This is the first time I’ve heard of this ever happening…

NEW WINDSOR - A Beacon man was killed yesterday evening when he crashed his motorcycle in the parking lot of the store he had just bought it from.Police said Dennis Walden, 56, was riding the 2008 Harley-Davidson he had just bought from Jim Moroney’s Cycle Shop across the store’s parking lot around 6 p.m. when he lost control and hit a parked vehicle. Walden, who police said was not wearing a helmet, was taken to St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, where he was pronounced dead.

http://www.recordonline.com/…./NEWS/80404007

That just sucks on many angles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced that Triumph issued a recall on their model year 2008 Rocket III touring motorcycles, due to an incorrectly worded label regarding tire inflation.

Below is the full text of the recall notice…

Make / Models / Years:
TRIUMPH / ROCKET III TOURING / 2008

Manufacturer : TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES AMERICA LTD

Mfr’s Report Date : MAR 20, 2008

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 08V145000 N/A

NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 356

Summary: TRIUMPH IS RECALLING 356 MY 2008 ROCKET III TOURING MOTORCYCLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, “TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS,” AND PART 567, “CERTIFICATION.” THE CERTIFICATION LABEL, LOCATED ON THE LEFT FRONT FRAME TUBE, INCLUDES INCORRECT INFORMATION REGARDING TIRE SIZES AND PRESSURES, AS WELL AS AN INCORRECT GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR).

Consequence: AN OWNER MAY UNDER-INFLATE THE FRONT TIRE IF USING THE INCORRECT INFORMATION. UNDER-INFLATION MAY CAUSE A TIRE TO SLIP OR COME OFF THE RIM CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW CERTIFICATION LABEL. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT APRIL 4, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRIUMPH AT 1-678-539-8782.

There’s been a lot of skepticism and complaints about the new “fly-by-wire” throttle on the 2008 Harley-Davidson touring models. Well last week, it may have claimed a victim.

Here’s a post I found on HDForums today…

My Brother HAMMER was killed today in a bike accident — He was the President and Chapter Holder for Boozerfighters Chapter 39 in Granburys, Texas. He is also the Owner of Jackhammer Tattoo. his wife Sindi is in serious condition.Seems that the new electronic throttle on the 08 H.D.’s has a problem they accelerate on their own and you can’t shut them down. he had just got his bike back from H.D. for this problem and they told him it was fixed. this time he was in a curve and couldn’t pull out of it , ran off the road and threw Sindi off ,then the bike flipped over on him and broke his neck .

And it’s corroborated on the Boozefighters Canada website (though it doesn’t mention the fly-by-wire).

Of course, I can’t yet confirm that the fly-by-wire throttle is what caused the accident, so far, it sounds like it was involved.

Fly-by-wire is not new to motorcycling, but it is new to Harley-Davidson. Thus far, it’s been a source of doubt and skepticism among the motor company’s loyal following, who look at old world technology as being tried and tested. For Harley, it was a way to shed the company’s reputation of being archaic.

The company’s official rationale for incorporating the fly-by-wire throttle is that the touring models come with Electronic Cruise Control, and that an electronic throttle actually integrates with it more seamlessly than cables. In other words, it makes things more simple.

But if making things work more seamlessly together is the reason for this, then that would suggest the previous cable-based system was problematic. I’m not aware of problems with the throttle-cable not working with the cruise control, if there were then perhaps readers can post comments.

Otherwise, I’m left wondering if this fly-by-wire throttle was implemented purely for the altruistic pursuit of technology, as opposed to giving motorcycle riders something that works.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post published an article about the federal government’s attempts to offset the cost of waging a war in Iraq by levying tolls on roads, and privatizing highways…

They and other political appointees have spent the latter part of President Bush’s two terms laboring behind the scenes to shrink the federal role in road-building and public transportation. They have also sought to turn highways into commodities that can be sold or leased to private firms and used by motorists for a price. In Duvall and Gribbin’s view, unleashing the private sector and introducing market forces could lead to innovation and more choices for the public, much as the breakup of AT&T transformed telecommunications.

Read the full article here…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…./AR2008031603085.html?hpid=topnews

The new FX television pilot, “Sons of Anarchy”, a drama based on the world of motorcycle clubs, will begin shooting on February 14, according to TV Squad.

Sons of Anarchy was originally named “Forever Sam Crow”, when FX originally green-lighted it last October.

The Hollywood Reporter described it as a “multigenerational family drama that centers on Jack, a man in his 20s, who is faced with his own responsibilities as a new father and is unsure how he is going to balance that life with his involvement in the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club founded by his late father”.

Jack is played by Charlie Hunnam, a british actor, while Katey Sagal plays his mother, who is still the matriarch of the club, while Scott Glenn plays his step-father, who took over as President of the club.