CRAZYHORSE PROJECT BIKE–Here’s our latest project bike. I’ve attached two shots. Theyare kinda fuzzy (digital camera indoors). The bike will be up for saleright soon.Two killer big customs I’m painting will be done in the next few weeks.
ThenI’m zooming up to my home state of Connecticut for 10 days of visiting and ridingwith friends, hitting all the old haunts and biker bars. I’ll write up areport. I want to hang with Billy Streeter for a day or so and watch themaster work his magic painting skulls. It will bekiller to see all my old bike shops and painter buddies. I’m gonna try to getin a breakfast ride to Vermont. An old friend’s dad and his buds ride toVermont every Sunday morning. The leaves will be starting to changecolor. Spectacular days, chilly nights in leathers on the bike, riding backto the warm camaraderie of old friends. Can’t wait.
–JoAnn
TOY RUN EXPOSE–The country’s largest toy run, which claims to generate participationby tens of thousands of riders who donate tons of toys each yearfor sick and under-privileged children, was recently threatened with legalaction over its name.
There is a phenomenon in the advertising world most marketing professionalscan only dream about. It occurs when a product’s name becomes so well knownand accepted by consumers that it becomes the generic reference for allsimilar and subsequent products of the same type.
A perfect example is Kleenex. Regardless of who may be the actualmanufacturer of a box of “facial tissues,” most people refer to their papersnot rags as Kleenex.
When was the last time you put on a pair of “dungarees?” Regardless ofwhether they’re made by Lee, Dickies, Wrangler, Calvin Klein or some othercompany, chances are that in the minds of most consumers, those denim britches arestill Levi’s.
But when a “brand” name is owned by an arm of the government, you hadbetter damn well get your reference straight or they’ll send in theMarines. In this case, that’s exactly what happened.
In the case of Toys For Tots, you can expect a call from the U.S. MarineCorps ordering you to cease and desist or face the consequences of a legalbattle.
After 20 years of calling its annual event Toys For Tots, the DelawareValley Chapter of ABATE of Pennsylvania was given an ultimatum by the U.S.Marine Corps office at Quantico. Referring to a 1948 copyright, the Marinesfired a legal volley at the country’s most successful toy collection effortand threatened to sue if the name wasn’t changed immediately.
Unfortunately, because of copyright law, any defense against a Marine Corpslawsuit would be a costly, losing battle.
So if your group has unwittingly violated the Marine Corps’ copyright whilehelping the less fortunate kids in your area, we suggest you choose anothername for the event to avoid a call from Quantico. In fact, if your event issuccessful enough to garner any recognition from the media, we suggest youmake a point of noting that the Marines had absolutely nothing to do withit. They don’t deserve the recognition, falsely perceived or otherwise.
KING CLIMBS ON PODIUM TWICE AT SPRINGFIELD– Rich King wrapped up a strong weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds during the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships, finishing second Sunday and third Saturday on the famed mile oval. However, with chances to win off the final turn in both races, the podium appearances were tainted with a tinge of disappointment.
“Going into that last turn, on both Saturday and Sunday, I thought we had it,” said King. “We did everything right but win.”
Chris Carr won both races on the mile oval, and claimed the series points championship. With two races remaining, King moved to second in overall points with 222 points, trailed by Joe Kopp with 213.
On Sunday, King began in row three after slight mechanical difficulties in his heat race and rode conservatively through the early laps of the final on his back-up bike. “The strategy was to conserve the tires for most of the race, and then to go for it with a chance to win on the final lap,” said King.
“I came off the final corner with a good run at it,” said King. “But I got a little sideways out of the corner, and Chris was able to nip me at the line. That was disappointing because I thought I had the win.”
On Saturday, King employed similar strategy, and came off the final turn in third, trailing Carr, who had the lead, and Jay Springsteen.
“I had a good draft and a big head of steam, but I thought Jay was going to draft on the right, and I opted to go inside Chris to the left,” said King. “Instead, Jay also went to the inside and I ran right into the back of his exhaust pipes. That caused a tense moment with a high-speed wobble, but we got it back under control.”
On the Fairground’s short track Friday, King placed a Buell Blast-powered dirt track racer on the front row of an AMA main event for the first time. In doing so, he won both his qualifying race and his heat race.
“It was running great and even though the Blast is a 500 going up against 600s, we had a great run,” said King who finished the final in 6th place
King’s next race will be Saturday, Sept. 8, in Vernon, NY. The race will be round 19 of the 20 round AMA’s Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship series.
VISITING RELATIVES RULES– My friends…… from Pakistan are camping their way around the States.They have asked me if I know where they might be able to go without spending large amounts of money.
I said I would try my friends and family for accommodations. They travel light and bring all their own camping gear,and only require a small place to set up. I have given them your names and addresses, knowingyou won’t mind. I have enclosed a picture to helpyou identify them when they show up.
Thanks in advance.
Chris Camel
EDITOR OF WOMEN RIDER ESCAPES BANDIT–Bandit, in search of his sixth wife, has harassed Genevieve Schmitt, the editor of Women Rider, for years. She finally discovered the only way for her to escape his unrelenting affections was to get hitched quick.
She has done so and moved as far away from Los Angeles as she could, to Lebanon, Ohio. As the publisher of the first successful bike magazine for women, Ehlert, based in Minnesota, has afforded her the opportunity to work from wherever she lives. Her husband has been informed too many times of Bandit’s women-stalking tendancies, consequently he understands her plight and is supporting her desire to escape the grasp of the wounded Bandit.
Fortunately for the lovely, intelligent and talented journalist, Bandit was hospitalized by a deer on the way to Sturgis while taking a side trip to see his Wyoming sweetheart. That gave Genevieve the opportunity to leave the state undetected.
TOYS FOR TOT’S COMMENTS–?? ????????I read it but I don’t believe it. After all the support Bikers gavethe jarheads all over the country for many years, you’d think the Corpswould’ve been thankful. And look how many Bikers are ex-jarheads too. Itreally pisses me off to find out the toys went overseas. This is some reallypetty shit pulled by the Corps. let’s get our own name to be used by onlybikers and to hell with the Corps, “Semper Fi” my ass…….!!!!!!! ????????
–Pat
LOS ANGELES HAMSTERS RAID SAN PEDRO WITH LOCAL RIDERS–Los Angeles Hamsters are meeting in downtown San Pedro on Sept. 6 for the bars, the restaurants, the livemusic and hot rods.
If you’re up for a ride to somewhere away from traffic and crowds in Los Angeles, every first Thursday in downtown San Pedro is cool. Just take any freeway to the 110 and south to Harbor Boulevard. Hang a right to Sixth Street and hang another right. Ya can’t miss it.
The event is scheduled to rock from 6:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. It’s a goodtime for all.
TOYS FOR TOT’S COMMENT–Maybe Abate needs to have everyone change their toy runs to something likeKrus’in for Kids or something along those lines and have every groupthroughout the country change the toy run name and fuck the jarheads.
These are the things that keep me up at night.
–Jim
THE BEST BLONDE JOKE OF THE YEAR – SO FAR–A man was in his front yard mowing grass when his?attractive blond femaleneighbor came out of the house?and went straight to the mailbox. She openedit then?slammed it shut and stormed back in the house.
A little later she came out of her house again, went to?the mail box. She opened it, slammed it shut?again and went angrily back into the house.
As the man was getting ready to edge the lawn, she came out again,marched to the mail box, opened it and?then slammed it closed harder thanever. Puzzled by?her actions, the man asked her, “Is something wrong?”
Towhich she replied, “There certainly is!
My stupid computer keeps saying, ‘YOU’VE GOT?MAIL.'”
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