo Chip for the Flying Piston Charity Builders’ Breakfast. So, when the Supreme Prince called me a month before the rally and said, “Make a totally unique sculpture for our charity auction or die trying.” Read more.

The other morning riding to work I made my usual breakfast stop, I pulled out my phone and my friend Palmer from back in Virginia sent me a video. Palmer and his family owned Waugh Enterprises in Orange Virginia for years. In my opinion it was the best Harley dealership in Virginia.

I purchased four Harleys from them. The dealership was family owned and had a great atmosphere.

Back to the video, it was a clip from the movie EASYRIDERS showing Captain America and Billy along with Jack Nicholson riding bitch with Peter Fonda. In the background Born To be Wild by Steppenwolf played. I never get tired of seeing it or hearing it! As I listened I thought about my life and motorcycles and what it had all meant to me.

I work at a dealership and can’t count how many times I hear excuses for not riding. Probably my favorite or should I sat my least favorite is ” My wife won’t let me have one?”

You have got to be kidding me! You either need to grow a set of balls or get a new wife? Then I hear, “I just got tired of it?” Well if this is the case, you never were into it to begin with!

For me I have never gotten tired of it. It has never gotten old. I remember being in the 10th grade going to the library and picking up a copy of MOTORCYCLIST magazine and there was a picture of a guy sitting on a black Sportster. The fire was lit!

There have been times when my bike helped pull me through hard times mentally, but none were harder than when I lost my son Justin. He was 16 and full of life. It devastated me.

Harley used to have a logo that said “HARLEY-DAVIDSON, MORE THAN A MACHINE” and for me it always has been more than a machine. It is where I feel at home, it is where I find peace of mind, it is where I relax!

I believe it is either in you or it is not–as to whether or not you are a biker. If you are a biker you never grow tired of it, you never let someone tell you can’t have one!

I still get excited every morning riding to work not for the work part but for the ride part. Every ride is as fresh as the first time I ever rode a Harley.

For just a little while the BS of the world fades and it is just me, the bike and the road and I love it! A lot has changed with bikes and riding but one thing that has not changed is my enthusiasm and love for it!

So all of this is why I say BIKERS ARE BORN! You can’t make a biker. You have to have the spirit in your heart and in your soul. You may have brothers to guide you and lead the way at first but if you did not have it they would not waste their time.

What all this means to you is up to you. For me I can’t imagine not having a bike and riding. Every morning before I take off for work I thank god for giving me the ability to ride for always giving me a means to have a bike ad for giving me the best wife in the world who never nags me about the bikes or how much I spend on bikes!

That brings me to another point I have spent a LOT of money on bikes and if you asked me if I would do it all again? My answer would be “HELL YEAH!”

Until next time, RIDE!

   

Editor’s Note: I’m not posting these for entertainment, but you might find them interesting. They are just a couple of community projects, which may never go anywhere. On the other hand I designed them and worked with local artists to inspire something that could help.

There’s a protective, selfish aspect here. By publishing these on Bikernet.com™ they automatically fall under our copyright and so they are somewhat documented and protected. Enjoy.

–Bandit

U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington DC, 20590

Re: Infrastructure suggestion

Dear Public Officials,

Our roads are jammed and worn. What if we could create a smart modular road system? The click-together (or bolt together) modules (perhaps carbon fiber) would contain lanes, railing, lights, and electronic connectivity.

I’m suggesting a raised system to carry motorcycles, cars, electric cars, plus an autonomous vehicle dedicated lane. This system could charge electric powered passenger cars.

It would allow drivers the opportunity to get through town above crowded streets. Shoppers could drive on the lower levels along with delivery trucks. Motorcycles would have a safer, more controlled area to travel on.

This modular system would also be available to create raised parking structures with built-in electric vehicle charging systems. The system would be designed to afford folks the ability to travel from one town to the next unencumbered with multiple off-ramps at every intersection.

The modular system would afford a community to construct an infrastructure system without major expense and one that could be altered or removed without major obstructions to life and infrastructure.

Although off-ramps wouldn’t pepper this structure, but parking areas could to allow folks to stop, park and still access community businesses.

Hell, the whole system could be made to be white and the surface would be grated designed to allow the sun to filter through to the street below.

This modular system would be designed for lighter vehicles and could allow traffic to spread out over congested streets. There would be challenges, like onramps and off-ramp locations. Also there would be the challenge to prevent heavy vehicles from driving on these lanes, maybe weight control.

I’m sure there are brilliant transportation engineering minds who could meet these challenges.

A thought in process.

Keith R. Ball
President
5-Ball Inc.
200 Broad Ave.
Wilmington, CA 90744

Commissioner,

I’ve been working for our Wilmington Waterfront completion for about 14 years attending meetings and port commissioner meetings.

When I saw the port’s suggestions for the entrance, I was supportive of progress, but we were only asked to vote on two concepts: the Sundial or the Whimsical approach. I kept thinking there should be something better, more impactful, more historical, more representative of Wilmington, “The Heart of the Harbor,” and the Port of Los Angeles.

It got me thinking. I roughed out some sketches and met with Aubry Sheldon a Wilmington Artist. We worked for several months on a sketch, which I shared with the community, but I still wasn’t dazzled.

I continued to search and then met with Emilio Loza, a Wilmington local, who also works for Disney as a sculpture artist. He made some brilliant suggestions, which I shared with Aubry, and another accomplished muralist from San Pedro, Carlos Canales.

Ultimately, Aubry brought the collective notions to life with this illustration.

Our initial goal included elements from Wilmington and the port such as train track rails for the anchor, the chain and a lighted buoy and a metal sculpted heart for Wilmington. We also included the whimsical notion in the form of waves to pull the story together.

I’m hoping this will inspire something truly magnificent for Wilmington and the Port of Los Angeles.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Keith R. Ball
5-Ball Inc.
200 Broad Ave.
Wilmington, CA 90744

But I received a call from the Supreme showman, Prince Najar. He was responsible for all the custom aspects at the IMS motorcycle show series for a decade and now he’s involved in the AMD show series. His partner, Bob Kay took over the IMS Show and I smell a conspiracy. Jeff organized custom elements for Sturgis shows, SmokeOuts and recently Harley Museum Ride In Shows custom portion.

He’s also involved with the magnificent Marilyn Stemp of the Buffalo Chip for the Flying Piston Charity Builders’ Breakfast. So, when the Supreme Prince called me a month before the rally and said, “Make a totally unique sculpture for our charity auction or die trying.”

I was so relieved he didn’t ask me to build a bike I said, “Yes, oh supreme one.”

He had already hung up and didn’t write it down. I started thinking, pondering, and collecting scrap. I don’t throw anything away, especially metal things. Something always works for a bracket or an art project. I had a notion for a winged thing and years ago I made a wing using old deck nails as welding rod. I grabbed the can, thinking I had it made. Low and behold the can was almost empty.

I avoid trips to Home Depot. They burn too much daylight, but I was forced to make a move. I discovered some rod and bought a couple of massive boxes of cheap 16-penny nails, which I never used. I need to return them.

I went to work creating the Guardian of the Wheel. I started on the wings first. Making a flat two-dimensional piece is a breeze compared to a three-dimensional art project. I had to make two wings identical. I pulled illustrations of dragons and art deco pieces.

I also had a couple of cans of corner segments from a local welding shop. I’ve had these hanging around for over a decade, but they came in super handy from time to time. With the wings roughed out, I started on the base by welding segments together and trying to bend them. That didn’t work too well. They wouldn’t bend without popping spot-welds.

When I’m up to something crazy like this, I stay flexible. I don’t know where’s it’s going or where it might end up, including in the dumpster out back. My feeble mind is working all the time, looking for options, opportunities and scheduling. I knew brass would be used, but you can’t mix brass with steel in some respects. If you weld and braze and then try to bend it, it will break. It becomes brittle; even though brass is softer than steel, it’s more porous.

I had to finish welding before I started to apply the brass. I also had a stringent deadline to ship it to Sturgis to arrive before the rally and be on hand for the Flying Piston Charity Builders’ Breakfast. Once I thought I had a plan and got started, I devoted time everyday to welding.

I blasted away for hours and something seemed to form under the mess of segments and MIG welding beads. I started to notice porous spots in some of the welds, and I looked hard for solutions. My metal segments were consistently clean mild steel, no paint or major rust. I cleaned the areas to be welded with a wire brush. I still ran into issues once in a while and didn’t like it. I cleaned the brass hood over the tip and moved the wire closer to the metal. Didn’t seem to work.

I needed to check the gas pressure and keep it at 30 psi. I also needed to drop the shop door when the wind kicked up. And I discovered from a local welding shop clerk that the current in the building could contain less power during specific hours of the day, depending on the local drag on the system. My beads improved.

I stuck with my daily welding routine until on a weekend close to the deadline, my MIG wire ran out and the gas tank crept close to empty. I couldn’t believe I ran out of wire. I had a massive 10-pound spool. I dug around and found another spool of wire. It was flux-coated wire and didn’t need the Argon gas mix–beautiful. I hooked it up and started to blow sparks. What a mess. It was like working with old stick rods, not nearly as clean. Crap flew everywhere.

I ran into a couple of other drawbacks. I set my Samsung phone a couple of feet away on a chunk of wood. I didn’t notice until too late. I peppered the tempered glass face with molten slag. The touch aspect to the face of the phone went to hell, modern technology. Also, my stainless steel watch face and frame caught enough flying slag to roughen the surface.

I shifted to working on the wheel and in this case followed Dr. Hamster’s 40-spoke J&P wheel pattern. I shifted to acetylene and oxygen brazing. I calculated the wheel circumference, figured spoke spacing and went to work. This was an educational process and will apply it to my belt buckles in the future.

On Monday, I pulled up to the local welding shop bright and early. I needed more brass 1/8-inch flux-coated and plain rod. I needed more steel rod for gas welding, but forgot to buy some. I researched the MIG spool wire and discovered I was using the right shit. I bought another spool and had my tank refilled. I quizzed the shop-welding expert about some of my encounters. He helped with fruitful suggestions.

I asked the welding shop guys about removing flux from brass rod and they suggested head and a wire brush. I experimented and discovered WD-40 does the trick if you let it soak. Then hit it with a wire brush.

I went back to work. Originally I started with an Art Deco approach, keeping the dragon aspect in the back of my mind as an option. As it turned out the dragon aspect took over, but I would still like to create a smooth faced art deco-winged girl, but it would take a totally different approach. It might also take much longer.

I liked making the dragon dipping slightly to the side as if making a move to protect the wheel. Attitude is everything and I would have liked to incorporate more attitude into this puppy, but I was burnin’ daylight and needed to keep moving. Sure, he’s an angry bastard, but I could do better.

The brass screws came from the hull of a wooden sailboat and I cut a batch and started to braze them around the jaw line, after I coated the area in brass as if his gums.

I reached out to Marilyn, the Queen of the Flying Piston, to inquire about the charity I was supporting.

“Join cutting edge U.S. custom builders and industry celebs for the Flying Piston Builders Breakfast, to benefit veterans suffering from PTSD and provide Technical Education,” she said. “It’s Motorcycle Missions run by Krystal Hess.”

http://www.motorcycle-missions.org/
It’s a 501 ©3.

Motorcycle Missions, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, helps veterans and first responders who deal with PTS(D) and suicidal ideation find hope and healing through motorcycles.

When dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the need for purpose, camaraderie, and adrenaline is of the utmost importance. So MM strives to instill a passion for riding and building motorcycles, that will help PTSD sufferers enjoy a happy, healthy, and balanced lifestyle after trauma.

www.MotorcycleMission.com

“The event, organized by The Flying Piston, takes place Sunday, August 5th on the upper deck of the Big Engine Bar in the free-access CrossRoads at the Buffalo Chip. It’s open to the public.

Builders include Rick Fairless, Paul Yaffe, Jody Perewitz, Pat Patterson, Kirk Taylor, Bryan Fuller and Donnie Smith. David Roy of Voodoo Vintage and the Motorcycle Missions crew also chopped a tiny Strider, and Loaded Gun’s Kevin Dunworth and his twin six-year-old daughters customized their Strider to be donated, too.

Builder Breakfast tickets are on sale now for $20 each at http://www.theflyingpiston.com/ or goo.gl/gzILrl Proceeds benefit Motorcycle Missions, a non-profit that encourages U.S. military veterans suffering from PTSD to pursue motorcycling as a career.

Day after day, I carved out time to weld. I immediately started to burn my arms and had to shift to black long sleeve t-shirts in the blistering California July heat. Welding is very Zen. You’re trapped in a cocoon of sparks and red-hot metal. Your focus is centered on the bead and only the bead.

But there’s something about an entrancing bead. It calls to you to succeed while forming chunks of blistering hot metals together in just the right sequence. My father taught me to weld. He said it was all about the bead, and it was all stick welding at the time. Finishing a successful bead was way more important than your personal safety or comfort. I caught fire at 21 in the oil fields while welding. My dad said, “Stick with the bead or die trying.”

I finally needed to make a decision about the wheel, where to place it. I also wanted to even the texture of the beast with some kind of media blasting. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a soda blaster and a bag of medium grade soda, which cost about half of what the blaster cost. I made a mess with this bastard, but was able to even out the texture and blow most of the flux off the brass.

Everyone in the Bikernet™ shop was quizzed about the wheel placement. Most didn’t want the wheel hidden between the wings. I looked at several options, including smaller wheels on the side of the dragon’s head. “Save the wheel for something else,” Jeremiah said. But ultimately I liked how the wheel fit at the back of the guardian’s neck, and so it was.

Finally, after some more blasting, I shot the Guardian with compressed air and Satin clear Rustoleum. It weighed 41 pounds when I packed it for shipment to the town of Buffalo Chip, just east of Sturgis. May the guardian help veterans far and wide (I’m a three-tour Vietnam veteran) and support the order of the Flying Pistons forever.

–Bandit