In a recent conversation with another blog host i mentioned that as a blogger “we (Guilty Truth) try to stay away from politics and religion“. Sometimes this just doesn’t work. Take for example “pollution and global warming” and what part does motorcyclist play in the scheme of things? Or do we even play a part?! Well we’re not saying we’re pro or con on this article but felt you should read it anyway. Since the country is in a economic “belt tightening” stage, (i.e. gas prices skyrocketing, increased traffic issues and global warming) we’ve heard over the airwaves and across the dinner table that “Motorcycles, pollute less than cars“. Which, in part is true-simply by the fact that they run on less fuel and have a more thorough fuel combustion (generally). A recent article by LATimes “Throttle Jockey” columnist Susan Carpenter dives a bit further into the “facts” of this issue. Interesting read and worth a few minutes of our time to get educated. Click HERE.

So, your trying to figure out what to get old pop’s for Father’s Day but stumped? Why not try Jesse James’ new product line made in conjunction with Kiehl. Looks like Jesse has partnered with Kiehl’s to create a Limited Edition Men’s Dopp Kitt. (yep, you read it correctly). And if your man (son, father, boyfriend, husband….you get the idea) is into motorcycles, then make sure to take him by the East Village Kiehl’s Store where founding family member Aaron Morse’s motorcycles are on display - including those formerly owned by Hollywood icons Steve McQueen and Clark Gable.

The limited edition kit includes:
White Eagle Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream, 5 oz.
Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment, 2.5 oz.
Ultimate Man Scrub Bar, 7 oz
Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, 8.4.oz
Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, 1 oz.’

Everything is packed together in a bag with the West Coast Choppers logo. The kit retails for $66 and is available at Kiehl’s retail stores and on their website right now.

Seems a trucker was traveling down the highway near Tulsa Oklahoma around 1 o’clock in the morning. At the same time a motorcyclist was traveling at ~120mph and ran into the back of the moving semi-truck. The driver said he felt the impact, and it took almost a 1/4 mile for him to pull over. This is what he found..and yes the fellow lived in spite of his stupidity

Questions: “When was the last time you saw school administrators ADDING shop class as an elective in high school OR heard a H.S. student telling about their newest project in shop and how they were having problems, OR bragging about their recent shop class accomplishment? Granted there are some “pockets” in this country (and others) that are holding firm and true to the continuing education of our young people in the fine art of working with their hands. An honorable skill and yet, a seemingly dying one if some of our education systems have their way. However, teachers/craftsmen like Kevin Baas at Kennedy HS (and i’m sure there are others stateside) are fighting the flow of putting every child behind a computer or having them hold a “white collar” job . Anyway to get around to the reason for this post. Our friends over at KnucklebusterInc had an interesting re-post on an article by Matthew Crawford titled “SHOP CLASS AS SOULCRAFT; Why do we devalue manual work when it’s so satisfying?” This article appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Sunday, September 24, 2006. It was worth reading then and even more relevant now!

If your a regular reader here on the Guilty Truth Blog, you know we’re very supportive of any laws, products or efforts to cut down on motorcycle deaths and accidents. Granted this invention won’t result in a direct reduction to the problems motorcyclist experience; such as cagers (car driver) who either turn left in front of them, OR the car runs red lights. But it would give them notice. This invention from Hanyoung Lee is a virtual wall that provides a barrier made up of plasma laser beams depicting pedestrians doing their thing. Any car that crosses that “barrier” would suffer the consequences! Whatever that is! They just have to figure out how they can hook up some laser beam to inflict “consequences” to those law breakers who invade the designated area or cross in front of oncoming traffic; like cutting their car in half or putting a nice football sized hole in their ride? Just a thought.

via: core77

I believe there are three kinds of individuals in this crazy world. Those that watch things happen; those that wish things would happen and those that do something to make things happen. Here is your chance to be the latter. We were over at Cyril Huze’s Blog today and saw that Brenda Fox, a Spokesperson for Women in Motorcycling, (as well as professional motorcycle test rider, journalist, stunt actor and high-profile motorcycle enthusiast) is dealing with breast cancer issues and needs help in getting the medical care she needs. As a person involved in this industry, i’m continually reminded that we don’t survive all alone; but rather it takes the help and support of others. Isn’t it time we as an industry started supporting our own more aggressively? Especially now in these times! So step up, get off your butt and help someone other than yourself. We all can afford to give something. Whether it’s the price of a Big Mac, a 12 pack of Bud’s or a carton of cigarettes to help someone else. You can go to the Woman Motorcyclist site and find the Paypal Donation on the left hand side.

Whether your ride V-twins, metric’s, trikes, motocross, drag bikes etc, there is one thing that probably sticks in your gray matter….you remember the first time your saw, rode or heard a motorcycle. Grail Mortillaro over at Knucklebusterinc has a fun “question series” going on called, “One Question Interviews” that really strikes a cord with alot of people about their first memories of motorcycles. Take a trip down memory lane and post your first memories too. There are some very interesting (and funny) postings. Go HERE.

If your like most people, you’ve probably thought very little about where or how a motorcycle fender is made. Just that it was made from quality materials, fit your tire, was the style you wanted and U.S. made. Well if you dig a bit deeper on this subject you’ll find that there is not only alot of history to it, but also real talent needed as well as time. Our friends over at Cycle Source Magazine have a very cool story covering the techniques needed to make a truly custom made fender. They spent some time with the guys over at Led Sled Customs out of Dayton, Ohio and received a true education on this almost lost art. Hand spinning came to the US in the early 1800’s and unfortunately the art of hand spinning is almost a lost and forgotten metal forming art. Thanks to Chris and his gang they gave us all some great coverage to appreciate. Take a look HERE.

Many think that Americans are fanatical about our motorcycles. We paint, pamper and ogle over our (and others) bikes as well as spend thousands of dollars yearly up-fitting, customizing or building bikes as well as touring our country (and world). But how serious are we if we haven’t built homes that accommodate our passions? Yeah, we have garages to park them in but that’s not really “living with” your bike, now is it? Well, the Japanese love their motorcycles too! And they show it by building an apartment complex that accommodates such passion. If you’ve been to Japan you know first hand that property is at an ultra-premium. And a huge percentage of the population lives in apartments. With the small-space restrictions considered, it only makes sense to have an apartment designed for motorcyclists only. The JaThe NE complex consists of eight apartment units, all of which have space for indoor storage, accessible from the street. Now that is what we can call living with your passion!
Source:TrendHunter.com

Ok, lady riders. You’ve been asking for more gender specific websites, products and networking for your past time. Now, Sara Liberte and Jody Perewitz have answered your call. Their site www.garage-girls.com is a new website developed to meet the growing needs of women seeking information about motorcycles and their maintenance. The concept driving Garage-girls.com is to encourage women to maintain a balance between their motorcycle and body. They provide coverage on topics ranging from demonstration videos focused on motorcycle maintenance such as changing fluids, battery care, tire care, tool information, new product testing and ways to individualize and/or customize your motorcycles. Both Sara and Jody come with extensive experience in the industry.
Sara authored the book “How To Repair and Maintain American V-Twin Motorcycles”, and is a professional photographer and journalist specializing in the motorcycle and portrait photography fields with publications including Easy Rider Magazine, In the Wind, Hot Bike, Street Chopper and Iron Works. Jody Perewitz is the marketing coordinator for Perewitz Cycle Fab and daughter to builder Dave Perewitz. She has been responsible for taking the Perewitz name to an instantly regonized brand. Jody was co-author on the book “Dave Perewitz Chopper Master and King Of Flames”.
Most recently Jody and Sara have hit the show circuit with their “Garage Girl” Bike build and maintenance seminars.

Seems a UMASSAmherst student has struck upon a unique idea for motorcycle riders. A helmet that notifies medics/rescue when/if you have an accident. “The WIG will be activated when it is buckled on,” says Brycen Spencer, the inventor. “If you fall and hit your head, the helmet will detect that and beep for a minute or so. If you don’t turn it off, WIG (Wireless Impact Guardian) sends for help, either directly to 911 or to a third-party service that relays the emergency call to 911. Included with the message will be a GPS location giving your geographical coordinates so the emergency team knows precisely where you are.” Be interesting to see this thing work in the real world. Congrats Brycen…sure your parents are proud of you and to see their money doing some good creative things!

Whether you’ve be on two/three wheels for 1 day or 50 years, there is something that we all have in common; We have either “gone down” or “are going down“. It’s just the nature of the beast. And with that understanding, motorcycle insurance should have a part in your life. Law suits and accidents can come at us from many unforeseen directions. So, when you do have an accident (whether it’s your fault or someone else’s) the first person you’d better call is your Insurance Agent or Company. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Custom Chopper, ZX-14, a Harley, Ducati, BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki Ninja or that special 1943 Indian- you need affordable coverage! The site MotorcycleInsurance.net compare rates from various insurance companies based on your state and vehicle and provides affordable prices and comprehensive motorcycle insurance packages, just for you. Simple, affordable and easy. Just how we like it!

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.

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).

Enough said!

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”.