Hey,
I’m confused. The New Year’s resolution includes slowing down, but we’re speeding up. Also, we added the notion of reducing the number or projects on our plates but we added more. Here’s what we have up our sleeves for next week alone. We will kick off our Bonneville effort for 2010. I’m going to lean on Jason at Paughco to give me a list of their new Sportster related products, so I can wrap up my aftermarket Sportster tech with Paughco, S&S and Baker.
I believe we will cover the David Mann Chopperfest and a tech on stock frame castings is waiting in the wings. I want to work with Scotty on another one of his classic road stories, and I need to wrap up Ross’s traditional chopped Shovel Feature. That should cover it, but I’m always surprised with another, must publish piece or two. Hang On!
LAPD Chooses the BMWs Over the Harleys– Motocops now have a choice: BMW or Harley A portion of the Los Angeles moto-cops will soon be cruising around town on something new and shiny; hopefully the first time you see them won’t be from your rear view mirror.
The LAPD purchased more than 60 new BMWs to add to their stable of motorcycles and as soon as they are commissioned they will be taking to the streets.
“The city purchased 60 or 70 of the BMW R1200 RT-Ps, and the word is that’s all the city can afford for now,” Los Angeles police motor Officer Vic Fain said.
The black-and-white police model motorcycles are worth close to $20,000 apiece, though it was unclear what per unit price was for the city.
— By JOHN ADAMS
–from Bob T. and NBC News
Lane wrenching in prison Bike builder in ‘motor pool,’ teaching others to weld– Celebrity motorcycle builder Billy Lane hasn’t lost his passion nor shed his “gearhead” persona while serving time in the state penitentiary.
A state prison spokeswoman says Lane, serving six years for a 2006 car crash that killed another biker, has spent the last four months using his mechanical skills at the Avon Park Work Camp to fix Department of Corrections vehicles as part of the “motor pool.”
Lane has tried to turn the experience into a positive by helping other inmates learn how to weld, according to Eisenmenger. “He’s adjusting as best he can,” Eisenmenger said. “They are allowing him to work in the shop, help other people and make good use of his time, so I think that’s a positive.”
Corrections spokeswoman Rackleff said inmates are assigned to facilities and work based on extensive mental and physical screens during reception.
She said Lane was immediately assigned to the “motor pool,” where his skills could be used. Working doesn’t automatically equal gain time, Rackleff said. Instead good behavior earns that, and working is part of it.
Lane, placed in a minimum custody setting, has not been the subject of any disciplinary action, Rackleff said. Eisenmenger said Lane is still willing to comply with a request Morelock’s family voiced at sentencing asking Lane to use his celebrity status to help save the lives of young people through a foundation they plan to create in Morelock’s name. “While in prison, he’s not in a position to do that,” Eisenmenger said. “But it’s still his plan when he gets out.”
If the State of Florida was really smart they would have Billy teach others how to build a motorcycle and then they would have a job to go to when the get released. A bike built in prison could then be auctioned and or raffled off to raise money for inmates their families and the prison system.
Of course the action of Billy doing this should be counted towards extra gain time and an earlier release from prison. Florida has a prison industries named PRIDE and this may be something they would be interested in as well.
With the increase in motorcycles there is always going to be a need for people to work on them.
–Rogue
MAYO CLINIC in Arizona to Stop Treating Some Medicare Patients Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) — The Mayo Clinic, praised by President Barack Obama as a national model for efficient health care, will stop accepting Medicare patients as of tomorrow at one of its primary-care clinics in Arizona, saying the U.S. government pays too little.
More than 3,000 patients eligible for Medicare, the government?s largest health-insurance program, will be forced to pay cash if they want to continue seeing their doctors at a Mayo family clinic in Glendale, northwest of Phoenix, said Michael Yardley, a Mayo spokesman. The decision, which Yardley called a two-year pilot project, won?t affect other Mayo facilities in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.
Obama in June cited the nonprofit Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for offering ?the highest quality care at costs well below the national norm.? Mayo?s move to drop Medicare patients may be copied by family doctors, some of whom have stopped accepting new patients from the program, said Lori Heim, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, in a telephone interview yesterday.
?Many physicians have said, ?I simply cannot afford to keep taking care of Medicare patients,?? said Heim, a family doctor who practices in Laurinburg, North Carolina. ?If you truly know your business costs and you are losing money, it doesn?t make sense to do more of it.?
Medicare Loss
The Mayo organization had 3,700 staff physicians and scientists and treated 526,000 patients in 2008. It lost $840 million last year on Medicare, the government?s health program for the disabled and those 65 and older, Mayo spokeswoman Lynn Closway said.
Mayo?s hospital and four clinics in Arizona, including the Glendale facility, lost $120 million on Medicare patients last year, Yardley said. The program?s payments cover about 50 percent of the cost of treating elderly primary-care patients at the Glendale clinic, he said.
?We firmly believe that Medicare needs to be reformed,? Yardley said in a Dec. 23 e-mail. ?It has been true for many years that Medicare payments no longer reflect the increasing cost of providing services for patients.?
By David Olmos
National ‘Road Dawgs’ Group Puts the Bite on N.Y. Motorcycle Fans– A federal judge has ordered the members of a Syracuse motorcycle club to stop calling themselves “Road Dawgs” and to cover up their pit-bull logo. The ruling came in a trademark dispute with a New Hampshire-based national club with the same name comprised of motorcycle aficionados from the law enforcement community.
U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, in the Northern District of New York, said he agreed with the Road Dawgs Motorcycle Club of the United States that the activities of the unaffiliated New York club, which calls itself the “‘Cuse Road Dawgs,” could cause confusion and unfairly cast a bad light on the national organization or its affiliates.
Suddaby concluded that the reputation of the national Road Dawgs group has been harmed by activities surrounding the local group, known as the ‘Cuse Road Dawgs. “Cuse” or “‘Cuse” is shorthand locally for the city of Syracuse in general and especially for the sports teams of Syracuse University.
“One of the services that Defendants offer is the hosting of parties at their clubhouse, at which alcohol is served, and near which criminal activity has been reported in newspaper articles (that confused Defendants’ club name and Plaintiffs’ club name),” Suddaby wrote in Road Dawgs Motorcycle Club of the United States Inc. v. ‘Cuse Road Dawgs Inc., 5:05-cv-0966.
“Furthermore, one of the main qualities of Plaintiff’s club is that their membership consists exclusively of law enforcement professionals. For these reasons, the Court finds that Defendant’s services have tarnished Plaintiff’s mark.” Among the incidents cited by the judge was a fatal 2005 shooting in a property adjacent to the New York club’s Syracuse clubhouse. Club members were not involved in the shooting.
The ‘Cuse Road Dawgs is comprised of about two dozen local residents and does not cater to law enforcement personnel, as does the national Road Dawgs group. The national group has more than 200 members.
Suddaby on Dec. 22 issued a detailed amendment of a November ruling in which he gave the Syracuse motorcycle club 30 days to remove or cover up its logo on T-shirts, belt-buckles, jackets, jewelry, flags, helmets and other paraphernalia. He also gave club members until May 30 to remove or cover up the logo it has displayed on its clubhouse since 2000.
The Syracuse group adopted a gold pit bull’s head as its logo. The national group uses a full-length, gray and white pit bull.
The national group, which was incorporated in 1995, initiated the trademark infringement suit in 2005. The Syracuse group has been in existence since 1997, according to Suddaby’s ruling. The judge denied the national club’s attempt to collect monetary damages.
“Because Plaintiffs are a non-profit organization, they are unable to assert against Defendants any specific claim of lost sales or profits,” Suddaby wrote. “Moreover, they have failed to adduce sufficient admissible record evidence to persuade the Court that Defendants acted in bad faith or with willful deceitfulness, or that Defendants have profited from their use of the name ‘Cuse Road Dawgs.”
The national group raises money for charities by selling T-shirts and other items carrying its logo, according to the ruling. The judge also denied the plaintiff’s request for lawyers’ fees. James R. Muldoon of Marjama Muldoon Blasiak & Sullivan in Syracuse represented the national motorcycle club. Woodruff L. Carroll of Carroll & Carroll in Syracuse argued on behalf of the New York club.
Joel Stashenko, New York Law Journal
–from Rogue
FORD Introduces Best-In-Industry Plan to Improve Consumer Confidence, Jump-Start Vehicle Sales– Ford is different and people are noticing. But as we all know the buying public still has concerns about spending in today’s challenging environment.
So Ford is taking a big step to provide a solution and help bolster confidence in buying a new high-quality, fuel-efficient Ford, Lincoln or Mercury. It’s called the Ford Advantage Plan.
The plan is simple and also strongly emphasizes our commitment to helping local communities across the country.
Should a customer lose his or her job, Ford will make their payments for up to 12 months?and it’s free.
And, Americans are concerned there’s no credit available, but Ford Credit is delivering by offering low rates ? in many cases as low as 0% APR.
As you know, Ford is also a pillar in communities across America and our Ford family continues to dedicate their time to volunteer and help keep their local communities as strong as possible.
To continue this spirit, in April, Ford will partner with dealers across the country to assist local charities impacted by the economic downturn. More details on this expansive outreach will be coming soon.
Check out the details and a few special conditions, and visit www.ford.com to download the Ford Advantage Plan brochure starting April 1.
–from Nick Roberts
BIKERNET PUBLIC SAFETY WARNINGS SPONSORED BY DANNI ASHE– WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
And saving the best for last, as explained by Cliff Clavin, of Cheers. One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. Here’s how it went:
Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this… A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.
In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
HAVE A GREAT 2010.
–from Jim Waggaman
BIKERNET ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SUGGEST THIS WORD FOR 2010 PROTECTION– carapace KAIR-uh-pace, noun:
1. The thick shell that covers the back of the turtle, the crab, and other animals.
2. Something likened to a shell that serves to protect or isolate from external influence.
Desperate to win his father’s attention and respect, Kennedy became a hard man for a long while, covering over his sensitivity and capacity for empathy with a carapace of arrogance.
— Evan Thomas, Robert Kennedy: His Life
Almost all the vivid, eyewitness accounts we have . . . date from a quarter of a century later, when Degas, celebrated and successful, had developed a crusty, cantankerous carapace, from which he emerged occasionally to deliver his famously caustic and enigmatic mots.
— Christopher E. G. Benfey, Degas in New Orleans
Eisenman, who is Meier’s second cousin, was so neurotically insecure about his abilities that he sought to hide them within the dense carapace of arcane theory.
— Martin Filler, “The Spirit of ’76”, New Republic, July 9, 2001
Carapace comes from French, from Spanish carapacho, itself of uncertain origin.
SUNDAY QUOTE SPONSORED BY DEPARTURE BIKE WORKS– “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”…Theodore Roosevelt
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FROM URAL MOTORCYCLES– It’s New Year’s Eve and we find ourselves reflecting on this one incredible ride that 2009 was for all of us.
It’s been a very rocky and challenging year for the motorcycle industry and for Ural in particular, but we’ve made it through! The factory is running, the bikes are being built and shipped to our dealers and you, our faithful customers.
We want to thank all of you, our incredible Ural enthusiasts around the world for your amazing dedication to Ural. Keep riding and spreading the joy of sidecaring – you are our unmatchable force!
We thank our dealers and distributors for believing in us – we wouldn’t have made it without your support.
The last but not the least we want to thank our miracle-workers – the team in Irbit – their dedication beyond belief for pulling through this year and right to the very end, literally, – the last shipment of the year left the factory today, December 31.
Here’s to a peaceful, healthy and prosperous 2010 for all of us!
May a great many of you join the Ural Story this upcoming New Year! URAL SNOW GAMES
What’s a motorcyclist to do during these “short” snowy winter days? Well, it depends on what motorcycle you have… Here are a few ideas brought on from a quick ural+snow search on YouTube:
Find a brave monkey… and shock the snowplough driver.
…Or do something useful – bring the X-mas tree home or take it back to the recyclers
…Or pretend you are doing something really important…. like Ural snow testing
CASE STUDY FROM BIKERNET MEDICAL CENTER– A beautiful woman went to the gynecologist. The doctor took one look at the woman and all his professionalism flew out the window. He immediately told her to get undressed.
After she disrobed the doctor began to stroke her thigh. While Doing so he asked her, ‘Do you know what I am doing?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘You are checking for abrasions or Dermatological abnormalities.’
‘That’s right,’ said the doctor. He then began to fondle her Breasts. ‘Do you know what I am doing now?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘You are checking for lumps which might indicate Breast cancer.’
‘Correct,’ replied the shady doctor. Finally, he mounted his Patient and started having sexual intercourse with her. He asked, ‘Do you know what I am doing now?’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘You’re getting syphilis: which is why I came here in the first place.’
CUSTOM VEHICLES, CUSTOM PLATES– Wyoming Delivers Designer Tags for Street Rods and Custom Vehicles.
Working with a coalition of enthusiasts and lawmakers, last year the SAN achieved victory in Wyoming by enacting into law SEMA-model legislation to allow for the proper titling and registration of street rods and custom vehicles.
The new law defines a ?street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom vehicle as an altered vehicle manufactured after 1948.? Additionally, the law provides that replica and kit cars will be assigned the same model-year designations as the production vehicles they most closely resemble and exempts them from periodic inspections. Importantly, the law also provides specific registration and license plates for street rods and custom vehicles.
Never a state to do things halfway, Wyoming has delivered designer license plates for street rods and custom vehicles that are as custom as the cars themselves. Instrumental in not only passing the bill, but also making these custom plates a reality are Fred Williams, Division Director for the National Street Rod Association (NSRA), and Stan Goodwin, President of the Wyoming Street Rod Association (WSRA). Their allies in the state legislature who made the achievement possible are Representative Pat Childers, who sponsored the bill, and key supporters Representatives Stan Blake and Mike Gilmore.
?It took us three years to get the legislation passed that created the street rod and custom plates,? said Fred Williams. ?When the plates become available, we can display with pride the license plates on our vehicles and show that we drive cars that are special and different than your daily driver.?
The plates become available in July 2010, cost $100 for either the street rod plate or the custom plate and do not have to be renewed until 2017. The only restriction with using the new plates is that the vehicle they are registered to cannot be used for daily transportation.
SEMA SPREADS THE WORD–Does your club host an annual car show? Do you want to help get others involved in working to protect this hobby? If you answered ?yes? to both of these questions, then you can help by letting your fellow enthusiasts know about the SEMA Action Network (SAN) and include information about SAN in your show goodie bags.
The SAN has produced a brochure, which provides valuable information on some of the ongoing opportunities and threats that the auto hobby faces. The brochure also highlights the importance of developing an ongoing positive relationship with your state and local officials.
It?s quite simple. The more people that get their hands on this information and the more people that actively participate, the more successful we will be in protecting this hobby.
For more information or to request free brochures for your club?s upcoming show, contact Ethan Landesman at ethanl@sema.org or by phone at 202/783-6007, ext. 39. Please contact the SAN at least six weeks prior to the show to ensure timely delivery of the brochures.
BIKERNET SUGGESTION BOX– just a suggestion. When you hover the mouse over one of your sponsors banner and click, could it open in a separate window?
You can be halfway through reading the Thursday or Sunday edition, click on a banner and get completely sidetracked….. never to return!
Happy New Year to you all…….
–Indian Joe
TV WELLNESS EXPERT JILLIAN MICHAELS TEAMS WITH HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO HELP WOMEN CHANNEL THEIR INNER DRIVE AND LIVE MORE FULFILLING LIVES– New Sweepstakes to Put One Lucky Woman and Three of Her Friends Behind the Handlebars with Michaels.
MILWAUKEE (December 31, 2009) ? Step to the side of the road red and blue teams. Today, Harley-Davidson Motor Company announced a partnership with America?s wellness expert Jillian Michaels to encourage women to gear up and get behind the handlebars of their own motorcycle.
Michaels, a life-long motorcycle enthusiast and licensed rider, is teaming with the Motor Company to spotlight National Garage Party Month, which features a special promotion that will reward one lucky woman and three of her friends with a transformational weekend and an opportunity to meet Michaels.
?Learning to ride a motorcycle was an empowering experience for me, so I want to share that with other women,? Michaels said. ?That?s what Garage Party events are all about. Women get to learn about the sport from other women in a non-intimidating environment, which is why I?m excited to be a part of this effort.?
Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country are gearing up for National Garage Party Month in March 2010. Garage Party events provide a fun, social environment for women to learn about the sport of motorcycling, as well as meet other women who are interested in riding. Dealers host the events year-round, but the Motor Company has declared March as a special focus to bring national awareness to the events, which have encouraged thousands of women to learn to ride in the last few years.
During National Garage Party Month, the Motor Company is also hosting a sweepstakes that will reward one lucky woman and three of her friends with a transformational weekend in Los Angeles. The weekend will feature participation in the Harley-Davidson Rider?s Edge New Rider Course, spa treatments and a motivational talk with Michaels on how to live a better, healthier life.
Garage Party History
Harley-Davidson started hosting Garage Party events at dealerships throughout the country in 2005 to encourage women to embrace the sport of motorcycling. The growth of female riders has continued to rise over the last two decades. In 1990, women represented just three percent of riders, but according to recent data from the Motorcycle Industry Council, women riders now represent 13 percent of new motorcycle purchasers and 23 percent of all motorcyclists.
Garage Party events are fun and interactive, covering topics such as a review of the basic motorcycle controls, how to customize a motorcycle?s style and ergonomics and how to gear up for a ride. Garage Party event attendees are organized into small groups, getting their first taste of the camaraderie that goes along with riding. Groups will visit four informational seminars, including:
? Motorcycle Orientation to learn the basic differences between Harley-Davidson motorcycle families.
? MotorClothes Merchandise to discover the important attributes needed in motorcycle gear.
? Customization to learn how to customize a motorcycle to reflect a rider?s personal style and ergonomic needs, using Fit Shop that many dealers have.
? Self-Service to find out how just about anyone can handle the weight of a motorcycle, including an interactive experience on picking up a motorcycle ? for those who are interested in trying it out.
Between seminars, women get the chance to interact with each other, as well as hear from women who are already living their motorcycle dreams.
The women-only Harley-Davidson Garage Party events are free for any woman who is looking to take the next step to get behind the handlebars. For more information about Garage Party events, to find an event in your area, or learn more about the sweepstakes, visit www.harley-davidson.com/garageparty.
FBI Reports Huge Decrease In Murders As Firearm, Ammunition And “Large” Magazine Sales Soar– Last week, the FBI issued its preliminary 2009 crime report, showing that the number of murders in the first half of 2009 decreased 10 percent compared to the first half of 2008. If the trend holds for the remainder of 2009, it will be the single greatest one-year decrease in the number of murders since at least 1960, the earliest year for which national data are available through the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Also, the per capita murder rate for 2009 will be 51 percent lower than the all-time high recorded in 1991, and it will be the lowest rate since 1963 – a 46-year low. Final figures for 2009 will be released by the FBI next year.
According to gun control supporter dogma – “more guns means more crime” – the number of privately owned firearms must have decreased 10 percent in 2009. To the contrary, however, the number rose between 1.5 and 2 percent, to an all-time high. For the better part of the last 15 months, firearms, ammunition, and “large” ammunition magazines have been sold in what appear to be record quantities. And, the firearms that were most commonly purchased in 2009 are those that gun control supporters most want to be banned – AR-15s, similar semi-automatic rifles, and handguns designed for defense. The National Shooting Sports Foundation already estimates record ammunition sales in 2009, dominated by .223 Remington, 7.62x39mm, 9mm and other calibers widely favored for defensive purposes.
Also indicative of the upward trend in firearm sales, the number of national instant check transactions rose 24.5 percent in the first six months of 2009 compared to the first six months in 2008, the greatest increase since NICS’ inception in 1998. Through the end of October, NICS transactions rose18 percent, compared to the same period in 2008.
More Guns Means More Crime? Hardly. In 2009, more guns meant less crime, in a very, very big way.
VINTAGE CLASS HITS THE FIRST ER SHOW OF 2010– Happy New Year everyone! Here is where you can find us the month of January –
1/9 & 1/10 – Easyriders Motorcycle Show,
Pomona, CA
www.easyridersevents.com
1/24 – Long Beach Motorcycle Swap Meet,
Long Beach, CA
www.toppingevents.com
1/29 – 1/31 – Grand National Roadster Show,
Pomona, CA
www.rodshows.com
Thanks and see you soon!
Joel and Mary, Vintage Klass
Vintage Helmets and Leathers
949 355 8098
www.myspace.com/vintageklass
SMOKEOUT CREW WORKOUT ROUTINE–Bandit convinced me to start a workout routine. Fab Kevin and I have a bet… if either one of us is not down to 195 by Cinci… we have to sing Karaoke on the Long Road…. and that ain’t going to happen.
–Greg
Happy New Year from WHEELS THROUGH TIME!– The Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC is proud to announce that it is looking forward to another busy year in 2010. The museum, which has entertained over 500,000 visitors since its relocation in 2002, has re-adjusted its schedule for 2010 to provide countless opportunities to visit throughout the year.
“Although rumors are still circulating about the closing and relocation of the museum, Wheels Through Time is still located in Maggie Valley and plans to operate on a weekend schedule throughout 2010,” says museum curator, Dale Walksler.
Part the Museum’s mission for 2010 includes the construction of various new exhibitions and displays, including an exhibit celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Check out the whole story on our website!
Introducing the 2010 Wheels Through Time Raffle Bike
WTT is proud to announce the new machine for their 8th Annual Motorcycle Raffle — a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, built by Dale and Staff in the WTT Restoration Shop.
FIRST WEEK OF THE NEW YEAR–Then we only have 51 left. We gotta make progress with it, or we’re burnin’ daylight. I’m hoping to ship my first Chance book to the printer this coming week. I need to register the 5-Ball Factory Racer and start to put some miles on it. I’m also hoping our new web guys will nail down our new blog lay out and I can begin to learn the ins and outs of blog publishing. Then we will grapple with what to do with the Thursday news and the Sunday Post.
Don’t panic. I believe, I’m guessing, that we will keep both the Post and the Thursday News. The Post will become more fun oriented, secret shit, with more girls, jokes and Bikernet content reports. The Thursday News will contain Special Reports, jokes, won’t be such a goddamn tomb of info. But you tell me your thoughts. Bottom line, we’ll have some fun with this process, and bob and weave as we go.
In the meantime Trent is redesigning our Bikernet Metric Blog. We will watch his brilliant moves and in April decide whether he’s winning the race for new content and readers, or not.
Hang on as we move forward. You know the adage: Time will tell and shit will smell. That’s the code, goddamnit. Have a helluva week.
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
