Contents
June Issue 88
Ad Index
Features Honoring Their Courage and Sacrifice 10 Appalachian Backroads 20 Chopper Daddy Dave Nichols 23 Born To Ride Media Kit 34
Columns
10
JP’s Ramblin On-We Are Born To Ride 9 Ranger Greg Blackwell-Operation Zero 27 Nefarious James Gladstone 28 Craven Moorehead-It’s Summertime 39 Christian Motorcycle Association 40
Departments Contents Page Ride Safe, Ride Smart-Awareness Born To Ride Kids-Happy Father’s Day
2 6 40
Reports Craig Can Fix It! 10 Movie Review-Hell Ride 15 Cherokee Blue Ridge Run 17 Willie G Reads It 18 Father’s Day Poem 32
17
On The Cover Chopper Daddy Dave Nichols Joins Born To Ride
AAA IFC Angel City 18 Appalachian Backroads 20 BornToRide.com 22 BTR Babes BTR Ocean Cruise for Bikers 5 BTR Facebook 18 BTR Heat Up 12 BTR Lifestyle 30 BTR Magazine Subscription 33 BTR Radio 4 Cherokee Blue Ridge Run 16 Cycle World of Athens 13 Find It Now IBC Georgia Motor Trike 8 HD Frazier’s 7 HD Thunder Tower West 19, BC LawBike.com 1 Leather Lid Inserts 33 Leather, Love & Freedom 33 Motorcycle Law Group 31 Peter Laczko Insurance 26 Progressive Insurance 3 ProRider Ken Anderson 6 Roame Technology 8 Tiny Trailer Nation 14 Toys Wanted 33 Wanted GI Joe 33 Wife Swap-Now Casting 33
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888-795-5779 Start Born To Ride TV and Magazine in your city! Call 888-795-5779 The information contained herein is provided by Born To Ride Magazine or by its advertisers. BTR makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information in the issue. Born To Ride Magazine does not endorse, approve, or certify such information, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness or correct sequencing of such information throughout this magazine. Use of such information is voluntary on your part, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after your independent review. Reference herein to any specific manufacturer, company, commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement of or recommendation of said by Born To Ride Magazine.” “Born To Ride Magazine (including its employees, contributors and agents) assumes no responsibility for consequences that may result from the use of the information herein, including the use of the information obtained at www.borntoride.com and it’s linked sites, or in any respect for the content of such information, including (but not limited to) errors or omissions, the accuracy or reasonableness of factual or scientific assumptions, studies or conclusions, ownership of copyright or other intellectual property rights, and the violation of property, privacy, or personal rights of others. BTR Magazine is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on such information. No guarantees or warranties, including (but not limited to) any express or implied warranties are made by BTR Magazine with respect to such information contained throughout the site.” No part may be copied without written permission of the publisher, Born To Ride, Inc. P.O. Box 3021, Brandon, FL 33509. 888-795-5779, Fax 813-689-2996.
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You should be especially aware at intersections, where other vehicles can cross your path of travel. There are many things to scan for, including traffic devices, road surfaces, and the traffic and pedestrians around you. In a slow, tight turn, such as turning around in a parking lot, it helps to counterweight by leaning in the opposite direction of the motorcycle and direction of the turn. Put pressure on the outside footrest. Info: www.msf-usa.org
HD FRAZIERS
We are Born to Ride!
As I’m writing my column for June, it’s into the later part of May and I’m wondering what to do this Memorial Day weekend. “What IS there to do?” I ask myself. Looking at my social/events calendar, everything seems to be canceled, postponed, or rescheduled for a later date. But I wanna RIDE! Remember we are Born to Ride! Yeah, that’s it. The “where” doesn’t really matter. At least not to my wife, or me. Just being able to get out there and enjoy it, enjoy the weather, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the ride. That’s what it’s all about. Please don’t get me wrong. I like to party. I like to go to motorcycle shows, traveling to motorcycle get-togethers of all types, and I like being with motorcycle people. Talking motorcycles. Comparing motorcycles. Admiring motorcycles. Seeing what’s new. And exciting. And state-ofthe-art (whatever that may be?). Enjoying motorcycle beverages. (motorcycle beverages?) Whatever. Some years I rode up to see mom, now living in an assisted-living home in Belvidere, IL. Belvidere is actually a small town near Rockford, IL where I grew up. It’s a nice ride from my current home, just north of Atlanta. Nice time of year to travel. And mom’s birthday -90 years old this year- is
car last Saturday. My car usually sits and sits and sits. But it started up just fine, and now off to see Greg and Kurt at Hellbender Harley-Davidson. You see, I needed to pick up some much-needed parts to get my ride back to top-notch shape. And they had most of the stuff that I needed. Keyword “most”. Then after Greg made a call for me to Atlanta Harley-Davidson, it was off to see Mark Z and pick up some more goodies out there. I’ve got to mention that it is always refreshing to have perky Ashley great me at their front door. Nice. Back to reality. Now as I look out my window today, it looks like rain. So waiting for my bike to come back home, isn’t as bad today. But I want my bike back anyway. I still ride my hog almost every day. It’s my main means of transportation. My leisure transportation. near the end of May, Mothers Day has just My “freedom machine”. My weekend getpassed…do I need any more reason to go? away. My jet for travel. Of course not! My wife Dana and I ride it every But whoa. Her very nice living quarters weekend. And we like to take weekend won’t let her out to visit with me. Or me overnight trips. And longer trips when we get in to visit with her. That Covid-19 thing is the chance. We ride. everywhere. The elderly, like her, and folks And my mechanic Jose, working at over 65 with diabetes like me, are some of WOW Motorcycles, knows that. So he is the most susceptible folks to catch it. Go doing his best to get me back on the road figure. Sooo, I guess I won’t be going to Illinois for my holiday weekend ride. To anywhere. And everywhere. We just love to ride. anytime soon. Happy Birthday, mom! I love While dropping off parts to Jose, my you. good friend James came by to say “hi” and That reminds me. When I went down pointed out that it looked like I had lost to the garage this morning to let my dog some weight…..NOT! I blame it on just Max out to the backyard to “do his thing”, another casualty of Covid-19. You know, my Road King wasn’t sitting there, where shelter in place. Stay inside. it belongs. Oh yeah. It’s in the shop doing So while we continue to practice “social some routine maintenance. Stuff that needs distancing”, all while being in the wind, to be done. Like a primary rebuild kit remember “this too shall pass”. I know consisting of gaskets, seals, and o-rings. that soon, we will be Sometime recently it spouted a leak. I hate together at upcoming that. motorcycle events. Then while it’s in the shop, why not go Through all this to the other side and check my cam-chain shutdown stuff, always tensioners. Yup. Now with over 51k miles remember and never on the odometer, they are getting a little bit forget “there is no worn. So I think that now is a good time to “freshen it up”, and keep my 96 inch running problem that a sunny day and a tank of gas smooth! can’t fix”. Amen. Unfortunately, I was forced to drive my Until next month, “Go Fast.... You’ll Get There”. JP
Would you like JP to cover your next Event? Let Us Know: info@BornToRide.com
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HONORING THEIR COURAGE A June is here and let’s not forget Dad. Father’s Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. It compliments Mother’s Day. Happy Father’s Day to all the father’s reading this ad and Happy Father’s Day to all the mother’s reading this if you are a sole parent, mom and a dad of the family. Grandfathers, step-dads, uncles, brothers and sisters, you all deserve to be noted for what you do to be a figure in a child’s life. If dads not there someone who steps in as a fatherly figure. As the originator we have only one father but it’s up to life to keep it all together, life, family, growing up in a household that’s strong and loving. Happy Father’s Day to my dad! A Marine and NYC Police Officer for 28 years. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me in my life. I admire you for who you are and how you always provided for the family. I love the way you loved your grandchildren and I’m proud they loved you back! To anyone reading this, call your dad and tell him Happy Father’s Day. If you’re not speaking, now is the time to start speaking to your father again.
In Loving Memory Albert Galletti April 10-1928 October 9-2016
Ron Galletti BTR 10 | BORNTORIDE.COM
My Uncle “Gee” was my dad’s father figure in his life for many years because his father worked many hours. He came from Italy and worked with marble but then later became ill and couldn’t do much with my dad. That’s when Uncle “Gee” stepped in and helped my dad in life as a father figure. So in this month of June, as a special Father’s Day tribute, we would like to honor my Uncle “Gee” Fidel Galletti who was a real WWII war hero pilot who flew B-17s. Most of all, he was my dad’s hero. This story is courtesy of The 390th Memorial Museum and my cousin, Marie Galletti Mitchell. Ron Galletti As Marie Galletti Mitchell and I corresponded regarding her story in the Sq. J, I found myself reflecting on how I enjoy talking with and writing to our descendants. They are special people … people who realize the importance of what our 390th did during WWII. Allow me to quote from one of Marie’s letters: “What a group of good-looking, virile young men in Dad’s crew! Dad is first on the left in the front row. Laverne Dillow was killed in action. What a waste of life it was for him to have died so young! When Dillow went missing, his mother wrote to my mother to ask for news of her son. My mother has kept that letter in her wartime scrapbook ever since. Now that I’ve gotten older (age 61), I realize how many years and how many of life’s chapters young men like Dillow have missed. So true…and today we honor those living and we memorialize those who have passed on to their reward. Heroes all ... and we hope that this story adds yet another chapter to their lives … let it be so!
THE WARSAW AIRDROP OF 1944
On September 1, 1939, Nazi tanks rolled into Poland and started World War II. By September 18, 1944, the Polish resistance, which had bravely fought Hitler’s military might for five long years, was trapped in Warsaw with food, ammunition and other supplies running dangerously low. The Poles called upon the Allies to provide supplies by airdrop. The Allies agreed, and airmen of the 390th, along with the 95th and 100th, were called upon to replenish the patriots of Warsaw with the supplies they desperately needed. There was a catch, however. Warsaw is situated west of the Vistula River from Russia, and the Soviets had an unstated plan: Joseph Stalin wanted to weaken Poland in order that Russia could add this formerly sovereign nation to its empire once WWII was over. So while Stalin orally agreed to the Polish Airdrop, he kept delaying it by refusing to allow Allied planes to land on Soviet soil. (At that time, B-17s could not carry enough fuel to fly from England to Poland round trip.) Meanwhile, the Poles were getting weaker, and thousands died fighting Nazi soldiers on the streets of Warsaw. Finally, in September
1944, Stalin relented, giving the Allies permission to land about one hundred B-17s at some makeshift airfields in Russia. On September 18, 1944, my father, First Lieutenant Fidel Galletti, along with his crew of eight men, climbed into their Flying Fortress to complete their 23rd mission of WWII. These airmen would fly for 10 hours that day to provide the Poles with the supplies they desperately needed. My father’s log for that day reads, “We were to drop supplies to the Polish partisans holding parts of the city. Load was 10 containers and 2,800 gallons topped off. Bombing altitude was to be 14,000 feet. We ran into weather about 50 miles west of target and did several 360s trying to get over it. Colonel Tuesdale [command pilot of the lead plane] gave up trying to get on top and decided to go under as the base of clouds was at 12,000 feet. We got to the IP [Initial Point] and started on the run when fighters hit us. We were flying 565 #2 in the high of the high and out of position as they hit us. They came out of the clouds, and the tail, waist and ball opened up on them. Nine of them attacked from six o’clock level, and Rogers [tailgunner] had the best shot at them. He got the fourth coming in. Two 20 mm shells hit in the cockpit alongside of Spencer [co-pilot], and the oxygen started burning.” Behind the pilot and co-pilot were two oxygen tanks. Flak from the German ammunition pierced both tanks, setting the highly volatile gas into a blaze which quickly spread throughout the cabin. The co-pilot, William Spencer, found himself sitting next to a three-foot hole in the side of the plane, with oxygen burning all around him. His only option was to jump from his seat, through the hatch and into the nose. Before he leapt from the cockpit, he used the interphone to order the crew to bail out. At the same time, my father pulled away from the formation so that his plane, if it went out of control, would not bring down any other B-17s. He then set up the autopilot and hit the alarm bell. Both my father and the co-pilot were unaware that the fire had eaten through the communication lines, rendering it impossible for the crew to hear the orders to bail out of the crippled aircraft. Meanwhile, the interior of the airplane continued to burn, and the plane was filling with smoke. The airmen, while still able to breathe through oxygen masks, were unable to see through the dense smoke. The crew would have to act quickly if they were to save their lives and those of the Polish people they had flown so far to help. Top Turret Gunner Eduard H. Daly, reacting quickly to a five-foot hole and a fire in the waist of the plane,
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AND SACRIFICE, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
Pilot-Fidel Galletti grabbed a fire extinguisher, put out the fire in the rear of the cockpit, then passed the fire extinguisher to my father. My father worked on putting out the fire up front, all the while knowing that if any flak were to nick the nearby primer fuel line, the plane would explode. The primer, next to the punctured oxygen tanks, was constantly charged with gasoline. Whenever fighter planes and ground antiaircraft artillery hit a plane, shrapnel can boomerang around inside the aircraft and hit anything or anybody in it, including, of course, the primer line. Fortunately, once the fires were extinguished, the worst was over. The primer was never nicked, and no one but the pilot sustained even minor wounds. However, danger still threatened the aircraft and its crew. The right tail elevator, necessary to stabilize the aircraft, had been almost torn off, and the cables to the tail section were nearly severed. One of the duties of a pilot is to keep his plane stable, but the damaged tail elevator pulled against my father, physically moving him back and forth as he tried to control the aircraft. In effect, the damaged tail was working against him for control of the plane. In addition, my father was concerned that the torn tail cables, which had been shredded into wires, would get caught in the pulleys through which they threaded on their way from the control stick to the tail. Fortunately, this was not the case and finally, almost miraculously, after what must have seemed like hours of German attack, the Flying Fortress set down as scheduled on an improvised landing field in Mirograd, Russia. In spite of fire and the damage to the plane, bombardier Harry Evje had been able to drop the supplies on target, thus fulfilling mission #23 of my father’s crew: to assist the Polish dissidents in resisting the Nazi army. In August 2005, a CNN documentary, “Warsaw Rising,” filmed from Warsaw during the airdrop, shows the B-17s approaching the city. They looked so heroic as they flew in to the rescue! In the words of narrator David Ensor,
“Suddenly, in the sky – a miracle!” In the same documentary, Nina Januszowska Thiessen, a Polish underground courier, recalls of the airdrop: That was the most wonderful picture, when the American planes came. They were very, very high, so you didn’t see anything; you just heard the mmmm [sounds] of the heavy bombers. Then, all of a sudden, there was –like flowers. The parachutes were multi-colored, you know. And those multicolored flowers brought hope that Warsaw would live another day. Over 2,500 years ago, Herodutus, “The Father of Western History,” declared that the purpose of written history was to memorialize glorious deeds. The Polish Airdrop of 1944 is one of modern history’s glorious deeds. America can be proud that the crew of B-17 #565, along with hundreds of other young American airmen, bravely risked their lives to take part in this gallant operation.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers who are Born To Ride!
Galletti Crew #95 Pilot – Fidel Galletti Co-pilot – William Spencer Top Turret – Eduard H. Daly Radioman – John Dudar R. Waist Gunner – Franklin Mesmer L. Waist Gunner – Laverne Dillow Ball Gunner – Virgil Burton Tail Gunner – Arthur K. Rogers Bombardier – Harry Evje Navigator – John J. Vitou
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nk u J s i “Th me Out Ca f This O nk!” Ta
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Confusion and chaos pretty much sums up this movie. It is the modern day version of all the biker exploitation “B” movies ever made. Curiously, Larry Bishop (as Pistolero) appeared in a variety of films including The Savage Seven, Mad Dog Time and Kill Bill to name a few. His collaboration with Quentin Tarantino in this most recent effort, would lead one to believe that “Hell Ride” is a major cinematic production destined for the A list. Sadly, it falls short of that mark. The story revolves around Pistolero and his gang “the Victors.” The main characters are himself, the Gent and Comanche who set out to avenge the death of his ol lady Cherokee Kisum. Cherokee, it seems, was murdered by the 666er’s, a rival gang. But wait, let’s back up! This is exactly what makes the flick so confusing. … We flash back and forth from 35 years back to 35 years forward. It seems that Bishop as the writer, director, and star is the only one who understands what is going on at any given time. I was lost after viewing it twice, but again I digress. The film is soaked with girls, drugs, and murder. I like all those facets in a biker exploitation film, but the chaotic pace leaves one
wondering where the plot is. It seems the Victors MC have an underlying code of deceit and distrust. As the movie rolls along, several of the members of gang are killed by the Gent and other Victors—leaving only Pistolero, the Gent, and Comanche in the gang. Ahhh, but there is another member hiding in the desert! Eddie Zero, played by Dennis Hopper appears as a (possibly retired) member of the gang. How they were able to get Hopper to appear in this mess was a mystery in itself, and I was surprised, and entertained for a moment until I saw David Carradine playing rival gang member “The Duce.” Evidently, the Duce and Pistolero had some under-the-table dealings and this conflict led to the ongoing battle between the two clubs. The 666er’s use arrows and darts to carry out their hits while the Victors use the more conventional revolvers, available at Wal-Mart. The Victors trademark murders–you will see a few of these involve the tying of one to a chair, the cutting of the throat, and the soaking of the subject in gasoline, which is then ignited by the tossing of a Zippo lighter, also available at WalMart. Somewhere in my recall, it seems to me that this ritual was borrowed from the 666er’s when they did in Cherokee Kisum. In the end, the Victors cut off the Duce’s head, and Eddie Zero delivers it to the 666er’s hangout in a nice wicker basket (see Wal-Mart above). He departs and rides off down the road until his motor quits for some reason. He gets off his vintage ride to repair it, and sees the 666er’s pull up behind him. The leader of the 666er’s, (played by Vinnie Jones) shoots him in the back with a dart fired from an air powered device that looks like a Shark Gun. He collapses on the highway. Much to the 666er’s surprise the Victors pull up behind them and the Gent kills all of them, but only wounds Jones who falls to the pavement. Pistolero in a strange twist of role, shoots Jones with a small crossbow, then reloads and fires a dart into Jones’ gas tank. As the fuel surrounds Jones, who is bleeding cussing and etc, one of the Victors cuts his throat, and Pistolero tosses the classic Zippo into the pool of gas. In the next frame, Hopper gets up off the pavement, and removes his armor-laden jacket – arrow still intact- and hands it to his girl who gives him a similar jacket. They depart the scene, and the three meet in the desert where the 666er’s had previously buried some sort of lockbox containing some sort of (something). … There are three keys that have 666 stamped into them. There is a short argument, and Comanche digs up the lock box and the others give him the three keys. What’s in that thing you ask? You will never know, because the shot shows only Comanche’s face from the inside as he opens the box. I think it was empty, but what do I know? The trio then fire up their motors and ride off in three different directions as the credits roll. If you are a fan of naked ladies, cool classic motorcycles, and blood and guts, this film is for you! However, if you were expecting a plot, a story line, or a coherent slide show of pleasant desert scenes you aren’t gonna be too happy. Tarantino once told Bishop “It is your destiny to write, direct, and star in a movie.” Sometimes destiny is not all it’s cracked up to be! I would reluctantly give this film 2 out of 5 stars, because there were two REAL stars exploited in this mess. It is rated R for ridiculous, and runs approximately 86 minutes. In my opinion it should be 86’ed altogether.
Check out www.BornToRide.com for more Movie and DVD reviews online!
The Phantom Movie Review
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Cherokee Blue Ridge Run, Sept 11-13, 2020 • more info: www.BlueRidgeRun.com
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Willie G
READS IT!
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Get ready for a Wild Ride! In the vast motorcycle industry, only a few individuals have names that everybody who rides knows and respects. Industry icons such as Willie G. Davidson, Arlen Ness and Dave Perewitz have ignited our passion for the road. Evel Knievel, Peter Fonda and Jesse James became famous for their connection with two wheels in various media. In the motorcycle publishing world some of the fathers of biker culture include Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Keith Ball, and Dave Nichols. It is with great pride that we announce that former Easyriders editor Dave Nichols is joining Born To Ride to help us step into the next decade of exciting growth in the motorcycle world. We asked Dave to sum up his feelings on where he’s been in the biker lifestyle and industry and where things are going. Here’s what he had to say. My sister’s husband rode a Harley panhead and I fell in love with motorcycles the first time his riding club came over to the house. I was probably only ten years old and grew up in southern Florida. You could hear that dirty thunder coming for miles. At least a dozen big twins roared up the road and slowed to a rumbling stop. All that gleaming chrome backing up to the curb in perfect precision. I watched as the men and women got off those Harleys and noticed how they trusted each other, how they laughed easily together. They were a family; a brotherhood and sisterhood who had each other’s backs. BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 23
per by Mondo of Denver’s Choppers. My passion for the biker lifestyle led me to write for Casey Exton’s Outlaw Biker and then Joe Teresi’s Easyriders magazine where I worked my way up and was the editor-in-chief of the “biker’s bible” for over 25 years. I also rode herd over 13 various motorcycle, hot rod and tattoo periodicals. It was a wild ride!
THAT MOMENT CHANGED MY LIFE AND I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THAT MOTORCYCLE FAMILY. I had to have a bike and in Florida you could ride
all year. My father noticed my interest in all things with twowheels and took me to a bike shop when I was fifteen to look at the used scooters. I remember going into Rizzo’s Italian Deli and finding Easyriders on the tiny magazine rack. Apparently Rizzo didn’t know there were topless girls in that magazine and he let me buy them. I didn’t learn much about girls by reading Easyriders but I did learn a little bit more about custom motorcycles and the biker culture. I raised money for my bike fund by cutting neighbors’ lawns and my dad kicked in half the dough. My first bike was a single cylinder Honda 65. It wasn’t much to look at but it got me in the wind. Thanks dad. As we celebrate Father’s Day, I want to thank all the biker dads out there who have been an inspiration to us all. How else were we gonna learn the biker code, right? In my own life, I managed to pass on that same venerable code down to my son William Garrett. Yes, my son’s name is Willie G., such is my dedication to the Motor Company and a life lived in the wind.
I took the little publishing company and turned it into a major media enterprise with both print and digital publications, worked with television producers to create the first Motorcycle Mania show with Jesse James and supplied all the custom bike builders for The Discovery Chanel’s Great Biker Build-off series. This led to me acting as the host and producer of V-Twin TV on the SPEED Channel. In the early 2000s, Motorbooks asked me to write books about custom bikes and the amazing builders who were featured on those Discovery shows. Ace motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter and I came out with ‘Top Chops’ and that led to a book about ‘Indian Larry’. Then I wrote a trilogy about the history of the outlaw biker culture called ‘One Percenter’; ‘The One Percenter Code’; and ‘One Percenter Revolution’.
“I am so proud and excited for the future of this company and the things that Dave Nichols brings to the table. He is legendary in so many ways and we want all of you to come along for this ride as we launch the next 25 years of Born to Ride! “ Ron Galletti
That first motorbike led me to own many others over the years including my favorite, a 16-over springer, rigid panhead chop BTR 24 | BORNTORIDE.COM
Born To Ride Magazine, Real Editorial Content, Real Value every month for you the Reader
At the same time our Easyriders Bike Shows and Motorcycle Rodeos offered riders across the country a great way to get out and enjoy the lifestyle we love. We rode that motorized high for many years… until Jane Root came along. Ms. Root was the new programmer at Discovery Networks and she wanted the channel to get back to its roots (pun intended). She wanted to get rid of the very shows that put Discovery on the map. She wanted to get rid of all the “testosterone TV” that included the Teutul’s American Chopper series, Motorcycle Mania, Monster Garage and the Great Biker Build-off. Suddenly, there were no more motorcycle-related TV shows left on Discovery and the custom chopper market dried up. Within a few years, aftermarket chopper companies such as American Ironhorse and Big Dog were history too. At the same time, the Internet was pulling people away from paper magazines and towards free entertainment online. Easyriders sales went into a nose dive and the owner of the company, Joe Teresi, had no idea how to pull his aging publishing firm out of the tail spin. Plus, Joe was 79 years old and was tired. He just wanted out. But who would buy a publishing company in the age of the Internet? Then a year ago, the company was sold to a Canadian concern that wanted the brand name for high fashion jeans. These were people who knew absolutely nothing about motorcycles or the biker lifestyle. All the editorial staff was canned, yours truly included. Just a few weeks later, Ron Galletti touched base with me and we talked about expanding the Born To Ride brand. I met Ron many years ago. He even interviewed me for his Born To Ride TV show. I knew his heart was in the right place. Here is a man who has lived the biker lifestyle his whole life; a man who knows what his readers want and delivers it to them each and every month. Now I am proud to announce that I am joining this motley crew of motorized misfits and we have plans… big plans! Sure, Born To Ride is well known in Florida and the southeast, but the time has come to share the love and bring this fine magazine, radio show and television series to riders everywhere. Where are we going? Well, I believe that as soon as this “quarantine” is over, bikers everywhere are going to want to ride and party their asses off! We at Born To Ride intend to help you do just that! We are talking about bringing you killer custom bike shows, live concerts, and even biker cruises where you can store your bike in the ship and ride through exotic ports of call. If that isn’t enough, we have plans for something that is going to blow your wheels off! All I can say is, Born To Ride will offer bikers a home for our family like no other. Watch right here in Born To Ride for details on all the cool stuff that will be roaring your way in the near future.
“Having Dave join us and take our brand to the next level and give bikers more to do, see and experience is thrilling. “ Deb Galletti
BUT KNOW THIS: Born To Ride is all about YOU and we are dedicated to giving riders what they want. Born To Ride is all about what it has always and will always be about, namely you. All of us at Born To Ride live to ride and still feel the excitement of that passion to throw a leg over a scoot and roar off down the road. Motorcycle oil runs in our veins and the sweet freedom found on two wheels stirs our souls.
WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US FOR THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME. —Dave Nichols
Are you interested in being a part of Chopporama 2021, Let us know: info@borntoride.com
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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 BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 27
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
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.
Nefarious James “Here Goes Ev
Here goes everybody. The moment you’ve been waiting for. More sarcastic and raw points of view from your own Nefarious James. Being upfront, not everybody will agree with me. That’s the beauty of American freedom. Don’t expect me to really care about your point of view or if this hurts your feelings. Grab your crying towel or whatever you need to get ready for this because here it comes both barrels. I am friggin at wits’ end with all this virus BS and stimulus checks that everyone is BTR 28 | BORNTORIDE.COM
hoping to receive. Fed up with complacent citizens of this country willing to watch our nation turn to Hell and do nothing but wait for a hand out. For one, I’ve noticed there are different categories of individuals waiting on these checks. Those in definite need: These people are genuinely trying to stay above water. They are using the checks they receive to feed their families, pay their mortgages or rent, and struggle to survive. No doubt this whole situation has created a whole group
of Americans that are barely hanging on because of not being allowed to return to work. Those that are saving the check: For backup reasons in case they need it to take care of the above issues. They may not be at a point of desperation where they have to have it because they are currently still able to work, but they don’t want to take any chances. And of course the real winners here: The ones out there squandering the money on
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verybody”
non essentials. Partying, Drinking, just treating this whole situation like there is no care in the world. You know the ones. Those that will receive a check then go out partying and having a good old time at every other taxpayers’ expense. They don’t care if it runs out. They will sit there with their hand out expecting more of what they consider the “free Government Money”. And after that’s gone this same person will cry how broke they are and set up a go fund me account or some fundraiser for
themselves crying how hard they have it instead of genuinely seeking employment. The ones that depend on the fact that it’s easier to get a tan on the palm of their hand than it is to get blisters. There is a whole new group. The unemployment people that are getting the unemployment compensation they worked for plus the additional $600 for not doing a damn thing. That’s right. They are getting the benefits they earned and getting a bonus of $600 on top of that just for the hell of it. Again a group within this group feels it’s their right to get this additional money. Now here is the real kicker to all this. Many of these people who are receiving the unemployment benefits are being asked to return to work and they are refusing to do it. ‘Why’ you ask? Because sitting on their ass at home now makes them more money than they would make if they return to work. Before y’all single parents or those with a litter of kids get your panties in a wad, I know you going to say “well I’d have to get a sitter for my kids because they are not in school”, or the business oriented family stating “I have to pay cobra or come up with the money for my insurance to carry over”. Absolutely right and I get it. So what is the solution you ask? SIMPLE . LET US GO BACK TO WORK AND KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL!!! Life is tough. We all eventually get sick. Big surprise. We all eventually die. Sad but True. Those of us in Florida or any coastal state have learned over the years that there is always rage before the eye of a storm. Things are rough at first then calm down as the eye passes over. It’s then followed by the passing of the second bands of the storm. This will be no different. And yet we endure. Unfortunately this whole charade was all in the making for a very long time. I grew up in a time where drinking out of the garden hose and playing outside was a normal thing. I wasn’t bathed in hand sanitizer. Back in my day we didn’t have idiots licking ice cream in stores or spitting on food in grocery stores in some sort of asinine protest. All you are showing people is that you’re too stupid or lazy to write a sign or write a letter to a congressman or women protesting and expressing your dissatisfaction with what is going on. Instead you post a picture of yourself licking a public toilet? What are you a friggin moron? Come on people it’s common sense time. It’s also sad that the biggest social media complaint out there seems to be with people’s discontent with bars being kept closed. They want to yell and scream about that, yet they don’t scream as loud about what’s even more important. Scream about everything being reopened and going back to work. Hey Bartenders and wait staff, Unemployed broke people don’t tip. Remember that when you go home with an empty jar. Bottom line time. Terrorists wear masks, Chinese wear masks, Bank robbers wear masks. AMERICANS DON’T WEAR MASKS! We’ve survived plagues. We’ve survived world wars, we’ve survived 15 seasons of America’s Got Talent. We will survive this. Don’t become a friggin slave. Everything you think you’re given for free actually has a price tag attached to it. Our so called representatives are attempting to add legislation every day that will strip you of your constitutional rights. Why would you allow that? I’m not going to live that way. Enslaved and waiting for the government to protect me. Tell me what to eat, drink or put a chip in me. Next thing they will want is your motorcycle and your guns. You just going to give them over? Didn’t think so. You want America to be the next Venezuela? Hope not. Come on people. The job of our servicemen and women is to protect our interests and freedoms abroad. They make sure we are safe from the evils that want to crush our Democracy and our way of life. Our job here in the United States is no different. Our job is to make sure we the people protect our interests and freedoms here at home so our troops have the country they went abroad to protect is still intact the way they left it. Land of the Free and Home of the Brave? For how long? Right now I see a hell of a lot of cowards among us. For those who have served once in our military and currently do, you need to remember this very important thing. This includes our law enforcement as well. You took an oath to serve and protect this nation of ours from enemies both foreign and domestic. Not be consumed with shutting down businesses for following an unlawful order. The Constitution gets put aside for NO reason. It’s under siege. Where are you? Seems like it’s time to take roll call. First call. Your turn to answer. God Bless America. James “Nefarious” Gladstone
Got something to say to James? Let Us Know Your Thoughts: info@BornToRide.com
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GENERATION TO GENERATION In
a house which becomes a home, one hands down and another takes up the heritage of mind and heart, laughter and tears, musings and deeds. Love, like a carefully loaded ship, crosses the gulf between the generations. Therefore, we do not neglect the ceremonies of our passage: when we wed, when we die, and when we are blessed with a child; When we depart and when we return; When we plant and when we harvest. Let us bring up our children. It is not the place of some official to hand to them their heritage. If others impart to our children our knowledge and ideals, they will lose all of us that is wordless and full of wonder. Let us build memories in our children, lest they drag out joyless lives, lest they allow treasures to be lost because they have not been given the keys. We live, not by things, but by the meanings of things. It is needful to transmit the passwords from generation to generation.
A poem by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Fernand Bernard - Great Grandfather 1904
Roger Bernard - Grandfather 1932
Gaston Bernard - Father 1957 They say apples don’t fall too far from the tree. Alan Bernard of Santiago Chopper has followed in the footsteps of his forefathers; he is a fourth generation bike builder and rider. Thanks to Alan, Born To Ride is proud to present four generations of bike-building Bernard’s. BTR 32 | BORNTORIDE.COM
Alan Bernard, Santiago Choppers - Son 2008
Happy Father’s Day from Born To Ride to All the Fathers out there reading this.
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Florida Motorcycle Magazine The stellar year-round riding weather, makes Florida home to the most popular motorcycle rallies in the U.S. Daytona Bikeweek, Leesburg Bikefest, Panama City Beach Rally, and Thunder By The Bay are just few of the rallies that attract bikers from all over the world. Born To Ride is their Florida dedicated media source for advertising and event coverage.
Southeast Motorcycle Magazine Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North & South Carolina have roads that speak to the rider. Born To Ride highlights these states that draw thousands of bikers to this area every spring, summer and fall to experience the mountains, twisties, rivers and state parks, and changes in the seasons.
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Craven Moorehead It’s Summertime Again
So summer started in May evidently. Daily rain and high temperatures have made their way into the area and Hurricane season started a week early. Can’t complain too much I suppose - at least it isn’t snowing. It seems that lately, all I write about is the weather. It could be said that my life has become mundane and boring. If you observed that and thought the same thing then I guess we were both thinking alike. I remember back in the day when every moment was an adventure. Not so much anymore. Time is passed looking out the window at the rain coming down and listening to the dogs snoring. Yeah, I know you wouldn’t think that dogs snore and perhaps most don’t but for some reason mine do. I suspect that they learned that bad habit from me. They have picked up other bad habits as well but as boring as my life is lately I shouldn’t keep talking about it here and causing you, my dedicated readers to fall asleep while reading this article.
I recently was advised that I have to move from where I have been living. This is a serious problem. I am used to having a variety of nonspecific problems and other unpleasant situations, but so far, I have been fortunate enough to have a place to live. Well, not so much now, but somehow, I will find a way to survive. Seems harder this time but I will get over it one way or another. Stuff is expensive nowadays. It didn’t seem to be this bad a few years back. I do remember when a gallon of gas was more expensive, but I have never seen housing go to this limit. Even the grocery store kicks your butt every time you go in. It must be the economy that allegedly is better than ever or perhaps it is due to the unemployment rate that is lower than ever (according to the regulated media) but from where I sit, I can’t tell. If there is light at the end of the tunnel I can’t see to see it, or it is very dim. Not sure which at this point. So as we go through life with hopes and dreams of peace and prosperity, we still must accept the ups and downs and try to survive to the best of our ability. All I can advise is that we all keep keeping on and don’t let life drag us down. So no more bad stuff! I keep a positive attitude and continue to pray for better days. How does everyone else do it? I’m no expert but I suspect that most of you do the same thing. Being negative never produces a positive result. I like to get feedback from my readers and good or bad I take all your comments to heart. Born To Ride has been here for years serving the biker community in every way possible. Your opinions and comments are always welcome and appreciated. I sincerely hope that each and every one of you has a fantastic summer season and that the rain stays away from your ride to wherever it is you are going. CRAVEN
R.I.P. Craven Moorehead, Your Words Will Live On Forever
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HAPPY FATHER’S RON! 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 BTR 40 | BORNTORIDE.COM
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
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