Contents
May Issue 192
Ad Index
Features The Safe at Home Bike Show 10 Chopporama Spotlight-Vigilante Metalworks 12 Appalachian Backroads 14 Ride or Die 2020 Media Kit 21 Antonio Hernandez Interview 25 Ride Or Die Woman’s World 34 Horsepower & Torque-Rob Schwellinger 42
AAA 6 Affordable Motorsports
32
Allstate - Jeff Ard
46
All World Lift Truck
32
Angel City
12
Appalachian Backroads
14
BornToRide.com 40
Columns
21
Nefarious James-2nd Amendment 16 Ranger Greg Blackwell-Operation Zero 30 Craven Moorehead-May I send you a Message 39 Spyke & Mike-I figured it out 54 Christian Motorcycle Association 55
50
BTR Babes
51
BTR Boss Hogg Radio Show
41
BTR Lifestyle
50
BTR Ocean Cruise For Bikers 5 BTR Radio
8
BTR Youtube
52
Contents 2 Ride Safe, Ride Smart-The Creeper 7 Born To Ride Kids-Happy Mother’s Day 55
BTR TV-Great 38
4
Choice Med Group
31
Cross Creek Band
48
Reports
Cycle-Rama 19
Departments
55
BTR App
The Meaning of Memorial Day Cycle Rama Speed & Performance Jim Fannin-Happy Mother’s Day Fuel Take Rusty-Craig Can Fix It! Sonny’s BBQ Welcome Bikers
18 19 33 45 50
Dukes Brewhouse 9 Estrella TV 47 Gotta Havit Insurance 44 Great American Biker Bash 38 HawgFest-The New Ride 28
H-D Crystal
Heaven Fields on her Ducati Panigale S 1199 Ride or Die Women Rider Feature including Liz Lewis and Elsa Rosenburg www.FloridaRideorDie.com Facebook: FLORIDARIDEORDIE
Leasure Automotive
44
Leesburg Bikefest
40
On The Cover
56, IBC
Lakeland Antique Mall 36
Life Insurance-Jennifer Butler 20 Media Design Shop
44
Progressive Insurance 3 Rivers Edge Bar & Grill 38 RockaBillaque 27 Rubenstein Law
IFC, 7, BC
Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q 51 Tiny Trailer Nation 49 Tropic Trailer 46 Twilight Zone Mega Bash 35
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BORN TO RIDE Magazine
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Riding along a suburban street, you approach a slow-moving car. You would like to pass, but the driver keeps speeding up and slowing down, causing you to delay that action. After following the creeper for several blocks, you become frustrated and decide to accelerate by. As soon as you pull out to pass the creeper, the driver makes a sudden left turn into a driveway, leaving you no room to stop or swerve. Strategy: The car’s erratic pace should have tipped you off that the driver was searching for something (a street address, perhaps) and that her attention was elsewhere rather than on surrounding traffic. Evaluating the situation, you should have predicted that the driver might turn or stop suddenly. Your best strategy in a situation like this is to separate yourself from the hazard. You could have dropped back at least two seconds. If you choose to pass, do so only after clearly establishing contact with the driver, preferably after receiving a hand signal from her. Never pass at an intersection or other traffic situation where the car could turn in front of you. For more information go to www.msf-usa.org
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 15
Nefarious James
I believe the past month has been hard on a lot of people. It’s not a normal occurrence that the bikers out there are told to stay home and put up their motorcycles in hopes of fending off an unseen attacker. Normally when we are attacked, we respond back with the closest version of what’s described under our second amendment and be done with the issue. This however is a whole new type of BTR 16 | BORNTORIDE.COM
deviant. I don’t want this article to be about this virus. I’ve decided to make it about something a lot of people won’t talk about. With this quarantine crap going on we are faced with a whole new menace. Those we love and ourselves. Whoever first wrote ‘we can be our own worst enemy’ was not kidding. Even worse, we as a society are prone to massive amounts of stupidity. I’m afraid to say, but I believe it’s in
“Second
some people’s DNA. I’m talking about self destructive behavior. I’m no doctor or shrink but I’ve fucked up a relationship or two. I screwed up a 24 year marriage with self destructive and negative behavior. What’s my excuse for all of this? Not a single thing I can come up with that would justify what I had done. But, I learned immensely from it. With those lessons I’ve learned come these little gems of advice. So listen up before it
Born To Ride Magazine, Real Editorial Content, Real Value every month for you the Reader
Amendment”
is feeling the same thing. Fighting won’t fix it. My ex wife would say “you can be mad that it’s broken or happy that it’s broken, either way it’s broken”. I’m sure not happy it’s broken, but I get the gist of it. Smart woman, but I would have the tendency to be mad first anyway. Human nature I guess. But good news is you can change that. I came across a quote from a guy named
“You may not be her first, her last or her only She loved before she may love again But if she loves you now what else matters?”
costs you what it cost me. First off I am not an advocate of striking a woman. No matter how much anger I’ve had, I’ve never laid a hand on a woman. Men, well that may be a different story. I understand that some people are fine with putting their hands on a female but I’ll tell ya, it’s a shitty idea and a worse thing to do. Now we are stuck in close quarters with our demons, self destructive tendencies, stress about bills, no money coming in and the constant voice in your head screaming how are we going to make it? Then there is the burden of trying to hold it all together. This whole scenario really sucks. Remember your significant other
Bob Marley. As I happen to be writing this on 4-20-2020. I felt it was fitting to share. Read it carefully and thoroughly more than once if need be. It’s some of the deepest wisdom I’ve read in a very long time that hits the nail on the head and it applies to both men and women. It reads: “You may not be her first, her last or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She’s not perfect - you aren’t either, And the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking of you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break her heart. So don’t hurt her. Don’t change her. Don’t analyze her and don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there. Love with your whole being when you receive love. Because there are no perfect girls, but there will always be a girl who is perfect for you.” Spot on. You just got that one for free. Probably one of the best quotes on a relationship I have ever read. I hope you read that quote again and really get the meaning of it. If you get it and its genuine meaning, you would be hugging your girl or guy right now. It’s powerful stuff. I believe you all get what I’m driving at. Be the change you want to see around you and make the difference in peoples’ lives that only your life experience can bring. It’s as easy as that. Battles and wars are not fought alone. Remember that. See you out there.
Got something to say to James? Let Us Know Your Thoughts: info@BornToRide.com
James “Nefarious” Gladstone
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MEANING OF MEMORIAL DAY NEVER FORGET OUR VETERANS WHO SERVE
I have approached this subject several times over the years, Memorial Day is not the official start of summer, nor should it be the reason for a 3-day long weekend of parties, barbecues, or car sales. Memorial Day has had several names over the 150 years of its existence; however, the reason for Memorial Day stays the same. The day is for honoring and showing respect for those who have been killed while serving in the military, beginning with the Civil War through current military engagements. Over the years Memorial Day has BTR 18 | BORNTORIDE.COM
diminished as a national holiday and has became the unofficial start of summer and big box store specials. Why has it gotten to that point? Simply stated, people don’t seem to care as much as they have in the past. With only 10% of the American population having served in the military, the other 90% seems to have forgotten what the actual cost of freedom is, those who have given their lives. Cemeteries will have small American Flags placed on the final resting places of our warriors and American Flags should be flown at half staff from dawn until noon
at which time they will be brought back to full staff (or to the top of the pole). To properly bring the Flag to the half staff position the flag should be raised to the upper most position on the staff and then lowered to the half way position. Now you should have some idea as to what Memorial Day represents and what respect and dignity the day should be shown. Please say a special prayer for those who we have lost over the years. God Bless America and those who serve in uniform. It’s not about the war; it’s about those who serve to protect us. Terry Longpre
Remember and Honor our Veterans and Never Forget the meaning of Memorial Day.
WILL SET THE STATE OF FLORIDA ON FIRE AS THE ONLY FREE STATEWIDE EXCLUSIVE MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE SPORT BIKE COMMUNITY.
MEET ANTONIO HERNANDEZ Antonio Hernandez has a strong vision and sees the need to create and give back with this new exciting magazine. Antonio is an entrepreneur of business, a motorcycle dealership partner, skilled in marketing, networking and promotions. He is a long-time sport bike rider who is a advocate for his community and children’s charities. He owns the largest social media platform for sport bike riders: Florida Ride or Die.
“It’s a billion-dollar industry and Florida Ride or Die Magazine will deliver this lifestyle to you and your customers!” “Are you ready to RIDE?” - Antonio Hernandez FOR MORE INFORMATION 727.944.6961 WWW.FLORIDARIDEORDIE.COM
FLORIDA RIDE OR DIE MISSION In an effort to support the growing sport bike population and to feature the lifestyle 100% Antonio Hernandez invites you to be a part of Florida Ride or Die Magazine. OUR MISSION – To promote the goodwill of the sport bike community and to magnify the sport bike industry and the overall business of the people who ride sport bikes.
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PUBLISHING CALENDAR
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JUNE 2020
AUGUST 2020
OCTOBER 2020
DECEMBER 2020
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FEBRUARY 2021
APRIL 2021
MAY 2021
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The audience targeted is age 25 – 45 male and female that ride the sport bike model throughout the state of Florida and enjoy the lifestyle. A concentrated website and various social media platforms are established to support this audience. Revenue is generated through the sales of advertising, sponsorships for events and promotions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION 727.944.6961 WWW.FLORIDARIDEORDIE.COM
A GROWING MARKET According to Grand View Research Inc, market reports, by 2025 the United States motorcycle market will be worth $10.88 billion. Florida is the 2nd largest population of motorcycle riders under California with over 545,000. The sport bike market has grown with a dramatic increase in the State of Florida since 2015. Riders have evolved over the years as well. As a means of transportation, leisure riding, professional racing and connecting with others who share the same passion, this market segment has continued to grow and there are more new riders every day.
SPORT BIKE COMMUNITy This community bands together to develop a strong family sport bike togetherness. Weekly, monthly and yearly organized events and gatherings will be created and documented to maintain constant connection with these riders. Charity events, rides, bike nights and special promotions with dealerships and riding clubs will all put back into the communities creating economic impact and an ever-growing network of consumers.
the MARKET place The sport bike marketplace is a great opportunity for a significant and powerful impact to businesses. The marketplace offers a great deal of variety with products and services. Outlets such as Ebay and Amazon are exploding and importing the hottest and newest sought after parts and accessories to hit the industry to make it even more popular. • M OTORCYCLE SALES
• ACCESSORIES
• FABRICATING
• AUDIO/SOUND SYSTEMS
• APPAREL
• PAINT
• INSURANCE
• CUSTOM BUILDERS
• DESIGN
• TOURISM TRAVEL ADVENTURE
• H IGH PERFORMANCE
• LED LIGHTING
(NEW AND PRE-OWNED)
• CLASSIFIEDS • MAINTENANCE • REPAIRS HORSEPOWER
• ALARM SYSTEMS
FOR MORE INFORMATION 727.944.6961 WWW.FLORIDARIDEORDIE.COM
“Antonio has a Heart of Gold when it comes to Children in Need. He is Spiderman for folks that know him and all the Great work that he has accomplished for Children”
Antonio HErnandez
Antonio Hernandez is one busy businessman! From running a successful business, ‘Ride or Die Motorsports’, to starting a new magazine AND television show, ‘Florida Ride or Die’, Antonio has energy, great ideas, and a future of success! I had the opportunity to catch a few minutes with Antonio to ask him what he’s
Born To Ride Magazine, Real Editorial Content, Real Value every month for you the Reader
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Heaven Fields
Liz Lewis
Elsa Rosenburg
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been up to with Florida Ride or Die and what the readers of ‘Born To Ride’ Magazine can look forward to! “Florida Ride or Die LLC is a business on Facebook. We sell motorcycle items such as light kits and security systems. We have over 21,000 followers on our Facebook page. We can ship anywhere in the United States. We have many 5-star reviews and satisfied customers.” The NEW ‘Florida Ride or Die’ Magazine is a project that Antonio is very proud of. “We are ready to move forward with this magazine. It’s about sport bike riders, interviews, stories and the sport bike lifestyle. We will be focusing on those that ride sports bikes here in Florida. For example, we will be doing an interview with the MMA middleweight champion of the world. We will be interviewing people, real people, that ride and live in the state of Florida. These aren’t going to be stories just about pretty girls or handsome guys on a bike, it’s going to be about real people. A nurse, an EMT, a vet
technician, an MMA fighter, etc. There are so many people that ride that have accomplished so much in their lives. Those are the ones we are going to be writing about. This is going to be about positive recognition, not negative stories.” Antonio has a heart of gold when it comes to children in need. He is Spiderman for folks that know him and all the great work that he has accomplished for children. “I have a Spiderman truck, a Spiderman bike, the original Spiderman helmet signed by Stan Lee, and lots of collectibles. I’ve been doing this for years but after my wife (who played Spidergirl) passed away, I put the costumes on mannequins and they reside in my living room now. I’m so busy with my other businesses and new ventures that I don’t have time to do Spiderman.” In addition to his new magazine, Antonio is also ready to debut a new television show! Antonio explained, “We are also working on a project with Joe Davidson, an actor
and director who has been in seven feature films – going from shop to shop interviewing folks that play a part in the sport bike world. Maybe a chrome dipper, racer, air brush artist, etc. We are going to be filming all of this over a week’s time and we may just may something big on our hands. It’s the same concept as ‘Pimp My Ride’ but it will be titled, ‘Florida Ride or Die.’ We are very close to closing the deal on this as well.” In addition to the new magazine and TV show, Antonio also has Ride or Die Motorsports! “Ride or Die Motorsports is a dealership where you can buy any part or accessories. We also have a showroom and sell motorcycles. “We can ship a motorcycle anywhere in the world. In fact, we just shipped a motorcycle to New York a few minutes ago.” Thank you for your time, Antonio! All of us at Born To Ride Magazine congratulate you on your new Florida Ride or Die Magazine! Web: www.FloridaRideorDie.com Facebook: FLORIDARIDEORDIE
Operation Zero has raised over ten thousand dollars, all of which has been donated to amazing organizations that aid in intervention; The Mighty Oaks foundation, Veterans Charity Ride, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to name a few. Implemented training developed from the Army Master Resilience training and American Foundation for suicide prevention. We also continue to advocate for policy changes as the need for more legislation, such as the Clay Hunt Act, expanding Veteran access to mental health services is key. But more needs to be done! Moving forward, it would help to decrease this epidemic if all Veterans were required to enroll with the Veterans Administration prior to separation from service. As the VA’s own statistics show, Veterans already enrolled in the Administration are far less likely to attempt suicide. We need to raise awareness and help break the stigma associated with PTSD so that Veterans will reach out for help. Veterans are not broken and there is nothing wrong with us. American society has changed, and we all yearn to belong to a tribe, for a sense of community, and for the brotherhood that we all shared in the Military. Join us, we are in the fight of our lives and the battle rages every day. Stay in the Fight! “Rangers Lead The Way” Greg Blackwell Get Involved with Greg Blackwell’s Mission. Let him Know Your Thoughts: info@BornToRide.com
I want to take this month to feature some of the great things my Veteran brothers in other motorcycle clubs are doing. VNV/Legacy MC has a mission to reduce veteran suicide that has become a major focus of theirs. Thank you Mudflap for the article and the entire club for allowing this effort to be brought forward. Suicide has become the leading cause of death in the U.S. military—exceeding accidents, car crashes, and even combat. Historically, the suicide rate in the military has been below the civilian rate. But since the early 2000s, the rate of suicides has been steadily increasing. This must stop and for the past five years the Viet nam Vet Legacy Vet Motorcycle Club has led a campaign to end Veteran Suicide. It is simply called Operation Zero – “Zero Veterans Attempt Suicide!”. The average number of Veteran suicide deaths per day has equaled or exceeded 16 since 2007 (2019 VA Report) and another 5-9 Veterans attempt suicide. Despite death not being the outcome, these veterans still cause great injury to themselves and others. Moreover, those who attempt suicide are much more likely to attempt it again. Rather than focus on the fictious and often touted number of 22, it was important for us to not forget those BTR 30 | BORNTORIDE.COM
other 5-9 that attempt suicide. Some of our members who served as far back as Vietnam have not dealt with the turmoil that combat caused and this Operation became imperative after a few members committed suicide in late 2014. Much like how the Viet nam Vets Motorcycle club helped start and inspire Rolling Thunder in Washington DC, Operation Zero is sparking a national dialogue about Veterans, PTSD, and suicide prevention with law makers locally and nationally. The goal of the mission? Zero, not one Veteran life lost to suicide. The Veteran Suicide Prevention patch that many members wear is the logo for Operation Zero. A handful of members collaborated to design the patch with the thought of it becoming the national symbol for Veteran Suicide Prevention, much like the POW/MIA patch. The stop sign shape was used because Veteran suicide needs to stop. The five stars represent each branch of the Armed Forces. The Veteran kneeling represents all of us and the dog tags signify the pride that, as Veterans, we never stop carrying around with us. Red was chosen to represent the bloodshed and black symbolizes how we will mourn the loss should we fail to support them. The motto “Never Quit on Life” is a pledge to never quit on my life or the life of a Veteran.
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Born To Ride Women’s World has always been dedicated to women that have a unique and wonderful story to tell in regards to their life on two (or three) wheels! This year, I celebrate 40 years in the wind. I started when it wasn’t cool let alone “normal.” But I persevered and accomplished many good things in promoting women in the exciting world of motorcycling. Born To Ride is dedicating this column to three Ride or Die Women Riders. Each has a one-of-a kind story to tell in relation to her life in the wind. I’m thrilled to have been able to speak with these women and listen to their stories. Now, you can too! Sit back, and enjoy three stories of inspiring women who just might inspire you to Ride if you don’t already. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there reading this. Susan Hurst
Heaven Fields Heaven is a positive force to be reckoned with. A Floridian by birth, Heaven’s positive outlook on life, riding, and doing for others is a breath of fresh air during these challenging times we are all living in now. How did she get involved in the wonderous world of motorcycling? “As a kid I started out on dirt bikes and competing in motor-cross.” Unfortunately, her mom discouraged her from riding dirt bikes after she witnessed an accident where a young motor-cross racer died. “She told me I couldn’t ride any more after she saw that.” But at the age of 16, Heaven decided it was time to get back on two wheels. “I didn’t want to give up on riding. It was cheaper to ride a motorcycle than driving a car.” She currently rides a Ducati Panigale S 1199, a sportbike that is usually used on the track for racing. As you have read on the two previous stories of Liz and Elsa, they have been involved with Antonio of Ride or Die. With Heaven her involvement hit a little closer to home with Antonio thanks to the world of Cosplay. Cosplay you say? It’s a combination of the words ‘costume play’. It’s a performance art
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in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. “I met Antonia through Elsa. He and I just started talking about the charity work that we do. We really clicked because I’m into Cosplay and Antonio is into the Spiderman character.” With Cosplay, I have done a few charity events with friends. I have made my own costumes and have also bought a few. I really enjoy playing the Harley Quinn character because I resonate with it. I generally design and make my own costumes. These are costumes you can’t buy at Wal-Mart. I enjoy making a lot of people happy with my charity work. If I can do something to make people happy, then that makes me happy, too! Antonio recruited Elsa and Heaven to be the Admins of the Florida Ride or Die Facebook page. “Antonio wanted us to moderate the various group rides and events on the page. Our page has 21,000 followers. When we are able to do our charity events again, our Facebook page will help people see what we’re up to.” Heaven is mom to a three-year old son, named Drew. Like his mom, Drew has
a Ducati Panigale – but it’s blue and his mom’s is red. “He loves riding his electric Ducati!” Last words of advice? “Never let any fear cripple you from any dream you have. More often than not,, people won’t ride a motorcycle because they are afraid of getting hurt. Or they get into an accident and it cripples them mentally from later pleasures. Things can happen. But being afraid that something is going to happen is debilitating. You need to get out, live life and ride. Hone your skills. I had a really bad accident and I heard a ton of negative things said to me. When motorcycling is something that I truly love, it’s hard to convey that to someone that doesn’t have that passion or understanding. This is something that I love and truly enjoy. Sometimes you can’t get people to understand it. As long as you aren’t doing things that are stupid and irrational, and you’re wearing proper gear and not doing anything illegal, it’s a great thing! I love being on a bike! I just hate it when fear takes over people from realizing a dream of riding a motorcycle.” Web: www.FloridaRideorDie.com Facebook: FLORIDARIDEORDIE
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LIZ LEWIS Liz recently moved to Florida from Las Vegas. Her “day job” was an EMT. But what you may not know is that Liz was a fighter with the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling & ground fighting, made up from various combat sports and martial arts from around the world. How did Liz get involved in the MMA? “When I was 15, I started training for the MMA. My step-dad left my mom and us kids for another family. I was a very angry teenager because of that. I had a friend that reached out to me and offered his gym to work out and release some of the anger I had. So, for nine years, I’ve been training, working out, and fighting in the MMA.” Liz ‘Lights Out’ Lewis was her name throughout her career. Her hope is to find a gym in the Bay Area to start working out again. “I really want to find a good gym to work out here in Florida and to get back into MMA. I also am looking into going back to college and taking courses in either biology, CSI, or more interestingly, Marine Biology to study sharks. Tampa has a shark lab, so I would love to study and work with
sharks here.” Liz is a relatively new rider in the motorcycling world. “I‘ve wanted to own a bike since I was a teenager. I ride a CBR600RR sportbike.” Why does she like riding so much? Laughing, she explained, “It’s just very fun to ride. I love the speed and the adrenaline rush when riding. I especially love riding at night!” Liz made the decision to move to Florida because she was tired of the cold weather and snow. She wanted to spend time on the beach. “Being in the ocean watching the sunset brings me peace, happiness, and joy. The ocean and beach are something that I’m drawn to. Have you ever seen the Disney movie called, Moana? She’s a character that I love because she loves the sea. When I hear any of the songs from that movie, I think about the ocean and how much I love it. It always makes me smile.” One of Liz’s close friends she met when she moved to Florida is Antonio Hernandez of Florida Ride or Die. “Antonio became one of my friends through the Clutch Queens on Facebook. He started following me and we became friends. When I was having bad days, Antonio would reach out to me and pull me back from the ledge. We would get
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together at bike nights and more importantly, we love doing good things for children in need. Antonio, otherwise known as Spiderman, has always loved superheroes. He dresses up as Spiderman when visiting children in the hospital. He is an amazing person who I really appreciate.” Anything special you’d like to share with people reading your story? “My life has been a lot of trials and tribulations. When I was in the MMA, I was a single mom, homeless, living in a homeless shelter with my young daughter. I was fighting in the MMA for money trying to stay alive. What I learned from those humbling experiences is that you need to love your family. Love and appreciate them. I spend a lot of time thinking about time that I wasted just trying to have a future and I missed a lot with them. I’ve learned to trust where life takes you. It’s definitely a wild ride; two years in a homeless shelter. I’ve seen so much but have learned from it all.” Thank you, Liz, for sharing your amazing story with readers of Born To Ride Magazine! Web: www.FloridaRideorDie.com Facebook: FLORIDARIDEORDIE
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ELSA ROSENBURG Elsa has been a part of the Bay Area sportbike scene since 2001. Originally from India, as a young girl Elsa rode just about anything she could get her hands on – as long as her family didn’t find out! “I started out riding bicycles, mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles. My family didn’t approve of riding motorcycles due to them worrying about me getting hurt.” Leaving India for something new to do, Elsa landed in Los Angeles. “I wanted a fresh start from India. I wanted to get out and come to the United States. I decided to get more schooling and went to UCLA and recieved my degree.” Elsa is currently working in the information security compliance arena. Elsa is responsible for the security programs of companies, which includes management, compliance, governance of information security policies, gathering supporting documentation, drafting responses, and
submitting compliance documentation. She issues certifications for hospitals. Today, Elsa rides an SV650. “I had a 250RR bike prior to the 650 and loved that bike. But I love my current bike because it’s completely analog and not digital!” Elsa is a friend of Antonio Hernandez as well! Elsa met Antonio of Florida Ride or Die at local sportbike events. “I really love what Antonio does for our local children. He goes to the children’s hospitals on his motorcycle, dressing up as Spiderman! The causes he’s into means so much to me.” Elsa helped start a riding organization called Clutch Queens. “This was an organization that I started years ago. We align ourselves with non-profit organizations that believe in the same things we do. With Antonio, we hit it off because of all the good he does in our community. Together, we were able to raise money for a child’s transplant surgeries. That’s what it’s all about – we like doing the
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same things for the children in need.” What is the favorite trip you’ve ever been on? “The best trip would be when I lived in India. A bunch of my friends and I mapped out a route that took us through cities, mountains, off roads, and near temples in India. It took us a couple of weeks to get through the whole thing. It was very memorable. I haven’t really done a road trip yet, but when I do, I’m really looking forward to riding the ‘Tail of the Dragon’ in North Carolina later this year.” Any thoughts you’d like to share to those reading this story? “It’s very important to have extremely good riding skills and exceptional riding gear when riding. I hope everyone rides safe and stays happy.” Thank you, Elsa, for spending time with me and sharing your story for Born To Ride Women’s World! Web: www.FloridaRideorDie.com Facebook: FLORIDARIDEORDIE
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HORSEPOWER & TORQUE
Without one you can’t have the other. Torque and Horsepower are often confused but closely related in the equation for measuring horsepower. You just need to add RPM. The three factors involved in measuring horsepower would be torque, RPM, and the constant 5252, which is the measurement of time. It all started with the horse. Horsepower (H-P) is a unit of power for measuring the rate at which an engine or primary mover (the horse) can perform mechanical work in a given amount of time, over a set distance. In the 17th century James Watt developed the first practical steam engine. He used his engine to pump water out of mines; before that draft horses were used. So it was logical to relate the work the steam engine could do with the amount of horses it could replace. Draft horses are huge animals, like the Budweiser Clydesdales; not as pretty but these brutes did the work. The original “sled pull” started with horses pulling a sled because BTR 42 | BORNTORIDE.COM
“gear heads” back then didn’t have dyno’s to see whose horse was the baddest. The horse would pull a certain amount of weight; the measured distance and time it took to move the weight became the measurement for H-P. Watt’s came up with the figure for H-P by using the horse to plot a circular path pulling at a right angle at the end of a twelve-foot lever projecting from a capstan at the center of a circle. The capstan in turn was geared to operate the pump. Watt’s estimated that the horse pulled with a force (or torque) of 180 LBS. The circle it followed had a circumference of 2 X pi X a radius of 12 feet which = 75.4 feet the horse could make 144 trips around the circle in one hour or 2.4 trips a minute for a speed of 181 feet per minute. To convert the demonstration of the horse’s power or work into measurable leverage or what is commonly referred to as torque, force, or work. Watt’s multiplied the 180 LBS. (the force the horse was pulling) by the 181 feet (the
distance the horse walked) and came up with 32,580 pounds feet per minute which he rounded to 33,000 pounds feet per minute. That means if 33,000 pounds feet per minute is divided by pi multiplied by 2 the result is 5252. This constant enters a time factor into the equation. Now we need to relate torque (work) RPM, (distance) and the constant figure 5252 (relating to time) to a rotating shaft of an engine. Torque also referred to as work or force and is what moves or accelerates the bike. Torque is the twisting or turning force that engineers measure in pound-foot equal to 1 pound of force applied at the end of a one-foot lever and is described, as 1 FT./ LBS., which is the measurement of torque. Torque is what pushes the piston down. Currently the only efficient method that exists for measuring H-P is by measuring actual engine torque and RPM with a dyno and then calculating H-P. Watt’s definition of H-P is equal to a work multiplied by a distance
divided by time. With this simple equation we can calculate H-P or torque at any RPM. Horsepower = Torque X RPM Work X Distance 5252 Time Example 100 Ft./LBS X 5000 RPM = 95.20hp 5252 Torque = Horsepower X 5252 RPM Horsepower X Time Distance Example 95.20 H-P X 5252 = 100 Ft./LBS. 4500 RPM An engines torque is determined by the percentage a cylinder is filled at a given RPM. Volumetric efficiency represents the percentage of cylinder fill. The greater the cylinder fill (VE) the greater the torque will be. Torque Peak is the point at which an engine achieves maximum cylinder filling. In a Harley motor it usually around 5000 RPM. A Harley motor is not a very efficient engine. Usually when referring to Harley’s you would refer to a torque figure in foot-pounds this is because a Harley engine does not have the ability to turn high RPM’s. On the other hand the 4 cylinder engines have the ability to turn high RPM’s because of better airflow, shorter strokes, and overhead cams. These motors
will usually turn 10,000 RPM’s. Referred to as a horsepower motor, this is because they don’t make as much torque as a Harley per stroke but they can turn twice as many RPM’s. So a torque engine works harder at a slower speed and a horsepower engine doesn’t work as hard but at twice the speed, to achieve the same amount of H-P. Again H-P is the measurement of work after it is done. An example: A torque motor making 100 Ft./LBS. of torque turning at 5000 RPM’s versus a horsepower motor making 50 Ft./ LBS. of torque turning at 10,000 RPM’s will achieve the same amount of H-P, which is 95.20. Torque Engine 100 Ft./LBS X 5000 RPM 5252 Horsepower Engine 50Ft./LBS X 10000RPM 5252 Both = 95.20hp Since horsepower is equal to torque multiplied by RPM, any torque increase results in a power increase at any given RPM level. Horsepower on the other hand is the speed at which an engine performs work the faster an engine performs a given amount of work the more horsepower is developed. If you look at a dyno chart you will see that the torque line starts out on top and meets the H-P line at 5252 RPM. The reason for this
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is, torque and H-P are always equal at 5252 RPM because 1 Ft./LBS below 5252 RPM produces less than 1 H-P. Consequently 1 Ft./LBS above 5252 RPM is always more than 1 H-P. If the torque number is larger than the H-P it’s because you’re measuring below 5252 RPM. That is why; less than 5252 RPM’s is always referred to as torque and above 5252 RPM’s is always referred to as H-P. Here are some H-P figures for some different engines. FLH Shovel makes 66 H-P at 5600 RPM; An Evo makes 69 H-P at 5000 RPM The V-Rod destroyer makes 165 H-P at 9700 RPM this is H-D’s new race bike NHRA Pro-stock inline 4 motorcycles are 101 C.I. making 300 H-P at 13,500 RPM, The G2 Motor Sports Buell is 160 C.I. and makes 300 H-P at 9000 RPM, All Harley Drag Racing Association top fuel dragster is 175 C.I. and makes 800 H-P NHRA Pro-stock car is 500 C.I. making 1400 H-P and turns 10,000 RPM The big daddy of them is NHRA’s top fuel with 500 C.I. engines turn 10,000 RPM making 7,500 H-P. The best place to see H-P is at the track. Smoke ‘em if you can. Tell him Born To Ride Sent You! Rob Schwellinger R&R Cycles RSR1Racing@aol.com
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 43
Fuel Tank Rusty? Craig Can Fix It!
The heart and soul of your bike is the fuel tank. Originally, the tank was new and clean, but over the years that all has changed. If you are tired of cleaning carburetors or think you need a new tank because yours is too rusty or it leaks, I have the solution. We clean tanks and preserve the metal – even permanently stop leaks! The highgrade epoxy coating we use is second to none; we can even remove most Kreem and Red-Kote liners. We have a fast turnaround time; it’s the easiest thing you’ll do all week. Call 813-407-2226 or CraigPaintsBikes.com
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BTR 50 | BORNTORIDE.COM
“This Sonny’s BBQ has Covered Bike Parking just for you. Support them and thank them” Ron Galletti
Craven Moorehead MAY I SEND YOU A MESSAGE?
With all the recent activity in my life, it becomes unusually difficult for me to enjoy just hanging out or being my usual rotten self. I have been constantly reminded of my degenerate lifestyle and lack of reasonable income, plus the fact that no matter what I do, some kind of crap comes up that prevents my happiness and success. Well, not really. I mean, it could be worse - much worse. Here’s an example: I had to go to the office today to do some business and when I left there, RT60 was in total Eastbound chaos. There was some sort of serious accident involving a motorcycle which spread small pieces of debris and parts all the way across the 3 eastbound lanes. If I had arrived an hour later, I wouldn’t have been able to make the turnaround to the BTR office. Evidently, this was fairly serious and every type of police and emergency vehicle were present on the scene. Every month I remind all of you, my dedicated readers, to look out for and respect the motorcycle riders that are out there using our nation’s highways. I suspect that most of you actually have and ride a motorcycle, but this message goes out to the general public: Watch out for and respect motorcyclists and remember to share the road! Correctly. … And we all said please and Amen. (No, I’m not really a preacher) Originally, I was going to write the majority of this story about Lynne’s hair. You see, Eddie and Lynne are Co-Hosts on Born To Ride radio on Tuesday night. We have a lot of fun doing it and it provides a ton of valuable information to those of us who ride. But Lynne’s hair is so large it allegedly has its own zip code and area
code. On Born To Ride radio it simply has its own cameras and it’s a topic of discussion on most of the shows but not the most important of topics. I love doing Talk-Radio, and I know that Lynne and Eddie do also, but we are trying to do something good for our local community and worldwide. I can’t seem to avoid the “Talk-Radio” circuit because I have a really cool radio on the bagger, and infrequently the radio in my old pickup still works. I used to listen to the CD player on the bagger or try to find the ‘one out of many’ stations that didn’t play the same worn out seven songs between commercials. Good radio is hard to find nowadays – especially when you want to rock out or enjoy some progressive country music that doesn’t make ya want to cry in your beer. Anyhow, following talk-radio has brought me to the same plateau that watching television does. Maybe I shouldn’t say plateau, I should say cliff. Yeah you know, the one you wanna jump off when you’ve had enough BS in your life from the regulated media. And this revelation that I was given by listening to regular radio be it talk, music, or a combination of both brought me back to my abnormal reality. So with all the aforementioned conflicting and sometimes useless information that I am supplying you, I decided to get back in the Internet broadcasting business, largely due to the fact that I had extra room in my new location and moreover my personal desire to try to make things better for the general public and bikers, whether that constituent is listening or not. Honestly, I hate to just talk about radio in general and I am continually trying to change it with the help of Born To Ride. The truth of the matter is that wherever you go, you will still be exposed to the same ‘media’ slant that all the regulated outlets cram down your throat. Unless you live in a small town where you can actually call into a radio station and get your request played, you are pretty much stuck with what you get. … I am trying to change that. For what it’s worth, I believe that in the very near future the Internet is where all you regular people will get all your entertainment. It’s alarming to observe the huge number of people who get all their content from their phones ... be it TV, radio, or movies the Internet has taken the forefront in the delivery of your content. For better or worse, just live with it. You are stuck with it. …. Don’t forget to tune in to Born To Ride radio every Tuesday night between 8 PM and 11 PM. I thank you and so does Lynne’s hair. …
R.I.P. Craven Moorehead, Your Words Will Live On Forever
CRAVEN BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 53
It’s unbelievable what has happened over the past few months, my BTR friends. Spyke starts squawking, “staying at home because nothing is open and you humans wearing protection when going anywhere is the new normal??? What the hell, just a short while ago we were high on life; celebrating Christmas and the beginning of a New Year, therapy was going well for Mike, and we were almost back to normal hitting most biker events, weather permitting! When people heard the word Corona they thought of limes, beaches, and the Kodak moment of me protecting Mikes’ bucket last month. Now, the words Corona and virus have been tongue tied together in terrible infamy, it makes me feel kinda weird about posing for that picture. Mike, I’ve seen you home more now than nine months ago when you broke your leg. Can you tell me what the hell is going on?” He babbles, “well Spyke, to put it into bird chirp, seems like some slanty-eyed people over in Asia were playing around with a bug and it got out of control. Now, we’re moving around with a different set of rules. In my deepest respect for spending so much time at home with you Spyke, I went to the grocery store and all I thought about was a large roasted chicken with BTR 54 | BORNTORIDE.COM
“I finally figured out I have AADD Activated Attention Deficit Disorder”
vegetables cooked on the grill. After getting it fired up and letting you hang out and watch for a while, (maybe for just a little too long) I finally figured out I have AADD, Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how I realized it manifested: It wasn’t until I pulled in from the grocery store, that I decided to water my grass. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my truck and decide it needs washing. As I start towards the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decided to go through the mail before I washed the truck. I lay my truck keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can and notice that it is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I’m going to
be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are on my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of beer I’d been drinking. I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the beer aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over. The beer is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the beer, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye... they need water. I put the beer on the counter and discovered my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning. I decided I’d better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I’ll be looking for the remote, but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decided to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote down, get some towels, and wipe up the spill. Then, I head out to the lanai, smelling something burning on the grill.At the end of the day: the grass is still dry, the truck isn’t washed, the bills aren’t paid, there is a warm can of beer sitting on the counter, the flowers don’t have enough water, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I only remember seeing the remote, I can’t find my glasses, and I just realized that I left you laying by the grill! Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I’m so tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I gotta check my email…”I roll my eyes and cackle, “Mike, it sounds like you’re in need of some extended wind time, even if it is in the truck. Let’s get your knuckles through the sunroof, my wings out the window, and the trucks’ wheels rolling down the road. It’s time to defragment!”
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SPYKE
CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION A few years ago I traveled to the Tennessee hills where my wife and I enjoyed the scenery and the winding roads of the area. Every day, before heading out to discover more of the gorgeous surrounding countryside, we consulted our maps and laid out a route for the day. On one particular day we decided to visit a number of dams in the local area. There were several dams to see, so off we went to explore the region. We were enjoying our day, seeing the different dams and their structures. It was mind boggling to look out over the high side of the dams and see the vast area that was covered under water due to the dams having been built. We also noticed how small and insignificant we were in the presence of the man made barriers. After we saw the sights we stopped in a small restaurant for some burgers and fries, and an escape from the heat outside. Isn’t air conditioning a wonderful invention? With our bellies full and our bodies cooled down we headed for the back half of the ride. No more dams to see on this day, but the map showed a promise of some more winding roads on the way back to the campground. Little did I know it
was about to become a more interesting ride! When we turned off of the main road it wasn’t long before we came to the proverbial fork in the road. Since the map did not show the two roads splitting, I took a deep breath, and took the road to the left. There were no signs to guide us and I realized that we were on a parallel road going right back from where we had just come. I have a patch on my vest that says U Turn, and that is exactly what I did, I turned around. We got back to the previous turnoff and took the other road. After a long while we were seeing homes and other signs of life, and the traffic was picking up significantly. All of a sudden I realized where we were, about 40 miles beyond where our campground was located. We were very off course, but at least we knew where we were. Sometimes life is a lot like that! Even when we think we know where we are, and we have taken the time to plan our activities, we can still find ourselves going the wrong way. The best answer is found in the Bible, in Psalm 61:1, “Hear my cry, oh God; listen to my prayer.” Even when we believe in ourselves and our own actions, we may still find ourselves needing help from God. The great news is that God is always there to help and guide you and me. He is only a simple prayer away. When you find yourself lost, look up in prayer, for God is your wonderful answer! In The Wind, Denny Dingler BORNTORIDE.COM || BTR BTR 55 51 Check out BornToRide.com for more articles from Christian Motorcyclists Association BORNTORIDE.COM