Byways to Highways: 2019 Harley-Davidson Sport Glide
By Bandit |
The Sport Glide is the ninth model introduced in the overhauled 2018 Softail lineup, and it combines lightweight long-haul elements that include a removable fairing and saddlebags. Plus performance upgrades like the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, a re-engineered Softail frame, and an inverted single-cartridge fork.
The Sport Glide’s ride quality is vastly improved thanks to a 43mm inverted Showa fork with single-cartridge damping control and the new Softail-spec single-shock rear end, preload for which is adjusted by hand using an easily reached dial. Another bonus: Cruise control and ABS are standard equipment.
The saddlebags are solid plastic, light and weatherproof and will hold 25.5 liters of luggage. They can be opened with one hand by a seated rider and the side door has a damping strut for smooth opening. It’s a clamshell style design and they open outwards which may limit the size of luggage you may be able to put into the bags. Additional luggage capacity can be added with an accessory sissy bar, luggage rack or even Tour-Pak rack.
The 5 gallon gas tank and claimed 47 mpg allows for some serious mileage between fuel stops. I found the Sport Glide to be very comfortable and with a low seat height of 26.5 inches, broad seat and forward-mounted foot controls it suits a wide range of riders. All-new Softails have a mono-shock rear suspension that offers a remote hydraulic spring preload adjustment. It can be adjusted for load by an exposed knob below the right-side cover.
Powered by the Milwaukee Eight 107 which is both balanced and rubber-mounted and affords a 75 percent reduction in primary vibration at idle, so the motor will be dancing considerably less at stops. The 107 also offers precision oil cooling around the hottest areas of the cylinder heads to keep the heat off the rider and passenger.
The Sport Glide has Mantis cast-aluminum wheels, 18-inch 130 front and 16-inch 180 rear with Michelin Scorcher 31 performance tires. The single disc brake exposes the eye catching directional motion wheel normally reserved for their elite Custom Vehicle Operations models. Even with one disc, the Sport Glide still has plenty of stopping power with strong initial bite, progressive feel and of course ABS is standard.
It has a traditional round speedometer with a digital screen below showing fuel gauge and gear position. The tank-mounted instruments sit up high so they are easy to see without having to glance away from the road ahead.
Esthetically, this motorcycle is gorgeous, the mantis –cast wheels look totally custom. The sweeping 2-1 black and chrome exhaust muffler sport style and improved cornering clearance and the raked out front end just look cool. Functionally its keyless ignition, USB port, hard bags and faring are spot on. Harley-Davidson even offers an optional tour pak designed for the Sport Glide for the long haul. I have always thought a two-in one bike was missing in the HD line-up and now, it’s here.
PRICE: Vivid Black $18,649, Color $19,049, Custom Color $19,599, Two Tone Color $19,79
ENGINE
Engine: Milwaukee-Eight 107 Engine
Valves: Pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters; four valves per cylinder
Displacement: 107 cu. in. (1746 cc)
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
DIMENSIONS
Length: 91.7 in. (2330 mm)
Overall Width: 37.6 in. (955 mm)
Overall Height: 44.1 in. (1120 mm)
Seat Height:
• Laden: 25.7 in. (653 mm)
• Unladen: 26.5 in. (673 mm)
Tires: (Michelin Scorcher, “31” front and rear)
• Front – Scorcher “31” 130/70B18 63H BW
• Rear – Scorcher “31” 180/70B16 77H BW
Fuel Capacity: 5 gal. (18.9 L) (warning light at approximately 1.0 gal.)
Oil Capacity: (w/filter) 5 qt. (4.7 L)
Weight:
• As Shipped: 670 lb. (304 kg)
• In Running Order: 698 lb. (317 kg)
DRIVETRAIN
Primary Drive: Chain, 34/46 ratio
Final Drive: Belt, 32/66 ratio
Clutch: Mechanical, 10 plate wet, assist & conventional
Transmission: 6-Speed Cruise Drive
CHASSIS
Frame: Mild steel, tubular frame; rectangular section backbone; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged fender supports
Front Fork: Single cartridge 43 mm inverted with aluminum fork triple clamps; triple rate spring
Rear Shocks: Hidden, free piston, coil-over monoshock; 43mm stroke; toolless hydraulic pre-load adjustment
Wheels: Black, machine highlighted, Mantis cast aluminum
• Front: 18 in. x 3.5 in. (457 mm x 89 mm)
• Rear: 16 in. x 5 in. (432 mm x 127 mm)
Brakes:
• Caliper Type: 4-piston fixed front and 2-piston floating rear
• Rotor Type: Front black, split 7-spoke floating rotor, rear solid, uniform expansion rotor
(diameter x width):
• Front: 11.8 in. x .2 in. (300 mm x 5.1 mm)
• Rear: 11.5 in. x .23 in. (292 mm x 5.8 mm)
• Anti-lock Braking System Standard
Suspension Travel:
• Front Wheel: 5.1 in. (130 mm)
• Rear Wheel: 3.4 in. (86 mm)
PERFORMANCE
Engine Torque (per J1349):
• North America: 108 ft. lb. @ 2750 RPM (146 Nm @ 2750 RPM)
Lean Angle (per J1168):
• Right: 27.9°
• Left: 28.7°
Fuel Economy: (Combined City/Hwy) 47 mpg
Preserving a Loved One’s Tattoos after Death
By Bandit |
Chris Wenzel’s lifelong love affair with tattooing began when he was just nine years old when his aunt asked him to design her a tattoo, one he ended up partly inking on her skin himself.
By the time he was teenager, both his arms were completely covered in skin art. As an adult, he was a respected tattoo artist who owned Electric Underground Tattoos Inc, a studio in Saskatoon, Canada.
“He loved seeing the ink on people’s skin, fell in love with it,” says his wife Cheryl, who now runs the tattoo studio with a business partner.
Chris died last October of heart failure, after struggling for years with ulcerative colitis, leaving her and the couple’s five sons behind. He was 41.
Before he died, he had a request: he wanted his tattoos preserved.
Ms Wenzel says her husband had always been fascinated by preserved bodies and by other similar artefacts they had come across on museum visits.
Then Chris Wenzel discovered Save My Ink Forever, a family-run business based in Cleveland, Ohio.
He told his wife: “Why would I want to have all these hours of tattoo work put into my body for me to be buried with them?”
The company, owned by Michael and Kyle Sherwood, works with funeral homes in the US, the UK, and Canada to preserve the tattoos of people who have died, as a memorial for their loved ones.
The father and son – both embalmers and funeral directors – launched the company just over two years ago.
The idea came from what Kyle Sherwood described as a “semi-serious” conversation his father had with a friend about preserving tattoos.
The Sherwoods looked at two trends – there are an estimated 45 million Americans inked and tattoos are growing in popularity; and meanwhile there is a shift towards more customised funerals and memorials.
So they decided to develop a technique that allowed for the long-term preservation of excised skin art.
“Being embalmers we were at least familiar with the concept of preserving tissue,” says Kyle Sherwood.
“But with the embalming, that process isn’t permanent, as much as we’d like it to be. So we started doing some research and blended a few techniques together. It was trial and error.”
It took them two years to develop their specific technique.
“There were no corners cut. We wanted to make sure we did things right and did it consistently,” he says.
At the request of the family, the funeral home will surgically remove the tattoo – a simple process, say the Sherwoods – and send it to a lab for preservation before it’s mounted and framed behind UV-protective glass. The entire process takes about three months.
“People put urns on their mantle and to me, my tattoos are more meaningful than an urn on the mantle,” says Mr Sherwood.
“It’s an actual piece of a person that symbolises something.”
Ms Wenzel sought out the Sherwoods’ help following her husband’s death.
“When my husband passed away, half of me passed away with him,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do. I just knew he wanted this preservation done. I had to set aside my own emotion to get this part done.”
Because Chris had large tattoos covering much of his body, Kyle Sherwood flew to Saskatoon, a city in the Canadian prairies, to oversee the process himself.
Most tattoos the company handles are on a smaller scale – individual pieces that measure a few inches across – and “with that we are comfortable with the funeral home and their embalmer removing or surgically excising the tattoo,” he says.
Ms Wenzel chose the pieces to be preserved – two full sleeve tattoos including the top of Chris’ hands, his throat and chest piece, his full back piece, two thigh pieces and calf piece.
It was the largest tattoo preservation the Sherwoods had done.
“You have the people that don’t like it – the majority of those people don’t have tattoos, the majority of those people couldn’t understand the meaning that a tattoo can have,” he says.
“Then you have the people that have tattoos that are kind of on the fence about it.”
And finally, “you have the people that absolutely love it”.
The fledgling company has also faced scepticism from some funeral homes, with Mr Sherwood saying that some “old-school funeral directors” have been resistant to the novel idea.
“With that being said, anyone in my generation has been pretty receptive of it, understanding even if we don’t agree with this necessarily, we are in the industry as a whole of serving people and we’re here to fulfil their wishes.”
In Chris Wenzel’s case, a number of funeral homes turned Ms Wenzel down before she was able to find one that would work with Save My Ink Forever.
Mr Sherwood said the company ensures the entire process is completed with dignity, and that it will only work on professionally done tattoos.
And he says it’s not usually obvious the art is preserved on a very unique canvas.
“A lot of time you look at it like a painting and you appreciate the art,” he says. “And once you digest that, you’re left with: ‘Wow, this is the remains.'”
Ms Wenzel has displayed her late husband’s body art at tattoo conventions in Saskatoon and in Vancouver, and plans to do the same this summer at a convention in St John’s, Newfoundland.
She says he wanted his preserved artwork to serve as a reminder that life continues after death but that those left behind never forget the loved ones they lost.
“I see it as a beautiful art. To me it was like bringing my husband back. I get to see him everyday,” she says.
What You Don’t Know about Motorcycle Clubs
By Bandit |
From motorcycle clubs to organized crime: Notorious biker gangs
Americans have a long established canon from which they “learn” about society from fictional dramas. And the more we watch shows like “Sons of Anarchy,” the more a news story will seem to fit our mental construct of “how those people are.” The same is true of popular TV crime dramas’ portrayal of American minorities’ involvement in violent crime.
And it seems that every time outlaw motorcycle clubs are portrayed in the news, it’s because of something terrible, such as the 2002 incident in Loughlin, Nevada, or the recent deadly events in Waco, Texas.
But here’s the thing: As we watch more crime drama, we perceive that crime is more prevalent than it actually is.
And when the media fail to represent or report the average, everyday activities of motorcycle clubs and the workaday lives of their members, media consumers have nothing against which to compare how those people might really be.
Add to this the fact that the outlaw biker narrative has been largely controlled over time, not by members of the culture, but outsiders and the misconceptions grow. Case in point: the Waco incident. Sgt. Swanton of the Waco Police Department effectively controlled the story of what happened on May 17, 2015, and it appears that story has already begun to unravel. Regardless of what ultimately is shown to be the truth about the events in Waco, if history tells us anything it’s that that story will not likely be broadcast as widely as the law enforcement narrative was … if at all.
An old criticism about the media goes, “if it bleeds it leads.”
Biker bureaucracy
I’ve spent 15 years researching America’s biker culture and I can say with some authority that the reality of everyday life in motorcycle clubs is neither dangerous nor exciting.
One might even call it boring.
Meetings run on for hours. Committee work is less than exciting, no matter the organization. Raffle tickets have to be sold, charitable events have to be planned, staffed, provisioned and the grounds have to be cleaned up afterward. Clubhouses have to be maintained; the yard has to be mowed, the roof needs to be patched, someone has to clean the bathroom, and so on.
Most of the time, MC members — called patch-holders — hang out at one another’s homes or shops talking about motorcycles.
Countless hours are spent riding their motorcycles from one state to another, stopping only for gas, regardless of the weather, which after the first 1,000 miles can dampen the spirits of even the most ardent rider.
When not together, patch-holders mostly work and spend time with their families (and most families spend time with the MC).
But what about the claim that motorcycle clubs are gangs?
Motorcycle clubs are born of a love of the machine, racing, riding and from military service. Gangs began for various reasons as well, but largely as a form of protection for ethnic immigrants residing in inner cities.
Motorcycle clubs’ social structure is overwhelmingly democratic from the local to the international levels. Officers are democratically elected and hold office so long as they meet the memberships’ needs.
Actually, it was a surprise research finding that most MCs adhere strictly to Robert’s Rules of Order during official meetings, with fines for being found out of order ranging from $20 to $100.
In contrast, gangs can be seen as more autocratic than democratic, where leaders emerge more for their charismatic leadership and illicit earning abilities than for their abilities to run organizations.
Motorcycle clubs are organized hierarchically, with strictly defined chains of command and lines of communication. MCs elect secretaries whose jobs are to maintain meeting minutes, keep track of committees and chairs, and see that old business is complete and new business is on the agenda.
Treasurers also are elected officials and they attend to fiduciary responsibilities such as collecting membership dues, paying clubhouse expenses and financial planning for the future. Both secretaries and treasurers are required to produce written documents for the membership to review and approve during each meeting.
It seems laughable to believe that gangs do the same. In addition to a decade-and-a-half of research, I have lived my entire adult life around bikers and MCs and have yet to encounter a motorcycle gang. I have, however, witnessed several occasions where MCs run street gangs out of the communities in which the MC clubhouses are located (MCs usually can only afford to buy or lease properties in the cheapest parts of town where gang crime is most prevalent.)
Not hiding behind charity work
Perhaps the singularly most important distinction between outlaw motorcycle clubs and gangs is evidenced through philanthropy.
It’s been widely reported by local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations that MCs support charities, mainly (if not entirely) for positive public relations in order to offset some negative public image.
This interpretation does not fit my field observations. I’ve found two primary reasons why motorcycle clubs are so closely intertwined with charity work: MC family members are or have been affected by the maladies the charities seek to eradicate, and members of the local community are in legitimate and immediate need.
MCs support a wide variety of local, national, and international charities that seek to end cancers, poverty, hunger and children’s diseases, but especially supported are disabled veterans organizations.
Charity is to members of motorcycle clubs as gasoline and oil are to their machines. For some, it’s a major reason why they join and stay in MCs.
I’ve observed MCs providing 24/7 security at battered women’s shelters, holding motorcycling events such as Poker Runs to raise money for local families whose homes were destroyed by fire or natural disasters, or to help families stricken by some other tragic event get on their feet.
If a member of the community is in legitimate need, and the MCs are able to help, they almost always do.
Even if it’s just “Passing the Hat,” where patch-holders literally pass around a baseball cap into which members place what cash they can spare.
This might not seem like much, but to a family in desperate need of short-term assistance, this can mean the difference between having electricity and water and going without.
And this happens all the time.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand that identity may be the main purpose people join MCs.
It’s not easy becoming a patch-holder. Many have compared “prospecting” — the process of earning full membership — to that of military basic training, where the individual is broken down in order to be reformed into a part of a collective: To think not of one’s self but of others, and to understand that one’s actions or inactions impact the team and the organization. But prospecting takes months and sometime a year or more (5 years for one MC).
Prospecting is physically, emotionally, and intellectually demanding and not everyone can do it. A significant amount of social status is conferred upon those with the steel to make it. Perhaps this is the only obvious similarity between MCs and gangs.
That sense of brotherhood was on display at a funeral for a patch-holder slain at Waco. I witnessed members of the Hells Angels, Bandidos, Mongols, Vagos and more than 50 other motorcycle clubs come together in peace to mourn the passing of a man who touched the lives of so many in his community.
To them, he was much more than a biker or a patch-holder — he was their Brother, with all the familial love, respect, and honor that that word conveys. To my knowledge, such a gathering has never happened before.
This convergence of contrasting MCs was no media stunt. There were no media in the funeral that day (although there was one white, unmarked van, out of which came uniformed men clad in body armor and armed with assault rifles).
What is most worrisome to me is that we as Americans don’t really know these people and yet we readily accept one-sided narratives as they pop up in the news. Certain law enforcement officials and organizations have labeled outlaw motorcycle clubs as a domestic terrorist threat.
As one who earns a living studying and teaching about threats to national security, it concerns me greatly to think that precious time, money, and manpower are wasted on targeting the wrong people. We have very real dangers to our society, our American way of life, but MCs are unequivocally not among those dangers. In my experience, patch-holders represent the very people who protect us from those threats.
FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE CONFERENCE
By Bandit |
MAY 3, 2019
Editor’s Note: Recently the Petersen Museum proposed a symposium to study the future of Automobiles with leaders in the industry. I was dying to be there to listen to vehicle designers discuss the future of the automobile and travel. I’m going to post some of the YouTube links here to allow you to watch the findings. Below is the design and my take on this effort:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVBIlQAh6Y0&list=PL5iSAdHStf8FA_kBAlK7B_FQQGaJhtKhR
The Future of the Automobile Conference, held at the Petersen Automotive Museum, brings together immersive and inspirational talks, demos, test drives and exhibitions to give a glimpse into the future of our mobility. The conference explores the brave new world of the personal transportation revolution that is set to transform every city in the world.
INTRODUCTION: VISIONS OF TOMORROW
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Much like the automobile revolutionized transportation over a century ago, society is on the cusp of a major transformation in how people get around. Massive changes will ripple through the global economy, as well as our everyday lives. Respected thought leaders from the automotive and technology industries, academia, and public policy will share their perspectives on the myriad of challenges and opportunities for the future of the automobile.
KEYNOTE: DESIGNING THE FUTURE – KLAUS BISCHOFF
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Implementing the ideas driving future automotive trends will fall to the hands of the engineers and artists populating design studios throughout the industry. New technologies will require a reassessment of balance and proportion to accommodate their components. A revolution in people’s relationship with the automobile, notably the potential liberation of the driver from control responsibility, will trigger a reconceptualization of interior layout and included systems. It is the designers who will truly decide what the future of the automobile looks like.
BREAKOUT 1
WHEN CARS TALK: CONNECTIVITY AND SECURITY
10:40 – 11:30 AM
Self-driving cars will undoubtedly foster a world where people’s ties to their vehicle are lessened, making the connections between cars more critical. Inter-vehicle communication backs up onboard sensors to help navigate the autonomous landscape. This dependence on communication demands strict control of data integrity and security.
BREAKOUT 1
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS: THE FUTURE OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND CITY PLANNING
The original rise of the automobile led to wholesale changes to the infrastructure and patterns of habitation of the day. Cars enabled people to travel further to work, play, and live, leading to networks of congested highways, urban sprawl, and the rise of the suburbs. Autonomy promises another transformation in transportation and city planning, as computer-controlled cars can be more densely packed on roads, and on-demand vehicles lower the need for parking.
BREAKOUT 2
THE FUTURE OF OWNERSHIP AND RIDESHARING
11:40 – 12:30 pm
For the better part of a century, the car has been a central part of people’s lives. However, many people feel that the love affair people have with their car is ending, and the newer generations are increasingly uninterested in automobiles. As cars become more of a service and less of a possession, radical changes are to be expected for automakers, insurers, and many other industries that have been built up around the automobile.
WHO IS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT? ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AUTONOMY
11:40 – 12:30 pm
Removing humans from the driving equation requires replacing their senses and decision-making. Advances in sensors and artificial intelligence enable this future, as technology progressively replaces the human component. While partly a function of technological capacity, the rise of autonomy opens up a pandora’s box of ethical issues that must be addressed as well.
MID-DAY KEYNOTE: HUMAN DRIVING IN THE AUTONOMOUS FUTURE – MCKEEL HAGERTY
1:30pm- 2:30 pm
McKeel began playing with cars as a boy and hasn’t stopped since, turning his parent’s small local insurance agency into the world’s largest provider of specialty insurance to vintage vehicle enthusiasts and an automotive lifestyle brand focused on the love of cars and driving.
His “grow yourself first” approach to life and leadership has been so successful that in 2016-2017 he was elected international chairman of YPO, the world’s largest peer-to-peer group for CEOs. During his term, he traveled extensively, talking to world leaders and business innovators about leadership and success. He’ll share his thoughts on these subjects in his first book, “Who Will Lead?” due out next spring.
McKeel’s knowledge and enthusiasm have given him a reputation as an authority within the automotive and automotive media worlds, representing the classic car community on numerous boards and advisory groups, and appearing regularly as a commentator for ESPN, SPEED, CNBC and Discovery. He is also a long-time judge of the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
BREAKOUT 3
POWERING THE FUTURE
2:40 – 3:30 pm
While autonomy and self-driving cars get the majority of popular attention, the most progress toward transforming automobiles has occurred in propulsion. While electric vehicles are not a new idea, modern advances in motors and, most importantly, batteries, have greatly increased their capabilities. As the future of the automobile goes electric, are the days of internal combustion numbered, and how does this affect the infrastructure and services built around the car?
BREAKOUT 3
HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES, DESIGN, AND THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
2:40 – 3:30 pm
The set of instruments and displays found on most vehicles has been standardized over the course of decades to maximize driver ease and control. With the increased dependence on technology, and less driver responsibility, new approaches are necessary to provide feedback to drivers and to keep them engaged with the driving experience. How do you remove control from people while still keeping their attention?
BREAKOUT 4
RISING CHINA: COMPETITION OR COOPERATION IN FUTURE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY
3:40 – 4:30 pm
The birth of the car was a product of innovation in a core set of advanced industrialized countries. More than a century later, a new revolution in automotive design is taking place against a setting of globalized industries and technologies. New market entrants, such as China, are seeking to be leaders in the new era of autonomous automobiles. Will international competition rule the day, or will countries learn to cooperate in the establishment of standards and the sharing of technologies?
BREAKOUT 4
THE INDUSTRY FUTURE: MANUFACTURING TRANSITION
3:40 – 4:30 pm
The rise of autonomy and electric vehicles not only will foster change in how people use their cars, but also in how automobiles are made. New designs, utilizing innovative production techniques and advanced materials, will require retooling by major automakers, while also creating opportunities to new market entrants. Just as manufacturers proliferated during both the automobile’s infancy and the period following the Second World War, the future of the automobile is likely to entail waves of decentralization, strategic partnerships, and eventual reconsolidation around a potentially different set of key firms.
Here is information on all the talks and panelists — https://www.futureoftheautomobile.org/
The other side of the equation
I would hope some of the speakers and attendees would address the following: A chunk of the public believe there’s nothing entertaining or invigorating about driving a car or riding a motorcycle. I don’t buy it. This is a concept fostered by enabled kids, who are not responsible for their own transportation and the threat of Global Warming. Doomsday is at hand if you don’t stop driving your wonderful car!
Some believe that all the future millennials want only to stare at their cell phones for the rest of their lives, no physical involvement with the rest of the world. I beg to differ, which would change the direction of this symposium. So, let’s turn the page and call it the Future of the Driving Experience. How can we improve the driving experience?
In this case the over-riding goal would be to enhance the driving experience since as they said, “The automobile industry is responsible for over 7 million jobs in just the U.S.” So, why are cars left parked for 95 percent of the time?”
I would suggest Congestion should be a major topic, which would lead to enhanced infrastructure. Could folks enjoy a magnificent driving experience through expanded infrastructure?
The Driving experience topic could include safety technology, automation, etc.
The electric vehicle topic could also embrace infrastructure and how electric cars could remain charged and maintained.
A growing population needs to be a topic. Can we build lanes in interesting ways to make the driving experience more fun and entertaining? Or do we need to build vehicles capable of airborne travel to avoid the use of more roads. I personally want to see the flying chopper. It’s coming.
We could also study government interference. How is owning a car or motorcycle more costly and cumbersome than in the past. How could we improve the driving ownership experience?
And finally, the rotten egg in all these discussions. Your booklet lists Transportation as the cause of one quarter of greenhouse emissions. That’s not true. More and more this effort to make mom’s SUV the bad guy is falling apart. This obviously needs to be a part of the discussion.
–Bandit
SALT TORPEDO Chapter 19: Fiberglass Prison
By Bandit |
Remember when I mentioned the following:
Okay, so the Salt Torpedo got close to being ready for fiberglass work. I spoke to Gary Maur, of Kustom Fab, in Detroit, and he convinced me that we could handle it in the shop. That was a confidence builder, but I still didn’t like the notion of grinding fiberglass in the shop. Nasty shit.
Much of the above paragraph came true over the last month. The Redhead hooked me up with Lupe, a local Marine mechanic and fiberglass guy. He brought over Willie, and then Santos and told me the whole process could be handled in a week. We discussed the timing and schedule, but it never happened that way.
Every day, I learned something more, to the chagrin of our fleeting schedule.
Two gallons of Epoxy 105—slow setting
Two pumps for measuring the epoxy and hardener
A box of 6-inch paint rollers
Two Gallons of lacquer thinner
A box of plastic gloves
Five 1-gallon buckets
Five 1-quart buckets
A roll of 1-inch blue tape
A bunch of cheap 2-inch brushes
One gallon of Acetone
Four jumper suits, large
A sheet of thin veneer
I’m on a mission from the lord of the Piston Pirates. I finished painting Jeremiah’s landing and built a railing for working on my roll-up door. I needed a can of red Rustoleum paint to finish it off.
I wish I knew what the hell I was doing. First, I used the wrong Bondo. Lupe kept asking for a gallon. We ended up using the low-strength Bondo, and probably over two gallons.
We laid the first round of fiberglass this weekend, just before it rained. That was a Saturday. At that point I didn’t know shit about what was happening. We were using a very thick biaxial glass cloth and it was very difficult to work around these curved surfaces.
It’s not as if I don’t believe Lupe, but he’s loopy with alcohol every day and his schedule shifted from working every day to once, maybe twice a week. I watched a couple of tutorials regarding fiberglass over curved surfaces. I started to quiz Tony at the local Marine store, and he gave me another type of fiberglass. I trimmed away the excess glass and sanded the first layer. I bought and learned about new tools, and types of fiberglass. The second layer was a thinner mesh and was easier to work into the shapes, but I was still making mistakes.
Lupe told me Tony was full of shit and we needed the thicker cloth to get the thickness and strength we needed without multiple layers of cloth. The first thick layer had lots of overlaps, which caused lips in the shape.
I tried to overcome that problem with the second layer. I minimized the number of overlaps, but I was still doing it wrong.
Originally, we were going to fiberglass the existing piece of the top of the tank together, but it dawned on me—that wasn’t Lupe’s plan.
We are currently working with the existing fiberglass as a mold for the Salt Torpedo. I thought we were going to add fiberglass to our top, but now Lupe is going to make a mold out of the top and fiberglass over it. I don’t know why, but I’m edgy.
I watched YouTube and read about fiberglass advice. It’s tough to find just the right information without spending hours watching slow, ponderous instructional films. On the other-hand, I was learning and picking up tips everywhere I could.
I needed to cut the glass into patterns for the next round of glass, two more to go. But I was disturbed by the puzzle notion. I started to investigate and found this photo.
We went to a small Memorial Day gathering on the bluff over-looking the Pacific. It was mellow until I brought up the Salt Torpedo, and suddenly everyone wanted to come to Bonneville in August to see the action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFaA6wbZ4ac
Shit, I feel like every minute I’m snorting the sands of time. I just scoured through the internet looking for advice on making fiberglass patterns or laying fiberglass over a curved surface.
I’m going to try to take my ’72 F250 to a car show this Saturday in Carson, with a for sale sign. I would like to load a bike in the back just to grab some attention. We’ll see. It’s already another wild week
Friday, I bought a 2018 Nissan high-top van and immediately started to modify it. It turned out to be a very basic model with just 85 miles on the clock. I think I got a reasonable deal but discovered it doesn’t have cruise control. Any suggestions?
First newish 4-wheeler in the last 25 years. I drug my feet long enough and needed to move on something for Bonneville this year. I drove it directly from the dealership to Wellington signs to have it emblazoned with our 5-Ball Racing Logos, but fuck, they weren’t ready; maybe another day.
It came with racks and a bulkhead, which will need to go. The bulkhead is gone, and Don brought me a Condor wheel chock. I’m working on installing it and some fold down seats in the back.
I discovered I had no way of seeing my way clear to back out onto Harry Bridges. I had to modify my convex mirror mount and raise it almost 2 feet. Now it works but a palm tree needs to leave.
I was constantly running back to the Marine store for more epoxy resin. Between the second layer of glass and the third, Lupe recommended some Bondo work using an epoxy filler. I bought some. I filled the areas, which shrunk as it dried. Then I cut the thick glass for the final layer. No over-laps this time.
I like to work out on Saturdays, but halfway through my workout I realized I was burning daylight and went back to sanding, then spent the afternoon prepping the liner for a mess with resin.
I prayed this could be the final layer of glass. I made three two-layer panels of glass for the parachute box, and it seemed strong, but it was maybe 0.040 thinner than the belly tank. The belly tank also has a thin additional layer of gel coat. Our body would be two thick layers and one thin layer. It was touch and go.
Also, I was learning how to make glass patterns and about overlapping glass. I’m still not confirmed on this, but I don’t believe overlapping is the answer during a single coat. I cut the pattern for the final coat and made the pattern areas touch but not overlap. I think I’m beginning to get it.
Lupe was a no-show on Saturday, but Sunday we rocked. I had never done anything like this before, but I found myself coaching the team. We worked our asses off spreading slow-curing epoxy resin, rolling it into the glass fibers and Lupe worked at rolling the bubbles out of the glass. Then it started to rain.
When we finished, I asked Lupe if I could come back and give it another coat of resin. “No,” he said. “We will use epoxy primer next.”
I accepted his advice but was concerned about the thickness of our body and the rough surface. I watched another YouTube video from a glass and resin manufacturer demonstrating laying fiberglass over a curved surface. Interesting. The curve was a single plain and a very easy surface to deal with. But they recommended three coats of additional resin to fill the area left uneven by the resin soaking into the glass.
I went to work adding more coats. I sanded between each coat and this time was the first time I was in charge of mixing it 5:1 resin to hardener. I also took into consideration the weather and the sun. Warm and sunny, less hardener. It seemed to work. Over the weekend, I added four more layers of resin and the surface is still slightly uneven, but I’m hoping it’s strong and thick enough to let us move to the next stage.
I’m nervous about pulling the body away from our make-shift mold, but that’s next. I’m hoping to trim next, peel the body away and work on the box for the parachute.
The goal is to get the top of the body out of the shop for canopy and windshield work, so we can get back to the mechanical.
Lupe wants another relative to handle the paint, but I’m not going there. I’ll pay to have someone down the street paint it. And I’m hoping Yvonne will paint Atomic Bob’s Salt Torpedo bomber girl on the sides.
Hang on.
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
2019 VULCAN VAQUERO REVIEW
By Bandit |
This motorcycle is a rodeo of fun for any cowboy and cowgirl. Low slung, muscular and dressed in Metallic Spark Black the Vaquero will challenge any outlaw Bagger to a gun fight. (BUCKAROO: Derived from the word “Vaquero”, in Spanish, the letters B and V are both pronounced “B”)
At a price point of $16,799 MSRP the fixed faring Vaquero has its sights fixed on its competitors. In fact, almost every manufacture now offers a blacked-out, low profile motorcycle directly in the Vaqueros crosshairs. It’s a striking motorcycle and everywhere I went motorcycle aficionados queried. Kawasaki keeps branding to a minimum because the “Team Green” is not focused on big touring cruisers. I think they are spot-on with this year’s Metallic Spark Black paint scheme. The subtle stripes perfectly accent the Vaqueros lines
Run to Eldorado
It’s time to mount this trusty steed and ride south to Eldorado. A tiny, unknown border town that hardly deserves such a grandiose name yet, this dusty little village is home to the best border bar and a saucy senorita serving ice cold cervezas and craft tequila made by her family.
It’s a big bike weighing in at 845 lbs. wet but because it’s a fixed faring, you’re not muscling the extra weight of a fork faring, and it handles surprisingly well in the twisties. I caught up with a group of Dual Sport riders in the San Jacinto Mountains and kept on their tail. They were impressed at the cornering of this big buckaroo. Sure I was grinding the scrapers under the floorboards, but I had plenty of room to go before hitting any real hard parts. (Lean angles are not noted in the Kawasaki specs.)
With 100 horsepower, this bike rocks with a 1,700 cc (103.7 cubic-inches) 52-degree V-Twin pushing 108 ft. lbs. of torque. Water jackets surround only the top quarter of the cylinders and the polished-edge fins match the cylinder heads while attractively tapering to the cylinder bases. The 9.5-to-1 compression ratio means regular gas will fuel this cowboy. A pair of 42 mm throttle bodies meter the fuel, and a six-speed, overdrive ratio transmission with a positive-neutral finder sends power down the carbon-reinforced drive belt. Dual primary engine balancers and rubber engine mounts isolate high-frequency vibration while a single-pin crankshaft provides that classic V-twin rumble and characteristic pulse.
Breaking the Steel Steed
This is a brand new bike and with only 200 miles on her I need to break her in. It’s a long lonely desert ride to Eldorado and I reminisce. I was returning from somewhere far too late at night. I got lost, very lost. The hard road became dirt road; I was fixated on a lone distant light, a beacon in the night. All riders know that where you look, is where you go, and I was hypnotized in an ocean of blackness. Completely exhausted, I pulled into a tiny market. Here I was, in a phantom village with no gas station, no hotel, no cell service and no gringos. A large elderly Mexican woman with a broad smile welcomed me.
Cerveza? I asked. “El Nido” she replied and pointed towards the back of the market. Bins of fruits, spices and dry goods lined the walls. A crimson door decorated with ornately carved black wood and a sign, “El Nido” beckoned. It was a bar, not just any bar; it was something out of a David Lynch movie. A Dia De Los Muertos meets classic red velvet Hollywood vibe. Couples snuggled in booths as I sauntered through the dimly lit haze. She sat behind the bar, raven black hair, crimson lips, a sight to behold.
“This place is amazing,’ I said, “but you already know that, I’ll have your coldest beer.”
She pulled a Negra Modelo out of a bucket of ice, an iced mug from a freezer and slowly poured. I could see a frosty mist rising from the frozen mug. She smiled and handed me the beer. It was without a doubt, the best beer I’ve ever had.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“You are in Eldorado, at the El Nido, which means Heavens Nest,” She whispered. “How in heavens name did you find it?” She flashed a wicked smile. It was going to be a night to remember. Better get back to the bike…
Whoa Nellie!
Triple Disc (ABS) Brakes stop the Dual 300mm front discs and a single 300mm rear disc stop with authority. Kawasaki developed proprietary K-ACT (Kawasaki Advanced Coactive-braking Technology) It’s a linked brake system that ensures ideal brake force distribution for confident, highly effective braking. With linked braking an electronic system controls brake force distribution between the front and rear brakes to enhance overall braking performance, no matter how hard the front and/or rear brakes are applied.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is incorporated into K-ACT to help prevent the wheels from locking during hard, straight-up braking for enhanced control.
For maximum controllability in tight corners or when making U-turns, K-ACT does not engage when braking is initiated at speeds below 12 mph. I tested this at 50 miles an hour on an empty road, he bike skidded to a stop completely straight. A meaty 130/90 x16 front tire and fat 170/70×16 rear help bite the roads.
Overdrive 6th gear reduces rpm at higher speeds and helps increase fuel mileage. It’s a tall 5th gear because the engine purrs at 3500 rpm at 75pm, I found that 6th really is overdrive. Kawai knows that big V-twin American motorcycles have to sound like they are being hit by a ball peen hammer every time you shift, because they do. Kawai also knows the low rumble of the V-twin exhaust note makes the man and the Vaquero is right on target. The stock exhausts allude to the thunder potential of a set of aftermarket pipes.
As far as dashboard electronics go the Vaquero sports a retro 1960s look. While other brands have upped the game with touchscreens and Bluetooth not much has changed in this department since its release. The dashboard has Analog instrument faces for mph and RPM. Digital displays include odometer, trip meter, clock, fuel range and average mpg. I like the gear position indicator makes it easy to determine which gear the transmission is in at a glance.
An AM/FM tuner with front two fairing-mounted 40-watt speakers is standard equipment. Easy-to-use audio controls are located within easy thumb reach on the left handlebar. IPod™, XM™ tuner and CB radio attachments are all optional. Navigation audio prompt capability allows voice prompting audio to be heard through the speakers (or Kawasaki Genuine Accessory Helmet Headsets) It sounds good cruising around town but at freeway speeds drowned out by wind noise. A set of rear speakers is also optional. Electronic cruise control is standard and controls located within easy thumb reach on the right handlebar.
El Nido
This was her place, her private getaway. This had been her grandmas market for over 60 years. Her family made Tequila and this is where it was originally sold. And there it was, on a shelf behind the bar, a dusty bottle from the first publicly sold batch. We talked for hours and sipped rich, fruity reposado. I’m not really sure when I finally left or what exactly happened, but I must return someday.
I get that not having a windshield looks cool and that all the other blacked out bad-boy baggers like the Harley-Davidson Road Glide and the Yamaha Eluder all have faux windscreens but really, if you’re going to ride a big touring motorcycle any real distances you will want a windscreen. They are easy to take on and off so that’s not really big issue.
Each of the side loading saddlebags holds about 10 gallons of storage. Elastic straps secure the contents from falling out when opened. Opening with a key is required, so there’s really no chance of forgetting to secure the bags. They feel a bit cheap and the hardware is plastic.
A 5.3 gallon tank averages 40 miles per gallon which equal roughly to 200 miles. Some owners claim 220 miles but with a big bike it’s all about the speed, terrain and conditions. When you hit reserve the fuel gage light comes on and starts flashing LOW FUEL and is very annoying. I prefer a mileage countdown to zero.
The Vaquero rides like a dream. Dual air-assisted rear shocks provide a wide range of adjustment to match the load or riding preference. The rear shocks have four adjustable pre-load settings and special spring rates to match the increased weight of the trunk and saddlebags. An air pump is optional, but highly suggested. You never want to use a gas station compressor on any motorcycle air shocks. Access to the air shocks is under the seat as are two helmet hooks.
Speaking of dreams, Eldorado?…The Nest? Will it still be there, was it ever there? Sometimes a midnight ride blurs reality and ignites the imagination. Everyone wants to find their own Eldorado, live to tell their own story and be part of the adventure.
…I’ll see you in Eldorado.
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES for June 2019
By Bandit |
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
LOUISIANA ENACTS LAW AGAINST MOTORCYCLIST PROFILING
Louisiana has become the third state to pass legislation to curtail the profiling of motorcyclists by law enforcement, by unanimously approving House Bill 141 in the state legislature (38-0 in the Senate 6/2/19 and 103-0 in the House 6/3/19), and the biker anti-discrimination measure was signed into law on June 11, 2019 by democrat Governor John Bel Edwards.
Effective August 1, 2019, HB 141, “Provides relative to motorcyclist profiling training for peace officers,” by establishing the creation of a “motorcyclist profiling awareness training program” to include classroom or internet instruction “in the current bias-recognition policing curriculum.”
Sponsored by Rep. Frankie Howard (R) at the request of ABATE of Louisiana, with support from the Louisiana Confederation of Clubs & Independents as well as the National Council of Clubs and the Motorcycle Profiling Project, the new LA law defines “motorcyclist profiling” as “the arbitrary use of the fact that an individual rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related clothing or paraphernalia as a factor in deciding to stop, question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search an individual or his motorcycle or motor vehicle.”
The Bayou State follows the states of Washington (2011) and Maryland (2016) in passing similar legislation, all by unanimous votes, and a bipartisan federal anti-profiling bill currently awaits further action in the U.S. House of Representatives (House Resolution 255) after passing by unanimous consent in the United States Senate (Senate Resolution 154) late last year.
MISSOURI HELMET LAW A SIGNATURE AWAY FROM REPEAL
The Show-Me State may soon grant adult motorcycle riders the freedom to choose whether or not to wear helmets, as legislation to repeal their mandatory motorcycle helmet law for those 18 and older who carry qualifying medical insurance is currently sitting on the desk of Governor Mike Parson (R) awaiting his signature. Parson previously supported repeal as a member of the state legislature.
Senate Bill 147 passed the Senate 21-12 on Thursday, May 16 and the House voted 94-46 the following day to advance the omnibus transportation package to the governor.
Missouri is currently in the minority among states, as only 19 states and the District of Columbia mandate the wearing of motorcycle helmets by all riders. Repeal efforts have been debated in the General Assembly for decades, and twice before lawmakers had passed helmet law repeal bills, in both 1999 and 2009, but couldn’t overcome gubernatorial vetoes.
But now, with Republicans holding hyper-majorities in both chambers and the governorship, riders’ rights groups like ABATE for Missouri and Freedom of Road Riders of Missouri took advantage of the “perfect storm” to navigate their bill through the Conservative-controlled legislative agenda.
Gov. Parson has voted in favor of this issue in the past, and according to the St. Joseph Post newspaper, “nearly all stakeholders expect him to sign it.”
NEBRASKA POLICE TARGET MOTORCYCLISTS
In a battle between bikers and cops, Nebraska State Troopers are working with local law enforcement this summer to put the brakes on speeding motorcycles.
For the second year in a row, troopers will conduct special enforcement operations to stop speeding bikers, utilizing an $18,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office that will allow for aviation support as well as more law enforcement on the ground.
“Motorcycles have a unique ability to evade law enforcement…(so) we’ll use resources like helicopters to help out,” Nebraska State Patrol Capt. Jason Scott told KMTV 3 NewsNow in Omaha, adding that numerous citations have been made so far and arrests have been made for reckless driving and for flight to avoid arrest.
“We’ve been working with the county attorney’s offices to make sure there’s a message that’s sent here,” Capt. Scott said. “We’re not going to tolerate the aggressive driving.”
RED LIGHT CAMERAS BANNED IN TEXAS
Drivers in Texas are about to be seeing less red, as Governor Greg Abbott (R) has announced that he has signed legislation that bans red light cameras across the Lone Star State. House Bill 1361, authored by Representative Jonathan Stickland (R-Fort Worth), would prohibit the use of “photographic traffic signal enforcement systems.”
Stickland told FOX7 the bill was motivated by “a lot of reason,” including privacy concerns and the right to due process.
The new law included a grandfather clause for cities involved in red light camera contracts that have yet to end, except if the contract includes a provision allowing for state law to break it.
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR SIGNS MOTORCYCLE LIABILITY BILL
Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D) has signed House Bill 1014, which is a motorcycle liability insurance bill.
Previously, motorcycle operators across the state were not required to be insured under a motor vehicle liability policy, but HB 1014 sponsored by Rep. Bill Jenkin (R-Prosser) changes this by requiring all motorcycle operators to be insured under a motor vehicle liability policy or the allowed equivalent according to the terms required by current law.
“People are surprised to learn that motorcycle operators are not required to have liability insurance. My bill simply requires those operating a motorcycle to meet the insurance requirements, or equivalent for registered motor vehicles under current law,” Rep. Jenkin told KEPRTV Action News. “When someone gets property damage, or in an accident, with an uninsured motorcyclist, they are stuck filing a claim and potentially paying a higher premium. Having motorcycles insured, just like other vehicles, makes sense.”
Jenkin’s bill goes into effect 90-days after the adjournment of the 2019 session.
GRASS CLIPPINGS AND MOTORCYCLES A DEADLY MIX
A number of states and localities have come to the realization that grass clippings on the roadway are a danger to motorcyclists, and some are taking steps to outlaw the roughage.
In Pennsylvania, Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington County) has proposed legislation to protect motorcyclists by making it illegal to throw grass clippings on the roadway during mowing season, making the violation a fineable offense much like littering. She says grass clippings not only cause the surface of the roadway to become extremely slippery, creating a hazard to motorcycle riders and other drivers, as well as presenting an environmental concern by clogging storm drains and can make their way into streams and cause pollution.
When riders complain to law enforcement, their complaints are often dismissed as the current law is not enforceable, but the senator’s proposal to add two words “grass clippings” to the law that makes throwing litter and other items on the roadway an offense would fix that.
Her bill proposes fines of up to $300 for the first offense and up to a $1,000 for subsequent offenses, and would require the landowner to remove the clippings from the roadway.
In Ohio, the city of Fremont says it will begin ticketing people for blowing grass clippings into the street, saying they pose a danger to motorcyclists. City officials say dumping grass clippings in the road is illegal under a city ordinance regarding “placing injurious material or obstruction in street,” and the city says its code enforcer and police department will be paying special attention to the issue throughout the warmer months.
“Please make every effort to keep grass out of our streets and keep Fremont safe for our friends on two wheels!” the city says.
Meanwhile, an Illinois rider is dead after a crash involving grass clippings on the road and losing control of her motorcycle. Her husband, who also lost control of his motorcycle, told the local newspaper; “I would like something to be done better than a $50 fine on grass clippings; it kills people!” He has contacted his state representative about increasing the penalty for making an unnecessarily dangerous mess in the road from trimming your lawn.
While some slippery hazards like wet leaves in fall can’t be avoided, not spraying grass clippings onto the road is as easy as pushing or driving your lawn mower in the opposite direction to spray back into your yard rather than out onto the roadway.
TARIFFS COULD DEVASTATE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY, CLAIMS TRADE GROUP
Industry leaders are encouraging activism ahead of new import taxes, and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) is asking riders to help stop a new round of tariffs on Chinese products. The sanctions will directly affect equipment and apparel that riders depend on, as well as motorcycle parts and accessories and bikes built in China. “The proposed additional 25% duty on Chinese goods lumps gear like boots and gloves in with common replacement parts, like lithium-ion batteries, and curiosities, like live manatees and blue-veined cheeses,” says the industry trade group. Perhaps more devastating to a business already working with tight margins is a catchall — number 8714.10.00 on the list — that includes all “Pts. & access. for motorcycles (including mopeds).”
The MIC makes the case that, in today’s motorcycling economy, even the most ardent purchasers of American apparel and machines are going to feel a pinch to the wallet.
“The proposed China List 4 includes essentially everything that is not currently subject to an additional 25% tariff on Lists 1-3,” MIC Senior Vice President Scott Schloegel says. “Tariffs are taxes paid by companies and consumers in America and it is critical that you make your voice heard now.”
ROLLING THUNDER FINAL RIDE, OR NOT?
For over three decades, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists have roared into our nation’s capital over Memorial Day weekend for Rolling Thunder, an annual demonstration in support of veterans, prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action, but due to financial and logistical constraints, this year’s rally was their last hurrah. Rally organizer and co-founder, Artie Muller, has announced that the massive rally, held every year in Washington, D.C. since 1988, has grown too costly and unwieldy and will come to an end.
However, efforts to keep the rally going include President Donald Trump who pledged his support and tweeted out during the “Ride for Freedom” on Sunday, May 26 that Rolling Thunder was not going to end after all: “The Great Patriots of Rolling Thunder WILL be coming back to Washington, D.C. next year, & hopefully for many years to come,” he wrote. “It is where they want to be, & where they should be.”
In addition, “Wreaths Across America” has since announced a donation of $200,000 to Rolling Thunder to help cover costs and keep the ride going, with executive director Karen Worcester telling Muller on that Monday’s “Fox & Friends” that “Remembering is too important to forget.”
Muller said during the Fox News show that he looks forward to meeting with the president about continuing the ride, but he also said that instead of holding one giant demonstration the group is planning to take the event nationwide next year and hold rides regionally throughout the country with its 90 local chapters.
EASY RIDER ENCORE
July 14, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of Easy Rider — and to celebrate, a newly-restored 4K version will be shown again in 400 theaters nationwide for just two nights; July 14th and 17th.
Directed by the late, great Dennis Hopper, the film starred Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson in a role that scored him an Oscar nomination.
In 1998, the film was officially added to the National Film Registry, and the American Film Institute lists it on its 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
~ Haile Selassie, regent of Ethiopia (1892-1975)
The Salt Torpedo, Chapter 20
By Bandit |
We hauled ass on this project every week this year with few stumbling blocks. We didn’t know what the hell we were doing half the time, but we never hesitated to reach out to experts. All seemed to be flying toward a start-up and running this puppy around the block, until we faced fiberglass.
It was supposed to take a week, but it took a month or more. I learned a lot about fiberglass and I’m still learning. Then I ran the body out to Aircraft Windshields to have the windshield made. It took three weeks to get an estimate and the body back. The Lovely Jessica told me I would have my acrylic or plexiglass or Lexan windshield back by the 22nd of July. We chose a 1/4-inch acrylic shield. That’s pushing it.
Jessica gave me three samples of tints. Micah said no tint, clear. He doesn’t want anything to obstruct his vision.
The next mission was to handle all the finish welding and paint the frame. Andrew Ursich volunteered to help TIG weld. He’s a master builder and a longshoreman for the Port of Los Angeles.
He came over for a few nights. I handled the tab welding and some of the TIG and MIG welding. There was a lot more welding to do and prepping the frame for paint.
Everything is a learning experience. I needed to know more about TIG welding, and we learned more about MIG welding prep and gas. It was surprising how many welds we spotted and filled. As Andrew finished components, I move the small stuff into our clean-room for either silver or satin black paint.
I have this shack built into my shop, in the rear corner. I put the solvent tank in there. The notion was to make it the clean room for rebuilding engines or carburetors. It turned into the housing supply room with paints, household electrical parts, plumbing shit, you name it. It’s a fucking mess most of the time.
I installed hooks in the ceiling so we can paint small parts and allow them to dry.
Finally, we could move the frame outside. I wire brushed it as much as possible and gave it a blast with the soda bottle, that’s a paint in the ass. There must be a better way of pouring the soda into the bottle, but I don’t know it yet.
I must have slipped through a half-dozen Rust-oleum cans. According to Dennis Manning we needed to avoid the cost and time lost of powder coating. “As soon as you start to put it together, you’ll find another tab that needs to be welding-on or changed,” he said.
This whole process has been a test of desires, wills, and emotional stability. From the very beginning of this odyssey, I wanted this to be a team effort. More folks have been involved in this project than any other motorcycle build I’ve been involved with, except maybe the Easyriders Streamliner.
I must remind myself constantly about the Buddha’s teachings. Nirvana, or a purely relaxed mode of operation comes from the mind. If you are wound up about anything, you can change your mind. The best way to describe this anomaly is to think about a friend’s reaction to something like a fender bender. One guy has an accident and notes the info and then calls his insurance agent. The next guy goes ballistic, like in road rage and beats the other guy with a baseball bat over a dinged fender. It’s all in the mind.
In each case it has nothing to do with the circumstances but only with your reaction, your mind. I’ve admittedly had some issues with my mind. But at least I’m aware of them and know the basics on how to relax and get back into the Nirvana mode. Sure, some of it comes from our fleeting timeline, the desire to be on the salt, and the will to be as perfect as possible.
My mantra is constantly all about moving forward. When someone suggests more work or delays, I get all wound up and start sharpening my knife…
Enough of the stress involved, let’s get back to the facts at hand. As soon as the frame was welded and had three coats of paint laid down, we could start final assembly and we went at it installing the JIMS monster engine, 5-speed transmission and the rear wheel. Then the front end was installed, and I started to install the front axle. We installed the modified Bassini Exhaust several times. We kept discovering something had to go on first, like the starter, then the clutch cable.
We have the body back and I was concerned about the canopy. I called George, “The Wild Brush” and asked him, since he had mentioned fiberglass work in the past. “I can handle it,” George said. He’s worked with funny cars and dragsters. He has pinstriped and lettered hundreds of race cars and race boats and stood by while the masters fabricated almost anything.
I picked up the top of the body on Friday and Saturday George showed up along with Micah. They immediately hit it off. George started to criticize our bodywork and my stress level heightened. He wanted to modify aspects of the body before messing with the canopy. My mind immediately clicked off additional days messing with the body, while we could be making it run, but I agreed with most of his mods. I had to swallow hard and get back to the Marine supply store.
I spoke to Dennis Manning, the streamlining master, this morning about firewalls. He’s working on a book about his streamliner history. He suggested a drain behind the wall in the engine compartment to allow any fluids to escape and not creep into the pilot’s compartment.
He told me that all the holes for cables need to be above the centerline of the wall. We discussed how to seal it and he pointed out that because of air movement in the stern fumes are often pushed forward into the pilot’s compartment, which means the seal must be tight.
Dennis had a story to tell about each of his suggestions. He’s had experiences with them all, with over 35 years of streamliner experience. I want to get back to the fire wall, because it’s a major obstruction to progress.
We discovered another rule we must comply with. Trikes must have front fenders. I ordered a set from Kent Riches, Air Tech, and then we ran into shipping issues. Air Tech is in Southern California and the make products to order, so it took about six weeks. They were shipped and arrived in Carson, CA about 10 miles away. Then they were forwarded to Wilmington, NC on the east coast.
About then we started to track and holler, but the post office sent them back to Wilmington, CA where it was determined the address was wrong on the package. I couldn’t get to the post office quick enough. They had already sent them back to Air Tech.
Finally, the Air Tech fiberglass fenders arrived. They are light, thin fiberglass and very flimsy. Here’s what Kent recommended for mounting:
I’m not sure what spindles you are using but if they have any mounts on them for a drum backing plate or caliper mounts you can mount them there… I ran a bracket straight down from there to a hoop that went completely around the bottom edge of the glass pants.
I made this hoop out of 1/2 round metal, so it gave a nice radius finish at the bottom. on the outside of the wheel and inside of the pants, I ran another flat strap straight up from that bottom support hoop to the spindle center bearing castle nut… I took an old castle nut and welded a stub of 3/4 tubing on it and then welded a 1/4-20 nut inside the other end of the metal stub, then cranked that assembly onto the remaining threads onto the spindle….
Now, I could drill a hole through the outside of the pants so a support screw would go through the pants, through the flat strap coming up from the bottom edge hoop and thread into the spindle nut stub and keep the outside of the pants from dancing around.
So now, you have supports on the inside at the spindle flange and outside the wheel at the center spindle nut…
Hope you can understand this….
–Kent
Team Airtech
I tell them that equity can come in lots of forms from saving coins in a jar, to collecting motorcycles, paint a painting, make something, start a business, or buying a home. Buying stock is one of the easiest ways to go. It has risks, but it also has tremendous gains if you keep an eye on them.
Then I need to hit Phillips Steel for the strap I need to make the frames for the fenders. I need to get my ass back to the shop and apply at least two coats of Epoxy filler and hopefully get very close to a perfectly shaped body. That’s a major accomplishment.
But then we need to install the modified parachute box, but the real goal is the canopy. Hang on and don’t forget Nirvana.
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
LINDBY CRASH BAR to the RESCUE
By Bandit |
NCOM Biker Newsbytes July 17
By Bandit |
Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) was selected as this year’s recipient of the NCOM Silver Spoke Award for Government. Unfortunately, he was not able to attend the 34th Annual NCOM Convention in Orlando, Florida to receive the award in May, so it was brought to Washington, D.C. recently and presented there by several members of the NCOM Board of Directors.
NCOM Confederation of Clubs Liaison “Boar”, Region IV Co-Director Ed Schetter and Region VII Co-Director John Bilotta were in the nation’s capital taking part in the Motorcycle Riders Foundation “Bikers Inside the Beltway” and meeting with their legislators and staff members. During the visit to the Capitol, they met with Congressman Walberg and personally presented the award on behalf of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) in recognition of his work in Congress for the benefit of all of America’s motorcycle riders.
Representative Walberg introduced the recently-passed House Resolution that addresses profiling of motorcyclists and he and Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX) head up the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus.
MISSOURI GOVERNOR VETOES REPEAL OF MOTORCYCLE HELMET LAW
Missouri Governor Mike Parson vetoed Senate Bill 147 on Friday, July 12, a bill that would have allowed most adult motorcycle riders to ride without helmets. Despite voting in favor of such legislation in the past as a state legislator, the Republican governor blocked the omnibus transportation measure which, among other things, would have repealed Missouri’s helmet requirement for motorcyclists 18 and older who carry medical insurance.
Gov. Parson didn’t express opposition to relaxing helmet requirements for motorcyclists, but in a letter to lawmakers he wrote that he vetoed the bill because of a section that dealt with suspending driver’s licenses over unpaid fines related to traffic violations, which his office deemed to be unconstitutional.
Bikers rights activists and state lawmakers have been trying decades to repeal the helmet requirement, passing bills to do so in 1999 that was vetoed by then-Gov. Mel Carnahan, and again in 2009 that was vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon, both Democrats.
“The Governor was looking forward to signing this bill and still supports freedom of choice,” wrote Jay Widmer, Legislative Coordinator for Freedom of Road Riders (FORR-MO) on their Facebook page. “We are working toward a meeting with the Governor and his staff to work with them towards a remedy.”
NORTH CAROLINA LEGALIZES MOTORCYCLISTS WEARING FACE MASKS
Like many states, North Carolina law generally “prohibits a person from wearing a mask, hood, or other device, to conceal the identity of the wearer,” with limited exceptions which now includes; “a person may wear a mask for the purpose of protecting the person’s head, face, or head and face, when operating a motorcycle.”
House Bill 257/Senate Bill 321 “An Act to permit the use of a face mask while operating a motorcycle,” was signed into law by Governor Ray Cooper (D) on July 11, 2019 and goes into effect December 1st.
Amidst nationwide furor over political groups like Antifa wearing masks while engaging in civil unrest, HB 257 passed the House on March 27 by a vote of 111-1 and companion bill SB 321 passed the Senate unanimously on June 27, 48-0.
Law enforcement officers in some states had begun stopping and citing motorcycle riders, particularly patch holders, for violating local anti-mask laws.
The new law will “require the person to remove the mask during traffic stops, checkpoints, roadblocks, or when approached by a law enforcement officer.”
NEW WASHINGTON LAW REQUIRES LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR MOTORCYCLES
Washington motorcycle owners must make sure their rides are insured once a new law goes into effect on July 28, 2019, requiring motorcycle operators to obtain and carry proof of liability insurance coverage when cruising on Washington’s roadways.
The new rules stem from House Bill 1014, which was signed into law in April by Governor Jay Inslee (D). Unlike other motor vehicle drivers, in virtually every other state, motorcycle riders in Washington have previously been exempt from obtaining and carrying proof of insurance.
According to an April 23 statement from the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bill Jenkin (R-Prosser), the law will require those operating a motorcycle to meet the insurance requirements, or equivalent, for registered motor vehicles under current law; 25/50/10 – Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and Property Damage Liability Coverage: $10,000.
OREGON TO INCLUDE MOTORCYCLISTS UNDER “VULNERABLE ROADWAY USER”
Back in 2007, the Oregon legislature passed House Bill 3314, creating an enhanced penalty for careless driving if it contributes to serious physical injury or death to a “vulnerable user of a public way”, providing legal protections for non-motorized roadway users such as bicyclists and pedestrians.
The concept of “vulnerable roadway user” had previously been widely used by planners and safety organizations in Europe to categorize and describe non-motorized roadway users, incorporating the inherent vulnerability of humans who use the roads without the benefit of being encased in a 4-wheeled protective steel cage
On June 11, 2019, Governor Kate Brown (D) signed Senate Bill 810 into law, modifying the definition of “vulnerable user of a public way” in Oregon to now include persons operating or riding on a moped or motorcycle.
THOUSANDS RIDE TO HONOR SEVEN BIKERS KILLED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CRASH
More than 3,000 motorcyclists rode across New Hampshire on Saturday, July 6 on the “Ride for the Fallen 7” to honor seven bikers killed and three injured in a collision with an oncoming pickup truck in June, as state police escorted the group along the 90 mile route to the site of the deadly crash.
The victims were Marine veterans and their spouses, members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, who were traveling west on Route 2 on their way to a charity event, when a pickup truck and trailer crossed into their lane from the opposite direction, plowing through the pack, according to a criminal complaint.
Commercial trucker, 23-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy of West Springfield, Mass., an immigrant from the Ukraine with a documented history of multiple drug and alcohol arrests and convictions in numerous states, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of negligent homicide.
In the days following the fatal accident, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation revealed Zhukovskyy had received an intoxicated driving charge in Connecticut in May, which should have led to the termination of his Massachusetts commercial drivers license.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R) has announced changes to the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles, which include running all 5.2 million licenses through the National Driver Register to keep suspension information up to date and creating a new position to oversee safety and set requirements for commercial drivers in the state.
On July 13, as thousands more gathered at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., for a memorial service organized by the Jarheads MC, New England Patriots NFL team owner Robert Kraft made a surprise appearance to present a $100,000 donation to the crash victims’ GoFundMe campaign.
PRANK LANDS MAN IN JAIL FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF MOTORCYCLIST
Late one night, on the morning after Christmas, a 45-year-old motorcyclist in Japan got a rope tangled around his neck causing him to dump his bike, severely injuring his back and hip. Luckily, the man who strung the rope across the road was caught on security camera footage, and Japanese police quickly tracked him down and charged him with attempted murder.
Japan Today reports that police arrested Koichi Deki, 41, who claims the rope strung across the road was nothing more than a “stress relieving prank.” There is no indication whether Deki knew a motorcyclist was coming down the road when he tied a rope to a sign and a pole on the other side of the street, and he is quoted as saying he did it to relieve his stress and didn’t think his “rope prank” could kill anyone.
The motorcyclist hit the rope roughly 15 seconds after the rope was stretched across the road, according to the time code on the surveillance footage, and now the prankster faces a prison sentence of several years.
IRELAND MAY BAN ALL NEW GAS-POWERED VEHICLE SALES AFTER 2030
The Irish Government has reaffirmed its plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, as part of a new strategy aimed at protecting the environment.
In 2015, the United Nations agreed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and Ireland’s recently released Climate Action Plan details how that nation intends to achieve them. The greatest potential impact on Irish motorcyclists, according to Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) involves halting the sale of all new non-electric vehicles by the year 2030, adding “It’s worth noting that nowhere in this plan is any mention made of motorcycles or other two-wheeled vehicles as having any considerations separate from those of all other vehicles.”
There is an ambitious plan to refine and develop an EV (electric vehicle) charging infrastructure throughout the country that can sustain 800,000 EVs by the 2030 deadline included, as well as possible consideration of an ICE (internal combustion engine) car scrappage program to be implemented as soon as 2020.
This is, according to MCN, partially in response to the UK potentially moving its 2040 ICE ban forward to 2032. At this point, nine countries around the world have plans in place to begin phasing out ICE vehicles in the very near future.
Norway’s approach of incentivizing its citizens to adopt EVs over ICE vehicles resulted in an impressive 52% of cars sold in 2017 being EVs, according to Reuters.
The city of Amsterdam has also come forward to state it’ll be banning non-electric vehicles by 2030.
Officials in Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa said a ban on motorcycle use will be implemented in the city starting from July 7, in a bid to curb rising criminality.
The capital city of an estimated 5 million plus population is generally considered a safe city, but rising incidences of violent crimes using motorcycles has alarmed residents and officials.
Mayor Takele Uma said criminals have in recent months been using motorcycles to engage in assaults and robberies, and that the motorcycle use ban was implemented in the city after a one-week long study revealed many criminal activities are done using motorcycles
GERMAN COURT RULES SIKHS MUST WEAR HELMETS, NO EXCEPTION
One of Germany’s top five federal courts has ruled that Sikh individuals are not exempt from country-wide motorcycle helmet laws. The ruling was in response to an appeal by a Sikh man, who had argued that he could not successfully fit a helmet over his dastaar, the traditional turban that Sikh men (and some women) wear within their faith.
Federal Administrative Court of Leipzig presiding judge Renate Philipp said, in his ruling, “People wearing a turban on religious grounds are not for that reason alone exempt from the obligation to wear a helmet,” according to Deutsche Welle newspaper.
One argument the court made against the man’s claim is that wearing a helmet doesn’t only protect the rider — it also helps drivers avoid trauma if they cause injury to a rider without a helmet, and that any riders wearing helmets would more readily be able to assist others in an accident.
Several countries have exemptions from existing helmet laws for Sikh motorcyclists, including the UK, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba. Around the world, in places including Australia and India, exemptions and even proposals for exceptions draw a range of opinions from both Sikh and non-Sikh motorcyclists alike.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “I am certain that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice.”
~ Friedrich August von Hayek (1899 – 1992), Austrian-born British economist & philosopher