Continued From Page 2
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST NEIL STEINBERG LABELS MOTORCYCLISTS AS ORGAN DONORS– If you believe Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg, motorcycle riders are pretty sure bets to become organ donors simply because they ride motorcycles.
What’s worse, Steinberg thinks it’s a joke.
In a column with the headline “Hop on a motorcycle, fill out your donor card,” that appeared in the September 22 issue of the Chicago Sun-Times, Steinberg wrote: “Why are there many more heart transplants performed in the summer than in the winter?
Outraged, AMA Public Information Director Tom Lindsay dashed off a quick e-mail to Steinberg to set him straight.
“Speaking on behalf of this nation’s seven million motorcyclists, we found your characterization of motorcyclists-as-organ-donors insulting and ill-informed. Perhaps your intent was dark humor or tongue-in-cheek commentary — but comments like yours are irresponsible and promote a malicious and unjustified bias against motorcyclists.”
Steinberg’s response: “Thank you for your comment. There will be no retraction.”If you would like to let Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg know how you feel about his column, you may e-mail him atnsteinberg@suntimes.com .
FYI- The chance of you dying in an automobile accident is 1 in 247, yet for motorcycles its 1 in 1214. These are published US government statistics but judging from your prose you’re too ignorant to find the data, let alone digest it.
–Mark Kalan
SCOOTER’S TRAILER TRASH–HEY,, YOU EVER SEE ONE OF THESE???? WELL I GOT ONE. I’VE HAD IT FOR 25 YEARS… ALL THE CANVAS IS GONE, THIS THING IS SO LITE A CHICK CAN LIFT THE ENTIRE PACKAGE. WOULD MAKE A GREAT BIKE TRAILER.. LITTLE FAB WORK.. IT WAS MADE IN THE ’50S
–SKOOTER
SHOVELHEAD DEAL OF THE WEEK–Dr. Hamster’s Shovel’s for sale. It’s about a ’75 FL in a Paughco frame, with a hot rod engine. It’s fresh and ready to ride for only $9,800. Drop me a line if you’re interested: Bandit@bikernet.com or (310)830-0630.
205 MPH SPEEDING TICKET– That’s right, a kid got popped for allegedly riding his motorcycle at 205 mph. Ever since a State Patrol pilot clocked Samuel Armstrong Tilley’s 2002 Honda RC51 going a quarter-mile in 4.39 seconds on September 18, people in chat rooms, garages and biker bars from Sturgis, South Dakota, to Los Angeles have been buzzing about the alleged feat on Highway 61 near Wabasha.
“Certainly anyone who flouts the law to that extent is seen by some as a latter-day Robin Hood, flying in the face of authority and doing stuff we all want to do but common sense stops us from,” said David Edwards, editor-in-chief of Cycle World, a magazine based in Newport Beach, California.
Edwards doubted Tilley’s bike could have gone so fast. “More likely, the cop with the stopwatch had an itchy trigger finger,” he told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.
JIMS RACE KIT AND NEW CATALOG A RACE kit for the Twin Cam engine is a new performance product offered by JIMS.The supplied components build a complete engine to replace the stock motor fitted to Dyna and FL models.The new motor has a displacement of 120cu in and tests at JIMS have shown 125 horsepower at the rear wheel at 6,200rpm with 121ftlb of torque at 3,750rpm, running on 91 octane pump fuel.JIMS supplies the crankcase assembly as a built-up assembly.The kit features a 4.5in stroke crankshaft already installed in crankcases with sufficient material to support bores of 4.800in.Barrels in the kit have 4.125in bores containing 10:1 compression forged pistons.Carburetor and ignition system are Screamin’ Eagle items.
JIMS tells us an experienced technician will take between four and six hours to assemble the rest of the motor with the full instructions provided.The kit is offered uncoated or in black or silver powdercoat to match stock transmissions.
For all the new products from JIMS, check the new 2004 catalog which is offered in both paperback and CD format.This latest issue contains even more pages dedicated to high-performance engine parts, transmission and service tools for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.The CD version of the catalog also includes all the instruction sheets normally supplied with new JIMS products.
JIMS USA
Camarillo, California, USA
Tel: 805 482 6913
Fax: 805 482 9224
E-mail:paulplatts@jimsusa.com
http://www.jimsusa.com
EXCLUSIVE JOB OPENING AT PRO-ONE–Pro-One Performance Manufacturing, a premium manufacturer of top quality motorcycle parts & accessories, is seeking a creative and talented Parts designer/fabricator to help us expand our product line. Must be knowledgeable in all aspects of motorcycles, R & D, CNC machining and programming CAD/CAM. Salary commensurate with experience. Major medical, 401K, and profit sharing. Excellent opportunity for the right person with right attitude.
Please email resume to jlee@pro-one.com
RICH KING BATTLES TO SECOND-PLACE FINISH AT DU QUOIN MILE–Screamin? Eagle Team on the Podium in AMA Grand National Season Finale.
DU QUOIN, Ill. (Sept. 25, 2004) ? Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts rider Rich King prevailed in a race-long battle for second position in the AMA Grand National main held at the mile track at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. It was the 17th and final event on the 2004 AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship. King was among seven riders who held second place during the 25-lap race, all trailing Gerencer Harley-Davidson?s/Kerstings Cycle/Saddlemen rider Kevin Atherton, who took the lead on lap two and then cruised to an easy victory?his first of the season.
?What a thrilling way to end the season,? said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. ?Even though Atherton took the lead early, we saw a classic mile battle for second place among some of the top racers in this series. Rich did what he does best and put the Screamin? Eagle team on the podium one more time this season.?
Quality Checked Pre-Owned Ford/Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr finished third on the Du Quoin Mile. Carr wrapped up a season by claiming his sixth Grand National title on Friday night, when he qualified for the indoor short-track race at Du Quoin. He finished the season with 298 points?38 points clear of KTM USA/Jones Powersports/Mid-America Harley-Davidson rider Joe Kopp. Carr won six races during the 2004 AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship season.
King started the afternoon with a strong qualifying run, placing second in the first heat behind Atherton, who was already showing the speed that would allow him to dominate at Du Quoin.
At the start of the Grand National main, Kopp led the first lap before Atherton passed for the lead. Atherton went on to build a cushion that, at one point, extended to more than half a straight-away. Meanwhile, King was dicing in a pack that included Kopp and his KTM USA/Jones Powersports/Mid-America Harley-Davidson teammate Kenny Coolbeth, Carr, Coziahr Harley-Davidson/National Cycle rider Johnny Murphree, and Bartels? Harley-Davidson/Corbin rider Jay Springsteen. The riders in the pack gained and lost positions on each lap. King ran as high as second position and dropped back as far as eighth before settling into second on lap 18. King dropped back to third when he was passed by Murphree on lap 22, and then to fourth when Carr got by on lap 23. But the Screamin? Eagle rider pushed his Harley-Davidson XR750 past Carr on lap 24, and played the draft perfectly to come across the finish line second. Murphree was shuffled back to fifth place behind Carr and Springsteen on the last lap.
Second place on the Du Quoin mile earned King 19 points and moved him up to twelfth in final season points. King?s other two podium results included a win in the spring race at the Springfield Mile in Springfield, Ill., and a third at Farley Speedway in Farley, Iowa.
The Screamin’ Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.
THE TBEAR T-SHIRT REPORT–Keeping with TBearWear’s policy of helping out kids,I made up some custom t-shirts for the kids at John F. Kennedy High School in Bloomington, Minnesota, that made the Bikernet and TBearWear steel signs, as a thank you and to let them know that people appreciate their hard work.
It’s gratifying to know, in this day and age, that there are teachers out there who can still inspire kids to learn.My heart felt thanks to Kevin Baas and his shop class kids for taking an interest in learning and trying to be the best they can be.
–TBear
BIKERNET FARMING ADVICE–An old farmer owned a large farm with a nice pond in the back forty. It was fixed up nice: picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees.
One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn’t been there for a while, and look it over. He grabbed a five gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.
As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.
He made some noise so the women would be aware of his presence, and they all went to the deep end of the pond.
One of the women shouted to him, “We’re not coming out until you leave!”
The old man frowned, “I didn’t come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked.”
Holding the bucket up he said, I’m here to feed the alligator.”
–from RFR
Continued On Page 4
