Hey,
Knowledge, understanding, the Way, and technology: They are all flying at us fast. Hell, I don’t know where to start. Awhile back I mentioned business owners and their constant challenges, from the government, technology, competition and the market. Those challenges are more daunting than ever before and more beneficial in many respects.
Personal life is also being bombarded with new and beneficial challenges. I was hit with a hot handful of thought-provoking opportunities and philosophies this week.
I spoke to David Eckard, the new boss of Saddlemen Seats. He’s actually been around for a long time, but Tom Seymour recently retired, and Dave has embraced new technologies, the Drag Specialties group and Saddlemen is kicking ass.
I also started to watch a lecture series on Confucius teaching about 2500 years ago. Somehow what I learned this week was connected. I’ll touch on one or two basics, then cover more in the ending.
When I asked Dave what mattered most to the massive Saddlemen seat growth he immediately said, “Everything and doing everything well.” Those are not his exact words and actually he was more strident.
So, how does this connect with an old bearded Chinese philosopher two thousand years ago. Confucius was devoted to consummate conduct, which included Respect, Magnanimity, being true to your word, nimble thinking and generosity. So much of this, plays into trying to do the right thing, completely and on time. I’ll cover more in the ending.
Speaking of doing the right thing, last night after midnight on a dark harbor street, my grandson handed me a package from the bed of his pickup and sped away. It was the new Paughco Springer for my ’69 Panhead. I stood on the street corner in my pajamas anxious to receive the shit and tear open the packing. Nothing but quality, when it comes to Paughco Springers. We will report on the install shortly. Let’s hit the news:
Check the Iron Trader out.
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including:
Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently the Smoke Out and
Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.
Click for all the info...1928 Harley-Davidson Board Track Racer
This board track racer from the end of the era makes use of Harley's best street engine's "Two-Cam" bottom end, but used better breathing overhead valve racing cylinder heads and a racing chassis. With Harley's actual production racers carrying a high price tag and being tricky to maintain, the production-based machine was a good alternative.
The engine in a higher state of tune, a "production racer" of sorts, the H in JDH signals high performance. With the "two cam" set up the JDH bottom end served well as a basis for racing as well. Note there is no exhaust system; two exhaust ports in each head expel exhaust unrestricted. In this era the value of exhaust...
Click to check out the museum web site. -- On March 9, 2020, Louisiana Legislation begins. We are prepared for yet another successful legislative year. Bikers and supporters will converge on the Capitol steps dressed in our High Viz yellow “Vote Like A Biker” shirts as we have done for the last several years. We are ready to meet and greet our veteran and newly elected officials. Our 2020 Legislative Agenda has been set and we will be proposing.
1) All Road Users Act
2) Dead-Red
3) Support Cell phone hands free usage.
I am proud to announce that we have 100% (6/6) of our Federal delegation signed on as co-sponsors to support H. Res 255.
The State Board has unanimously approved the donation and support of the CQ Engage State module, and we look forward to working closely with the MRF to make this program successful.
It is my honor to have been nominated and elected to serve 2 more years as the ABATE of Louisiana State President.
-- Respectfully, BRICK
RETIREMENT WISDOM-- Getting Old
I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. People get out of the way much faster now.
Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers. Now they drink like their fathers.
I decided to stop calling the bathroom the “John” and renamed it the “Jim”. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.
Old age is coming at a really bad time.
When I was a child I thought “Nap Time” was a punishment. Now, as a grownup, it feels like a small vacation.
The biggest lie I tell myself is, ”I don't need to write that down, I'll remember it."
I don’t have gray hair; I have "wisdom highlights"! I’m just very wise.
If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would’ve put them on my knees.
Last year, I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet.
Why do I have to press one for English when you’re just going to transfer me to someone I can't understand anyway?
Of course, I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice.
Actually, I'm not complaining because I am a Senager. (Senior teenager) I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 60 years later. I don’t have to go to school or work. I get an allowance every month. I have my own pad. I don’t have a curfew. I have a driver’s license and my own car. The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant. And I don’t have acne.
Life is great!!!
--from Joe Smith
Harley-Davidson's Electric Motorcycle, LiveWire, Available for Rent on Twisted Road--The leading online-motorcycle sharing community offers the LiveWire in San Francisco and Los Angeles
Twisted Road, the leading rental service for privately-owned motorcycles in the U.S, today announced they are now offering two Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles. With more than 2,300 motorcycles for short- or long-term rental, Twisted Road has many classics while others– like Harley-Davidson's new LiveWire electric motorcycle– are cutting edge.
These are fantastic additions to our fleet," said Austin Rothbard, Founder and CEO, Twisted Road. "The owner in the L.A. area is offering the LiveWire for rent exclusively through us, and will even arrange for airport pick up and drop off."
Twisted Road is unique among motorcycle-sharing services in having a flat, per day charge for all bikes, set by the owner based on how popular or rare the motorcycle is. The LiveWire motorcycles will rent for about $199.00 per day. Like all other Twisted Road bikes, these bikes won't have mileage restrictions.
"It's a great way to try out a bike you've never ridden before," said Rothbard, "whether it's a 21st century electric bike like the LiveWire, that's perfect for getting around the city, or a vintage beauty like the 1958 BMW R50."
Twisted Road verifies all potential renters for driver safety, experience, and qualifications. It also offers the best owner insurance protection in the industry, with up to $100,000 of free liability protection and up to $25,000 of damage protection. Owners may choose to increase that liability up to $1 million. After each ride, the rider and owner rate each other, while the rider rates the bike, too. To date 97% of these ratings have been five-star.
Rothbard continued, "We are building the most trusted motorcycle community around–a place for riders to connect with one another over their favorite passion. Riding."
For more information on Twisted Road and to see all the bikes listed, please visit:
www.twistedroad.com
What U.S. Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards (if any) Should Be – Results of an NMA Online Survey, Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #569
Throughout November, we posted an online survey designed to better understand the sentiment of NMA supporters toward government-imposed CAFE standards. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations established in 2012 mandated automakers to meet a fleetwide average of 54.5 miles per gallon by the vehicle model year 2025. That is quite a leap forward considering the 2019 criteria are 42.5 mpg for passenger cars and 30 mpg for light-duty trucks, including SUVs.
The US Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency caused a stir last year when the agencies proposed freezing the fleet standard at 37.0 mpg, the 2021 target, for the foreseeable future. Several states, led by California, are challenging that proposal.
The NMA survey included the opportunity for respondents to share their opinions in addition to answering the prepared questions. We will share many of those opinions in next week’s newsletter and will post many more on a special section of the Motorists.org site. First, though, here are the overall results of the questionnaire:
Although the NMA online survey on U.S. fuel economy standards is now closed, feel free to add your thoughts about government CAFE standards by emailing us at
nma@motorists.org with the subject line “CAFE Standards.” Based on responses to the November survey, this is a topic of great interest to NMA readership, and therefore to us. Your feedback is an important component to the NMA’s position on the fuel economy issue.
--NMA
This is a discussion that need further review. I would like to be educated more before I could respectfully answer a survey. I come from the motorcycle industry. I have seen what government requirements have done to our motorcycles and the ability of the enthusiast to work on their bikes.
I would like to know what the auto industry says about the standards and where they should go or not. What’s the sweet spot?
I would like to know if SEMA has report on this issue? Are there other modified auto organizations that step up on these issues?
--Bandit
BIKERNET BOOK OF THE WEEK CLUB The Speed Kings-- A new book about motorcycle boardtrack racing!
The Speed Kings. The Rise and Fall of Motordrome Racing, By Don Emde
Hardbound / 372 Pages / 600 Illustrations / 40 chapters plus Prologue and Epilogue
4-color Sepia Tone Throughout / Printed in the United States of America
Available from EmdeBooks.com / ISBN: 978-0-9972720-1-7
Don Emde, a former Daytona 200 winner and Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, has announced his newly-released book: The Speed Kings. The Rise and Fall of Motordrome Racing. The richly illustrated, 372-page hardbound book tells the story of the first generation of motorcycle boardtrack racing in the early-1900s, when daring riders sped at 90+ mph around ¼-mile circular motordromes banked at 60-degrees.
February 11, 1912. With smoke and oil spewing from their total loss engines, Joe Wolters leads Jake DeRosier and Charles “Fearless” Balke on opening day of a new motordrome located near downtown Los Angeles. Don Emde Collection
The spectacle of motordrome racing became contagious and the public couldn’t get enough, filling wooden stadiums in some cities three nights a week, sometimes at their own peril. The Speed Kings follows the life and times of Jake DeRosier, Charles “Fearless” Balke, Eddie Hasha and others who became national sports heroes, featured regularly on the front pages of daily newspapers from coast to coast. The news was not always good, however, and “Murderdromes” became part of America’s vocabulary, leading to the demise of the sport.
Emde, whose previous books include a history of the Daytona 200 and Cannon Ball Baker’s transcontinental ride of 1914, has been collecting motorcycle history materials for over 50 years.
In addition to his large collection of historic scrapbooks and photographs—many not seen in 100 years—he made use of over 1,000 magazines with first generation information about boardtrack racing. Added to that were numerous newspapers, race programs, books and more. These publications yielded more than 6,000 pages that he scanned into a chronological database and used as a guide throughout the project.
The Speed Kings. The Rise and Fall of Motordrome Racing provides more details about motordrome racing than any previous publication. Available now direct from EmdeBooks.com. Contact Don Emde at
don@emdebooks.com for more information.
Book: $75.00 + applicable sales tax and postage.
Book with Bonus Package: $90.00 + applicable sales tax and postage. Book signed by the author, plus three additional reproductions of historic items featured in the book.
VETERANS NEWS FROM THE VA--Fisher House serves as home away from home for Veterans, military families
Providing free lodging, transportation, scholarships and more
Stay at Fisher House
A Fisher House is “a home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes are normally located within walking distance of the treatment facility or have transportation available. There are 86 Fisher Houses located on 25 military installations and 37 VA medical centers. Many more houses are under construction or in design. These homes offer free, temporary lodging to military and Veterans’ families, allowing them to be close to their loved one during a medical crisis. It also allows them to focus on what’s important—the healing process. Find and contact your Fisher House here.
Hero Miles
Eligible recipients of airline tickets through the Hero Miles program are limited to wounded, injured, or ill service members not eligible for airfare funded by the government. Family members and close friends who are not eligible for government-funded flights may also receive round trip travel between their home and the medical center where the service member is receiving treatment. Participating airlines include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines.
Hotels for Heroes
Service members receiving medical treatment and their families or close friends may receive a free hotel room through the Hotels for Heroes program. This option is available if they are not eligible for reimbursement from the government. Participating hotel groups include Best Western, Choice Hotels, Hilton, La Quinta Inns and Suites, Marriott and Wyndham.
The Fisher House Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses, and children of fallen and disabled Veterans.
How you can help
There are many ways to get involved with the Fisher House Foundation. You can get involved as a volunteer or participate in events. You can also make donations of frequent flyer miles, hotel points and more.
The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of the VA.
Written and designed by Deanna Cannon, Jewel Luckow and Michaela Yesis, student interns working with VA’s Digital Media Engagement team.
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