December 13, 2009 Part 1

BIKERNET SUNDAY POST – NEW BIKES COMING FROM ILLUSIONS, FREE INSURANCE TO MRF MEMBERS, NEW STEVIE ART RELEASED, NEW ORLEANS BIKEFEST REPORT, HARLEY-DAVIDSON DECLARES MARCH AS NATIONAL GARAGE PARTY MONTH, BIG DOG OPENING NEW DEALER IN THE MOTOR CITY, FINAL TOUCHES FOR CYCLE SOURCE INDIAN LARRY ISSUE AND MORE…

Hey,

It rained on Mooneyes, but Irish Rich was on assignment from the HORSE, so we may see some shots next week. Then, in flowed a flurry of interesting images from Mooneyes in Japan from the Sheriff. Rain threatened for Sunday, but blew away, so the David Mann Chopper Fest is alive in Ventura. The River Rat will cover the action for Bikernet and the Canyon Carver is photographing the wet roads for a French magazine.

A shot of a portion of Bandit’s Panhead desk, near the Bikernet Nerve Center.

We’re clamoring to finish the Post, so we can hit the headquarters chores list, then maybe relax and watch Sunday night football. As we roll through e-mails next week’s Bikernet content list starts to grow. Let’s hit the news, then I’ll fill you in on all the action for next week.

check the new BikernetMetric Blog for all the metric action.

HERE’S THE LATEST FROM THE MIC, OOPS 2008– 10.8 million registered motorcycles in use.

Harley is 33% of that total and 50% of the “cruiser” market and 39% of the Touring mkt.

R.L. Polk has the best numbers and might be better able to give you what you need.

Recent article in Powersports quoted HD that they expected to lose about 30 of the 700 dealers globally. I believe HD has 600 US and 60 Canadian. That has remained steady for years.

What about the Japanese and Euro brands being a part of the SEMA proposal?

–Lee Chapin
Mikuni

All makes and models will be invited to be members and to be involved. I’m looking for more numbers for our SEMA effort. I need to know how many motorcycle dealers there are in the U.S. all makes. I need to know how many manufacturers there are and how many aftermarket shops.–Bandit

THE SUNDAY RELAXING TERM FROM THE BIKERNET ENGLISH CLASS SPONSORED BY DANNI ASHE– quiescent kwy-ES-uhnt; kwee-, adjective:
Being in a state of repose; at rest; still; inactive.

The solution, Dr. Wilmut discovered, was to, in effect, put the DNA from the adult cell to sleep, making it quiescent by depriving the adult cell of nutrients.
— Gina Kolata, “Scientist Reports First Cloning Ever of Adult Mammal”, New York Times, February 23, 1997

A vicious but localized Sino-Japanese war raged around the Shanghai region through much of 1932. The conflict then settled into a quiescent phase for several years.
— David M. Kennedy, “The Horror”, The Atlantic, April 1998

Snake, Bikernet life long cub report was drunk again last night. Today he’s in a quiescent state, and of little help to the hardworking staff working tirelessly on the Sunday Post:
–Nyla Olsen, Bikernet galley chef, who is making breakfast

Quiescent derives from the present participle of Latin quiescere, to rest, from quies, rest.

BIKERNET OFFICIAL EDITORIAL CORRECTION– I just read Wilburn Roach’s great review of “Solo Ride to the Top of the World” movie and I would to make one correction. At the top of the review it says Guarav rode a 500cc Enfield. I assumed the same thing but I spoke with him live in person at a showing of the movie in Asheville NC and Guarav says his bike is a 350cc Enfield, not a 500cc.

I rode a 350cc Enfield for over 2 months all over India in ’99, and the experience only adds to my amazement of what he accomplished. That machine is underpowered for the weight. I, too, found it starving for oxygen at high altitudes and let me tell you, that is no light bike to push uphill (my lungs were starving, too), even before adding gear.

Anyway, perhaps you’d consider revising the review to show the correct size Enfield.

Robert Collins

We immediately called an emergency correction Bikernet Board meeting, attempted to fire the staff for the mistake, but their union officials stepped in. Besides, we can’t fire anyone in this economy. It’s against the code of the west. So we hired three more Editorial Fact Checking Staff members. They are all very cute, big-titted girls, who can’t speak a word of English. –Wilburn Roach, demoted staff member

FINAL TOUCHES BEING WRESTLED INTO THE NEW INDIAN LARRY ISSUE OF CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE–