H-D and Flat-Out Friday are Part of Mama Tried Weekend in Milwaukee, Starting Tonight! - Motorcycle.com News

H-D and Flat-Out Friday are Part of Mama Tried Weekend in Milwaukee, Starting Tonight! In conjunction with a full slate of Mama Tried festivities, indoor flat-track racing returns to Milwaukee tomorrow night, with a whole cast of classes running around on a concrete floor doused in Dr. Pepper syrup. Wait, really? H-D will stream it live. Full-court PR PRESS FOLLOWS: MILWAUKEE, Feb. 15, 2017 – Grassroots indoor motorcycle racing action returns to Milwaukee this weekend and Harley-Davidson will be live-streaming the action from Mama Tried’s Flat Out Friday. Racing will take place on the concrete floor of the BMO Bradley Center arena on an oval circuit soaked with sticky Dr. Pepper syrup, and race fans can catch every lap on a Harley-Davidson Facebook Live broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. CST on Friday, Feb. 17. Rusty Butcher (of the #HarleyHooligans) aims to defend his title in the Hooligan class while AMA 450 Pros race for more than $15,000 in prize money in the Charlotte Kainz Memorial Race. Nine other classes will also be competing: Open amateur, four stroke brakeless, youth 85, open vintage, inappropriate, women, boonies, Z125 and Bultaco. To check out the action live and in person, purchase tickets athttps://www.bmoharrisbradleycenter.com/events/detail/flat-out-friday In addition to Friday’s races, Harley-Davidson is sponsoring a full slate of Mama Tried events in Milwaukee throughout the weekend. Feb. 16: Mama Tried Bike Night at the H-D Museum 400 W Canal St., Milwaukee More than 100 race bikes are expected to flood Motorcycle Plaza as Flat Out Friday racers bring their quickest machines to the Harley-Davidson Museum campus before the competition gets hot and heavy on Friday night. MOTOR Bar & Restaurant will have food and drink specials, while the Zach Pietrini band provides the soundtrack. Feb. 17: Mama Tried’s Flat Out Friday BMO Harris Bradley Center, 1001 N 4th St, Milwaukee Indoor flat track racing featuring nine classes. Doors open at 4 p.m. CST Feb. 17: Mama Tried Pre-Partyat the H-D Museum The Garage at the Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W Canal St., Milwaukee Doors Open at 9 p.m. CST Join Mama Tried and the Harley-Davidson Museum for the official Mama Tried Pre-Party after the Flat Out Friday races. The Pre-Party will feature a double-dose of rock from Red Light Saints, with opening set by He-Nis-Ra. Pre-Party concert tickets are $10 and are available for purchase online. Advanced tickets are strongly encouraged as this event will sell out. Feb. 18-19: Mama Tried Motorcycle Show 126 S. 2nd St., Milwaukee, Wis. Saturday, Feb. 18: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST Sunday, Feb. 19: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST The Mama Tried Motorcycle Show is an indoor invitational showcasing the best custom, homebuilt, and unusual race and street motorcycles from the Midwest and beyond. The show will feature more than 100 motorcycles from builders of all genres, including flat-trackers, hill climbers, choppers, and bobbers. www.h-d.com. H-D and Flat-Out Friday are Part of Mama Tried Weekend in Milwaukee, Starting Tonight! appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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AMA CEO Dingbat, er, Dingman Testifies - Motorcycle.com News

AMA CEO Dingman Testifies Swinging into action from his Ohio HQ, American Motorcyclist Association’s head honcho Robert Dingman rode to Washington, D.C., in high dudgeon to testify against the proposed tariff on Euro-bikes. Here’s the AMA Press Release: WASHINGTON, D.C. — A proposed 100 percent tariff on European motorcycles would harm U.S. consumers by pricing affected models beyond the reach of American families, American Motorcyclist Association President and CEO Rob Dingman told a federal trade committee today. Dingman said motorcycles should be removed from the list of products included in the proposed tariff. “Many of the European-produced motorcycles in the affected categories are available at reasonable prices that allow for entire families to enjoy countless hours together outdoors, strengthening the family unit,” Dingman said during a public hearing of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Section 301 Committee. “A tariff that threatens to significantly raise the retail cost of these motorcycles or curtail their supply, holds the potential to cause irreversible damage to outdoor recreation and the families that participate in it.” The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative proposed the tariff on 51cc to 500cc motorcycles imported from Europe as part of its ongoing battle with the European Union over U.S. beef raised using hormones. The EU will not accept the beef, so the Trade Representative is seeking leverage in negotiations. The tariff would affect motorcycles with engines displacing 51cc to 500cc from Aprilia, Beta, BMW, Ducati, Fantic, Gas Gas, Husqvarna, KTM, Montesa, Piaggio, Scorpa, Sherco, TM and Vespa. There is no direct connection between motorcycles and the EU’s ban on the importing of U.S. beef products treated with hormones. The lack of an agricultural tie between the two products runs counter to sound trade policy, Dingman told the committee. “American motorcyclists are unnecessarily caught in the crossfire of this completely unrelated trade dispute,” Dingman said. “Since my organization represents motorcycle-riding consumers, I can objectively and without vested commercial interest, assure you that this action will do more to harm individual Americans than it will to leverage the European Union.” Motorcyclists sent more than 10,300 emails to Congress on this issue, posted more than 9,400 comments to Regulations.gov, and sent nearly 5,300 emails to President Donald Trump. Of the comments submitted via Regulations.gov, 82 percent came from motorcyclists. European makers of 51cc-399cc motorcycles used for racing provide nearly half the units available to U.S. consumers, and nearly a quarter of the market in the 400-500cc class. There are no significant U.S.-made options for consumers in those market segments. In the on-road motorcycle segment, 100 percent of the models 300cc and smaller are imported to the United States from abroad. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative tried this same tactic in 1998 and 2008, but the efforts were thwarted when the AMA, the Motorcycle Industry Council and bike manufacturers and retailers rallied motorcyclists against the plan. At that time, the U.S. Trade Representative instead raised the tariff on a variety of European food products. Others testifying against the tariff today included Carroll Gittere, president of Powersports Data Solutions; Iain McPhie and Ritchie Thomas of Squire Patton Boggs; John Hinz, president of KTM North America Inc. and Husqvarna Motorcycles North America Inc.; Mario di Maria, president and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas Inc.; Rick Alcon, owner of R&S Powersports Group; Tim Cotter, vice president of MX Sports; and Tim Buche, president and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council. Guess which one’s Dingman? That’s right, second from left. AMA CEO Dingman Testifies appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Ballistic Performance Components EVO Power System - Motorcycle.com News

Ballistic Performance Components EVO Power System It’s all about a trouble-free battery experience, say the BPC people re: their new lithium-ion battery and charger all-in-one deal. Here’s the complete PRESS RELEASE: Summerville, SC – February, 2017 – Ballistic Performance Components is proud to introduce EVO Power System, a complete lightweight lithium-ion starter battery system with everything required to charge, maintain, and monitor the EVO3 Battery. The core of the EVO Power System is the EVO3 Battery. The EVO3 Battery is the world’s best lightweight lithium-ion starter battery, available with thirty different combinations of size, capacity, and terminal location. The EVO Power System comes with the Ballistic Optimate 1 Lithium Charger and the EVO Health Monitor. Everything you need in one box, at an incredible price. “Left unattended, with nothing drawing from the Ballistic EVO battery, our customers can expect a static discharge rate of less than 10% over a 12-month period. This is incredibly efficient. The problem is most modern power sports vehicles have some parasitic draw from the battery when the switch is off. This parasitic draw kills batteries in power sports vehicles. Traditional trickle chargers of questionable quality are simply not up to the task of maintaining advanced lithium-ion batteries” said Ballistic Director of Sales and Marketing, Chip Spalding. “Our solution is a partnership with industry leader TecMate to provide the ultra-high quality Optimate 1 Lithium charger and state of the art EVO Health Monitor with our EVO3 Battery at an incredible value of 25% off the cost of buying the products individually. Everything the customer needs to get maximum power and battery life from the EVO Battery.” The Optimate 1 Lithium Charger is a fully automatic battery charger designed to charge, optimize, and maintain the Ballistic EVO Battery. Safe for 24/7 long term, unsupervised battery care. The EVO Health Monitor mounts outside the battery box and gives the user an “at a glance” LED indication of when the EVO battery is charged, discharged, over discharged, or over charged. The Optimate 1 Lithium Charger plugs directly into the EVO Health Monitor for easy charging without removing the EVO Battery from the vehicle. “The EVO Power System solves a lot of battery problems power sports owners experience” said Spalding. “Power sports owners want a lightweight battery with extreme starting power and incredible efficiency combined with a high quality, sophisticated charger, and a state of the art battery monitor. Most of all the customer wants a trouble-free battery experience. The EVO Power System delivers all of this at a great price.” The Ballistic EVO Power System, EVO2, EVO3 lines of batteries, as well as a complete line of lithium-ion battery accessories are available today at more than 15,000 Parts Unlimited, Parts Canada, and Parts Europe dealers and online at http://ift.tt/2kWRrb6. Ballistic Performance Components EVO Power System appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Why You Shouldn't Ride A Motorcycle On Train Tracks - Motorcycle.com News

Why You Shouldnt Ride A Motorcycle On Train Tracks When trail riding one might think it wise to avoid regularly used train tracks, because you know… trains. But not these Aussies, who threw caution to the wind! Somewhere near Melbourne, these daring adventurers geared up for a nice ride along a V/Line railway. One of the safety experts in the group decides upon a daring attempt across a skinnier, bridged, section of the tracks, while some of his more brain-cell affluent friends hang back. During the attempt he tips his bike over in the middle of the tracks, and upon hearing the multiple-ton locomotive barreling towards them at high speed, makes a last-ditch effort to save his poor YZ before, well, watch the video… Why You Shouldn’t Ride A Motorcycle On Train Tracks appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Why Don't Millennials Buy Motorcycles?

Whatever: Moto Inequality A few MO commenters are always encouraging me to keep my politics to myself, which I do as much as I can because I understand people want to read about motorcycles and look at pretty pics when they come here to get away from it all. The problem for me is that if you’re paying attention to your life, including motorcycles, politics can’t be avoided any more than you can just ignore the family of bears who just decided to share your campsite. Politics affects my bottom line. Stop me if I’ve already addressed this topic before, but what got me onto it again was people lamenting the other day how the motorcycle industry is dying off because the kids don’t want to go outside and ride; they just wanna sit in a sensory deprivation hyperbaric chamber all day and take selfies and play video games. It’s their parents’ fault, they also say, for not exposing them to the Great Outdoors as children. Personally, I think what’s wrong with the millennials is this: None of them are buying motorcycles because none of them have any money. So, fine, let’s not talk about politics: Let’s talk about economics. The Motorcycle Diaries is a pretty fun film about a couple of guys whose clapped-out Norton causes them to become Commies. I might be willing to go along with the millennial bashers if I didn’t have my own dog in the fight (my son), and if he didn’t have a bunch of friends in the same holey boat. To begin with, if we Boomers had had Playstations, “Call of Duty” and VR headsets, you can be damn sure that the Indulgent Generation (children of the Greatest Gen) would’ve been all over that action, and just like the current one we would’ve grown eventually tired of those toys, too. I can’t remember the last time I saw mine (now 23 years old) shooting up the forces of evil from my couch. He does have his nose in his phone a lot, but every time I expect to find him playing Candy Crush or looking for Pokemons, he’s reading something for a school assignment or doing homework. I do wish we’d spent more time camping and hiking and doing Great Outdoors things when the kid was growing up, but with his mother and me both working full-time and then some, there never seemed to be enough energy or money, for much of that on the weekends – though for years we did pack up the Ranger (the kid’s still driving it with almost 180,000 miles showing) nearly every weekend for a trip to one of the local MX parks, none of which were nearer than a two-hour drive. Not like when I was a kid, where you could ride your minibike all kinds of places not necessarily legally but nobody much cared. And I don’t know anybody who packs the kids up in the station wagon every summer for a two-week vacay anymore like we used to do (on one income), though I do know a few people (mostly on Facebook) who are constantly checking in from Monaco or Hawaii or a really expensive restaurant. Their big garages, already groaning with collectible Ducatis, are always gaining new bikes and expensive cars. I manage not to be too bitter mostly because my MO duties sometimes have my own garage stuffed with great motorcycles, but that wouldn’t be the case if I was having to pay for them. And my son, who was kind of soured on bikes there for a few years after a couple of frightening RM85 mishaps involving gravity, is back into motorcycles now in a big way, so we do have that going for us. We Burnses are simple peasant stock who don’t need much. If he hadn’t had me for a role model, though, I don’t know that my kid would’ve ever caught the motorcycle bug in the first place. What I see in his generation isn’t a lack of enthusiasm for letting the good times roll, but a much greater and earlier awareness of the harsher realities of life than we Boomers had: Faced with the high cost and need for education, and the expensiveness of lots of things we took for granted (a garage, healthcare, Rolling Stones tickets), I see a frugality that’s more in line with my Children of the Depression parents (save that aluminum foil!) than with my own. A buddy in Solvang who was looking for new digs sent me this Craigslist: $1450 / 2br – 400ft2 – 5th Wheel on 15 acres (Full Hook-ups) (Solvang) That kind of overarching worry about finances had them wondering the same thing: Why would you ride around on a vehicle that’s 38 more times likely to get you killed than a nice sensible Pontiac Bonneville? A lack of money creates a cautious worldview that excludes things like motorcycles, which are both dangerous and toys to outsiders. Google “millennial earnings” to find tons of stories like this one at Forbes. In the ’60s, we bypassed our parents’ concerns because the world was our ever-expanding oyster and bell-bottoms and bongs were in; shooting guys to the moon was also a dangerous thing with no real economic payoff, but we all got behind it anyway. And the astronauts got Corvettes! In that era, a lightly-used Camaro or Mustang was not out of reach of the average 20-something; neither was a decent middle-class living for just about anybody who worked 40 hours a week. Homelessness wasn’t yet a thing, not where I grew up anyway. The future, in short, looked rosy, and motorcycle sales, especially cheap Japanese ones, soared. A quick run over to Chevrolet.com informs me that the cheapest new Camaro with a V-8 starts at $37,295. It’s not like there’s not still plenty of money sloshing around in the economy. The problem is very little of it is leaking down into the pockets of people who buy motorcycles anymore, which used to consist mainly of young males. For a while there the Occupy Wall Street movement gained a little traction complaining about things like the CEO-to-worker pay ratio, which has climbed from 42-to-1 in 1980 to its current level of 335-to-1, according to the AFL-CIO. GlassDoor has it at only 204:1. Either way, we’ve moved on to more pressing concerns like transgender bathrooms and walling off Mexico. Do Americans buy motorcycles when they have money? I think this little chart from webbikeworld.com is worth a thousand words. One man’s “wealth redistribution” is another man’s “tax reform,” but lately both terms are code for even less disposable income for those just launching themselves into the job market. We worship the wealthy in the U.S. Nobody has a problem with the six heirs to Sam Walton’s Walmart having a net worth greater than the bottom 42% of Americans combined, but make no mistake their six fat straws are drawing from the communal milkshake. Good for them and Sam Walton; I don’t begrudge them their wealth at all. I do know the country was better off when the top tax rates were a bit higher. I was there. I seriously doubt that the small percentage of us who gravitate toward motorcycles has grown any smaller; blaming the youngsters for a faltering motorcycle industry is a classic case of blaming the victim (even if E-i-C Duke deduced in this editorial that fewer kids today are riding bicycles, creating a bigger hurdle to riding a motorcycle one day). Meanwhile, the people who do have a few bucks continue to keep Harley-Davidson, BMW and other builders of upscale motos afloat. Ducati and its Scramblers are one bright spot among several, but my intel is that the average Scrambler buyer is 47 years old. (And that’s not even a bad thing if said 47-year old trades in a nice, clean bike for a disadvantaged youth to pick up on the cheap.) I’m almost ready to throw up my hands and not care anymore, really, since it looks like my own offspring, after taking only five years to secure his four-year degree, appears to have landed a jay-o-bee after he graduates in a few months where he’ll make more than his dear old Dad right out of the chute. I couldn’t be prouder and when it comes to pass, I think it means he’ll be giving back my old R1 – and maybe even the old Ranger truck. First thing he wanted to know when he called me with the news, was ‘what’s up with that new Ducati Supersport anyway?’ He thinks he needs one. I think I’m going to offer him a smoking R1/Ranger package deal and see if I can finally achieve the Buell XB-9S of my dreams, then pull up the prosperity ladder behind me. I’m glad we’re able to have this discussion without getting into politics. What’s a nice pre-owned RC213V-S down to now? Maybe I’ll get one of them… Whatever: Moto Inequality appeared first on Motorcycle.com.
 
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Put a Minigun on Your Motorcycle - Motorcycle.com News

Put a Minigun on Your Motorcycle In the depths of Youtube there is always gold, or strange, strange videos that you never need to see again. Today we’ve come across gold. With this simple but effective modification to your commuter bike, you can now mow down sluggish minivans and clear paths with ease! It is the Tailgunner/Dillon Aero M134X High Speed Interceptor by Tailgunner Exhaust. To simplify things, it’s a Yamaha R1 with a minigun duct taped and silly putty’d (kidding) to the front end. Evidently it is not a show bike, but a fully functional proof of concept of the military capabilities of the mighty “War Horse”. You can check out more details on the bike in the second video below. Put a Minigun on Your Motorcycle appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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Second Annual ADVWoman Rally set for Colorado - Motorcycle.com News

Second Annual ADVWoman Rally set for Colorado I am woman hear me roar. On dual-sports too big to ignore. Actually, men are welcome too, at what sounds like a great time in Colorado this summer, and they might even learn something from the all-woman instructor corps. Here’s the lowdown: GRANBY, COLORADO, February 9, 2017 – Second Annual woman-led ADVWoman Rally dates Announced for July 20-23, 2017, at Flying Heels Rodeo Arena in Granby, Colorado Dates are announced for the second annual adventure rally organized for women and families. To be held July 20-23, 2017, in Granby, Colorado, the event will include a variety of self-guided rides, Geocache scavenger hunt, classroom training sessions as well as on-range adventure and dirt bike rider training. All instructors are women! Men are welcome too – this is a female and family friendly rally. “We are building on last year’s success with several key changes,” said Pat Jacques, Rally Director. “BMW Off Road instructor Caroline Stevenson has joined the teaching staff, plus the rally is expanded to four days, Thursday through Sunday. We have obtained indoor convention space, and have hotel accommodations available. We will teach on-range rider training ‘Adventure Essentials’ and ‘Dirt Bike Essentials’, and we’ve added the advanced level ‘BDR Essentials’ class. This will support riders in successfully completing the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route teaching steep ascents and descents, hair pin turns, water crossings, and rocky terrain skills.” Last year’s Rally was a great success with several participants traveling over 1800 miles to attend. “I knew the ladies would have a blast, but I was most surprised by how much the gentlemen enjoyed themselves,” said Jacques. “They were thrilled to see their spouses and partners quickly gain confidence and skill, which translates to more opportunities to enjoy riding together and also strengthens the industry.” Classroom Sessions are open to all attendees and will run Thursday & Friday 3:30PM-4:30PM and 4:45-5:45PM, with several classes running simultaneously in different locations. Topics include trailside maintenance, trailside first aid, intro to GPS navigation, fitness and training for off-road riding, truck & trailer motorcycle loading and unloading, flat tire repair, how to pick up a bike, moto-camping and travel photography. “Women teaching women is natural and transformative. We’re excited to have Canadian GS Trophy Candidate and BMW Off-Road Certified Instructor Caroline Stevenson joining our all-woman staff this year. Caroline’s quiet, confident manner and considerable skill is sure to resonate with many women,” said Jacques. Immediately following the Rally there will be a “First Ever” All-ladies Colorado Backcountry Discovery (COBDR) Tour led by Jacques and fellow adventure rider Alisa Clickenger. All classes are taught Thursday and Friday so participants can enjoy a full day of adventure riding on Saturday. http://ift.tt/1VAmrKZ Second Annual ADVWoman Rally set for Colorado appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.
 
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