Hey,

Each year is the same since I moved to the Black Hills. The Rally starts tomorrow, with a roar and a parade, which I don’t want to miss.



This year took on a major new and exciting twist. We scrambled daily to launch Bandit’s 5-Ball Emporium. Last weekend I worked on this metal art piece for the Hamster Auction to support the Sturgis Motorcycle museum. It consumed every weekend for months.





Sunday, I needed to turn it in to the organizers of the Auction. I also needed to blast to where Eric Herrmann was set up to pick up a piece of art he donated to the museum.



We also made plans for displaying the Michael Lichter photo exhibit at the Museum prior to the rally. The mission was accomplished yesterday, in the nick of time, thanks to Jackie at the Scott Jacobs gallery. And of course my helpers with the exhibit at the Museum. Lots of minds and measuring sticks went into the process. We still need historic captions to tell the story.



The Emporium should open tomorrow…

Let’s hit the news:

The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.






84th STURGIS RALLY—What to know.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation counts traffic entering the rally at nine points in the area. The 2023 count was 458,161 vehicles.

If you are headed to Sturgis or just want to know more of what’s going on, KELOLAND News has compiled a list of things to know about the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

From the 1st day to last day in the city of Sturgis

The rally kicks off with a 3 p.m. Friday parade down Main Street Sturgis. The parade will be led by the American Legion BH Riders. The opening ceremonies follow at 3:30 p.m. The opening ceremonies will feature the All-American Thrill Show.

The rally returns to its early roots with a motorcycle street race at noon a final Sunday, Aug. 11 The Spirit of Sturgis TT race travels on the streets and includes a dirt section. The race is free and open to the public.

The Mayor’s ride to Devils Tower is set for 9 a.m. Saturday followed by the Mayor’s Pub Crawl at 7 p.m. Military Appreciation day is at 2 p.m. Tuesday with a flyover by a B1 Bomber at 3 p.m. The second Pearl’s Girls ride is 9 a.m. Wednesday.



Music
More than 50 concerts are planned for the rally at various locations. The city of Sturgis Rally website says the concerts throughout the rally include local bands, up and coming regional acts to artists with national popularity.

The schedule for Rally Point in the city of Sturgis includes concerts from Aug. 2 -10 and special events at the Museum.


-- Rae Yost
Keoland.com







MECUM’S MONTEREY AUCTION-- to Feature Exceptional Classic Motorcycles
Estimated 100 Classic, Collector and Racing Motorcycles to be Offered August 15-17

Bikers, history buffs and lovers of two-wheeled machines will want to make the trip to Monterey, California, for Mecum’s annual auction in the famed peninsula region during this year’s celebrated Car Week. In addition to the high-end selection of 600 classic and collector vehicles set to cross the Mecum auction block at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course Aug. 15-17, Mecum will also present a wide-ranging assemblage of approximately 100 historically significant motorcycles led by a very rare and unique 1957 Triumph Model Twenty-One.

As the nation’s leading seller of vintage, antique and collectible motorcycles and the host of the world’s largest vintage and antique motorcycle auction held annually in Las Vegas each January, Mecum presents motorcycle selections at every one of its many annual auctions held at locations around the country and is proud to bring the best selection of bikes to the Monterey region during Car Week year after year.

Notably for motorcycle enthusiasts and collectors, the 2024 auction will boast one of the most impressive Monterey motorcycle lineups to date.



The 1957 Triumph Model Twenty-One (Lot T45), which leads this year’s motorcycle selection, boasts status as the very first unit-construction Triumph twin ever delivered and wears serial identifier H1. It was unveiled to the public in Amsterdam at the 1957 RAI exhibition—an event that dates back to 1893 when it was started as an association for the bicycle industry—as the first motorcycle to wear the “bathtub" rear body covering, meant to protect the bike/rider from the elements and modernize its appearance. Today, the historic machine features a restoration completed by marque specialist Kevin Giles of Pearland, Texas, which was completed in 2022, and it is being offered with its original Dutch registration dated April 5, 1957.

Several motorcycles will also be offered from the personal collection of Brad Lackey, winner of the 1982 500cc World Motocross Championship and American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Hall of Fame Inductee. After retirement from the race track, Lackey excelled in the collecting and restoration of historically significant and race-winning machines, and he’ll be presenting five of his finest at the Monterey auction. The selection ranges from a trio of Bultaco singles to a 1982 Kawasaki SR250 (Lot S145) that is one of only three true factory works motorcycles hand built by Kawasaki in Japan for the U.S. factory race team, and it today boasts a restoration by factory Kawasaki mechanics.

No motorcycle auction would be complete without a Harley-Davidson in the mix, and Monterey has an exceptional one in store: Jimmy "Daredevil" Washburn's 1932 Harley-Davidson VL Stuntbike (Lot F10.) The famed performer and Evel Knievel of his day purchased this bike new and employed its use throughout his 28-year career.

Consignments are still being accepted for the Mecum Monterey 2024 auction, and bidder registration will remain open through the duration of the event. For more information on Mecum Monterey 2024 and all other scheduled Mecum auctions, visit Mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050.





2022 TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS FOR MOTORCYCLES

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released their 2022 Traffic Safety Facts for Motorcycles. The 15-page report details motorcycle safety data including geographic, demographic and other factors in crashes and fatalities involving bikers.

As is often the case, how statistics are framed can shape the narrative surrounding the numbers. NHTSA lists “Key Findings” from the report. Some of the major findings include:

In 2022 there were 6,218 motorcyclists killed, 15% of all traffic fatalities. An increase of 1% from the previous year

An estimated 82,687 motorcyclists were injured in 2022, a 3% decrease from 84,898 motorcyclists injured in 2021.

35% of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2022 were not properly licensed.

42% of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2022 were alcohol-impaired.

On these four points, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has a strong message, too many bikers are being killed and injured on our nation’s roadways! It is unacceptable that 15% of deaths on the road are motorcyclists.

An easy and obvious way to help bring that number down is to ensure those on motorcycles are properly trained and licensed to operate motorcycles. Additionally, the number of alcohol-impaired deaths is disgraceful. Reducing or eliminating impaired riding would make a dramatic difference to these numbers.

However, some of the points made in the report are spun in a way we find troubling. For example, NHTSA lists as one of its key findings:

In States without universal helmet laws, based on known helmet use, 54 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2022 were not wearing helmets, as compared to 11 percent in States with universal helmet laws.

What is not highlighted is that 63% of all fatalities nationwide involved a rider wearing a helmet, based on known helmet use.

Additionally, the lack of a mandate to wear a helmet doesn’t mean a motorcyclist can’t wear one. It just means that those riding are allowed to decide for themselves.

This fact is spotlighted by the fact that 11 of 32 states without a mandatory helmet law (Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wyoming), had the same number or more deaths among riders wearing helmets as without helmets.

MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard” quipped, “Looks like NHTSA won’t stop until all bikers killed are wearing a helmet!”

Another point to note is that an estimated 4.1 billion more miles were ridden on motorcycles in 2022 than the previous year. This is a 21% increase in miles traveled while fatalities only increased by 1%, showing that while the number of fatalities increased, the rate of fatalities per mile traveled decreased.

One of NHTSA’s “Key Findings” for this report is that motorcycles in 2022 had a 26.16% fatality rate per mile traveled. They do not point out that in 2021 that same rate was 31.27%, giving motorcycles a reduction in fatalities of 5.11%. Meanwhile, passenger car fatalities dropped 0.07% and light trucks dropped 0.04% based on miles traveled.

Some other facts from the report:

35% of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2022 were speeding.
66% of fatalities occurred in urban areas.
36% of fatal crashes occurred at an intersection.
58% of deaths happened during daylight hours.
92% occurred on non-interstate roads.

It is also important to note that according to NHTSA, “For the purposes of this fact sheet, motorcycles include 2- and 3-wheeled motorcycles, off-road motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters, minibikes, and pocket bikes.”

However, in a move the MRF applauds, motorized bicycles (previously included in these numbers), have been removed from the motorcycle category and will now be categorized as bicycles.







HONDA HAS NEW HUB TO BETTER SERVICE DEALERS--With the stated goal being to expedite delivery to its dealers, American Honda teamed up with global logistics leader Maersk to open a 150,000-square-foot distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona.

The new facility is set to support Honda’s powersports division, strengthening Honda’s ability to serve its Southwestern dealers. Honda had formerly serviced the Southwestern U.S. from its Los Angeles facilities.

Read the whole tamale on Dealernews





BAGGER SHOP OF THE WEEK—Blown Budget Baggers, Philadelphia, PA.




--Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com™





A LIVEWIRE DEL MAR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BRICKED ITSELF--
Owner isn't sure how it's going to turn out

If you have owned a gaming device or tinker with your smartphone, you might have come across the term of "bricking the device". It's when you try to bypass the system to gain control of the device against the interests of the manufacturer.

A brand new LiveWire S2 Del Mar was flashing every fault code known to man after only a few days of ownership. The issue? Seemingly an aftermarket theft deterrent the dealership installed.

"Bought from dealer they sold me on FIN GPS," says the post, adding, "They installed it wrong and it caused a whole host of electrical issues. Bike was in a constant state of on and could be ridden without key fob at all. As if it was hot-wired. Check motor light was on 3 could barely get 50 miles at 55mph on a full charge." owner said.

While trying to ride the bike to the dealership it died and had to be towed back home at owner's expense. Worse was the tech team who were unaware of the customer's concerns. The tech just "re-wired the FIN GPS system before diagnosing anything else." Furthermore, according to the owner, the "Service manager I was working with was on leave, so the other service manager didn’t even know what was wrong with it. They stated they could not replicate any of the issues I had."

Two weeks later owner got the bike back but the EV was discharging its battery at an alarming rate. Running the bike at 55mph, all they'd get is 42 miles of range. That's a far cry from its claimed 70 miles of highway range, and 113 miles of city. Charging the battery caused more flashing of more error and fault codes on the bike's dash.

"No one knew what the codes were. Two miles into a trek, red flashing “MOTOR FAULT” came up on the dash." More expenses at owner's end and the dealer has asked the company for a complete replacement.

Lemon Law ain't applicable as the fault was due to an aftermarket device--but was installed by the dealership so it might be at the dealer's expense that a replacement bike has to be issued to the owner.

Isn't as easy as replacing your shit smartphone, is it? Enjoy your EV adventures.

Also refer to
https://www.rideapart.com/news/727913/livewire-s2-reddit-fiasco-broken-motorcycle-ev/

--Wayfarer
EV Tech Editor
Bikernet.com™



SMOKE Out is COMING-- Please see Mark Hendrix's SmokeOut 2024 message below:

SmokeOut 2024 is fast approaching. This year's dates are September 5-8. It will be similar to last year in regards to schedule and activities. You can follow the links below to register for the event and to secure your hotel reservations. The hotels are through the special portal set up by SmokeOut through the visitors bureau so that the event gets credit for the room stays.

SmokeOut2024 Website:
www.smokeoutrally.com

Tickets are priced at $200 this year.





BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!--THE TOTAL RECALL BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for July 25, 2024---click to read now.

Just a heads up that Robby Starbucks piece on Harley Follows similar reports on John Deer and Tractor Supply.

Many companies are now being coerced into supporting the groups mentioned or face protests and in some cases threats from people involved in the government.

You Can Change things like this from continuing by Voting New People Into Office this Election Time.

--Rogue
rogue@bikernet.com
Melbourne, FL





BILTWELL RIDES THE KERN--Tickets are nearly sold out and will not be on sale at the event.

The 2024 Kernville Kampout is October 4-6 and you'll need a ticket to get in.

That ticket gets you:
First come, first served camping Friday and Saturday night

Goodie bag upon check-in

Beer and booze each night at the Kamp bar (until it runs out)

Yard games on Friday and Saturday afternoon
Live music on Saturday night

Automatic inclusion into the informal bike show on Saturday

A free hangover on Sunday morning to take home

Note: Each ticket is good for one person. This is a 21+ event for adult motorcyclists.
No car camping, children, or crybabies.

LOCATION:
Frandy Park Campground
11252 Kernville Rd.
Kernville, CA 93238
MAP





BREAKING NEWS---U.S. Supreme Court Delivers Win for Automotive Community Against Federal Agency Overreach

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a huge win for industries impacted by federal overreach. In its decisions in Loper Bright v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Commerce, the high Court has provided increased regulatory certainty to small businesses around the country, including specialty automotive aftermarket companies, that have been adversely impacted by federal regulatory overreach.

The Court's decisions overturned what is known as the Chevron Doctrine, which adopted the principle that judges should defer to federal executive branch agencies' interpretations of their powers when the laws that Congress has written are ambiguous or have gaps so long as those interpretations are reasonable.



The Court's decision affirms that agencies cannot take actions that are inconsistent with, or not supported by, the language of the laws passed by Congress.

--SEMA





NEW FROM LOWBROW--This timeless classic is super easy to install and instantly changes the look of your Sportster.

Bolt-On Fitment Sportsters 1994 & up (also can fit 1982-1993 Sportsters with a bit of work!)
Precision die stampled & CNC laser cut construction.

Heavy gauge 6061 T-6 aluminum
A proven winner on the track and street

A Tsunami Fender is right at home on Christian Newman's 1998 1250cc Sportster (which is also a kickstart and has a magneto ignition). Check out more of this build here!







QUICK, ROLL THE DICE--How bout’ 4 upcoming DicE digi mags PLUS 5 back issues for a laugh?





WE’RE GOING TO BONNEVILLE—We hope.

Your tickets are available for printing by clicking the link below for entry to BMST! See you on the salt!

Holy shit. Looks like we are traveling back to the Salt weather permitting two weeks after the Rally.

--Bandit