Hey,
Well, we survived Halloween and the changing of the clocks. Sugarbear and his lovely wife, Fuji, came over for dinner, and we discussed the state of the custom world. He recently turned 70 and is in terrific shape. Wonder what the notorious Bandit will look like at 70? Good god, run for your life.
I can see it all now; The grizzled old bastard screaming down a freeway, highbars to the stars, Jack Daniels seeping from his pours, while heading for a Hollywood brothel. What the hell, a man’s gotta dream. Let’s hit the news:
Booze and Babes in Brazil, What the hell is a Cointreaupolitain?– While we are digging the heavy leathers out of the closet and throwing on an extra sweater here in the northern hemisphere, the guys down south are having all the fun: It’ll soon be summer for them, and they get a visit from America’s favorite striptease export, Dita von Teese.
Beside doing what she does best and chasing from one interview with photo op to the other, Dita was promoting the french bitter orange liquor Cointreau and introducing the new cocktail called Cointreaupolitain.
What that is? The drink consists of 5cl Cointreau, 3cl cranberry juice and 2cl lemon juice. Shake it and pour it into a martini glass with a zest of orange peel. But be warned should you ever feel tempted to order that in your local biker bar: you will end up with a bright pink drink in your hand. So unless you are at a breast cancer awareness event, you may wanna give that a second thought.
– – C.S. Berg
REPLACEMENT MECHANICAL BRAKE PARTS FROM PAUGHCO– No matter if you building a down and dirty chopper, performing a step by step total restoration or just keeping ?old reliable? up and running, Paughco is a one stop shop for all those hard to find replacement items. Shown here is just a small sample of the early brake components Paughco manufactures.
In this case the pieces include a mechanical drum with sprocket and dust cover ?37-?57, mechanical brake shoes, mechanical brake drum backing plate ?37-?57, mechanical brake cam for rigids thru ?57, return springs and even an early Sporty and K-model rear brake lever.
If you?re having problems locating early H-D style replacement parts, call Paughco at 775-246-5738, email to info@paughco or catch them on the Web at www.paughco.com
HALLOWEEN RING FROM NINO 925– Frank Zubieta of Nino925 has been at it again. This time the master of biker bling has added a new design to his famous line of skulls. Aptly named the ?Nino Signature Skull Ring,? this piece is truly a collector?s item.
The production will be limited to 99 rings and the detail on this piece is incredibly refined. For example, unlike most of Nino?s rings, this one has a ribbed center that runs the diameter of the ring.
And weighing in at 30 grams of solid 925 silver, this piece is a substantial item and truly a ring to pass down the generations.
At only $225, you know this is a wise investment.
Dimensions: Approx.12mm wide by 24mm tall and 3.5mm thick, weights approx.30 grams of sterling silver.
BIKERNET ENGLISH LAB FINDING, JUST WHAT WE NEED TODAY– confabulation kon-FAB-yuh-lay-shuhn, noun: 1. Familiar talk; easy, unrestrained, unceremonious conversation.
2. (Psychology) A plausible but imagined memory that fills in gaps in what is remembered.
Their sentiments were reflected neither in the elegant exchanges between the Viceroy and Secretary of State, nor in the unlovely confabulations between the Congress and the League managers.
— Mushirul Hasan, “Partition: The Human Cost”, History Today, September 1997
Sigmund Freud, a stubborn, bullying interrogator of hysterical women, harangued his patients into building fantasies and traumas that fit into his grand narrative scheme, eliciting confabulations rather than actual memories.
— Jennifer Howard, “Neurosis 1990s-Style”, Civilization, April/May 1997
Confabulation comes from Late Latin confabulatio, from the past participle of Latin confabulari, “to talk together,” from con-, “together, with” + fabulari, “to talk.” It is related to fable, “a fiction, a tale,” and to fabulous, “so incredible or astonishing as to resemble or suggest a fable.”
BIKERNET DARWIN AWARDS SPONSORED BY DANNI ASHE, Semifinalist #5– Employees in a medium-sized warehouse in west Texas noticed the smell of a gas leak. Sensibly, management evacuated the building extinguishing all potential sources of ignition; lights, power, etc. After the building had been evacuated, two technicians from the gas company were dispatched. Upon entering the building, they found they had difficulty navigating in the dark. To their frustration, none of the lights worked.
Witnesses later described the sight of one of the technicians reaching into his pocket and retrieving an object that resembled a cigarette lighter. Upon operation of the lighter-like object, the gas in the warehouse exploded, sending pieces of it up to three miles away. Nothing was found of the technicians, but the lighter was virtually untouched by the explosion. The technician suspected of causing the blast had never been thought of as ”bright” by his peers.
You think that’s good, don’t miss the winner in this coming Bikernet Thursday News.–Snake
SEEKING YOUR SUPPORT FOR ELECTION TO MRF BOARD– Many of you know me from the legal advice columns I write and the appearances I?ve made through the years at motorcycle events & functions across the country, at local meetings around Ohio and the surrounding states, and at local, state & national legislative seminars, and you know that I not only represent bikers who are accident victims or prosecuted under the law, but I also believe in fighting for bikers rights in both the courthouse and the statehouse.
My unwavering commitment to standing up for our right to ride has led me to yet another endeavor that I humbly request your support for: to be elected Member Representative on the board of directors of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF).
This is a national position representing MRF membership nationwide, so if you or anyone you know is a member of the MRF in any state, or are planning to join, please vote for ?Ralph Buss? and provide me the opportunity to put my motorcycling experience and dedication to bikers? rights to work for you. The voter ballot will appear in the upcoming MRF Reports. but before I can ask for your support I feel that I should give you some background and briefly describe my biking credentials:
When my family immigrated to the United States after the war, I knew that education was important to success and so I studied engineering. After retiring as an engineer testing metals used in building materials, I opened a martial arts school in northeast Ohio while working my way through Law School.
Nazi soldiers would take me for rides on their BMW motorcycles when the German Army occupied my childhood home during WWII. Living under a fascist regime inspired me to fight for individual freedoms, particularly bikers? rights.
Back in 1986, Michael ?Redbeard? Warren, founder of ABATE/CMRO and later a member of the board of directors of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), introduced me to California attorney Richard Lester who was starting a nationwide legal network called Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM), which provided sole funding for a national motorcyclists? rights organization called the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and I soon became one of the first AIM Attorneys in the country, representing Ohio and later expanded into West Virginia and Kentucky.
For over 30 years my law firm has represented the interests of those who ride, from weekend warriors to one-percenters, and from motorcycle accident cases to civil rights abuses and criminal charges.
Once, when a biker client called to complain that he was refused service at a restaurant, I drafted the first-ever Equal Access (?Biker Anti-Discrimination?) bill in the country. Although it failed to pass in Ohio, several other states used it as model legislation, and eventually Minnesota became the first state to enact such a law to protect motorcyclists from discrimination in public accommodations.
I belong to and support many national, state and local motorcycle rights organizations, clubs and associations, including serving several terms as trustee for ABATE/Concerned Motorcycle Riders of Ohio; legal counsel for the Confederations of Clubs of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia; and member of the board of directors of ABATE of Ohio, Inc. I am also a longtime member of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), ABATE of West Virginia, ABATE of Pennsylvania, the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/KBA, Harley Owners Group (HOG) and the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA), as well as the Lawmakers M/C and the United States Patriots M/C.
I?m not a boastful person, and only bring these things up to illustrate my commitment to the motorcycling movement and to campaign for your vote in the MRF election so that I can continue to work on behalf of bikers as your representative on the national board of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your vote of confidence.
PPG-CUSTOM PAINTED CAMARO TO DISPLAY AT NACE– STRONGSVILLE, Ohio ? October 28, 2009 ? A dazzling orange, 2010 Camaro painted by Mitch Kelly will be featured in the ABRN (Auto Body Repair News) booth at the upcoming 27th annual NACE EXPO being held November 5 ? 7 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The car will be displayed in the ABRN booth #N8401.
ABRN, a leading collision repair industry journal, is featuring the Camaro along with Mitch and Tom Kelly ? of Kelly & Son, the Crazy Painters, of Bellflower, CA ? on the cover of their November 2009 issue.
?This is the first time in ABRN history that we?ve featured a car on the cover of our magazine, but then, this is an exceptional car,? said Jim Savas, ABRN vice president, general manager. ?We are excited to team up with PPG and Kelly & Son for NACE. It makes for a great show.?
The Camaro sports PPG?s Envirobase? High Performance waterborne paint that was applied by Mitch Kelly. Mitch ? the ?Son? in Kelly & Son ? is nationally recognized in custom vehicle circles. He is regarded as one of the foremost painters of custom cars, trucks and motorcycles in the business today. Mitch Kelly-painted vehicles regularly appear, and draw enthusiastic crowds, at custom car shows around the country.
Kelly will be on hand at the ABRN booth autographing posters of the Camaro. He has had a long-standing relationship with PPG. PPG?s Vibrance Collection? of custom finishes, the Delfleet? system and Envirobase HP waterborne coatings are his preferred choices for the colorful effects he creates for vehicles.
NACE is the acronym for the International Autobody Congress & Exposition. EXPO is the organization?s annual event that provides members of the collision repair community with an opportunity to network and see the products, services, equipment and technology available to them.
For more information about PPG Automotive Refinish products, call 800/647-6050 or visit the PPG Automotive Refinish website at www.ppgrefinish.com.
NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD SET FOR AN ASTON MARTIN DB2 AT RM?S ?AUTOMOBILES OF LONDON?– LONDON, England (29 October 2009) ? Preeminent international auction house, RM Auctions, concluded its 2009 auction season on a high note in London last night, posting ?10.9 million in total sales with a strong 87% of all lots sold at the third-annual ?Automobiles of London? event.
Held in association with Sotheby?s, the single-day auction presented some 84 motor cars, consigned from 11 countries around the world, and 40 lots of automobilia, attracting strong international interest from bidders in the room, on the phone and over the internet.
A 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Team Car ?VMF 64? with Le Mans and Mille Miglia provenance, offered for the first time in 52 years, set a new auction world record for an Aston Martin DB2, achieving ?550,000, whilst 13 lots exceeded their original high estimates. Most notably, an original 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet surpassed its pre-sale high estimate of ?60,000 to achieve the remarkable sum of ?308,000.
The top sale of the evening was a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster, the only right-hand drive example built, achieving ?616,000, followed closely by a 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe selling for ?522,500.
The event also presented a fine selection of memorabilia and coachbuilt motor cars from the private collection of Mr. Edgar Schermerhorn. Headlined by a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio for ?440,000, the collection achieved a total ?1.5 million.
RM Auctions will kick off 2010 with its return to the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa for the 11th annual ?Automobiles of Arizona? event on 21st ? 22nd January, 2010 including an exclusive, British-flavored evening auction. RM Auctions? next European event, the recently-announced ?Sporting Classics of Monaco?, will take place 1st May 2010 at the Grimaldi Forum.
Official results from the ?Automobiles of London? event will be posted online at www.rmauctions.com
ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE SHAKE-UP– Montgomery, AL (Oct. 29, 2009) IronWorks Magazine announces expansion of its senior Editorial team by hiring industry publishing veteran, and long-time Harley-Davidson enthusiast, Stephen Berner as Editor-in-Chief. As Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Berner will be based in Connecticut, leading editorial and content development for IronWorks Magazine. In a past life, he worked for several years with American Iron Magazine where he managed events, licensing, web development, and wrote/photographed feature and technical stories. Mr. Berner has also been a contributor to Hot Bike Magazine.
Mr. Berners personal stable of bikes includes a long-owned and much beloved 1986 FXRS, an 89 stroker and his latest full dresser a 2008 Street Glide, his first new Harley-Davidson. Known to most as steveb, Mr. Berner is a touring enthusiast and hyper-productive photographer and writer who publishes his own daily blogs (http://45dgree.com & http://steveb.biz). Mr. Berner is also an accomplished leatherworker.
About his new role leading IronWorks, Stephen said: Im psyched to be back in the game, working with Publisher, Wade Ramsey, and the IronWorks crew. Ive been reading IronWorks since 1990 and it has always been a great title. Its an honor and a treat to be able to lead the charge and further develop the IronWorks name to its full potential by bringing even more great machines and stories to our loyal fans. My goal is to uncork the IronWorks engine, spool it up, and let it breathe. Itll be great, fun, and entertaining really a celebration of what we all love most about the machines.
Leaving IronWorks will be Editor, Daingerous Dain Gingerelli, who has successfully lead the Editorial charge since founder, Dennis Stemp, passed away several years ago. Mr. Gingerelli, who has authored numerous hot rod books, intends to concentrate much of his time on book publishing and will remain a contributor.
Contact steveb@ironworksmag.com
(203) 554-2259
Yafterburner Slider Covers– WOW!! That?s what everybody says the first time they lay their eyes on these badass fork covers. Paul?s Yafterburner exhaust tips have been a huge success! Now you can carry that awesome styling forward to your forks as well. Add a set of these to your front end and you?ll have the most radical looking front fork in town!
These bad boys are CNC machined from a solid block of 6061-T6 aluminum and the beautifully chrome plated or black anodized and accent machined.
They are an easy bolt on product that will dramatically change the look of your Bagger!
Part# – YSC-C / Chrome Fork Covers /
Price: $399.95 pr.
Part# – YSC-B / Black w/ Accent Machine /
Price: $399.95 pr.
602.840.4205 x:224 – P
marketing@paulyaffeoriginals.com
World Debut at the ESSEN MOTOR SHOW 2009– A Top Speed of More than 320 km/h: The World’s Fastest Street Bike Asphaltfighters STORMBRINGER Powered by WARM UP.
A top speed of more than 320 km/h; a rated power output of 220 hp / 161.9 kW, which in booster mode grows to 280 hp / 206 kW. Spectacular design and systematic light-weight construction combined with revolutionary features never before seen on a motorcycle.
The Asphaltfighters STORMBRINGER powered by WARM UP celebrates its world debut as the world’s fastest street bike at the ESSEN MOTOR SHOW 2009. The ultra-high-performance bike will be on display at the Speed Bike Show in hall 6 at the Essen Expo Center starting November 28th.
The Asphaltfighters STORMBRINGER concept is transformed by WARM UP Zweiradtechnik GmbH, one of the world’s leading custom bike manufacturers based in Germany, into an ultra-high-performance motorcycle that is in a class of its own. This motorcycle offers not only a unique symbiosis of superior performance and extremely sporty handling but also an exclusive equipment level with innovative and thrilling details.
A large contribution to the realization of this dream on two wheels comes from the Asphaltfighters STORMBRINGER technology partners. Only the very best addresses in the world of motorcycles suffice: ABM, Akrapovic, BelRay, Beutler Lackdesign, BIKERBOX, gilles tooling, Kellermann, Melvin, OZ Motorbike, Puig, Emil Schwarz, Spiegler and WAECO contribute their collective know-how to this High Tech bike.
To follow the next steps in making this extraordinary bike come true please visit the project’s website at www.asphaltfighters-stormbringer.com.
WEBSITE: WWW.ASPHALTFIGHTERS-STORMBRINGER.COM
London’s Ace Cafe custom bike show to be World Championship Affiliate– The legendary Ace Cafe London is to team up with the well known ‘Ally Pally’ show in London to stage a custom bike event in 2010.
The Ace Cafe London Motorcycle and Custom Show will be staged at the iconic Alexandra Palace (‘Ally Pally’) venue in north London on February 26th, 27th and 28th 2010. The event will be an AMD Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building affiliate show.
Designed to build on the start made by the promising London International Custom Show (L.I.C.S.) at Earl’s Court, London in 2008, the Ace ‘Ally Pally’ Custom Show will be staged as an additional feature to a motorcycle show that already has a track record of profitability, attracting some 15,000 visitors (in 2008).
The Alexandra Palace is a popular and historic London venue (dating from the 1920’s and set in hill-top parkland with commanding views across London) that already has a 20-year pedigree of attracting British motorcyclists to shows staged there.
Further details of the event, will appear on an AMD event website that will be launched shortly.
Anybody interested in exhibitor opportunities should contact Chris Gothard on: Tel (in UK) 01732 362845
Tel (international) 0044 1732 362845
chris@esnevents.co.uk
www.ace-cafe-london.com
SENATE COMMITTEE HOLDS DISTRACTED DRIVING HEARING– The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee recently held a hearing to look into the dilemma of distracted driving. Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), was in attendance. The MRF submitted an official statement for the record on this hearing.
Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) opened the hearing with a startling fact; at any given moment, 11 % of all of drivers on the road are holding an electronic device. That?s over 800,000 people, and that?s only one form of distraction. Rockefeller used this opportunity to unveil some new legislation. He and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) are introducing a bill that would provide grants to states to be used in anti-distracted driving efforts. When the MRF gets a look at the language regarding the requirements for obtaining these grants, a position will be established.
The Committee heard first from Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is not a committee member, but proposes withholding 25% of highway money for states until they enact a law that bans the practice of texting while operating a motor vehicle. His legislation S 1536 (and the companion bill in the House, HR 3535) would blackmail the states into passing a law they might not want. The MRF believes this is a state?s rights issue first and foremost, and does not support withholding highway funds in this manner for any reason. Beyond that, Schumer?s bill only singles out the worst of the worst forms of distraction. That?s not good enough; the motorcyclists of this country deserve to have all forms of distracted driving discontinued voluntarily.
The Committee next heard from Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Communications Commission Chairman (FCC) Julius Genachowski about what their respective agencies are doing or plan to do to stop distracted driving. The FCC is undertaking a consumer awareness campaign much like ?click it or ticket.? Secretary LaHood perhaps said it best when he said, ?Education is number one,? meaning let?s use the carrot, not the stick, or in this case use the Rockefeller, not the Schumer.
LaHood also had some interesting advice ? using your brain. Moms, don?t call your kids when you know they are driving. Bosses, don?t call your employees when you know they are driving. Basically, be part of the solution. Just because you aren?t driving doesn?t mean the other half of your conversation isn?t. Good advice for all of us. LaHood also called for a broader focus beyond texting and talking, such as cheeseburgers and CD changers and so on. Anyone remember the old Norelco commercials that attempted to make distracted driving look cool?
Committee member Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) had perhaps the most interesting approach for the role of federal government in this issue ? do nothing. He said, ?Let?s use the states as an incubator. A lot of states have passed good distracted driving laws; let?s let them continue to do that and see what works and what doesn?t, and go from there.? This proposed approach drew some criticism, but it does make some sense.
Ultimately the federal government will get involved, and their solution is likely to be part carrot, part stick. As always, the MRF will keep you up to speed on this and all issues affecting motorcyclists.
–MRF
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