Contents
May Issue 120
Ad Index
features
Sam Swope 6th Annual Charity Ride Route 66 ... Air Brush Challenge Uncle Mike’s ... Hog Heaven Peggy’s Corral 16th Anniversary Bash Treasure Coast 8th Annual Bikefest Never Forget ... Rolling Thunder
14 19 39 43 49 61
columns Craven Moorehead Spyke & Mike Christian Motorcyclists Association
69 79 80
departments Page 3 Girl News MSF Ride Safe Ride Smart Women’s World Hottest Bike Nights Featured Event Test Ride Events, Rides & Destinations Born To Ride Kids
3 4 29 35 13 13 30 76 80
reports Rock The Kilt Copperhead Lodge ... 5 To 10 Finz Finds Rides Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Manatee River H-D Bike Night Where Did Loyalty Go Seffner Tiki Hut Biker Bash RJ’s Wild Wild Wings Biker Bash Charlie Kelley’s BTR Destinations
7 10 38 42 47 52 58 64 71
on The Cover Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill Grand Opening Party - Sunday, May 25 813-737-4444 Cover Photo: Matt Jacobson
Start Born To Ride TV and Magazine in your city! Call 888-795-5779 The information contained herein is provided by Born To Ride Magazine or by its advertisers. BTR makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information in the issue. Born To Ride Magazine does not endorse, approve, or certify such information, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness or correct sequencing of such information throughout this magazine. Use of such information is voluntary on your part, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after your independent review. Reference herein to any specific manufacturer, company, commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement of or recommendation of said by Born To Ride Magazine.” “Born To Ride Magazine (including its employees, contributors and agents) assumes no responsibility for consequences that may result from the use of the information herein, including the use of the information obtained at www.borntoride.com and it’s linked sites, or in any respect for the content of such information, including (but not limited to) errors or omissions, the accuracy or reasonableness of factual or scientific assumptions, studies or conclusions, ownership of copyright or other intellectual property rights, and the violation of property, privacy, or personal rights of others. BTR Magazine is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on such information. No guarantees or warranties, including (but not limited to) any express or implied warranties are made by BTR Magazine with respect to such information contained throughout the site.” No part may be copied without written permission of the publisher, Born To Ride, Inc. P.O. Box 3021, Brandon, FL 33509. 888-795-5779, Fax 813-689-2996.
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4D Trucking & Shipping A+ Brakes & Suspension AAA Affordable Motorsports Al Estes Bail Bonds Applebee’s Attorney Fran Haasch Budweiser Business Cards Cahill’s Motorsports Charlotte’s Webb Pub CJ Seats Copperhead Lodge Cycle-Rama Fraternal Order of Eagles #4147 Grace-FX H-D Crystal River H-D Lakeland H-D Manatee H-D Ocala H-D Patriot (Fairfax, VA) Jeff Ard Insurance Johnny G’s Bar JT’s Roadhouse Bar Leather Or Not Neon Cowboy Optical Elegance Paradise Power Sports Peggy’s Corral Porky’s BBQ Pride Cycles Ramp Free Motorcycle Trailers Reinhardt’s Motorcycles Ride Smart Florida Riverview Optical RJ’s Wild Wild Wings Rock The Kilt St. Pete Powersports Saddle Creek Seffner Tiki Hut Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q Steel Horse Tavern Summerland Tour 2014 The Landing Bar & Grill The Bar Out Back Twisted Tea Uncle Mike’s Venom Bar & Grill Wings N’ Weenies Yelvington Trikes
1 54 IBC 70 68 74 BC IFC,76 66,72,75,78 60 66 78 11 28 56 36 53 18 46 53 63 20 50 71 28 71 54 48,50 44 13,25 78 36 66 16 68 65 6 30,32 74 59 56,57 71 37 33 55 12 FC,40,41 8,9 75 20
from the publisher
Ah May, the month of celebrations and recognitions begin. There is Mother’s Day of course, Women Riders Month, Motorcycle Awareness, and Memorial Day. But first, there are two special ladies to recognize … Ginger and Critter—a great mother and daughter story in Women’s World column this month. We value the family unit and these two best pals are unstoppable when it comes to riding. In fact, they are planning to ride to Rolling Thunder in Washington, DC to honor our veterans—go girls, and be safe! There is never a shortage of great stories about women motorcyclists, and as women celebrate this month please know we have planned for you later this year the first annual Born To Ride Women’s Expo. On the cover are Simone and Mike Tolley, celebrating the grand opening of Uncle Mike’s in Plant City. Congrats to them, especially Simone as she celebrates her first Mother’s Day with baby Blake. Proceeds from the event will go to Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. We are proud to be associated with this great organization. We have been working hard behind the scenes. Our team is hard at work every day—from the stories, to the photos, to the events we cover. In this issue we have a dynamic story about Route 66 and how it came to life on a trike, painted by David Webster. Born To Ride TV was founded in 1995, and we are excited to announce we will begin airing in 10 new TV markets across the country. BTR TV will be seen from Raleigh, NC to Reno, NV—and even Puerto Rico. Check out page 67 to see the cities. We thank and appreciate all of our advertisers who believe in us and support the biker community. Every advertiser in this magazine has their own story to tell. We try to educate you more about their products and/ or services. Have you ever clicked the QR code within an event layout in this magazine? Scan it and see the TV episode for that event come to life! Happy Mother’s Day; remember our veterans on Memorial Day. Ride Safe and Ride Smart! Deb Galletti A special Happy Mother’s Day to our mother’s Nancy and Emily!
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born to
remember those who served on memorial day and every day. never forget our heroes.
happy mother’s day mom! we love you
Let’s call my mom and see what she has to say. … Hi Mom, I love you! Happy Mother’s Day. What does Mother’s Day mean to you? Well Ron, you are the youngest of my three children. From a very young age it was apparent that you would march to the beat of your own drum.
You would take off after school riding your dirt bike and I would not see you until after dark. You were covered in dirt and mud. Most of the time you would get in trouble for missing dinner (yes, Ron missed dinner!). You would ride sun up to sundown if you could every day. It doesn’t surprise me that you’d be celebrating your 800th episode of BTR TV. I remember when you quit your day job in the mid 90s and said, ‘I’m starting my own motorcycle TV show.’ When you want to do something, you will do it no matter what stands in your way. Ron, I’ve always been proud of you and what you have accomplished. I love Debbie and your children Emily and Ronnie. You do a wonderful job with your TV show and magazine. I’ve loved the times I attended your shows and met your viewers, readers and friends. People who ride motorcycles are great people and all the best to them for supporting the efforts of my son. Wow, there you have it. Thanks mom. I love you. And a special Happy Mother’s Day to my wife, Debbie, the greatest mother of all time, her mom, Nancy, and all you mothers out there reading this who are Born To Ride. Call your mom and tell her Happy Mother’s Day.
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BORN TO RIDE Magazine
PO BOX 3021 Brandon FL 33509
PUBLISHER
Ron Galletti 813-785-3895 rg@borntoride.com
CO PUBLISHER
Deb Galletti dgalletti@borntoride.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Jesse Williams jwilliams@borntoride.com
ART DIRECTOR
Josh Pope jpope@borntoride.com
ART DEPARTMENT Josh Pope, Seth Wuertz art@borntoride.com
Director Of Photography Jesse Williams
CREATIVE CONSULTANT Jim Miller
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Nancy Ray nray@borntoride.com
Multi-Media Specialist Seth Wuertz
Road CREW
Vick Velosity, Mr. Clean, Charlie Kelley, Craven Moorehead, Russ Holliday, Bam Bam
BTR KIDS DEPARTMENT
Building motorcycles without compromise. It’s been Erik Buell’s dream for more than 30 years. It’s no longer a dream. EBR is the very definition of the American spirit.
Motorcycles designed and manufactured in East Troy, Wisconsin embodying superb technology from around the world. Whether it’s Austrian four-stroke, liquid-cooled power plants or Swedish suspension components, EBR engineers global performance integration into every model. More than three decades of racing, engineering, and manufacturing experience goes into every motorcycle we make. You won’t be disappointed upon setting eyes on our newest creation: The 2014 EBR 1190RX. It has been built from start-to-finish with pride, joy and a relentless passion to bring you another world-class sport bike from the heart of America. See this unbelieveable motorcycle at St. Pete Powersports and tell them Born To Ride sent you!
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Neale Bayly, Paul Garson, Craven Moorehead, Jim Miller, Spyke & Mike, Terry Longpre, Susan Hurst, Josh Kurpius, Bill McDaniel, Pin Up America
Photographers
Jim Miller, Jesse Williams, Neale Bayly, Michael Whitney, Ron Hawks, Chris Miller, Scott Odel, Bryan Lambert, Mathew Jacobson, Brent Michael, Huck, Zippy
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Born To Ride, Inc. (888) 795-5779 P.O. Box 3021 Brandon, FL 33509
Fran Haasch isn’t just our attorney, she’s yours as well! 866-LAW-FRAN
borntoride.com | BTR 5
Help Dunedin High School Scottish Highlander Band Go to Scotland
The Dunedin High School Scottish Highlander Band has a long and rich tradition of musical excellence, and is known for the incorporation Scottish studies and traditions into the band program. As a result, the Scottish Highlander Band is recognized as one of the most unique programs in the Southeast. Dunedin’s special Scottish history is particularly important as the City celebrated its 111th anniversary of incorporation in 2010. Scottish families originally settled the City of Dunedin in 1899. Two Scotsmen, J.O. Douglas and James Sumerville named the settlement Dunedin, the original name of Edinburgh, their hometown in Scotland. In 1957, a new Junior High School was built near Highland Avenue in Dunedin. Officials in charge named it Dunedin Highland Junior High (now Dunedin Highland Middle), in honor of James Sumerville and J.O. Douglas, Scottish founders of Dunedin, Florida in 1899. Attending the opening ceremonies as a reporter, Bob Longstreet, later mayor of Dunedin, had an idea. His newspapers owner was a Scottish Lord, Roy Thompson. Soon a gift set of bagpipes was on its way from Scotland, which was accepted by students Ann Catoe and Patricia Cornwell. Matt Forsythe, a piper extraordinaire who just moved here
from Scotland, offered his services and the Highlanders were on their way! The students moved up to the newly built Dunedin High School in 1960 and now there were two piper bands! In June of 1964, the City of Dunedin invited Stirling, Scotland as its Sister City of Dunedin. In December of that year the City of Stirling reciprocated and the intertwining of the two cities had begun. In March of 1998 the Provost of Stirling, John Paterson represented Stirling at the Dunedin Highland Games. In the summer of 1998 Dunedin Mayor Tom Anderson visited Stirling, and the reciprocal visits continue today. The Dunedin Scottish Highlander Band performs at numerous activities throughout the year: Concerts, District and State level Music Assessments, Competitions, charity events, and many more. Our Scottish Studies activities include various Highland Games around the state and the Dunedin Military Tattoo. This includes Piping, Dancing and Drumming competition where the High School Students are competing against seasoned adults. The Band has had notable performances in local, regional, and national arenas. The band has performed in the Smokey Mountain Music Festival, the Tournament of Roses Parade, and at various events internationally.
The Band has earned numerous superior ratings at Florida Bandmasters Association Music Assessments. The Dunedin High School Instrumental Music Department is comprised of several ensembles: Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Pipe Band, and the Orchestra. Many students are in more than one ensemble, and are also involved with choral and drama groups. AP Music Theory is the newest course offering of the Instrumental Music Department, where students may earn college credit through the rigorous study of music. The Dunedin High School Band Program has a high educational standard of excellence. The program seeks to teach both musical skills and life values through the study and performance of music. An important part of the Highlander program is the Student Leadership team, where students are selected to lead various elements of the overall group. From librarians to historians, section leaders to Drum Majors, these students guide their peers to excellence, investing themselves into the future of the program. When selected, these students are sent to various leadership camps around the state.
For more info. visit RockTheKilt.com
“5 to 10” at
copperhead lodge You would too if you had the time!
Back in October 2013, we stayed at the Copperhead lodge from the 15th to the 25th. My wife Cindy and I loved the place so much that a five-day vacation was changed to seven days, then 10 days. What a great staff they have! Caren, Sara, and the rest of the workers were always looking out for everyone. The Food was excellent and good prices. The Owner Michelle, I don’t know where to begin to describe her. She is definitely the Energizer Bunny’s clone. When
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she was not taking care of everyone, she was in the kitchen cooking or leading a ride thru some of the best roads we have ever been on. The days that she did not lead the rides, she had detailed directions for us. Michelle always made sure we went to different places on our rides. She and the rest of the staff “made our stay.” We rented a very nice cabin that had a garage for our trike and a big front porch with rocking chairs that Cindy loved. The cabin was very well laid out with everything
we needed, including a hot tub. Cindy and I would like to give the Copperhead Lodge and its owners and staff a five-star rating! We are so glad that we saw the article about it in Born To Ride and look forward to reading it every month ... Cindy took me there as my 60th birthday present. We put almost 3,000 miles on the trike during our great trip. Sal & Cindy Annerino
Check out Copperhead Lodge on Facebook for more info. - Facebook.com/CopperheadLodge
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Raises $350,000 for Shriner’s Hospitals for Children The 2014 6th Annual Sam Swope Charity Ride presented by Bahia Shriners took place on March 9, 2014 in the Orlando area. The 40 mile ride was led by Mr. Sam Swope, benefactor of the ride. The bikers made their way to Seminole Harley Davidson in Sanford, Florida where the efforts to support expert medical care at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Tampa continued with live and silent auctions, refreshments and a Foghat concert. This ride generated $350,000 for Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Tampa - a tremendous impact for the hospital that provides orthopaedic specialty pediatric care regardless a of family’s ability to pay. Shriners Hospitals for Children®Tampa is extremely grateful for the generosity of Mr. Swope, Bahia Shriners, ride sponsors and the biker community! Born to Ride magazine and TV has been a tremendous supporter and contributor to the success of this fundraiser over the years. Owners, Ron and Debbie Galletti give countless hours of their time to help promote the event to the biker community and provide excellent event coverage. Mr. and Mrs. Sam Swope, Art Horton, Chairman and the Sam Swope Charity Ride team and members of Bahia Shriners presented a check at the Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Tampa located on the USF campus in Tampa on March 18 at 11am. About Shriners Hospitals for Children® Tampa Over 50,000 children have received orthopaedic specialty care in a family centered environment at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Tampa since opening in October 1985. Shriners Hospitals for Children – Tampa continues to focus on providing the highest quality pediatric medical care to children regardless of the family’s ability to pay and relies on the generosity of our donors to deliver our mission. Located on the University of South Florida campus, the Tampa location is a major referral center for complex and highly specialized orthopaedic treatment for children throughout the state of Florida and South Georgia. About Shriners Hospitals for Children® Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a pediatric health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. Shriners Hospitals for Children® relies on the generosity of donors to deliver this mission every day. btr 14 | borntoride.com
For more info. on next year’s ride email ahortonl@cfl.rr.com
S
Eric & Denise from Ramp Free Motorcycle Trailers donated 2 trailers that raised $5,000 (Thank you guys!) Scan the QR code and watch the Sam Swope ride on BTR TV!
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Thanks to the efforts of all the team leaders, team members, Seminole Harley-Davidson, Born To Ride, Vietnam Brotherhood, FOGHAT, All Seasons Pools, every sponsor, and especially everyone who came out to enjoy a great ride. Thanks to Florida Highway Patrol, Seminole County Sheriff’s, Lake County Sheriff’s, and Volusia County Sheriff’s Offices, Apopka Police in handling the escorted ride! The weather was great, and everyone enjoyed a great afternoon
at Seminole H-D, culminating with FOGHAT’s 90-minute concert. Special Thanks to Sam, Marlys and Susan Swope for everything they do to make the day a success. It was the best year yet; won’t you help us exceed that next year March 8, 2015? See you there.
Let Born To Ride market, promote and advertise your charity! Call 888-795-5779
Art Horton Chairman, Sam Swope Charity Ride borntoride.com | btr 17
David Webster’s
AiR bRusH Challenge of a
LIFETIME
chicago to l.a. or bust! the roUte 66 hoNda goLdwINg trIke • THE INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT • It was Christmas dinner at my brother’s house in Daytona Beach when he told me about a client named Fred, who was interested finding someone to airbrush a trike he was planning to build. Fred was one of my brother’s bigger legal clients and it was a real honor to have him personally recommend me. If that didn’t put a little pressure on me, I found out that Fred had been having trikes created for years by one of the most talented airbrush shops in the Daytona area. When Fred sent me images of his previous
trikes the stakes for this project were raised about as high as they can get. I had seen the Margaritaville trike displayed at a Rats Hole bike show a few years earlier. The work was really amazing, and I was going to have my work cut out for me to raise that bar and impress this customer. The most daunting element of this job was the concept, “Route 66.” Fred wanted to capture the feel of a Route 66 travel brochure from the time of its heyday back in the ’50s. Route 66 was the first interstate to be built in the United States that tied together all the roads between Chicago, Illinois and Santa
The road has always been a place to find the answers, or ignore the questions.
Monica, California. That is a whole lot of space to capture on a motorcycle, or anywhere else for that matter. It took a month to research Route 66 with books, films, and Google. One of the most telling films I saw was actually a modern animated movie called Cars. It was about a small town called Radiator Springs that embodied all the misplaced small towns that used to line Route 66 in its heyday. When a new super expressway went in so people could get across country faster towns like that became ghost towns. The movie helped me to remember what it was like as a kid riding across the Mid West with my parents
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“ ROuTE 66 WAs THE fifIRsT
inTERsTATE TO bE builT in THE uniTED sTATEs THAT TiED TOGETHER All THE ROADs bETWEEn CHiCAGO, illinOis AnD sAnTA MOniCA, CAlifORniA. THAT is A WHOlE lOT Of sPACE TO CAPTuRE On A MOTORCYClE, OR AnYWHERE ElsE fOR THAT MATTER.
on vacations. My dad just liked to get in the car and drive, and I remember trips that probably were on Route 66. He just enjoyed getting out and seeing things and being behind the wheel. This lifestyle was slower and more appreciative of the small town way of life. The roads actually moved around the landscape and you could see so much more of what the areas had to offer. I remember riding through the mountain paths and thinking that’s a heck of a drop over the side and wishing maybe the road could be a little wider! The best part of those trips for me and my brothers was seeing the Holiday Inn sign at the end of the day. We knew they would have a swimming pool and that was all we needed to be happy. I found through our conversations that Fred was a person who enjoyed getting on the open road and experiencing life in the way the people did on Route 66. I really wanted to capture the feel of that for him with this project. • BUILDING THE CONCEPT OF ROUTE 66 • I wanted to make sure everything about the job would cause anyone who viewed the bike to feel like they were looking at something that reflected the era of the ’50s. In order to set the
All roads lead to successs - even the detours.
”
tone for the bike I had to come up with a base color that felt like it was from that era. Fred had expressed some interest in the woodies of that time period and he wanted to see some on the trike somewhere. I found this convertible Town and Country that seemed to have a color that would be a great ground for all the diverse colors that were going to be brought together on it. I like the wood grain as well and it would become a key element in the trailer that was going to accompany the trike. This project started out in Photoshop and it allowed me to pull together the immense amount of information that was going to have to come together in order to fully capture what Fred imagined for this job. At first I photographed one of his older trikes so I could get a sense of space that the images would have to be place in. I wiped out the images that were originally on it and used Photoshop to superimpose the images on it as I intended to paint them. Without this technology I would have had an impossible task of planning the placement and size for the hundreds of images that had to come together and feel like they moved logically across the trike. The first area I worked on was the front
faring and fender because I felt like it would be a key area on the trike. I wanted to solidify the direction I would take with the images and how they were going to be brought together. It is absolutely critical to get inside the customers head as early on in the design process and find out what their vision is. Photoshop is a great tool for getting an almost realistic impression of what the trike might look like before any painting is begun. It allows me to quickly place images into the space and get feedback from the customer before too much time is committed. The funniest thing about the first image on the left was that I sent Fred two compositions to get a feel for what he wanted to see. The first one is pictured above with the Playboy Bunny front and center. The second one didn’t have the Bunny and that was the one my wife liked the most. He picked the one with the Playboy Bunny and that helped me to understand what he would like to see on the rest of the trike. The Playboy Club was a big part of the culture in Chicago in the early fifties, so it served a historical purpose as well as adding something visually interesting for Fred to look at. He wanted the project to be true to the concept,
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but he enjoyed throwing a pinup into the lineup whenever possible for points of visual interest. I tried to make sure that I found interesting classic images from Route 66 and also great images that felt like they should have come from that era. Once I had Fred’s approval on the first panel it solidified the project direction, and I moved forward with planning all the panels. It was on the left side of the front faring that I came up with the plan to add a graphic element to further tie all the panels together. I decided to render the road atlas in the background of all the panels and show the maps from Illinois to Santa Monica Pier. This was going to be the element that truly set this job apart from anything anyone had ever done like this. I think that is partly because it was such a pain in the ass to do no one else would want to do it. I nearly doubled the amount of time it took to do each panel. I trudged through it because it added a feel that couldn’t have been accomplished any other way. The down side to this job was there was absolutely no easy way to do any of it. It was by far the most difficult, time consuming, problematic, and quite often tedious project I have ever taken on. I teach art at the
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Art Institute of Jacksonville, and I constantly tell my students that the work isn’t always easy or fun when you are producing something of great quality. Once the plan was about 75 percent complete I was delivered the first part to be painted and that turned out be the trailer. Of course that was the one thing I hadn’t worked on a plan for yet. As Fred was dropping it off I got an idea to do postcards, a fake woody siding, and to put two pinups on the top. One of them would be from Chicago and the other would be from Santa Monica. I googled, “girl in a bikini with a parka” and it immediately pulled up the current Sports Illustrated cover with Kate Upton topless in a Polar Bear white parka. All I had to do was to add her legs from another photo shoot and the boots from another. I found another cover photo of her on the beach in California. With that one the transformation was much simpler. She had a painted on bikini bottom that wasn’t doing her justice so I painted it off. That whole concept came together in a matter of days. I sent the images to Fred for his approval and now it was time to get-r-done!
• ROUTE 66 COMPLETED • 1. I try to find ways of helping the viewer to slow down as they travel across my illustration of Route 66. No matter where you are in the design I made a point of identifying it in one way or another as Route 66. The very first image that I bring you to on the trike is the road itself with old gas station logos and the illuminated Holiday Inn sign in the distance. I wanted it to visually move you into the direction of the Chicago panel above it. From there the idea was to start at the front faring in Chicago and then begin to travel visually down the route seeing icons and landscape vignettes that would appear along the way. Chicago is famous for its pizza, the Chicago Cubs, The Theater, trolley cars, and of course the Play Boy Club. 2. From the front of the bike the path travels down the left side of the trike through Illinois with a few of the iconic images that have been made famous by the highway. 3. In Springfield there is the Lincoln Memorial and the Cozy Dog Drive In, the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, and Our Lady of the Highway in Montgomery. The image travels down to the
The greatest thing in this world is not so much where wer are, but in what direction we are moving.
T
.
footplate where it crosses a bridge into Missouri. 4. In Missouri, Fred had made a point of wanting to focus on the Budweiser Brewery and that was located in one of the more notable cities St. Louis, with the Arch signifying the entrance way to the West. I used the cityscape with the arch to create a dramatic entrance for the Budweiser Clydesdales. 5. That leads your eye to the Brewery itself, featuring the Bud girl and the Anheuser logo. Just above that is one of the tourist attractions I remember visiting as a child, the Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri. On the way out of Missouri I felt it wouldn’t be complete without a river boat and an image of the man who wrote so many stories centered on the Missouri River, Mark Twain. From there it’s on to Kansas where Route 66 spent very little time in. 6. The Big Boy sign was a familiar sight back then and was one of my favorite restaurants as a child. Their Big Boy Double Burger was ripped off by McDonald’s Big Mac. It was exactly the same only slightly bigger, at least in my memory. I had to feature a pinup in the center of the tank so there would be something to look at
from the driver’s seat. 7. From there I bring you to the right side of the bike and the state of Oklahoma. There was a lot of interesting imagery and history to work with in this state. One of the most notable characters was Will Rogers, who was a very famous rodeo cowboy and entertainer. Just as notable were the Indians such as Princess Pale Moon of the Oklahoma Choctaws. Of course a girl fixing the flat tire of her pretty red corvette might get your attention as well. One of the things I felt had to be there was leading you off into Texas– the unusual Blue Whale from Catoosa that is a feature of a roadside swimming park. 8. Entering Texas, I bring you first to the Cadillac Ranch, which is a series of Caddy’s set upright in the desert and painted by tourist as a sort of interactive attraction. Of course it wouldn’t be Texas if there weren’t cattle, the Big Texan steak Ranch, an old truck, and a hot cowgirl. 9. The Upper trunk was a very complex section and featured two different states. On the side of the upper trunk was one of the highlights of the trike. On the New Mexico side, I featured the sign from a very famous hotel called the Blue
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.
Swallow. In front of it was a roadside totem from Gallup, New Mexico. 10. Below that features more of New Mexico, where there were a lot of local icons to have fun with. Fred had mentioned he wanted Area 51 featured somehow, so I threw in the Area 51 logo from a ’50s movie and put alien heads on the Easy Riders. 11. Moving on to Arizona where there was some of the more dramatic landscape imagery to work with. I put together about 14 different images to make this scene of the rafters coming through the Grand Canyon. The American Indian, the bald eagle, and the clear blue skies are also symbolic of the area’s past and present—helping to convey what a driver might experience on this part of the trip. 12. On the left side of the Trunk I brought out some more of the funny characters as well as the ghostly image of one of the area’s most famous heroes, Geronimo. 13. As I move the viewer back down to the back fender you travel through the desert and encounter an old roadside store whose disrepair only adds to its character. From here the image
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moves back, and you begin to encounter images that embody some of the qualities that draw people to California. The creativity is hinted at with the Big Daddy Rat Fink riding a wave, the classic woody overlooking and a breathtaking image of the Big Sir. 14. In a close up you can see some of the details of the Big Sir landscape, the palm trees turned out awesome and of course the hot girl in a bikini. That never gets old! 15. On the reverse side of the back you get another hot girl with a woody to balance the pair on the left, as well as another matching awesome palm tree. The bottoms of each fender had matching surfer sunrises to capture the Endless Summer theme that brought California and surfing to the forefront of the minds of Americans. 16. The final image captures the view of the back of the bike as you might encounter driving up from behind. You find the Beach Boys on the beach in front of the Santa Monica Pier that is the official end of Route 66. On the opposite side is the Hollywood sign and one of
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the most recognizable icons of the silver screen Marylyn Monroe. Last but not least is the Pacific Ocean with its shores echoing the shores of Lake Michigan where the trip began. 17. This was probably the most wonderful image of all and it is of Fred and his friends getting ready to take their trip down Route 66. Fred is on the far left with a cream colored t-shirt. They started at the opposite end of the trail and headed back to Chicago. It took so long to get this project completed that they nearly had to cancel the trip. I got the final parts to him 10 days before the trip was to begin and the trike was put together two days before departure time. In the end, I have never had a customer more excited about a project or more gracious. Fred was never negative in any way and gave me free range with the project for all the artistic decisions. He was so excited about the art that he sent photos from his phone every time he came across one of the images on the trike! • THE PROCESS OF BRINGING ROUTE 66 TO LIFE • The first part of the trailer to be painted
was going to be the top and it was one of the most interesting panels on the project. It was going to establish the tone and expectations for everything else to come. I scaled the photoshop image to the size of the lid and printed it out on a tabloid size printer (11x17”). The panels were taped together with scotch tape to create a full size pattern to transfer to the panel. The image was traced onto the panel by applying an oil based pastel to the back and then tracing over the image. The imge comes through faintly but just enough to allow me to have an idea of where the forms are going to be and sets the basic shapes. I used a neutral brown so it would fade into the undertone as it was painted on to establish the forms more clearly before adding more colors and values. With all the images on the trike, I first layed down a light brown that had been desaturated with some of the trikes base cream color. This created a unifying undertone to bridge the rest of the colors across the trke. With a bridge color I create a neutral from the three primary colors of blue, red, and yellow that has a slight lean
He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day ... needs to reorganize his life.
towards red. With this color it can be introduced into any other color to desaturate them and make them feel like a part of the color family in the project. The neutral color also became the color of all the base road lines for the atlas maps and this tourist map that was set into the background of the top of the trailer. Once I laid down the nuetral brown and then the accents on the maps of red, white, and blue I then misted over the base coat color to face the map back into the ground color of the bike. That way the detail didn’t distract from the images in the forground and it became more like an underskin to the design. The next color I added to the image was on the postcards that are bordering the top. I did this next because they had to be done seperately from the rest of the top because they have such sharply defined edges. I reverse masked them with a clear vinyl application tape called TransferRite. Its really amazingly easy to apply, cut, and remove. The great thing about this stuff is it allows me to mask off areas as I’m working and work up the forground and then jump into the background. It keeps hard edges from getting to hard and for the whole process to stay fluid. The other bonus is it is cheaper than frisket and doesn’t leave behind a glue residue.
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The next element that I had to do was the woody effect on the sides of the trailer. It took a little bit of preplanning and a lot of taping and back taping to make this area come together. I created vinyl stencils that were perfectly shaped to conform to the trailer by first wrapping the trailer sides with paper and drawing out the shapes the way I wanted them. Then I scanned the tracing so that I could create perfectly sized stencils. This was fairly time consuming to make the stencils, but it allowed me to establish the shapes perfectly. Once the stencils were on I used a really simple process of wood graining. First the lighter color of a two color process was layed down with a Sata Mini Jet spray gun. I then brushed on the second darker color to create the wood grain effect. I used a cheap throw away brush from Lowes that had course hairs in order to create a nice woodgrain. The paint for the darker colored actual grain was Wicked Automotive acrylics. The acrylics allowed the pigment to stay wet long enough to be brused on and manipulated slightly when needed. It litereally only took minutes to create an absolutley amazing looking wood grain effect. I did the center panels first and then back taped those panels and painted the outer panels. Once the woodgrain was on, I went in and put in
the shadows to give it a three dimensional look. The prep work was most of the time on this part of the project. In the next image you can see where I completed the text and the Route 66 sign by using a two-stage stencil created with a vinyl cutter. This allowed there to be some forms that appear flawless and others that take on a softer feel. In the second photo you can see the clear vinyl being used to work on every other post card. The vinyl can only go so far on rounded surfaces without crimping, so I had to work in small sections. That is the one drawback of working on rounded canvases. Every area of the trike had to be laid out first and then I had to figure out how to chop them up so they could wrap around the rounded surfaces. The large back area that went over the tires was the most challenging area of the trike and that is saying something. It took over 300 hours for this one piece. It was like wrapping a huge globe with images that had to flow together perfectly in the end. There was so much going on back there that without days of planning all that imagery could have come out looking like a total cluster. This was the final photoshop plan for the very back area of that space. It took 12 different
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.
F
photos just to create the part of the scene around the license plate and that doesn’t include the map. You can see all the splices that had to be made in order to make this image lay out on the trunk and fenders. Every area of the trike presented similar tacticle problems. This area of the trike is one of my favorites because of the Big Sur image on the top. This area like so many on this trike had me stressed out completely before I started laying down the forms. The trickiest area was the foreground with the flowers because there was not really anything definite to render. In order to resolve that issue I decided to treat it like an abstract space where I just created some basic ground shapes without trying to define them with too much detail. Then I went in and suggested some flower and weed shapes on top to create focal points. The result was simple and allowed the other elements like the water and the woodies to become the main points of interest. The last thing I wanted to show was a close up of what the map work looked like. It sort of sums up the level of detail that was needed to pull this whole job off. I had to purchase two new high end guns just to be able to speed up
the painting process with this project. I normally would use a Satagraph 300 for all of the upclose detail work and have two Iwata HP-C plus guns for the simpler shapes and fill colors. I needed to be working with five colors at the same time for most of these panels, so I was going to add two new Satagraphs to the line up. Unfortunately, I found out the guns are no longer going to be in production. I bought the last one that Coast Airbrush had and then they recommended a Harder and Steenbeck Infinity brush. Apparently they built the Satagraph guns and this was their product made with the same trigger mechanism that makes the Satagraph … so amazing to work with. The funny thing was when the gun came in the mail I hooked it right up and started to try and work with it. It didn’t look like the front nosel cap would come off, so I thought what a screwed up way to make an airbrush! I cleaned it out and set it back in the box to send it back. Then I had a flash of genius. Maybe I should look in the manual and see if it has any instruction on how to take it off. Sure enough there it was in a photo on the first page. Some times it pays to read those things even if it hurts to do it. The Infinity turned out to be heads and tails better than the Iwata HP-C and only slightly less capable of the refined
detail that the Satagraph was able to produce. The end result was I was now able to work at a much faster pace. When all was said and done the trike turned out better than I had imagined it could have. It was a challenging project that went on and on like the road itself. I feel like I understand why there is a draw to highway still today even though most of it has been transformed or grassed over. It represents slowing down and appreciating the world that is out there. This job stressed me to the point of wanting to walk away more than a few times and pushed my skill levels to a new level. In the end I feel like it was all worth it because the result is truly as breathtaking as the concept I was trying to communicate. With the completion of this project, I moved on to an even larger one that will be digitized and warpped on a ‘38 Sport Fishing boat called Bloodsport. Check out the mind blowing way that project turned out at www.davidwebsterart.com or facebook page airbrush jax. There is no job too big or unusual so bring on the next one with your idea for my next work of mobile art.
From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. that is the point that must be reached.
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It is important to realize that carrying a passenger changes the dynamics of handling and stability of your bike. Adding this weight behind the operator sometimes shifts the weight distribution of the motorcycle higher and somewhat to the rear, increasing the distances needed to slow, stop, and accelerate. The additional weight will also affect the cornering characteristics of a motorcycle. OTHER LOADS Despite their small size and minimalist accommodations, motorcycles are capable of carrying fairly sizable loads—people regularly ride motorcycles around the world, for months on end, carrying all the necessary equipment for such extended trips safely on the back. The key to using a motorcycle’s pack-animal characteristics is understanding the dynamics of the vehicle, then taking care to pack loads on the bike in a way that will not upset these dynamics. The three important factors to consider when loading a motorcycle are: load weight, load location, and how the load is fastened to the motorcycle. Weight Every motorcycle has a maximum load rating specified by its manufacturer; you can find this number in your owner’s manual. The maximum allowable load is the difference between the weight of the motorcycle itself and the maximum allowable weight of the motorcycle and its load, including rider and passenger (if you are carrying one) and any other cargo. To calculate how much load you can carry, subtract your weight (in riding gear), your passenger’s weight (if you will be carrying one), and the weight of the motorcycle from the maximum load capacity number specified by the manufacturer. Whatever is left over is the maximum load you can carry. Finally, before riding a loaded bike, check your owner’s manual for suggestions on tire pressure and suspension adjustments— loaded motorcycles will often require added pressure in the tires and/or firmer suspension settings to handle well. Location The rule when locating a load on your motorcycle is to keep the weight as low as possible, and evenly distributed from front to back and
// Other Loads //
side to side. Avoid carrying heavy items in a tail trunk. Carrying weight high and far back can lighten the front end and cause handling instability. If you ride with a tankbag, be sure that it doesn’t interfere with your comfort or ability to steer the motorcycle. Avoid the temptation to strap your sleeping bag or any other gear to the front fork or handlebars of your motorcycle. Even if the suspension travel is unaffected, the extra weight over the front wheel can cause dangerous front-end instability. Fastening This one is simple—make absolutely certain that the load is fastened securely to the motorcycle. Use racks and luggage that are designed specifically for use on your type of motorcycle. Secure all items with tiedown straps or web nets, taking care not to block any lights or moving suspension parts. Check and double check that there are no loose items that could shift and fall off, or worse, get caught in the wheels or drive train. Having your tailpack or a loose strap get caught up in the rear wheel or chain of your motorcycle will definitely impede your forward progress, not to mention complicate your trip. Also take care to keep luggage away from mufflers and other hot motor parts. Check the security often. Finally, use common sense. Even though these might not exceed the weight limit, items like surfboards and bicycles (don’t laugh, we’ve seen both!) have no business being transported on the back of a motorcycle. When in doubt, leave stuff home. For more information go to www.msf-usa.org.
happy mother’s day I’d like to thank my mom for the unconditional and inexhaustible love she gives to me and my children. I could not dream of a more selfless person than my mother. Without her, I would never be in the place I am today. I would not be able to juggle kids and work without her undying support. I don’t know where she finds the energy to do all she has done for me growing up - driving around Long Island to violin, piano, ballet and tap lessons. You name the sport and I played it, because she supported me in everything I wanted to do. Now she is doing the same things for my two little boys and I am so grateful. I couldn’t be any prouder of my mom. Happy Mother’s Day Mom Love, Fran
Attorney Fran M. Haasch isn’t just our attorney, she’s yours as well! 1-866-LAW-FRAN
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2014 EBR YOU CAN’T KEEP A DETERMINED MAN DOWN
1190RX SPECIFICATIONS
Building motorcycles without compromise. It’s been Erik Buell’s dream for more than 30 years. It’s no longer a dream.
Introducing Erik Buell Racing
EBR is the very definition of the American spirit. Motorcycles designed and manufactured in East Troy, Wisconsin embodying superb technology from around the world. Whether it’s Austrian four-stroke, liquid-cooled power plants or Swedish suspension components, EBR engineers global performance integration into every model. EBR motorcycles are unlike anything else on the road or track. What makes them so different is what makes them so distinctly better. More than three decades of racing, engineering, and manufacturing experience goes into every motorcycle we make. You won’t be disappointed upon setting eyes on our newest creation: The 2014 EBR 1190RX. It has been built from startto-finish with pride, joy and a relentless passion to bring you another world-class sport bike from the heart of America.
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Engine Type: ET-V2: 72° V-Twin, Liquid Cooled, Four-stroke Bore x Stroke: 4.17 in. x 2.66 in. (106 x 67.5 mm) Displacement: 72.6 cu in. (1190cc) Compression Ratio: 13.4: 1 Fuel Delivery: Electronic Fuel injection with 2 port injectors and 2 showerhead injectors Exhaust: Primary
+ Secondary Peak Torque: 101.6 ft-lbs. @ 8200 rpm (137.8 Nm @ 8200 rpm) Peak Horsepower: 185 hp @ 10,600 rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Primary Drive: Gear Drive
Did You Know: Erik Buell Racing was founded in 2009 after the shutdown of Buell Motorcycle Company.
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1190RX 36/65 Final Drive: 520 Z-ring chain, 16/41
Clutch: Hydraulic actuation, vacuum operated slipper Transmission Ratios: 1st - 2.46 2nd - 1.75 3rd - 1.38 4th - 1.17 5th - 1.04 6th - 0.96
Weight (Wet, no fuel): 419 lbs. (190 kg) Load Capacity: 375 lbs. (170 kg)
CHASSIS
Frame: Aluminum frame with integral fuel reservoir Swingarm: Optimized stiffness aluminum Front Suspension: Showa, inverted big piston front forks Rear Suspension: Showa, single shock without linkage Front Wheel: 17 x 3.5 Aluminum Rear Wheel: 17 x 6.0 Aluminum Front Brake: 386mm (15.19 in.) Single perimeter rotor, 8 piston inside-out caliper Rear Brake: 220mm (8.66 in.) Disc, 2-piston Hayes Performance Brakes Caliper
DIMENSIONS
Overall Length: 80.3 in. (2040 mm) Overall Width: 29.0 in. (737 mm) Overall Height: 43.7 in. (1110 mm) Seat Height: 32.5 in. (826 mm) Ground Clearance: 4.7in. (120 mm) Rake: 22.4째 Trail: 3.80in. (96.5 mm) Lean Angle: 55째 Front Tire: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 120/70 ZR-17 Rear Tire: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 190/55 ZR-17 Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal (17.l L)
2014 EBR 1190RX
MSRP: $18,995 Body Colors: Strike Yellow, Racing Red, Galactic Black Secondary Body Color: Charcoal Engine Color: Gunsmoke
(727) 456-6088 www.STPETEPOWERSPORTS.com 555 34th St. South - St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Get your 2014 EBR 1190RX at St. Pete Powersports - (727) 456-6088 or visit www.StPetePowerSports.com
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Woman Power W
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Women’s World
she can. Just watching the two of them mingle among fellow bikers and friends is remarkable and heartwarming. When the music starts playing, watch out! You may find yourself dancing with Critter! She loves to dance and party with everyone! Ginny added, “Mom has friends all over the country. We have met so many people from all walks of life at the major biker events. What is her philosophy for maintaining such a great attitude and look on life? “I don’t argue and I won’t argue. If someone is nasty, don’t hold it against them. Instead, feel sorry for them that they aren’t as nice as you are.”
ginny and critter austin - a love that goes beyond motorcycling I am so thankful that I have a great relationship with my mom. She may not totally agree with everything I do in my life, but that’s what mom’s are allowed to do. She worries when I’m on the road all the time, when I’m at bike shows, and if my health is where it should be. The questions still come; am I eating the right things, am I getting enough sleep, and am I taking enough time for Susan. I must admit there are times that I get frustrated with the constant questions and worries. But it all boils down to one word - love. It’s unconditional love that she provides to me 24/7. There is absolutely nothing I wouldn’t do for my mom. She’s the only mom I have. Moms come in all shapes, forms, attitudes, and interests. I am lucky that my job with Born To Ride allows me to meet all kinds of interesting people. Today, I was the lucky one by meeting Ginny and Thelma Austin, a mother/daughter team from Tampa. Thelma Austin is a tiny little woman with spirit, determination, and a love for life that makes the crankiest person around her come alive with joy and elation. Her small stature garnered her the nickname, “Critter.” Critter’s daughter, Ginny, is the force behind her mom getting involved in the motorcycling world. “Mom is my best friend and my biker buddy. My life is all about mom and seeing that she enjoys every day. I got her involved in riding on my motorcycle with me after dad passed away. I didn’t want her to sit home alone. So, I got her out on the bike and it’s just been one fabulous adventure after another with her!” Ginny decided to put a trike kit on her 1991 Harley so their long trips together would be more
comfortable for both of them. With that, she got a little pull behind trailer that they use to put their tent and camping supplies in. “When we go on our longer trips, we pull the Toy Hauler behind our truck and load the motorcycle in that along with the rest of our camping gear. We truly enjoy our camping and motorcycling activities.” One of their favorite places to go is the Great Smoky Mountains. “We park the Toy Hauler, set up camp, and from there we are on the motorcycle for days on end.” Critter and Ginny took a memorable 3,300 mile trip north to her late husband’s army reunion in Ohio and surrounding states. Ginny added, “We visit anything in between our initial destination and everything on the way back home.” Ginny got started into motorcycling by watching her brother ride his bike. “I’d always watch him start his Eagle. It was a great bike and it even had a suicide shift. I asked him if he’d show me how to ride and he said no. So when he wasn’t home, I hot-wired the bike, rode it around, and fell in love with motorcycles. Since then, I haven’t been without a bike.” Critter will be turning 95 on May 19. I asked her how she maintained such an active and calendar-filled lifestyle. “I take NO medications! I wear NO glasses and I have all my teeth except seven. I volunteer once a week at a local Tampa hospital. I love to hunt, camp, fish, and travel. In fact, 50 years ago I had heart trouble but my health just kept improving, so I stopped taking medicines and I’ve been fine.” Critter loves to be with people. Ginny makes sure that her mom gets as much out of a trip – be it local or a long-distance trip – as much as
“i asked him if he’d show me how to ride and he said no. so when he wasn’t home, i hot-wired the bike, rode it around, and fell in love with motorcycles.”
I had such a pleasant time talking with Ginny and her fabulous mom, Critter. I thought about how lucky I was to have my mom and how lucky Ginny is to have her mom as well. The memories that we share are plentiful and beautiful. In closing, Ginny said, “You only have one mom. Appreciate her.” Susan Hurst
Are you a female rider? Sign up for the Born To Ride Women’s Club at www.BornToRide.com
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Tail of the gecko to uncle mike’s ride ou may have heard of the Tail of the Dragon ride, but here in Florida we have the Tail of the Gecko. On a smaller scale, our Tail is just as nice with a lot less traffic. Winding curves through lush foliage, this ride won’t disappoint. As you head further north, you will come upon a nice canopy road (Jameson Rd) that is in total shade for about 3 miles. After you come out from this beautiful road, the overlook is upon rolling valleys of green meadowlands. Head further north and it’s time for lunch. What better place to go to after a great scenic ride than the new Uncle Mikes Smokehouse, which just opened in Plant City. Hog Heaven awaits you at this grand opening event.
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Starting in Parrish 1. Head east on FL-62 E (14.1 mi) 2. Left onto Bunker Hill Rd (1.0 mi) 3. Left Taylor Grade Rd (4.9 mi) 4. Becomes Keene Rd (2.5 mi) 5. Slight Right Grange Hall Loop (4.3 mi) 6. Left FL-674 (1.8 mi) 7. Right Owens Rd (2.7 mi) 8. Right Sweat Loop Rd (0.2 mi) 9. Stay Left on Sweat Loop Rd 10. Right CR-672 (4.3 mi) 11. Left CR-39 (3.3 mi) 12. Right Jameson (3.2 mi) 13. Left Walter Hunter Rd (1.0 mi) 14. Right Virgil Hall Rd (1.8 mi) 15. Left E Keysville Rd (5.5 mi) 16. Cross CR-640/Lithia Pinecrest Rd 17. Continue on E Keysville Rd 18. Right Henry George Rd (2.9 mi) 19. Left Old Hopewell Rd (1.0 mi) 20. Right CR-39 (0.6 mi) 21. Right FL-60 E (0.1 mi) To Uncle Mikes on the left Total Distance 56.5 mi Total Time 1 hr 33 min
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Scan the QR code or go to www.FinzFinds.com to buy Finz Finds Scenic Rides book
I love to go to biker-friendly establishments were the food is great and the service is exceptional. To make it an added incentive is the ride. They always say, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Well, in my book, Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill IS the destination AND the journey! Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill is located on 106 E. State Road 60 in Plant City. It is an absolutely joyful ride to this rustic, country location. Meeting you, and making sure your visit is perfect, is the owner and restaurateur, Mike Tolley. Mike has been doing this type of work for over 30 years. He knows his business and will show you what they have been up to the last few months! “The uniqueness of our new location is that Plant City is where we live. The new piece of property sits on 11 acres and all the buildings are log cabins. The restaurant itself is an 8,000 square foot log cabin. Many years ago we were at this location, but it was a steak house. We now have a different concept and what’s nice is our landlord has made it easy for us to make changes.” In addition to the huge 8,000–square–foot restaurant, there is also a 2,500–square–foot covered pavilion that sits outside. In order to get to this building, you have to cross a wooden bridge. AND there is a third building, sporting 9,000 square feet that is currently being renovated to be an event hall and catering room. “This will be open in June. Wedding receptions, Sweet 16 parties, Quinceañera parties and more can be held here at this new location.” There is even a local church nearby that plans to hold bible studies during the week. Mike added, “There is a need for a place to hold events locally. Hopefully, we will fill that void.” There is also a saloon and dance hall at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill where lots of entertainment is brought in for the late-night patrons. “In the pavilion, on Friday night’s, we provide an area for 20 years old and under. The kids have a place they can go to listen to their music away from the adults. On Sunday, the pavilion is set aside for a live rock and roll band. It’s exclusive because it’s tucked away
and you can create some interesting theme parties there. We’ve had some wedding receptions and events out there already.” Mike and his talented crew of cooks have a yummy menu, with some fun specials! Monday is all you can eat catfish at $10.99. Tuesday night, kids 12 and under eat free with paid adult meals, Wednesday is their largest event; all you can eat snow crab legs for $24.99. Mike’s wife and business partner, Simone, has her famous line dance lessons every Thursday night. After the dance lessons, we roll into a line dance night with a DJ. Friday night is a jam-packed night. This is called “Karaoke Idol.” Mike explains, “This has been going on for five months now. This is our busiest night of the week! The host, Bob Humphries, seeks out talent so that the karaoke singers are featured artists. They perform 3-4 songs in a row. The quality level of this singer is very high. So, the people eating dinner benefit with a nice show. At 10 p.m. it opens up to all the rest of the singers. Sunday they invite local pastors to come with the congregation to have a late lunch or early dinner. The pastors eat for free! Uncle Mike’s is known for their HUGE 18’ smoker! “We have a custom-made, tri-level, 18’ smoker. We smoke food daily on it. We are known for smoked chicken wings and hog wings.” What is a hog wing?” It’s a pork shank that has only one bone on it. We don’t just do BBQ. We do steaks and pastas and have a huge salad bar and fresh soups every day.” The grand opening of Hog Heaven is Sunday, May 25. “Hog Heaven is the name of the pavilion in the back of the property. There will be bike washes, music, food, and beverages. During the event, there will be a battle of the bands. Five bands will be coming to compete and get venue placement to play at Uncle Mike’s throughout the year.” There will be quite a few different vendors, Born To Ride Bike Show, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction, and a ton more. The recipient of the 50/50 and silent auction will be the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. In fact, over 40 volunteers of this non-profit organization will be at this event! What is the mission of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches? The Mission of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches is to prevent delinquency and develop strong, lawful, resilient, and productive citizens who will make a positive contribution to our communities for years to come. Many local riding clubs have been personally invited to attend this kickoff party. “We’ve invited lots of clubs who have supported Uncle Mike’s in the past. We’re expecting over 1,500 bikes that day.” What about parking? “We’ve got over 6 acres of parking in the back so there isn’t going to be a problem with parking.” “It is a good destination ride with lots of trees and countryside to enjoy. We are very
Don’t miss the Grand Opening Party - Sunday, May 25th
family oriented where many families, bikers, and non-bikers come here enjoying the location and the food. We have pool tables and digital/ Internet-based dart board competitions on Friday night. We also have of Friday night linedance competitions. Everything revolves around taking care of the local: local schools, FFA, Toys for Tots, and the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. We are also equestrian friendly. We teach people how to ride and the responsibilities involved with owning a horse.” Mike has been a part of the Born To Ride Family for many years. It’s always rewarding for me to have conversations with our longtime friends as to ‘Why Born To Ride?’ “There are a lot of attributes I consider when doing business with Born To Ride. Becoming friends with Ron and Debbie is number one. They do a lot for other restaurateurs, bar owners, and the biker community. They’ve brought people in to help, bringing third-party marketing awareness to the business—like Fran Haasch. They are multi-faceted with their website, social media, and Born To Ride Television. You get more for your money. The magazine readers and TV watchers become Born To Ride regulars. They truly depend on this publication to give them the information they need. Whether it’s cutting edge articles, new ride routes, safety, new bikes, equipment, etc., you tend to reach out and have Born To Ride as that asset.” With opening the new restaurant, Mike and Simone were blessed with a new addition to their family! Now 9 months old, Blake Michael was born one week after they opened up at their new Plant City location. Blake Michael goes with Mike and Simone every day to work. “We built a little nursery for him in our office. He’s got about 27 employees that act as part-time nannies and caregivers, as well as our customers. Everyone enjoys coming in and seeing him and watching him grow. It’s neat to have a business where you have the opportunity to spend your time with your baby. You can see him grow and not have to work 40-50 hours a week, come home, and see that he’s already grown. He’s growing fast and is already interested in motorcycles! When he sees a bike go by or hears me start my bike up, he is looking and checking it out!” “We really hope everyone will come out and support Florida sheriffs Youth Ranches. We want everyone to get a good look at what we’ve done out hear and enjoy the day. It’s a good time of year to ride. The destination is unique, it’s warm and inviting, there’s a lot of entertainment going on, to see and to do, I think the bikers will enjoy themselves. We’ve also invited well-rounded dealerships to come out as well: Victory, Kawasaki, Indian, BMW, Yamaha, and Lakeland Harley-Davison. Even the local cycle shops and mechanics are those we want to show support to.” Thank you, Mike, all of us at Born To Ride look forward to seeing everyone at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill on Sunday, May 25! Susan Hurst
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Keeping Families
together
S
upported by the individual generosity of so many Floridians, the Sheriffs of Florida were soon ready to take another bold step—a coed program. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Salls’ life estate gift, a ranch house and property, the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch in Safety Harbor was founded in 1976. This new Youth Ranch had a specific purpose to keep fragmented families together by serving sibling groups (brothers and sisters) on the same campus. Since then, brothers and sisters who have come from broken homes or a troubled past have a place to live together and work through the challenges in their lives. Many times, this may be the only family they will know, the only place they will feel safe. The Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch in Safety Harbor is a haven to heal the wounds of days gone by and a place to build a brighter future. Today, the small 28-acre campus has three cottages, the Don Genung Activity Center, Chapel, Pool, Elmer and Nancy Pilcher Administration Building, and other facilities to help develop healthy boys and girls.
The Youth Ranch in Safety Harbor welcomes brothers and sisters who have come from troubled homes in hopes of building stability in their lives.
With the stroke of a pen on March 18, 1976, Catherine and D.A. Salls finalized the gift of property destined to be the Youth Ranch.
Don Genung is standing in fron of the Activity Center that bears his name. He always enjoyed The Sall’s were very involved in the renovations to what would become Salls Cottage. spending time with the kids from the Ranch. btr 42 | borntoride.com
To make a difference in the lives of our children visit www.YouthRanches.org or call (386) 842-5501
A special thanks to Attorney Fran Haasch! 866-LAW-FRAN
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Congratulations to Peggy’s Corral for 16 years of dedication to the biker community!
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Manatee Harley-Davidson Bike Night - 1st Thursday of every month!
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STUART — The serene and peaceful quietness of Memorial Park in Stuart was shattered this weekend, as hundreds of thundering motorcycles and thousands of biker enthusiasts gathered to celebrate bikes, music, and culture at the 8th Annual Treasure Coast Bike Fest on Sunday, February 9. The event raised funds for Advocates for the Rights of the Challenged (ARC) of Martin County, a regional non-profit committed to supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities. The party, open to the public had a poker run kick off the festivities. Throughout the day, there were regional musicians who
played, a bike show, a variety of vendors and a motorcycle and ramp free motorcycle trailer was raffled. In 2013, Bike Fest attracted over 3,000 participants, far more than anticipated. This year the event was held in a much larger, open area at Memorial Park, and ARC community director and event organizer Tracy Howse expects there was as many as 6,000 people. Winner of the motorcycle raffle was Jamie Redditt. Thank you to all the motorcycle clubs who supported the event along with the committee who made The 8th Annual Treasure Coast Bike Fest a success.
For more information on ARC or next year’s Treasure Coast Bike Fest call 772-283-2525
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Born To Ride is looking for a sales rep on the Treasure Coast! Call 888-795-5779
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Where did
LOYALTY go? is one of America’s foremost thought leaders. He is the premier coach of champions having mentored the “best of the best” in sports and business for 40 years. Enjoy his latest book on optimism, The Pebble in the Shoe.
Influence. Motivate. Challenge. yourself on the bench. In crunch time, you are an afterthought. With .” strong recruiting and junior college transfers, there’s been a significant “Did you see on Twitter upgrade in talent. Yes … in your final year you will not start. Where’s the ?” loyalty? After all, you’ve sacrificed for the school. What’s up with that? For “At this time all you’ve given to the program, why .” would they treat you like this? I witness this daily. It happens. “You’ve been awesome, A lot. Loyalty is faced with many challenges. People outgrow .” relationships. People outgrow teams. we sacrifice winning in order to “I love you and will love you forever. Do be loyal? Do we lose money in our .” businesses while staying loyal to employees that haven’t grown with the Where’s the loyalty? Who is truly loyal in our times? We can even outgrow a city. world today? And just what is loyalty? Although I have never abandoned my hometown When I was a kid, my dog was named Spot. of Ashland, Kentucky, I needed to leave to expand Spot was all white except for a black eye and a my horizons and maximize my potential. However, huge black spot on his back. He loved me. I loved I have remained loyal to my roots. him. One day my friends and I walked downtown People part ways every day. People outgrow to the movies. We arrived and paid for our tickets, people. When our expectations are yanked away and Spot sat on the concrete walk and waited. from us and we are left with a hollow feeling After two hours we left the theater, and there was of abandonment, the question of loyalty always Spot in the exact same place. Had he not moved? arises. Conversely, when we may need to move Well, he could have left and come back when on in order to grow, the ones we leave behind cry the movie was over. But no … I asked the ticket out, “Where’s the loyalty?” taker and he said Spot had not moved once. Not Loyalty erodes when one of more parties is once! That is devotion. That is commitment. That not honest and forthright. Honest about eroding is loyalty! skills. Honest about changing philosophies. Honest Loyalty is faithfulness or devotion to a about altered visions or goals. Being transparent person, country, group, company, team or cause. with your purpose, intentions and feelings will It is dedication. It is commitment. Where did shore up issues of loyalty. loyalty go in our society? What happens when So, where’s the loyalty? Loyalty begins and loyalty disappears? First, we need to understand ends in the mirror. Be loyal to yourself, not in the that change is an absolute. You can outgrow a sense of being selfishly detrimental to the group, company. The company can outgrow you. The but loyal in a much different way. Be loyal to same is true for college and professional sports your personality. Protect it and be true to yourself. teams. As a college freshman you were an integral Be loyal to your principles. Solid principles of part of the team. As a starter, you made an impact successful living need not be compromised. Be at such a young age. Now you’re a senior and the loyal to them at all costs. Be loyal to your strengths, team is totally different. You have suddenly found including your best physical, mental and technical
“I’m sorry,
but we just released you you’ve been traded we will no longer need your services but we’re moving in a different direction I just need a fresh start
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qualities. Do not abandon your strengths! Be loyal to your positive routines of preparing, adjusting and evaluating your performances. If they need to be altered for your benefit, then change. Otherwise, stay the course. Loyalty is devotion. It is a principle to be adhered to by best friends. It needs to tether your marital relationship. It needs to be placed in indelible ink inside your mind regarding your family, country and spiritual beliefs. Where is loyalty in marriage? Loyalty begins with “until death do us part.” Compromise is absolutely mandatory in order for a marriage to last. Is it easy? No. Do two people sometimes need to go their separate ways? Yes. But loyalty is about adjusting and adapting to the inevitable changes. Just adhere and be loyal to your principles and ideals. Those, you cannot compromise. Loyalty starts and stops with you. Be loyal to your faith, morals, standards, ethics and philosophies. And be loyal to the willingness to compromise. Yes … loyalty sometimes needs sacrifice. However, in Corporate America, loyalty has been abandoned. Companies are adjusting their payrolls based to their quarterly results. Many times they use the economy as an excuse to trim their budgets and ultimately their staff. Loyalty to the all-mighty dollar is the only loyalty. It is what it is. Loyalty. It needs to be taken out of storage and showcased. Be true to you. Devote yourself to being the best you can be. Be loyal to your body. Take care of it. Be loyal to your dreams. Never abandon them without giving it your all. Be loyal to being positive. Be loyal to the people that have propped you up and helped you be the person you’ve become. And never let the lack of loyalty from another person or group alter your loyalty to yourself. Don’t be the victim. Don’t be the judge. And if you really need loyalty, look in the mirror. Then go get a dog. P.S. Thank you to the thousands of followers for being loyal to me the past four decades. It’s greatly appreciated.
Jim Fannin has performed 2,000+ seminars as well as 1,000+ keynote addresses to audiences of 15,000+
Bike Giveaway Winner!
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Once you come to the Seffner Tiki Bar you will always come back!
r e v e N Forget
“
For more information visit www.RollingThunder1.com
�
When people are held dear in our hearts they can never be fully gone and never forgotten.
Photos by: Tim Boone
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Many of you reading this article are military veterans, current military personnel, or know someone who is. The Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally during Memorial Day weekend is more than hundreds of thousands motorcycles rolling into Washington, DC to swoop down on the Capitol. Not forgetting our military personnel (POW/MIA) of all wars is the premise for Rolling Thunder. “In the fall of 1987, Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, two Vietnam veterans met to discuss their personal concerns about the POW/MIA’s from the Vietnam War. Having honorably served their country and having taken an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies...” and to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” they were deeply troubled by the abhorrent neglect of attention given to those who did not make it out with their lives or their freedom. These veterans discussed the more than 10,000 reported sightings of live Americans living in dismal captivity. Intelligence reports of these sightings were generally ignored by the government and mainstream press.” “The Founders of Rolling Thunder®, Inc., Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, were ordinary men who understood that they had a right to have their voices heard and proceeded to lay down the plans for a gathering in Washington, DC during the 1988 Memorial Day weekend. They reached out to their families, fellow veterans and veteran’s advocates to unify and form a march and demonstration in the nation’s Capital. Their arrival would be announced by the roar of their motorcycles, a sound not unlike the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder. Hence, they would call themselves “Rolling Thunder®, Inc.” a title that would endure time and be trademarked in 1990. Word spread quickly and by Memorial Day weekend in 1988, approximately 2,500 motorcycles from all over the country converged on Washington, DC to demand from our leaders a full accounting of all POW/MIA’s. As the Founders of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. made their stand that day in front of the Capitol, they reflected thankfully for the people who came in support of the POW/ MIA’s and for the unity that was felt. This was the first Rolling Thunder®, Inc. demonstration. Only until ALL POW/MIA’s ARE ACCOUNTED FOR, it will not be their last. On that day, the foundation was laid for the annual “Ride for Freedom” to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall (also referred to as the “Ride to the Wall”). The number of participants/spectators in the Memorial Day weekend Ride for Freedom has grown from 2,500 to an estimated 900,000.” “Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a class 501(c) (4) non-profit organization with over 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States and members abroad. While many members of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. are veterans and many ride motorcycles, neither qualification is a prerequisite. Rolling Thunder®, Inc. members are old and young, men and women, veterans and non-veterans. All are united in the cause to bring full accountability for the Prisoners Of War-Missing In Action (POW/MIA) of all wars, reminding the government, the media and the public by our watchwords: ‘We Will Not Forget.’” When people are held dear in our hearts they can never be fully gone and never forgotten. This Memorial Day weekend take time to acknowledge those who made the ultimate sacrifice wearing the colors our nation’s military.
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Rolling Thunder 2014: May 23rd - 25th
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Don’t miss the Summer Time Biker Bash - Sunday, June 29th
Craven Moorehead as the salvage company hauled off what was left of his trailer. What was bad luck for him turned into good luck for me because he gave me his gazebo which is quite large, and afforded me the opportunity to have a true southern culture on the skids man cave! I outfitted the thing with a TV, stereo system, a table with some chairs, a dance floor, and a dollar store chandelier just for a little class. It rocks. …
doink-doink trial part 32– craven’s trailer park
trailer trash court Life in the trailer park is always interesting. It’s a simple, yet very entertaining way of life. There isn’t much to do here but keep up with the ‘he said—she said’ drama that plays out like a reality TV program day by day. No need for cable, internet or other forms of electronic entertainment when you live in a sit-com style reality show. As elementary as it may sound, I can’t complain about the lifestyle—largely because I can’t afford to do much of anything else. I have had a few menial task jobs here and there, but as long as I have a few bucks for fuel in the bagger, beer in the fridge and tips at the gentleman’s club I’m good to go. I never worry about being a rich guy, so I rarely worry about working at anything for too long. Work just takes up all your time and causes you to have to pay taxes. It’s not for me, but I guess it works for most people. One of the pastimes that I enjoy most is sitting in my plastic pool drinking beer and reading magazines. Mostly I just look at the pictures, but on this particular day I was actually reading a Born To Ride magazine. Much to my surprise, Spyke had written about his human (term used loosely) counterpart Mike and his interpretation on women’s vs. men’s rules. I attempted to digest the content and understand the intended message, but I realized that Mike—once again, was totally
misguided. I took a moment to think about the article, but ultimately I had to call him to appear in “Trailer Trash Court.” He would likely say that it was his idea to come visit, but we all know the truth. He probably just wanted free beer.
man cave – southern style – drama & disaster
My neighbor who lived right next door to me had a menial task job just like I did. He drove a truck all night delivering goods to convenience stores all over the area, sort of like I did when I was driving the garbage truck only in a polar opposite dimension. It’s sort of like a global recycling thing probably more resembling an endless circle of life I suppose. One guy delivers it, you buy it, you throw the wrappers and containers away and then the other guy hauls it to the landfill. Anyway, we would hang out every now and then drinking beers, smoking cigarettes and discussing the miseries of dealing with having to work for a living. That all changed one day when a storm blew through the trailer park, sending a gigantic tree limb through the roof of his trailer. In a panic he called me and asked if I had any duct tape so he could patch the hole in the roof. I obliged and learned that he was lucky enough to have insurance on his trailer. He moved on to a real house, and I watched
Born To Ride Radio Bar & Grill every Friday night on www.BornToRide.com
So I am sitting in my plastic pool drinking beer and perusing one of my many girlie magazines when I hear Mike and Spyke arrive. After a bit of small talk we proceed to the man-cave (AKA Court House) where we begin the discussion of why Mike has a total lack of respect and consideration for women. Not just his women, but ALL women. He of course has a logical explanation for all the nonsense he espouses, but the evidence is clear. I did try to give some logical advice regarding the treatment of women but alas, I fear that my advice fell upon deaf ears. Some of the simple things that I suggested included being nice to your Ol’ Lady after she works all day trying to keep you in tip money for the gentlemen’s club, giving her a compliment when she allows you to sleep while she prepares your dinner, and of course remember to give back a small allowance from her earnings so she can purchase necessities to keep her looking good for your pleasure. Even though Mike disagreed, the Trailer Trash Court found him to be guilty of being a sexist with egregious disregard, and Spyke as the jury squawked for the maximum sentence which was equal to the singing of Karaoke, which in all sensibility should carry a penalty of fines or imprisonment similar to that of assault. I don’t really believe that Mike learned anything from his recent visit, and of course Trailer Trash Court does not have the legal power to impose any penalty upon those that do not dwell in the domain that is the Trailer Park, but I’m sure that he will be back again for some more advice. We all should share our opinions with our friends whether they listen or not. Thanks for stopping by, and next time BRING BEER!! borntoride.com | btr 69
Charlie Kelley’sBorn to ride Destinations
Let Born To Ride market and promote your business or event! Call 888-795-5779
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Events, Thursday, May 1 BRADENTON 6PM Manatee River H-D Bike Night (1st Thu) 941-745-2429 PANAMA CITY BEACH 10AM Thunder Beach Spring Rally (4/30 – 5/4) thunderbeachproductions.com PANAMA CITY BEACH 9AM PCB H-D Giant Tent Sale (4/30 – 5/4) 888-328-0976 Friday, May 2 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM BTR TV (every Fri) BH CH49 PLANT CITY 5:30PM AMVETS 44 Riders Big Azz Steak Dinner 813-651-4444 Saturday, May 3 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM BTR TV (every Sat) BH CH49 BOKEELIA 1PM Inaugural International Female Ride Day 239-283-3545 FERN PARK Caretakers MC Run Al Post 183 407-340-9780 LAKELAND 10AM Cinco de Mayo Party Lakeland H-D 863-802-1971 LAKELAND 9AM CMA 2814 26th Annual Run for the Son Ride & Event 863-688-3333 ODESSA 7:30AM Rolling Thunder 5th Annual POW / MIA Charity Golf Tournament the Eagles Golf Club 813-920-6681 RIVERVIEW 12:30PM Buddyball Raffle “The Alley at Southshore” (win pre-owned 2011 883 Sportster) tickets www.BuddyBall.org or Barney’s of Brandon 813-628-9418 RUSKIN 8AM Buddyball Poker Run Sunset Grill at Little Harbor 813-645-3291 or www.BuddyBall.org ST. CLOUD 8AM Smokin Blues, Bikes & BBQ Poker Run 407-948-2558 Sunday, May 4 TAMPA BAY 11PM – 11:30PM BTR TV (every Sun) Great38 WTTA APOLLO BEACH 12PM Porky’s BBQ Grand Opening 500 lbs free BBQ (BTR TV taping & magazine shoot) 813-641-8676 PALMETTO 12PM Peggy’s Corral Bike Day (every Sun) 941–729-5442 WAUCHULA 12PM Charlotte’s Webb 6th anniversary Party 863–735-8887 WEBSTER 8AM Webster Westside Swap Meet (1st Sun) 352-793-9877
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There are some great events coming up, so get out there and meet up with old friends!
ts, Rides & Destinations
g
!
Monday, May 5 TAMPA 6PM JT’s Road House Cinco de Mayo Celebration 813-962-4440 TAMPA 6PM Steel Horse Tavern Cinco de Mayo Celebration 813-935-4500
Awareness Expo 904-641-3735 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM LAKELAND 10AM Garage Party BTR TV (every Sat) BH CH49 Lakeland H-D 863-802-1971 BUSHNELL 9AM AL Post 101 7th OCALA Motorcycle & Car Swap Annual Memorial Armed Forces Meet 352-470-7352 Freedom Ride 352-243-7111 ORLANDO 1PM Nam Knights DUNEDIN 1PM Rock the Kilt & Semper Fidelis 3rd Annual Highland Park (BTR TV taping & Fundraiser 407-929-2146 magazine shoot) 727-469-4100 Tuesday, May 6 PLANT CITY 11PM AMVETS Post SANFORD Iron Heart Ride The VALRICO 7PM The Landing Bike 44 Trivia Pursuit Poker Run Bar Out Back 321-926-3996 Night (every Tue) 813-653-0002 813-651-4444 TAMPA 12PM JT’s Road House SARASOTA 6PM Rolling Stones Bikefest (3rd Sat) 813-962-4440 Wednesday, May 7 Tribute show Sahib Shrine PLANT CITY 1PM AMVETS Post LAKELAND 6PM Mojo’s Bike 941-377-2834 44 Hawaiian Luau Pig Roast Night (every Wed) 863-583-9119 813-802-9783 VALRICO 7PM Raccoons Bike Sunday, May 11 Night (every Wed) 813-689-5079 TAMPA BAY 11PM – 11:30PM Sunday, May 18 BTR TV (every Sun) Great38 TAMPA BAY 11PM – 11:30PM Thursday, May 8 WTTA BTR TV (every Sun) Great38 WTTA APOLLO BEACH 12PM Porky’s PALMETTO 12PM Peggy’s Bike HUDSON 12PM Venom II Bike Night (every Thu) Day (every Sun) 941–729-5442 Anniversary Party & Born To Ride 813-641-8676 WAUCHULA 12PM Charlotte’s Mega Bash (BTR TV taping & DADE CITY 6PM Neon Cowboy Webb Biker Day (every Sun) magazine shoot) 727-378-5850 Bike Night (every Thu) 863–735-8887 KISSIMMEE 10AM CF Motorcycle 813-997-1133 Swap Meet Cracker House saloon LAKELAND 10AM Mother’s Day Tuesday, May 13 407-705-7588 Event (5/8 - 5/10) Lakeland VALRICO 7PM The Landing Bike H-D 863-802-1971 Night (every Tue) 813-653-0002 Thursday, May 22 LAKELAND 7PM Johnny G’s LAKELAND 7PM Johnny G’s Bike Night (every Thu) Wednesday, May 14 Bike Night (BTR TV taping & 863-858-3366 VALRICO 7PM Raccoons Bike magazine shoot) 863-858-3366 SANFORD 6PM The Bar Out Night (every Wed) 813-689-5079 Back Bike Night (every Thu) Friday, May 23 321-926-3996 Thursday, May 15 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM SARASOTA 6PM Applebee’s APOLLO BEACH 12PM Porky’s BTR TV (every Fri) BH CH49 Bike Night (2nd Thu) Bike Night (every Thu) HUDSON 6PM Venom II Bike 941-355-1400 813-641-8676 Night (every Fri) 727-378-5850 DADE CITY 6PM Neon Cowboy ST. PETERSBURG 5PM FOE Friday, May 9 Bike Night (every Thu) 4147 Bike Night (every Fri) CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM 813-997-1133 727-452-3991 BTR TV (every Fri) BH CH49 LAKELAND 7PM Johnny G’s TAMPA 7PM Radio Bar & Grill HUDSON 6PM Venom II Bike Bike Night (every Thu) Concert Series & BTR Radio Night (every Fri) 727-378-5850 863-858-3366 Show (every Fri) 813-915-1555 ST. PETERSBURG 5PM FOE SANFORD 6PM The Bar Out 4147 Bike Night (every Fri) Saturday, May 24 Back Bike Night (every Thu) 727-452-3991 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM 321-926-3996 TAMPA 7PM Radio Bar & Grill BTR TV (every Sat) BH CH49 Concert Series & BTR Radio Friday, May 16, 2014 LAKELAND 10AM Boot Camp Show (every Fri) 813-915-1555 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM Lakeland H-D 863-802-1971 BTR TV (every Fri) BH CH49 PALM HARBOR 1PM Eagles Saturday, May 10 HUDSON 6PM Venom II Bike 4408 In-house Poker Run for CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM Night (every Fri) 727-378-5850 Oliver Bellant 727-326-2525 BTR TV (every Sat) BH CH49 MOUNT DORA 10AM Proud to Zephyrhills 4PM Music & ARCADIA Run-A-Muck Peace be American Bikefest Motorcycles Downtown Zephyrhills River 941-224-6160 (5/16 – 5/18) Rennigers Twin 813-780-1414 BRADENTON 9AM Manatee Markets 352-516-6485 River H-D 9th Anniversary Party ST. PETERSBURG 5PM FOE Sunday, May 25 941-745-2429 TAMPA BAY 11PM – 11:30PM 4147 Bike Night (every Fri) FT. WALTON BEACH 8:30PM 727-452-3991 BTR TV (every Sun) Great38 WTTA Elgin AFB Enlisted Village Poker TAMPA 7PM Radio Bar & Grill FAIRFAX, VA Ride of the Patriots Run Racetrack Powersports Concert Series & BTR Radio Patriot H-D 703-352-5400 850-226-8599 Show (every Fri) 813-915-1555 PALMETTO 12PM Peggy’s JACKSONVILLE 1PM Adamec Memorial Day Toast to Veterans H-D Motorcycle Safety Saturday, May 17 941–729-5442
To submit and view even more events visit BornToRide.com Events
PLANT CITY 12PM Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill Grand Opening (BTR TV taping & magazine shoot) 813-737-4444 WAUCHULA 12PM Charlotte’s Webb Biker Day (every Sun) 863–735-8887 Tuesday, May 27 VALRICO 7PM The Landing Bike Night (BTR TV taping & magazine shoot) 813-653-0002 Wednesday, May 28 VALRICO 7PM Raccoons Bike Night (every Wed) 813-689-5079 Thursday, May 29 APOLLO BEACH 12PM Porky’s BBQ Super Thursday Bike Night (BTR TV taping & magazine shoot) 813-641-8676 DADE CITY 6PM Neon Cowboy Bike Night (every Thu) 813-997-1133 LAKELAND 7PM Johnny G’s Bike Night (every Thu) 863-858-3366 SANFORD 6PM The Bar Out Back Bike Night (every Thu) 321-926-3996 Friday, May 30 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM BTR TV (every Fri ) BH CH49 HUDSON 6PM Venom II Bike Night (every Fri) 727-378-5850 TAMPA 7PM Radio Bar & Grill Concert Series & BTR Radio Show (every Fri) 813-915-1555 Saturday, May 31 CENTRAL/EAST 9AM - 9:30AM BTR TV (every Sat) BH CH49 PALMETTO 12PM Peggy’s Lovin the Locals Party 941–729-5442 Thursday, June 5 BRADENTON 6PM Manatee River H-D Bike Night (1st Thu) 941-745-2429 Saturday, June 7 WAUCHULA 12PM Charlotte’s Webb Gemini II Party (6/7 -6/8) 863–735-8887 Sunday, June 29 ZEPHYRHILLS 1PM RJ’s Wild Wild Wings Summertime Biker Bash (BTR TV taping & magazine shoot) 813-395-5937
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Spyke & Mike
K my BTR friends, Mike and I caught massive slack from all you male bikers (especially from his brother from the other mother, Craven) about last month’s article: men’s rules versus women’s rules. He was on the phone with Mike long before the ink was dry on the mags. Mike tried to calm him down and explain the situation, but Craven insisted that I’ve got it all wrong. He wants us to come over to the trailer park, go for a dip in the new pool, and check out how the King of the Doublewides handles women in certain situations. I hear him tell Mike not to forget me … the brains of the operation. I give Mike the wings up and he just gives me that look. Saturday comes and Mike checks the Fat Bird’s vitals before pulling it out of the garage and plopping my feathered ass behind the windscreen. It’s a beautiful Florida day, so we take the long way to the tornado attractors in East by God Tampa. We pull into the park and up to the Moorehead estate, finding the bleachers still erect from the Spring Fling now surrounding a gazebo. Craven stands up from the inflatable kiddy pool that’s sitting in the shade of the backwoods pagoda holding a beer and says, “Hey dude, I hope you brought your swimsuit, some cold ones, and my VHS tape with the Daytona 500 on it. Mike reaches into his man bag and pulls out the requested items, holds them skyward and yells out, “Here you go big man, but what’s up with the bleacher seats and new hillbilly bandstand?” Craven smiles and states, “That HOG festival went so well we’re keepin’ the seats for the 4th of July party and the running of the Firecracker 400. It would have been stupid to tear ‘em down just to build ‘em back up
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again, especially since I added a country-girlin-boots circular stage to my collection of yard ornaments. Go ahead and stick birdbrain up on the horizontal stripper pole in my redneck man cave. Put your shorts on, bring me a cold one, and get in. The water is just right! I’m going to tell you how the King of Caring deals out the ol’ lady’s rules in life.” We hunker down and Craven begins, “The main thing you have to remember is that when women grow older it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger. When you see this, you must bend the rules and try not to yell at them. Most are oversensitive and there’s nothing worse than an oversensitive woman. I figured the whole thing out a few years ago when I retired from my job as a trash truck driver. It became necessary for the ‘almost wifey’ to get a part-time job along with her full-time job. Life now requires the extra income to support my habits and needed health benefit payments derived from them. Shortly after she started working the part time job, I noticed she was beginning to show her age, thus needing to bend more rules. I usually get home from the gentleman’s club about the same time she would get home from work, you know, to spend some quality time with her. Even though she realizes how hungry a man can get after exercising the working girls down at the club, she almost always says she has to rest for a while before making something to eat. I don’t yell at her. Instead I tell her to take her time and just wake me when dinner is on the table. I usually get lunch at the club so then eating out is not an option. After a hard day’s work, I’m ready for some home cooked grub when I hit the door. She used to do the dishes as soon as
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we finished eating. But now it’s not unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner. I help out when I can by diplomatically reminding her numerous times each evening that they won’t clean themselves. I know she really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to bed. I just block out the foul language and screaming coming out of her mouth by turning up the Boob Tube and passing out on the couch. Another symptom of aging and rule bending I have mastered is that damned complaining. For example, she will say that it is difficult to find time to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour. But you know I take her for better or for worse, so I smile and offer her encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over two or even three days. That way, she won’t have to rush so much. I also remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn’t hurt her any, if you get my drift. I like to think that being tactful and graceful are a few of my strong points in this relationship. Even when doing simple jobs, she seems to think there needs to be more rest periods. For example, the ol’ lady now has to take a break when she’s only half finished mowing the lawn. I try not to make a scene. I am a fair man. I’d tell her to fix herself a nice big glass of freshly squeezed lemonade, and just sit on the couch for a while. And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well get me one too! I know that I probably look like a Saint in the various ways I support her. I’m not saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men will find it difficult and overbearing— some even impossible. Nobody knows better than I do how frustrating women become as they get older. However, if you just use a little more tact and a lot less criticism with your aging mate, things definitely go smoother. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other!” Mike chugs the last cold one, jumps out of the pool and screams at me, “Spyke, you got it? I didn’t write anything down so when you peck out the article later poolside, your bird brain better remember everything. We’ve got to get rolling back to the sanctuary so she doesn’t forget a single word.” With that said, he throws on his clothes, tosses me on his shoulder, and we ride out of the trailer park, getting my wings in the wind and the Fat Bird’s wheels down the road. Spyke
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Happy Mother’s Day!
Christian Motorcyclists Association
Work Hard to Enter the Narrow Door I’ve been having a great time lately getting in the wind, and learning more of life’s great lessons of the road. No matter how well one plans a ride, something always pops up. This gives an opportunity to be flexible and figure out what the next step is or what we can learn from the event. This is especially true when the rider tends to change plans in the middle of the ride, as I often do. Recently had a great, direct, destination
ride planned out, but when I hit the road, within 20 miles I decided to take the scenic route instead, so off to adventure I went! Things were going great, the weather was just perfect, the road was fairly empty, and all seemed right with the world. About 70 miles into the ride traffic started backing up, not a good thing on a two-lane road. After about 10 minutes of start and stop activity, I saw a bike wreck on the side of the road with multiple bikers, law enforcement, and an ambulance. With all those folks on scene, I kept moving forward and found the traffic got back to normal again, for about 10 minutes. Then everything stopped! Traffic would move 50 feet and then sit for 10 minutes, again and again, very frustrating, especially on an air-cooled bike. I finally began turning the bike off to prevent overheating. A lot of folks, on a bike or in a cage started getting testy, several were pulling blindly into the oncoming lane to try and get ahead. When things get really frustrating is when we are open to learning the most. I realized that I was on the road to my destination. By staying in the narrow single lane, instead of venturing out into
the wide yet dangerous oncoming traffic, I was safely protected by a semi in front of me and a big SUV behind me. Besides that, the sun wasn’t all that hot yet. Looking back, I realized that I wasn’t doing all that badly! The problem was four lanes of traffic were being funneled down to just one lane over a narrow bridge. Instead of a flagman to keep traffic moving there was just a timed traffic light. By going the narrow way I stayed safe and eventually got where I was going. In the Luke 13:24 (NLT), Jesus said, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.” If we can learn to focus on seeking the narrow door, be it Heaven’s door, or when in a traffic mess, we will be rewarded. If we follow the safe but patient path, in time we will be successful in our mission. How do we work hard to enter God’s Kingdom? We put our complete trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. It’s easy because Jesus is the Way, the safe Way, the only Way, and He’s watching for you! In The Wind, Denny Dingler
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