The Indian Larry Issue, “Five Long Years” will be packed full of special content that has for the most part never been seen before. Their will be commentary from people out of Larry’s past that haven’t been heard from, stories of his life that haven’t been shared and additional industry insights into the man they called the Chopper Shaman. This issue will become available at the beginning of 2010 through an exclusive national deal with Barnes & Nobel stores and through a regional south deal with Books A Million. For more information on advertising in this issue or for advanced copy sales go to Cycle Source.

In a statement he made to the Daytona News Journal I noticed that Mike Watts made 2 mistakes by stating 1- “That we hope to change the way people buy used motorcycles”. Really? I think it’s all the way around. It’s consumers who changed the way businesses sell their ware. Rossmeyer’s, like others,  just try to adapt. Never heard of eBay? 2- “That their website(s) have 1 million of hits”. Who cares the number of hits? A hit is not a visit to a website but the number of graphics & pictures downloaded when you open any internet page. If you open a page with 40 graphics or images, it’s 41 hits (one hit for the page + 40 hits for the images). But still only 1 visitor. Multiply by the number of pages visited by the same person and you have a ton of hits for still only 1 visit. Mike, the only important thing is the number of unique visitors, the number of pages visuted and the time spent on each page. Among other things, the reason why the first online auction was not a success is because of poor announcement and poor internet traffic for a company the size of Rossmeyer’s (I checked). It’s  what Rossmeyer’s should work on first. Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson.

The Mods. Post WWorld War II England saw the end of rationing, military service had been abolished, economy was booming, people had money to spend on clothes and bikes. The Mods were essentially from London and the South East and were complete followers of the latest fashion. They were discovering new sounds, rhythm and blues,  new jazz, rich exotic sounds like Ska brought over with the Caribbean immigrants (while mainstream England was listening to the Beatles). They were ultra hip subterranean night club dwellers. Mods held down well paid office jobs (whereas Rockers tended to be more rural and manual workers), were arrogant, strutting kids and loving to create confrontation in nightclubs. The green shapeless army surplus Parka coat became the uniform. It was adopted to protect their expensive weekend suits from the damp London climate and to keep warm when riding their scooters, predominantly Italian brands like Vespa and Lambretta. Because police was harassing them for insufficient lighting and size of mirrors, in derision they decided to install numerous headlights, crash bars, white wall tires and high backrest seats, each Mod competing to have the chicest ride and the hottest chick riding behind. Amphetamine was the Mods drug of choice, pot not fitting their ideology (Pot was slowing you down, amphetamine kept you hyperactive for days without need to sleep between office hours and nightclubbing). Their influence on the London music scene was such that the Mod subculture resulted in the creation of new bands like the Small Faces, the Yardbirds and the High Numbers, known later as The Who, the band who defined the Mods with the song “My Generation”. Mods hated Rockers that they saw as out of touch and grubby. Rockers saw Mods as arrogant and young effeminate snobs. Scuffles occurred wherever they happened upon each other. To protect themselves some Mods went to sew fish hooks into the backs of their lapels to shred the fingers of Rockers assailants.

The Rockers. The Rockers movement started sooner in Liverpool during the late fifties. Illegal import of rare rock and roll vinyl albums coming from the sea trade with the US created a scene of teen agers in black leather jackets be bopping in night clubs. They rode motorcycles, listened to Elvis ad Gene Vincent. and were rebellious. To the uninitiated, a Rocker looked like trouble, Typical rocker outfit was black leather, a white scarf tightly wound around mouth and neck when riding, a pair of Levi’s jeans or black leather pants and sometimes wool white socks folded over the top of their boots (a look borrowed from the World War I aviation pilots). They are credited for influencing rock stars of the mid sixties in wearing leather. It is also believed that it is at this time that the gay community adopted leather to copy the image of the manly Rockers. New ring roads were built around cities and for Rockers they became tracks to race their machines. Trucker cafés on these roads were meeting places, the most famous of them being the London Ace Cafe still in existence (although in a different location). Rockers main love affair was speeding on their bikes, something that they thought was very glamourous and a way to defy a very puritan and rigid English society. Rockers were a very tight group extremely supportive of each other. The rivalry with the Mods came to a culminant point in May 1964 during the Bank Holiday weekend. Traditionally, Londoners head for the seaside resorts of Margate, Broadstairs and Brighton. A large number of Rockers and Mods had the same holiday plan. Inevitably fights between the 2 groups started all along England south coast resorts, the most serious acts of violence happening in Brighton. Many protagonists on both sides were arrested and heavily fined. These serious riots were later immortalized in the cult film “Quadrophenia” (in it, a very young and next to be famous musician and singer called Sting, playing a Mod character)

The Rocker movement vanished in the 70’s. Then in the early eighties a few remaining Rockers organized meetings that would progressively become again very popular. The reunions include many too young to have been around in the early days. The lifestyle is still very appealing with groups all over Europe, in Japan and to a marginal degree in the US. At the end of the 60’s the Mod scene also disappeared. During these last years, as a consequence of the high price of gas, many have rediscovered the Scooter as  primary mode of transportation. White collar Baby boomers just remembered the Mods and their children are looking for reference codes. For the 1st time in 4 decades it is not uncommon to see in Europe and America Scooter Clubs organizing meetings where members wear the traditional green Mod Parka and ride Italian Vespa decked out with multiple oversized headlights. At the same the Cafe Racer culture is alive again and attracting a new generation of bikers with the number of participating Rockers growing more at each London Ace Cafe reunion. Could it be that we are seeing the beginning of a revival of both subcultures? Not sure, yet. But at least one thing is certain. The respective lifestyles are now based on nostalgia more than on rebellion and consequently both movements could grow again without any risk of confrontation. The potential benefit? More motorcycling and more customizing.

And don’t worry too much about  such a beast powering your bike. Viper included a proprietary engine vibration damping system that the company claims gives the Diamondback a much smoother ride than other V-Twins with many less cubic inches. Noteworthy to mention are the carbon fiber body (total weight is 610 lbs.), an on-the-fly adjustable air ride suspension system, an adjustable seat (down to 24″), easy adjustable foot controls, all LED’s lights, a sporty inverted adjustable front end, 6-speed transmission, hydraulic clutch, a 21″ front and 18″ 260/40-18 rear wheel/tire setup. Wheelbase is 71″ on a frame with a 34-degree rake (5-degree triple tree). For now the Diamondback is sold through selective Dealers and is not exported. Viper Motorcycle Company.

BMW engineers had to conceive the smallest ever six-cylinder and as far as I understand it was done by a combination of a square bore with a longer stroke ratio and reducing the gaps between cylinders, making the engine only slightly bigger than the big 4-cylinders. The bike uses an alloy frame with Duo-Lever and Para-Lever suspensions and six-piston Brembo brakes. Back to the lines, the Concept 6 is beautifully UN-BMW motorcycle by the finesse of its bodywork and mechanical details. Just look at the handlebars and instrument cluster conceived to give you almost as much information as the most recent BMW cars would give you, even on a tap what is your torque at any given moment! Now the question is will BMW Motorrad mass produce such a sexy bike. Cafe Racers need a filiation. BMW Motorrad.

Added at 5.00 pm. As soon as I finished the post above, the Blog went down again, then up, then down, then up at 5pm. My IT guy tells me “he got a fix”, whatever he means, Hmmm. I guess it’s an introduction to “we need urgently a bigger server”. Now you can shoot an extra amount of comments, just to test the server.

So, follow the deadlines you must meet to show your custom work . Pomona, CA January 9-10, Sacramento, CA January 16-17, Charlotte, NC January 23-24 (a very big one),  Knoxville, TN February 6, Columbus, OH (Invitational where the top winner for the year will be crowned) February 12, 13, 14. More info/registration by calling 800-962-9857.

They will start at Fort Lauderdale Harley-Davidson by a Bikers Bash benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. One of the highlight of this year’s Biker Bash VIP event includes a drawing for a FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide donated by Bruce Rossmeyer Harley Davidson. Tickets are $20/piece or 6 for $100 with all proceeds to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. On Friday evening, December 4 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino there will be a VIP event culminating at the South Florida President’s Council 22nd Annual Christmas Toys in the Sun Run. There will be a police-escorted ride from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to the Admirals club Marine Academy and then along beautiful A1A to the Quarterdeck Restaurant on Las Olas. The kick-off party at the Quarterdeck will include lunch, cocktails and VIP motorcycle parking. Attendees will also have the chance to see a number of great bikes from an impressive line-up of builders. Industry giants Paul Yaffe, Eddie Trotta with Lorenzo Lamas, Rick Fairless, and Athena Ransom will have motorcycles on display at the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse as the last stop for 2009. Also featured will be the last bike that the late Jerry Graves built before his death. Entertainment will be provided by the Purrfect Angelz and Jake and Elwood Blues Revue- the #1 Blues Brothers act in the world and the only Blues Brothers act sanctioned by the Belushi estate and Dan Aykroyd

The weekend will culminate early Sunday morning the 6th of December with the world’s longest motorcycle parade, all proceeds going to benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. Riders will meet at the Aero Toy Store for a continental breakfast then line up for a Bikers Bash police-escort to the Pompano Race Track in Pompano Beach where tens of thousands of riders will gather for the parade ending at Markham Park in Sunrise, Florida. The event cost is $10 and one unwrapped toy per person. Those arriving at Markham Park without a toy will be charged an additional $10 entry fee. However, riders will be able to purchase toys at Markham Park before entering the event. No preregistration is required unless you wish to be a VIP rider.  A VIP catered tent will provide home-base for Bikers Bash participants to park and enjoy the catered lunch, concert, vendors, bike show and much more. Info on the ride at . Info on the Bash at Biker Bash and on the run at Toys In The Sun Run

The company is putting for sale its trademark of American IronHorse, of model names (like  Slammer, Legend, Texas Chopper, Tejas and Outlaw), patents, Internet addresses, parts designs(?), customers data, etc. Streambank, the company in charge of selling these American IronHorse intangible properties expects to close the process in January 2010 or before. A total of 15,000 motorcycles would have been sold by American Ironhorse. I am sure that their owners would like to see somebody interested by such a sale. But my opinion is that the brand image is so damaged that the intellectual property is no more an asset but a huge liability. Anyone crazy enough out there?

It will happen at the Phoenix-Hall at Mainz in Germany where CCE will feature “Bolt On And Ride” new Harley-Davidson models customized with their catalog parts. Both March 27th and 28th are Dealer Days for registered authorized CCE dealers. Only Sunday 28th is general public day. Doors open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Phoenix-Hall is located in the northern part of Mainz, Autobahn (Motorway) A 643, Ausfahrt (Exit). The latest updated show-information is available at Custom Chrome Europe. AMD Bike Show competitors can register at AMD Championship or email to Neil “Showmaster” at neil@amdchampionship.com (pictures Horst Roesler)

The advertising theme of the F4 Superbike launch is “Can Perfection Be Improved Upon?”  Engine was redone with the radial-valve, inline-four engine producing 186 horsepower, 12-horse more than the the 2009 version. Body has been completely re-designed to improve performance by lowering weight by 22 pounds.Multiple Sport and Rain engine control maps, Marelli 7BM ECU controlling eight fuel injectors, , variable-length intake manifolds and traction control. Exhaust gases exit via four square under seat outlets. Suspension is a fully adjustable inverted 50mm Marzocchi up front and a remote reservoir rear shock from Sachs. Brembo monobloc calipers clamp down on dual 320mm front discs. more at MV Agusta. http://www.mvagustausa.com/

1972 was the first year for this model and was Honda’s very first commercial attempt at a dirt bike.  This, therefore, is the “father” of Honda’s extremely impressive and successful line of off-road motorbikes. Weighing approx. 300lbs with fuel and oil, it has a single cylinder 4-stroke, 250cc motor with an all-alloy, overhead-cam, 4-valve unit with integral 5-speed gearbox, housed in a robust cradle-type frame. Still registered in Bronson’s name, this motorcycle has not been modified in any respect since it was purchased at auction from the Bronson estate. It has been in dry storage since the auction and has not been titled, registered or started. Included were all the following documents: original California registration cards in Bronson’s name for 1984, 1985 and 1986, and an original 1985 AAA insurance card in Bronson’s name. These documents will be given to the new owner of this motorcycle. You can bid by jumping to eBay Motors.

Each motorcycle will be listed with up to 10 photos and an interactive video in which a Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson sales person will present a virtual sales pitch, highlighting the bike’s features and doing a 360 degree walk around the bike. Throughout the 24-hour period you can bid on the bikes (all models are represented), starting with a $500 minimum bid, and at the end of the auction the highest bidder will win the bike. Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson also offers national and international shipping on all bikes and financing options, and accepts most major forms of payment such as credit cards and checks. Due to the low dollar value I bet that this auction is going to attract a lot of foreign buyers. On Sunday at noon let’s check how many are sold and at what price. A good barometer of the Harley-Davidson used bikes market. Bruce Rossmeyer Auctions

Your trade must be 1-any running & rideable street legal motorcycle 2- 100 cc or larger (No mopeds, scooters, dirt bikes) 3- Must have clear title to “clunker” 4- Newer motorcycles: get $3,000 above NADA trade-in value toward your new 2009 Indian Chief. Fine print: “Cash For Clunkers” cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer based on approved credit, purchase and delivery of any 2009 Indian Chief in stock. Program ends Saturday, November 28, 2009. Indian Motorcycle Company reserves the right to alter or terminate this program at any time at their sole discretion or whenever they feel like it. Find a dealer and check with it to see if he participates by going to Indian Motorcycle.

Marisa Miller is the super model chosen by Harley-Davidson to salute active and retired U.S. military personnel during the month of November, as part of the Motor Company’s first-ever “Military Appreciation Month” campaign. Miller will be featured alongside Harley-Davidson motorcycles in military-themed creative, including print and digital ads, posters, postcards and calendars.The Military Appreciation Month campaign pays tribute to nostalgic military imagery through photorealism.  The ads and other creative materials feature Miller wearing uniforms representing all five branches of the military next to military-styled Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Among magazines used for the campaign a promotion with Maxim magazine will offer the opportunity for one active or retired military personnel member to win a new Harley-Davidson.

Steve McQueen’s personal Chevy pick-up truck and Indian motorcycle are being added to the roster as well as the special edition Mustang owned by son Chad McQueen. 1940 Indian Chief. This iconic American motorcycle was used by Steve as his personal “Hollywood bike” and was originally sold as part of the McQueen estate in Las Vegas in 1984. 1949 Chevrolet 3100. Presented by McQueen’s widow, Barbara Minty McQueen, and never before offered for sale, this original unrestored pick-up has been left untouched and in the same state as when last driven by the silver screen idol in 1980. 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt Edition Number 1 in the series and dubbed “McQueen 1”, this special edition Mustang – built in commemoration of the world’s greatest chase movie, Bullitt – was presented by Ford to Steve’s professional race car driver son Chad. It is in factory original and unmodified condition and has covered only 2012 miles since new.

The Bonhams’ auction at the Petersen Auto Museum on Wilshire Boulevard in L.A. will take place on Saturday, November 14th. Buyers interested in participating in this renowned sale, either remotely or in person, may register to bid by contacting usacars@bonhams.com. Additional sale information and illustrated catalogs are available through Bonhams (Picture Indian 40 copyright “Bonhams & Butterfields”. Picture McQueen astride Indian 40 copyright “Barbara Minty McQueen”)

Stephen says “I’m psyched to be back in the game, working with Publisher, Wade Ramsey, and the IronWorks crew. I’ve been reading IronWorks since 1990 and it has always been a great title. It’s an honor and a treat to be able to lead the charge and further develop the IronWorks name to its full potential by bringing even more great machines and stories to our loyal fans. My goal is to uncork the IronWorks’ engine, spool it up, and let it breathe. It’ll be great, fun, and entertaining – really a celebration of what we all love most about the machines.”

Leaving IronWorks will be Editor, “Daingerous” Dain Gingerelli, who has successfully lead the Editorial charge since founder, Dennis Stemp, passed away several years ago. Mr. Gingerelli, who has authored numerous hot rod books, intends to concentrate much of his time on book publishing and will remain a contributor. IronWorks Magazine.

Get a hit on television and the merchandising machine will roll exploiting all possible commercial opportunities. And OCC is pursuing a new one with today’s Tuesday October 27th official release date of classic rock compilation CD and MP3’s curated by OCC founder Paul Teutul Senior.  The 17 tracks album named OCC Rocks includes not only famous songs (by the likes of Mountain, Eddie Money, Mott The Hoople, Rick Derringer, Blue Oyster Cult, Toto, Ted Nugent, Guess Who, Kansas, The Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, Judas Priest, etc) but also 4 tracks by The Orange County Band made up of the Teutuls and shop co-workers. Surprise, surprise, surprise. On track # 3 Paul Teutul Senior is singing “Summertime Blues”.

As a matter of fact, I need to be objective, I would not do better and whatever you think, OCC fans are going to load this album on their MP3 player. Especially after they tune in to the Wednesday October 29th new episode of “American Chopper” where they will watch Paul Sr. and his sons putting their differences aside to make an appearance on CNNs Larry King Live. Then see Paul Sr. hitting the recording studio with the OCC band to help them cut their new album, and to conclude  the crew building a custom bike dedicated to this music compilation (bike featured on the CD cover).You can sample each track for free, then download if you wish by making the jump to OCC Rocks.

On October 28 at 7 pm there will be an insightful panel discussion and participants will probably learn that the first motorcycle helmet was reported to have been invented by Gottlieb Daimler in 1885, and at this time not built with speed in mind.

But as people developed their need for speed, motorcycles were made to go faster. Between 1931 and 1953, the American race for the fastest motorcycle was run by two competitors – Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles. As the speed of motorcycles increased, so did the number of accident fatalities. In 1953 Southern California (USC) Professor C.F. “Red” Lombard developed and applied for a patent for a motorcycle helmet designed to absorb the shock of an impact and spread out is energy. Mandatory motorcycle helmet laws or not, manufacturer’s followed Lombard’s lead to improve comfort and safety. At the Harley-Davidson Museum.

Last Friday, the Walworth County Economic Development of Wisconsin where Buell’s plant s located, sent a letter to Erik Buell to see if the Association could help him put together a business plan for Buell to continue manufacturing motorcycles. Practically, the association is proposing to help find investors to rescue the manufacturer and save 180 jobs in the city of East Troy. Think about it. Buell, although geographically away from Harley-Davidson, is so integrated with the mother company for its components that Harley didn’t and can’t sell Buell. Harley is just discontinuing its assistance in parts & technology. Without it, Buell Motorcycle Company is dead. Except if Harley-Davidson would both let Erik Buell continue to exploit the Buell name and its goodwill value, let him use the designs, models and technology acquired during the last 26 years, and Erik Buell finding the adequate pool of investors. The only reason I see for Harley-davidson to refuse would be if the company intended to enter later the sport bikes segment. As the opposite, Harley stated that the company wants to re-focus on its big cruiser & trike models. So, why not? FYI, my sources also tell me that Wandell is submerged under letters of Buell supporters asking him to reconsider his decision. I don’t believe it will happen, but Buell restarting smaller and stronger without harley and new partners  is still a possibility. How many brands were born again & again & again…? What do you think? Buell Motorcycle Company

Dealers can now purchase products directly from Rinehart Racing or through Custom Chrome. Clearline offers an 18-month warranty against exhaust manufacturing defects. Rinehart is associated with Championship NASCAR Teams, Sprint Cup and IndyCar championships. That success has carried over in the motorcycle world through involvement in AHDRA with numerous records and championships and providing some of the best V-Twin Performance exhaust systems to the V-Twin industry.