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BIKERNET NUMBERS REPORT FOR AUGUST OF 2009–Okay, we buckled. Another site complained about the readership numbers we posted in a press release, even called me a liar. I took offense to that, since we have never lied about our Web Trends numbers.
This skinny individual told us that Web Trends doesn’t count and we need to run with Google Analytics for proper numbers. I asked around the web industry and never received confirmation that one source was better than another, but recently we decided to hook up Google Analytics for a comparison. So here ya go from both sources.
According to Google our reach over the last three months has improved 12 percent, our page views increased 52 percent and something else about the site improved 36 percent (I can’t find that puppy again). That’s odd, August is usually a down month since so many riders are in the Badlands or on the road to somewhere. Here’s the numbers after just one month with Google. We’ll see, over the next three months how the Google numbers and Web Trends stack up.
Web Trends:
Unique users: 274,000
Visits: 480,000
Page Views: 781,000
Hits: 8.4 million
Average time on site: 7.29
Google Analytics:
Unique Users: 111,265
Visits: 159,863
Page Views: 536,503
Time on site: 3.29
I’m still getting my feet wet with this bullshit, but I discovered a couple of interesting facts from the Google Analytics Bikernet Report. Over 18 percent of our readers came back to Bikernet between 15 and 200 times during August. We also discovered that 30 percent of our readership spend between 3 minutes and 30 minutes when they visit Bikernet.
There’s our report from August. Don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any additional assistance. Again, I’m just getting my feet wet with this report. I’ll learn more as time flies and we deliver more updates.
Ride Forever,
–K.R. Ball
Emperor
Bikernet.com
WATCH OUT FOR MOTORCYCLES–
Get more entertainment in Bikernet Studio.
–Jeff Najar
Bikernet Executive Producer
Bikernet Studios
BIKERNET SALT REPORTER FROM LUXURY HOTEL–Sitting in the buffet at Mandalay Bay. Just had breakfast, biscuits and gravy, bacon, scrambled eggs, slice of ham, slab of prime rib, shrimp, eggs benedict and Jello with some kind of fruit in it and am going back for desert. My wife’s not here and I can eat anything I want.
Word was that the Salt was nearly perfect. That wasn’t the case. But here’s the hot news from Denis Manning. He now has new 400 mph tires. For 40 years streamliner tires have been super-difficult to find.
The plot sickens every evening as the liquor begins to flow.
–Scooter Grubb
PAUGHCO RSD-300 DROP SEAT CHASSIS–Check it out. Paughco has just released a sleek new frame that provides great lines and a perfect 23 ?? seat height. The new Right Side Drive frames accept 300 rear tires and feature a 1 ? backbone stretch, 2? diameter single front leg and 1 ?? diameter tubular swing arm. Additionally the chassis comes with a 1? hidden axle assembly and integral forward control mounts. The Paughco 13 ? fender, oil bag and solo seat in this photo are sold separately.
Goin? Pro-Street? Try the model with 5? stretch in the backbone and 38? neck rake. The chopper version, shown here, has 4? in the backbone, 7? in the front leg and 38? neck rake.
For complete details call Paughco direct at 775-246-5738 or visit them on the Web at www.paughco.com
MODEL 1 & MODEL 1S GETS 300,000 WARRANTY–Brass Balls Bobbers? Premium Suppliers D&D and BAKER Go Along For the Ride.
Darwin Motorcycles, manufacturer of Brass Balls Choppers & Bobbers, announced today that the firm is providing a 300,000 mile / 1 year warranty on their hi-tech minimalist anti-chrome Model 1 and softail-style Model 1S custom-production Bobbers.
Other Brass Balls suppliers that are getting into the economic-stimulus mindset includes exhaust pipe provider D&D Performance Enterprises, which is upping the warranty to 400,000 mile / 1 year and BAKER Drivetrain which is in at 500,000 mile / 1 year.
Get all the details at Brass Balls Bobbers.com
NEW PROJECT FROM JAMES SIMONELLI OF BAKER DRIVE TRAIN– Check out my new ride. The frame is a 1-off Rolling Thunder swingarm solid mount style, only one ever like this to my design. Backbone is 2? dia., downtubes are 1 3/8? dia, rake is 34 degrees, swingarm is 3? over stock length. Shocks are custom Works Performance by Tom Edison. Oil tank is 4-qt under transmission, with faux ?wraparound? oil tank to hold battery and electrics. Everything is very overkill strong and gusseted, not lightweight, very strong. Frame will accept a 155 ? 160? motor, trans is softail style. Rear tire is DOT legal drag slick, Metzler Racetec, 190/55/17.
Brakes are Suzuki GSXR. Total wheelbase is 72?. Paint was done by Doug Wozney (Dougz Custom Paint and Fabrication) in LaCrosse WI.) This is all paint, no decals. The Plymouth Road Runner is one of my favorite muscle cars of all time, hence the 1970 Vitamin C Orange and flat black ala 426 Hemi/440 Six Pak cars. Doug is the best, a true craftsman. He handled the custom seat pan and foam as well.
The motor will be the same 145? S&S I had in my Superglide, 12.5:1 C.R., 720 lift cam, with dual 48mm Mikuni carbs on S&S G Extreme intake, about 190 hp rear wheel.
My goal is to be somewhat streetable, turn mid 9s in quarter, and go 160 mph on the salt.
–James
BIKER LOWDOWN STORE IS OPEN: NEW SHIRTS– Alright !!! The New Biker Lowdown Radio Show Store page is go to BikerLowdown.com and Click on the Store link in the Menu Bar and Check out the new Biker Lowdown Radio Show Products !!! Thanks for the Support and please continue to spread the word !!!
BIKERLOWDOWN.COM
BIKERNET READER STILL LOOKING FOR BANDIT IN STURGIS–Looked for ya at Sturgis. Had a bottle to share with ya. Larry and I drank your share. Went by 2 Wheelers cuz I saw the banner. The lady there spoke very highly of you and Bikernet. Arlin was busy selling to some ladies.
Did some of the best riding I have done in a while. Met alotta good people and look forward to next year.
–Gootie
DA ROADSTER FROM KUSTOM FAB IN OAHU–Aloha, I now this looks like a repeat edition from last year, but the last time Roger was on this project things gotten rear ended and the bike never made it out of Mock-Up.
But hopefully this year is different, and this time the bike makes it to the finish line. The Project is called the Roadster and is being built to be shown @ SEMA SHOW for ALSA Paints.
Dennis Matheson of Cosmic Paints has completed his job and past the baton to KUSTOMFAB. Roger & Nori have there hands full trying to hit the deadlines, but some people just work better under pressure.
I will post better progress photos as it gets closer to completion.
–Darren
THE AMCA VINTAGE ESSAY CONTEST WINNER PICKED–The winner of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America’s ?Free Harley Give Away Contest? is 18 year old Ryan Mackey from Willoughby Ohio. Ryan was one of the ninety 18 to 25 year olds that wrote an essay for the contest which ran for October 1st 2008 through August 15th 2009.
The prize for the contest is a 1942 Harley Davidson WLA bobber in pieces, and two months shop time at Carl’s Cycle Supply in Aberdeen South Dakota. As soon as Ryan finishes building the bike and rides it, he will get the title for the bike and get to keep it.
The A.M.C.A. Foundation has also put up grant funds to help pay for all of Ryan’s travel and living expenses while he works on the bike.
A team of over 30 judges composed of people who donated the parts gathered at this year’s annual Super Swap Meet in Davenport, Iowa and narrowed the 90 essays down to the top three, then finally picked a winner.
Tim Yeates, one of the judges on the team described the process of choosing the winner, ?All of the essays were outstanding. It was very difficult to choose just one. Ryan’s essay stood out because he took the initiative to get involved with motorcycles on his own without any outside family influence. He loves working on bikes, and understands the importance of promoting the old motorcycle hobby, and the A.M.C.A.?
The judges spent nearly two hours choosing the winner for the contest, all of the entrants went the extra mile and did a great job. All of the people who entered the contest will receive a free 1-year membership to the AMCA, as well as a pass to The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, Wheels Through Time Museum, in Maggie Valley, North Carolina and Vintage Spokes, in Rock Island, Illinois.
Ryan plans to work on the bike for a month on his Christmas break from Lakeland College, and resume work five months later in May when his freshman year of college is finished.
Ryan says, ?I am still in shock that I won the contest. I don’t think it will really settle in until I see the sign that says, ‘Welcome to South Dakota.’ It is a huge honor that you have picked me, and I want to thank everyone in the AMCA who has made this contest possible. I cannot wait to start working on the bike!?
The bikes assembly will be chronicled on the AMCA’s Website, as well as in The Antique Motorcycle, and on Bikernet.com. Once the bike is completed it will be featured in American Iron magazine. Check out www.antiquemotorcycle.org, www.bikernet.com, and www.caimag.com for updates and details!
We will publish Ryan’s essay in the next couple of days on Bikernet.com.–Wilburn Roach
BAD BLACK TOMBSTONE– North County Customs, the exclusive source for Softbrake products, is now offering the company?s retro-style Tombstone taillight in BAD BLACK powdercoat. These popular stand alone housings have no fixed illumination or license plate bracket offer a clean replacement for stock and many custom applications while retaining the classic Tombstone lines.
NCC offers the new Bad Black Tombstone housing as a direct bolt on replacement for stock Tombstone lights and utilizes the original hardware. It eliminates the plate bracket and license light lens completely so you can mount your plate any place you like. It really looks hot when used with NCC?s license plate relocator mounting system.
Designed to fit ?97 to present Heritage Springer and Delux models, the housing retails for $85.00, without lens.
Call direct to 714-680-0911 or go to www.softbrake.com
THE GODS OF SPECTRO OILS ON BIKERNET AND GOOGLE ANALYTICS–We found Google Analytics to be the most accurate counting device, howeverit’s not the sole factor in judging site performance.
Like any advertising, it’s the bottom line that counts. How much did salesincrease because of a website? Is your site creating industry buzz? Arepeople talking about it? I’m my mind these things are more important thanGoogle or Web Trends numbers.
Your site kicks ass, keep up the good work!
–Rollin Karoll
Vice President of Sales
Spectro Oils
800-243-8645
BAD PROSECUTORS, Brevard man wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years recalls ‘nightmare’Prosecution ‘tried to destroy me,’ Dillon tells Rotary Club– To a hushed crowd of 100 people, William Dillon detailed his arrest, trial and murder conviction in 1981, calling it “a complete nightmare.”Then the 50-year-old paused, composed himself and told his audience that he was raped during his first hour in prison.
“Once that happens, you’re labeled,” Dillon said slowly. “It sticks with you and everyone knows it. I had given up.”
Dillon, who spent 27 years in prison, was released late last year after the state dropped charges against him. On Wednesday he mesmerized the Indialantic Rotary Club during its weekly luncheon with his tale of perseverance, DNA testing and hope.
Dillon told the crowd that he had nearly given up on the dream of ever winning his freedom and clearing his name. He said filing a motion to test DNA evidence in his case was a shot in the dark. Little did he know that a yellow T-shirt — critical in the state’s case against him — would yield favorable DNA results and eventually lead to his freedom.
He also had some harsh words for those who sent him to prison, using fraudulent dog handler John Preston and dropping rape charges against a jailhouse snitch in exchange for his testimony. The same State Attorney’s Office, he said, fought for two years against his request for DNA testing.
“Justice shouldn’t be a farce marked with funny business,” he said. “Everyone is entitled to a fair trial. But they are making such a mockery out of justice. I feel like they tried to destroy me and they nearly did.”
Several Rotarians wiped their eyes and were visibly moved during the 90-minute speech.”It’s scary to think that can happen,” said Noirin Foley, wife of Rotary President Michael Foley. “But it’s amazing that he came out so together. To be able to channel that energy into something positive is amazing.”
BY JOHN A. TORRES ? FLORIDA TODAY ? September 10, 2009
–from Rogue
DIRT BIKE BAN HEARING– Congressional hearing set for Thursday to get information on the law that bans the sale of dirtbikes and ATVs for kids
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Federal lawmakers have scheduled a hearing for Thursday, Sept. 10, to receive an update on the status of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) that essentially banned the sale of kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
The AMA is urging all concerned motorcyclists and ATVers to contact their federal lawmakers to exempt motorcycles and ATVs from the law, which took effect in February. The law stopped the sale of dirt bikes and ATVs designed for children age 12 and under, although the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) subsequently issued a stay of enforcement of the measure until May 2011.
Under the law, all youth products containing lead must now have less than 300 parts per million by weight. The CPSC has interpreted the law to apply to various components of youth-model motorcycles and ATVs, including the engine, brakes, suspension, battery and other mechanical parts. Even though the lead levels in these parts are small, they are still above the minimum threshold.
The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold Thursday’s hearing, titled: “Consumer Product Safety Commission Oversight: Current Issues and a Vision for the Future.” CPSC Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum will be the only testifier.
This hearing is the first one sponsored by this subcommittee since the CPSIA passed 13 months ago. It is important that motorcyclists and ATV riders let Congress know that they are concerned about the lead-content requirements of the CPSIA, and that they want youth-model off-highway vehicles excluded from those requirements.
Riders should contact their U.S. representatives and let them know how the CPSIA has created a severe and unwarranted disruption to families who ride together responsibly, and a deleterious effect on youth amateur racing. Because the fastest way to permanently address this issue is through legislation, riders should urge their representatives to support H.R. 1587, introduced by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-At Large-Mont.), to exempt youth-sized motorcycles and ATVs from the CPSIA.
You can find contact information for your elected officials at AmericanMotorcyclist.com. From the homepage, click on “Rights,” then “Issues & Legislation,” and enter your zip code in the “Find your Officials” box. Additionally, a prewritten e-mail is available for you to send to your representative immediately by following the “Take Action” option and entering your information.
ATV riders can do the same by going through the Rapid Response Center on ATVAonline.com.
It is particularly important to contact members of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. They are U.S. Reps.:
Bobby Rush (D-Chicago-Tinley Park, Ill.), chairman
Jan Schakowsky (D-Chicago-Des Plaines, Ill.) vice chairwoman
George Radanovich (R-Oakdale-Kerman, Calif.), ranking minority member
Mary Bono Mack (R-Hemet-Blythe, Calif.)
Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento, Calif.)
Henry Waxman (D-Agoura Hills-Westlake Village, Calif.) (ex officio)
Diana DeGette (D-Denver, Colo.)
Kathy Castor (D-Tampa, Fla.)
Cliff Stearns (R-Ocala, Fla.)
John Barrow (D-Springfield-Crawfordville, Ga.)
Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-Marietta-Rome, Ga.)
Bruce Braley (D-Cedar Falls-Dubuque, Iowa)
Ed Whitfield (R-Fulton-Casey, Ky.)
Steve Scalise (R-Hammond-Mandeville, La.)
John Sarbanes, M.D. (D-Baltimore City-Annapolis, Md.)
John Dingell (D-Detroit, Mich.) (ex officio)
Bart Stupak (D-U.P.-Alpena, Mich.)
Lee Terry (R-Omaha, Neb.)
G. K. Butterfield (D-Roanoke Rapids-New Bern, N.C.)
Sue Wilkins Myrick (R-Gastonia-Matthews, N.C.)
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Plainfield-Asbury Park, N.J.)
Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn-Queens, N.Y.)
Zachary Space (D-Athens-Millersburg, Ohio)
Betty Sutton (D-Lorain-Akron, Ohio)
John Sullivan (R-Bartlesville-Bixby, Okla.)
Tim Murphy (R-Pittsburgh-Greensburg, Pa.)
Joseph R. Pitts (R-Columbia-West Chester, Pa.)
Bart Gordon (D-Robertson-Marshall, Tenn.)
Joe Barton (R-Ennis-Crockett, Texas) (ex officio)
Charles Gonzalez (D-San Antonio-Kirby,
Texas)Gene Green (D-Cloverleaf, Texas)
Jim Matheson (D-St. George-Vernal, Utah)
DEPARTURE BIKE WORKS DEAL OF THE WEEK– This is a complete 1961 FL Panhead motor. This comes with a clean title and good numbers. This motor is ready to go. This comes with a Linkert M74B carb as well as a stock circuit breaker (distributor) both not shown. This has stock bore cylinders.
The top end is a 1963-1965 outside oiler heads with a Jims top end oil kit. New rods and all the shafts, bearing and races are new and correctly fitted. The oil pump is an S&S. The cam cover is stock and chrome plated. This motor should provide many years of trouble free riding.
Call Lee to talk about pricing 804-231-0244 or e-mail him at lee@departure.com
JAY LENO’S CAR COLLECTION ON LINE–Jay finally has all of his cars on his web site. http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/cars/index.shtml
Jay has a fulltime staff of eight knowledgeable mechanics and fabricators. All of his vehicles are kept in active duty, running and ready. He tries to drive or ride something different every day.
–from Jim Waggaman
PAUGHCO?S VERY COOL CHOPPER SEATS–Check out some of Paughco?s new additions to their popular line of chopper seats. Designed for use with virtually any custom application the seats can also be easily fit to many factory style frames. Hand crafted from the finest hides and riveted to a beautifully finished chrome steel seat pan these awesome seats will provide the finishing touch to any scooter.
All seats shown feature a beautifully braided trim with custom embossed flame patterns, smooth finish or braided insert. Custom mounting hardware is included. All seats are manufactured to the highest standards for quality, materials and craftsmanship.
Paughco has been producing chopper components since the ’60s and these are without a doubt their finest seats to date. And get this. Seat prices start at just $231.95! For all the details call 775-246-5738 and be sure to catch them on the Web at www.paughco.com
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