Hey,

I had a twisted thought the other day. The topic of homeless folks comes up on a regular basis in the ghetto here on the Port of Los Angeles. The locals want them to move on and the city government takes a supportive view, like, “So, what the hell are we going to do with them.”

Yep, some may have serious mental problems and no family. Some have families and don’t like their job opportunities, so would rather be homeless, many have drug problems, or problems with alcohol. They just want to scrounge enough money each day to get high.

So, for them all the rest of us are forced to buy into Obama care, forced to give the government all of our financial records, and forced to put up with any tax or regulation the government sees fit, so the government can afford to give jobless, immigrants, and homeless free care. How are we doing?

Let’s hit the news: The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by Cycle Source Magazine, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and Iron Trader News, the Intelligent Choice.




HARLEY MUSEUM MILWAUKEE LABOR DAY SHOW-- The rumble of Harley-Davidson motorcycles could be heard in and around Milwaukee over Labor Day. At the Harley-Davidson Museum, riders gathered for a first look at the new 2016 models and to take part in the Pro Invitational Custom Bike Show.

Riders from across the country were in Milwaukee this weekend for the rally. And two riders, James and Katie Washnok of Blackout Motors, competed against each other in the Pro-Invitational Custom Bike Show and Competition.



In 2013, James and Katie built 'his and hers' bikes for their wedding. Katie didn't have many requirements except the bikes needed to have a Coach saddle. On Sunday, September 6th, their bikes, Pearl and Lewie, were side-by-side competing in the FreeStyle class.



“Make sure your wife`s bike is just a little bit cooler than yours because it`s always better if she wins!" James Washnok said.

The relationship started a long time ago. Katie and James met...well re-met...in the summer of 2003 through mutual friends. They would later find out their friendship went much farther back; to their days at the Avera St. Lukes Hospital Daycares.

Together the couple also owns and operates Blackout Motors; a customization shop specializing in custom motorcycle builds, located in Aberdeen, SD.

Hang on for the Winners’ List later in the news.






THERE IS HOPE FOR THE BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS-- Land Racing Advocates Join Forces for Bonneville.



The Save the Salt Coalition and Utah Alliance are working closely together as advocates for the land speed racing (LSR) community to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF). The following is a report on current actions.

The Save the Salt Coalition is an international group of businesses and organizations with a vested interest in the BSF. The Utah Alliance provides expertise and connections at the state and local level. Major LSR sanctioning organizations are members of both groups. The two groups have partnered on the shared mission of restoring the BSF as the premier venue for setting world land speed records. The collaboration allows experts within the groups to undertake specific projects.

The cancellation of four of the five major racing events for 2015 due to weather and deteriorating conditions has helped place a spotlight on Bonneville. As a result, the Save the Salt Coalition and Utah Alliance have already had extensive discussions with officials at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which oversees the BSF, mining officials, geologists, engineers, lawmakers in Congress and at the state and local level. Numerous press interviews have also conveyed the plight of the BSF to the world via newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs.

Two educational meetings have been now scheduled: one for the public (Sept. 9) and another for elected representatives, government officials, industry and other interested stakeholders (Sept. 14).


The second briefing will take place on September 14th at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Representatives from the two Coalitions will conduct a private tour and present the racer’s perspective to government, industry and local community leadership.

The private tour will allow the parties to engage in follow-up discussions and begin identifying tangible restoration actions. Both groups have already identified a number of short- and long-term actions to be considered. They include expanded brine pumping, barriers to keep the pumped brine within the racing area, and targeted dry salt laydowns. Reaching consensus on actions to be taken will be assisted by BSF core samplings to be taken this fall and winter by geologists, and consultations with engineers and water experts.

Conveying information is also critical. Toward that effort, the Utah Alliance is creating a website repository of photographic, film and historical documentation about the BSF available to everyone. The website will be unveiled in the near future. It will be an additional resource for the main www.savethesalt.org website which serves to keep the public informed of day-to-day actions.

For more information, visit www.savethesalt.org



Utah Alliance

Leadership: Dennis Sullivan (President USFRA); Rick Vesco (founding member STS); Larry Volk (founding member USFRA); Gary Wilkinson (Save the Salt; Vice Chairman, USFRA); Hugh Coltharp (Treasurer & founding member USFRA); Tom Burkland (Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials); Russ Eyres (Save the Salt; SCTA/BNI Liaison); Roger Lessman (Nevada State Govt. Liaison).

Save the Salt Coalition

Chairman: Doug Evans, Chief Operating Officer, Luken Communications

Public Information Officer: Louise Ann Noeth / 805.312.0893 / louise@landspeedproductions.biz

Coalition Contact: Stuart Gosswein, stuartg@sema.org

Members: ACCUS, FIA, American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC), Bonneville Nationals Inc. (BNI), Bonneville 200 MPH Club, Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, Cook’s Land Speed Events, East Coast Timing Association, FIA Land Speed Records Commission, LandSpeed Productions, Luken Communications, Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), Performance Warehouse Association (PWA), Save the Salt Foundation, Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Speed Demon, The Enthusiast Network (TEN), Utah Alliance, Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA), United States Automobile Club (USAC).






LATEST VIDEO FROM SCOTT JACOBS STUDIOS-- Check out this video on YouTube:



--Scott




SALOON FIRE IN STURGIS, SD --
Flames early Tuesday morning engulfed a popular Sturgis saloon that bills itself as the "world's largest biker bar."

The Full Throttle Saloon is a total loss after crews battled the blaze throughout the morning.

Sturgis Assistant Fire Chief Sean Barrows says crews tried to get inside but heat and smoke forced firefighters to battle the blaze from the outside in heavy winds. The building was completely on the ground by 3 a.m.

Barrows says there were no injuries.

The bar on South Dakota Highway 34 has been the subject of a reality television series. Its amenities include zip lines, musical stages and rental cabins.




--from Rogue




SHOCK ABSORBING STRONG TIE DOWN-- SHOCKSTRAP Introduces Revolutionary 10-foot
Tie Downs for Your Toys that Don't Stretch--Sandy, UT - ShockStraps is proud to add their new 10-foot ShockStraps to their product line up. ShockStraps are a unique shock absorbing tie down that incorporates three of the most versatile tie down principals into one superior system. It is quick and easy like a motorcycle tie down, has the reliability of a ratchet system and versatility of a shock cord.

We incorporate a ShockStrap that when stretched maintains tension on the webbing, locking it into the buckle. When road vibrations cause loads to shift and settle, other tie downs can loosen and become unsafe. Under these conditions, our ShockStrap stretches acting like a shock absorber and contracts with the load keeping it secure.



SHOCKSTRAP FEATURES:

Dependable - ShockStraps provides superior shock absorption without coming loose

Durable - The ShockStrap is made from our own formula and is not affected by most chemicals, sunlight, oil, salt water, fungus and moisture

Rust Resistant - Hooks and buckle are yellow zinc coated, which lasts 8 to 10 times
longer than powder coated metal

Wider Hook Openings - Hooks have wider opening to allow for more connection options

Shock Absorber Qualities - You never have to worry about checking your tie downs every 30-60 miles you travel like other tie downs.

Available in an assortment of colors in 6, 10 and 19-foot Lengths for your BIG Toys! To order call: 888-334-3456 or shop online at www.shockstrap.com or email sales@shockstrap.com.




Trikes-R-US


I am a disabled biker, a recent above the knee amputee. I know how difficult it is to pick up the pieces after a traumatic accident.

Even though my accident happened over five years ago I haven't been able to afford to buy a trike or bike. I do hope to ride again, but at age 61 and with limited resources I am not so sure it will happen.

The VA has no programs to help anyone with my credit score, and I don’t want a hand out. The biggest problem is medical bills ruined my credit. I do have a house paid for and a few acres of raw mountain land, anyone have ideas?



--Craig Hod
Craig22z@aol.com
Elizabethton , TN






THE UNCLE’S LATEST PROJECT-- With the toy run season starting to ramp up I figured this was a good year to start taking my granddaughter along on the runs. Being 8 she's old enough that she can "fit" her grandma's helmet, old enough to hang on and not fall off. Mix in Mrs. Monkey wants to ride her own bike and that I have a bike that actually seats two people and this year is as good as any.


My granddaughter hasn't ridden before so before the big day comes I want her to get use to riding on the back. She has always curiously watched us as we gear up to go for a ride, wondered why we would ride when there were perfectly good cars and trucks out front. She has hung out in the garage watching me work on the bikes, asking me to pump up the tires on her bicycle, perform open heart surgery on a sick teddy bear but there has been that young innocents of not fully understanding what it all was about.


After reluctantly changing into jeans, socks and shoes and a heavy hoodie we led her out to the bike. I showed her what parts were hot, where to put her feet, where she was going to be sitting.

Grandma explained how to get onto the bike and reminded her to hang on tight. She squealed in delight and terror as I started the Rat King and pulled out. For the first couple of blocks she held on with a death grip and her face buried into my back but with each block I could feel her relax more. The demon of riding was fading away.

I aimed towards the longest uninterrupted stretch of road in town and puttered our way around. By the end of the ride she was brave enough to let go with one hand to adjust her helmet, adjust her safety glasses. When we returned home she was beaming from ear to ear, excitedly asking when we could go again, asking if she could go to her friend's house to tell her about the ride, making plans to tell her teacher and class on her first day of classes.

Tonight I'll take her riding again, maybe a little farther, maybe a little faster but the riding bug has taken hold of her. She made me proud when she asked when I was going to build her motorcycle.

-bad Uncle Monkey





JIMS TOOL OF THE WEEK-- No. 747 Exhaust Pipe Retaining Ring Installation Tool.

JIMS Exhaust Pipe Retaining Ring Installation Tool quickly and easily installs the exhaust pipe retaining ring onto the head pipe. Easily installed without bending, twisting, or launching the retaining ring across the garage and without scratching the finish on the exhaust pipe.



Just insert the cone shaped tool into the head pipe and place a lubricated retaining ring onto the cone. With the driver tool and a soft mallet, one tap will expand the ring and pop it over the raised part of the exhaust pipe.

MSRP is $81.00.

JIMS No. 747 - For all 1984 to present Big Twins and 1986 to present Sportsters. For more info, contact sales@jimsusa.com, visit www.jimsusa.com, or call (805) 482-6913.






QUICK, OPEN THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY-- I got invited to a party and was told to dress to kill. Apparently a turban, beard and a backpack wasn't what they had in mind.

Seven wheelchair athletes have been banned from the Para-Olympics after they tested positive for WD-40.

After both suffering from depression for a while, me and the wife were going to commit suicide yesterday. But strangely enough, once she killed herself, I started to feel a lot better. So I thought, "Screw it, ...soldier on!"

--from Rogue and Jerry




ON GEORGE CHRISTIE’S OUTLAW CHRONICLE’S-- From the Aging Rebel. Sonny Barger Responds http://www.agingrebel.com/13383


“Pride and memory were having an argument,” the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once quipped. “Memory said ‘It was like this’ and Pride said, ‘Oh no! It couldn’t have been!’”

For the last three weeks on the History Channel, former Hells Angel George Christie has lectured a weekly cable audience of between one and two million viewers about his own unchallenged version of what it was and is like to be a member of his old club.

Christie was an Angel from 1976 until he was expelled with the status of “Out Bad, No Contact” in 2011. That was shortly before he was arrested by and apparently debriefed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since about 1980, Christie has exploited his status as the longtime president of the club’s Ventura charter to enhance his own celebrity. There is a strong consensus among current Hells Angels that he was never as important as he wanted people to think he was.

After doing seven months in federal prison in 2013-14 Christie began to exploit his former membership by promising to tell club secrets. Christie offered to give a million Walter Mittys the vicarious experience of being Hells Angels. He wasn’t the first snitch to tell tales. But Christie has followed his new Hells Angels related career more loudly than, say, Tony Tait ever did. Tait just wanted to make some money.

Christie wants to rewrite history. He wants to convince the world that his account of the way things were is the defining history of his former club. This week he wrote somewhat reverentially about himself: “An outlaw, notorious biker and infamous motorcycle club leader, George Christie’s lifestyle and experiences along with his gift for storytelling, leadership and human connection make him uniquely suited to help others and develop (the) historical record.” He doesn’t mention that he has some axes to grind.

Christie is free to say almost anything he wants to say with impunity because outlaw motorcycle clubs are secretive organizations that don’t generally engage in public debates about who said and did what to whom when and where. Most clubs have and enforce a do not talk to reporters rule. The flaw in that is that he who talks is he who gets heard. Christie understands both hillbilly omerta and public relations.

--Sonny Barger

This story goes on. The club life is a tough one. And anyone with experience in clubs knows the sad truth. As soon as you leave you’re no longer a part of the clan and easy to take shots at. It’s even more sad when any brother devotes four decades of his life to a club, and then is kicked to the curb.

George Christie only had two jobs as an adult, one was training kids in martial arts and the other was being a Hells Angel. He’s just trying to survive now in his mid-60s. Even Sonny knows the troubles old clubbers go through with health and survival. He’s done well with his books, but the club pension and health care system hasn’t been dialed in exactly.

--Bandit








METALSPORT WHEELS SUPER BIG WHEEL SPECIAL--
Metalsport Wheels is ready to help our retail customers for the next two weeks we have our 30-inchers on special.

You can get any
30-inch wheel with a 13-inch rotor and a 30-inch tire mounted for only $3750.00

There’s more: 30-inch wheels and 11.5 or 300x5 rotor and a 30-inch tire mounted for only $3650.00, and
30-inch wheel with dual disc 11.5 or 300x5 rotors and a 30-inch tire mounted for only $3800.00.

Qualified customers can call for discounted pricing
call and get your orders in now this special won’t last long.

Metalsport Wheels
10112 Miller Way
South Gate, CA 90280
P# 562-7769594
F# 562-7769635
www.metalsportwheels.com












NEW 5-BALL RACING HANG TAGS--
Attached is the pic of the Hang tag…The “Hang Tag 5B” pic is an update….the 5-ball without the words “Racing” looked a little too simple.

Let me know what you think

--Andy

In the near future, we will sport Hang Tags on all over our leathers, so you know you’re getting the original.








I guess Randy's shop is out in Orange.

Look's like he and his crew can handle anything.

Stuff looks really good.




--Paul
bluestrk@hotmail.com
Glendale Heights , IL


We will feature more of Randy’s talents in the very near future.--Bandit








WOMEN RIDERS NOW NEWSLETTER-- Below are links to stories we've posted on WomenRidersNow.com since the last newsletter, with the newest stories that went live today at the top. I hope you enjoy these as much as my team and I do putting them together.

I particularly had fun editing the helmet-cam video that I shot in Italy earlier this summer. Check out my review of the latest gadget I've gotten myself into below that you might like as well.

Also, for those of you not familiar with my column, Everyday Miracles, last summer I had a yearning to pen articles exploring the spiritual side of life. After all, motorcycling, for so many of us, is such a spiritual experience. Judging by the more than 1,000 of you who've signed up to receive my special Everyday Miracles newsletter, I know there's big interest in this. If you want to scroll through the list of articles I've written so far, visit the Everyday Miracles section on WRN here.

Congratulations to Yvette Sullivan from Beacon, New York, a WRN reader who was the winner of a riding jacket valued up to $200 from Hot Leathers in the WRN Survey Giveaway we held in May. Yvette chose a black leather jacket with pink striping as her prize that you can see here. Thanks to the Hot Leathers folks for their generosity in offering the prize.

Lastly, a shout out to Rekluse Clutches, a new supporter of WRN, a company making automatic clutches for Harley-Davidsons. Check them out by clicking the highlighted link.

Thank you for your enthusiasm, respect, and kindness always,
Genevieve Schmitt
Founder / Editor, WomenRidersNow.com
(Yes, that's me showing off my antique-red deerskin leather gloves that match the antique-red flames on my Street Glide.)