The American criminal justice system is aptly named. It is criminal the way the system dispenses “justice,” and that criminality infests the entire system. That’s because the system has become a business and a blood sport based on profit, control and winning rather than determining a person’s guilt or innocence.

The result is that the U.S. has 6 to 12 times as many incarcerated people per capita as does Australia, Canada, France Germany, Japan or the United Kingdom. The U.S. has 5 percent of the world’s population, 25 percent of its incarcerated people, and half of the world’s academically qualified lawyers, Those lawyers consume about 10 percent of America’s gross domestic product.

There are about 2.3 million people populating America’s 1,719 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 942 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,283 local jails, and 79 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, immigration detention facilities, civil commitment centers, and prisons in the U.S. territories. In the U.S., people go to jail about 11 million times each year. Another 7 million are on parole or probation.

There is no question that America is a prison nation, and the overwhelming majority of people in prisons are there for non-violent crimes — about 20 percent of them for drug crimes. One in 3 Americans will be arrested by the age of 23. Those “crimes” are often nothing more than truancy and misbehaving in school. But the faux war on drugs has ensnared millions of Americans for the non-crime of possessing parts of a plant.

The so-called “War on Drugs” is lucrative business for various federal law enforcement agencies and all local law enforcement agencies and judicial systems. It is also lucrative for the drug cartels, as emails hacked from the security firm Stratfor and released by WikiLeaks in 2012 showed.

The “War on Drugs,” like most other government-declared wars, is a war that no one intends to win. Last week the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the epicenter of drug war corruption, declared that marijuana would remain a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act. That designation means that the Food and Drug Administration has determined that marijuana has no “medical use.”

As USA Today reported:

In reaching its conclusion, the DEA said a Health and Human Services evaluation shows marijuana has no ‘‘currently accepted medical use’’ because “the drug’s chemistry is not known and reproducible; there are no adequate safety studies; there are no adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts; and the scientific evidence is not widely available.”

“There is no evidence that there is a consensus among qualified experts that marijuana is safe and effective for use in treating a specific, recognized disorder,” the report added.

“At this time,” the DEA concluded, “the known risks of marijuana use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy.”

Translation: The DEA determined that marijuana is not adequately patentable for it to be profitable for the “legal” drug cartels (Big Pharma); no medical benefits from it have been found so it is illegal; it is illegal so we have restricted research into its benefits so no benefits have been found; and we’re going to keep it illegal to conduct research so no benefits can be found and we can continue to incarcerate people who use it.



Petition principia; or begging the question — a logical fallacy.

It is also a lie. At the very moment the DEA was arguing in court that marijuana has no medical value and is a dangerous drug on the one hand, the federal government was patenting marijuana extracts for health-related uses on the other, and was even then in the process of granting a license to GW Pharmaceuticals to test a cannabinoid-based drug called Epidiolex for treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

That license was granted and already GW Pharmaceuticals is announcing positive results from trials Epidiolex in treating Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) — a rare and severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy – and for Dravet syndrome – another rare genetic form of epilepsy that begins in first year of life in otherwise healthy infants.

Studies also have found that marijuana and cannabinoids prevent glaucoma, reverse the carcinogenic effects of tobacco and improve lung health, stop cancer from spreading, decrease anxiety, slows the process of Alzheimer’s disease, eases the pain of multiple sclerosis, reduces severe muscle spasms, lessens the side effects from hepatitis C treatment and increases treatment effectiveness, treats inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, relieves arthritis pain and inflammation, supports healthy metabolism and helps the body process sugar, eases the symptoms of Lupus, reduces tremors in people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, assists in treating veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, protects the brain after stroke and stimulates the appetite and reduces the pain and nausea from chemotherapy.

The FDA knows all this, as these are all found in trails approved by the FDA. The FDA also knows that “cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties … [making] cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannaboids are found to have particular applications as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.” (Statement from U.S. government patent 6630507, titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.”)



The war on drugs is scam and a fraud. It was started as a political tool in 1971 by Richard Nixon to go after anti-war protesters and black people. Since then, more than $1 trillion has been spent and millions of people have been incarcerated and many, if not most, of them were likely innocent.

The independent news agency ProPublica and The New York times have partnered on an exposé that revealed that the roadside drug test used by most police agencies routinely produces false positives. False positives, combined with LEOs (legally entitled to oppress) who are poorly trained in the use of the tests, have resulted in untold number of false convictions and guilty pleas. And the inadequacy of the tests have been known for years.

Based on false tests, many poor and disaffected people have been swept up in drug arrests, falsely imprisoned and coerced into pleading guilty by narcotics officers who browbeat and/or extort them, or persuaded to by court-appointed attorneys who have no interest in learning whether their client is innocent and want to do as little work as necessary to “earn” the small fee they are paid by the courts.

And in the off-chance that a defense attorney takes enough interest in the case — usually only done when high-dollar clients are involved – corrupt prosecutors like Ken Anderson and Jim Williams hide evidence, lie and dissemble because their goal is to win at all costs. Case victories are feathers in their caps come election time. Meanwhile, corrupt judges look the other way, take payoffs and forbid evidence; and incompetent and corrupt lab workers falsify, taint or misplace evidence. And juries are typically boiled down to the least common denominator and have no concepts like jury nullification.



And despite their corruption – or, if you choose to give them a pass, their ineptitude – prosecutors and judges are rarely held accountable. And LEOs making false arrests based on bad tests or overzealousness or outright ignorance also aren’t held accountable because they enjoy qualified immunity; because the police, district attorneys and judges enjoy a special relationship in that they are on the same “side” in most cases; and because the American public sitting on juries has been propagandized into believing that cops are paragons of virtue who put their lives on the line in deadly situations daily to stand between the vast marauding criminal element (and Muslim terrorists) and the people.

The result is criminal records for hundreds of thousands if not millions of people – mostly blacks – that haunt them throughout their lives by costing them access to jobs, housing and their families, all to benefit the corrupt system and Big Pharma, which is enabled to maintain its revenue stream of selling chemical “cures.”

—www.PersonalLiberty.com

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week (August 2016), the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released its preliminary data and findings regarding motorcycle fatalities in 2015. The GHSA represents the state and territorial highway safety offices that implement programs to address highway safety. Although GHSA’s primary mission is to improve traffic safety, their latest report appears to be more focused on thinly veiled demands for nationwide universal helmet laws despite their failure to provide real data demonstrating the effectiveness of such laws.

While the report highlights that the preliminary data suggests a 10% increase in motorcycle fatalities in 2015, it fails to connect the presence or lack of universal helmet laws to the projected increase. In fact, there are a number of other factors that may explain the projected increase, including the climate, education and experience of the motorists involved, and the inclusion of faulty data in the making of this report.

Climate Affects

In 2015 many parts of the country enjoyed a longer riding season than in previous years. Warmer and dryer weather leads to additional time and riding hours on the road. While the report does address this possible explanation, it does not conclude that it has the same influence as the absence of a universal helmet laws.

Education & Experience

Another issue that GHSA barley addresses is the consideration of education and experience. For example, one of the most populace states that experienced a decrease in motorcycle related fatalities was California. While the state has not had any changes to their helmet law, the state did engage in a motorcycle awareness campaign for motorists. This suggests that perhaps other factors, such as motorist education and awareness initiatives, impact fatalities. Further, the report identifies a connection between riding experience and increases in fatalities. It states that roughly 25% of all motorcycle fatalities are the result of invalid motorcycle licensure. These statistics underscore the belief long held by the Motorcycle Rider’s Foundation that training and education is a crucial component to motorcycle safety.

Flawed Data

Perhaps one of the biggest questions raised from reading the report is the data itself and specifically, what “counts” as a motorcycle. According to federal statute, a motorcycle is defined as, “a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.” With the rise of autocycles, a new class of vehicle that has attributes of both a car and motorcycle, it raises the question if this type of vehicle was included in the data supporting the statistics in the GHSA report.

As this type of vehicle continues to emerge as a form of transportation, it will be critical that they are addressed independently, and not unfairly categorized with motorcycles or any other form as transportation so as not to skew the data. It is not clear from the report that this consideration is given.

Failure to Connect the Projected Increase to the Lack of Universal Helmet Laws

Despite the report’s effort to relate the projected increase in motorcycle fatalities to the lack of universal helmet laws, it fails to provide any data suggesting a connection between those who were wearing helmets versus those who were not wearing helmets when the fatality occurred. Of the nineteen states that currently have a universal helmet law in place; twelve experienced an increase in motorcycle fatalities between 2014 and 2015. Of the sixteen states that saw a decrease in motorcycle fatalities in 2015, only six have a universal helmet law. The other ten either allow adults to make their own choice or have no law at all.

The report also suggests that the increase in motorcycle fatalities in Michigan is due to the state’s modification of its helmet law in 2012, which allowed adult riders to choose whether to wear a helmet. The report suggests that the 2015 increase in motorcycle fatalities in Michigan is due to fewer riders wearing a motorcycle helmet but have not provided any data to support this claim.

However, the report fails to explain the 18.8% decrease in motorcycle fatalities between 2013 and 2014. According to the National Highway Transportation & Safety Administration (NHTSA), Michigan motorcycle fatalities dropped from 138 to 112 in 2014 despite the change to the state’s motorcycle helmet law.

In conclusion, despite its best efforts, the GHSA report fails to make any connection between the rise in motorcycle fatalities in 2015 and the implementation of universal helmet laws.

It is unfortunate that entities such as the GHSA continue to hold such a myopic view when it comes to motorcycle safety. The Motorcycle Rider’s Foundation encourages the GHSA and other groups interested in a meaningful campaign to enhance motorcycle safety to adopt a strategy that focuses on avoiding motorcycle crashes and not merely surviving them.

About Motorcycle Riders Foundation

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

What’s your primary role at Harley-Davidson? I’m the janitor of Bikernet and I don’t seen any promotions in the near future.

What are you riding now? I’m sure it’s a new model, but what do you plan to do with it—custom, styling or performance wise.

Any major adventures coming up for you, riding wise.

I’m sure the engine will be picked apart at the press launch, but I find the motorcycle ergonomics to be a key issue with Harleys. Is this aspect being addressed.

As you know, I’ve been involved in motorcycling freedom most of my adult life. To my way of thinking the EPA and performance regulations could be a critical factor for our future, the future of all performance products and the aftermarket, both for us and the auto industry. What can we do?

We are all being challenged by rapidly changing technology and social media. We are faced with a myriad of new questions about our industry. On the other side of the coin new enthusiasts are flying into our industry and headed in more directions than ever before from the bobber builder, the chopper builder, flat track racing, touring, adventure touring, outlaw clubs, Sons of Anarchy fans (Dyna riders), café racers, HOG members, drag racers, you name it. These are all opportunities for Harley to shine. Is there a mantra there somewhere?

One final question. My grandson recently bought a late model Dyna. He told me he needed to ride daily to escape the trials of life, but he surprised me with his conclusion. He said, “When I ride I think of only one thing, not getting hit.”

I was blown away. It made me think of my mantras over the years, the search for action, adventure, love, and escape on the road. Sure, I thought about the threats of dense LA traffic, but that was never my priority.

It brought to life my concerns about our brethren of the road and our relationship with the general public and motorists. We have always been challenged with this delicate relationship. Recently lane-splitting has been discussed and immediately a general press article attacked lane-splitting as a cause of many accidents. It was way off base. When the topic of lane splitting emerged in other states last year I was concerned. I felt we needed a major awareness campaign directed to the public on the benefits of lane-splitting for motorists and motorcyclists. As you probably know there are many.

As some of you know, I once lived a normal life of the consistent toil and work needed to maintain many possessions. In time I established a way of life, on the road, almost completely devoid of these pressures. I believe that, aside from the elimination of ANY unnecessary possessions, this ideal is achieved by keeping things extremely simple. For the very definition of the word simple is EASIER, while the definition of complicated is undeniably HARDER.

So, did I want an easy life or a hard one? The choice became simple, and this ideal is probably what has kept me so loyal to Harley’s Evo engine for so long. For not only does the Evo offer the durability and longevity, it is also (aside for some of the very early stuff) the simplest design Harley ever built. Less moving parts and far easier to rebuild than a Knuckle or Panhead, and even easier is some ways to work on that a Shovelhead—which is what it was based on.

But lets move on to what I really want to say here…

I’m gonna get into the cam design for the Evo as well as the Twin Cam and show, in simple layman’s terms, what the actual benefits of the new design was. As you will see, although there are changes to the Twin Cam making it a far better performer, the Twin Cam design itself is not one of them. So why then did they build it? Well, I’m gonna show you…

Although there are plenty of you gear-heads out there who already know this stuff, if you tolerate my baby talk through the first photos, I’m gonna eventually get to the actual reason the Twin Cam design was built.

I’m gonna keep the beginning of this chat geared exclusively toward the non-gear-head. Although you non-gear-head guys may not be interested in tech stuff, if you bear with me for a minute you will also see, easily and obviously what the real advantages to the new Twin Cams are, and are not.

The stuff I’m gonna get into here is not rocket science. In reality, it’s only super simple, Jethro and Elly May hillbilly engineering.

Let’s get started…

Note: I have other photos of the inside of these lifter blocks that shows them being badly pitted up inside. And although they’ll work for now, I’ll keep an eye out to pick another set up some day and replace them if I’m ever in there again.

All Evo and older H-D engines have easily removable lifter blocks similar to this–All but the Twin Cam. The TC’s lifter blocks are machined directly into the right engine case and if there’s a problem with them you must replace that entire engine case.

The engine’s job is to turn a shaft that sticks out either side of it. The left side is ultimately hooked to the rear wheel through the transmission and clutch, while this side is used to turn things the engine needs—like the cam. Anyway, that little gear shown here on the bottom comes straight out of the engine and simply turns that cam above it. Pretty simple huh? That gear on the left is the breather which is also simple, but we ain’t gonna get into that right now.

Here’s the catch, that little bottom gear coming off the lower-end (called a pinion shaft) has to be turning completely straight. It can’t be wobbling back and forth and up and down or it’ll break the gear above it—obviously.

Because of this the crank inside the engine must be trued or aligned to very strict tolerances by an actual human being, who must fight with it until it’s almost completely straight. Also, because the machining is not always exact on each engine, the big gear above on the cam comes in different sizes (indefinable to the naked eye) that must be fitted again by a human being to each engine.

All Harley engines but the Twin Cam have been like this. This procedure probably costs extra money and H-D has eliminated the need for it by taking a couple of cheap shots on the TC engine. I’ll show you that in a few minutes.

For now I’m simply gonna reach in there and pull that cam out…

Now, in the next photo, we’re gonna take a look at the exact same thing—only in the Twin Cam…

Never before in H-D’s history have they used bicycle chains inside an engine. Why’d they do it now? Well…let me tell you…
Remember how I said that the crank inside the engine must be made completely straight by a human being? It no longer works like that.

Nowadays the cranks are pressed together by a robot which, although I’m sure it can knock cranks out like gangbusters and save a whole lot of money, seems seldom to be able to get them perfectly straight. Because of this misalignment, the pinion shaft often wobbles round and round and up and down. This is called run-out, and if it’s to far out of whack it’ll break gears. But it won’t break a bicycle chain. Likewise, the cam gear no longer needs to be sized by a human being as it does on the older engines.

Note, the little red cam chain tensioner on the left. These parts gave engines many problems between the years of 1999 and 2006. Gear drive systems and hydraulic tensioner fixed this issue–expensive.

Note: The second little red cam chain tensioner.

Push-rod systems will not work at high RPM, especially if they’re not straight up and down, which is why the Japs use overhead cams so they can rev their engines up to 10.000 RPM. But most of us Harley guys don’t give a shit about that. We like the slow turning, lazy, V-Twin engines thumping us up the hills and across the land.

Still, straight push-rod tubes are at least better than crooked ones—especially if you wanna rev it up. So the complex twin cam design was supposedly built so they could get them lifter blocks farther apart and tweak them push-rod tubes into a straighter angel. Well let’s take a look at the twin cam in the next photo and see how that worked out…

Let’s take a look at some of the older designs that they actually did get the push-rods straight, and see how they did it…

To answer, I’ll need to tell a chunk of H-D, or motorcycle in general, history:

As with all motorcycle manufactures, Harley- Davidson has always been in fierce competition with, well, their competitors. In fact, in the last century there was originally over 130 American motorcycle manufactures; all but one eventually buckled under the pressure.

For H-D competition came most often from Indian. After Indian’s demise in the early 1950s the British came on the scene (Triumph, Norton, and BSA) and the Sportster was born to compete with these smaller, nimbler bikes.

Next it was the Japanese who introduced reliability and longevity to modern motorcycles in the late ‘60s and especially the ‘70s. This development snuffed Norton, Triumph, and BSA out of business rather quickly and became the closest thing in history to almost put Harley-Davidson out of business.

Then, in the mid ‘80s, H-D countered with the Evolution engine (so named because it was supposed to have evolved to compete with the new era of motorcycles). Evo advertising offered greatly enhanced longevity, no overheating, and no leaks—problems plaguing almost all older bikes throughout history.

Yet Evo advertising said almost nothing of added horsepower; for that was not an important factor at the time, and not what the Evo engine was built to do—it was built to last.

Being of very early design the H-D has always been one of the simplest machines on the market. One of my main concerns for the Evo was: Would it carry on this tradition? Well, as I’ve already stated, the Evo engine and 5-speed transmission are both some of the simplest stuff H-D ever built.
Modern longevity coupled with extreme simplicity; a very big plus in my book.

But let’s get back to why the Twin Cam design was built:
The Evo debuted in 1984 and by 1989 had grown in sales to dwarf all the Japanese manufactures combined in sales for bikes over 800ccs, which is what H-D sells.

Problem was people wanted more power. Then, in the early ‘90s, S&S came out with a big 96-inch Evo clone (before that S&S had only made parts. Suddenly, they built complete engines). In time others began to make big Evo engines as well; for you see, the patent on the Evo had never been strong. Aftermarket companies quickly became, and remain to this day, Harley- Davidson’s newest form of stiff competition (although Polaris is trying to horn in on H-D’s game as well).

H-D had a choice: either build a bigger Evo and go into competition with the aftermarket boys, or come out with something completely new and put better patents on it. And so the Twin Cam was born. In reality, it had little or nothing to do with cam design improvements.

So what are the Twin Cam’s real advantages? First off the compression ratio was raised by one entire point, while cylinder to head surfaces were increased to lessen the possibility of blown head gaskets associated with higher compression.

Next, consideration was taken to make sure the twinky’s heads flowed better. Piston stroke was shortened by ¼-inch (a considerable distance), which probably contributes to a smoother ride.

But the greatest advantage was in moving farther apart the eight studs that protrude from the thicker, more robust cases to hold the heads and cylinders onto the engine. This simply allowed for the use of bigger cylinders, to added much larger displacements. Increasing Evo displacement by much was simply impossible due to the cases and stud placement.

Other advantages are a larger wrist and crank pin to help handle the extra power. Aside from that there’s not much. Flywheels are actually lighter (granting quicker revving, although possibly at the cost of a little torque) while crank bearings remain the same.

So you see, the twin cams have nothing to do with performance enhancement. In fact, S&S now makes their V-111 engine in both Twin Cam and Evo configurations and both put out exactly the same power and torque specs.

Because of my long history of riding these motorcycles and so much time spent traveling, I’m often asked what engine a person should go with. To this I almost always answer an ‘07 or up twin cam.

For most simply wouldn’t be happy with performance of the older bikes. Under normal use, where the bike will spend most of its time in town and seldom see more than 50 or 100 thousand miles in its lifetime, the twinky is a far more satisfying ride. But they are now very complex, expensive to repair, and all but impossible to fix on the side of the road. But how many folks repair their own bikes these days anyway?

Although the Twin Cam has gained improvements, it is designed more for those who do not mind spending a lot of money, but do not really ride crazy miles. The Evo was designed (possibly by accident) to go a lot of miles for very little money.

In my weird gypsy world there you have …

This engine is rumored to come in 107-inch and use four valves per head. Unlike Harleys of today, these will require periodic maintenance valve adjustments that must be made by removing the rocker boxes. This system sounds like it will be something akin to the old 750 Honda valve adjustments.

This engine will undoubtedly offer great power and smoothness; both things I will probably never get to enjoy because one of my main concerns is also simplicity. And let’s face it: the most common America (and H-D too) belief these days is “More complicated is always more better!”

–Scooter Tramp Scotty

Editor’s Note: Some would not agree with Scotty on some of his issues. Some will recommend Twin Cams before 2006. Earlier Twin Cams had Timken bearings in the left case. They didn’t have out-of-true lower ends. The 5-speed Transmissions had strong, better quality main bearings. You will need to upgrade the cam tensioner system, but then it might hold together.

The event made its debut in 2010 with a small group of riders demonstrating that vintage motorcycles could withstand the ultimate road riding test- traveling coast to coast. The grueling event is a true test of each rider’s ability to restore, maintain, and navigate a 100-year-old motorcycle, while teaching rider and machine the meaning of the word endurance.

This year, coordinators have planned an authentic Century Race. Only motorcycles that are at least 100-years old will be allowed to qualify for the event- those machines manufactured in 1916 or earlier. Adding to the century theme- and maintaining the exclusivity of the Motorcycle Cannonball- only 100 riders will be selected to take part is this groundbreaking venture.

Details of each individual stop are all laid out for the participants and coordinators have planned a scenic route that will be challenging, but at the same time, manageable for the smallest single speed machines.

The 100 lucky participants will leave Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 10. They will traverse 3,400 punishing yet beautiful miles cross country to reach their destination in San Diego, California on Monday, September 26. Participants will ride 16 of the 17 days, with only one day off. The rest day will be on a week day when businesses are open, allowing riders the opportunity to procure necessary supplies. Riders will cover approximately 300 demanding miles per day, primarily on two-lane back roads with only 100 miles total on interstate highways.

The ride will commence late morning in Atlantic City, where riders will cross the Delaware River before entering the southern portion of Pennsylvania through Gettysburg. Riders will cross the Appalachian Mountains in the northern region of West Virginia on their way to Ohio and Indiana. The journey continues across the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Missouri heading toward the Ozarks. Beyond the Ozark Mountains lie the sprawling Kansas plains, beckoning riders closer to the Front Range of the Rockies at Pagosa Springs, Colorado. At an elevation of 10,856 feet, Wolf Creek Pass marks the spot for crossing the Continental Divide. Riders will prepare for an overnight rest at the Grand Canyon’s southern rim after entering Arizona in the Four Corners region. After departing the southern rim, riders will trek through the desert by way of Joshua Tree National Park, and head for the event’s conclusion in San Diego.

Banquets will be served at the start and the finish, with several receptions and scheduled meals along the way.

For more details, event rules, and registration, visit www.motorcyclecannonball.com.

The Law Tigers, America’s Motorcycle Lawyers are tireless advocates of injured motorcyclists everywhere and are proud to be the official attorney sponsors of this year’s Motorcycle Cannonball. Most Law Tiger Motorcycle Attorneys are riders themselves, and understand the intricacies of riders, their machines, and motorcycle injury law. This experienced group of motorcycle attorneys have assisted thousands of injured riders in securing the compensation they deserve, and they stand ready to do the same for you. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident call 1-800-529-8443 or visit www.LawTigers.com

MOTORCYCLE CANNONBALL 2016 SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 8 Pre-Event

Breakfast available, Golden Nugget Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey

24 hours Bean & Bread

7:00 AM EDT Michael Patrick’s

7:00 AM Starbucks

8:00 AM The Buffet

8:00 AM to 12:00 noon Registration, Hatteras 1 Room, 4th floor, Golden Nugget Hotel

8:00 AM to 12:00 noon Motorcycle Inspection, Golden Nugget Hotel Parking Lot

8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Optional Practice Run (14 miles), starts at Golden Nugget Hotel

1:00 PM to 6:00 PM Registration, Hatteras 1 Room, 4th floor, Golden Nugget Hotel

1:00 PM to 6:00 PM Motorcycle Inspection, Golden Nugget Hotel Parking Lot

Friday, September 9 Pre-Event

Breakfast available, Golden Nugget Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey

24 hours Bean & Bread

24 hours Michael Patrick’s

7:00 AM EDT Starbucks

8:00 AM The Buffet

8:00 AM to 12:00 noon Registration, Hatteras 1 Room, 4th floor, Golden Nugget Hotel

8:00 AM to 12:00 noon Motorcycle Inspection, Golden Nugget Hotel Parking Lot

8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Optional Practice Run (14 miles), starts at Golden Nugget Hotel

4:00 PM to 5:00 PM Classroom Session for all Riders, Newport Room, 4th floor, Golden Nugget Hotel

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Social Hour, Grand Ballroom Foyer, 3rd floor, Golden Nugget Hotel

7:00 PM Welcome dinner followed by mandatory meeting for all participants,

Grand Ballroom A/B, 3rd floor, Golden Nugget Hotel

Saturday, September 10 Official Start, Stage 1 (152 miles)

Breakfast available, Golden Nugget Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey

24 hours Bean & Bread

24 hours Michael Patrick’s

7:00 AM EDT Starbucks

8:00 AM The Buffet

8:00; 8:10; 8:20 AM Class I, II, III riders depart the Golden Nugget Hotel

8:45 AM All motorcycles in place, Harry’s Oyster Bar, The Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey

9:30; 9:45; 10:00 AM EDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III, Harry’s Oyster Bar, The Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey

1:15 PM Hosted Lunch, Chesapeake Harley-Davidson, Darlington, Maryland

3:40; 3:55; 4:10 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Best Western, York, Pennsylvania

Sunday, September 11 Stage 2 (228 miles)

6:00 AM EDT Breakfast available, Best Western

7:00 AM Breakfast available, Comfort Inn

7:30; 8:00; 8:30 AM EDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III, Best Western

12:15 PM Hosted Lunch, Cumberland Maryland Airport, West Virginia

4:05; 4:10; 4:15 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Triple S Harley-Davidson, Morgantown, West Virginia

4:30 PM Hosted Dinner, Triple S Harley-Davidson

5:30 PM Parc Fermé (Motorcycles on display) closes, Triple S Harley-Davidson

Monday, September 12 Stage 3 (218 miles)

6:00 AM EDT Breakfast available, Fairfield Inn

6:00 AM Breakfast available, La Quinta

6:30 AM Breakfast available, Courtyard

8:00; 8:30; 9:00 AM EDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III, Fairfield Inn

11:40 AM Hosted Lunch, S & P Harley-Davidson, Williamstown, West Virginia

4:10; 4:15; 4:20 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Hampton Inn, Chillicothe, Ohio

Tuesday, September 13 Stage 4 (224 miles)

6:00 AM EDT Breakfast available, Hampton Inn and Suites

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Christopher Inn and Suites

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Quality Inn

8:00; 8:30; 9:00 AM EDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III, Hampton Inn and Suites

10:25 AM Hosted Lunch, Powder Keg Harley-Davidson, Mason, Ohio

4:00; 4:10; 4:20 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I, Harley-Davidson of Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana

Wednesday, September 14 Stage 5 (247 miles)

6:00 AM EDT Breakfast available, Fairfield Inn & Suites

6:00 AM EDT Breakfast available, Holiday Inn Express

6:00 AM EDT Breakfast available, Holiday Inn Bloomington

8:15; 8:45; 9:15 AM EDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III, Fairfield Inn & Suites

4:10; 4:20; 4:40 PM CDT Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Water Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

5:00 PM CDT Hosted Dinner, Port Cape Girardeau

6:15 PM CDT Parc Fermé closes, Water Street

Thursday, September 15 Stage 6 (249 miles)

6:00 AM CDT Breakfast available, Auburn Place Hotel

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Holiday Inn Express

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Pear Tree Inn Medical Center

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Pear Tree Inn West

7:30; 8:15; 8:45 AM CDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Auburn Place Hotel

4:25; 4:30; 4:35 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, Missouri

Friday, September 16 Stage 7 (235 miles)

6:30 AM CDT Breakfast available, University Plaza Hotel

7:45; 8:30; 9:00 AM CDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; University Plaza Hotel

11:45 AM Hosted Lunch, Commercial Bank parking lot, Parsons, Kansas

4:10; 4:15; 4:15 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Twisted Oz Motorcycle Museum, Augusta, Kansas

4:30 PM Hosted Dinner, Twisted Oz Motorcycle Museum

5:30 PM Parc Fermé closes, Twisted Oz Motorcycle Museum

6:00 PM Approximate arrival time, Wichita Marriott, Wichita, Kansas

Saturday, September 17 Stage 8 (184 miles)

7:00 AM CDT Breakfast available, Wichita Marriott

9:00; 9:30, 10:00 AM Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Wichita Marriott

3:55, 4:00, 4:10 PM Finish Times for Classes I, II, III; Boot Hill/Front Street, Dodge City, Kansas

4:30 PM Hosted Dinner, Boot Hill/Front Street

6:00 PM Parc Fermé closes, Boot Hill/Front Street

Sunday, September 18 Rest Day, Dodge City, Kansas

6:00 to 9:30 AM CDT Breakfast available, Best Western Plus Country Inn

6:00 to 10:00 AM Breakfast available, Comfort Suites

6:00 to 10:00 AM Breakfast available, Hampton Inn & Suites

8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Shops available to work on motorcycles, Dodge City:

G&G Car & Truck Supercenter, 405 S 2nd Ave, 620-225-4126

Lewis Ford-Lincoln, 200 Military St, 620-227-3673

Dodge City Harley-Davidson, 1310 S 2nd Ave, 620-227-6351

Monday, September 19 Stage 9 (272 miles)

6:00 AM CDT Breakfast available, Comfort Suites

6:00 AM CDT Breakfast available, Best Western Plus Country Inn

6:00 AM CDT Breakfast available, Hampton Inn & Suites

8:00; 8:45; 9:15 AM CDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Comfort Suites

4:05; 4:10; 4:15 PM MDT Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Courtyard, Pueblo, Colorado

Tuesday, September 20 Stage 10 (264 miles)

6:00 AM MDT Breakfast available, Hampton Inn & Suites–Southgate

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Courtyard Pueblo Downtown

7:15; 8:00; 8:30 AM MDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Hampton Inn & Suites–Southgate

11:00 AM Hosted Lunch; Cole Park, Alamosa, Colorado

4:50; 5:05; 5:20 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, II; Durango Harley-Davidson, Durango, Colorado

Wednesday, September 21 Stage 11 (262 miles)

6:00 AM MDT Breakfast available, Holiday Inn

6:30AM MDT Breakfast available, Comfort Inn & Suites

6:30AM MDT Breakfast available, Best Western Plus Rio Grande

8:00; 8:30; 9:00 AM MDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Comfort Inn & Suites

10:25 AM MDT Quick Stop, Four Corners Monument; New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona

3:45; 3:50; 4:00 PM MST Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Holiday Inn Express, Page, Arizona

Thursday, September 22 Stage 12 (195 miles)

6:00 AM MST Breakfast available, Holiday Inn Express

6:00 AM Breakfast available, Super 8

6:00 AM Breakfast available, La Quinta

6:30 AM Breakfast available, Clarion

7:30; 8:00; 8:30 AM MST Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Holiday Inn Express

1:00 PM No-host Lunch; Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

3:55; 4:00; 4:05 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, I; Holiday Inn Express, Williams, Arizona

Friday, September 23 Stage 13 (232 miles)

6:30 AM MST Breakfast available, Holiday Inn Express

6:00 AM Breakfast available, La Quinta

6:30 AM Breakfast available, Quality Inn

7:30; 8:00; 8:30 AM MST Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Holiday Inn Express

11:25 AM Hosted Lunch, Mother Road Harley-Davidson, Kingman, Arizona

3:35; 3:45; 3:55 PM Finish Times for Classes III, II, II; Querio Drive, Lake Havasu City, Arizona

4:00 PM Hosted Dinner

Saturday, September 24 Stage 14 (241 miles)

6:00 AM MST Breakfast available, Quality Inn

6:00 AM MST Breakfast available, Hampton Inn

7:00; 7:45; 8:15 AM MST Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Quality Inn

11:35 AM PDT Hosted Lunch, Luckie Park, Twentynine Palms, California

3:50; 4:00; 4:10 PM PDT Finish Times for Classes III, II, I, Best Western Plus, Palm Desert, California

Sunday, September 25 Stage 15 (101 miles); Grand Finish

7:00 AM PDT Breakfast available, Holiday Inn Express

7:00 AM Breakfast available, Best Western Plus

8:00; 8:30; 9:00 AM PDT Official Start Times for Classes I, II, III; Holiday Inn Express

10:40 AM Hosted Lunch, Temecula Harley-Davidson, Temecula, California

1:30 PM Grand Finish, Visitor Center, Carlsbad, California

3:30 PM Parc Fermé closes, Visitor Center

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Social Hour, Horizon Ballroom Foyer, Holiday Inn, Carlsbad

7:00 PM Farewell dinner, Horizon Ballroom, Holiday Inn, Carlsbad

Monday, September 26 Travel home safely

6:30 AM PDT Breakfast available, Holiday Inn

6:30 AM Breakfast available, Staybridge Suites

3 generations of motorcycling women that are Gloria, her daughter Lori and granddaughter Kathy. The 3 are so unique and dynamic it isn’t surprising they all ride with the blood lines of Gloria!

Leticia Cline of the Iron Lillie’s, an all-female riding group from Florida, was also a panelist this year. A pleasant gal that truly loves to ride. The demands of being an Iron Lilly is you must do at least 10k per year on your bike. Her passion stated early with her dad and when he passed away it was put on hold. Like anything else, if it is in your blood it will bring you back and it did. I had the pleasure to ride and speak with her she is a gal to pay attention to.

FXRs are hot property these days. We’ve been talking FXRs for some time. Kevin Alsop from Big Bear Choppers picked up the vibe and ran with it, developing new components and stronger frames to support more horsepower. Yaniv from Power Plant recently shifted from bobbers to FXRs.

They are the street warriors’ ride for crazed, grid-locked Los Angeles asphalt. They are nimble, fast, strong, reliable, and mostly narrow for splitting lanes at 100 mph while doing a wheel stand.

Oh shit, I forgot the unknown riders who can wheel-stand big twins for city blocks. A brother said recently, “Loud pipes and scary riders are causing our problems with the EPA. They scare the public.”

I’ll tell you what’s scary. Trying to ride home only to watch every other motorist texting or making a pizza while behind the wheel. We may startle someone once in awhile, but were not dangerous, just having fun, while trying to survive.

Bennnett’s Performance is all about Dynas, performance Baggers and FXRs. We worked with Eric Bennett and his dad, Bob, a disabled Vietnam veteran, on their last performance irritation, a very hot rod Dyna packed with an S&S 124 and all the city traffic bells and whistles (photo at top).

http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Building_a_106_inch_Dyna_Twincam.aspx

Eric couldn’t sit still, and wanted to address an FXR with a similar formula. FXRs have a better, more flexible seating position over a Dyna. They afford a rider more flexibility, the tried and true touring rubber-mount system, a lighter chassis, and an enhanced center of gravity. The power train is actually more centered and tighter, since the engine and trans are closer together.

During a conversation with Bruce Tessmer at S&S, Eric discovered a problem. S&S stopped producing Tweevo cases. They designed and manufactured specific crankcases for installing a powerful Twin Cam engine into a FXR chassis. They had one set of these cases left and Eric jumped on them.

Then he went looking for a stock FXR frame to monkey with and discovered a clean ’82 chassis and a strong ’95 Road King 5-speed transmission with the oil bag under the trans. Instead of moving the bottom frame support, he notched the cast aluminum oil bag for fitment and rubber-mount flex room.

There’s another mantra exposed in this build. Recently, the custom world shifted from low and sleek to high and handling. The gang at Suicide Machine started to build moto Sportsters and one of Eric’s customers, James Doerr, started building a wild Moto-FXR, which we hope to feature on Bikernet shortly. A tall wild rider, he went nuts with tall shocks, performance front end, stripped down, moto styling. It turned into a moto-beast and he crashed it, but not badly. He’s about to install the new paint and our esteemed photographer, Peter Linney is on the case.

Eric and his dad raced at Bonneville for decades. They like the performance, well-handling vibe. The winds of change swept through the shop.

The winds of farts are also sweeping through our motorcycle world. The EPA is fucking with us like never before and finally organizations are stepping up to deal with it, but we can’t ever give up our freedoms to ride and build what we want. Long before man existed the climate changed. Long after we are gone the climate will continue to change. We can do what we can to minimize any perceived impact, but we can’t stop everything. It’s a ruse to give the government more power, control and bucks (in fines).

I don’t like the smell of it. When I walk into a shop and see hard working brothers making a living giving riders bikes they dream about every night with performance products they itch to try, any threat is a menace to jobs, dreams and much more.

A passionate guy when it comes to motorcycles, racing and music, Eric’s mind went nuts over this project as he pondered installing Ohlins 15 7/8-inch shocks to this massive Brock aluminum swingarm.

With the engine oil under the trans, he could cut out the rotten, rusting, battery box, remove the stock oil tank mounts and slither his stainless exhaust system under the seating area and out the back. He made an electrical tray to house a small lithium battery, his circuit breakers and wiring.

He used Burns stainless pipe bends to hand-build his header system and tacked each piece in place. “I took them to Speed Merchant for final welding,” Eric said.

Eric eliminated the top engine joint to the frame and added an ’09 front head for a front motor mount connection. He added Kevin Alsop’s front rubber-mount system from Big Bear. Plus, he ran across some amazing billet rocker boxes from a machine shop specializing in medical equipment, Race Dyne. They also make hot rod components. Eric needed to clearance the frame above the rear head for RD box fitment.

He’s planning to work with S&S on the engine internals and the frontend, wheels and brakes are pending. His plan for the engine includes 4.5-inch stroke and 3 7/8-inch bore for a tried and true, balanced, 106-inch Twin Cam monster, with Branch flowed and tuned heads. “I don’t need to bore the cases,” Eric said. “This configuration is easy on the cases, easy on the vehicle, pulls fantastic and won’t overheat.”

His current sponsors behind this project include Rivera-Primo, Mikuni, Branch Flowmetrics and Daytona Twin Tech. Hang on for the next report.

Sources:

Bennett’s Performance
Long Beach, CA

Rivera-Primo
Goletta, CA

S&S Cycle
Viola, Wisconsin

Mikuni

Daytona Twin Tech

The journey back to life for one fine 1989 FXST/S. It sat idle in a garage for around 10 years. The classic springer Softail chopper was basically stock with a few classic mods, like the bars, and new seat with a backrest. It belonged to Ray Wheeler’s longtime friend, Rusty Hawk who recently passed away, but the bike could not stand idle any longer. “He would have wanted to see it on the road again,” said Rusty’s wife.

“His military patch from Vietnam is in the Ranger Hall of Fame,” said Ray. “I couldn’t give up on this one.”

If you wanted a bike checked out for a race or a long run, you couldn’t find a more persnickety, thorough mechanic in the world. Ray delivered the faded blue moon springer to Willie’s garage and stood back. Willie doesn’t like suggestions, just rapid-fire resources.

“This clean ’89 FXST/S was delivered to me last April, 2015,” said Willie. The first thing he tackled was the front and rear wheels. He yanked them off the bike, inspected the axles and installed new Timken bearings and races just before taking them to the tire shop for some new rubber (Metzler front, 100/90-21-inch, rear 140/70-16-inch). Bearings were greased and installed with new seals. He set the endplay at .004 to.010.

He also checked the stock H-D springer action and rocker bearings. The bearings are the same used in the swingarm, which he checked for ease of movement and no flop.

“During that lull in waiting for the new rubber, I removed the springer fork and replaced the Timken neck bearings,” said Willie. “The bike sat in one position too long and there was wear or a ding in one spot. They had to be replaced.”

He moved to the primary drive case.

“While the wheels were at the tire shop, I tore into the primary case and removed all oil lines and oil tank for a cleaning,” said the good doctor. “The primary chain and adjusting shoe were the first parts to go. I converted to a ’94 and later primary drive system. The ’98 model shifted to different diaphragm spring. The ’97 and earlier models need a tool to remove the diaphragm spring and pressure plate.”

Ray wisely chose to alter his gearing significantly for the long cross-country haul.

Engine: 25-tooth (stock)
Basket ’94 and later: 36-tooth (stock)

Trans: belt pulley, 32-tooth
Rear wheel pulley: 61 from 70

“I discovered the clutch hub held a broken bolt, so I removed it,” said Willie, “and while Ray C. Wheeler was visiting, we discovered a cracked clutch hub straight through to the keyway.” After discussing the problem, they decided to find a late model 5-speed gear set, with the roller detent shifter mechanism and splined mainshaft. The roller detent offered smoother, more positive shifting.

The spline shaft ducked issues with the historic tapered shaft. “If they are installed with a torque wrench and not an impact, they are fine,” the Doctor explained. First nine years of 5-speed transmissions used tapered shafts. If installed properly, they were fine, otherwise, too easy to split.

For the price of a new clutch hub and mainshaft, Ray C found a complete transmission gearset with all the shifter pieces, complete minus the case. Even though it’s an ’89 case, they are adaptable.

So, in went a fairly new trans and late model shift assembly from a 2003 Bagger trans, from of all places, just across the state from him near Miami. He also found a 1998 and later clutch-basket assembly, a longtime friend had in Kansas. “So, all of those pieces were on their way to me via UPS all in the same week,” said the doctor.

During the wait, Ray C asked Dr. Willie to install the 61-tooth rear pulley. He used it on his hot rod twin-cam Dyna. They also installed a new and shorter belt from BDL Belt Drives, to up the gearing a bit.

The Softail wasn’t without performance aspects. It contained a .540 lift Crane cam and flowed/ported heads. The heads may have been shaved to up the compression.

After the bike rolled for its first test ride, the doctor realized the straight up-swept fish tails seemed way too loud and obnoxious for a cross-country trip. “I talked Ray C into letting me install one of my many sets of FXD, Dyna exhaust, with Screaming Eagle tapered mufflers. With a little shuffling and fabricating a bracket for the rear header pipe, the engine had that familiar H-D sound, plus equal back-pressure with the crossover.”

Ray C sent the SU carb to Rivera-Primo for a rebuild and new air filter assembly, with new down-swept intake manifold to easily clear gas tanks. Also, the Doctor installed a new Compu-Fire, Elite-1 ignition system and reused the original Crane single-fire coil and plug wires.

“I performed all of this in house, in my humble back yard garage,” said Willie the mechanical mastermind.

He also upgraded front and rear turn signals, with early classic Shovelhead styled lights, to dual element sockets with bulbs by riveting in new sockets. “Now, there are running lights when lights are on, with turn signals when needed,” said the good doctor.

He also added a power outlet, attached below the coil, to the cover bracket, to power up phone and other electronic accessories, including Ray’s GPS. Plus, he added a charger battery connection for easy charging.

The good doctor ran a couple of other helpful elements, the VOES switch. Under load, it will retard the engine to prevent pinging. It retards the timing four degrees. Sportster VOES switches are more aggressive, up to seven degrees. VOES switches can be adjusted but must be resealed.

He also installed one of his famous crank vents in the return oil line. It’s a one-way PCV valve. Pistons going down push the air out. It shuts off when the pistons head back up the cylinders. The free-floating, non-spring valve closes off, and lets the pistons create a vacuum in the crankcase. ET Performance makes them. “Automotive crank vents don’t work,” said Willie. Umbrella valves in the heads of Harleys only last 50 miles. One simple ET crank vent can add seven horsepower to an Evo engine.

Ray clocked over 5,000 miles on one run from Los Angeles to Washington state, and then Sturgis before peeling East to Sarasota, Florida. “The bike used oil,” Ray said. “The plugs and exhaust look cool, but it went through quarts. I’m going to go through the engine, but it still runs like a bat outta hell.” Could be oil rings or valve seals. We will keep you posted and Ray C keeps Ranger Rusty’s bike alive and on the road.

–Bandit

Sources

Rivera Primo

Compu-Fire
https://compufire.com/

Crane Cams
cranecams.com/

ET Performance
www.et-performance.com/