Every Tuesday The Albion Hotel’s “World Famous Bike Nights”
All Day Tuesday’s starting at Noon till close at The Albion in Bayfield. Live Music, Great Food and Fun! What more do you want from a Bike Night!
September Sept. 1st – Clare’s Harley-Davidson® Bike Draw
At Clares Niagara on the Lake 590 York Rd., Niagara on the Lake. The Final Thursday of the Summer marks the Draw Night for the New 2016 Harley. Checkout www.claresharleydavidson. com or call 905-684-4647
Sept. 2nd & 3rd – Goderich’s West Coast Blues Festival Blues All Weekend Long in Downtown Goderich. Friday do the Downtown Shuffle Walkabout Blues Wristband just $10, Saturday’s Show and Shine from 2 – 4pm in the Middle of the Square. Check them out at www.westcoastblues.ca . Sept. 3rd - The Annual Snake River Motorcycle Rodeo 468A Faught Road in Cobden, Gates open at 9am, $25 per person, Bike Games on and off All Day, Live Music by Southbound, Camping and of course The Pig Roast. For more Info Check out fb.com/pages/Snake-River-Motorcycle-Rodeo or Call Andrew at 613-808-1388
Sept 4th – Daytona Motorsports Customer Appreciation BBQ & Show N Shine
4000 Steeles Ave W #12, Toronto. Join us the first Sunday
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of each month for an impromptu Show N Shine and enjoy our BBQ. For more information checkout www.daytonamotorsport.com or call 905-605-7666.
Sept 5th – Port Burwell Legion’s ‘The 13th Monday of Summer’
6pm til 9pm at 40 Wellington St. Port Burwell, Music, Games and Food all in support of The Legion Br 524. This is the Season Ending Party, Prizes Galore and Fun for Everyone. Everyone Welcome.
Sept 10th – Malicious Cycle’s Fall Poker Run
Starting at Malicious Cycle 3595 St. Clair Ave., East in Scarborough. Registration starts at Noon, KickStands Up at 1pm. The Ride will finish up at The Rangers Toronto CH. All proceeds from the ride will go to The McMann Family. For more information call Bryan at 416-666-5827
Sept. 10th - Classy Chassis & Cycles Swap Meet
1399 8th Line Smith, Lakefield, 9am-2pm Make room In your Garage & Put Money In your Pocket! Sell your used motorcycle parts, clothing & accessories. Call today to book your table. Jonny’s BBQ Lunch. For more info visit www.usedhd.ca or call 1-888-292-8305
Sept. 17th – B.R.O. Niagara’s Fall Poker Run
At the Husky Truck Stop, Niagara on the Lake. Registration from 10am – 12 noon, Non-Perishable food item or a cash donation. BBQ and entertainment to follow at the Bash Site( 330 Young Road, Welland) For Info Call Ron: 905-964-7293 or Bonnie: 289-696-5239
Sept 17th – Bacchus MC Hamilton’s ‘Poker Run’
Starting at 30 Arden Ave., Hamilton. Registration from 9:30am till 11am. For more information go to www.BacchusMCOntario.com
Sept 17th – The H-D Fleet is Coming to Jacox
Join Jacox Harley-Davidson for our DEMO DAY/TEST OUR METAIL. Registration begins at 9:00. Rides run from 10am-3pm at Jacox Harley-Davidson based on a first come, first serve basis. Additional features include, Fall Inventory Clear-out on select MotorClothes and Parts and Accessories. For more information please contact our Marketing Manager, Julie Martin at jmartin@jacoxharley.com or at 905-858-6763.
Sept. 23rd, 24th, & 25th – 14th Annual Biketoberfest
A new location and format this year with it being a 3 day event being held at The Raceway in Welland with help from the Welland County MC. Free Camping no Entry Fee and all the events that go with Biketoberfest plus a lot of New ones added. And as always a chance to Win a New H-D Bike. Tickets for the Bike are $20 and only 6000 have been printed. Contact Bruce Bissell at 905-714-6885 or check out www.biketoberfest.ca
Sept. 24th – Iron Cowgirlz 2nd Annual Memorial Ride for Ms. Dazzle
Meeting at Thurst-t’s Cycle 298 pretty River Parkway, in Collingwood. Registration 9:30am til 11am, $20 per rider Donation, The Ride ends at The Old Mill House Pub on Mill St. in Creemore. The rain date is Sept 25th. This ride is in support of Esprit Place Woman’s Shelter in Owen Sound. ALL RIDERS ARE WELCOME. For more information and sponsor sheets contact Marcy at 705-466-1131 or email ms.dazzleride@ gmail.com or check them out on facebook at www.facebook.com/ms.dazzleride
Sept 24th – Classy Chassis’ ‘Fall Maintenance & Storage Workshop’
1399 8th Line Smith, Lakefield, 12 Noon & 2pm Preregister 888-292-8305 or info@usedhd.ca
Sept 24th – Jacox H-D Rides to Bala
Join us for a complimentary ride to Bala. Departing from Jacox Harley-Davidson at 9:00. To register, please contact our Marketing Manager Julie Martin at jmartin@jacoxharley. com or at 905-858-6763 by Friday September 23rd.
Sept. 25th - Black Hawks MC 12th Annual Show ‘N’ Shine
At Bobbies Bar & Grill 2965 Homestead Rd. Mount Hope, 1pm til 4pm. Come on out and join the party you’ll have a good time. More info at www.blackhawksmc.ca
Sept. 25th – Hamilton Bikers Church Annual Fall Poker Run
Starting at Suck Bang Blow, 433 Hwy #20 East, Stoney Creek. Registration 9am- 11am $20/ Rider $10/Passenger. Buffet Breakfast available for just $8 starting at 9am. For more information contact: Pastor Ken at 905-870-8584 or www.hamiltonbikerschurch.com
Sept 30th – Clare’s Niagara Test our Metal Event
590 York Road, Niagara on the Lake, 10am-4pm Come on out and Test Ride a Harley-Davidson®. Weather Permitting. For more information call 905-684-4647
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Oct. 1st – Where Heads Meet Customer Appreciation Day
162 Ottawa St N. in Hamilton. Free BBQ, Prizes, Seed Sale and a Bong Give Away. For more information call 905-548-6338
Oct. 1st – Classy Chassis’ ‘Learn to Bid Seminar’
1399 8th Line Smith, Lakefield, Meet Auctioneer Shawn Brittan & learn the art of bidding, 2 seminars 11am & 1pm Preregister 888-292-8305 info@usedhd.ca
Oct. 14th – Classy Chassis’ Auction Preview Day
1399 8th Line Smith, Lakefield, 8am-5pm View lineup, inspect bikes, prepare your bids! Classy Chassis & Cycles 1399 8th Line Lakefield K0L2H0 888-292-8305 www.usedhd.ca
Oct. 15th - Canada’s Largest Annual Motorcycle Auction at Classy Chassis October Oct. 1st – B.A.C.A.® Ottawa’s ‘End of the Year Bash’
The Ride Starts at Canadian Tire, 8181 Campeau Drive, Kanata, Registration 9:00am – 10:30am $20/ Rider $10/Passenger (includes admission to party and bands following the ride) Party Only $10. Followed by The Party and Live Music at The Greely Legion Br. 627, 8021 Mitch Owens Road in Greely, The Beef Boyz will be on hand for some BBQ. Rough Camping is also available On-Site Free of charge.
1399 8th Line Smith, Lakefield, Live Motorcycle Auction Steal A Deal! Preregister to secure your spot. Seating begins 8am. Preview bikes on line Beginning Oct 1st Live Preview day Friday October 14th 8am-5pm. Visit www.usedhd.ca or 1-888292-8305 Call to secure your Bidder Number.
November Nov. 6th – 4th Annual Motorcycle Swap Meet Peterborough
At The Morrow Building, 151 Lansdowne St. West, in Peterborough. 10am to 4 pm. A Fall tradition in Peterborough, Still only $10 Admission, over 100 Vendors, Park and Sell your Bike or become a Vendor and get your Garage cleaned out. For more Information call 705-340-2130 or email ptboswapmeet@hotmail.com or check out their Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ptboswapmeet
January 2017 Jan. 6th 7th & 8th – 41st Annual North American International Supershow The Big One at The International Centre on Airport Road in Toronto. Friday Noon till 10pm, Saturday 10am till 9pm and Sunday 10am till 5pm. Canada’s Largest Motorcycle Show, Free Parking. For more information check out www.motorcyclesupershow.ca or call 1-888-661-SHOW (7469)
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Sept. /Oct. 2016 issue! Holy Cow! It really hits home when you actually type those words and numbers on a page that the riding season for 2016 is rapidly winding down to a close. I hope it is a slow transition into the cold winter months that we all know will follow. It marks the start of the bi-monthly phase for The Riders Mag. Relax! We go back to monthly in January. It also marks the end of an Era for JR MacRae, the former publisher/Editor of the Mag. We all appreciate the hard work and time that he and Janie put into The Mag from Its inception and founding and running it for 14 years. He likes to refer to it as being kicked to the curb but the reality is that he chose to retire and talked me into taking it over or he would have simply shut it down. I was happy just being who I was and doing what I did and was very reluctant to take it over, despite my love of The Mag, and my wife Godzilla was dead set against me doing it. I went over to tell him and Janie that I wouldn’t be doing it. They had a refrigerator full of 50. Now a bunch of years later, the good ship “The Riders Mag” is still afloat, riding the waves and weathering the storms and I’m still at the helm while JR is doing the wealthy, retired guy stuff that he longed for, golfing, gambling, boating, traveling and spending time with his family. This while I try to cram whatever I can into days filled with doctors’ appointments, operations, deadlines, photoshoots, writing, cartooning, delivering and a whole bunch of other Mag related stuff in an attempt to keep the Mag alive, my 69 year old body and mind functioning somewhat normally, while still working a full time truck driving job (If I’d stop falling down and injuring myself.) and try to make my property not look like The Beverly Hillbillies moved into the neighbourhood. So boo hoo at being kicked to the curb! I’ve had a lot of help along the way especially from my Managing Editor, Al, without whose savvy business sense and expert computer and graphic skills and most of all friendship, The Ship would have never have left Port as no amount of 50 or Rum or any other intoxicating beverage or substance would have made me do it. I have also had the support of many friends along the way. The Brothers of the Blade MC. were solidly behind me and without them the ship would have floundered and capsized a couple of years back, and I am eternally grateful to them for all their support and encouragement. The CH may have been deemed by me to be “The Best of Intentions Graveyard” when it comes to just stopping for only one and getting home early but it is a place where true friendship and Brotherhood exists and a place of refuge when you’re feeling down. Thank you! As you may have noticed, there have been many changes to the Mag since I took over in look and format as well as the areas that we now serve. There are more to come. This is where JR feels that he is being moved out. The previous Men’s and Ladies features are no longer going to be done the same way and won’t require one of us to actually come and do a whole shoot and long feature articles complete with spec sheets. You can submit a good quality picture of you and your ride or just your ride along with a brief write-up (Year, Make, Model, special features and so on.) we will run several in each issue of the Mag. The same with “The Ladies Rides” (No longer Ladies and their
Harleys) any questions call or email us at The Riders Mag. You can also commandeer one of our Riders Mag Crew when you see us out and about at various events and we can take the picture. We are no longer doing Harley-Davidson only features as that no longer accurately reflects our readership or our advertising base. It has been a very busy and eventful riding season for all of us here at The Mag and for me with all the health issues that I have endured. We are getting amazing response to the Annual Show and Shine that we do up at Black Gold on Gorham St. in Newmarket. This year it is on Sunday, Aug.28th starting at 10:00 AM. We have booked the Band and the Beer Garden and Food is all arranged and there should be Plenty of
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Vendors. We hope to see you all out there. My shoulder seems to be responding well to the physio therapy sessions and I’m slowly regaining some range of motion. The Spectrum Institute facility here in Newmarket seem to really know their stuff. I’ve met many people I know there, two of whom who were involved in a major motorcycle accident in which a leg was lost and other limbs and body parts received extreme trauma and they swear by the people here, the treatment they are getting and credit Spectrum with their ongoing recovery. I will still be a while recovering and the Surgeon is still talking about a reverse shoulder replacement but wants me to continue with the physio therapy in hopes of postponing surgery for as long as possible. I just want to do whatever I have to do to get back to normal as soon as possible! I’m unsure when I’m going to be able to work again as I still don’t have enough use of my left arm to safely drive a tractor trailer or any larger vehicle and Petoonia is looking forlorn in her spot over at Bronson’s with all her newly painted parts and new goodies packed in boxes all around her. The Trike is doing the job but I really miss riding Petoonia and can’t wait until this shoulder starts working properly again. I still have been getting out on the Trike as often as I can to cover events but have to restrict myself to shorter excursions to avoid aggravating the shoulder too much. My buddy Buff who is well known in the motorcycle community continues his battle with cancer and is confined to bed but still retains his sense of pride. We wanted to let him know that we haven’t forgotten him and provide a boost to his spirit and put together a ride down to his mother’s place where he is staying. There were a dozen or so bikes and he was able to hear the roar of our arrival and while we didn’t stay that long we did bring a smile to his face. We would have liked to have taken him out for a ride so he could again feel the wind on his face but the Nurses and Doctors didn’t think it was such a good idea as he is too weak. It makes you feel so helpless to see a friend suffering and there is really nothing you can do for them other than to let them know you care and that you are their friends.
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As we grow and expand further into other areas of the Province and Country, we have attracted more advertisers and I would like to acknowledge and welcome them to the Mag. I want to give them a brief introduction to our readers each issue on these pages. I also mention some of the advertisers who have supported us all these years. Please try and patronise their businesses as they are the ones that make publishing and distributing The Riders Mag possible with their advertising dollars. Be sure to tell them that you saw their ad in The Riders Mag so they know that the ads are reaching their target audience. Virginia Auto in beautiful Downtown Virginia is a performance expert. Sells and does installation of performance and truck and auto accessories and will soon be tackling my F150 and make it sound like it has some real balls and add a couple of things to make it look even better. They assure me that I’ll never again hear my buddy “Bad Bob” say “Is this thing running?” They also sell a real neat cargo bed gizmo that rolls out of the back giving you full access to your cargo and I’ll bet it would be real handy for a guy with a messed up shoulder. They gave me a full catalogue of neat stuff they sell and I know I brought it home but it seems to have gone missing. Godzilla says she knows nothing about its disappearance. Classy Chassis have a bunch of things going on as usual but specifically for fall they have their Swap Meet in September and their very popular Motorcycle Auction in October with the preview Oct. 14th and the actual auction on Oct. 15th. I have never been but intend to attend this time. We would like to welcome Pennzoil, St Catharines to our pages as well. They do oil and fluid changes and are fully experienced and qualified to work on motorcycles. Hawg Worx in Barrie has been in for the past few months and do some amazing work. Their Street is a mess due to construction and it has affected their business but they are still open and it is well worth braving the torn up
streets and short delays that the construction is causing for the great deals on their great work that they do. They offer custom paint, detailing, expert mechanical service specializing in Harley-Davidson, heated secure storage and more. Traditional Motorcycle and Custom Works is a brand new Shop in Bracebridge that offer great deals and expert mechanical work (I hear a wrench that many of you may be familiar with, Craiger is in the house.) Brian and Pat are great people so drop in and check them out. They also offer winter storage. Just in time to start that winter project or to fix what you broke over this year’s riding season. The Peterborough Swap Meet that has been gaining popularity with each passing year will once again be taking place at the same venue and promises to be even bigger and better this year. It is to be held on Nov.6/16 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Our photographer, Jordan also serves as an advisor when it comes to Government Grants and Programs and is very knowledgeable of different school and College programs that are set up to assist businesses with different issues while giving the students actual business experience, creating and testing methods to assist different businesses. Jordan applied on our behalf to The Capstone Project and we were very fortunate to be accepted. They assigned us a group of students with whom we met and discussed different issues and it was their job to create solutions. It was decided that we needed help with surveys of both advertisers and readers to identify what our true demographic was and what we needed to improve. They also looked at how we could best utilize or improve our Social Media and Networking skills or strategies. The students we met with then went off and met with the rest of the members of their team, they kept in touch with us, mostly through Jordan as to their progress. We received some really useful and valuable information from the surveys and were extremely pleased with the efforts these young people put into their project. We were invited to the presentation at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa to see what the students had done in terms of a presentation to their professors. I rode out on the Trike and arrived at the same time as Jordan who rode his bike down from Cannington and found our group of students who had made arrangements for us to use our two motorcycles as part of their presentation just outside the Atrium. They provided us a table and chairs for us to display and give away Mags, Stickers and Pins. We did garner lots of interest from a lot of students and staff and the Mags moved well. Jordan was right in his element but I felt somewhat out of place for a while with all these really young people. But our team came out to talk to us pose on the motorcycles and made us feel comfortable.
This was the first time that we had been able to meet the entire team together and to see the presentation and get a real sense of the importance of the project from the standpoint of the Students and the College. I was very impressed with what I saw and with the enthusiasm of the students who all had a genuine interest in motorcycles and in helping The Riders Mag. It was a good day and I learned some things at College! We will be applying again in hopes of improving our focus and business strategies to a greater degree. Kitchener Rock and Rumble 2016 It was a nice sunny day as I loaded up the Trike and headed for Kitchener to take in the Rock and Rumble 2016 Event that is organized by The City of Kitchener. It was a beautiful ride as I elected to take the cross country route out through to Erin and down to Guelph and across Hwy. 7 into Kitchener. It is longer but a lot easier on the nerves than the major highways.
I rolled into the downtown area to find lots of construction and detours but made it safe and sound to the area cordoned off and closed to all traffic except motorcycles and pedestrian traffic as event central. It was warming up pretty good as I settled into a parking spot and spread some Mags out on top of the box weighted down by my helmet as a self-serve operation. I had once again forgotten to load the Magazine racks that I had gotten for just this type of occasion. It had been a long ride and I was in desperate need of a beer and something to eat. There was an abun-
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dance of food trucks lining each side of the street, along with tons of motorcycles and the place was alive with people taking in the sites and enjoying the tunes from the bands that were on stage in the courtyard but I wanted cold beer. It turned out that I couldn’t have parked in a better place to park if beer and food was to be my mission. I was almost directly in front of a large bar with an enormous patio and lots of pretty bartenders and servers. I was greeted by a very attractive server in a tartan kilt and a smile that would warm the coldest heart. You all know what I asked for and she looked puzzled but went off to search for it. “If you find some, bring two!” I shouted to her as she happily, pranced off on a 50 quest. She smiled, gave me a thumbs up, then disappeared inside and then I waited and waited and wondered and even worried, speculating that the darling little lady might have forgotten me, became ill, had gotten mugged, or lost or even sent on a beer run to pick up a case. She finally returned with two ice cold 50’s in hand and looking even better than before. She explained that she had gotten commandeered to help serve a large group inside and apologized. I was having trouble hearing her at first as the glug, glug, glug as that first cold 50 poured over my parched lips and down my dry throat sending a sense of euphoria through my entire being drowned out her words. I grabbed my camera and had her pose with the 2nd bottle of 50 before she served it to show our readers the kind of hospitable people exist in this wonderful City! So after enjoying some great food and a couple more 50 I paid my bill and left a large tip for the Angel in the tartan kilt and went off to explore the event. There had been rumours circulating that the local constabulary had issued a ticket to a bare breasted lady contrary to the laws that permit women to go topless in public if they so choose. Further to those rumours it was being said that a large protest was being organized by biker women and they were threatening to stage a mass freeing of the breasts at this event on this day. I had several large memory cards and back up batteries and I was more than ready in the event that any such protest should take place. We like our readers to be kept abreast of all such things. Sadly, the rumours did not pan out. I strolled along taking in the festive sights and sounds and checked out the array of goods being offered by vendors that had set up along the sidewalks. There were large throngs of people milling around the event sampling the offerings of the many and varied food trucks and checking out what the vendors had to offer and listening to the various great bands that were performing on the stage. I met with lots of our readers throughout the day and saw lots of great looking bikes. I also noticed that many of the riders who came were fairly nomadic. They showed up stayed for a while, checked things out had a beer and something to eat then mounted up and wandered off to enjoy the beautiful summer day. This made it hard to get and accurate count of how many bikes were there at any given time. It was a good day and a great event with all the potential to become a must attend event. Good food, good entertainment, cold beer, cold 50, good time. I headed off towards home quite happy with my little adventure. See you next year! Orangeville Legion Show and Shine 2016 This was always a really popular event and drew huge crowds from all over and it was a huge money maker for the Legion. Then they hit a couple of bad years, plagued with bad weather and a couple of other issues where they saw attendance drop. They didn’t run one for two years but decided to try again having resolved or come to terms with the issues that had caused the decline.
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It was one of those days where you were never really sure what the weather was going to do. It looked like it could rain at any moment then turned sunny then back to grey. The wind remained constant throughout the day though. I rode in and parked the Trike right beside our man “Burlington Bad Bob” who had come out for the day as he has always come to this Show and Shine and was glad they were back. It was a decent sized crowd out today and a good field of motorcycles in the front row there were former members of the Lorne Scots and first time to their branch. They came to support the fundraiser for the “Lorne Scots Regiment Monument”. They were in the front row and their bikes and displays all had military themes. There were some fantastic looking bikes and they paid tribute to our fighting men and women past and present. There were many familiar faces in attendance and it
was great to get to talk to them all over a cold beer or two and some of the great food they were cooking up on the barbecues and the hearty aroma of those fried onions didn’t detract from the festive feel of the place. Big Bill and his new little companion were out to take it all in and to scoop up yet another trophy with that great looking ride of his. From pictures that have been coming in from others of our reporting crew he and his little dog and shiny blue bike have been wandering far and wide scoring victories at all kinds of events. I was happy to see my Brothers CB and Neil out and about along with Frenchie, Lloyd, and old Joe and Red. There was a communication breakdown at the bar and the 50 that Cathy had wanted to have in stock for a certain (obviously spoiled rotten) Roving Reporter did not arrive
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but I managed to survive the day just the same. It was great to see Nancy and Cathy and so many of the other people that I belong to that Legion are still active in this event however I was saddened to hear of John’s passing. The day flew by and it was time for the awards portion of the day along with the always popular 50/50 draw announcement. It was a good day and I’m sure that this event can be brought back to that of its former “Glory Days”. See you next year. ABATE Final Frontier 2016 This is one of my favourite events and it is held each year on the same weekend as another favourite event which will be mentioned in a separate article in this issue. So
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this is a busy but very satisfying weekend for me. It was one of those cool, grey mornings where the logical side of your brain tells you to put on a jacket at least but the stubborn biker side says “Fuck that! Are you some kind of a Pussy? Shirt sleeves are just fine! It will warm up!” So I left in shirt sleeves and picked up our newly minted Assistant Editor, Lydia. Lydia is an attractive young lady with all kinds of graphic and computer skills who is working with us part time to share some of the workload that is overwhelming our Managing Editor Al in an effort to keep Al alive. She isn’t a Biker yet but she is ballsy, not easily intimidated and would like to learn and get her M ticket and this would be her first experience at a “Biker Event” and I knew that this one would be a perfect one to start with. She as well has the same logical/foolhardy sides to her brain as she was wearing a light jean jacket and shorts when I picked her up. The parent/ grandparent side of my brain said Darl’n you gotta dress warmer than that! The stubborn Biker side that convinced me to head out in shirt sleeves said fuck it! She looks good and she’s old enough to know what she wants to wear. By the time we reached Shelburne,we stopped for fuel and breakfast and the light rain started to fall, we both decided a change in outer wear was in order. She readily snuggled up in my Drover coat which was way too big for her but warm and dry. I dug out my leather jacket and gloves. Apparently that was enough of a surrender for Mother Nature and she switched it up to warm and sunny and by the time we reached the ABATE property we were full on sunny and hot and looked ridiculous bundled up in foul weather attire! No matter, this is a great crew and they aren’t judge-
mental. We registered, stripped down to more seasonal dress and then made the ride into the main event area. They have made many improvements to the place since last year burying electric cables and changing up and enlarging the stage area plus making additions to the bar. They also built a shelter in the games area and have gone back to the traditional mud pit. The vendor’s area has been enlarged and there are many other changes that have been done as well. All in all they were ready to have a great time and they were getting a huge turnout for it. I took Lydia for a tour around the property out into the camping area and then back. On the first trip to the bar I was told that there was no 50 there yet but someone was on a beer run (Yeah that super spoiled Roving Reporter thing again!) and they would have some soon. We made a tour of the vendors section and met a whole bunch of old friends who have some great stuff at great prices. I bought Lydia a hat that should be required headgear for attending events such as this so as not to fry our brains. The food vendors were serving up some great tasting fare and the tattoo trucks were busy all
day long. The amazing Tracy was there and insisted upon flashing her boobs and then enticed others to do the same. She has some real classy looking jewelry and other neat stuff that had Lydia’s attention and Tracy made her a gift of one piece that she had her eye on. This little tour had worked up a thirst and on this trip to the bar the 50 had arrived and I was a real happy camper. We left for another tour of the camping area to seek out the later risers (heavier partyers) but this time I’d see if Lydia was ballsy or just claiming to be. I hopped up on the passenger seat and set her up in the rider’s seat. She did so without hesitation and was gung ho so we fired her up and headed out with me reaching over to the bars making sure that she got the feel of the throttle and clutch. For the first time she did not bad. Our girl Sticker chick was there as well and I was able to talk to her and a whole lot more people as I handed the camera to Lydia and let her cover most of the games including the Mud Wrestling where one of the girls decided to drag one of the guys into the pit fully clothed bull horn, cell phone and all and the rest of the girls figured that they would pile on as well. My buddy Dusty from the Brothers of the Blade came in to watch the games as he has been here before and thoroughly enjoys this place and these people. The games are
games as well. I love this event and these people in it and they are what helps keep me grounded and reminds me of my roots and who and what I am. The games are grittier and dirtier but honest and good natured. The competition is fierce and real but done in the name of fun and tradition.
always great and they get lots of participation. The day simply flew by and before we knew it was time to mount up and head for home. This is an amazing party and there is so much going on with bands who play great tunes long
into the night (With the stage now redirected to appease the neighbour.) These folks know how to party and they are great folks to party with. If you have never been here, do yourself a favour and mark it on your calendar as a must attend event! We had a great ride home and Dusty kept us company. A great end to a great day! The Brotherhood Bash 2016 This is the other favorite that I was mentioning earlier that (With the exception of last year when I couldn’t find It.) I have not missed one for more years than I can remember. It is an invite only event and you see a lot of the same folks who watch and participate in the games at ABATE watching and participating in these
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This is a club that has got different generations of the same family that still compete against and with all comers and themselves. This property is quite a bit smaller than what they have had but it is theirs’s and whatever they do to this property adds value to it for them and is specific to their needs.
his usual casual, goodnatured style. I was surprised and honoured to see Gordo wheel a cooler full of 50 up to where I was standing and give it to me to keep the dust out of my throat. Thanks Brother! The games, particularly the drag races, have had to be
They have done a great job on the bar and shelter and all the other things that just adds to the experience. My buddy Dusty once again was my sidekick and travelling companion for the day and we actually found it this time thanks to the remarkable Mrs. Haircut’s directions. We rolled in to find the party in full swing and the games about to begin. Casanova was doing his usual great job as announcer/cheerleader/ jeerleader/presenter/ whatever else he figured needed doing in
modified to fit the much smaller property but they are still done with every bit as much of enthusiasm as they ever were and long standing grudge matches still stand and are settled or continued at this event each and every year. It was great to see Sweet Sophie and her sweet new ride out to enjoy the day and challenge anyone who dared in most if not any event. Another treat was to see Tracey out and about and living large
and she wanted to pose on my Trike! Anything for a pretty lady who looks as good as you and sings as good as you and is still standing strong after all that you’ve been through! Thanks guys and ladies for another incredible day! See you next year! Spoiled Sports Calendar Shoot This shop has fascinated me for a long time as I used to just deliver Mags here for years and I was always impressed with not just the size of it but the people whom I met only briefly each time I went in and drop off the bundle.
They didn’t sell Harley-Davidson’s and The Mag was designated as for The Narly Harley Rider and I could understand the reluctance to advertise in something that would only feature a certain brand of motorcycle. But I knew that they had been around for a long time and must be doing something right. We had spoken many times and were hoping that one day they would advertise with us and I would have the opportunity to talk to them in depth one day. Then did a re-evaluation of the Mag and whether or not we truly represented our readership and we did not! We had all kinds of riders, male and female, who rode more makes and models of motorcycle you could
imagine. So we changed it up to just The Riders Mag – For Riders. Shortly after that Donny Petersen submitted an article in which he mad comparisons between Victory and Harley-Davidson. He referenced Spoiled Sports specifically. It was an interesting, honest piece and we ran it. Shortly after we approached Spoiled Sports and they began advertising with us. When they agreed to doing the calendar feature I was overjoyed and arranged time and date! I gathered up our model the lovely and tantalizing “Texas” who has graced our pages before and very conveniently lives just outside Oshawa and mad the trip out to Bowmanville where we met with Sales Manager, John
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Tattoo Studio of the Month and found myself out that way while on another mission so I figured I would save myself a trip. I knew that this was a very busy shop but stopped in any-
Flowers, Linda and owner Dave and they set us up with a selection of motorcycles and one of their Slingshots out on the lawn in front of the building.
It all worked out great as Texas has a Polaris ATV that her sons had broken a belt on some time ago and took the opportunity of being in a Polaris Dealer to pick up a new belt. Talk about multi-tasking! It was a hot day and Texas and I were pretty much wilted and in need of a cold beverage after several hours of shooting and jumping from one bike to the other. While Texas got changed into her traveling clothes Dave gave me a tour of their service department and introduced me to his crew. They all seem to have great attitudes and share similar senses of humour. I had a great time that satisfied my curiosity about this fantastic shop and got to meet some great people to boot! Kreative Khaos Dave is a great guy and has been a huge supporter of the Mag since the very start, carries it his shop and promotes it to his customers. Some people who don’t even have Tattoo’s drop in to grab a copy and hang around to shoot the shit a bit. In fact Dave was one of the first to tell me that he liked the changes that I had brought to the Mag and that I had done the right thing in taking it over. I was aware that his shop was scheduled to be in for
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way in hopes that I could pull it off or at least get the picture part of it done. Dave was busy of course so I took pictures inside and out and continued on our way and hoped to get back for the interview portion. That didn’t happen either and we started to do it by phone but he figured it would be best if he just e mailed me the details. I was expecting a list of points about the shop and the people involved that I would turn into an article. What I got was a really well written piece from his Daughter Erin that just required a couple of tweaks and a bi line added giving her full credit for writing it, add the pictures that they sent in and pass it on to Al. It should all be that easy and all people should be as great as the crew from Kreative Khaos.
Kreative Khaos creates some amazing work and have been winning awards for years for the shop and their customers. One of the back pieces he created won a huge trophy at The Kawartha Bikers Church Show and Shine recently. Wedding I was asked by dear friends Louise and Steve Swanton to take pictures at their beautiful Daughter Sarah’s Wed-
ding to Andrew Jenkins. I of course agreed but with the disclaimer that I’m not a photographer, just an old man with a decent camera but I would do my best. The whole affair was done at the Brothers of the Blade Clubhouse and it was fantastic from beginning to end. The Bride and Groom seem to suit each other to a tee and I wish them all the best in their marriage and their lives. Woodbridge Custom Cycle – Grand Opening I got up early with the best of intentions! I was to take a ride down to Woodbridge and hook up with the amazing Sam and cover the Grand opening of The Amazing new Shop! Woodbridge Custom Cycle. I went downstairs to find heavy rainfall and strong winds happening outside my door. Real heavy rainfall and very strong winds! In fact according to the weather channel, or any channel for that matter, as they had the extreme weather warnings and alerts going on that we could see only when the power came back on! Then they announced that there were Tornado warnings for the entire area and that one had touched down just north of us and they suspected more had touched down in Pefferlaw. “Shit!” I thought there isn’t anyone going to hold an event today. “I doubt it.” Confirmed Managing Editor Al. “Bikes on Bond just cancelled their event. Woodbridge Custom Cycle has a rain date listed for tomorrow!” “OK tomorrow I’ll ride down and cover it” I said before taking cover in the house with Godzilla and the dogs watching the Blue Jays. The next morning I arise, clean up and dress in my Riders Mag finery and head South to Woodbridge to cover the event that I was certain had been rained out the day before. I pulled up to the shop where there should be a Show and Shine going on and there was nothing!
“They must have cancelled the whole thing!” I said to myself before heading back home! “After all, who has a Shine in Tornadoes and severe thunder storms?” A bunch of guys from Woodbridge, that’s who! I found this out when I went to my physio appointment at Spectrum the next day. The office manager Jennifer comes up and says, I hear you ride a Harley. My friends just opened a new shop in Woodbridge and hands me a card. “Woodbridge Custom Cycle! I was supposed to cover their Grand Opening! I went down Sunday and there was no one
there!” I said. “We did it on Saturday!” she replied. It was severe thunderstorms and Tornadoes on Saturday!” I said. “Yeah attendance was light but we had a band and just moved the party inside!” was her response. She has supplied me with pictures and her coverage of the event from was the same as Sam’s when I called him later on that day, “We had a great time! Moved the party inside. Wish more bikes had come out though!” The lesson to be taken from this is; “When guys from Woodbridge hold an event it has to be something worse than Severe Thunderstorms or Tornadoes for them to use the rain date.” Bikes on Bond The weather Gods must have it out for you guys and gals! Two years in a row!
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One for the road
Getting Dirty….. Other than crashing or dropping your ride, I’ve recently realized that the worse thing to happen is having someone say this, “Hey Paula, this is the first time that I’ve seen water spots on your bike.” (dirt can be substituted but you get the point) Oh dear God!!!! The humiliation. Nothing like leaning over your bike with a bottle of water and a rag to remedy that little indiscretion. Hell I’d have spit on the bastard rag just to clean my baby….Ugh…ok, onto the rides. With birthdays and rain, the month of August has been a tad slighted. There was Classy Chassis’ Saturday/Sunday BBQ, the 5th Annual Kirkfield Invasion, the 2nd annual SixOne3 Ride for Mom, Denny’s 7th Annual Classic Car & Bike Show, Kingston’s Show ‘n Shine, Bikes By The Bay, Tweedsmuir Hotel Ride and Show ‘n Shine, just to name a few.
There were quite a few riders at the Bikes By The Bay. Vendors were out with many a swag to be had for the rider and they weren’t shy to dicker on prices. We got a really great HD patch for my new vest (which I’ve yet to even buy), and some friends of ours bought themselves a vest. Our very own Frenchie from Black Gold was there and looked like his booth was doing well. Tam from the Ride for Paws was there (this woman is everywhere) for her cause, The Ride for Paws. (By the way, if you are unable to make it for
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…..with Lil Red
the ride on August 28th, please contact her to donate to our furry friends) We made our way around only to bump into the Brotherhood Boys. They were checking out the Burnout Pit (which one of the boys took part in) and were heading over to see Twiggy from Vegas Rat Rods. When I made it around to see Twiggy (and Dave Kindig of Bitchin Rides), Dave was the only one there. I wandered up to shake his hand, get a pic and shoot the shit about some bitchin rides he’s had on the show. My main love is motorcycles, but right up there is those fantastic four wheeled monsters. I love wicked cars and large, beastly-modified trucks. We sat in the beer tent watching them set up for the motorcycle games. Strange for a busy Saturday, not many riders wanted to participate. (From what I heard later through friends, Sunday was where they were able to get riders to kick each other’s asses in the events).
There weren’t many bikes on display, but I had found a few that warranted my attention. I followed a guy riding a purple trike, and when he parked, he had a purple truck to match, as well as a purple kiddie car and really cool silver kiddie chopper. Hey, I could try to ride it! Although I wasn’t up to having my ass kicked by a kiddie biker for taking his ride! The Kingston’s Show ‘n Shine was an event we hit last year. This year, we had the pleasure to head up there with a group of friends. Taking the highway with a large group of riders has always been the highlight of these events for me. You know that you’re getting people’s attention and if we can draw more attention
to motorcycle riders out and about, than hopefully the cagers will be alert to riders for the rest of their day at least. When we got to the park, the professional riders that were going to perform some impressive jumps were preparing to start. We took this time to catch up with some of the Windsisters from Ottawa and the surrounding areas, taking pictures and introducing the new ladies. As the hubbys wandered around, we bought patches and such swag, and met some mascots for some pictures. The ladies were not shy about getting their pics taken, and people were
standing around wondering who this large group of ladies was that had multiple cameras on them. I will admit, the lack of vendors for this was disheartening. Last year there was more. The girls did get some Mean Clothing tanks, and of course……..I found food. Other than the riders doing some incredible jumps, being introduced to Gelato (thanks for that Diana..so much for trying to tone my fat ass!) meeting some new lady riders and buying Mean shirts (it’s a brand name), we decided to head back and grab a bite along the way. The Tweedsmuir Dice Ride and Show ‘n Shine was here, and we were looking forward to it. Benefiting The Salvation Army, we couldn’t say no. A lot of our friends talked very highly of this particular ride early on in the season. Pulling in, we didn’t know what to expect. We were told that there’d be some good ol’ riders there. No attitudes, just a bunch of riders (most familiar with one another) to take part in the dice run, some grub and some prizes.
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We wandered into the bar, and Mike liked it immediately. He said this is a place we need to go to for playing pool and some drinks. That good ‘ol bar to meet friends, have a good time. The type of place you don’t see much of anymore, but alas we found her. Right in Tweed! And wouldn’t you know it, our new buddy Big Bill and Willie G were there, hogging the spotlight. And come on, this pup can pull off a set of leathers far better than I ever could!!! So we sat with Big Bill and Willie G and caught up with him regarding his riding of late. This guy rides everywhere and I gotta say, I admire him for that. No trailer, no nothing. Just him and Willie G hitting the events to have a
good time. We eventually gathered to roll the dice for the dice run, and headed off on our rides for a ride that promised to be one of the best. The twists and turns definitely kept me on my toes, but it was a really nice ride. Beautiful scenery, everyone staying together, a stop or two to roll the dice. We joined some friends for the SixOne3 Ride for Mom. This ride was out of Stirling, and this one benefits the Quinte Hospice. Upon arrival we met up with a few friends, including a really great photographer named Brad Denoon. This guy attends and supports many of the charity events in our area. And I’ll be honest, the pics that he takes by far make mine look like a three year old’s attempt at photography. Not long after we dug our kickstands in, they were up again for the ride. And I’ll say, this year’s ride was way better than last. With police escort and better group riding, everyone enjoyed it. We got lots of pics as there were a few Windsisters there with their husbands. I’ll say this, not only is it a great group of women with whom I ride with, but the men ride with us. Almost always. And the joking around is something. With
me getting teased about spitting on my bike to Rod seeing random chickens running afoul (get it…afoul?? Ok I’m sorry) we always have a laugh. This year due to the thunderstorms, we missed the Kirkfield Invasion. I was really looking forward to it. They had
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some pretty epic events planned. Now it went on anyway, and I encourage you to check out their facebook page to see exactly what they had planned before Mother Nature poo pooed on that party weekend. We intend to go next year, maybe even camp with a few buddies. We also missed the Bike Ride for Soldier On that was out of Campbellford. The proceeds go to the Soldier On Program for war veterans. The weather really kicked our asses for these events, so I’m hoping next year will be huge! If you’re in the Trenton/Belleville area, you likely got your Mag from Tam from The Ride for Paws. (I have them and so does Frenchie, but this girl is everywhere!) I swear I need to give this girl a t-shirt cannon to fire off mags in! Her big ride is on August 28th, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of. There’s a ton of great prizes, a bbq, vendors and a beautiful route for their ride. Plus, it’s at Trenton City Hall. Ooh…and a show ‘n shine, so bring on the water spots!!! Lastly, if you’re out and about, drop into Deseronto’s Bike Nites every Tuesday till September, at The Dock Side Tavern. Peterborough also has its Bike Nites every Thursday at 6860 Hwy 7 Cavan – Monaghan. And if you’re looking for me, drop me a line at lilred@theridersmag.com. So..we went to the Denny’s Classic Car and Bike show this year in Belleville. Some friends of ours had mentioned the event, and asked if we wanted to go. Now....Not meaning to brag..but ahem...I won best bike in show. Anyway....while we were out and about looking at the cars and some of the bikes in the competition, Jen from the Devils Syndicate MC came up and said she had a bone to pick with me. Well what have I done now????
As she went on, turns out this wasn’t my doing (whew) but something of a fun, mess-up-the -reader kinda thing that apparently I didn’t even catch onto. She was reading the last page...the joke page...wait for it... you know where I’m going with this, don’t you? And she asked me what happened to the last joke? Damn....I should know this?? I told her I’d ask Critter as it’s his page, and come to find out from our ever-working editor Al, that it’s somewhat of a ha-ha on our readers. Apparently, a long time ago, there was an editor booboo where the ending of the joke was missed. The editors decided to continue it in the next publication. However, the readers did not know this and it caused a bit of a kurfluffle. And so the ongoing ha-ha began...where they now leave the punch line of the last joke unwritten...till the next publication. See...keeps ya coming back. Brilliant!
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Well here we are on the second half of what has been an excellent summer thus far. Hot and dry weather not doing anything for the farmers out there or the avid gardener but sure is awesome for the ones that like to ride! Lots of events have gone by and lots more to come with thousands of kilometers to travel so don’t even think of putting your ride away just yet. I have so many places I want to go this year but there’s just not enough weekends to do them all. If you have some interest in riding, photography and creating writing and would like to help out covering events in Northern Ontario, by all means get a hold of me and let’s talk. I sure could use the help covering this beautiful vast part of the province. It will also give you an opportunity to become part of something awesome called The Rider’s Mag. After all it’s because of people like you and I that this lifestyle prospers and keeps our brothers and sisters informed on all the great activity out there in regards to this sport through this great publication… Ride Manitoulin 2016 Manitoulin Island, July 15 &16/2016, 120 registered bikes as well as 147 riders, poker run, scenic rides, and much, much more…. What does all this mean? One of Northern Ontario’s best motorcycle rallies held right in our
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back yard, beautiful Providence Bay. Every year this rally grows and produces some of the best riding opportunities in the north all while helping out the Starlight Foundation. This year’s rally netted a donation of $3500 on top of capital start up monies for next year’s event. This is truly an amazing get together as the work and d e te r m i n at i o n that all the volunteers exert to put on such an affair is almost unbelievable. A big thank you to everyone that helped out such as the Providence Bay and Spring Bay Lions Clubs just to name a few. This rally is not composed only in the small town fairgrounds but rather it starts for a lot of people during their journey to participate. Whether it be breakfast along the highway or the camaraderie formed while making the cross over on the ferry, (Ferry Friends) the friendships that develop are life long lasting with remarkable memories of a great northern ride through majestic landscapes. During this event, aside from what we thrive for the most which is a great ride, plenty of activities were found to keep everyone going. A poker run with a winning hand of $265.00 then the silent auctions which presented lots of great merchandise donated by local merchants, as well as a 50/50 draw with another total $258.00 . So needless to say that some people walked out of this event cashing out all while supporting a great cause. The bike show gave enthusiasts the opportunity to show off their amazing works of art as being one of my all-time favorite events. Prizes were a plenty for the winners and as far as I’m concerned, if you had your ride in the Show and Shine, you’re already a winner just by being so proud of your bike enough to want to show it off. Congrats to all. The entertainment whether it was during the day under the beer tent or at night with an amazing band, which by the way has been asked to attend again next year, has proven to be yet another part of this rally that is exceptionally well organized and valued. From professional musician to the local Lions members that are always quick with a joke or two, there’s never any lack of laughter to be heard from all directions. What an amazing feeling to be there. As previously mentioned, plans are already in the works to make next year’s assembly even better than the previous ones. For more on this year’s rally, check out our very own Sticker Chick’s column in this month’s
Rider’s Mag.
27th Annual Ontario HOG Rally Dave Larson and Dave Willcock along with a multitude of volunteers near and far, have been busy over the course of the past year or so as they planned and executed the 27th HOG rally with success. The convention started on the Friday night with dinner and entertainment at the Caruso Club followed by the next day starting off with a run across the city creating a line of glimmering HDs thundering down the roads of Sudbury going over the Bridge of Nations that was showing off the colorful flags lining the edges only to end up at one of the city’s landmarks “Bell Park”. Once there, the participants and people of all areas were treated to a Show and Shine so that proud owners and onlookers could admire and compare each machine in details and up close. There is always lots to see and do when a lineup of mechanical works of art from 7 different classes compete for the honor of being chosen “best of”. Following a full day of activities, including a full line up of musical talent such as Naked Soul, Crystal Shawanda, Bluez Brothers, JoPo & The Rize just to name a few. Lots of food, great people attending from all over as well as a boat cruise around lake Ramsey was certain to please everyone in attendance. Several various interest rides were also on the agenda such as a poker run with a goal of going to an uncounted amount of local landmarks in and around our great city as well as a Casino Ride to the Slots to let people try their luck at increasing their fortunes only to have a reverse effect in most cases. And what would a provincial rally be without a ride planned to visit Manitoulin Island having a stop in Little Currant being one of Northern Ontario’s most scenic rides. We can’t forget the French River/ Noelville run which brings you through some of the best countryside roads we have up here complete with the homestyle hospitality of the Lavigne Tavern to which
Guy and his staff were hard at work putting on his famous pig roast for the riders to enjoy. Always a pleasure to ride that area and feel the difference Northern Ontario hospitality and friendly people have to offer. Come and relax with us on these amazing rides that you will remember for a lifetime only making
you want to come back year after year. A great deal of work and caring was used to put on this year’s HOG rally and the dedication sure shined through in the end results. Thank you to all those involved and an awesome job by all! Rocking on the River If there’s one way to describe this event, it would be with the words of the festival founder Guy Serre and that would be: “OVER THE TOP!” Rocking on the River has been going stronger and stronger for the past six(6) years and shows no signs of slowing down. Although being a music Festival, there is two different Motorcycle Show and Shine events that have quite a variety of characters and categories such as the “baddest, the blackest & the dirtiest” as well as the “Best in Show” As far as the music part of it,
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Guy thrives to get local artists involved. He provides a large stage with plenty of equipment that keep ”bands coming back because they haven’t played on a stage that large with that much equipment in their careers.” Saturday’s line-up of bands was Swampdawgs, Lorrie Lynn, Kimberly Arnold, Sounds of Stories, Paul Hache and Purple McNugget with a headliner of a George Thorogood tribute band, Bad to the Bone! Sunday’s line-up consisted of Purple McNugget, Swampdawgs as well as Sounds of Stories returning to the stage. Gladhands, Horned Ace and Triple-X, a ZZ Top tribute band to close the show. What an awesome line-up! The festival even offered a shuttle bus from the local towns around so that you can come and enjoy the festivities without the worry of drinking and driving and as you wish, you can even bring your tent and camp right onsite! How sweet is that? Just another show of more Northern Ontario hospitality that compares to nothing as it’s in a class of its own. As it’s been called, Blind River’s “Best Kept Secret” will be losing that name if they continue at this rate. Be sure to like them on Facebook and mark them on your bucket list for next year. I know I sure will! Ride2Reach On Sunday July 31st, I had to pleasure of meeting
up with John Cosentini and his beautiful wife, owner operator of Motorcycle Enhancement of Oakville as well as a proud supporter of The Rider’s Mag, as well as Eric Costales and we can’t forget “Panda the sidecar dog” as they toured Northern Ontario distributing charity money to the Sudbury Manitoulin Children’s Foundation as part of their Ride2Reach program. During breakfast, they wasted no time explaining how the funds raised is used in Sudbury to help send disadvantaged children to camp or postsecondary bursaries. As well as meeting various people from the charity, the
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group had the opportunity to visit Camp Manitou and take a firsthand look at what charities like this one accomplish. They seemed pleased that the hard earned funds were well managed and that children were the one benefiting from all their efforts. Ride2Reach support 7 foundations across Canada and they are looking for a motivated individual(s) to form a local right here in the Greater Sudbury area. If you can help and would like more information check out their website at www.ride2reach.com Something well worth riding for! After all, it’s all about helping the children! ’03 Softail Well after nearly a year, the story of the ’03 Softail continues. After spending many hours with Taylor of Mitmen Motorcycles, Frost’s ride has finally seen its maiden voyage although still without issues as weird coincidences seem to have appeared last winter since being at a not so reputable HD shop. What I’m talking about is the fact that once we got everything put back together, it seemed like a lot of electrical issues surfaced…for instance the plug for the fuel pump was reversed causing the fuel to be sucked out of the carbs instead of into as well the headlight low/high beam were reversed and still having some brake light issues leading me to believe that this one is a simple adjustment. What has me completely concerned and baffled is that
after the accident last fall, the bike spent time on my hoist to which I fixed quite a few items including doing a full service with new oil and filter for it to be ready when the time came about to go again. Well after all the chaos over the course of the winter to get the new front end installed, someone somewhere has drained the new fresh oil out of the crankcase for whatever reason and never notified anyone. I even questioned my own ability and then decided to check my oil storage cabinet and found the jug used with slightly just over a liter left in it as I suspected that I did indeed fill the crankcase after the accident. The question remains, where did the oil go? No leaks, no trace of it anywhere…. In any case, with the help of Taylor we did get the bike going and although a tad bit nervous as the raked out front end and new rim and tire did handle slightly different, Frost is pleased with the results and can’t wait to tidy up the remaining minor
adjustments required to put it back up to 100%. Thank you Taylor from Mitmen Motorcycle for all your patience and awesome customer service! Really appreciate it Brother! Another three nominations for the North Ontario Biker Friendly White List would have to be this time around Signatures Restaurant in Chelmsford (new distributors of The Rider’s Mag) as well as Val Caron with their fantastic loaded nachos and draught beer that is so refreshing after a hard day’s work. The second one I would have to say goes to Kevin at Straightline Auto on Lorne st. as they have the old fashion quality personal service that only a privately owned shop can provide. Thanks for being good people! And last but not least, Buies Groceries on Hyw 542 in Spring Bay on beautiful Manitoulin Island. Their gas station and store has everything you require during your stay on the Island and they have been supporting the Mag right from the start! Thanks guys for all your support. Well this brings me to what’s going to happen in our neck of the woods in the coming months. I’m looking forward to attending Ride for a Friend which is coming up this weekend the 20th of Aug. Check out their Facebook page or the Rider’s Mag Northern Ontario page for all the details and make it a day complete with a lunch pig roast at the Lavigne Tavern. Promises to be a great time for all in attendance! I’m aware of other activities and rides going on but in order for me to cover
these; I need your assistance and let me know so they can be added on the agenda. It’s very easy to contact me either through text or email or even my Facebook page that has been getting a lot of activity these past couple of months. We’re up to almost 2200 friends! WOW! Thank you all! I’ve just heard of a great bike and car show that happened last weekend as well as some races around town. These events would be perfect if you want coverage in the Mag to help boost attendance or might even find your picture in here one of these days. Remember the more we support the local column, the better the magazine becomes and hopefully one day we, from Northern Ontario can have as big of a section in there as the rest of them do. Remember, the Rider’s Mag is about the people for the people. Contact me at thatnortherguy144@gmail.com or via text at 705662-1526 and like us on Facebook at Rider’s Mag Northern Ontario. See you out there! As always to end this month’s article, a few words that kinda got to me in the past little while. Thought I’d share with you.
“I’ve been stabbed in the back by those I needed most. I’ve been lied to by those I love. And I have felt alone when I couldn’t afford to be. But at the end of the day, I had to learn to be my own best friend because there’s going to be days where no one is going to be there for me… but myself!”
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DRACONIAN MEASURES: STREET RACING, STUNTING First, I need to add a comment to my column from two months ago about driving without insurance. I listed some of the ways you can accidentally end up without insurance coverage. I forgot to mention one of the big ones: failure to register a new vehicle. When you replace a vehicle that is insured under an auto policy, you have 14 days to notify your insurance company of the new vehicle. If you don’t and have an accident, they may deny coverage. I had a case like that and fortunately was able to resolve it with the insurer, but you might not be so lucky. Onto this month’s topic: most of you are probably aware that there are serious penalties for street racing, more than 50 kph over the limit and stunt riding. You might be surprised by some of the driving actions that are included in this offence (actually 3 offences). You may be able to do some of those car drivers (or certain other riders, you know who you are!) a favour by politely pointing out that their driving habits could expose them to serious penalties. For those who like to look it up yourselves, the relevant provisions are s. 172 of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, and O’Reg. 455/07. Section 172 provides that No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway in a race or contest, while performing a stunt or on a bet or wager. The regulation defines “race” and “contest” as follows: any activity where one or more persons engage in any of the following driving behaviours: 1. Driving two or more motor vehicles at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of
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speed and in a manner that indicates the drivers of the motor vehicles are engaged in a competition. 2. Driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to chase another motor vehicle. 3. Driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention, without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway or in a manner that may endanger any person by, i. driving a motor vehicle at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of speed, ii. outdistancing or attempting to outdistance one or more other motor vehicles while driving at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of speed, or iii. repeatedly changing lanes in close proximity to other vehicles so as to advance through the ordinary flow of traffic while driving at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of speed. A “marked departure from the lawful rate of speed” is defined as: means a rate of speed that may limit the ability of a driver of a motor vehicle to prudently adjust to changing circumstances on the highway. As you can see, these terms are quite subjective. My quick review of the court decisions did not provide any clearer definition. It seems that it can be less than 50 kph over the limit as that is included in the definition of “stunt” below. In one case 130 kph in a 100 kph zone on a highway met the definition when there was other traffic. The court said that everyone knows that the usual rate of speed on a highway is around 120 so presumably 120 would not be a “marked departure”. In another case doing 60 kph in a 50 kph zone was not a “marked d e p a r t u r e ”. No kidding. It could be hard to know whether you are over the line in terms of speed in any given case. It may depend somewhat on road and traffic conditions. Hopefully there will not be too many charges under this section for 10 kph over the limit.
The definition of “stunt” includes: 1. Driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to lift some or all of its tires from the surface of the highway, including driving a motorcycle with only one wheel in contact with the ground, but not including the use of lift axles on commercial motor vehicles. 2. Driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to cause some or all of its tires to lose traction with the surface of the highway while turning. 3. Driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to spin it or cause it to circle, without maintaining control over it. 4. Driving two or more motor vehicles side by side or in proximity to each other, where one of the motor vehicles occupies a lane of traffic or other portion of the highway intended for use by oncoming traffic for a period of time that is longer than is reasonably required to pass another motor vehicle. 5. Driving a motor vehicle with a person in the trunk of the motor vehicle. 6. Driving a motor vehicle while the driver is not sitting in the driver’s seat. 7. Driving a motor vehicle at a rate of speed that is 50 kilometres per hour or more over the speed limit. 8. Driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention, without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway or in a manner that may endanger any person by, i. driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to prevent another vehicle from passing, ii. stopping or slowing down a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates the driver’s sole intention in stopping or slowing down is to interfere with the movement of another vehicle by cutting off its passage on the highway or to cause another vehicle to stop or slow down in circumstances where the other vehicle would not ordinarily do so, iii. driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to drive, without justification, as close as possible to another vehicle, pedestrian or fixed object on or near the highway, or iv. making a left turn where, (A) the driver is stopped at an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal system in response to a circular red indication; (B) at least one vehicle facing the opposite direction is similarly stopped in response to a circular red indication; and (C) the driver executes the left turn immediately before or after the system shows only a circular green indication in both directions and in a manner that indicates an intention to complete or attempt to complete the left turn before the vehicle facing the opposite direction is able to proceed straight through the intersection in response to the circular green indication facing that vehicle. O. Reg. 455/07, s. 3. Not surprisingly, wheelies, stoppies, donuts, burnouts, drifting and more than 50 kph over the limit are included. It seems odd that number 5 does not include having person on the hood or roof. Number 8 includes some things we may have seen or had done to us by our four wheeled driving friends.
This is serious stuff. Penalties for first offence are a minimum fine of $2,000.00 up to $10,000.00 and licence suspension up to 2 years. The suspension can be up to 10 years for a second offence. Plus immediate 7 day suspension of licence and impoundment of your vehicle. As always, this is general information and applies to Ontario only. Seek legal advice before taking any action or making any decision that could affect your rights. Please send any questions or suggestions for future topics to me at tim@timleighbell.com or timleighbell@bellnet.ca or contact me through www.bikelawyer.ca Ride safe and enjoy what is left of the season.
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Someone once said that things get better as they get older and I can think of a lot of things I would argue that about but one of them wouldn’t be B.A. Machine Performance Motorcycles. It does seem almost eerie to be reminded that with the exception of a few years here and there the husband and wife team of Tim & Peri Poirier have been a major part of the Ottawa motorcycle scene for over 32 years. The motorcycle scene is always changing and with that change comes bigger demands on people who are good at what they do and I suppose being really good at what you do can be a problem at times. I remember when Tim & Peri first started out in Ottawa’s east end on Lancaster Rd where they were mostly dealing with Harley Davidson and British motorcycles. Back then it was a gamble on who worked on your bike and going to the dealerships was no guarantee that the people they hired as mechanics actually knew their stuff. It was also an era of change in the motorcycle world itself because Japanese metric bikes were increasing in size. The British bikes were struggling just to hang on and Harley Davidson had just come out with their new Evolution motor. One of the first sold found its way to B.A Machine to have work done on it. B.A. Machine thrived in that environment. In 1988 they moved to Canotek Rd and went from 1000 sq ft to 4000 sq ft with the retail shop upstairs (I remember those stairs) and what back then, was pretty much a state of the art repair/machine shop on the first level. Tim was just about the only person in town who was doing serious work on big strokers and big bore motors and he was continually upgrading the shop with things like a dynamometer room for engines and other equipment. Then he went out and took the courses necessary to optimize what he could actually do with this kind of shop and equipment. At a time when local Harley dealers were trying to push stock equipment and minimize aftermarket, the Poiriers
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became the leaders in Ottawa and area by becoming direct suppliers for products from sources like S&S, Axtell, Zippers Performance, Riviera Engineering, Drag Specialties, Mid-USA, Custom Chrome and many other manufacturers. You have to keep in mind that this is really before the boom of everyone having a computer. In 1990 Tim & Peri purchased J.D. Hawg in the west end of the city because they figured it was time to expand their customer base. They did do that but by 1991 they realized that the volume was far too much and demanded even more expansion. More than they were willing to commit to. They closed the newly acquired west end operation down and turned their focus on B.A Machine entirely. Around that same year a customer of theirs provided them with some innovative software that allowed them to better deal with their extensive inventory and at the same time help them with billing. This all seems pretty normal today but back 25 years ago there were no software programs for motorcycle shops and so much like their commitment to build bigger and better motors their innovative moves to computers gave them an edge and that put them very much in demand again. In 1995 things were just getting bigger but the demands were leaving them with not much of a personal life and they decided at that time to cut way back to a level that they could manage. So they held some pretty awesome sales, downsized and moved to what now is part of rural Ottawa in the Osgoode area. Tim was still deeply involved in building better motors and around that time they purchased a Dynojet chassis dyno because he wanted to run a smaller operation that concentrated on high performance and race bikes. In 1998 Peri went to work for Hurst Harley Davidson in their parts division for a couple of years and about two years later Tim decided to put B.A. Machine on hold for a while and went to work as a marine technician. He also became the head of the Hurst Vintage Racing Team at Hurst Marina in Manotick and took the team to the Daytona Vintage Racing events for three years running
and with Tim’s direction they won. In 2003 Tim decided it was time to return to the Harley Davidson community and became senior technician at Harley Davidson of Ottawa. Peri also returned to Harley of Ottawa from 2005 to 2010, where she to put her considerable skills to use and soon became the General Manager of Ottawa Yamaha. At the start of the new year in 2012 both decided that they no longer wanted to work for dealerships and so once again B.A. Machine was reopened and it wasn’t much of a stretch for them because all that equipment they had either built or purchased over the years was already there, waiting for them. For a while they thought they would simply build onto their existing building on the property where they live but over the next few years they both realized that now that they were back in business, business was coming back to them and a couple of years ago they moved to their present location at 7174 Bank St. near Snake Island Rd. Today B.A. Machine has also added to their specialized equipment such as Tim’s pride and joy his new Dyno room which houses their SuperflowSF 240 chassis dyno where when you see him working with all the laptops in that room you would think you were at a rock concert and he was the keyboard player doing a solo. So the Poirier’s along with several other staff
members including Derek ‘Wrench’ Pitcher and Steve in the shop and Tim and Curtis at the front service desk manning the phones that never stop. As for Peri, well she has to be just about everywhere all the time because she is the purchaser, inventory clerk, special projects manager and a half a dozen other things and while her work load is a monster, she somehow makes it all come together. It would be easy to come to the conclusion that all their combined knowledge of nearly 35 years of being in the motorcycle industry, especially the high performance end of it, would be the reason why their shop is so successful. That would be only one part of that equation because the real success of B.A. Machine is the sense of confidence they give to their customers because of Tim’s obsession with perfection & Peri’s management skills. There is one more factor that makes people come to their shop and it is the sense of family, no corporate atmosphere, and everyone in the B.A. Machine shop is a rider. They take great pride in treating other riders with the same respect that they would expect themselves. There are plans in the near future to build an addition onto the showroom and perhaps another building to provide even more services to their growing list of customers which include riders from the Cornwall area, west Quebec and I know their shop is well known to those in Northern New York State. Tim & Peri strongly support their local motorcycle community and it is not uncommon for groups or clubs to start one of their rides from B.A. Machine because they feel the shop is sort of family to them. Like the t-shirt says ‘For Bikers – By Bikers! ‘
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Dave’s Pizza Quest
Wow...a super steamy day near the end of July with a humidex reading near 40. So naturally, a biker puts on dark clothing and leather, sits on top of a hot, V-twin engine and goes for a ride. Seems logical to me. As for a destination, I decided that finding an as yet untried pizza place would be my ‘raison d’etre’. I’d heard of a restaurant near Mount Albert, Ontario not too far from me...and do know it as I’ve passed by many times before...and I will get there. However, a google search showed me one right in town that I’d never heard of, mainly because I don’t actually pass through there on my travels. The ratings were favourable so I left my place, pointed the hog northeast and was there in just under thirty minutes. Prior to leaving, I tried reaching my friend Anne and she returned my call just as I arrived. I decided to wait for her to meet me and while I did, I watched them prepare the pizza. We had another winner in my ‘loaded’ category. Anne arrived. We ordered. We ate. We left full and happy. I know that there are plenty of bikes travelling north and south along highway 48 all through the riding season. Worth the turn into the village of Mount Albert. 77 Pizza, 19181 Centre St., Mount Albert. Please feel free to drop in and see George and his staff. A sit down place also offering wings, garlic bread and salads.
Stickerchick Rides Manitoulin! This month’s column will be dedicated to the Ride Manitoulin Rally adventure and all the mini-adventures along the way. By backing up a few adventures, there will be summer memories to share during the winter to keep us all warm and fuzzy. By backing up the adventures a tad, there will also be more room for pictures. At the very last minute, which was Wednesday afternoon, I found a dog sitter and was able to go to the Ride Manitoulin Rally . . . maybe. Two issues left . . . work and the ferry reservation. I told work to f**k off and quickly called the ferry reservation office. The ferry was full for cars but still had a few motorcycle slots left so I settled for a Friday afternoon ferry trip with the husband. Friday was sketchy with high winds and “isolated” showers. I did get damp, threw on the gear, and carried on to Tobermory to catch the Big Canoe. The husband and I pulled in with the other bikers, grabbed a quick coffee, and handed out some mags. The rain had stopped and it got quite warm and sticky again. Almost immediately I met some bikers hiding in the shade of that brick building by the ferry while they enjoyed a smoke. We enjoyed a few laughs and a few smokes, and then as we wandered back towards the bikes someone came out of the building . . . two Coast Guards exited that building, walking through a cloud of slightly bluish smoke. Bill was proudly wearing his pot bandana and fluorescent green pot leaf t-shirt so we were certainly the least suspect of anyone present. The Coast Guards sauntered over and began chatting with us about the bikes. If you know me, it won’t surprise you to hear that I told the Coast Guard that Bill’s motorcycle riding dog, Willie G., was to blame for the aroma . . . “the dog is a known pot head” I told them. They didn’t really care as long as Willie G. wasn’t driving the boat. The adventure was on! Loading the bikes is slick on the ferry - pull up, tie down, and go for a drink! The water was rough so the ferry was slow, which gave me plenty of time for a cooler and a rib dinner on the boat. Seemed a lot easier than the 7 hour ride around. I found my smoking buddies from the dock and sat with them, the laughs just didn’t stop! What a fun filled ferry ride! Manitoulin Island is known as The Heart and Spirit of the Great Lakes of Canada. The island is unique in many ways. Manitoulin Island is the largest fresh water island in the world. Manitoulin Island has over 100 lakes, several of these lakes have islands.(Imagine owning your own island on the island) Manitoulin Island is a very peaceful and spiritual place. Aside from a few busy centers, there is a lot of untouched land with twisty roads and water views. There is also an abundance of deer and wildlife to beware of when you are touring the island . . . slower is better. Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve is Canada’s only recognized unceded Indian Reserve. The reserve is unceded because the Wikwemikong did not sign the McDougall Treaty in 1862. This treaty targeted the surrender of unsold lands on the island. The amalgamation in 1968 of three bands created Canada’s only recognized unceded Indian Reserve. The Island also has a Swing Bridge in Little Current, it is the only way off the island by land, and it has the only traffic lights on the island Manitoulin Island is also the habitat for Sandhill Cranes. At one time, these birds were heavily hunted and few were seen until a breeding pair was spotted in 1978 on the North Shore of the Island. Now the population is up to thousands. While riding from the ferry to the rally site I spotted a field of “Pink Flamingos” that looked a little pale. They were Sandhill Cranes! Sure wish I’d stopped to take a picture . . . next time!
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10 Mile Lookout is another must see on the island. Pictures will tell what words cannot describe. You can see the curvature of the earth from up there, it’s just phenomenal! These are reasons to go to Manitoulin Island on any given weekend. Here are some reasons to go to the Ride Manitoulin Island Rally. It’s not too big, 120 bikes registered with 147 riders. There is little traffic and no crowds or lineups. $25 includes byob camping with shade, rockin’ blues band, show & shine, and friendly staff to give you tips about touring the island. The food vendors were really good including stone cooked pizza, real burgers, deep fried pickles, Mexican fries, and more. For another $5, you can get cards for the Poker Run on Saturday. Another great reason to attend the Ride Manitoulin Rally is that you never know who you’ll run into! As soon as I approached the grounds I received hollers of greetings! I knew I had friends in the back corner as I registered; it turned out to be Giant and a bunch of the Port Elgin people. Mike and Kim had brought
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the truck and told Giant they could carry some things for him so Giant’s two car loads of camping conveniences made for a comfortable weekend. There were extra BBQ’s, spare tents, air mattresses, coolers, and even coffee in the morning. Mike brought his old Triumph to put in the Bike Show and Giant brought his bicycle for some high mileage . . . seriously, he puts some real miles on that pedal bike. Saturday morning was Big Bad Becky’s Biker Breakfast at the local legion. The money raised at this breakfast supports one of the local youth sports teams, they depend on it. Becky is now 90 something years old and still cooking up a storm. Saturday was the Poker Run so I bought cards and did the run with Kim and Giant. I had met a few people on the ferry ride, and had already begun calling them my “Ferry Friends”. However, Kim and Giant did not know this. So at The Anchor Inn in Little Current,(one of our stops) as we went up the stairs, the Biggest, Meanest looking Biker was coming down the stairs. I greeted the Burly Man with “Hey! There’s one of My Ferry Friends!”. Well . . . the look on Kim’s face was priceless! Giant pretended not to know me and said he was just there for the cards. My new friend replied with “You know, you can only say that here . . . on the Island” and smiled. There are some things in life that money just can’t buy . . . like scaring the hell outta your friends! Kim and I also had a secondary mission while on the Poker Run. It was Mike’s 41st birthday and we needed a cake! Cake’s don’t travel well in saddlebags and it’s hard to bungie them down. The solution . . . Cheeseburger Birthday Cake and candles! Mike also got another great birthday present he won First Place in the Antique/Vintage Class of the Bike Show for his Triumph. Some of the RCRMC and friends were also there with a propane campfire that is allowed during fire bans. It was wonderful to stay warm around the fire with friends, roasted marshmallows, motorcycles, a full moon, and cold drinks . . . Great people, Great fire! Thank you all for making my very first Manitoulin Island and Big Canoe trip unforgettable! Ride on!’
Sooooo . . . Howz yur summer goin’? Mine has outdistanced my ability to absorb the events that have been dizzily speeding through my consciousness. At times, the days were falling like the cardboard cutouts Dirty Harry shot down as he wandered through the combat shooting range. Now here we are, peering in the September issue – knowing full well that our ridin’ season is departing. Hope yur bike clocked some decent mileage – it was a phenomenal season for touring. For me, it is a bittersweet reminder that, once again, we (the collective we) are being offered a seasonal opportunity to wrestle with the issues; in the long struggle to achieve some measurable success in our quest to make change for Ontario bikers. It is now, during the fall and winter, that our elected officials are actually reachable and willing to explore our grievances. That said, I am extremely pleased to report that later this month, the OCC executive and members of the OCC Political Action Committee will be hosting a luncheon inside the Legislative Assembly of Ontario located in Queen’s Park, Toronto. Yes Ollie, we are takin’ it to the powerhouse and it’s a really big deal! A contingent of 12, politically motivated OCC freedom fighters will be hosting the event. The luncheon is an informal chance to meet with our elected governors and discuss biker concerns and inequalities. It is hoped that the outcome will convince some legislators to investigate OCC issues and perhaps align with our viewpoint concerning several pressing issues. More about the outcome will be revealed in my next column but for now take some comfort from our being granted direct access to the policy makers – it’s been a long time in preparation. As the season winds down, a depressing reality is slowly being revealed – the summer of 2016 appears to be a record breaker in terms of motorcycle accidents and fatalities. Again I ask; WTF is going on?? Many of these horrific accidents are a result of operator error. This factual detail should not surprise any of us ‘cuz we have all done shit while ridin’ that later caused us to silently question “What was I thinkin’?” If you escaped unscathed then count yourself extremely blessed and NEVER DO IT AGAIN! Upon hearing of these dreadful catastrophes, I am heartbroken for the rider but more so, I am praying for the grieving families. None of us ride alone. Sick as it seems, in many cases the departed rider is the lucky one. Fatality statics are merely the tip of the aftermath. Many riders (and their families) remain shattered in the wake of a catastrophic event while attempting to cope with the emotional and financial crisis brought about by the reality of a permanent disability. Even when you ride alone – you are never alone. There are many in your life who would be devastated should you become a statistic. Your spouse and offspring count on you for sustenance, both emotionally and financially. Your relatives and friends, who love you, will never quite fill the void created by your departure. These are the souls that, in spirit, occupy your bitch seat as you roll out on your pursuit for freedom. Many incidents of operator error are a direct result of either impatience or road rage. These are human frailties that can, and should, be controlled. Remember, it is a basic right that you and yours should realistically expect you to return home, upright and with motorcycle unscathed. Yur thinkin’, ‘Ya it’s easy to be an
armchair quarterback; but I am a rider with 60 years experience in rollin’ two big wheels in Ontario.’ I am also a survivor of a very serious motorcycle accident which was partially caused by my impatience. All riders long for the day when they too will own a powerful bike – when that day arrives enjoy it but don’t ignore practicing your skills. It’s not much of a legacy when yur only claim to fame was a thirty-second clip on the news at six. This ridin’ season also witnessed a significant decline in the number of Law Enforcement harassment roadside stops. Yes, they still continue but have more to do with media reports than criminal activity. The dogs of the establishment are desperate to advance the notion that ALL clubbers are members of organized crime . . . but there are cracks beginning to appear in the relationship between the media and LE. Recently, the Hells Angels Ontario Nomads hosted their “Canada Run” in Ottawa. The event marked the 15th Anniversary of the Canadian Hells Angels and also attracted many clubbers which arrived in the city to enjoy the celebrations. The affair went off without incident - with many media sources reporting same without prejudicial expletives. That in itself was a huge break with traditional reporting - which is usually fuelled by BEU propaganda. Many biker events across the province were well attended by patches of all clubs and functioned without incident – further demonstrating that the LE forecast of a looming biker war provides an excellent lining for the bottom of the birdcage. All of us have been hearing about the impending biker war for well over a decade. The premise is wearing thin with the media beginning to question the integrity of police intelligence. It has been my experience, garnered by attending many clubber events this summer that motorcycle clubs are interacting with each other without the predicted tension so often referred to in previous media reports. There are many changes coming to our lifestyle. It is the mandate of The Ontario Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs and Independents to massage and guide those changes while providing beneficial advantages to the bikers of Ontario. Need more info about the OCC, or to join us in our crusade, visit www.occ4u.org – Individual membership is a mere $25.00 per year.
The Rooster
OCC Treasurer
Rooster Rider
@roostahrider
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The charity ride was on Saturday and the figures I was given was that almost 500 riders left Leamington, and then were teamed up with another 160 in Windsor. The idea was born when these guys got together and brainstormed how they could bring the community together to help out the local Hospice. They came up with the idea of a motorcycle rally, knowing that the biker community supports charities like no other, and with an army of volunteers, and I do mean an army, the community support was phenomenal. They took off, and hit the ground riding, and what a party it was.
Hogs for Hospice Motorcycle Rally, July 30, 2016. With their first event ever Donny Pacheco, Joe Oswald, Tim Iles, Jeanine Lassaline-Berglund and Benji Mastronardi brought a lot of positive attention and a good time to Leamington Ontario hosting a 3 day event. Starting Friday night with a block-party they closed the streets in Downtown Leamington for everyone to enjoy the Live Music, Fish Fry and Fun.
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I attended the ride starting at the Community Centre in Leamington, proceeding through Point Pelee National Park, and then across the county and on to Thunder Road Harley Davidson in Windsor, where the riders were entertained by a live band, and refreshments. Then kickstands up, and off to Colchester Bar and Grill with live music there as well and ending at Hogs for Hospice Headquarters at Seacliff Park. It was hot, and a little intermittent rain was just enough to cool off the riders and set us off to the next stop. At the park there were vendors selling everything Trikes, Motorcycles, Smoke Photographs, Leather goods, Jewelry, the usual food vendors and refreshments and HAMC Windsor selling support gear. The evening ended with the well-attended Brett Michaels Concert. There were also biker games on the Sunday hosted by Bob’s Tattoo’s, and that was attended by about 200 riders. Everyone that attended locally and out of town had nothing but good things to say about the ride and the community as well The Leamington community came together and supported this ride like no other I have been involved with, everywhere we rode there were families on the side of the road with their phones and tablets taking videos of the ride. Out of town guest filled more than 95% of the available Hotel/Motel rooms, and B and B’s in the area, so the influx of all these people I’m sure helped out the local economy as well. After speaking with Joe, and absorbing some of his enthusiasm, I can’t wait til next year, and see how they are going to top this. I was also given a figure that so far, (and the final tally isn’t in yet is at about) $65,000.00 and climbing! All
this in their first year! Joe, Donny, Tim, Jeanine and Benji are also very humble about their part in the venture and really want to acknowledge the army of volunteers that, without them, would not have been such a great success. Great job to all. On a mission for the Downtown Mission August 28 , 2016. I had a chance to talk to 2 good friends of mine that share responsibility for helping organize this annual ride. The ride was started by Jenny May Kell, and Willie Milligan in 2008, and started with about 25 riders. The reins were then taken over by Pat (Frenchy) Aligard and George Winney and since then they have brought the amount of riders to about 170 at the ride last year. They have raised in excess of $50,000.00 and all proceeds go directly to the Downtown Mission Food bank, no administration costs, and I know that they volunteer services throughout the year as well. They also told me they want to acknowledge some behind the scenes people that get little to no recognition for their efforts so, helping them out each year are the White Knights EMS team and the Bad Examples RC helping with traffic. The first leg will proceed from the Downtown Mission in Windsor, after we all get filled up with a great breakfast there, then we’re off to the Royal Canadian Legion in Essex, then across the county to the Royal Canadian Legion in Amherstburg where there will be live music and, who last year made a cash donation to the Mission. Then we will make our way along the waterfront to the final stop will be the Colchester Bar and Grill where there will be live music and a dinner, and I have to mention here that the dinner is supplied to the riders by CBG at no charge. The meal is paid for and supplied by CBG.
George and Pat also told me to “look out” for the 10th Anniversary Ride, many surprises in store. In the next issue I will report on how well this ride did, and maybe have some hints as to what surprises are in store for us in the future. The Deep South Writing staff would like to welcome a well respected Lady Rider to our bunch of scribes. Greetings! My name is Kathy Troiani, been riding for about 9 years now. I ride a 2008 105th Anniversary FLHX (Street Glide) named “Bella”and we accumulate anywhere from 5000 to 10000 km a season. It all depends on that thing called work. I have been working in the motorcycle community since 2003 on charity based events through a few different venues…my payoff is seeing people coming together and enjoying themselves…but the end the results of helping and supporting our local community. In this area most know me from Essex County Riders a Motorcycle non-profit. We run a local weekly event that raises money for charity to support the local community,
been at it for over 8 years now… I am so looking forward to being part of the Riders Mag Crew here in this area…Motorcycle Girls dreams do come true! Ladies centre in the Mag, September 2015 and now this…. priceless! Looking forward to this new experience See ya all soon!
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WLC History Lesson
Our last vintage bike is Dave’s 1943 WLC, I have been after him to get this one featured in The Mag for a while now and those of you who are long time riders know that we have featured a wide variety of Dave’s bikes. In particular his vintage bikes as he has an extensive collection and finding vintage bikes has been a challenge. This bike has some particular history that is near and dear to my family so I am glad that Dave and the lovely Lisa, who was kind enough to model on the bike for us one more time, found the time to get this done so I could get this into The Mag. Dave was telling me during our conversation that he had owned the bike for nearly 20 years which was a surprise to me as I was not aware of the bike until many years after we first featured one of Dave’s bikes. But in any case I saw this bike sitting in the storage area where Dave keeps his collection and we did talk a little bit about it awhile back, I think we were shooting a Panhead at the time and I indicated my interest in featuring the WLC. Each time I needed a vintage bike I tried to find other vintage bikes as it was hard to develop a story about bike and rider if I featured one of Dave’s vintage collection every time a vintage bike came up which is twice a year. I always tried to give a little time between appearances to get a chance to allow the a story to develop on each of Dave’s bikes. So for several visits as I tried to get Dave to bring out the WLC the first time we came down he brought out his UL which is a late 30’s 80” flathead. The next time it was his Knuckle chopper which was a real beauty and last time I tried we got Dave’s
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green panhead with the custom hand tooled leather seat, so yeah his collection is extensive. The first time we talked about the WLC he told me that it was a joy to ride and very light, but not too fast. Therefore not really very friendly for riding on today’s roads. With its original 3 speed transmission it was capable of a top speed of about 60 miles an hour but he noted that going for that speed you knew the bike wasn’t happy about it and it felt like you were pushing the bike beyond its limits and you never really want to run something wide open all the time. So he said no highway for the bike and even tooling around the neighborhood if you throw a passenger on the back it moved very slowly and was more suited to riding through fields and the like. That is more what the bike was designed for as a military vehicle during the Second World War. Most of you know that when Harley was pressed into service to produce for the war effort they made two versions of the WLA one for the American Services and the WLC one for the Canadian Services both being made in North America. I have long since forgotten what all the differences between the two were but the thing that stuck in my mind was that the WLC the front and rear wheels were interchangeable, which was not the case with the WLA which required different wheels front and rear. Now this particular bike belonged to a collector that Dave knew and it had been the property of the Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment out of St. Catherine’s Ontario, and was in a museum in Welland when it was sold. You have to wonder why but it is what it is…. right? Both my great uncles volunteered for the war after their sisters’ mother in law was awarded the Silver Cross in Niagara Falls by King George on the 7th of June 1939. My father was just a boy and the recipient was his grandmother. The Cross was in recognition of the loss of her oldest son in World War 1 while serving with the 6th Cameron Highlanders out of Inverness, Scotland. This inspired all my grandmothers living brothers to volunteer for the war, one joined the Marines and spent the war in Panama guarding the canal, the two younger ones joined the Canadian forces and were sent to the local artillery regiment in St Catherine’s. Both were gunners, the elder fought his way up Italy and when he returned home
could never have a plane fly over his head again, the younger got shipped as far as England became a Dispatch Rider and eventually ended up hauling an officer around on a WLC with a sidecar. So you know I have some interest in this particular unit and its motorcycle but this is Dave’s story. When Dave moved to his current location there was an older gentleman who lived across the street from him who came over to visit shortly after Dave’s family moved in. He had an interest in motorcycles and told Dave that he had been involved in training the men to ride the WLC motorcycles at Base Borden up north as when he volunteered for the war he was already into his mid twenties and had some experience riding motorcycles as he owned a Matchless at the time. The recruiters had him assigned as an instructor and he taught the boys how to ride and then taught them how to survive saying that the bikes tended to bog down a lot in Italy due to the lack of roads but they performed well in Holland were there were more roads. He also related the stories of men who were wounded and shipped home as he was never shipped overseas and back in those days there were no tours, you stayed till the end, till you died, or were severely injured and unable to continue the fight. He taught the men to wedge their machine guns into the handle bars to defeat the decapitating barb wire that the Germans liked to string across the roads saying it would knock the rider off the bike but at least they kept their heads. Which was a good thing right? They also had special lenses on both the rear taillights and front marker and head lamps so that bombers flying overhead could not locate the convoys moving in both England and on the European mainland. It was an honour to finally get to feature this piece of military history especially with my family involvement, Dave also mentioned that his neighbor who has now passed several years ago said that many of the riders who came home from the war via ship and landed in Halifax purchased WLC motorcycles from the military as surplus as they were selling them off in the crate for $75 back in the late 40’s which is why there are so many around and so many civilianized ones around that began life as field bikes. Thanks Dave and Lisa it was a pleasure.
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Each year there are events that riders consider to be like a birthday or an anniversary. On my list of ‘must go’ events is Ottawa’s Ride for Autism which now is into its 4th year as of this past July. This ride has undergone a number of changes over that time, including its starting locations. I think they may have finally found a permanent home in the Stittsville area of Ottawa’s far west end on the premises of Brown’s Independent Grocer. This new location has ample space to accommodate a large number of riders and provides easy access to some of the finest touring roads in the lower Ottawa Valley. This year, under overcast skies and dealing with some heavy competition from out of town events well over 150 plus riders decided to come out and show support by taking part in this ride and its cause. Autism is one of those conditions that touch so many families including my own and yet the general public know so little about it. But if the cause wasn’t enough on it’s own to get you out participating then the ride route and entertainment and events following would be. As in previous years, the Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, came out to show his support and this year the riders were also treated to a speech by a very charming young girl who is autistic. Her thanking the riders for coming out seemed to have one of those “Smile come to your face and tear come to your eye” effects on everyone listening to her. The Ride for Autism is the creation of an Ottawa area rider and his wife, Dave & Noella Kuhnle, who have two granddaughters with autism. One of the fundamental purposes of this event is to help promote and provide funds for the ‘Quickstart’ program that allows children who are autistic to be identified at an early age so they can start receiving the educational assistance so necessary for them to be active in their family life and in the community that they live in as well. As in previous years members of The Celtic Brotherhood and family members along with many other people who
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have volunteered their time to help make this event as rider friendly and enjoyable as possible. This year, thanks to the sponsorship of the Pace Law Firm and support from their motorcycle division volunteers, Ray Bonner and James Taylor, TCB was able to provide a few new items to help out at this event as well as other events that they participate in. Pace kindly donated a new p.a. system for the Brotherhood to assist rides and events that don’t have the equipment as well as folding picnic tables so that some riders, especially older ones can park their tail down to eat their food before and after the rides takes place. There were lots of familiar faces and patches in attendance and I was personally pleased to see a large contingency of members from the local B.A.C.A. (Bikers Against Child Abuse) temp. Chapter including Thor, Taz, Hammer, Big Bird and more than a half a dozen others who
dropped by because they support causes that help children just like their club does. There were other clubs present such as the Knights of the Inferno MC and Veterans Canada taking part as well. Dave and Noella along with other members of the Autism Ride staff were very successful at encouraging local businesses and organizations as well as sports celebrities to donate all sorts of desirable items to be used for both prizes and for an auction held after the ride. This included several 32”LED televisions, some expensive golf package and equipment and an awesome BBQ. There was everything from tools to tickets to sports events and even trips. The Sens tickets and signed team shirts were very popular and people really got into the spirit of the event and gave generously. Shawn Dawson, owner of Fatboys Southern Smokehouse, accompanied by his lovely lady Cherie Cole, came to participate in the ride. Shawn has to be
one of the most industrious people I know because he is always involved in so many charities and fundraisers and recently took part in promoting the 22 Push Up Challenge that raised over $20,000 dollars for the Wounded Warriors fund and he is organizing another dream team charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2017. Both Shawn & Cherie were kind enough to try out two of the Trikes that TCB fabricated. Shawn also tried out the one that Pace Law Firm provided the funding to build.
I would like to remind everyone that if you are ever considering heading down the Ottawa’s Byward Market area for a bite to eat, please consider Fatboys. They are truly Biker Friendly and often work with motorcycle clubs or organizations to host fund raising events at their eatery. If you go down as a group with your bikes check and see if your picture can end up on Fatboy’s wall by the front door. When the motorcycles started rolling back from the ride that was the cue for Mike Bossio aka Bozz to assume the role he has volunteered for in the last three Autism Rides and he gladly stepped behind the BBQ and started grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for the hungry bikers. I have known Mike for literally decades and in all that time he has always been the person who volunteers to do the cooking at events and it is impressive how fast and how easy he makes it look. I would also like to give honorable mention to a couple of individuals who I am very proud to call both friends and brothers who had other commitments that day. They contacted me prior to the ride and donated money to show their support and in my book they are both, class acts! Much respect and brotherhood to Duane Chevalier of Simple Men MC and John Gibson of the 601 MC, Enough said!
The following weekend we headed out east of Ottawa to the town of Embrum to attend the poker run in support of B.A.C.A. Ottawa Temp. Charter to show support for this group. Many of its members are long-time friends of mine and full time bikers. Over the years before they decided to apply to belong to BACA, they were everywhere, supporting other group’s events. This particular event started out as the Ride for Noah, a young boy who suffered from a serious brain condition which took his life shortly after the ride was founded. So the following year Thor aka Tom Alain and friends turned it into Ride for Hope, in order to help out a young girl that was seriously ill. As Thor, Dwayne Haddad, Neil Eisenberg and others became even more involved in the welfare of young children it made sense to them that BACA was the club for them. This year the run/event has definitely grown and as in the two previous years they received strong support from other area clubs such as Ruffians MC, Black Pistons MC, Red Knights, Blue Knights Saints & Sinners MC, Burn Out Boys, and of course TCB.
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After we put the Mag rig up and loaded the table with recent issues I decided it was time to take a stroll before the ride headed out and as I turned around I almost tripped over a good friend, Scott ‘Church’ Towaij of B.O.B. who was sitting on the curb just behind me taking full advantage of the shade provided by the building. I saw a lot of familiar faces and old friends including Michel Dupuis and we had time to talk about the loss this past winter of our mutual friend, Denis Renaud who founded the 2804cc Dice Run which is held just east of Ottawa in the town of Casselman. Thanks to the efforts of Michel and some of Denis’s other friends the Dice Run is now dedicated to his memory and his commitment to his community. Michel tells me that they are working on improving the ride but I have to tell you that this is a fun ride and the town of Casselman goes out of its way to make motorcycle riders feel welcome so put it on your calendar for 2017. For the next while I had time to chat with a number of the other riders in the crowd including Taz, Hillbilly and Titan and of course ‘Bling’ aka Kim Eisenberg. Shortly after talking to her met up with ‘Animal’ aka Dwayne Haddad accompanied by his lovely lady Wendy and at their request took their picture with a friend who came to the ride. Another individual I would like to mention is our good friend and fellow Irishman, Barry Horan who rode up from Cornwall to take part in the ride. Barry and I always enjoy talking about all things Irish especially our family histories and take great pride in being people of the Green. Like last year the Montreal chapter of B.A.C.A. came down to show their support for the Ottawa crew and shortly after their arrival the announcements began informing the riders of the ride plans and then sponsors were acknowledged. My good friend, Hillbilly, founder of the Capital City Bikers Church, asked those present to bow their heads as he gave those in attendance a blessing to keep them safe. It was a great turnout and many of the public who happened to be shopping nearby congregated to enjoy themselves, watching as the procession of motorcycles headed out on their journey. It has been a crazy summer with eastern Ontario under record breaking temperatures and while we didn’t get a lot of rain we did get some very sudden storms that got in the way of many of the events over the last month. The irony was that while some areas were blasted by rain other nearby places didn’t get a drop or even see one dark cloud. Recently in Smiths Falls they held an Urban Jungle Obstacle & Fitness event and while I can’t think of one biker friend who took part in the race itself, a number of local riders including members of TCB, the Kuhnle’s, Caren Weinstein and Dennis Durant of Ride 4 Pet Rescues and his son all stepped up to the plate to help John Maloney, who is also a biker and a local town councillor. They used their bikes, acting as traffic blockers to keep the people in this marathon safe.
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You have to wonder what the locals thought as they saw tattooed bikers, dressed in leather acting as traffic control for people running by them covered in dirt and wearing shorts and running shoes. But in any event, I was proud of all the riders who volunteered to come to Smiths Falls in the early hours to help John make this event happen. Big Daddy’s Cowpaddy, had to deal with some wet weather this year but it certainly didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of most of the people I know who attended it and many of them were already talking about next year’s event. I would like to give a special mention that should go out to Rodney Steacy who kindly donated back his winnings from the 50/50 draw to Big Daddy’s charity. I consider that to be a truly class act. I will let you know more in the next issue, about Big Daddy’s when I have time to talk to more of the people who attended this year. Earlier I mentioned Dwayne Haddad and I hope his Dad won’t be pissed but Chuck is going to be celebrating his 80th Birthday soon and while many of you may not know it, Chuck Haddad is a legend in both the biker and motorcycle communities in the Ottawa area. Talk to anyone from back in the 50’s and 60’s who was in any way involved or wanted to be involved in motorcycles and they will remember
Haddad’s garage on Rochester St. or Chuck’s name will pop up in a conversation. Back in the early 60’s people will remember Chuck from those early days when the motorcycle craze hit Ottawa and through all the years that have passed he has remained active both as a strong family man and a Brother to those who call him one. He still rides a lot and he is in better shape than some men 20 and 30 years younger than him. His son Dwayne tells me that they still go down to Daytona for Bike week every year. So like I said Chuck is a legend. As always I remind you to please support events and rides that are created and run by area riders and their clubs because these are the same folks that come to your events and rides! Also if you have an event or a ride or you are a business that deals with either motorcycles or the people who ride them, you might like to advertise or become a distributor for “The Riders Mag” and if so please contact me by email or phone. And as always, I want you to remember ... We make our motorcycle communities stronger! By making them better! Email: theridersmag.beau@gmail.com Follow me on Twitter: Riders Mag East http://twiter.com/motorcyco_beau
Instagram:TheRidersMag Read The Riders Mag online: http://theridersmag.com/ online Brotherhood! Motorcyco Beau!
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Ladies and their Harleys
Sandra is my last feature lady ever since I am being kicked to the curb, and what a way for me to end it. Getting a hold of Sandra and setting up an appointment was actually quite easy as she had double knee replacement surgery. I spent some time with Sandra and found that her love of riding runs so deep that she says when they told her she needed both knees replaced (and they almost never do both at the same time), that she would need to take an entire season off from riding for each surgery. She was able to plead her case to have both knees done at the same time so as not to deter her love or maybe better described as a need to ride often and everywhere. It became clear as I sat down with Sandra to talk that this was a woman who takes her riding seriously. She is on her 5th Harley and her 6th bike and that she was soon to pass her 30th year of riding motorcycles. She started out back in the late 80’s on a Yamaha Virago which she took on her first big ride to Laconia and rode up Mount Washington during her first year of riding. After doing that one once now on return rides she has been less interested in riding back up the mountain saying she has already done it. So in less than a year from the time she took up riding she went over to the local dealer were she picked up her Vi-
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rago and wanted to trade it. The sales guy had just taken an 84 FL in on trade and he thought it might be just the bike for her. She took that bike for a ride and that was it she was in love with what turned out to be the last of the FLH Shovel motorcycles Harley would ever produce having developed the evolution engine that year. The irony of a lady of Sandra’s stature riding an old Shovelhead should not be lost on even the newest of riders. To say that they were a heavy bike would be a bit of an understatement but then those of us who ride Shovels and love Shovels will often say if it was built after 1984 it’s not a real Harley or some derivative of that saying. Sandra’s love of this bike and her riding on it astounded me, and I have been interviewing men and lady riders for 18 or 19 years now and have met some crazy riders who have done some crazy trips but Sandra seems to be in a class of her own. Beyond riding to Laconia her first year she rode her Shovel to the Alaska Highway with her ex-husband. I got the sense that this was a trip he wanted to make and she went along for the ride saying it was the 50th Anniversary of the Alaska Highway and it was also her exhusbands 50th Birthday. The roads were not quite finished or maybe in the process of being repaired. It was cold and rainy that July in the late 1980’s and that they camped. Man who does that? Sandra does that’s who. So she said the weather was so crumby that when they accomplished their goal of riding the Alaska Highway they opted to ride down the coast highway in a bid to find better weather. They rode through the Rockies then diverted into the US south of Alberta and she made her first stop ever into Sturgis during those early years riding her Shovel. She returned to Sturgis 8 times over the years and even ran out of gas while riding into Sturgis one year. She was leading 3 other guys riding newer bikes and that she hit reserve and ran out of reserve gas before she was able to find a gas station. She managed to limp her way into the gas station by siphoning some gas out of her riding mates tanks. It became evident after some time talking with Sandra that the best way to define her range of riding destinations was to do it in terms of where Sandra had not been as it seemed that she had been everywhere and to most of those places more than once. She did say that one of the last trips she took on her Shovel was to Newfoundland and Labrador taking the ferry from North Sydney in Nova Scotia over to The Rock then from the north side of the island over to the Labrador mainland. I asked Sandra how many miles she put on her Shovel and she wasn’t sure but she did say when she bought it , it had very low mileage. It had belonged to a man who had to sell due to family finances and it was a mere 5 years old when she got it. She kept that bike for 10 years and rebuilt the top end of the engine, rolled the odometer over 100, 000 miles and sold the bike for near what she paid for it. While she was on that East Coast trip her boyfriend was riding a Heritage Softail and she took it for a spin and decided that was for her. When she got home she traded off the Shovel on a Softail Deluxe which she says she loved and so did her girlfriends. One so much so that she got one the same color, you know how ladies are about that. She had to trade it and she got a Street Glide. When she got tired of the Street Glide she handed that off to her boyfriend and bought herself a Road King. The Road King pictured is her third Road King and she says that she finds many of them on eBay and has them shipped in. There’s just not enough space to cover all the places Sandra has been but a couple rides to California and several to Texas. She and her second husband bought a place near the Mexican border and have a Harley there and she plans to purchase another Softail for herself. She was really pissed when her friend copied her on that Deluxe but she loved the bike and wants another. Sandra’s one ride that she really wants to make is Northern California to see the Redwoods saying in her two trips out there she never got that far north.
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Nature is my God. Is this true enough? I apologize right now for missing just about every motorcycle event in Ontario this July, as I took my wife northeast of Lake Nipigon for a wilderness canoe trip escape. It happens that many of our Hamilton area event occur in the first half of the summer and fewer happen in August.... However, I know that most of you escaped into Ontario’s wilderness, too. I saw a lot of Facebook posts of many of my friends camping, boating, fishing, or relaxing at the cottage. Wasn’t it great to get away and hear the call of the loons, all the birdsong around us? Some of us even heard wolves howl. There’s nothing like getting up at sunrise and seeing the mist on the lake while it’s still cool and fresh and you can smell the northern spruce, pine, and cedar trees. It’s just as pretty and aromatherepeutic at dusk, just as we light our evening campfires, too. There’s nothing like the smell and comfort of a campfire, especially if you have some fresh fish to cook on it! It’s times like these when I get out of the city and hit the “refresh” button that I’m so strongly reminded of our Creator and I’ll bet that strikes you as well. When I’m by the lake and the waves are crashing in I’m reminded again of the power of God. Someone told me this summer that nature is his god. I thought, “Is that was true enough ?”... and the answer is no! But my friend was actually on the right track! Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” Psalm 139:14 says, “I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” We all are quite aware of our Creator as we admire the beauty of nature and our next step is to be thankful to God that our food just grows naturally because He made the world that way. When I remember the Star Wars benediction, “May the Force be with you,” I’m reminded that The Force was always with me. Now my responsibility is to say thanks to God using His name and acknowledge that this “force” is Him and that His message to us is one of love and caring, as shown in the love of Christ. It’s Him who makes us a part of the family of God just for the asking! Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that we are without excuse.” Please pray this prayer with me now: Our Father in Heaven, thank you for the beauty that I see around me in nature. Thank you for the food and life that you provide for me. Please allow me to be a part of your family, even with all my shortcomings. Thank your for your gift of grace through Jesus Christ. Amen. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, feel free to let me know! God Bless the rest of your riding season and I’ll see you on some nice fall rides. Pastor Ken kanang@cogeco.ca 905 870 8584 hamiltonbikerschurch.com
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HOT TIME - SUMMER IN THE CITY... June/July/Aug for Southern Ontario..really warm and dry...the way us riders would love it to be up here in Canukia year round. So lately.... RANGERS RUN My friend Walter of the Rangers MC had quite an eventful August long weekend. They were headed to the annual run-away to a place in the Madawaska Valley South of Barry’s Bay, where the club found a really cool resort and had it all to themselves. I think the count was just over 50 peeps. Well on the way up on Friday afternoon it was not without mishaps as Road
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Captain Walter was leading, a cager cut in front of him. He banged off the car and the guard rail and the big blue road glide when end over end. Walter has some broken fingers/ toes and ankle and such and the bike is fuk’d. But amazingly several hours later at the resort he shows up with casts/ bandages and commences to do what he does and that is Lead the Party! Get well and heal up soon. MALICIOUS SHOW AND SHINE I never miss a Malicious event. Our friends and proprietors Bryan and Joanne do so much work to put these on, they are always well attended, even though every club/charity/motorcycle business puts events on all summer it does spread the flock pretty thin. You guys that have been around awhile remember huge numbers (in the 1000’s) for Ride for Sight and stuff like that. Jeez I recall going to the Smokeouts with 500 + people there for the weekend. We all know from experience to run a successful event you need fine weather...publicity...a team to sell tickets/promote...and money ...something interesting to draw people and a good cause...and still sometimes you get smoked with sparse attendance....go figure......it’s the sheer number of things to do for the scooter trash community. Now Bryan after 1000’s of hours of work unveiled their original build at the latest Malicious Show and Shine he calls it the Road Rod....I saw this creation various times thru process... the metal fabrication and
the molding of the fibre glass are pure art work in my humble opinion. ...the finished bike is magazine quality...he has done wonders starting with a stock Vrod...evolving into this sweet little nimble bagger.....remember this bike....I bet down the road HD steals some of the styling ...drop by Malicious to check it out...it’s for sale...and while you are there get some work done on your own ride....... CHOSEN FEW MC RIDE FOR ISSAC I like Billy Wilson the pres of the CFMC...he’s old school hard core...a Toronto boy and long time friends with all the older established MC’s .. this ride has been going for several years...I have shown up a few times...they had all the right things going and a good cause.....the ride was fairly well attended.....but can always be better for such a good cause...the funds raised go the Burn Unit for Kids...and you HAVE to support that...good luck on the next one...
WATER WHEELS AND WINGS On my way to my shack up north I always pass thru Bancroft where they have an annual event that apparently last year was HUGE....well shit happens and this year they got rained out on the Saturday...I caught them about 11am Sunday when things were just getting started....I met the lady who runs herd on this thing... Jody I believe is her name... (ok I never write stuff down and my memory blows)....anyhow this was my first time and I was wondering where the chicken wings were...but I soon learned they mean wings as in airplanes....The whole set up is right downtown...with even an old timey carnival set up....bikes parked on the street...food and
clothing vendors of all sorts.....huge stage for live music... they are going bigger and better for next year I hear....I will make sure to hit it in full swing .. TIME FOR A BREAK... With time on my hands to ponder stuff... I have decided to take breather from a few things... and have made some changes...one of them is the Riders Mag where I have hit the wall and best to leave it to the new guys to cover...thx to Rick (Critter) and Al for letting me put my rambling thoughts in without any restrictions... word for word...spelling errors ..bad grammar....incorrect info...all the shit that one should get right before putting it out on the street...Rick told me from the start just go with the flow ...and also like to thank my former MC brothers, for all good times...I wish you all the best... Anyhow none of us are getting any younger..so it’s time to roll down different roads...meet new people...do whatever..... so it’s adios for now DD from Durham...only a danger to himself... stay well folks
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Well here it is the Sept/Oct issue here already! Finally we have gotten some great riding weather (and not a minute too soon!) I’ll start our adventures on my deliveries of last month’s issue: It started out at the Days Inn Miramachi where we met up with a couple of Red Devils and an Angel (Lee and company) heading out to the rock on a quest originating in Oshawa Ont. I got some shots of their rides and headed up to my Campbelton/ Bathurst monthly run in order to get my smokes and “Export” for my run to Cape Breton the next day, and of course, deliver the mags in that area. The next stop was at one of my favourite places, the Darksiders M/C in Bathurst. Upon arrival the Boss & I were greeted by a hoard of bikes, (a lot more than I’m used to seeing) in front of the clubhouse. It turned out that
the Bacchus M/C from Halifax, along with some 81 and Darksiders (from both Bathurst and the new chapter from Grand Falls N.B.) that were meeting on their first stop to a run to the Gaspe area on the weekend. I got a chance to meet up with a great bunch of new brothers from out of province and old brothers from the Darksiders. As I was on a tight schedule I grabbed some shots of the bikes, shot the shit for a while, had a few beers, then bid the crew safe travels and headed home. Thanks again to the Darksiders, the Boss & I had a great time. At this point pay attention to the bike pics (Days Inn & Darksiders C.H.) as the story carries on later in the article. Cape Breton Bike Rally On Friday we packed up the couch and headed out in fantastic sunshine for Cape Breton. It was a great ride, both, scenery and roads, meeting hundreds of bikes traveling both east & west along an almost 6 hour ride to our first stop at the Oasis Motel & Campground in Antigonish N.S.
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After settling in for the night we met up with four riders, based out of B.C., who were heading to Newfoundland but got delayed for almost a week because they failed to make prior reservations on the ferry to The Rock and decided to ride around Nova Scotia to pass their time until they could catch the boat. (Note to riders: make sure to confirm reservations if you’re headed that way!) A short time later a smaller (by comparison) dirt bike pulled in loaded up so much that the rider was barely visible. I found out he was from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan living his dream to ride the Cabot trail. Upon further conversation I asked him how he could ride this far on that style of bike, to which he replied “It’s not that bad, at least that’s what I keep telling myself!”
Hat’s off to you brother, I know I’d never try it! (Or could succeed with my old bones) Saturday took us across the Causeway and after a short argument with my \GPS, the bitch finally agreed with me and I heard “carry on, on route (105) “instead of “return to marked route (Hwy 4)”. Finally after checking in at the Highland Motel in North Sydney, we toured in to the rally venue. When we arrived, the Boss & I loaded up an armful of mags & headed into the well laid out property. Almost right away we met up with Arlene, Dale, Diane and Jerry from “Bikers Down Society” who we partied with at the Warf Rat Rally last year. I quickly got directions to the beer tent for a well deserved (in my mind) beer or three for a few hours after we toured the grounds and visited some of the many vendors, listened to the live music and introduced the Boss & myself to the organizers, camera snapping constantly.
Although the rally had organized rides through the Cabot Trail and several other rides and lunch stops at locations along the eastern shores, the boss & I opted to rest up and do the Cabot Trail solo on Sunday. So off we went back to the motel to rest up and enjoy some more beverages. At the motel I met up with a couple from Vancouver on an across Canada ride aboard their decked out Wing Trike & trailer also waiting for their pass on the ferry to NFLD. Hope they continue to enjoy their quest! Sunday brought another bright sunny day; the skin on my face and arms, toasted to a crisp from the past two days of sun was starting to look like potato chips falling off my body, but the show must go on! We had a very scenic and mostly uneventful through the “Trail” and had a chance to finally meet Brent and Jenn (our distributor in Cape Breton) of the world famous Wreck Cove General Store. Brent told me of a bike run out of Wreck Cove for
the local volunteer Fire Dept. that was a huge success the weekend prior to my arrival. Great place to stop at on your next ride through the Cabot Trail, great food, snacks, souvenirs and conversation, and most important – GAS,! A bit of warning to riders: there are about 8 areas of construction this year, most are OK, but some are severe and even on good parts if a curve says “40 km max.” they mean it!! You really shouldn’t take the “Trail” fast anyway as you will miss half of this beautiful ride! Well that’s about it for the Cape Breton section of the ride, back to the North Sydney Motel and enjoying a few beverages. In the morning it was back on the road again, taking Hwy. 4 back to the causeway and ending up in Truro Monday evening. At the Comfort Inn in Truro we had the opportunity of meeting two couples and a brother from Ottawa, two up on a Wing Trike with a trailer and three up on
a 110 Harley with a sidecar, heading to Cape Breton. As usual ‘motor mouth’ (as the Boss calls me) proceeded to sit outside our room doors’ enjoying beverages and gabbing for hours. Hope they had a great, safe ride! Now Tues. we mount up & head for home, stopping of in Moncton for a beer and while getting set we noticed a couple of bikers in the lot seeming to be having trouble with one of their bikes (I really shouldn’t mention this as I don’t want to embarrass the guy, but WTF!) It seems he had just installed a new anti-theft device on his bike and didn’t remember how to shut it off, so he couldn’t fire it up, thus out comes his manual. We all had a good laugh but I’m sure he got it started (sorry brother). Made it home an hour or so later with a small shower of rain the last two minutes of the ride. All and all a great ride and recommend it to everyone! Getting home, checking my phone messages, the rumours that I was hearing on route proved to be true (going back to Days Inn and Darksiders pics). First Lee from Red Devils had a mishap out on The Rock, breaking some
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ribs along with other scrapes and abrasions and F’K’D up his ride thus flying home to Oshawa bikeless. Next, some of the bikes that you see in front of the Darksiders C/H were involved in a terrible 17 bike pile up killing 1 brother and injuring several others while overtaking a motorhome, that in his wisdom turned left in front of the pack! Best wishes to all involved. Now to fill out my week, I got a call from an old riding buddy, Bob the pilot, in Brampton, Ont. that he and his wife Erica were on their way to the Cabot Trail and would be dropping by “The Ranch” to see us on Friday. This is the first long ride Erica has been on with her brand new Harley 110. We were informed that this beautiful bike was the second new Harley this season. The reason being is that while riding the first bike (brand new from the showroom) home from work, the 10 day old bike lost a saddle bag and as she looked back to see what happened, she missed a slight curve and went down (Me thinks this is a Harley problem!). Lucky she wasn’t hurt too severely but totalled the bike and was up and riding her new scoot soon after. Anyway we sat & reminisced and beverages till the wee hours. On Sat. they headed west to home. Thanks to Bob & Erica as being the first riders from the west to visit “The Ranch”. What a great time!!
In closing, the Aug. issue made it a full year that the Riders Mag has been available in Atlantic Canada. We distribute almost 1200 copies in the Maritimes, 10 times a year and so far almost no-one in the east has stepped up to the plate to advertise with us. The Boss & I personally deliver 800 plus mags to over 25 locations in New Brunswick, stopping in at each one of them spending and supporting them in the Mag. Along with fuel costs and $10-30 at the bars and club houses, $30100 at restaurants monthly, and up to damn near $10,000 at bike dealerships and $5,000 at hotel and motels yearly, all on my dime! Not to mention the events and rides that we attend & promote through the Mag. All of the people representing the Mag are in the same boat. We all do what we do, on our own dime, to supply a quality riders magazine for everybody (not just bikers) to enjoy free of charge. Remember there are costs involved with this endeavour. Paper isn’t free, printing isn’t free, shipping the 32,000 mags across Canada isn’t free. Our advertisers are the only income that we have to cover these costs. Yes, I’ve heard from some of you “it’s an Ontario publication”. To set the record straight, yes it is printed in Ont. and most of the events and ads are from Ontario. Why, because our clubs and customers in the east aren’t advertising!!! You alone, Clubs, M/C’s , restaurants, dealerships, event organizers, business owners, all of you have to jump on board and help us help you to show what we have to offer the rest of Canada, the Great Atlantic Provinces.. Just give me a call or an email and I can set your ad in motion.
Now I’ve said my piece! Getting ready for the Shediac Bike Rally Aug 25th to 28th
Ride safe!!! Atlantic Jeff signing off.
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Iron Hawgs 2016 Poker Run By Special Guest Columnist Kim Logan with added information from Sara Hope. PicturesbyBadBob.
My First Iron Hawgs Poker Run
I learned the phrase “kick stands up” in the days prior to the event. So with my new knowledge I knew we left the South Brant Legion at precisely 12 pm registration started at 10:30 am. With the pending pig roast after the ride, the Iron Hawgs gathered early to make the final preparations at the final destination. From there we rode to the Legion, as a first time passenger not on the Harley but in a Poker Run my excitement level was high I truly did not know what to expect. As we arrived at the legion you could feel passion in the air as I looked around over the next hour and a half it amazed me how many riders came out to support the first annual PKU Iron Hawgs MC Poker run. Smiles, laughs and Motorcycles filled the parking lot in anticipation of a great day. The five minute warning came from one of the members everyone found their way to their ride whether a motorcyclist or a passenger everyone scurried. With everyone geared and ready to ride the Iron Hawgs gathered at the front to lead the ride. It was exciting watching so many bikes pulling out, as traffic was controlled by members of the Iron Hawgs MC to allow all riders to leave at the same time. As each intersection approached a different member would take their turn at controlling traffic waiting till the end of the group to rejoin playing a little catch up to find their position. I was lucky enough to be see upfront how some of the vehicle drivers sat patiently and respected the cause while others scowled like it ruined their day but they all waited till the last biker past. The first stop in Jarvis was exciting the atmosphere of the little town changed when bikes lined up in core some waved, some stared but either way they had the towns’ attention.
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the Lakeshore, winding roads but the best part was driving past the Edwards home the inspiration behind the charity event as they stood there with signs and almost cheering as all the bikes past it was a exhilirating feeling. With another stop in Caledonia it presented a similar atmosphere as the first stop just a little longer stopover on route to the final destination. We experienced
a small shower of rain which was almost invigorating but by the time we arrived at the Pig Roast we were dry. The food was great the atmosphere was friendly an overall great party with live entertainment. It was a day I will never forget and hope to experience again.
A stretch of the legs, a beverage for hydration and we were back on the road. The ride route itself was scenic to say the least down
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Sara Hope has added this information about the charity for all of us to be better educated, Thanks Sara. July 9, marked the Iron Hawgs MC of Brantford, PKU Poker Run. PKU is short for phenylketonuria (pronounced fen’-il-kee’to-nu’-ria). PKU is a rare, inherited metabolic disease that results in developmental disability and other neurological problems when treatment is not started within the first few weeks of life. Editors Note: I would like to thank Both Kim and Sara for helping us out and doing such a great job on this article from the Iron Hawgs Poker Run. And also a Thanks to Bad Bob for helping out with the pictures. With all the events each summer there are some times that we become shorthanded and cannot get a writer out to every event. Well Done Ladies! And you too Bob! Editor Al
The students at a local college were assigned to read two books, “Titanic” and “My Life” by Bill Clinton, and to write book reports. One student turned in the following book report; with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories! His cool professor gave him an A+ for this report. The Book Titanic: Cost = $29.99 The Book Clinton My Life: Cost = $29.99 Titanic: Over 3 hours to read Clinton : Over 3 hours to read Titanic: The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe. Clinton : The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe Titanic: Jack is a starving artist. Clinton : Bill is a bullshit artist. Titanic: In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar. Clinton : Ditto for Bill Titanic: During the ordeal, Rose’s dress gets ruined. Clinton : Ditto for Monica’s. Titanic: Jack teaches Rose to spit. Clinton : Let’s not go there. Titanic: Rose gets to keep her jewelry. Clinton : Monica is forced to return her gifts. Titanic: Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life. Clinton : Clinton doesn’t remember anything. Titanic: Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen. Clinton : Monica.. Ooh, let’s not go there, either. Titanic: Jack surrenders to an icy death. Clinton : Bill goes home to Hillary; basically the same thing. Conan •I read that a record number of Americans are expected to travel this 4th of July. And if Trump wins the presidency, twice as many Americans are expected to travel this 4th of November. •A new ballot measure will allow Californians to vote in November on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. Californians will have the option of voting either “Yes” or “Hell yes.” •In a speech yesterday, Donald Trump spoke in favor of waterboarding. Trump said, “It’s how I got two of my three wives to say yes.” •Yesterday, Donald Trump gave a speech at an industrial plant while standing in front of a giant wall of trash. Before the speech, Trump welcomed his new campaign manager, Mike Metaphor. •Hillary Clinton unveiled her technology plan which would offer broadband internet access to all Americans. Then she quickly added, “Except for my husband.” •The Miss Teen USA pageant has officially gotten rid of the swimsuit portion of the competition. They announced this in a brief press release that simply said, “Sorry, creeps.” •Toyota announced another massive recall because their airbags can explode at any moment. Toyota then said, “Enjoy your holiday weekend.” Jimmy Kimmel Live! •In November, California voters will vote on a measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Supporters of the amendment turned in the required amount of signatures on time to get on the ballot. Whether the measure
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passes or not, turning something in on time is a huge victory for marijuana enthusiasts. •A new Quinnipiac University poll has Trump and Clinton almost tied. This is the first tie for Donald Trump that wasn’t manufactured in China. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert •It’s hard to believe that there are only seven months left in the Obama presidency. You never know how much you’re going to miss a guy until you see the options. •A lot of people are wondering what Barack Obama will do after he’s president. I read today that he is thinking about becoming a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. So, evidently, Obama is going to be going for the cash. Good for him, but he may have to make a slight adjustment to his poster from “Change” to “Ka-ching!” •Trump is making a real effort to appear more presidential these days. Yesterday, he went to a Pennsylvania recycling plant where he unveiled part of his economic platform. And instead of wearing his trademark baseball cap, he stood in front of a giant pile of garbage. •Here’s the plan: Trump is going to revive the economy by turning in empties for the refund. Visit to a sex clinic ! A man and his wife went to a “sexologist”. The “Doctor” took the husband in first. The husband was a bit embarrassed and told the “Doctor” he had trouble getting an erection with his wife and she was getting frustrated. He checked his blood pressure and other things, and finally told him he would see his wife now. He took her to another cubicle and told her to completely disrobe. Then he told her to turn all the way around slowly. She did as instructed. He then told her to turn all the way around in the other direction. Then he said, “Ok, you can get dressed now, I will talk to your husband.” Then the sexologist went into the other office and told the husband, “You can relax. There is nothing wrong with you, I couldn’t get an erection either ! There are important questions to be answered about this LGBT bathroom legislation and transgenders being able to use a restroom of the gender that they “identify” with. Will public restrooms be required to have a Genital Inspection Station posted at the entrance to all public restrooms? Who will have to pay these Pecker Checkers and Vaginal Badgers, the people using the restroom, or the entity that owns the restroom? And how much money will a Pecker Checker be paid to check peckers? Or, do we pay a Pecker Checker by the number of peckers checked by each Pecker Checker? How many peckers can a Pecker Checker check if a Pecker Checker could check peckers? And will women be able to wear aVaginal Badge that certifies their gender so they may bypass repeated inspections by the Vaginal Badgers?
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