American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 247 February 2020 | Page 64

NEWS 2020 Tucker V-Twin
BRIEFS Catalog Now Online
More from the H-D new model
rumor mill - this time about
another possible mid-cycle
launch. It is thought to be a
114" anniversary issue Softail,
as at early January 2020 is
apparently already in
production.
Tucker Powersports has added Motul
lubricants to its portfolio of
distributed brands, including its 2017
introduced and domestic U.S.
formulated/manufactured 100%
synthetic Twin Oils line.
Headquartered in France and
founded more than 150 years ago,
Motul is noted for its innovation and
commitment to automotive and
motorcycle racing, supporting race
series such as AMA Flat Track and the
Roland Sands Super Hooligans
among others.
Sad news from the 2020 Dakar
Rally in Saudi Arabia with the
death of Portuguese Rockstar
Energy Husqvarna Factory
Racing team rider Paulo
Goncalves on stage seven -
competing in his 13th Dakar.
The Mama Tried show, Milwaukee,
March 13 - 15, is offering the chance
to win a 1951 Harley-Davidson WR
factory production race bike, with
rebuilt engine and full restoration.
Entry costs $20.00 for a show sticker
and ticket for the drawing. You don't
have to be present to win.
AFT returns to the legendary
New Hampshire Motor
Speedway on Saturday, June 13,
2020. "The Laconia Short Track
will once again bring another
level of excitement to the 97th
year of the historic Laconia
Motorcycle Week."
Tucker Powersports has released
its 2020 V-twin catalog, and
dealers can view the digital
flipbook version online now. For
2020, Tucker says it has "loaded
the book with a massive
selection of V-twin parts and
accessories from industry-
leading brands, with many
exclusive to Tucker."
New and expanded product
offers this year include Letric
Lighting Co. premium plug-n-
play LED motorcycle lighting
"with a vast array of offerings
for V-twin models, including
headlights, taillights, turn
signals and accent lighting";
Lectron Fuel Systems - "Lectron
fuel systems improve torque,
horsepower and fuel economy
while adjusting for atmospheric
conditions"; and Aquatic AV -
"the market leader in
waterproof and durable Harley-
Davidson aftermarket audio,
including stereo systems,
speakers, amplifiers and
accessories."
Also included are new
motorcycle audio solutions from
Rockford Fosgate, new Twin
Power fuel pump kits that
feature all the necessary
components needed to rebuild
the O.E.M. fuel pump module,
including pump, filter, hoses,
clamps and wiring harness as
required.; and Tracker Series
pistons from Wiseco - a feature-
rich, high-performance piston
offering for H-D applications
"at a more affordable price
point."
www.tucker.com/v-twin
Zen and the Art of Apple Pie
For a generation of 'Boomers', Robert
M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance was 'right up
there' with Kerouac's On the Road and
Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider as one of
the quintessential road trip references
for cultural insights into the evolution
of post war American society.
The novel was more about trying to
make sense of the changing world
around him and prescient analysis of
the effect of machines and
technology it was than simply
the joys of the open road and
wind in your hair. More
Stockhausen
than
Steppenwolf!
The 1966 Honda Superhawk
that featured in his book is
to find a final resting place
in the Smithsonian
Collections certainly made
me feel nostalgic - specifically in the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of
American History.
Published in 1974 and subtitled as
"An Inquiry into Values," the book
featured a round trip
Pirsig made from
Minneapolis/St Paul
to San Francisco and
back with his then 11
year old son Chris in
1968.
The restored bike is being
gifted to the
Smithsonian by
Pirsig's widow Wendy,
along with Pirsig’s
leather jacket, maps, shop
manual and other gear
from the 1968 ride, a
manuscript copy and
signed first edition of Zen
and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance and Pirsig’s
favorite toolboxes with
tools for maintaining his bike and
other vehicles as
well as tools he made
himself.
As someone who has done his own fair
share of the 'hard miles' criss-crossing
the United States, my abiding take-
away from the book is Pirsig's account
of how the portions of apple pie got
bigger, nicer and less expensive the
further west he travelled!