Progressive International Motorcycle Show

The 2012 Progressive International Motorcycle show will soon hit the northwest on December 16-18th at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Attendees can check-out new bikes from Aprilia, Beta, BMW, Brammo, BRP, Darwin, Ducati, Erik Buell Racing, Gas Gas, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husqvarna, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Norton, Star, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha.  There will also be the latest aftermarket parts and accessories.

Not only will there be new bikes, but the show is jammed pack with other events and activities.

There is the Learning Curve – an interactive stage with industry experts presenting a variety of motorcycling topics for both new and experienced riders including adventure riding, motorcycle maintenance, increasing bike performance, seminars for women riders and more.   There will be Demo Rides for licensed motorcyclists.  There is the Custom Bike Show – where motorcycle builders will showcase elite-level custom motorcycles competing for a piece of a $90,000 cash purse prize and a chance to compete in the U.S. Championship, at the Daytona Beach Motorcycle Show, in March.

The Smage Bros will have a motorcycle trials stunt riding show and attendees will also get a chance to create their own motorcycle design at the Kawasaki Design-A-Bike kiosk, featuring a brand new digital spray-painting technology available only at these shows.

See you there!

Photo courtesy of Progressive.

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FORza Ride-To-Remember

The FBI reported that in 2009 there was a 17% jump in the number of law enforcement officers “feloniously killed” in the line of duty (LODD) compared to the previous year.  One of the more egregious incidents included the slaying of four Lakewood, WA., police officers who were ambushed at a coffee house outside Tacoma.  In total the Seattle area experienced the deaths of 7 police officers last year and one in the early months of 2010.

Recently I was contacted by Gary Fox, a retired police officer who is a member of the Line of Duty Death Response Team and the Behind the Badge Foundation.  Clearly no one wants to contemplate their own death, but law enforcement is a high-risk occupation with the very real possibility of such a tragedy and these groups are extremely helpful to the families and police departments.  At any rate, Mr. Fox informed me about a motorcycle ride which will be led by Seattle Police Officer, Clayton Powell, as well as other current officers and friends, who have pulled this together in honor of the officers killed in the line of duty.

The inaugural ride is called the Forza 009  Ride to Remember and it will occur this Sunday, July 25th.  The “FOR” stands for Fallen Officers Ride.  The “ZA” is in remembrance of the Forza Coffee Shop in Parkland — the sight of the worst single incident involving a LODD (line of duty death).  The ride is open to all law enforcement, fire fighters and supporters.  The staging area will be at the 7500 block of East Marginal  Way, in the Boeing Parking Lot.  From there they plan to ride to the East Precinct in Seattle, where a memorial Patch will be presented to the precinct;  from there, they will ride to the Lakewood Precinct where four patches will be presented;  from there to Eatonville to the Pierce County Mountain Precinct; and then to the Forza Coffee shop in Lakewood for a BBQ and raffle.

The proceeds of this ride will assist squad members, agency officers, and family members who would like to go the National Police Week festivities in Washington, DC., during May, but don’t have the funds.   The proceeds of this ride will assist those who can’t afford to go and the ride web site has all the information detail.

Photos courtesy of Behind The Badge and FORza web site.

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It’s A Summer Thing

Auction Preview

“The sun is get’n ripe and the water’s get’n warmer”
“The days are get’n longer , them shorts are get’n shorter, you won’t hear me complain”
“It’s a summer thing”

It’s the lyrics from country’s new comer, Troy Olsen who sings a song which highlights friends, beverages and flotation devices on the water.

And speaking of flotation…it’s well known that most Harley buyers use financing from Harley-David Financial Services (HDFS) when they purchase a new ride.  Not so long ago, H-D applied logic to its loan portfolio that was eerily similar to the housing bust.  The company used its in-house finance unit to chase after subprime borrowers, making it easy for them to buy $20,000 chrome-sters with no money down.  The risky lending—which later forced Harley to take million dollar write-downs — along with rising default rates created major problems.  Customers with low credit scores weren’t the only issue for HDFS.  Turns out those “creditworthy customers” walked from those no-money-down financing offers and along came the delinquencies as repossessions reached new levels.

Silvio Perez (Manheim) - Starts The Auction

In steps Manheim — a worldwide leader in the sale of used vehicles.  Being reported as a first, Manheim Seattle helped execute a massive auction sale of Harley-Davidson motorcycles which were ‘rounded up’ from the various repossession parts of the U.S.  The auction occurred last week and we had a man on the inside watching some of the action.

Essentially two auctions took place over a two-day period.  The first day was exclusive to H-D dealers and the second was open to any type vehicle dealer.  Of the 60+ motorcycles on day #1 about 40 sold with the remainder falling short of the minimum required bid.  Tells you a little about where the dealers are in terms of inventory and price right now.  The GM from Downtown H-D picked up a great buy on a Springer Screamin Eagle.  The 20 or so unsold were added to the second day of bikes scheduled for auction to all vehicle dealers.  The second day motorcycle inventory list were older bikes vs. the first day.  However, most but not all sold.  Several stalled at the minimum required and the auctioneer prompted the lady from HDFS as to any movement on the minimum bid as she looked to be pulling her hair out with the fast action pace of the event.

Crowds Swarm the Auction Motorcycles

The motorcycle repossession/auction business is somewhat of a hidden market business which the general public knows little about. Given that the housing market remains stressed with foreclosures and short-sales being high we can expect motorcycle delinquencies to remain high and as a result firms like Manheim will continue to flourish.

Photos courtesy of John (aka.“Burn-Out”) and Manheim.

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Day Tripper And Points Of Interests

Screen Shot From Site - Bend Area (Cascade Lakes)

Whatever kind of motorcyclist you are — day tripper or world explorer — mapping software can help start your next adventure in the right direction.

Fortunately FX Development, Inc., a Seattle-based early stage startup recently launched myscenicdrives.com.  It’s a new website to help motorcyclists find that cool scenic drive.  The site offers cleaver features that will help riders find new things to explore. Each scenic drive provides an overview, interactive map, recommended stops, weather forecast, and GPS directions.

Initially the company was focused on the Pacific Northwest, but recently listed rides for Idaho and California as it expands.  The site provides both a rich, user-friendly web interface for PCs as well as a mobile web version which is great for smartphones like the iPhone.  Once the user selects a drive, phones with GPS capabilities and software (such as Google Maps) will easily get you on the road.

The website currently features more 40 scenic drives in California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho with more States coming.

An item I would find useful is something like what the “Directory Assistance” service does today for convenience by sending an SMS text-message to the rider.  If I’m on the road mobile users are eager to get information and directions on the go especially if there is limited web access in a remote area.  A text message of the route along with pertinent details saved via a text message would provide me the extra convenience and functionality that I like.  With virtually 100% of handsets in the US capable of text messaging, it would be smart to leverage this channel and deliver additional value.

One word of caution for the site builders… I’ve seen a number of these type sites fall victim of having a preoccupation and interest in $$, not riding, and therefore have put the focus on advertising at the expense of the consumer experience.  Don’t do it!!

Photo courtesy of myscenicdrives.com

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Free And Easy Down The Road I Go

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment it happened. Maybe it was the first time I saw that trucker crying in his beer while the Blues Brothers sang “Stand By Your Man,” but on occasion I like to run the dial through the XM country music channels and have a listen.

And I don’t think I’ve heard any song more than Dierks Bentley “Free and Easy Down The Road I Go” on country radio.  It bridges the old and new and takes you back to the country of yore, yet is still fresh with a sound that’s modern.  Listen to it HERE.  You might say that REAL country music became extinct somewhere around the early 80’s in favor of horrendously polished and confectionery, factory-churned “hits.”  To that I say you’re correct in large part and long live Jimmie, Merle, Johnny, Willie, Waylon, etc.

If you haven’t been to Nashville, you haven’t been to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  And you’re the worse for it.  You might think you don’t care about boot-kickers, and if so you’re missing out on the history of America.  From slaves to the Dust Bowl to the Elvis solid gold Cadillac and the history/tragedy of the Williams family. To see the old footage of people fiddlin’ and dancin’ and watching Jimmie Rodgers sing you become an instant believer and a fan.

My point?  To help evangelize that Dierks Bentley will host his Miles & Music for Kids celebrity motorcycle ride and concert series in Seattle on Sept. 18th. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Seattle Children’s Hospital. The approximately 45-minute ride will depart from Destination Harley-Davidson of Tacoma and travel to the Puyallup Fair. Tickets go on sale March 27th.

Should be fun!

Photo courtesy of Dierks Bentley.

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Catching No More

Captain Phil Harris

Phil Harris passed away yesterday at the age of 53.

Very sad and my thoughts are with his family and especially his sons (Jake and Josh).

Many of you know him as Capt. Phil Harris from the reality TV series Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel.  He was the Cornelia Marie captain, a 128-foot fishing boat that carries 180 pots and the capacity to hold 312,000 pounds of crab.  Phil celebrated 16 years on the fishing boat and his 30th year in the crab-fishing industry.  It was just two weeks ago he suffered a stroke while off loading a load of Opilio crabs in St. Paul and seemed to be making good progress.

During parts of the off season the boat was moored in Seattle and Phil lived in Lake Stevens.  There were numerous reports of Phil riding his Harley-Davidson on Washington highways during the warmer months.  Last year he had purchased a new bike from Titan Motorcycles (The Black Widow).

I’ve never been a fan of reality TV, but this show pulled me in and I enjoyed watching Phil on a number of episodes.  It was like you got to know him personally.

Rest in peace.

Photo courtesy MySpace (Phil Harris) site

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Seattle Motorcycle Show

This is a reminder that tomorrow is the start of the 2009 Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Seattle, WA.

Location:
Qwest Field Event Center
800 Occidental Ave.
Seattle, WA

When:
Friday, December 11:  4:00 – 9:00pm
Saturday, December 12: 9:30 am – 8:00pm
Sunday, December 13: 9:30am – 5:00pm

See you there!

Photo courtesy of Cycle World.

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Motorcycle Club Suppression

Imagine for a moment you purchase a new Harley Iron 883.  Before pulling away from the dealer to enjoy a nice spring day ride you slip on a black leather riding vest with a large Harley-Davidson embroidered logo.  Near the bottom of the logo there is a Milwaukee, WI rocker.  Your buddies have similar vest’s and all head out.  Your pleased with the “patch” because it’s public evidence that you’re wearing colors of allegiance to the motorcycle company and it represents a new wind in the face lifestyle.  As your group rolls north up the I-5 corridor you take notice of WSP signaling you to pull over. 

The officer states that your biker “clothing” is a dress code affiliation typical of outlaw motorcycle “gangs” and as part of their early gang identification tactics your name, license number/plate is entered into a new gang watch-list database.

Impossible?  Think again.  Washington state legislators are set to pass an “anti-gang bill” that includes funds for police anti-gang taskforces, increased penalties for gang-related crimes and increased recruitment penalties.  The bill defines a gang as “an association of three or more individuals who share a symbol or name either formally or informally and who’s members participate in a crime.”   Basically a police officer can accuse you of belonging to a gang.  There is no burden of proof and if your name is put into the database you have no due process and there is no judicial overview.  There is no method to appeal – nothing!

What about abuse?  It’s likely.  For example here is a video of WSP taking license plate information from motorcyclists who visited the state capital.  And on a day specifically pre-arranged as the annual motorcycle rights lobbying day (see previous posts at: Giving Bikers A Voice and Expect The Unexpected).  It’s fair to say there is a crucial difference between motorcyclists participating in the democratic process to support motorcycle rights vs. being painted as criminal operatives engaged in a range of criminal activities only because they ride a motorcycle. Imagine the public outcry or media scrutiny if gay-marriage advocates rallied at the capital and WSP “stalked” around attendee vehicles for the purpose of entering licenses into a tracking database?!

Of course there is nothing funny about any of this.  The hard core criminally-committed motorcycle gangs, like street gangs, are primary conduits for the illicit drugs being pumped in the U.S. by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO).  The consequences of the smuggling can strike anywhere in America.  Undercover work is not a game.  It is an essential part of our national defense against this wave of plunder, violence and corruption. But, have WSP and state legislators reached a point of hysteria with regard to criminal street gangs to allow unchecked power to condemn any three motorcycle riders or riding club affiliation?  Is LE basically executing “color coded” profiling? 

I’m not sure, but I don’t approve of the Black Thursday tactics, I don’t like the potential for anti-gang abuse and I’m not resigned to this riding club suppression law.

Illustration courtesy Australian artist Eamo Donnelly.

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Respect The Badge Or The Gun

From the movie Righteous Kill the tag line is “There’s Nothing Wrong With A Little Shooting As Long As the Right People Get Shot“…sure that’s Hollywood, but it seems this could be applied to the law enforcement investigation of Seattle Detective Ron Smith whose felony assault charges for shooting a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in Sturgis were dismissed yesterday.

Dropped because as Jesse Sondreal (Meade County State Attorney) states:

“the investigation that I have reviewed indicates he (Smith) was assaulted and it was premeditated.”  The investigation established that Detective Smith was defending himself from a violent pre-meditated attack and he responded in a manner which was neither excessive nor unreasonable under the circumstances.

DeNiro Target Range

While the case illustrates reserving final judgment until all facts are examined it leaves some unanswered questions about how much, if any, the Sturgis incident was influenced by Smith’s testimony in a Hell’s Angel federal racketeering and murder trial in Seattle last year which sent several former and current members of the motorcycle “club” to prison ranging from seven years to life without parole. Or how much the decision to dismiss the assault charges were based on the lack of cooperation of the HAMC who wouldn’t testify before the grand jury?

The Seattle Times (Jennifer Sullivan) reports HERE that Court records and police testimony indicate Smith has clashed with another Hells Angel back in 2005.  Authorities filed charges alleging that Anthony James Magnesi, a member of the Washington Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels, had threatened Smith over the phone.  The end result from an internal investigation dismissed misdemeanor charges filed against Magnesi and Smith was referred to his supervisor for a training issue.  Much more on the Magnesi clashes HERE.

Detective Smith will return to full active duty (he was on administrative leave pending results) and obviously the Seattle Police Officers Guild is happy with the outcome and issued a press release HERE.

For more background information look at:

1. Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Iron Pigs Ride The Northwest
2. Northwest Harley Blog Archive | When Iron Pigs Fly
3. Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Sturgis Ends With First Shooting In 20 Years
4. NEW – Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Behind The Scenes Of The Sturgis Shooting
5. NEW – Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Cash Is The Icing On Iron Pigs HR218 Cupcake

I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit conflicted and feeling this outcome is anti-climatic.  Does this mean the Iron Pigs won’t return to Sturgis next year?  Can the motorcycle events industry afford yet another motorcycle “club” clash?

Operator, I need Mr. Happy.  Now!

Update: November 18, 2008 – Weapons charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: May 7, 2010 – Detective Ronald Smith has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department.  Even though all charges were dropped the suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.  This was an embarrassment and the lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed.

Photo courtesy of the movie Righteous Kill web site.

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Monday Morning Quarterback

Seahawks and 49er Game

I attended the season opener of the Seattle Seahawks  game yesterday and everything was perfect.  The weather was brilliant, the fans were loud, there were false-start penalties on back-to-back plays and early in the game the defensive tackle Craig Terrill picked up a fumble to return it for a touchdown.  How often does that happen? Yes, the 49ers were in danger of getting blown out.

But disintegrating into a steam of penalties, turnovers and just plain bad football – the 49er bad luck wouldn’t last forever and it was Joe Nedney’s 40 yard field goal in overtime that gave the 49ers a 33-30 victory.  It’s the first time the Seahawks have been 0-2 since 2002 and with their injury-depleted offense the defense just didn’t step it up after the 49ers converted play after big play in the second half.  Fans were stunned and 67,000 people were dead silent.

Seahawks Motorcycle Pin

Seattle loves the Seahawks.  And Mike Holmgren loves his Harley.  He is often quoted about riding it across the desert outside his Arizona (offseason) home, but he certainly didn’t come back for his 10th and final season with the Seahawks to teach life lessons like this…I’m sure there was at least one point in the game where he had to be thinking I best take a ride on the Harley and enjoy the sights of a beautiful late summer afternoon!

Pin photo courtesy of Seattle teams site.

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