Project MK-Ultra was the code name of the CIA's covert mind control program. It was designed to identify techniques and drugs that might be used in interrogations to weaken subjects and compel confessions through psychological torture and brainwashing

Hang on for a couple of updates and new Pirelli tires. This segment is sponsored by Bandit’s 5-Ball Emporium, Sturgis. –Bandit GRAVES RETAINS KEY CHAIR This week, House Republicans selected Congressman Sam Graves of Missouri to lead the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Representative Graves is not new to the committee, he previously served 3 terms and 6 years as both the Chairman and Ranking Member of the committee. However, Rep. Graves leading this committee for a 4th term and 2 more years is unique. House Republican rules normally limit leadership of committees to 3 terms and 6 years. Yet, Mr. Graves sought and was granted a “waiver” to extend his term. It is extremely rare for a waiver to be granted, signaling the importance Republicans in the House place on transportation policy. For the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, (MRF) the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is critical. Along with counterparts in the U.S. Senate, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plays a major role in shaping policy that impacts all bikers.  We will soon begin drafting a new “Highway Bill.” This bill is the best opportunity for bikers to shape policy that impacts us. The current highway bill will expire in 2026, so the next two years will be busy for transportation policy. The MRF looks forward to working with Chairman Graves and all his colleagues. Regardless of who holds the reins of power in D.C., the MRF will ALWAYS be the voice of the street rider in our nation’s capital. Ride Safe and Ride Free –MRF www.mrf.org http://www.mrf.org All Rights Reserved DIABLO POWERCRUISER is Pirelli’s sporty interpretation of the Custom-Touring dedicated to sport Cruisers and Baggers, while the new SCORPION MX32 MID SOFT is the successor to Pirelli’s most successful product in the Motocross World Championship Milan (Italy) 13 December 2024 – Pirelli announces the arrival in 2025 of two new tires that will enrich their already wide offering of motorcycle ranges: the DIABLO POWERCRUISER and the new SCORPION MX32 MID SOFT. DIABLO POWERCRUISER represents the completely new Custom-Touring line of Pirelli high-performance tires designed specifically for selected models of sport Cruiser and Bagger machines. With DIABLO POWERCRUISER, Pirelli targets owners of the new Cruiser and Bagger V-Twin, bikes characterized by searing acceleration and fun to ride, which have become more high-performing over time in terms of torque output and handling. These machines are aimed at customizers who combine aesthetic research with performance tuning, and who are therefore looking for a tire capable of adding high performance and sportiness to their creations. DIABLO POWERCRUISER is entirely part of the DIABLO family of sports products because it fully embodies Pirelli’s sporting DNA, combining it with the free spirit of the custom world. Thanks to its sporty behavior, in terms of grip and handling, this tire allows you to make the most of the potential of the most muscular custom bikes, offering stability in acceleration, braking, and cornering, even at high speeds, and plenty of grip even on wet surfaces, all combined with supplying mileage in line with tires that belong to this segment. The new DIABLO POWERCRUISER boasts a slick shoulder to improve dry performance. In the central part of the tread pattern, there is the iconic Flash design typical of Pirelli sports products. The new tires will be available from March 2025 in the main sizes popular for American baggers and cruisers. The new SCORPION MX32 MID SOFT is the successor to Pirelli’s most successful motocross tire in the FIM Motocross World Championship, a discipline in which the brand has won 82 world titles since 1980 thanks to the successes achieved with riders such as Stefan Everts, Antonio Cairoli, André Malherbe, Eric Geboers, Jöel Smets, David Thorpe, Jeffrey Herlings, Romain Febvre, Tim Gajser, and Jorge Prado. It has been developed thanks to Pirelli’s decades of experience in top motocross competition and is completely new compared to its predecessor. The new front tire improves braking behavior and facilitates cornering; the rear offers even more traction for the holeshot and exiting corners. Finally, the new SCORPION MX32 MID SOFT also improves versatility on medium-hard terrain. The new SCORPION MX32 MID SOFT will make its official debut in the next Motocross World Championship, equipping the bikes of some of the greatest riders of this Championship and, like all Pirelli racing tires, will also be available for purchase by all motorcycle fans of this discipline. Both DIABLO POWERCRUISER and the new SCORPION MX32 MID SOFT use a new technology that allows the sidewalls to have high-contrast lettering for better readability and, in the case of the new motocross tire, there is also a yellow Pirelli label to allow the product to be identified very quickly on the racetrack. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 12, 2024) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is proud to announce that Automotive Racing Products (ARP) will continue as the series’ Official Performance Fastener for the next three seasons (2025-2027). ARP is the world leader in fastener technology with a product line of thousands that includes virtually every fastener found in an engine and driveline and throughout the suspension and frame. Designed and constructed with cutting-edge techniques and materials, ARP’s bolts, nuts, and other fasteners offer maximum performance as proven by its overwhelming success in motorsports, from Progressive AFT to Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and NHRA, as well as in marine and aerospace applications. Founded over a half century ago by racing enthusiast Gary Holzapfel, who identified a need after witnessing repeated fastener failures, Automotive Racing Products has grown from a backyard garage workshop to seven operational entities in Southern California with a combined area in excess of 200,000 square feet – even including a unique racing-themed restaurant open to the public at its main Santa Paula facility called “Hozy’s Grill.” Progressive American Flat Track will kick off the 2025 season with the DAYTONA Short Track I & II doubleheader season opener on Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, at Daytona International Speedway. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/daytona-short-track-i-and-ii-118862 to secure your tickets today. For more information on Automotive Racing Products, visit https://arp-bolts.com/. For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. 1008 Main St. Sturgis, SD 57785 The post FRIDAY ACTION appeared first on Bikernet Blog - Online Biker Magazine.

To Retain Control and Fuck with our Industry There is an active effort to convince President-elect Trump to retain President Biden’s tailpipe rules and continue EV mandates according to new reporting. Why this matters: Repealing the Biden-Harris tailpipe policy was a key issue in the 2024 election that helped President-elect Trump win in November. Some automotive special interest groups are now trying to push President Trump away from the will of American voters. Keeping the Biden-Harris tailpipe rules will shatter a campaign promise to halt current mandates, ending our choice of new vehicles. The Big Picture SEMA’s SuperPAC ‘Driving Force Action’ was a major player in battleground states across the country, centering the EV mandates as a key issue. SEMA sent a letter to President-elect Trump informing him of our support for his campaign pledge and commitment to countering DC special interests. SEMA stands ready to mobilize hundreds of thousands of auto enthusiasts to protect American consumers and small businesses. SEMA Responds: Read our letter to President-elect Trump. November 25, 2024 President-elect Donald J. Trump The Mar-a-Lago Club 1100 South Ocean Boulevard Palm Beach, FL 33480 Dear President-elect Trump, On behalf of the Specialty Equipment Market Association and its more than 7,500 members in the automotive aftermarket industry, as well as the nation’s millions of automotive enthusiasts, we wish to again congratulate you on your re-election. Your return to the White House has given significant hope to our industry that your incoming Administration will deliver much needed regulatory relief and support for small businesses, of which many of SEMA’s members are. The specialty automotive aftermarket industry that SEMA represents manufactures, distributes, and retails specialty parts and accessories for motor vehicles. The industry supports over 1.3 million jobs across the U.S. and contributes nearly $337 billion to the American economy each year through the production, sale, and installation of performance, functional, restoration, and styling-enhancement products for use on passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, and special interest collector vehicles. The majority of such manufacturing is conducted in the U.S., making the specialty automotive aftermarket a true asset to the nation’s economy, and a reminder of America’s manufacturing prowess and ingenuity. Throughout the campaign, you expressed an unwavering belief in the harm that electric vehicle mandates would have on our nation’s economy. SEMA thanks you for championing technology-neutral policies that are critical to providing a bright future for U.S. consumers and thousands of specialty automotive aftermarket businesses. For thousands of businesses in the specialty automotive aftermarket, de facto electric vehicle mandates through California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s multipollutant standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles for Model Years 2027 through 2032 pose an existential crisis that would shutter businesses and put too many Americans out of work. Roughly 33% of the businesses SEMA represents make products specifically for internal combustion engine (ICE) engines. If the current EV mandates (or otherwise put, ICE bans) are allowed to remain in place, this puts over $100 million of economic impact to the U.S. economy and over 300,000 American automotive jobs at risk. Simply put, it is time to turn the page on these disastrous policies that limit consumer choice, destroy jobs, threaten small businesses, and reduce federal and state revenues. It is disheartening to hear that some within the automotive industry are seeking to largely keep the Biden Administration’s tailpipe rules in place. On behalf of SEMA’s members, we support your stated goal of a “Day 1” end to EV mandates. As you are well aware, such mandates stifle the innovation and ingenuity that makes our nation great. EV mandates are the antithesis to what drives America. Whether these mandates arrive in the form of tailpipe emissions standards that can only be achieved through the sale of EVs or waivers that enable some states to impose their own standards on other states (as is the case of California’s standards that as many as 16 states can adopt), they all destroy consumers’ freedom to choose what vehicles they want – or need – to drive. While EVs are a part of the solution for reducing carbon emissions for mobile sources, mandates rob our nation’s innovators of the opportunity to develop new technologies and solutions that meaningfully reduce emissions in a way that doesn’t hurt consumers and small automotive businesses. They harm our economy, threaten to stifle interstate commerce, and place millions of jobs at risk. SEMA stands ready to support your efforts to deliver the change you’ve promised. Please consider SEMA and our members as a resource to your Administration to ensure that our nation remains prosperous and free. Sincerely, Mike Spagnola President and CEO SEMA I’m checking my tea leaves for a sign someone, some leader or maybe the CO2 Coalition will force a reckoning regarding Climate Doom. It’s time the chips fell and the truth shines. It’s time to let kids know they are living in the best of times, not the worst. –Bandit Join the Cantina and support the truth and freedom all over the world. –Bandit The post THE EVIL EV GANG IS PUSHING appeared first on Bikernet Blog - Online Biker Magazine.

2025 MV Agusta Superveloce S Ottantesimo The MV Agusta Ottantesimo Collection celebrates 80 years of production for the storied Italian brand. The six models in this collection are limited to 500 units each and come with special paint, a dedicated Heritage logo, and a certificate of authenticity. They also receive a few other updates.  2025 MV Agusta Brutale RR Ottantesimo In August of 1943, Meccanica Verghera’s 98cc engine was production-ready, but the German occupation of the Agusta factory in September brought operations to a halt. Luckily, MV technicians and engineers had had the foresight to hide away the engine’s drawings, models, and prototype in their basements and homes to keep them safe. By mid-1944, production of the first MV Agusta motorcycle, the MV 98, was able to commence.  2025 MV Agusta F3 RR Ottantesimo The Agusta family founded Meccanica Verghera S.r.l. in Cascina Costa on January 19, 1945, turning away from the aeronautics industry and putting their energy into building motorcycles. Those early motorcycles included the word “emmevi” engraved on various parts to show how to correctly pronounce “MV” in Italian, and the company’s logo included the letters “MV” inside a gearwheel.  The Ottantesimo Collection celebrates the company’s 80-year history and includes four 798cc 3-cylinder models and two 998cc 4-cylinder models, each with special paint and an engraved unit number on the triple-clamp or tank, depending on the model.  3-Cylinder MV Agusta Ottantesimo Models  The models in the 3-cylinder range include the Brutale RR, Dragster RR, F3 RR, and Superveloce S. Their shared engine receives upgrades to comply with Euro 5+ regulations while retaining the same power and torque numbers as before: 147 hp at 13,000 rpm and 65 lb-ft at 10,100 rpm.  2025 Dragster RR Ottantesimo All four models feature a 6-axis IMU that manages four riding modes (Rain, Sport, Race, and Custom), eight levels of traction control, two modes of cornering ABS, launch control, and front lift control. Cruise control and a 5.5-inch TFT display that connects to the MV Ride mobile app are standard.  2025 Dragster RR Ottantesimo On the Brutale RR, F3 RR, and Superveloce S, the clutch has been updated with a new 9-disc slipper clutch with torque assist, which MV Agusta claims reduces clutch lever effort by 50%. The Dragster RR keeps its SCS automatic clutch.  The MV Agusta Brutale RR Ottantesimo features Rosso Ago and Argento Ago paint and includes a dedicated Color Trim & Graphic and the Heritage logo.  2025 Brutale RR Ottantesimo The MV Agusta Dragster RR Ottantesimo features Metallic Carbon Black and Argento Ago paint with the Heritage logo in gold.  2025 F3 RR Ottantesimo The MV Agusta F3 RR Ottantesimo will come in Argento Ago and Rosso Ago, and its special kit includes an Akrapovič exhaust (boosting power to 155 hp at 13,250 rpm), a carbon-fiber silencer cover, a CNC-machined fuel cap, and a passenger seat cowl.  2025 Superveloce S Ottantesimo The MV Agusta Superveloce S Ottantesimo will come in Fire Red and Satin Intense Silver and include an Alcantara seat and new “Millerighe” wheels. Its dedicated kit includes an Arrow exhaust that boosts power to 153 hp and a passenger seat cover.  4-Cylinder MV Agusta Ottantesimo Models  2025 Brutale 1000 RR Ottantesimo The 4-cylinder Ottantesimo models include the Brutale 1000 and Brutale 1000 RR, which also receive a few updates. A new ECU includes new maps for improved throttle sensitivity, and the camshafts have been redesigned to increase torque and power at lower revs. The 998cc inline-Four delivers peak power of 201 hp at 13,500 rpm and max torque of 86 lb-ft at 11,000 rpm. With the updates, the engine produces more power from as low as 3,500 rpm.  2025 Brutale 1000 RR Ottantesimo The Brutale 1000 and Brutale 1000 RR also get a new 4-outlet exhaust system designed in collaboration with Arrow, as well as a new 10-disc slipper clutch with torque assist, which reduces clutch lever effort by a claimed 50%. The throttle-by-wire system includes an updated control algorithm, and the bikes come with four riding modes (Rain, Sport, Race, and Custom).  2025 Brutale 1000 Ottantesimo The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Ottantesimo will come in Rosso Ago and Argento Ago.  The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Ottantesimo includes a new Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 electronic suspension package and exposed carbon fiber. It will come in Fire Red and Ago Matte Silver.  Find more details at the MV Agusta website.  Check out more new bikes in Rider’s 2025 Motorcycle Buyers Guide  The post 2025 MV Agusta Ottantesimo Collection Preview  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

The 2025 KTM 890 Adventure R gets a new connectivity unit for smartphone connection and comes with an extended 24-month warranty. The KTM 890 Adventure R returns to the lineup with minor upgrades for 2025, including a new connectivity unit, updated graphics, and an extended warranty. Introduced for model year 2021 and upgraded in 2023, the KTM 890 Adventure R takes inspiration from the Dakar-winning KTM 450 Rally for its off-road capabilities and aesthetic. It borrows the 450’s fully adjustable WP XPLOR 48mm fork and WP XPLOR PDS rear shock, which offer 9.4 inches of travel front and rear.  Related: KTM 890 Adventure R Review  The 890 Adventure R remains powered by a liquid-cooled 889cc parallel-Twin with bore and stroke of 90.7 x 68.8mm and with a slip/assist clutch and 6-speed transmission. It rides on spoked 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels wrapped in Mitas Enduro Trail+ tires and has a tank-empty weight of 441 lb. Tank capacity is 5.3 gallons, seat height is 34.6 inches, and ground clearance is 10.4 inches.  Included features that focus on off-road capability include the low windshield, high front fender, rally-styled bodywork, aluminum engine guard, and single-piece seat. The bodywork returns unchanged, but the graphics have been updated for 2025.  Now a standard feature on the 890 Adventure R, the connectivity unit enables connection between the KTMconnect smartphone app and the bike’s 5-inch TFT display via Bluetooth. Through this connection, riders can access turn-by-turn navigation, music, and incoming phone calls. Other standard features include ABS (with Offroad ABS mode), ride modes (Street, Offroad, Rain, and optional Rally), traction control, and LED lighting.   The 890 Adventure R comes with a 5-inch TFT display. Optional tech includes Motor Slip Regulation, an up/down quickshifter, heated grips, a heated seat, and cruise control. The bike is delivered with Demo mode for the first 1,500 km (about 932 miles), which allows riders to test out the full electronic rider aids suite before deciding whether to purchase those extras.  KTM has also extended the manufacturer’s warranty on the 890 Adventure R by double, increasing it from 12 months to 24 months of coverage.  The 2025 KTM 890 Adventure R will come in updated orange, white, and blue graphics. Pricing has not yet been announced, but KTM says the bike will be available at dealers in early 2025. Visit the KTM website for more information.  Check out more new bikes in Rider’s 2025 Motorcycle Buyers Guide  The post 2025 KTM 890 Adventure R Preview  appeared first on Rider Magazine.