Ladies, if ol’ St. Nick didn’t stuff your stocking this year with a boob job don’t despair, Biker Claus is still delivering treats. Seems that the KC Bike Show vendor Wide Open Motorcycle Magazine is offering ladies who attend the January 12-13th event a chance to win a free breast augmentation courtesy of the magazine. That’s right, their promotional give-a-way is a FREE BOOB JOB (msrp $6000).

From what we’ve heard Wide Open Motorcycle Magazine put up the billboards, hoping to increase their turnout for the show. Figuring a lot of women attending probably want to look like the girls in their biker magazine. Gail Worth, who owns a Harley shop in KC loves the concept. She thinks it’s “funny and clever” and says, simply, “Yoo hoo, go women.”

From a marketing perspective, it’s definitely unique. Granted, it certainly isn’t going to be for everyone. And you can expect that this will be held by some as sexist, but as any good marketer knows “know your target, and speak directly to them“. So, ladies, here is your chance to get that Christmas gift that Santa didn’t bring this year. Oh, and guys, only women can register.

Seem that the Guilty Gang’s bike called “Errant” has found a fan base in the magazine American-V out of the UK. We were first introduced to this magazine from a friend across the “pond”. After reading just one issue though we knew we wanted to get more of the publication. Thus we frequent their site and magazine for news on builds as well as products and a peak into what builders are doing in Europe. Combining superb story telling, quality layout and printing along with hands-on product reviews with excellent photography you have a magazine that beats some of our own American based publication…..(and we’re not saying that just because we’ve got a bike featured either). Like we’ve said in other posts here, there are VERY few publications we get behind and support that meets or exceeds our expectations…..however American-V does this hands-down. It would be great though to have more outlets to have this magazine available for American readers though. Anyway, take a browse through their magazines, you’ll enjoy them as much as we do here at Guilty Customs….whether they have a bike of ours featured or not.

Granted being located in the south has some definite advantages,one being not having to wear multiple layers of clothing in the winter. However for those of us that travel out of the south, they are necessary. One piece of clothing we’ve taken to is the New Keis X4 Heated Bodywarmer. Heated bike wear is recognised as the most effective way to stay warm as the temperature drops, but until now the relatively high price has prevented its widespread use. KEIS’s new brand of heated motorcycle clothing offers the latest technology at a price that makes it accessible to the majority of riders. Spearheading the range is the fleece-lined zip-up Bodywarmer that may be worn on or off the bike. It is fitted with carbon-weave panels over the kidneys and chest, which provide even temperatures, heating up to 65ºC when connected directly to the motorcycle battery. The woven conductive panels provide the heat, removing the need for traditional wire elements, making the KEIS Bodywarmer lighter, more comfortable and above all more reliable than traditional garments of this type.

Because no wires are used, it is possible to hand wash and drip-dry the product without affecting its performance. Owners wishing to adjust the temperature can invest in a 5-level control unit that is designed to provide adjustable heat from 40º – 60º when the Bodywarmer is powered from a 12V source on the motorcycle. KEIS even offer a rechargeable battery pack, with adjustable temperature settings, so the Bodywarmer may be worn off the bike – ideal for winter sports, hiking, etc.

+ Power the X4 Bodywarmer from the bike’s battery via the supplied interface lead or from the optional Li-ion battery
+ Lightweight construction - ideal for wearing under leathers etc. No Michelin men here!
+ Heat is centred in the crucial kidney and chest areas - Heating the kidneys helps heat the whole body.
+ So reliable you can even wash it.
+ 12 Months warranty

Available in: Sm/Med/Lg/XL

You can find them at select motorcycle clothing outlets.

If your like a lot of us, you’ve probably thought to yourself when you hear the name of a new motorcycle or model, car, appliance, etc “what were these companies thinking?!” The motorcycle industry definitely isn’t immune to and probably has a disproportionate amount of ill-fated models built by well intentioned companies, but due to whatever reason, their product just didn’t catch on. The following is a list we found of motorcycles burdened with monikers seemingly conjured up during an out-of-control caffeine induced brainstorming sessions.

1. Adonis
Adorn your product with the name of a handsome Greek god and you better design something striking. A good place to start would be somewhere other than this 48-cc, early 1950s motorbike, essentially the 98-pound weakling of the motorcycle universe.

2. Anker
Here’s an idea: Name your sporty motorcycle after an object used to render vehicles stationary. At least this 1950s German company didn’t make boats.

3. Stahl
Perhaps this was not the best choice of name for an American bike built during the motorcycle’s formative — and typically unreliable — years, in the early 1910s.

4. Satan
Perhaps the name given to these big single-cylinder bikes from the late 1920s was acceptable in its native Czechoslovakia, but it didn’t go over well on this side of the pond. Since the make only lasted one year, they apparently had a devil of a time selling them.

5. Thor
Name a bike after the Norse god of thunder, and it better live up to its name — and the Thor did. First produced in 1907, Thors were big 76-cubic-inch (about 1250-cc) V-twin brutes that rivaled contemporary Harley-Davidsons for speed. But due to the competitive environment, Thor ceased motorcycle production by 1920.

6. Honda Dream
Japanese manufacturers have always leaned toward whimsical names for their machines, so it was hardly a surprise when the Dream became reality in the early 1960s. When this 305-cc bike arrived on American shores with its skirted fenders, stamped-steel frame and forks, and somewhat bulbous bodywork, typical ’60s names like Venom, Tiger, or Commando hardly seemed appropriate, so the Dream was born. The Dream was a surprising success and sold under the Honda emblem for nearly ten years.

7. Snob
This 1920s German bike sported a lowly 155-cc single-cylinder engine that really gave it no reason to brag.

8. New Motorcycle
A midsize bike built in France during the 1920s, one can’t help but imagine an Abbott and Costello-type routine:
“What’s that?”
“A New Motorcycle.”
“Duh . . . I know it’s a new motorcycle. But what is it?”
“I just told you.”
“All I know is it’s a new motorcycle.”
“Then why did you ask?”

9. Silver Pigeon
From 1946 to 1964, these scooters were quite popular in Japan, but it’s hard to imagine the name would fly in the States.

10. Genial-Lucifer
Like jumbo shrimp, the two words just don’t seem to go together. Nevertheless, this French builder of small to midsize motorcycles managed to tough it out for 28 years (1928-1956), which is more than can be said for most upstarts of the period.

11. Juncker
Blame it on the language barrier, but there’s no way this small French bike of the 1930s would have sold very well in the States.

12. Sissy
An Austrian company chose this name to grace a mini-scooter that lasted only one year (1957). What were they thinking?

13. RIP
Seemingly doomed from the start, this English motorcycle company was born in 1905 and gone by 1909. May it rest in peace.

14. Flying Merkel
Ridiculous as its moniker sounds, this big American bike of the early 1900s lived up to its billing, as Flying Merkels set several speed records thanks to their advanced V-twin engines.

15. Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
One of Harley-Davidson’s best sellers, the Fat Boy is a beefy motorcycle, originally offered in 1990 on the company’s big softail frame with a large 1340-cc V-twin engine and unique solid wheels. This bulky bike is still sold today in an even “fatter” 1584-cc form.

16. Whizzer Pacemaker
In the years after World War II, Whizzer offered a three-horsepower engine that could be bolted to a conventional bicycle to turn it into a rudimentary form of motorized transport. “Put a Whizzer on it!” trumpeted the ads, and thousands did. The company soon came out with a complete motorbike, the Whizzer Pacemaker, which some credit with starting the scooter revolution that led to the company’s demise in the mid-1950s.

17. Wackwitz
Perhaps in its native Germany the name isn’t so amusing, but this early 1920s maker of small “clip on” engines (much like those sold by Whizzer) lasted only two years. And one can imagine why: “Put a Wackwitz on it!” just doesn’t have the same ring.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunisse

In the biking community overall we often hear these comments from fellow bikers and or their clubs—”people just don’t understand us” or “we’re tired of people thinking we’re just a bunch of hoodlums, drunks, outlaws or perverts” or “we do good in the community”. Yet we continue to see the same types of actions, lifestyles and mindsets that fail to give those in our community (whether they be citizens, family or government leaders etc) reason to believe anything else about the biking community Sure we can do charity or toy rides, take up donations, help with traffic flow at events a few times a year, etc, but other than that, aren’t we coming up short at doing something that has real community impact on a day-to-day basis that helps change that communities perception of this brotherhood of bikers community? I think so. Fortunately someone, like Rev. Ron Baptiste, who leads the Covenant Confirmers Ministries in Springfield, TN is picking up our slack by putting his (and his groups) “feet where their mouth is“. Check out this story!

Tennessee - Take a trip to the Springfield Wal-Mart and you might see an unusual sight this Christmas shopping season. Riders with Covenant Confirmers Motorcycle Ministries are patrolling the parking lot after dark to deter any criminal activity and keep shoppers and their belongings safe. Men and women on foot approach shoppers to offer an escort to their cars and a hand carrying bags. The “Biker Escort Service” began in early December. It is the idea of the Rev. Ron Baptiste, who leads the Covenant Confirmers Ministries in Springfield.

Baptiste says he was looking for a way to give back to the community that has been so accepting of his motorcycle-riding church congregation. A Wal-Mart official says the store has no objection to the church’s offer of extra security. Even though members of his church have been providing escorts for weeks, Baptiste says the recent fatal stabbing of a man trying to help a woman during a purse-snatching in a Nashville Kroger parking lot illustrates the need for this kind of community ministry. “It’s a sad state of the world that we need to do this,” Baptiste says. “But people are so grateful.” In addition to protecting shoppers against crime, Baptiste has seen the volunteer work strengthen the faith of the bikers in his church and change the image some in the public have about men and women who share a passion for the culture of riding.

“My guys are no weekend warriors,” Baptiste says. “My guys are big guys with tattoos. They are hard-core bikers. And as formal rejects from society, they’re being appreciated for what they’re doing. What matters to me is what’s happening to their hearts.”

The offers of aid from bikers wearing leather vests and sporting tattoos have not always initially been understood, Baptiste says. So the bikers work in male-female pairs when they approach shoppers at the Wal-Mart entrance so as not to appear threatening. Other bikers cruise the parking lot. Baptiste thinks the community has become so familiar with his church’s works - which include a free medical clinic for bikers and communitywide support and youth groups - that shoppers catch on quickly that they are there to help. “The awesome thing to me is to see these great big old bikers help these little old ladies,” Baptiste says. “And then to see the old ladies so appreciative about it. “They went out in the sleet and rain last weekend. It’s given them a purpose.” For more information about Covenant Confirmers Ministries, visit www.covenantconfirmers.org.

Source: The Tennesseean

Want to add some color to your ride (outside of paint), improve your stopping power AND give your brakes a serious boost? The UK’s number one performance brake line supplier, Hel, has two perfect solutions. Here is what they say about their newest products, the coloured stainless steel fittings and PVC protective covers.

For the stainless steel fittings:

We are aware that some customer’s like the colour combinations offered by ally fittings but require the strength of stainless steel which is why we have brought out a new range of coloured stainless steel fittings - The only one’s currently available in the world…They are available in Red, Green, Blue, Black, Purple and Gold so you can still have the full choice of colour but with the added security, strength and reliability of stainless steel. The coloured finish is also UV resistant so they won’t fade in the sunlight and are backed by our lifetime warranty - So what’s stopping you?

For the PVC protective covers.

Our brake line kits can also be provided with a pvc cover available in either clear, red, yellow, blue, neon blue, orange, black, purple, deep purple, green or carbolook to protect paintwork and fairings. This pvc cover is extruded onto the hose during manufacture so it adheres to the braid and does not ripple like heat shrink covers normally do. We only ever supply our hoses with this protective cover and since introducing them to the marketplace other companies have followed our lead and we are proud that the quality initiatives we put in place are imitated within the industry

We’re looking to use these on one of our current builds so we’ll update you when we get some “hands-on” experience with them.

Vintage film of boardtrack racing with motorcycles — teens to 1920’s in Daytona Beach FLA. Having only seen old still photo’s of these types of races it puts a whole other view of the courage these riders had to possess as well as how fast these machines were capable of at that time. I’d venture to say that these racers would call our modern day racing jocks “sissy”. What do you think? Board-tracks were wooden tracks built in the early 1900’s that were abondoned or dismantled after serious weathering caused the death of riders and even spectators.

We’d heard about Heaven’s Angels last year and was intrigued in what they were doing. Here is some info on this non-profit which was founded by Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Air fame). Virgin Unite is a charitable movement that works to drive grassroots change and make a real difference in the lives of people around the world who need it most. It focuses on three core areas - the environment, youth in need and stopping the spread of the “Big Three” preventable diseases: HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Care workers ride motorcycles into remote and impoverished areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and deliver life-saving medical supplies to people in need of care. It’s estimated that just $11,000 will buy a new motorcycle, employ a health worker, and cover their running costs for the first year. Heaven’s Angels Rural Transport Network provides community health clinics with motorbikes so their health workers can deliver essential medicines, health supplies and water purification products, and provide health education to people in rural areas. And in Nigeria, bikes are used also to improve access to obstetric care to help prevent Fistula, a life-shattering childbirth injury affecting hundreds of thousands of women. Pretty impressive, for just one health worker and a bike! Maybe we should have Sir. Branson look at our healthcare here in the USA!

The State of Florida is attempting to get tough (hmmm?) on motorcyclists riding recklessly, with the introduction of a new bill in the State House of Representatives. HB137 2008 specifies that if a law enforcement officer charges a person with reckless driving, or driving 30mph over the speed limit, and who was riding a motorcycle at the time, the officer must arrest the rider, take him or her into custody, and seize the motorcycle, which will be subject to forfeiture under Florida’s Contraband Forfeiture Act. If that person is convicted, the court will order the Department of Motor Vehicles to revoke their motorcycle endorsement, and leave them only with the ability to drive a cage. If the bill is signed into law, it will take effect October 1, 2008. On one level i’m glad that there is some attempt to crack down on this type of behavior. However on another there just seems to be no limit to the levels of absurdity that some people will go to and now we have legislators pushing more legislation on the motorcycling community. All due to a few that insist in putting themselves (and others) at risk… just for a bit of adrenalin rush or opportunity to show off in front of their friends. Thanks guys/gals for showing us your a**!

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the country’s premier showcase of motorcycling heritage and history, will spotlight over a hundred of the world’s most recognizable enthusiasts in its new exhibit, “MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles.” Scheduled to open in late March 2008, the 8,000-square-foot exhibit will feature many priceless machines, exclusive memorabilia and tales from celebrities’ favorite two-wheel adventures. A dedication ceremony for “MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles” will be held June 28, 2008, on the grounds of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. The dedication ceremony will gather featured MotoStars, Motorcycle Hall of Famers, industry leaders and enthusiasts for a momentous ribbon-cutting. Notable celebrities offering personal motorcycles and memorabilia to the exhibit are auto racing legend and Alligator motorcycle inventor and manufacturer, Dan Gurney (left); General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz; “King of the Kustomizers” George Barris; and rock legend, “Rush” drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart. Famous movie bikes include the 2004 MV Agusta F4-SPR ridden by Will Smith in “I, Robot.” Exotic custom motorcycles designed and built by Austin Weiss for entertainers such as will.i.am, frontman for hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas, and Carlos Mencia, critically acclaimed comic and star of Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia,” will also be featured.

“MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles” is the latest in a series of award-winning exhibits at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. The current “Motocross America” exhibit chronicles the history of the country’s original action sport and has drawn record crowds. Past exhibits, including “Heroes of Harley-Davidson” and “A Century of Indian,” have brought motorcycling to life and introduced the industry’s history to a new generation of riders.

If your a motorcycle mechanic, retail store, painter, welder, custom builder, parts manufacturer OR if your someone that wants to have a resource for all of these at your fingertips, check out the Moto-411 Directory. This handy resource directory will help anyone who finds them self stranded with a broken motorcycle pretty much anywhere in the USA. Seems the whole thing started after some brainstorming over 4 1/2 years ago that resulted in the building of a directory database by the founders of Moto-411. From there it was a natural leap to producing this helpful resource directory for everyone to benefit from. From my review the directory is set up like the Yellow Pages where businesses pay to be listed for readers to find them. Not a bad idea. And if your looking for that useful and unique gift for your spouse or friend, this would be something that they’d be able to take with them on trips AND use, if needed!

There are few things as important as passing on our traditions, skills and values to the next generation. Most of us say we do, however few actually put their words into action outside their own family. (I’m talking to myself here…). That isn’t the case with Kevin Baas. Through his Chopper and Manufacturing classes at the Kennedy High School, Kevin (or “teach” as the students call him) has managed to see his idea develop from an after school hobby to an officially offered class. So successful has been his classes that other schools have been inspired to adopt similar curriculum. He’s even managed to develop his own funding and get students interested in the type of skills that will 1) help them secure a meaningful career and future and 2) contribute to the ongoing biker community in a positive manner. These students bikes have been featured in national magazines and premier shows, and that’s not a bad achievements at all in my book!.
If your not familar with Kevin, check out his site at www.baasmetalcraft.com as well as him being named “2007 Motorcycling’s Man of the Year” by Cycle Source magazine in their December issue. I’ve only met Kevin via email and phone since he’s built some parts for us and I hope to be able to shake his hand one day and say “great job, keep up the work!”. You can also see Kevin’s helpful writing skills in his book called “How to Build an Old Skool Bobber”

Hell Ride was recently announced as one of the midnight premieres at Sundance in January. Larry Bishop stars as badass biker Pistolero, who along with his brother The Gent (Michael Madsen) and Comanche (Eric Balfour), hit the road to avenge the death of Pistolero’s old lady Cherokee Kisum, by the 666ers, a rival motorcycle gang. Dennis Hopper and Vinnie Jones also star. Already this film has the feel of the old 50-60’s biker cinema feel and we’re welcoming it with open wallet.

So, lets list the plusses on this film: 1) Quentin Tarantino-so do we need to explain more? 2) Larry Bishop (son of Joey Bishop) wrote and directed this himself. If your not familiar with Larry, he’s a died in the wool biker. So, not only does it have the cool factor, it’s got a “bikers movie, made by a biker”…what a novel idea! 3) Michael Madsen. If you didn’t see him in Kill Bill Vol. 2 (as Budd) and Sin City (as Bob) you should. It will be interesting to see him as a badass.

Granted, there aren’t alot of good role model movies for bikers out now, (unless you count Wild Hogs as a viable motorcycle movie-yeah, right), so we’ll settle for what we can get. Which looks like alot of action, riding and killing. We’ll look forward to seeing this on the big screen next year and seeing for ourselves.

When it came to the end, neither the jumps nor the landings killed Evel Knievel. The last person you’d ever expect to die in his bed did, Nov. 30 at his condo in Clearwater, Fla., waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Mr. Knievel, (you have to pay him that respect), the motorcycle daredevil who made a fortune on revving a motorcycle and lifting its front wheel off terra firma, broke more than 35 bones, battled diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatitis, multiple brain traumas, two strokes and a liver transplant in his 69 action-packed years. We’re not sure as of yet which condition caused his death. Aside from being apparently made from steel, he wasn’t one to be modest either stating “They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives. People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser,” he told the Associated Press last year. “No king or prince has lived a better life. You’re looking at a guy who’s really done it all.”

He inspired a generation of kids (me included) to get out on their bikes and build their own ramps and jump things. Some have said that he was the original “reality television” and his stunts make the “Jackass” gang look like a bunch of pussies. He definitely was a one-of-a-kind and very much a man of his times. That time has come and gone, and now, so has he…..Hopefully he got his affairs in order before his sudden death. Rest in Peace Evel……and Robbie, here is my condolences.