Preacher Stone Live in Concert

from Born To Ride Motorcycle Magazine #219 - August 2022

by Born To Ride TV & Magazine

Neal Bayly-Ukraine Mission

RONNIE and EMILY’S RONNIE and EMILY’S

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LVIV UKRAINE WITH NEALE BAYLY

CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION

It is a good habit to occasionally review what has happened in our lives and take note of the changes we have experienced. In my life there have been a few adjustments made since I started riding again some fifteen years ago! The first thing I noticed was how I dressed. In the days of riding motocross my clothing was an item that didn’t get much thought. When getting dressed to ride I would put on anything in any color that wasn’t dirty, and no thought was given to making a statement or sending a message. Now, when I started getting dressed to ride on the highways and the byways, I was a little more into good coverage for protection in a mishap, or raingear for the frequent Florida rainstorms. The placement and message of the patches on my vest were chosen to give a message and to initiate conversations.

There were modifications made to the bike which included chrome, pinstriping, performance parts and lots of lights. Basically, the bike was a canvas on which we could design our masterpiece, and then display them at rallies and other biker events. Half of the fun of customizing bikes is checking out what other bikers had done to their rides and getting some cool ideas!

Another area to review is how we physically ride the bikes. The first thought has to do with riding staggered or side by side. There are positives and negatives to making a choice, which is often a function of where and with whom one is riding. Safe riding is a matter of consistent practice and good training, along with using hand turn signals along with the bike mounted turn signals. As I mentioned before, I like lots of lights! And I must admit, it is a blast to crank up the speed from time to time and pour on some acceleration. One must simply use wisdom and experience to determine where and when it is practical to feel that power.

All of this has to do with the image one wants to project. The total of many choices leads to changes that show others who and what you represent. There is a place in the Bible that speaks to the concept of change. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 it reads, “And we all . . .are being changed into His image.” In life we go through many changes over time, and making those selections determines if one is converted or not. We face choices when it comes to riding, and here we see that there is an alternative from the worldly walk, which leads us to a transformed image. By following Him, and trusting Him, we become more like Him.

The cool part of all of this is that Jesus, through His sacrificial giving of His life, has already done the heavy lifting! One must simply trust Him, and believe in Him, He’s done the rest!

What’s up more than inflation my BTR friends? We’ll let me tell ya. It’s the temperature, the chance of thunderstorms and the humidity. Typical of August in the South but it’s been even more intense this year. Going from hotter than donut grease at a fat man convention to wetter than a mermaid’s tail to a dripping steam bath at any given time and in a matter of minutes. Right now, Mother Nature is really blasting the entire country with excessive heat and severe weather so, stay safe and cool like Mike and I do. Our dirty little secret is that we spend more time at the beach than on the scoot and if Mike’s not barefoot he’s overdressed.

Mike breaks in, “Yeah Spyke, during the day it’s like riding into a hair dryer and in the evening it’s like riding into a waterfall. Sitting where the sand meets the surf, doing 12 oz. cold can curls and watching the waves move your feathered ass while hanging eight on a surfboard is my DayQuil. Sunset rides with you on the backrest to bike nights or anywhere we can see stars in the sky is my Nyquil. Some people tell us it doesn’t get much better than this! I tell them we’re just taking advantage of what mother nature throws our way.” I cackle, “Well Mike, there is one day this month we won’t be playing beach bums and giving into pier pressure. No shell-abrations, no sand between the toes, no getting some vitamin surf. Summer Daze happens on the 21st with Choppertown Live and the Great American Biker Bash at OCC Roadhouse. Scan throughout this month’s magazine for all the awesome details. Just don’t miss the biggest event Born To Ride, Bert’s Barracuda H-D, and OCC Roadhouse have ever put on.” Mike interjects, “That place is one awesome venue. Something is happening every night of the week and on the weekends, there are usually all-day events with multiple bands. It attracts such a diverse group of motorcycle enthusiasts, gawkers, partiers and wannabes.”

“A few weeks ago,” Mike continues, “I overheard a conversation between an older lady and a group of One Percenters. She must have been every bit of 70 years old, dressed in all black, knee high riding boots, hair pulled back in a ponytail and carrying a helmet. She wore leather pants that were so tight you could see her religion enough to make a preacher cuss! The little old lady confronts the biggest, burliest biker at the table, points to him and says, ‘I’d like to join your club, I want to be y’all’s PBOL (Proud Bandito Old Lady).’” Mike laughs and then continues. “The dude nudges his buddies and they are amused by this. He gets a nod from the president to play along by telling her, ‘Okay, but you’ve got to meet our patch holder requirements. Do you own a bike?’” “The little old lady points to a pink Harley near the table and says, ‘Yeah, that’s my scoot right there. I call her demon child and I ride it like I stole the damned thing everywhere.’” “The biker is surprised but says, ‘And do you smoke?’” “The little old lady says, ‘Yeah, I roll my own, smoke 20 cigarettes a day and when I’m shooting pool, I’ll smoke a few cigars too.’”

“The group of One Perenters are now intrigued and the vice president asks, ‘Do you drink?’” “She snarls, ‘I can drink every one of you under the table. I down a 12-pack every day and chase it with tequila, no lime, no salt and that’s just for breakfast!’” “Now totally impressed, the president asks her, ‘Well, have you ever been picked up by the Fuzz?’”

“The little old lady thinks for a minute, scratches her head, shakes her finger at him and says, ‘No, but I’ve been swung around by the jewelry on my nipples a few times!’”

I roll my eyes and cackle, “Let me guess what happened next, Mike. They all started laughing hysterically.” Mike babbles, “No, just the opposite, my poultry pal. The president and sergeant-atarms walked over to the old lady, picked her up and placed her horizontally above the gang. Then she crowd-surfed the club out to the parking lot. I never saw her again that night.”

I cluck, “That’s crazier than a cat in a catnip factory! Come on, Mike, don’t pee down my back and tell me it’s raining. I think you need to get us on the scoot and in between the raindrops for a little wind therapy to our happy place for some sandy karma.” Mike bellows, “Yes, Spyke, It’s time to get your wings in the wind, my knees under the triple trees, and the Fat Bird’s wheels rolling down the road. You need some suds from the surf and I need some suds from my buds.”