SEPT OCT 2020 2020#92 #91
read it/watch it/ride it
BORNTORIDE.COM
Contents
OCTOBER ISSUE 92
AD INDEX
FEATURES
Dog Gone Hot Dogs - Forgotten Angels
10
Are We Having Fun Yet?
13
Freedom Powersports - Survivor Strong
18
The Tank Whisperer
28
COLUMNS
18
Movie Review - Ghost Rider
27
Motorcycle Law Group - 4 Things
31
Christian Motorcycle Association
40
DEPARTMENTS Contents Page Letter From The Editor Dave Nichols Ride Safe, Ride Smart-One Way Street Tech Tip - Low Rider S - Real Pipes Born To Ride Kids
2 4 6 32 40
REPORTS Women’s World - Dirt Bikes & Design
28
8
Roscoe’s Chilli Challenge
22
Willie Reads It!
39
ON THE COVER Freedom Powersports - Survivor Strong Benefit October 25, 2020 - Atlanta Motor Speedway freedompowersportsmcdonough.com survivorstronggeorgia.com
AAA IFC Biker Owned Business
37
Boss Hogg Radio
26
BTR.com 8 BTR Facebook
39
BTR Facebook Group
36
BTR Heat Up
36
BTR Lifestyle
7,36
BTR Magazine Subscription
37
BTR Radio
34
BTR Youtube
39
Freedom Power Sports
20, 21
HD Thunder Tower West
12, BC
HD Tifton
5
High Seas Rally
35
LawBike.com 1 Leather Lid Inserts
37
Leather, Love & Freedom
37
Media Design Shop
17
Metalsport Wheels
IBC
Mid USA Motorcycle Parts
9
Motorcycle Law Group
30
Progressive Insurance
3
ProRider Ken Anderson
6
Roscoe’s Chili Challenge
24
Toys Wanted
37
Wanted GI Joe
37
Wife Swap-Now Casting
37
WHY BORN TO RIDE? WHY NOW?
Start an extraordinary relationship
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.
ISSUE #92
BORN TO RIDE Magazine
PO BOX 3021 Brandon, FL 33509
Letter from the Editor
PUBLISHER
Ron Galletti 813-785-3895 888-795-5779 rg@borntoride.com
DAVE NICHOLS
CO PUBLISHER
Deb Galletti dgalletti@borntoride.com
EDITOR
FROM THE HELM
Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com
HEATIN’ UP AND COOLIN’ DOWN
ART DIRECTOR
Peter Soutullo art@borntoride.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erick Runyon
ART DEPARTMENT
Juan Guzman, Jared Hartman, Erick Runyon , Peter Soutullo, Craig Miller, Beatnik Steve Werner art@borntoride.com
WEB DESIGN/ELECTRONIC MEDIA Juan Guzman
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Nancy Ray nray@borntoride.com
MULTI-MEDIA SPECIALIST Jared Hartman, Craig Miller Jasper Harris
SALES & MARKETING 888-795-5779
ROAD CREW
Vick Velosity, Mark Crowder, Doug Bright, Birdman Mike, Mr. Clean
SCENIC RIDE CONSULTANT Steve Finzelber-Finz Finds
ON THE ROAD TEAM
The John & Heather Show
CONTRIBUTORS
JP Brady, Neale Bayly, Susan Hurst, Spyke & Mike, Eric Albright, Eric Vician, Myra McElhaney, Paul Murray, James Gladstone Greg Blackwell
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ron & Selena Hawks, Chris Miller, Scott Odel, Eric Albright, Chopper Dave, JP Brady, Erick Runyon, Craig Miller
LAW FIRM
Rubenstein Law 1-800-FL-LEGAL BORN TO RIDE OFFICE 888-795-5779
BTR 4 | BORNTORIDE.COM
HOWDY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
Things are really heatin’ up here at Born To Ride, just as Autumn is coming and the weather is cooling down. The Fall of the year offers some incredible rides and runs and in this issue we introduce you to two of ‘em. First, Freedom Powersports of McDonough, Georgia brings you our cover story on the Survivor Strong breast cancer survivor benefit. This amazing moto masterpiece will take place at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 25th and proceeds go to Keris Kares for Pediatric Oncology. There will be killer live music, celebrities, a car and bike show, venders galore, great food and drink, and the event will be raffling off a custom Sling Shot. See the full story in this issue. Then check out Roscoe’s Chili Challenge. If you like a throw down, all-out biker good time, this adults-only party is your bag. Join thousands of your best friends down in Lakeland, Florida on November 5th through the 8th for non-stop live bands, body painting, a ride-in bike show, suds and grub, biker rodeo madness including out-house drag races, arm wrestling competition, corn
hole competition, and did we mention it’s the best chili cookoff in two-wheeled history? Roscoe’s is worth the ride! Also in this awesome October issue, our Woman’s World column introduces you to dirt bike damsel Kim Teems of Tennessee, check out a David Mann tribute Triumph that benefits the Forgotten Angels Charity, and come with us to the Isle of Man for incredible racing with Scott O’Dell. Then get a sweet tech tip on real pipes for Low Riders, and enter the rust warrior world of the man we call the Tank Whisperer. You say you’ve got a custom bike that needs to be in Born To Ride? Tom Russo thought so and you can feast your eyes on the bagger he calls “Lunger” that tips its cowboy hat to the wild west legend, Doc Holliday. If you’d like to submit your Reader’s Ride, send photos and contact info to editor@ borntoride.com. All this and more is roarin’ your way and just a page turn away in the outrageous October issue of Born To Ride. — Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com
You are riding along in the left lane of a one-way street, with a car ahead of you on your right. As the two of you enter an intersection, the car swerves left across your path to make a turn. Strategy: Because traffic was light, the driver may have forgotten that he was traveling on a one-way street and never looked in his blind spot for you. Since there was no traffic in the oncoming lane, he felt free to make a normal left turn (without signaling), inadvertently trapping you in his path. There was no way, short of watching for the non-existent signal, to predict that this driver was going to turn left. But remembering that intersections are always situations of increased risk, you might have prepared for this by taking actions to separate yourself from the other vehicle. By riding so close (and inside the driver’s blind spot) you effectively hid yourself
from the driver’s vision and greatly increased your exposure to danger. For more information go to www.msf-usa.org
@ BornToRide.com ode come to life.
10
100 Page Online Exclusive @ BornToRide.com Scan Code to see this Episode come to life. 100 Page Online Exclusive at BornToRide.com
Women’s World GRITTY DIRT BIKES AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
Kim Teems of Chattanooga, Tennessee grew up riding on the back of her dad’s motorcycle. As an adult with two small daughters, she went back to college. She took the MSF class to get a motorcycle license so she could use her dad’s Honda 500-4 as transportation to and from school. In fact, her first solo ride was to class! It wasn’t long before Kim was using her education in graphic design, her love for bikes and her hobby of taking photos all together for business. While taking photos at a H.O.G. Rally with her boyfriend, a motorcycle magazine asked to use her photos. While her ‘real job’ was as a graphic designer for The Print Shop, Kim co-founded a local motorcycle magazine. This allowed her to attend bike rallies, poker runs, and other events as a photographer. As she was traveling around to various motorcycle events, Kim became familiar with off-road riding and thought it sounded fun. Then while dating a guy who rode adventure bikes she found the best of both worlds as his Suzuki V-Strom could work both on and off roads. Kim sold her street bike and got a V-Strom. She could ride it in the woods, on fire roads, on dirt or gravel. This takes different body movements than riding on pavement and it took a while not to feel terrified. Always a rebel she thought, “If it scares me I want to!” BTR 8 | BORNTORIDE.COM
One very painful lesson is that on an adventure bike you can jump off the bike and let the bike go down. Kim didn’t! She blew out her knee. She had to recover mentally and physically as that accident really messed with her head. Still, she was determined to master adventure riding. Kim became involved with FACES: The National Craniofacial Association. She used her connections in the motorcycle community to plan a poker run event as a fundraiser for them. Kim coordinated the poker run for several years and it was a major fundraiser for FACES, a non-profit organization that provides education, empowerment and financial assistance to adults and children with craniofacial differences. After working as a graphic designer, software trainer and coowning another magazine Kim eventually became communications director at FACES. She also does freelance graphic design which you can check out at KimTeems.com. Kim currently has two bikes. A Yamaha XT250 to ride on the dirt and a big BMW F800 GS adventure bike. The heavier bike is great for back roads, dirt roads, and primitive camping. Motorcycles, graphic design, photography, communications—Kim has blended her skills, talents, and hobbies into an exciting career and fun life!
Myra McElhaney If you or someone you know has a unique story contact Myra@MyraMcElhaney.com.
haney
for FORGOTTEN ANGELS
What do you do when the life you’ve known for the previous 16 yrs as a service member of the United States Army comes to a halt because of a medical condition? Well, if you are Jared Weems of Weems Motor Co. you’ll eventually build a motorcycle, raffle it off and give all the proceeds to a Charity. Meet Jared Weems and this is his story.
Before we tell you all about the amazing machine you see here, we need to fill you in on the man behind the machine. Jared Weems was bitten by the ‘Triumph Bug’ at the early age of 7 years old when he and his brother started helping out their Father working on the families 1949 Triumph and he hasn’t stopped riding them and rebuilding them since. In 2003 Jared enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve his country, and less than a year later he was deployed to Iraq. Upon leaving for his first of several deployments, Jared told his Father that ‘if’ he returned, he wanted to start rebuilding another Triumph. When he returned, his Father had a 1972 Triumph waiting for him as a welcome home present. The Triumph brand runs deep in the soul of all the Weems men. Check that, ‘God’, ‘Family’, Country and ‘Triumph’ are what fuels the fire within the soul of Jared Weems and his family.
BTR 10 | BORNTORIDE.COM
In 2014, U.S. Army Parachute Rigger Jared Weems was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor. Life as he knew it was about to change dramatically. Two years later, as he was going through the treatment process for his tumor, he had his first seizure. The following onset of seizures led to an early medical retirement after 16 years of service. Not knowing what the future held, he sold his Triumphs and focused on his health and family
Nearly a year had passed when a close friend gave him a two-page David Mann painting that was featured in the center of the July 1983 edition of Iron Horse Magazine. The significance of the painting, called ‘Dog Gone Hot Dogs’, featured a rainbow-colored Triumph Chopper. As Jared focused on his recovery for a few more years, his health conditions seemed to have reached a plateau and his seizures were becoming less and less frequent, the ‘motivation’ to wrench on a Triumph again was starting to slowly work its way back into his system. Cut to November 2019 and Born Free organizer Mike Davis announces a ‘Pre-Unit’ Triumph Build Class for Born Free 2020.
S
After nearly four months of being seizure free, Jared realizes that maybe a new build for the event could be almost therapeutic, and that creating the Triumph in the David Mann painting was the bike he set out to bring to life. The build began with a very abused 1952 Triumph Speed Twin and in the period of nearly 7 months of meticulous, painstaking labor the bike evolved into the beautiful machine that grace these pages. This could have easily been the end of a beautiful story, but there’s so much more…
“
Jared Weems was bitten by the ‘Triumph Bug’ at the early age of 7 years old when he and his brother started helping out their Father working on the families 1949 Triumph and he hasn’t stopped riding them and rebuilding them since.
As a Life Skills Instructor at his local church, Jared was introduced to a charitable organization called Forgotten Angels. Forgotten Angels helps Foster Children who have aged out of the system and are still in need of guidance for basic life skills, help with getting jobs, and continuing their education etc. Part of Jared’s build process was to bring some of the boys from Forgotten Angels to help with final assembly. As his relationship with the Forgotten Angels grew, so did his desire to do something ‘more’. He felt a need to ‘pay it forward’, so he decided to raffle off the Mann Build and give 100 percent of the proceeds to Forgotten Angels.
”
As news of the Mann Build has grown throughout the motorcycle community, the Mann Family has reached out to Jared thanking him for his hard work in bringing one of David Mann’s bikes to life. They also noted that it was particularly meaningful because David Mann himself had adopted a child while he was living in Clearwater Florida, and that building the bike, and raffling it off to an organization that further helps Foster children was a beautifully touching way to bring David Mann’s life and his work back to full circle. For more information and to purchase raffle tickets, head on over to www.weemsmotorco.com/raffle You can also get more information or donate directly to the Forgotten Angels by going to www.forgottenangelsflorida.org To stay up to date on the build, where it will be on displayed, and to keep up with Jared, you can find him Instagram @weemsmotorco.tampa
Born To Ride Magazine, real editorial content for you the reader every month
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 11
Images and text by Scott and Carla Odell I am always scouring the internet for information and stories about the greatest road race on earth. There is a lot of it out there and it keeps my cravings down a little, but the need to experience the sounds and sights is a different story. I can go to a lot of tracks and see motorcycles racing in the USA, but one thing is missing‌sidecars! I have never seen sidecars race in the USA in my life time. I punched in a few choice words on a Facebook search and low and behold, South Florida Sidecar Racing popped up! BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 13
I went straight to the page and contacted Tony Doukas and was on the phone with him in just a few minutes. He told me about the SFSR, the organization that has been racing in South Florida for a year. “You need to call and talk to Peter Essaff, he is the one that got me into sidecars,” said Tony. Of course, I called Peter and within minutes of our conversation I knew that we were destined to meet…this man has raced at the Isle of Man! It was a no-brainer to go see him race and before you know it, Carla and I were at Palm Beach International Raceway for the weekend to dive into the sidecar culture first hand. In the sea of 2 wheel race bikes were the scattered tents and trailers with sidecars. We found Peter Essaff and had a chat with him. “I have been racing sidecars since 1977, first as a passenger and then as a driver. I have won National championships with the
AMA over the years and I have traveled all across the country racing sidecars. In 2015, a Canadian team went to the Isle of Man and they didn’t have a lot of luck with the weather or qualifying. In 2016 I got a call from them asking if I would drive their sidecar. “Are you nuts?” was my reply. After an hour later and a few beers I called them back and said yes. I made 4 trips to the IOM and drove a rental car to try and memorize all the turns and nuances of the famous mountain course. I qualified and actually made 21 laps, yes 21 laps around the course! It was a time I will never forget!” Peter exclaimed. Let me tell you what kind of achievement that really was! He finished race 1 in 27th place out of 41 sidecars. The number 1 sidecar of Dave Molyneux did not finish, Tim Reeves number 5 DNF, the Birchall brothers number 2 DNF! In race 2 Peter finished in 28th and Wayne Lockey DNF. Peter would eventually buy Wayne’s 2009 Ireson and bring it to the USA.
“
BTR 14 | BORNTORIDE.COM
”
“It’s a rocket ship!” Peter said with a big smile. “I call it Amazing Grace and it is the last Ireson built for the Isle of Man,” said Essaff. I ended up talking to almost every sidecar team and I knew right away that they were a very close knit family of racers. They came from all corners of the United States and the world. Boris Stroud came all the way from Scotland and has a big part in getting sidecars racing in the states. He saw racing in his homeland in Northern Scotland go from 2 sidecars to over 40 of them! Boris is dedicated to the sport and so is his wife Bonnie, who was racing in the passenger seat with Butch Nelson on another bike. Let’s get this straight, this sport is for everyone. Tony Doukas’s wife, Lisa, races in the chair position and was part of their championship. Nicole was also in the chair this weekend for the first time. Paul Koehler drove down from New Hampshire for the race and with blind faith had first timer, Ali, from Orlando as a passenger. She was all over the bike and they actually did quite well. “When you are in tune with the bike and are drifting 3 wheels through the corners, it is the most fun I have ever had, “ said John who was a passenger on Skippy’s sidecar. Nick, aka “Skippy” has been into sidecars for 10 years and has had Peter Essaff as his mentor and guru for most of it. Wendel Aguilar came all the way from California with
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 15
I came across these words on Facebook that have been added to by many people. The life that many will not understand, but we do! We own a sidecar because of a personal life choice. One day when we are very old and cannot ride, it will be in our garage as a trophy of our memories. We have met people who taught us something and have the same spirit. We now meet people who get wisdom from us. We get wet. a couple of sidecars and is originally from the Philippines . He had We get cold. a lot of work to do on Saturday , but he got the bike on track for We have been hot. practice. We have been afraid What has truly help get sidecars off the ground was Tony West We have fell and we have stood up. and the FMRRA ( Florida Motorcycle Road racing Association) They gave them the opportunity to become part of the race series We have even hurt ourselves. when there were no sidecars. The FMRRA is the most advanced We have laughed out loud with the wind. series in the US and was created for motorcycle racers by motor- We have spoken a thousand times to ourselves and cycle racers. Everything is focused on the racers interest. They still do. have reduced the cost of racing, have the latest technology, and We have shouted with joy like madmen. is a place for future racers to call home. The overall vibe is like And yes‌sometimes we cry. having one big family and everyone is helping others.The bulk of We go out with frustration inside and come home the races are at PBIR, Homestead and Roebbling ,Georgia just with peace in our heart. outside of Savannah. Go to www.fmrra.com and check out the schedule. If you are looking for a great weekend of racing and We spend money that we don’t have, gave up many fun, go to one of the races. things, but it is all worth it. Our bikes are who we are. The future of sidecar racing is in good hands in Florida. Tony Doukas of Punta Gorda is building mini-GP sidecars for kids 5-12 We love our friends and the joy of great people and years of age as we type these words. They will race on the small motorcycles. track at PBIR and gain experience before they move up to the big May the angels guard our travels , for they know the ones.and Peter will still be giving advice to everyone. We have race ahead of us. Scott and Carla Odell made a lot of new friends because of sidecars, it is addictive.
BTR 16 | BORNTORIDE.COM
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 17
P R E S E N T S
FREEDOM POWERSPORTS OUT OF MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA, is your one stop shop for everything in new and used motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides and Slingshots. The dealership is proud to carry a wide selection of on-road and off-road vehicles, sure to Fuel your Escape. Freedom Powersports is Henry County’s factory authorized BMW, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Polaris, Honda, and Slingshot dealer and is part of the mighty Freedom Powersports company founded by Kevin Lackey.
communities we live in,” Kevin tells us. “Today we have 16 dealerships in Texas, Georgia, and Alabama and we’re here to build a relationship with every customer. We’re powered by customer service and we just so happen to sell all the cool powersports stuff you could want or need.”
Believe it or not, Kevin began as a porter at a dealership and worked his way up to manager. Then he leveraged a deal to buy the owner out. From there, he built an empire of high quality dealerships. “I founded this company in 2012 with a goal of building relationships and supporting the
“ Ride on out to the Atlanta
Motor Speedway this October 25th and enjoy a day of family friendly fun
BTR 18 | BORNTORIDE.COM
“
Not content to just be the best powersports dealership in Georgia, Freedom Powersports of McDonough has cooked up an amazing event that benefits breast cancer survivors. Born To Ride is proud to be a part of this huge moto-mania event that is coming on October 25th from noon to 7pm that benefits Keris Kares for Pediatric Oncology. Some lucky biker will win a raffle for a 2019 customized Sligshot by Twisted Customs and there are
lots of other amazing prizes being given out as well. But the big news is that one lucky cancer survivor will be getting a brand new custom built home thanks to Abernathy Custom Homes. Ride on out to the Atlanta Motor Speedway this October 25th and enjoy a day of family friendly fun including great live music by Sean P. of Youngbloodz, plus tons of vendors, wild games, a killer car and bike show with cash prizes, and delicious food and drink all for just five bucks! Plus, you’ll even get to rub elbows with major celebrities and athletes. Purchase Raffle Tickets for the Custom Slingshot by calling Deejay Gross at 770-957-7404. It’s all happening this October 25th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1500 Tara Place, Hampton, Georgia. Visit
www.freedompowersportsmcdonough.com for more info and go to www.survivorstronggeorgia.com to buy your raffle tickets for that incredible custom Slingshot. We’ll see you there! — Dave Nichols
OCTOBER 25TH
12PM - 7PM ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
1500 TARA PLACE, HAMPTON, GEORGIA
w w w . f r e e do m p o w e r s p o rt s m c do n o u g h . c o m www.survivorstronggeorgia.com
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 19
BTR 22 | BORNTORIDE.COM
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 23
P
Ov his bo a doc a thou Meph refuse In motor in exc next m is cur in wh Blaze Meph to one 21 rider k his life whom
PHANTOM MOVIE REVIEW
to attend a dinner date. Meanwhile, Blackheart, the demonic son of Mephistopheles, comes to Earth, along with three fallen angels who bonded with the elements air, earth, and water. They are tasked to find the lost contract of San Venganza. In response, Mephistopheles makes Blaze the new Ghost Rider and offers to return his soul if he defeats Blackheart, though he is also told he has no choice in the matter. Blaze is driven straight to the station on his first ride, where he transforms into the Ghost Rider and kills the earth angel, Gressil. He also saves a young girl from a mugger and incapacitates him with the penance stare (a power that allows the Ghost Rider to make any evil person experience all the pains they caused on their victims as long as the victims were good and not evil). The next day, he meets a man called the caretaker, who seems to know all about the history of the Ghost Rider. He tells him everything that happened was not a dream and that it will happen again, especially at night when he is near an evil soul. When he arrives home, Blaze finds Simpson and reveals himself as the devil’s bounty hunter. Unconvinced, she walks away in disbelief. After a brief imprisonment for the murders that Blackheart committed, Blaze kills the air angel, Abigor, and escapes from the police before returning to the caretaker, who tells him of his predecessor, Carter Slade, a Texas Ranger who hid the contract of San Venganza. Blaze returns home to find that Blackheart has killed his friend Mack and has taken Roxanne captive, threatening to kill her if Blaze does not deliver the contract. Blaze tries to use the penance stare on Blackheart, but it does not work as Blackheart has no soul to burn. Blaze returns to the caretaker, who reveals himself as Carter Slade, and obtains the contract. Slade tells Blaze that he is more powerful than his predecessors since he sold his soul for love as opposed to greed. Slade leads Blaze to San Venganza, then gives Blaze a lever-action shotgun before fading away. After killing the water angel Wallow, Blaze gives the contract to Blackheart. He quickly transforms into Ghost Rider in an Over one hundred years ago, the devil Mephistopheles sent effort to subdue Blackheart, but dawn arrives and he is rendered his bounty hunter of the damned, the Ghost Rider, to retrieve powerless. Blackheart uses the contract to absorb the thousand a document known as the contract of San Venganza, a list of souls into his body. He attempts to kill Blaze, but is distracted a thousand corrupt souls. Seeing that the contract would give when Simpson uses Blaze’s discarded shotgun to separate them. Mephistopheles the power to unleash hell on Earth, the rider After Blaze tries to kill Blackheart with the shotgun, he moves in refuses to give him the contract. and uses his penance stare to render him catatonic, burning all In 1986, Mephistopheles reaches out to 17-year-old stunt the corrupt souls within Blackheart, which is what he had hoped motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze, offering to cure his father’s cancer for. in exchange for Blaze’s soul, an offer he hastily accepts. The Mephistopheles appears and returns Blaze his soul, offering to next morning, Blaze awakes to discover that his father’s cancer take back the curse of the Ghost Rider. Determined not to make is cured, but he is killed that same day in a motorcycle stunt another deal, Blaze declines, saying that he will use his power in which he falls into the ring of fire through which he jumps. against him, and against all harm that comes to the innocent. Blaze accuses Mephistopheles of causing his father’s death, but Infuriated for being robbed of the power, Mephistopheles vows Mephistopheles considers their contract to be fulfilled and promises to make Blaze pay, but Blaze tells Mephistopheles that he is not to one day see him again. afraid. Mephistopheles then disappears, taking Blackheart’s body 21 years later, Blaze has become a famous stunt motorcycle with him. Later, Simpson tells Blaze that he got his second chance rider known for surviving numerous deadly crashes. Blaze meets before sharing a final kiss with him. Blaze then rides away on his his lifelong sweetheart Roxanne Simpson, now a news reporter, motorcycle, turning into the Ghost Rider. whom he abandoned after his father’s death. He convinces her Do you have a favorite Biker Movie we don’t have? Let us know: info@borntoride.com
THE PHANTOM MOVIE REVIEW
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 27
CRAIG PAINTS BIKES…
AND LOTS MORE!
Craig Skiver paints bikes. In fact, he is known around Tampa Bay as “The Tank Whisperer” because he has an almost mystical ability to mind-meld with an ailing motorcycle gas tank in order to restore it to pristine condition. What exactly is a tank whisperer? Simply put, Craig rescues gas tanks. He can take a rusty, leaky gas tank that has been buried in the ground for a decade and bring it back to life. This nearly lost art involves repairing tanks with holes in them and that have been rusted beyond belief. “I make it so you can put gas in the tank again and make it new inside and out,” Craig tells us. There’s a reason why world class airbrush wizard Chris Cruz uses Craig to bring old sheetmetal to life. It’s because Chris only works with the best. A rider himself, Craig loves all things with two or three wheels and all marquees of motorcycles are represented on his website, from Harleys to Hondas, Suzukis to Kawasakis such as the one you are looking at here. This hybrid 1982 Kawasaki KZ1000 has a Moto Guzzi front end, a Ducati tail and parts from Suzuki in there as well. Craig was approached by Santiago Choppers to create this street fighter based on the look of a rare Godier Genoud (look it up – it was one of the most prestigious Kawasaki racing bikes back in the 1970s). “I’ve done two of them,” Craig say, “and I had to have this one. It is a rolling business card for my company.” The bike BTR 28 | BORNTORIDE.COM
features hand-picked Kawasaki colors, and as you might guess, it has won lots of trophies. Foundational paintwork has been Craig’s mainstay for many years and he is known for creating awesome custom graphics and super symmetrical pinstriping. Craig also handles all manner of sheetmetal repair including welding services, plastic and fiberglass fabrication. The main mission at Craig Paints Bikes is to produce amazing paintjobs by working with each customer to make their custom dreams come true. “We bring your motorcycle to life,” Craig says. “We can make your bike or trike extraordinary, designing and painting the baddest street bikes around.” He is well known throughout the southeast for reproducing colors and candy paint on vintage motorcycles and Japanese street bikes such as the Honda Sunflake Orange Candy used on CB 500s, CB 550s and CB 750s. Kawasaki Super Candy Red, Super Candy Blue, Rich Candy Gold and the obscure Halibut Blue Candy used in the 1970s on these coveted vintage motorcycles. Even Yamaha’s RD colors like Brandy Red have been reformulated with great success. Some of Craig Paints Bikes efforts have been featured on the Discovery Channel’s show Cafe’ Racer. “Santiago Choppers exclusively relies on my painting services for all of their custom motorcycles,” Craig says proudly. Westcoast Cycle in Tampa has also relied on Craig Paints Bikes in Tampa for over eight years to meet their needs, and more importantly, their customers’ needs to get their scooters back on the road and looking great. “Nicely polished parts are a must,” Craig says. “And the tanks must be perfect because they are the focal point on any motorcycle.” And who would know that better than The Tank Whisperer? For more information, visit craigpaintsbikes.com or call 813-407-2226. —Squid BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 29
4 Things to help your family if you’re involved in an accident BY MATT DANIELSON, THE MOTORCYCLE LAW GROUP
When a serious car or motorcycle accident occurs, it is often a family member or significant other who is contacting an attorney on behalf of the injured party. While I hope neither you nor your family are ever in this situation, all motorists should share vital information with a trusted emergency contact to help ensure they’re adequately prepared in the event of an accident. Below is a list of information to keep up to date and share with your family member or significant other. 1. Medical Insurance: Provide your emergency contact with the name of your insurance company and your policy number. Often, it’s easiest to give them a photocopy of your health insurance card. ? 2. Medical Information: Do you have any known allergies? Are there items in your medical history that would be important for an emergency medical team to know, such as current medications or a history of heart disease? Make sure your emergency contact is kept up to date on your medical conditions. ? 3. Personal Injury Attorney: What is the name and telephone number of a trusted personal injury attorney that your emergency contact can call – even for some guidance prior to formal representation? The sooner your attorney can be called the better. 4. Power of Attorney: If you are seriously injured and unable to make decisions for a period of time, a power of attorney designation allows a loved one to carry out tasks that you would normally do, such as paying bills or cashing checks. It also allows a loved one to make medical decisions for you. Power of attorney is important
even for those who are legally married. Once completed, it needs to be signed in the presence of a notary public. Visit our website (MotorcycleLawGroup.com) and select “Prepared Rider Kit” to download a free Power of Attorney template. The majority of riders go each year without an accident, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared in case you’re ever involved in one. Having this information readily available can be critical, especially immediately after the accident occurs. As always, if you have any further questions or comments concerning this article or any other matters concerning your rights as a motorcyclist, please do not hesitate to contact me. Matt Danielson is a partner at the Motorcycle Law Group, a personal injury law firm whose attorneys all ride motorcycles and practice in VA, WV, NC, SC and GA. Matt has successfully represented clients in cases from simple property damage to complex multi-million dollar personal injury claims. He is also a lobbyist, adjunct professor and works with motorcycle rights organizations. To learn more about the Motorcycle Law Group, visit MotorcycleLawGroup.com. Matt Danielson McGrath, Danielson, Sorrell & Fuller The Motorcycle Law Group 1-800-321-8968 Matt@MotorcycleLawGroup.com MotorcycleLawGroup.com BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 31
Real Pipes for the Low Rider S Even though there are a bazillion people out here in Southern California where I live, we can think of lots of good reasons to be one of them. Those positive reasons are called canyon roads! And these roads have created a red hot used-bike market for Harley’s 2017 Low Rider S. Most of the bikes that Harley built on its Dyna platform handled very well. Then, with the introduction of the 2017 Low Rider S, aka FXDLS, Harley took the Dyna label to a whole new level of performance. For the ’17 FXDLS models, Harley added the Screamin’ Eagle 110 cubic-inch motor, which gives these bikes a lot more resources to build on. Unfortunately, these bikes were also the end of the line for H-D’s Dyna style swingarm big-twin frame. But, like all stock motorcycles, the FXDLS has one huge performance drawback, the factory exhaust system. To start off, its sound quality lacks personality and then the 2-into-1-into-2 system doesn’t really allow that big motor to meet its true performance potential.
THE THUNDERHEADER SYSTEM NOT ONLY GAVE THIS LOW RIDER S A GREAT LOOK AND SOUND, IT REALLY WOKE UP THOSE 110-INCHES OF SCREAMIN’ EAGLE V-TWIN.
No matter what you ride, the crew at Thunderheader have an exhaust system for you. For this Dyna they developed a true 2-into-1 highperformance exhaust system that lets all of those 110 cubic inches breathe. But wait, you say breathe, we’re talking about an exhaust system, not an air filter or throttle body. I know, but an internal combustion motor’s breathing starts by filling an empty combustion chamber, and it requires a well performing exhaust system to clear the combustion chamber of all of the motor’s burnt gases. The Thunderheader exhaust system features a muffler that produces a suction effect inside of the last foot or so of the exhaust pipe. This suction actually pulls the exhaust gasses out until they reach the reverse cone located at the muffler’s exit end. So we ordered their black system, part number 1035B, MSRP $845 and matching heat shields, part number 1131B, MSRP $253. We followed along as the gang at Bartels Harley-Davidson did the install. Installing the Thunderheader was an easy job, it couldn’t have gone smoother; not only was every nut, bolt and bracket included, the instructions were also very complete. The install took just over two hours and only required hand tools. Not a hole was drilled nor a piece of the bike modified to fit the pipes. There are only two joints in the whole system, between the exhaust outlets in the cylinder heads and the end of the headpipes. Each head pipe is made from a single seamless tube section they welded together at the front of the muffler. Each of the three form-fitting heat shields is an exact fit. The hardware kit included two brackets to support the system. One of the system’s big features is the bracket that mounts to the transmission; its forward mounting hole is slotted, that way you don’t need to completely remove the bolt from the clutch cover. They also included new clamps for the heat shields. The only parts that were reused were the two snap-rings and flanges for the cylinder head exhaust port-to-head pipe joint.
The completed installation worked fine; the sound quality was fantastic, much deeper and mellower than the factory pipes. But the real deal was the overall performance improvement of the bike, it was like a brand new day in a more powerful world. The Thunderheader is a good complement to what we think is one of Harley’s best looking and riding bikes.
OUR STARTING POINT, THE BIKE HAS BEEN RAISED UP ON A LIFT, AND ITS SEAT AND THE FACTORY EXHAUST SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REMOVED. IF YOU ARE GOING TO WORK ON YOUR OWN BIKE, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU BUY THE APPROPRIATE SERVICE MANUAL; IT MAKES JOBS LIKE THIS SO MUCH EASIER.
THE OXYGEN SENSORS ARE THREADED INTO THEIR BUNGS AND EXHAUST FLANGE MOUNTS AND SNAP RINGS ARE INSTALLED ON THE TWO HEAD PIPES.
If you ride a Harley, Thunderheader makes a set of pipes that’s right for you!
- John Sullivan
Sources: Thunderheader | Thunderheader.net Bartels Harley-Davidson 4141 Lincoln Blvd. Marina del Rey, CA (310) 823-1112
BTR 32 | BORNTORIDE.COM
THE MUFFLER IS BOLTED TO THE MUFFLER SUPPORT BRACKET; ITS NUTS ARE ALSO THREADED ON FINDER TIGHT.
If you have a Tech Tip you would like to see, let us know at editor@borntoride.com
THE CL TO THE THE TH
S
TWO-INTO-ONE FROM THUNDERHEADER
THE THUNDERHEADER EXHAUST SYSTEM COMES FULLY ASSEMBLED; IT IS PRECISION WELDED TOGETHER.
THE EXHAUST ASSEMBLY IS ATTACHED TO THE DYNA’S TRANSMISSION CLUTCH MECHANISM COVER.
THE THUNDERHEADER’S MUFFLER SUPPORT BRACKET HAS BEEN BOLTED TO THE TRANSMISSION END COVER.
THE THUNDERHEADER’S EXHAUST PIPE MOUNTING CLAMP GETS FITTED OVER THE REAR CYLINDER’S HEAD PIPE AND SLID DOWN TO WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE FRONT CYLINDER HEAD PIPE.
THE ENDS OF THE EXHAUST ASSEMBLY’S HEAD PIPES ARE CAREFULLY SET INTO PLACE IN THE EXHAUST PORTS ON THE CYLINDER HEADS…
AND THE EXHAUST FLANGES ARE FITTED OVER THE CYLINDER PORT STUDS AND THEIR RETAINING NUTS ARE THREADED ON FINGER TIGHT.
THE CLAMP THAT WAS FITTED OVER THE REAR CYLINDER HEAD PIPE IS BOLTED TO THE EXHAUST PIPE MOUNTING FLANGE THAT IS ON THE LOWER FRONT OF THE THUNDERHEADER EXHAUST SYSTEM’S MOUNTING BRACKET.
NOW ALL OF THE SYSTEM’S MOUNTING BOLTS ARE TIGHTENED UP: STARTING WITH THE HEAD PIPE TO CYLINDER HEAD MOUNTING FLANGES, THEN THE MUFFLER MOUNT AND, FINALLY, THE CLAMP ON THE REAR HEAD PIPE TO MOUNTING BRACKET. LASTLY, THE THREE HEAT SHIELDS ARE ATTACHED AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS CLEANED BEFORE THE MOTOR IS STARTED.
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 33
Join your new FACEBOOK group now
Born to Ride !
It’s your lifestyle and YOUR PASSION Share it with bikers around the world Your photos, videos, trips, rides events, familY, adventutre & MORE Show us your motorcycles Where are you from ?
It’s your group, network AND have fun! BORN TO RIDE GROUP
DO YOU HAVE A BIKER OWNED
BUSINESS?
“WE WANT TO MARKET IT TO HELP YOUR BOTTOM LINE.”
888-795-5779
TOM RUSSO’S TRIBUTE TO DOC HOLLIDAY All bikers love westerns. It’s just a fact. Retired Lawman Tom Russo has a warm place in his heart for Val Kilmer’s characterization of Doc Holliday in the film Tombstone. This one-of-a-kind tribute to the film took a little over a year to complete. In the film, Doc Holliday died from tuberculosis and at the time, someone who suffered from this disease was called a “lunger”, hence the name of this bike. Eric Barnes, owner of Airbrush Art USA in Gulfport, Florida, painted this 2019 Harley Street Glide with incredible attention to detail and a strong understanding of the themes of this classic western. “It took Eric and I a lot of time to come up with the right themes for the murals that portray Doc and his friends Wyatt Earp and Wyatt’s brothers Virgil and Morgan,” Tom says. “Eric is an unbelievable painter. Before coming to Florida, he painted drag boats in Australia.” Instead of powder coating, Tom decided to do the bike in Cerakote C series. This process stands up to 1,800 degrees of heat allowing no discoloration due to excessive temperature. Some parts were powder coated to add to the bike’s individuality. All the Cerakote and Powder coating was done by Andrew and Austin of AB Powder Coating in St Petersburg, Florida. Tom built the front end using Performance Machine lower legs, a 180mm Native front wheel and Michelin rubber. Suspension Technologies out of Largo handled the front and rear suspension. Tom tells us it handles like a Cadillac. The exhaust system is a D&D Billet Cat with a ghost pipe. The design on both the exhaust shields and mufflers are one-off, using a special process which took months to achieve. “Of all my years of
BTR 38 | BORNTORIDE.COM
building bikes, I have never seen a themed exhaust system,” Tom says. “This secret process is something I have to keep close to my heart, it’s one-of-a-kind.” As for the motor, Tom says that he and his friend Mike Keehen installed a Cycle-Rama 470 cam as well as S&S lifters and push rods to add more ponies and a K&N High Flow air filter helps this beast breathe. “It was our first M8 cam install. We Dynoed the bike at just under 125HP, then with Chuck at Cycle-Rama making two more setting adjustments, the Lunger is running stronger than ever.” The bagger is lit up thanks to Custom Dynamics LEDs. Full bike lighting was put on by Reno’s Led Sled out of Largo. As for comfort, Tom sits on a Lucky Dave’s custom seat and 12inch apes give him the perfect reach for a cush ride. To further focus the Tombstone theme, Tom used bullet casings which were ground and set into the bike to bring this wild west tribute to life. Tom is originally from Upstate New York and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida about ten years ago. He tells us that he and Doc Holliday have a few things in common. “Namely a badge and an addiction. I was a good Law Man for almost 30 years but fought and finally fell to the torments of addiction. Finally recovering and putting my life together, I decided to do the thing I loved to do the most… build bikes.” To sum up this month’s Reader’s Ride, Tom quotes the epic words spoken by Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone. “You tell them I’m coming and Hell is coming with me! I was Born To Ride.” — Chopper Daddy Dave
Send photos and information of you and your motorcycle to editor@borntoride.com
Y
WILLIE READS IT!
RONNIE and EMILY’S
CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION Getting in the wind is a favorite pastime for bikers, there’s just no other experience that compares and offers such a sense of freedom. That being said, riders need to be ever-vigilant and pay a lot of attention to the traffic surrounding them. There is an old saying, “You can be dead right and still be dead wrong.” This can simply mean that even though you may have had the right of way in traffic, you can still end up as a traffic statistic. Even if there are no injuries, the whole day can be ruined by someone not paying attention to the road and causing an actual or near accident. There is also the issue of the sudden anger that such foolish driving causes, as well as the feeling of fury at the carelessness of someone not paying attention on the road. Last week I was driving a cage on a four lane road that had median cut-outs for U turns. As I approached the cut out I made note of a car trying to pull into the turnaround area in order to wait for the oncoming traffic. As I got closer to the intersection it became evident that the errant driver had no intention of stopping. As the car pulled into my lane of traffic I had to make an evasive maneuver, almost hitting the car on my right side. As the cars came to a complete stop, I have to admit that my blood
BTR 40 | BORNTORIDE.COM
momentarily began to boil at the dangerous and ignorant driving. Fortunately, I remembered a lesson from the past, and after several minutes I became able to settle down and forgive that driver for his terrible driving ability. The lesson I’d learned in the past was simply that I can hang onto my anger and let it control my day, or forgive the driver and regain a happy disposition. After all, in so many traffic incidences, the guilty party isn’t even aware that you exist, yet they have gained control of your day, and your attitude! This applies with cages or cars, and is possibly more important, for safety reasons, to bikes. In the Bible Jesus was asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?” Jesus answered, “. . . seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:2122. To my way of thinking this means unlimited forgiveness is the goal. Jesus Himself was the example, no matter what people did to Him, He forgave everyone. What would you rather have, an angry, unforgiving disposition, or a happy forgiving spirit. I know that none of us is perfect, that’s why we need Jesus, because He was perfect. With a happy, cheerful attitude you will not only feel better about others, you’ll feel better about yourself as well! Forgiveness is the key and happiness is the joy that can so easily be yours. The next time you want to get angry, just remember Jesus’ example. In the Wind, Denny Dingler
Check out BornToRide.com for more articles from Christian Motorcyclists Association
