American Exceptionalism, Today, Tomorrow, Forever

As you might well imagine, we here at Chrome Asylum are pretty fond of the good old U.S. of A.; from cheeseburgers to Harley's, Bay Watch to the second amendment and a bunch of other cool stuff in between, we think America's about the best thing that's happened to this big blue sphere in the last 240 or so years. Period. It's just that obvious, right..........

But no, it seems every damn week (since old K Marx was knee high to the proletariat that is.....go ahead, look it up) we find ourselves subjected to the nihilistic musings of some effete, concave chested, couldn't hold on to his lunch money in grade school, left leaning, ivy school "credentialed" puke, fairly bursting with the "news" that America is slipping........that the long global nightmare of U.S. political, industrial and social leadership is over. A new world order is in the making!..........sorry, I think I threw up a little bit in my mouth.

Armed with uncontained contempt for the great unwashed (that would be you and I my friend, and anyone else without a Che t-shirt and an RSS feed to the Huff Post), these nitwits assail their hapless readers with endless "facts" to back their idiotic assertions. Allow me only to highlight, subjecting you to a more detailed analysis would only serve to make your eyes bleed.

Most "America is soon to be toast" articles start with some sort of quantitative analysis; stuff like number of patents issued, steel exports, super-computers, student test scores, number of political prisoners murdered (oops, my bad on that last one), etc. The premise being, if the U.S. is lagging in terms of these key "indicators" (which amazingly enough it always is.....can you say "stacked deck?") then naturally America is falling behind, which of course means China and India, are leaping ahead to fulfill their rightful role as global leaders. Yeah sure.

First off, as is so often the case with the "best and the brightest" (you know, the very same folks that brought you the financial melt-down, the housing bubble, green jobs, reckless government spending, and endless "bail-outs"......etc.,etc., etc.) and their manic obsession with "the numbers", their analysis totally misses the mark. Unfortunately, vomiting endless streams of data, facts and figures (no matter how tortured the underlying "analysis"), while comforting to those not gifted with the slightest modicum of common sense, rarely leads to insightful conclusions.

In short, these over educated bozo's mistake the manipulation of data (this might be a good point to start chanting "correlation is not causation".....there could be a test), for true wisdom and insight. How do I know this, you mean other than the fact that they completely miss the central point of their own arguments? Easy, American exceptionalism has absolutely nothing to do with economic metrics. It's far simpler than that, which is precisely why the smarties never quite get it.

Here's the deal, simply put America's singular greatness rests entirely on the U.S.'s fundamental underpinnings of individual liberty and the rule of law. The primacy of the individual, and not the state, along with the guarantee of those rights by the constitution is the real engine of the economic miracle that is the United States of America. Without individual liberty; creativity, innovation, and invention are all but impossible. America's "source" of exceptionalism is therefore almost limitless........alas, the same cannot be said of either China or India.

Putting aside for a moment the fact that both China and India have enormous populations, a fact that is sure to be a source of much grief in the not so very distant future (that's a lot of folks that are gonna wake up one day demanding big screens, Lucky jeans, a decent wage and free speech......yikes), how does each country stack up in terms of solid economic/political foundations? Sadly not well at all..........sorry Ameri-haters.

Let's start with China, the world's source of all things cheap, home of the lowest bidder, from steel to Mardi Gras beads, if it can be made for next to nothing, China's slave labor work force will grind it out. Too harsh? You tell me. China's communist; yes I said communist, (lest you forget........these are basically the same folks that brought you the Cultural Revolution, only tens of millions killed in that little social experiment) form of government is a completely morally bankrupt, corrupt, brutal dictatorship.

The average Chinese citizen has no basic human rights as we in the west would recognize them. Freedom of speech? Please. Rule of law? You have to be joking. Freedom of the press? Of course, as long as you're towing the party line......."don't make us turn off the Internet", again. Oh, and how about the right to peaceful assembly and protest? Guess we could ask that student that stood up to the battle tank in Tianamen Square...........if he's still alive. The fact is, China's people live under a brutal totalitarian regime, and if current events have shown us anything, it seems that the relentless tide of human liberty is a bitch..........if you're one of the unfortunates propping up the ruling junta that is. China's days are numbered.......

But what about the Chinese economic "miracle"? Forgetting just for a moment the toll that "miracle" has taken on the very people it should actually be lifting up, most of it is just smoke and mirrors that is eventually doomed to the landfill (biodegradable one only hopes) of history. The currency and capital market is manipulated beyond reality, while stupidly restrictive domestic  tariffs ensure that China doesn't have to compete with the rest of the world. Worse yet, most of China's technical and industrial "innovation" is the result of outright theft of intellectual property and corporate espionage.....encouraged by the government no less!! Remember that whole rule of law thing?

Lastly, of the 1.4 billion or so Chinese, a staggering 650 million live in abject poverty, on less than $5 a day, with little or no hope of changing their current situation. This is not a recipe for long term stability, you can only build so many dams, "ghost cities", and the like before the string runs out on the scam. For almost half the population, there has been no "economic miracle", and worse yet, they know it. China is a house of cards, plain and simple, and in the long run, at least in it's present form, is doomed to failure.

Same holds true for India, but for different reasons...........while it's true that India is a "democracy", the world's biggest don't ya know.........always an impressive stat for our pointy headed ivy leaguers, it suffers from the iron grip of an ancient caste system. They don't like to acknowledge it, but it's there, and in full force as a major roadblock to upward mobility. And let's not forget the almost complete lack of infrastructure virtually everywhere but major population centers (this is equally true for the Peoples Republic.......the delicious irony of that moniker), and the iron grip of grinding poverty that is the luckless fate of most Indian's. Throw in religious unrest, sectarian violence, a neighbor (Pakistan) that would like nothing better than a flimsy excuse to lob over a few nukes, and the prospects for the blossoming of individual liberty and long term economic growth is shaky at best.

Here's the deal, are India and China enjoying massive economic growth? Yes they are, without doubt. But that's not the point. The point is, when arguing that the U.S.'s economy and world influence is in decline, while China and India elbow each other for bragging rights to the top rung of the ladder, the chattering classes miss the fundamental flaw in their analysis. China and India are not free countries, at least not in terms of guaranteeing individual liberty to their citizens so that they can pursue their destiny as they see fit. Whether it's ancient custom or a brutal regime, the good and decent people of these countries are not free to maximise their individual potentials, which in turn limits the ultimate achievement of their respective economic systems.

No question, the U.S. is facing daunting economic, political and social challenges, many of which, if left unresolved could have far reaching consequences.........but we face them as a free people, working within the construct of a system designed to ensure that very freedom. That's an inherent advantage not easily overcome..........and as long as we adhere to our founding principles and ideals, we will continue to be the worlds leader and shining light for all those people that strive for individual liberty. There's never been another nation on earth like the United States, and had that lucky coincidence not occurred, had there been no U.S. of A., I can pretty much guarantee that the world we occupy now would be a much darker place..........

OK, off my box, rant over.........and for those of you that expected the normal dose of motorcycle news, riding tips, Harley-Davidson riding reviews, and cool customs, I apologize.........we'll get back on track, as a matter of fact, we've got another "Sturgis or Die" posting teed up and ready to go, as well as some product reviews.

Sturgis Or Die, Day Eight

I have to start out by saying I made a serious omission in yesterday’s report. In the interest of full disclosure, I should have mentioned that Vince was pulled over by Rapid City PD for speeding in the downtown business district (he was reportedly looking for a Wal-Mart)....35mph in a 20mph zone. Any guess as to if he got cited.....hint; he's a retired deputy. Bingo! The official score is two police stops and zero cites.....that's 100% boys and girls.

Nate, Vince, and JP change out battery

Today we had to say goodbye to Sturgis and all the lovely bartenders at the Full Throttle (a tear in every eye to be sure) and begin the journey home. Being the intrepid explorers that we are, our return trip will take a different route than the eastward leg. Up early, we're pretty keen to hit the road. We load up, all a little heavier than when we arrived..........no, it's not the beer and the burgers, it's the swag.

Walking to my bike I notice.......spots. You've got to be kidding me! Every night on the trip I had covered my bike (following the old axiom that unseen is "unstolen", not to mention that it keeps the rig just that much cleaner........always a good thing). As you can imagine, between my cover and the Vault disc lock, I've taken a fair amount of good natured grief, "....he's putting his bike into DEFCON 5 mode!" Stuff like that.

So I figure what the hell, it's parked right in front of the hotel, it's a nice night, I'll just leave it "exposed"..........and it flippin' rains!! The first of the trip as a matter of fact......we're all wiping down our rigs. Except for the lads.......they see the grime as a sort of badge of honor and won't remove a single bug. To each their own.

A quick breakfast (one of those free hotel jobs), some petrol, and we're on our way. The sun is brilliant and the temperature is tolerable. Time to make some time, we've got over 300 miles to cover today. We'll be heading west on Interstate 90 to Hardin Montana. It's fast and hard miles. Once west of Sturgis the terrain turns to rolling prairie grasses and an occasional tree. It's stark and beautiful. There's a strong cross wind buffeting the Harley’s, no big deal, but it gets your attention. The further west we go the sun burns even hotter, with all the late nights, fatigue makes itself known....at least for the author. We see more and more bikes heading east, the rally has about a week to go and the numbers are growing and growing fast. We sorta get the feeling we're heading in the wrong direction!

So far, so good, we're making time..........it's been a charmed trip. Sort of. About six miles out from our planned gas stop in Gillette Wyoming, the fates decide to test young JP. Without warning his vests side lacing decides to unravel, turning his stylish biker kit into a big ass leather blindfold. Simultaneously, the bike sputters as it hits reserve (Vince and I had just been talking about the fact that the FXSR was about at the end of its range.....how right we were!). Blind and almost out of gas.............cool. JP deftly regains his composure, even saves his cell phone from scattering on the asphalt....although a few priceless souvenirs from Sturgis are lost forever (you'll have to ask JP for more details as to what exactly so sadly met its end on the side of the road). Nate and I motor to the next exit and pull off...........right into the waiting parking lot of "Deluxe Harley Davidson", how lucky can we get? We're about to find out.........as I learn over the Chatter Box the 1990 Dyna is reluctant to start, not cool. A quick note on Chatter Boxes......for a trip of any length, they are an absolute must. They de-stress the ride, no guessing or stupid hand signals, you can keep the group organized much more easily. And you can play "movie dialog quotes".....it'll keep you entertained for miles. I would recommend the higher end version with multiple channels (ours only have two) so you don't get bombarded by others conversations when you're near towns and cities.

With a little coaxing, father, uncle and son get the bike going again............and head down the freeway, right passed Nate and I!! I scramble for my helmet so I can get on the Chatter Box. With contact restored, I find out that Vince didn't really know which exit we took. He decides to get gas first, then head back to the dealership. The bike starts at the station and the three head back to meet up with us.

Sure it's a battery problem, our fingers are crossed that our new favorite Harley dealer (OK, second favorite....McGuire's is my number one, hands down) will have the proper battery in stock. Will the trip stay "charmed"? A quick check in the backroom and the answer is........YES! We're back in business. Nate and Vince change out the old battery (six years old to be exact.......the notoriously thrifty old man pushed that battery to the limit....tisk, tisk) in a matter of minutes. Off we go.

National Cemetery at Little Big Horn Battlegound

Just east of Hardin is the Little Big Horn Battleground.......a must see historical sight for the group. This is doubly true for Vince as circumstances had prevented him from making the stop on not one, but two separate trips. The third time would indeed be a charm. The site is stunning and quite unlike I imagined it to be......we watch a short video about the battle, then take a walking tour. You cannot help but be moved by what took place on this very ground so long ago. The fact that the park serves as a National Cemetery adds to the reverential mood of place. By all means, make the stop if you're in the area, worth every minute.

Only a couple of miles from Hardin and a shower and a bed, we knock out the remaining few miles. Checked in we walk across the street for dinner at Shawna's..... a casino/steakhouse. Our server is the owner Shawna herself. Friendly and genuine, we know we've made a good choice. The joint is small and full of mostly locals. The steaks are amazing (this after all cattle country), and the drinks are flowing. We laugh, play a bit of "name that tune", and rehash the day's ride. When the check comes.....delivered by Shawna, she smiles and says "......the drinks were on the house, thanks a lot guys". When's the last time you've experienced that at your local Applebee's? I don't know if you'll get a free beer, but I do know you'll get a great steak and fries. Don't pass up the "Central Hardin exit".

Mark, Vince, Nate, JP

Tomorrow we have a short  hop to Cody...........I'm told the scenery and the road is fantastic. Time to get some rest.

Hey Toto, Kansas Rocks!

Who knew that Kansas; fly-over state, home to stout college hoops and the occasional trailer-park clearing twister, was also a land of enlightened lawmaking? Rest assured it is dear Chromies......witness the recently passed "Dead Red" bill.

According to Fox News;

"The Kansas House on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow bikers to run a red light if the signal "fails" to turn green after a "reasonable period of time." The proposal leaves the discretion in the hands of the motorcyclist, but is aimed at ensuring riders don't get trapped in perpetuity at intersections because of signals that either malfunction or don't detect the motorcycles." 

A moment of silence for the collective wisdom of the Jayhawk state law-givers! How many times have you sat frustrated at a signal while it cycles yet again, never giving you the green? OK, me neither, but at least now you can bomb through without the threat of John Law waking from his slumber just in time to clock in and do his share of revenue generation for the day, and slapping you with a completely unjustified citation. If you reside in Kansas of course.........almost reason enough to move!

Imagine, letting the rider decide when it's safe to proceed.........yeah, that's why this tidbit of legislative wisdom has about as much chance of becoming law in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia as Charlie Sheen does becoming a spokesman for AA. Ah, dare to dream............oh, and major props to ABATE for their work in getting the law passed..........way to go my friends!

Sturgis Or Die, Day Seven

Head hurts, mouth is dry............oh yeah, the Full Throttle Saloon. Couple that with the fact that I was blogging (at least I hope that's what I was doing!) until about 5am, and I'm in no shape to go on any long sight-seeing  ride today. The good news? Neither is any one else in the crew......well, truth is Mark is pretty spunky, but the rest of us are through. Plans change...........Mt. Rushmore is gonna have to wait until another trip. No big deal, we'll regroup.

Just when you thought it couldn't get more crowded

First cool day of the trip, overcast sky, temps in the low 70's.......a major storm rolled through in the night just north and east of us, our luck continues. The lads decide to hang with Nate while he gets some more LED's mounted up to the mighty Road Glide, after they hit the civic center to look at all the new Harleys and catch a stunt show (stunting a Harley, think about it!), the three old guys head to downtown (Rapid City) to check out a gun store.

The store is impressive, lot's of stock, cool stuff you can't get (legally that is) in the People's Republic of Kalifornia. We then walk down the street to the Firehouse Brew Pub for lunch. Very tasty, had a buffalo burger.........and we were treated to card tricks after our meal, the kid was good, real good.

Trust me, I'm smiling on the inside

Not to be out done by the boys we take a short jaunt to the civic center to look at the new rigs. Way cool stuff......the new Screamin' Eagle Road Glide is sick, (we know for a fact that Nate is already calculating how he can score one) and the mods to the touring line are pretty trick too. I harass a couple of HD engineers about the new XR-1200; "So when you guys gonna release it in the states, huh, huh?" Nothing. They don't give up a thing........but one of them does say he's put a lot of miles on a test mule, "It's a real sport bike, nothing like the Harleys we know. Dare to dream I suppose.

Not everyone's on a Harley

Feeling somewhat better, we head off to Sturgis to wander around and see what we haven't yet seen (it would take a full week, so we're kinda kidding ourselves), and pick up some last minute swag. The sky has cleared, but it's still not nearly as hot as it's been, so it's a little easier to walk the streets.

And the streets are full, the Rally crowd has really started to swell, it's total gridlock in all directions from the center of town. The scene is even more over the top.....more crazy bikes, more freaks and characters, more woman almost wearing clothes......and a few that should rush back to the motel and put on some more. We're just digging the sights........the cops have the street in front of Pee Wee's blocked, over twenty including dogs. H.A. guys everywhere, a stand-off, a show of force. And just as quick the cops split....."guess they showed us" one of the H.A. members sniffed when I asked him what was going on.



More and more club guys can be seen; Boozefighters, Sons of Silence, and more. They keep to themsleves, and help the posers feel tough........sort of a “badass umbrella effect” I guess. We decide to blow off the Buffalo Chip and Kid Rock, we're still tired and we've got to do about 300 miles tomorrow. One more soft serve cone and its a bun run back to Rapid City. We need to eat and pack.

Regrouped we dine at the Ruby Tuesdays next to our hotel. Good meal, friendly server. Early night tonight, no bloggin'  until five am. We're on our way to Hardin Montana tomorrow...........and I'm told the roads are fantastic. Time to turn in.............

Daytona Bike Week Blues

Quick, get 911 on the horn and call out the "Whaambulance", yours truly won't be seen at Bike Week this year.............sniff, sniff. Yes, for the first time in decades my bros on Main Street will have to carry the torch, and bottles without their spiritual leader in tow. Oh the shame......

Ah the memories, the old days racing at the Speedway........bet you didn't know that our little road race team, lead by myself and one notorious "NG" (trust me, Doug and Dixie knew what they were doing when they named that lad) was one of the hottest supersport efforts of the late 90's. No really.

Co-sponsored by Suzuki we competed in the hotly contested 600 and 750 supersport classes......and dear reader, unlike today, there was some depth on the grid.........hell the first few rows of 600 were ALL factory machines........these days I'm pretty sure row three is reserved for top club novices.....but I digress. Our little rag-tag army; Carl, Seamus, John E, Randy, turned out some of the most beautiful and competitive machines in the paddock. How good you ask?

Good enough that future Daytona 200 winners and national champions the likes of Steve Rapp, Jake Zemke and Roger Lee Hayden all made their professional road racing debut's riding for our team. You could say old NG had an eye for talent...........me? I made sure the stickers were on straight, so what if everyone went into fits of hysterics when they saw the term "master mechanic" on my AMA hardcard ID..........whatever.

Ah the memories..........arguing with the always helpful Speedway security shock troops, these guys were usually retired NYPD, so you can imagine the people skills. Carrying team members out of, ah, "gentleman's club" only moments before the cops raided the place (yeah, it happened), begging parts from other teams after we had blown through all our "spares" by Thursday..........honestly, I've never had so much fun.

But that was years ago, more recently my Bike Week adventures centered around Harley folks and all things custom. Usually I'd sneak off, camera and notepad in hand........(yeah, I know, how biker is that!?) and spend hours scouring the streets and lots looking for the "next thing". Funny, you learn a lot when you're actually out among folks, asking questions, listening.......one thing about your average biker, he'll tell you what's on his mind.........no matter how long it takes.

Seriously, it was a blast, from the Rat's Hole show, to Main Street, to some of the hole-in-the-wall bars out of town, to the amazing young guns at the Limpnickie Lot, if you're into the American V-Twin scene, Bike Week is not to be missed.........it's no Sturgis, and in some respects, Laughlin and Street Vibe have it beat for shear raw biker vibe........but the mass of peeps, variety of motorsport, and Daytona history make it a bucket list must.

And you're gonna have to do it without me...........but I'll be at the Ocean Deck if only in spirit, toasting you all with a frosty cold one, or two...... so off you go you lucky bums and Bike Week your little booties off..........I promise not to hate you for it..........not much!   

Motorcycling's Passion....Best Video Ever?

I was turned on to this video by Steve Johnson, the top guy over at Tucker Rocky, one of the powersports industries biggest and best distributors, and I have to say it's flat amazing. More than any other piece of video I've seen in years, this one captures the magic and passion that draws us all into motorcycling, and in doing so frankly transcends motorcycling entirely. And yes, it was produced for a bank!? I really don't want to set the piece up.........just click on the link and enjoy...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vksdBSVAM6g

2011 Indy Dealer Expo.....The Powersports Industry Lives!

Another Dealer Expo in Indy has come and gone; hands were shaken, drinks were drinked, massive amounts of food were consumed (Slippery Noodle Inn, burgers and blues, you simply have to go), and just like every prior year, I'm pretty sure some business got done as well........and the fact that there was business to be done at all is a very good thing. As you know the last few years haven't been particularly gentle for the good folks in the powersports industry.

A cool Road Glide trike......who knew!?

I should explain that this particular Expo was a bit of a first for me, after over two decades of loyal annual attendance (yeah, I remember when it was in Cincinnati....hell hole!) I was no longer playing my accustomed  role of a powersports retailer, plying the hallowed halls in search of yet another vendor/distributor/manufacturer to put the bite on........that must be why no one ran off this year, faking an urgent meeting! It was great to reconnect with old friends......at least those that didn't bolt.

No downsized booth for the Dunlop crew

Instead I was graciously offered an opportunity to work with Advanstar (these are the folks that produce the event, and put me up in the just opened JW Marriott, the best hotel ever.....thanks Tracy) team as a "Pillar Leader" for the marketing group in the Leadership Experience seminar program. My role was very behind the scenes, and given the top level of talent that Advanstar had recruited for the program, I had it pretty easy. The marketing group covered the gambit of topical issues such as; social media, e-commerce, email marketing campaigns and more. The feedback from session attendees was overwhelmingly positive, which tells me that if your future plans involve the Indy Dealer Expo, you owe it to yourself and your business to check out the Learning Experience. Special thanks to the marketing crew, you guys were a joy to work with; Heather Blessington and Peggy Olson (www.duowebsolutions.com), Craig Cervenka (www.edgenet.com) and Cat Mac Leod (www.bluepillproductions.com).

Being more or less free; only when my talent wrangling duties permitted of course, to slink about the exhibits I came away from the weekend cautiously optimistic about the industries future. Yes, attendance appeared to be off, and rather significantly, but given the carnage in the motorcycle market that has to be expected. Downsized booths were visible everywhere, as were some notable companies deciding to give the event a pass.........but that said, there was a pervasive positive energy to the whole event. Oh sure, dealers were looking for the next new thing, and hefty discounts on that next new thing to be sure, but they were also looking for strategies, insights, and tactics that would allow them to take advantage of the massive opportunities to gain market share in the current selling environment.....no doubt one of the reasons the Leadership Experience was so well attended.

Oh damn, I love this bike....and one will be mine, believe that

The powersports industry seems well on its way to adapting to the "new normal"; reduced sales volume, higher operating costs (OK, maybe not rent, if you're a business owner and have not gone after your landlord for rent concessions, I'm ashamed.......no really, don't even talk to me), and an uncertain near term economic environment. That said, interest in the sport of motorcycling is extremely strong. Make no mistake, motorcyclings appeal just may be at an all time high, the notion that motorcycling was had somehow outlived it's "time" is a bunch of dung. And stinky dung at that.

Cool custom, don't know if it won people's choice

Couple the passion of those in the business still standing with the rabid enthusiasm of the average motorcycle owner/rider and my guess is the industry will not only survive, but thrive for years to come..........bet on it.