Free Republic

I have created a public register of "bump lists" here on Free Republic. I define a bump list as a name listed in the "To" field used to index articles. Free Republic Bump List Register

New Vespa Motor Scooter Introduced Tuesday November 18, 1:30 pm ET The Granturismo Is The Fastest, Most Powerful Vespa Model Ever Developed LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time since 1996, Piaggio USA Inc., manufacturer of the world-famous Vespa® motor scooter, has introduced a new model to the U.S. market. The Vespa Granturismo, as its name implies, is a touring vehicle by design. The Granturismo is the biggest, fastest, most powerful and technologically advanced Vespa that Piaggio has produced, offering comfort and performance on even the longest of rides. With a large steel body and 200cc...

Everything's fun and games, until that LAST CORNER.

Vehicle of the Week Hot Wheel Dan Lienert We love reading about new products and designs from Bombardier, mostly because besides building things like airplanes and subway cars, the privately held, Quebec-based company also builds fun stuff like Rotax karts, Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Bombardier ATVs, Sea-Doo sport boats and Johnson and Evinrude outboard engines. No wonder, then, that they have produced an exciting answer to the Segway Human Transporter. Like the Segway, Bombardier's Embrio concept--a prototype that may or may not make production--uses gyroscope technology to balance riders but adds a dash of flair absent in the Segway, which...

<p>Riding in on a borrowed Harley-Davidson, John Kerry (search) appeared Tuesday on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" as rancor within his presidential campaign continued to boil.</p> <p>The Massachusetts senator, wearing a leather jacket, blue jeans and a denim shirt, rode the motorcycle onto the stage.</p>

FLORENCE, Colo. -- A former guard at a Cripple Creek casino has turned himself in to authorities after suspicion focused on him for a casino cash robbery because he purchased a $6,000 used Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a stack of $20 bills. Police say Jason Cody Jones, 27, appeared in a Teller County courtroom Friday on suspicion of burglary and theft for a looting at the J.P. McGill's casino on May 2. He was released on $100,000 bond and his next court appearance is Nov. 17. An arrest affidavit said Jones was a night security guard who allegedly sacked the casino...

Judge: Janklow Jury Can Hear Close Call Mon Nov 10, 1:22 PM ET By CARSON WALKER, Associated Press Writer FLANDREAU, S.D. - Jurors in U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow's upcoming trial in the death of a motorcyclist will hear testimony about a close call at the same intersection, but not about three accidents and 12 speeding tickets in his driving record, a judge ruled Monday. Janklow, a former South Dakota governor elected to Congress last year, is charged with manslaughter and three misdemeanors for a fatal traffic accident near Trent on Aug. 16. His trial is due to start Dec. 1....

<p>CASTAIC, Calif. (AP) - Jay Leno led 20,000 bikers on the 20th annual Love Ride charity run from Glendale to Castaic Lake, where barbecue and a ZZ Top concert awaited them. "How many people here are on parole?" Leno cracked Sunday, getting a roar of approval from the leather-clad crowd - among them Peter Fonda and Pat Boone - that helped raise an estimated $1 million for various charities.</p>

Saturday, November 8, 2003 Motorcyclists revving up for holiday-toy runs By David Josar, Stars and StripesEuropean edition, Friday, November 7, 2003 STUTTGART, Germany — Motorcycle enthusiasts stationed at American military bases in Europe are gearing up for annual Christmas toy runs to local hospitals.“It’s one of the nice things about the season,” said Cheryl Smith, secretary for the Stuttgart Clan of Motorcyclists, which is planning its annual toy run in the Stuttgart community.Smith, who works for the U.S. European Command and rides a Harley-Davidson, said the motorcycle club, which also has local German members, will team with the United Service...

Seattle Revs Up for the 2004 Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows Presented by Toyota Trucks, December 5-7 Featuring the Ball of Steel Stunt Show SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 2003--This Fall, powersports fans, manufacturers and dealers are coming together to celebrate a common passion: motorcycles. The popular Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows® presented by Toyota Trucks (IMS) will be at the Seahawks Stadium & Exhibition Center in Seattle, December 5-7, 2003. Tickets for the event are $11 for adults, $5 for children 6-11 and free for children 5 and under. Tickets are available in advance at www.motorcycleshows.com and on-site at...

Universal Pictures Joins Forces With Positive Entertainment For The Fast And Furious Music Tour Tuesday November 4, 12:31 pm ET UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures has joined forces with San Diego-based promoter Positive Entertainment to present The Fast and Furious Music Tour, a series of all-day events that will bring the lifestyle celebrated in Universal Pictures' hit film franchise to cities across the U.S. for Summer 2004. Both Fast and Furious films tapped into the underground street racing culture to deliver phenomenal results for Universal. The 2001 breakout smash earned more than $207 million worldwide and...

Greedy scooter taxi drivers in southern Sri Lanka are laying nails on roads to disrupt cheaper bus service and are charging higher fare from commuters, a news report said Friday. Calling the scooter taxi drivers "three-wheeler mafia," the Island newspaper said that the drivers place nails on roads so that tires of buses are damaged and the vehicles remained non-operational. "Their modus operandi had been to place nails almost daily on the road so as to damage the tires," Island said quoting a local transport official in Kalutara, about 25 miles south of Colombo. With no buses, commuters turn to...

Bill Would Keep Sports Injury Insurance Coverage Wed Oct 29, 6:41 PM ET By Julie Rovner WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - A U.S. Senate Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would close what lawmakers describe as a loophole in a 1996 insurance anti-discrimination law--a loophole sponsors of the measure say could allow health insurance plans to deny coverage for injuries sustained doing common recreational activities or riding a motorcycle to work. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the "Health Care Parity for Legal Transportation and Recreational Activities Act" by voice vote. The insurance bill would amend the...

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A man driving a stolen pickup truck ran over five motorcyclists Wednesday, killing two and critically injuring another, police said. The man, later identified as Timothy E. Pilgren, 26, got into an argument with the bikers - five men and one woman - before running them over on a coastal highway, Panama City Beach Deputy Chief of Police David Humphreys said. "He pulled up behind the five motorcycles, hit the gas, and plowed right through them," Humphreys said. A female died on the scene, and a male biker was declared dead at Bay Medical...

Few would argue that the Dodge Tomahawk defies common sense. After all, who needs a motorcycle that reaches a top speed of more than 250 mph, cranks out 525 hp, and goes from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds? Moreover, who needs a vehicle that – if it ever reaches full-scale production – could be priced at a staggering $250,000? Obviously, no one needs it. But the Tomahawk isn't about need, and it certainly isn't about common sense. "My first reaction to this idea was that it didn't seem like the most intelligent use of power," says Mark Walters, the DaimlerChrysler...

<p>That whooshing sound Steve Dass heard Thursday as he roared down Highway 4 wasn't just air flowing over his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle at high speed.</p> <p>What was supposed to have been a routine trip will likely stand as the most expensive ride of Dass' life. Over the din of the bike's engine, 72 $100 bills -- earmarked to help pay for furniture for his mother -- shot out of the pocket of his unzipped biker jacket and into traffic, causing a free-for- all that left Dass practically penniless.</p>

``Indian ...Ride On!'' Event Planned for Indian Motorcycle Enthusiasts -- Nationwide grassroots effort to garner support for America's 1st Motorcycle Company -- GILROY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2003--Frank O' Connell, a passionate rider of Indian motorcycles and Chairman of Indian Motorcycle Corporation, today announced plans to galvanize grassroots support for the country's oldest U.S. manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles. On September 19th, 2003, Indian Motorcycle Corporation ceased production, citing the high cost of operations. "We've let too many great American brands go away," O'Connell said, "and a lot more than brands go away -- jobs go away, opportunities go away, futures go...

ROCKERVILLE, S.D. - Gene Davis went hunting for elk and came home with a motorcycle instead. While stalking elk on Forest Service land near Rockerville a few weeks ago, Davis spotted what appeared to be a tail light protruding from a mound of dirt. A little digging revealed a 1980 Kawasaki 750-cc motorcycle which, it turns out, was reported stolen in 1982. Davis, his wife and two daughters returned the next day and dug up the 400-pound cycle. It had no license plate but it did have an Air Force sticker on it. In a storage compartment they found insurance...

Gov.-appointed Benton Harbor task force makes final report The Associated Press 10/15/2003, 12:46 a.m. ET BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A 21-member task force appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to identify and defuse the causes of riots that struck the city in June has met for the final time. Members say it now will be up to the community to implement the recommendations in its final 150-page report to the governor, which will be available Thursday. "Some thought the state would pour tons and tons of money to eradicate problems here," task force co-chairman Greg Roberts told the South Bend...

One of my most sublime summer moments this year came on a gorgeous sunny day as I zipped along St. Paul's downtown riverfront, the warm wind whistling past my ears, on a motorized vehicle that made almost no noise.Yes, it was an electric scooter. No, it wasn't a Segway Human Transporter (good guess, though). I'll get to that upright contraption in a second.We're all conditioned to hear rumbling engines when moving on self-propelled vehicles, so the relative silence of an electric scooter is an unexpected delight.So many kinds of electric scooters are now on the market, at so many prices,...

LAS VEGAS -- Dennis Rodman was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed a motorcycle while doing stunts outside a strip club, police said. The former NBA star, who was treated Sunday for cuts on his legs, was not jailed on the misdemeanor charge. He was issued a summons to appear in court for an arraignment in three to five weeks, police said. "He borrowed an employee's motorcycle and was attempting to pop wheelies when he hit a pole," police spokesman Jose Montoya said Monday. Last month, the 42-year-old former rebounding champion was charged with being...

Street Chatter Highlights the Following Stocks: Harley-Davidson, Kroger, and Novellus Systems Wednesday October 15, 2:45 pm ET CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2003--Today's Street Chatter focuses on: Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HDI - News), Kroger (NYSE:KR - News), and Novellus Systems (NASDAQ:NVLS - News). Street Chatter focuses on three stocks that are generating a lot of attention on Internet message boards and is published every day at SchaeffersResearch.com . For additional information about this report or to have it delivered to you via email everyday click on the following link : http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/addinfo . Street Chatter: 1. Motorcycle magnate Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HDI - News) revved into the...

Biker gang forces out Scottish team SYDNEY (Reuters) - Scotland have left their luxury hotel on Australia's Sunshine Coast to avoid hundreds of heavily tattooed bikers called the Bandidos who are due to check in on Friday for four days of drinking and partying. The Bandidos are one of Australia's most notorious motorcycle gangs, with members involved in turf wars, street shootouts and drugs trafficking, according to police. Local Australian media have claimed Scotland fled their hotel to avoid a clash with partying bikers. Team officials denied the reports on Wednesday but admitted the bikers' drinking schedule meant the hotel...

Von Dutch Introduces a Signature Custom Classic Motorcycle (press release) Tuesday October 14, 1:00 pm ET 'Kustomize Your Life'(TM) With Von Dutch Kustom Cycles RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In the 50's, 'T' Shirts and Jeans became a fashion statement throughout America. As a result, Hollywood introduced James Dean and Marlon Brando. They became know as American rebels, but Kenneth Howard (Von Dutch) was the father of the "Kustom Kulture," and the key influence behind the Hot Rod and biker movement in the '50's. Rebelling youth followed the style and adopted the look into their dress code. For...

Mike Baird/Caller-TimesA 46-year-old man driving this 1997 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle died after he was trapped under a tractor trailer Wednesday. Cyclist dies after being dragged by truck Police say 'senseless road rage' caused the accident to occur By Mike Baird Caller-Times October 9, 2003 A 46-year-old motorcyclist died Wednesday afternoon at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial after he was dragged beneath the tractor of an 18-wheeler earlier in the day on Leopard Street east of the McBride Lane intersection. Raymond Andis was riding his 1997 Kawasaki Vulcan just before 8 a.m. Wednesday when, witnesses said, Andis darted through the intersection while...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. PHOENIX - After losing his job at the Boeing Co. in February, Curt Gnagy could have followed the out-of-work pack and fired off a stack of resumes. Instead, the 49-year-old tooling engineer left his wife and stepsons in Washington state and headed for an obscure office complex in Phoenix. Gnagy enrolled at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, an internationally known trade school that graduates a few thousand entry-level motorcycle technicians a year. The 30-year-old school, always popular with high school grads and 20-somethings, has seen a surge in interest from laid-off manufacturing...

<p>Four days after saying he "couldn't be sorrier" for a traffic collision that killed a motorcyclist, Rep. Bill Janklow pleaded innocent Friday to manslaughter.</p> <p>The Republican former governor also pleaded innocent on three misdemeanor charges in the Aug. 16 wreck. Defendants in felony cases rarely enter guilty pleas during arraignments.</p>

<p>The maker of the Segway Human Transporter has agreed to recall the motorized scooters because riders have been injured falling off when its batteries are low. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall Friday, saying that three people had been injured. One suffered a head wound and needed stitches.</p>

Rep. Bill Janklow giving a press conference on FOX re: accident this summer where a motorcyclist was killed.

<p>SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Despite strong sales and praise from bikers, Indian Motorcycle is closing its factory after a deal with a new investor fell through. Company executives broke the bad news to the company's 380 employees on Friday.</p>

Up to 650 vintage motorcycles worth millions of pounds have been destroyed in a fire at a museum in central England, fire officials said on Wednesday. More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze, which destroyed part of the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, England's second city. Television pictures showed plumes of black smoke rising high above the museum, which traces the history of British motorcycle manufacturing. A West Midlands Fire Service spokeswoman said the cause of Tuesday's fire was not yet known. Newspapers said the damage was estimated at eight million pounds ($12.75 million). There were no injuries in the...

Saw a commercial for the new Mazda RX-8 tonight, which highlighted that brand's use of the Wankel Rotary engine. Hadn't thought about that engine in a long time and started wondering if any motorcycle company had ever tried using it as a power plant. You'd think the Rotary engine would be a natural -- no valves to adjust, fewer moving parts, less vibration (with counterbalancers), possibly better gas mileage, etc. Did a search and found out that it HAS been tried briefly by at least one (and probably more) company, Suzuki, during the mid 70s. Turn out the design didn't...

<p>UTOPIA, Ohio (AP) - A car crossed the center line of a highway and struck seven motorcycles Saturday in southwestern Ohio, killing one man and injuring nine others, authorities said.</p> <p>A westbound car driven by Joshua Kash, 18, of Franklin, struck the eastbound motorcycles about 1:20 p.m. on U.S. 52 in Clermont County, 35 miles southeast of Cincinnati, the State Highway Patrol said.</p>

Missing Motorcyclist Found Alive In Ditch Man had been missing for five days Sep 9, 2003 1:49 pm US/Central (WCCO-TV) A motorcyclist who had been missing since Thursday was found injured but alive Tuesday. Nicollet County Sheriff Dave Lange said volunteer searchers found Nathan Lagred, 27, about 12:30 p.m. along County Road 15, about six miles northwest of St. Peter. He was found about 30 yards from his motorcycle and was conscious, Lange said. His friends and family had organized an effort Tuesday to walk the roadsides of all paved roads in Nicollet and Sibley counties between Arlington and North...

An armed robber has fled from a McDonald's restaurant empty-handed after a pensioner attacked him with plastic trays. The man left the take-away in Bloomington, Illinois, after he was set upon by 71-year-old customer Donald Sacry. Mr Sacry was having a coffee when he saw the man enter the restaurant with his hat pulled down low and a mask over his face. He said the man produced a gun and ordered an employee to give him money. Mr Sacry said he then decided to intervene and approached the gunman whom he initially just verbally abused. "I used a lot of...

From The Triumph UK site:The first ever production bike to break the 2-litres barrier, the Rocket III is the ultimate power cruiser. As alluded to by its name and alone among the cruiser fold the Rocket III is powered by a triple cylinder engine, an engine format that Triumph has very much made its own. Its fuel-injected, longitudinally-mounted, in-line three-cylinder engine has a cubic capacity of 2,294cc – 140 cubic inches – and uses the same size pistons as a ten-cylinder American muscle car. But the impressive numbers don’t end there as Rocket III makes more peak torque than two...

Madison - Wisconsin juries could not reduce damage awards in cases where motorcyclists are hurt or killed while not wearing helmets, under legislation backed by bikers at a public hearing Tuesday. "Society says helmets must be safe and that motorcycles must be dangerous, and that's not true," Wisconsin Rapids motorcyclist Kirk "Hard Tail" Willard told the Senate Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy Committee. The measure, which would also apply to snowmobilers and riders of all-terrain vehicles, is a response to a 2002 state Supreme Court ruling that held that the failure of an ATV rider to wear a helmet could be...

Redesigned Sportsters anchor the lineup for a new century By RICK BARRETT rbarrett@journalsentinel.com The public gets its first look at - and feel for - Harley-Davidson Inc.'s 2004 models today, including a redesigned Sportster family of motorcycles and a V-Rod power cruiser. Harley, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week, also has a limited edition Screamin' Eagle Electra Glide for $28,595, the company's most expensive motorcycle. Dealers were given a preview of the 2004 models this summer at a motorcycle show in Las Vegas. But until today, the public has not been able to see and test ride the...

TAMPA -- The man considered the top Outlaw Motorcycle Club member in the world set out to claim Florida and other states as territory in a decades-long "campaign of terror," federal prosecutors told a jury Tuesday. Through killings, bombings and intimidation, Harry "Taco" Bowman commanded his legions of bikers and lived by the credo, "Snitches are a Dying Breed," Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Kunz told jurors in opening statements at Bowman's racketeering trial. "What this case is not about is individuals who have chosen a different lifestyle, wear long hair, ride motorcycles and want to be left alone," Kunz said....

A 59-year-old Florida man died Sunday afternoon after he was struck in the head by lightning while riding his Harley low-rider in Park County, authorities said. It was the second strike involving people in Park County on Sunday.Colorado State Patrol trooper Laurence Thomas said that at 4:45 p.m., witnesses saw lightning strike the victim, who was riding east on U.S. 24 near milepost 267. Witnesses reported seeing lightning strike the right side of the man's helmet. He then veered off the left side of the highway. The 2003 blue Harley rolled and the driver was ejected into a culvert. The...

Cue the theme from the "Hallelujah Chorus." Or, rather, the chorus from "Born to Be Wild." Finally, it's here. And what shall we see during Harley-Davidson's 100th birthday party this week, officially kicking off Wednesday, several Summerfests-worth of doings coming to their apex next Sunday during a huge hootenanny along the lake? (Tickets required.) We'll see a steel-and-chrome spectacular regarded by boosters as Milwaukee's best chance yet to shine in the klieg lights of national exposure. We'll see upward of 200,000 people - some say even more - coursing through our day-to-day pathways in every corner of the region, loosing...

<p>London artists Steve Wood and Clive Morris said they wanted to create a tribute to freedom when they set out to produce a giant bronze replica of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.</p> <p>But when they tried to display their 10-foot-tall, 5 1/2-ton artwork at Harley Davidson's 100th anniversary "Ride Home" kickoff here Thursday, company officials had police shoo them away.</p>

Posted Aug. 18, 2003 Harley has long history By MELISSA McCORD Associated Press MILWAUKEE — William Harley and Arthur Davidson were hobby tinkerers working at a metal fabricating plant when an idea seized them: Building a motorized bicycle from scratch. The two neighbors and friends spent their days at the metal plant — Davidson as a pattern maker and Harley as an apprentice draftsman. They spent their nights in the basement of Davidson’s family home experimenting with engines and bicycle frames. The men, both in their early 20s, shifted their work into a small wooden shed in Davidson’s backyard. The...

CLEVELAND (AP) - Wind your way through the showroom of Cleveland's South East Harley-Davidson dealership, past the sparkling Super Glides and the V-Rods and the Road Kings. Pass by the parts department with its racks and racks of foot pegs and fog lamps and fat boy fender trim. Glance in the service area with its bays and lifts and mechanics at work. Cruise on through the leather jackets and riding chaps and skullcaps. And there, in the center of this motorcycle Mecca, you'll find a surprise. Pancakes! Since 1990, the dealership has been home to the Harley Diner - a...

A woman from Iowa is making a model of a Harley-Davidson motorbike out of butter. Norma "Duffy" Lyon from Des Moines is creating a full-scale butter V-Rod to celebrate Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary. The butter she is using is five years old, which is about the maximum age she likes to work with because the consistency changes. She began the Harley sculpture last week after finishing a life-sized butter model of a dairy cow. She's carved a life-sized dairy cow out of butter for the Iowa state fair for more than 40 years. Norma, 74, said: "I decided four years ago...

Along with blue jeans, and rock and roll, one of America's cultural icons is the Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The legendary bike has come to symbolize the spirit of freedom, independence and individuality. Throughout August, Harley-Davidson will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of events and concerts, along with a commemorative album. VOA's Bernie Bernard tells us about the festivities, and the music that has been associated with Harleys over the decades. Born To Be Wild, a 1968 hit for John Kay and Steppenwolf, remains an anthem for motorcycle riders all over the world. The song conjures up the wild, romantic,...

It was rumoured to be powered by a washing machine motor, was lusted after by pre-adolescent schoolboys and risked vanishing under a heavy goods vehicle without the driver noticing. When it was unleashed on an unsuspecting public in 1985, the Sinclair C5 was the last word in futuristic transport. Ten months, and £6m of investment, later it was consigned to the commercial scrapheap. Now its inventor, Sir Clive Sinclair, is working on a "C6" - a top-secret follow-up to the ill-fated C5, to be unveiled next year. Sir Clive broke the news of his intriguing new invention while road testing...

Using a letter from a mythical supervisor with the unlikely name of "I.B. Gettin" to buy a police-model motorcycle has cost a 20-year veteran of the Brazoria County Sheriff's Department his job. Lt. Dale Fletcher resigned recently after an internal investigation into his purchase of a special $14,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that is sold only to officers for use in official police business, investigators said. Brazoria County's department doesn't use motorcycles. Fletcher's assignment was to investigate complaints by jail prisoners. Fletcher gave a local cycle dealership a letter, ostensibly from a supervisor, stating that the motorcycle would be used for traffic patrol,...

STURGIS, S.D., Aug 03, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Convicted Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy has set up shop here for the town's annual motorcycle rally. Liddy, 72, rode his 2003 Harley-Davidson 1,846 miles from the Washington, D.C., area to Sturgis, arriving Thursday night. He planned to take part in book and calendar signings, a motorcycle ride from Mount Rushmore to the Buffalo Chip Campground and will broadcast his daily radio show. In nearby town of Deadwood, the mayor has decided to designate Monday as G. Gordon Liddy Day in the gambling town. On Thursday, Gov. Mike Rounds...