Well, it looks like we made though another long winter! This one has been

especially long and cold, but it's over now and you know what that means..get your

motor running! This month we're going to follow up on an ongoing product test,

drop in on the Awards Banquet for ABATE of Indiana and take a trip to the Dealer

Expo show in Indianapolis. Pull the gloves on, the winds still cold!

The national Dealer Exposition was held in late February at the convention center in

Indianapolis. The expo features every just about every dealer, manufacturer and/or

distributor of motorcycle related products and goods. It brings together all the

producers of all the premier motorcycle parts, innovators, companies and service

providers for the sport. Names like Dunlap, Shoei, Bell, Castrol, Vanson, S&S,

Samson, White Bros., Bell-Ray, Custom Chrome, to name just a few were all

represented. The show completely fills the RCA Dome and the entire Convention

Center. This year many new products were unveiled, many for safety. The newest

thing I noticed was the LED head & tail light bulbs and lighting assemblies. The

extremely bright light and the innovative bendable bars can be installed easily and

can accent your bike's rear fenders as well as provide outstanding visibility. The

many makes of motorcycles has increased as well, names like Pantzer, Cobra,

Titan, Phoenix, Big Dog, Iron Horse, Joker, Jesse James, Ultra, etc. All the bikes

were masterpiece's in color and style and commanded prices in the high 20's and

30's. Standard names like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki showed their new models and

lines of clothing & accessories. The dirt/motocross riders had every make, model,

part, clothing representative available also. Most of the off road crowd were young

guys and the companies pandered to them with loud music, semi-clad models and

flashing lights at most displays. Ladies riding gear and fashion accessories were

more prominent this year as the ranks of women riders continues to increase.

I hunted down my old friend Frank Kaisler from Hot Rod Bikes and tried to set

up an interview with one of his staffers, Todd Canavan . Todd does the race testing

on the magazine's Sportster and features on maintenance, however I learned that he

was not at the show due to an accident that occurred just days before. Frank

pointedly told me that the magazine had just taken delivery of a brand new Deuce

and Todd had wrecked it. When pressed for details, Frank told me that Todd had

injured his ankle and broken his wrist. It seems that he was cruising down Wilshire

Blvd. early in the morning and a Mercedes turned left in front of him (number one

killer of motorcyclists) and he glanced off the fender. The Mercedes did not stop. In

the April issue of Hot Rod Bikes, page 70 you can see the Deuce and Todd the

day before the accident. Frank did say he was glad that Todd was not seriously

injured, however he is still going to kill him for trashing the Deuce!

The Dealer Show was too large to see in a day, however the many items and

displays I looked at proved one thing, that our sport is alive and well and growing

each year. Motorcycles are here to stay and the products just keep multiplying. See

Benson's for many of the latest parts and services available from the show.

I want to thank John Mann and Muncie Tool & Manufacturing for getting me

into the expo and for his friendship. John is a charter member of #1277 and his

HOG Lifts are the best in the business. See them at Benson's.

Following up on an ongoing product test of Dunlap's 491 Elite II rear tire I had

installed on `Phoenix II' last September, the tire continues to wear slowly and

provide great traction. At the Dealer Expo I talked with a Dunlap Representative

about the 491. I had just about completed a test on a 491 on my old bike, 1996

Heritage, when I traded it in. The tire up to that point had exceeded the mileage

from the standard Dunlap 402 Elite II that came on the bike, however I didn't have

enough data to fairly write about the tire in a review.

When I installed the 491 on `Phoenix II' in September I began keeping detailed

data for a future product review. I talked with the Dunlap representative to find out

the exact different between the 402 and the 491. He was very knowledgable and

provided specific details of the difference between the two. The D402 Elite II

(standard on all Harley FL's) has a three ply construction and a tread depth of 9/32

with a load capacity of 827 lbs. @ 40 psi pressure. The tire is specifically designed for

touring and water displacement. Having had six D402's on my bikes over the years I was

satisfied with the performance but not with the wear.

The Dunlap 491 Elite II has a three ply construction base also, however it contains

a harder compound trend face and depth. The 491 has a trend depth of 10/32 and

a heavier load capacity, 830 lbs. @ 40 psi. It too has an excellent water repellant

design that resists hydroplaning and gives excellent traction. The harder compound

increases wear and gives more miles to the dollar. I'll continue to test the 491 on my

bike and I'll give it a complete review of it's performance later this season.

Remember that tire wear is a combination of many factors- riding style, tire

pressure, load, road conditions and maintenance. Your mileage will vary from rider

to rider and from motorcycle to motorcycle. Watch for more information in future

HogPrints.

The ABATE of Indiana Awards Banquet was held in Lebanon at the Holiday Inn in

February. The Awards Banquet recognizes individuals and groups for their

contributions to motorcycle safety. The 2000 year awards were presented by Jay

Jackson, State Director of ABATE and John Bodecker, State Director of

Motorcycle Safety, Department of Education, State of Indiana.

This year was exceptional for the amount of recognition that was received by

Muncie and Central Indiana motorcyclists. First, three Instructors from the Muncie

Motorcycle School received awards for their performance-Mike Mitchell (Road

Captain, #1277) and Derrick Bentley received Instructor Achievement Awards

for their innovative and excellent work for the 2000 season. Ken Wickcliffe,

another Muncie Instructor received the `Right Hand Man' Award for his non-paid,

after hours work that he has put into the school. Gordon Watters and Teresa

Yaney (both #1277 members) were also recognized for their service.

Northside Middle School and it's principal, Chuck Childers, were awarded

sponsor plagues for their continued support of the motorcycle school. John

Parker, Steve Benson, Phil Benson and Chris Hiatt were recognized for their

efforts in keeping the site and the school in operation. The hard work and behind

the scenes efforts have kept the school and Instructors alive and working.

In a surprise move, ABATE awarded (first time ever) Muncie HOG Chapter

#1277 with a `Freedom of the Road' plague for their donations, unpaid labor and

goodwill they brought to Rider Education in central Indiana. This was the first award

given to any H.O.G. Chapter in the State for direct support of a safety program.

Congratulations to all the recipients and to the people who make the school a

reality..YOU!

Now that the season has begun, it's time to take stock of your motorcycle and your

protective gear. Below is a short list of things to check BEFORE you ride and to

refer back to as the season processes. If your like me, you'll likely over look these

items once you start riding. NOW is the time to check:

1. Insurance, license, plates and HOG membership

2. Tires-condition, wear, psi & damage

3. Helmet-fit, wear & any damage (replace every two years)

4. Riding gear-fit, damage, water repellency, zippers, etc.

5. Eye protection-scratched lenses, back up glasses & night glasses

6. Lights-bulbs, turn signals & emergency flashers

The final item on the list is..you. It's been a long winter off your motorcycle, so take

it easy at first getting used to the controls and the sandy condition of the pavement.

Go to a parking lot and practice some sweeping turns, panic stops and swerving.

Do this to loosen up the machine and to get the `feel' back. Remember that most

accidents occur in less then two seconds. That's the difference between a close call

and a final call.

The first `new member' is just a few weeks away, I encourage all new members and

those members who would like to group ride at a relaxed pace to join in on this ride. Of all

the rides, this one is especially fun because of the relaxed pace, the close destination and

the final stop at `Fun at the Falls' in Pendleton (Burger Bash!). Please come and enjoy this

exclusive ride and collect your first `pin' of the year.

The date is April 21st, meet at Benson's @ 10:00 am.

Finally, let's close out this ride with a look ahead. The many events that our activity

committee has put together is a smorgasbord of fun for just about every taste. The

only thing missing is YOU. Make plans to come and support these events and rides.

Even if you can't find time for the ride, come out and see the group off. The strength

of our Club is in the support we give each other, both on and off the road. The

good times are here, so let's ALL have some good times!

I want to say `Hey' to a special guy in Illinois. Jimmy G my thoughts are with you.