Hey,
Life is nuts. The rally has been all over the place and so have I. My Feng Shui book said this month is fucked, go find a bottle of whiskey and hide in a cave.
But actually, until today the rally has cooked. The Museum raised more money than ever before. Danial James sold more art than ever before. I sold an oil can for $200—WTF?
We helped guys with their motorcycles. We spilled gas in the garage. Girls came around and brothers from all over the country rode in. I caught a cold and don’t know how I feel. I couldn’t stop coughing this morning and now the drugs kicked in and I feel somewhere between wanting to take a nap and almost human.
Let’s hit the news.
The Bikernet Weekly News was created by our non-stop, never give up staff: The Redhead, Wayfarer, LA Laura, Viscous Vickie, Danial James, Freak Show Team, Sturgis Prospect Kendra, Paul Davis, Agent Zebra and Berry Wardlaw.
Easyriders Issue 602 (September/October 2026)
Now Available
Here are a few highlights waiting inside this issue:
✔ Lone Star Rally: Tried, True, and New
✔ Frisco Choppers: Where Chopper Culture Meets Rock and Roll History
✔ Helter Skelter 101 Run: England’s Four-Day Motorcycle Bash
✔ Metal Maniac: Darren Burrows’ Amazing Jewelry and Engraving
✔ Fastest Way to the Bar: Hoss Fly, the V8 Barstool Racer
✔ The State of the American Big Bike Market: Times Are Changing
Also inside: Paul Clark’s Evo and GSX choppers, a tribute to legendary artist David Mann, Cave Creek Bike Week, the wild Corvair-powered custom, Karin Noelle and Majik Mike’s Shovel, Sportster Choppers Part Two, Route 66, Robert Sly Stallone’s 1949 Panhead, racing, twisted laughs, EZ News, and more.
BIKERNET GUN NUT REPORT—LEGAL & LEGISLATION
Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case
In another major victory for the National Rifle Association and law-abiding gun owners, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas today held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns exceed Congress’s constitutional authority after Congress eliminated the NFA’s transfer and making taxes on those arms.
KLOCK WINDSHIELD ALTERCATION– On Wednesday, August 12, 2026-
In Sturgis At Harley Davidson Way Main Street across from Harley-Davidson Bandshell , I was stopped by Sturgis Police. They told me to wear glasses since my windshield was too low. I explained that I had been slumped in the seat , but rose up , thus getting my head slightly over the windshield to see any traffic hazards .
Their was the usual massive amount of motorcycles during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally .
I then explained that Klock Windshields push
the air over top , which is actually safer than looking into a bug stained windshield.
After asking the first officer to see something in Print, a second officer 10 minutes later
stopped me to show me the stateSouth Dakota statue. I asked to receive a ticket, but the officer said he was too busy.. I gave him my business card to se
Nd me a ticket .
“Brian Klock your statue needs to be changed to allow Klock to be exempted from this legislation!. it would be an honor for me to testify at State Legislative committee & Floor action hearings!”
–Dave Zien
former State Senator
Million Mile Motorcycle Man
President Lawmakers MC
cell / text 715-829-9436
VA STARTS NEW PYSCHEDELIC TRIALS TO TREAT DEPRESSION
VA is launching a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of psilocybin to treat major depression in Veterans, including those who have post-traumatic stress disorder.
The new trial comes after President Trump’s recent executive order on “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” which aims to increase clinical trial participation and accelerate innovative research models and drug approvals for psychedelic drugs.
VA’s trial, titled “Psilocybin Intervention for Veterans Overcoming Treatment-Resistant Depression,” or PIVOT, reflects VA’s commitment to pursuing innovative solutions for Veterans who have not responded to existing treatments.
“Far too many Veterans are living with mental health conditions that don’t respond to available treatments,”said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Under President Trump, VA is pursuing all avenues to evaluate new treatments and offer meaningful relief for those who have worn the uniform. This clinical trial reflects another step toward this goal.”
The randomized, controlled trial will enroll Veterans diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, with or without concurrent PTSD, and will compare outcomes between two psilocybin dosage levels. The study will also assess participants’ levels of depression before and after treatment, tolerability of side effects, and overall patient-reported depression.
The trial will be conducted in five locations: Birmingham VA Health Care System and Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama; VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia; and VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington.
The health and safety of Veterans who choose to participate in this trial is VA’s top priority. The trial will be conducted in a safe, controlled, clinical setting using pharmaceutical-grade drugs under careful quality controls, stringent safety protocols that were developed with FDA, and in a setting that includes psychological support.
AI ATTACK–Here is something —incredible.
There was a 14 way bid on a debut novel and was sold by agent to a publisher for a $ 2 million dollar deal
Then the agent pulled back the entire deal and cancelled it–claiming he suspects his client used AI to write the novel.
Says the publishing world was “dazzled” by the author’s amazing writing but now we cannot fully assure that it was not written or edited without the help of AI.
This is the THIRD Major Novel by major publisher to be shit canned due to allegations by someone or other about usage of AI.
Will AI Book Covers too face similar wave of fury from the high priests of traditional and dogmatic creative establishment? Will entire novels and movies get cancelled because the poster or book cover or advertisement had suspicions of use of AI.
Why are businesses and corporates not ashamed of daily use of AI? Because their business is not a promise of creativity and “originality” and talent.
An author’s $2 million book deal was pulled over suspected AI use. Where does publishing go from here?
Three writers jump in a Google doc to discuss the fallout from this most recent literary scandal and debate the future of the industry in the shadow of AI
—-by John Paul Brammer, Kathleen Schmidt, Lincoln Michel, and Danya Issawi
https://post.substack.com/p/an-authors-2-million-book-deal-was
This is gonna go into my Dissertation as a last minute entry.
—-Wayfarer@Bikernet.com
Associate Editor, Bikernet.com
Thanks,
But this is ridiculous. Again, are you saying a writer can’t research or will be restricted in how he researches his article or book? Someday, a company might reject a report because it wasn’t fact-checked on AI.
I realize this is just a dissertation for school. But think about so many other new technologies which have been attacked as if we were doomed. The automobile, television, cell phones, unleaded fuels, the internet and now AI.
What’s it going to be?
–Bandit
Bots now make up 57% of webpage requests on the world wide web
Here is a report based on Cloudlfare documented data—
https://searchengineland.com/cloudflare-bots-webpage-requests-479608
Bots now make up the majority of webpage requests worldwide for the first time, according to Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince.
Prince’s 2027 forecast arrived early. Prince predicted in March at SXSW that AI bots could outnumber humans on the web by 2027 as agent-driven browsing grew. He later revised that forecast to early 2027. Now, he says, agentic traffic is growing so quickly that bots have already crossed the line.
Why we care. Search is moving into an agentic era, where bots may become the primary source of webpage requests. That may increase the importance of making content machine-readable, authoritative, and easy for AI systems to interpret.
AI agents browse differently. Prince previously warned that AI agents can generate far more web activity than humans because they gather information differently. A person shopping online might visit five sites. An AI agent could visit thousands, creating real traffic and real server load without the same clicks, ad views, or customer relationships that websites have relied on.
The measurement problem. The shift creates a new challenge for publishers, retailers and brands: traffic may rise while human engagement, referrals and monetization do not.
The larger question. Prince previously asked what pays for the web when more of its “users” are bots? Now that bots have crossed the majority line, that question is no longer theoretica.
—Wayfarer
Associate Editor, Bikernet.com
Industry and Manufacturer Updates
Harley-Davidson Strategy: Harley has faced tighter operating margins and tariff pressures, but continues to generate buzz with stripped-down minimalist offerings like the Deadwood model designed to evoke classic post-war styling.
Competitive Landscape: Global competitors like Royal Enfield continue putting pressure on traditional American market shares, while Japanese brands retain heavy registration footprints in the US.
Racing and Events: The 86th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally wrapped up recent headline racing showcases, including American Flat Track action.
Dallas Daniels extended his lead in the Progressive American Flat Track championship following back-to-back Grand National victories this week. Meanwhile, Mathew Scholtz took a dramatic win at the MotoAmerica Superbike race in Mid-Ohio after the event was stopped twice by red flags.
Rumble & Thunder Meeting: Hosted by Thunderbike, this unique international event blends American hot rods and radical US custom bikes, creating a wild crossover party for custom fans.
Rumble & Thunder American car and motorcycle meet hosted by Thunderbike takes place annually in August (scheduled for August 15, 2026).
Event Highlights
- Date: August 15, 2026
- Location: Thunderbike Grounds
- Vehicles: V8 hot rods, lowriders, and custom choppers
Meanwhile—take a closer look at the design philosophy and reception surrounding Harley-Davidson’s recent minimalist lineup updates:
BEWARE, Criticism of Harley-Davidson follows….THIS IS WHY Right To Repair and Aftermarket Parts needs your support.
—Wayfarer
Associate Editor, Bikernet.com
BONNEVILLE IS JUST A WEEK AWAY– We held a party at our main street location. The day before we took this neon to a shop in Whitewood and Tim explained how neon works and sold us a new transformer. I wired it into the system, and it worked for awhile then started to sputter and die. It’s going back to Tim who’s dad started the shop in 1962.
Some of the clan went to the Michael Lichter’s Exhibit, which wrapped its chrome tenacles around all Japanese bikes. I thought it was cool and Bob V. said, “Keep the Jap bikes outta the magazine.”
Danial unveiled his next centerspread for ER 602 at the party on Main. A portrait of David Mann painting his early photo with his first wife.
We had a good crowd of folks and industry leaders.
We raffled off a print of the famous David Mann and the winner went crazy. Danial only makes 11 prints, so the winner got to pick his favorite number.
Keep riding fast and free…
–Bandit
