Hey,
Memorial Day weekend, and with any luck the 5-Ball Factory Racer will be ready for powder and paint before I fire up the barbecue tomorrow. A gang of wild men and hot babes are headed to the Bikernet ivory tower over looking the Pacific for potato salad and pinto beans.
Let’s jump into the news, so I can fire up my welder and blow sparks all over the shop. This Memorial Day we need to come up with a way to place the word “Freedom” firmly back into America’s vocabulary.
BIKERNET FREEDOM COUNSEL FINDINGS– No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. -Mark Twain (1866)
–from James Schnarr
KEY LEGISLATION IN MISSOURI– Just want to let you know that Missouri has had quite a ride this year with our two key pieces of legislation. Our helmet modification bill took an interesting turn early in the session when it was attached to our comparative fault bill in the Senate. (Up to that point we had figured our House bill would be the one to move). We all held our breath as the Senate bill was perfected (as several of our staunch advocates were out of the room) with no amendments.
Then on to the Senate vote where we knew we had the numbers but needed our supporters to be there. They were and we passed the Senate. Now on to the House. This year brought in new leadership and with the new leadership came new rules (that you learn as you go along). We made it through the House committees with due pass recommendations and on to the House calendar. We were assured by House leadership that our bills (now combined into one) would receive sufficient debate time. The key however was we had to get through the House without any amendments being added on.
Thanks to the hard work of our bill sponsor (Rep. Gary Dusenburg) he was able to stop all amendments. By a vote of 93 to 62 we passed the House!!! We are now on our way to the Governor with a clean bill which contains both our comparative fault legislation and our helmet modification bill. Our helmet bill is 21 and over and does have one interesting concession – you still have to wear a helmet on the interstate. I know it’s a concession, but it was one we were willing to live with (unlike the insurance concessions they wanted). WOW what a night last night was.
Ok now for what we need from the other states. We would like to have some very strong letters, phone calls, etc. sent to the Governor and Lt Governor asking them to please let SB202 become law. We know a lot of riders avoid coming into the state because of our helmet law so modifying the law to allow adult freedom of choice will result in more tourism dollars in the state. Thanks for all of your support during this wild ride and hopefully I will be able to report soon that Missouri is now a motorcycle friendly state.
Lehman Conversion Harley-Davidson FLH Trike and Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Customized by Roland Sands Design to Headline 2009 Kids & Chrome Auction– RAPID CITY, SD ? Everyone loves a party. And, this year, as Kids & Chrome marks its 5th Anniversary, there will again be cause to celebrate.
Kids & Chrome, a one-of-a-kind benefit dinner and auction, began in 2005 at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The event has a tradition of attracting a special breed of motorcycle enthusiasts and industry legends from around the globe to ?Rally for a Reason? in the name of ?Kids,? the Children?s Home Society, and ?Chrome,? the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.
In the past four years, Kids & Chrome has donated well in excess of a half million dollars to positively impact the lives of special needs children and preserve the history of motorcycling, both of which are causes near and dear to the hearts of the global motorcycle community.
?Even during these past few years of challenging economic times, the motorcycle community has shown up to support charity events across the country, and they?ve shown up by the hundreds each August in support of Kids & Chrome,? said Ronda Gusinsky, Kids & Chrome?s Executive Director. ?We are pleased to again have opportunity to invite them to join us in support of this year?s 5th Anniversary Kids & Chrome,? she continued.
As customary, in addition to its eclectic mix of food, fun and fellowship, this year?s Kids & Chrome live auction will feature unique custom products of its proud industry heritage including a 2009 Lehman Conversion Harley-Davidson FLH Trike, donated by Lehman Trikes and Black Hills Harley-Davidson, and a 2009 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, donated by Jim and Monica Burgess and customized by Roland Sands Design (RSD). ?We at Lehman Trikes are extremely honored to be a part of this wonderful event and the benefit it brings to the Children?s Home Society and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame,? said Ken Hines, Executive Vice President of Lehman Trikes.
Roland Sands, of Roland Sands Design, shared Hines? sentiments, ?It?s great to work with the folks at Kids & Chrome. I?ve been to the events for quite some time and it?s a classy group of people.? Sands added that he feels it is an honor to be chosen to build a bike for this event. ?I will do everything I can to help out the cause of Kids & Chrome,? Sands continued. ?I?ll see you at the event, and don?t forget your checkbook because you are going to want this bike.?
?Black Hills Harley-Davidson and my wife Monica and I are proud to be contributors to Kids & Chrome,? states Jim Burgess, one of Black Hills Harley-Davidson?s partners and Board President of Kids & Chrome Foundation, Inc. ?This is an event that we became vested in at its inception five years ago, because we believe in giving back to our Black Hills communities and to the folks that have supported our dealership for so many years. We are very grateful to Lehman and Roland Sands for believing in our cause and their generous support of this event,? Burgess continued.
This year’s Kids & Chrome is slated for Wednesday, August 5th, 2009, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Spearfish, SD. It begins with a 5:30PM social and silent auction followed by an exclusive gala dining experience and live auction finale.
Tickets are now on sale at www.KidsandChrome.com. For more information on Kids & Chrome, email Ronda@KidsandChrome.com or phone 605/716-9190.
Kids & Chrome Foundation, Inc. is a Black Hills 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
THE BIKERNET MEDICAL CENTER FORCED DR. WEIL TO STAY OPEN DURING THE HOLIDAY–5 Supplements for Energy If you feel worn down or are lacking energy due to a hectic schedule and day-to-day stressors, learn how to fight fatigue naturally. Taking a few minutes for yourself and performing simple breathing exercises can be helpful, as can daily moderate physical activity and getting adequate rest. Certain nutrients, botanicals and other compounds can also help to ward off or lessen the effects of general fatigue. Experiment with the following:
Magnesium and calcium. Oral magnesium supplementation has been shown to help reduce symptoms of fatigue in persons with low magnesium levels.
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Studies show that eleuthero can help enhance mental activity as well as physical endurance.
Coenzyme Q10. This vital nutrient is involved in cellular energy production throughout the body.
Ashwaganda, an Ayurvedic herb prized for its ability to help the body deal with stress.
Cordyceps, a traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom that may help fight fatigue and boost energy levels.
–for more informations contact Drweil.com
MEMORIAL DAY NEWS– The 5-Ball is looking great and the documentation is impressive.
Check this, WWII blow up fake tank decoy. This photo was taken last year in Paris at the War Resistance Memorial Museum on the day commemorating the heros of the Resistance. About five people besides us were there. Really sad and tragic. How soon we forget.
–Dick Allen
ESTABLISHING A SEMA WORK GROUP–I recently reached out to over 100 industry individuals who indicated interest in establishing an aftermarket industry group to support motorcycling and motorcycle rights organizations around the world. I asked if, individually they would like to be involved as an active member of this committee.
From that response I have worked up a list of individuals who could help us grow and administer this working group committee and hopefully be accepted by SEMA, the largest aftermarket automotive organization in the country. I’m currently reaching out to them to confirm their involvement and to afford anyone else the opportunity to step up.
Once the committee is established we will reach out to the members of the motorcycle rights community to ask how we, as the custom motorcycle aftermarket can help. From that response, we will determine a plan of action.
Don’t hesitate to drop me a line, if you would like to be involved in any aspect of this endeavor to support motorcycling.
–Bandit
bandit@bikernet.com
BANDIT TRYING TO FIND SMOKE OUT WEST SPORTSTER BUILDERS– I’m trying to reach a couple of Smoke Out builders. There built two ’30s looking vintage Sportster rigids. They gave them the rust treatment with sanded paint. They had RIM on their t-shirts. These were West SO bikes. That’s all the clues I have.
I would like to reach out to them.
–Bandit@bikernet.com
BIKERNET TO SUBMIT MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS ARTICLE TO THE BUFFALO CHIP GAZETTE– Have any interest in doing an article for the Buffalo Chip Gazette on motorcycle rights, we will plug bikernet etc in the mag, it has 100,000 copies and goes all over the US. It is due June 1st see below
Article: Motorcycle Rights and What They Mean To You (Or some other cool title around ?I can?t Ride on Lakeshore Drive?)
Focus: According to the latest Sturgis Rally surveys 28 to 32 percent of attendees are first timers and with Harley Davidson expanding into the ?enthusiast? market, we would like BANDIT to do a ?call to action? style article of why average motorcyclist should stay updated on motorcycle-rights related issues, highlight key pieces of legislation and profile some motorcycle rights organizations riders can get involved with.
Page Count: 800 to 1200 words
Imagery: No clue.
Deadling June 1.
Fuck, another project, another deadline, another woman and another bottle of whiskey. I can handle ’em all, goddamnit.–Bandit
SAD NEWS– I lost a longtime friend this week. Wayne Allwine was an “Arrow” in the 60’s and then in 1977, he became the 3rd official voice of “Mickey Mouse”. His marriage to Russi Taylor in 1991 gave me a fun fact to add to most of my interviews, she is the voice of “Minnie Mouse”!
As all of you can imagine, I am devastated by this. A few weeks ago I transferred some tracks from the 60’s to be included on the new album and he is on one of those.
A fan/friend who has a ‘zine in England asked about the tunes Wayne was on. I sent this:
The most “famous” of the tracks on which he appeared were “Cycle-Delic” (he did the rhythm guitar, the saxaphone mouthpiece solo and the harmonica solo) and “Mind Transferral”…also on rhythm and reciting “Mary Had A Little Lamb” with my first wife (the tape was turned upside down for the recording so the nursery rhyme came out backwards). Also, he was on “Blues Trip” and “13th Harley” plus an unreleased version of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” that I had EQ’d four weeks ago to be part of the next album.
He was not on many tracks but we did plenty of appearances including a month long tour of the U.S. in ’67.
He was a great friend, a great talent and one of the nicest guys I ever knew. I can’t quite convey the incredible sadness I feel for the loss.
–DA
The Bulldog Bash licence review ? Police application rejected– Stratford Council have rejected Warwickshire Police?s application for a licence review. It appears the application did not contain sufficient grounds to warrant a review to overturn last year?s decision, which had extended the licence until 2018. The Bulldog organisers are justifiably pleased with the announcement and now hope to work with Police to ensure the safety and success of this year?s show. They are investing heavily to bring visitors a bigger better show for 2009, with headline music acts Motorhead, UFO and Oliver/Dawson SAXON all officially confirmed.
Music updates just breaking cover include the line up for the Bulldog?s new Area81 stage launched at last years show ? The Area81 stage predominantly features up and coming bands, who have showcased at Bristol?s underground Area81 rock club ? the line up so far: Hellbound, Big Num, Zombie Met Girl, The Buffalo Kings, Voodoo Johnson, Fury UK, Desert Storm, Imicus, Somnus, Riot Noise, The Leftovers and Smackla.
Garlands Triumph will be offering visitors who have all their particulars ? including both parts of the new photo licence ? the opportunity to test ride a range of the latest machines to come out of Hinckley; including the new Daytona 675, Bonneville and the eagerly anticipated Thunderbird Cruiser. A range of Triumph clothing and apparel will also be offered to show visitors at discounted prices thought the weekend. Commenting on the Bulldog Bash, Dai Garland said ?We are pleased to be the first dealership to offer test rides at the Bulldog, it?s never been tried before, and we feel that the Bulldog offers a unique mix of enthusiasts who will appreciate Triumph?s latest products?.
The Bulldog is still the only UK event offering live entertainment along side Run-wot-you-brung drag racing sessions; visitors are encouraged to leave the car at home, ride to the Bulldog Bash and run their own bike?s on the Shakespeare County Raceway dragstrip – it’s an experience not to be missed. RWYB (Run Wot You Brung) Track times are between 9:30 am to 5:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, 9.30 to 1.00pm on Sunday. All bikes must pass Scrutineering; which begins at 8:30am and continues throughout the RWYB sessions. The costs for RWYB are just ?10 per day on Friday & Saturday, and ?5 for Sunday Morning. Jet cars and rocket bikes will be hurtling down the drag strip all weekend, punctuated by top stunt bike performances.
Tickets are available from The Bulldog Bash, PO Box 5026, East Reading, RG6 1QZ ? Please send a cheque or postal order for ?50 per person, plus a first class postage paid SEA, to arrive no later than 30th of June. After this date the gate price of ?55 applies.
Keep an eye on the Bulldog Bash website and forum at www.bulldogbash.com.
MICHAEL LICHTER ART STURGIS ART EXHIBIT AT THE CHIP– The annual exhibition is moving again, this time to a 7,000′ building the Buffalo Chip is putting up for the purpose.
We will bring you constant updates and reports as the Badlands rally approaches.
— Michael
Michael Lichter Photography, LLC
3300 14th Street
Boulder, CO 80304 USA
Studio phone 303 449-3906
Email mike@lichterphoto.com
Custom Bike site www.lichterphoto.com
Ltd EditionPrint site www.lichtereditions.com
Searchable stock site www.lichterstock.com
VINTAGE CAR AUCTION COMING– The collection of Rhode Island based collector the late Ted Leonard will lead our annual auction at the Greenwich Concours d?Elegance in Connecticut, on Sunday June 7th. Built over a number of years, Mr. Leonard prided himself on acquiring cars that had been owned by celebrities or had starred on the ?Silver Screen?.
The 1938 Packard Darrin convertible, which is not only covetable as being one of the earliest of the Howard ?Dutch? Darrin designs on a Packard but was owned in its early life by one of the most famous car aficionados of this era, Clark Gable.
ROLLING THUNDER REPORT– The last time Rolling Thunder roared into Washington, the president welcomed the riders in the White House driveway with a smile on his face and heartfelt personal greeting. This year, maybe not.
“We initially got a call this year saying the president wasn’t going to greet us,” said Artie Muller, founder of the group that is marking its 22nd annual patriotic motorcycle ride through Washington to draw attention to policy issues influencing veterans, active-duty military, prisoners of war and those still missing in action.
But a second call in recent days revealed that the White House would do something.
“We expect it will be a member of the staff, not a meeting with President Obama. We really won’t know until sometime on Friday afternoon. But this is a step in the right direction,” said #Nancy Regg, a spokeswoman for the group, which has 88 chapters across the country and expects to draw as many as a half-million bikers for a “Freedom Ride” on Sunday from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
An administration official confirmed Thursday that a group of Rolling Thunder members were expected at the White House on Friday, but was unsure with whom they would meet.
The official said the bikers would meet separately with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.
Mr. Obama has not shirked his outreach to the military, however. He met Thursday with 50 wounded soldiers and their families, and helped to assemble packages destined for overseas delivery. The president took off his jacket and manned a table, bagging camouflage-patterned fanny packs.
“We’re going to work with the USO to put together 3,000 care packages for our troops serving in harm’s way. We’re going to give back to those who’ve given so much for us,” Mr. Obama told the group, which included members of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“And I find that fitting and proper, a good way to kick off a weekend that serves to honor all the men and women who have worn the proud uniform of this country that we love,” the president said.
First lady Michelle Obama has embraced military families as her signature focus in the White House, recently dining in a cafeteria at Fort Bragg and meeting privately with military spouses. Rolling Thunder, meanwhile, is still on a mission. Whether Mr. Obama greets them or not, the organization has information to share.
BIKERNET TECH EXPERT BUYS USED BMW– Just picked up the bike yesterday. Runs good, does 80 MPH with 3000 RPM left!! I took it to 90 MPH no problem. Had to back off because of theTroopers out.
–Pablo
Hard Rockin RED to perform at the Chip Friday, Aug. 7== It will be a hard-rockin? night at the Legendary Buffalo Chip on Friday, Aug. 7, when RED joins Buckcherry during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The alternative rock and alternative metal band from Nashville hit the bigtime with their Grammy nominated first album ?End of Silence? which contained the hits ?Let Go,? ?Breathe Into Me,? and ?Already Over.?
?Breathe Into Me? hit #15 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Chart.
The band?s newest album, Innocence & Instinct, released in February, debuted on the US Billboard 200 Chart at #15. On iTunes, the new album peaked at #5 in its first week. ?Death of Me? is the first single off the album and has been climbing mainstream rock charts since its release.
Campground owner Rod Woodruff said RED ?brings a fresh approach to alternative rock and will bring a whole new perspective to a rockin? night with Buckcherry.?
RED joins a stellar Buffalo Chip Sturgis Rally lineup that includes: Aerosmith, Toby Keith, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Tesla, Cheech & Chong, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Hinder, Lita Ford, Billy Squier and Saving Abel. More information is available at http://BuffaloChip.com.
WWII Display Opens at H-D Museum– From May 22 through August 10, the Harley-Davidson Museum will host a special display, One American Hero, telling the story of Staff Sergeant Wallace Van Sandt, a young motorcycle enthusiast who was killed in action during WWII. For decades, Wallace?s family preserved his memory through his prized possession, a 1941 Harley-Davidson WLD Sport Solo, along with many other personal mementoes from his short life.
The display will be highlighted by a compelling evening program on June 5 at 7pm
Washington declines to help California, at least for now– Administration officials say the state can do more to solve the budget crisis on its own, they don’t have the authority to help — and if they did, it would set a dangerous precedent.
Reporting from Washington — California needs to solve its financial crisis by itself and should not expect an emergency bailout from the White House, an array of Obama administration officials said Thursday, making clear they had no appetite to step in and provide financial assistance or loan guarantees.
“Look, we’re going to examine what we can do. What we need to do, however, is to treat states fairly and that means uniformly,” David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, said in an interview. “Whatever we do for one state, there will be other states who also will want to do that. And there’s a limit to what the government can do.”
By Peter Nicholas and Richard Simon
SEMA HONORS ROUSH PERFORMANCE– The city of Detroit continues to make headlines. The headlines are usually negative, with the discussions involving reduced vehicle sales, job losses and plant closures. What people may not realize is that the Detroit area is home to a number of SEMA-member companies as well. As the car-production capital of the world, there is no doubt that Detroit has suffered greatly as a result of the downturn in the economy.
But at the same time, the people of Detroit are hard working and are not ready to give up the fight. In fact, those who work for SEMA-member companies might just have the best attitudes of all. And rightly so, because in many cases these companies have weathered the storm fairly well, just as they have done in previous market crunches.
One of these companies is ROUSH Performance Products Inc. While attending the SAE World Congress in April, members of the SEMA Market Research staff had the privilege of visiting ROUSH Performance Products.
Erin Dmytrow of ROUSH was generous enough to take time out of his busy day to talk about the company. Despite the fact that Dmytrow?s parents really had no interest in cars, he became a gearhead at a young age. By the age of 10, he could distinguish between the various makes and models of vehicles on the road and could recite the names of powertrain-related features even if he did not know how they worked.
He was fortunate enough to be a part of a co-op program in college that enabled him to work for Ford Motor Company?s aluminum casting and Modular engine plants and gain experience toward earning his degree. He was hired by ROUSH upon graduation and has now been with the company for a total of 10 years. Dmytrow started out on the OEM side of the company and later moved to the specialty-equipment side, where he has been for four years. Yes, there is more than one component within the company that most people usually refer to simply as ROUSH. The parent company is called ROUSH Enterprises, and ROUSH Performance Products is a separate entity within the company, along with ROUSH Industries, ROUSH Fenway Racing and ROUSH Life Sciences. ROUSH Enterprises offers many services, from motorsports management to engineering to product design and testing.
ROUSH Industries is a Tier One Supplier that provides engineering and development support services. ROUSH Performance combines the experience of ROUSH Racing with the engineering expertise of ROUSH Industries for the development of performance vehicles, performance parts and Modular engines. ROUSH Performance is the facet responsible for the company?s signature ROUSH Mustang.
The man responsible for the success of ROUSH Enterprises, and for whom the company is named, is Jack Roush. He began his career in the automotive industry working as an engineer for Ford Motor Company in 1964. After leaving Ford, Roush formed Jack Roush Performance Industries in 1976. This grew to include Roush Racing in 1988, and together these entities evolved into ROUSH Enterprises. Roush was a successful racer in the NHRA, NASCAR, IMSA and SCCA Trans-Am.
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