TrikeRidersNow.com (TRN), an online magazine serving the three-wheel motorcycle market, is launching the TRN Ultimate Giveaway in celebration of the site’s brand-new look and upgraded features. The contest’s grand prize is a set of custom trike wheels furnished by Performance Machine valued at $3,000.

The winner will receive his or her choice of designs of these forged trike wheels from Performance Machine.

TrikeRidersNow.com launched a revamped Web site in May 2011 with updated graphics and several new user-focused features, including a trike classified section and a trike forum. The updated features underscore TRN’s continued commitment to providing trike-related news and reviews to the growing population of trike riders. To promote the new design, TRN is launching its Ultimate Giveaway and awarding one winner with a set of custom trike wheels from Performance Machine, a leader in aftermarket wheels and accessories.

“I am so grateful to Performance Machine for joining me in my efforts to promote TrikeRidersNow.com by donating a set of custom trike wheels (that’s three wheels!) for one lucky winner,” says Genevieve Schmitt, founder and editor of TrikeRidersNow.com. “Performance Machine and I are committed to the trike market, an important segment of the powersports industry, and this contest is one way we can serve the riders.”

Starting June 7, 2011, visitors to TrikeRidersNow.com who sign up to receive the TRN newsletter will automatically be entered into the giveaway. The winner will be chosen at random when the contest expires on November 30. TrikeRidersNow.com provides reviews of the latest trikes as well as trike-related product news, tech tips, a forum to connect trike riders, and a trike-specific classified section. For more information and to enter the contest, visit TrikeRidersNow.com.

Pain at the pump is not getting any better anytime soon, we recently came across this info on how Ford is designing cars to obtain better fuel mileage, pretty interesting.

Fuel economy improvements can result from reducing friction and drag – not only within engines and transmissions, but as air flows over and around the vehicle as it efficiently skims through the atmosphere at cruising speeds.

“Aerodynamic development has yielded significant improvements in fuel efficiency across the full line of Ford vehicles,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “Full-size trucks, family-friendly utilities, and cars in each segment add fuel economy from careful attention to aerodynamic details.”

The all-new Ford Explorer SUV, 2011 North American Truck of the Year, and the stylish Ford Flex crossover both enjoy improved fuel efficiency from painstaking detail work by designers and aerodynamicists collaborating in the wind tunnel.

Explorer delivers class-leading fuel economy of 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, when equipped with front-wheel drive and the standard 290-horsepower V6 engine.   Carefully balancing aerodynamic details such as the front air dam, sideview mirrors and rear liftgate spoiler adds nearly 1 mpg as Explorer quietly cruises the highway.    Ford’s distinctively styled Flex crossover has a boxy shape that turns heads on the street, yet it requires only 8.90 horsepower to maintain a 55 mph cruising speed; its crossover competitors GMC Acadia and Toyota Highlander require 9.30 horsepower to move at the same velocity. Using less power to carve through the atmosphere saves fuel, lowering the cost of ownership for Flex drivers.

Built Ford Tough F-Series pickups achieve class-leading fuel economy, aided by careful aerodynamic development. F-150 trucks feature a chamfered shape to the rear of the cab that helps direct aerodynamic wake over the pickup box in an efficient manner. The top of the tailgate angles outward to create a lip, which in turn does its part to direct airflow over the cargo box. The front bumper valance and spoiler have been configured to properly manage airflow beneath the truck, with no compromise to off-road capability.

Cars see aerodynamic benefit, too

Optimized airflow over, under and around Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid sedans help these popular offerings deliver class-leading fuel efficiency. Revised front and rear fascias, front and rear tire shields, an underbody shield and optimized cooling air flow into the engine compartment to help Fusion travel farther on a gallon of gas.

The subcompact Ford Fiesta is available with a Super Fuel Economy (SFE) package that enables the car to achieve 40 mpg highway. This package features cruise control, low rolling-resistance tires and several additions to enhance vehicle aerodynamics, such as underbody shields, side air deflectors and lower grille blockers.

The all-new Ford Focus four-door sedan is also available with an SFE package, ideal for customers placing the highest priority on fuel efficiency. Low rolling-resistance tires combine with a rear decklid spoiler and aerodynamically optimized wheel covers to help Focus with SFE package deliver up to 40 mpg highway.

A unique feature shared by Fiesta and Focus SFE models is that both vehicles rely on aerodynamic optimizations and an advanced six-speed automatic transmission to deliver superior fuel efficiency, whereas competitive models often force a driver to choose a manual transmission to achieve the highest fuel economy.

Active grille shutters

Focus four-door models feature an innovative system to improve vehicle aerodynamics – and fuel efficiency – at cruising speeds. The active grille shutter system will open grille slats when extra engine cooling air is required, such as low-speed stop-and-go driving. When cruising on the highway at steady speeds, the grille slats automatically close to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.

IF you like vintage race cars, this is an event your not going to want to miss.

The Elegance At Hershey is a celebration of a bygone era when the automobile stirred our imaginations and quickened our hearts.

Today people both young and old marvel at the extravagances of the cars of the past. From the race cars to the street cars that were not about pure performance or conveyance but also incoporated artistic design, a symphony of sound and sensory overload worthy of the finest wines. Cars were not just about transportation they were a statement.

The Elegance At Hershey will bring the finest of race cars and show quality collector cars of the pre-World War II and immediate post-World War II period together for a weekend celebrating the automobile. But, this is so much more than a celebration, it is also about causes. Raising money for charity is the ultimate point of this event and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the AACA Museum and AACA Library & Research Center will benefit.

Amateur sports car racing was booming in post World-War II America and a form of racing called the hill climb was a very integral part of this scene. The idea was simple; one car at a time would storm-up a preset course laid out on a mountain road. The drivers test their skill and nerve while taxing the ability of the car in a race against the clock and the times posted by all the other drivers in the event.

The Hershey Hill Climb began innocently enough in 1958. Founded by the Appalachian Sports Car Club, it was one of many hill climbs in Pennsylvania. In this era Pennsylvania was a hot bed of this kind of racing. Hershey would grow to be the crown jewel of the Pennsylvania Hill Climb Association (PHA) yearly circuit. By the mid-1960’s the race was being held at the beginning of each season and again at the end of the season, often as the definitive race for final standings. The event was so big, it often drew in excess of 200 cars, it was deemed the largest hill climb in the world.

Looking to treat your garage floor? Some new options have been added to the market like this new “anti-slip beads” non skid choice. So, of course we wanted to share this with you.

CarGuysFlooring.com, which already offers a wide range of epoxy choices, has added Clear Anti-Slip Beads as a non-skid additive option.

Previously, customers could choose up to 3 of 12 available color choices of fleck, or anti-slip chips. The addition of the Clear Anti-Slip Beads allows for even more style options in their DIY garage floor paint kits.

In addition to complete epoxy flooring kits for any size space, visitors   toCarGuysFlooring.com can make use of the Resource & FAQ section, which addresses questions and concerns regarding garage floor epoxy and its installation procedures. Questions like “How do I install Car Guys epoxy flooring?”; “What if I have an existing garage floor coating?”; and “Why does the floor need to be prepped?” are paired with informative answers presented in layman’s terms.

CarGuysFlooring.com also offers an Interactive Floor Designer to help website users better visualize what their epoxy garage floor paint will look like when it’s complete.

Customers can test any color combination of epoxy, flecks or no flecks. The Clear Anti-Slip Beads offer a unique one-color option for epoxy garage floors. Visit carguysflooring.com

With the summer months rolling in many of us will be taking more and more road trips. We found a top 10 list of things you can do on your own to improve your gas mileage and save you cash at the pump!

1. Check Your Air Filter:  A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%, and nearly one in four cars needs an air filter replacement.  Changing a dirty air filter can save the equivalent of 39 cents a gallon or carry you 23 more miles on a typical tank of gas.

2. Straighten Out:  Poor alignment not only causes tires to wear out more quickly, but also forces your engine to work harder, which can reduce gas mileage by as much as 10%. Fixing improper alignment would be like saving 39 cents per gallon.

3. Tune Up:  A properly tuned engine can improve mileage by 4% which is like saving 15 cents a gallon.

4. Pump ’em Up:  More than one-quarter of vehicles have improperly inflated tires.  The average under-inflation of 7.5 lbs. causes a loss of 2.8% in fuel efficiency.  Properly inflating problem tires is like knocking 11 cents off a gallon of gas.

5. Check Your Cap:  It is estimated that nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps, which reduce gas mileage as well as possibly harming the environment.  Fixing or replacing a faulty gas cap is like saving 3 cents per gallon.

6. Lose Weight:  For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1-2% in fuel efficiency.  For every 100 lbs you unload, you’re saving the equivalent of 6 cents per gallon.

7. Don’t Speed:  For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7%.  If you typically drive 70 on the highway and slow down to 65, it’s the equivalent of saving 27 cents a gallon.

8. Drive Smoother:  The smoother you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage, with potential gas savings of 33% on the highway and 5% around town.  Consumers who currently drive erratically can pocket the equivalent 68 cents a gallon by driving more smoothly.

9. Foot Off:  Riding with your foot on the brake not only wears out brakes but can also reduce gas consumption by as much as 35%.  If you kick the habit of driving with your foot on the brake, you’ll get the equivalent of 1.35 cents per gallon in savings.

10. Don’t Idle:  If stopped off the road for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine.  Don’t “warm up” your car before driving — it is not necessary.  For every two minutes that you don’t idle, you’ll save the equivalent of nearly 1 cent per gallon.

Seems we are often asked by truck owners ” what is the best bed-liner solution?”, well while we personally haven’t used this product we just came across it and thought we should share with you guys.

MONSTALINER(TM) from Magnet Paints is a high-performance, UV

permanent, roll-on bed liner designed for easy installation

and owners don’t require any special skills or equipment to get

professional results.

Bed liners top the list of aftermarket jeep and pickup truck

accessories for protection against rust and damage to

vehicle surfaces. “If you’ve done your bed liner homework,”

says Eric Rosenthal, president and technical director of

Magnet Paints, “you’ve learned that professional

spray-installed liners can cost more than you feel like

spending. MONSTALINER(TM) is a highly durable,

do-it-yourself solution that provides truly professional looking results while costing hundreds less than expensive spray installations.”

Until now, every roll-on bedliner has used crumb tire rubber

granules to create surface texture. “MONSTALINER(TM) has literally reinvented the category for do-it-yourself products,” says Rosenthal. “Monstaliner contains no ground tire rubber and the texture is created only by the installation rollers. As MONSTALINER(TM) is rolled, texture

is pulled up from the coating and it cures with an eye-pleasing ‘orange peel’ bumpiness that is often mistaken for sprayed. There’s nothing to settle in the can and it has an amazingly uniform surface texture compared to the ‘dirt thrown in a glossy black paint job look’ of competitive products. MONSTALINER(TM) is very easy to clean and won’t trap dirt like rubber textured products which are all sandpaper rough,” he added.

MONSTALINER(TM) is also 100% UV permanent and carries a 5 Year Guarantee against fading, chalking or discoloration due to sunlight. Once installed, MONSTALINER(TM) requires little or no maintenance and continues looking great with no additional topcoats, sealants, or surface protection. Installed at up to 40 dry mils thick, MONSTALINER(TM) goes down in 2 thick coats. The two-component catalyzed coating

has an extremely long 8-hour pot life which eliminates the risk of spoiled material, enabling end-users of any skill level to complete their project with confidence and without the need for a spray guns, compressors or masking the entire vehicle to protect from overspray.

MONSTALINER(TM) is available in black and supplied in a variety of kit sizes with rollers and surface preparation tools included. MONSTALINER(TM) colors will be available shortly. For more information on MONSTALINER(TM) and to see an extensive archive of completed project photos, how-to videos and customer reviews, monstaliner.com

Mustang’s new LowDownTM touring design for 2009-up FL Touring models sits the driver 1.5” lower than the stock seat to ensure that your boots can be firmly planted on the ground.  For even better stability at stops, not only does the seat place the driver slightly forward but the nose of the seat has also been narrowed.  Mustang’s design still provides a deeply pocketed, 16.5” wide front bucket for the driver, while the passenger also rides comfortably on a fully supported 14” wide seat.

Available plain or with studs (either chrome or chrome with black pearl centers), the LowDownTM touring seat is available with or without a fully adjustable driver backrest that folds flat for ease of getting on the motorcycle and removes easily without tools.

The plain, one-piece LowDownTM seat with a driver backrest for 2009-up FL Touring models is only $669.  A matching Wrap-Around Passenger Backrest with extended arms for only $269 completes the custom-looking passenger comfort.  Contact Mustang for information on the LowDownTM seat 1997-07 Road King models.

Mustang offers a full line of seats for Harley-Davidson® and Metric Cruisers, all proudly handcrafted in the USA.  Visit MustangSeats.com or call 800-243-1392 for more information.

The Sturgis Buffalo Chip® is proud to announce this year’s distinctive yet unconventional theme for Michael Lichter’s 2011 Motorcycle as Art exhibition. Sure to be a spectacle of a masterpiece, this year’s FREE exhibition, “Slant Artist-An Eccentric View on Motorcycles and Art” will focus on avant-garde artist, Jeff Decker.

Open daily from August 6-12th,  a large majority of the display will consist of Jeff’s personal collection including ten beautiful bronze sculptures. There will also be an eclectic display of motorcycles and wall art culled not only from his personal collection, but from friends and other artists filling the 7,000 square foot Lichter Exhibition Hall located on the grounds of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip®. Decker will also be working on a new sculpture in the gallery for several hours each day during which time visitors can chat and ask questions from the basics of “lost wax” bronze casting process to motorcycle history or how “Slant Artists”, the incredible motorcycle racers who climb steep inclines against the clock and each other, have impressed him. Each person will be challenged to come away with their own understanding of Decker’s inspirations, aspirations and what makes this eccentric tick, and perhaps what inspires artists in general.

Bikes from Decker’s own collection include historic pieces such as his 1914 Harley-Davidson Twin (that he rode across the United States in the Motorcycle Cannonball race) to unusual bikes like his 1930 H-D DAH hillclimber or a 1949 H-D WR racer.  He has personally customized machines that were previously considered off-limits, like his 1941 Crocker and his 1952 Vincent.  Add to the mix his respect for bikes like ex-pro-boarder Jason Jessee’s 1949 Black Tibetan Panhead and many of Cole Foster’s bikes and you can see how diverse this artist really is.

Decker’s interests lie not only with motorcycle related sculpture, but all aspects of motorcycling.  With his fascination for motorcycling history and with the aid of the impressive library on the subject he has built, Decker’s understanding is thorough and deep.

The passion for motorcycling and art that you sense in Decker’s presence can be traced back to his childhood, when his father took him along on visits to Steve McQueen, Ed Roth and Von Dutch.  As a young aspiring artist, he worked with well-known sculptor Stanley Wanlass.  Today, Decker’s own sculptures (the only sculptures to be licensed by Harley-Davidson) are collected and exhibited around the world. His commissions have grown in scale to the point that a 16’ 5,000 pound bronze now graces the entrance to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.

Regarding his involvement with the Motorcycles as Art Exhibition, Jeff Decker states “Since the inception of Michael Lichter’s museum quality exhibits in Sturgis, I’ve been able to participate in them often and am extremely honored to be the focal point this year.”

“These yearly exhibitions are not only a labor of love but a chance for me to openly express my creativity and introduce friends and colleagues to a venue and audience that have been incredibly loyal and generous,” explains Lichter. “Thanks to Jeff we’ve got a really great exhibit this year, unlike any other.”

The most celebrated FREE exhibition of its kind, the Motorcycles as Art exhibition provides Sturgis rally-goers with a memorable and irreplaceable experience at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. Hours for the FREE exhibition this year will be August 6th-12th 10 a.m.-.10 p.m. with the exception of Tuesday August 9th where hours will be limited from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. for an invite only industry reception. Visit www.motorcyclesasart.com for more information. This year’s exhibit sponsors include Hot Leathers, Handy Lifts, http://www.kandgcycles.com,Interstate Batteries, Progressive Insurance and Spectro Oil.

As David stated, “I have been looking at these old photos from 1916 since 1998 and have always wanted to use them somehow.  I finally found the piece of the puzzle to  complete a composition that I have been working on for a very long time.  I was always quite fascinated by the colorful character named Teddy.  He seemed like someone I would have loved to meet  — a man who stood for many things that seem so relevant even in todays world.”

The photos above, from “The Enthusiast” magazine in 1916, provide the unique backdrop for David’s latest creation, “Rough Rider”.

for more info contact Gregg at 303-913-4840 www.uhlstudios.com