Ouch, Ouch, Ouch! We think we’re pretty open minded and/or liberal here at the Guilty Gang Compound. We’ve got friends from all walks of life and every economic, social and ethnic category. But, we just had to post this in our “crazy-funny” news section simply because it was so hard to believe (and look at). It’s like seeing an accident on the side of the road. You know your going to see something gross and messy. You try not to look BUT, you do anyway. We found this listing of people who have modified their bodies in some rather intense ways! Several are familiar freaks previously seen on BMEzine.com or various TV shows. However, seeing them all together is quite a shock to the old brain. Seen here, from left, Rick Genest, Elaine Davidson, and Kala Kaiwi. As one that has tattoo’s, as well as had ear piercing earlier in life, what will these guys/gal look like when they are 50-60-70 years old? And what will they be doing at that point? Imagine being their son or daughter on parent/teacher night? Ha, Ha…It’s just a bit hard for me to swallow that anyone would do this to themselves in a sober state. But then again, we’ve all done things where we’ve questioned our sanity afterwards. On another note, tattoos have become such a “socially acceptable” form of expression it’s made it’s way onto and into mainstream medical arena. Now our kids (and i’m sure some adults) can wear tattoo inspired band-aids. Each handsome and unique metal tin contains an assortment of three size band-aids and a “free toy to take your mind off of the excruciating pain.” Sells for $3.99 at Perpetual Kid.

Seem that Mr. Maurizio Lamponi Leopardi made his first career in surveying then graduated with mechanical engineering degree but just wasn’t satisfied with the experience, (or others he’d had with the family business) so he’s turned his sights onto 3-D artwork that has had functional use in a prior life. Lamponi is using various bits and pieces from old scooters or other motorcycle and non-motorcycle related items which finish their life as lamps. These parts are full size to give you an idea of scale….which we have to say would make some interesting conversation pieces in the office, study or garage. Now if i can just convince the wife that we should spend $1500 buck or so for a light, i might see one in my house….Hmmm. Check out Lamponi Lights.

In an earlier post, we’d mentioned that Guilty Customs was in the early stages of building a kick*** bike for Gatorz Glasses. Which by the way makes some awesome glasses, (as CJ can confirm) since “CJ doesn’t go anywhere without his Gatorz!”. Anyway, Guilty has teamed up with Adam at Canni Design to put to paper what has been rolling around in our demented gray and “guilty” brain matter. And here is what we’ve come up with. Guilty’s objective on this build is to bring together two different style bikes (chopper and street bike), yet have a bike that is both rideable, comfortable and a head-turner. We’ve got two renderings of the bike we look to build for Gatorz. From the response we’ve already received, either way they go, Gatorz will have an awesome bike to showcase their products! You’ll get to eye-ball these at all the show/events that Gatorz attends through out the year, as well as some bike shows across the country.
This build is very exciting for Guilty, as some major sponsors have stepped up early and started supporting this unique build right from the start. Kris Krome, Deviant Designs Inc., Triumph Motorcycles and others saw an opportunity to be part of something that we believe, will grab alot of peoples attention. Our goal is to roll this bike out in early January and if things go well, we’ll have some good media coverage prior to and after, with it’s attendance in various shows around the country. We’ll be taking suggestions on the name of the bike also. So give us your input. We’ll keep everyone updated regularly on this build as we move forward.

One more lowering notch in the level of stupidity we seem to have in humanity nowadays. Yeah, a “moaning IP” service. What next, a monitor that has orgazisms? I know from emails we receive that there are alot of “teckie” readers that happen to be bikers….but really guys….Go take a shower or something…or ride your bike around the block a few times if your that hard up! Via The Raw Feed Guys!

Well, we finally got around to getting the pic’s from the Horse SmokeOut in Salisbury posted. We want to thank English Jim for his superb photography skills for taking these photos! Enjoy!

Take a look at this!
The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska was $80,000.00. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.

Still think you are having a Bad Day????
A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.

STILL think you’re having Bad Day????
Two animal rights defenders were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly. The two helpless protesters were trampled to death.

What?? STILL having a Bad Day????
Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn’t pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with “Return to Sender” stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits.

There now, feeling better???!!

As riders, we get the opportunity to see parts of the country that few get to see. And part of that experience is seeing Gas Stations that were built in times gone by on roads people have forgotten. The personality they show is ever present, even after all these years. Take a look at these fine beauties.

I have to admit, i’m not a fan of OCC. Not because they don’t build cool bikes but rather i can’t stand “drama” or “reality TV”. However, i read this post at ZoomStart, that made me start thinking about the Teutuls in a different light. We have to give credit where credit is due….whether we agree with it or not. And if your in the business of building bikes, parts, etc, and want to keep doing so, this information is even more pertinent. Read on. “If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, you’re probably a fan of The Discovery Channel’s hit show American Chopper about the innovative and very entertaining crew at OCC. Here’s the catch; the show has a huge following of people who aren’t motorcycle fanatics at all. So the question is, how’d they do that? How did they reach a market that’s outside their target market?

The 2 Ingredients for Capturing Someone Else’s Market

1. Sell You, Not Your Product
The Teutul family at Orange County Choppers is a great cast of characters. They have all the comedy and drama you’d expect from a wacky made-for-TV family. The difference is, they’re real. And the strong family values and hilarious misadventures they go through day-to-day are things that everyone can relate to. It’s all about selling yourself. You have to believe in the leader before you believe in their ideas. The Teutuls don’t sell motorcycles on the show. They sell The Teutuls. Motorcycle sales follow.

2. Make a Product that Everyone Can Relate to
You’d think a motorcycle was simple enough for anyone to relate to. But if you’re not a big fan of motorcycles, then you probably don’t care about how they’re built. What’s easier to relate to is how someone can take inspiration from a NYC firetruck or the Statue of Liberty or a Gillette razor and turn it into a motorcycle. And that’s what OCC does with the theme bikes they build on the show. They build products that have a story that’s bigger than the product. And easier to relate to than just a regular motorcycle would be. Keep it Real, and Keep it Simple
Marketing is not selling. Marketing is getting your message out there so people can find you and bring you a sale. If you do it right, it goes viral and then other people start spreading your message for you. Because their message is real and it’s simple, OCC expanded their market quickly by crossing over into other markets. They captured an audience that should be someone else’s. And that’s a wild ride.”

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese biker failed to notice his leg had been severed below the knee when he hit a safety barrier, and rode on for more than a mile, leaving a friend to pick up the missing limb. The 54-year-old office worker was out on his motorcycle with a group of friends in the city of Hamamatsu, west of Tokyo, on Monday, when he was unable to negotiate a curve in the road and bumped into the central barrier, the Mainichi Shimbun said. He felt excruciating pain, but did not notice that his right leg was missing until he stopped at the next junction, the paper quoted local police as saying. The man and his leg were taken to a hospital, but the limb had been crushed in the collision, the paper said.

We found this video on YouTube and to our suprise, our friend Mike Tomas is featured (along with other notable people) discussing the perils of Board Track Racing. And we think motorcycling is dangerous now-a-days! Man, take a spill here and you’ve got not only a face full of wood splinters but bikes roaring at you with no brakes! Great video! Enjoy and learn.

While at Sturgis it isn’t all about just fun and food, bikes and babes. It’s also about business. During the week we were able to close some business with some new friends which resulted in a new sponsor, Gatorz. You’ll be seeing the “Wardens” mug posing with some beauties shortly in various magazines, so don’t laugh too hard. We at Guilty are really excited about this partnership with Gatorz as they have a long history in the off road, Indy and Nascar industry and now they are heading into the motorcycle arena with some awesome high tech and stylish eyewear. Keep an eye out for the “Gatorz” chopper that Guilty will start shortly too. As Sturgis winds down, we can’t help but think about all the interesting (odd, strange, bizzaar, scary too) people and new friend we’ve made here. We have to admit that while it’s tiring and hot (100+ mind you!), the event has taken on a new meaning for us as we meet up with old friends and make new ones. If you’ve not made it to Sturgis before, try hard to do so in the next few years or so….you won’t regreat the experience and you won’t forget the people.

Well, we’ve had two days here of beautiful weather, great riding and meeting up with friends, cohorts and others. The event got off (unofficially as it starts officially Monday) with some twists. Seem the first night we’re in town the fine men-in-blue shut down a major drug deal in the works..(going on right on Main St!!?…can we say “duh”?) and then on Saturday night there was a bomb threat that brought out the bomb squad and the bomb robot. Other than forcing everyone away from the area for their protection the night was uneventful. We’ve put together a little video for your viewing pleasure. So enjoy. There will be more updates as time allows! We’ll be heading to the hill climbing events, drag races and gun slinger event. May even go over to the range and shoot a Sherman Tank and machine gun! Yeah, you read it right…we’ve got almost everything anyone would want to play with here for the next few days! Warden and Gang.

Well, we finally made it to Sturgis 2007. And it looks like an event that is getting it’s “best foot forward” already. City officials are expecting record crowds to hit here within the next two days…and even today, saturday, we’re seeing large groups and even single riders on their annual migration to Sturgis. We’ve found a website too that can help you live vicariously through others attending this event. Maybe you’ll see someone you know. It’s called the Sturgis WebCam and list various camera locations that can give you a unique birds eye view of the happenings for the next 9 days

Sturgis 2007 will once again be the biggest biker rally in the world, where the edges of society will come in great numbers to take part in what has become a cultural event of those who fancy themselves revolutionary, and some whose first priority is to have a good time, and for which both types invariably succeed, and in great measure.So, if you ever make one motorcycle rally in your life, make the Sturgis Rally. The place is legendary. Your cruising down Interstate 90, and the Sturgis Rally is dead ahead. You can see a couple miles due to the clear weather and to the West rises the Black Hills - a mountain range of dark green draped with ponderosa pine trees. Inviting and cool. Your heartbeat start to quicken as your get closer….you join up with other riders as you journey towards the meca of motorcycling events.
From hundreds of miles away you’re surrounded by them. The low rumble of Harleys, Indians, BMW’s, Honda’s, VW Trikes, etc, etc, etc and some home-made mobile machines that you wonder how they stay on the road. They are EVERYWHERE…your body vibrates with so many motorcycles as does your ears ring after a day of being around them. The Sturgis Rally. For the next week or more you’ll be in a place unlike any other in the World. There are more Harley Davidson motorcycles and bikers converged here than anywhere else on the Planet. They come from many countries and all over the United States. There is everything here. Burned out Greasers, has-been and want-to-be celebrities, modern day personalities, politicians mixing it up with people so stoned they don’t know where they are. Attorneys in the upper income tax bracket, dope dealers, undercover cops, thieves, hookers, factory workers, office workers, out-of-work workers. All of them have one thing in common - the fun and craziness of the Sturgis Rally….wish you were here!

For those of us old enough (and with enough brain cells left) to remember our days at Sturgis, (before all the hype, fluff, corporate america and media that now represents Sturgis) we present the following. Forever gone are these days….granted some say “good” and others ask “why?”. Whatever side of the fence you sit, you can’t miss the fact that “times are a changin” for Sturgis. We found this story on our friend Keith Balls Bikernet site and wanted to help pass the word about so more people would get a good picture of “back when…”. Enjoy.