Born To Ride #232 - September 2023

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

Peter Soutullo art@borntoride.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Erick Runyon

ART DEPARTMENT

Erick Runyon , Peter Soutullo, Craig Miller art@borntoride.com

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

Deb Galletti DGalletti@borntoride.com

SALES & MARKETING

888-795-5779

ROAD CREW

Vick Velosity, Mark Crowder, Doug Bright, Birdman Mike,

SCENIC RIDE

CONSULTANT

Steve Finzelber-Finz Finds

ON THE ROAD TEAM

John & Heather

CONTRIBUTORS

JP Brady, Neale Bayly, Susan

Hurst, Spyke & Mike, Eric

Albright, Paul Murray, James Gladstone, Scott Odell

Indian Rider Bill.

The Phantom

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ron & Selena Hawks, Doug Bright

Daniel Gallant, Scott Odel, Eric

Albright, Chopper Dave, JP Brady, Erick Runyon, Craig Miller

Vic Lawall

LAW FIRM

FRAN HAASCH LAW GROUP

www.LawFran.com

866 LAW Fran

ADVERTISE BORN TO RIDE OFFICE

888-795-5779

HOWDY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Letter from the Editor

DAVE NICHOLS

FROM THE HELM

Daytona Beach, Florida has an 82-year tradition of luring bikers to the beach for some two wheeled shenanigans. But the early days of Daytona centered around racing bikes on the beach. This coincided with the first running of the Daytona 200 back in 1937. The first race happened south of Daytona Beach on a 3.2-mile course. Ed Kretz was the first winner with an average speed of 73.34 mph.

The party grew every year and eventually turned into a solid week of partying.

Nowadays, Daytona Bike Week in March draws bikers from all over the world for the first big rally to welcome warm riding after a long cold winter. But it has a smaller, younger brother too called Biketoberfest.

This year’ Biketoberfest will take place from October 19th to the 22nd and motorcycle races in the form of the Daytona 200 will be happening at the Daytona International Speedway. Marked as the last big rally before winter winds howl, Biketoberfest has something for everyone, and you can bet that your brothers and sisters from Born To Ride will be there to carry on this proud twowheeled tradition. We hope to see you there!

During Biketoberfest, be sure to ride on over to Adamec Harley-Davidson in St. Petersburg for its Biketober Pit Stop. Come and check out the Harley-Davidson Demo Truck and ride a new Harley or two. It’s happening from 11am to 6pm every day from October 19th to the 21st at 380 Outlet Mall Road, in St. Augustine. See the ad in this issue.

We’ll wrap up the month of October with one of our favorite parties! We’re talkin’ about the 16th Annual Halloween Party out at Charlotte’s Web Pub in Wauchula. Put on your spooky attire and meet us at 3315 Highway 64 West on October 28th from noon to the wee hours for live music by the Southern Renegades, great food and drink, and free camping!

We’ve got a whole bunch of biker doin’s happening in November too. Loyal Born To Ride advertiser Fran Haasch is putting on

the 15th Annual Food Drive to benefit the F.E.A.S.T Food Pantry so that no one goes hungry during this season of thanksgiving. Come on out to 1275 Nebraska Avenue, Palm, Harbor on Friday, November 10th from noon to 6pm and bring food items to help those less fortunate. See the ad in this issue.

You’ll also want to check out Seminole HarleyDavidson for Seminolefest during Biketoberfest for live music, a bikini bike wash, and a whole bunch of fun. Then, on November 10th through the 12th, we’ve got Gator Bike Rally at Gator Harley-Davidson with killer bands, three bars, and new 2024 bikes to check out.

But wait, there’s more! Saint Pete Bikefest is gearin’ up to blow the doors off out at Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson on November 16th through the 19th. Join the Skyway Charity Ride with Paul Teutul Senior from American Chopper fame. Put your ride in the Bike Show Mafia ride-in show. There will be ten great bands playing over four days, plus pro wrestling, and wild and wooly Redneck Biker Games! Visit www.saintpetebikefest.com for more info.

This smokin’ hot October edition of Born To Ride also brings you another feature by James Irwin, a biker helping bikers, meet sultry Haileigh Sealock our BTR Babe of the Month, stand up for your rights with Nefarious James, and try the blackened chicken if you dare with Spyke & Mike.

Look to Born To Ride to keep you in touch with the lifestyle you love. Check us out on Facebook and Instagram (we added over 1,000 new friends on IG last month!), and remember, if you have a biker-friendly business, we want to tell the riding world about you! Advertise and support the best biker magazine in the south here at Born To Ride!

Alright, that’s enough lollygagging, let’s get out there and ride!!!

— Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com

RON GALLETTI WELCOMES YOU TO TAMPA BAY HARLEY-DAVIDSON AND HE IS READY TO GET YOU THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF YOUR DREAM. NEW 2023 MODELS OR PRE-OWNED, RON WILL SET YOU UP ON A DEMO RIDE ANYTIME. CALL: 813 918 6521 TRADE-INS ARE WELCOME AND WHEN YOU BUY FROM RON HE WILL PUT YOU IN BORN TO RIDE MAGAZINE.

EVENTS & MARKETING

EVENT

AND MANAGEMENT. JAN WIDEMAN OF GATOR

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

IN LEESBURG IS THE

REAL DEAL. She pulls off perfect events and their big April and November Gator Bike Rally event is no exception.

Jan is an avid motorcyclist and has been riding for 23 years, enjoying her wind therapy on a 2016 Road Glide she named GoldiLox. Prior to that, Jan and her husband lived in Virginia Beach, owning one of the largest and most productive foreclosure renovation companies. Jan was also in the banking world and was a property manager in Virginia Beach, managing 600 single family homes. As Jan mentions, “Attention to detail and organization has always been in my blood. I thank my father for these skills as he was a Chief Warrant Officer in the Marines and had a strict set of skills that he passed on to me.”

From 1970-1974, Jan attended Mount Dora High School in Florida. She travelled around the world, as her husband was in the Military and eventually ended up in Virginia Beach. She says, “I lived there for 20 years and thought that is where I would live my life on the beach in Sandbridge. Then in 2005, my father became ill and I moved back to Florida, helping my mom take care of dad.” After her dad passed away in 2007, Jan wanted to get back to work and that’s where her Florida work life started with the Leesburg Partnership and Gator Harley-Davidson.

Jan has always had a super critical eye for detail, making sure every miniscule item within her event is perfect. Her work timeline tells a perfect tale of her successful tenure. She started out with the Leesburg Partnership as a volunteer in 2007. Then she was asked to come on as their cash-room manager where she was responsible for overseeing all the cash that came through from the alcohol sales and tip money during Leesburg Bikefest. Two years later, they asked her to handle the vendors for downtown and at Gator Harley-Davidson, not to mention some of the sponsorships for the Leesburg Bikefest. In 2009, she went from volunteer to full time employee. As a full-time employee, she worked with the Partnership team putting on all

of their yearly events. Jan did that from 2009-2015. “I have the Leesburg Partnership to thank for giving me the knowledge about event planning. I must have done a great job for the Leesburg Partnership because in September of 2015, Gator Harley-Davidson asked me to become a part of their family as their Marketing and Event Manager. Well, history speaks for itself; I love being the Event Manager at Gator Harley and I look forward to many more years here.”

“This family owned and operated dealership is amazing,” Jan says. “The Malik family, Owner John Malik, Jr, his son Johnny and his niece, Rachel, are so passionate about their dealership and staff that I can’t imagine working for anyone else.”

On November 10-12, Gator Harley will have the popular Gator Fall Bike Rally. Jan is introducing an element that was very successful many years ago with the Leesburg Partnership. “The Leesburg Bike Fest had a very successful tattoo expo. Unfortunately, the building that the Leesburg Partnership had it in was sold so they couldn’t have it there any longer. Due to that, there hasn’t been a tattoo expo downtown for many

I THINK WE ALL KNOW CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO ARE TRUE ARTISTS AT

PLANNING

MARKETING WITH JAN WIDEMAN

AT GATOR HARLEY DAVIDSON

yearly Toy Run event with a committee made up of amazing motorcycle organizations. We work closely with the people who are a part of the non-profit, making sure that we have the perfect event. We work together and plan together and that is something that I absolutely enjoy!”

From booking bands, organizing and hiring parking and bathroom attendants, securing dumpsters, laying out parking and vendor locations, signing contracts, securing sponsorships, and everything in between, Jan orchestrates the perfect symphony of coordination that produces a cantata of memorable stature. She has her finger on the pulse, always there, always available during an event making sure her vendors are doing okay, event goers are enjoying themselves, the bar staff (who are not-for-profit organizations) have everything they need. In addition, she makes sure the band is cool and comfortable on stage and she also takes photos of the event.

When planning your trip to Gator Harley-Davidson, there are some perfect riding areas near Leesburg including the picturesque and scenic Ocala national forest. The Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway connects Silver Springs and Ormond Beach, running through the communities of Forest Corners, Mill Dam, and Astor along SR 40, and Salt Springs and Altoona along SR 19, all within Ocala National Forest. I personally love this route and think you will too.

years. There are so many amazing tattoo artists in this area that we thought we’d bring in Binx White and Nikki Moon, two local tattoo artists, for our fall event. They will be located inside the dealership all three days. People can come in and get a small tattoo and proudly say, ‘I got this tattoo at Gator Harley!’”

There is no doubt that Jan loves what she does. She is fortunate that this dealership allows her to do all types of events and fundraisers in the hopes of bringing motorcyclists from far and near into the front door. “It is heartwarming to do veterans events here. We also are a large partner for a St. Jude’s event, and a

As we started to wind down on this fun interview, I asked Jan how she maintains such a great work ethic and love for her job and the people she works with. “I’ve always said that when you work hard, you play harder. Living life to the fullest is what you need to do. For example, when we do events, it’s not all about just putting it on and going through the daily motions. I want everyone who comes to Gator HarleyDavidson to have the best experience that they can have. We are a one-stop location. I absolutely cannot imagine a better motorcycle company other than Gator! I just can’t!”

#GetItAtGator

Jan, the Gator Harley staff, and all of us at Born To Ride look forward to seeing you at the Fall Gator Bike Rally located atGator Harley-Davidson, 1745 US HWY 441, Leesburg, on November 10-12.

- Susan Hurst

“Jan has always had a super critical eye for detail, making sure every miniscule item within her event is perfect. Her work timeline tells a perfect tale of her successful tenure. She started out with the Leesburg Partnership as a volunteer in 2007. “

I It is truly amazing the number of people I have met due to our mutual love of motorcycles.

Saturday, August 19th at 10:00 am was no exception!

Lucky for me, I was invited to Gator Harley Davidson, a family owned and operated dealership, in beautiful Leesburg, Florida. Why might you ask? Well to share years of knowledge and wisdom in the financial services arena on Retirement Strategies, Medicare, and Social Security. Sometimes your “Knight in Shining Armor” is really a biker in dirty leathers.

My name is James Irwin, and I am a financial professional with a unique approach. I help people find money they are losing unknowingly and unnecessarily, and then show them how they can save that money for their future without impacting their current lifestyle.

There are only two ways to help people financially. You can either help them find them find a better product than they have today, one that potentially pays a higher rate of return but may require more risk.

OR you can help them be more efficient with the money they already have. I believe in the latter of those two approaches. I

Bikers

believe there is more opportunity to serve my clients by helping them avoid losses than by predicting the winners. You are probably wondering how I do that. Well, there are five major areas where most people are losing money unknowingly and unnecessarily.

Ask me what they are at the next event. At the Gator event on August 19th, attendees and staff were very welcoming and appreciative.

I was able to serve so many at the Gator event in a life changing way. The very next week one couple said “I was worth $423,000 dollars to them”, since I was able to reposition their money in a way to increase their lifestyle income and net worth. We accomplished this with no financial risk to them. The bond of friendship grows

deeper when it is associated to a motorcycle enthusiast. Be it a breakfast ride, financial education event, a night ride, or a long road trip, they are always up for it. When you ride a motorcycle, most riders wave to each other even when they don’t know the other people, which is not something car drivers do. No matter which motorcycles you are riding or which part of the country you’re from, there is always the bond of brotherhood/ sisterhood that gets motorcyclists together. And this is why in the last years of my career, I only work with bikers.

I have recently been made a motorcycle gang leader for the

LET’S AVOID EVER HAVING TO SAY

JAMES IRWIN

first time in my life. Yes, I have been nominated for the President of The St Petersburg Yacht Club Motorcycle Club.

I have found over the years many boaters ride, too. We all love to feel the wind in our face. Maybe that’s why dogs love to stick their heads out car windows.

My experience has always been that bikers are very charitable people who love giving back to the community in meaningful ways. I’m of course a fellow biker as well, and my services are complementary to bikers!

Don’t think your situation can’t be improved. Nothing is impossible! In fact, the very letters say “I’m possible!”

If you missed the Gator event, no worries. There will be more events at Harley Davidson dealerships soon. The next one will be held November 4th at Crystal Harley Davidson. In beautiful Homosassa, Florida. Call me anytime - 833-467-2865

-James Irwin

I will be at your service, or visit one of my websites at www.BikerHelpingBikers.com or www.HealthInsurance65.com

WITH JAMES IRWIN

HE WILL SHARE HIS KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICE ARENA. HIS UNIQUE APPROACH WILL HELP YOU FIND THE MONEY YOU ARE UNKNOWINGLY MISSING OUT ON.

READ HIS COLUMN ON PAGE 18 TO SEE HOW JAMES CAN HELP YOU!

KNOCKOUT PRO MMA FIGHTER: COREY BARAREO

ARCADIA WELCOMES BIKERS

WELCOME! The City of Arcadia is the county seat for DeSoto County. It is centrally located between Orlando, Ft. Meyers, Sarasota and Lake Okeechobee at the crossroads of US 17 and State Route 70. Acadia is famous throughout Florida for its historic downtown antique district. Additionally, on the fourth Saturday of each month, vendors from surrounding locations take over the streets with even more wares and precious finds. Tucked between the many antique shops, you’ll have the chance to enjoy cafes, home cooking, a tea room, and a smoothie shop. The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo is held in March, the Annual Watermelon Festival is in May at the height of the harvesting season, and car shows, parades, and special events take place throughout the year.

Bike Fest on Saturday, November 4th from 10am to 5pm in the Historic Dwontown Arcadia. Expect to see Motorcycles, Vendors, Live Music, Food Trucks, Local Restaurants and more!

Our co-hosts, Bert’s Black Widow Harley-Davidson and Attorney Fran Haasch are looking forward to another AWESOME event.

VENDOR APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN PLEASE EMAIL US AT EVENTSARCADIAMAINSTREET@GMAIL.COM

COME AND JOIN THE FUN at the Annual Bert’s Arcadia

This month we kickstart our Reader’s Ride program with a sizzlin’ rigid Sportster. It’s the perfect barhopper that was freshened up by our friend at Roosterz Rod Shop John Benedict, Jim Cecil and Tim Hahn out of Clearwater, Florida. The boys specialize in traditional American hot rods, custom cars and motorcycles. Tim found this scooter on eBay and bought it with thoughts of it becoming the Roosterz shop bike.

They took apart the Sportster motor and gave it a refresh, changed up the front end to a 2-inches under stock springer by D&A and changed out the front wheel. They handmade many of the one-off pieces right at Roosterz including the sissybar and hand shift. They also modified the pipes and massaged every part on this Sporty to make it the gleaming groundpounder seen here. The orange, purple and pink paint Do you want to get your motorcycle seen right here in Born To Ride Magazine?

PHOTOS: ERICK RUNYON

on the gas tank came with this awesome eBay find, so they have no idea who the original painter was but it sure fits the look of this little badass. Roosterz has been involved with Born To Ride for quite some time, participating in last year’s Choppertown. The boys are well known for their super killer swap meet parties including hot rod/bike shows and their special burn out contest is not to miss. For more info or to

check out some killer customs visit www.roosterzrodshop.com or call 727-289-2896. You can also find Roosterz on Facebook and Instagram. A friend of John’s named Trey Davis recently saw the shop bike and just had to have it. He’s now the proud owner of this month’s Reader’s Ride.

—Dave “Chopper Daddy” Nichols

RIDE APPALACHIA

FALL IN APPALACHIA

As Fall starts to take over here in Central Appalachia we are getting ready for one of our most popular times to ride here in our region. As the last month of our season draws closer we bring you some of our most attended rides and events designed specifically to showcase one of the most spectacular displays of Nature on the planet. There is simply nothing like the season changes that occur here in the oldest mountains on earth as cooler temperatures move in and Mother Nature begins to display her full palette of colors. Regardless of if you are using our Free GPS-Enabled Mobile Application to experience this incredible display or if you are planning to attend one of our events here on the motorcycle side of Backroads of Appalachia, riding here at this time of year is simply unmatched. There is absolutely nothing like it as people from all over the world come to our mountains to see and experience this amazing landscape transformation. We have 3 great events on our schedule this year designed to showcase these colors which include our WCMG Lady Riders “Ride for the Cure Event” for Breast Cancer with Wildcat Harley Davidson in London, KY, Our First Annual “Mountain Mainstreet Invasion” here at home in Kentucky and of course our last ride of the season each year with our 3rd Annual WCMG Fall Leaves Ride for St Judes in the Smoky Mountains the last weekend in October. From the overlooks on Kentucky’s Highest Mountain on the Dragonslayer 160, to the 180 degree view of 3 states from the Pinnacle at Cumberland Gap, to the 360 degree views of our

mountains on “The Knob”, our Backroads of Appalachia Mobile Application is your Fall ride guide with over 5000 miles of “Appalachian Awesomeness” covering 4 states. With so much to see and do here in Appalachia at one of the most beautiful times of the year, you cannot go wrong regardless of which direction you decide to take as you are surrounded by a wall of colors throughout your journey. Pictures and video cannot even come close to what you will experience here in person before the leaves go to ground and winter moves in. Perfect Temperatures, Spectacular Views, Incredible Riding, and 3 Fall riding events are waiting for you right here and so is the Whitley County Motorcycle Group. For more information on these events check out the calendar in the Backroads of Appalachia Mobile Application, Or our website at www.backroadsofappalachia.org, or find us on Facebook! So what are you waiting for? Come and ride with us here in October and see one of the most incredible season changes on planet earth!

Let’s Ride Appalachia!

-Jay Fryman Founder, Whitley County Motorcycle Group Backroads of Appalachia Journalism Team

The entire review could be summed up in a sentence: “This film created an image and a lifestyle that yet endures.” Yes, the image of a young Brando sitting on his Triumph motorcycle, dressed in a black leather jacket, tilted cap and a stolen trophy attached at the headlamp, is certainly one that literally everyone has seen at least once. Some of you still live that image today!

This film arguably started the biker exploitation explosion in this reviewer’s eyes, and set the tone for hundreds of “B” movie skirt riders that are still being spawned as we speak. Released in 1953, The Wild One was based on a short story The Cyclists’ Raid by Frank Rooney, which was published in Harper’s magazine in 1951. Rooney’s story was inspired by the Life magazine expose dubbed “The Hollister Riot” published in July 21, 1947, after the famed ‘motorcycle weekend’ on July 4th. Curiously, that event is still celebrated in Hollister to this day! Further research will show that this piece was not as well accepted as some of Marlon Brando’s other work, such as Streetcar Named Desire and the film was actually banned in the UK for 14 years! What is Johnny rebelling against? “What have you got?”

The story starts out when Brando, starring as Johnny Strabler, and his gang the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club roll into a small Midwestern town and interrupt a motorcycle race being held there. A member of the BRMC steals a trophy, and presents it to Johnny who

BIKER MOVIE REVIEW

is the president of the gang in a show of respect. This trophy will become a focal point in the rest of the film, as it was not ‘won’ in actual competition, but won by the club as a spoil of confrontation.

Johnny never actually states that he won the trophy until the gang heads to a local café, where Johnny meets Kathie Bleeker (played by Mary Murphy) who is the daughter of the local constable.

Johnny tries to impress Kathie by stating that he won the trophy in the race, and asks her out to a dance being held later in the evening. Kathie refuses, and as the gang causes more and more disturbance, the locals in the town prod Harry Bleeker (the local cop played by Robert Keith) to deal with the gang. At this point in the film, it becomes clear that Kathie is actually attracted to Johnny, and his wild lifestyle, but the romance never seems to work out. …

As Johnny and his gang leave the café, they encounter Chino (played by Lee Marvin) and his gang. Johnny and Chino are old enemies, and it is inferred that they were both members of another – larger- gang. Their rivalry escalated when Johnny broke off and formed the BRMC. Chino tries to recover the stolen trophy, but is unable to do so. As in all films of this nature, a fight breaks out between Johnny and Chino - Johnny wins. During the melee, a citizen hits a motorcycle with his car, and Chino drags him out of the car to beat him up. It is at this point that Harry the Cop arrests Chino. Harry was going to arrest the citizen also, but he lets him go in fear of future retribution. With Chino in jail, Johnny returns to the café to once again ask Kathie out. She again refuses using the ‘trophy’ and the alleged theft as an excuse. … (I guess she didn’t want to be a “Trophy” wife!)

Later that night, Chino’s gang abducts the citizen from his home and in a hilarious scene attempt to put him in jail with Chino. They actually get him into a cot in the cell, but Chino is too drunk to get up, so they just leave him there. He later breaks out! How you ask? The locals form up a vigilante squad to run the bikers out of town. When they go to the jail to retrieve their neighbor, Chino escapes and disappears into the darkness. Later Chino and his gang attempt to abduct Kathie but our hero Johnny saves the day! Kathie and Johnny soon part but the vigilantes capture Johnny and give him a good beating. He escapes, and returns to his motorcycle and as the vigilantes give chase, one of them throws a tire iron at the speeding bike. The tire iron knocks Johnny from his bike, but the rider-less machine careens into an elderly bystander, killing him. …

Johnny is arrested and charged with manslaughter but after Kathie and another witness corroborate his story, he is released from jail. In the end, even though it is apparent that Johnny doesn’t want to thank his witnesses for speaking up for him, he returns to the café to offer the trophy to Kathie.

This film is a classic piece that you will likely enjoy if you are fan of biker exploitation films. I stated earlier that this is the one that started it all, and if you like this kind of action this is a must see! The film runs 79 minutes; it is presented in beautiful black and white, and available on DVD! I’ll give this one five stars, and you will play it over and over again, I promise. …

Ray V. Gordon is The Owner & Founder of Leather Lid Inserts, an established Leather Saddlebag Accessory business based in southwest Florida. They’ve coined the phrase “We take the sag out of the bag” because that is exactly what they do. Ray has been riding motorcycles since he was 14 yrs old and has watched the motorcycle industry grow and is glad to be a part of what it is today. After 35 years of owning and operating a successful aluminum company in Ft. Myers FL, Ray sold the business so he could retire (he thought) and bought himself a new Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic. Just like everyone else with leather saddlebags, his also started to sag and cave in. He saw a need to fix this

problem. Ray says, starting this new business was something he just fell into by fixing his own saddlebags and then behold, friends of friends and others witnessed what Ray did and wanted him to fix their saddlebags too. As an inventor and entrepreneur, Ray took his creative background and put his skills to work by experimenting with several different types of materials to finally come up with a patented ABS lid and bag reinforcement kit that would be designed to help keep the original shape of any leather saddlebag made on the market. So, if you’re tired of looking at your caved in leather saddlebags and/or if they are starting to lose their shape and their parts, or if you have brand new bags and you want to prevent them from ever caving in, please keep Leather Lid Inserts in mind. For all your leather saddlebag accessory needs as a do-it-yourselfer or if you want them to install, visit www.LeatherLidInsert.com and order your DIY Kit or Find an area Dealer Installer.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A DEALER INSTALLER CONTACT RAY AT 239-339-7294 OR RAY@LEATHERLIDINSERTS.COM RIDE SAFE!

Leather Lid Inserts

18160 Old Bayshore Road N. Fort Myers, FL 33917

ARE YOU BORN TO RIDE?

THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOTORCYCLES

MOTORCYCLES & THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE THEM

STANDING UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS

Welcome to October. We have two great events coming up. Biketoberfest and Halloween. Feel fortunate that we have the ability and live in a country that allows us to have these type of functions. Like the Beastie Boys stated, you gotta fight for the right to Party. With that said, know this:

Standing up for your rights and what you believe in can be a challenging and daunting task. Still, it is an essential aspect of personal growth and societal progress. It means speaking out against injustice, discrimination, and oppression and advocating for change.

At times, standing up for your rights may require confronting those in positions of power or authority, which can be intimidating. However, it is essential to remember that everyone has the right to express their opinions and beliefs (even if they’re wrong…lol) and to be treated with dignity and respect. You are affirming these fundamental principles by standing up for yourself and others.

One key aspect of standing up for your rights is knowing what they are. This means being informed about your legal and constitutional rights and your rights as a member of various communities

and groups. It also means being aware of the rights of others and recognizing when they are being violated.

Once you clearly understand your rights, the next step is to take action. This may involve speaking out publicly, organizing or joining a protest or demonstration, or working with others to effect change through legislative or policy means. It may also include seeking legal recourse, such as filing a complaint or lawsuit.

opposition or hostility, but staying focused on your goals and remaining respectful and professional in your interactions with others is important. Name calling is not a necessity.

At the same time, it is crucial to recognize that standing up for your rights is not just about yourself but about creating a more just and equitable society for everyone. By advocating for change, you contribute to the larger social and political discourse and help to shape the world around you.

Living in the United States affords you the ability to protest what you feel or know to be unjust. Unfortunately, we live in a time where people have their understanding of our rights twisted and are utilizing tactics to take those rights away from us.

Don’t give up the fight, people. Lady Liberty needs you now more than ever. Remember that Lady Liberty is the symbol, but we give her a voice. Make it heard.

Standing up for your rights can be long and challenging, but perseverance is essential. It may involve facing

Nefarious James American Patriot

“Feel fortunate that we have the ability and live in a country that allows us to have these type of functions. Like the Beastie Boys stated, you gotta fight for the right to Party.”

It’s time for the big O’s this month, my BTR friends. Time for a LOWER electric bill, LOWER humidity, and LOWER precipitation. Mike and I are excited for cooler weather and fall activities. It couldn’t have come sooner as Mike’s list of stores that he’s banned from has grown.

He received a certified letter for a criminal trespass notice from Target in the mail last week. We only visited the new store two times and that was enough for them. Like most establishments nowadays, I could not go in with Mike so he perched my feathered ass on the mirror. I always wondered what he was doing in the store for an hour only to come out with one item or nothing at all. Let me read y’all the two major complaints:

First, Mike was spotted in the eyeglass department trying on different pairs. He put on a dark pair and started walking around the store. With his arms stretched out in front of him, he was feeling everything he could like a blind man. He came across a manikin, started fondling her chest and butt then screamed, “Oh no, my ex-wife works here!”

Second, he walked into the cosmetics department, went up to the counter and the clerk asked, “How can I help you?”

He summoned her to come close and said, “You’ve got really big eyes! Can I touch them?” Before she could react, he started pulling on both of her eyelids, dragging them

BLACKENED CHICKEN

downwards telling her, “You’ll hate them when you’re older. I used to have big eyes and they made my eyelids droop. Gravity and age, it’s horrible! You poor girl. You just don’t know what you’re up against...” I won’t bore you, my avid readers, with the other petty accusations.

So, now Mike has reverted to making individual stops at places that will only see him once in a lifetime. For instance, we visited a Twisty Treat the other day and Mike ordered an ice cream cone. He asked the kid serving him if he believed in unicorns. The kid handed him the cone, shook his head, and said no. Mike looked him right in the eye, jabbed the cone into his own forehead, galloped out the door screaming loudly, “Neigh my ass! BELIEVE! Now you have just served one.”

Before leaving the parking lot, Mike went online and ordered Applebee’s boneless chicken wings to go. We rolled out and cruised down the street. He pulled up in the first parking space for pick up and walked away from the scoot heading for the bathroom to wash his face that was dripping with ice cream, leaving me sitting perched on the mirror.

A young lady came out and looked around finally realizing that the order was for the motorcycle in front of her without even seeing me. Mike walked out of the front door and said, “Did you put handy wipes in there for Spyke? She likes her cousins, but she doesn’t like them sticking to her talons.”

The gal walked close by me, heading towards Mike and I squawked very loudly. In complete shock she screamed, dropped the bag and rand back inside. I cackled at Mike, “Dude, you freaked out that little missy with the whole wet nap thing.”

He turned and said, “Well, you scared the hell out of that damsel by ghosting her

until she walked by you!” The next day he decided to go through the drive-through at Chick-fil-A with me on the scoot. Mike pulled up to the order pedestal and the guy asked for his order. He told him, “I want a chicken sandwich with no chicken, just the fixings.” The guy questioned his order and Mike yelled out loudly, “I want a chicken sandwich with no chicken, just the fixings!”

Mike roared the Harley around the corner and stopped at the window. The guy opened it and said, “Did I hear you right? You want a chicken sandwich with no chicken?”

Mike looked at him, pointed back to me sitting on the back rest and said, “Yeah, dude, I brought my own! Can I get her blackened?”

I squawked loudly, “Dude! The only thing that’s getting blackened is your eye and if I could make a fist, I’d do it! You need to pull out of the drive-through and get my wings in the wind, your knees in the breeze and the Fat Bird 3 wheels rolling down the road while you still have two good eyes!”

The voice came across the speaker, “Pull up to the first window, please.”

CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION

Ah, another rainstorm. Here in the state of Florida, we have a significant rainy season. Every day from July to the end of October our forecast is generally clear in the morning with an almost guaranteed rainstorm or two in the afternoon. Each time we go on a bike ride during this season, we take the chance of riding into the rain. There are days where I have ridden under what looks like clear skies and then out of nowhere rain begins to fall. I look up and think “WHAT!?” as there isn’t even a cloud in sight; behold, the infamous Florida “sun shower”.

One day, I was approaching an intersection near my home and could see a wall of rain over it. My clothes had stayed dry the entire ride, that was until I reached the light. I rolled right into that wall of rain and sat in it until the light changed. As I proceeded through the intersection, I found myself immediately out of the rain. I couldn’t believe it! The rain cell was only over the intersection. Driving home, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief. As Floridian’s, we know rainstorms are going to happen but we still have to prepare for the unexpected.

Rainstorms bring problems for bikers like wet clothes and hydroplaning. Rain gear and properly inflated tires with good

tread provides a firm foundation for the biker and bike as they make their way through a storm. So when storms in our life happen, what firm foundation do we have to stand on?

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 7:24-25 about firm foundations: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock”. Building our life on the bedrock of Jesus and around His teachings will carry us through the storms of life just like good tires on our motorcycle will help us get through the storms and trials while riding.

Teach’s Takeaway,

- Rain is going to come. We need a firm foundation.

- Jesus is the firm foundation for the storms in our life.

- Let’s build our house on the bedrock of Jesus.

I have confidence in my ride because I take care of my tires and bring my rain gear, always prepared for the unexpected. In the same way, I take care of my relationship with Jesus and have confidence in my day to day life because He is my firm foundation. The rains are going to come, so build upon the bedrock. Ride on.

Fellow Soldier in Christ, Wayne (Teach) Masiker

Christian Motorcyclists Association

wayne.masiker@att.net

RONNIE and EMILY’S RONNIE and EMILY’S

Photos by: John and Heather Show