By Spitfire After a day of rest, people were ready to get back on the road. During the “rest” day, competitors and crew worked hard on the bikes to get them read for the seven days that remain. For some it was stressful. So much to do in so little time! Engines were rebuilt, chains […]
Motorcycle Cannonball – Stage 9 – Monday, September 19, 2016 Read More »
By Spitfire The stress seems less this morning as the riders headed out on a mostly flat course of only 184 miles from Wichita, KS to Dodge City, KS. 67 riders got a later than usual start (9:00) which gave people a chance to eat breakfast, take showers and dry some of their clothes out.
Motorcycle Cannonball – Stage 8 – September 17, 2016 Read More »
By Spitfire Today’s route would take us across Missouri starting in Cape Girardeau and ending in Springfield. Elevations were 300 to 1700 feet. 66 motorcycles lined up this morning to attempt another day. We had started with 91 but one never made it out of the parking lot so it was disqualified. The official number
Motorcycle Cannonball – Stage 6 – Thursday, September 15, 2016 Read More »
By Spitfire Many riders were up before dawn. Last minute preparations were being made on bikes for the 247 mile ride from Bloomington, Indiana to Cape Girardeau, MO. The sun was shining and many locals were starting to arrive to look at the bikes and cheer the riders on. The riders were eager to get
Motorcycle Cannonball – Stage 5 – Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Read More »
By Spitfire A cloud of blue smoke arose from the parking lot outside of the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, MO. Rumors were that we were going to see more rain today. I climbed up on a rock wall to watch the riders as they gathered for their scheduled departure time. Crew members and family
Motorcycle Cannonball Stage 7 – Friday, September 16, 2016 Read More »
By Spitfire Things seem to be settling down and people were looking forward to a day with fewer mountain grades. We started in Chillicothe, OH with a 224 mile course ending in Bloomington, IN. Maximum elevation is 1300 feet, a far cry from the 3000 ft elevation we had a couple days ago. The dew
Motorcycle Cannonball Stage 4 – Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Read More »
The rebirth of the Indian Scout and introduction of the Scout Sixty delivered a fresh breed of powerful middleweight cruisers to the industry. And Kuryakyn’s new Sprint collection designed by John Shope of Dirty Bird Concepts takes the aggressively styled platform to a whole ’nother level. Kuryakyn incorporated the entire Sprint collection, the first
Dirty Bird Concepts’ Custom Sprint Scout Read More »
Note: I wrote this piece a long time ago. It was never submitted for publication because I figured that, in the light of such unorthodox outrageousness, this story would be rejected. But I think its time has come. The images were shot with film, which most of mine was ruined in a flood. These few
Bikernet Road Stories: HOUSE, GIRL, AND THE HIGHWAY Read More »
The journey back to life for one fine 1989 FXST/S. It sat idle in a garage for around 10 years. The classic springer Softail chopper was basically stock with a few classic mods, like the bars, and new seat with a backrest. It belonged to Ray Wheeler’s longtime friend, Rusty Hawk who recently passed away,
Tuning an ’89 Softail for a Cross-Country Read More »
By Spitfire The morning air was cool and foggy as the riders headed out into the narrow winding West Virginia back roads. Today we only got 8 pages of typed driving instructions instead of the 12 pages we got on day one and the 13 pages for day two. It looks like the hills won’t
2016 Motorcycle Cannonball Stage 3 – Monday, September 12 Read More »
by Spitfire Today began with a flurry of activity, riders lined up by classes. Class 1 is the oldest machines with the smallest engines. They are allowed to leave first, Class 2 leaves 30 minutes later and class 3 leaves 60 minutes after class 1. Even with that advantage, the “newer” motorcycles will likely pass
Motorcycle Cannonball – Stage 2 – Sunday, September 11, 2016 Read More »
I doubt anyone got much sleep. They were up early, thoughtfully dressed in their best 1st day attire and most were ready for the challenges the day might bring. The first day of this historic adventure began in Atlantic City on the Boardwalk outside of Harry’s Oyster Bar. Motorized vehicles are not typically allowed on
Cannonball 2016 — Race of the Century — Stage 1 Saturday, Sept 10th Read More »
FXRs are hot property these days. We’ve been talking FXRs for some time. Kevin Alsop from Big Bear Choppers picked up the vibe and ran with it, developing new components and stronger frames to support more horsepower. Yaniv from Power Plant recently shifted from bobbers to FXRs. They are the street warriors’ ride for crazed,
ULTIMATE FXR BUILD from Bennett’s Performance Read More »
Law Tigers, America’s Motorcycle Lawyers, is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s Motorcycle Cannonball. The Motorcycle Cannonball is a truly unique motorcycling experience. In just a short time, it has become a highly anticipated annual event that attracts riders and collectors from all corners of the world. The event made its debut
The Coast To Coast Race Of The Century Read More »
Many moons ago, this motojournalist was sent on his first off-site assignment for Easyriders Magazine. The occasion was the release of Harley-Davidson’s Twin Cam-powered touring bikes for the ’99 model year. It was the summer of ’98 and I had the pleasure of meeting the H-D press relations crew led by Paul James, who also
2017 Harley-Davidson Touring Bikes — First Impressions Read More »
The speaking panel consisted of women with various backgrounds which is a great way to showcase the variety of our experiences. Upon arrival, you are greeted by the Buffalo Chip gals. Followed by the Team Diva Comfort Zone, which included hair care, nail care, massages all were deemed donation only with all proceeds going
Bikernet Event Coverage: 2016 Biker Belles Event Read More »
Bill, I would love to handle this in person, but you’re not down the street from me, so another time. Just a handful of questions: What’s your primary role at Harley-Davidson? I’m the janitor of Bikernet and I don’t seen any promotions in the near future. Your user agent does not support
BIKERNET Interviews BILL DAVIDSON Read More »
As some of you know, I once lived a normal life of the consistent toil and work needed to maintain many possessions. In time I established a way of life, on the road, almost completely devoid of these pressures. I believe that, aside from the elimination of ANY unnecessary possessions, this ideal is achieved by
THE TWIN CAM VS. EVO PROJECT CONTINUES Read More »
The American criminal justice system is aptly named. It is criminal the way the system dispenses “justice,” and that criminality infests the entire system. That’s because the system has become a business and a blood sport based on profit, control and winning rather than determining a person’s guilt or innocence. The result is that
A STUDY IN AMERICAN JUSTICE AND FREEDOM Read More »
The vendors have packed up, the campgrounds are empty, and traffic is back to normal now, as the 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally becomes just another fond memory. Regular attendees have already begun counting down to next year’s event. Perhaps the biggest news from this year’s rally was the noticeable drop in attendance
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2016 – That’s A Wrap Read More »
WASHINGTON, DC – Last week (August 2016), the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released its preliminary data and findings regarding motorcycle fatalities in 2015. The GHSA represents the state and territorial highway safety offices that implement programs to address highway safety. Although GHSA’s primary mission is to improve traffic safety, their latest report appears to
GHSA REPORT ADVOCATES FOR UNIVERSAL HELMET LAW…AGAIN Read More »
“India Shining!” said the Tourism Advertisement in international magazines. Then came the popular government in 2014 launching “Make in India” campaign. The major objective behind the initiative focused on job creation and skill enhancement in 25 sectors of the economy. Ray-Ban sunglasses has a manufacturing unit in India. Microsoft is building “smart-city” in India. IBM
The British Colony Uprising–ROYAL ENFIELD MOTORCYCLES Read More »
Rumors abounded since earlier this year and today Harley-Davidson pulled the veil off of an all-new V-twin engine, the Milwaukee-Eight; it will power its touring bikes for 2017. The ninth in the lineage of the company’s Big Twin engines, the Milwaukee Eight is said to deliver more power and an improved motorcycling experience while
The Milwaukee Eight — Harley-Davidson’s Newest Big Twin Read More »
Ron Loynds, owner of Metalsport and three other companies is an interesting cat. He’s not like a rich business guy who inherited his business from the family and flies in and out of his office in a helicopter. Ron is a biker who worked for his stepdad in a machine shop as a kid. Ron
Metalsport Revisited Read More »
