The World Report Powered by BikerNet.com

Hey, Life is nuts but you knew that. Here’s this month’s notion, but I need to have some scientific facts to confirm my assumptions.

I’ve been trying to figure out a few things for a while. You know, we bang through life just handling shit as it comes. We take our knocks and sometime blame the problems on someone else or the other guys. In the case the EPA and the California ARB group, some guys just figured we’re fucked, and we had to deal with it.

So, let me try to put this succinctly in a twisted world. Here’s my contention: In just over 125 years innovation and freedom has tripled our life expectancy. We are healthier, safer, more secure than ever before. Vehicles are wonderful, and technology and entertainment is over the top. So, we need to congratulate ourselves, and celebrate our freedoms. We don’t need more attacks on the public, more laws against smoking, guns or motorcycles. That’s it. Why not?

Sure, we need to improve the infrastructure, but we don’t need Zero emissions, zero accidents or Zero anything. Remember shit happens. Back off and celebrate our accomplishments. We don’t need to force electric technology, and fossil fuels ain’t bad. If automated comes, okay, but we don’t need to force it on anything or anyone. Whatta ya tink?

The one thing we need more of is education and training, so folks are smart, fit and take responsibility for themselves.

In Motion-A New Vision In Motorcycle

Shows - In Motion 2018 Presented By Lucas Oil 2017 was the first offering of a brand-new type of show called In Motion presented by Lucas Oil at the Lone Star Rally in Galveston,

TX. 14 builders from across the United States have been invited to create a one of a kind custom motorcycle that not only exemplifies This motorcycle show started with bikes that had to perform a shakedown ride to be eligible for the vote. At the end, the winner will walk away with a $10,000 prize.

The only way to fairly judge builders at this level of the game is to come up with a system that in the end is beyond reproach. We call it the 20-40-40 system. Twenty percent of the vote is peer-based judging from the builders themselves. Forty percent of that vote will come from members of the trades; these are welders, fabricators, painters, and machinists that can judge something on the merit of how it was made. Finally, the last forty percent of the vote will be from an industry panel, made up of members of the motorcycle industry from all ends of the spectrum. 2017 saw Donny Loos of Don’s Custom Cycle & Garage s walk away with the big check for his impeccable Shovelhead build, few could argue that he was the legitimate champion.

Coming into its second, year In Motion presented by Lucas Oil has captured the attention of the motorcycle industry around the world. With amazing images that have been captured from the first year from famous motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter and the partnership of Cycle Source Magazine who carried articles on the builders and their machines, it gathered great media attention as well. In Motion will operate as a two-year option for the builders; which means that each invited craftsman has the option to come two years in a row before being left off the list for a minimum of one year. For 2018, nine of the original fourteen have agreed to compete for their second chance at the big money, to that several new builders will be added by shakedown day. A new feature this year is that the bikes, which were originally displayed in the VIP room in the Devils Cut building, will now be available to the general public for viewing throughout the Lone Star rally in the park at the corner of Strand St and 21st St. All fourteen bikes and builders will be accessible to the public. Each will be set on pedestals with builder banners identifying each. Because this is now a public option the we are pleased to announce the addition of a People’s Choice award! The show begins with a Shakedown ride on Thursday evening that ends at the display area on 21st St. with a VIP reception party. From that point, on all motorcycles that have ridden the official route will be eligible for voting. On Sunday morning the winner will be announced on the main Stage at Sangerfest Park and will be presented with their $10,000 check.

For more info on The Lone Star Rally go to

www.lonestarrally.com

FEMA Report: Motorcycles Are The

Answer! - It sounds so obvious, but when it comes to urban mobility, FEMA believes motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers should be actively promoted as a great alternative for cars.

FEMA thinks that powered two-wheelers (motorcycles, scooters and mopeds), are just as well part of the solution for present and future mobility challenges.

The benefits of motorcycles to cars are obvious: Motorcycles are narrow. They can filter through traffic and keep moving where cars stand still in traffic jams. This makes motorcycles faster than any other way of transport in urban traffic. This was shown again in the mobility test we performed earlier this year in 14 cities all over Europe. With one exception the motorcycle was the quickest way to commute. On average the motorcyclist needed 53% less time than the user of public transport. Motorcycling also turned out much cheaper than car driving.

In Belgium Transport & Mobility research showed, that a transition from 10% of the car drivers to motorcycling reduced the total traveling time of all road users and the length of the traffic jams by 40% and emissions would be reduced by 6%. In many SouthEuropean cities traffic would come to a complete standstill without the massive use of scooters and motorcycles.

Motorcycles are also small and light: not only can they filter through the traffic and reduce the total traffic time for all road users, they also use less space to park. In many European cities it is allowed to park a motorcycle on the sidewalk, as long as pedestrians are not obstructed. Often the motorcyclist can use a spot that is too small for a car to park. In many cities special parking places are or can be created. The smaller size and less weight of motorcycles also means less wear of the road surface, less use of fuel and less emissions. We have compared the fuel consumption of cars and motorcycles in real daily use with the use of information that was provided by car- and motorcycle users in the German website Spritmonitor.de. It turned out that on average, motorcycles use 1 litre per 100 kilometres less than diesel cars and 3 litres per 100 kilometres less than petrol cars. Motorcycles also have less emission of toxic gasses, especially when compared to cars with diesel engines.

Motorcycling, especially with smaller motorcycles or scooters, is much cheaper than driving a car: you use less fuel, you pay less taxes and normally you don’t need to pay for parking. In most countries you pay a reduced fee on toll roads or bridges. In the United Kingdom toll bridges are even free for motorcycles.

Unlike walking and cycling, motorcycles can be used for all distances, from short to long. And unlike public transport, motorcycles bring you from where you are to where you want to be 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Because of their advantages for congestion and environment, motorcycles are often allowed in low-emission zones (e.g. all low emissions zones in Germany) or are exempted

from emission zone tolls, like we recently have seen in Birmingham.

FEMA General Secretary Dolf Willigers says: “Policy makers and city developers should have a better look at powered twowheelers and the benefits they provide for urban traffic and for commuting. From my own experience I know that motorcycling is often the most convenient and quickest way of travelling, both for long and short distance, in todays jammed traffic. Motorcycles are also getting cleaner, safer and more silent, so there is no real reason to ignore them any longer”. --FEMA news by Wim Taal

New York Bikers Singled Out—New York City motorcyclists find themselves in a struggle with law enforcement and city officials, who are issuing citations for minor infractions, impounding motorcycles, employing motorcycle-only checkpoints and misapplying laws.

The riders feel they are under siege and wonder whether the heavy-handed tactics are an attempt to purge motorcycles from city streets or a way to extract money from a group of residents, who fellow citizens care little about. --AMA

ROYAL ENFIELD - Brings Bigger Twin Motorcycles To U.S. As Harley-Davidson

Goes Smaller Overseas - Royal Enfield will expand its motorcycle lineup in North America next year with the introduction of its first twin cylinder bikes to be produced since 1970. Royal Enfield, the Indian motorcycle manufacturer with its North American headquarters in Milwaukee, will roll out the Interceptor INT 650 and the Continental GT 650 in North America next spring. The motorcycles join Royal Enfield’s lineup of middleweight motorcycles but feature the more powerful single overhead cam, eight-valve, air and oil cooled twin parallel engine. The 648-cubic centimeter engine driving the new models makes the twins the most powerful in the Royal Enfield North America lineup and move Royal Enfield North America, which has its headquarters and flagship dealership at 226 N. Water St. in Milwaukee’s 3rd Ward, into market space that iconic Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson Inc. is seeking to carve out with its 500cc Street line.

The new models will be available at North American dealers in spring 2019 and will start at MSRP of $5,799 for the Interceptor INT 650 and $5,999 for the Continental GT 650. Custom and Chrome models will add to the price. The models will include ABS and a 3-year warranty with roadside assistance.

The Continental GT 650 is a sporty cafe racer, while the Interceptor INT 650 is what Royal Enfield describes as a stylish roadster. The two have links in former twins of Royal Enfield’s past but are entirely new motorcycles developed jointly by Royal Enfield’s development teams in India and at its stateof-the-art technical center at Bruntingthorpe in the United Kingdom.

Rhe models were first unveiled at the EICMA

Motorcycle Show in Milan in November and were subsequently introduced in European and Asian markets. At the unveiling, Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal said the company hoped to lead and expand the middleweight motorcycle segment (250cc-750cc) worldwide.

“In international markets the twins will play a strategic role not just for us but for the industry to expand the mid-weight segment and invite new users into the category,” Rudratej Singh, president of Royal Enfield, said in a press release last week. “We expect the Interceptor INT 650 and the Continental GT 650 to represent the perfect opportunity to upgrade commuters in South East Asia and Latin America, as well as expand the motorcycling segment in USA and Europe.”

While Royal Enfield’s engine sizes grow in North America, Harley-Davidson — the U.S. market leader in heavyweight motorcycles by a wide margin — plans to introduce smaller bikes into international markets like Royal Enfield’s home country.

Harley-Davidson’s new strategic strategy to grow internationally includes the launching of a “more accessible” smaller displacement bike for its emerging markets in Asia, with specific focus on India. Harley also intends to expand in the middleweight motorcycle space, adding its first adventure touring motorcycle, the Pan America, in 2020 and a Streetfighter model targeted for 2020. --bizjournals.com/milwaukee

AMA REPORTS - National and Regional News- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board issued a report on Sept. 11 that calls for all new on-road motorcycles sold in the United States to be equipped with antilock braking systems and recommends the federal government publish performance standards for electronic stability control on motorcycles sold here.

At the same time, the board recommended that the American Motorcyclist Association, the Motorcycle Industry Council and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation tout the benefits of ABS and stability control-along with other findings in the report-to the motorcycling community.

The report also recommended that motorcycles be fully incorporated in the development and implementation of technology for on-board crash prevention systems and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicleto-infrastructure technology.

The recommendations were among 10 included in the report titled “Select Risk Factors Associated with Causes of Motorcycle Crashes” that the board adopted unanimously.

More information is available at tinyurl.com/ ybt43hvc.

Their focus on motorcycling is misguided if compared to injuries to pedestrians and in homes, 18,000 deaths a year compared to 5,000 motorcyclists.—Bandit

WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than 20 members of the U.S. House sent a letter in September to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, urging the agency to approve year-round E15 sales. President Donald Trump has promised farm groups that the EPA would lift restrictions on the summer sale of E15 (fuel with as much as 15 percent ethanol by volume). The EPA currently forbids E15 sales during the summer in most of the country.

The AMA opposes additional E15 sales for two reasons. First, none of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs currently in use in this country is certified by the EPA to operate on fuels containing more than 10 percent ethanol. Making E15 more readily available increases the risk of misfueling by

riders.

Second, proliferation of E15 could reduce the availability of the E10 and E0 (fuel with no ethanol) fuels needed by motorcyclists and ATV riders. E10 already has created a market in which E0 is difficult to find. The pro-E15 letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Steve King, (R-Iowa) Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) Rod Blum (R-Iowa), Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb) Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Richard M. Nolan (D-Minn.), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), David Young (R-Iowa), Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Andre Carson (D-Ind.) and Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.).

AMA National News - The AMA has adopted an official position statement on automated vehicles that calls on government agencies and elected officials to include motorcyclists in the ongoing discussion, planning and implementation of the policies and regulations governing the rollout of automated vehicles.

The position statement was adopted July 31 by the AMA Board of Directors. “Failure to specifically address motorcycles in statutory and regulatory language amounts to the abandonment of motorcycle safety by legislators and regulators,” the position statement reads. “Essentially, the issue of distracted and inattentive driving will mushroom into a monumental hazard for motorcyclists when flawed AV technology enters the transportation mainstream.” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said the position statement emerged from the organization’s ongoing involvement in this crucial issue and reinforces the organization’s commitment to motorcyclist safety.

The AMA recognizes that some features being developed and tested may result in a reduction in the number of crashes and injuries involving motorcyclists. However, no mandate is in place to require motorcyclists are included in the discussion or that motorcycles be specifically addressed during development of detection devices and software development. The full text of the “Automated Vehicles and the Safety of Motorcyclists” position statement is available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/ About-The-AMA/automated-vehiclesand-the-safety-of-motorcyclists. State News - SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Highway Patrol has released its long-awaited tips for motorcyclists who split lanes in traffic. The recommendations were authorized under A.B. 51, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2016. The law is the first legislative recognition of lane splitting, in which motorcyclists ride between lanes of stopped or slowed traffic. The CHP tips include information for motorcyclists and drivers of other vehicles. Safety tips for motorcyclists include: Consider the total environment when you are lane splitting. This includes the width of lanes, the size of surrounding vehicles and current roadway, weather and lighting conditions. Danger increases at higher speed differentials (the difference between the speed of the motorcyclist and that of nearby vehicles). Danger increases as overall speed increases. It is typically safer to split between the far left lanes than between other lanes of traffic. Avoid lane splitting next to large vehicles (big rigs, buses, motorhomes, etc.).

Riding on the shoulder is illegal and is not considered lane splitting. Be visible. Avoid remaining in the blind spots of other vehicles or lingering between vehicles. Help drivers see you by wearing brightly colored/reflective protective gear and using high beams during daylight. Messages for other vehicle drivers include: Lane splitting by motorcyclists is legal in California. Intentionally blocking or impeding a motorcyclist is illegal. Opening a vehicle door to impede a motorcyclist is illegal. Drivers in the far left lane should move to the left of their lane to give motorcyclists ample room to pass. CHP safety tips for all motorists include: Check mirrors and blind spots, especially before changing lanes or turning. Signal your intentions before changing lanes

or merging with traffic. Be alert and anticipate possible movements by other motorists. Never ride or drive while impaired by drugs, alcohol or fatigue. Be courteous and share the road.

The CHP warns that splitting lanes can be dangerous and should not be performed by inexperienced riders. The AMA position statement on lane splitting can be found at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/About-TheAMA/lane-splitting-1.

Industry News - LONG BEACH, Calif. - Fly Free is the most recent electric motorcycle company to announce its entry into the U.S. market, with the introduction of its Smart Desert model. The motorcycle was inspired by the scramblers of the 1950s and 1960s. It comes in two trims: an entry-level with a top speed of 40 mph and a 50-mile range, and the higher performance option with a top speed of 50 mph and a 100-mile range. No pricing has been announced, but the company plans to begin pre-orders near the end of the year.

MUNICH - BMW Motorrad’s first autonomous motorcycle was presented in September at the BMW Motorrad Techday 2018. A BMW R 1200 GS made its first rounds in front of assembled journalists at the BMW Group testing ground in Miramas, southern France.

Developed by graduate engineer Stefan Hans and his team, the vehicle independently drives off, accelerates, circles a winding test track and independently slows down to a stop. BMW said the “underlying technology should serve as a platform for development of future systems and functions to make motorcycling even safer, more comfortable and increase the riding pleasure.

The aim of the prototype is to gather additional knowledge with regards driving dynamics in order to detect dangerous situations early on and thus support the driver with appropriate safety systems while

AMA News - PICKERINGTON, Ohio - AMA Life Member Ken Gerard drove cross country to donate two mini-enduros to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The Folsom, Calif., resident drove with his wife and dog from his home to the American Motorcyclist Association campus in Pickerington, Ohio to deliver the motorcycles.

Both motorcycles are Yamaha JT1 mini enduro models. Gerard said he and his wife bought them on their way to a vintage racing event in 1994. It took more than a year to restore each bike.

One of the motorcycles, a red 1971 model, required more than $2,000 in parts to complete the restoration. The second motorcycle, a yellow 1972 model, required $1,200 in parts.

Gerard said he worked at a motorcycle dealership in Sacramento, Calif., when the JT1 model debuted in the U.S. market in 1970. He bought both motorcycles for a combined $495 dollars. Gerard said they sold new in 1970 for $299. The motorcycles feature a Our government needs our help. We need to point out the errors of their ways and tell them how we love to ride and how we feel about being free. And if you want to stay up on the news weekly, just slip over to Bikernet.com. We’ve got updates weekly.

In the meantime, ride free forever. --Bandit

IT TAKES A VILLAGE...

as my misguided adolescent brain tried to navigate itself through a barrage of cookie cutter ideologies haphazardly and middle-class stereotypes m y parents, both on different plains of relationship goals pelted me with their own versions of generational advice. Now as a father

I find myself spewing some of the same age-old bullshit, like the product of a dime store lab experiment, in retort to the same childish bullshit that the I remember pulling when I was just as annoying. Common phrases, gestures, and metaphors answering the same tit for tat in a generational cadence that spans the ages, the only difference being the interference of a digital parasite that has become a necessary evil in the future in which we reside.

Blanketed in a shroud of high honors and academic excellence I can only be all too proud of the son my father probably wishes I was. But I find myself in fear of the noise that surrounds this generation, and I don’t really have any examples laid out from the past to follow. All there is is advice cultivated in the minds of perfectionists altered to fit unknown circumstances. I don’t know where this world is, and I sure as hell don’t know where we all fit into it, but in reality does anyone ever really know……ever. Thank god for motorcycles. It’s a common grip on social deviancy where, in the end, you are forced to rely on yourself with only the voices of accumulated advice whispering in the back of your head, because once that throttle twists, you either experience what’s ahead of you or you hit the dirt in defeat until you get it right. I remember my son, the first time he sat on a small 70cc dirt bike, he held the grips and gave the throttle a ghostlike twist. His eyes were wide and wild, and the excitement was undeniable. While most kids are released onto two wheels in the safe quarters of someone’s backyard field, on this day my son, Memphis was amidst a few hundred motorcycles at the Strange Days event.

Little did I know that after years of riding motorcycles of all kinds in many different places and many different events I was about to experience the full capabilities of a motorcycle community. Memphis was all of 11 years old, any time he could be on the back of my bike he was, but never before had he had the opportunity to captain one of his own. Surrounded by the people, I trust most in this world he was given a helmet and the chance to ride on his own for the first time. It was the first time I took faith in his word that he would listen to those around him and that he would listen to his own judgment and fears. Looking back at that moment I don’t know who was having a life-changing moment more; perhaps it was both of us, it just took til now to realize it.

As the throttle surpassed the clutch in an awkward scream, the little bike carried him away into the open field of matted down grass and random chopper passers-by. I stood fixated on his exuberance scanning ahead of his path for any obstacles I wouldn’t be able to help him avoid, but, as my tunnel vision released its grip the enormity of what was happening came into focus. We had spent a few minutes explaining to him everything he would need to know for his adventure; we dumbed down the science of clutching and the dance of braking without stall. Mistakes were expected but keeping them small was all we could prepare for. As he tried to capture first gear and the bike stalled a crowd started to gather, and I noticed others watched from a small distance. A boy was about to ride his first bike…..

he was about to be reborn, every one of us can relive that moment, every one of us wants to.

Memphis slowly set sail, balanced and true, he didn’t overly test the throttle, but he respected what he was doing, shoulders stiff and head tucked. But what I also noticed was that the event traffi c in that fi eld had all but stopped, when he was far enough away bikes would shuffl e along, complete strangers were directing traffi c and giving my kid the right of way. He stalled only a few times but before I could run to help him someone was dusting him off and helping him on his way……community, in fact maybe it does take a village.

I would imagine that most would fi nd this a less than ideal place to let their kid run free with the ever looming chance of doom at every corner, but I never thought different of it and never questioned it either. There was no better place, no better time, and no bigger smile than in that moment. I thank motorcycles, the people they make, and the culture they put them in because it’s in the middle of all that noise that there is peace and I think my kid, bathing in adrenaline, felt just a small part of it all. I now have that bike, and as I stare at it I remember that day, and I hope as my other two boys grow old enough, they have the same day their older brother had, we all deserve that, and it would be a shame to miss out…. But what I hope most, if they or anyone else looks back at what their fi rst ride did for them I hope they remember that the freedom that they felt in that moment was the instant that the world stopped existing and it was all about themselves. It’s not wrong to be selfi sh every once in a while…..there’s only one now.