Bay Pines National Cemetery – St Petersburg, Florida

 Or at a National Cemetery near you….

What really bothers me is that it’s December 11, 2019 – and Saturday, December 14^th we convene at Bay Pines National Cemetery to participate in Wreaths Across America to “remember the Fallen…Honor those who Serve…Teach our children the value of Freedom.”

As of today, there are only 3,598 sponsored wreaths, with 30,402 graves that will not receive a wreath.  

 I’ve been participating there since 2012 – when I was invited by the attendant at my Big John’s funeral. Honestly – never heard of this before that time, not even through my American Legion, or from my Dad, a WWII Navy Vet. Now , for me and a few friends/veterans, it’s become an annual tradition…and is involving more and more people every year.

  I guess you could say this is the one memorial event that all departed veterans are remembered – and it’s really a beautiful site to be seen, but even better to be a part of.   It really warms the heart and soul.

The whole ceremony actually got started when the original picture (above) went viral on the internet in 2005, after the Worcester Wreath Company owner, Morrill, started donating leftover wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery . He began doing this in in 1992 with the help of local truckers who transported his wreaths to Virginia. Local American Legion and VFW Post volunteers helped hand tie the bows, and they Maine State Society of Washington, D.C. arranged a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

 Why Arlington? The owner was forever changed when he won a trip to Washington DC as a paperboy for the Bangor Daily News – Arlington National Cemetery was unforgettable. He truly recognized the ultimate sacrifice made by the US Veterans resting there.

 Fast forward to today this event now spreading over 1000 locations in the United States that include the 9/11 sites, and battle memorials Pearl Harbor, Valley Forge, and Bunker Hill. In 2014, the organization finally met their goal of covering all graves in Arlington with wreaths – 226,525 of them trucked, shipped ,and placed. 

 In 2018, we are back to our local Bay Pines National Cemetery after escorting the wreaths in from Interstate 4 Veterans and bikers solemnly escorted the 2 rigs to our local grounds. 

 From there, the distribution begins with a greeting by the local First Responders.

 The wreaths are then distributed throughout the grounds for volunteers to distribute.

 The most wreaths ever distributed in Bay Pines were over slightly over 6000 in 2017 when Sarasota National Cemetery had a surplus and shipped them over to Bay Pines.

 The communities all come together – Veterans, Bikers, Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, Young, Old,

Widows/widowers, children, grandchildren and even some canines – to participate and honor

Those interred in the hallowed grounds. 

 After the wreath laying, the memorial ceremony beginning with the presentation of Colors is held in the intersection leading to the main grounds. 

 Wreaths are positioned around the memorial for each branch of service and local

Veteran speakers rekindle their histories for all to hear. 

 The days event concludes with TAPS being played.

 For the 2018 event – the last wreath of the day was laid by Kenneth Fooshee who was the Owner Operator of one of the rigs that brought the wreaths to Florida. 

 In Ken’s words:

“ I am an Owner Operator Leased to Brown Trucking aka James Brown Trucking out of Lithonia Georgia, my wife Yvette and I reside in Summerfield FL. I have been leased to them for going on 7 years now. We primarily haul cardboard boxes for International Paper. My home terminal is Savannah Georgia and my Terminal Manager that helped me propose this idea to haul Wreaths is Donna Fisher.

 I had heard about Wreaths Across America project while listening to XM radio. I first thought that it was only hauling wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery. 

Then one of my Aunts in Chicago had a wreath sent to her by another family member to honor her husband. Later that year, I heard an interview of a driver that hauls to Sarasota National Cemetery what an honor it was to do and I thought that this would be something I would like to do so I proposed it to my terminal manager in 2014 to get a feeling if Brown would allow me to participate. Donna Fisher got approval from our CEO Kevin Slaughter. In 2015, my wife Yvette and I made our first trip to Columbia Falls and though it was a trying trip. We were very impressed with the operation and the story of Morrill Worcester and his dream.

 Our first load was met with such gratitude and admiration by all of our deliveries that we were hooked. 

Yvette and I have done the same stops:  Bronson, FL, New Port Richey FL, Tampa FL, Fort Meyers FL, Naples FL, and St. Petersburg FL (Bay Pines) with the change of Naples this year to Riverview FL.

Naples was covered by another carrier this year.

 All of the deliveries have always been fantastic and do all they can do to be accommodating to our needs and schedules.

 This year we had 685 boxes of wreaths to deliver on our run. That is 6,165 wreaths.

 We were light on our delivery to Bay Pines this year with 128 boxes 1152 wreaths.

 We were also asked if we would like to participate in the parade and wreath laying ceremony by the folks from Pinellas Technical College ( Laura Kingsland) and were very honored to oblige.

 After the ceremony I removed the wreath from the front of my rig to place on the headstone of Faustino Aspra ( a random choice of markers not covered) SGT  3508 Base Unit AAF World War II June 6,1904 June 3 1963 to honor and respect his service and thank him.”

 This year, Bay Pines National Cemetery is in need of 30, 402 wreaths to reach their goal. Here’s hoping that we can blanket the grounds and continue the tradition – Remember, Honor, Teach. IF not, there’s always next year. 

 For more information on locations for the event , to volunteer, or to donate wreaths, check out the organization’s website:

 https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

 Respect.

 

I spent a lot of money and time rebuilding an old 41mm wide glide for my 1969 Panhead build. It was one of those crazy builds, fulla twists and turns, but the glide haunted me.

It wasn’t long enough. I would have liked it to be 2-over for a better stance for a rider 6’5” tall. I squeaked another inch out of it with spacers over the springs. Of course, it rode like shit. I adjusted it, but it still rode badly. Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t like that excuse. This bastard rode hard even with the wide, soft, cop solo seat.

Then the glide actually broke down. I lost the mechanical brake springs. They broke on the way to a Seal Beach car show. I limped home never daring to use the front brake for fear it would lock up and send me flying over the bars. I wanted to run a vintage mechanical brake set-up for the old look. In the past I was always able to make mechanical brakes work fine.

Finally, I started to notice how the lower aluminum leg jerked on the brake side. It needed new bushings. I reached out to Larry Settle, of Settle Motorcycle Repair in Harbor City. He knew of an old guy who rebuilt lower legs, but he might have retired. That was going to be my next move, tear the front end apart and ship it out, to have the lower legs rebuilt. Plus, they leaked. That also bothered me.

Then I got a call from the masterminds at Paughco. They recently developed a new springer configuration, because so many overseas manufactures stole their classic, flat side design. They came up with a solid, round-leg springer sort of in keeping with the early springers, before the VL or the big twin taper-leg springers. I love the Paughco taper-leg springers. They are classic. This one is distinctive in its simplicity.

There are several benefits of Pauchco’s 50-years of building springers. They are contained in the tree construction, the bends of the legs and the rockers. These front ends are meant to be ridden long and hard.

They also make a stock length front end and a 3-over, which I went for, when I made the deal to trade my glide for a new Early-styled round-leg Paughco springer. We made the clandestine swap at the recent David Mann Chopperfest, behind one of the old WWII buildings, so Dave Hansen wouldn’t see us and tax us for making deals without his approval.

I also attacked the rear of the bike with an old buddy seat, spring system to give the rear some suspension. It was a leap of faith that worked out like crazy, but I will get to that.

I requested the front end without chrome or powder, because of my patina effort. I painted the bare parts with a light coat of Rust-oleum primer and then a coat or two of Rust-oleum satin black. No matter how many times I’ve looked at that word in my long lifetime, I can never remember how to spell Rust-oleum.

Then I lashed the front end with some bicycle chain and smoothed and dinged the edges of the top triple tree. Paughco designed a new top tree to allow their risers, to be installed in the rear legs with1/2-fine thread studs or bolt common risers to the 3.5-inch center-to- center glide-like holes. I decided to go with the rear legs and cut the heads off ½-inch fine stainless bolts and made studs out of them.

I screwed 1-inch of the studs into the rear legs and had an inch for the Paughco classic brass risers. I used stud-green Loctite in the legs and ran a nut down to hold them firmly into place overnight. I removed the nut when I installed the brass risers.

I installed the bottom bearing over the small dust shield against the bottom tree. I found a piece of thick 1/8-inch wall, 1.25 O.D. tubing and used it as a tool to drive the Timken bearing over the raised bearing surface on the solid neck stem. I also fed as much grease into the bearing as possible. For some odd reason, I had to clearance the dust shields to make them fit over the solid Paughco stem.

Back to the grease. I’m still using a large tin can of military bearing grease. I’ve had it since the ‘60s. About five years ago, someone gave me a new full can. I’ll bet I never get to it in my lifetime.

I was recently given some cool CMD Extreme Pressure lube tubes. We used it on Frankie’s FXR neck bearings, but in the heat, it started to drip and run down the leg of the front end, annoying. The old Navy bearing grease is the shit.

Okay, so I slipped the neck shaft with the lower greased bearing into place against the greased race in the neck cup and spun on the crown nut against the top bearing and upper dust shield, after it was clearance. Here’s another benefit of classic Paughco construction. A lot of frontend manufacturers dodge using a threaded nut between the top tree and the neck bearing.

It comes in so handy while installing a front end. It holds it in place to allow you to position the top tree comfortably. It also allows you to adjust the bearing tension. Then you can install the top tree and the top nut and tightened the hell out of it without messing with your bearing adjustment.

The Paughco front end comes with the rockers mounted and in place. No adjustment necessary. They are lubed and ready to rock.

I removed the solid brass, 4-inch Paughco dogbone risers from my old stainless-steel bars and was careful to install them on the stainless studs watching for the studs to turn or not. I tightened them down and adjusted the rubber mounted dogbone to align with the bars. Then I installed the bars once more.

I grabbed one of James old Dyna front wheels and used it to mockup the front end. Steve Massicote from Paughco recommended a left ‘88- ‘99 single-piston H-D Softail caliper on an 11.5-inch rotor with a 2-inch center hole to fit a pre-’99 Harley hub. He shipped a solid aluminum hub to Black Bike wheels.

Black Bike Wheels has helped me out a couple of times. I remember taking a dinged steel rim spoked, 21-inch wheel to them. The technician popped the unit in a vice, smacked it with a soft hammer and it was golden. They also built the 23-inch wheels on my flat-sided tank, factory racer. Amazing wheels.

They expanded and moved to Van Nuys, California. They now manufacture any-sized spoked wheels for any make or model motorcycle. They build their own hubs, rims, and spokes. They can lace and true anything and powder, polish or chrome any of their products.

In this case, we are going with a used, dull, aluminum, 19-inch rim and unpolished stainless rim, for the patina look. So, there’s some old and some new to this beast. I will add an old pre-’99 factory rotor to a Paughco aluminum hub, which we might black out, or Paughco was going to send me a hub cap, I could flat black and add a little rust.

We’re getting close, but I had to take it out on the road and see how it handled with the sprung seat. I took the seat bar out, because it was going to smack the fender. I added a straight piece of steel to the center and it gave me an additional 2 inches of travel. I’m still going to do something to protect the fender.

Okay, so this puppy hasn’t run in a couple of months but fired right to life. I maneuvered around the shop and into the street for a test run. What an amazing difference. The turning radius was way better and it blasted around the rough streets without an issue. What an amazing difference in ride and handling.

Don’t get me wrong. You can’t beat a glide for top end runs and the twisties, but for a classic cruiser, this puppy now hit the spot.

Hang on for the wheel and disc brake install.

–Bandit

Funky Panhead Sources:

S&S

Biker’s Choice

STD
www.STD.com

JIMS Machine

Lowbrow

Mallory
www.mallory.com

Accurate Engineering
www.accuratengineering.com

Bennett’s Performance

Paughco

Departure Bike Works
www.departurebikeworks.com

Spectro Oils

Chopper Dave
www.chopperdave.com

Black Bike Wheels
www.blackbikewheels.com

As the Republican-called witness at a recent hearing, I was denounced by the Democrats for denying a fossil-fueled “climate crisis” that, as their witnesses testified, results in violence against women, asthma and obesity in children, and deadly storms. But few actually questioned me. After all, “the debate is over.”

At the hearing, I presented data from the United Nations contradicting the accepted wisdom that extreme weather is destroying the planet and is traceable directly to a man-made climate crisis. There are no such trends in rates of sea-level rise, hurricanes, floods, or droughts. One Democrat who stuck around to actually question me simply asserted that our coalition is funded by energy companies. I wish! Another wanted to know, “Do you believe in climate change or not?” When I asked him to define it, he cut me off with: “That answers it all…That gives us a hint where you’re coming from.”

CO2 Coalition executive director Caleb S. Rossiter is the author of The Weathermen on Trial: A Bombshell Novel About Bringing the War Home.

Now that we are totally acquainted, the owner of this site, this internet entity, this block, this stone, this worse than senseless thing, this Bikernet….like I say, this Bikernet, this Keith “Bandit” Ball person, has consented – with great reluctance and argument against the idea….. to permitting me to fulfill my desire to say my eulogy to Easyriders here on his “voice in the wilderness” as I call it, or “website” as he calls it.

He has, in fact finally encouraged it because, let’s face it, you, me, and him are the only ones here reading this: so, what the fuck harm can it do, ya know?

I have nothing to gain at this point by kissing Easyriders’ ass. So, trust me
when I say Easyriders is the sole reason everyone knows what bikers –
rather than motorcyclists – are. Easyriders is the reason everyone and
literally their grandma has tattoos. Easyriders is the reason American
patriotism – now called white Nazi supremacist nationalist hatred rather than
American patriotism – exists today at all. Easyriders is the reason everyone
who has a motorcycle wants everyone else to think they are a Hells Angel,
and Easyriders is probably the reason Trump actually made it to the
Presidency.

In 1971 however everyone was afraid of waving the American flag, hippies
and commies ruled the land and bikers were so far off the radar that even
seeing one stranded on some desert highway in its (not his, but its)
sleeveless denim jacket, actual motorcycle boots, helmetless head with
hair that looked like Jesus had personally cursed it, and of course ten years
of crud caked on its “body” if there even was one under the debris……it was
enough to send the Good Citizen and his family into a lower gear of the
station wagon and swerve into the wrong lane to make a wide berth and
then swing back at 100 miles an hour to get the hell out of there and leave
him to his fate.

This creature was Easyriders’ target audience.

Talk about publishing suicide.
But, no, that didn’t happen. Easyriders made Issue 1 about chopped
Harleys and the loons that lived on them and directed all content material at
them and only them and did it from an editorial point of view of the
magazine personnel being just like they, the audience, were and if anything,
possibly worse. “Worse” in this case meaning “even more grungy and not
just wasted but fundamentally inferior from perhaps maybe even a genetic
point of view.”

The self-deprecation aspect, meaning the “let’s face it, we’re fucked-up
imbeciles who are human embarrassments to algae” aspect of the staffers was an almost charming, endearing quality, and the occasional publishing gaffes; wrong page numbers, pictures upside-down, pages actually missing….it actually helped the reader to think “Yeah, I’m fucked up, but,
Jesus, not like these poor slobs.”
Hidden within this utter ruin was a subtle winning formula that as far as I
am concerned has changed America.

For one thing very few of the people
creating the magazine actually had names. They had slangage. Spider.
Bandit. Wino. Madman. Housemouse. Muthuh. I mean you would open it
and get confused and go “…what the fuck?…” But you know
what? Whoever is it that loses interest in something if their first reaction to
it is ” what the fuck?” That’s right, no one. They keep examining it to try
and make some sense out of it.

There were three American magazines at the time that anyone ever really
paid attention to, Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler. All three targeted men.
Playboy pretended to be aimed at an audience that didn’t actually exist:
suave American males who considered hot naked chicks prized
possessions worthy of high-minded conversation and elegance mixed with
moments of advanced levels of erotic sophistication capable of being
unleashed quietly and stealthily to achieve a sublime seduction of said
beauty upon satin sheets on canopied beds in Austrian chateaus over a
weekend to be repeated next weekend at Telluride with a different woman.

Penthouse on the other hand showed actual entire vaginas.

Hustler appealed to pornmongers. Hustler made no pretense at sophistication in fact it prided itself on anything that would promote
ejaculant to either ooze or squirt from a penis, and if it was promoted in an
utterly vulgar and tasteless way so much the better as long as the job got done.

Politically all three were liberal and considered America to be endurable but
much in need of improvement, preferably by fiat.

Easyriders showed up one day about that time to no fanfare. It too was
targeted to men but to men who rode Harleys more than they drove other
vehicles or even walked and most of whom belonged to clubs whose members were utterly devoted to avoiding what most people considered to be “normal human beings.”

These Harley riders sort of appeared to look like some sort of reversed metamorphosis, where normally a disgusting and revolting caterpillar will transform into an angelic butterfly, for some reason what up until that time were normal people somehow got transfigured into filthy absolutely unappealing cakes of grease and tobacco fumes and liquor and body odor. All of whom rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles that eventually turned into stripped-down, elongated homes.

To ride a motorcycle at all on the highway in the United States is a bad
idea. To ride one that weighs ten thousand pounds, while drunk or stoned
or on Benzedrine, at 80 miles an hour for 50% of every 24 hour
period…. you have to have something seriously fucking wrong with you.

Turns out in the ‘50s there were thousands of 18-30-year-old American men
who were doing this. The American Press, which is comprised exclusively
of failed novelists, noticed these aberrants but made short shrift of them,
that is, they looked at them as one might look at a new species of insect
that may or may not be dangerous, and to the general public they were so
fucking revoltingly fucked up and out of all known parameters of sanity no
great “movements of public opinion” singled them out for destruction and
they didn’t seem to be communists and in fact they wore swastikas and
German helmets and SS paraphernalia so they couldn’t be communists and
since the American Citizen of the day – women wearing dresses and men
wearing suits – had just endured five years of war with the Nazis and had
beaten them to fucking extinction…. seeing American men with Nazi
paraphernalia was looked upon with amusement because riding Harleys
day and night was stupid enough. Wearing Nazi costuming mixed with filthy
dungarees and leather on top of it all was sheer total buffoonery…. creating
an attitude by normal people of “Let’s just walk around them, dear, hold our
noses, and maybe they will just ignore us.”

Turns out bikers did ignore “normal citizens.” There is one “biker incident”
on record: Hollister. Which was notorious for its sheer novelty. There was
never a peep from bikers ever again that anyone right this second can
sound-off about. Go ahead, see if you can come up with one. That’s right,
you can’t. Thank you. OK, there’s maybe two others. They don’t count.

The Hells Angels are very good at figuring people out and there is no way
they could not have known that Hunter Thompson was not going to make
good on his promise to buy bucketloads of beer for them after the publication of his book. But they okayed the deal anyway and Hunter Thompson came through with no beer.

If the general public saw bikers at all it was through B movies at the drive-ins. Period. In short, they were on no one’s radar because they didn’t want to be on anyone’s radar and
Easyriders targeted these desert and woodland apparitions for readership.
And scuttlebutt was rife that bikers couldn’t actually read. So, you haffta say
to yourself “What was Easyriders fucking thinking.”

To this day no one knows. Bikers started in California and Easyriders started in California, which was probably more logical and likely than a plan of action. The first issue came out in 1971 and had articles about custom Harleys, filthy riders, braless
girlfriends, beer, references to illegal substances, pistols, knives, skulls,
more skulls, additional skulls, some supplemental skulls on page 27 and a
back cover devoted to some depictions of fleshless human heads. That’s
right, more skulls.

The advertising was basically images of business cards of shops and leatherworks and “outlaw” biker clubs, bike parts for sale,
lawyers-on-call and one freak-out thing after another and topping the charts
a section of correspondence to and from jailed felons.

Easyriders was the first publication to proclaim that felons in concrete cells
are living human beings who YOU probably don’t even know, so fuck you, if
you are shocked that we’re friends with these pariahs. That was the attitude
of the mag. This alone is what was an easy motivator for liquor store managers to keep Easyriders hidden on an “ask for it” basis since the publication was not making a secret that it was not something likely sitting in Ozzie and Harriet’s bathroom magazine stand.

And certainly no one could say that Easyriders was “selling out” to
corporate America since corporate America was making sure it was not in
any way associated with Easyriders Magazine. That was to change
eventually. All over the place.
And so, it was that the patriotic unknown unheralded, much derided and
despised cheery self-proclaimed lowlifes of American male society came to
discover that some clearly insane optimistic idiots were dutifully churning out a monthly magazine you had to ask for devoted entirely to patriotic unknown unheralded, much derided and despised, cheery self-proclaimed lowlifes.

Sales increased. Contents increased. Art was paid homage and reverence,
most of it from untutored talent working in cells or shacks or scary brick
buildings in slums. Creativity was praised and displayed, America was
treated with respect. The flag was brought out of hiding, “biker fashion” –
which now is Actual Fashion – was displayed and arrayed, rugged
individualism was encouraged, wisdom and intelligence when dealing with
interpersonal dealings and relations were valued more than obeying the
dictates of – usually a child-molesting – magistrate, legislator, or a zombie
law enforcement officer.

Being a leader was valued more than being a follower, but being a follower of someone you recognized as a good leader
was also a noble slot. If there was such a thing as “a remnant of Israel”
bikers were the “remnant of America.”
The psychological philosophy of the magazine was “Screw you but that’s
no reason we can’t be friends.”

Yes, I know, it’s confusing. Bikers enjoy
watching you be confused regarding them. It’s one of their ideas of fun. It
was a psychological attitude that lured non bikers to its pages. “These can’t
be real people and they can’t really do these things and live like this. And
the things they think are funny…. no. No, that’s just not right.”

An obsession by the “normal citizen” had been ignited. The central fuel for this biker
characteristic of “oddness” is the reality of death on the highway. You see,
you shouldn’t really be living your life for the sole purpose of piloting a stripped-down large Harley back and forth, up and down the American landscape and having that as your job description. Because it’s fucking
dangerous on three thousand levels. But it’s very fun to do. Especially when inebriated.

Now you might say, “But that’s totally irresponsible!” Hey: screw you but that’s no reason we can’t be friends. Do you see what I’m saying here? You can’t get through to these people. And they consider
that part of their charm. And it makes gallows humor basically a requirement to, of all things, keep you sane.

If the target audience of Easyriders could be described in a quick and, to
use Rush Limbaugh’s formerly favorite word, overarching way it would be
“hippies with anger issues.” Over and above the Harleys, which no hippy
would ever get near much less ride, Easyriders fodder were all for free
love, controlled substances, uncontrolled substances, and a willingness to
have their minds altered. It’s been said that altering a biker’s mind can only
go one way: towards improvement. Whether that was the objective is pretty
iffy.

For a magazine devoted to what society deemed reprobates there was a
focused attention to aesthetics and visual imagery. Harleys hand-rebuilt
from the ground up were a monthly feature, visual art by Mann, Robinson
and Duggan featured, respectively, two- page oil paintings of lifer-bikers in
their literally free-wheeling environments by Mann, quasi-psychedelic cartoonage by Robinson of idealized “perfect specimens” of totally healthy handsome burley men-of-action bordering on chaos and their ultra Daisy Mae girlfriends, all usually surrounded by beer, flies, often excrement, flying fists, mountains of rubbish, surreal motorcycles and a complete domination
of existence.

 Duggan focused on experimental illustration of tales, one of
his experiments getting the magazine banned in England for three months.
The target audience found something at last in the “mainstream” of life – a
publication – actually treating them like admired individuals. What very likely was probably not expected by the publishers was an increasing following
by customers the target audience enjoyed devoting their lives to avoiding:
“normal America.” The result of which has led to things like the current
President of the United States routinely mentioning bikers as allies and to
things like….and this is difficult to type…. the Sons of Anarchy.

Apparently Easyriders’ job is done: bikers are not reviled but emulated,
there are more people tattooed than not, pot is normalized, prisoners get
some empathy not stigmas, the flag is cheered not hidden, and America is
at last on a course that has some actual chance of becoming what it was
on the day of the colonies’ defeat of the British Empire: a land of liberty.

Thanks very likely to Easyriders Magazine. _________jj solari

You can read more from J.J. in his horrible book.—Bandit

We sell a few Hal Robinson inspired T-Shirts and art.—Sin Wu

 

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE

NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

STURGIS RALLY SAFEST IN FIVE YEARS
Final Sturgis Motorcycle Rally figures indicate a slight decrease in overall attendance, but including a third fatality reported on Sunday, traffic deaths were the lowest since 2014 when two motorcyclists died. Four people died in traffic crashes during the Rally last year.

Accidents were also down this year, with 52 injury crashes reported, down from 56; 41 non-injury crashes compared with 50 in 2018, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

The number of vehicles counted entering Sturgis, South Dakota during the 10 days of the 79th annual Sturgis Rally, from Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 11, was down 1.2% from 505,969 in 2018 to 499,654 this year, according to the state Department of Transportation, which has been counting since 1990.

The record vehicle count was 604,441 for seven days — Monday through Sunday — of the Rally in 2000, the 60th anniversary, according to DOT figures. The record attendance, by head count, was an estimated 738,000 in 2015, the 75th anniversary, according to Rally officials.

TRADE WAR HEATS UP
An ongoing trade war continues to escalate, and with motorcycles once again caught in the crosshairs, whatever the outcome the cost of motorcycles is likely to go up. Trade tensions between the European Union (EU) and the United States involving ongoing disputes regarding aircraft subsidies has led the Trump Administration to respond with $11 billion in proposed EU tariffs, including many motorcycles imported from countries in the EU.

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed 100% duties on motorcycles 500-700cc, as well as “parts and accessories for motorcycles (including mopeds).” (HTS subheadings 8711.40.30 and 8714.10.00).

The retaliatory tariffs could have far-reaching consequences for European-based motorcycle manufacturers, including Ducati, BMW, Husqvarna, KTM, Triumph and Vespa.

As of now, the product list is “preliminary”, and riders are urged to make their voices heard.

MIC LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO INSPIRE NEW RIDERS
The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) has announced a broad, long-term initiative to bring more people into the world of motorcycling.

“It’s clear the industry needs to reach and inspire new customers. While many of us, with our individual businesses, have taken steps to grow ridership, we also should be working together, and the MIC wants to help make that happen,” said Paul Vitrano, MIC board chair and senior assistant general counsel at Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Inc. “To help us fully understand the barriers to entry, and to create an inclusive strategic plan to conquer those barriers that will be available to all stakeholders, we have partnered with a team of researchers and strategists to bring fresh perspectives to this challenge and opportunity.”

To initiate this strategic plan, the MIC has hired consulting firm ?Centauric LLC? to lead the first phase of this initiative. “Centauric has committed an impressive multi-disciplinary team of behavioral scientists, engineers, and business consultants, and takes a unique approach to problem-solving. We are excited to be working with them on this critical initiative,” Vitrano said.

“This is not designed to be a quick fix, nor is it just about sales,” said Chuck Boderman, MIC vice chair, and vice president, motorcycle division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “It’s about showing people how motorcycles can fit into and enrich their lives, no matter where they live, what they do, what their hobbies are, or how old or young they are. This will take time, so we are committed to building a campaign that takes the long view… and how united as one, we can attract new riders to motorcycling.”

FEMA WARNS: “BE PREPARED FOR ELECTRIC BIKES!”
“In about ten years it will probably not be possible to buy a motorcycle with an internal combustion engine in most, if not all, European countries,” warns Dolf Willigers of the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA).

Based upon information gathered during Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels, consisting of three days of presentations about how to make our society more sustainable; “When you think about future transport, think electric. Not biofuels, not hydrogen, certainly not carbon-based fuels, but electric battery-powered vehicles is what we can expect.”

Transport is seen as a big contributor to the greenhouse effect. According to the EFA, the European Environment Agency, road transport emits nearly 21% of the EU’s total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas. Both the European Union and countries inside and outside the EU want ‘climate-neutral’ transport in 2050. “This looks far away,” says Willigers, “but remember that cars, the largest part of the vehicles, in Europe have an average lifespan of about twenty years. To have all cars on the road emission free in 2050 means that cars that do emit CO2 should no longer be on the market after 2030. Now it suddenly gets closer.” According to Williger, in just over ten years, there should be a complete transition from cars with a (carbon-based fuel) internal combustion engine to battery-electric powered cars.

Already the governments of Denmark, Germany, Ireland, India, Israel, Netherlands and Sweden have announced that they will ban the sale of new ‘carbon-fueled’ cars from 2030. France, China and the UK have announced to stop the sale of new cars with an internal combustion engine from 2040. On the other hand, Norway wants to ban the sale of these cars already from 2025. “Indeed, I’m talking about cars, not about motorcycles,” Williger explains, “But let’s be realistic: when the sale cars with an internal combustion engine will be stopped after 2030, in one country (the Netherlands) also the sale of mopeds with an internal combustion engine, how big will the chance be that an exception will be made for motorcycles?”

BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER BANNING HANDS-FREE DEVICES
England and Wales could make hands-free cellphone devices illegal for drivers, after research showed that it is no safer than using a hand-held phone, which would include a ban on comm systems for motorcyclists.

The Commons Select Committee has said that the Government should consider extending the law against using a mobile phone while driving and has called for a public consultation on the issue by the end of 2019. The Committee also recommended increasing the penalty for using a hand-held device and wants the police to do more to enforce the law.

Smart helmets and other communication systems are gaining in popularity for riders, as having access to our phones at all times has become a social and often professional requirement, and in recent years the industry has been booming with increasingly versatile devices.

The committee’s recommendation is based on a study that determined these systems are as distracting as using a handheld device, and whether behind the wheel or behind the handlebars, your attention is divided. According to the National Safety Council, drivers on the phone miss up to 50% of what’s happening in their surroundings while taking a call and their field of view is dramatically narrowed down, so chances are, a similar proportion applies to riders.

If such a ban is imposed in the UK, it could spark discussions of similar bans in the rest of Europe and perhaps the rest of the world.

NO HELMET, NO GAS
Although India has a national helmet law, as of August 5 the highly urbanized city of Bengaluru will begin implementing a “No helmet, no fuel” policy that means any motorcycle rider, including their passenger, will not be allowed to buy fuel at any gas station within the city limits if they are NOT wearing their helmets.

“The Bengaluru Traffic Police has spoken with petrol pump owners across the city seeking their cooperation to enforce the ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’ initiative,” Bengaluru City Additional Traffic Commissioner P. Harishekaran told News18. “This is being done purely for the interest, safety, and security of people.”

Bengaluru is not the first city to take such a step, as on June 1, 2019, the State of Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 200-million, enacted a “No helmet, no fuel” policy and also prohibits motorcycle riders from using the expressway if they are not wearing their helmets.

NETHERLANDS WAR HERO GIVEN CHOICE BETWEEN MC OR MILITARY JOB
The Ministry of Defense has suspended a soldier for the first time because of his role in the world of motorcycle clubs, threatening Sergeant Major Maurice Vissers with removal from his job with the Ministry for being “involved in a prohibited motorcycle gang.”

Vissers is not a member of a forbidden club, but is vice president of the Veterans MC, a military motorcycle club in the Netherlands to which many soldiers and former soldiers are affiliated, but he stands accused of having contacts with the Hells Angels as the clubs maintain friendly ties.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defense announced in a statement regarding the behavior of Defense employees that security clearances will be withdrawn if they have contact with a criminal organization or are “involved in outlaw motorcycle gangs such as Satudarah, Hells Angels, No Surrender or the Bandidos.” Where the Ministry previously discouraged its staff from becoming members of ‘1% clubs’, action is now being taken against soldiers who, for example, have a child or a partner in a prohibited motorcycle club, labeling them a security risk.

Despite having no criminal record and no other security issues, the Ministry of Defense has given the soldier a choice: leave the motorcycle club or Defense.

PUTIN MAY BE CITED FOR RIDING A MOTORCYCLE WITHOUT A HELMET
The Moscow Times has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently attended a biker show organized by the Night Wolves motorcycle club in annexed Crimea, and state television showed Putin at the handlebars of a Ural motorcycle without a helmet on.

At least two people have filed complaints with the authorities on the basis that Putin had violated Russian law by not wearing a helmet, and a Russian lawyer has requested the traffic police fine Putin $15 over the infraction.

“Putin is violating [the law] again,” said Regional legislator Oleg Khomutinnikov in a complaint to Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, writing on Facebook; “So what, the violations are minor. But does that make them non-violations?”

“EASY RIDER” STAR PETER FONDA DEAD AT 79
Oscar-nominated actor Peter Fonda, who became a counterculture icon when he co-wrote, produced and starred in seminal 1969 road movie “Easy Rider” fifty years ago, died August 16 of lung cancer at age 79.

The son of Hollywood legend Henry Fonda, he appeared in numerous biker movies, including “The Wild Angels” (1966), “Ghost Rider” (2007) and “Wild Hogs” (2007).

Fonda earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Easy Rider, which was added to the National Film Registry in 1998, having been deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

In 1991, Peter Fonda attended the National Coalition of Motorcyclists’ 6th annual NCOM Convention to receive the Silver Spoke Award for Entertainment; “In Appreciation For Improving The Image Of Motorcycling.”

He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2002, not only for his work on Easy Rider but also for his motorcycle-related charity work, including the Love Ride.

His interest in motorcycles was the direct result of rebelling against the elder Fonda; “My father didn’t want me to,” he once told the L.A. Times newspaper. “It was like, in your face. As soon as I could, I bought a Harley. That was the beginning. Loved it. Never have stopped.”

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “I have always maintained that society has no business dictating morality.”
~ Peter Fonda (1940-2019)

We are so damn close, yet let’s see.

I will rattle off my Salt Torpedo list. We are considering using one of the new Feuling oil tank vents to prevent blow-by. Unfortunately, they haven’t developed one for Twin Cam engines, only the new M-8 configuration.

I made progress on the team T-shirts, and Micah had a connection for another fire suppression system but after a month of waiting it didn’t pan out. I had to order another one from Shrouds who sent me to Summit Racing for a $15-dollar discount, but it still costs $550.

My art guy at Wellington signs left the company and I didn’t know about it. I had ordered vinyle stickers for the body. Micah changed his mind about how low the liner ran. I think the rulebook scared him, so I had to order taller shocks. Yesterday, he sent me a shot of a liner on the salt at speed week. It was slammed on the salt, maybe an inch of clearance. Speed Week is happening now, but rain has caused a day delay. That happens on a regular basis this time of year. Actually, it turned into a four-day delay.

Micah brought over his vacuum bleeder, and Bennett’s Performance made the brake lines. The brakes are bled and ready.

My RJS belts came incomplete, so I had to reach out to them. They said send them back for a quick correction, but another month passed, and I didn’t have belts. I started calling every day and leaving messages, nothing. I finally reached Sean. He said, no problem I would receive a tracking number later that day. Three days passed. I received a call yesterday and there was a problem in the warehouse. He fixed it and they were shipped.

We had a discussion about our front axles and how to safety-wire them. I had to order more fasteners from McMaster Carr. We are going to drill holes in every flat so we can adjust the Timken bearing pressure to suit our needs. That’s going to get interesting. I like the notion of shims to adjust the pressure. Better order some.

The wiring is virtually done. I had to hold off and run wires through a protective loom. I needed some fire suppression goo. We handled the latch yesterday. We bled the brakes on Saturday, but I need to adjust the release spring. I got that handled.

Here’s my list for the next day. I can finish the latch. I will hopefully get close on the firewall and finalize the wiring. I need to make a bracket at the back of the Paughco Frame and fasten the top and bottom of the body to it. I’m hoping for a start-up this weekend or Monday.

Then we need a road test the following week. If all goes well… Wait, we still need to install the fire suppression systems and Micah threw in another glitch. He decided he doesn’t like the carbon fiber vents I paid big bucks for. We are looking at non-aerodynamic scoops.

I started work on the Salt Torpedo firewall final aluminum construction. We have just eight days before we should be rolling out towards the salt. Not sure if we will make it.

We have several hoops to jump through before we get there. We need start-up and test. Then we need two tests on the road, one around the block and one at about 50 mph. We need someone to inspect this beast and determine whether we will pass the inspection. We need a few days to plan and pack for the trip. I will need to rent a trailer and find a room or two in Wendover.

 I never went after sponsorship funds because I wanted to see if it would work first. As you can see, someone else built a belly tank trike, which was on display at a show recently. Would like to know more about it.

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
SALT TORPEDO Chapter 21: Too Close to Bonneville

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/SALT_TORPEDO_Chapter_21_Too_Close_to_Bonneville_.aspx

Good god man! this has been a heart-pounding adventure!!! Are you there at Bonneville!

— Koz Mraz
garyjmraz@gmail.com
La Quinta,, CA

Not quite. The motorcycle meet is from the 25 to the 29th.–Bandit

Yesterday I handled the cotter-key safety wiring on the front axles. I finished the canopy latch, welded it, painted it and installed it into the top of the body.

I was sketchy about the wiring and discover a couple of mistakes, corrected them, finished the wiring and made the hot lead to the battery. Amazing, the puppy turned over. I needed to add another quart of oil. I also need to add more oil to the transmission.

I started to make up the sparkplug wires, when I discovered late model coils use a different connector to the coil. I went out to Jeremiah’s Dyna and pulled a plug wire and checked it out. After almost 100 years of doing it one way, they shifted. Frankie is going to Bartels’ to see if I can get a couple of ends, without it costing me a fortune. One of the techs gave him a set of used plug wires–Perfect!

I fixed the brake lever return spring, which was too long for our system and reinstalled it. Then I shifted to making more cardboard patterns for the firewall. I need to order 3M heat sealant today and get it shipped my way. I’ve found firewall grommets. I’m beginning to build confidence in this area.

Sunday was damn exciting. Micah made it over along with Zack, my Grandson Frankie and Darrin. It wouldn’t fire. The battery struggled and the compression releases didn’t seem to work. I didn’t have a compression gauge to test them. Micah will bring one.

Then we noticed a gas leak. Pissed me off. We took a break and went to lunch at Shamrocks Mexican Seafood? We returned cleaned the bung area and re-brazed it, still leaked. Micah had to leave.

Zack and I fucked with the gas tank after Micah peeled out, trying different things. We thought the blowing air in the tank might be forcing bubbles when I brazed. We stopped and took the chance it might blow up in my face. We were trying to do this outside and the breeze fucked with my brazing efforts. Finally, I tried another rod for a different alloy, and it worked.

We replaced the tank and put in a little gas. The tank only holds 1.3 gallons. Zack came up with an anti-gravity battery jumper system and we gave it a shot. We got it to pop. Then after more checking of connections, spark plug wires, and using the accelerator pump, it fired to life and ran like a champ. We let it run for a while.

The battery was still an issue, but Zack’s jumper was doing the trick. Once in a while, the compression releases seemed to work, and it would spin. Micah rolled back to the valley, so we thought we were done for the day, but damn a roll around the block was a critical test in the fight to get to the salt this year. Everything had to go smoothly.

Weight is a major issue in the front. The bike was perfectly balanced for a long time, but no more. It’s heavier in the rear. Dr. Hamster came by on Saturday and we discussed weight and handling issues. He recently bought a Devon sports car and went to work on it. He replaced the VW engine with a big Porsche engine in the rear and drove it around the area. The front end wasn’t happy, and he started to add weight, a lot of lead weight. It didn’t help much until he had like 200 pounds in the front. Then he tried an air damn and it worked like a champ. Interesting.

So, we rolled the Torpedo into the street and Zack climbed in. We added more gas and fired it up. Zack was ready to roll, but the Torpedo decided not to shift. We struggled with it, removed the linkage, but no go. Micah set it up and adjust the shifter pawl. I wanted to leave it to him. Meanwhile, I reached out to James at Tucker about the battery.

James Simonelli got right back to me. A fresh engine can be a real drag on the battery. He suggested this battery, when we determined a big dresser battery wouldn’t fit.

Here’s how I responded: You’re right, it is a fresh engine and I was struggling with electronic compression releases. We did get it started with the jumper system and it only has maybe 20 minutes of run time on the fresh engine.

The Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials are the 25th to the 29th. There is an outside chance we might make it. We are so close we can taste the salt. Yesterday was critical, with the first start-up. We ran into some issues, but ultimately got it started. But then we ran into shifting issues, so no street run. Where I live, we have a straight 50-plus mph street alongside the building for a mile. On Sundays there is almost no traffic.

We have a week to test, tune, study the handling, build the firewall, install the fire systems, find a trailer, find some money and get to Bonneville. It’s looking dicey, but we’re trying. If we don’t make it, we will have a year to test and dial this puppy in for next year.

James wanted us to make sure the compression releases were working properly, and we got more time on the engine before we switched batteries.

Unfortunately, we’re burning daylight and needed a strong battery to be there for us. I reached out to Anti-Gravity Battery. They are close by and immediately responded to my request with some additional questions.

Thank you for reaching out to us.

We have a few different batteries that would fit in a battery compartment of that size.
To recommend the best option, we need a little more info on the trike.
What will be the main purpose? Race, show or street? If race only, will it run a charging system or total loss?
Will it have just the basic accessories, such as lights and gauges, or will there be extra accessories installed?

–Sonny
AntiGravityBatteries.com

I hope to hear back from them. More fasteners arrived from McMaster Carr for our Dacca vents, which are now in place. I’m still waiting for two, Micah approved clamshell vents. 

Micah arrived Monday morning, fixed shifting and maybe we could slip around the block. That’s not good enough. We need to get her up to 50 plus to determine the weight issue, somewhat. We may need to wait until next Sunday.

Micah checked the S&S G jetting and it had a 74 main and 29.5 intermediate jet. He left them alone. It ran like a top. Micah had issues with his dresser and needed to take it to Bartels’ H-D. His battery wasn’t charging properly, and his compensating sprocket rattled since he bought the bike. “It’s no problem,” the sales guy said. “They all do that.”

Bartels’ gave Micah a loaner M-8 Road King and he flew to the headquarters and took the top off the transmission. The shifting mechanism was hitting the lid. Kent had relieved it some. As long as we left the bolts loose, it worked fine. Micah started to clearance the lid and then he discovered the other spring tensioner arm at the other end of the shift drum was hitting the lid also. He kept grinding away and replacing the lid until it was golden for the Fat-5 JIMS transmission.

We discussed the S&S compression releases and chased the wiring. We took a couple of tests and determined the wiring was cool, but Micah brought a compression checker and it indicated that the compression releases were not working.

We charged Zack’s anti-gravity jumper system and the puppy fired right to life. The Bikernet Headquarters are located on the busiest street to and from the Port of Los Angeles. Thundering container, car-carrying, oversized load and fuel trucks are thundering down Harry Bridges Boulevard constantly, always in a big hurry.

We opened the gate, fired it up, looked for an opening in the traffic and Micah shifted into first. It rolled over the gate rail and into the streets that merges into the Alameda corridor to downtown Los Angeles.

This was an acid test. How would it handle and steer? How would the weight issue resolve itself? We had no idea.

He rolled into the street like a champ and shot down the street like a rocket ship. He rounded the bend and I could hear him shifting through the gears two blocks away. He came out onto Harry Bridges two blocks from the shop, surrounded by 18-wheelers, and it died in the center of the lane. I hobbled down to him and got it out of the street.

We fired it back up and he flew into the headquarters. We were all as excited as hell. Success. Micah peeled out and back to Bartels’ to pick up his flamed bagger. Zack helped me lift the Torpedo back onto the bench and I went back to work removing the bottom of the tank to adjust the firewall for new construction. I needed to adjust the gas tank for petcock clearance.

Later Kent weeks called me and suggested an additional starter relay devoted to the compression releases to prevent voltage drop. I have another one and will get to work on that tomorrow.

Rodan, who was an SCTA official for over 25 years and holds numerous records offered to come over to inspect the beast, when we are ready. I need to install the belts, and they arrived yesterday afternoon. I need to finish the firewall and make and install the brackets at the back of the torpedo for body support, and then we’ll be ready for more tests.

Hang on for the next report.

Sponsors:

Jim’s Machine

Hot Rod Underground

Paughco

BDL

Strictly Hawgs

MetalSport Wheels

Custom Cycle Engineering

LowBrow

S&S

Bassini Exhausts

Twin Power

Lucky Devil Metal Works

I have finished my most complicated and time consuming build during my history of building custom bikes.

This build went on for almost 12 years.
What complicated the build so much is that I wanted to theme the Bike to a Board Game I had invented back in 1971.

In 1971 my Board Game was called Chessers, it was a cross between Chess & Checkers and the idea was to capture the King and you win the game.

All conventional Board Game have 8 X 8 Playing Squares, 64 total.

But, I designed my Board Game with 9 X 9 Playing Squares, 81 total and that meant you had to buy my Board, you could not use my men on any other conventional board.

I was only 21 so I needed someone to invest, so I sent my game off to Parker Bros. the biggest Game Company in Canada at the time.

I kept phoning them and was told, they are testing it and that is a good thing.
They had my game for 3 months testing it.

After 3 months I received it back with a very nice letter stating that my game played excellent and they liked the concept, but Pac Man had just been released and they thought the computer world was here and were leery to invest in another Board Game at that time.

And they were correct, computer games stole the market, Board Games were gone.
Well, about 12 years ago, I started seeing Board Games again and thought it was a great time to bring Chessers back to life!
Only, the Chess Checker thing was gone.
When I was a kid, every house you entered had a Chess Board on a stand whether they played it or not. It was just the cool thing to have.

That was all gone….

So I thought, I got to bring this game into the now?
Sopranos was at its peak, so I decided to turn it into a ‘50s Mob game,
one side New York & one side Chicago.
The object now is to take out the other teams Mob Boss.

I didn’t change any of the rules, just who they were and where they were.
I wanted the Board to be completely black because everything happens at night.
I wanted the towers to be 3” high to act as buildings with dark streets down below.
New concept, Same Game.
Now called “CONSIGLIERE”

At the same time, I had just started building this new bike and thought….. Let’s theme the Game to the Bike & the Bike to the Game, that has never been done before.
That meant the Bike was going to be black with detailed Dead Mobsters from the Fifties on every inch of it to become “THE CONSIGLIERE”

Away I went…..

What took so long?
Waiting for Copyrights from Patent Attorney (time & endless money)

And all the custom CNC parts using every idea that came through my head to make this the best and last build I would ever do.
I had a buddy with a CNC machine but I had to go on the back burner for him to find time to do a one off for me.

By the time he was done one part, I would design another………
And years fly by.
And of course, endless money……

The Game:
I could not get Prototypes of the Board done in wood properly because I wanted 3” towers to appear like city buildings.
Every time they attempted to do the towers 3” high in wood on a CAD machine, they would snap!

So I said Fuck it, lets CNC them.
I CNC’d 3 Prototype Game Boards.
All the men were hand carved Prototypes.
When the guy was carving them, a person that was in the Game business heard a bit about the game and he said the Game sounds very interesting.

The guy said:
If this guy (meaning me) could get this game down to a $40.00 Game, he would be a gold mine.

I said:
tell this guy to Fuck Off!

I said:
If I ever released the “Consigliere Game” I would have the “Utmost Respect” for the people that lived this lifestyle.
It would be a high end game, numbered and selling for around $300 to $400

He said:
Who the hell would buy a game for $300 to $400?

I said, If I could just interest the people that have bought a pair of True Religion Jeans, Ed Hardy Shirt, Billet Part for a Harley or Street Wise People and of course Harley Riders…. I would not need anyone else!
After completing the Consigliere Bike & Consigliere Board Game.

I did the 2018 Portland Roadster Show, Won Best Bike & Best in Show.

2018 Vancouver International Auto Show, “display only” but 120,000 visitors seen the display.

2018 B.C. Custom Car Show, won 1st in class, Best Bike, Best Display & Psychotic Cycle Award.

I do not consider myself a BIKE BUILDER, I BUILD “A” BIKE!

There is a huge difference…..

In this town there is shops like, Jarz Performance, Ivers Custom Cycles, Suicidal Cycles, Lucky 51 Hot Rod Cycles, Bill Slater and of course the one and only Roger Goldammer.

These guys are experts at ground up fabrication.

I struggle all the way through to build one bike exactly the way I design it.
That is the difference.