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TEXAS TRIVIA FROM THE BIKERNET UNIVERSITY HISTORY DEPARTMENT– Here are some little known and interesting facts about Texas ..
1. Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles.
2. Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles.
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas .
3a. Dalhart, Texas, is closer to the capital of Wyoming than to the capital of Texas .
4. World’s first rodeo was in Pecos , July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman, the first full-time coach for Rice University in Houston.
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America .
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf coast is the winter home of North America ‘s only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9.. Jalape?o jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island .
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was ” Houston .”
12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island .
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43″ in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by Republic of Texas to enter the union) instead of by annexation. This treaty also allows Texas to divide into 5 states. (I can’t imagine why we would want to — who would give up the Alamo?)
15. A live oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities:
18.1. Washington-on- the-Brazos
18.2. Harrisburg
18.3. Galveston
18.4. Velasco
18.5. West Columbia
18.6. Austin
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S which is taller than the Capitol in Washington D! C. (by 7 feet).
20. The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word “tejas,” meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas
21.. The State animal is the Armadillo. (An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies! They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females. Well, I thought it was interesting anyway!)
22. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston .
23. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – TEXAS STYLE People here in Texas have trouble with all those “shalls” and “shall nots” in the ten Commandments. Folks here just aren’t used to talking in those terms. So, some folks out in west Texas got together and translated the “King James” into “King Ranch” language:
A cowboy’s Ten Commandments, posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas :
( 1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin’.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin’.
(5) Put nothin’ before God.
(6) No foolin’ around with another feller’s gal.
(7) No killin’.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don’t take what ain’t yers.
(10) Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff.
Now that’s kinda plain an’ simple don’t ya think? Y’all have a good Day, “THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU.”
–from CarlR
Hot Leathers Releases Official 2010 Event Schedule and Begins Prepping for Departure– MANCHESTER, CONN (January 22, 2009) – Hot Leathers is warming its engines in preparation for another high octane rally season. The leading manufacturer of motorcycle apparel has officially posted its 2010 event schedule at www.hotleathers.com and is prepping for departure. Known for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road, Hot Leathers is gearing up to showcase its quality products at a number of prominent rallies and events across the country.
One of their first pit stops will be at Daytona Bike Week, February 26-March 7. Wherever you find yourself during this infamous rally, a Hot Leathers location is sure to be nearby. Rally-goers will be able to choose from Hot Leathers locations on Main Street to a number of strategically located spots at the Daytona International Speedway and the Cabbage Patch.
Shortly thereafter, Hot Leathers will then be heading north to Weirs Beach, NH for Laconia Motorcycle Week, June 12-20. Hot Leathers is proud to be a presenting sponsor and the official Merchandiser at the 87th Annual Laconia Motorcycle Week. The renowned rally will feature nine days of motorcycle revelry and the perfect opportunity for patrons to purchase quality and price-conscious motorcycle apparel and accessories created specifically to commemorate this legendary event.
Topping their long list of rally destinations, Hot Leathers will also be featured at the 70th Annual Sturgis Bike Week, the unrivaled magnate of the rally circuit. As always, Hot Leathers will feature a number of locations in and around Sturgis during Bike Week this year including several locations at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. The epicenter of this infamous rally, the Legendary Buffalo Chip offers the true Sturgis experience. Customers will be able to purchase from a significant selection of specialty-printed Sturgis Rally merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other products for men, women, and children.
If you’re planning on making it to any of these renowned biker destinations keep an eye out for the discernable Hot Leathers logo. Serving the motorcycle community for over 25 years, Hot Leathers growing wholesale and printing facilities have earned it a place as one of America’s top 50 volume screen printers. Before mapping out your own 2010 rally agenda, visit their events page at www.hotleathers.com/events2.aspx to check out their complete 2010 event schedule.
–Sarah Wozniak
K&N Performance Intake Kit– A sister product to our 57 Series FIPK, our 63 Series AirCharger Intake Kits are guaranteed to increase horsepower and come with a Million Mile Limited Warranty. K&N intake systems replace your vehicle’s restrictive factory air filter and air intake housing. K&N intakes are designed to dramatically reduce intake restriction as they smooth and straighten air flow. This allows your vehicle’s engine to inhale a larger amount of air than the OEM air filter assembly. More air means more usable power and acceleration throughout the engine’s RPM range.
The filters on these kits are washable and reusable. Most of our intake kits are relatively easy to install using tools commonly available (see installation instructions). 63 Series Intakes are street legal in most states. They are not legal for use in California and other states adopting California emission standards. [MORE]
Klock Werks Builds 2010 Daytona Giveaway Bike– MITCHELL, S.D. – Each year, the Daytona Beach Community Foundation holds a drawing for the official Daytona Bike Week motorcycle. This year, they called on South Dakota’s Brian Klock as he headed up the Klock Werks Design Team that came up with stunning one-of-a-kind kustom bagger working with industry giants like Daytec, S&S, Baker Drivetrain and RC Components.
“Daytona has long held a tradition of bringing all forms of motorcycling to a one-week kick-off in March. We at Klock Werks are honored to be joining forces with American Iron and the Daytona Chamber of Commerce to create the first give-away “kustom bagger” for Daytona Bike Week 2010,” said Brian Klock, President of Klock Werks and leader of Klock Werks Design Team. “There is nothing that signifies the kick-off to the riding season like leaving a long South Dakota winter and heading for Daytona with a new creation. The racing, the international riders that attend…there is truly no other world event like Daytona.”
There are only 4500 tickets being sold for $50 each to enter the drawing. The drawing will occur on March 6, 2010, no matter how many tickets are sold. The bike is on the cover and featured in American Iron Magazine, March 2010, including the build from frame to finished masterpiece featured in the February and March issues. For more information about the bike raffle, check out
HALL OF FAMER DAVE MASON JOINS CHIP LINEUP– Hall of Fame guitarist and singer-songwriter Dave Mason will play at the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground on Friday, August 6, 2010 to kick off the Buffalo Chip?s Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Party.
Buffalo Chip owner Rod Woodruff said the crowd at the Buffalo Chip ?will be treated to one of rock and roll?s most influential artists. And as they?re rockin? out to ?Feelin? Alright? they will know they are in the presences of true greatness.?
Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 as a founding member of the pivotal rock group Traffic, for whom he penned classic tunes like ?Hole in My Shoe,? and ?Feelin? Alright? one of the most covered songs in rock history.
As a solo artist, Mason struck gold with albums, ?Alone Together,? ?Dave Mason,? ?Mariposa De Oro,? and ?Let it Flow.? ?Let it Flow? went platinum and contained the classic ?We Just Disagree.?
In 1993, Mason joined another legendary group, Fleetwood Mac? and spent two years traveling the world with the band. He is the lead singer on ?Blow by Blow? and ?I Wonder Why.?
As a session player, Mason appeared on some of rock?s most important work, including Jimi Hendrix?s ?All Along The Watchtower? and ?Crosstown Traffic? from Hendrix?s ?Electric Ladyland? album. He also played on the Rolling Stones? ?Street Fightinig Man from ?Beggars Banquet.?
Mason later toured with Blind Faith as the guitar player for Delaney & Bonnie. The group was so good that Eric Clapton left Blind Faith to join Delaney & Bonnie and recorded the landmark album ?Delaney & Bonnie and Friends: On tour with Eric Clapton.?
?I can?t think of a better artist to set the tone for what we know will be an historic party at the Buffalo Chip,? Woodruff said. ?Prepare to rock.?
Mason joins ZZ Top and Disturbed for the Buffalo Chip?s 2010 party. Reservations and information are available at www.BuffaloChip.com
UN climate change expert: there could be more errors in report– The Indian head of the UN climate change panel defended his position yesterday even as further errors were identified in the panel’s assessment of Himalayan glaciers.
Dr Rajendra Pachauri dismissed calls for him to resign over the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change?s retraction of a prediction that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035.
But he admitted that there may have been other errors in the same section of the report, and said that he was considering whether to take action against those responsible.
?I know a lot of climate skeptics are after my blood, but I?m in no mood to oblige them,? he told The Times in an interview. ?It was a collective failure by a number of people,? he said. ?I need to consider what action to take, but that will take several weeks. It?s best to think with a cool head, rather than shoot from the hip.?
The IPCC?s 2007 report, which won it the Nobel Peace Prize, said that the probability of Himalayan glaciers ?disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high?.
But it emerged last week that the forecast was based not on a consensus among climate change experts, but on a media interview with a single Indian glaciologist in 1999.
The IPCC admitted on Thursday that the prediction was ?poorly substantiated? in the latest of a series of blows to the panel?s credibility.
Dr Pachauri said that the IPCC?s report was the responsibility of the panel?s Co-Chairs at the time, both of whom have since moved on.
They were Dr Martin Parry, a British scientist now at Imperial College London, and Dr Osvaldo Canziani , an Argentine meteorologist. Neither was immediately available for comment.
?I don?t want to blame them, but typically the working group reports are managed by the Co-Chairs,? Dr Pachauri said. ?Of course the Chair is there to facilitate things, but we have substantial amounts of delegation.?
He declined to blame the 25 authors and editors of the erroneous part of the report , who included a Filipino, a Mongolian, a Malaysian, an Indonesian, an Iranian, an Australian and two Vietnamese.
The ?co-ordinating lead authors? were Rex Victor Cruz of the Philippines, Hideo Harasawa of Japan, Murari Lal of India and Wu Shaohong of China.
But Syed Hasnain, the Indian glaciologist erroneously quoted as making the 2035 prediction, said that responsibility had to lie with them. ?It is the lead authors ? blame goes to them,? he told The Times. ?There are many mistakes in it. It is a very poorly made report.?
He and other leading glaciologists pointed out at least five glaring errors in the relevant section.
It says the total area of Himalyan glaciers ?will likely shrink from the present 500,000 to 100,000 square kilometers by the year 2035?. There are only 33,000 square kilometers of glaciers in the Himalayas.
A table below says that between 1845 and 1965, the Pindari Glacier shrank by 2,840m ? a rate of 135.2m a year. The actual rate is only 23.5m a year.
The section says Himalayan glaciers are ?receding faster than in any other part of the world? when many glaciologists say they are melting at about the same rate.
An entire paragraph is also attributed to the World Wildlife Fund, when only one sentence came from it, and the IPCC is not supposed to use such advocacy groups as sources.
Professor Hasnain, who was not involved in drafting the IPCC report, said that he noticed some of the mistakes when he first read the relevant section in 2008.
That was also the year he joined The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Delhi, which is headed by Dr Pachauri.
He said he realized that the 2035 prediction was based on an interview he gave to the New Scientist magazine in 1999, although he blamed the journalist for assigning the actual date.
He said that he did not tell Dr Pachauri because he was not working for the IPCC and was busy with his own programmes at the time.
?I was keeping quiet as I was working here,? he said. ?My job is not to point out mistakes. And you know the might of the IPCC. What about all the other glaciologists around the world who did not speak out??
Dr Pachauri also said he did not learn about the mistakes until they were reported in the media about 10 days ago, at which time he contacted other IPCC members. He denied keeping quiet about the errors to avoid disrupting the UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen, or discouraging funding for TERI?s own glacier programme.
But he too admitted that it was ?really odd? that none of the world?s leading glaciologists had pointed out the mistakes to him earlier. ?Frankly, it was a stupid error,? he said. ?But no one brought it to my attention.?
Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent
–from TimesOnline
Entrepreneurs Hope North Myrtle Beach Will Welcome Rally Events– A pair of North Myrtle Beach businessmen are trying to do CPR on the image-battered Bike Week and the tourism-dependent local economy by expanding events to Main Street and their own amusement park grounds in North Myrtle Beach.
Plans are a little less ambitious than the freestanding, May 18-22 event that businessmen Harold Worley and Mark Lazarus, respectively current and former Horry County councilmen, originally proposed.
That would have bridged the annual spring Cruisin? the Coast Rally that the city of Myrtle Beach chased out last year, and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest over Memorial Day weekend.
Cruisin? the Coast is planned for May 7-16 in the North Myrtle Beach area, with vendors at Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson and Barefoot Landing. The county has not relented from permit limitations enacted last year, so Cruisin? organizer Mike Shank says he is again limited to 53 vendors.
Worley says the team?s new plan is to host rally events concurrently with Cruisin? the Coast. They have requested special event permits to accommodate 40 vendors at the amusement park they own, the Ocean Drive Pavilion. New dates are May 11-15, if the local agencies approve the plan.
?The rally started here and moved down to the [Myrtle Beach] convention center? in the ?60s, he says. He plans to talk to the Horry County Public Safety Commission next week about aligning dates for vendors on county land, and is scheduled to take the plan before the North Myrtle Beach City Council Feb. 1.
?If the city approves it, we are going to give it a try this year. What we?ve asked for is ?give us one year,?? Worley said. But he adds optimistically that the date change this year would mean the North Myrtle Beach events would run for five days ending on the third weekend in May for the next nine years.
Shank says his involvement with the Worley and Lazarus is ?trying to be a liaison with Harley-Davidson and seeing if they would attend and bring their demo fleet to North Myrtle Beach.?
H-D has not made a commitment, spokesman Bob Klein says. ?This is a dealer event and we are still determining our level of involvement,? he says. ?In past years, the Motor Company has had product displays and demo rides at the event. HOG has also held one of its pin stops at the event.?
Last year?s political maneuvers put a dent in rally attendance in a year when many business owners questioned the wisdom of turning away tourism.
?The rallies are not what they have been in years past,? Worley says. We?d like to have one, good, five-day rally.?
Worley and Lazarus have also pitched the plan to the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, among a slate of events ? including a car show, bicycle race and concert series — they hope will revive business in the area and extend the tourism season. The Chamber of Commerce is gauging support in the local business community.
?We obviously took it under advisement. This is a huge, emotional thing throughout the Grand Strand, with the biker issue. Every time it comes up it creates controversy,? said Mark Jordan, executive director of the North Myrtle Beach chamber. ?We?re doing several surveys. We are looking at the existing ordinances, to see if they would even allow this kind of events and festivals to be held on Main Street, and if not, what would have to be changed.?
The chamber will also poll its membership to gauge support for a bike rally, he said.
–DealerNews
Amazing Cycle Source Magazine Coming, Indian Larry tribute issue– You’ve done it again, Mr. Editor. The Indian Larry story speaks to so many of us, in so many ways. There’s so much to learn from his history, and you captured the good, bad, and the ugly. Once I read your editorial, I was hooked and didn’t stop reading until I peeled through Larry’s history, his motorcycles, the metaphysical side, his artistic nature, and articles about his family and co-worker brothers.
You did a tremendous job from the passionate pros, to the amazing photos, and the edgy layouts. Hell, you even reworked many of the ads to maintain the theme. What could be better, except a redhead and a uncorked bottle of whiskey.
Bravo,
–Bandit
BIKERNET OFFICIAL SUNSHINE BREAK– First wet tee of Biketoberfest 2009 live from Dirty Harry’s – the hottie on the far right won the moolah.
— Whiplash Biker Photog B O B
SEMA MEETING REPORT–I was forced to cancel the January 20th SEMA meeting due to flooding. We are trying to learn how a bunch of bikers can start a Motorcycle Council under the SEMA umbrella.
We actually would have survived. It didn’t start to rain until almost 1:00. John Paliwoda, the President of the California Motorcycle Dealers Association showed up, along with Chris Maida the editor of the largest custom motorcycle magazine in the country. He flew out from Connecticut. We had an interesting discussion, and I’ll attempt a recap. Below are some question sent to us from Nathan Ridnouer, the VP of Councils for SEMA.
* Why is the group meeting?
We would like to move forward the possibility of an aftermarket Motorcycle Council under the SEMA umbrella. We need to understand the process and determine whether it’s a fit for motorcycling and/or SEMA.
* How will the group recruit Manufacturers, retailers and distributors to join this effort and SEMA?
We believe we have a tremendous opportunity to spread the word within our industry through a large anxious media base. With a half dozen national motorcycle magazines, the internet, radio, etc., we should be able to spread the word effectively. It’s up to the guys in our industry to step up, if they want this to happen.
* How are the needs of the Manufacturers, retailers and distributors not being met by the other five motorcycle industry associations?
First there are no Motorcycle Aftermarket associations. There are no national dealer, aftermarket, or builder associations. Motorcycling does have a considerable legislative movement. Unfortunately many of them compete, but not with SEMA.The business side of the industry needs a voice and an arm, so we can reach out and help any group that is fighting to keep motorcycling free. So far we have universal acceptance for this effort by every group except the MIC.
* Who will be the heading up this effort from a membership standpoint (non-staff)?
Once we know the steps, I have a list of over 100 or more individuals I can reach to pull together a cross section committee of motorcycle business owners and active folks in the industry.
I still believe that from marketing and regulatory standpoints this effort could help both SEMA and motorcycling, but let’s see what happens next.
–KRB
AUSTRALIAN HOLIDAY REPORT– To all my US mates!
Pic 1 Australia Day is Tuesday (a holiday) hence we traditional eat Australian Goat or Lamb – this year I have selected and prepared a Vindaloo Goat Curry YUM!
Pic 2 At even time Sunset from my home in Melbourne/Australia
Cheers
–Ray Russell/Downunder
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ASKS FOR MOTORCYCLISTS’ INPUT ON ROAD SAFETY PLAN– With the coming closure of the 2001-2010 Road Safety Action Programme, the European Commission prepares a plan for the next decade. Special focus on Powered Two Wheelers is announced. The Commission invited FEMA to express its views on the added value of EU policies.
Yesterday, a conference gathering close to 500 participants in Brussels closed the public consultation process launched by the European Commission in preparation of the next Road Safety Action Programme 2011-2020. The consultation included a series of preparatory workshops on identified priorities and an internet-based survey. The final conference was an opportunity for all road safety stakeholders to discover and discuss the preliminary results of this consultation. Aline Delhaye, General Secretary of FEMA, was invited to take part in the experts’ panel and express motorcyclists specific views on motorcycle safety.
Stakeholders at the conference and participants to the consultation promoted increased training, information, speed management and more shared road use. Supported measures also included better quality control of training, testing and licencing facilities, more research into the causes and consequences of accidents and the deployment of intelligent transport systems (ITS) for vehicles and infrastructure.
While many participants, among whom EU Parliament Transport Committee Vice-Chairwoman Silvia Adriana Ticau, insisted on the added value brought by ITS technologies, urging the Commission to set the path quick implementation, FEMA reacted with insistance underlining the current lack of knowledge regarding the impact of ITS solutions on motorcycling and the need for further reseach before any deployement.
For FEMA, it is important that policies focus on real priorities: for motorcycling, human behaviour and infrastructure are definitely top priorities as confirmed by OECD road safety experts(1). Only with such effective initiatives can the motorcycle safety records in Europe evolve positively in the next decade. FEMA has offered the Commission to further contribute to the preparation of the Road Safety Action Plan 2011-2020.
(1) Conclusions of OECD International Transport Forum, 2008 Lillehammer Workshop on Motorcycle Safety: www.fema.ridersrights.org/docs/OECD_workshop_Top%2020%20recommendations.pdf For more information on the Workshop results: www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/safety/Lillehammer2008/lillehammer08.html For further information, please contact:
–Hugo Roebroeck
Campaigns Officer
FEMA – Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations
Rue des Champs 62
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel +32 2 7369047
Fax +32 2 7369401
Mobile +32 484 976170
Skype ID: jhb-unblue www.fema-online.eu
BIKERNET DEAL OF THE WEEK– 1993 Freightliner 400,000 miles one owner and driver since new, 425 hp Detroit 13 spd. Super clean roving satellite TV in the double bunk cab. 45 foot Kentucky Trailer with 44 X 14 foot tent with side walls. Custom through out with loads of lights and plugs. Great rubber with 2 extra spare tires.
Ready to go with loads of vending extras like, stairs, racks and decks. Truck runs perfect. Ramps to load full size car in rear or haul up to 10 bikes. $75,000.00 will deliver, must sell lost my storage.
–Seth
805-896-1548
KENTUCKY BIKERNET READER’S RIDE– Hay Bandit, See if you would like more pictures of what I build here in good ol’ KY.
Custombike Bad Salzuflen 2009– Rick’s Motorcycles auf der Custombike.
Auch in diesem Jahr wird Rick’s Motorcycles wieder auf der Custombike in Bad Salzuflen ausstellen und neue Produkte und Motorr?der pr?sentieren.
Zwei besondere Highlights warten dabei auf die Besucher:
– “15 Jahre Rick’s” Promotionbike
– Umbau einer HD Softail Cross Bones “live” auf dem Messestand
15 Jahre Rick’s Motorrad
Wie schon oft in der Vergangenheit hat sich Rick mal wieder vorgenommen einen Meilenstein bei dem Umbau einer original Softail zu setzen. Passend zum 15. Geburtstag wurde eine HD Night Train grundlegend umgebaut:
– 20″ und 23″ R?der
– exklusive Sonderr?der “MEGASPOKE” (limitierte Auflage)
– sehr aufwendige Blecharbeiten
– viele Sonderanfertigungen – ….
Abmeldung
Bitte senden Sie eine Mail an info@wheelsforwinners.com , wenn Sie den Newsletter nicht mehr erhalten wollen.
KICKOFF TIME–It’s cold in the shop, although the sun is shinning and the dogs are grinning and sunbathing. What should I drink with chips and salsa, while the game gets rolling? Maybe Rum.
Next week we will bring you Doc’s report on the Headwinds shop tour. My new Webmaster promised our new 2010 Bonneville Department will be launched tomorrow, and perhaps our new blog next week. I had a talk with him about the Code of the West. If we make a promise to our readers, I expect to hold to that pledge.
I announced a new blog a couple of weeks ago, as I was told. It didn’t happen, so I had to lower my voice for a pep talk. I’m also working with KIWI Mike on an Indian handlebar rebuild article. That may take a couple of weeks. I need to run out to his Riverside Shop.
Gradually this year is coming into focus. I need to roll across town and interview Urban Hirsch about his Cannonball bikes. I had a terrific conversation with Don Whalen about the Cannonball. We will bring you reports right up to the Rally.
Okay, break out the pot of rum. I’m becalmed in a sea of treachery and need to fill my sails. That’s from the old Treasure Island movie. What a classic.
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
