Hey,

Today will be nuts. It’s as if I turned off the world for 12 days while sailing around the Caribbean on a fast Catamaran. I came home to 6000 e-mails and a crashing computer. It didn’t like the overload.

I spent 10 days on this slippery Catamaran peeling along a half-dozen Caribbean islands. At one point we were doing 14.7 knots with just 20 knots of wind as the power source. That’s screaming. The average sailboat putts along at 5 knots.

So, I may need to pull the plug on this I-mac and haul it to the doctor tomorrow, but with the help of Ben, we will have a stellar news, with much more to come next week. We never say die, just keep pushing. There’s a ton of content headed your way, but I’ll touch on the content at the end.

We all live to piss-and-moan about the government and the economy, but in the end we’re Americans, and Americans can do anything. I just stumbled onto the latest Newsweek, with a Superman semblance on the cover and the single coverblurb, “America is Winning and Why.” I don’t like that it’s-us-against-them mentality, and I don’t believe the author was after a competitive mantra. Inside the magazine there’s a terrific article by Daniel Gross, and excerpt from his new book, due out in May from Free Press, “Better, Stronger, Faster,” the myth of American decline…

Here are a couple of clips and he gives the majority of the credit to the “resilient and nimble private sector.” GM and Chrysler each spent less than 40 days in BK courts. Ford’s stock fell to 1.59 in February of 2009 and is back to $18 a share. Some 62 million foreign tourists visited the states in 2011, a record. Folks are learning to cut costs and save more. In 2011 GM sold 620,000 vehicles in China and 555,000 in the U.S. Exports are up to 2.1 Trillion, an increase of 34 percent over 2009. I could go on and on. Either pick up Newsweek or Daniel’s book. It will give you a red, white, and blue shot in the arm. Let’s hit the news

This article would make most any American feel better about the future again.

THE LAST OF THE NEW NINO 925 STAINLESS LINE–It’s simple, a
Large Stainless Motorcycle Chain Link Bracelet.

Check www.NINO925.com

BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON–fulcrum FOOL-kruhm, noun:

1. The support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns.
2. Any prop or support.
3. Zoology. Any of various structures in an animal serving as a hinge or support.

verb:
1. To fit with a fulcrum; put a fulcrum on.

An equal partnership is like a see-saw that sits on a fulcrum. There is a balance of power when one partner gives in and then the other does likewise.
— Shirley Gunstream Poland, Hearing the Silent Cries

A storm of plans, each one trying to make me into a fulcrum.
— Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice

I wish I could fix my fuckin’ computer with a fulcrum.–Bandit, Bikernet Thursday News

Fulcrum originally referred to a bed post from the Latin word fulcire meaning “to prop up.”

LACONIA – June 9-17 ACTION GROWING– Progressive’s Laconia Motorcycle Week, “America’s Original Riding Rally,” is thriving in its 89th year, and adding great new events to its traditional lineup for riders to enjoy during this classic motorcycling celebration June 9-17.

Riders won’t want to miss kicking off the week with the 6th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride, Saturday, June 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Naswa Resort. Ride around the lake with tons of exciting activities at the Naswa. See www.naswa.com for details.

The Lobster Pound will host the Laconia Roadhouse Fight Against Autism on Monday June 11th. At 6 p.m. this Autism Speaks event will feature the band Last Picked Kid and at 9 p.m. The Flutie Brothers Band will take the stage, featuring former New England Patriots football star Doug Flutie.

An exciting new event this year is the East Coast Tattour, which brings more than 100 tattoo artists, including some celebrities who have appeared on national television, to the Conference Center at Lake Opechee Inn June 13-16. Vendors, performers, live music and piercing professionals will be on hand to entertain and adorn riders. Those appearing include Amy Nicoletto of LA Ink, pin-up model Laura Lynn and her vintage stage show, and “showdevils” The Enigma and Serena Rose.

The winner of the 2011 Laconia biker build-off, Deadwood Choppers, will return this year to defend their title against five other shops competing for a cash prize. Visit the Lobster Pound J&D tent all week from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to see all the action and pick out your favorite of this year’s machines. Sponsored by Spiced Jack 94 Rum and the Lobster Pound at the Laconia Roadhouse, the competition wraps up with a People’s Choice contest Saturday the 18th at 4:00 p.m.

Take some time for while in NH to pay a visit at the American Police Motorcycle Museum in Meredith, NH. It’s just few miles north of Weirs Beach and a few blocks south of the Meredith Harley-Davidson dealer. Visit them on Facebook before you arrive to learn more.

All the action wraps up on Sunday, June 17th with the Paradise Beach Club Final Party, which ends at 6:00 p.m.

For a complete schedule of the week’s events, visit http://www.laconiamcweek.com/Schedule/. For complete lodging and camping options, visit http://www.laconiamcweek.com/Lodging-and-Camping/. While you’re visiting the Official Progressive’s Laconia Motorcycle Week website, be sure to sign-up for the free e-newsletter to learn about new information and special deals!

To contact The Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, email info@laconiamweek.com, or call (603) 366-2000.

–Ken Conte

TSA TAKING OUR LIBERTIES AWAY RAPIDLY–
Dear Teri,

Sometimes our liberty slips away silently, and it is almost hard to notice what went wrong and where. The one fortunate thing about the TSA is that they certainly don’t fit that definition.

The American people shouldn’t be subjected to harassment, groping, and other public humiliation simply to board an airplane. As you may have heard, I have some personal experience with this, and I’ve vowed to lead the charge to fight back.

Please read the email below from my friend Matt Hawes at Campaign for Liberty. Campaign for Liberty is leading the fight to pressure Congress to act now and restore our liberty. It’s time to END the TSA and get the government’s hands back to only stealing our wallets instead of groping toddlers and grandmothers.

I hope you will join Campaign for Liberty in this fight.

In Liberty,

Senator Rand Paul

Dear Teri,

The government literally has its hands in our pants.

Everyone knows they’ve done it for years – reaching in and grabbing our wallets while forcing huge tax bills and piles of debt on us.

But now they’ve gone too far.

Every inch of our person has become fair game for government thugs posing as “security” as we travel around the country.

The TSA simply must be stopped.

It is out of control, and it gets worse every day.

And it’s not even useful in protecting our nation from terrorism.

The TSA tells us that being harassed at the airport “makes us safer,” but, time and again, only quick-thinking actions by passengers have stopped dangerous situations on airplanes – from people the TSA let right through security.

One Israeli security expert, who certainly knows a thing or two about how to guard against constant threats, referred to the full-body scanners as “useless.”

And just recently, an activist exposed a critical flaw in the TSA’s body scanners when he repeatedly got through them just by putting a metal object in a pocket he had sewn on the side of his shirt. Because the scanner uses a dark background, the item blended right in.

These are the kind of results you get when you leave security up to bureaucrats.

Senator Rand Paul has a plan to do away with the TSA for good, but he needs our help.

Will you fill out your petition urging your representative to support – and your senators to co-sponsor – Senator Paul’s END THE TSA bill?

Senator Paul got a lot of attention recently for his own encounter with the TSA, where he was detained, harassed, and missed his flight before ultimately being “allowed” to continue his journey. If that is what happens to a U.S. senator at an airport, imagine what is happening to people across the country.

Actually, you don’t have to imagine.

*** The so-called “Patriot” Act allows for warrantless searches and wiretaps, government snooping through your bank records, and the issuing of blatantly unconstitutional National Security Letters (NSLs);

*** The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act codifies into law the idea that the government could indefinitely detain a U.S. citizen without trial;

*** The National Counterterrorism Center is now authorized to store your personal information – even with no suspicion of terrorist activity – for up to 5 years.
Our rights aren’t simply eroding.

They are being taken out to sea in the wake of a tsunami from our government.

Now, the TSA is working on assaulting Americans outside of the airport, too.

With its “VIPR” program, the TSA is expanding to train stations, bus terminals, and even checking vehicles on public roads.

Soon, we won’t be safe from their grabbing hands anywhere.

And as the TSA keeps harassing more customers out of the airports, an already hurting airline industry will continue to struggle – ultimately costing jobs, further driving up the costs of travel, and creating calls from politicians for yet another government bailout to “save” an industry their TSA is helping to destroy.

So will you join Senator Rand Paul and Campaign for Liberty in fighting back?

As always, thank you for all you do for the cause of Liberty.

In Liberty,
Matt Hawes
Vice President

MOTORCYCLE WARNING SIGNS INSTALLED– in more than 30 Cities for Motorcycle Safety In an effort to help standardize warning signs for motorcycle safety and help reduce the number of motorcycle crashes at intersections involving other vehicles, Allstate Insurance Company has announced plans to permanently install motorcycle warning signs in more than 30 U.S. cities this year. Currently, there is no standard sign for motorcycle awareness.

The yellow, diamond shaped warning sign was created following two years of development, which included 140 temporary installations in various U.S. cities between 2010 and 2011. The signs were designed to establish a standardized warning device that can be used by any local or state agency and would be recognizable to riders and motorists across the country. Simply reading, “Watch for Motorcycles,” the sign was developed by Allstate as part of its “Once is Never Enough” (ONE) program – an awareness campaign that encourages people to look twice for motorcycles at intersections.

“Allstate set out to create a standardized warning sign to help increase motorcycle safety at dangerous intersections,” said Keith Rutman, vice president of Allstate’s consumer household unit. “As more and more of the ‘Watch for Motorcycles’ signs are installed across the country, we hope that riders and motorists will familiarize themselves with the message and remember to always look twice at intersections, because once is never enough.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 46 percent of all multi-vehicle crashes occur at intersections, oftentimes as a result of a vehicle turning left, impeding the motorcyclist’s right-of-way.

“Every day in the U.S., an average of three motorcyclists are killed at intersections in crashes that involve other vehicles, and that’s unacceptable,” Rutman said.

Through its ONE program, Allstate works with local traffic authorities to identify dangerous intersections for riders and then donates and installs warning signs at the determined locations to increase awareness of motorcycles.

Allstate is also encouraging people throughout the month of May to take the ONE Pledge – committing to look twice for motorcycles at intersections – and share with at least ONE other person to spread the message. For every pledge shared, Allstate will donate ONE dollar toward the creation and installation of more “Watch for Motorcycles” signs at dangerous intersections across the country.

To take the ONE Pledge and help make the roads a safer place to ride, visit www.facebook.com/AllstateMotorcycle

–from Rogue

BIKERNET READER COMMENT–Movie Mystery Bike Solved, the Mickey Rourke Black Death.

Nice article – but, it was Marlbro who said, “He’s gonna take my girl, I’m gonna take his bike.”
Small point – sorry.

–Elliot

Thanks for the correction. We will beat another hapless contributor half to death behind Bandit’s Cantina.

RE: BIKERNET SECURITY ALERT, YOUR VIN NUMBER–Correction

Using the VIN number to cut a key won’t work with most late-model vehicles, because each key has a chip embedded in it that must be electronically paired to the vehicle’s system for it to operate. And vehicles with keyless ignition systems use a fob with a proximity sensor that must also be paired to the vehicle’s brain before it is operational. Late model Harleys use a key/fob combination that works in a similar fashion.

–Bruce Snyder

Okay, who fucked up and printed that one?–Renegade

ANOTHER BIKERNET READER COMMENT–Mudflap girl biker builds:

That bike looks sick! Really great work! I actually stumbled onto this article because I was trying to find an instance where someone had used the Bobcat on an FXR. I really like the pipe but I can’t find the specs on it on their site, so I was wondering if you could answer a few questions of mine.

What size are the headers?

Is it possible to keep the mid mounts on it? I know you said you struggled, and then went to froward controls, but did you make progress on making them work?

–Robert

We put Robert in touch with Dennis at Bubs for all the specs.–Wrench

MICHAEL LICHTER AND BANDIT RIDE TO THE SMOKE OUT–Mike recently wrote Commander Edge the Smoke Out producer, regarding our ride from Maggy Valley, to tour the Wheels Through Time Museum, to the Smoke Out:

It sounds like you booked us into the Greenleaf. I believe I stayed there in the past. How many miles is this from the event? I guess I will have use of the bike again to go back and forth? Where do we leave the bike at the end? Do we have our own rooms or am I forced to share a room with that bastard Bandit?

Most importantly, can you confirm there is a sissy bar on the back of the bike I will be using for when I sit backwards (or a tourpack) to hold me on the bike? I’m done with falling out on the highway at high speeds!

— Mike

Email mike@lichterphoto.com
Website www.lichterphoto.com

RUN TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ROLLING THUNDER —My group is taking a northern route, I-90 from my house in Wisconsin to I-80 from Chicago, to I-76 to I-79 to I-68 to I-70 and into DC. We will be staying in a Motel 6 in Camp Springs Maryland, not a classy place, butfriendly to bikers. Personal protection is a good option there.

We will be leaving Wisconsin on the 14th and getting into DC on the 15th.The route is mostly toll roads and all riders will have I-passes to avoid the inevitable delay of stopping a group of bikes for individual tolls. He can pick up an I-pass at the first Oasis in Illinois. All tolls after that will be 1/2 price in Illinois and Ohio. Not sure about 1/2 price in Indiana and Pennsylvania, but it does work there.

Anyone interested in that route is welcome to ride with us if they are willing to get an I-pass, or its equivalent.

–Dave Dwyer
Legislative Director
ABATE of Wisconsin
SSMRO Rep
MRF BOD

BIKER CLOCKED GOING 170 MPH–  Authorities say a 25year-old man has been arrested after troopers clocked him driving his motorcycle at 170 mph on the Thruway. Police say a trooper first observed the motorcyclist going 166 mph Wednesday afternoon.

The trooper pursued the biker and was able to get the Suzuki motorcycle’s license plate number and a description of the rider. Other troopers clocked him going as fast as 170 mph before he was stopped.

Police charged Nikkolaus McCarthy of Charlton with fleeing police, reckless driving, speeding and operating a motorcycle without a license. He was being held in jail on $20,000 bail. It couldn’t immediately be determined if he had a lawyer.

–from Rogue

5-BALL RACING DISPLAYS AT THE CHOWDER BARGE–just waanted to say hey! How’s that new masterpiece comin’?

–Tobey

ROADBLOCKS FOR REVENUE GO TOO FAR, SAYS KENTUCKY SUPREME COURT–by J.D. Tuccille

Some cash-strapped towns are mere layabouts when it comes to raising revenue. They wait for people to actually generate some sort of wealth before raking off a take. But not Liberty, Kentucky. Officials there required anybody living or working in town to buy stickers and stick them on their cars. And when some teachers at local schools failed to fork over the required ten bucks, Liberty cops scooped ’em up at roadblocks. At least, they did before the Kentucky Supreme Court put an end to the lucrative fun.

As theNewspaper.com reports http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/37/3780.asp

When teachers at a local school failed to pay for a sticker, town leaders had police set up a roadblock to issue them citations. Cars with a sticker were allowed to pass through the checkpoint, while drivers of stickerless vehicles were interrogated about where they lived and where they worked. Joseph A. Singleton was stopped at this checkpoint and when police searched his car they found a small amount of marijuana. Singleton moved to suppress the evidence on the grounds that police had seized him without probable cause or articulable suspicion, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Singleton intitially won his case, only to see his victory overturned on appeal. In reviewing the case http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2012/ky-sticker.pdf (PDF), the Kentucky Supreme Court pointed out that, while the courts have signed off on an awful lot of uses of law-enforcement roadblocks, “a checkpoint set up to stop vehicles without individualized indicia of suspicion on the random chance of catching a law breaker is too great a breach in the wall of protection provided by the Fourth Amendment.” And, as laws go, the court continued, enforcing a tax stamp with no relation to public safety is a pretty pissant reason to pull people over. Well, writing for the unanimous court, Justice Daniel J. Venters actually said it in polite legal-ese:

Indeed, a city ordinance would appear to be of lesser stature than a “crime” as used in Edmond, and thus rather than distinguishing Edmond, the better assessment would appear to be that Edmond would apply with even more force against a roadblock set up solely to detect violations of a city ordinance.

Venters also pointed out, if city officials really wanted to squeeze ten dollars from the non-compliant teachers, “police officers could have simply walked through the school parking lot and cited cars without a sticker.”

I’ve written about roadblocks //reason.com/blog/2012/04/25/south-dakota-court-sets-up-a-roadblock-t before //reason.com/blog/2012/04/05/federal-court-gives-another-thumbs-up-to . Usually, the authorities behind them claim some sort of overblown public safety rationale for stopping and interrogating people with little or no cause along the public roads. It’s peculiarly refreshing, in an odd way, to see government officials drop the crime-fighting schtick and engage in overt highway robbery.

And better yet that they were then slapped down.

–from Rogue

BIKERNET READER COMMENT–ARIZONA BIKE WEEK 2012 COVERAGE

http://www.bikernetbaggers.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=10407

Most excellent article. Well written, broad coverage, informative.

— Sam Burns
Email: rotorkat@yahoo.com
San Marcos, TX

Says Australian police
study

A police report on the clubs using a decade worth of crime data, obtained by the Herald newspaper, shows in NSW ”club members have contributed to 0.37 per cent of offences committed”.

Police say ”club members are over-represented in certain crime categories” pointing to 1678 violence related charges. ”Of this figure 41 were connected to homicide-related matters, 879 drug-related charges were processed. Of this figure 306 were related to drug supply offences”. But based on these numbers police say ”there is no other portion of the community that has such a large rate of offending, that are consistently violent in their behaviour and so entrenched in the illicit drug market in this state”.

Barrister Wayne Baffsky, the lawyer for the United Motorcycle Council and Hells Angels, rejected this statement as ridiculous.  ”These figures don’t discriminate about minor and major offences, drug, traffic or otherwise,” he said. ”Secondly, when they charge someone associated with a club, even if they are not members, they are attributed to the clubs – that’s a
huge problem.” Mr Baffsky was with the UMC’s Saturday night convoy from
Liverpool into Kings Cross, where amid a heavy police presence 30 members
parked on Bayswater Road opposite the Trademark Hotel, run by the Kings Cross
identity John Ibrahim.

Despite the UMC’s promises of peace and goodwill there was a noticeable change in the group’s demeanour when Mr Ibrahim and an entourage including ”Tongan Sam” arrived about midnight and stood outside the hotel for an hour or so. Last month, the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, moved on the bikers, banning them running tattoo parlours along with a raft of legislative changes to the Crimes Act as a response to tit-for-tat shootings that included
an attack on a house rented by the former Nomad president Sam Ibrahim.

Zac, a Comanchero working with the UMC, said bikers are allowed to come into Kings Cross despite Mr O’Farrell announcing blanket bans on them wearing club colours and emblems in Kings Cross venues. He blamed ”the media, government, the police pumping it
out, making us look like the bad people”.

”We are just like everyone else, we got a wife and kids waiting for us. Jobs. Responsibilities. We just ride our bikes and that’s it,” he said. But police see it differently, reporting clubs are ”more likely to be involved in the commission of a crime”.

Police crunched the numbers from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2008. In NSW, 2,073,718 offences were processed, of which 7647 were linked to confirmed members of clubs in NSW.

Klock Werks Kustom Cycles Sues NASCAR Driver

(Motor Sports Newswire) – A
Mitchell-based motorcycle company is suing NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer. Klock
Werks Kustom Cycles is alleging Bowyer, 32, failed to pay $30,788.45 for the
customization of a motorcycle conducted by the company in late 2008 and early
2009.

In its complaint, dated Nov. 23, 2011, and filed May 2
with the Davison County clerk of courts, Klock Werks says Bowyer contacted the
company on or about Nov. 11, 2008, and hired it to customize a 2009
Harley-Davidson motorcycle. After the work was performed at Klock Werks’
Mitchell facility, it was delivered to Bowyer in Daytona Beach, Fla., on or
about Feb. 15, 2009, the date of the 2009 Daytona 500 NASCAR race.

Bowyer test-drove the motorcycle and requested it be delivered
back to Mitchell for further alteration, the complaint claims. After the
additional work was completed, Klock Werks redelivered the motorcycle on or
about April 17, 2009, this time to the Richard Childress Racing facility in
Lexington, N.C.

Bowyer drove for Richard Childress Racing at the time of
the alleged events, but recently signed with Michael Waltrip Racing for the
2012 season.

According to the complaint, Klock Werks is seeking
$30,788.45 for the work, plus 18 percent interest annually since the job was
completed. In addition, the company is asking Bowyer to pay its attorney’s fees
and other court-related expenses.

In Bowyer’s answer, which has not been officially filed
but was obtained Wednesday by The Daily Republic, he denies he agreed to pay
money for the bike. Instead, Bowyer says he agreed to provide Klock Werks with
“certain promotional services and special accommodations within NASCAR and
related publications.” Bowyer then claims he fulfilled that obligation,
barring Klock Werks from any further compensation.

Bowyer also claims South Dakota’s court lacks personal
jurisdiction over him. Court documents show Bowyer resides in Welcome, N.C.

Bowyer’s answer was prepared by his attorney, Steve
Sanford, of the Sioux Falls law firm Cadwell, Sanford, Deibert and Garry, and
served on April 26.

Klock Werks’ attorneys, Jack Theeler and Dustin Ludens,
of the Mitchell law firm Morgan Theeler, declined to comment on the ongoing
litigation when contacted Wednesday by The Daily Republic.

Bowyer has appeared in 227 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races
in eight years, recording five wins and 100 top-10 finishes. He was the 2008
NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.

KYMCO USA demo fleet headed to AMA

International Women
& Motorcycling Conference

The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to
announce that powersports distributor KYMCO USA will provide scooter demo rides
at the sixth AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference. The
conference will take place in Carson City, Nev., July 26-29.

“The women motorcycling market is an
important segment to KYMCO USA, and we’re looking forward to bringing our demo
fleet of scooter models to Carson City this summer,” said KYMCO USA
Director of Marketing Rick Pawelka. “We’ll have models on hand designed
for everything from around-town errands to touring. Plus, you never know, we
just may have a surprise in store.”

 

 Wire Plus’ Big Dog “HCM” Retrofit Kit

Wire Plus Powersports Electronics has a new,
state-of-the-art “HCM” Retrofit Kit for all EHC module equipped
’04-’08 Big Dog Motorcycles. This replacement module is the fix to get rid of
the EHC for good. This is the perfect fix for all Big Dog owners tired of not
being able to start their bike due to electrical problems. This replacement
module works with all of the switches used on all 2004 models through current
Big Dog Motorcycles. Each kit comes complete with Wire Plus’ proven power
module and switch control module configured to work with the ground input
switches used on the Big Dog Motorcycles.

Wire-Plus products are built to survive the rugged urban
environment. Their products feature vibration resistant, solid-state breaker
technology (the breakers never have to be replaced) and a replaceable start
relay that can be purchased at any auto parts store.

Their power modules are submersible waterproof and very
compact in size with harnesses that are engineered to be smaller than any other
on the market. The lighting control module controls the operation of the front,
rear turn signals, and provides load equalization and auto cancelling.  It also operates the rear turn signals
as brake lights and running lights with one wire hook-up. Wire Plus’ main focus
is on the reliability of everything that they manufacture.

Wire Plus has added ring terminals, butt splices and wire
to the kits to make the hook-up of the ground wires easier. They have also
added wire and butt splices for the wires that have more than one wire going to
a pin.

For those interested in obtaining more information on
Wire Plus, click on the ad below.

Samson Exhausts Raise Hell

Samson announced the addition of 14 new exhaust styles
and applications to their Legend Series (two individual pipes on one side) for
baggers, dressers, Softails and most other Harley-Davidson models. The Legend
Series has hundreds of different styles of pipes and applications to choose
from and all pipes are available in a show quality finish with Samson’s
exclusive Quad Chrome plating that provides ultimate adhesion and corrosion
protection or their Sinister Black Ceramic finish which is available upon request.
This high performance exhaust system has been designed and tuned to produce
maximum horsepower, torque and awesome sound. Every exhaust manufactured by
Samson is dyno tested before going into mass production for the ultimate in
performance. The removable heat shields are pre-installed and the system is
ready to bolt on right out of the box.

Samson exhaust systems are manufactured with a true
double wall construction to prevent bluing due to the heat that is generated in
a motorcycle exhaust. Every one of these systems is not only made to look
great, but to also perform perfectly for your bike with horsepower gains of 20+
percent reported in some instances.

Kenny Price, founder and president of Samson Exhaust is
the “engineering genius” behind all of their products and holds many
patents for high-performance exhaust systems for both the Harley-Davidson and
Metric Cruiser markets. Paving the way, Samson always has and will continue to
set the standards for the motorcycle industry…Their styles and designs are
still copied worldwide. Even though many exhaust systems look the same, nothing
compares to a Samson pipe in quality, sound or performance.  Kenny stated, “From the very
beginning we set out to build the very best motorcycle exhaust systems.  We designed every aspect of our company
to do just that…And we’ve succeeded.” Samson Exhaust offers over 725
different exhausts to choose from no matter what your riding situation.

Samson Exhaust recently introduced a new 15% off
“discounted internet program” for all Bikernet.com members in order
to help stimulate sales and to help during these hard economic times. Anyone
ordering a set of Samson pipes direct from Samson and mentions Bikernet.com
receives a 15% discount off the MSRP PLUS FREE SHIPPING!

Check out Samson Exhaust’s entire ’12 product line by hitting the ad below.

Advertise on Bikernet Websites

AMA Vintage Dirt Track National Championship Series

Sets sights on historic Peoria TT

 

Custom Cycle Control Systems Offers

Free Ground Shipping

Las Vegas, NV- Custom Cycle Control Systems, Inc.
announced today that it has reduced the price of their SAS/Simplified Air
Suspension by 15% at both the dealer and consumer levels and is now offering
FREE SHIPPING on all SAS units….MSRP is now $1,395.00. Butch Yaple, president
of Custom Cycle Control Systems stated, “We have lowered the price on our
SAS system in order to stimulate sales at the dealer level during these tough
economic times. Additionally, we are offering a 30 day money back guarantee and
also a lifetime warranty on all machined parts on our newly engineered SAS
unit”, Butch concluded.

The SAS is super easy to install and comes complete with
mounting instructions. The SAS has no compressor to mount, no pressure hoses to
run, no fittings to fail…All you have to do is replace your old shocks with a
new SAS unit and wire an on/off switch directly to the battery. Stay EPA
Compliant on stock HD’s by not having to move canisters to make room for an
ugly compressor. Fits all soft tail Harley-Davidson’s as well as custom
production bikes. Its water-resistant design is perfect for those that ride in
inclement weather and they are manufactured right here in the USA.

Raise and lower your rear end at the touch of a
button.  Add air pressure to
improve ride quality during changing road conditions or while hauling added
weight.  Also improving the ride
quality is a “pre-set factory” dampening valve. At approximately 150
psi, the bike will be fully raised and the suspension will be resting on its
piston bumpers at *maximum ride height*. After that your height will not
change, but you can continue to increase air pressure for improved riding
during cornering or with a passenger.

For those interested in obtaining more information on
Custom Cycle Control Systems new SAS system, hit the ad below.

Bikernet Classified Deals Of The Week

2001 Road King!  Vance & Hines dual exhaust with Rush mufflers,  16″ Ape Hangers,  Luggage rack, needs nothing for that long trip!  A GREAT bike for $9800! 

2003 Boom USA Trike!  VW powered with a 4 peed tranny with reverse, 10k on the clock for $20,000! 

[page break]

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE DEALERS RANKED HIGHEST BY 2012 PIED PIPER PROSPECT SATISFACTION INDEX–  We would like to pass along results released today from a national benchmarking study to measure how effectively dealerships for each brand help motorcycle shoppers become motorcycle buyers.

Industry benchmarking study shows widespread improvement in dealership treatment of motorcycle shoppers

Monterey, California, USA – May 7, 2012 – Harley-Davidson dealerships returned to the top ranking in the newly released 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Benchmarking Study, which measured dealership treatment of motorcycle shoppers. Study rankings by brand were determined by the patent-pending Pied Piper PSI process, which ties “mystery shopping” measurement and scoring to industry sales success.

BMW and Ducati finished in a tie for second, followed by Triumph and the Victory and Indian brands from Polaris Industries, in a three-way tie for fourth. Industry-wide performance improved substantially from 2011 to 2012, with only three of sixteen motorcycle brands failing to achieve higher scores.

Harley-Davidson dealerships led all brands in sixteen different sales activities such as offering test rides, obtaining contact information and asking for the sale. Brand performance varied considerably from brand to brand, with twelve different brands leading at least one sales process category. For example, Ducati, Husqvarna and Triumph dealerships were twice as likely to offer a brochure to shoppers than dealerships selling Suzuki, Honda or Kawasaki. Similarly, Harley-Davidson, BMW and Ducati dealerships were twice as likely to ask for contact information than dealerships selling Husqvarna, MV Augusta or Moto Guzzi.

Industry improvement was widespread throughout the sales process, with over 80% of the individual sales process factors improving on average. Compared to the previous year’s results, the 2012 study showed that motorcycle salespeople were 14% more likely to provide compelling reasons to buy from their dealership, 13% more likely to ask for the sale and 11% more likely to provide compelling reasons to buy now.

“Today’s motorcycle salespeople have become much more effective at helping shoppers become buyers,” said Fran O’Hagan, President and CEO of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC. “For example, five years ago, a motorcycle salesperson would introduce him or herself to a prospect only six times out of ten. Today it is nine times out of ten.” Despite the progress, the study results also show that there is plenty of room for further improvement. Today motorcycle salespeople ask for contact information only 43% of the time, offer test rides only 16% of the time, and attempt to write-up the transaction only 29% of the time.

for more information about the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, and the patent-pending PSI process, go to https://www.piedpiperpsi.com/press/

Posted By Chris Nation
–from Rogue

 

 

THE BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OUTLAW VOCABULARY CLASS–A great word to explain what we have now……

Thought you may want to add this to your vocabulary.

A New Word

I could not find it in my old Webster’s. Googled it and discovered it is a recently “coined” new word found on a T-shirt on eBay. Getting really close to the bone! Read this one over slowly and absorb the facts that totally are within this sentence!

Finally, a word to describe our current situation.

Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

–from Bob Clark

LEARN HOW TO FIGHT BACK, LEGISLATIVE SEMINARS–BEST of the West Hotel Reservation Deadline Approaching–Tuesday, May 15, 2012, is the deadline for getting a reduced room rate of $65.00 per night for BEST of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Making reservations after May 15th will reflect the hotel’s normal room rates.

The hotel hosting the event is The Plaza Las Vegas, One Main Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Call 1-800-634-6575 for room reservations.

Also, keep in mind that Tuesday, May 15, 2012, is also the deadline for registering for the conference at a reduced rate as well. Seminar Cost: (on or before May 15, 2011): MRF members $60, Non-MRF members $70; (after May 15, 2011): MRF members $70, Non-MRF members $80.

Registrations are accepted through the MRF website at www.mrf.org. Visa, MasterCard, AmEx and Discover accepted. Questions? Call the MRF at 202-546-0983.

In Other News…

The MRF’s Washington DC office has moved to an updated space in the current building. The office is now located in room #204. We now have more space and the rent is much lower. It was an opportunity that presented itself and could not be passed up. The MRF is saving thousands of dollars in rent. The MRF wants to thank Tiffany for being there and packing up the office and preparing for the move.

Along with the move we were offered moving costs which helped save the organization even more money. This helped with the cost of using movers, phone transfer, and boxes for packing, new cabinet that bit the dust, and counter cost on brochures for the organization.

THE BIKERNET SAFETY DEPARTMENT–   For those who do not know what a Bucket Seat is…

Now you know!
It is the ninth seat on a motorcycle!

–from Rogue

WESTMINSTER HARLEY-DAVIDSON TRIKE DEAL OF THE WEEK–

http://www.bikernettrikes.com/pages/HarleyDavidson_of_Westminster.aspx

BIKERNET PODCAST: WE GOT YOUR SPRINGER, RIGHT HERE–

Andy Miller of 3 Guyz http://www.facebook.com/3guyz talks about their custom Springer front end and their participation in the 2012 15th Anniversary Giveaway Chopper

http://bikernetstudio.com/2012/05/03/podcast-interview-with-andy-miller-of-3guyz/

THE BRITISH BONNEVILLE INVASION–Two of our bikes are “nearly finished” but I don’t think they ever are! & have been dyno-tested, & the other four are in advanced stages. They’re being delivered to the shipping agent on 23rd of June where they’ll be put in a container and sea-freighted to Long Beach.

We’re flying out early August to collect them (once we’ve hired some trucks). We had some good news, the BBC are doing a documentary on us, it’ll be two 1-hour programs, so we’ve all been followed about by film crews. They’ll be coming to Bonneville with us.

They filmed my dyno runs on my ’42 Indian, which was nerve-racking as it’s the first time the bike has been run “in anger”. Here’s a you-tube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyYew6wcHQE

I would imagine the BBC films will also be shown on the Discovery Channel, they usually are. Screening here in the UK will probably be this November.

–Chris Ireland
Editor

editor@britchopper.co.uk
www.britchopper.co.uk

 BIKERNET TECH WRITER’S ANSWER REGARDING HIGHER GEARING FOR THE OPEN ROAD–  Lloyd, the answer is yes, you can achieve the same results by going to a smaller rear pulley. However, you will need to replace the drive belt with a shorter one.

The front pulley swap allows you to reuse the original belt. Also, you are correct, this would be a good time to replace the belt if needed and go to the automatic primary chain tensioner, if so desired.

I looked into the rear pulley swap, but the cost is way more. If you add up the rear pulley, new shorter belt and auto chain tensioner, your looking at right around $500 to $600 depending on where you purchase your items. P.S. the OEM belt should go for 100,000 miles if kept clean and no damage occurs.

— Tail Gunner out!

UPDATE ON GEORGE CHRISTIE CASE–State and federal authorities have been trying to ruin George Christie, the founding President of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Ventura charter, with minimal success for more than 30 years. Christie is “very difficult to investigate,” a “law enforcement analyst” told the Los Angeles Times two decades ago. “He’s so clean. He keeps himself removed. He’s not supposed to be doing the dirty business.”

So there has been a decades long, difficult investigation of Christie and it began when he decided to join a motorcycle club. “Being a Hells Angel means that people listen to you when you talk, and they move out of your way when you walk down the street,” he said in 1983. Then he added “There’s a lot of power and you want to make sure that guys that get into the club aren’t going to abuse it.”

Police also found something to complain about when the Ventura charter held a Saint Patrick’s Day Party for attendees of the HAMC World Run in 1998 to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary. All the old accusations against Christie made the local papers. Ventura Police Chief Richard Thomas eliminated most parking spaces in downtown Ventura and threatened to tow any bike that was parked there. Downtown Ventura merchants complained. “Merchants are looking forward to them coming downtown,” a sewing shop owner said. “They like to show off their bikes and that will draw people downtown. They act like the Ku Klux Klan is coming to our city.”

This brouhaha caused a division in Ventura with the Angels, the city merchants, and most of Ventura’s residents on one side and the Ventura Police and professional biker experts on the other. “This must be Chief Thomas’ idea of a constitutional welcome,” Christie said then. “I think there are people in town who feel they want to send a message to us.” The World Run and the party proceeded without a single murder or rape. Many of the Hells Angels gathered for a group photo on the steps of the Ventura City Hall and police seethed again.

Selling Drugs To Kids

Two months later police raided Christie’s home and arrested him when they found half a gram of cocaine in his nightstand. That investigation eventually led to 59 separate charges against Christie when he, his 25-year-old son George Christie III, his estranged wife Cheryl, his daughter Moriya Christie, her husband Layne Bell and other Hells Angels were indicted for various federal offenses. Christie was accused of selling massive quantities of prescription drugs to high school students. The indictment charged that a local airman named Joshua Adams had stolen 297,000 Vicodin tablets and 466,000 Valium tablets and sold them to a friend of Christie’s son named Rogelio Botello who then sold them to Christie and his family members. A snitch told the grand jury that Christie was in charge of the sales.

In his hatchet job on the Hells Angels, titled Angels of Death, biker authority, “investigative journalist” and ATF propagandist Julien Sher accused Christie and the Ventura Angels of selling prescription pills to high school students. The book describes Christie “laughing and joking with several other bikers about one member’s Vicodin addiction.” Sher also states that “Vicodin was getting into the schools via…the Hells Angels and their youthful followers.” In a series of interviews with The Aging Rebel in 2011, Sher also asserted that he got along well with Christie and had been welcomed into Christie’s home.

Christie spent almost a year in jail until he eventually pled guilty to conspiracy to sell prescription drugs and no contest to a charge of filing a false tax return. The other 57 charges were dismissed and Christie was released from custody.

The Tattoo Godfather

But, the difficult investigation never stopped. Last July 29 Christie and four other men were indicted for conspiring to take over the tattoo business in Ventura by firebombing Christie’s competitors. Christie’s co-defendants were Kyle Douglas Gilbertson, Benito Hurtado, Brian Andrew Russell and Richard Reeves Russell, III. Two unindicted co-conspirators named James David Ivans, Jr. and Jared Ostrum “Crash” Plomell are cooperating with prosecutors. A superseding indictment embellished and polished the initial charges last December 20.

Christie owns a tattoo parlor in Ventura called The Ink House. The competitors, who were actually firebombed in July 2007, were two shops named Scratch the Surface and Twisted Ink. Christie is also accused, but not charged, with having co-conspirators firebomb a Ventura tattoo shop called Slingers on October 13, 2000. Although the statute of limitations has expired on the alleged Slingers’ arson, evidence pertaining to that unsolved case may be used against Christie as “evidence of other criminal conduct” during his trial and at his sentencing.

Christie is also accused of taxing other tattoo shops in Ventura County. One of the cooperating co-conspirators alleges that Christie would send Hells Angels prospects out to collect the taxes from competing shops and then put the money in the Ink House cash register.

Games Prosecutors Play

On March 13, Benito Hurtado pled guilty to misprision of a felony for being part of the alleged conspiracy and then giving “evasive answers” to an FBI Agent. He will probably be sentenced to probation on July 23, 2012. The plea agreement was negotiated by Federal Defender Angel Navarro who previously represented former Mongols President Ruben “Doc’ Cavazos. Hurtado will now be a convicted felon, but he will not go to prison and taking the plea was probably a smart move.

The problem all accused have in the Federal Central District of California is that justice here is a cruel game – like playing Monopoly for blood. There is no uniformity in the “local rules of procedure” between federal districts. So, in some districts defense lawyers are given timely access to all of the evidence prosecutors hold against their clients. But, in the Central District of California prosecutors don’t have to reveal the factual basis for charges against an accused man until ten days before trial. In some cases evidence is not disclosed until the day before a trial begins.

This particular “rule of procedure” allows federal prosecutors in Los Angeles to lie, bluff and mislead the victims of their prosecutions. In biker cases in this District, defendants are usually left to guess about who is cooperating and who is not and what the Department of Justice actually knows, what it is guessing and what it is lying about. The current rules in the Los Angeles District actually encourage prosecutors to withhold evidence of the actual innocence of the people they prosecute.

In March Christie’s lawyer, W. Michael Mayock, tried to convince the presiding judge in the case, Jacqueline H. Nguyen, to force prosecutors to disclose, or “discover,” some of the evidence against Christie including evidence of Christie’s actual innocence and evidence that would impeach the credibility of the snitches. Mayock also moved to eliminate hearsay statements from the prosecution’s case and he entered a standard motion for dismissal of all the charges against his client.

On April 9 Judge Nguyen replied:

“The request for a “James” hearing is denied. All three Motions are denied; the Court finds the government in compliance with its discovery obligations. Motion to Preclude Admissions (the hearsay) is conditionally denied, subject to the proper foundation being laid during trial. The Court encourages the parties to continue to work together on discovery production and issues.”

So the difficult investigation to find a way to lock up George Christie and really hurt him bad this time, not gentle like before, continues. The trial in this case has already been postponed twice. It had been scheduled to begin January 31 but was then continued until May 1. It is now scheduled to begin December 3, 2012.

–from the aging Rebel

THOROUGHBRED MOTORSPORTS, Inc., sister company to Motor Trike, Inc., announced today they will resume production of the Stallion trike. Deliveries will begin in October, 2012–

The Stallion is a truly original trike that was designed in the USA and is built in the USA. The Stallion was created for riders desiring more comfort and ease of operation without losing any power.

The following Thoroughbred Motorsports dealers are currently taking orders. These dealers are listed in order of availability and delivery. All customers should contact these dealers directly for sales information.

McDonald’s Corral of Stallions: Jasper, TX – 409-384-2548

R&R Trikes, Bikes, & Accessories, Jasper, GA – 706-692-2382

Cycles & Trikes of Frederick: Frederick, MD – 301-662-9447

Blackburn’s Trikes: Medina, OH – 800-424-0008

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