Matt’s Road King came in for a Ceramic Coating but left with a synthetic waxing due to the fact that Harley Davidson NO longer paints their “Black Plastics” the ABS plastic is new to us , This not reacting to “traditional methods. We now know that the material “out gasses” & becomes sticky. not knowing how it would react with a “Semi Permanent” Ceramic Coating, We decided to air on the side of caution until more conclusive testing has occurred . Old School Methodology on A new Motorcycle.

Chopper. Bad Ass Evo . Primo Rivera . Open Belt Drive. Baker 6 speed .Right Hand Chain Drive. Fatty Rear Tire. In for Detail. From Severe Cycles Stuart Florida

BUD's 2003 Harley Davidson

Screaming Eagle CVO Road King

This 2003 CVO Road King was brought to me in fair(+) Plus condition but with many years of Professional Cosmetic neglect. 7/10 Over all for pre detailed conditions.

While the bike was typically dirty & had no apparent residual waxes or protectants .

After A 3 hour bath then I could see it was covered in overspray & black paint spots that were extremely tedious~ labor intensive to remove .

Amongst other things I noticed that one of the reflectors was missing & the Left Rear

fender strut was broken. The Jiffy Stand Nut was finger loose ,That & the heel to toe shift rod had not been greased in for some long time. Also one of the tabs that hold on the left side covers was broken.

Floor boards & pegs removed , separated ,Horn too. Spark plug bling plates & rust eliminated various screws heads rust removal Shifter to trans emblem was backwards , The right muffler was not properly installed .

I remedied all of these problems and did paint touch up .

Removed front & rotors from wheel did rust removal on both rotors & polished the "CenterLine" wheel to as good as I could get it. 10 hours on wheel alone.

https://youtu.be/LaU-gnFkjMs

Removed the bag covers to find a surprise. Polished it as good as it gets & put new bag lid covers on.

Metal Polishing & rust removal. Paint correction & Triple Layered Cosmetic protection lasts for a very long time.

All nuts & bolts Properly re torqued back to Harley Specifications & Red Loctite used.

James Quinn's , Norman Quinn's Brother. (Norman being one of my best customers & Previously Donna's too) 2015 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra came back to me after 4 years.

It had a Harley Dealer wash job that was awful. Furthermore it was full of fibers from a deteriorating cover. Seeing that the "black Plastics is not Painted it is ABS Colored plastic & seems that these bikes & parts weep out chemicals & becomes extremely sticky , Equally hard to deal with. 

The Fenders & Tank Are metal & painted.

Lucky I am Friends with Mike Phillips formerly of Auto Geek & now represents 3D products. 3D products made this job very do~able Furthermore Having the experience of doing this before made it all possible.

In a failed attempt to clean the "FOG" inside the headlamps we upgraded to LED's .

Also I replaced the bushing for the leg warmer vents

After 40 Hours of Labor she is Protected now with my Triple Layered protection process. She came back to her former glossy Deep VIVID Black Luster.

Ross’s 2006 Road King while Low mileage. Definitely had High hours of Weather Exposure. While not the most challenging bike I’ve ever done it was most definitely this years High hours leader ,clocking in at 50 hours not including chasing down a New/used seat tail light & some other parts Lets see it this Video Link thingy works. Hope you enjoy looking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFFkBdNCjvc

This Custom Bobber came to us from Severe Cycles, Stuart, Florida. Dirty Filthy& in need of some TLC . Custom Fat Tire, Springer, 4 speed, Open Primary Bobber with the Jack Daniels “Wooden Barrel “ Look. After I cleaned out the termites & grease, it got some loving from Rob Harley Detailer. Normally Paint touch up is Easy Peasy . Having never done “Wood Grain “ Before there was a learning curve. A few hours of You Tube Video’s A trip to the local Hobby shop for some Enamel Paint’s . lots of experimentation & well its better than before. Anyone with a back story on this bike hit me up in the E~Mail .I’d like to know PEACE!!!

This Motorcycle came to my Good friend “Crabby “ Jack for some mechanical work. I told them guys I could clean her up .I hope they were as amazed at how well it turned out as I was (sometimes I even amaze myself) We also did some extensive mechanical work to bring her back to life On the final push it went from 2 wheels to done in 4~5 days . Most of the parts you see are just transformed back to rust free there was NO re chroming (as you can see from the Girder & the Spring is original),even the chain showed that was almost locked up was restored. the Red bucked was the residual from the hours of flushing Mike & I did .(it looked like Metal Flake paint) . I hope you enjoyed the show.

This Motorcycle required over 50 hours to obtain the desired restoration level.Removal of the pipes & forward controls was necessary to get in deep .John's reaction when he came to pick her up was" Holy Shit! It did not look that good when I bought it new!" 

Meanie Greenie Choppah was built exclusively by Cris Sansevere Owner of Severe Cycles, Stuart Florida. 

When it came to me it had been setting in the corner of Chris's shop for almost a decade. And it looked the part .Paint correction and endless hours polishing the brightwork brought it to a better than new state of being. Being essentially all brand new with minimal hours there was few defects to correct just a lot of dirt so every nook & cranny was attended to until everything gleamed with a brilliance that pictures do not capture.

As the Pictures will tell this Pirated Pearl was a Dirty, Dirty Girl when she moored up at the Above & Beyond Detail Shop. Rob Harley Detailer did his Magic & while she still has the heart of a Pirate ,she looks like A Buxom Wench all gussied up.

Frenchy brought his bike to me not really knowing what to expect .It was pretty neglected, after swirl removal on the paint and multiple rounds with metal polish she cleaned up very nicely It was a challenge getting it on a lift .It measures over 9 Feet long! I think it took him 47 times to make it around the corner. He was Very satisfied with the end results.

This Taylor Made Chopper Is made by Sean Taylor. A Florida custom Chopper builder in Central Florida. He made only A Handful per year during the Chopper craze .This was one of my first customs and a very challenging one to boot! after so many hours it was getting hard to decipher what was chrome ,billet or paint .It was very evident it had not ever been cleaned,But The end result was spectacular .I apologize for the resolution of the photo's the camera phone was the best I could do at the time.

This Iron Horse came in filthy from many years of neglect. After Paint Correction And Lotsa Finger polishing She felt like new when she rolled up out of here.

While this New/Old Skewl Shovelhead Bobber was in excellent condition it had just come from a body shop for a paint touch up & was covered in Body Shop Dust . So while here for dust removal and Detailing I cleaned up all the Copper Bright work . My Lovin' brought it back to Show condition .This one is a Real Head turner.

Norms Black Bagger was full of Swirls & dirty chrome.After a thorough cleaning & waxing he loves the outcome. Thank You Norm for your unstopping support.

This 1984 FLH SHovelHead was the first bike I had the pleasure of working on here in Stuart Florida,The Beautiful Treasure Coast. No telling how many hours went into this. Back in the Good Ole Days when Donna was my Partner in grime(LOL GET IT GRIME???) Pay close attention to the bright work on the back you can clearly see the difference. A few of "Doc's friends stopped by & they did not recognize the bike after some convincing they all admitted they had NEVER seen that bike so clean.

You may have noticed the Bucket with the the yellow stuff in it. Mind you I am fresh from the Slo'Cala area (at that time)where the water is very clean ,As the bike is air drying , I take a break & have a smoke and I notice thise purple spots appearing! I try to wipe them off to no avail! I am totally freaking out!! Old original Lacquer paint my mind is racing !!

I'm going to have to paint this whole bike !! Donna is gunna send me packing!! No more paradise!! No more Donna no more detailing!! Screw me!!! 

Well after the water, the cruddy iron water that stinks to high hell completely dried the spots went away! Needless to say I was totally relieved & had to take a nap & then a ride to calm the hell down, I never told Donna I already tortured myself enough. True Story you can't make this shit up folks Now-A-Days I use city water filtered & cleaner water to rinse 

The Princess came to me pretty dirty (as always) and full of swirls .After may hours of Paint correction She is ready for the Gala

The Darker the color the more the swirls show .Black being the most revealing , A Black Harley usually takes 2 whacks at the paint correction (compounding) to get the swirls & micro fine scratches out. Primary purpose of paint is to protect the metal & substrates ,the secondary effect is it can look awesome . A Happily protected paint makes A layer that gives itself up instead of the paint. You will notice the Blue Tape that is called a 50/50 one side is corrected and the other side is not so your eyes can see the difference.

This bike was & is well loved by its owner yet after many years it still needed my touch to bring it over the top . Touching up the leather bags & the paint on the engine are only two of the many things I preform to bring a motorcycle to peak brilliance. Thanks ZOO for letting me enhance you baby.

The Supercharged Suicide Custom CHopper Built by Chris Gehman of Underglass in Lady Lake Florida .This One of A kind Custom features A Power House 124 CID engine with a Supercharger 600 CFM Holly 4bbl & Later installed a double shot of Nitros 

THIS WAS MY 1ST MOTORCYCLE DETAIL.

It was built from a handful of frames that were designed & built by a friend of "Mr.Cris" That had passed away. It went to a show in Michigan & won 1st place You can see a couple of the other unfinished frames.

Years later I took a few more shots of the motorcycle.It had deteriorated significantly.Last I heard it was sold to someone in Austrailia 

Collen's Jessie Rooke #8 is a cool bike Yes that is her on her bike Refurbished by Severe Cycles & detailed to perfection by yours truly its a great sight to see A lady Rider on a cool unique bike.

Two things to notice in these photo's I am not just a Detailer or "finger fucker " as the Old School bikers call me but I am Also A wrench. Not the most knowledgeable but still a very good wrench. That being said when I am "making sweet love "to someones Motorcycle my trained eyes spot problems that the bike shop might miss .Like the leaking front rocker box & the tear in the Titanium pipes.

SO there ya go experience has its benefits.

Yes I know what you are thinking .I screwed up & its not really a 1985 Harley,but that is where you are wrong see the blue florida tag? yes its all customised using a newer bike.

A Black Harley in need of some TLC

So here is Ms Cris's Fat boy Other than Mr. Cris I am the only other human allowed to touch her bike. She rides this everyday in Lady Lake Florida.

Story told to my by the Mr. was the Motorcycle cops did not want to ride one day because it was very cold The Sheriff was just about to relieve them from duty when Ms. came puttering by, Sherriff told them to Man up if she can ride so can you!

1st Big Dawg I've done not as easy as A Iron Horse but still came out excellent

This Motorcycle is A prima example of how I turn a pig back into a proud hog Same owner as the Meenie Greenie When I 1st saw this machine I was OMG what A hot mess !!! A very intense makeover was long overdue. After washing what would come off by soap N water ,then I had seen I was in for a real challenge. the wheels were extremely difficult from their shape & occasional chrome peelage .

Many Hours of Loving went into the restoration of this Machine ntil it was the best a cleaning could be.  

Ron A good Friend of mine brought me his bike not knowing what to expect. It was dirty for sure but needed some tweaking. My Good Friend Crabby Had a old battery box to match the one on the right side. It had some kind of funkyness going on. We also swapped out the Buddy seat for a solo  . 1st time I saw this Motorcycle I asked what year Pan Head it was and he replied  calmly , Its a 2005 I'm like WHAT? All the sheet metal and a lot of other parts are off a Duo glide  its a interesting bike ,not something you would see every day ...Unless you're Ron .Needless to say he became a big fan of my Detailing skill set. 

Now lets talk about a challenge.Ill type ,you read. Ron Spear told me of his good friends 2003 Anniversary Edition Springer Softail. This Bike was beyond dirty .Ron told me he wanted to get it cleaned up as a gift for Dave. So we stole the bike from Dave's shed.

There were many pieces of chrome FUBAR'ed ,Ron said "Just paint them black" I said now hold on I have something so much better. Hydrodipping . So we removed all the parts and I had a buddy doing the process & I wanted to learn. So I did it all myself except I let him spray it (he was tuned to the paint process)  when I was ready to reinstall I felt it lacked a "POP" "  A "Hey look at me " the skulls & barbwire blended ,SO I dropped a drop of Testers red to make eyes all over the place , NOW she popped . Cleaned the front spokes up while replacing the snotted up fender  and polished out the windscreen. About a month in Dave noticed his bike missing ,so we had to fess up .He was almost in tears when he seen the bike "Better than new". I would like to do more hydrodipping.

This is Pete's Board Tracker .Its A 1915 Replica frame made by Paughco & A High Performance Twin Cam engine Custom Built by Chris Sansevere ,Sever Cycles ,Stuart Florida Detailed by me . AS far as I know its A one of a kind and poses a lot of challenges in the build & detail . Pictures just don't do it justice.

Straight from Treasure Coast Harley to me . 8 miles  . Why do you ask becuase even in brand new condidtion it is not protected

This Bike Had 617 miles on it at the time in my shop.

 Paul's 06 Street Glide was a challenge & difficult, Clocking in @ over 55 hours.It was not the hardest bike I have ever done. Rust ran rampant many parts were green thanks to Harley~Davidson omitting the Nickel in the chroming process ,This allows the Copper to leach thru the chrome & therefore it turns green in spots. Special Thanks to Mike Phillips from AutoGeek & Robert Deterlizzi. with their help in dealing with the ABS Bat Wing & side covers & saddle bags.& the special products needed to make it thru to the end result. Thank You Paul for the opportunity to serve you. 

2003 THUNDER MOUNTAIN  A all Harley Davidson Custom Chopper ,top of the line IMHO, along the lines of Iron Horse & Big Dog choppers. .This one had been neglected in a shed for better part of a decade with less than 6,000 miles on her  ,her owner did not want to invest the money into the "Restoration Cleaning" this is when I deep clean the brightwork  to get to the good stuff. It had been stored with a piece of visqueen that deteriorated & stuck to the paint. So I Corrected the paint & kicked it. Well they were not satisfied with all the chrome being GREEN & ORANGE, The GREEN is when the Copper from the plating process leeches thru the Chrome & then Oxidizes ( Like the Statue of Liberty ) the ORANGE is RUST!

So She came back to get the LOVING she deserved. 53 hours later she is ready for a spectacular night out looking great. 

Part of my Process is to remove the Cover allen bolts & polish them & then coat them with a HYDROPHOBIC coating .Each bolt I do gets TEN steps process to be done including  torqued back to spec & Loctited .

Every so often I have to make my point !

MY WAY WORKS DONT FUCK WITH MY PROCESS.....  

Here is how it works.

I do the best job possible. 

I DO NOT DO SPIT SHINES FOR ANYONE.

you deliver your vehicle.

I call you to pick it up when it's done. 

Everybody Happy.

Bruce’s Black Street Glide is Typical of how these bikes slowly degrade in appearance over time. from 15 feet she looks good get up close & personal ,well you can see from the pictures. These Photo’s were taken back when I was on Donna’s shop fingering motorcycles. Long Hard hours ,no cross ventilation or A/C. Well water that stunk & had to be filtered then rewashed with Distilled water .I have made a lot of improvements in the past 2 years (2018)

Richie’s Dyna Wide Glide Vivid Black & Sedona Orange Richie’s Riding with the Angles now.

What can I say about my good freind Ron. we are two fat bastards. So He stops by one day to visit & the starter puked. After I put a new “All Balls Starter” for him I started detailing his bike .NO WAY was I riding with this guy with a filthy bike like this.

The Cases ,Jugs & Heads, Paint Flaking & Missing just all kinds of stuff . I went to town cleaning here a little paint there a lot more cleaning there A lot more paint There, that I did by hand. with a brush which sucked on the primer.

Well all said & done he’s a pretty happy kinda guy until someone over waters their lawn & he gets sprayed in the face.

Ron Is one of my All Time Best friends.

Eric’s 2011 Dyna Wide Glide. For some reason these pictures go backwards ,from end to beginning I put a lot of work into the appearance of this bike, Blacking stuff out not only because it was f rough but that’s what Eric wanted. This bike posed a lot of challenges . One in particular was the “dots on the wheels” I know I spent 24 hours on the Front wheel alone. The Sedona Orange really pops on this bike in the sunlight.

What can I say about Danny other than Rest in Peace Brother. He was a total character . Which means he was a typical hot headed New Yorker that did not take any shit from anyone, ever! One top of all that he was a Funny SOB & is missed here on earth. Thanks for your antics my freind . Ride free.

What can I say about Danny other than Rest in Peace Brother. He was a total character . Which means he was a typical hot headed New Yorker that did not take any shit from anyone, ever! One top of all that he was a Funny SOB & is missed here on earth. Thanks for your antics my freind . Ride free.

Well here is one of the ultimate challenges .The “Resurrection Detail” Mike heard about me from Ron & seen Dave’s bike . So I called to see the bike @ the Mechanic. He said “EH throw a little wax on it & it has a little rust. . . RIGHT! Upon seeing the bike I asked him if this is a little rust .What is a lot ? Clear coat baked off ,so dead it makes water spots Orange chrome(rust ) & just a Hot ugly mess.I talked to Mike & he said he wanted to go for it .sentimental Value & its cheaper than a new bike. SO I commissioned my Neighbor Mr.T to do the paint work”Luxury Blue”. & stripped the bike down. as I came across things that needed some help I ordered them the Fender skirt the emblems for the tour pack reflectors for the bags… Keeping the bike Stock ,True restoration stuff here.

Always up for a challenge I say. This was very rewarding for me in that Mike wanted to do the best we can do ( within reason) due to time constraints I had to break it down into 2 parts Joanne & Mike’s Vacation .(Ya can’t do the Tail of the Dragon without your bike) SO, Stay tuned for part 2

This is one of the 1st customs I did for Underglass in Fruitland Park ,Florida. & it was a real mess. I wound up getting some white paint to touch up all the spots where the frame paint was wacked off & while the the “chip repair” was not perfect it was a good way to take your eyes off the imperfections.

I spoke to the owner a few years after I moved to the Beautiful Treasure Coast & he was begging me to come back & detail his bike. I had to decline because I no longer do any mobile detailing. I told him I am worth the 200 mile drive.

After shots of Front wheel Cleaning. Spokes are not my favorite thing to do. So everytime I do one of these & get 3-6 more to do.

It is very time consuming & expensive.

Mike’s Bagger had recently been painted but while the paint was good the rest was a mess .Story has it his ex wife chased him with her car & got the bike instead!

Was in need of Paint Correction & Billet polishing.

This 2002 Iron Horse Ridgeback is a returning customer. As if you will notice 2 different shops .I have found Iron Horse’s have been the best built aftermarket bike I have had the challenge to work on.

Mike Bike .Yes the “detailer saved the engine. Severe Cycles did the work but if it was not for Bullit one of our master detailer’s telling him to get the cams checked ,it was already on the way to failure. Polished up the forks & a coating on the paint. equals happy customer.

So I put this photo 1st because when you have you bike detailed here you get a experienced wrench looking at your ride. This photo was taken after 2 mechanics. looked over & serviced this bike for a cross country ride. look closer that the Harley~Davidson 402 was NEW & no one thought to check it for wear. I see lotsa of stuff that get sent back to the mechanics . I’ve been turning wrenched all my life in the Auto body ,Auto Repair, Auto Wrecking .Automotive Restoration & Motorcycles, + Motorcycle Repair (mostly Harley’s thou. If I don’t know the answer I find out & send you to the right repair place.

I detailed this Dyna Thru Severe Cycles in 11/2014 I kinda freaked out a bit (in the good way) about the red Lighting bolts that are only visable in the direct sunlight . Check them out in the last pictures. UPDATE 6/13/2019 I stopped by Severe cycles after a rain storm & its the 1st time I have seen this bike in 5 years. It was still beading water like crazy & looked like it was covered in drops of diamonds. Still looked excellent. Detailing myself out of a job doing a “too good of a job”

Ron’s Indian was the 1st bike that I put a nano ceramic coating on for matte & satin finishes. It came out as hydrophobic as the regular stuff. I was impressed.

Loomis’s Road Glide is the 1st Harley that I put a Ceramic coating on a Satin Finish.

SO this terrorist looking dude shows up on Halloween beating on the door, I answer with a “Who the fuck are you & what do you want?” Good thing he dint go for the button…So 2nd time around on this Dyna Wide Glide. & you will see it was extremely rough …8~9 month later I got that Camel back to presentable. What A long strange trip it was.

Repeat Detail

Mr. Green Seat Chopper ,Because I don’t think I ever knew the guys name. Custom Metal Work (Tank & Fender widening) from Chris @ Severe Cycles, Stuart ,Florida. Custom Paint by Brian Talageri where ever he ran the F#@k off to. & Rob the Harley Detailer to bring it all together & make it look better than new.

This is what will happen when you stop riding your bike for years & don’t take the proper steps to prepare it for storage. Then expect to get a lot of money when you go to sell it .The Entire fuel system was GACKED .Crabby rebuilt the carb We had to replace the Pet Cock & the Fuel Sending unit .What A mess. STABIL fuel stabilizer or run it dry .DON’T DO THIS! Be glad this isn’t smell O Vision cuz it stanks

SOOOoooo. . . Richie/ Barbra/ Norm WTF? huh?

Well Richie passed away & left the Bike to Barbara BUT she don’t want to ride anymore ( only on the back) (its all good) (Sort of) ( Kinda) LOL!!

SO NORM is the Goober driver for Barb. Some of my Most Favorite People ever . AND Picture of Richie . Who is now Riding with the Angels.

SO somehow the Pictures go from Clean to Dirty back to Clean, DAMIFINO!

You’ll get the gist of it. If not ABCDEFUCKYOU LOL.

The History of ABATE

History of ABATE in America How it all started

The following material was originally published in Easyriders magazine in the early 1970's

Street Legal Chopper Circa 1973?

Originally published in the October 1971 issue of Easyriders Magazine

You, as an individual, can stand on your roof-top shouting to the world about how unjust, how stupid, and how unconstitutional some of the recently passed, or pending, bike laws are - but all you will accomplish is to get yourself arrested for disturbing the peace.

Individual bike clubs can go before city councils, state legislatures, and congressional committees, but as single clubs, and unprofessional at the game of politics, their efforts are usually futile. Scattered, unorganized, individual efforts have little if any effect against the power structure - it's like hunting big game with a bolt-action .22 rifle. It takes numbers to command respect, to be heard over the din created by the anti-bikers, and worse, the anti-chopper forces. The major problem is not any particular anti-bike movement or organization - the problem is that the people who make the laws are people who know nothing about bikes. The little old lady writes her congressman and complains. There is no one offering rebuttal-intelligent, professional rebuttal-to her unfair charges. The congressman, who doesn't hear any arguments against what the old lady said, but does want to please everybody and does want to get elected again, introduces a bill to ban whatever was bugging the old lady. The bikers in the area don't see the small item, buried in the back of the newspaper along with the hemorrhoid cures, announcing the proposed law for all bikes to have roll bars. Since no one sees it, no rebuttal is offered, and the law is passed. Or if it is seen, and a club or two protest, it isn't a loud enough protest, or it is a disorganized or it is a disorganized protest, or an unprofessional protest, and as a result the law is passed.

An oversimplification, yes. But that basically is the problem broken down into its simplest terms. We need a national organization of bikers. An organization united together in a common endeavor, and in sufficient numbers to be heard in Washington, D.C., in the state legislatures, and even down to the city councils. We must offer strong, organized rebuttal to all unfair legislation, no matter what the level. To stop or modify an unfair law in one state is to stop or impede it in another. If it's wrong, it's wrong, and only constant, relentless pressure will stop the trend against bikes. Today it might be Arizona, but tomorrow it might be your state. We must start now to put a stop to bad laws. We must educate the people who make the laws. We must present our side of the story, and we must present it from a position of strength, and in a professional, dignified manner. Already the Government has indicated they are going to press for national custom bike laws ("Safety Standards") for, you guessed it, our safety. The Department of Transportation has already issued printed warnings against the "danger" of extended front ends, lack of front-wheel brakes, "and other hazardous features of customized motorcycles."We're not saying they are all wrong-nobody is all wrong. But what we are saying is that we, us, you and I, bike riders. Chopper builders, chopper manufacturers, everyone with an interest in the future of bikes, must present our side, we must see to it that any laws that are passed are just. We must present our case and defend it vigorously.What can you do? Join the National Custom Cycle Association (NCCA). Let's get together in a mass, so that our voice means something, has the weight and strength of numbers.

History of ABATE in America How it all started

ABATE Membership in 44 States Have Started Working Toward Our Freedom of the Road

Originally published in the February 1972 issue of Easyriders Magazine

We are off and running, after a slight delay caused by having to change the name of our organization. It was discovered at the last moment that the NCCA name was not available for use as a non-profit corporate name-the initials being too similar to those of another corporate name.So, as long as we had to create a new name for the organization, it was decided to create a name with letters that spelled a word describing the organization's purpose. It was a bitch to do, let me tell you -try it some time. After much hassle, we came up with ABATE (which means to put an end to; to reduce in degree or intensity; to beat down; to decrease in force or intensity).

The letters stand for A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian (i.e., strict control by coercive measures; completely regulated by the state) Enactments (i.e. to make (as a bill) into law).

A mouthful, to be sure, but it lays it all out in front of God & everybody, exactly why the brotherhood was formed-to protect individual freedom of the road. Our mission is positive. We want to educate the lawmakers, to give them our side of the story, before laws are enacted, & we are devoted to working aggressively toward the abatement of all unfair, unjustified, arbitrary anti-bike laws everywhere.Our insignia is a no-nonsense, uptight eagle (see above) that represents our firm, no-bullshit, resolved to get the job done. Now, not tomorrow. We all know what our problems are, so let's get it on, rather than merely sitting around on our asses complaining about them.

Project No. 1 As members of ABATE already know, our immediate project to get all existing bike laws, state by state, county by county, city by city, into a computer. To do this, we are asking everyone, ABATE members or not, to go to your State capitals, libraries, police departments, and send us documented evidence of every bike law in your area and state. We want facts, not rumors.We also want to know what bike laws are pending, what bike laws almost passed and may be back during the next legislative session.We want names and addresses of all anti-bike and pro-bike legislators. We want to know where the speed traps are, and where the especially anti-chopper police departments are. We want to get the national problem down on paper in order to intelligently plan our campaigns. ABATE members are already working on this project, and all bikers, everywhere, are urged to help us. There may be some duplicated efforts initially, but it is better that ABATE be oversupplied with information, rather than not having all of it.

Project No. 2 As reported in the last issue, ABATE and NCCSl (the chopper manufacturers association) are presently preparing a chopper to send to Washington, D.C. for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to test. We know choppers are safe, but the only way the government is really going to know it is to test them, rather than taking some anti-biker's word for it. Rest assured that the choppers we supply the government with will be good, strong, safe choppers.

Project No. 3 ABATE needs members. Only in numbers is there sufficient strength to get the job done. To enter a fight without enough members is like hunting bear with a BB gun. It takes numbers to command respect, to be heard over the din created by the anti-bike forces, and worse, the anti-chopper forces. But we don't want just members, we want doers. We know there are only some of you who will get off your ass and do something ­ and we want that group as members. The battle is in 50 different states. The only way ABATE can be effective ­ end effective fast enough ­ is to have doers in every state. Not a doer, but thousands of doers,

The History of ABATE the Organization

Back in June of 1971, a new and exciting motorcycle publication was introduced--EASYRIDERS--a motorcycle magazine for the entertainment of adult bikers. This came into existence by the hard work of Lou Kimzey, the Editor, along with the owner of Paisano Publications. Along with Lou were Mil (Hog Expert) Blair, Editor-at-Large, and Joe Teresi, Senior Editor. Joe was the one who came up with the needed funding to get things running smoothly. He was owner of D&D Distributor, later known as Jammer. About the same time that EASYRIDERS got underway an organization by the name of N.C.C.S.I. (National Custom Cycle Safety Institute) got going. Joe Teresi was Vice President of this group. This organization was for manufacturers and distributors. Their main function-was to come out with their own safety standards for custom parts. They concentrated mainly on custom front ends and frames with raked necks. They are credited for keeping a lot of junk off the market and were able to keep Big Brother at arm's length. In Issue No. 3, October 1971, EASYRIDERS started a non-profit organization just for bikers. It was called NCCA (National Custom Cycle Association). At the time, dues were $3 for a one-year membership. One must keep in mind that back in 1971 no other motorcycle magazine except Roger Hall's "Road Rider" was even giving an inch of space to anti-bike legislation. Yet Lou Kimzey saw fit to take on the extra burden of starting a motorcycle rights organization.

It wasn't long until Lou changed the NCCA to ABATE (A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments). Lou came about the Eagle logo in an old civil war publication. The eagle is one of the largest birds, and a strong flier. It has long been used as a sign of power, courage, and freedom. The American Bald Eagle is not only our logo but it is the official emblem of the United States. Its picture is on the Great Seal of the U.S., the President's flag, some coins and paper money. Our logo with the 13 star shield is truly worthy of our cause, and our founder foresight. In early 1972, Keith Ball arrived on the scene at EASYRIDERS. He became Associate Editor of EASYRIDERS and Director of ABATE. Through the work of Keith and the guidance of Lou, ABATE started area coordinators in different states to help organize bikers so that they could better represent ABATE on the local level. This also helped form a better line of communication. From this mushroomed a sophisticated network of state and county chapters.

It should be noted that the little funds that ABATE had in the early days went to hiring an engineering firm to determine whether a raked front end or an extended front end was safe. This resulted in two lengthy documented reports, complete with engineering drawings that established proof that they were safe. This allowed bikers to fight in court "unsafe vehicle" tickets with scientific facts--not just opinions. EASYRIDERS, on behalf of ABATE, also picked up the tab on a test case concerning an extended front end being unsafe. From 1971-1974 most of ABATE's efforts went into fighting such laws. Had it not been for the efforts of ABATE-EASYRIDERS in the early 1970s, choppers would have been outlawed.

In March of 1977, ABATE, through the help of the staff at EASYRIDERS, held a State Coordinators meeting in Daytona, Florida. It was decided as a matter of policy that ABATE, nationwide, as a lobbying organization would discourage back patches on cut-offs. This was decided as necessary in order not to be misjudged as a "club," either by outlaw groups, police, or Joe Citizen. At this meeting it was also decided that it was about time ABATE got organized, with a charter, bylaws, etc. Nominations were held, and five State Coordinators were elected as a steering committee to take ideas from all the members and chapters, and boil the results down to a charter and bylaws. Fuzzy Davy from ABATE of Virginia was elected spokesman of the steering committee along with Donna Oaks from ABATE of Kansas, Russell Davis (Padre) from ABATE of Pennsylvania, Wanda Hummell from ABATE of Indiana, John (Rogue) Herlihy from ABATE of Connecticut. A meeting was set up for Labor Day at the second national ABATE get-together in Lake Perry, Kansas. This gave the new steering committee seven months to get everything together. At the Kansas meeting, Lou Kimzey could not make it because of a sudden illness. In his place he sent Keith Ball, Joe Teresi, Pat Coughlin, a union organizer, and Ron Roliff, business agent of the M.M.A. A hall was rented by EASYRIDERS so that a professional meeting could be conducted. At this meeting a proposal for a new national was presented by the people from EASYRIDERS. In this proposal was a five- member board of directors. A problem arose when it was learned that none of the board would be made up of any of the state coordinators or any ABATE people, but would be composed of people from California, led by Ron Roliff of the M.M.A. This intimidated a lot of hard working ABATE people. Also, none of the recommendations of the ABATE steering committee were considered.

After a lot of in-fighting, the state coordinators were asked to send what they thought should be changed and to submit their ideas to Lou Kimzey. Lou had sent around a letter explaining that he was sorry that he had missed the meeting in Kansas and that he was scheduling a meeting in Sacramento in October 1977. Lou paid the air fares of the steering committee members (5), put them up in a hotel, and then attempted to explain how and why things had gotten out of hand. Unfortunately, ABATE people who had not been invited to this meeting provoked uncalled-for attacks against Lou and EASYRIDERS. Lou had tolerated a lot of mud slinging concerning forming a national organization; thus he stated to the people attending the meeting that he and EASYRIDERS were relinquishing the organization to the people attending the meeting in Sacramento.

Out of this mess two national organizations were formed: one in Sacramento; the other in Washington, D.C.; the latter being formed by all the state ABATE organizations. In March of 1978, ABATE chapters held another meeting in Daytona. The Sacramento people sent Pat Coughlin with another proposal. It was rejected by the ABATE organizations attending. 'At this meeting the ABATE chapters were told that the Sacramento group was not going to change its name (National ABATE) and was going to go on doing business as usual. It was decided that the D.C. base national that was formed by the state organizations should be dissolved, thus doing away with a lot of the hassles taking up everybody's time, and that the states should get back to doing the business they were formed to do--fight state anti- motorcycle legislation.

ABATE formed five regions in the country, each region having about l0 states. Each region has a Regional Coordinator who coordinates information between the state ABATE organizations. Each ABATE state organization is now independent and on its own. Because of all the hassles of trying to form a national organization. The trust and funds needed, the probability of another attempt at forming a nation is most unlikely. In the meantime, ABATE people all over the country are taking care of business as always, and no matter what happens, they will be there taking care of business.

author unknown

A Brief History Of Bikers Rights In America As seen by Bill Bish , National Coalition of Motorcyclists ABATE of California Hello! My name is Bill Bish, and I'm Executive Coordinator of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists and Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M. and NCOM), and I've been active in bikers rights for over thirteen years, having served in various state and local positions within ABATE of California, including two terms as Chairman of the Board and two terms as State Director. A few years ago I compiled a "History of ABATE" article for our ABATE of California newsletter, the "Bailing Wire", which people must've enjoyed reading because it has since been reprinted in several newsletters and magazines. Soooo, for you history buffs, I'll try to piece together some of our early beginnings, with apologies to to those who were there from the start. I wasn't, so this is only from my early conversations with people like Deacon, Ron Roloff and others who WERE there, as well as my own research and admittedly spotty memory. Through my involvement with NCOM and ABATE of California, I have had the privilege of traveling across the United States to preach unity and and spread important information, and I will always treasure my memories of the places that bikers' rights has taken me and the friendly face that have greeted me. Because our issue is so emotional and deeply personal, I have developed close relationships with many Freedom Fighters throughout the country who I am proud to call Brother and Sister. It was this deep sense of "Family" within the motorcycle rights community that inspired me to trace our family tree. Much has been said of the coming new millennium, and of the opportunities and pitfalls our future holds in store, but one thing is certain... "YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE YOU'VE BEEN TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING!" With that thought in mind, I'd like to take you on a brief trip down memory lane, as we open up our Family Album and retrace our History as a bikers' rights movement here in the United States:

Easyriders magazine editor Lou Kimzey issued a plea in issue #3, October 1971, for bikers to come together to fight impending restrictions from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) by joining a new national bikers' rights organization called the National Custom Cycle Association, but because of a conflict with the acronym the name was changed in February 1972 to A B rotherhood A gainst T otalitarian E nactments (ABATE). I recall Joe Teresi, publisher of Easyriders, telling me that they had a contest around the office to come up with a new name, and one of the secretaries came up with "ABATE". He told me they were on a deadline and needed a logo real fast,

so they took a stylized German eagle and transformed it into the logo used by many ABATE's to this day. Easyriders began granting state charters around 1974, and Keith Ball was the original national coordinator (Keith later became editor of Easyriders until his retirement). ABATE organizations which came into existence around this same time were chartered in Kansas, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and New York; and also MMA of California, MMA of Massachusetts, New Hampshire Motorcycle Rights Organization, Rhode Island Motorcycle Association, Connecticut Motorcycle Rights Association, and the Wisconsin Better Bikers Association. Easyriders published some phone numbers and a loose knit network of bikers' rights activists began to grow.

Ron Roloff and others had already founded the Modified Motorcycle Association of California, and it's interesting too note that Easyriders' original name for their rights group was similar to MMA's because the biggest threat, aside from the original federal helmet mandates, which were instituted in 1966 by congress and later repealed in 1976, was that the U.S. DOT (Department of Transportation) was investigating ways to restrict modified or custom "choppers" which were deemed unsafe, especially extended forks. Deacon, founder of ABATE of California, once related to me that the 60's fad of ridiculously high sissy bars came about because the government started requiring "grab bars" for passenger safety, so the riders of the day flaunted the law by building them as long and garish as they could get away with. Almost every state during this time passed handlebar height restrictions, mandatory eye protection, motorcycle licensing requirements, light on laws and other equipment regulations, and many other restrictions on our "Freedom Machines" were being considered by legislators and bureaucrats to make motorcycling "safer". In most states, before motorcyclists became politically organized, the clubs were the first to fight helmet laws and other restrictions. As the rights movement grew, Don Pittsley, a member of the Huns M/C in Connecticut convinced his congressman, Rep. Stewart Mckinney, to introduce H.R. 3869 to end the Federal authority to withhold highway funds from states without helmet laws (i.e., the "National Helmet Law"). In July of 1975, Rob Rasor of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Ron Roloff of the MMA of California and Ed Armstrong of ABATE of Chicago presented the House Sub-Committee on Surface Transportation with convincing testimony to repeal the helmet mandates.

Later that year, with California being sued by the DOT because Governor Ronald Reagan refused to comply with the federal helmet law mandate, Roloff helped convince California Senator Alan Cranston to offer the language of the bill as an amendment to the 1975 Federal Highway Act, which passed with overwhelming support from the California delegation because of the impending lawsuit, and was signed by president Gerald Ford on May 5,1976. Not bad for a rag tag bunch of bikers with little or no previous political ambitions. Spurred on by many successful protest rallies around the country following the national helmet law repeal, and the eventual repeal of more than 30 state helmet laws, ABATE, MMA and other motorcycle rights organizations sprang up in every state and are now a fixture in Capitols across America. Following several failed attempts to start a national motorcycle rights organization, including Easyriders giving up the reigns of National ABATE, in 1985 the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) hosted their first Meeting of the Minds conference, and less than a year later, in 1986, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) held their first National Convention. Motorcycling leaders nationwide realized the need for a united voice and the necessity of networking and communicating with each other, and both the MRF and NCOM grew and have become effective partners with state MRO'S in protecting riders' rights on the federal, state and local fronts.

The concept of unity was put to the test in the early 1990's, when Congress again attempted to force states into passing helmet laws, and American motorcyclists came together en masse, and in a coordinated effort between the MRF and NCOM virtually every state sent representatives from their MRO (Motorcycle Rights Organization) to walk the hallowed halls of Washington, D.C., in search of their U.S. Senators and Representatives. The grand lobbying experiment WORKED, and in just FOUR YEARS bikers were able to persuade Congress in 1995 to once again repeal their misdirected and misguided "nanny" law and return the decision to the individual states. That same federal transportation legislation also repealed the national 55 mph maximum speed limit!

Soon afterwards, Arkansas modified their mandatory helmet law to allow Freedom of Choice for adult riders 21 and older. Texas soon followed, as well as Kentucky and, most recently, Louisiana. As a result of our newfound political clout, motorcyclists have successfully approached Congress twice over the past few years, first to grant federal protections against insurance discrimination based on mode of transportation because many companies (most notably Ruger Firearms and the Teamsters Union) were denying medical benefits to employees injured in motorcycle accidents.

Then, just last session (1998), motorcyclists united to put together a pro-active agenda for bikers, and succeeded in lobbying it through Congress; included in this "wish list" for bikers was a guarantee that motorcyclists would be included during the development of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology; ensures that motorcycles are guaranteed access to any and all roads built with the use of federal highway funds (no road bans) ; restricts anti-motorcycle lobbying efforts by NHTSA and shifts their focus from injury prevention to accident prevention; and provides $131 million for recreational trails development and maintenance!

During this same time, many state rights groups have become proactive within their states instead of RE-acting to legislative threats. Minnesota passed our nations first law to make it illegal to discriminate against someone because they ride a motorcycle; Arizona, Iowa, Oregon and Washington have successfully repealed or modified their state's handlebar height law; Virginia and Illinois have lobbied their states to reinforce the federally guaranteed access to roads by passing laws to protect our rights to ride on any roads within their state boundaries; and several states have fought and defeated so-called "No Fault" insurance proposals that are unfair to motorcyclist. Also, now, through the work of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, patch holders in 33 states have come together to form Confederations of Clubs to fight discrimination and police harassment judicially through the Courts...bringing the motorcycle rights network full circle with the rejuvenated interest of the motorcycle club community. While our early bikers' rights leaders paved our way, other dynamic and concerned riders have stepped forward to take the reigns and lead us into the 21st Century.

But we should never forget the efforts and sacrifices of out predecessors who faced intimidation from law enforcement, indifference from legislators and animosity from a public that saw "The Wild One" one too many times. Yet they got the job done, and were it not for their perseverance and dedication, we would not have become the respected and effective grass roots lobbying group that we are today.

So, there you have it. The roots of ABATE and bikers' rights run deep in the hearts of those of us who have accepted and, in turn, passed on the torch of Freedom of the Road. To all of those who came before, we salute you! Where will the future take us? That's entirely up to you... But, I'd like to leave you with a quote from Margaret Mead; "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that has." Bill Bish AIM/NCOM

Saturday 11.06.21

Gremlin Bells, also known as Guardian Bells, Motorcycle Bells or Spirit Bells, are a good luck charm attached to the bottom of motorcycles that are believed to protect riders while on the road.

What Are Motorcycle Gremlins?

According to legend, many a mile of roads are littered with evil spirits or gremlins that lie in wait, waiting for unsuspecting bikers to pass by close enough for them to latch on to to their motorcycle.

These evil little creatures are thought to be the source of most bikers problems and bad luck, such mechanical issues, and at worst, can make a biker crash, such as if they were to chase animals into the road.

As gremlins and evil road spirits are said to mostly lurk on the road waiting on their next victim, hanging a motorcycle bell below the bike will capture them as you ride over them, and the tinkling bell will drive them insane, forcing them to eventually leave or fall off.

What Is the Story Behind the Gremlin Bell?

But how did this tradition start? It all starts with a story that originated many, many years ago in the high desert near the US-Mexico border.

The Legend of the Gremlin Bell

It was a bitter winter night in December. The cool desert air was crisp, the moon lighted the night sky, and the desert cactus cast eerie shadows.

An old grey bearded biker was returning from a road trip to Mexico, his bike loaded with Christmas gifts he had purchased to give to children at an orphanage near where he lived.

Shortly after crossing the border, he thought he saw something in the distance but couldn’t be sure. He thought his mind may have been playing tricks on him, but as the biker rounded a corner and neared the location in the road, he crashed without warning and was thrown from his bike, slamming into the desert floor.

Disoriented, the old biker looked up and in shock, realized what he had seen. There in front of him were a group of gremlins, rejoicing in their success. The road gremlins began moving toward him as the biker lay on the ground, barely alive and unable to move from the impact.

With nothing to defend himself, it seemed like the end of the road for the old biker. However, he noticed one of his saddlebags had broken loose in the crash and quickly reached out, pulling it close to him.

Grabbing the gifts from the bag, he threw them at the nasty little group of approaching gremlins to scare them off.

He threw present after present, but the gremlins did not stop. Reaching into the now nearly-empty bag, he was down to his last items – small bells he had purchased as gifts for the children.

As a last resort, he rang them as quickly as he could, hoping the noise would scare the gremlins away.

The Nearby Bikers

Now, it just so happened that two bikers coincidentally were camping nearby. Over the quiet night air, they heard a bell ringing in the distance. Of course, largely assuming they were alone in the vast desert, this was something unexpected for them to hear.

The two bikers went to investigate the source of the ringing. Nearing the noise, they came across the old biker laying at the crash site, the road gremlins eagerly waiting to claim their reward.

The bikers attacked the gremlins, fending them off and sending them fleeing into the night.

The old biker wanted to repay them for saving his life and offered them payment for their help, but they refused.

Determined to pay them back in some way, as a gesture of good will, the biker cut his saddlebag tassels and tied the very bells that saved his life to the two bikers bikes, telling them that if they should ever need help, ring their bells attached to their bike and it could just save their life.

Matt Dingler 2015 Street Glide

Terri Mason’s DFT Damn Fine Trike.