Born To Ride Florida Motorcycle Magazine #185

AUG 2020 #195

RICK FAIRLESS

LIVIN’ THE LIFE!

read it/watch it/ride it

BORNTORIDE.COM

Contents

August Issue 195

Ad Index

Features Biker Legend - Rick Fairless & Strokers Biker History Part 1 Kyle Ray Rice - Work of Motorized Art Dog Gone Hot Dogs - Forgotten Angels

11 18 25 36

Columns

25

Nefarious James - Your Voice Heard Spyke & Mike - FOMO Christian Motorcycle Association

16 54 53

Contents 2 Letter From the Editor - Dave Nichols 4 Ride Safe, Ride Smart - Creeper 7 Tech Tip - Adding Performance 38 Born To Ride Kids 53

33 44 45 50 52

On The Cover

Biker Legend Rick Fairless & Strokers - Livin’ The Life with his daughter, Lena Fairless-Lee Photo: Keydrin, 924 Photography

42

Allstate - Jeff Ard

46

Angel City

40

All World Lift Truck Appalachian Backroads Beyond The Battlefield

34 30 15 22

BornToRide.com 18 Boss Hogg Radio

43

BTR Boss Hogg Radio Show

41

BTR Babes

BTR Facebook BTR Lifestyle BTR Radio

BTR Youtube

BTR TV-Great 38

Choice Med Group Chopporama 2021

Reports

36

Affordable Motorsports

Battle at the Beach

Departments

Chopporama 2021 Willie G - Reads It The Tank Whisperer - Craig Can Fix It! Biker Cartoons Reader’s Ride - Stan Tomes-1977 Shovel

AAA 6

Cross Creek Band

42 42 50 8

47

17 21

33 48

Cycle-Rama 34

Dukes Brewhouse 10

Estrella TV 41

Gotta Havit Insurance 44 H-D Crystal

56, IBC

High Seas Rally

23

H-D Rossiters

9

Lakeland Antique Mall 32 Leasure Automotive

44

Metalsport Wheels

35

Media Design Shop

Performance Pit Stop Pinwheel Run

24 50 55

Progressive Insurance 3 Remembrance Ride

14

S&S Performance

5

Rubenstein Law

IFC, BC

Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q 51 Tiny Trailer Nation 49

Tropic Trailer 46

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. ­­

BORN TO RIDE Magazine

PO BOX 3021 Brandon, FL 33509

PUBLISHER

Ron Galletti 813-785-3895 888-795-5779 rg@borntoride.com CO PUBLISHER

Deb Galletti dgalletti@borntoride.com EDITOR

Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com ART DIRECTOR

FROM THE HELM THE EVOLUTION OF BORN TO RIDE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

HOWDY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Peter Soutullo art@borntoride.com Erick Runyon

ART DEPARTMENT

Juan Guzman, Jared Hartman, Erick Runyon Peter Soutullo, Craig Miller, Beatnik Steve Werner art@borntoride.com WEB DESIGN/ELECTRONIC MEDIA

Juan Guzman

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

Nancy Ray nray@borntoride.com

MULTI-MEDIA SPECIALIST

Jared Hartman, Craig Miller, Jasper Harris SALES & MARKETING

888-795-5779 ROAD CREW

Vick Velosity, Mark Crowder, Doug Bright, Birdman Mike, Mr. Clean SCENIC RIDE CONSULTANT

Steve Finzelber-Finz Finds ON THE ROAD TEAM

The John & Heather Show CONTRIBUTORS

JP Brady, Neale Bayly, Spyke & Mike, Susan Hurst, Eric Albright, Eric Vician, Myra McElhaney, Paul Murray, James Gladstone, Greg Blackwell PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ron & Selena Hawks, Chris Miller, Scott Odel, Eric Albright, Chopper Dave, JP Brady, Erick Runyon, Craig Miller LAW FIRM

Rubenstein Law 1-800-FL-LEGAL

BORN TO RIDE OFFICE

888-795-5779 BTR 4 | BORNTORIDE.COM

Over 25 years ago Ron and Deb Galletti decided to spread their passion for motorcycles to the world by creating Born To Ride magazine in their home of Tampa, Florida. With his background in shooting and directing video entertainment, Ron also created Born To Ride TV, the longest running biker TV show in the world.

Since 1995, Ron and Deb have interviewed literally everyone in the motorcycle industry, from bike builders and fabricators, to the movers and shakers of the aftermarket world. Born To Ride TV appears every Sunday night at 11 p.m. on Great 38 television, serving the west coast and central Florida. Their Born To Ride Media empire has grown from a local paper magazine, to include separate versions of the print and digital magazines that cover the entire southeastern states. Today the company continues to evolve and expand into other regions and utilizes the latest technology to bring the biker lifestyle to the world. This expansion includes National advertisers as the company reaches a much bigger audience.

In 2020, Born To Ride Media is a multi-faceted enterprise that has taken social media by storm to include paper and digital magazines in new markets, a live streaming Internet radio show every Tuesday and Thursday night (live on Boss Hogg radio), and motorcycle video material that is available to over three million viewers on YouTube, Facebook and Choppertown. The Born To Ride juggernaut also includes motorcycle events such as Chopporama (details to come). We’re also working on a concept that is gonna blow your mind that combines live music, great food and drink, gorgeous beer tub girls and the world’s first quick change oil change for motorcycles, all under one roof. Think of it as the ultimate biker hangout. Stay tuned.

As the company has evolved along with technology, the time has come to take the concept of Born To Ride TV to the world. In 2021 the company will switch from the local Born To Ride weekly TV show (seen on Great 38) and showcase the biker culture on Born To Ride Live. This dynamic Internet video extravaganza will replace the local TV show with incredible interviews with industry leaders, motorcycle runs and rallies, killer bike features, true biker legends, farout biker history and much more, all seen every week on an ever-expanding network of Internet social media platforms. As the technology continues to improve and evolve, so will Born To Ride Media. Ron and Deb’s original dream of creating a worldwide motorcycle media brand is a reality. Their dream has come true.

To show you what we mean, turn the page and you’ll discover a mind-melting article on the legendary Rick Fairless of Strokers Dallas, Part One of our series on Biker History that tells you how the biker lifestyle got started, a tire-shreaddin’ bike feature on Kyle Rice’s radical road warrior pavement pounder, a tech tip that will add horsepower to your Milwaukee-Eight and Stan Tomes’ sweet Shovelhead reader’s ride. Speaking of, if you’d like to see your scooter right here in these pages, just email pictures of you and your bike (300dpi) to editor@borntoride. com along with your email and phone number. Who knows, your bike might just end up right here in Born To Ride!

All this and more is burnin’ rubber your way in this sizzlin’ August issue. But remember, Born To Ride is all about YOU, the rider. Like us, you’ve got motorcycle oil flowing in your veins and nothing gets you off like twistin’ the grip into the next curve. We hear ya, brothers and sisters. Join us for the ride of a lifetime.

— Dave Nichols

editor@borntoride.com

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

RICK FAIRLESS & STROKERS

LIVIN’ THE LIFE! BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 11

RICK FAIRLESS WAS BORN IN DALLAS, TEXAS AND LIVES IN THE SUBURB OF IRVING. He’s a custom bike builder who loves the psychedelic 1960’s and it shows in his world-class roadside attraction and biker hangout, Strokers Dallas, Strokers Ice House Bar, and Punch Wally Garage.

Rick was raised on motorcycles and started riding when he was just seven years old. When he was 19 he went to work for his Great Uncle who owned a chain of paint stores called Roach Paint Company. These stores later became Glidden Paint Company. After 20 years in the paint business, and never missing a day of work, Rick was ready for a change. So he retired as the number one sales rep in the country for Glidden Paint and decided to live his dream.

Rick Fairless is truly a biker who lives to ride and he loves custom motorcycles. He has an abiding passion for all things with two wheels. For a long time, he had hoped that someone would come along and open a big time custom motorcycle shop in Dallas where he could buy cool products and parts from guys like Arlen Ness and Pat

BTR 12 | BORNTORIDE.COM

Kennedy. “Then I thought, ‘Why can’t that guy be me?’ Why couldn’t I be the guy that opens a cool custom motorcycle shop in Dallas.”

It took a lot of thought and hard work, but Rick opened up the twoand-a-half acre Strokers Dallas motorcycle shop back in 1996. It’s a family-style, biker hangout where you can talk about scooters, buy a psychedelic Strokers T-shirt or a Big Dog motorcycle or used Harley and see some of the amazing memorabilia and oddities that Rick has

“I’M THE GUY WHO CAN’T WAIT TO GET UP AND GO TO WORK,” RICK TELLS US. “I LOVE BEING PART OF THE INDUSTRY.” collected over the years. Two years later, he opened up a bar and grill right next door on the premises called Strokers Ice House.

The business plan for Strokers started years earlier when Rick and his ridin’ buddies would converge on Rick’s house where he had a few acres, a garage/shop and a tub full of beer. “We’d talk scooters, knock back a few cold ones, the girls would make barbecue and the kids would run around,” Rick recalls. That’s biker heaven on earth.

For more info on Rick Fairless check out strokersdallas.com or call 214-357-0707

Rick thought that the one thing bikers enjoy is riding their bikes to a destination where they could hang out and talk about motorcycles.

That place is Strokers Dallas.

On any given weekend, you’ll find hundreds of riders who stop by for a burger and a beer, buy a tied-died T-shirt and talk scooters before headin’ home. “The live music will be playing, the girls are selling ice cold beer and the bikes are roaring in and out... it’s freakin’ AWESOME!” Rick laughs. A few years ago Rick also opened up Punch Wally Garage to work on classic cars and hot rods right next to the bike shop. If you’re into bikes or cars, Rick has you covered.

The famous Biker World hangout grew in popularity and many of Rick’s wild custom rides have appeared in motorcycle magazines and even hardback books over the years. When the Discovery Channel

was producing its “Great Biker Build-off” TV series, Rick was involved as a participating bike builder. This led to his legendary TV series on SPEED Channel called “Texas Hardtails” that featured Rick, his mom and the rest of his family and worker bees in a hilarious reality series about runnin’ a bike shop. He had a regular radio show on KRLD-FM in Dallas/Fort Worth called “The Texas Hardtails Scooter Show” that he now produces as video podcasts that can be seen on his website and Facebook.

“I’m the guy who can’t wait to get up and go to work,” Rick tells us. “I love being part of the industry. The motorcycle industry is my life.” For more info visit www.strokersdallas.com and when in the Dallas area stop by and have a beer with Rick at the best biker hangout on earth.

I am proud to call him my friend.

— Dave Nichols

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 13

Get your voice heard Hey everyone. Hard to believe July is gone and it is August already. And along with August comes the ever-popular Sturgis Rally. It should be interesting to see the turn out at the Rally this year. Before you know it October will be on top of us. More important to me is to see ya’ll out there riding and enjoying those motorcycles.

Never forget a new adventure on that bike, regardless of the manufacturer, is only a tank of gas away.

With everything going on out in the world today, it’s not difficult to get lost in the stress of the moment. We read headlines or social media and immediately become

"How is it my fault," you ask? Simple.

Vote, Read, Research.

Knowledge is power. reactionary to what we read or see. This is by design. It’s really not that hard to get massive amounts of people to react the way you want them to. Before flying off the deep end and getting that blood pressure up, remember this important fact. Every photo has multiple angles. The trick is to find the picture with the truth exposed.

Every one of us has been the victim of a bad angle. You’re at a party and not drinking, but somehow there is a photo of you looking like you’re wasted to the world, all because you got caught in the middle of blinking, or eyes shut or yawning. Drama sells ads. Newspapers and social media love advertisers. The angrier they can BTR 16 | BORNTORIDE.COM

make you, the more sensational they can make the situation.

Remember, the wise rider always looks both ways even when he or she has the green light. Let that knowledge apply to today’s headlines as well. Look in all directions before jumping to a conclusion.

Pay attention to what laws are being proposed behind your back during this drama as well. Once you lose a freedom, you don’t get it back.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the things going on in our cities are so un-American it makes me sick. But what equally bothers me are reports of unmarked law enforcement grabbing people off the streets and taking them for a ride. Sure, my first reaction was, good, get them SOB’s. But there’s that flip side. It only takes the abduction of one innocent American by these groups and it’s not cool any more.

Some might say, ‘Well, there’s bound to be one or two, but if it’s for the greater good, then so be it.” If that’s the case, are you going to be the one or two to volunteer to go for the ride?

There are parallels to the movements that are occurring today that coincide with living the biker lifestyle. One of the big complaints is the profiling of certain races by police and other law enforcement agencies. Well, how about that. Bikers have been profiled for years as well and it never really sunk home to those that ride.

Remember the mentality that the cops won’t bother you unless you’re breaking the law? Tisk, Tisk, Tisk. Silly rabbit, get out of your hole. Put that club patch on your back and welcome to a whole new

life experience. Talk with your friends that you ride with and see how many have been interviewed on the side of a roadway somewhere or worse.

Here is the gist of it. You can apply everything that’s going on to multiple demographics. What needs to happen is that level heads without personal agendas need to help rectify the situations. If they have a personal agenda, kick their ass to the curb. They aren’t needed. Do we need to get rid of police officers? Absolutely not.

You couldn’t pay me enough to do that job.

Can there be steps taken to weed out the bad apples or ill-tempered? Absolutely.

In my opinion, a majority of these issues start from the top with just plain old bad policy. This is something that can be fixed.

Remember that you are part of the problem and a part of the solution as well.

“How is it my fault,” you ask? Simple.

Vote, Read, Research. Knowledge is power. Use that power and change the world in a way that gives our children that power as well. Ignorance is rampant right now. Never has it been more evident that our education system has failed. Never has it been more evident that we have failed as a society to take our country’s destiny by the root and put her back on track the way Americans used to. So I put this to you on your next ride. While you’re going down that back road with your brothers and sisters, would you like to travel as you wish and how you wish, or would you like to be stopped at an armed checkpoint and asked for your pass to travel?

FREEDOM ISN’T FREE. REGISTER TO VOTE AND GET YOUR VOICE HEARD. NEFARIOUS JAMES AMERICAN

Dave Nichols HOW THE MOTORCYCLE CULTURE BEGAN

Ever wonder how the whole biker lifestyle got its start? Well, it began with servicemen returning from World War II who bonded together over the love of motorcycles. You see, by 1934 out of nearly 300 American Motorcycle Companies that were created from around 1900, only two remained in business, Harley-Davidson and Indian. At the depth of the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson pulled out all the stops to stay alive. Luckily they continued to sell motorcycles to the police departments across the country.

Over at the Indian camp, the new President, Mr. du Pont was fighting to survive and doing an amazing job. In fact, each year after 1929 saw the deficit at Indian reduced by as much as half. In 1934, the AMA created a new Class C in racing for 750cc, or 45 cubic inch side valve engines. This quickly gave birth to the Indian Sport Scout and the Harley RLDR. In 1935, Harley had Joe Petrali on the Factory Team and Smokin’ Joe won all of the national titles that year.

Another major victory for Harley-Davidson loomed over the darkening horizon; the specter of World War II. Since the late Thirties, the U.S. government had been giving Indian and Harley ever-growing orders for military motorcycles. These bikes were for war preparedness at

BTR 18 | BORNTORIDE.COM

home and to supply our Allies with bikes since the British Motorcycle Industry had been all but destroyed by the German air campaign.

As America entered the war, so did Harley-Davidson, and it entered it in a big way. In 1941 literally all of Harley’s motorcycle production went to the war effort. When WWII ended in 1945, motorcyclists stateside wanted a new Harley to replace the one that carried them through the war years and returning G.I.s were aching to buy a civilian model of the bike that saved their asses time and time again in Europe. This created a loyalty to Harley-Davidson that Indian couldn’t touch. It also gave birth to more than a little rivalry between Indian and Harley riders. By 1945 Indian was only producing its Chief model.

Remember that this was a time when motorcycle clubs were fairly clean-living groups who rode wearing dapper ties and snappy caps.

In fact, you could be fined for forgetting to wear your tie to a field meet. The Detroit Hell’s Angels even won the AMA Award for Safety.

These forerunners are no relation to today’s “Hells Angels” (note that the notorious bike club we are all familiar with does not use an apostrophe in their name). The one percenters of Hollywood biker movie fame weren’t on the scene...yet.

“Now Is The TIme to Get Involved With Born To RIde” -RonGalletti

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 19

As Indian fought valiantly with their new Arrow and Scout models in 1948, not even the fact that they had such Indian-riding celebrities as Jane Russell and Roy Rogers could help them when Harley came out with its new 74 cubic inch Panhead motor. The innovative design featured hydraulic valve lifters and aluminum heads.

In the summer of 1946, a handful of American War Veterans and their friends were sitting in the All American Bar in South Central Los Angeles, California. The place was an old gas station with a bar attached in back. It was tiny and kind of a dive. Most of the guys hanging out had two things in common; they had been through the war and they loved to race around on motorcycles. The “Big A”, as patrons called the place, was a destination for bikers and if you weren’t a Vet or into bikes you had no business there.

Some of these guys had been riding motorcycle together since 1939, calling themselves The Characters. Well, Wino Willie Forkner, J.D. and his brother Jim Cameron, Jack Lilly and a few others were havin’ several cold ones and trying to come up with a name for their group of riders. Willie had been thrown out of another motorcycle club for getting drunk and sneaking into an AMA sanctioned race, causing a scene.

BTR 20 | BORNTORIDE.COM

As the legend goes, one of the bar’s patrons, one Walt Porter, was sitting very drunk with his head on the bar, half-listening to all the talk about names for a new bike club. He is said to have raised up his head and uttered, “You might as well call yourselves the Boozefighters, ‘cause all you ever do is sit around the bar and fight that booze.” The name stuck and the Boozefighters were born.

Certainly many motorcycle clubs had come before, but the original Boozefighters and those clubs that came after them marked a change in the evolution of motorcycling because they became associated with the term “outlaw biker.”

When you think of the image of an outlaw biker, most in the straight world think of a gorilla stuffed into a leather jacket holding a length of motorcycle chain as a weapon or a Wild West gunslinger when they hear the word “outlaw.” The fact is, the term “outlaw” referred to the fact that outlaw bikers were those who did not race at AMA sanctioned field meets. Simple as that. They were outside the convention of the AMA’s rules and regulations and therefore, “bad boys.”

Stay tuned next issue as Born To Ride brings you part two of our look back at biker history.

A KYLE RAY RICE WORK OF MOTORIZED ART PHOTOS ERICK RUNYAN MODEL ASHLEY AYAN

THIS ISSUE’S FEATURE RIDE BELONGS TO KYLE RAY RICE. THE 27-YEAROLD GREW UP IN A MOTORCYCLERIDING FAMILY IN FLORIDA. HIS MOM IS INTO DIRT BIKES AND HIS DAD LOVES ANYTHING TO DO WITH BIKES AND CARS. KYLE STARTED RIDING AT THE TENDER AGE OF THREE (WITH TRAINING WHEELS OF COURSE) Pretty soon the entire family was riding dirt bikes together. He bought his first sport bike at age 18 but was always into Harleys. “I went to the Webster Swapmeet in 2016 and found this 108 cubic inch Shovelhead motor,” Kyle recalls. “It came with a touring tranny and the engine work was already done.”

He mated the engine to an FXR frame and cut the back half of the frame off to build a chrome moly sub frame. “I work as an aluminum fabricator making spiral staircases, railings, and work with stainless steel in the construction trade,” Kyle says. He bought an English Wheel and started hammering out the aluminum

sheetmetal for the gas tank, side covers, seat dish and rear fender of the bike he calls Bad Company. Yes, he handled all the artful sheetmetal himself and his dad Kraig made the custom seat with aluminum inserts. Kyle says that his dad was always building cars and doing hot rod stuff. He’s proud to be following in his dad’s bootsteps. “He did a lot of the mechanical work on this bike,” Kyle tells us. “He surprised me with that seat!”

Kyle also handmade the stainless exhaust pipes, which are a work of art all to themselves. Take a good long look at the photos of this stunning Frankensteined FXR because Kyle is going to tear the whole thing down soon and build an entirely different bike out of the parts.

This up-and-coming bike builder would eventually like to create custom scooters for other people for a living and is hoping to start by producing cool custom parts for Harleys. You may reach Kyle at krice37@verizon.net; Instagram – @kylerayrice; Facebook – kylerayrice.

If you’d like to see your gorgeous motorcycle right here in Born To Ride, email photos (300dpi) and contact info to editor@borntoride.com. You might just see your scoot right here on these pages.

— Chopper Daddy Dave Nichols

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 25

BTR 26 | BORNTORIDE.COM

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 27

BTR 28 | BORNTORIDE.COM

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 29

BTR 30 | BORNTORIDE.COM

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 31

Located in Lakeland off Hwy 98

863-603-3917

Over 250 Local Dealers of Quality Collectibles for You in One Mall!

From Clothing to Vintage Furniture. Bigger and Badder than EVER! Check Out Ron Galletti’s Booths: #72, #116, #132 & #141 3530 US 98 N. Lakeland, FL 33809

all!

ER!

for FORGOTTEN ANGELS

What do you do when the life you’ve known for the previous 16 yrs as a service member of the United States Army comes to a halt because of a medical condition? Well, if you are Jared Weems of Weems Motor Co. you’ll eventually build a motorcycle, raffle it off and give all the proceeds to a Charity. Meet Jared Weems and this is his story.

Before we tell you all about the amazing machine you see here, we need to fill you in on the man behind the machine. Jared Weems was bitten by the ‘Triumph Bug’ at the early age of 7 years old when he and his brother started helping out their Father working on the families 1949 Triumph and he hasn’t stopped riding them and rebuilding them since. In 2003 Jared enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve his country, and less than a year later he was deployed to Iraq. Upon leaving for his first of several deployments, Jared told his Father that ‘if’ he returned, he wanted to start rebuilding another Triumph. When he returned, his Father had a 1972 Triumph waiting for him as a welcome home present. The Triumph brand runs deep in the soul of all the Weems men. Check that, ‘God’, ‘Family’, Country and ‘Triumph’ are what fuels the fire within the soul of Jared Weems and his family.

BTR 36 | BORNTORIDE.COM

In 2014, U.S. Army Parachute Rigger Jared Weems was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor. Life as he knew it was about to change dramatically. Two years later, as he was going through the treatment process for his tumor, he had his first seizure. The following onset of seizures led to an early medical retirement after 16 years of service.

Not knowing what the future held, he sold his Triumphs and focused on his health and family

Nearly a year had passed when a close friend gave him a two-page David Mann painting that was featured in the center of the July 1983 edition of Iron Horse Magazine. The significance of the painting, called ‘Dog Gone Hot Dogs’, featured a rainbow-colored Triumph Chopper. As Jared focused on his recovery for a few more years, his health conditions seemed to have reached a plateau and his seizures were becoming less and less frequent, the ‘motivation’ to wrench on a Triumph again was starting to slowly work its way back into his system.

Cut to November 2019 and Born Free organizer Mike Davis announces a ‘Pre-Unit’ Triumph Build Class for Born Free 2020.

S

After nearly four months of being seizure free, Jared realizes that maybe a new build for the event could be almost therapeutic, and that creating the Triumph in the David Mann painting was the bike he set out to bring to life. The build began with a very abused 1952 Triumph Speed Twin and in the period of nearly 7 months of meticulous, painstaking labor the bike evolved into the beautiful machine that grace these pages. This could have easily been the end of a beautiful story, but there’s so much more…

As a Life Skills Instructor at his local church, Jared was introduced to a charitable organization called Forgotten Angels. Forgotten Angels helps Foster Children who have aged out of the system and are still in need of guidance for basic life skills, help with getting jobs, and continuing their education etc. Part of Jared’s build process was to bring some of the boys from Forgotten Angels to help with final assembly. As his relationship with the Forgotten Angels grew, so did his desire to do something ‘more’.

He felt a need to ‘pay it forward’, so he decided to raffle off the Mann Build and give 100 percent of the proceeds to Forgotten Angels.

“

Jared Weems was bitten by the ‘Triumph Bug’ at the early age of 7 years old when he and his brother started helping out their Father working on the families 1949 Triumph and he hasn’t stopped riding them and rebuilding them since.

”

As news of the Mann Build has grown throughout the motorcycle community, the Mann Family has reached out to Jared thanking him for his hard work in bringing one of David Mann’s bikes to life. They also noted that it was particularly meaningful because David Mann himself had adopted a child while he was living in Clearwater Florida, and that building the bike, and raffling it off to an organization that further helps Foster children was a beautifully touching way to bring David Mann’s life and his work back to full circle.

For more information and to purchase raffle tickets, head on over to www.weemsmotorco.com/raffle You can also get more information or donate directly to the Forgotten Angels by going to www.forgottenangelsflorida.org To stay up to date on the build, where it will be on displayed, and to keep up with Jared, you can find him Instagram @weemsmotorco.tampa

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 37

Adding Performance To Your Harl INSTALLING HARLEY’S SCREAMIN’ EAGLE HIGH-FLOW AIR CLEANER KIT

ALTHOUGH HARLEY’S MILWAUKEE-EIGHT MOTOR PACKS 107-INCHES OF POWER, IT CAN EASILY BE IMPROVED ON. STARTING WITH HARLEY’S SCREAMIN’ EAGLE HIGH-FLOW AIR FILTER KIT.

The introduction of Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight motor in the fall of 2017 brought back memories of 1998 and Company’s launch of the then-new Twin-Cam motor. The Twin-Cam motor was a huge difference from their prior Evolution motor. For the Milwaukee-Eight motor, Harley developed a completely new V-twin which they fitted with a set of 4-valve cylinder heads.

In one way the Mil-8 motor is a bridge back to the Evolution motors; like the Evo motors, it uses a single camshaft. Other than that single camshaft, the new motor has a lot more in common with Harley’s Twin-Cam motors. Like the Twin-Cam motor, the Milwaukee-Eight motor uses a chain system to drive its single camshaft and an outboard camshaft mounting plate that also mounts a crankshaft driven two-stage gyratory oil pump.

To get more power out of the Mil-8 motor, you must pump more air and fuel into its fuel injection system. The 2021 Harley P&A Catalog features a Screamin’ Eagle High-Flow Air Filter Kit forthe Milwaukee-Eight motor, part number 29400246A, MSRP $185. The air filter kit includes: cast aluminum back plate, BTR 38 | BORNTORIDE.COM

THE HI-FLOW AIR FILTER KIT’S TWO MAIN PARTS ARE THE CAST ALUMINUM BACK PLATE AND FILTERING ELEMENT. THE BACK PLATE FEATURES A CONTOURED TRANSITION INTO THE THROTTLE BODY’S AIR INLET.

hi-flowing filter element, breather hoses, mounting hardware and complete instructions. As more EFI airflow is now available, a comparable amount of additional fuel will be added by the bike’s electronically controlled fuel injection system.

We followed along, at Bartels’ Harley-Davidsonin southern California, as their lead tech, Memphis, performed the installation. Installing the Screamin’ Eagle High-Flow Air Cleaner Kit is one of those jobs that takes longer to tell you about than to actually do. It required removing the air filter cover, stock filter element, back plate and throttle body mounting bracket.

You then install a throttle body gasket, the new back plate, a hi-flow filtering element, two new breather hoses, original air filter cover and the new air filter cover trim. All of the parts fit as they were supposed to, without any drama.

The finished bike was like a new ride; its mid-range torque came on at a lower RPM and when the throttle was yanked, the bike flew quite a bit better than with the stock air filter setup

— John Sullivan

Source:Harley-Davidson Motor Company Harley-Davidson.com

Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight Motor

THE INSTALL STARTED WITH THE REMOVING OF THE STOCK AIR FILTER COVER, FILTER ELEMENT AND THE THROTTLE BODY’S MOUNTING BRACKET.

THE BACK PLATE IS ATTACHED TO THE THROTTLE BODY WITH THREE ALLEN BOLTS AND TO THE MOTOR’S CYLINDER HEADS WITH TWO BREATHER BOLTS. THE BREATHER HOSES ARE FITTED OVER THE BREATHER BOLTS AND INTO THE INLET OF THE THROTTLE BODY.

THE NEW SELF-STICKING GASKET IS APPLIED TO THE BACKSIDE OF THE ALUMINUM BACKPLATE.

THE NEW SE HI-FLOW FILTERING ELEMENT IS ATTACHED TO THE BACK PLATE WITH THREE MOUNTING BOLTS. THE FINAL OPERATION WILL BE TO REINSTALL THE FACTORY AIR FILTER COVER.

Born To Ride Magazine, real editorial content for you the reader every month

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 39

Willie G

READS IT!

THE TANK WHISPERER MAKES YOUR OLD TANKS LAST FOREVER

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.

813-407-2226 or CraigPaintsBikes.com

STAN TOMES’ 1977 CONE SHOVEL those chores, spraying this unique silvery blue on the scootera’s tank and fenders. Sadly, Darby was killed in a hit and run accident in June of this year but Stan tells us he would have been very proud to have the bike featured in a magazine.

The frame is powdercoated and that’s an Ultra Wide Glide front end under 14-inch apehangers that Stan found at a swapmeet. The solo seat was covered 15 years ago and still looks mighty sweet. Stanimal made the exhaust pipes which include a four-inch baffle kit. The motor has been beefed up with Delkron cases, 80-inch flywheels, and an 88-dual plug top end with solid lifters. Stan says it is still very responsive and he rides it every week.

Over the years this proud owner has massaged, tweaked, replaced or made every single part on the Shovel. For instance, he made the rear fender out of two Heritage Softail fenders to get the look he was going for. The bike has appeared in three local shows and placed at all of When we put the word out that Born To Ride was lookin’ for Reader’s them. “It’s fun when I kickstart this bike and all the young riders come Rides to showcase in the magazine, Stan Tomes, also known as Stanimal, was one of the first guys to send me an email. Stan and his around to watch,” Stanimal grins. “They’ve probably never seen that before. This thing don’t have an electric start and at 67-years-old, bride Cookie, live in Inglis, Florida, and enjoy puttin’ year ‘round. that’s pretty good.”

Stanimal was a Union Carpenter before retiring a few years ago. He has owned three different Shovelheads over the years but tells us that When asked his advice for new riders, Stanimal told us, “No matter this 1977 Harley has gone through many different looks since he bought what brand bike it is, find something you are comfortable on and enjoy it from the original owner back in 1983. “It was a bone stock FXE Super it. Just get out there and ride.” When we called Stan for this interview Glide when I bought it,” Stanimal says. Over the years he has had the he was working on his 1973 Sportster. You might just see it in these bike down to the bare frame eight times. “It was an FL style for years,” pages in the months to come. he tells us. “And a paint has been stock black, then midnight blue, then If you have a bike you’d like to see here in Born To Ride, email candy apple red, then all white and now this silver/blue.” several photos of you and the bike (300dpi) to editor@borntoride.com.

Speaking of the paint job, Stan’s good friend Darby Houser handled — Chopper Daddy Dave

BTR 52 | BORNTORIDE.COM

CH

So seek are se confid walk real b throug It sur rocky On heartb friend with g victor

RONNIE and EMILY’S

CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION When it comes to riding, and getting the wind in your hair, there are a number of emotions and thoughts that can get into one’s mind. When times get hard, one of my favorite responses is to fire up the bike and just get away, by myself, on a back road. It is in these times that I can often just chill out and put the challenges of the day on

a back burner.

Sometimes I find myself needing another kind of help, and seek the counsel of a trusted friend. I know that my challenges are secure and my friend will keep the issues discussed confidential. Sometimes it’s great to have someone that will walk with you and keep your business confidential. There is a real benefit to talking with a trusted confidant who has walked through some of the same challenges you are currently facing.

It sure helps to know that someone else had traveled the same rocky road that you have.

One wonderful thing about sharing your challenges and heartbreak is that once the problem has passed, you have a friend right there who is ready and willing to help you shout with great joy that the trouble has been overcome and that victory is yours! One thing you’ll find is that when you claim

the triumph over the pain, you get to hear the story of your overcoming the problem again and again, and it locks the blessings in your heart! Isn’t that better, hearing about the success of overcoming the situation rather than listening to a whining report of failure?

The Bible has something to say regarding these issues in James 5:33. It reads, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” This passage not only shows us seeking counsel, but in this case, from God Himself. He is available to every one of us. Here we see the very One who created the universe opening His hands and His ears. When we call upon the Lord, He is there to answer our prayers.

The second part of the verse is where the real joy comes out, when we praise God for all He has done and is doing.

Many folks think the blessing is in the receiving of the answer to our prayers, but the real blessing is when you give the praise back to God. He is the one who not only hears your prayers, but also knows just how those prayers should be answered. That, my friend, is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. He loves it when we offer Him our thanksgiving out of pure love and gratitude.

Remember that God is the answer. He is there for you regardless of how the world is treating you. Call on Him and He will answer your call!

In the Wind, Denny Dingler

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 53

feathered ass. Don’t know what the older one was thinking but, she was coming at me with a roller.’

Don’t tell me it’s another virus we have to worry about. Or even worse? Maybe it’s a combination of two: a Covid-cane?

I cackle, ‘yeah dude, right now I’m going through withdrawals as I am trying to find something else to ride. Craig has finished and delivered the Fat Bird 3. It’s sitting in the garage and looking sweet. But, that’s all you let me do right now is just sit on it.

Mike babbles, “OK I get it, let me just jibber jabber here. Spyke, I’m going to spill the tea. It’s about time for me to flex back.

I have an answer for any question people will ask. An opinion about every situation that they can throw at me. And homeboy replies to the craziest bird inquiries that will come up. So go ahead, let them fire away. I’ll have my mask on and ready for anything.”

Mike breaks in, “yeah Spyke, I wasn’t sure either and you weren’t staying in that bucket to find out. I remember that as being one of the few times you enjoyed getting in the water, out of the sand, and practicing your surfing.”

“FOMO” – FEAR OF MISSION OUT It’s hotter than H E double toothpicks out there, my BTR friends. I’m all for the heat since my bloodline is from Central/South America but Mike, who hails from the sticks of Virginia, is not handling it too well.

He quickly cuts me off saying, “come on Spyke be honest, it’s hotter than a twodollar pistol laying on a Walmart parking lot in August. I’d rather wear a pair of pork chop panties and run through a lion’s den than be standing outside in the blazing sun. As I remember in years past, riding in this weather is like riding in front of a giant hair dryer blowing hot wind at high speed and it only gets worse after stopping.

There are just a few places that we like to be when it’s this brutal. One of our favorites is the beach because of the incoming breeze, soft fluffy sand, and rolling surf.

I cackle, ‘yeah dude, sometimes I like to play with my little kiddie friends. This time they asked you to put me on a bucket and then started shoveling sand around my BTR 54 | BORNTORIDE.COM

MIKE BABBLES, “OK I GET IT, LET ME JUST JIBBER JABBER HERE. SPYKE, I’M GOING TO SPILL THE TEA.” Bike nights, rides, and events are starting to happen, places we used to go are opening up, and I’m feeling the effects of FOMO.’

Mike scratches his head and looks at me funny saying, “well I’m still in therapy and can’t ride the Fat Bird 3 until they release me. But, what in the world are you talking about? FOMO??? Is that a new hurricane?

Is that what happens when you eat the mystery meat SPAM and get the runs?

I squawk, ‘no silly, it’s modern day slang for: Fear Of Missing Out. You have been self-partnered and in quarantine for way too long. You need to slam on a mask and get out a little more! You’ve got the juice now it’s time to use it!’

I crow, “dude, it takes real skill to choke on air, fall up the stairs, and trip over nothing. Now that you have had the time to master those skills, I believe you are ready. You’ve been chomping at the bit and got your ducks in a row.

Now it’s time to get me off my favorite new perch, the backrest of the Fat Bird 3, and out of the garage. Put me back in the 4 wheeled cage and get your knees under the dash. I’ll stick my head out the window and you get it’s wheels rolling down the – SPYKE road.”