by Gus Breiland

*"Easy Rider" at the Oak Street

*100,000 Mile Polaris Victory

*Start Dating Motorcyclists

*New Market for Big Iron Opens Up

*Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Ride Home in August 2003

"Easy Rider" at the Oak Street
For those of you who don't consider Dennis Hopper a sell out for DRIVING a Lincoln in a column of "Bros", who believe Peter Fonda was a great actor, or those of you who feel the greatest line in movies was Jack Nicholson exclaiming "Oh, I've got a helmet! I've got a beauty!" "Easy Rider" (1969) is coming to the Oak Street Cinema in Minneapolis. On October 28th at 7:30pm and October 29th at 9:40pm, you will be able to partake in the glorification on gaudy rake, too much chrome and drug induced riding while scarfing down some popcorn. Make sure you ride your replica "Captain America" through the U of M campus so that all of the students get an ear full of you "saving their lives"! They will thank you for it, I am sure.

On a lighter note, you can also contribute to Robert Blakes defense fund by seeing Electra Glide in Blue (1973) at 9:30pm on the 28th and before Easy Rider on the 29th at 7:20pm. The small in stature Wintergreen (Blake) dreams of becoming a detective but encounter obstacles. Little man on a big bike, see if he has a big gun too!

Finally, a real bikers movie, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" is being run on Friday the 25th at 9:20pm and Saturday the 26th at 7:30pm of October. One of the greatest motorcycle scenes ever put down on celluloid is when Pee Wee takes off through the billboard on a bad ass motorbike. Man he could ride!

Oak Street Cinema is located at 309 Oak Street, Minneapolis on the U of M campus. You can see their schedule at www.oakstreetcinema.org.

100,000 Mile Polaris Victory
Motorcyclenewswire.com has reported that Tim Werder of Shawangunk, NY has put 100,000 miles on his 1999 Polaris Victory. Polaris states that to their knowledge, it's the first Victory to reach that milestone, especially in the hands of a solo owner (not an engineering test team). Werder, 41, has ridden his KYSO Blue V92C Victory (the 2656th Victory made) from coast-to-coast. He has gone through seven rear tires and five front tires.

An employee of the New York state government, Werder used to make a 190-mile daily round-trip commute between his home and his New York City office. He made the trip daily, year-round, even in the middle of New York's chilling winters. A true Ride to Work fan! Both Werder, 41, and his Victory have nicknames. Fellow Victory riders know him across the country as "Roadkill" because "I've hit five deer, all while motorcycling, never in a car." His bike is appropriately named "Traveler," and its New York license plate reads "TRAVLR."

When Werder reached the 100,000 mile mark on July 20, 2002, he was riding alone because he simply couldn't pass up a riding opportunity. He was supposed to reach the mark on a Sunday group ride, but a solo ride on Saturday night proved irresistible. "I wanted to test the stereo system I'd just installed, so I rode to the crest of the nearby Shawangunk Mountain Range overlooking the Hudson Valley/Catskill region of New York State. It was a perfect setting," he said. "To celebrate, the next day several friends and I took a relaxing ride to the large reservoirs in the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountain Ranges."

Werder takes good care of his Victory. "Traveler gets regular oil changes and 'occasional' baths, but it did get an unscheduled wash for the odometer turnover," Werder reported. "The bike has no major modifications whatsoever - why mess with a good thing? With Werder approaching the 500,000-mile career mark, his advice to all of you aspiring high mileage riders is to "Pay attention to the bike's maintenance basics for longevity. Pay attention to your own riding skills for survivability. And then just ride the hell out of it," he said. "Winter, spring, summer, fall. Ride it through the seasons all."

Start Dating Motorcyclists
Finally, a noble call to action is being voiced by concerned motorcyclists. The "Start Dating Motorcyclists" bumper sticker brings to the forefront an issue that society has yet to fully deal with and, in fact, even has the nerve to ignore at times. Lonely bikers need love too! There are many, many lonely motorcyclists that have no one to care for them. With the purchase of this bumper sticker, you can do your part to save the soul of yet another lonely outlaw, or at least pay for dinner and a movie once in a while with their mothers. Like the life-giving donation of blood, your purchase of this sticker ensures that one less biker will go through life, unloved.

Do your part, go to www.ignitionmoto.com and buy one today. You can also go and visit the kind people at Roy's Repair located at 3232 Snelling Ave. S. in Minneapolis. This decal is perfect for your car or truck; there is even a bike-sized sticker for your ride! And at only $5 per sticker, how can you go wrong?

New Market for Big Iron Opens Up
Taiwan's government has now made it legal to license and ride motorcycles over 150cc. Beginning July 1, 2002, the Ministry of Transport will institute the nation's first qualification test for the large motorcycles after initially banning bigger bikes saying, "We don't want to encourage people to go motorcycling." The country has been forced to let big bikes in after joining the World Trade Organization.

According to Taiwan Headlines online, The first license plate issued in northern Taiwan, No. 001-AAA, was snapped in July by Liu Nai-cheng, director of the ROC Motorcycle Sports Association and a motorcycle retailer.

Liu, 67, got up especially early to make his way to the Taipei motor vehicle bureau to obtain a new license plate for his beloved BMW R69S, a 500 cc motorcycle from the 1960s. This bike has long been Liu's favorite for holiday excursions from Taipei to Alishan. Asked if he'd consider selling the bike, Liu declared, "No way!"

Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Ride Home in August 2003
Harley-Davidson will be "riding home" next year from 4 different locations. Routes are scheduled from Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and New York, New York to Milwaukee Wisconsin. That's right, from August 17-26, 2003 you will be able to pass a few thousand "bikers" and not have to worry about returning a wave.

Along with the festivities, Harley Davidson has set a goal of raising $5 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association during it's 100th Anniversary year.

If you are interested in the 100th year celebration, watch www.harley-davidson.com or www.buell.com for more details as they are published.

M.M.M.