K. Randall Ball

I grew up in Long Beach, Calif. I'm now 74, born 3/16/48 and attended Wilson High School. At 18 I joined the Navy. I spent three tours in Vietnam, 1967, '68, '69, as an electronics technician on the USS Saint Paul, CA 73, a heavy cruiser and the first fleet flag ship.

I went to college on the G.I. Bill in Long Beach and Ventura.

During the summer of '71, I was hired, part-time, as manager of a new national motorcycle legislative organization, ABATE, which was owned by Paisano Publications.

After a couple months I was named associate editor of a new national motorcycle magazine, Easyriders. Over the next few years we built the grass roots legislative organization into the largest national motorcycle legislative association, with 28 state chapters and some 30,000 members, by empowering individuals in each state to build and run their own local chapters. I was ultimately appointed national director of the group.

In the late '70s I became editor of the largest newsstand motorcycle magazine in the world (550,000 monthly audited paid circulation). I was also the editor of numerous specials and our sister publications, including In The Wind. I also became a member of a notorious motorcycle club.

I left Paisano Publications in 1981 to start my own publishing company. I published Ventura County Magazine and the Ventura County Business Journal. During those seven years, I joined the board of the Ventura County American Red Cross, the Ventura County Economic Development Association and was active in community affairs. I also helped a friend start a motorcycle shop in Moorpark, CA.

In 1987, Joe Teresi, the new publisher of Paisano, asked me to return. I became the editor of their largest magazine and the editorial director of 14 other titles. I became publisher of American Rodder, Quick Throttle and responsible for the art, production and editorial staffs. When I resigned from Paisano in 1999, I was the Executive Vice President. The company had just gone public with a new management team. After I left it went bankrupt.

During my early period with Paisano, I introduced Bob George (who taught me how to rebuild H-D engines) to Joe Teresi and Easyriders and Jammer became the major sponsors of his Bonneville streamliner. After I returned to Paisano in 1987 we took two trips to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Both times we set World Land Speed Records, one in 1989 at 284 mph. On the second attempt, the Easyriders streamliner, supported through $25-donations from 10,000 readers, captured the world land speed record at 321 mph and held that record for 16 years.

Over the years I built choppers for friends and for myself, maybe 30 of them. I rode to Sturgis maybe a dozen times and in 2001 hit a deer in Wyoming and broke three ribs. Most of my bikes have been featured in Easyriders, Cycle Source, American Rider, Heavy Duty Magazine (Australia), 100% Biker (England), and others. I never considered myself a pro-builder, just an enthusiast who loves to create something new.

I rode on several long road rides to the Smoke Out, rode to the Yuma Prison Run once with the Outlaws and Hangmen, once to help a friend who broke down and once with George Christie before either one of use were in a club.

Over the last 12 years I have written five motorcycle adventure novels, a book documenting the life of Terry the Tramp, the 27-year president of the Vagos MC and a book about Bonneville racing.

I also own and operate a motorcycle-oriented website; Bikernet.com. It was one of the first custom motorcycle sites (est. 1996). The site has expanded to include tech material, and a broad gamut of entertainment. It currently reaches over 100,000 unique users and collects over 200,000 impressions a month. In 2019 we grew to over 349,000 unique users in a single month.

A few years ago, I came out of retirement at the request of Primedia/Source to oversee their three American motorcycle magazines including Hot Bike. I have contributed to numerous motorcycle magazines as a freelance writer and consultant. In 2006 I was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame.

During 2006 and 2007 I returned to Bonneville and set two motorcycle land speed records with what we called the Worlds Fastest Panhead (top speed 162). And over the last couple of years, I have worked with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation to kick off an Industry Council to support our Aftermarket.

The year 2016 looked to be another exciting year, with more book projects, web site expansion, and another exciting Bonneville effort (we are building the first streamlined trike). We expanded it to include Bikernet Baggers, Bikernet Trikes, and the Bikernet Blog.

Bikernet.com turned 25 this year, 2021.

For 17 years I lived in a little third world country between Long Beach and San Pedro, in a 10,000 square foot old hotel across the street from the Port of Los Angeles. Don’t come visit, it’s too dangerous.

This year I sold the building, packed my shit and moved to Deadwood, South Dakota. We hope to attend the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials and test the Salt Torpedo against the salt for the first time.

Television/Movies:

Easyriders Video--Director and Executive Producer. Quarterly video

for 10 years.

20/20--Interviewed

Monster Garage 50th Episode -- successful team member

Discovery Channel--Interviewed

Rod Stewart music video--extra on a motorcycle

Born to Ride Movie, bit part

American Chopper build-off against Jesse James--Judge

Print:

World Run (novel) 2016--author

Terry the Tramp (novel) Motorbooks--author

Harbor Town Seduction (novel)--author

Sam "Chopper" Orwell (novel)--author

Outlaw Justice (novel)--author

Prize Possession (novel)--author

How to build a Bonneville Motorcycle (Book) Author

Maxim magazine--Featured

Easyriders magazine--Editor/Editorial Director

VQ magazine--Editorial Director

American Rodder magazine--Publisher

Asphalt Angels magazine--Featured

Biker magazine--Editorial Director

In The Wind magazine--Editorial Director

Tattoo magazine--Editorial Director

Tattoo-Flash magazine--Editorial Director

Tattoo-Savage magazine--Editorial Director

Inked magazine--Editorial Director

Metal Hammer magazine--Editorial Director

"Easyriders Best Customs" coffee table book--Author

"David Mann-The Best of David Mann" art book--Author

"David Mann-The Collector's Edition" art book--Author

Eagles Eye magazine--Editorial Director

Harley-Davidson, The Legends coffee table pictorial--Featured

Hot Rod Bikes magazine--Contributor

Iron Horse Magazine--Consultant

Cruising Rider magazine--Contributor

Iron Stallion coffee table pictorial--Featured/Contributor

Thunder In The Hills coffee table pictorial--Featured

Quick Throttle magazine--Publisher

American Rider--Consultant/editor/contributor

Cruising Rider--Contributor

American Iron--Contributor

Motorcycles In Retrospect--Contributor

Iron Horse—Contributor

Heavy Duty Magazine, Australia--columnist

Hard Core Choppers—Contributor

Hot Bike—Editor in Chief

Hot Rod Bikes—Editorial Director

Street Chopper—Editorial Director

Cycle Source Magazine—World Report Editor, since

Charity work:

Child sponsor of Children's International

Board of Directors American Red Cross, Ventura Chapter

Board of Directors Human Services Network (group homes for young abandoned boys)

Exceptional Children’s Foundation--Beach Ride Committee Member

Sponsor for Kids and Chrome annually for five years

Sponsor Veterans charities

Advisory council Las Vegas Bike Fest

Supporter of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum

Awards:

Sturgis Moxie award for 21-years in business supporting the motorcycle industry--2017

Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame 2016

Motorcycle Hall of Fame (Sturgis) 2006

Four motorcycle land speed records

Silver Spoke Award for contributions to motorcycle rights from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists NCOM

Motorcycle Riders Foundation Aftermarket Award 2016

2006 Cycle Source Magazine Man of the Year

2018 Inducted into the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Hall of Fame

Community Work:

Initiated the Crescent Ave Residents Association (San Pedro) producing the 22nd Street Park in San Pedro adjacent to the Cabrillo Marina.

Involved in the Wilmington Waterfront Development Committee for 14 years, ending with the completion of the Wilmington Waterfront Park and an approved EFI for a Wilmington Waterfront effort.

Member of Wilmington Waterfront Now organization for nine years to support the Wilmington Waterfront effort and Wilmington beautification. Finally, in 2021 the city of LA and the Port broke ground.

Credited with boosting the Sturgis Rally by hiring Michael Lichter to cover it in 1978..

Credited with inspiring the highly successful Discover Channel TV series Biker Build-Offs through a discovery channel interview in Columbus, Ohio.