Hey,
This is a special day, a very special day. Tomorrow will be even more special.
Have you noticed more Xmas cheer on your TV screen. I don’t watch commercial TV but I do watch a couple of Football games from time to time. I’ve noticed a stronger more cheerful approach to the season.
Maybe folks are finally getting it. We need to celebrate the Holidays, the love and the American family. Sports helps a lot. Sports from Football to the Olympics are all about the best, the family, and everything involved in success on the field.
Okay, bikers, we’re an outlaw breed, but there’s still the drive for perfection and brotherhood in every show winning chopper, every Sons of Speed race, and every Bonneville attempt for a World Land Speed Record.
Freedom means we’re free to do all these things. I’m reading 1984 for maybe the second time. The book by George Orwell was written 75 years ago. I wrote my book Sam “Chopper” Orwell with it in mind. You can watch the movie. It’s all about a society taken over by control freaks. In this book, you couldn’t call a woman a woman. Sound familiar.
I suppose that’s why this Xmas eve is so important. And this Christmas day will be even more precious. Hopefully, it will awake freedom and the American Spirit. And anytime someone says, “Don’t talk politics.” Tell them to read George Orwell’s book. Here’s a quote.
“The Thought Police would get him just the same. He had committed—would still have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper—the essential crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you.
It was always at night, the knock on the door. People simply disappeared. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word…
We’re not going down that road. Let’s party, love and be loved. Let’s build cool shit, ride across the country and win trophies. And fuck anyone who doesn’t like it.
Merry Merry,
Let’s hit the news:
The News was provided by the Bikernet Team including: Wayfarer, the Redhead, Bob T. Sam Burns, Agent Zebra, Rogue, Laura, Barry Green, El Waggs, J.J. Solari, Amy White, Jenn and the rest of the crew.
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Easyriders Magazine, Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.
THE LONG ROAD MISSION STATEMENT
As we approach the dead of winter, many of our thoughts and dreams will be thinking of warmer times where we are racking up miles on the road. In the interest of vacation time and event planning, I thought I would put out some of the details of next years’ Long Road and Smoke Out for those who may have to plan ahead and have to hand in future vacation times at work.
This years Long Road will begin when we meet Sunday September 6th. The area we plan to meet in is the northern Adirondacks in New York state, somewhere in the vicinity of Lake Placid and Tupper Lake. Given the time of year it is, it is a little difficult to get in contact with State and local campgrounds as they are all shut down for the winter. But suffice it to say, we’ll have one set up in the coming months.
From there, Monday Sept 7th, the idea is to travel east, then south, traveling through some of the original 13 colony states as America celebrates the 250th anniversary of American Revolution and birth of a new country. We will have a stop set up in Massachusetts or Connecticut.
Next up, Tuesday Sept 8th, we will begin a journey west, with the next stop possibly being at GodSpeed Events and Lodging in pretty much the middle of Pennsylvania in Port Matilda. This was a favorite spot on the ride in 2024 with lots of lodging and camping space with our gracious host Bart. This place was specifically built with poker runs and cross country off road traveling in mind!
Wednesday Sept 9th, a spot in either Virginia or West Virginia will be our next stop, determined by the availability of Godspeed in PA.
From there, our last stop, Thursday Sept 10th will be another popular spot, The Roadhouse in Woodlawn Virginia. For those who haven’t been there, it is run by some of the original Long Roaders and houses the famous Long Road Lounge bar, right inside the premise next to a beautiful bar and games room! It has approx. 10 single beds, a couple of queens, and a king, all in a dormitory style setting where we are all in the same room. Camping is also available. Showers are available here for us to clean up in for the next days short 90 mile ride to the Smoke Out on Friday Spet 11th.
I’m throwing this out there not only to inform everyone, but to try and get a show of hands as to who, of our past riders, are interested in doing part or all of The Long Road, to try and determine numbers for the campgrounds for camping reservation, particular the starting point and first stops. Please shoot me an email at my new email address, bsauer@uoguelph.ca as I’ve been having a little issue with the old uncle_ben one. I will send out a new email once the other campgrounds have been established. And as always, the registration fee will get you the special ride t-shirt, all the planning and the coveted Long Road medallion for any new riders who may tag along with you!
Thanks and I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa , or whatever other holiday you may celebrate at this time of the year!
Hope to hear from you soon!
–Brian “Uncle Ben” Sauer
“PROJECT GUARDIANS” CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE BUILD SET TO BENEFIT STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM AND ROAD GUARDIANS
Project Guardians, a one-of-a-kind custom motorcycle build announced today brings together Road Guardians, the world’s top nonprofit motorcycle trauma-training organization and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame. The finished bike, which is the brainchild of Hall of Fame member and Road Guardians Executive Director Vicki Sanfelipo RN, will be raffled off in 2026, with proceeds benefiting both organizations.
The fundraising effort was sparked by Sanfelipo’s good fortune and her act of generosity. In August of this year, she won the grand prize in the Sturgis Museum raffle, an S&S 124 cubic inch V-Twin engine. Rather than keeping the prize, Sanfelipo used the engine to launch a far larger initiative to support the mission of the Sturgis Museum, as well as Road Guardians’ goal of reducing injuries and fatalities to motorcyclists.
Renowned bike builder Athena Ransom of Vagabond Chopper Co. will be leading the creation of this one-of-a-kind custom motorcycle. The entire process will be documented with live streams and captured in 360° video.
“This project perfectly embodies the generosity and passion of the motorcycling community,” said Museum Executive Director Heidi Haro. “’Project Guardians offers a unique fund-raising opportunity, which will go directly to support our exhibits and educational programs. We are incredibly grateful to Vicki for turning her raffle win into an opportunity to benefit two, great, non-profit organizations.”
Project Guardians is far more than a one or two-person endeavor.
Vagabond Chopper’s owner Athena Ransom has enlisted notable builders and companies to be part of the project, giving an extra dose of excitement to the ongoing social media posts about the bike build.
Glen Larson of Biker Wolfpack Law has stepped up as ‘title sponsor” of the project and is funding the costs associated with the build. “The biker community is a family. We ride together, support each other, and protect our own. This build reflects that spirit and I’m proud to be part of it,” he said.
Sanfelipo is committed to making the project a success. “After winning this beautiful Easyriders Magazine donated motor in the Museum’s raffle, I am thrilled to be able make my idea come to life,” she said. “I’m so appreciative of Athena for dedicating her time to this project to Easyriders Magazine for donating the engine and becoming our media sponsor and to Biker Wolfpack Law for their support.”
Road Guardians will donate the completed motorcycle to the Sturgis Museum and Hall of Fame, which will manage the raffle according to South Dakota state rules and regulations. Tickets will be available for purchase online starting in February 2026. Photo and video content will be shared across the Museum, Road Guardians, Easyriders and Biker Wolfpack Law’s social media platforms throughout the build process.
The finished bike is expected to debut at Daytona Beach Bike Week 2026 and will appear at several events leading up to Sturgis in 2026. The grand prize winner will be announced during a special event on Thursday of the 2026 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Every ticket purchased supports both the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Road Guardians.
WE STEPPED TO THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN FOR CHRISTMAS EVE–The Light is in You
“The one who is happy within, who rejoices within, who is illumined within—
that Yogi, becoming the Eternal, attains the Peace of the Eternal.” — The Bhagavad Gita
The road to self-discovery often asks us to clear away the underbrush of ignorance, fear, superstition, and the sense of separation that has led us to feel unworthy, unholy, or lost. In the Divine order of Good, nothing is truly broken and nothing needs saving. Salvation is unnecessary, but self-discovery is essential. We do not rescue what was lost; we simply uncover what has always been waiting to be found.
At this time of year, we speak often of rebirth and Divine Light. We see it everywhere on the outside, Chanukah menorahs glowing in windows, Christmas lights adorning homes and streets. Yet it is the Divine Inner Light that calls for our attention. The Light within us has never dimmed; it has only been shaded by fear, doubt, and the experiences of life.
When we take time to pause, to grow quiet, and to enter our own God-space, something profound occurs. We are reborn, not into something new, but into the remembrance of who we truly are. From this inner stillness, the Divine Light begins to illuminate our path. And if we allow it, this Light will naturally dissolve the darkness, both within us and in the world around us.
Within us lives the very Divine Power to be, to do, and to have all that is aligned with our highest good. The Inner Light, though sometimes obscured by life’s trials and tribulations, shines eternally. It waits patiently for us to remove the shade, to open the heart, and to let it radiate fully through our lives.
Today I know this truth:
Today I rediscover myself as Perfect, Whole, and Complete. I release the false beliefs and limiting ideas I have accepted, and I reveal my true nature.
I know that my path is Divinely lit from within, and my way is clear. Each step I take is guided by Wisdom, supported by Love, and directed by Infinite Intelligence.
I know I am an Infinite Expression of Spirit with unlimited potential. Love guides me. Intelligence protects me. I am far more than I have been told, and I am deeply grateful to discover my Truth.
Life is good—and it is getting better each and every day.
And so it is.
Namaste
“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” — Maori Proverb
Contemplative Questions
Where in my life have I allowed fear or old beliefs to dim the Light that is already within me?
What would change if I truly trusted that I am whole, worthy, and guided by Divine Intelligence?
How can I create space today—through stillness, prayer, or reflection—to let my Inner Light shine more freely?
–Yale
STAFFER RECEIVES XMAS PACKAGE–
I received the new mag & gift box yesterday. What a nice surprise that was. The article in the mag looks terrific, as does the rest of the issue. I’ll be sure to add the cover to my website and of course a link to subscribe.
Have a terrific Holiday Season and a very happy New Year. Daytona can’t get here fast enough. I became a legal drone pilot recently (Part 107 FAA Certified) so I’ll be flying legally all over Daytona this year.
(last October)
Cheers.
–Jack
California Judge And DMV Rule Tesla Is Misleading
MRF Continues To Monitor Tesla Autopilot Concerns
Recent developments in California have once again thrust Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) branding into the national spotlight. A California administrative judge and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have ruled that Tesla’s use of terms like “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” is misleading, finding that they overstate the capabilities of the technology and violate state consumer protection laws. Regulators have given Tesla a defined window to revise or clarify its marketing language or face a potential 30-day suspension of its ability to sell vehicles in the state.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has for some time warned that misleading terminology and inconsistent consumer understanding of semi-automated vehicle systems pose real safety risks, particularly for motorcyclists. While these technologies are often described using language that suggests full autonomy, the reality is far more limited. Recent developments in California underscore that this disconnect between perception and capability is not hypothetical; it has real consequences on public roads.
From the MRF’s perspective, this is not about opposing technology or innovation. Instead, it is about accountability, transparency, and ensuring that drivers remain engaged and attentive. Motorcyclist safety relies, in part, on the awareness and judgment of surrounding motorists. Any system that encourages complacency or overreliance on automation increases risk for riders.
We believe it is vital that consumers and motorists fully understand the capabilities and limitations of the vehicles they operate. Clear communication, accurate marketing, and strong oversight are essential to ensure that emerging vehicle technologies enhance safety rather than undermine it.
The MRF will continue to monitor regulatory actions, court decisions, and industry practices related to automated and semi-automated driving systems. As these technologies evolve, so too must the policies that govern them, always with the goal of protecting all road users.
A NOTE TO THE BIKERNET AND EASYRIDERS STAFFS–
I put a challenge out to my staff. I asked them what we can do at Easyriders to improve the motorcycle industry. I’m going to publish a response I received. One of the major suggestions included introducing motorcycles to kids. Of course, I thought about Strider bikes and schools.
What if someone could work with the factory to start an initiative to bring and introduce new models to school kids. It could be a new model demonstration. It could be a shop class instruction about motorcycles. If the school wouldn’t allow something direct, it could be a ride-by, a hangout display, or a coffee shop cruise. Let’s go where the kids go and make motorcycles show up.
I’m sure you get what I’m saying. Coming in contact with a motorcycle changed lives for so many of us.
Merry Merry,
–Bandit
CHRISTMAS EVE– in the Hürtgen Forest
If you are a veteran, you will recognize this story even if you have never heard the names.
Most people know the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. German, British, and French troops stepped out of trenches, shared songs, shook hands, and remembered that they were human. Commanders shut that down quickly. War had to continue. Fraternization became forbidden. The lesson military leadership took from 1914 was simple. Humanity interferes with war.
Thirty years later, during World War II, no one expected anything like that to happen again.
The Battle of the Bulge was raging. Winter had turned Europe into a weapon. Cold killed as efficiently as artillery. Units were shattered, lines blurred, and soldiers disappeared into forests that did not care what uniform you wore.
That is where this story begins.
On Christmas Eve, 1944, a German woman named Elisabeth Vincken and her young son Fritz were sheltering in a small hunting cabin in the Hürtgen Forest. The front lines were fluid. German forces were pushing. American units were scattered. Survival was day to day.
Elisabeth was waiting for her husband to return home for Christmas.
Instead, there was a knock at the door.
When she opened it, she found two American soldiers standing in the snow. A third lay badly wounded nearby. They were armed, exhausted, and freezing. They did not speak German. She did not speak English.
If you have ever been separated from your unit, you understand the fear in that moment. You understand what it means to be cold, lost, wounded, and unsure if help will come.
Elisabeth saw that fear. She also saw discipline. The Americans did not force their way inside. They waited.
She let them in.
One of the soldiers spoke enough French to communicate. They had been wandering for days. Hunger, exposure, and wounds were catching up fast. Elisabeth did what mothers do. She treated the wounded man. She sent her son to prepare the food she had saved for Christmas.
She did not ask what flag they served under.
She asked if they needed help.
Veterans understand this instinct. When the situation collapses, rank disappears. MOS disappears. What remains is need.
Then there was another knock.
Four German soldiers stood outside the cabin. They were lost. They were cold. They were armed.
Fritz opened the door and saw the uniforms.
Elisabeth stepped outside before anyone inside could react.
The Germans asked for shelter.
She told them they were welcome, with one condition.
Inside her home were three soldiers who were not friends of Germany. Because it was Christmas Eve, there would be no fighting in her house.
She told them to leave their weapons outside.
They did.
She went inside and told the American soldiers the same thing.
They did.
No negotiation. No debate. No hesitation.
Just compliance.
When the Germans entered, tension filled the room. Veterans know that silence. The awareness of weapons left just outside reach. The instinct to measure every movement.
Elisabeth served what food she had.
One of the German soldiers, a medic, examined the wounded American. He spoke English. He told them the wound was not infected. The soldier needed rest and warmth.
Enemy uniforms. Same knowledge. Same oath to save life when possible.
The tension eased.
They ate together.
Not as allies. Not as friends. As tired men who wanted to live.
At dawn, reality returned. War was still outside the cabin.
The Americans needed to find their way back to Allied lines. They asked about routes. They mentioned Monschau.
The Germans warned them away. Monschau was back under German control.
This matters.
They could have lied. They could have set an ambush. They could have ended the truce the moment it stopped serving them.
They did not.
Elisabeth returned the weapons to both groups. She gave them advice like a mother sending sons back into danger. Stay safe. Go home.
They walked out in opposite directions.
No one fired.
This was not a sanctioned truce. There were no medals. No commendations. No citations.
But seven soldiers lived who likely would not have.
Veterans understand why this matters.
War strips people down to fundamentals. Cold. Hunger. Fear. Loyalty. Survival. Yet even there, restraint exists. Choice exists.
This story is not sentimental. It does not erase the reality of combat. The men who left that cabin went back to fighting. Some may not have survived the war.
What this story shows is that even inside war, humanity is not dead. It is suppressed, punished, discouraged, but not erased.
Every veteran has a version of this moment. A pause. A recognition. A decision not to pull the trigger when you could have.
Those moments do not make you weak. They make you human.
Reflection for Today
Veterans carry these stories quietly. Civilian society rarely asks for them. Politics rarely values them. Yet policy debates about war, veterans care, and military readiness often ignore the human core that makes any force effective.
What happens when we forget that restraint exists?
What happens when we train without acknowledging moral injury?
What happens when veterans are reduced to symbols instead of people who lived through moments like this?
These questions matter when legislatures debate deployments, mental health funding, transition programs, and accountability.
They matter when veterans come home carrying memories that do not fit into slogans.
On Christmas Eve in 1944, a woman in a forest cabin decided that war would stop at her door.
Seven soldiers listened.
That decision saved lives.
If you are a veteran listening to this, you already understand why this story stays with you. If you are not, remember this the next time war is discussed casually.
Humanity is not the opposite of strength. It is the foundation of it.
From all of us here at Copper Dome Update, Merry Christmas. Stay safe. Take care of each other. And never forget the people behind the uniforms.
–Mr. Falzone
CHRISTMAS NEWS FROM THE AMA–
The AMA applauds the recent announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) regarding changes made to the America the Beautiful Pass (Annual Pass), which will once again cover two motorcycles per pass at national parks across the United States, starting in 2026.
The AMA was at the forefront of this issue, working to restore the 2024 provision that allowed two motorcycles entry per Annual Pass. In February, the AMA Government Relations Department sent a letter to Secretary Doug Burgum urging the DOI to reconsider the change, which inadvertently limited admission to only one motorcycle per pass. This 2024 change aimed to reduce fraud and move toward digitization, however, it did not go through a traditional rulemaking process and failed to solicit input from the AMA and other stakeholders.
Following outreach to Secretary Burgum, the AMA worked closely with Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI-05), the co-chair of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus, to introduce H.R. 4386, the America the Beautiful Motorcycle Fairness Act. The bill aimed to reinstate the two-motorcycle provision and restore parity among visitors arriving by car, bicycle or motorcycle. Thanks to the work of the AMA, Rep. Walberg and his staff, H.R. 4386 was gaining traction, recently passing the House Natural Resources Committee by voice vote. This legislation played an instrumental role in outlining the provisions now included in the 2026 administrative change by the DOI.
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2012 Harley-Davidson Sportster® Seventy-Two™ for Sale
This Sporty is just too beautiful to be ignored by you!
Stock# 14702
2012 Harley Davidson XL1200V Sportster Seventy-Two with only 12,879 miles!
If nostalgia is what you want we have this Seventy-Two thats just waiting to be ridden!
* Vance and Hines Dual Chrome Exhaust
* Brown Springer Seat
* 12-Inch Chrome Handlebars
* Forward Controls
* 1200 CC Sportster Evolution Motor
* Round Air Cleaner
* White Wall Tires
* Passenger Foot Pegs
* Harley OEM Big Red Flake Paintjob
* 5 Speed Transmission
This bike is only $8995.00
Plus license, $85.00 documentation fee, and local sales tax. NO HIDDEN FEES like some dealers. And we have no reconditioning or prep fees. This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 103-point safety/mechanical/structural inspection.This motorcycle has not been refurbished and does not come with any warranty expressed or implied! EXTENDED WARRANTIES are available!
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MERRY CHRISTMAS GODDAMMIT–
What a crazy time.
Danial James created a coupled of extra wild images of the King Chopper for the 85th. I want to have them framed, while I wrote on making the chop a daily rider for guests in the Black Hills.
We found a few copies of the last David Mann book published. We put them for sale in our new Easyriders.com shop.
We also discovered a bunch of Tech Tips and Tricks Volume 3. I’m wondering if we will find some #4 in the archives. I edited this puppy in the ’90s.
Hal Robinson passed away, a major loss to our culture, but I met George Dilucca. He didn’t have Hal’s touch, but he did have the spirits and worked with me until he chase women to Thailand. He never came back.
Merry Christmas to everyone who rides and builds for open roads, open hearts and freedom.
Here’s my favorite Xmas gift. The selection of Top Ramen in the Black Hills is limited to plain chicken. So, the Redhead ordered a case. Top Ramen is the writer and builder’s food. Throw some meat and vegetables into the broth and you have a feast and can put it in a cup and go back to writing or the shop.
But only when the Redhead is not around…
I’m in search of the perfect knife. I’ve tried out the three above. The very nice titanium knife on the right is tough to read the manufacturer, Elinkewitz Knives. It’s heavy and it takes two hands to open it. The knife in the center was given to me by a close friend. It opens easily, but it’s even heavier. I recently bought the knife on the left, a Red Duck knife. It’s very cool and it’s already flipping open. It’s sort of a monster, and then Buster turned me onto Medford Knives which are very expensive, but I listened to George Medford explain the Flipper fighter. Ya see, I want a knife that fits in my back pocket, so I don’t have a problem carrying it anywhere except an airport. Hang on for the report, when it arrives.
Happy Holidays forever!
–Bandit
