LoJack Corporation today unveiled its annual wrap-up of the year’s top recoveries for 2007 involving the LoJack For Motorcycles recovery system. These stories underscore that organized crime rings continue to fuel the growing problem of motorcycle theft. The recovery stories of 2007 also revealed that today’s thieves continue to leverage newer mediums — such as the Internet — to sell stolen parts and make a profit from this lucrative crime.
Below are LoJack’s top motorcycle recoveries for 2007:
– “Biggest Single Chop Shop Recovery” - One LoJack-equipped Suzuki GSX-
R600 led Orlando, FL area police and auto theft investigators to
discover a chop shop with 11 other non-LoJack equipped motorcycles, 8
motorcycle frames, multiple motorcycle parts and tools, with a total
value of $200,000.
— “Fastest Motorcycle Recovery” - In this recovery, a Yamaha YZF750 was
stolen from a locked garage in a gated community outside Denver, CO.
Fortunately, the owners also equipped the bike with LoJack and area
police were able to find the bike only SIX minutes after system
activation.
— “Best Bust Reflecting the Trend of Selling Stolen Parts Online” - In
this recovery, a LoJack-equipped Suzuki GSX600 led Chicago area police
to a chop shop with not only multiple stolen motorcycles and engines,
but also hundreds of stolen motorcycle parts - all readied to be sold
online. Officers discovered that the thieves had more than 200
transactions of selling stolen parts online in the previous six months.
— “Best Recovery From a Bike Rally” - In this recovery, the owner of a
Suzuki GSXR1000 had his bike stolen from a rally in North Myrtle Beach,
SC. Fortunately, he equipped the bike with LoJack and area police not
only recovered his bike within mere hours of system activation, but
also found multiple other stolen motorcycles.
— “Best Recovery Showcasing Strength of RF Technology” - A stolen LoJack-
equipped Yamaha motorcycle led police in Fort Worth, TX to the bike’s
location in a metal building. Thanks to LoJack’s Radio Frequency
technology — which operates even if the stolen asset is in a steel
container, under dense foliage or in a concrete building — the bike
was recovered in only 12 minutes after system activation. This
recovery also uncovered a chop shop with other stolen bikes.
LoJack’s time-tested system is optimized for recovering stolen mobile assets through its proven Radio Frequency technology and unique integration with law enforcement agencies in the United States that use LoJack’s in-vehicle tracking equipment to recover cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, construction equipment and motorcycles.
The 2nd Annual Builders Breakfast is scheduled to take place TUESDAY, MARCH 4th, 2008 at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona.
With dozens of builders already confirmed, the 2nd Annual Builders Breakfast is sure to be the biggest yet. Again in 2008 the Daytona event will benefit Boggy Creek Camp for Seriously Ill Children. Join the most recognized Builders for a casual breakfast and lively auction. Like 2007, the auction will feature one of a kind items donated or hand made by the Builders on site. This is your chance to grab a piece of collector’s history and do it for a terrific cause.
“The Builders Breakfast events have surpassed my expectations. When I planned the first event, I was thinking it would be awesome if 50 people came. Honestly, I figured people wouldn’t get up early to attend, especially the Builders!” joked Darcy Betlach event founder. “Luckily I was wrong, not only do the events sell out in advance, but the Builders line up to attend and help me pull this all together” finished Betlach.
The Daytona event will be the one to beat to date. So far, over 20 Builders have confirmed their attendance including; Russell Mitchell, Kendall Johnson, Eddie Trotta, Russell Marlowe, Brian Klock just to name a few. Get your seat reserved today for the best event in Daytona. Tickets are $25 and benefit Boggy Creek Camp for Seriously Ill Children located in Eustice, FL. New for 2008, tickets are available online by Clicking Here.
The all star Builders Breakfast events have been held in Sturgis and Daytona raising nearly $100,000 to date. “2008 will be the year the Breakfast events break the $100,000 mark” said Russell Mitchell of Exile Cycles. “We are proud to participate and plan to do all we can to raise more funds next year”.
So, you think you’ve got a leg up on the authorities when it comes to getting away with things like running from the law? Hmmm, yeah, right. Check out California’s Airborne Law Enforcement (ABLE) division. Their new weapon is the Copper Chopper! Pretty cool if I say so myself. Maybe other states can take the hint and help reduce the chance of accidents by taking their pursuit to the air and cut down the street level absurdity. You can read the full article at the Cycle World site Copper Choppers.
The past week has been a whirl-wind of activities for the Guilty Gang; starting with a phone call from Carolina Cruiser TV Show Host Dawn Glencer (thanks Dawn) asking if Guilty had Errant available for a photo-op with a well known motorcycle magazine for it’s cover. We said, “sure“, then hooked up with the photographer Don Rogers to see if the magazine was really interested. So we forwarded a set of photo’s and waited…which wasn’t long, as Don said “YES! the magazine wants this bike!”. So, after cleaning up our little errant one, we loaded up and headed down south before the crack of dawn, knowing the 4+ hour trip would be both boring and tiring. Anyway, the trip definitely held up it’s end of the bargain. We rolled into the south florida studio around 10:30am and with the help of Don, made a quick job of unloading the bike and getting down to business.
The cool think about Don is that he’s photographed hundreds of custom bikes for every motorcycle magazine around and knows what to look for and takes full advantage of his experience so a bike looks it’s best. The guy is truly a professional with a camera!
Then Sandy (enter model) rolls into the studio around 1:30 and proceeds to get ready. Shortly Don and Sandy are doing their ballet of poses, angles, meter reading and lighting etc. (Just way too much technical stuff for this simple mind). Anyway, you can tell when professionals are working, so CJ cuts out to get a bite to eat and meet up with friends. Returning a few hours later Don’s finished shooting with Sandy, and is starting the final set up with Errant. We have to admit, he definitely got her spirit and what Guilty Customs is all about with his shots. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see more of them before they end up on the magazine cover and the article. Anyway, shortly after, we’re loading up the bike for the boring ride back to Orlando. We have no idea when this cover is going to happen, but based on Don’s comments, “when the magazine calls you for the background on the bike, you can bet it will happen 1-3 months later“. So, we’ll let you know when “the call” comes. Cool experience and all i have to show for it is one lousy picture!
Well, you can’t say H-D isn’t trying to both capture and keep the women riders that are snatching up more and more of their bikes and products each year! Now along with focusing on bikes built for babes, they’ve released the new Skyline helmet line that is specifically designed for women riders. Seems the helmet features a shell and liner that is 10 mm deeper than traditional helmets. Inner liners are sold separately and come in seven different thickness sizes for a customized fit, and an anti-static comfort liner aimed to reduce the “helmet hair” effect. The feature that will probably garner most women’s favor is the “pony tail notch,” which offers a rear cut-out section. Available in sizes ranging from 2XS to 2XL, the 1/2 and 3/4 style helmets are available in gloss black and are priced at $175 and $195, respectively. Hey H-D, how about us bald mellon headed guys….anything on the drawing board for us? Huh? Come on!!
There is something about working with metal that is therapeutic. Whether it’s the cutting, hammering, grinding, drilling or welding of metals, the process does something deep down in a person’s being. One of my favorite aspects is welding. Having started off doing stick welding back in the 70’s (yeah, i know, pretty ancient), i’ve had my share of hot slag down my pant legs (and in my boots), caught my sleeves on fire and had that familiar smell of my own hair burning. So when i found this helpful site called The DIY Mig Welding i just had to tell others. With a great combination of informative video tutorials, forums and technical resources, this site hosted out of the UK, will be one that anyone can easily navigate through and learn from. Maybe it will help you avoid those nasty scars, mistakes and just plain stupid situations i have experienced (and still do sometimes). Why didn’t they have stuff like this available when i was learning to weld?!
Hey, call us blatant capitalist if you want. But we’ve got a mission here! Riding cool bikes, enjoying our families, having fun, eating good food and living! Heavy emphasis on the “living” part. Seriously though, when we hear from people either via email or at events getting excited about this product, it just makes sense to try and inform everyone of it’s benefits to them and their families.
The BIKER+ID ™ is a biker themed wristband made of woven nylon with a brushed stainless steel ID plate that is imprinted with up to 6 lines of important information (blood type, contact phone numbers, allergies, doctor, etc,) that can help emergency personnel save your life. The bands are available in five different colors and designs in two widths, for women or men. The BIKER+ID™ is perfect for any rider regardless of size or sex. The BIKER+ID™ can be ordered by visiting www.thebikerid.com. Retail $19.00 (Free shipping US).
Chilling winds, driving early morning rains and even temperatures in the low 40’s didn’t deter over 500 hearty souls determined to support this years 5th Annual Pink Ribbons For Life ride sponsored by the Chrome Angels. The event, who’s purpose is to raise money for women (and families) facing the devastating cost of medial insurance in their fight with breast cancer, once again succeeded in showing the community that whether your a biker or not, the cause is worthy, and the need great.
With vendors, live music, fun games (you have to see the tricycle races), chinese and silent auctions, great food and a well suited location at Cowboys here in Orlando, (along with strong community support) you can rest assured that this event has, and will, continue to garner financial and emotional support in order to fight the ongoing financial needs of those facing this devastating disease.
Guilty Customs wants to thank everyone for showing such great support (and resolve) for such a worthy cause and you can be sure the Guilty Gang will be there next year to give our time, finances and support! Great job Chrome Angels! Now there is a group of unique “angels”.
Ok, it’s not about anything “motorcycle” related. But it does affect us as consumers. If your like the Guilty Gang, we’re tired of spending our hard earned money on crappy movies (during the day when we’re supposed to be working)! We get to the local theatre where we throw down our money on the ticket, then eat too much popcorn and drink, then hate the movie. Then as we leave the theatre, we’re thinking to ourself “there goes my $20.00″! Seems that this producer (well know too) has given the power to the people. Take a look! Maybe one day this will catch on and actually become standard practice. Yeah, right!
Ok, the Guilty Truth has maturing, in small steps mind you. We’ve gone and done something we felt was responsible and timely. We’ve joined the MBI; Motorcycle Bloggers International is an association of riders who write motorcycle blogs. Members reside in many countries and live in different cultures but they have at least one thing in common—a passion for riding and writing about riding. Ok, we said it and got it out on the table, it’s done. Go get your beer and cheeto’s and return to watching Dukes of Hazzard. This has been a public announcement. IF this had been a real emergency, you’d have been instructed to burn your computer and mail the pieces to the local law enforcement agency.
Well, there are a few things worse than giving a biker a pen to write with or an opportunity to talk in front of a sober crowd. Things such as, a beer while they are riding; road rash or a bug stuck in their eye. Seems that there is an opportunity for all us budding writers to “express ourself” about the motorcycling culture. The Popular Culture Association and American Culture Associations are holding a series of panels at the next annual meeting to be held March 19–22, 2008 in San Francisco, California at the San Francisco Marriott. Proposals for individual papers, presentations, and panel discussions are requested on motorcycling and its impact on American and other societies and cultures. Granted, the deadline has already passed, November 1, 2007, but i think it would be interesting to see how academia and the general population respond to the topic’s presented by motorcycling speakers. Hopefully someone with better writing skills, and more time to kill than i, will attend and give us a look-see into what happens. Suggested topics include:
* Riders’ narratives or descriptions of the ride
* The motorcycle as art, poetry, or agency
* Rituals, norms, customs, or influences in motorcycle culture
* The biker as subaltern
* Movies, films, or other images of motorcyclists
* Analyses of media, consumer capitalist, corporate, or other power structures in relation to motorcycling culture or popular myth
* Biographical analyses of noteworthy motorcyclists and their influence upon myth, culture, or cultural capital
* Racial, ethnic, gendered, class, or demographic aspects of motorcycling culture
* Other literary, anthropological, geographical, historical, sociological, or psychological perspectives of motorcycling culture or myth
You can contact the Area Chair listed below with a biographical statement and an abstract of 150 words. Basic information about the conference can be found at the PCA / ACA website: http://www.pcaaca.org/
Gary L. Kieffner
Department of History
University of Texas at El Paso
Telephone: 915.747.5875
E-mail: Kieffner@miners.utep.edu
My own personal ideas of topic’s would have been:
*The wearing and maintenance of leather chaps and jackets
*Beer/buffalo consumption and how it affects the local economy
*Why H-D lifelong riders have faces made of leather
*The phenomena of skinny men and large women in the motorcycling community
*Riding “hands free”…..fact or fiction?
*How too much alcohol makes most women look like Pamela Anderson
*You will fall, it’s just a matter of “when”
*Great women rider butts…urban legend?
It’s just a few, i’m sure there are others…so submit your own…..we’ll post them! Source: MBI
When Guilty builds bikes, there are things we just won’t compromise on. Things like functionality and dependability. And of course it has to be a bike, we’d want in our own garages too. Once a bike leaves our shop though, personal preferences take hold and people tend to add things like saddle bags, mirrors or even additional pinstripping etc. One company that has recently come to our attention, produces solo bags for rigid motorcycles. Their name is Garage Leathers and it seems they were born out of a bit of frustration by the owner, Robert. Here is his story:
The idea for Garage Leathers was born after an exhaustive search for a unique, quality solo bag for my shovelhead. I had put a lot of time and money into my bike and finding the right bag was an important final detail. Persistent as I am, I bought myself a second hand sewing machine, set it up in my garage and got to work. After many hours , my skills improved, the ideas flowed and eventually I succeeded in crafting the perfect bag, Now it is a business that enables me to proudly share these solo bags with you.
You’ll probably see a Garage Leathers bag on one of our builds we have going on now.
Maybe it’s because we’re (Warden that is) is getting older OR we’re just becoming more aware of the impact we as humans are having on the environment; due to media coverage and/or the changing climate or landscape. Guilty Customs has been looking at what our company does that adversely affects the environment….(ie, disposing of oil, used parts, paint, etc). It isn’t easy to be honest to change old habits, but it’s worth it to our future generations. While browsing the news recently it was good to see a leading builder, Jesse James, willing to take a public stand and even open himself up to possible “jabs” from those that either don’t care about our quality of life, or their children’s/grandchildren’s future. Good for you Jesse! Here is the story as told by Mlive.com
Custom motorcycle builder and television producer Jesse James showed his green side Wednesday, wondering aloud if he’s turned soft or if global warming is really something to be concerned about. “We all want to go faster and have cooler, neater stuff, so we all have to pay our dues,” the owner of West Coast Choppers told AutoWeek’s annual design forum awards dinner at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. “That’s just me trying to find some balance,” he said. “I want my kid to be able to drive my ‘cuda. So that’s my preachy speech.” James promoted recycling during a loose riff on environmental stewardship for gearheads, later laying out his plans to set a land speed record for a hydrogen gas-fueled car, “Green Scream,” this spring.
Former vice president and prominent environmentalist Al Gore might still be “a dork,” James told an applauding crowd of several hundred, but “I don’t want to go to an electric Formula One race.”
In one of our prior posts, we’d mentioned our excitement in having the opportunity to build a chopper based off of our “Errant” bike for one of our soldiers (his name is Ash) serving overseas. Well there are signs of progress…as we’ve gotten the custom cut wheels, custom cut brake rotors and sprocket, Metzler tires, Midwest tranny, 2″ BLD primary, starter, custom 6″ stretched frame, etc in and now just waiting for that one important ingredient, the new S&S 93″ Indian model engine! Ash and i have had some great loooong distance satellite phone calls between Florida and Afghanistan and are pretty much on target for having this beauty running when he arrives back in the states later this year. We think Ash’s subtle changes and interpretation of the Errant bike is right on. We especially like the wheels we had made and the narrower 2″ BDL primary. If your wondering what “Errant” looks like, you can either visit the Guilty Customs site, or pick up a current issue of American-V magazine.
First, let me get this out of the way. I’d never been a “fan” of H-D’s Buell models. Never really appealed to me the combination of a v-twin in a “sporty” type of bike. And I know they are a staple for motorcycle endorsement schools at some H-D facilities around the country. Even one of my daughters got her endorsement on one here in central Florida. And they seemed, to be fairly dependable and easy to work on. But, as stated prior, i wasn’t a fan…that was until Joe at Twisted Chopper’s started the ball rolling by making me a deal on one of their sweetheart Sportster frames. Prior to Joe’s deal, we’d found a donor Buell Thunderbolt with a mechanic’s lean on it…the rest is history. So in one day, Mike got a cool looking roller going that is going to be one sweet ride! Granted, we’ve got some work to get done such as lower/upper controls, exhaust, oil bag and battery box etc, but we’re thinking we’ll have this sweetie to ride at BikeWeek this year, so look for us and say hello! Who knows, maybe one day you’ll see her in some magazine! We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
LoJack Corporation today unveiled its annual wrap-up of the year’s top recoveries for 2007 involving the LoJack For Motorcycles recovery system. These stories underscore that organized crime rings continue to fuel the growing problem of motorcycle theft. The recovery stories of 2007 also revealed that today’s thieves continue to leverage newer mediums — such as the Internet — to sell stolen parts and make a profit from this lucrative crime.
The 2nd Annual Builders Breakfast is scheduled to take place TUESDAY, MARCH 4th, 2008 at 
So, you think you’ve got a leg up on the authorities when it comes to getting away with things like running from the law? Hmmm, yeah, right. Check out California’s Airborne Law Enforcement (ABLE) division. Their new weapon is the Copper Chopper! Pretty cool if I say so myself. Maybe other states can take the hint and help reduce the chance of accidents by taking their pursuit to the air and cut down the street level absurdity. You can read the full article at the Cycle World site 
We have no idea when this cover is going to happen, but based on Don’s comments, “when the magazine calls you for the background on the bike, you can bet it will happen 1-3 months later“. So, we’ll let you know when “the call” comes. Cool experience and all i have to show for it is one lousy picture!
Well, you can’t say H-D isn’t trying to both capture and keep the women riders that are snatching up more and more of their bikes and products each year! Now along with focusing on bikes built for babes, they’ve released the new Skyline helmet line that is specifically designed for women riders. Seems the helmet features a shell and liner that is 10 mm deeper than traditional helmets. Inner liners are sold separately and come in seven different thickness sizes for a customized fit, and an anti-static comfort liner aimed to reduce the “helmet hair” effect. The feature that will probably garner most women’s favor is the “pony tail notch,” which offers a rear cut-out section.
Available in sizes ranging from 2XS to 2XL, the 1/2 and 3/4 style helmets are available in gloss black and are priced at $175 and $195, respectively. Hey H-D, how about us bald mellon headed guys….anything on the drawing board for us? Huh? Come on!!
There is something about working with metal that is therapeutic. Whether it’s the cutting, hammering, grinding, drilling or welding of metals, the process does something deep down in a person’s being. One of my favorite aspects is welding. Having started off doing stick welding back in the 70’s (yeah, i know, pretty ancient), i’ve had my share of hot slag down my pant legs (and in my boots), caught my sleeves on fire and had that familiar smell of my own hair burning. So when i found this helpful site called 
Hey, call us blatant capitalist if you want. But we’ve got a mission here! Riding cool bikes, enjoying our families, having fun, eating good food and living! Heavy emphasis on the “living” part. Seriously though, when we hear from people either via email or at events getting excited about this product, it just makes sense to try and inform everyone of it’s benefits to them and their families. 
Chilling winds, driving early morning rains and even temperatures in the low 40’s didn’t deter over 500 hearty souls determined to support this years 5th Annual Pink Ribbons For Life ride sponsored by the 
Ok, the Guilty Truth has maturing, in small steps mind you. We’ve gone and done something we felt was responsible and timely. We’ve joined the MBI; 
Well, there are a few things worse than giving a biker a pen to write with or an opportunity to talk in front of a sober crowd. Things such as, a beer while they are riding; road rash or a bug stuck in their eye. Seems that there is an opportunity for all us budding writers to “express ourself” about the motorcycling culture. The Popular Culture Association and American Culture Associations are holding a series of panels at the next annual meeting to be held March 19–22, 2008 in San Francisco, California at the San Francisco Marriott. Proposals for individual papers, presentations, and panel discussions are requested on motorcycling and its impact on American and other societies and cultures. Granted, the deadline has already passed, November 1, 2007, but i think it would be interesting to see how academia and the general population respond to the topic’s presented by motorcycling speakers. Hopefully someone with better writing skills, and more time to kill than i, will attend and give us a look-see into what happens. Suggested topics include:
When Guilty builds bikes, there are things we just won’t compromise on. Things like functionality and dependability. And of course it has to be a bike, we’d want in our own garages too. Once a bike leaves our shop though, personal preferences take hold and people tend to add things like saddle bags, mirrors or even additional pinstripping etc. One company that has recently come to our attention, produces solo bags for rigid motorcycles. Their name is 
Maybe it’s because we’re (Warden that is) is getting older OR we’re just becoming more aware of the impact we as humans are having on the environment; due to media coverage and/or the changing climate or landscape. Guilty Customs has been looking at what our company does that adversely affects the environment….(ie, disposing of oil, used parts, paint, etc). It isn’t easy to be honest to change old habits, but it’s worth it to our future generations. While browsing the news recently it was good to see a leading builder, Jesse James, willing to take a public stand and even open himself up to possible “jabs” from those that either don’t care about our quality of life, or their children’s/grandchildren’s future. Good for you Jesse! Here is the story as told by Mlive.com
In one of our prior posts, we’d mentioned our excitement in having the opportunity to build a chopper based off of our “Errant” bike for one of our soldiers (his name is Ash) serving overseas. Well there are signs of progress…as we’ve gotten the custom cut wheels, custom cut brake rotors and sprocket, Metzler tires, Midwest tranny, 2″ BLD primary, starter, custom 6″ stretched frame, etc in and now just waiting for that one important ingredient, the new S&S 93″ Indian model engine! 
Ash and i have had some great loooong distance satellite phone calls between Florida and Afghanistan and are pretty much on target for having this beauty running when he arrives back in the states later this year. We think Ash’s subtle changes and interpretation of the Errant bike is right on. We especially like the wheels we had made and the narrower 2″ BDL primary. If your wondering what “Errant” looks like, you can either visit the Guilty Customs 
First, let me get this out of the way. I’d never been a “fan” of H-D’s Buell models. Never really appealed to me the combination of a v-twin in a “sporty” type of bike. And I know they are a staple for motorcycle endorsement schools at some H-D facilities around the country. Even one of my daughters got her endorsement on one here in central Florida. And they seemed, to be fairly dependable and easy to work on. But, as stated prior, i wasn’t a fan…that was until Joe at 
Prior to Joe’s deal, we’d found a donor Buell Thunderbolt with a mechanic’s lean on it…the rest is history. So in one day, Mike got a cool looking roller going that is going to be one sweet ride! Granted, we’ve got some work to get done such as lower/upper controls, exhaust, oil bag and battery box etc, but we’re thinking we’ll have this sweetie to ride at BikeWeek this year, so look for us and say hello! Who knows, maybe one day you’ll see her in some magazine! We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
