Viper cools engines
Motorcycle firm calls off IPO, works to retool financing
BY SHERYL JEAN
Pioneer Press
Viper Motorcycle Co. has just about run out of gas, but it plans to refuel and get back on track.
The small company last week withdrew a planned $9 million initial public offering of its stock and has stopped manufacturing its Diablo cruiser just months after starting production at its New Hope headquarters.
Instead, Viper is lining up private financing with new investors that it hopes will kick-start the company by securing production resources and erasing most of its debt, said John Lai, chief financial officer and co-founder of Viper. The details are still being worked out, but he plans to make an announcement within 30 days.
The deal likely will include an outside manufacturing contract for most production, with new protoypes to be made in New Hope, said sources close to the company who did not want to be named.
The company must do something fast to stay in business. Viper's debt level and losses have accelerated, while the IPO and production have screeched to a halt.
Viper ran up net losses of nearly $7 million — about equal to its total assets — from its inception in November 2002 through Sept. 30, 2004, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It shipped 30 Diablo cruisers in late 2004 and sales totaled about $750,000 last year, Lai said.
Viper's struggles show the difficulties facing start-up companies trying to compete against well-known brands such as Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. for a piece of the growing U.S. market for high-priced, powerful motorcycles. Upstarts need a lot of capital to cover high manufacturing costs and generate the sales volume needed to compete, say analysts who follow the industry.
"It's tough to think of many successful motorcycle manufacturers, with the exception of Harley-Davidson, in the past 50 years," said Ed Aaron, an analyst who follows Harley-Davidson for RBC Capital Markets.
Another local motorcycle maker, Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Co. in Belle Plaine, sped through about $100 million before going bankrupt in 1999. California-based Indian Motorcycle Co. went bankrupt in 2003.
Viper's private financing deal is "vital" to the company's future, Lai said. The financing would eliminate about 90 percent of Viper's $4 million of debt, he said.
The company also plans to name a new chief executive within 30 days to replace Clyde Fessler, who left in January.
"The company is going in a positive direction," said Chairman James Kramer, who's also an investor. He declined to detail the company's plans.
Back in June, Viper filed plans to sell 1.8 million shares of its common stock at $5 per share and 1.4 million warrants at 10 cents apiece. Viper planned to use the proceeds to repay more than $1.7 million in debt and to buy new production equipment.
The company scrapped the IPO because a new financial filing with the SEC would have delayed it 90 days, Lai said.
"By the time it approached Wall Street, the bloom was off the IPO," said Robert Van Den Berg, a company director and part owner of a motorcycle shop in Elk River. Trying to meet new financial and accounting disclosure requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley law caused a number of delays, he said.
In addition to Viper, Integris Metals in Coon Rapids and Empi Inc., a St. Paul-based medical company, scuttled IPO plans in the past six months in favor of sweeter private deals.
Viper still faces a rough road.
"They're beautiful bikes," but they're pricey, said analyst Tony Gikas, who follows Harley-Davidson for Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis. Viper expected to put price tags of $20,000 to $30,000 on its motorcycles, compared with $20,000 or less for most Harley-Davidson bikes.
Viper has received about 300 Diablo cruiser orders since mid-2003, Lai said. It began manufacturing the cruiser last fall but stopped in January because of money problems, he said. None of its 16 employees were laid off.
The company continues to look ahead. It hopes to restart production of the Diablo cruiser and start making a chopper-style cruiser later this year, Lai said. Viper plans to introduce the chopper in March at the Donnie Smith Invitational Bike Show at St. Paul's Xcel Center.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Friday, February 04, 2005
PORTLAND, Maine -- Mike Cullinan made a midlife course correction, breaking up with his girlfriend and buying himself a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle: a 620-pound Dyna Low Rider with a 1,450-cc fuel-injected engine.
Lots of Americans like 38-year-old Mr. Cullinan are getting motorcycles, whether to recapture their lost youth or pull through some kind of midlife crisis.
But the trend has its troubling aspects. Now, riders 40 and older are accounting for an alarming number of motorcycling deaths.
Safety experts suspect older riders with a lot of disposable income are buying more machine than their aging, out-of-practice bodies can handle.
Across the country, the annual number of motorcycle fatalities among 40-plus riders tripled over the past decade to 1,674 in 2003, while deaths among riders less than 30 dropped slightly to 1,161, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to NHTSA, the average age of motorcyclists killed in accidents rose from 32 in 1994 to 38 in 2003.
"It's really kind of astonishing. The ages of these fatalities are so high. You would think it would be all of the young kids on those fast bikes, but it's not," said Carl Hallman, highway safety coordinator with the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The surge in deaths among older riders helped to push motorcycle fatalities higher overall. They jumped by nearly half during the past five years, from 2,483 in 1999 to 3,661 in 2003.
In Maine, 22 persons were killed on motorcycles in 2004, the highest number in a decade. In New Hampshire, 29 died, versus nine the previous year. In Vermont, there were 11 fatal crashes, more than in the three previous years combined. In all three states, riders in their 30s and older accounted for the most crashes.
"From a career standpoint, they have a little extra time and a little extra disposable income. The kids have grown up, so they're looking for hobbies," said Rae Tyson, a NHTSA spokesman who specializes in motorcycle safety.
As for why so many riders in their 40s, 50s and beyond are dying, big, powerful bikes appear to be part of the explanation. NHTSA data show that both engine size and deaths among riders with the largest class of engines rose during the past decade.
NHTSA figures also show that riders in their 30s and 40s who died were more likely than their younger counterparts to have been drinking.
In addition, safety experts say many older riders either are returning to motorcycling after many years or are trying it for the first time.
"They haven't ridden in 20 or 30 years, so their skills are rusty. Motorcycles have changed, and they're getting bigger motorcycles. And they're getting on without a refresher course," said Cathy Rimm, program director for Motorcycle Rider Education of Maine, a nonprofit organization that offers safety training.
Finally, safety officials point out that older riders' eyesight and reflexes are not what they once were.
"In our experienced-rider courses, we do take into account the way your body changes, that your reaction time will change and that your eyesight will change. There are changes older riders should make," said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Irvine, Calif.
Mr. Cullinan, a repair shop manager from Standish, had not ridden for 15 years, and his life underwent a big change when he broke off a relationship. He spent more than $18,000 on his black lowrider with chrome.
"I went for the largest bike I could handle, or that I hope I can handle," he said.
Though Maine and many other states require classes for new riders to get motorcycle licenses, there are no such requirements for a license holder who decides to get on a bike for the first time in decades. No state requires continuing periodic education, said Kathy Van Kleeck of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Mr. Cullinan said his eyes were opened by the statistics. He has bought a helmet, which is not legally required in Maine, and is taking a refresher course this winter.
"I'm hoping I will learn something that'll make me safer," he said. "I'll be riding this spring and summer with my eyes open."
Lots of Americans like 38-year-old Mr. Cullinan are getting motorcycles, whether to recapture their lost youth or pull through some kind of midlife crisis.
But the trend has its troubling aspects. Now, riders 40 and older are accounting for an alarming number of motorcycling deaths.
Safety experts suspect older riders with a lot of disposable income are buying more machine than their aging, out-of-practice bodies can handle.
Across the country, the annual number of motorcycle fatalities among 40-plus riders tripled over the past decade to 1,674 in 2003, while deaths among riders less than 30 dropped slightly to 1,161, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to NHTSA, the average age of motorcyclists killed in accidents rose from 32 in 1994 to 38 in 2003.
"It's really kind of astonishing. The ages of these fatalities are so high. You would think it would be all of the young kids on those fast bikes, but it's not," said Carl Hallman, highway safety coordinator with the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The surge in deaths among older riders helped to push motorcycle fatalities higher overall. They jumped by nearly half during the past five years, from 2,483 in 1999 to 3,661 in 2003.
In Maine, 22 persons were killed on motorcycles in 2004, the highest number in a decade. In New Hampshire, 29 died, versus nine the previous year. In Vermont, there were 11 fatal crashes, more than in the three previous years combined. In all three states, riders in their 30s and older accounted for the most crashes.
"From a career standpoint, they have a little extra time and a little extra disposable income. The kids have grown up, so they're looking for hobbies," said Rae Tyson, a NHTSA spokesman who specializes in motorcycle safety.
As for why so many riders in their 40s, 50s and beyond are dying, big, powerful bikes appear to be part of the explanation. NHTSA data show that both engine size and deaths among riders with the largest class of engines rose during the past decade.
NHTSA figures also show that riders in their 30s and 40s who died were more likely than their younger counterparts to have been drinking.
In addition, safety experts say many older riders either are returning to motorcycling after many years or are trying it for the first time.
"They haven't ridden in 20 or 30 years, so their skills are rusty. Motorcycles have changed, and they're getting bigger motorcycles. And they're getting on without a refresher course," said Cathy Rimm, program director for Motorcycle Rider Education of Maine, a nonprofit organization that offers safety training.
Finally, safety officials point out that older riders' eyesight and reflexes are not what they once were.
"In our experienced-rider courses, we do take into account the way your body changes, that your reaction time will change and that your eyesight will change. There are changes older riders should make," said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Irvine, Calif.
Mr. Cullinan, a repair shop manager from Standish, had not ridden for 15 years, and his life underwent a big change when he broke off a relationship. He spent more than $18,000 on his black lowrider with chrome.
"I went for the largest bike I could handle, or that I hope I can handle," he said.
Though Maine and many other states require classes for new riders to get motorcycle licenses, there are no such requirements for a license holder who decides to get on a bike for the first time in decades. No state requires continuing periodic education, said Kathy Van Kleeck of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Mr. Cullinan said his eyes were opened by the statistics. He has bought a helmet, which is not legally required in Maine, and is taking a refresher course this winter.
"I'm hoping I will learn something that'll make me safer," he said. "I'll be riding this spring and summer with my eyes open."
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Last update: September 26, 2004 at 7:55 AM
Ticket revs up 205-mph questions
Terry Collins and Curt Brown, Star Tribune
September 26, 2004 FASTBIKES0926
To some, he's a folk hero. Others are calling him an idiot.
Everybody, it seems, is talking about Samuel Armstrong Tilley, the 20-year-old Stillwater motorcyclist ticketed last weekend for going 205 miles per hour on Hwy. 61 near Wabasha.
Consider it the ticket heard 'round the world.
In the week since a State Patrol pilot's stopwatch clocked Tilley's Honda RC51 at historic speeds, every gear-head chatroom, mechanic's garage and biker bar from Sturgis, S.D., to Los Angeles has been buzzing about Tilley's alleged exploits.
A photo of the ticket has been posted on the Web (http: //www.thesmokinggun.com/ archive/0922042speed1.html).
Tilley was even the talk of Two-Wheel Tuesday, a national cable TV fix for motorcycle aficionados on the Speed Channel.
SpeculatorsJudy GriesedieckStar TribuneAll of which prompts a couple questions: How could a so-called crotch rocket, with limited gear ratios, go that fast amid thousands of riders on the annual Flood Run along the bluffs north of Winona?
And why has Tilley suddenly become an urban legend?
"Certainly anyone who flouts the law to that extent is seen by some as a latter-day Robin Hood, flying in the face of authority and doing stuff we all want to do but common sense stops us from," said David Edwards, editor-in-chief of Cycle World, a popular magazine out of Newport Beach, Calif.
"Basically, it's like stepping out of a small airplane, if indeed he was going 200 mph," said Edwards, who like many experts, doubts Tilley topped 200 mph.
"It's extremely unlikely that that bike was going that fast," he said. "More likely, the cop with the stopwatch had an itchy trigger finger."
State Patrol pilot Al Loney, a 27-year veteran, and his superiors stand by their stopwatch, which clocked Tilley going a quarter-mile in 4.39 seconds.
Among the doubters is former St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney, who was riding a Boss Hoss bike with a V-8 car engine during the Flood Run.
"The most common viewpoint is: That Honda could not have done 205 miles per hour," Finney said. "There are Suzukis that can go 180 miles per hour out of the crate, and racing Hondas may get there after spending a million bucks on them. That 200 miles per hour is a tough nut to crack, but those crotch-rocket guys are a whole other breed."
Who is Tilley?
The only one who knows for sure how fast Tilley was going isn't talking. Tilley did not return numerous reporters' calls for his side of the story.
He was born in New Ulm and graduated last spring from Stillwater High School.
"He was a cocky kid, kind of arrogant," said Laurie Hansen, his English teacher.
Records show that his father, Dean Tilley, is a patrol sergeant for the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and his stepmother, who co-owns the motorcycle, is a nurse.
Tilley's mother, Mary, died of a sudden illness a decade ago when Tilley was 10. There's a toddler playground in Oakdale named after her; she helped transform an old dump into the park.
Tilley purchased his 2002 Honda RC51 last summer from Tousley Motorsports in White Bear Lake, where he once worked. Tousley President Larry Koch insists Tilley is a nice guy.
"But I really want to ask him: 'What in the hell were you thinking?' " Koch said.
Meeting the legend
Devin Harrington, 32, of Minneapolis, was among the thousands of riders on the Flood Run along Hwy. 61 on Sept. 18. Stopping for gas near Wabasha, he remembers seeing a clean-cut kid wearing jeans and racing boots and sitting on a curb as riders sped past.
Curious, Harrington asked him what happened. The rider said his bike was towed because he got a speeding ticket.
In a "smart-alecky way," Harrington asked how fast was he going. Nonchalantly, Tilley told him, "Well, they gave me a ticket for 205."
"Bull!" Harrington blurted out, only to have Tilley show him the ticket to prove it. Harrington had a buddy take a picture of the ticket with his cell phone for posterity.
That ticket lists fines of $215 for going 140 mph over the limit, $115 for failing to have his motorcycle endorsement with him and a reckless driving charge. Tilley is scheduled to appear in Wabasha County Court on Oct. 25.
Four days later, Harrington had forgotten the whole matter, when his dentist brought it up while checking his teeth. The kid on the sidewalk, he realized, had become a cause cйlиbre.
"This is hilarious," said Harrington, who has been riding for 17 years. "Now, we'll have some idiot trying to top that mark, whether it is true or not. They will try killing themselves, for what? To see who's the fastest?"
Reaction to Tilley's ticket has motorcycle enthusiasts across the country spinning their wheels. Not only is it the record speeding ticket in Minnesota, but it reportedly tops William Faenza's national record ticket for going 182 mph in a Lamborghini Diablo in Pennsylvania last spring. And Faenza's ride had four wheels.
"He's upset the whole sport bike world," said Erie Presley, 43, of Salt Lake City. "Not so much that he broke the law, but he apparently broke several racing records, and we're wondering if he really did it."
Glenn Conser, president of the Motorcycle Roadracing Association in Denver, has tracked all the chatter on Web sites.
"It's been funny to read the different reactions that go from: 'Wow, how cool is that,' to 'What a moron!' " Conser said.
Tim Carrithers, editor of Motorcyclist magazine in Los Angeles, said his phone rang nonstop as word of Tilley's speed spread nationwide.
"The guy couldn't have gone that fast, no way," said Carrithers, adding that his staff members once clocked an RC51 at a high of 163 mph during a magazine review of the bike in 2000. "There's no street bike in stock that will approach that speed."
Dean of speed
No one in Minnesota knows more about speed than Marv Jorgenson, 63, owner of Chopper City in Fridley. He's been racing motorcycles and boats for 45 years and holds a world snowmobile record of 190 mph.
Jorgenson was among the Flood Run riders. He even saw Loney's plane clocking the bikers and warned his fellow riders to watch out. With countless bikes going about 70 mph, Jorgenson wonders how someone going three times that fast wouldn't run over riders ahead.
"It was like rush hour out there," he said. "I don't know how you can call a trooper a liar, but if the bike's not capable of going that fast ... ."
Jorgenson said the bike's fuel-injection system would cut out unless expensive modifications were made. Nate Northrup, one of Tilley's coworkers at Tousley said he remembers Tilley adding on a set of slip-on exhaust mufflers.
"They're supposed to add a little bit of horsepower, but I don't think they do anything but make a lot of noise," said Northrup.
Edwards, the editor of Cycle World, said a turbo charger would need to be added to get Tilley's bike north of 165 mph.
"There are lots of guys who have been spending a lot of money and a lot of years at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah trying to join the official 200 Club and most still haven't done it," Edwards said. "It's a pretty remarkable feat to go that fast on a motorcycle and I doubt that's what happened here."
Edwards said he once rode a bike at 175 mph.
"Between the wind tearing at you, the engine screaming and the leather flapping, it's not a fun place to be," he said.
And Koch, Tilley's former boss, figures the butt-kicking that the 200-mph man probably received from his patrol-sergeant father wasn't much of a fun place to be either.
"But when this is all over," Koch said, "he can get a jacket that reads: 'I'm the fastest man in Minnesota and I have a ticket to prove it, too.' "
Librarian Linda Sack and staff writer Matt McKinney contributed to this report.
Ticket revs up 205-mph questions
Terry Collins and Curt Brown, Star Tribune
September 26, 2004 FASTBIKES0926
To some, he's a folk hero. Others are calling him an idiot.
Everybody, it seems, is talking about Samuel Armstrong Tilley, the 20-year-old Stillwater motorcyclist ticketed last weekend for going 205 miles per hour on Hwy. 61 near Wabasha.
Consider it the ticket heard 'round the world.
In the week since a State Patrol pilot's stopwatch clocked Tilley's Honda RC51 at historic speeds, every gear-head chatroom, mechanic's garage and biker bar from Sturgis, S.D., to Los Angeles has been buzzing about Tilley's alleged exploits.
A photo of the ticket has been posted on the Web (http: //www.thesmokinggun.com/ archive/0922042speed1.html).
Tilley was even the talk of Two-Wheel Tuesday, a national cable TV fix for motorcycle aficionados on the Speed Channel.
SpeculatorsJudy GriesedieckStar TribuneAll of which prompts a couple questions: How could a so-called crotch rocket, with limited gear ratios, go that fast amid thousands of riders on the annual Flood Run along the bluffs north of Winona?
And why has Tilley suddenly become an urban legend?
"Certainly anyone who flouts the law to that extent is seen by some as a latter-day Robin Hood, flying in the face of authority and doing stuff we all want to do but common sense stops us from," said David Edwards, editor-in-chief of Cycle World, a popular magazine out of Newport Beach, Calif.
"Basically, it's like stepping out of a small airplane, if indeed he was going 200 mph," said Edwards, who like many experts, doubts Tilley topped 200 mph.
"It's extremely unlikely that that bike was going that fast," he said. "More likely, the cop with the stopwatch had an itchy trigger finger."
State Patrol pilot Al Loney, a 27-year veteran, and his superiors stand by their stopwatch, which clocked Tilley going a quarter-mile in 4.39 seconds.
Among the doubters is former St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney, who was riding a Boss Hoss bike with a V-8 car engine during the Flood Run.
"The most common viewpoint is: That Honda could not have done 205 miles per hour," Finney said. "There are Suzukis that can go 180 miles per hour out of the crate, and racing Hondas may get there after spending a million bucks on them. That 200 miles per hour is a tough nut to crack, but those crotch-rocket guys are a whole other breed."
Who is Tilley?
The only one who knows for sure how fast Tilley was going isn't talking. Tilley did not return numerous reporters' calls for his side of the story.
He was born in New Ulm and graduated last spring from Stillwater High School.
"He was a cocky kid, kind of arrogant," said Laurie Hansen, his English teacher.
Records show that his father, Dean Tilley, is a patrol sergeant for the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and his stepmother, who co-owns the motorcycle, is a nurse.
Tilley's mother, Mary, died of a sudden illness a decade ago when Tilley was 10. There's a toddler playground in Oakdale named after her; she helped transform an old dump into the park.
Tilley purchased his 2002 Honda RC51 last summer from Tousley Motorsports in White Bear Lake, where he once worked. Tousley President Larry Koch insists Tilley is a nice guy.
"But I really want to ask him: 'What in the hell were you thinking?' " Koch said.
Meeting the legend
Devin Harrington, 32, of Minneapolis, was among the thousands of riders on the Flood Run along Hwy. 61 on Sept. 18. Stopping for gas near Wabasha, he remembers seeing a clean-cut kid wearing jeans and racing boots and sitting on a curb as riders sped past.
Curious, Harrington asked him what happened. The rider said his bike was towed because he got a speeding ticket.
In a "smart-alecky way," Harrington asked how fast was he going. Nonchalantly, Tilley told him, "Well, they gave me a ticket for 205."
"Bull!" Harrington blurted out, only to have Tilley show him the ticket to prove it. Harrington had a buddy take a picture of the ticket with his cell phone for posterity.
That ticket lists fines of $215 for going 140 mph over the limit, $115 for failing to have his motorcycle endorsement with him and a reckless driving charge. Tilley is scheduled to appear in Wabasha County Court on Oct. 25.
Four days later, Harrington had forgotten the whole matter, when his dentist brought it up while checking his teeth. The kid on the sidewalk, he realized, had become a cause cйlиbre.
"This is hilarious," said Harrington, who has been riding for 17 years. "Now, we'll have some idiot trying to top that mark, whether it is true or not. They will try killing themselves, for what? To see who's the fastest?"
Reaction to Tilley's ticket has motorcycle enthusiasts across the country spinning their wheels. Not only is it the record speeding ticket in Minnesota, but it reportedly tops William Faenza's national record ticket for going 182 mph in a Lamborghini Diablo in Pennsylvania last spring. And Faenza's ride had four wheels.
"He's upset the whole sport bike world," said Erie Presley, 43, of Salt Lake City. "Not so much that he broke the law, but he apparently broke several racing records, and we're wondering if he really did it."
Glenn Conser, president of the Motorcycle Roadracing Association in Denver, has tracked all the chatter on Web sites.
"It's been funny to read the different reactions that go from: 'Wow, how cool is that,' to 'What a moron!' " Conser said.
Tim Carrithers, editor of Motorcyclist magazine in Los Angeles, said his phone rang nonstop as word of Tilley's speed spread nationwide.
"The guy couldn't have gone that fast, no way," said Carrithers, adding that his staff members once clocked an RC51 at a high of 163 mph during a magazine review of the bike in 2000. "There's no street bike in stock that will approach that speed."
Dean of speed
No one in Minnesota knows more about speed than Marv Jorgenson, 63, owner of Chopper City in Fridley. He's been racing motorcycles and boats for 45 years and holds a world snowmobile record of 190 mph.
Jorgenson was among the Flood Run riders. He even saw Loney's plane clocking the bikers and warned his fellow riders to watch out. With countless bikes going about 70 mph, Jorgenson wonders how someone going three times that fast wouldn't run over riders ahead.
"It was like rush hour out there," he said. "I don't know how you can call a trooper a liar, but if the bike's not capable of going that fast ... ."
Jorgenson said the bike's fuel-injection system would cut out unless expensive modifications were made. Nate Northrup, one of Tilley's coworkers at Tousley said he remembers Tilley adding on a set of slip-on exhaust mufflers.
"They're supposed to add a little bit of horsepower, but I don't think they do anything but make a lot of noise," said Northrup.
Edwards, the editor of Cycle World, said a turbo charger would need to be added to get Tilley's bike north of 165 mph.
"There are lots of guys who have been spending a lot of money and a lot of years at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah trying to join the official 200 Club and most still haven't done it," Edwards said. "It's a pretty remarkable feat to go that fast on a motorcycle and I doubt that's what happened here."
Edwards said he once rode a bike at 175 mph.
"Between the wind tearing at you, the engine screaming and the leather flapping, it's not a fun place to be," he said.
And Koch, Tilley's former boss, figures the butt-kicking that the 200-mph man probably received from his patrol-sergeant father wasn't much of a fun place to be either.
"But when this is all over," Koch said, "he can get a jacket that reads: 'I'm the fastest man in Minnesota and I have a ticket to prove it, too.' "
Librarian Linda Sack and staff writer Matt McKinney contributed to this report.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
What to do when the light wont change.
Tired of sitting at red light because the sensors didnt detect your motorcycle?
Now, Riders have a defense if they are ticked forviolating an unchanged traffic control signal.
What this means is that if you are ticketed for turning or riding through a red light at an intersection,you have a legal defense.This law was inacted in minnesota aug.2003.
It does not give you the right to blow through Red Lights!
If ticketed you must prove in court,the following 4 items in order to have the case dissmissed.
1. The motorcycle was brought to a complete stop.
2.the traffic control light was showing a red signal for a unreasonable amount of time.
3.The traffic control signal is apparantly malfunctioning or it aparently failed to detect the arival of a motorcycle.
4.No motor vehicle or person was aproaching the on the street or highway to be crossed or entered or was so far away that it does not cause an immediate hazard
Tired of sitting at red light because the sensors didnt detect your motorcycle?
Now, Riders have a defense if they are ticked forviolating an unchanged traffic control signal.
What this means is that if you are ticketed for turning or riding through a red light at an intersection,you have a legal defense.This law was inacted in minnesota aug.2003.
It does not give you the right to blow through Red Lights!
If ticketed you must prove in court,the following 4 items in order to have the case dissmissed.
1. The motorcycle was brought to a complete stop.
2.the traffic control light was showing a red signal for a unreasonable amount of time.
3.The traffic control signal is apparantly malfunctioning or it aparently failed to detect the arival of a motorcycle.
4.No motor vehicle or person was aproaching the on the street or highway to be crossed or entered or was so far away that it does not cause an immediate hazard
Friday, February 27, 2004
Welcome to Swift Motorcycle Co.'s Excelsior-Henderson
Parts and Accessory Site
A message from the E-H team at Swift Motorcycle Co.
EH Parts.com can now process credit cards on-line!! We are sorry for the inconvenience in the past and are looking forward to better serving you in the future..
When we first purchased the equipment, inventory and fixtures from the Excelsior-Henderson plant in Belle Plaine we honestly didn't know much of the history and people behind the name. Since spending 7 weeks in the Town of Belle Plaine, getting to know the likes of John, Dr. Dave, Tommy, Pat, Waz, Chris and others, the name has come to mean something to us.
Somewhere along the way our names were added to the internet bulletin-boards and suddenly dozens of messages flooded our E-Mail accounts daily. These e-mail messages were between Super X riders helping each other through mechanical and sometimes social problems. Offering tips and workarounds, and generally trying to Keep the bikes on the road.
With this insight into the builders and riders of Super X motorcycles we recognized that there was something we wanted to be a part of. We got some of the mules running on our own time, in our own garages and started riding them to work. We pushed to get the parts unloaded first-even before the assembly line equipment.
New priority was placed on getting the parts off the trailers, on the shelves and make them available for sale. Finally, as of July 15th we will begin shipping parts.
So, thank you for your patience and bare with us as we get organized.
Sincerely,
Joe Newlon
Wayne Bulkley
Jason Perkins
Randy Goff
Parts and Accessory Site
A message from the E-H team at Swift Motorcycle Co.
EH Parts.com can now process credit cards on-line!! We are sorry for the inconvenience in the past and are looking forward to better serving you in the future..
When we first purchased the equipment, inventory and fixtures from the Excelsior-Henderson plant in Belle Plaine we honestly didn't know much of the history and people behind the name. Since spending 7 weeks in the Town of Belle Plaine, getting to know the likes of John, Dr. Dave, Tommy, Pat, Waz, Chris and others, the name has come to mean something to us.
Somewhere along the way our names were added to the internet bulletin-boards and suddenly dozens of messages flooded our E-Mail accounts daily. These e-mail messages were between Super X riders helping each other through mechanical and sometimes social problems. Offering tips and workarounds, and generally trying to Keep the bikes on the road.
With this insight into the builders and riders of Super X motorcycles we recognized that there was something we wanted to be a part of. We got some of the mules running on our own time, in our own garages and started riding them to work. We pushed to get the parts unloaded first-even before the assembly line equipment.
New priority was placed on getting the parts off the trailers, on the shelves and make them available for sale. Finally, as of July 15th we will begin shipping parts.
So, thank you for your patience and bare with us as we get organized.
Sincerely,
Joe Newlon
Wayne Bulkley
Jason Perkins
Randy Goff
GhostRiders Inc is your source for SWIFT Motorcycles. We are an exclusive SWIFT MotorCycle authorized dealer located in LakeVille, Minnesota. USA. Visit our showroom to see our current inventory or contact us to order your own personalized SWIFT custom motorcycle.
SWIFT Motorcycle Company manufactures a line of motorcycles that combines the brawny appearance and raw power of a ground-up custom motorcycle with the style, quality and value of a producton bike.
SWIFT Motorcycle Company manufactures a line of motorcycles that combines the brawny appearance and raw power of a ground-up custom motorcycle with the style, quality and value of a producton bike.
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