Handlebars

Last month, The Goldwing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) of Tennessee came through Knoxville on their annual trip across the state to deliver their donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Full story »

Bucking the current economic climate, Justin Prann, former parts manager for BMW Motorrad North America, is well on his way to opening a new BMW and Ducati dealership in Chattanooga. Full story »

You have probably heard by now that on October 15, Harley-Davidson announced that its third-quarter income was down by 84 percent. First on the list of fixes was the pulling of the Buell line. Buells justifiably have their fans, without a doubt. But marketing—in particular, articulating the bikes’ many strengths in rooms full of fawned-over Harleys—has always been a problem. So the move was both not surprising… and not expected. Full story »

President Obama signed an executive order banning federal employees from sending text messages while driving government vehicles and while using government-paid cell phones when driving their own cars. The order also bans federal employees from sending text messages from hand-held devices while driving on government business. Full story »

Ray Hickman of Corryton (129 Racing) claimed two WERA national championships for 2009 by taking two wins at the Nashville round on September 27, followed by a win and a third place at the WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta on October 8. Hickman, in his 20th year as a WERA competitor, now holds the V6 Heavyweight and V7 Heavyweight titles with his 1989 Suzuki 7/11 Full story »

In the May 2009 issue we mentioned a fast-growing group of women riders who call themselves, appropriately, The Lady Bikers. They ride together frequently. And at regular meetings and via their website, they stress safety and share information with women who like to ride but might be disinclined to ride alone. They’ve gone from three members to 139 members in less than a year. Full story »

You have probably encountered the news that the Snell Memorial Foundation intends to revise its helmet-safety standards, resulting in a new SNELL 2010 rating you can expect to see in stores soon. Based on reports elsewhere, the shift in standards may be seen as something of a victory for those who’ve claimed that Snell’s criteria has had improper priorities Full story »

As I get a late start on a rainy Thursday afternoon, I get a voicemail from a good Buell riding buddy of mine: Buell Motor Company is closing down. Full story »

Southern Woods Riders will be hosting the 12th Annual Fall Trail Ride at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch Oct. 16, 17, and 18. Full story »

The penultimate AMA Roadracing round at Virginia International Speedway last month held many questions: After announcing he would retire at the end of season, could Matt Mladin wrap up the Superbike championship in Virginia? Could Larry Pegram put the Ducati on the top step again as he had done in Kansas or, would someone else bring a challenge to the dominating Yoshimura Suzuki team? Full story »

Ray Hickman of Corryton (129 Racing) had a great start to the July 26 Roebling Road WERA road racing round, and won the V7 Heavyweight race, before crashing and heavily damaging his bike when he encountered oil on the track in the V6 HW race. Meanwhile, two-time defending AHRMA 200GP champion Jack Parker of Knoxville) also had a win and a get-off earlier in the summer. Full story »

On October 2, the 14th Annual “Wings Across Tennessee” ride will be coming through Knoxville, and anyone and everyone is invited to participate. This ride starts in Bristol, Tenn., and will head across the state, picking up other riders as it goes, until the group arrives at St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis where they will present a check to the hospital. Last year, the group had grown to nearly 200 motorcycles by the time it rolled into Memphis. Full story »

very year for the past 37 years, the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association (BMW MOA) has held its international rally at a great motorcycle destination—and this year it was in our own backyard. Johnson City was picked for this year’s rally because of the excellent riding that surrounds the area, and thousands of BMW riders from across the country (and around the world) were happy to come check it out, July 16-19. Full story »

On Aug. 8, the first of what is planned to be an annual “Safety Awareness Day” was held at Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort, just across the North Carolina line on the infamous, and often deadly, stretch of road known as the Dragon. The event was put together by Ben Steinberg, the Resort’s manager (and Handlebars columnist). Full story »

Motorcycling world travelers Lois Pryce and Austin Vince, visiting Knoxville on a cross-country trip in a Ural sidecar rig, stopped by the Time Warp Tea Room Thursday evening, July 30, and gave a pair of presentations on their travels. Both were very entertaining, Vince a bit more ribald than Pryce, and both were hilarious and inspiring at the same time. Full story »