By admin | June 30, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Buddy Miller
Conventional wisdom is you build a star through hits. Be it “hits” with motorcycle models or music songs.
These days the media is busy parading the faces of barely pubescent “artists” in front of the non-caring public while true musicians are doing what they’ve always done. Play!
Hey, there’s a concept… perfecting your craft until their so great people become “infected” when they listen to that magical concoction of musical sound which penetrates your body. We can debate through the night what’s good intellectually, but when someone starts to play and they wring out a good feeling from their guitar, like being in a bar way past midnight wanting the evening to never end because tomorrow is drudgery…. you get a feel good smile on our face.
That’s what Buddy Miller’s music is about. Defined by the music “machine” as country, yet that’s not the only format his music belongs. He isn’t good-looking enough for a fashion spread in “GQ” or a multi-page foldout in “Rolling Stone”. Buddy Miller is 56 years old. He’s a heart attack survivor and like many people in their mid-life he’s viewed as being on the downhill slide, but he’s just starting to hit his stride! He didn’t give up or quit and go into his daddy’s business. Instead he focused on the music. Recording it and playing it live. As a craftsman he goes into the studio when inspired vs. when label’s want to sell more and lay’s down something truly great. I’m a fan.
What’s my point, you ask? It involves motorcycles and is specific to Buddy Miller’s aluminum neck electric guitar. Made in Italy it’s a 1960’s vintage called a “Davoli.” You can see/hear about his guitar HERE or read more information at Vintage Guitar.
Briefly it all started with Wandré Pioli who began designing and building guitars in the mid-50’s. At some point during those early years, Wandré hooked up with Athos Davoli, whose company at the time was part of a conglomerate known as Radio Elettromeccanica Krundaal, located in Parma, Italy. The two worked on developing the electronics that eventually appeared in Wandré guitars. As a pioneering guitar designer, Wandré was attracted early on to aluminum and it’s structural material. As a motorcycle enthusiast he restored motorcycles and was often seen riding the Italian countryside. His interest in motorcycles was reflected in the design and workmanship of his guitar vibrato system. Either a triangular or diamond-shaped affair was attached to the aluminum core and faced outward with a cast metal “W”… it looked very much like a motorcycle medallion of the day. However, most of the guitar production used pickups made by the Athos Davoli company. These were large, trapezoid-shaped pickups with stamped metal covers that said “Davoli/Made In Italy.” The Davoli pickup cover imprint was often the only identification found on Wandré guitars, contributing to the misinformation that they are “Davoli” guitars.
It seems much of life is drudgery. We worry too much and it’s why we’re searching for gems to get us through. And when we find one, we tell everybody we know. So, here is a shout out to the motorcycle loving master craftsman Wandré and his eccentric guitar design. And to finding a real gem playing that guitar is Buddy Miller and a brilliant song.
Photo courtesy of Michael Wilson.
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By admin | June 30, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Today is the Million Mile Monday ride.
H.O.G. members around the world ride together for the purpose of logging 5 million miles in a 24 hour period.
Why? Because they can!!
So, to support the ride call I took some extra time today and rode beyond any normal commute to work. The weather at lunch was a perfect clear-blue-sky, in the mid 70’s with a light on-shore breeze from the pacific ocean. It doesn’t get any better than this…unless it’s a day off and work issues are a distant memory. And I sure thought about a sick day…
I think the reality of the second anniversary of the Million Mile Monday will be how many miles beyond the 5M target will H.O.G. members go? I registered my 57 miles and got the certificate.
Photo courtesy of H-D/H.O.G
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By admin | June 29, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
He wanted acceptance and to be so incredibly good that he couldn’t be denied.
Of course I’m talking about Michael Jackson. A child star turned “King of Pop” who with Quincy Jones released a dance floor epic when disco was supposedly dead. Together they concocted a synthesis of rock and beats that would not be denied. Then there was the MTV television “Thriller” moment. There’s only before and after. Michael Jackson’s moonwalk was one of those events. Like the moon landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
And speaking of the moonscapes, I remember many years ago thinking how odd while watching a clay-mation video which included a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a MJ moon-walking rabbit called Speed Demon. Clearly a head of its time. Then last April the cash-strapped artist tried to have an array of treasures from his Neverland Ranch get auctioned, including his 2001 Harley-Davidson Touring Motorcycle which was outfitted as a police cruiser complete with lights and siren.
Now it’s over and the circus begins. It’s been like a sad movie unspooling on the floor. We can all debate the low points. For me it started with plastic surgery and it ended with court cases. And when Michael tried to explain, when he showed up in court in his pajamas, I tuned out and didn’t want to listen. I didn’t give him much of a break. The public no longer treats you human, as an equal, once you break through to stardom-phere. I’m sure it got confusing and we watched his retreat.
I think we’ve lost something with the passing of Michael Jackson. May he RIP.
Photo courtesy of Julien Auctions and MJ Productions.
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By admin | June 25, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Butt Rider Award
Before the final rider had packed up the saddlebags and rumbled out of Hells Canyon a couple weeks ago the local press were reporting on the arrests and accident stats.
Fortunately there were no fatalities, but several riders were severely injured and a few have a long recovery ahead of them. I hope for the best!
As background, there were about 5,000 riders who converged on the surrounding area of Baker City. I’ve already reported how there were widespread thunderstorms with heavy rain alternated with sunshine throughout the weekend. There were two rally-related arrests which resulted from an intoxicated rider trying to move his motorcycle from the street lineup and crashed into 3 other motorcycles. Yeah, that would aggravate me too! George Twardus (Portland) was arrested for drunk driving. Compounding that situation was one of his new friends from Baker City who decided to sneak off with the motorcycle and was arrested for unlawful use of a motorcycle and tampering with evidence. According to the reports police showed significant restraint as the riding group with Mr. Tawardus were acting out and expressing their freedom of speech. I have dedicated a “Butt Rider” award to them! In addition, there were a couple of other local residents arrested over the weekend for fighting outside a bar, but it was described by Police Chief Lohner as just part of a typical Saturday night in Baker City, and had nothing to do with the rally.
Baker City had 13 calls related to the rally, including eight motorcycle crashes. The weather likely contributed to some of the motorcycle crashes, but rider skills certainly had a part too. Four of the injured were flown out either by helicopter or plane. In addition, there were a couple of motorcycle accidents reported in the Richland area including the hit and run accident with Rick Meigs which I reported on previously. It turns out that this year’s rally was comparable to the number of accidents in 2007, but much worse than 2008.
And speaking of “Butt Rider” awards… as a visitor to eastern Oregon, I have a couple observations to pass along:
- Uninvited Guests — If a group of 4-6 riders are clearly in a group together then other riders not part of that group shouldn’t cut in to ride as if you’ve found your long lost riding buddies. Often without warning we saw people dart/cut into our group vs. go on around – even with plenty of passing space. Sure some riders were looking to pass and wanted to make sure there was clearance, but others cut in and behaved as if they planned to join the group?! I know the skills of our riding group, but I wouldn’t know if the “cutter” has been riding motorcycles for 30 years, or 13 minutes — who knows and that concerns me. I’m more than okay in sharing the roadways, but there was some stupidity being displayed and on several occasions we were forced to brake heavy to make way.
- Secret Motorcycle Wave — To me it is amazing to see folks waving or trying to wave at all the fellow riders when there is a big rally in an area. And I’m not talking about the two-finger flip or the helmet nod, but the left hand high in the air “Hi Mom, I’m so excited to be out here and one of the gang” type waves! Great way to avoid accidents on wet S-curves with 100’s of participants on the road. Not!
- Hunting Season – is it me or is it you? It must have been the time of year as I observed several riders (namely Idaho plates) displaying holstered firearms for all to see. Sure, Oregon has a rich hunting heritage, but packing “heat” at a motorcycle rally should not be encouraged and certainly does nothing to promote conversation or relationship building. I’m not anti-gun and own firearms like many of you. I treat all firearms as if they are loaded and these guys were twitchy. I don’t know these characters or what the potential target was and felt as though I should put on a blaze orange vest so as to not be confused with any live animal!
I’m of the viewpoint that a motorcycle rally has a couple of purposes beyond vendor booths and the camaraderie of enjoying wind in your face with friends I’m sure there are others, but one is to raise awareness with the general public, that they are sharing the roadways with motorcycles. Another might be to promote motorcycle safe riding practices and that as a large loosely aligned group of motorcycle enthusiasts, we can and are well behaved. Some more than others I suppose…
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By admin | June 24, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve most likely heard of Twitter.
Several of the major news organizations like CNN, ABC etc., are using social media tools and if you’ve followed updates over the last week on the Iran election, Twitter has been singled out as a major cyber-sympathizer source to help dodge government censorship.
I’ve had a number of people ask me about Twitter, why it matters and why use it. To be candid I was slow in adopting the technology for the blog, because I wasn’t sure of the time commitment and the whole “life casting” gig wasn’t all that interesting to me. However, over the last 6 months I have put some energy into understanding the technology and have been somewhat consistent in updating. I find it curious that for all of its social media self-promotion and skills, Harley-Davidson corporate doesn’t effectively use the Twitter tool. A few dealers are trying it and I’ve provided a few thoughts/suggestions below on how bloggers or H-D can leverage and improve relationships with their core audience.
First the what: Twitter is a “microblogging” tool (it’s technical infrastructure is sometimes referred to as a “platform”) that lets people post short (140 character) messages, called “tweets” to the Web. Twitter exists somewhere in the space between RSS, chat, e-mail (publically viewable), blogs, and forums.
Next is to make sure you’re current on the vernacular of the technology or Twitter “language” — a “tweet” is a Twitter post. Once you post your “tweet” onto the Twittersphere, users who elect to “follow” you will be updated with your new pearl of wisdom that you just posted. The best way to really understand Twitter is to sign up for it and just start playing with it. Go to Twitter and create a twitter account. If you run a blog my suggestion is to make sure and take the time to create a customized or branded profile. Include links to your site or let’s say if you’re a motorcycle dealer include links to your e-commerce or dealership website. Twitter’s help site, will provide an understanding of all that you can do with it.
For example one AZ-based motorcycle dealer has tasked the community relationship manager with the job of posting and managing followers. Next is to publicize your Twitter ID (mine is macrant) and encourage people who visit your blog or your motorcycle shop/web site to sign up for Twitter and follow you. I’ve seen folks put Twitter ID on printed receipts and business cards as well as have a “Follow Us” link to their website or in e-mail marketing. The point is that Twitter is a tool through which subscribers can further reach their audiences, real-time. Your followers can hear and express thought leadership, broadcast their messages, connect to influencers in the industry both on their desktop and via mobile devices.
As you surf Twitter you’ll note the @ symbol in tweets. This is a method for referencing or replying to another Twitter user. Mine is @macrant. Another symbol you will see is #. This is a trick that folks use to tag or categorize post content. Example: #harley, #motorcycle or #harley-davidson. Another convention you’ll see is RT or ReTweet. If you’ve read something interesting and want others to view it, you RT it. For example this would look like: RT @macrant “Posted a great article for #harley fans on how to leverage #twitter.”
Is Twitter for everyone? No. There’s a lot of crap people need to wade through on the internet. But, as an emerging platform with a lot of technical infrastructure it’s another opportunity to build relationships and build a media-savvy blog or brand. To get more out of it I suggest you use some of the Twitter clients. I use Nambu, but two other widely used Twitter clients are Twhirl and Tweetdeck. These apps allow you to view or analyze what is called real-time twit-streams. These are the Twitter posts in real time. A couple other apps you may want to investigate is Twist to track trends or keywords and Twitscoop to see which terms are getting more views or being reference in the Twittersphere. In addition there is an easy-to-use image tool: Twitpic that lets you post pictures through Twitter.
Because you are limited to 140 characters in a post, it’s hard to enter long urls when you want to direct people to a certain site or page. The solution is to use a URL-shortening service. One service is TinyURL which is popular, but there are many more which you can view at: http://tinyurl.com/yp8cba/ There’s even a user-generated directory at WeFollow where you simply tweet to @wefollow with 3 different categories to get listed.
Now the question is how can I use this to promote my blog or make more $$$ in my motorcycle shop? You can post tweets to your blog or other relevant information which may help drive traffic. On the dealer e-commerce side, you can tweet to your followers when you add new, cool products to your website which will help drive traffic and potentially sales. As a motorcycle dealer you could run RT-based contests. Tell people that if they re-tweet a product detail page or blog post they have a chance to win a prize. You can follow this link http://tinyurl.com/cg8euq/ for a Google search on “re-tweet contests” to get some ideas. You can publicize Web discounts or in-store specials that are good with a code that you tweet. This gives people motivation to follow you.
As a blogger you’ll want to build a social media ecosystem with Twitter that points people to your blog posts, and a blog link pointing people to your Twitter ID. When people follow or RT you, it’s protocol to thank them via a direct message or publicly via an @reply. If relevant, don’t forget to follow them back. It’s important to do frequent searches on Twitter for your blog or company name to keep track of what people are saying about you or the company. Here are 10 key points to help get you started:
- Pushy sales can make people avoid you. You’re using Twitter to build relationships with an audience, so be personal and genuine.
- Try a personal account and get familiar with it before jumping in on your blog or for a business.
- Select a Twitter username/ID that is catchy and matches your blog “brand” or company.
- Twitter needs to be used regularly to maintain interest across the community.
- Profile customization will support your blog brand or company.
- Note to H-D Dealer’s – try enticing people to follow you with Twitter-only deals.
- Stay up-to-date with blog/website analytics to measure traffic from Twitter and gauge its effectiveness.
- Publicize your Twitter ID everywhere: On posters, flyers, business cards, e-mails, forum signatures, etc.
- Make sure you follow the manufactures, motorcycle racers and other personalities that matter to your blog/business and your audience.
- Post tweets to products and categories to help build traffic.
There you have it. I hope the information was helpful.
If you’re the type of person who feel great “tweets” only come from birds after motorcycle riding and camping in the great outdoors then you’re an unlikely candidate for Twitter. However, if you’re curious about driving blog or dealer traffic then I invite you to follow me on twitter @macrant and/or try it.
Finally it’s memo to H-D time: step up the Twitter activity to reach out to your core audience and engage people in a deeper conversation.
Photo courtesy of Twitter.
All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog
By admin | June 23, 2009
Submitted by Natural Remedies
Can sugar give you wrinkles? It seems that it can because high blood sugar levels react with collagen in the skin - in a bad way.
… Some skin experts believe that sugar is one of the worst culprits when it comes to ageing. The top part of our skin, the epidermis, is made up of four to five layers of cells, the outermost two of which are flattened and dead, and below it is a hive of activity packed with arteries, veins, lymph vessels and nerve fibres, oil-producing glands, sweat glands and two protein structures known as collagen and elastin, which act a bit like a body stocking, holding the skin together.Collagen consists of bundles of interlacing protein fibres, which tend to run lengthways in the skin of the face and neck. White in colour, collagen has a great ability to absorb shock, giving the skin strength, resilience and firmness.
The view is that when blood-sugar levels are high — eg, when you have just eaten those mid-morning biscuits — a process called “glycation” takes place in the skin, which involves the blood sugar binding to the collagen fibres, making them harden. Read more
By admin | June 23, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Harley Challenge Coins
There is a tradition in the U.S. military for all members of a unit to carry a special coin symbolizing unit identity and esprit de corps?
Known as challenge coins with bonds forged in combat or service to your country from a thousand miles from home, these custom coins minted for military units – capture in metal the essence of their affiliation and their pride. Like much in the military the origins of the challenge coin are a matter of a lot of debate, but it’s reported that units carried a coin identifying themselves as members. If challenged, the challenge-eee will have to display their coin, or face a consequence.
In any given week I get a number of comments similar to… “like your blog, thought you’d be interested and please pass along XYZ” with an associated URL to “hawk their wares.” Many make it to the SPAM/delete folder. However, an email from Mike over at Northwest Territorial Mint (NTM) mentioned right off that he worked at the place (honesty counts in my book!) and stated they were now an official licensee of Harley-Davidson. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Auburn, Wa., NTM has a great reputation of producing die-struck coins and medallions for governments, private organizations and now has designed and minted several products emblazoned with the iconic “Harley-Davidson” logo.
These coins are more than just simple disks of metal — they often become symbols of achievement and recognition, or timeless souvenirs and keepsakes that represent achievements of high importance to their owners. The popularity of challenge coins have moved beyond the military, where NASCAR, the NFL and World Series of Poker all have their own challenge coins.
I’ve got something new to add to my wish list!
Photo courtesy of NTM. Full disclosure – Northwest Harley Blog is not affiliated or related to Northwest Territorial Mint.
All Rights Reserved (c) Northwest Harley Blog
By admin | June 23, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
My how things change.
A year ago with gas prices jacked to the $4.00 a gallon level scooter sales exploded. Especially the 51 cc-to-155cc category as it was a break out year. Dealers over ordered and now inventories are high. 2009 predictions seem to indicated the scooter party is over.
And speaking of party over… That “hissing sound” from UBS analyst, Robin M. Farley was the air deflating the motorcycle maker’s tires… i.e. earnings and stock price when she stated that Harley-Davidson’s spring sales have hit a wall. Sales plummeted 35% in April/May compared to a year ago in this critical time of the year. UBS isn’t without its own set of issues though. Late last year Sr. Executive Raoul Weil, head of wealth management division was indicted for helping 20,000 clients conceal assets and avoid paying taxes so, one has to keep a wary eye on these so-called banking/finance veterans!
I’m sure the skillful press and public relation folks at H-D are digesting all of this and taking some of Robert S. McNamara (Secretary of Defense during Vietnam War) advice… “Never answer the question they ask; only answer the question you want to talk about.” It’s the language of sales and selling on message. It feels like we’ve been mugged and drugged by marketing to the point we should question any manufactures trustworthiness. But, that’s me.
Adding insult to injury, Harley along with other motorcycle manufactures can’t catch a break by the feds and were excluded from the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ bill. The bill looks to favor owners of pickups and SUVs…just what Detroit needs to unload those overstuffed lots. Of course the new vehicle needs to be more fuel-efficient (2 MPG) than their old guzzler to receive the $3500 credit/coupon and if you can find something that is 5 MPG higher you’ll get $4500 credit.
Now about McNamara…
Photo courtesy Wikispaces. Full Disclosure: Editor has no investment in H-D stock.
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By admin | June 19, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Carl (CJ) Hanlon
I’m talking motorcycles not the sought-out customizers that make – “grills” – you know it as mouth bling or Rapper Grillz…i.e. gold teeth! Sometimes referred to as plates, shines or caps that glitter with diamonds on a person’s upper teeth.
But I’ve digressed… a couple weeks ago I posted an article about Hispanic Trends at H-D and received several comments. One in particular which was well written and concise came from Carl (CJ) Hanlon of Orlando, FL-based Guilty Customs. I made a mental note to do more research when I had time on the company and the person behind the custom choppers.
Previously an ex-banker and marketing exec at Disney, CJ spends time these days building affordable custom bikes . I like their work which is artistic yet not overdone and functional everywhere you look. CJ doesn’t describe himself as a “master builder” or does he make comparisons with the industry icons, but claims to be just a “Joe builder” with a lot of passion for the industry, a skillful team and a ‘dab’ of talent.
Similar to how music sounds different in everyone’s ears, I’m of the viewpoint that bike style – design, colors and proportions – the overall looks — is a personal matter and is what influenced the custom scene in the first place. I’m not a fan of $100K+ “theme” bikes from OCC that the corporate world can’t seem to buy enough. But, good for them as I need something to watch during summer re-runs. Personally I like old school bobbers that are not overweight or over-hyped, but to each his own.
According to the Motorcycle Industry Council the top 7 commercial bike builders accounted for 91% of all cycles sold in the U.S. It’s no wonder that today’s custom builders either suffer the fate of a dying breed on one end of the spectrum or go the corporate empire of cookie cutter “choppers” who try and saturate the market on the other end. Maintaining a profitable middle-ground looks to be a challenge which few seem to achieve. However, in spite of the economy, Guilty Customs has increased their bike builds. No assembly line here and the customs are meant to be ridden, not sit in a showroom.
I can only wish for a custom at this point since I’m heavily invested in the Road King, but if and when I make a chopper commit I’ll be considering Guilty Customs. Keep up the great work CJ.
Photo courtesy of PRWeb and CJ Hanlon.
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By admin | June 19, 2009
For some there are not many things that get better than a scenic motorcycle ride with the added enjoyment of pulling off the tarmac to overnight under the stars.
I received several emails in regards to my outdoor experience during a recent trip to the Hells Canyon Rally. I’m talking camping here and getting back to nature. Touring motorcycles offer a lot in the way of storage because you’ll need a good tent, a better sleeping bag, an air-mat and a “butt buddy” i.e. chair! But before you embark on that next camping trip you’ll have to decide what is or isn’t important to take because space is always a premium.
As I noted in the Hells Canyon post I went down the path of piece parting over a few years to fulfill the requirements of camping. But, I came across an all-in-one system that looks like a good alternative for those looking for a one-stop complete package. Made by Napier, it’s called the Sportz X-Treme PAC. It’s a complete camping package designed with everything you need (except air-mat) for a “comfortable” stay in the outdoors. A very compact 3 season package which includes tent, full rain fly, 2 stools, 2 sleeping bags and a carrying bag which can be easily attached to a motorcycle. For about $250.00 it features a 7.5’ x 6.5’ tent which sleeps two people; a full tape seamed rain fly with side extensions; 2 heavy duty stools and 2 mummy sleeping bags. All of the items pack into the carrying bag. They also make a one-person version which will save you $100.00 when you heed the call of the open road and nature. The product has been shipping more than 3 years and there are a number of product reviews and blogs that have covered the usage. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything other than positive ratings.
Another bit of advice from your motor-camper extraordinaire… before entering your portable nylon estate I suggest having a plan. Are you taking all your stuff and storing it in the tent or just the items you’ll need for the morning. For example storing your helmet in the tent will avoid moisture and critters accumulating.
Photo courtesy of Napier.
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By admin | June 18, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Last week the 50th celebration of American Honda Motor Company went largely unnoticed.
It was fifty years ago in a small storefront in Los Angeles that the company opened its first U.S. based operation selling the step-through Honda 50 and developing the tag line “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” It would be 20 years later, but Honda started production of motorcycles in a U.S. based production facility (Marysville, Ohio) in 1979. Today the company employs over 27K in the U.S. in the design of automobiles, motorcycles, ATV’s, water crafts and power equipment. They operate ten U.S. manufacturing plants along with 14 R&D facilities. June also marks fifty years of Honda racing activities. The 1959 Isle of Man TT was the first entry of a Japanese team.
It’s ironic given that 2009 is an important and historic year for the motor company that it would find it an ideal time to enter the “chopper” segment while at the same time withdraw from the U.S. road racing activities, end motorcycle production at its Marysville plant, cancel the Honda Hoot motorcycle rally and cease production of the ATV’s and watercrafts at the South Carolina manufacturing plant for 3 months.
True times are difficult, but the companies network of U.S. parts suppliers comprises 545 companies in 34 states with annual purchases over $17.5 Billion last year. The company sold 320K units in North America in the last fiscal year down 133K from the year prior.
Since the day I started trying to convince my mom motorcycles are good and later on being introduced to the CT-70 “Mini Trail” and the hours of riding… I’ve always had a certain level of fondness of Honda and owned my fair share of these high quality motorcycles.
Congrats on 50 years!
Photo courtesy Honda web site.
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By admin | June 18, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
C&D Drive In
It was so easy to wake up this morning in LaGrande.
In the tent the night before inbetween the trains, the rain, the camp “traffic”, and general mummy bag discomfort I didn’t get a lot of sleep. A couple times in the morning I just sat there in the tent, staring at the wall, not wanting to jump into the day, but today it was different. Sure I obtained a very small taste of what those early pioneers had gone through to travel across this land, dealing with the weather and the harsh landscape, but today it was a shower followed with coffee in the motel lobby – sweet!
It wasn’t as cold this morning, but the rain followed us. Over coffee we obtained guidance from the weather channel and called up some web sites on the iPhone. It was dismal everywhere with large sections of intense rain. We all agreed that riding most of day in rain was just not going to sit well so, we took our time departing with a Grand Slam breakfast at Denny’s. Then with a gorge head wind in our face we drove toward the sunset for the most direct route back to Portland.
By the time we arrived in Boardman the rain had stopped and the sun was making it quite humid. We pulled off exit 164 at the C&D Drive In, on I-84 and gassed up. The posse wasn’t hungry and passed on the famous blackberry milkshakes, Walla Walla sweet onion rings and famous BOZO Burgers. It’s odd that the drive-in is linked to an espresso bar and pizza place, but little has changed since it opened in the 1950s. We stored our rain gear and rode on to Hood River where we stopped for a late lunch.
Big Horse Brew Pub
Riding in the warm sunshine felt good after a couple days of riding in off/on rain. In Hood River it was downright warm with temp gauge registering 80 degrees. We decided to take in the Big Horse Brew Pub. We were a group of thirsty visitors and made the steep climb up the steps to this brewpub and restaurant. It overlooks most of Hood River and makes for a good non-participation windsurfing view point. Inside there are billiards and micro-brewed beverages of choice that are made in the building’s stone cellar. Lunch and service was excellent. Thanks Holly! We made our way down the stairs and headed to Portland.
All in all, the rally was a lot of fun. The people/hosts in Baker City are terrific! The ride over and back as well as the rides and time in the canyons was incredible. I certainly plan to return. I’m on the fence about a re-do of camping and having now done it means I’ve worked it out of my system. I’ll likely make plans earlier in the year to score a motel and then do more rides out of Baker City toward John Day and into Idaho. Thus avoiding the larger crowds on the Hells Canyon byway and hopefully the rain too! If you’ve yet to experience the Hells Canyon Rally I suggest you add it to your list of to do’s.
Hells Canyon Rally Wrap Up – Day 1 HERE and Day 2 HERE.
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By admin | June 17, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
After what seemed like an endless night of chatting voices and the occasional AC/DC rocking through the school ground all was quiet and I settled into the two-man tent and mummy style sleeping bag. With the rain showers and 45 degree temperatures everything was slimed with dew even with a rain fly.
I know my way around the outdoors, but I’m in no way a boy scout or survivalist camper. Motorcycle camping is much more comparable to bicycle camping than car camping due to the limited storage capacity. Often the same equipment as backpackers is used because of lighter weights and compact dimensions associated with the backpacking equipment. I had one saddle bag allocated to tent, rain fly, mat, sleeping bag, torso air-mat, mini-chair and compression pillow. The magic is called stuff sacks!
My plan was to be just comfortable enough and since I had previously purchased most of the items for other activities it wouldn’t be expensive to pull together this camping gig. I wasn’t traversing Mt. Everest, or hiking the 3 Sisters Trail and food/stove/cookware were left at home because in my simple world… coffee and food was picked up along the way. Because in the Northwest it tends to rain, a good tent is important. A sleeping bag that is comfortable below freezing is important too. However, the mummy bag was like a restraint. I kept thinking would a sleeping bag that weighs 2 pounds vs. 3 really have mattered? No! Space was the key and I could have fit a square bag. The old school Therm-a-rest air pad provided some comfort, but not nearly as cushy as the oversized Outdoor Research thick air mats. The good news is that in today’s compression sack world everything is about twice as small as a few years ago.
Rick Meigs Accident
Note to Steve and the HCMR planners… make sure next year there is coffee in the high school gym. They could have paid for 3 teachers salary had they set up a coffee stand even with 3-day old donuts from Safeway! Nothing worse than a karaoke hangover and no coffee for miles! Okay enough on the camping adventure.
We broke camp, re-packed the bikes (interestingly after everything gets wet it doesn’t compress as well – go figure!) and headed toward the McCafe’ and official event booths at the Best Western. Our plan was a casual ride on the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway and overnight in LaGrande. The ride follows Hwy 86 a national designated scenic byway. The route circles the Wallowa Mountains by way of Halfway and Joseph then north through the small towns of Enterprise, Lostine, and Wallowa. There were thousands of curves and plenty of motorcycle traffic.
Hells Canyon Lookout
Between Hole-in-the-Wall-Slide and Richland there were two motorcycle accidents within a quarter mile of each other. Neither of them related, but both made everyone take a moment of pause. The first was a lady that failed to negotiate a curve and rode off the road and down into the ditch. Not life threatening, but she was taken away by ambulance. The second and much more serious was Rick Meigs getting clipped by a vehicle that “crossed the center line.” It was a hit and run. He was taken by ambulance to Baker City where they performed emergency surgery to stabilize him then he was flown by Life Flight to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise Idaho, where he is now, in critical condition. I don’t know Rick and researched this accident on the web after coming up on the scene. Nonetheless, send your prayers and/or follow updates on his progress HERE.
“Posse” at Hells Canyon Lookout
Beyond Halfway, the road becomes a paved Forest Service stretch as it climbs over a pass toward Joseph. This road has a lot of switchbacks and ‘over-the-cliff’ moments so you’ll want to be most alert through the area. We took a break at the Hells Canyon Overlook, but was unable to pick out the Seven Devils on the horizon due to the approaching rain storm. Within 15 minutes there was solid rain so, we moved on and continue toward Joseph in full rain gear. It was wet and slow going in the canyons. The big corner preceding Joseph is one of those turns you typically never forget as The Wallowas come into view behind Joseph like a movie scene out of the Swiss Alps. We stopped for lunch and to dry out a bit. After Joseph there is a great stretch of motorcycle road through the Wallowa Valley and the mountain towns of Enterprise, Lostine, and Wallowa. We finish the loop on I-84 in La Grande, Or., as the Historic Baker City bars were no longer calling our name. Neither were the tents! We checked into a motel and proceeded directly to the hot tub to warm up.
Hells Canyon Rally Wrap Up – Day 1 HERE.
Hells Canyon Rally Wrap Up – Day 3 HERE.
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By admin | June 16, 2009
Submitted by lester’s legends sports blog
Round Twelve
West Sports Report Analysis
12-1
The Sports Bank - Favre, Brett FA* QB
Yeah… I did it. Whether people like to admit it or not, Favre is going to be a Viking this year and a starter at that. 11 of his potential starts will be inside a dome and the Vikings only real potential bad weather game is a late December trip to Chicago. It’s a gamble, but a low risk one at that
12-2 KFFL - Rice, Sidney MIN WR
Don’t think he’ll catch anymore than 45-50 passes this year but the potential is there to catch up to 8-10 touchdowns. Think he is the wideout with the most upside left on the board. Wanted Plax, though. Still, Rice gives me a solid No. 5 wideout with some decent upside. Should be even better if Favre ends up starting for the Vikings.
12-3 West Sports Report - Hightower, Tim ARI RB
Hightower is going to do well in PPR leagues and TD leagues and is one Beanie Wells injury away from being the starter.
12-4 Football Fan Spot - Charles, Jamaal KCC RB
Larry Johnson isn’t on good terms with the new management in Kansas City and he could be cut before the season starts. Charles could end up getting 225+ carries if that happens and if he gets that many carries, 900+ yards would not be out of reach. Even if Johnson stays, he could get hurt or benched again and in that case, Charles becomes a borderline RB2 for a few weeks. Not bad for a 12th round pick.
12-5 WalterFootball.com - Washington, Nate TEN WR
The Titans gave Nate Washington $27 million to be their No. 1 receiver. Washington is going to play in the most conservative offense in the league, but the fact remains that he’s a No. 1 wideout who had 631 yards as the third downfield option in Pittsburgh.
12-6 Draft Zoo - Gage, Justin TEN WR
This is the Titans receiver I want. Gage really started to come on at the end of last season, and I think he’ll be the number one target for Collins, outside of Chris Johnson. In his last three games last season, Gage grabbed 18 catches for 315 yards and a score. He won’t ever be a stats maniac, but in the 12th round I’ll take a guy who I think will can put up about 8 TDs after putting up 6 last year.
12-7
Fantasy Draft Tools - Manning, Eli NYG QB
Without Plaxico, I don’t think the Giants have that home run threat anymore, but the WR corps is very solid and should put up decent numbers a group. Not bad for my backup QB in round 12.
12-8 LestersLegends – Chargers, San Diego SDC Def
The Chargers Defense was terrible last year because they couldn’t generate a pass rush. With Lights Out back in the mix, that shouldn’t be a problem this year.
12-9
The Sports Bank -
Maclin, Jeremy PHI WR
Maclin should be a huge deep threat for the Eagles this season, as he gives McNabb someone to throw hail maries to, a type of receiver he hasn’t had since T. O. was in town. Maclin and DeSean Jackson should compliment each other perfectly, and both should have fantastic seasons opposite one another.12-10 Fantasy Draft Edge - Edwards, Trent BUF QB
Edwards has some nice weapons at WR with TO and Lee Evans but the best reason we like Edwards here is that Buffalo hosts Cleveland during Jay Cutler’s bye week.
12-11 Fantasy Football Extreme - Scott, Bernard CIN RB
I think come August, this kid will start going a handful of rounds earlier than this. I have a good feeling he will be starting by mid-season.
12-12 Junkyard Jake - Davis, James CLE RB
With Jamal Lewis looking shaky so far this preseason, James Davis has stepped in and impressed new head coach Eric Mangini in the early going. Davis has a decent size/speed combination, runs inside fairly well, and has great elusiveness. Lewis probably has another moderately productive season or two in him, but Davis is a good gamble this year.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
By admin | June 16, 2009
Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is set to set a new box office record this weekend. Here is an exclusive clip for your viewing enoyment.
By admin | June 16, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
The Hells Canyon Wilderness is an area located on the Idaho/Oregon border. Created in 1975, the Wilderness is managed by both the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. It has some of the most spectacular views of the Snake River as it winds its way through Hells Canyon, one of the deepest gorges on the planet.
The gateway is Baker City which is also home of the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally (HCMR). In its 10th year our posse decided to take in the rally, but more importantly try out motorcycle camping. Not because the economy is in the tank and we’re saving $$, but more from an increasing desire to try sleeping under the stars and having fond memories from younger years of multi-night backpacking trips. A lot has been written on motorcycle camping from wiser men and outdoor enthusiasts who can provide all the secrets of camping so I won’t even try. For me it all boils down to a good tent, air mat and sleeping bag. More coverage on this in Day 2 wrap up.
It was a cool morning departure and after we concluded an obligatory breakfast at Elmer’s (Delta Park) we set out leaving the city encampment and natives of Portland for the Lewis and Clark highway. We joined Washington State Hwy14 (SR14), which has sweeping views across the Columbia River. The highway runs approximately 180 miles from the I-5 junction in Vancouver, to a junction with Interstate 82 and U.S. Route 395 in the east and just across the state line from Umatilla, Or. After Camus, Wa. SR 14 is a two-lane highway which runs along steep bluffs nearly a thousand feet high through the Columbia Gorge. The frequent high winds were absent this day providing us a nice ride.
We pulled over at Cape Horn then again at Beacon Rock to take in the scenic view. In the town of Lyle the dreary weather and forest scenery gave way to sunshine and arid grasslands in a fairly rapid transition. We stopped at the Maryhill, Wa., Stonehenge, a monument to the World War I dead of Klickitat County. There were 4 dams on the Columbia River along our journey east. Bonneville Dam which is closest to Portland. The Dalles Dam, the John Day Dam and furthest up the river which we saw signs, but not the dam was McNary Dam near the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick.
We stopped at Plymouth Tavern mid-day in Plymouth, Wa., unfortunately it was jammin’ with a 40 minute wait for burgers so, we rode on and grabbed some “Great American Food” at A&W near the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot. The Depot began storing chemical weapons between 1962 and 1969, ending up with about 12% of the Nation’s chemical weapons. You can see the earth-covered bunkers… “gofer mounds” for miles. From 1990 to 1994 the facility reorganized in prep for closure and shipped all conventional ammunition and supplies to other installations leaving only the chemical weapons. Disposal facilities were built for destroying the VX, Mustard and Sarin laced weapons via incineration technology. Destruction of the chemicals has been in progress and is expected to be completed this year.
We skirted thunder showers all afternoon, but about the time we arrived in Pendleton, Or., the blue-black rain clouds intermixed with lightning meant the slight chance of getting wet was now turning into a done deal. One of the cool things about riding a motorcycle is that you can smell everything around you and as storms approach you get a strong whiff when things are about to change as the sky starts to spit and then open’s up like a fire hose reminding you that going to “hell” is part of the journey. The rain was spotty with the occasional “gully washer” through the Wallowa-Whitman Mountains and stopped completely by the time we passed through North Powder.
We arrived at the Baker City high school and started unloading the tent-city base camp. Fortunately we were able to get everything set up before another thunder shower bombarded and drenched the football field. It ended within a half-hour, but managed to test the waterproof-ness of all the tents and made for some interesting mud-dawg motorcycle entry/exits! Santiago’s canopy saved the day!! We headed to the El Erradero Mexican restaurant where the food was authentic, margarita’s were tasty and the service was fabulous. We walked down to Main Street and took in some of the vendor booths then made our way over to the Geiser Grand Hotel for some additional entertainment. We ended the downtown revelry in a karaoke place which I don’t recall the name, but it was across from the Geiser Grand and the building was called Main Event. A quirky place with the typical oddity of locals mixed with visitors. Eventually we stretch our legs and meandered back to the base camp to enjoy our nylon equipment and cold weather camping techniques…
Hells Canyon Rally Wrap Up – Day 2 HERE.
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By admin | June 13, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Many of you may know, but just incase it’s slipped your memory, this coming Monday (15th) is the annual Ride to Work Day. In its 18th year of advocating and supporting the use of motorcycles for transportation and everyday utility the organization hopes to draw significant attention on the number of motorcyclists to the general public and to politicians.
In the U.S. the average driver travels 29 miles per day and a total of 55 minutes on the road. Motorcycle riders are a minority. Commuting and transportation riders are a minority within a minority. So, in the semi-famous words of Ben Stiller and the “Do It” guy of Starsky & Hutch… “No, seriously come on. Do it. Do it.”
Photo courtesy of RTW.
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By admin | June 13, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
I’ve heard of the “Trail of The Black Horse” motorcycle ride in the past, but never had the time to look up the information let alone determine if I could pull some time off work to make the ride.
I recently learned the ride is basically the McKenzie Highway from Sisters, Oregon to McKenzie Bridge on Hwy 242. The folks at Black Horse Saloon in Bend sponsor the ride and it all comes together on August 22nd. The Black Horse Saloon is a great biker friendly saloon in central Oregon and home to a number of motor head clubs.
The ride is a narrow road which is closed from November thru July every year due to snow pack. The route crosses a lava flow just west of Sisters and near the 5,325’ summit there is Clear Lake (head waters for the McKenzie River) a renowned location for fresh-water SCUBA diving.
This is one ride to add to the do list!
Photo courtesy of BHS.
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By admin | June 13, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
You always remember your first. Or so the saying goes. Whether you hold on to it forever is another question.
I’m talking about the first time you installed engine performance upgrades on your motorcycle and that “first” ride to check out the components. There’s a moment, be it short-lived, where in your gut you reevaluate the purchase scenario from a pure economic sense then the siren’s song of increased power puts it all into perspective and ridin’ her brings out nothing but good memories…
In 1995, H-D began offering electronic fuel injection (EFI) as either standard or optional equipment and since 2007 all models include EFI. Like most H-D riders chances are you’ve wanted to improve the engine performance by installing performance upgrades and unlike the carbureted engine days where you could turn a screw or replace a jet in your garage the EFI system is more complex and it’s likely you’ll need to download software fuel maps or install a new “black box” and do some serious dyno tuning to tweek the engine induction system. Given the cost of today’s EFI tuning equipment such as a dyno, riders typically leave the tuning to engine builders or dyno tuning experts.
Since the internal combustion engine, in simple terms is an air pump, most engine modifications are designed to increase airflow through the engine. However, as airflow increases, fuel flow must also increase to maintain the correct air/fuel ratio for max performance. The factory EFI system is intelligent, but it’s also very limited due to EPA requirements and often even minor engine airflow increases are beyond the scope of the factory EFI. Fortunately there are a wide range of options capable of altering the EFI fuel map for higher performance. One alternative is the H-D Screamin’ Eagle Super Tuner which is a software map-based reprogrammer that has the ability to reprogram the factory ECM. The Super Tuner superseded Harley’s popular Race Tuner program. There are other performance options including replacement of the closed-loop ECM with aftermarket parts from Zippers ThunderMax, Daytona Twin Tech, BC Gerolamy or S&S Cycle.
Speaking of the Super Tuner, during a recent “Train-the-Trainer” session Ed Ramburger (Global Training Mgr– SE) traveled to Europe to provide deep and detail knowledge of the optimized software programs and tuning applications from Harley-Davidson. They demonstrated the Super Tuner capabilities using dynamometers from Dynostar (TTA International is parent company) who developed advanced communication software specially for the H-D Super Tuner that displays full fuel mapping results within seconds.
It was announced there that H-D plans to introduce Dynostar dynamometers as the worldwide standard for its training centers and dealers. It wasn’t clear if this is a Worldwide plan or specific to Europe.
“If Harley-Davidson European training centers and official dealers are going to concentrate on tuning motorcycles they will use Dynostar dynamometers,” said Ed Anderson, District After Sales Manager of Harley-Davidson Benelux. “With the software specially written for Harley-Davidson, the Dynostar dynamometer is specifically designed for our motorcycles and meets the very highest of requirements.”
In addition, the H-D University has decided to organize its European training at the TTA International training location in Belgian Kontich which was quoted as being one of the best equipped training centers in Europe.
Photo courtesy of Dynojet.
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By admin | June 11, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Lawrence G. Hund
H-D announced the hire (or is it re-hire?) of Lawrence G. Hund as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. (HDFS), effective June 29. HDFS is a wholly owned subsidiary of H-D and provides wholesale financing to dealers and retail financing to customers.
Mr. Hund comes from Tygris Commercial Finance Group, Inc. where he worked the last 8 months as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Yes, you read that correct — EIGHT months! With over 25 years in the commercial finance industry, Mr. Hund oversaw Tygris’ treasury, accounting, tax, planning and analysis and financial operations. The company was founded in 2008 and from background research it reads as if the company was on a hiring binge of executive talent for much of last year with specialist’s in asset based credit facilities, turnaround and bankruptcy/exit financing to mid-market companies. In addition, Mr. Hund was hired at Tygris after only 11 months as CFO of Bridge Finance Group. Rotating through two CFO positions in less than 19 months may not mean anything other than validation of the malaise in the credit markets. Both companies were deep in the banking and commercial finance sector and served the automotive industries. Lastly, Mr. Hund was CFO of HDFS from 2002 to 2007 and it’s likely he was either instrumental to the negative asset quality/performance or deeply involved in setting financial strategies which accounted for over $3 Billion in debt at HDFS and nearly $1 Billion of debt at HOG at the start of 2009.
The lingering issues with the credit market and the recessionary economy will continue to haunt HDFS. Let’s hope that Mr. Hund can create a leading commercial finance franchise and avoid using any of his bankruptcy skills!
Photo courtesy of Tygris.
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By admin | June 10, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Napster was 10 years ago. “Thriller” twenty five. The boy band peak never arrived and Hip-Hop can’t fade fast enough in my humble opinion. Then you wake one morning and realize how much time has passed! Sure, it’s the financial crisis, but the change of centuries has pulled away from the train station with no names for this decade. We’ve been unaware of the passage of time…
Speaking of time. Peter Frampton (All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side) rotated through my iTunes “Genius” playlist and listening to him dance on the acoustic frets I got the feeling of being transported to another time and place. I had to stop typing, stop surfing and could only listen. The lyrics are informal, but we’re surrounded by the pure joy of music. Music from a time when it was intimate and a powerful art form where people bonded with others in attendance at rock concerts.
And speaking of bonding. It’s less than three weeks until we do it again…one more time. WTF? I’m talking about the H.O.G. Million Mile Monday Ride. Set for June 29th it’s the second time H.O.G has orchestrated a ride. Nothing complicated, just a ride on a Monday when most people are staring down the barrel of long work week. Ride around the block, ride to work, ride to the local dealer or participate in whatever level you’d like, but just ride. Afterward go to the H.O.G. members site and log your miles or kilometer. Last year the worldwide members logged 3,000,960 miles. This year the goal is 5M miles.
Photo courtesy of H-D.
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By admin | June 10, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
With an estimated 310 million people residing in the U.S., marketing to each person is the most arduous processes any company can undertake. As a result, they slice and dice the population into sub-categories with facts, figures, and statistics which include demographics on ethnicity, age, gender, household characteristics, postal code data, purchasing influences along with many other attributes to develop a target market strategy.
Speaking of target markets… African Americans have a lot of influence on today’s culture and taste — and I’m talking beyond the role of hip-hop music and the issues of social responsibility vs. freedom of expression surrounding misogynistic words. Harley-Davidson has recognized this influence and applied various perspectives on how the company will market to the African-American consumer. Last April, H-D assigned John Comissiong to oversee the development of strategic marketing opportunities for the African American customer segment as the director of Market Outreach.
Mr. Comissiong is highly qualified and very well educated, holding multiple degrees including a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Science in engineering from Stony Brook University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University. In addition he is a licensed motorcycle rider and can be often seen on his Night Rod Special!! In essence his job is to determine how H-D can obtain a disproportionate share of the $744 Billion in income which the 38.3 Million African-American consumers spend annually. More specific, is the approximately $32B spent each year on Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles — how can H-D get more of those $$?! It’s always about money.
Maurice Slaughter
This isn’t new behavior from corporate America. For example, recently NBC News launched TheGrio.com, an African American ‘video-centric’ Web site devoted to stories and perspectives that appeal to the African American community. Even the White House/Obama’s are expanding African American family definitions beyond Bill Cosby’s Huxtables with real-world examples and influence.
So, what’s in it for H-D? Today African American’s account for only 1.5% of new motorcycle sales. Even worse is that 7.9% of H-D’s total U.S. sales are to African Americans. There are more less flattering stats. Seven out of approximately 700 dealerships are owned by African American’s like Maurice Slaughter. Few people of color sit on the company’s board or are members of the senior management and less than 10% of the employee base is African American. H-D purchases approx $190M worth of material from minority-owned suppliers. Representation of African American motorcycle clubs is fairly robust with: Buffalo Soldiers, Defiant Ones, Rare Breed, Magic Wheels, Soul Brothers and East Bay Dragons to name a few.
H-D has focused on the African American consumer market (AACM) with co-sponsorships at the NAACP Image Awards, the Atlantic or Urban Beach Bike Festival (referred to as Black Bike Week) and celebrating heritage “Bikers on the Boulevard” in Daytona. They work with celeb’s and community leaders for opportunities to interact or obtain endorsements of H-D products in the African American community which in marketing terms is designed to create the perception that H-D understands African American needs and strengthens its credibility with that market segment.
I’ve been somewhat skeptical of H-D’s minority oriented efforts as sales and marketing issues are complex. They do require creative actions and placing John Comissiong to maximize exposure and convey that H-D is relevant in the African American lifestyle and culture seems sincere and less of a stunt or a photo op. Whether trend-setting celebs or average Joes, stimulating a dialogue between company representatives and motorcycle enthusiasts of ALL genre’s means H-D gets product feedback and company’s should never turn down a social opportunity with customers!
Photo courtesy Virginian-Pilot and Maurice Slaughter.
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By admin | June 8, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
She’s tough, tenacious, smart and demonstrated a willingness to take the Government to task. I’m talking about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
She’s served on the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit for 10 years, heard over 3,000 cases and written over 380 opinions. She has associated herself with and championed the cause of society’s oppressed and outcast. Sotomayor has written and spoke many times about her identity as a Puerto Rican and the “shock” she and others felt at the less-than-lofty place they held in America’s social fabric. However, her writings are not limited to concerns about people who share her background. Sotomayor has often commiserated with other “minorities” who — through no fault of their own — found themselves disadvantaged.
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently released papers which outline how Sotomayor has dealt with labels, discrimination or the bias of stereotypes. She has taken strong anti-Government positions in several decisions including one case involving the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC). The NYTimes reported in the 1994 case which Judge Sotomayor presided over, that jurors found in favor of the Motorcycle Club rejecting the government’s efforts to seize the 77 East Third Street clubhouse. A federal lawsuit was filed under a 1984 law allowing the Government to seize property used in drug trafficking. At the time the New York City Chapter of the motorcycle club was incorporated under NY state law as a religious, nonprofit organization, and the group that fought the seizure was formally known as the Church of Angels.
Given recent West Coast law enforcement events against motorcycle clubs that seems to be challenging the First Amendment’s guarantee to peacefully assemble, which the Court has interpreted to include “freedom of association”…. and other important issues like a motorcycle club’s identifying patches as a protected form of free speech…. being a motorcycle enthusiast who has faced two-wheel discrimination by public officials I applaud Sotomayor. She has worked tirelessly for an America who often has a deeply confused image of itself that is in perpetual tension.
Photo courtesy of irreference.com
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By admin | June 8, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
I’ve written previously that Harley-Davidson has been losing traction in worldwide motorcycle sales and is pushing a marketing strategy that focuses on attracting more Latino-centric customers and other racial minorities to the biker lifestyle.
With costly and parallel marketing efforts the company is pushing multi-generational and multi-cultural marketing campaigns. Like a circus clown juggling all balls, H-D is trying to attract minorities, boost sales with younger riders, promote the female factor which is geared to attracting women riders and at the same time maintain just enough focus on baby boomers, who as a group, have been the historical sales engine for the company. Complex to say the least and it makes me wonder if a ball will get dropped.
By catering to the booming Latino population does Harley stand to alienate its core customer base? Will the American public soon be seeing Harley-Davidson Supermercado dealers which focus only on Latino’s? I don’t know. It’s been reported that there are currently 49M Hispanics in the U.S. with nearly $1.1Trillion in purchasing power. Today they make up 16% of the U.S. population. It’s estimated that by 2050 Hispanics will make up 30%, eight years after Caucasians’ fall below 50% of the U.S. population. America is witnessing a demographic revolution that is largely driven by Hispanics. Purchasing power is the after-tax personal income people have to spend on virtually everything from necessities like food, clothing and housing to luxuries like recreational equipment and vacations.
So it’s logical to think that some Harley dealers will need to make local adjustments or conversions to a Hispanic orientation. Similar to how a neighborhood-market-oriented ethnic food store needs to continue to reinvent around customer-centric shoppers. It’s a wakeup call for H-D. However, there are other factors which seem to make motorcycle sales culturally indifferent. For example nearly one in ten of the nation’s 22M Latino workers (9.7%) are unemployed. According to Pew Hispanic Center survey one in ten Latino homeowners reported missing a mortgage payment. This mirrors all other multi-culture sectors of the population in the U.S. so, I wonder if Harley’s expectations of the Latino community isn’t aggressive or wishful thinking? Another data point is the Hispanic “Mass Affluent” households. Defined by Mintel as those with between $100K and $1M in investable assets and which currently comprise 10% of the U.S. population. The Hispanic Mass Affluents reported they cut down or deferred overall spending because of the recession. Sound familiar?
It’s my view that until H-D makes a decision to hire an executive VP similar to Wal-Mart’s Jose Antonio Fernandez and learns how to serve Latinos from experiences obtained in Latin America/Mexico….they aren’t super serious about merchandising the way Hispanics shop. Until then we’ll continue to see Hispanic marketing around the edges such as this casting call announcement where H-D is encouraging all Latino Riders….aka Harlistas to share their story in a documentary which is being directed by Alfredo de Villa. H-D’s manager of market outreach, Karina Jaramillo-Saa, states that the film will encapsulate the spirit of Harlistas and H-D wants to share the passion of Latino riders with the rest of the world.
The documentary feels like the continued isolation of an ethnic enclave. Is Harley-Davidson guilty of an innocent lapse in judgment here or is there truly racial overtones? The public was polled and the documentary research indicates Latino riders are best to share motorcycle passion via a film? What about a female-only casting call or a Caucasian-only casting call and documentary? Wake up H-D! It’s about assimilation of ALL riders and sharing the passion with the world?
Photo courtesy of Flickr.
All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog
By admin | June 6, 2009
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
Mac Motorcycle
Choosing a name, either for a product or a whole company, is not an easy task. Every serious prospect is typically registered to one company or another — often car manufacturers — and although many are not in actual use, the right to that name, and all the possible variations or abbreviation of it, are most often blocked. And as with styling, names follow fashion, and manufacturers are always anxious to show they are more up-to-date than their rivals.
It’s with this backdrop I want to bring your attention to Mac Motorcycles. Whoa, two of my passions…both in the same company name! Obviously it captured my attention. Not only that, but as a teenager I was captivated with drawing hot rods and motorcycles. I drew lots of them, but frankly they were crap so when I see terrific illustrations I feel the need to stop and look!
Ellis Pitt, is the founder and he teamed up with Mark Wells & Ian Wride of Xenophya Design when working and riding the Nottinghamshire roadworks of the M-1 (UK). They employed some experienced and passionate designers and engineers and worked towards the goal of becoming a provider of a simple to maintain motorcycle with chopper/bobber roots. There would be nothing beyond the bare bone requirements and it would have lines of a rigid frame, yet disguise a full suspension. It would use the Harley-Davidson/Buell ‘Blast’ motor to exploit its shape and lightweight chassis. The bottom line was the goal to bring flat-track manners to the spirit of motorcycling.
Being powered by the Buell single cylinder, air-cooled, 2-valve, push rod, 492cc, 5-speed engine means the ‘Mac’ bikes have very light rolling-chassis. The stock motors produce 34 HP at 6500 RPM, but a bolt-on big-bore kit (515 cc), Andrews Cams, a Mikuni HSR 42 carb’, Screamin’ Eagle ignition and a Supertrapp exhaust help it to produce around 50 HP at 7200 RPM. Plenty of “scoot” and remember that a Blast motor running an NRHS 515 kit set a record at Bonneville in the 650 class.
The sketch is eye candy, but the finished product looks sweeter.
Photo courtesy of Mac Motorcycles.
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