March 2025 - Issue #320

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

hope you have taken the time, during the winter riding season, to do some maintenance and get some rest. Now that it’s March, we don’t have time for that shit anymore, the Cruisin’ Calendar is showing signs of spring no matter what that rat in PA says! We kicked off 2025 with the Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine 3rd Annual Custom Bike Show on February 1st along with a couple thousand of our friends. This IS the east coast indoor bike show and everyone that comes to it knows that. We have already started working on next years show that is scheduled for the last weekend of January 2026!

March is gonna be a humdinger, there are some huge events going on, including the 54th Annual CBA Swap Meet in Salisbury on March 22-23. Bike shows, swap meet parts, live music, dranks, wet t’s and good timin’ friends will all be there and you should be too! Check out the front cover and the cover story page for more info on this classic event.

As always, this issue is slap full of cool biker type stuff. Our advertisers are throwing deals at you on every page, make sure snag what you need and tell ‘em thanks for supporting the biker community. Also check out the two bike features. Puput’s ’53 is on the Carolinas’ Biker Lawyer centerfold spread and Cam’s custom build, Luna, is the Full Throttle Feature for the month. Think your bike is worthy? Send us some photos, we just may agree!

We are stoked for the coming of warmer weather and longer days. It also means that we are gonna need some help at the Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine. Rally season is upon us and there is work to be done! We are looking for Full Throttle Sales Reps all over the Carolinas’. It’s commission based sales and you get to do it on your motorcycle and at biker friendly businesses. There’s ups and downs to every job, but if you get to ride around on your motorcycle and call it work, it ain’t all bad. Y’all wanna make some extra beer money? Give us a call and let’s see whatcha got!

See ya out there…

CBA Bike Show, Swap Meet & Family Reunion

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. I’m so glad you could attend. Come inside, come inside!

never get tired of saying that. yeah, i know i stole it from an ELP song. I really mean it, especially the Family Reunion part. I see Brothers & Sisters that I may see only twice a year. CBA and I really appreciate our vendors and our customers. I really appreciate our workers who bust their butts to put on a good show. No one gets paid for working. The enjoyment of knowing it was a good show is their only reward.

Spring is right around the corner, so many of us are getting our bikes ready to ride. Don’t forget to check your tire air pressure. That gets overlooked tooF many times. If you need any parts for your bike, you should be able to find them at our Show. If you need any parts for your antique bike, those parts will probably be there, too. The whole Midway of the fairgrounds is like a picnic table with about any part you could think of. I’ve seen folks going out the back gate with enough parts to build a bike. We will have a Notary Public at the show. If you need any leather, we have Steve’s Leathers set up at the entire back wall of the big building along with other, smaller leather vendors scattered around throughout the Swap Meet. Need any jewelry? We have Wrenn’s Jewelry, one of the largest jewelry vendors along with other smaller jewelry vendors throughout the Show floor. Anything you want that is motorcycle related, you should be able to find it at the show.

If you have a pretty motorcycle, we will have a building for our 2 day, inside, Bike Show. Awards will be trophies with a split of $1,000 to the winners. We have a ride in bike show on Saturday afternoon. Mitch Clark and Masten Cloer with be playing music in the Bike Show Building. Bongo Bach will be Dj’ing on the main stage with Shawn Mann and his Cassanovas playing Saturday. We will have a Wet T-Shirt Contest both days...if we have any brave contestants. There will be a beard contest on Saturday. There will be food and beverage vendors for your convenience.

When you attend our Show, remember all of your money stays in North Carolina to be used to fight for your Biker’s Rights in Raleigh and in Washington, DC. No one else can say that.

Because of our great vendors and customers, CBA has been putting on this Show for over 54 years. We have the oldest and biggest and best Show on the East Coast. CBA and I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone involved in our Swap Meet and Bike Show.

Ride Safe & Ride Free!!!

Charlotte CBA

Rick Nail, Swap Meet Director

Enjoy this spring Swap Meet, March 22-23, 2025, and our fall Swap Meet, November 8-9, 2025, at the Rowan County Fairgrounds, Julian Road, Salisbury, NC.

Cruisin’ Calendar

MAR 1 9TH ANNUAL BOOK RUN Barnes & Nobles 3040 Evans St. Greenville, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 11am. Bring 2 K-5 books per bike. Blessing of the bikes, lunch. Barry Wood bcwood.2020@outlook.com

MAR 1 ANNUAL FREEDOM BIKER

CHURCH CHILI COOK OFF Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville, NC. HOG on the grill, girl scout cookies. www.fortbraggharley. com, 910-864-1200

MAR 1 RISE & RIDE BullDog HarleyDavidson, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. 11am-4pm, food truck, free beer with the BullDog Babes. www. bulldogharleydavidson.com, 919-9281592

MAR 1 BLESSING OF THE BIKES Dog House Harley-Davidson, 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. 9am-12pm, bike blessings, coffee & donuts. www.doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183

MAR 1 ROLL OUT FOR POKEY 1954 Barnes Station Rd, Iva, SC. Reg 12pm, ride brief 1:45pm, KSU 2pm, $20/rider, $10/passenger. Food & drinks avail., cornhole tournament, 50/50, camping, silent auction. Benefits Pokey, who was in an accident.

MAR 2 PREACHER’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Freedom Biker Church 669 Tarheel Rd, Benson NC. 10a-1p Coffee, Donut & Food Trucks.

MAR 4 FAT TUESDAY MARDI GRAS PARTY Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. 11am, King cake & refreshments while supplies last. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261

MAR 8 BIKE BLESSING & BBQ Independence Harley-Davidson, 9205 E. Independence Blvd., Matthews, NC. Bike blessing, led group ride, BBQ. 704-8474647

MAR 8 PANCAKE BREAKFAST Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. 9am, while supplies last. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261

MAR 8 KING OF THE BAGGERS

WATCH PARTY Tobacco Road HarleyDavidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. Free lunch & cold beer. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261

MAR 8 MARDI GRAS PARTY Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville, NC. Special Forces Regimen on the grill. www.fortbraggharley.com, 910-864-1200

MAR 8 MEET & GREET WITH MO BullDog Harley-Davidson, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. 11am-4pm, BBQ avail., free beer with the BullDog Babes. www.bulldogharleydavidson.com, 919-938-1592

MAR 8 DOG HOUSE HARLEY-DAVIDSON COOKOUT 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. 11am-3pm, free burgers & hotdogs, free beer with the Dog House Divas. www.doghousehd.com, 803-3271183

MAR 8 TWISTED IRON POKER RUN IN SUPPORT OF ERNIE KING New River H-D, 2394 Wilmington Hwy, Jacksonville, NC. 11am-3pm, KSU 12pm, $20/rider, $10/passenger. 50/50, food, best hand prize. Benefits Ernie, who was recently in a motorcycle accident. www.twistediron. org

MAR 14-15 STUDS OF STEEL The Masters Gentlemen’s Club, 1901 Mr. Joe White Ave. Myrtle Beach, SC. Doors 7pm, show 9-11pm. Tickets at www.studsofsteel.com

MAR 14-16 BURLINGTON BIKE WEEK (END) Down Home Harley-Davidson, 2215 Hanford Rd., Burlington, NC. Kick off party, live music, vendors, food trucks, beverages, bikes, special guest Riki Rachtman, bike blessing, www.downhomeharley.com, 336-227-1261

MAR 15 ST PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION Lucky’s Saloon, 1453 Industry Dr., Burlington, NC. Live music, www.luckyssaloonnc.com, 336-270-4068

MAR 15 14TH ANNUAL CBA CHILI COOK-OFF Cox’s Harley-Davidson, 2795 NC Hwy 134, Asheboro, NC. 9am-5pm, $10/contestant fee, $5/all you can eat judging fee, $1/extra vote, 50/50, prizes. www.coxsharley-davidson.com, Gena, 336-963-3438

MAR 15 2ND ANNUAL O’HARLEY ST PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION Tilley Harley-Davidson, 1226 Morland Dr., Statesville, NC. 12-5pm, DJ, live music, food trucks, vendors, beverages, raffle, giveaways. www.tilleyhd.com, 704-8723883

MAR 15 SPECIAL DELIVERY ANNIVERSARY PARTY Fort Bragg HarleyDavidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville, NC. 12-4pm, cookout, live music, vendors & more. www.fortbraggharley.com, 910-864-1200

MAR 15 SKULLS & SHAMROCKS BullDog Harley-Davidson, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. 11am-4pm, live music, food truck, free beer with the BullDog Babes. www.bulldogharleydavidson.com, 919-938-1592

MAR 15 CHILI THROWDOWN Freedom Biker Church 669 Tarheel Rd, Benson NC. People’s Choice wins a $500 Sheetz gift card! info@freedombikerchurch.com 919.550.3733

MAR 15 SEVEN SABRES BROTHERHOOD BBQ PLATE SALE & BIKE NIGHT Seven Sabres Clubhouse, 6363 NC Hwy 55, Angier, NC. 6pm, food avail. Arlene Mabry, 919-422-7234

MAR 15 JACK’S RIDE & ST PATTY’S DAY PARTY In and Out Café, 1621 North Road St., Elizabeth City, NC. Meet 9:30am, KSU 10am, shindig & supper 6pm.

MAR 15 DOG HOUSE HARLEY-DAVIDSON INDOOR POKER WALK 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. 11am-3pm, free beer with the Dog House Divas, indoor poker walk for prizes, free food. www. doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183

MAR 15 ARIYANA GRACE MEMORIAL RIDE Saluda River Grill, 1 Main St., Piedmont, SC. Reg 9am, KSU 11am. Raffles, food trucks, live music, beer avail. Benefits The Greenville Memorial PICU.

MAR 15 ROUGH RIDERS MC CITADEL CH 4TH ANNUAL SPRING BREAKOUT

Pam’s Front Porch, 7332 Parklane Rd., Columbia, SC. 3-7pm, food, live music, raffles, 50/50. Benefits Service Dogs for Vets. Hi Hat, 980-251-0819 or Skatty, 480-848-0579

MAR 20-23 DOG HOUSE HARLEYDAVIDSON GRAND REOPENING WEEKEND 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. Live music, stunt shows, beer, bikini wash, tattoos, pinstriping. www. doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183

MAR 22 TRIAD HONOR FLIGHT FUNDRAISER Springers, 405 Rocky Knoll Rd., Greensboro, NC. KSU 12pm, AR raffle, dinner, auction. Benefits the Triad Honor Flight.

MAR 22 1ST ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE BIKES Mooresville Moose Riders Group, 2126 Charlotte Hwy, Mooresville, NC. 12pm, food, raffle, door prizes, 50/50.

MAR 22 REV IT UP FOR COLON CANCER AWARENESS MEMORIAL RIDE

Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. Reg 12:30pm, $20/rider. Prizes & food. Benefits colon cancer awareness & research. In memory of Chris Svatba & Brandon Wagner. https://donate.coloncancercoalition.org/ alr116cancerride

MAR 22 DAWG’S & CAPT. K’S MEMORIAL RIDE, Winner’s Circle, 2533 W. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC. KSU 11:30am. 980-888-0619

MAR 22 CAPTAIN COLLINS BENEFIT RIDE Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville, NC. Red Rum MC on the grill. www.fortbraggharley.com, 910-864-1200

MAR 22 RIDE INTO SPRING BullDog Harley-Davidson, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. 11am-4pm. Live music, food truck, free beer with the BullDog Babes. www.bulldogharleydavidson.com, 919-938-1592

MAR 22 HTNJOCO 1ST ANNUAL JOSEPH “JOE” WAGNER MEMORIAL RUN BullDog H-D, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. Reg 9:30am, KSU 11am, venue 2pm, $20/bike, $10/passenger incl food. Live music, food, raffles, 50/50, vendors. Benefits families in need. Betsy, 919-500-6475, Scott, 919-4373698 or Jayson, 919-868-3047

MAR 22 3RD ANNUAL RIDE FOR THE SOUL Beaver’s Den, 3482 John G. Richards Rd., Liberty Hill, SC. Reg 11am, KSU 12pm, event 11am-6pm. $20/single incl entry & food ticket, $35/double incl entry & 2 food tickets. Reg online www. rideforthesoul.com, Hi/Lo game, food, 50/50, music. Brandy Gunter, kodanstephy86@gmail.com or 803-729-9717

MAR 22 4TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL RIDE

The Harley-Davidson Shop of The Beach, 4002 Hwy 17, North Myrtle Beach, SC. Reg 10am, KSU 11:45am, $15/rider, $5/ passenger. Raffles, 50/50, door prizes. Hosted by Rivertown Riders RC. Benefits The Rubber Side Down Foundation. www.rivertownriders.org

MAR 22 HELLS ANGELS GREENVILLE BARE KNUCKLE RUN Clubhouse, 139 Arden Rd., Pelzer, SC. Gate opens @ 12pm, KSU 1pm, $10/donation. Food & support gear avail.

MAR 22-23 `54TH ANNUAL CHARLOTTE CBA SAW MEET & BIKE SHOW Rowan County Fairgrounds, 1560 Julian Rd., Salisbury, NC. 10am-6pm, bike show w/ $1,000 in people’s choice awards, swap meet, live music, food, vendors, wet tshirt contest, beard contest, cannon fire. www.charlottecba.org, Rick Nail, 704455-6245, Emily Cook, 704-200-8144

MAR 29 BRANDON’S 9TH HEARTIVERSARY BASH Blue Collar Cycle Company, 1017 Old W Innes St., Salisbury, NC. 12-6pm, live music, food & refreshments. www.bluecollarcycle.com, 980-621-7399.

MAR 29 WESTSIDE TWINS MOTORCYCLE CO. ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY 2313 West Front St., Statesville, NC. Benefit ride reg 9am, KSU 10:30am. 11:30am-2pm, DJ, live music, cornhole tournament, silent auction, food, blood drive. Benefits Whole Vet. www.westsidetwins.com, 704-380-2181

MAR 29 MIKE’S 8TH ANNUAL COWBOY CHILI CHALLENGE Sons Of The South Saloon, 3007 1st Ave. SW., Hickory, NC. Pre-reg required, pots go on at 10am, judging 2pm, trophies & cash prizes, vendors, liquor tasting. Call for rules, 828855-3097

MAR 29 READY. SET. RIDE. Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. Giveaways, rsvp at www.tobaccoroadhd.com for swag. 919-832-2261

MAR 29 S-T-U-N-T & BIKE SHOW Cox’s Double Eagle H-D, 7540 NC Hwy 15-501 S. West End, NC. 11am-4pm, professional stunt show with cash prizes, bike show, vendors.

MAR 29 READY SET RIDE BullDog Harley-Davidson, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. 11am-4pm, Free beer with the Bulldog Babes, giveaways. www. bulldogharleydavidson.com, 919-9381592

MAR 29 1ST ANNUAL FOX TROT RIDE Dearing Automotive 2001 N. William St. Goldsboro, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 11am. $20/rider, $10/passenger. Food, silent auction. Benefits Veteran’s Residential Services of Wilson. Reaper 941-7379955. Hometownheroesnc1@outlook. com

MAR 29 MIKE WHITE’S POKER RUN

Southern Maid Donuts, 101 Capital Trace, Elizabeth City, NC. 9-11am, last bike out at 11:30am, $20/rider, $10/passenger. Rain date: 04/05. Best hand, 50/50, silent auction, DJ. Proceeds go to help Mike in his battle with cancer.

MAR 29-30 DEMO DAYS ALL WEEK-

END LONG! Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville, NC. www.fortbraggharley.com, 910-8641200

MAR 29 5TH ANNUAL RIDE FOR HOPE

BIKE RUN Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd., Fayetteville, NC. Reg 9:30am, KSU 11am, $20/rider, $10/passenger incl tv raffle ticket. Add tickets $5 each or 5 for $20. Benefits The School of Hope. 910-578-9842, www. jarredbryansparksfoundation.org

APR 3 DALE’S WHEELS THROUGH TIME 2025 SEASON OPENING DAY 62 Vintage Ln., Maggie Valley, NC. 10am. www.wheelsthroughttime.com, 828-9266266

APR 5 ANNUAL NC DREAM RIDE Down Home Harley-Davidson, 2215 Hanford Rd., Burlington, NC. Reg 9:30am, KSU 11am, $20/rider, $10/passenger. Vendors, food avail., raffles. Presented by Iron Legacy MC. Benefits The Special Olympics. Rok, 919-576-3717 or ilmcgreensboro@ gmail.com

APR 5 PANCAKE BREAKFAST Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. 9am, while supplies last. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261

APR 5 MAD MONKEY SIGNING DAY Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. Meet & Greet with Max Flinders, race bike showcase, autographs, free food. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261

Cruisin’ Calendar

APR 5 GUARDIANS OF THE CHICLDREN GASTONIA CH SPRING CAPA RIDE Full Throttle Powersports, 100 Indian Walk, Lowell, NC. Reg 9:30am, first bike out 11am, $20/one hand & meal, $30/2 hands & 2 meals, rain date: 04/12. TV Raffle, 50/50, raffle prizes. www. gocnc.org

APR 5 SEVEN SABRES BROTHERHOOD ANNUAL JAMI’S WINGS (MORROW MOUNTAIN RIDE) Angier Clock Tower, 55 N. Broad St., West Angier, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 10am, $15/minimum donation. Arlene Mabry, 919-422-7234

APR 5 THE SANDHILLS BIKE BLESSING XIII Freedom Biker Church, 455 Rock Hill Rd., Fayetteville, NC. 11am2pm, bike blessings, food, door prizes, music, vendors, event tee, grand prize getaway. www.freedombikerchurchfayetteville.com

APR 5 3RD ANNUAL RIDING PAST

CANCER New River Harley-Davidson, 2394 Wilmington Hwy, Jacksonville, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 11am, $20/rider, $10/ passenger, light refreshments. Hosted by Richlands Bus Drivers Assoc.

APR 5 CVMA CH 34-1 ANNUAL

SPRING RIDE Beavers Den, 3482 John G Richards Rd., Liberty Hill, SC. Reg 9:30am, first bike out 10:40am, $20/rider, $10/passenger. Beer, music, vendors, 50/50. Proceeds go to help Veterans in Midlands. Big House, 253-459-3661, Hound Dog, 803-924-9997, Dilly Dilly, 315-777-7772

APR 5 CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH & DENIM JACKET DRIVE VFW Post 10420, 4359 US-17 Bus, Murrells Inlet, SC. 2-6pm, free lunch, music, kid games, auction. Rain date: 04/06. Presented by B.A.C.A. Pee Dee CH SC.

APR 10 BLUE COLLAR CYCLE CO

BIKE NIGHT 1814 US Hwy 70 SW, Hickory, NC. 6-9pm, live music, food & drinks avail., vendors. www.bluecollarcycle.com, 828-228-0189

APR 12 REVERSE RAFFLE FUNDRAISER Springers, 405 Rocky Knoll Rd., Greensboro, NC. 6pm, dinner, raffle drawing for 2003 100th Anniversary Superglide, live music. Benefits Michelle Stoots, Radar’s wife who’s battling cancer.

APR 12 TOBACCO ROAD HARLEY-DAVIDSON PARTY 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. 12-4pm, beer garden, free food, live music. www.tobaccoroadhd. com, 919-832-2261

APR 12 BOONE MOTORCO ANNIVERSARY PARTY 3021 US-1, Franklinton, NC. 12-4pm, live music, ice cream, food truck, vendors. www.boonemotorco.com www.askboone.com, 919-925-8009

APR 12 HELPING US HELP RIDE-NRALLY Wizard Saloon, 651 21st St, NE Hickory, NC. 9-10:30am, $20/single, $25/ double, camping, live music, bike show & games, food trucks, vendors, raffles, prizes. Ivan West, 704-957-1157 or Homie, 828-217-4218

APR 12 25TH ANNUAL CLAREMONT RESCUE SQUAD POKER RUN Iron Thunder Saloon & Grill, 2022 13th Ave Dr SE, Hickory, NC. Reg 10:30am, $25/ single, $30/double. BBQ, silent auction, door prizes. 828-459-7968

APR 12 3RD ANNUAL CHARITY RIDE SUPPORTING RIDE TO CLYDE East Roxboro Church of God, 1020 Reuben Allen Rd, Roxboro, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 10:30am, $20/single, $25/double. Lunch provided, 50/50. Hosted by Breeze Ministries. Stuart, 919-698-8403

APR 12 3RD ANNUAL “BE THE ONE” SUICIDE PREVENTION CHARITY RIDE

Food Lion parking lot, 5179 Clinton Rd., Fayetteville, NC. Reg 7:30am, KSU 8:30am, $20/bike, $25/vehicle. Bike, car & truck show. Benefits The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention NC CH. Valerie Rayner, commanderrayner@ gmail.com, Dean Wilson, bzzdbait2436@ yahoo.com

APR 12 FROG LEVEL MOTORCYCLE RUN 8520 County Home Rd., Ayden, NC. $10/incl camping, games & music. Food on Sat., Chopper Challenge Run/$40 incl shirt & gate fee, prizes. Chaser truck provided. Contact @swampcritter420 on IG.

APR 12 THE LAKE RIDE Tavern On Broad, 7949 Broad River Rd., Irmo, SC. Reg 10am, KSU 11:30am, $20/bike. Benefits Special Olympics via www. dreamride.org

APR 17 BLUE COLLAR CYCLE CO

BIKE NIGHT 1017 Old W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC. 6-9pm, live music, food & drinks avail., vendors, best bike comp. www.bluecollarcycle.com, 980-621-7399

APR 19 PANCAKE BREAKFAST Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St., Raleigh, NC. 9am, while supplies last. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261

APR 19 SPECIAL FORCES REGIMENT MC SPRING FLING POKER RUN SFBMC Clubhouse, 2200 Southern Ave., Fayetteville, NC. Reg 10:30am, road brief, 12pm, KSU 12:15pm, $20/rider, $5/ passenger. 50/50, best & worst hand. Benefits Gold Star Teen Adventures, www.gstadventures.org, FMI, steveadam766@gmail.com

APR 19 CVMA NC CH 15-3 1st ANNUAL

QUEEN ANNE’S REVENGE LIGHTHOUSE POKER RUN Outer Banks Harley-Davidson, 8739 Caratoke Hwy, Harbinger, NC. Reg 8am, first bike out 10am, $20/single, $20/passenger, free patch to riders, best & worst hand, 50/50, raffle. Benefits local Veterans. FMI, Curt Rambler Cox, 757-335-3696, www. cvma15-3.org

APR 19 5TH ANNUAL JERRY WAYNE

LAIL VETERANS POKER RUN Newton Elks Lodge, 625 West J St., Newton, NC. Reg 11am, KSU 12pm, $20/rider, $10/ passenger. Rain date: 04/26. Raffles, food, 50/50. Sarah, 828-320-1503

APR 19-27 23RD ANNUAL OUTER

BANKS BIKE WEEK Outer Banks H-D, 8739 Caratoke Hwy, Harbinger, NC.

Guided rides, demo rides, bikini models, live music, vendors, Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine bike show. www.outerbanksbikeweek.com, www.outerbankshd. com, 252-338-8866

Cruisin’ Calendar

APR 25-26 A1 CYCLES CASH DAYS 3

DRAG RACE Shady Side Dragway, 2149 Honey Haven Farm Rd., Shelby, NC. $20/ gate, $25,000 in payouts, for official class rules, www.facebook.com/a1cyclesnet, 561-603-6671

APR 25-27 EAST COAST BOOTY RUN

Mariner Inn & Suites, 1801 N Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, NC. Fri: parking lot pre-party. Sat: ride with lunch after. Sun: breakfast, check out. Call 252-4412021 to reserve your room, use discount code Booty Run. www.leftlanesyndicate. com

APR 26 4TH ANNUAL FULL THROTTLE OUTER BANKS BIKE WEEK BIKE

SHOW Outer Banks Harley-Davidson, 8739 Caratoke Hwy, Harbinger, NC. Reg 12-3pm, awards 4pm, FREE ENTRY. Trophies, cash prizes, live music, vendors, bikini contest & more. www.fullthrottlemagazine.com, 336-885-5400

APR 26 KIDS PATH BIKE & CAR SHOW

Cadillac Ranch, 6330 David Moore Rd., Burlington, NC. Reg 8am, $20/bike & car show, $10/general admission, rain date: 04/27. Live music, 50/50, vendors, food trucks & more. Benefits Kids Path of AuthoraCare. Birddog, 336-260-1685, Jamie 336-213-2684, Allison Allison@ samswishfund.org

APR 26 26TH ANNUAL KERRI D. EFIRD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP BIKE RUN

West Stanly High School, 306 E. Red Cross Rd., Oakboro, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 10am. Cost: donation, BBQ lunch, raffles & more. www.kerripooh.com, Scott & Tracy Efird, 704-888-4587

APR 26 BLESSING OF THE BIKES Full Throttle Biker Church 911 US 74 Bus. Bostic, NC. 11am-?. Live music, bike games, food trucks, fellowship. Mike Gettys 828-289-1944.

APR 26 5TH ANNUAL JOCO ANGELS RIDE 4 RECOVERY Freedom Biker Church, 669 Tarheel Rd., Benson, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 10:30am, 50/50, door prizes, t-shirts, food, music, silent auction, vendors. Christy@freedombikerchurch. com, 919-868-3697 or 919-550-3733

APR 26 2ND ANNUAL ATP POKER RUN

The Barn, 8800 Collins Rd., Fort Mill, SC. Check in 9am, KSU 10am, $25/single, $30/double. Food, best & lowest hand prizes. Benefits All things Possible Medical Fundraising. Mikesextonnc@gmail. com

APR 26 CVMA SC 34-2 8TH ANNUAL BENEFIT RIDE Harley-Davidson of Greenville, 30 Chrome Dr., Greenville, SC. Reg 9:30am, $20/rider, $10/passenger.

APR 26 ALL THINGS POSSIBLE POKER RUN The Barn 8800 Collins Rd. Indian Land, SC. Reg $25/biker, $30/2 up. 9am, KSU 10am, Lunch, prizes. Proceeds for wheelchair-access vans. Mike Sexton 803-448-9177.

APR 26 4TH ANNUAL DOOLIN DALTON AWARENESS RIDE ONE Church, 409 E North 1st St., Seneca, SC. Arrive 9-10am, KSU 11am. Breakfast avail., cookout after ride, raffles, shirts avail. Donations accepted and benefit Foothills Fentanyl Fight. doolindaltonlooktwicesavealife@ outlook.com

APR 26 B.A.C.A. BLUE RIBBON RIDE

Timms Harley-Davidson, 4110 Clemson Blvd., Anderson, SC. Reg 9am, KSU 11am, free pancake breakfast. Free dinner to first 50 reg riders. Silent auction, live music. eventcoordinator@southcarolina.bacaworld.org

APR 27 SPRING BIKE FEST Locked & Loaded Bar & Grill, 305 McCormick St., Garner, NC. Live music, vendors. 919869-0568

By: LincoLn infieLd

housands of motorcycle enthusiasts showed up to the Greensboro Complex on February 1st to celebrate their love of motorcycles. They were greeted with over 60,000 sq ft of chrome, custom paint, motorcycle industry vendors and the promise of a good time. The doors flew open at 10am and the party was on.

Event goers entered the Special Events Center through the mammoth Carolinas’ Biker Lawyers inflatable bulldog tunnel and were immediately greeted by some of the most far out custom baggers on the east coast. Huge 30” front wheels, wild paint and flashy chrome begged their eyes to indulge themselves on these man-made wonders. The baggers were just one of 25 classes of motorcycles that were parked throughout the bike show room. No matter what your style, there were motorcycles for you at this show. Choppers, antiques, FXR’s, Softail’s, cholo’s, metrics, British Standard antiques, Dyna’s, Sportsters, Performance Baggers, Trikes, Side Cars, Radicals and more made up the over 220 bikes that made the show. If

Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine 3rd Annual Custom Bike Show

you took five minutes to look at each bike it would take over 18 hours to see them all! Too bad the show was only nine hours long! Not to mention that these were some of the finest custom bikes on the east coast. No joke, these show bikes came from all up and down the east coast; Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and of course North and South Carolina were all represented at this bike show.

The Choppers, Vintage and Antique sections are extremely impressive as well. Knucklehead’s, Panhead’s, Shovelhead’s, KK’s, Norton’s, BSA’s, and even a VC were all present and absolutely gorgeous. There were restorations, survivors and custom antiques all lined up. There were over 40 bikes in the Vintage and Antique classes. The chopper class has to be the most unique class of them all. Between the Vintage Chopper class, Greasy Chopper Class and the Import Chopper class another 40 bitchin bikes, not a one like the other. Again, you don’t have the time to take in everything in.

The last couple years the Cholo class has been on the rise,

we had so many cholo’s in the Softail class last year that they earned their own class. We had some mild classy cholo bikes and wild over the top cholo bikes. Again, wild paint, dripping in chrome, etchings, and endless customization. When we got around to judging the 24 bikes that were designated for the Cholo class, we noticed that nine were “Dirty Tails” and there was no way to judge them in the Cholo class. So right around 2 am on Friday night the judges panel created a 26th class, the Dirty Tail class. There was no denying these bikes. Here I go, rambling on about all the amazing bikes, and trust me, I could go on all day. Another huge component of the Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine Custom Bike Show is the vendors. We designed a floor plan for 110 vendor booths and sold them out before the end of December. We had to turn away vendors for an entire month. There was only one rule, it had to be motorcycle related. No gutter guards, no Tupperware, all motorcycle community. We had tons of custom motorcycle shops, custom parts fabricators, biker apparel, biker lawyers, leathers, stickers, patches, painters, jewelry, biker photography, biker churches and all. It was an A List type function with the likes of The Long Brothers Choppers, The Rebel Spirit, Thunderhead Choppers, Twin City Cycles, Absolute Custom Cycles, PDR Performance, Back Yard Baggers, Jaybird’s Custom Cycles, Nothing 2 Lose, Tombstone Kustom Cycles, T-Man Performance, Clemmons Cycles/ Sport Bagger Concepts, Custom Culture Cycles and more. There was a serious risk that you would find way too much cool stuff to buy, great build ideas and basically anything else you want from the motorcycle community.

Drag racing is a huge part of our community, so it was only fitting to have Paul Watson bring in a drag racing expo and highlight the All Harley World Shootout. It was fitting that the AHWS was on the February front cover of the Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine that we wer passing out at the bike show. Paul brought in 12 of the baddest drag bikes that race on his circuit. Race fans were able to talk

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The Carolinas’

Throttle Magazine

directly to the racers and even sit on the bikes for photos. This has been a huge attraction at this event and will continue to be in the future.

The Arts were very much alive at this year’s show as well. We had world class photographers and roaming the floor snapping away, seriously we got well over 4000 photos from this event. Derek and Monica of In The Weeds photo were set up doing instant photos, Panhead Jim, Josh Hawks, Kevin Sayers, Jerry Andrews, Len Montgomery and Kenneth Charlton were shooting the festivities as well. We even had Barry Campbell Photography set up with his killer high end shots of Billy Lane’s Son’s Of Speed events. Trey Steele’s Paint Shack was set up and also had some of his work displayed on the show bikes. Ray Spencer of Universal Customs Pinstriping has been our resident striper for three years. He is THE man when it comes to pin striping and it’s an honor to have him working this show! We even had Dave and Jody Perewitz of Perewitz Cycle Fab on site. This world famous father and daughter duo spent the day posing with fans, hangin’ out and picking out bikes for their Perewitz Paint Show that was part of the days award ceremony. Dave and Jody perused the bike show floor looking for the best paint job and another bike that has the most appeal to them. They brought with them two hand painted awards that were just as sought after as the cash prizes for the class awards! There were a ton of awesome paint jobs, but Dave and Jody picked Randall Winstead’s 2013 H-D StreetGlide 30” wheel Radical Bagger, painted by Don Keller Designs as “Best Paint”. Randall is a local NC rider and I’ve seen this bike a dozen times; it’s a ground up custom and Randall rides it hard. The paint on this thing is amazing and I wasn’t surprised that the Perewitz’s thought so too! The “Perewitz Choice” Award was awarded to Puput Yuwana’s 1946 Harley-Davidson EL survivor “In Rust We Trust”. Choice awards are fun cause they are just that…your choice. Puput’s rusty Knucklehead survivor spoke to them, its rusty eaten paint job wasn’t the best paint on the floor, but they sure thought it was Continues On Page 16

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the coolest bike there.

I have to admit that it was an amazing bike, and I admired the hell out of it too! There was a ton going on all day, but we still needed something to put it over the top. How about Tattoos and live music, that should do it. Three years running, Ink Lab Tattoo of Kernersville, was set up slinging ink. They had three artists that stayed busy all day beautifying event goers. They had come up with a pile of flash sheets of motorcycle tats and bike show mementos. I swear each year I’m going to get a bike show tattoo but never get around to it. This year the live music kicked off at 11am with Them! Rockabilly band. We had them play last year and they put on a killer show, so we had em back and put them in the opening slot. They (Them!) set the tone for the show and folks were dancing in the aisles. Any time you see their name on the marque you oughta go see em. Hell, we may have them back next year! Matt Walsh and the Movers were the second act of the day. Matt Walsh is an accomplished blues man, and I had seen him and the band play at Westside Twins open house in 2024. They blew my socks off and I knew then I wanted to have them at the show. Again, no disappointment there. My dude was rocking the stage and even broke out some Link Wray to bring his set home. Matt Walsh and the Movers are another band that you need to go see.

The Greensboro Coliseum was jam packed with bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts all day long. By the time 6pm rolled around The Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine team took the stage to deliver the results of the bike show. Our team of experienced judges spent hours looking over the classes of bikes that they specialize in. When they were finished, in the middle of night, we walked the floor and went over the results, arguing cases and pointing out some amazing features. I have a HUGE appreciation for this team, and they nail it every year. As hard a job as it is to judge over 220 potential show winning bikes and decide on the top 50 bikes, we do it because we love motorcycles, innovation, clean lines, workmanship and the dedication it takes

The Carolinas’

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to complete these rolling works of art. It’s a huge challenge, but we enjoy it. This year two bikes rose to the top. Both the Best In Show - Modern and the Best In Show - Antique were unanimous on the judging forms. Best In Show - Antique went to Joe Marshall of Joe Marshall’s Customs. Joe brought in a completely sick 1956 panhead chopper with a laundry list of parts that Joe handmade. It stuck out in the chopper section because it was the longest and tallest chopper and was just so damn clean and slick. Joe is a master of his craft, and this bike was absolutely top of the line. Best In Show - Modern went to Denny Eggerton’s Evil Iron Customs 2014 Softail Deluxe, the SmurfTail. This Softail/Cholo, whatever class it would have landed in was an absolute stunner. The complete package of custom paint, design and ingenuity. It was an absolute work of art. The Smurftail had been recently unveiled at a bike show and has left a trail of top honors. Both the Antique and Modern Best In Show Winners took home $1000 cash and their respective Best In Show Cup. The 26 class winners took home $300, and second place got out of there with a $100 bill.

It was one hell of a day that we couldn’t do without our friends and sponsors. Bob Karney and Sean Clayton of Carolinas’ Biker Lawyers returned as our presenting sponsor for the bike show. Indian Motorcycle Greensboro Triad, Law Tigers NC East, Riding High Harley-Davidson, Ok Recycling and Encore Motorcycle Insurance rounded out our sponsors for this event.

My event staff, led by my wife Maggie runs the load-in and the booth at the show and allows me to walk around looking good. Again, couldn’t do it without them. Thanks to everyone who came out and hung out with us. We will be back…the 4th Annual Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine Bike Show will be on the last weekend of January 2026.

The Carolinas’

ANTIQUE

Ronnie Quinn - 1947 H-D FL Knucklehead

Chip Hoffener - 1952 H-D Panhead

BRITISH STANDARD ANTIQUE

Todd Johnson - 1969 BSA Thunderbolt

Jeff Young - 1975 Norton 850 Commando Mark III

CHOLO

Ginger Weston - 2007 H-D Deluxe

Julie Jenkins - 2016 H-D Deluxe

DIRTY TAIL

Larry Parker - 2015 H-D Heritage

Kellie Royston - 2007 H-D Heritage

DYNA

Trey Leghorn - 2006 H-D Super Glide

Meghan Stickle - 2005 H-D Wide Glide

FAT TIRE

Freddie Clarke - 2016 H-D Street Glide

Mark Hicks - 2020 H-D Road King

FXR

Harley Hedrick - 1983 H-D FXR

Sandra Wilson - 1982 H-D FXR

GREASY CHOPPER

David Harrell - 1961 H-D FL Denver Chopper

Nicholas Dillard - 1950 FL Panhead Chopper

IMPORT CHOPPER

Tara Shipwash - 1974 Yamaha Xs650

Rick Tilch 51 - 1969 Triumph Hardtail

INDIAN

John Huber - 1941 Indian 741b

Benjamin Stalets - 2018 Indian Springfield

METRIC CRUISER

Steve “Brewdude” Garn - 1983 BMW R100 RT

Chad Ziolkowski - 2020 Triumph T120

MODERN CHOPPER

Mark Hendrix - 2024 West Coast Chopper

Parker Landreth - 2007 West Coast Chopper

PERFORMANCE BAGGER

Jaybirds Custom Cycles - 2024 H-D Road Glide

Knox Whitten - 2020 H-D Road Glide

BIKE SHOW RESULTS

BEST IN SHOW VINTAGE

Joseph Marshall - 1956 H-D Panhead Chopper

BEST IN SHOW - MODERN

Danny Eggerton - 2014 H-D Softail Deluxe

PEREWITZ BEST PAINT AWARD

Randall Winstead - 2013 H-D Street Glide

PEREWITZ CHOICE AWARD

Puput Yuwana - 1946 H-D EL

PEOPLES CHOICE

Devin Snyder - 2003 H-D Road King

RADICAL BAGGER 23”-26” WHEEL

Baker Act Customs - 2009 H-D Road King

Michael Brinkley - 2002 H-D Road King

RADICAL BAGGER 30”+ WHEEL

Clarence Anderson - 2019 H-D Street Glide

Chris Blair - 2008 H-D Road Glide

RADICAL NON BAGGER

Alex Wilson - 1977 H-D Shovelhead

Devon Eckert - 1997 Buell x1

SIDECAR

Clifton Wilson - 1968 H-D FLH

Jesse Yodice - 2004 Triumph Speed Triple

SOFTAIL

Jonathan Allen - 2008 H-D Fat Boy

Ben Ferguson - 1992 H-D FXST

SPORT BIKE

Adam Parker - 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa

Ben Matthews - 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa

SPORTSTER

Mike Nikirk 1977 H-D

Dave Hennig 1953 H-D KK

TOURING

Conner Walling - 2019 H-D Road Glide

David Walling - 2022 H-D Street Glide

TRIKE

Wolf Barrett - 2001 Custom Trike

Susan Kirtner - 2023 Road Glide 3

VICTORY

Angie Williams 2017 Victory Octane

VINTAGE

Ben Brown 1967 H-D FL

Anthony Reise 1974 FXE

VINTAGE CHOPPER

Brenda Deagazio - 1964 Ironhead Chopper

Jack Deagazio - 1976 Shovelhead Chopper

Picking Up A New Harley For Riki’s Heavy Mental Ride

Story and photoS By aLan dockery

f you were between the ages of 10 and 90 years old in the early 1990’s, I hope you rocked out to The Headbangers Ball on MTV. One of the best known and loved Video Jockeys cranking up the Heavy Metal was Riki Rachtman. Recently, I ran into him at Tilley Harley-Davidson, Statesville, NC, where he was picking up a new CVO Pan America.

Riki is going to put more than 15,000 miles on that bike this year. Half of this ride will be with his wife Lea Vendetta who was on Season One of the television show “Inkmaster.” While they are setting up a route many of the stops will be designated by the duo’s social media followers. Riki’s Road 25 “The Lost Ramblers” will be a charity ride across the western part of the country and up into Alaska. For ten years he has been doing charity rides without a publicist, just getting on a bike and riding.

“This ride is challenging and longer than any I’ve done,” Riki said. “But I’ve started my own non-profit so I can better manage where the money goes. I raised a lot of money for charities over the years. Sometimes I look at what they spend on salaries and overhead expenses and think I can do better.”

Riki told me about several of the charities he has raised lots of money for over the years. “I’ve been raising money for charities forever, selflessly, because it just makes me feel good,” he said.

For the 2025 ride Riki has started his own charity called Heavy Mental. I dig that. “All the money goes to Vibrant Health which runs the 988 Suicide Prevention Hot Line. Suicide is an issue that touches everyone. Nothing weak about asking for help. I started my own foundation so every penny I raise goes to 988. I’ll make sure there are no middlemen or administrative expenses taken out.” Riki promised.

How can you donate to Riki’s Heavy Mental Ride 2025. Go to Lostramblers.com. Along the way Riki will do celebrity auctions and appearances and such to raise money and awareness of the ride and suicide prevention. Look for videos from those events on his You Tube channel. You can find the links on Lostramblers.com.

“The people who follow me @rikirachtman are the most amazing people in the world. We have raised probably close to half a million dollars just by people donating over the years,” he said.

Riki plans to do an Iron Butt during the ride. “June 17th I’ll go for an Iron Butt, riding 1,000 miles in 24 hours. People can sponsor that ride. Donate a Dime a Mile. Expect to see some ride merch for sale too.

Folks will be able to track Riki online and see when he is going to be stopping at Harley-Davidson dealerships or various points of interest. “My sponsor Rambler Water sparkling water has been great to work with because they want me to stop at some unique places.”

The Carolinas’

“It’s very important for people to know that yes it’s going to be a long ride, but it’s also going be one where I detour for things like the best Key Lime Pie in Key West. Or Hank Williams’ birthplace. Or maybe even somewhere that I saw Guns & Roses play in front of 50 people. I hope to meet people along the way.”

“Yes we are going to log a bunch of miles. But it’s got to be fun and we like to go to places that are cool. I want to have live tracking so people can meet us along the way. If there’s a place you think we need to visit, the best road or a haunted hotel, let us know,” he said.

Riki was picking up the bike to get familiar with it and ride down to Florida for a while. He’s the Pit Reporter for Billy Lane’s Sons of Speed Races in Daytona. Then he’s going to ride down to Key West with his wife and back to Mooresville. The ride will officially start in June. I expect a launch party.

Something in conjunction with Mooresville’s Throttle Thursday parties where they shut down uptown for bikes and hot rods. I’m thinkin we have a big glass jug at the launch party. Bring cash so we can send him off with a good donation.

He has the route partially planned. See Metallica in Houston and birthday in Austin. Do an Iron Butt to Cheyenne. Ride to Calgary to pick up his wife. Then across the Yukon to Glacier View Alaska where they launch cars off the cliff for the Fourth of July.

Most Miles In Rock N Roll

Riki claims to have logged more miles than anyone in Rock N Roll except for Neil Peart, drummer for the band Rush. But says he knows less about bikes than anyone.

“I want everybody to know I don’t know anything about motorcycles. I don’t know how to do anything. I don’t know what parts are what. I truly want to learn, but I would rather just go out and ride. My friends are some of the great bike builders. We go to bike shows and they talk about the cool parts and I just nod along. I need to learn how to at least fix a flat tire this year,” Riki said. “That’s why I’m glad to be riding the new Harley-Davidson Pan America CVO. All I will have to do is ride it and not worry.” That machine is already tricked out from the Motor Company so Riki didn’t have to figure out accessories.

“I’ve ridden so many miles because I love riding motorcycles so much. It’s the only thing that helps me who has so much going on in my mind to cope. I love long distance riding. One day I was riding in the desert and thought, ‘What have I been thinking about?’ Then realized I had not been thinking at all. Just riding my motorcycle. I love it.”

Riki said even with so many miles he plans to take an Adventure Bike Riding Class. Good idea. We can always learn. He praised the Pan America right away. “I had always said I was going to get a BMW GS. But then Harley-Davidson came

out with the Pan America and I had to see one. I’m a little vertically challenged, but with the adjustive ride height I’m flat footing is at stops. I came to Tilleys and wow, that’s like the coolest bike I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m proud to be riding with Harley-Davidson again. They were excited about my ride because the number one reason I’m doing it is I love riding motorcycles so much. Maybe I need AARP sponsorship since I’m old now. I’m 62 and going to go ride 13,000 miles this Summer because I like to do it.”

“Rambler Water is a product I use. They are talking about places I can stop along the way to promote them., I got a helmet from Arai. Cathouse Coffee in Mooresville is my shop. I need sponsors to help us raise money for suicide prevention.”

As we ended our talk, Riki was getting excited talking about motorcycles. And he told me how valuable it is to have his wife ride with him.

“When I meet her I told her I’m a Biker and like to ride motorcycles. I like to ride motorcycles really far. Lea quickly got into long highway rides. She talked on the intercom about if we go up there we can see this thing or stop at that cool shop. She’s like Atlas Obscura. We have the best time. If you can have a woman on the back of your motorcycle for 10,000 miles and you ain’t killing each other it’s a good thing,” Riki said.

I look forward to tracking their adventure on Riki’s Road 25 “The Lost Ramblers” this Summer at www.lostramblers.com

Inaugural Chili Cook-Off At Dog House Harley-Davidson

By: Len “3 WheeL” MontgoMery

y now you may have heard that the harleyDavidson dealer in Rock Hill, SC has changed ownership, and the entire store has gotten a facelift. They have brought in a lot of bikes and merchandise. And they are enticing new visitors daily with promotions that offer people of all ages a chance to be a part of the Dog House experience.

One such event took place on Saturday, January 25th, The Inaugural Chili Cook Off. There were 15 spots open to compete with no entry fee. Marlee, the marketing director, had extended an invitation to me to compete. So, I entered at the last minute, and made the three-hour ride to Rock Hill, SC with a pot of traveling chili, plugged in and cooking going down the highway.

When I arrived, there were already a few people set up with their best chili. I registered and began setting up. I was contestant #4. And there were 15 registered, but 2 contestants had to withdraw the morning of. I believe there were ultimately 12 pots of chili to be judged. Now the way this worked, we were giving samples in a small cup. At half a cup each taster received 2-3 ounces of chili per station. They were to remember the entry number of their favorite and write their vote on a slip of paper and feed it into the ballot box. These votes would be tallied later to determine the People’s Choice Award. Three staff members were the official judges to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

By 11 a.m. hungry faces began appearing with noses to the air. It was smelling pretty damn good in the lounge area of the store! We began offering samples and watching the first bite of every person, attempting to gauge their level of approval or disapproval. Some folks preferred more typical chili with a mild flavor, while others gravitated to spicier pots. Yet others were favoring the white chili offerings (there were three very different pots). Some people liked shredded cheese, or candied bacon, bacon bits, sour cream, corn chips, jalapenos, tortilla chips, saltines, oyster crackers… I think you get the idea. Each station had a little something to add to the experience.

It didn’t take long for the crowd to arrive. And by 11:30 a.m. it was pretty much non-stop serving for the next hour. That’s when the chili began to run out. By 12:45 p.m. I scraped the bottom of my pot for the last sample. I don’t know if I was giving too much or what. It didn’t seem like much when I was serving. And I prepared a large pot of chili! Nonetheless, I was the 2nd person to run out of chili. No worries, that just freed me up to meet a few people, pet a few dogs, look at the new 2025 models, and take a lot of photos.

At some point, the votes were tallied, and Marlee took center stage, along with Mckenzie and Lauren (two of the Dog House Divas), to thank everyone for being there and to make

the award announcements. I waited with bated breath for my name to be called. First up was third place winner, entrant #11, Michael Russell and his daughter. How dare he bring a cute child to influence the judges! LOL! They received a nice plaque and a $100 gift card to Dog House H-D. Second place was next and went to entrant #6 Gerry Harke. No cute children for this entrant, but apparently, he did something wild: he made some really good chili! And for his efforts, he received a nice plaque and a $200 gift card to Dog House H-D. For the final award from the staff judges, first place was awarded to Pat Mallett. Pat had bribed all the judges ahead of time, I mean, she cooked a hell of a pot of chili. And even brought her own candied bacon, which seemed to be as tasty as her chili. Great work Pat and congratulations on your $300 gift card to Dog House H-D.

Now there is only one more opportunity to hear my name called out for the People’s Choice award. We had all worked hard preparing and serving the chili. But like the Highlander movies, “there can be only one.” Drum roll is running through the back of my head. I am preparing my acceptance speech for being chosen “by the people” who enjoyed the fruits (okay, chili) of my labor. My moment had come! And then Marlee announced the People’s Choice and how she was happy to announce the award went to…entrant #5, Tony Sadler. What had just happened? Where did I go wrong? I think my mistake was serving chili beside what many said was the best white chicken chili they had tasted. Congrats Tony!

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Rest Easy Nick Morris

ome people pass through this world quietly, leaving only a ripple in their wake. Nicholas G. Morris was not one of those people. He was a force, a presence that could not be ignored.

For 17 years, Nick was the heartbeat of the Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson service department. With an unparalleled knowledge of Harley-Davidson engineering, he earned multiple certifications and the deep respect of every rider who trusted him with their machine. His passion for motorcycles was more than a career; it was a calling.

But Nick was more than just a master technician. He was a friend, a mentor, and a man who believed in the power of connection. His sharp wit and unwavering loyalty were legendary. If you were lucky enough to know him, you were lucky enough to have a story about him—because Nick made sure of that. He believed in people, in their journeys, in their ability to push forward even when the road was rough.

He carried that same fierce loyalty into his personal life, where his greatest love was his family. His wife, Ashley, and his daughter, Zoe, were his North Star, guiding every decision, every late-night wrench turn, every note played on his guitar. Because, beyond his skills in the shop, Nick was a musician, a man who saw life as a song meant to be played at full volume.

Nick’s sudden passing on February 4th left a space that cannot be filled, but his presence will never fade. His memory lives on in the roar of the engines he fine-tuned, in the stories shared over cold beers and long rides, in the unwavering friendships he built.

His spirit rides on with us. His stories will be told, his kindness will be remembered, and his legacy will roll on down the road with every rider who had the honor of calling him a friend.

Rest easy, Nick. We’ll see you in the clearing, at the end of the path.

Good News

hope you were able to attend the full throttle bike Show in the Greensboro. This is a tremendous event, and we were very blessed to once again have a booth at the show and meet so many wonderful people.

I did receive questions concerning our purpose in attending the show. A fair question with our church located almost 100 miles away. The questions are 1st, are you planning to start a church in the Triad and the 2nd, if not then why attend?

To the 1st question; no, we are not planning to plant a biker church in the Triad. There are already excellent biker churches in the Triad. To the 2nd question, we are called to share the GOSPEL or “THE GOOD NEWS” of Jesus Christ. Most everyone has heard of Jesus, but many don’t understand who He is and how His birth (Christmas), life, death and most importantly His resurrection (Easter) can provide incredible blessings.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

To compare what Jesus will do for you is like this; assume you are charged with crimes that you are 100% guilty of committing. When you arrive for court, you find all the charges

have been dismissed. Someone else has agreed to pay full price for your crimes so you are free to go. This is what Jesus does with our sins when we accept his free gift of salvation. This is difficult concept as it involves love at a level above our understanding. We very seldom hear of anyone sacrificing their life to save the life of another person. On the rare occasion when this does happen it does not normally involve strangers but saving a loved one.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Without Jesus as our intermediary, our sin separates us from God.

John 14:65 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

We are always looking for opportunities to share the good news of who Jesus is and what a relationship with him provides. In 1983 Anne Murray released a song titled “A Little Good News” with lyrics recognizing world problems and a deep desire to hear a little good news. The opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with others is why we go where we go and do what we do. The world needs to hear the good news.

Our time here is limited but our eternity has no end. A personal relationship with Jesus ensures our eternity is spent in heaven with Him and not in hell.

Thank you to everyone who visited our booth. We also appreciate your emails, text and phone calls of encouragement, they mean a great deal to us.

Blessings, Floyd

A Day Of Chili, Community And A New Ride At Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson

By: chi

ort bragg harley-davidson brought the heat, Saturday, December 28, with an unforgettable day of food, fun, and the excitement of a grand prize giveaway. Riders and community members gathered for an outdoor Chili Cook-Off that had mouths watering and taste buds buzzing. The competition was fierce, with several contestants serving up their best recipes. In the end, Derrick Hey was crowned the winner for his show-stopping chili, earning bragging rights and the crowd’s applause.

While the cook-off drew a crowd outside, the action inside the dealership was just as thrilling. Throughout the day, attendees participated in various prize drawings, all leading up to the main event: a reverse raffle for a brand-new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. With anticipation in the air, the final moments of the raffle delivered the ultimate excitement as Alicia Meeks was announced as the lucky winner of the sleek new Harley. Alicia’s joy lit up the room as she accepted her prize and lifted the winning ball with her name on it. Here’s to Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson journeys.

The event brought together motorcycle enthusiasts and the local community, showcasing Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson as the hub for riding culture in Fayetteville. From the delicious chili to the life-changing raffle, the day was a perfect reminder of the passion and camaraderie that make the Harley-Davidson experience truly unique.

Don’t miss out on the excitement at Fort Bragg HarleyDavidson! For more information on upcoming events and promotions, check out the Carolina’s Full Throttle Magazine Cruising Calendar or visit online; fullthrottlemagazine.com Ride free, Fayetteville, and we’ll see you at the next event!

1953 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide

Owner: Puput Yuwana

JavaSkye Motorcycles

Photos By - Brad Patton / Model - Aje

Indian Motorcycle Announces 2025 Indian Chief Lineup

Sport Chief RT Features Premium Components, Custom-Inspired Styling & Purpose-Built Performance; Introduces Locking Rigid Saddlebags, Two-Up High Bolster Seat & PowerBand Audio Bluetooth® Speaker accessory

New 2025 Super Chief Dark Horse Offers Blacked-Out Attitude with Fender-to-Fender Premium Gloss Paint

uilding upon its iconic cruiser lineup, indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today announced its 2025 Indian Chief lineup, introducing the Sport Chief RT and Super Chief Dark Horse. Offering superior handling and ride performance, Sport Chief RT takes the beloved Indian Sport Chief to an entirely new level – introducing all-new, custom-inspired premium components.

“When we launched Sport Chief, we raised the bar for performance cruisers,” said Aaron Jax, Vice President for Indian Motorcycle. “After observing the aftermarket landscape, our product team saw an opportunity to design a motorcycle that came standard with high-quality, factory components that were traditionally aftermarket add-ons. With Sport Chief RT, we’re adding custom-inspired componentry to create the ultimate package for riders looking to enhance style and add storage.”

2025 Indian Sport Chief RT

The 2025 Indian Sport Chief RT is packed with premium components, custom-inspired style, and purpose-built performance straight from the factory.

Custom-Inspired Style

Answering the call from riders, Sport Chief RT delivers custom-inspired style straight from the factory. The all-new, all-weather Locking Rigid Saddlebags add sleek style and more than 37 litres of practical storage, capable of fitting an entire set of riding gear, including boots, pants, a jacket and gloves. While standard on Sport Chief RT, the Locking Rigid Saddlebags are compatible and available as accessories across

the entire Indian Chief line, offered in color-matched premium paint or a textured black finish.

Sport Chief RT’s custom-inspired styling includes an allnew 2-Up High Bolster Seat, which is fully compatible as an accessory upgrade across the Indian Chief line. With a sleek design and 127 mm of bolster, the 2-Up High Bolster Seat delivers an aggressive look while increasing cushion, maximizing comfort for riders and passengers. The bike’s 152 mm machined risers with moto-style handlebars and machined triples add premium style with sporty ergonomics straight from the factory. Forward controls keep the rider’s legs in a more relaxed and comfortable position, while its Quarter Fairing and 165 mm windscreen provide wind protection and a clean, sporty look. The Sport Chief RT features a 19-inch front and a 16-inch rear contrast cut lightweight cast alloy wheels, wrapped in Metzeler® Cruisetec® tires.

Premium Components

Indian Motorcycle’s 101 mm Touchscreen Display Powered by RIDE COMMAND is integrated into the dash and can be accessed via handlebar controls or the display directly, with or without gloves. Riders can select music, control audio settings, and access bike and ride information. Accessible via handlebar controls or the digital touchscreen display, riders can cycle through multiple interfaces, including two different gauge configurations, bike and ride information, and turn-byturn navigation*. When pairing the RIDE COMMAND system with a wireless helmet communicator, riders can access their phone information and accept or reject calls directly through

the bike’s touchscreen display.

All the rider-centric features riders want, and need, are standard on the Sport Chief RT. Cruise control, keyless ignition, ABS, LED lighting, and a USB charging port provide a premium experience so the rider can focus on the road ahead.

Purpose-Built Performance

At the heart of the Sport Chief RT is Indian Motorcycle’s Thunderstroke 116 (1890 cc) V-twin engine. With its air-cooled simplicity, the Sport Chief RT packs 156 Nm of torque for raw passing power. Three ride modes (Sport, Standard, Tour) each provide unique throttle responses to fit riding conditions and match rider preferences.

In addition, KYB® inverted front forks offer superior handling and ride performance. Lighter than standard cartridge style forks, Sport Chief RT’s KYB® inverted front forks provide responsive front-end handling – allowing riders to ride harder with less fatigue and more confidence. Adding comfort and aftermarket style are a pair of Performance Adjustable Piggyback Rear Shocks by FOX®. With easy-to-operate 23-click twist knobs, riders can adjust compression and rebound damping to suit their riding preferences – deliver-

ing a smoother, more comfortable ride. Offering confidence-inspiring stopping power and a more responsive feel are the Sport Chief RT’s Dual Brembo® four-piston calipers with semi-floating 320 mm rotors.

Accessories

For 2025, Indian Motorcycle RT introduces an all-new PowerBand Audio Bluetooth® Speaker as an accessory across the entire Indian Chief lineup. The PowerBand Audio Bluetooth® Speaker mounts between the Sport Chief RT’s handlebar risers and Quarter Fairing, as two 65 mm midrange speakers, one 100 mm subwoofer and two tweeters deliver 90 watts of crystal-clear audio at highway speeds. Featuring a five-band equalizer, accessible via the 101 mm Touchscreen Display Powered by RIDE COMMAND, riders can personalize their listening experience by selecting the setting best suited for their favorite music genre.

New for 2025 is a High Mounted Tee Bar. Offering a custom edge, the High Mounted Tee Bar provides slow-speed tip-over protection while featuring iconic Indian Motorcycle branding on the end caps. The High Mounted Tee Bar seamlessly complements the premium look and feel of any 2022 and newer Indian Chief.

Indian Sport Chief RT riders looking to add personal style and change ergonomics can add 254 mm Moto Handlebar Risers, while low and tall flared wind deflector options are available for the Sport Chief RT’s Quarter Fairing. For added nighttime visibility, the Chief Pathfinder 146 mm Adaptive LED Headlight projects light a greater distance with a wider spread. Its patented, innovative technology monitors the bike’s lean angle to optimize illumination of the road ahead.

Protecting & Empowering Abused Children In Need

By: cruiSing gaL

e are always reading stories about bikers helping others with their charitable events, toy runs etc. Did you know there is a Biker Organization that is specifically dedicated to empowering abused children to not be afraid of the world in which they live, making sure they never feel alone or afraid again.

B.A.C.A. (Bikers Against Child Abuse) was founded in 1995 by a licensed child therapist known as “Chief” and was a biker himself. He had one goal in mind and that was to provide children with a sense of safety and strength through the presence of a supportive Biker “FAMILY”. Over the years, this organization has grown immensely and is now worldwide. I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with a couple of the local Pee-Dee SC

Chapter members, and I have to tell you, even though I have known of B.A.C.A., I had absolutely no idea of the full scope of what they do. Members not only ride for the love of Motorcycles, but for the mission of giving children the confidence to face their fears and empower them to reclaim their own lives. These people are “on-call” 24/7/365. When a child is referred to them by a legal representative or child service professional, the guardian goes through an initial intake with the chapter’s Child Liaison to make sure that the case meets all requirements to welcome the hero into the B.A.C.A. family. These requirements are #1. The perpetrator cannot be living in the same house as the child. #2. The abuse must be reported to an agency or police department and #3. The child must be living in fear. Once this takes place and the child decides they want to be one of their little brothers or sisters. They get to choose their own road names and what patches they want on their vest. The child starts making their own decisions from the very start. They are then assigned two primary contacts from their local chapter. The child can call their primaries 24 hours a day. They then set up what is called a Level 1, where the hero(es) get to meet all of their new biker brothers and sisters. The hero(es) get their own “biker vest”, and officially adopt them into their group. This gesture gives the child an immediate sense of feeling safe and secure. They help children of abuse between the ages of 3-18 years old. During this time they stand alongside them in court, talk to them when they feel

they have no one else to talk with and provide 24/7 security if needed. B.A.C.A. runs on a structured approach with local child advocacy centers, police departments, rape crisis centers, and school counselors. For every child in crisis, B.A.C.A. provides hope in the form of being a caring, loving advocate. They consider these children their own family. The members host two parties a year for the children to let them feel normal, have fun and well, just be a child.

After a 4 year study, by professionals in the field, it was determined that B.A.C.A. children achieved significant differences in many areas such as improved self-confidence, diminished regressive behavior, empowerment to testify against their abuser, and less guilt just to name a few.

When I asked how many members the organization had and just about how many children have been helped over the years the answer was, “Not enough members and too many children”.

These members certainly have the children’s back and work tirelessly to achieve their mission. This is a non-profit organization thus the need for help. They host events to help raise funds and awareness so be sure to watch our “Cruisin Calendar” for these events and please attend or donate. If you think you have what it takes to become a B.A.C.A. member please reach out to them. Do you think you have what it takes to ride for a child? You must pass an extensive FBI background check to prove you have never had any child abuse or domestic violence charges. You will have this repeated every three years. There is a big need for members in the Charleston, Low Country and Anderson SC areas. If you know of a child in need the B.A.C.A. Helpline is 843-284-3312. remember, “No Child Deserves to Live in Fear”! Go to BACAworld.org to watch a short video that will give you an idea of what they do. You can also find your local chapter anywhere in the world at this website. Please head to one of their events to show support, or to meet these guardians of the children and find out more about them. Their next event is a denim jacket drive April 5th at the Murrells Inlet VFW. This is how they get the vests for the kids. They have their general meetings on the second Sunday of every month, that are open to the public. They are currently meeting at the Murrells Inlet VFW, Post 10420. Feel free to reach out to the local president @ president@pd-sc.baca

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Figurati Designs Magnetic DipStick

By: LincoLn infieLd

aintenance is a four letter

more than four letters. Maintenance is supposed to be done regularly to extend yours and your motorcycles life. I’ll definitely admit that I am prone to jump on and ride without a thought about anything but getting some wind in my face. Luckily my Dyna has been good to me and with the help of some damn fine mechanics is still running to this day. Figurati Designs came up with a cool way that everyday folk can enhance their motorcycle main tenance without adding to their pre-ride routine. They recently dropped the Magnetic Dipstick…I thought the same thing. But check this out, with the magnetic dipstick you can collect more metal and metal sludge and keep it from circu lating through your engine. The oil pan drain plug on your motorcycle has a small magnet on it that picks up the metal shards that end up in your oil, but it can’t get them all and once the surface of the magnet is covered it won’t pick up any more of the metal circulating through your engine. Plus, the drain plug and the oil filter together only catch about 80% of the metals in your engines oil. The Figuati Designs magnetic dipstick has a 2000 Gauss magnet (which means its super strong) in the end of the dipstick that is positioned in the running oil flow for maximum filtering. That magnet is almost 10x’s more powerful that the OEM drainplug magnet. As the oil passes back through the oil tank before going back to the engine it has to pass the dipstick where the Figuati Designs Magnetic Dipstick will continually pull any metal or metal sludge out of the oil. Unlike the magnetic drain plug, the dipstick can be checked and cleaned at any time without having to change the oil. So just as easy as it is to wipe off the dipstick when

you check your oil you are helping keep harmful metal out of your oil flow.

The Figurati Designs Magnetic Dipstick is reasonably priced at around $160 and is designed for your Harley-Davidson Twin Cam and M8 Engines and the Indian PowerPlus and ThunderStroke engines. It comes in either premium stainless steel or high performance colored aluminum. Each available in a curved or knureled grip.

It’s so easy to use, I may even use it. It even comes in a sweet dispay tin! It’s on the shelf at Jaybirds Custom Cycles in Salisbury, NC. Stop by and see Jay to pick up one for yourself.

Harley-Davidson Introduces

New Street Glide® Ultra, Pan America® 1250 ST And Six Refreshed Cruiser Models For 2025 Motorcycle Line-Up

Refreshed

Sportster® S Model and Four Limited-Edition Custom Vehicle Operation™ Models Offered For 2025

arley-davidson revealed all-new and refreshed motorcycles for its 2025 model line-up. New to this diverse line of bikes are the Street Glide® Ultra, a fully equipped long-haul touring model, and the pavement-ready Pan America® 1250 ST adventure sport motorcycle. The 2025 Harley-Davidson® Cruiser motorcycle collection includes six models with significantly revised performance and technology features. The powerful Sportster® S model is updated with revised suspension for enhanced comfort. The collection of limited-production Custom Vehicle Operation™ (CVO™) motorcycles includes four models and completes the most-desirable portfolio of motorcycles ever offered by Harley-Davidson.

These new Harley-Davidson® models complete the collection of 2025 Harley-Davidson Grand American Touring, Cruiser, Sport, Adventure Touring and Trike motorcycles, all presented on H-D.com and available now at authorized Harley-Davidson® dealerships globally.

NEW 2025 Cruiser Models

The reinvigorated 2025 Cruiser collection includes six very distinctive motorcycles, each infused with new technology, elevated performance and refreshed styling. Each Cruiser model features a new Milwaukee-Eight® 117 powertrain and technology advancements and utilizes the Harley-Davidson® Softail® chassis with hidden mono shock rear suspension. The 2025 Cruiser line includes the following models, each representing a specific stylistic personality, from nostalgic to high performance to boldly custom: Low Rider® S, Low Rider® ST, Breakout®, Heritage Classic, Fat Boy® and Street Bob®.

NEW 2025 Street Glide® Ultra Model

The highway is calling. The new Street Glide® Ultra model elevates the long-distance touring experience. This new model combines the comfort, technology, performance and design elements introduced on the 2024 Street Glide with new features intended to support two-up, long-haul travel for riders seeking freedom and adventure. This is the most capable regularproduction Grand American Touring motorcycle offered by Harley-Davidson.

NEW 2025 Pan America® 1250 ST Model

The new Pan America® 1250 ST model is a dynamic adventure sport motorcycle that can be a practical daily ride, an exciting back-road apex chaser, and a capable weekend touring mount. Designed to appeal to riders ready to exchange a sport bike or streetfighter for an agile bike with more comfort and

2025 Low Rider® S

2025 Street Glide® Ultra

2025 Pan America® 1250 ST

2025 Sportster® S

The Carolinas’

longer distance capability, the Pan America 1250 ST model offers a commanding and comfortable upright rider position, the flexible power delivery of the liquid-cooled Revolution® Max 1250 engine, a 17” front wheel, and premium suspension and braking components.

NEW Sportster® S Model

Underpinned by newly revised suspension, the Harley-Davidson® Sportster® S model is designed to deliver an extraordinary riding experience rooted in the thrill of unleashing on-demand torque for an exhilarating blast of thrust and adrenaline. Its light weight, technology features and bold design appeal to experienced riders, new riders and those ready to step away from the crowd on a motorcycle that discards traditional styling tropes. Newly revised front and rear suspension offers a 60 percent increase in rear wheel travel without impacting seat height to improve rider comfort on some pavement conditions. Both front and rear suspension are fully adjustable for compression/rebound damping and preload.

NEW 2025 Harley-Davidson® Custom Vehicle Operation™ Models

For its 26th annual installment, Harley-Davidson® CVO™ models offer discerning riders four super-premium, limited production motorcycle models. Each makes a bold statement of power and prestige and represents the pinnacle of HarleyDavidson style and design with new finish and design details for 2025.

• CVO™ Street Glide® and CVO™ Road Glide® models elevate design, technology and performance to meet the expectations of the most demanding and discerning bagger rider.

• CVO™ Road Glide® ST model, inspired by the Screamin’ Eagle® Factory Team Road Glide® bikes competing for the MotoAmerica® Mission Foods King of the Baggers championship, combines an exclusive Milwaukee-Eight® 121 H.O. engine with a host of high-performance components with attention to custom detail to create a bagger that’s quick, fast and sophisticated.

• CVO™ Pan America® model, the program’s adventure touring (ADV) motorcycle, is outfitted with a host of rugged Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor accessories designed to enhance the journey. The CVO™ Pan America® model is capable of seeking adventure where any paved and unpaved route leads its rider.

Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure and freedom for the soul. Go to H-D.com to learn more about the complete line of Harley-Davidson® Grand American Touring, Sport, Adventure Touring, Cruiser and Trike motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Certified™ pre-owned motorcycles, Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, Harley-Davidson® MotorClothes® apparel and accessories, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services.

2025 CVO™ Street Glide®

2025 CVO™ Road Glide®

2025 CVO™ Road Glide® ST

From The Bitch Pad

Miles & Miles of Smiles! – Part 3

August 21st-25th British Columbia,

Canada To California

coMe Say “heLLo” on inStagraM: #froMtheBitchpad

oneybun and i left the house July 28th and arrived back home September 2nd. We traveled through 19 states and 4 provinces, with a temperature range from as low as 39.2°F (4°C) to as high as 116.6°F (47°C).

Total miles: 7,851.6 (12,635.9 kms)!

A Trip of a Lifetime!

HoneyBun and I enjoyed our trip through Central and Western Canada, can’t say enough about it. My Man did a fabulous job planning our route. It was hard to say “See ya!” to our family and friends. We went through US Customs at Peace Arch (where Canada’s Highway 99 meets US I-5) with no difficulty other than the long lines, but we all crept along.

We started our day with no particular final destination in mind; the plan was to hit the 101, the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, and see what the ride brings. We zipped through Seattle. Mount Baker is a stunning sight, which we could actually see all the way from Vancouver on a clear day.

I-5 had way too many logging trucks on the road, which made me nervous, but I trust HoneyBun implicitly. We peeled off the major throughfare just after Seattle at Olympia to connect with the 101. The heavy, damp fog along the coast chilled us to the bone. Thankfully, once the sun peaked through, we began to thaw. What a beautiful ride: the deep blue of the Pacific with a bank of gray fog on the horizon, surrounded by dense forests, jutting rocks, sand dunes and gorgeous beaches. We stopped at one of the many tiny resort towns for a much-needed coffee and breakfast. Tom usually picks a place that has motorcycles parked out front (or plenty of vehicles). We have never been disappointed yet; there’s nothing like a Mom & Pop diner with good home cookin’. We ended up in Lincoln City for the night. My HoneyBun scooted off to the supermarket and came back with fresh fruit, cheese and a choice of bevies. Honestly, the next morning, we

kathy Lynn parneLL

The Carolinas’

Throttle Magazine

didn’t want to leave, so we booked another night. What the hell, why not?!

Once we were back on the blacktop, we continued down the 101 into California; it was another 7+ hour day on the bitch pad, passing more quaint towns, Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe (a 49’ statue that talks and waves), in Klamath, to the world’s largest hammer in Eureka at Pierson’s Building Center (26’ tall plus the 4’ block of concrete it sits on), to Fortuna for the night. Our next leg took us to Modesto; it was like flicking a switch, going from comfortable temperatures the day before to downright HOT, shedding our leathers. We ticked off another Bucket List item: Avenue of The Giants. Wow! “This famed road, easily the most scenic drive among the redwoods, has been called the finest forest drive in the world, lined by titan trees, the 31-mile Avenue parallels Highway 101” (visitredwoods.com). Not a single picture I snapped turned out! It was so dark in the midst of the trees, I used night mode, thinking that would be ideal. Well, not so much; the slower shutter speed made all of my pictures (on the fly) blurry. Damn! HoneyBun actually liked “the effect”, so someone was happy. Oh, and our bladders were screaming and not one facility; we had to nip into the bushes for pete’s sake. Further down the road, the Drive Thru Tree aka Chandelier Tree was on our Bucket List as well. Luckily, our timing was good and we got to take the obligatory selfies without holding up the line. HoneyBun threw down the kickstand to watch a few other “tourists” go through and take their shots. We ventured into the gift shop for a quick lookie loo, and another potty break, then continued on the 101 til just after San Rafael. It was amazing just how stunning the golden brown scrub was against the lush green (of whatever was being irrigated). Napa Valley, just North of San Fran, was spectacular! It reminded me of that tv show in the 80’s and 90’s called “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, with lavish vineyards (over 400) and sizeable estates. Palm trees, strawberry patches and sunflower fields made the scenery that much more impressive. We ground to a halt on four lanes of the 580 due to a nasty accident up ahead. We inched along, half expecting Willow (our 2016 Indian Roadmaster) to overheat and passout. You could fry an egg! We finally made a left onto the 132 to Modesto for the night. Later, I gobbled down my first-ever takeout combo from In-NOut Burger, went for a swim at the pool, then hit the sheets.

An Observation:

You know how it seems like you bump into the same crowd on the road all day long, no matter where you stop?

What was so cool about this was that a couple of gals in a convertible, enjoying a similar adventure, took pictures of us in the Sequoias and, later, we gassed up at the same station. My Man gave them his email address and we arrived home to a nice message with pictures.

More jaw-dropping scenery the next day! We took the 99 South to the 180 at Fresno to get to The General’s Highway, 32.5 miles through Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada of California. Words and pictures don’t convey this experience. Bloody Amazing! The elevation exceeds 7,000

ft. at the highest, with temperatures changing from triple digits to 72F at the top. We traveled to Three Rivers to book a room, change our clothes and head back up, with General Sherman Tree as our destination. There were signs along the way reminding us that the “air is thin” and to “take our time”. According to Wiki: “General Sherman is a giant sequoia tree located at an elevation of 6,919 ft above sea level in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. By volume, it is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth.” We literally felt like ants in comparison. I’m so glad we did that bit of the road twice; funny how things look different. We wandered through the park on foot, along with hundreds of our “new best friends”. My neck actually started to ache from looking UP. Back at the hotel, we grabbed a bevie and leapt into the pool to cool off. HoneyBun found a memorable Mexican Restaurant just down the road (of course, he did) called Serrano’s for Cameron el Diablo, extra spicy, and several ice-cold Dos Equis. Doesn’t get any better than this!

Our Adventure Continues . . .

Cam Zimmerman’s garage build LUNA

am Zimmerman of Kreepers Kustoms went all in on this one off, hand built, garage chopper, luna. a lot of times builders are inspired by one piece and build the bike around that piece and for Cam, it was a points cover.

“One of my buddies daughter made that for me and that’s how the color became what I was gonna paint it. I think she was just doing them for a school project or a fundraiser, then she made it purple and I claimed it.” Cam said. It was around then that a local garage build contest popped up and Cam was selected to be one of the builders. “So, I was like, alright, well that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to use the points cover on this build. We got a motor that fit it and everything just snowballed from there.”

There was no donor bike, just a points cover, a shovelhead frame, peanut tank and a wild idea. Cam then picked up a front wheel and the Evo engine, for his points cover, from Hollywood’s Cycles in McAdenville, NC. Cam built this chopper in his home garage with minimal tools, the way it’s supposed to be done. Cam said his most used tools were, “Between hand files, a welder and a harbor freight grinder that smokes every once in a while, but still kept working so I kept using it.’

The most noticable features of “Luna” are the single sided swing arm, the Z in the backbone of the frame and the custom peanut tank. The swing arm “was a challenge and the biggest challenge on it is that there’s no adjustment to change alignment

of the motorcycle after it’s welded. it’s it’s either straight or it’s going to be crooked, there’s no side to side adjustment up and down or anything like that. You can only adjust forward and backwards to tighten the chain that’s the only adjustment I have on it. So that was probably the biggest challenge was just getting it straight and I measured it probably 500 times, tack welded it, measured again tacked it welded. You know rinse and repeat. I kept measuring it just to make sure that it was perfect and I’m actually surprised on how straight that motorcycle rides I mean I guess I did a good job at welding it and measuring it because it’s it rides perfect”.

Photos By - Travis Zimmerman - Queen City Cars

Cam had to fit the Evo engine into a Shovelhead frame, so it needed a few modifications. “There’s zero bondo on this whole frame. It’s all metal and then file back down filled up with metal file back down”. The Z in the frame was originally just for mock up purposes, but the longer Cam left it the more he liked it and it became one of the defining features of the build.

Sitting on top of the Z backbone of the frame is a tank that Cam modified by hand. “The tanks started out as a sportster tank and it had indented scallops in the side. I had actually traded another tank for that tank and it was hanging on my wall for probably about two or three years but I like the size of it so I used that and I cut it down in the middle of it and spread it out at the top so it kind of had a more of a V shape to it on the outside. Then I had to remake the two filler panels to go down the top side. the whole front side was a brand new piece that I had to make all by hand. I also redid the tunnel on the bottom, so really just the filler neck and the two sides are left of stock Sportster tank.”

Cam also handmade the handlebars on Luna and added an EFM auto clutch to keep the front end clear of cables. “Its kind of like the recluse auto clutch system it’s just like a centrifugal clutch so there’s no no clutch cable, no foot clutch or nothing. I’ve plugged the clutch cable hole in the transmission. So there’s no clutch at all except for the centrifugal auto clutch which just made it cleaner. I didn’t really want to have a bunch of stuff on the bars you know there’s no front brake and internal throttle so they kept the bars real clean.”

Check that exhaust out, It’s 100% stock Harley-Davidson pipes that were cut and hacked up by Cam and made into a full custom exhaust for free..or well…just a lot of Labor!  But there is no exhaust out there on the market that looks like these. “I tried to keep the lines of everything and tucked it inside the frame nice and clean that way it wasn’t hiding any of the motor or anything.

Other notable features include the hand done windowing of the frame neck and the open chain primary and the build is finished off with a beautiful purple frame and matching tins. While this bike is show worthy, Cam is a rider and puts miles on Luna hitting local biker haunts in the Rock Hill and Charlotte area.

12 th Annual Eli Ride

By WaLLy WerSching

li-celebration of life was created to promote an annual benefit each year in loving memory of Eli. A tragic accident took his life on August 4, 2011. He was exactly 2 years, 6 months and 1 day old. He lost his life by a fallen tree. Each year on or near his birthday, his life is celebrated by coming together as friends, as bikers, and even strangers to raise money for a local child in need – a different one each year.

This year, they are helping eighteen year old Isaac Newell Wigington – a high school senior who was in a horrific car crash in September which left him fighting for his life on numerous occasions with the paramedics and in the hospital. He was a high school football star before the accident. Now after the brain injuries and right leg amputation, his future is in God’s hands.

I saw the information about the ride on the House-Divided Facebook page. This year, the event was held on Saturday, February 1st starting at The House-Divided Bar and Grill in Greenville, SC at 1659 Woodruff Rd with Kick Stands Up at 12:30PM.

The itinerary is: At 11 am, meet at House Divided, a group picture at 12:00 by Michelle Garish. Then kickstands up at 12:30 and ride to the Greenville Shrine Club at 119 Beverly Rd. Greenville SC where food will be available. Live Auction hosted by Pal & Charlie and a silent auction will close at 4pm. At 5pm, ride back to the House Divided, where James Radford Band performs for Finale.

I contacted my friend, Pops, who is a member of the Armored Saints Motorcycle Ministry I knew that he’d enjoy going to donate to Isaac. He didn’t know about it but decided to come with eight other members of the ministry.

I watched the weather predictions all week. It was going to be great weather for a run. When I awoke on Saturday morn-

ing, I saw the sun shining in a bright blue sky. It was chilly though with temps in the mid 30’s. I was considering riding “Miss Vickie” to the event, but I’m too old to be riding 60 miles in the cold. I decided that I would drive rather than ride. I left Shelby at about 9:45AM. After I parked, I walked up to the registration table, gave a donation, and received a rubber bracelet, and a 12th Annual Eli Annual Ride sticker.

At about noon, we all got together for a group photo. It was hard to get everybody aligned for the shot, but it turned out OK. Everybody was handed a container full of liquid soap and a bubble maker for the Eli remembrance ceremony. After the group photo, there were hundreds of bubbles blowing in the breeze. They all went up to the heavens.

At about 12:30, a man spoke for a while about Eli, and all the good the Eli Celebration of Life has done over the years. From $1,500 to $30,000 plus! The Eli Ride has grown in donations each year! Eli’s family is very thankful for helping keep Eli’s Memory alive each year!

Then there was a short prayer, and everybody went to their bikes. They all wanted to get out into the line of bikes going to the Shrine Club. It looked like an accident waiting to happen –like they were poured into a funnel. Luckily, they all took their time, and no accidents happened.

I’ll watch for next year’s Eli Celebration of Life, and hope the weather is as good. I’ll definitely come again. The biker community never stops amazing me. They will always come out to support a family in need.

The Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine staff screens hundreds of jokes each month. We make no claim to being politically correct. Most PC jokes just aren’t funny. If you are offended by any of the jokes on this page, take heart in the fact that we go to great lengths to offend everyone equally. This is not a hate crime! At our house we call it “pickin” and it is symbolic of your acceptance in the group. We live in the United States Of The Offended, so get over it!!

President Trump is walking out of the White House and heading toward his limo, when a possible assassin steps forward and aims a gun. A secret service agent, new on the job, shouts, “Mickey Mouse!” This startles the would-be assassin and he is captured.Later, the secret service agent’s supervisor takes him aside and asks, “What in the hell made you shout Mickey Mouse?” Blushing, the agent replies, “I got nervous. I meant to shout “Donald.......duck!””

Reilly is walking through a graveyard when he comes across a headstone with the inscription “Here lies a politician and an honest man.” “Faith now,’ exclaims Reilly, ‘I wonder how they got the two of them in one grave.”

A London lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by an Irish cop. He thinks that he is smarter than the cop because he is a lawyer from London and is certain that he has a better education then any Irish cop. He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the Irish cop’s expense! Irish cop says, “License and registration, please.” London Lawyer says, “What for?” Irish cop says, “Ye didnae come to a complete stop at the stop sign.” London Lawyer says, “I slowed down, and no one was coming.” Irish cop says, “Ye still didnae come to a complete stop. License and registration, please” London Lawyer says, “What’s the difference?” Irish cop says, “The difference is, ye huvte come to complete stop, that’s the law. License and registration, please!” London Lawyer says, “If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I’ll give you my license and registration and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don’t give me the ticket.” Irish cop says, “Sounds fair. Exit your vehicle, sir.” The London Lawyer exits his vehicle. The Irish cop takes out his baton and starts beating the living sh!t out of the lawyer and says, “Daeye want me to stop or just slow down?”

Kearney and his wife, a middle-aged couple, went for a stroll in Phoenix Park, Dublin, last

week. They sat down on a bench to rest. It was then they overheard voices coming from a secluded spot. Immediately Mrs. Kearney realized that a young man was about to propose to his beloved. Not wishing to eavesdrop at such an intimate moment, she nudged her husband and whispered, “Whistle and let that young couple know that someone can hear them.” Kearney replied, “Whistle? Why should I whistle? Nobody whistled to warn me!”

A man is driving along a highway and sees a rabbit jump out across the middle of the road. He swerves to avoid hitting it, but unfortunately the rabbit jumps right in front of the car. The driver, a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulls over and gets out to see what has become of the rabbit. Much to his dismay, the rabbit is the Easter Bunny, and he is dead. The driver feels so awful that he begins to cry. A beautiful blonde woman driving down the highway sees a man crying on the side of the road and pulls over. She steps out of the car and asks the man what’s wrong. “I feel terrible,” he explains,” I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny with my car and killed him.” The blonde says, “Don’t worry.” She runs to her car and pulls out a spray can. She walks over to the limp, dead Easter Bunny, bends down and sprays the contents onto him. The Easter Bunny jumps up, waves its paw at the two of them and hops off down the road. Ten feet away he stops, turns around and waves again, he hops down the road another 10 feet, turns and waves, hops another ten feet, turns and waves, and repeats this again and again and again and again, until he hops out of sight. The man is astonished. He runs over to the woman and demands, “What is in that can? What did you spray on the Easter Bunny?” The woman turns the can around so that the man can read the label. It says.. (Are you ready for this?) (Are you sure?) (Last chance) (OK, here it is) It says, “Hair Spray Restores life to dead hair (hare) and adds permanent wave.”

I took my dad to the mall the other day to buy some new shoes, (he is 92). We decided to grab a bite at the food court. I noticed he was watching a teenager sitting next to him. The teenager had spiked hair in all different colors: green, red, orange, and blue. My dad kept staring at him. The teenager would look and find him staring every time. When the teenager had had enough, he sarcastically asked, “what’s the matter, old man, never done anything wild in your life?” Knowing my dad, I quickly swallowed my food so that I would not choke on his response, knowing he would have a good one. In classic style, he did not bat an eye in his response: “Got drunk once and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were my son.”

I told my husband that I would be home by midnight, “I promise”. Well, the hours passed and the margaritas went down way too easily. Around 3am, a bit loaded, I headed for home. Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hallway started up and cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, realizing my husband would probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution, in order to escape a possible conflict with him. (Even when totally smashed, 3 cuckoos plus 9 cuckoos totals 12 cuckoos – midnight!) The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, I told him ‘midnight’….he didn’t seem pissed in the least! Whew, I got away with that one! Then he said, “We need a new cuckoo clock.” When I asked him why, he said, “Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times then said, ‘oh shit’. Cuckooed four more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another three times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the coffee table and farted.

Two priests decided to go to Hawaii on vacation. They were determined to make this a real vacation by not wearing anything that would identify them as clergy. As soon as the plane landed, they headed for a store and bought some really outrageous shorts, shirts, sandals, sunglasses, etc. The next morning, they went to the beach dressed in their ‘tourist’ garb. They were sitting on beach chairs, enjoying a drink, the sunshine and the scenery when a ‘drop dead gorgeous’ blonde in a topless bikini came walking straight towards them. They couldn’t help but stare. As the blonde passed them she smiled and said “Good Morning, Father ~ Good Morning, Father,” nodding and addressing each of them individually, then she passed on by. They were both stunned. How in the world did she know they were priests? So, the next day, they went back to the store and bought even more outrageous outfits. These were so loud you could hear them before you even saw them! Once again, in their new attire, they settled down in their chairs to enjoy the sunshine. After a little while, the same gorgeous blonde, wearing a different colored topless bikini, taking her sweet time, came walking toward them. Again, she nodded at each of them, and said, “Good morning, Father ~ Good morning, Father,” and started to walk away. One of the priests couldn’t stand it any longer and said, “Just a minute, young lady.” “Yes, Father?” “We are priests and proud of it, but I have to know, how in the world do you know we are priests, dressed as we are?” She replied, “Father, it’s me, - Sister Kathleen.”