This week in 2001 saw us waiting in line for “The Fast And The Furious,” a film that would go on to see a number of sequels, and arguably put breakout star Paul Walker both on the path to stardom and on course to his ultimate fate. RIP Mr. Walker, your legions of fans miss you.

If you were alive this week back in 1941, you were probably aware of the growing pains as the U.S. auto industry grappled with organized labor for the first time. Henry Ford, the last holdout manufacturer, exchanged articles with the UAW, and ushered in a new era of collective bargaining for industry workers. Go back all the way to this week in 1902, and you will find June 23rd as the day Mercedes->ke187 was first registered as a brand name by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, a German automaker looking for a name that wouldn't sound too German for the French market.

Whether or not any events will have historical significance at some point in future, let's look at what happened this week.

Continue reading for my look at the week ending June 24, 2016.

RIP DeWayne Jones

Unfortunately, not all of the 2016 additions are quite as shiny as the historical highlights. Sunday, June 19th saw former Team Honda->ke291 racer DeWayne Jones succumb to the cancer he battled. Mr. Jones was a charter member of the Team Honda racing unit, and put Honda on the racing map all the way back in 1973. He is survived by his mother, son, daughter and siblings, to include his racer brother, Gary Jones.

Ducati Recalls

2014 1199 Superleggera

Ducati->ke622 had a rough week as well with the announcement of a brace of recalls. First off, a defect has been identified within certain 2014 1199 Superleggera models that can cause rear-wheel lockup due to a failure in the primary drive. The campaign begins July 18th, and affected owners can expect to get a brand-new clutch assembly free of charge.

2016 XDiavel S

Ducati's woes extends into its power-cruiser class with a recall on its 2016 XDiavel S. Apparently a number of these bikes may have had the rear wheel improperly installed, a condition which can cause the drive pins to fail and cause loss of power and braking to the rear wheel. Like the Superleggera, the “S” recall campaign launches July 18th, and owners will get a free fix from their local dealer. Concerned owners of either bike can call Ducati customer service at 1-800-231-6696 for more information.

Yamaha Concept Vehicles

05GEN

The Tuning Fork Company->ke301 brings us a couple of new concept, um, vehicles for lack of a better word. To be fair, the 05GEN generally qualifies as such, with an electric->ke3364 motor assisting the pedal power, and a Delta tricycle->ke2807 configuration with a leaning front end, similar to the Tricity scooter.

All that is fairly practical, but I have to question the wisdom of the canopy. It isn't likely to stop anything harder than a farmer's rain, and looks like a dandy sail that works at all the wrong times. Don't even get me started on how it looks.

06GEN

The 06GEN is a sort of traveling gazebo built on a golf cart. I can see it having a real purpose in life at a resort, retreat or even an airport, but beyond that, I struggle to imagine any real-life uses, unless you count schlepping some Kardashian or another around the pool deck on a particularly warm day.

There You Have It

Warmer temps have thawed out the entirety of the lower forty-eight, and the summer riding season is fully upon us. I would remind you that no matter how uncomfortable gear is in the heat, it ain't as uncomfortable as road rash, so wear your gear, people. And as always, keep it dirty side down.