SEPT APR 2021 2020 #98 #91
read it/watch it/ride it
BORNTORIDE.COM
Contents
APRIL ISSUE 98
AD INDEX
FEATURES
Born To Ride - Heat Up
30
Born To Ride - Live
30
Born To Ride Group
BC
Seattle Engraving Center-Bang for Buck 25
Born To Ride Kids
40
Tech Tip-Metalsport Wheels
28
Born To Ride Subscription
IBC
Reader’s Ride-Kalie’s Killer Sporty
32
Born To Ride.com
36
Boss Hogg Radio
30
Craig Paints Bikes
39
Cycle World of Athens
24 17
Knox Murray-Born to Race
8
Bike Week 2021
12
COLUMNS
12
Nefarious James-Ride
37
Denvers Choppers
Spyke & Mike-Spring Has Sprung
38
Events 39
Christian Motorcycle Association
40
DEPARTMENTS
39
Harley Rendezvous
IFC
High Seas Rally
15
LawBike Charles Watwood
1
Contents Page
2
Leather Lid
39
Letter From The Editor Dave Nichols
4
Metal Sport Wheels
5
Ride Safe Ride Smart-Left Turn
7
Mid-USA Parts
22
BTR Kids
08
GI Joe Wanted
52
Leather Lids
Power & Sound Revival
35
Progressive 3
REPORTS Jack’s Journey
Paughco 18
6 36
ON THE COVER BIKE WEEK 2021 Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Photo Erick Runyon
ProRider Atlanta
7
Sales Reps Wanted
39
Seattle Engraving Center
27
Thunder Beach
11
Thunder at the Rock
20
Tom McGrath’s Law Group
31
Toys Wanted
39
Wicked Wheel
10
WHY BORN TO RIDE? WHY NOW?
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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.
BORN TO RIDE Magazine
PO BOX 3021 Brandon, FL 33509
Letter from the Editor
DAVE NICHOLS
PUBLISHER
Ron Galletti 813-785-3895 888-795-5779 rg@borntoride.com
CO PUBLISHER
Deb Galletti dgalletti@borntoride.com
FROM THE HELM
EDITOR
DAYTONA MADNESS!
Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com
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
HOWDY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! Born To Ride burned rubber over to
Daytona Bike Week this year and the proof is in this kickass issue! March 5th through the 14th was the ultimate Run to the Sun for the 80th Annual Daytona Bike Week. Your brothers and sisters from Born To
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
Ride held court out at the Rat’s Hole Bike
MULTI-MEDIA SPECIALIST
Choice Award. We kicked off riding season
SALES & MARKETING
best and messin’ with the rest. Take a look
Nancy Ray nray@borntoride.com
Jared Hartman, Craig Miller Jasper Harris 888-795-5779
ROAD CREW
Vick Velosity, Mark Crowder, Doug Bright, Birdman Mike,
Show where we proudly picked the Editor’s as only Born To Ride can, partyin’ with the inside this awesome April issue for killer coverage of this year’s mega motorized
madness. If you were there, you might just
Steve Finzelber-Finz Finds
be in here!
ON THE ROAD TEAM
This issue we’re still mopping up after the
SCENIC RIDE CONSULTANT
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, Felicia Morgan, John Sullivan
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
amazing Thunder by the Bay Choppertown Live custom bike show down in Sarasota,
Florida. What an awesome event. Over 50 custom bike builders showing their latest
wild rides. We’ve got another Born To Ride
motorcycle event brewing that we’ll tell you about next month. It will absolutely knock your engineer boots off!
Our awesome April issue of the world’s
best biker rag explodes with all the fury of
a forgotten Easter egg! Check out a mouth-
waterin’ reader’s ride by wrenchin’ rider
Kalie Maden. Her sweet Sporty chop job
will make you want to start up your scoot
and ride! Meet seven-year-old motocross racer Knox Murray and help make his
motorized dream come true because this young man was born to race!
Check out one of our new sponsors, the
fine folks from Seattle Engraving Center
in Brandon, Florida. They make beautiful artwork out of deadly weapons. We’re
talkin’ about 24-karat gold-plated guns
that are lethal jewelry. Plus, our tech tip
this month involves another great sponsor, Metalsport Wheels!
But wait, there’s more! Nefarious James
offers up some truly touching words about the biker lifestyle we love that’ll get ya
moving, and Spyke & Mike get ready for Spring in a most egg-cellent way. Don’t
forget to join our Born To Ride Facebook page. We want to know what you ride,
where you ride and what you dig about the two-wheeled way of life.
Spring has sprung and it’s time to ride! — Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com
Through motorcycle trips, countless hours of conversation and time spent with Jack, myself Wayne Sims, Perry Biddle and others have come to know and love Jack. Also, riders who are no longer with us including Larry Williams, Gene Snider, J.B. Woodward, Jamie Moncrief, and Bobby Smith. We would like to share our friend Jack with you today. Jack was born to his parents Claude and Lucinlle on April 8, 1932 in Anniston, Alabama. He married Mary Jo his first-grade sweetheart. They have five sons and one daughter, all of whom ride Harley-Davidsons.
the office to see what “Sam” was talking about, not realizing it was a recruiting station. The recruiter instructed him to get into a van and drove to a train station in Gadsden. Jack climbed into a bunk and drifted off to sleep. Three days later when the train stopped in Texas, Jack was able to place a collect call to the only person on Buttermilk Road with a phone - Buck Greenwood. Jack still wasn’t sure what he had done, but he told Buck to go tell Mary Jo, “Sam got me!” “I’m somewhere in Texas”.
Mary Jo was a bookkeeper at South Trust Bank at the time. Jack finally told Mary Jo he had quit his job. Jo called all six children around the kitchen table and told them their daddy had quit his job and they were all going to starve in one big pile. Fortunately, Jo’s prediction wasn’t correct. Jack ran Greenwood Dental Lab until his retirement in 2018 at age 86. Jack also made gold jewelry from military days until present day. Jack’s life hasn’t been all work, for Jack knows how to have fun. He has owned 35 motorcycles. He was an active Shriner for 25 years. He has “Well, I’ve got to get In 1944 at the age of twelve, Jack worked been to Sturgis 20 times since 1986. He back to the Valley…. after school at Anniston Soil Foundry. has been to Daytona over 50 times since After getting off the bus, he would grab 1952. Mary Jo has been with Jack on Gotta go start some a biscuit and onion and run across the many of these trips, sometimes falling stuff with Mary Jo.” hillside five miles to work because it was asleep but holding on to Jack. ten miles to travel by road. He would In the early days of Daytona when the return home by dark having earned $1.25 Six months later out of boot camp, Jack races were on the beach Jack was there. and about 300 other men were in a for his day’s pay. He was also at the Cabbage Patch when parking lot, when a captain asked if Running to work each day, Jack would it was only a 4-way stop, drag racing anyone worked with small instruments in “eye” a Schwinn motorbike leaning by a with others, and running from the law. civilian life. Jack raised his hand, the tree. One day it asked if it was for sale. captain said, “come with me, you look like When asked how many continental states IT WAS! Jack bought his first motorbike a dental technician.” he had ridden in, he responded, “I can’t at age 12 for $50. To crank the bike, he think of one I missed.” had to run with it until it cranked and then After three years of Sam’s air force, in 1953 Jack returned to Anniston to the jump on. Jack was an avid golfer, an excellent pool foundry and his bride. player. Two years later, Jack began working full Shortly thereafter Jack worked at dental time at the foundry. At age 16 in 1948 After several of us sit around talking with labs in Anniston and West Point, Georgia Jack for a while at times he will say, Jack bought his first Harley-Davidson while taking courses at Auburn. Jack a 1946 Knucklehead. At 18 Jack asked “Well, I’ve got to get back to the Valley…. Mary Jo’s father permission to marry her. then worked for a dentist in Pell City from Gotta go start some stuff with Mary Jo.” 1960-1967. Her father had a question of his own. Jack you’ve gone from Buttermilk Road to “How are you going to take care of my Jack rode his Harley-Davidson to Pell City this special event for you today. daughter” Jack replied I don’t know but to work every day, encountering ruts and I will.” In December 1950 the two were construction, with mud and dust for seven As for taking care of Mary Jo…I’d say the promise you made her father in wed. long years. He opened his own lab in December, 1950 has been kept. Anniston while working his last year in One day, Jack saw a sign on Noble Pell City. He quit his job in Pell City and I am proud to call Jack Greenwood my Street, “Uncle Sam Wants You”. Tired friend. from the day’s work, he decided to enter had not told Mary Jo any of this. —Paul Steadman If you have a story or know someone we should feature, let us know: editor@borntoride.com BTR 6 | BORNTORIDE.COM
THE BASIC LEFT-TURN
Approaching a busy four-way intersection there are a lot of elements to monitor: cross traffic may or may not stop for the light; pedestrians could step out at any time; an oncoming car waiting to turn left could fail to detect your presence and turn left in front of you. Sure enough, just as you approach the intersection, the car in the opposing left-turn lane swings into your path. You brake hard and swerve at the last second, barely avoiding a broadside collision. Strategy: Without a doubt, this scenario is a frequent hazard for motorcyclists riding in urban areas. A common type of motorcycle crash (for sober riders) occurs during daylight hours, at low speeds (around 30 mph), when an oncoming vehicle turns left into your path. Again, when approaching an intersection with a vehicle waiting in the left-turn lane, your best bet is to assume the worst: that a car will pull out in front of you. Reduce your speed as you approach the intersection, either downshifting or lightly applying the front brake. Adjust your position in the lane to be seen better. Slowing will increase your safety cushion: slowing just 10 mph reduces your stopping distance significantly, and covering your brake greatly reduces reaction time. After you’ve slowed, continue to visually monitor the car in case it moves and forces you to change position or stop quickly. For more information go to www.msf-usa.org
O E T C N A R R BO When Knox Murray was just four-years-old, his parents took him to see the Supercross races at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The family enjoyed an evening of two-wheeled motocross madness in all its glory and Knox studied every move by the racers. When Knox walked out of that Stadium, the young boy looked up at his folks and said, “That’s what I want to do!” “He begged us to get him a dirt bike for two years,” Knox’s mom Melissa Murray recalls. “We finally got him one and he took off and has never looked back!”
Knox is now seven-years-old, racing in the AMA six-year-old class. He started on a Yamaha PW50 and is now riding a Husky TC50 that he’s been racing for the past three months. For 2021, he’s stepped up to race in the seven and eight-year-old class because he wanted to move up to a bigger bike. “He loves opening it up on the straightaways and jumping!” his mom tells us.
Knox trains and “He loves opening it up on the races at Dade City straightaways and jumping!” MX and Bartow MX. He also loves to ride This is a Born To Ride Kid at 74 MX in Punta Gorda. Last year he only raced the Bartow MX series half the year and placed 3rd overall in the Pee Wee Shaft Class and 4th in the Pee Wee 4-6 Beginner Class. Now all of us who love ridin’ motorcycles can appreciate this young man’s passion for two wheels and his love of racing. Here’s the thing, racin’ ain’t cheap, and Knox could sure use your help as a sponsor. “We are always looking for sponsors and help because there is a lot of maintenance that goes into the bike as well as training and racing fees,” Melissa tells us. “So any help would be greatly appreciated. Knox is currently sponsored by True MX for his riding gear.” If you or someone you know would like to help make a young racer’s dreams come true, give his mom Melissa Murray a call at 352-672-7131. Tell her you heard about Knox in Born To Ride. BTR 8 | BORNTORIDE.COM
If you have a Born to Ride Race story, let us know editor@borntoride.com
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Born to Ride Magazine , real editorial content for you the reader every month
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Born to Ride Magazine , real editorial content for you the reader every month
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Ride Safe, Ride Smart, we will see you next year in Daytona. The End
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MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!
SEATTLE ENGRAVING’S GOLD-PLATED GUNS Two brothers from Seattle have created an incredible company that makes beautiful artwork out of deadly weapons. We’re talking about our new Born To Ride sponsor, Seattle Engraving Center. Mike and Haysam Gamil moved to Florida and opened Seattle Engraving Center in Brandon. You’ll find them at 1073 E Brandon Blvd, in the Town Center at Forest Park. Imagine owning a super rare Colt Talo exclusive Aztec Empire 38 Super with amazing gold accents, incredible engraving and devilishly detailed mural work on the stock. You’ll find that piece of lethal jewelry on their website along with hundreds of other mindblowing guns. Like what, you ask? How about a custom 1911 Government Colt 45 that’s been 24-k gold-plated and black chrome engraved with
a Day of the Dead theme. And that’s just one of so many truly stunning fire-able wonders. When you go to their website, you’ll see what we mean.
Seattle Engraving Center has really mastered the art of gun customization, gun engraving, and 24K gold plating. Some of their guns even have diamonds and gem stones such as emeralds, rubies, and more. Let them make your piece personal or shop from their custom gun gallery of ready-to-own masterpieces. Seattle Engraving is committed to 100% satisfaction with their work. Check out the ad in this issue and visit the website at seattleengravingcenter.com or call 206-535-8978. Tell them Born To Ride sent you. —Dave Nichols
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“Think of the Money you could raise for your Charity with this type of Firepower.“ Ron Galletti Publisher
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A FULL-SERVICE ENGRAVING COMPANY, OFFERING HIGH QUALIT Y, CUSTOM DESIGN
WE MASTER THE ART OF GUN CUSTOMIZATION GUN ENGRAVING • DIAMONDS & GEMS • 24K GOLD PLATING
LET US MAKE YOUR PIECE PERSONAL! SEATTLE ENGRAVING 1073 E. BRANDON BLVD. BRANDON, FL 33511 • 813-330-7620 OR 813-330-7168 WWW.SEATTLEENGRAVINGCENTER.COM
Bitchin’ Big Wheels for Bag WE CHECK OUT METALSPORT INC. There are some companies whose products can really add an outstanding custom look to a bagger, yet most riders don’t know much about them. Metalsport is just such a company; they make super sharp looking large diameter billet wheels. Granted there are other people that make large diameter wheels, but only few do it like Metalsport; their billet wheels are true one-piece creations.
Having seen their wheels on many custom bikes, we decided to give you a close-up view of just how they make them. Located in a rather non-descript building out east of Los Angeles, which houses more large CNC metal working machines than we had seen in quite a while. Ron Loynds, Metalsport’s President, filled us in on their history and gave us a cook’s tour. They have been in the custom motorcycle parts manufacturing business for twenty plus years, albeit quietly though. They popped up on everybody’s radar with their introduction of several large diameter billet aluminum wheels. Now most tires have a lot in common, but not big aluminum wheels. Metalsport’s 3-D wheels have machined spokes that flair out to almost the same width as the rim, whereas your average custom wheel features spokes that are barely a fourth the width of the rim. Making one-piece wheels requires three things: a big aluminum billet, a CNC machine that is capable of milling it and a lot of time. Metalsport bought a large machine to do big wheel in, then bought several more so that they could make more than one wheel a day. They start with a solid chunk of aluminum, they put it into the giant CNC machine that is programmed to whittle away all of the excess metal. When they are done, they have two products: a custom 3-D motorcycle wheel and a bucket of machining chips that weighs more than the finished wheel. So subtly stunning are their wheels that our pictures can’t project their actual depth and texture.
Along the way, Ron hooked up with several custom builders; among them is Chip Foose. Chip has designed a lot of custom wheels, which Metalsport makes and markets for him. To say that their styling is handsome is a gross understatement; we especially liked the Nitrous II in black. For a complete look at Metalsport’s wheels, hit their website and be sure to watch the wheel video.
- John Sullivan BTR 28 | BORNTORIDE.COM
WHEELS AND MACHINES, METALSPORT HAS LOTS OF BOTH. THESE SEMI-FINISHED WHEELS ARE WAITING THEIR TURN IN ONE OF THE CNC MACHINES.
THIS 3-D WHEEL HAS HAD ITS SPOKES ROUGHED-IN; NOTICE HOW THEY GO OUT ALL THE WAY TO THE EDGE OF THE RIM.
SOURCE: Metalsport Custom Wheels 10112 Miller Way, South Gate, CA 90280 502-776-9594
ggers at Metalsport Wheels
THIS ROUGHED OUT WHEEL WILL END UP AT EIGHTEEN INCHES IN DIAMETER AND FOURTEEN INCHES WIDE!
ONE OF METALSPORT’S DEVIL’S SLIDE 3-D WHEELS ON THE FRONT OF A STREET GLIDE.
NOW THIS IS ONE BIG CNC MACHINE, IT HOLDS AND WORKS ON TWO WHEELS AT ONCE.
METALSPORT ALSO MAKES BELT PULLEYS AND BRAKE ROTORS TO MATCH THEIR WHEELS.
If you have a Tech Tip you would like to see, let us know at editor@borntoride.com
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Kalie’s Killer Sporty i
Kalie Maden is a biker to the core. She’s a wrench, building cool scooters and the bike seen here is her personal ride. Born To Ride asked her how long she’s been riding motorcycles. “It all started when I was just 10 years old,” Kalie tells us. “Santa Claus brought me a Yamaha TTR-90. I was immediately in LOVE as soon as I hopped on and rode around the backyard. Needless to say, 17 years later, I am still just as in love, if not more, with motorcycles. With such as cool Christmas gift, we had to ask if Kalie’s dad rides. “My Dad rides. I actually have his old 1980 Ironhead Roadster 1000 from back in the day that he bought brand new off the showroom floor!” Kalie confides. “I’m working on rebuilding it, making it into a (somewhat) reliable bike, with some upgraded parts. My Mom has yet to ride her own, but used to ride along with my Dad all the BTR 32 | BORNTORIDE.COM
time when they were younger. I’ve tried to convince her to hop on the back of my chopper but no luck yet. Who can blame her? Haha!” We asked how she got into wrenchin’ and customizing motorcycles. “Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve always been good with my hands and curious about how things worked, mechanically. When I’d get a new toy, I’d be more concerned with the mechanics inside. “Once I had a motorcycle, I would tinker with it constantly. I think the first time I serviced a carburetor, I was around 11 or 12 years old. The satisfaction of taking a bike that would not start or run properly, pinpointing the problem, fixing it, starting it back up and have it run better than before, was just something that drove me to do more.” Motorcycles are just such a huge part of my life. Riding, servicing, and customizing motorcycles, is my
therapy. Sure, it can be so frustrating at times and you might throw a few wrenches across the garage, but you take a breath, come back, and think, ‘This thing isn’t going to fix itself, it needs me to stay calm and think straight, and this will all pay off in the end when I’m riding down the road.’” Kalie went to the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute to become a certified motorcycle technician. She says, “The years spent at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute really opened my eyes to see that my true passion in life is putting my artwork into motorcycles. I may not have all the skills that I’d like to have in this moment, but I’d love to keep growing and learning so one day I can roll with the big dogs that inspire me so much.” Naturally, that led us to ask about custom bike builders that have inspired Ms. Maden. “Wow, where do I start? Some
Send photos and information of you and your motorcycle to editor@borntoride.com
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of my favorite builders would be, Jared Weems, Eric Allard, Drew Cemer, Brian Buttera, Savannah Rose, Kyle Ray Rice, Bill Dodge, Joshua Allison, James Alcorn, JP Rodman, just to name a few!” That’s a pretty stellar list. We asked Kalie to tell us about the bike we’re featuring here, her 2003 Sportster. “This bike started as a stock 100th Anniversary Edition 2003 Harley-Davidson XL883C with apehangers. Over the past six years, I’ve been doing more and more to it. It’s changed looks about five times over the years. So right now I’m running a foot clutch jockey shift setup that I bought from my friend Miles, some Freakshow Fab rabbit-ear handlebars that I’ve painted black, and a Cycle Standard Axed Dual Cap Chopper gas tank from Lowbrow Customs. I cut the rear fender struts to put on a Tsunami rear fender also from Lowbrow Customs.” When asked about the paintjob, Kalie says she handled that too. “The tank and fender were painted by me. It has Lowbrow Custom Shotgun Exhaust pipes, an Old STF Mini-ED air Cleaner from Lowbrow Customs, chain conversion kit from Lowbrow Customs. The front end includes 6+ tubes from TC Bros, a King and Queen seat from Sully’s Customs, LED bar headlight from Trackerdie, Led Sled 21-inch Invader front wheel. BTR 34 | BORNTORIDE.COM
I’m sure I am missing some things but most of my parts came from Lowbrow Customs and I have done 100% of the work outside of making the parts.” Because Kalie Maden impressed us so much, we asked her what advice she would give to women who might like to try riding a motorcycle. “I would start off by saying, if you are thinking about it, just do it. Everyone starts somewhere. No one was born knowing how to ride a motorcycle and no one expects you to just naturally know how to. Believe me, it’s something that has changed my entire life and now I would be lost without motorcycles. This isn’t a contest, not everyone has the opportunity to start early in their life or learn how to ride in a friend’s backyard. There’s such a silly stigma about women riding motorcycles, anyone with a brain can do it! Keep in mind to ride within your comfort zone and HAVE FUN! Life is way too short not to do the things that scare you or make you nervous. Those things are what make you feel alive. Stop making excuses and START RIDING!” Well said, sister! —Chopper Daddy
Ray V. Gordon is The Owner & Founder of Leather Lid Inserts, an established Leather Saddlebag Accessory business based in southwest Florida. They’ve coined the phrase “We take the sag out of the bag” because that is exactly what they do. Ray has been riding motorcycles since he was 14 yrs old and has watched the motorcycle industry grow and is glad to be a part of what it is today. After 35 years of owning and operating a successful aluminum company in Ft. Myers FL, Ray sold the business so he could retire (he thought) and bought himself a new Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic. Just like everyone else with leather saddlebags,
his also started to sag and cave in. He saw a need to fix this problem. Ray says, starting this new business was something he just fell into by fixing his own saddlebags and then behold, friends of friends and others witnessed what Ray did and wanted him to fix their saddlebags too. As an inventor and entrepreneur, Ray took his creative background and put his skills to work by experimenting with several different types of materials to finally come up with a patented ABS lid and bag reinforcement kit that would be designed to help keep the original shape of any leather saddlebag made on the market. So, if you’re tired of looking at your caved in leather saddlebags and/or if they are starting to lose their shape and their parts, or if you have brand new bags and you want to prevent them from ever caving in, please keep Leather Lid Inserts in mind. For all your leather saddlebag accessory needs as a do-it-yourselfer or if you want them to install, visit www.LeatherLidInsert.com and order your DIY Kit or Find an area Dealer Installer. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A DEALER INSTALLER CONTACT RAY AT 239-339-7294 OR RAY@LEATHERLIDINSERTS.COM RIDE SAFE!
Leather Lid Inserts 18160 Old Bayshore Road N. Fort Myers, FL 33917
GET ON THAT BIKE AND RIDE! Damn. A quarter of the year is already gone! Hopefully you didn’t waste any time! The weather is getting nicer, restrictions are loosening up, and events are starting to take place all around our beautiful state. If you listen to the rumor mill, it says we have a lotta really cool events coming up in the next couple of months for all of us to get out there on our bikes to enjoy. Along with all this beautiful weather we also have snowbirds still among us. Y’all know better than to slack on paying attention and keep an eye out for those cages that are among us. Over the past few writings, I’ve been pretty adamant about the topic of accountability. Always remember that the bottom line is that what you do or decide to do is up to you but be prepared to be held accountable for your decisions. Don’t go crying to your mama when you decide to do something stupid, and your response is to try to blame everyone else but yourself for your actions. We’re supposed to be adults out there, so let’s try to do the right thing. I’m not saying don’t go out there and have fun. On the contrary, we need to get out there more and enjoy what we have left of our lives. If last year taught me anything it’s that you only get one trip around this world. I know I’ve spent a lot of years on two wheels and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many destinations. The experiences I’ve been able to have, thanks to being on a motorcycle, are too many to count. The people I’ve encountered along the way have taught me that there is so much out there offered to us, that we would be fools not to experience it. Motorcycling and living a biker lifestyle is an education in itself. People like to say it’s wind therapy, but I believe it’s so much more. I truly believe that if you open your eyes to it, you’ll discover that riding is both enjoyable and educational.
Pretty bold statement. So, what has my biker life taught me over the many years? Well, it’s a pretty long list so I’ll just touch on some of the main points. I guess we can start out with the fact that bein’ a biker is helping me develop patience. This one for me is always a work in progress. I never claimed to be a great student but I try my best. Every time I’m on my motorcycle my patience is tested by those around me. Either by their actions, attitude or just lack of caring for others. But it is what it is and like I stated, for me, that’s a constant work in progress. My motorcycle also taught me patience early on as one of my first sleds was an AMF. Which we can all pretty much say, if you owned one of those, you had to develop patience. Tolerance. This kinda goes along with patience as we have to tolerate those who test our patience. Whether it be weather, mechanical breakdowns, traffic, ignorance and the list goes on and on. Accountability. There’s a big word I use all the time. I figured out that over the years my actions have a direct impact of how the outcome of those actions affect me. For instance, if I don’t maintain my sled, it won’t be reliable for me. If I don’t figure out directions to where I need to go before I leave, it will take more time to get there. If I ignore the knowledge of others before me, I learn things the hard way. If I decide to get hammered and ride my sled, well a multitude of results could happen from that. I don’t blame everyone else for what I’ve decided to do. I own what I do and pay the consequence for those decisions. But let’s not be all negative about it. On the flipside, I also reap the benefits of my decisions when I make them wisely. Fun, enjoyment, and quality of life. Riding all these years has also taught me that there’s more out there in the world than just my own backyard. Every flavor of person is out there to be experienced. So
much scenery to be taken in. So many things to do, so many places to go and most importantly, so many things out there to enhance your quality of life. I’ve had the honor of being able to do this through living my biker lifestyle. Everything is going to have its ups and downs. It’s up to you whether you want to dwell on the negative and be miserable with your life. A great organization out there uses the saying “adapt and overcome.” This is the way to move forward. Take life head on. Don’t hide behind excuses. Be the person that you admire the most. There is no hardship that you cannot survive. There is no hurdle you can’t get over. Even at your darkest moments you can still move on. I know this to be true. You may fall along the way but you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and push ahead. Respect. My lifestyle has taught me the meaning of respect. Respect of the road, respect of those around me, respect for others’ opinions and viewpoints. I will be the first to admit I am not always right. I’m a true believer that every day in life you should learn something new. Because again, the world is bigger than just your own backyard. If there’s a point to be made, I guess it’s that riding motorcycles has taught me a lot. The experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned are things you can’t learn from any book. You have to live it. In closing, I guess what I want to say is, go out there and live your life. Enjoy what there is out there to enjoy. There’s more of it out there than you could ever dream of. I’ll leave you with this saying. It’ll make about as much sense as military intelligence. Make smart decisions but have some stupid fun. Hope to see you out there. Now get on that bike and ride. NEFARIOUS JAMES AMERICAN
Tell Jim what you’re thinking, what do you want to say to him? editor@borntoride.com
BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 37
SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
It’s springtime in Florida and we’re feeling the full effects my BTR friends. The pollen covers everything with a green haze and makes everyone sneeze a lot. The spring breakers acting stupid at the beach makes the locals green with disdain. Mike boils eggs way too long and turns the yolks green that makes for funny looking deviled eggs after losing the Easter egg cracking contest down at our local pub. Speaking of eggs, it’s that season for me to pop out a few. Mike cuts me off saying, “for the past few years I’ve been forgetting about your motherly instincts. This Easter I took you, your buddy thumper and a few of her chocolate cousins to the beach for sun, sand and surf. The next thing I know y’all become butt up in some kids’ baskets and start popping out eggs. It’s a good thing we only made it to the picnic pavilion. Had you two done that in the sand, some crazy conservative Eco freaks would have thought those were turtle eggs, immediately roped off the area and called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC). The last time I dealt with FWC was when you turned up missing. I had to supply them with proof of ownership, a photo of your leg band, the ID number from your microchip and your BTR press pass to BTR 38 | BORNTORIDE.COM
identify you. OMG, talk about bureaucratic red tape. Had that have happened now during covid era, I’m sure they only would’ve accepted paperwork by hare mail. It’s a good thing there were no shellfish involved. ‘Cuz I would’ve been fined for harvesting oyster bunnies out of season. I’m so glad that beach patrol didn’t catch you two misbehaving at the pavilion. We would have been egg-spelled because they don’t take too highly to your crack ups. During the last run in with the sand cops, you tried to pass off your shenanigans as a type of eggsercise calling it hare-aerobics.” I cackle behind Mike’s back,“knock knock.” Mike turns, looks at the door an answers,“oh shit, I hope that’s not FWC? ”I squawk “police!” He trembles saying, “police, what now?” I gaggle, “police no more of your cockamamie hare and egg jokes! It’s Good Fry-day, I don’t want you beaten. Even though people tell me that you’re over easy, you do better when your sunny side up. But Mike, I’ve got your back. I’ll just tell them that on the bigger plate of life you’re just a little scrambled!” He looks at me sternly and says, “sorry, I can’t, I’m on an egg roll. You just keep it up my little buddy, the next three out of your butt are going to be hard boiled, sliced and sprinkled over some chicken salad!” I squabble, “come on dude, you’ve been threatening me with that for years. You’ve taught me not to be a dumb funny colored little chicken. Eventually when I mate and have eggs that will hatch, I will never mislay, overheat or get them mixed up. Lord knows I wouldn’t want a bunch of loose, hard boiled or scrambled youngins flapping around.
The last thing you’re going to do is tease my egg whites. They’ll be coming from good stock and will be able to take a yolk. I think we both need to get out of the house. Let’s put some wind under my wings.” Backing out of the driveway, Mike has to slam on his brakes. A UPS truck was passing quickly behind us and we heard something go splat on the road. The neighbor’s kids had a basket with a little bunny and eggs in it and were collecting more from around the mailbox. The driver wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and ran over the basket with the bunny in it. The kids saw what happened, started crying and screaming, “oh no, the Easter Bunny is dead! The UPS man killed Easter!” Just then, the kids’ parents, Joe and Jane, come running down the driveway and try calming them down. Mike thinks quickly, jumps out of the truck and grabs a can of aerosol spray from his door. He runs over to the squashed bunny and begins hosing it down. Slowly the bunny starts sitting up out of the basket. Mike keeps spraying and even more slowly his one arm comes up and it looks like he’s waving. To everyone’s astonishment, the kids stop crying and Joe comes over asking, “hey good neighbor, what is your miracle in a can? How did you raise the dead and just save Easter?” Mike holds the can up to him and reads the label, “hairspray, restores life to dead hair and adds a permanent wave!” I squawk loudly, “hey you sad excuse for a Jesus impersonator, climb back in the truck. You need to get your knees under the keys, the wheels rolling down the road, with my wings out the window. The next thing you know Joe and Jane will want you to spray them both down and see if anything rises up between them. - SPYKE
Do you have a riding pet story? Let us know, Spyke wants to feature them! editor@borntoride.com
THE TANK WHISPERER MAKES YOUR OLD TANKS LAST FOREVER
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RONNIE and EMILY’S
CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION One of the great benefits of riding with friends is the fact that when you ride in a group there is a lot of support. That help, from one’s brother or sister, is available in the event of something going wrong along the way. It is also a blessing that the help provided isn’t based on owing a favor, or paying for the help received! The help is simply based on there being a need present and an opportunity to help fulfill that need. I’ll never forget a situation one of riders found herself in, and the wonderful help she received. The group was coming home from a rather long ride and one rider needed to stop, she was flat worn out. To make matters worse, It was after dark and the group was about 80 miles from home. The group pulled into a fast food burger joint and began making calls to see how the worn out rider could be helped. After several calls a brother with a utility trailer available was located. The only problem was that the trailer was 40 miles from where the group was located. The trailer was hitched up and on the road in short order, but it took about an hour to get to the group. Upon arrival it was noted that all of the riders from the group had stayed with BTR 40 | BORNTORIDE.COM
the rider and her bike. Very quickly several of the brothers set about tying the bike down to the trailer, and everyone mounted up for the final 80 miles to get home. The bike was off loaded from the trailer, and everyone rejoiced that there were no further challenges. After all shared handshakes and hugs, they headed home to call it a day. The point is this; the initial anxiety caused when the rider realized that she could not complete the ride was overcome by her knowledge of how close everyone was. She knew that the leaders of the group would find a solution. She also knew that the other riders cared for her and that they would take care of her. This was evident in that the bikers waited with the worn out rider, they stayed by her side! That kind of compassion and concern goes a long way to give confidence in the bikers being there for her. In 1 Peter 5:7, the Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” The fact is that Jesus loves you and me. He is incredibly interested in and cares for us, and what is going on in our lives. He listens, and He calls our voice when we reach out to Him. He doesn’t want us to be anxious for anything; rather, He wants us to be happy and secure. He is only a prayer away! Like the riders in the above story, Jesus not only has to answer to all of our challenges, He is the answer. You can trust Him! In the Wind, Denny Dingler
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