Born To Ride Southeast #125 - July 2023

BORN TO RIDE

PO BOX 3021 Brandon, FL 33509

PUBLISHER

Ron Galletti 813-785-3895

888-795-5779

rg@borntoride.com

CO-PUBLISHER

Deb Galletti dgalletti@borntoride.com

EDITOR

Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com

ART DIRECTOR

Peter Soutullo art@borntoride.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Erick Runyon

ART DEPARTMENT

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

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

Deb Galletti DGalletti@borntoride.com

SALES & MARKETING 888-795-5779

ROAD CREW

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

SCENIC RIDE CONSULTANT

Steve Finzelber-Finz Finds

ON THE ROAD TEAM

John & Heather

CONTRIBUTORS

JP Brady, Neale Bayly, Susan Hurst, Spyke & Mike, Eric

Albright, Paul Murray, James Gladstone, Scott Odell

Indian Rider Bill.

The Phantom

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ron & Selena Hawks, Doug Bright

Daniel Gallant, Scott Odel, Eric

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

Vic Lawall

LAW FIRM

FRAN HAASCH LAW GROUP www.LawFran.com

866 LAW Fran

ADVERTISE BORN TO RIDE OFFICE

888-795-5779

HOWDY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

DAVE NICHOLS SUMMERTIME

FROM THE HELM

HEATS UP

Welcome to our juiced-up July issue, packed with everything motorcycle people love! We’re kickin’ off summer with our big cover story all about the killer Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Fest and BTR Choppertown Live this July 28th and 29th. It all happens at the Big Cedar Festival Grounds at 125 Davis Road in Cave Spring. Ride on out and put your scooter in the BTR Choppertown Live ride-in bike show happening on Saturday. See the ad in this issue for more info.

Born To Ride is proud to announce that we are the media partner for Blvack Caviar’s 2nd Annual Clutches x Caviar Bike and Car Showcase coming this August 6th benefitting Atlanta Public Schools. Read about this amazing group of caring bikers in this thrillpacked issue!

himself at the Crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale and sold his soul to be able to play the Blues and become a big star.

Johnson recorded such Delta Blues favorites as “Hellhound on My Trail,” “Cross Road Blues,” and “Me and the Devil Blues” that supported the myth of how he became a famous Blues man. You can still ride out to the Crossroads and the Blues Highway. Check out the full story right here. But wait, there’s more! This jazzed up July issue will also feature the words of the late, great Craven Moorehead, a biker movie review of the classic Electra-Glide in Blue starring Robert Blake, as well as a patriotic piece on Independence Day by Nefarious James.

We’d like to take a moment to thank all our faithful advertisers that keep Born To Ride alive. If you have a biker-friendly business, we’d like to hear about it so we can help spread the word. And if you love to ride, join our Born to Ride Facebook Group to keep up to date on all the rides, rallies, and bike events coming up and be part of our Born To Ride family. Plus, you can tune in to our Born To Ride Boss Hogg Radio show every Thursday evening on Facebook featuring biker legends and righteous riders like you.

We’ll also take you to Clarksdale, Mississippi to reveal the chilling story of Blues musician Robert Johnson. As the legend goes, one night in 1930, Johnson got up on stage at a juke joint to play the Blues and bombed badly. Discouraged, Johnson supposedly met up with the Devil

We hope you enjoy the 4th of July holiday and get out there and ride to celebrate what our American freedoms and values are all about. God bless America!

— Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com

WHO WANTS TO

Now an exclusive interview and Industry Report with Marcus Mendez on his vision of Patrons first Profits last. The complete outdoor lodging option like never before experience at motorcycle rallies. Camp Easy Ride !

PLEASE TELL US YOUR VISION OF CAMP EASY RIDE AND WHY YOU STARTED IT.

Camp Easy Ride first arrived on the Biker scene in January of 2021 with nothing more than the simple goal of taking the minds of riders away from what was fast lyrics becoming a financial and health devastation to many, covid 19.

Sole purpose was to offer a complete outdoor lodging option at motorcycle rallies that was reasonably priced, community fueled and held tight onto the age-old camaraderie of new friends and old soles all gathered around a firepit with nothing but the task of enjoying the ride and good company.

Two and a half years later, with over 2,000 past patrons, many of which continue to return event after event (aka Repeat Offenders) and compounds at bike rallies all across the nation, including, Daytona Bike Week, Leesburg Bike Rally, Kentucky Bike Rally and the granddaddy of them all, STURGIS, we continue to hold tight onto our our high standards and promise of community fun.

THE CONCEPT IS BRILLIANT BUT LOGISTICS SEEM TO BE TASKING. HOW DOES IT WORK FOR THE RIDERS WHO DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH HOTEL STAYS ?

As the saying goes, “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it”. With each compound comprised of over 18,000 lbs. of camping supplies and hundreds of man hours just on site, there is nothing easy when it comes to behind the scenes of Camp Easy Ride. Now to our valued patrons, our trademark slogan says it all, Simply Arrive, Party, Drop, Repeat, Leave!

No dangerously overloaded bikes, no unpacking all the contents at a roach motel, no hunting for a prime spot upon arrival, no forgetting something crucial, no setup, no tear down, no clean up, no laundry. You simply arrive with the hunger for fun and leave with the satisfaction of great memories.

FATHER’S DAY IS A POWERFUL HOLIDAY FOR LOVE AND HONORING DAD. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO GIVE AWAY A TRIP FOR A FATHER AND SON OR DAUGHTER WITH BORN TO RIDE TO GIVE THEM THE ULTIMATE CER EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME ?

Camp Easy Ride has become the Rally home to many father son or daughter duos. From first time Rally goers to the last hoorah

GO TO STURGIS ?

for someone coping with bad news. The bond between bikes, camping and family inherently brings everyone together.

As myself, never having a father or strong role model growing up, I cherish sharing some of these experiences with our patrons. Camp Easy Ride would be proud to announce the opportunity for yet another Father duo to experience the camaraderie of the compound with a Dream Destination Sturgis Give Away!

WHO WANTS TO GO TO STURGIS?

Tell us why you and your Dad should win a free stay at Sturgis 2024 with Camp Easy Ride. Write 100 words or less and e mail it to info@borntoride.com monthly updates will follow

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS ANY NEW NEWS AND HOW DO PEOPLE GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU TO BOOK THEIR CAMP EASY RIDE EXPERIENCE?

Camp Easy Ride has a long list of upcoming Rally venues and goals to better the riders overall Rally experience. Keep in touch with our Facebook page for updates, pics, reviews and events. You may also visit our website at CampEasyRide.com or call yours truly directly at 727.282.3744

LAST WORDS?

Patrons first, profits last! You are what makes each Camp Easy Ride compound successful. Thank you!

Ride safe, and remember.

SIMPLY ARRIVE, PARTY, DROP, REPEAT, LEAVE!

“PATRONS FIRST, PROFITS LAST! YOU ARE WHAT MAKES EACH CAMP EASY RIDE COMPOUND SUCCESSFUL.”

BLVCK CAVIAR

BLVCK CAVIAR is a multifaceted digital brand that concentrates on motorcycle activities in Atlanta, that marry together the car and bike community through significantly targeted and enhanced events. With a core focus on giving back, BLVCK CAVIAR always incorporates a philanthropic component into its various activations, events, and productions.

In August of 2022, BLVCK CAVIAR presented its first car and bike show aptly titled Clutches x Caviar at Revel Atlanta at 1778 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd NW. With sponsorships from Born To Ride Magazine and various others, the event was widely regarded as an overwhelming success as it not only surpassed expectations, engaged the community, cultivated meaningful connections, and supported Atlanta Public classrooms, but it also positioned BLVCK CAVIAR as a forerunner for Atlanta-based experiential motorcyclebased events. We continue to engage the community through public services such as feeding the homeless. BLVCK CAVIAR bands together to support the community through and through!

BLVCK CAVIAR is determined to redefine what it means to ride within communities without having to be a part of the problem.

We want to cultivate meaningful relationships while riding with our brothers and sisters. We want to be in the forefront of any and everyone’s minds when you think about motorcycles, apparel, and overall liaisons to the motorcycle community. Our goal is to stand out and engage the community while creating opportunities. We are a very diverse group of individuals who come from all different walks of life. We are marketers, first responders, master barbers, industrial engineers, business owners, cybersecurity wizards, and the list goes on. However, when we get on those two wheels, we all come together as brothers. We were on a never-ending quest to become an MC for so long, we started to realize that it wasn’t our thing, and more importantly, it didn’t align with what we were trying to accomplish as a group. We met so many people with pipe dreams and who would promise us this and that, but in the end, they wanted to use us for their own motives. So, we decided that the MC life wasn’t for us. This is where the path we travel now was birthed from, deception and false hope, we evolved into our idea of what riding is and what it will represent. No one can dim the light we shine, and no one can take away the energy we put out

From left to right: Reemo-Ace-Boogie-Pretentious-Baby Zeus-H-Town-Prczn-Silk-Guido

to the people, the community, and the world. We are BLVCK CAVIAR. Capturing these ecliptic moments on film and giving people of the world a real-life snapshot into this “bike life” is imperative to our mission. There are so many people who want to ride but don’t understand the culture or have a tethered view of what it means to be a biker. We can paint a vivid picture of this lifestyle and create something extraordinary simultaneously.

We are steadily gearing up for our 2nd annual Clutches X Caviar car and bike show in August 2023! If you thought last year was insane, this year will blow your mind. This only gets better and better as time goes on. We have so many surprises in store for you guys this year. Make sure to follow us on Instagram and take the ride with us! Our page illustrates the culture and shows firsthand what we have going on in the community. We also go live for our podcast where we discuss different topics and engage with our followers and spectators. If you have any questions or are interested in becoming a BLVCK CAVIAR member, hit us up on IG or email info@blvckcaviar.com @blvck.caviar. atl.

--Ace of BLVCK CAVIAR (Devante’ Winegan)

CROSSROADS blues highway & the the

photos & story by T. Eric Albright >>>

Many have heard the legend of Robert Johnson—how he was able to play the guitar so well with so much feeling by selling his soul to the Devil. And the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi is the location of that devilish deal. I don’t take too much to stories about demons and deals like that. But as far as musicians such as Johnson, Son House, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and others go, I can never get enough of the blues.

U.S. Highway 61 runs 1400 miles from Louisiana, through six states ending in northern Minnesota basically at the Canadian border. The Blues seems to follow this road all the way up to Chicago. If you take some Louisiana Jazz and travel up the Blues Highway into the Mississippi Delta region, add in a little sharecropper Soul, stop off in Memphis and add a touch of Country, then switch on the electricity in Chicago, you have modern day Blues and it’s bastard stepchild, Rock and Roll.

Last month I wrote about our ride down the Natchez Trace Parkway and we left off in Natchez by the Mississippi River. The second leg of that trip we followed The Blues Highway up

to Clarksdale and then on to Memphis. I wanted to see the part of our country that had so much influence on the music I listen to and the people that played it.

Riding north on 61 as we leave Natchez is really quite commercial until you pass Vicksburg. We did pull off to see the Vicksburg National Military Park, which preserves the site of the Civil War’s Battle of Vicksburg. This was a siege battle and lasted longer than a month and a half, ending in a Union victory, giving them full control over the Mississippi River. The park has over a thousand monuments and markers along with miles of restored trenches showing just how the battle began and progressed. It is worth a visit if you haven’t already.

Once you leave Vicksburg and cross the Yazoo River, the real Mississippi Delta opens up as a flat fertile land with Highway 61 running through as straight as one of Robert Johnson’s guitar strings. Mile after mile of cotton and cornfields line the highway on both sides. Every 15 or 20 miles a small farming town will quickly pass you by. Abandoned shacks and old farm silos rise up from among the fields of cotton and corn. Our visit was during harvest time and I could see

DID YOU KNOW: Clarksdale is named after John Clark, who founded the town

At the crossroads of two Mississippi highways, the Devil and a young blackguitarplayersignacontract—andtheDeltaBluesasweknow it today is born...

“Clarksdale, Mississippi knows its history. It’s as close to being the birthplace of the blues as one can get.”

red dust storms crossing the road ahead as huge cotton combines went through the fields pulling the soft white fibers from this region’s livelihood. Sometimes the road stretched out in front of you without a curve in sight. But somehow, it’s perfect, evoking feelings of roaring up the highway 50 or 60 years ago, looking for a new life or running from an old problem.

Once we reached our next destination, Clarksdale, Mississippi, the lodging we had arranged for the next few days was one of the most unique you’ll find in any of your travels. The Shack Up Inn, as they say on their website, “Ain’t No Ritz.” Located on the property of the old Hopson Plantation, it is a combination of sharecropper shacks and an old tin cotton gin

restored for accommodations. The Hopson Plantation is where farming cotton first became mechanized and probably changed the economy of the region forever. Virtually unchanged from when it was a working plantation, you will find authentic sharecropper shacks, the original cotton gin, and other outbuildings. You get somewhat of a feel for plantation life as it may have been when Robert Johnson traveled these roads laying down the devil’s music. The corrugated tin roofs and Mississippi cypress walls of the Shack Up Inn will remind you of a long gone era, restored only enough to accommodate our modern expectations. Getting our bikes back out onto the other half of the crossroads, Highway 49, the scenery changes very little. We’re traveling east on our way to visit

one of the locations that claims to be Robert Johnson’s final resting place. Several places lay claim to Mr. Johnson’s gravesite, but after doing a little research of my own this one seemed to be the most likely. The Little Zion Mission Baptist Church on Money Road, a few miles north of Greenwood, MS is where most people now believe Johnson is buried. Even the state of Mississippi has erected a highway marker on the property, commemorating Johnson’s life and influence. But the church’s pastor says, “… having Robert Johnson buried on the church grounds is both a blessing and a curse.” Hundreds of people visit the cemetery every year and leave behind trash and personal memorabilia, including liquor bottles, drugs, and beer cans. My riding partner Jimmy brought along

Only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find his right road.

his acoustic blues guitar on the back of his bike and after sitting down by Mr. Johnson’s grave and playing a little blues of his own, he did leave his guitar pick on top of the headstone. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

Clarksdale, Mississippi knows its history. It’s as close to being the birthplace of the blues as one can get. Ike Turner and Sam Cooke were born there. Bessie Smith died on The Blues Highway nearby. John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Son House, Sonny Boy Williamson, and many other greats from all over the Delta made their way there. Muddy waters first heard Robert Johnson play his devil’s instrument there. Today, it still has quite a few little blues clubs scattered around town. From Red’s Lounge, a longtime purveyor of the Blues, to Ground Zero, a club opened by actor Morgan Freeman, you can find the right place to listen to some local or regional blues musicians while drinking a nice cold one … or two. The week we were in Clarksdale, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame was in town, not to play but just to listen. Clarksdale is also home to the Delta Blues Museum, where everything from the cabin where Muddy Waters lived during his days as a sharecropper to Son House’s steel guitar is on exhibit. And of course, you have to stop by The Crossroads. It’s not much of a going thing though,

not as much as you’d expect it to be. I actually had to stop a man on the street to get some kind of directions to find it. And he turned out to be the newly elected mayor of Clarksdale. I’m sure he is realizing that something as important to the city as The Crossroads may need to be a little more than just a signpost with a couple of guitars stuck on top. Once I found it, I realized I had ridden right by it the night before when we came into town for entertainment.

We stayed in Clarksdale for three nights. Since Jimmy had brought along his blues guitar all the way from the mountains of North Carolina, at night when we would return from town he would sit on the front porch of our Shack and play his own blues, while I would sit in my own rocking chair looking up at the same stars that Robert Johnson looked at, sipping on corn liquor from a mason jar that we brought along for the ride.

After the three nights in Clarksdale, we hopped back onto the Blues Highway and headed north to Memphis. One part of highway 61 north of Clarksdale has a very unique distinction. According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the longest stretch of highway in the U.S. with no horizontal or vertical curves is a nearly 30-mile stretch of the Blues Highway beginning just north of Clarksdale. Cotton and cornfields still dominate

the landscape for much of the ride but once you reach Tunica it starts to become very commercial, especially with the establishment of gambling casinos and the accompanying resorts.

Other than the ride back home, the main part of our road trip was over once we reached Memphis. Although we still checked out a few bars and the downtown neon lights of Beale Street, we were starting to wind down from a very diverse travel. We did manage to find a state park just north of Memphis where I could literally put the rear tire of my Road King into the historical, mighty Mississippi River. I know it may sound silly, but just like going swimming in the Arctic Ocean like I did several years ago, some things you do just because you can. This was a road trip of culture, history, music, and art. We traveled from the country music capital of Nashville down the Natchez Trace Parkway to the Mississippi River. We rode the famous Blues Highway to the birthplace of the blues and the resting place of blues legend Robert Johnson. We walked under the neon lights of Beale Street and now it’s time to ride back home. But it was a hard thing to do. I think Jimmy and I both could have turned around and done the whole thing over again. And I have no doubt we will someday.

Craven Moorehead

I’ll Deal with Them When I Find Out!

was speaking more clearly than Bird-Brain and kept repeating “wings in the wind—wings in the wind.” Mike slumped down on a stool in the corner of the shop and me and Marson unloaded the remains of the Fat-Bird and got her up on the lift. “Man, when is the last time you washed this thing?” I asked. “Well you see dude, we were just hangin’ out at the beach when this and that started leaking, knocking and generally going bad. So we figured that we would just get it here to you before she got on her last leg.” After looking it over for a few minutes, I realized that it wouldn’t be too serious of a job—even though most people in the biz would have written it off as a ‘total loss,’ so I immediately suggested that we just go somewhere that had relief from the heat and served cold beers. With Spyke and Mike still arguing, we loaded up in my hillbilly truck and headed down the road to the local Gentlemen’s Club.

Welcome to Hell! Well not really, but summertime in Florida can certainly make you feel like you have slid, sinned, and paid the ultimate price by burning up all day and most of the night. In other words—it’s pretty friggin hot! Along with all this heat comes some interesting problems every now and then, especially when you are out there burning up the asphalt on your motorcycle which simply adds to the heat. Most of us have experienced the typical routine maintenance issues that come along this time of year, but I ain’t never seen nothing like this $#!T!!

While hanging out one day in my brand new trailer park (which is in the country and far-far away from the drama of the old one) I was relaxing in my new shop repairing a watch for a little old lady who stopped by, when I heard a terrible racket. Looking down the driveway I saw a cool looking rig approaching that was carrying a motorcycle. At first I didn’t necessarily recognize the bike, but for some reason I remembered the racket that was way too familiar from that old trailer park miles away from here. It was the sound of Spyke and Bird-Brain, uh—I mean Mike arguing about something that was unintelligible at the current distance. As the truck came closer down the driveway, I identified the Fat-Bird that I was also well familiar with and have seen hundreds of times.

Still squawking at one another, Spyke and his counterpart bailed out of the passenger side of the vehicle and approached my shop. “How the hell did you jokers find me out here?” I yelled at the pair as they got closer. “Well the people at the old trailer park ratted you out and gave us the general location of your new digs, so we thought we’d hunt you down and bring you some bidness.” “Dammit man, I thought I’d be free from the debauchery and trouble that you two bring, and what the heck did you do to that bike, and where the heck did you get that awful sunburn?” At this point Mike tries to give me some foolish story regarding drunken stupidity and loose women, but at this particular moment I realized that he was still recovering from alcohol and/or fame poisoning. Spyke on the other hand at this time

I swear that I can’t figure out which one of these two are more annoying, but for the most part Spyke seems to make more sense, and if you had to ride around with these two for very long you’d probably want to have a sip of the Jim Jones lemonade. Thank gawd it ain’t that far to this joint and when you deal with regular domestic arguments most of your life, it’s a relief to have a diversion every now and then. Typically my life is simple and routine, but I suppose it would be totally boring if I didn’t get any outside entertainment like I do with when my two weirdo buddies come around to visit. I still haven’t figured out which rat at the old trailer park told these two where I was operating yet, but I will deal with them when I find out!

An entertaining moment or two later, I just settled in and realized that stuff isn’t as bad as it sometimes seems. I did buy an older fellow a drink, and remembered my own birthday. He was celebrating a few more decades than I was recently, but I never mind getting older when I consider the alternative. I will let Spyke elaborate on the good time we all enjoyed while hanging out. You can read his version of this encounter a few pages away from this story.

A lot of times people don’t agree with my philosophy or journalistic reports on current events. I am after all simply reporting the news or making a futile attempt at entertainment. At least Mike and Spyke can deal with it on a realistic basis and not try to do anything except be real about their elaboration on our unique lifestyle be it comprehensive or not.

Soon they will be back on the road and annoying the biker community in their own special way—that is if Mike will sober up a little bit! Who am I to judge however? I celebrate every day with a cold beer and thank the lord that I have the ability to do that with my friends. Let’s all try to be more positive than negative and see how that works out. Stop by and see me sometime if you need some electrical/electronic (specialty) work on your scoot. That is if you can get Mike or Spyke to tell you where I’m hiding!

So until next month, speed safely and be real.

STEVEN TYLER READS BORN TO RIDE

JULY JUBILEE

Welcome to July, everyone. Weather still changing. Rain, heat, humidity, bugs, all the things that come with this time of year. Most importantly is the date of the 4th.

The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, celebrates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration announced the political separation of the thirteen North American colonies from Great Britain.

The Continental Congress declared American independence on July 2, even though the final wording of the Declaration of Independence had yet to be approved. That approval came two days later, which is why American independence is celebrated on July 4. This is the date the United States officially became its own nation, and we should not let this important piece of history be forgotten. It’s much more than a day off work or school and barbecues. It is truly a day worth celebrating. Many

men and women have given their lives to preserve this country and ensure your freedoms. Don’t forget that.

hydrated while in the heat and don’t forget the sunscreen. Just because it may be overcast doesn’t mean you won’t burn. Remember pavement is extra hot with the sun and heat outside. Proper footwear should be used. Don’t forget your best friends, (dogs, cats, etc.). If it’s hot to the touch on your hands, it’s hot on their feet as well. Keep your kids protected from the sun as well. There are few things worse than a crying sunburned kid.

Be careful when you’re getting on those bikes that have sat out in the sun even for a little while. You can easily get burned from the metal and seats heating up. I’m sure you probably don’t want your unmentionables cooked.

Being that the “dog days of summer” have now begun, remember to watch out for your health and well-being. Stay

Remember alcohol speeds up dehydration and blah, blah, blah. You know the drill. Most of all, enjoy your life. I hope to see you out there.

— Nefarious James

The Continental Congress declared American independence on July 2, even though the final wording of the Declaration of Independence had yet to be approved.

Eastern Tennessee is well known for its incredible riding as it offers slow windy sweeping hills, tight technical 1st gear stuff as well as thousands of miles of off-road adventure gravel greatness to a variety of riders. It’s also now a venue for chopper fanatics thanks to Santiago Choppers and the River Hippie Chopper Fest out of Reliance, TN.

Santiago Choppers, a lifelong project of Alain Bernard, an extremely talented chopper builder from France with decades of builds behind him, wanted to bring back the olds-kool style of peace, good times and the love of choppers back to the biker community in east Tennessee.

After months of discussion and coordination, Alain and the venue property owner nailed down entertainment, a date, vendors and the first River Hippies Chopper Fest was born. The property, tucked into the rolling hills of farmland, pastures and cool crisp river bottoms

offered ample shaded camping, boasts a lazy winding creek as well as an expansive game field and stage area that can accommodate several hundred bikes, cars and people.

This first annual River Hippies Chopper Fest drew in other “firsts” from the region. The four-day event had daily local music talent with the headline feature on Saturday night being none other than Michel Broussard, aka, John Mary Go Round. His first time in Tennessee, Michel, from Antwerp, Belgium played a round robin at several venues in east Tennessee and in North Carolina and finally landing at the hippie fest bringing his unique style of rock and roll, a little scat, and some folky blues all occasionally and seamlessly sliding between French and English with lots of incredible guitar, harmonica, foot symbol and pedal base. He’s truly a one man show.

Austin Cox out of Georgia showed up ready to represent with his first chopper build. A 2001 1200 Sporty with a low-brow hardtail kit, 18” springers topped off with 12” T bars and pinstriped by a local artist, Kylee Akins. Austin, like many other builders, just wanted to make a chopper. Putting his passion into the palm of his hands to craft an iron machine literally from bolts, suspension, rubber and chrome tubing into workable and rideable art. He’s been on the road to no less than eight rallies and has placed well in shows. Most builders are big picture visionaries so it’s no surprise that the chopper doesn’t have a kickstand. Don’t sweat the small stuff, he “makes it work”. Off to a great first, Austin.

John, out of Vonore, Tennessee showed up at the festival with his 2001 H-D modified Fat Boy, Elvira. The Fat Boy was his second build and the festival, his first.

As is the case with any rally, there were plenty of bike games, merch and parts vendors and fantastic food to be had on the main concourse as well as festival goers perusing the variety of bikes, enjoying the camaraderie and fellowship to be had.

All in all, the River Hippies Chopper Fest was a super first event. Coordination of next year’s fest is already underway with more of everything. Infrastructure installation to accommodate RV camping with 30- and 50-amp service and an improved stage venue among them.

MORE INFO AT: RIVER HIPPIES CHOPPERFEST ON FACEBOOK.

Biker “Exploitation” is a term coined by producers, actors, and ultimately YOU the viewer. Not all biker films are actually geared at the (exploitation) or in other words, the “bad” angle of the biker lifestyle. Some of these actually “miss the target” and simply feature the motorcycle as secondary component to the plot. However, in literally every film involving bikers or the biker ‘lifestyle’, one thing you, as a viewer can count on is the presence of the Police. Electra Glide in Blue has the unique twist of actually using story of a motorcycle cop as the baseline.

In this film, Blake plays a motor officer named John Wintergreen. His character is not really into being a ‘traffic cop’ as he has aspired to become a homicide detective. In my opinion, if you had to be a cop, what better job than cruising around on your departmentally funded Harley? But hey, this review isn’t about me, it’s about the film!! Back to the chase, and no code-4!

John Wintergreen patrols the rural Arizona highways with his partner “Zipper.” Wintergreen is laid-back but upright about enforcing the law, while Zipper is predominately lazy. Zipper likes busting Hippies (remember them?) even going so far as to plant evidence on a young ‘hippie’ during a search of his van. Wintergreen again proves to be the polar opposite of his partner Zipper, as he continuously states how much he hates riding his motorcycle, and Zipper’s only real dream is to own his own motorcycle. Zip spends a lot of time reading comic books, and eating junk food while John takes his job seriously. One of the things about Wintergreen that is out of place in this film is (in one scene) he is firing his pistol at an “Easy Rider”

poster in the police firing range. … It gets worse! Crazy Willie, an older local – perhaps homeless- person comes in contact with John and Zip near an old shack in the desert. They almost playfully chase Willie on their bikes and finally capture him. He tells John about his friend Frank who had committed suicide in the shack. John goes to the shack and discovers the body and believes the case is not a suicide, but a murder. The coroner later arrives and disagrees with John who was feverishly taking notes. After a shouting match with the coroner, in walks Detective Harve Poole, who admires Wintergreen’s savvy, and arranges for Wintergreen to be transferred to homicide as his ‘driver’ to help with the case. Harve and John return to the shack and find a large statue of Jesus, which is full of “Reds” and as the investigation continues, John and Harve interrogate a group of hippies, looking for a drug dealer named Bob Zemko. The theme of good cop – bad cop comes into play as Harve roughs some of the hippies up after John had nicely questioned them. John’s initial joy at being promoted is short-lived, as his relationship with Harve deteriorates after he finds out that John has been sleeping with ‘Jolene” (Harve’s girlfriend) and the waitress at the local bar. But when Jolene mocks Harve’s sexual prowess (implying that Harve is impotent) and brags that Wintergreen can “go three times in one morning” things just go downhill for our hero and he is demoted back to traffic.

After a wild motorcycle and car chase the pair capture and question Zemko. More good cop - bad cop scenes cause Wintergreen to eventually realize that Crazy Willie committed the murder; the victim was an old friend of his who had taken to selling the drugs and hanging around with a younger crowd. Jealous, Willie had murdered his friend and arranged it so it appeared to be a suicide. As usual there is some stolen money, and the search for this money is when Wintergreen discovers another terrible fact: Zipper’s dream was to own his own motorcycle, and had stolen the dead man’s drug money (initially blamed on Zemko) to pay for it. At Zippers trailer in the desert, the movie’s theme is uncovered when zipper shows John the “Electra Glide in Blue” sitting in the yard. Later, Zipper is drunk and begins firing his gun at Wintergreen, missing him but striking a random passer-by. Wintergreen then shoots Zipper in self-defense, and Zipper dies in his arms. Back in the desert on patrol, Wintergreen spots the same van that was featured earlier in the film, and he pulls it over. He recognizes one of the hippies as the very same one that Zip had planted the drugs on in the beginning of the film, and decides to let them go. They take off down the highway, but Wintergreen realizes that he still has the hippie’s Driver license in his hand. As he tries once again to pull the van over to return the license, the passenger opens the rear window and fires a shotgun killing Wintergreen. It’s a very sad ending to a really weird flick! For me, this is where the whole deal goes bad. The movie is loaded with plagiarism of the iconic film “Easy Rider.” Yeah, I believe that “Electra Glide in Blue” truly is a ‘cult-classic’ sort of piece, but the constant blasts from Easy Rider kinda turned

CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION

“Decisions, Decisions, Decisions’’: We make so many decisions each and every day. When we ride our motorcycles, we have to make decisions at a very fast rate. Often, the speed or timing is paramount to the success of our decisions. Which way to go? What speed is best for this situation? Do I let this person in front of me or not? Do I pass or stay back? What about following distances? Ride in the rain or take a break? And finally, should I even go out today or stay in? We make these decisions quickly and sometimes without even really thinking about it.

Muscle memory is a movement without thought as a result of repetition of that movement. This is much like performing the operations of our motorcycles like shifting and braking which are based on muscle memory; we just do it without much thought in our decision. A gut feeling though, is different from muscle memory. We might say that many of our decisions may even come from a “gut feeling”. These are feelings or reactions based on an instinctive emotional response rather than a considered thought.

So what is it about the gut feeling? Sometimes that gut feeling is right; we make the right choices, the ride is smooth, and everything goes well and we are happy. Other times we seem to have really missed that gut feeling. Our bad decision resulted in terrible traffic or rain all day. I am pretty sure we

have all spoken out these familiar words - “If only we would have listened to our gut.” So, what is really leading us?

Our mind may make decisions but our gut feeling is in our spirit. What we feel in our gut can be our spirit tugging at each of us. God speaks to our spirit when he leads us and helps us. We read in Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Then in verse 16 it says, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

God’s spirit joins with our spirit and He speaks to us in this way. God can warn us of dangers ahead which is why we feel dread in our gut or spirit. God can also lead us in peace when we are following His direction. It is up to us to listen to the Spirit of God when he leads us.

Teach’s Takeaway,

- God leads His children by His Spirit.

- God leads in peace.

- Disregarding His leading can end in trouble.

We read in Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” As we make all of our many decisions, may we be led by the Lord. Ride on.

n.

wayne.masiker@att.net

RONNIE and EMILY’S RONNIE and EMILY’S

Fellow Soldier in Christ, Wayne (Teach) Masiker Christian Motorcyclists Association

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