Hey,
I feel like I’m lingering in the calm before the storm. But we need to take a minute, or an hour to reach out to our Brothers in the Houston/Galveston area. Kent Weeks and his family at Lucky Devils Metal Works are still without power. Johnny White, a Bikernet contributor, family man and Hot Bike writer is also living without power or water.
This brings up the point that we all need to join or support charities like the American Red Cross. See what you can do. Take a few minutes to drop a check in the mail to your favorite charity, if you can’t do something directly, like shipping Johnny an iced-down six-pack of beer. Let’s hit the news:
BIG AIR CARB FROM J&P– Available from J&P Cycles, this MC Advantages Big Air Carburetor is the easiest to use! Three simple external fuel knobs, the pilot, needle and power jet can be adjusted in seconds with no tear down needed to tune. The highly atomized fuel vaporization keeps fuel in suspension longer for incredible throttle response.
Eight internal ball bearing rollers ensure a very smooth slide. Will gain up to 6-15 horsepower in most set-ups and fit 80″-155″ engines.
For more information on J&P Cycles full line of carburetors, call toll-free today at 800-397-4844 (US & Canada) or go to WWW.JPCYCLES.COM.
BIKERNET CONTRIBUTOR BUSTED GETTING MARRIED–Without the permission of the 5-Ball Inc. board of directors Sevenmeister snuck out and got hitched.
“I caught him riding home from the court house after getting married,” said out internal relations investigator. “I have proof. Check this photo.”
A full investigation will commence next week. Getting married is against the Code of the West and punishable by lengthy incarceration on a small island in the middle of the pacific.
His wife will be forced into the Bikernet White Slavery Ring, to work off her penance at my bedside.
SCOTT JACOBS SWITCHES FROM MOTORCYCLE TO WINE NOW TEGUILA–With the success and quick sellout of Scott?s first PATRON (the Gold version) limited edition canvas, the likely succession would for him to do a PATRON SILVER painting. Well, it?s done and the reviews are as expected very positive.
One small tidbit of interesting info is that the original sold, sight unseen (just from a thumbnail jpeg on the screen), for $64,000.00 to a private collector. Here?s your chance to own the next best thing; the canvas giclee limited to only 115 total units including artist proofs.
Preliminary indications are that this extremely popular imagery will not last very long. Apparently there are a multitude of Patron fans out there as witnessed by the previous release.
If you are a Harley riding Backgammon player here is just the thing for you; JUST KICKIN BACK, Scott?s other new release in a limited edition canvas perfect for that Harley or game room. Both of these images are available for shipping now so get a head start on the holidays and give us a jingle. (the links to our website provide pricing and sizes).
–Ron Copple
Scott Jacobs Studio
303-431-4453
www.scottjacobsstudio.com
2008 STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY STATISTICS– STURGIS, S.D. ? The City of Sturgis with cooperation from city, county and state officials, as well as surrounding Black Hills communities, has released the 68th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Report.
Attendance, sales tax, vendor fees and sponsorship revenues showed a remarkable resiliency in face of increase of 47% in the price of gasoline and general economic uncertainly. Following a recent trend Sturgis saw increased motorcycle traffic in the weeks preceding the event with many retailers in the area reporting sales were up from 2007, an extraordinary second year increase.
The City?s sales tax was up 18% year to date in July suggesting that the unofficial Rally is starting earlier in the summer. While state sales tax numbers were down 25.7% for the official Rally week, Sturgis sales tax figures saw a much smaller decrease, only down 7.6%.
The incredible part of the Rally sales tax being down 7.6% is that the City?s sales tax was up 3% year to date after the Rally. This indicator shows strength in the Sturgis retail sales market. Sturgis did see a 14.8% decrease in vendor licenses and an 11.5% decrease in vendor fees collected from those exhibitors. Traffic counts submitted by the Department of
Transportation show Rally numbers in the Sturgis area were down 12.1%, and Mount Rushmore?s counts down 25.8%. Thankfully Rally fatalities were also deceased by 40%. The estimated attendance at the 2008 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was 414,917, down 18.2% from 2007.
Pre-Rally jitters had some sources focused on an adjusting motorcycle industry, rising costs in fuel and economic uncertainty, predicting a depressing outlook for the Rally in 08. However considering those complications and the adjustments taking place at all of the large motorcycle events around the country, the 68th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally faired quite well in the face of these economic challenges.
?We knew we would face some challenges this year but we also took into consideration a robust summer tourist season and the impact a strong Euro and Canadian dollar would have on the event,? stated director Pepper Massey. ?Many exhibitors stated they had record sales and we saw more ATM cash withdrawals this year than in 2007. Attendees and exhibitors commented over and over that it was one of their best Rally experiences and that makes it a great year for the City.?
The City of Sturgis would like to thank our Sturgis Motorcycle Rally visitors, vendors and sponsors for helping to make the 68th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally great in 08! We couldn?t have done it without you!
For more information on the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally visit www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SAUCE BABY!!! — We are Headed to Fayetteville Ark Bikes, Babes & Barb-Q show sept 25th thru 27th of 2008. We will have on display Easyriders bike of the year 2008. Billy Lane very own 1917 Henderson. Every body come check us out, Billy will be there to sign poster and shirts as always.
Be safe out there.
Phil”Z”
Business Development Manager
Billy Lane’s Choppers Inc.
Melbourne, Fl. 32904
P: (321) 768-8379 ext 3
F: (321) 768-8380
wholesale@choppersinc.com visit
www.choppersinc.com
FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE– 1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a slave.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click.
BAGGER LEG RISERS — You?re sure to get more than just a smile once your passenger rests her feet on these Softbrake LEG RISERS from North County Customs.
The updated, bolt on risers provide a secondary foot position which allows passengers freedom of movement, ride position and exceptional comfort without shifting their butt and your balance. The secondary peg location is approximately 8 1/2? higher than and 4 ?? forward from the centerline of the stock passenger foot board.
As eye appealing and rugged as they are functional, LEG RISERS are machined from a solid block of ?? billet aluminum and finished in flawless show quality chrome. LEG RISERS bolt directly to the factory foot board mounting location and can be used with a wide variety of stock or custom foot pegs.
The top rear of each riser is countersunk for flush mounting of pegs with supplied countersunk Allen head screws.
LEG RISERS include mounting hardware but due to the variety of styles available, pegs are not included.
LEG RISERS retail for $149.00 and can be ordered direct from North County Customs at 714-680-0911 or visit www.softbrake
“Hands off my bike!!!”– I arrived fashionably late to the El Camino, California Vintage Bike Swap Meet but did get in on the action. Story on what could be the last El Camino?
GPG
LAS VEGAS BIKE FEST IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, BANDIT ELECTED TO JUDGE SHOW– Can you believe it is less than 2 weeks to BikeFest??? Yikes!
Would you be interested in being a judge for the Custom Bike Show on Saturday at Fremont Street? Judging starts at 11am and usually takes about 90 minutes. I would plan to use your expertise for the Radical or Custom class.
Let me know if we can count on your expert eye.
–Harry Schwartz
Full Throttle Events
T: 619-234-3344 ext. 134
F: 619-234-3370
E: hschwartz@schwartzeventgroup.com
PROOF HARLEY DEALERSHIPS WORK ON OLDER BIKES– I attached a couple of pictures of some of the bikes older than 10 years currently being worked on at our shop.
Shop is:
Harley Davidson of Frederick
5722 Urbana Pike
Frederick, Maryland
301-694-8177
–Iron Mike
Vietnam Vets MC
Classic California and the ?King of Cool? Vintage Motorbikes & Custom Cars Offered by Bonhams & Butterfields in Los Angeles October 25, Auction features Steve McQueen memorabilia & personal effects– Bonhams & Butterfields? annual vintage motorbike, custom car and sports-racing collectibles auction at LA?s Petersen Auto Museum ? now referred to as the ?Classic California? sale — features a wonderful assemblage of desirable early Steve McQueen memorabilia from the collection of his first wife, as well as property from noted private and institutional collections culled from across the globe. The eagerly anticipated auction takes place in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 25, 2008.
To Steve McQueen fans and motorbike and car collectors, the Bonhams & Butterfields Fall sale is a must-attend event. Each of the last three annual auctions has featured select McQueen-owned and raced motorbikes, cars and collectibles ? and each multi-million dollar sale has set world auction records and generated international interest. The Saturday afternoon auction is the traditional kick-off for the Love Ride, the world?s largest one-day motorcycle charity fundraiser, celebrating its 25th year on Sunday, October 26th, 2008 — part of California Bike Week.
For 2008, bidders will vie for Steve McQueen?s first racing trophy (an engraved tankard expected to bring $2,000 to $4,000) and other early racing awards. The poster noting McQueen being honored by the Porsche Club of America could bring as much as $2,000, and several firearms used by the inveterate hunter should attract interest. Original signed contracts and documents for Bullitt (1968), Papillion (1973) and other early McQueen movies and productions will be offered along with signed letters and notes written to the McQueens by their famous friends ? from Barbra Streisand and Sammy Davis Jr., racing legend Stirling Moss, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, and fellow thespians Paul Newman, Janet Leigh, Debby Reynolds and Rock Hudson, to name just a few.
McQueen?s Buddha figure gold cufflinks were a gift from the legendary Bob Hope (est. $1,000/2,000) and never-before seen photographs depict the McQueens poolside, at home and on location. The actor?s Chinese visa, which displays his passport-sized photo and signature, was carried by McQueen while he filmed Sand Pebbles in 1965 (est. $2/4,000). Additional lots include personal and household items, some of which were featured in select McQueen films.
These desirable Steve McQueen items stem from the collection of Neile McQueen Toffel (known on stage as Neile Adams), McQueen?s first wife. Ms. Adams, a talented and sought after Broadway star, met the man who?d become ?The King of Cool? while she appeared on Broadway in The Pajama Game in 1956. McQueen was acting on Broadway too and the couple quickly fell in love and wed on November 2nd, 1956. They relocated to the West Coast and had two children together, a daughter Terry and a son Chad.
Adams elected to put her own career on hold (she?d signed with MGM in 1957) to raise their children. The McQueens were one of the ?Royal Couples of Hollywood? until their divorce in 1972. In 1986, Adams wrote her best seller My Husband, My Friend (AuthorHouse), re-released in 2006, about her life with Steve McQueen. She has recorded four albums and continues to perform in live cabaret shows in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. She?s performing in early October 2008, at The Metropolitan Room at Gotham in New York City with her new show, appropriately titled Something Cool!
Other auction highlights on the block for the ?Classic California? sale include vintage advertising signage on tin and modern marketing devices designed with neon lighting. Original artworks depicting famous races and marques will attract collectors, and custom cars and vintage motorbikes will be the focus of competitive bidding throughout the auction.
Last year, in its fifth annual offering, Bonhams & Butterfields sold more than $2.2-million to collectors and motoring aficionados assembled at the Petersen Automotive Museum, with highlights including McQueen motorbikes, Von Dutch memorabilia, a bike from the collection of Clark Gable and several from the Estate of Charles Bronson, among many others.
Official Harley-Davidson Channel Rumbles onto YouTube– Few companies know how to give their fans what they want like Harley-Davidson. The legendary motorcycle company has launched its official channel on YouTube and has done so in a big way with a collection of short films featuring footage of the 105th Anniversary Celebration, and the 2009 model lineup.
Harley-Davidson’s official channel on YouTube is fully loaded with authentic content straight from the source. Built to satisfy the most passionate enthusiast, the newly launched channel’s first feature film, which showcases the 2009 model lineup, gives viewers a look at the new V-Rod Muscle with the 120hp Revolution engine.
Viewers will learn about how all seven models in the Touring line have been reengineered from the wheels up. They’ll also see the new Tri Glide Ultra Classic, and get a glimpse of the new features across the entire product line. It’s a must-see for anyone who rides or dreams of riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
The 2009 model preview film is just the start of the ride on Harley-Davidson’s official YouTube channel. Other newly posted videos highlight the sights and sounds of the Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration that took place Aug. 28-31.
Viewers will also be taken behind the scenes at local and national events like Daytona Bike Week. There, they’ll hang out in the flat track pits with Harley-Davidson’s Wrecking Crew race team, and meet celebrity riders like ultimate fighter Keith Jardine.
Through the Rider Story video series, viewers will get to know bikers from all walks of life – a trucker, an executive, a single mom, couples young and old, and more. These are the real people of Harley-Davidson who share a love for the freedom of the open road.
Harley-Davidson’s official channel on YouTube is an ideal destination between rides. To visit go to: http://www.youtube.com/harleydavidson.
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