Saturday, September 22, 2007

Want to be a biker? All you need is here

Bring your loose change because we're going to spend some money.

Several credit cards would also be helpful, along with a fat wallet. Especially if you're going to buy one of the motorcycles made by Ron Simms. They start at $35,000. That's for the "Little Bomber" model.

Street Vibrations, taking place this week in downtown Reno and at other local venues, is a celebration of motorcycles. You can see and hear them everywhere. It's also a shopping event, with all things motorcycle for sale, from a bike by Simms to a $100 tattoo by Rob Jones.

North Virginia Street is the main mall.

You can start at one end with nothing and finish at the other with everything you need to be a biker.

Leather jacket. Helmet. Bandanna. Boots. A lawyer.

"You can find just about anything," said Simms, who's been building custom bikes at his shop in Hayward, Calif., for 30 years.
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Harley-Davidson made of wood


The green machine — with moving parts — took Colin 900 hours to make from old pieces of board.
He got the idea working at a recycling plant where plywood was dumped in landfill.

The 100kg bike is made of 82 sq ft of wood, five litres of glue and four litres of varnish.

Colin, 40, of Taunton, Somerset, said: “There were no plans. It’s all done in my head with maths.”

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Chasing Value: Will Harley-Davidson (HOG) fade like Levi Strauss?

Yesterday I posted Chasing Value: Harley-Davidson (HOG) looking on down the road and actually bought a few shares. Late in the day I received a comment from one of our frequent readers whose opinions I have grown to respect, although he can be a little harsh at times. This reader raised some interesting points I thought worth some consideration. He wrote:

"I don't like the stock. I see it as a luxury item for aging Baby Boomers. The ones who always wanted one, (or who) already own one. The younger generations aren't interested. I also think you're making a classic mistake when you speculate by saying "if it returns to its former level within the next few years."
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