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- DOJ issues final rule to reopen federal firearms rights restoration
- Supreme Court will hear multiple high-profile cases in December
- Other cases: plane forfeiture, voter registration rules
- Clintel voices internal debate over carbon cycle
- Product news: Progressive Suspension QPS Upgrade Kit
- Easyriders’ identity and a proposed mission
- Events, videos and community notes
- Short items and reflections
The team behind Easyriders and Bikernet says it is reviving several legacy projects — from a planned relaunch of Tattoo magazine to a refreshed website and social channels — even as staff juggle production of the magazine’s holiday issue and routine rider life on the road. Below, the newsroom rounds up policy developments, legal fights headed to the Supreme Court, product news for builders, and community updates from Sturgis and beyond.
DOJ issues final rule to reopen federal firearms rights restoration
On August 20, the U.S. Department of Justice published a final rule creating an application process for relief from federal firearm disabilities under the Gun Control Act of 1968. The rule marks a formal relaunch of a program dormant for decades.
DOJ intends a phased rollout. The agency will open the system first on September 26, 2026, to an invited applicant pool. A second wave accepting 5,000 public applications begins November 4, 2026, and a third wave of 500 applications is scheduled for January 4, 2027. DOJ estimates the program could receive roughly 330,000 applications per year when fully active.
Ed Martin, the Pardon Attorney appointed by the Trump administration, said the office is building an online portal to process applications and urged prospective applicants to review the instructions on DOJ’s site (justice.gov/ffrr). The National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm, NRA-ILA, submitted extensive comments on the proposed rule. The organization welcomed some revisions but also flagged concerns.
Among DOJ’s concessions: the rule narrows permanent presumptions of ineligibility, limiting certain technical disqualifications to a 10-year period after sentence completion; it allows applicants unable to obtain specific documents to submit affidavits explaining their efforts; and it restricts future revocation authority by the attorney general to cases where fraud can be shown. A proposed requirement to notify local law enforcement when an applicant files was removed.
But the final rule tightened other provisions. Applicants must now provide information about arrests and prosecutions that occurred overseas, despite Supreme Court precedent limiting overseas convictions’ impact under the GCA. DOJ also raised the administrative fee by about 50% compared with the initial proposal.
The NRA-ILA called the program’s revival historic and urged interested individuals to begin collecting documentation now. It noted that state-level firearm disabilities remain subject to separate restoration procedures.
Supreme Court will hear multiple high-profile cases in December
The justices are scheduled to hear two consolidated gun-rights cases on Dec. 2: Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins. Both challenges target bans on AR-15-style and similar semiautomatic rifles, asking whether those weapons are protected by the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.
In Viramontes, plaintiffs attack Cook County’s ordinance that prohibits so-called assault weapons and certain feature-based configurations. Grant addresses Connecticut’s statewide ban. Lower courts in the Seventh and Second Circuits upheld the bans, characterizing the rifles as military-type weapons that may be regulated. Opponents argue the firearms are common in civilian use and therefore fall within constitutional protection under Supreme Court precedents such as Heller and Bruen.
Other cases: plane forfeiture, voter registration rules
On Dec. 1 the Court will consider Jouppi v. Alaska, a dispute over whether state authorities may seize a $95,000 Cessna through civil asset forfeiture after troopers discovered a six-pack of beer on a flight bound for a village that prohibits alcohol. The pilot, convicted of a misdemeanor for transporting the alcohol, argues forfeiture for that quantity is an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment. The Alaska Supreme Court upheld the seizure; the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh whether forfeiture must be measured by the defendant’s specific conduct or by the general gravity of the offense.
On Dec. 8 the justices will hear Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota, which challenges parts of a 2022 Arizona law. The law requires “satisfactory evidence” of U.S. citizenship — such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers — for people who register using Arizona’s state form, and directs officials to cancel registrations confirmed as noncitizen. Advocacy groups argue federal law and a prior consent decree bar the proof requirement and preclude systematic removals in the 90-day pre-election “quiet period.” The Ninth Circuit largely kept the law blocked, while the Supreme Court previously allowed limited enforcement pending final review.
Clintel voices internal debate over carbon cycle
Clintel director Marcel Crok, long active in climate journalism and dialogue efforts, summarized an emerging controversy among climate skeptics over the drivers of rising atmospheric CO₂. Historically many skeptics accepted that humans are the principal cause of recent CO₂ increases while disputing other aspects of climate science. In recent years, several scientists—starting with Murray Salby and later including Hermann Harde and Demetris Koutsoyiannis—have questioned that consensus and argued for alternative explanations.
Crok notes that most skeptics still defend the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change position that humans have contributed the bulk of CO₂ growth, but that tensions within the skeptical community have increased. In response, Clintel has proposed another workshop or an online Climate Dialogue to host respectful exchanges on the issue, and invited interested parties to participate.
Product news: Progressive Suspension QPS Upgrade Kit
Progressive Suspension has released the Quik Preload System (QPS) Upgrade Kit for its 444 and 944 Series shocks, designed to let riders adjust preload quickly without removing saddlebags. The company says the kit provides fine-tuning capability and retains the factory adjustment range.
- Compatible with 444 and 944 Series shocks (Standard, Heavy Duty, Super Duty spring rates)
- Sealed, gear-driven preload adjuster offering 17mm of adjustment
- 30 complete turns of preload fine adjustment; use with an 8mm socket
- Allows on-bike preload changes without removing saddlebags
- Carries a Lifetime Limited Warranty
Easyriders’ identity and a proposed mission
Those rebuilding the Easyriders brand say the magazine should remain unapologetically rooted in V-twin culture rather than try to make the scene “respectable.” A draft mission framed the title as a platform for custom builders, club riders, independents, and anyone for whom motorcycles are a way of life.
Practically, the proposal emphasizes coverage of real bikes as ridden and built, preservation of historical material, rally coverage, practical garage tech, and advocacy for riding rights and road safety. The goal: keep the culture alive across print, digital, video, events, and merchandise so the next generation can discover the same spark that launched the title in 1971.
Events, videos and community notes
The SEMA Battle of the Builders will add a dedicated motorcycle category for 2026. The Bike Builder Shootout is scheduled for the opening day of the 2026 SEMA Show on Tuesday, November 3, with industry judges assessing craftsmanship, design innovation, and execution. Top finalists will help decide category winners.
The Lowbrow Gang released a short instructional video showing a simple motorcycle assembly step to avoid costly frustration during final build phases. The segment focuses on ensuring bolt threads and fitment are checked before assembly.
At the local level, about 150 antique motorcycle riders visited Bandit’s Emporium in Sturgis during a recent AMCA Black Hills rally stop. The publisher recounts a routine ride interrupted by the loss and crushing of a phone during the outing — a small but telling reminder of riders’ reliance on devices even while on the road.
Short items and reflections
Quote of the week: “Time = Life. Therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life.” — Alan Lakein
The site’s regular contemplative column reflects on time’s passage and encourages readers to invest daily hours in relationships, service, and purpose rather than postpone living fully. The piece invites readers to consider what lessons repeat in life and what they would change if a day were their last.
Separately, Kegel Harley is planning a public announcement tied to its family-owned dealership during an upcoming rally, celebrating a long-kept local story. The dealership’s address in Rockford, Illinois, is listed as 7125 Harrison Avenue.
Finally, Easyriders’ merchandising team has introduced a classic five-panel, high-crown embroidered ballcap styled after Hal Robinson-era designs, now offered through the magazine’s shop for readers who want a tangible tie to the brand’s heritage.
