Win a Griot's Garage $250.00 shopping spree by helping Motortopia grow. It's so easy!

Join for Free or Invite others to Join for Free. That's it.

Invite your buddies, club friends, and other car, bike, plane, or boat enthusiasts to join Motortopia! Just use our awesome, trackable invitation system. (or click on "Invite" in the Motortopia top navigatoin bar)

For each person who joins Motortopia from your invitation - you increase your chance to win the $250 Griot's Garage shopping spree! An early Christmas for you.

We'll announce the winner at noon on December 5. 19. So, get started inviting folks to join the best place on the internet for motor enthusiasts.

And, by doing so, you will help Motortopia.com -- entirely created and provided by car enthusiasts.

Thank you.

The Motortopia Team

P.S. and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you!

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When you look up at the moon tonight - (ya, we know, Motortopians are the type who stare at the moon each night and receipt muscle-car poetry) you can think about how the first lunar vehicle started roaming around on the moon way back on November 17, 1970.

The mission was the Luna 17 and it was a mission of the Soviet Union. Sure, the USA first set foot on the big piece of cheese in the sky, but the Soviets were the first to cruise around with their own RC-controlled vehicle.

Top speed was about one football field an hour. But the battery lasted five times longer than expected.

And, comment on this post if you can think how many they had in the pit crew when this thing was roaming about the moon.

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Trick our Treat is over. . . but it seemed like a holiday to us.

We promise, we'll get your some car stories and pics soon (tonight) but thought you should have these right away.

And, remember to leave those trophy votes on the photo slideshow to show your appreciation.

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It's an annual event. SEMA and the Women of SEMA. Won't write much. Just take a look and your comments welcome!

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Walking all day at SEMA does wear you out; or at least make you thirsty for a cold brew at the end of the day ;-).

Lots of great stuff. On Tuesday we decided to start the day with innovation -- new product offerings at SEMA. See the attached photo album for a view of some of these products. See something you like?

For a full list, information, and contact information for all the products displayed here, just download the product report.

Enjoy!

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We're sure there have been a lot of folks at GM, Chrysler, Ford and other American car manufacturers who have been praying for sales to go up.

And, we're sure that plenty of you have prayed to find the right car or the right part over the years.

Of course, none of could miss President Obamas comments about those of us who "cling to our guns and bibles" during the campaign (man, aren't we glad that is over!).

So, we thought we would do a bit of poking around and found some very interesting books about motorsports and prayer.

Here are a couple of books that have some genuine devotions and religious insight.

So, let's all remember...this is the day the Lord has made, so let's get those engines running!

And, here is a good book on Nascar devotions that we recommend.

Oh, and by the way, we are proudly clinging to both our Bible and our guns!

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I guess if you are in the lingerie business it is ok to spend about $350,000 to get a Lamborghini and put top models all around it for a photo shoot.

That is what the Lamborghini Diablo VS means - Victoria's Secret.

This pearl white model was, well ,for models.

Hey, though, from our perspective...we'll stay with the Motortopia Nebraska Bikini Team.

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Twenty-two years ago, Kearney Cruise Nite began as a one-day car show that attracted about 75 to 100 cars. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest car event in Nebraska that spans four days. Thousands of cars and even more spectators descend upon Kearney each year to what was named Nebraska’s “Outstanding Event of 2008.”

This year Cruise Nite will take place from July 16th through July 19th. It all kicks off on Thursday, July 16th, with a BBQ and Show & Shine at Midway Chevrolet, followed by a Buddy Holly tribute at Merryman Performing Arts Center.

Friday brings another BBQ and Show & Shine at the Great Platte River Road Archway, a car stereo competition, and a classic and collectible car auction.

Saturday is the main event, with the Show & Shine in downtown Kearney, featuring live bands at MONA throughout the day. At 5 p.m. is the Cruise Nite Parade. New Life Assembly will provide kids games and inflatables available from 7 to 9, and an outdoor family movie night from 9 to midnight. Also, from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., Kearney Raceway Park will host Street Grudge Racing.

Finally, Sunday will see drag race time trials and eliminations at Kearney Raceway Park from 8 a.m. until late in the evening.

Of course, those who have been to Kearney Cruise Nite in the past know you can also enjoy the thousands of people and cars who spend Saturday evening just hanging out and cruising all over Kearney.

Kearney Cruise Nite brings people from all over the midwest, and this year they are offering online registration here on Motortopia for Saturday’s Show & Shine to help streamline Saturday morning’s registration process. Plus, pre-registering online will save you $5!

We’ve seen a lot of Motortopians at Cruise Nite in the past. So, if you are planning on participating in Kearney Cruise Nite this year, make sure you register online now. And, we’ll see you in Kearney!

(Click here to register online or to see the full schedule for Cruise Nite.)

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The motorcycles lining both side of 8th Street in the Haymarket area of Lincoln, Nebraska on this Wednesday night slowed traffic, turned heads, and prompted questions. Maybe people are riding a lot more to save fuel in this recession? Maybe it was a swap meet or auction and the bidding would start soon.

So, I decided to find out what was up? I snapped some pictures and asked a few of the newly-arrived riders "who is the leader of this event?" They smiled when I said "leader" as if referring to some uptight command-and-control CEO. Then they pointed to a twinkle-eyed fellow at the tables in front of Brewsky's Bar and Grill and said "That's him, Bill, he's responsible for all of this."

Bill Swearingen leads the European Bike Night the way Hogan lead his Heroes, with cunning, lots of smiles, and a gentle, relaxed sense of mission. The mission here, Bill explained, is easy -- fun and gettin' together. No purpose to this gathering other than to gather and share the groups' passion for European bikes and the joy that the bikes give their owners.

Like most good things, this one developed over time. Staring in the summer of 2003, Bill and some friends started going to Brewsky's and Buzzard Billy's in the Haymarket area of Lincoln, Nebraska on their bikes. They invited friends and this became a first Wednesday social gathering.

At first, Bill had to catch parking space as he could. They learned to come early and mark out some space for the bikes. Of course, there were a few hassles from the parking police because they didn't have a permit and couldn't hold parking spaces reserved for cars and couldn't do whatever else the holy local ordinances proscribed.

But, that didn't seem to deter Bill. He thought it a good thing that he and friends would gatherand share some laughs, eat some food, and spend a little money one night a month. And, apparently, so did the right thinking folks of the Haymarket Association.

Bill said he tried to work through the Lincoln City government bureaucracy to obtain the needed special event permit so they could get parking meter hoods and marked space for the bikes. Nope. Bill explained that the bureaucrat-with-no-name with whom he spoke simply said no. There was no provision in the special events ordinance for a bunch of motorcycles. Horse shows, clowns, carnival rides, and pets...yes, all allowed. Motorcycles, no, not in Lincoln.

Then somehow the motorcycle gods intervened and introduced Bill to Dave Norris, a citizen information officer for the City of Lincoln. In short order Mr. Norris, Bill, the Haymarket Association and the proprietors of The Mill, Buzzard Billy's, and Brewskys helped get an ordinance change, adding the words "including but not limited to" the list of permitted events and, well, now there is European Motorcycle Night the fist Wednesday of each month. That is government with some smarts

European Motorcycle Night is not a club, Bill is clear to point out. No dues, no roster, no application. No board of directors and they take no minutes. No reports and no committees. Just folks enjoying each other once a month. Hey, can we get Congress down here to observe this!

Bill has a number of bikes but he seemed most fond of his BMW.

Starting out as a bicyclist, Bill moved over into motorcycles. He explained that this was a common path for those who were interested in bikes.

Bill was gracious with his time to explain all he did about the evening and the political drama, but then it was time to go an do what he came for...enjoy the friends who came for that purpose...to European Motorcycle Night in Lincoln. Nice.

See the pics of the evening and the bikes here.

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At the end of our conversation, Kris Thompson mentioned that his 1954 Nimbus motorcycle was designed and built by the Fisker company which builds vacuum cleaners and sewing machines. Then, all of what he had related to me in the previous thirty minutes made sense. This motorcycle was the ultimate utility machine. Built for utility, for a purpose; just like a sewing machine or a vacuum. No hint of "build it sexy" for the marketing department and for the sales guys, this bike was all about getting a job done.

Kris kindly and patiently described his latest motorcycle purchase. Kris was taking part in the European Motorcycle Nightat the Haymarket in Lincoln, Nebraska.

This 1954 Nimbus is an inline machine with a drive shaft and a 45 cubic inch engine. Every part of it, the overhead cam, the kick start, the inline driveshaft power set up; and even the painted tire pressure on the fenders revealed the point of the Nimbus, to get from point to point.

Kris purchased the Nimbus at an auction a few years ago, and except for some clean up, an oil change, a new carburetor, and new tires, the bike started up and ran like a champ.

Kris has had the bike up to a top speed of about 100 KM per hour (about 55 mph), but feels more comfortable at about 40-45 mph riding the bike.

The Nimbus was manufactured in Denmark and its last use before Kris purchased it at auction was with the NATO forces in Europe in the 1960's. This mission-oriented nature for the bike is hinted at with the military-style rear light covers.

Suspension for the bike consists of a few rubber bands to give the seat some bounce.

Kris's interest in the Nimbus feeds a great interest in antique things. He grew up in a family that bought and sold antiques. With this built in interest in the reason and story behind something, the Nimbus is a good fit for Kris. This classic tells a story as it sits in the street. Maybe of a much simpler day when things had a straightforward purpose...and so did the people who rode them.

I met Kris at the European Motorcycle Night get-together at the Haymarket in Lincoln, Nebraska. You can see more photos of that event.

[url]Please join the Nimbus Motorcycle Enthusiast Group[/url]. Free.

For more information, visit the Nimbus Motorcycle Club.

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