Thunder Roads MD-DE-DC 1210 by Thunder Roads Mid-Atlantic

Thunder Roads Magazine® MD-DE-DC

4157 Mountain Road #233 Pasadena, Maryland 21122 www.trmdel.com

From The Editor.................................................... 3 ABATE of Maryland.............................................. 4 1903 Indian Motorcycle....................................... 6

Facebook – Thunder Roads Magazine MD-DEL-DC Twitter – TR_BigCity

The Legend of the Bell.......................................... 12

Editor / Owner / Publisher BIG CITY BIGCITY@TRMDEL.com

King Belvedere.................................................... 14 Road Hounds...................................................... 15 Unchained Few................................................... 16 Center Calendar................................................. 18

Thunder Cam...................................................... 20 Events................................................................ 22

SALES & MARKETING Suzy “Carebear” Leighton Sandy “Cowgirl” Jones 302-383-9041 443-623-3711 Carebear@trmdel.com cowgirl@trmdel.com

Thunder Roads Magazine APP............................. 24 Biker Friendly Directory....................................... 26 NCOM News Bytes............................................. 28

Steve “Hillbilly” Craig Mike “Rhino” Ryan (443) 875-7887 (443) 875-7482 Hillbilly@trmdel.com rhino@thmdel.com Joe “Popeye” Jones 443-370-7417 popeye@trmdel.com

KISS in the Kitchen.............................................. 30 Seats & Saddles.................................................. 31 Joker’s Wild........................................................ 32

Accounting Mike “Bighead” Abbott (443) 875-7597 bighead@trmdel.com

Skin Art.............................................................. 33 TNT.................................................................... 35

Layout & Design Meredith Hancock / Hancock Graphics

Next Month…..................................................... 37

Photography Mark Petinga www.markpetinga.com Mike “Bighead” Abbott, Mike “Rhino” Ryan

I wanna THANK everyone that came out to THE BLUE OX on Friday the 14th for the premier party for Thunder Roads MD, DE, and D.C. That was a Blowout! Did you check out those G.O.T. girls? (Girls of Thunder) They were enough to make a Rhino lose a horn. They were Smoking HOT! I was trying to make it thru the crowd and meet as many of you as I could but I kept stepping on toes. Sorry. Eventually, with all the people there I thought it would be okay if I slipped out the back with some lady warthogs I happened upon. I don’t remember much after we got back to my pen, but the owner said “he couldn’t believe the animal noises coming outta there.” They don’t call me BIG City for nothing. Remember, once you go Rhino you...well never mind we can save that for a future issue. I really want to thank the advertisers that support our magazine and always welcome us bikers. Please stop by and shop with our sponsors, without them there is no Thunder Roads. Tell them you saw their Ad in Thunder Roads! I also really need all of our readers to download the FREE Thunder Roads App. It will keep you up to date on all the happenings in our area and throughout the U.S. Check out this issue for more info on the App. As for the Website, well, let’s just say, me and the website are not on speaking terms. Hopefully in the next few weeks, you’ll see a website that’s easy to use. We wanted to give you an opportunity to be a part of the magazine, so we’re putting off the coverage for OC BikeFest till November’s issue. Please send me your pictures and stories, so I can make you a star in my next new feature, Thunder Cam… Big City on the Scene! I hope you’ll like the coverage of Bike Week. Let us know what you want to see in the future. We welcome all your suggestions. We know there are a lot of awesome bikes out there, so send me pictures. Why hide them, let us all see them, who knows you might make the cover. Also let us know where we can leave you a copy each month. Ask your favorite bike shop, bar, restaurant, leather store, etc. for Thunder Roads and I will send one of these humans that work for me to visit that establishment.

Contributors Mike “Rhino” Ryan, Steve “Hillbilly” Craig, Mike “Bighead” Abbott National Founders Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN. 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 thunderroadsfounders@yahoo.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF ITS CONTENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. PUBLISHER ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY AND IS NOT TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR ERRORS BEYOND THE COST OF THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE ERROR, SLANDER OF ANY GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL, FAILURE TO PRODUCE ANY ISSUE AS SCHEDULED DUE TO REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, ANY AND ALL SUITS FOR LIABLE, PLAGIARISM, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A PERSON’S NAME OR PHOTOGRAPH. OPINIONS AND CLAIMS MADE BY ADVERTISERS AND AUTHORS ARE THEIR OWN, AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE POLICY OF THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE OR THUNDER PUBLISHING. PUBLISHER DOES NOT PROMOTE THE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS.

Wooo Lawdy! This is one tired Big City reporting to you after Bike Week 2012. I don’t know bout you guys but I’m glad I only do this once a year. Bikes, Bikes, and more Bikes, what a GREAT time! If you didn’t have a good time, It was your own damn fault! Sure seemed like there was something for everybody. I hope everyone had a Great time and made it home safely. We had the best weather I can remember in a long time for OC Bike Week. It sure is nice to be home and resting my horns for a little while.

OCTOBER 2012

ON THE COVER:

Photographer: Dusty Austin

Model: Natasha

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Okay I›m about to take a nap and try to cure this hangover. When I get up I›m gonna look where I left those warthogs! See ya next month! Keep Changing Lanes, Big City THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

OCTOBER 2012

ABATE is not ONLY about Motorcycle Helmet Laws. Although it would sometimes appear that our main focus is repealing legislation that deals with helmet laws, ABATE is primarily concerned with Motorcyclists’ Rights. ABATE is about freedom: ü Freedom from excessive governmental control. ü Freedom from illogical and ignorant laws. ü Freedom from those who act against wishes of the constituents. ABATE is about education: ü Education before legislation for the politicians. ü Education for all riders in the form of motorcycles safety courses. ü Education for the locals, coordinating efforts in a grass-roots organization, spreading information throughout the organizations. ü Educating the general public, encouraging them to become more aware of bikers with who they share the road. ABATE is about people: ü It is an all volunteer organization. ü It counts lawyers, waitresses, doctors, mothers, accountants, welders, programmers and many others in its nationwide membership. ü It works hard to ensure that the rights of all bikers are protected. ü It’s about you and me. JOIN JOIN JOIN JOIN

ABATE ABATE ABATE ABATE

because you are a concerned biker, a concerned citizen, a concerned parent or partner. because you want your voice to be heard in government. because you’re mad as hell and you don’t want to take it anymore. TODAY

Why should I join ABATE? Why should I care? “I’m not a joiner” Do you know which assemblymen and senators are biker-friendly? Which ones that we want to keep in office to preserve your rights as a biker? Do you want information that will help you to make intelligent and informed decisions at the polls come Election Day? You can join the organization and never, ever participate, which is fine if you are ‘not a joiner’. Just JOIN! Become one of the educated riders. Learn about the laws, the bills, and the issues that affect your riding freedom. “I don’t have the time” ABATE will demand none of your time other than the time is takes to browse the newsletter each month, and the time it takes to vote. Of course, we would enjoy seeing your face at the meetings where we can talk about the latest set of after-market pipes, or where the next poker run is, or which legislator just tried to introduce another law that will affect your riding freedom. We would enjoy seeing you participate, helping the organization group and flourish. Join the others in this grassroots organization to promote motorcycle safety and awareness in your community. We would enjoy becoming your fellowrider, activist, and friend. “I’m not political” All we ask is that you vote. Which you probably do anyway - otherwise why are you still reading this? “I just want to ride” ABATE members just want to ride too. We want to ride safely, without limiting devices forced upon us under the false label of safety. For more information about ABATE, please visit our website: www.abateofmd.com 4

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SO ARE THOUSANDS OF OUR READERS CONTACT US AND GET THIS SPACE WORKING FOR YOU.

CONTACT RHINO @ 443-875-7482 OR HILLBILLY @ 443-875-7887 THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

OCTOBER 2012

This 1903 Indian, recently uncovered in a western Maryland garage, is one of the oldest motorcycles in existence anywhere in the world.

The lever on the right side of the neck is the compression release, allowing the motor to be started with reduced compression. The lever mounted through the frame tube is the throttle. The piece with wires protruding from it is the top-end mount for a tube that holds dry cell batteries which provided spark for the engine.

The trusses mounted in front of the standard fork are a retrofit for added strength and suggest that this machine saw action on the racetracks of the day.

the gas ack” because of amed the “Camelb kn nic inside s n wa rtio e po bik er The The small p the rear fender. tank that sits ato . parate tank for oil the frame is a se

OCTOBER 2012

BY GARY WESTPHALEN THUNDER ROADS WEST VIRGINIA PHOTOS BY MOE VETTER

“What a treasure!” trumpets George Yarocki, author of the book Early Indian History. “Very exciting news, indeed!” “Categorically speaking, it’s a pretty rare bike,” says Dale Walksler, founder of the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. “It’s very possible that it is the oldest surviving, unrestored Indian,” says Indian motorcycle aficionado Steve Rinker of Romney, West Virginia, whose collection was the cover story of the Thunder Roads West Virginia February 2011 issue. The motorcycle these three knowledgeable guys are talking about is this 1903 Indian, which was recently found residing in a western Maryland garage. This machine has traveled through time to us from the very dawn of the motorcycle age. There aren’t but a handful of older motorcycles on the planet. To understand the place this bike holds THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

in history, we have to travel back to the late 1800’s. Bicycle racing, first on dirt ovals and later on wooden tracks called velodromes, was the big spectator sport of the day. Competition between the men who raced their bikes was fierce, and George Hendee was the best. He was America’s first national cycling champion, and won 302 out of 309 races he entered. Hendee retired from racing in 1892, and moved into the manufacture of bicycles. By 1898 the Hendee Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, was producing bicycles with the Indian brand name, and he was sponsoring numerous riders and race events throughout New England. Carl Oscar Hedström, whose family had emigrated from Sweden to the United States when he was a boy, was also fascinated by bicycles, but in a different way. Though he loved bicycling around the streets of New York City, the THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

Carl Oscar Hedström poses with the first Indian Motocycle.

mechanics of these machines was his interest, and he began designing and building bicycles that were ever lighter and faster. About this same time, a curious machine was developed to improve the bicycle racing experience. Called a pacer, the machine was essentially a tandem bicycle that had an engine mounted on it. Pacers were used on the track to help gather up the field of competing bicycles in order to get a clean start to the race. During the race, the pacer also ran out ahead of the bicycles, allowing for greater speeds as they drafted behind it. Pacers had a reputation of being unreliable, so Hedström applied his engineering expertise and designed a muchimproved pacer. When George Hendee saw Hedström’s pacer at a bicycle race in Madison Square Garden in 1900, he asked

OCTOBER 2012

The motor cleverly sits where a bicycle frame would have had a rear down tube, making it a stress member of the frame as well as the source of power (opposite page, left). The right side view of the engine (opposite page, right) shows the exposed exhaust push rod and bears the all important serial number 548 (left). The number confirms that this bike was built late in the year of 1903.

the young engineer to come to work for him in Springfield, with the goal of developing a motorized bicycle that could be massproduced. They built a prototype and demonstrated the first Indian Motocycle (the “r” wouldn’t be added until some years later) to the public in May of 1901. “Factory records show that there were three prototypes built in 1901 and one was taken apart, and the parts used in another motorcycle,” says George Yarocki. “Which motorcycle, is not known and the parts could have been used in one, or both, of the remaining 1901 prototypes.” Yarocki has been following a lead based on a 1922 photograph in a newspaper that shows a man riding what may well have been one of those prototypes, but has yet to succeed. “That would probably be the most valuable bike in the world if we could ever find it,” George tells Thunder Roads West Virginia. Hedström took his engine design to the Aurora Automatic Machine Company in Aurora, Illinois, a company that had the capacity to build the 1.75 horsepower motors in large quantity. Hendee began building a network of dealerships. In 1902, the Hendee Manufacturing Company produced a total of 143 Indian Motocycles. As production ramped up in 1903, 376 motocycles would be produced. The serial number on this particular bike is 548.

Yarocki says company records show that this serial number means it was produced late in the year of 1903. Obviously, there was no Division of Motor Vehicles at the time, so no registry exists that would tell us who its original owner was. In fact, at this point, nothing is known about the bike’s history until somewhere around 1960. It was around that time that Charles Alder of Taneytown, Maryland, bought the bike from a woman whose husband had recently died. “He bought it for 20 dollars,” says Steve Rinker. “It was hanging in the basement of the house. Obviously, it was a dry basement. I have talked to a few other guys who knew Charles from the past, and they seemed to think that the previous owner was a dentist. His son Charlie Alder was 14 years old when they got the motorcycle. He remembers that he and his father picked the motorcycle up and brought it home, and they have kept it ever since.” Charles Alder, Rinker says, passed away a few years ago and Charlie was killed in a motorcycle accident last summer. One day last fall, out of the blue, Steve Rinker’s phone rings. On the other end is a friend of his who owns an auction company. “He says, ‘I have found a 1903 Indian moped.’ I said, ‘No. You didn’t find a 1903,’” Steve remembers saying. “I said, ‘You don’t have a 1903 Indian. Trust me, you don’t have it!’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody I’ve talked to, they swear there’s a 1903 moped.’ I said, ‘Well, first of all, they’re

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not mopeds. They were motorcycles. You propelled them like a bicycle in order to get them running, but you couldn’t ride them like a bicycle.” A moped, you can still pedal like a bike. Anyway, I said, ‘Hey, I’d love to see it.’ He said, ‘Well, it’s going to be sold.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to go see the thing.’” The bike, the auctioneer explained, will be put on an estate auction, along with several other bikes the Alder’s owned. For the auction company to gain some insight into the value and authenticity of this bike, they arranged for Steve to see it. As they are driving to the garage, Steve remembers telling the auctioneers, “I’m 98 percent certain we’re not going to see a 1903. Somebody’s got their years confused somewhere along the way.” As the men enter the garage, they see the outlines of five cloth-covered motorcycles. “The first one we uncovered was a 1926 Harley-Davidson JD. Charles had restored this motorcycle,” says Steve. “The next one we came to is a 1923 Harley JD. The next one was a 1917 Harley. It was supposed to have been five Indians. Well, the first three were HarleyDavidsons, so my expectations now are almost one-hundred percent sure we would never see an Indian.” But under the fourth sheet there was indeed an Indian, albeit a 1919 model. “Here’s the Indian they’ve been talking about,” Steve remembers thinking. “I looked at the auctioneer and said, ‘You know, this isn’t an ‘03.’ Then we jerked the cover off the last motorcycle, and I just stood there. He hit me on the shoulder, and said, ‘Hey! Is that a 1903?’ And I’m just looking at it, and he says ‘Hey! What is it?’ And I turned around and said, ‘It’s a nineteen-oh-thhh...it’s...it’s...it’s a Camelback Indian! There it is!’” Rinker was stunned. For a vintage Indian collector, this is akin to witnessing the dawn of time. “I’ve seen four restored motorcycles up to this one. Then, all of a sudden, I find this bike in its unrestored condition,” he tells me as we talk about the day he first saw this bike. “You and I have talked in the past,

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old bikes are only original once. You want to try to preserve anything you can, as long as it’s still original. It was really truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. These bikes are so rare to find. They made it through the Depression, through both World Wars. They never got scrapped. Kids didn’t trash them or beat them up. I mean, face it, it’s nothing more than a bicycle, essentially, with a little gas tank on the back. So, to survive the time is pretty extraordinary.” The gas and oil tanks over the rear fender is why these early Indians got the “Camelback” nickname. The hump behind the rear frame of the bike held about a gallon of gasoline, and the little portion inside the framework was a separate tank for the oil. Hendee produced this same design from 1902 until 1908, and the serial numbers are the only way to verify the exact year of production. “The insides of that engine are very simple, but very well made,” says Dale Walksler from his office in the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum. “When that bike was built in ‘03 it was just the most charming little bike.” Dale has unique knowledge about the 1903 Indian, because he not only owns one, he rides and has even raced it! “I always claim that my ‘03 is the oldest running Indian anywhere. I don’t know of an earlier serial number than mine that runs.” Dale Walksler has raced his 1903 Indian several times on the track at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. He may be the only man alive today who knows what it feels like to ride this bike. “It’s a huge burst of energy,” he tells Thunder Roads West Virginia. “The sad thing is, all the years that we raced the early bikes at Barber’s, nobody ever recorded a lap time. So, we never really measured how fast they went. Last year we measured lap times, and I raced a 1911 Indian. It averaged 48 miles-per-hour for three miles on a road course.

OCTOBER 2012

continued...

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The ‘03 honestly is not that much slower. The little bike only weighs about 90 pounds. So, you’ve got a 90 pound bike with enough power to push it. That bike ought to go near 40 milesper-hour. You’ve got to ride with one hand, because you have to have your right hand on your throttle and timing, while your left hand is keeping you on course. You’re almost always adjusting throttle and spark, so you’re almost always riding with one hand.” You can see several videos of Dale prepping and racing his 1903 Indian on his website at www.wheelsthroughtime.com. When speaking about the present condition of this 1903 Indian, Steve Rinker says, “This thing is 95 percent there. A lot of the little things are there. The trickler on top of the carburetor where you prime it, the little spring inside of that still works. I’ve cranked the bike over. It’s got awesome compression. I don’t think it would take long to get the motor to run.” The camelback tanks appear to be complete and undamaged by time. The frame is solid and the control linkages are functional, with one exception. “There was a linkage that went from a hand grip that would work the decompression lever,” Steve notes. “That linkage is missing.” One of the rear fender braces is also missing, as is the battery tube that would have held several dry cell batteries which provide the bike’s source of ignition. There have been some modifications made to this bike, which were probably all done within the first few years of the bike’s existence. The pedals and left side sprocket, for instance, appear to be a 1905 update. “The guy was riding this!” Steve points out. “This was his mode of transportation. He had to do what he had to do. So when his 1903 pedals broke, he couldn’t just throw his motorcycle away, because this was all he had! He got a new set of cranks. It was an upgrade for him. We do it today with our modern-day vehicles.” “The handlebar neck seems a bit longer than normal,” George Yarocki tells Thunder Roads West Virginia after examining our photos of the bike. “The frame head casting seems to have been altered with added set screw lugs, and third, the remaining top of the battery box is held with a homemade clamp covering the badge.” The most curious upgrade is on the front forks. The extra trusses mounted forward of the traditional bike forks were not standard equipment. “The first use of the fork trusses on standard models appeared on the 1910 loop frame with the advent of the leaf spring,” George says. Their retrofit to this machine suggests it had an exciting life. “The ‘03 model with these added indicates an early recognition of a weakness in the fork, and no doubt were added for racing and/or cross country competition, both of which were going on at that early date.” By now, you’re probably wondering about the value of this motorcycle. We all are. Estimates given to Thunder Roads West Virginia are all over the map, so there’s no point in speculating. We’ll find out on April 21, 2012, when the bike goes up for auction at the County Fairgrounds in Frederick, Maryland. “I’ve got a small private collection,” says Steve Rinker, “and I wouldn’t feel right owning the bike. I really wouldn’t. I would love to have it, don’t get me wrong. When you think about the historical value of the motorcycle, it would really be a wonderful exhibition for some museum somewhere, and hopefully that’s where it will go. But whoever gets it, it’s just a wonderful piece to find.” George Yarocki agrees. It is, he says, “All in all, a great piece of history.”

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After OCTOBER 2012

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OCTOBER 2012

The Legend

Bell of the

any years ago, on a cold December night, a crusty old biker was returning from a trip to Mexico with his saddlebags filled with toys and other assorted trinkets for the kids at a group home near where he worked. As he rode along that night thinking how lucky he had been in life, having a loving riding partner that understood his need to roam the highways and to his trusty old pan that hadn’t let him down once in the many years they had shared the road together. Well, about 40 miles north of the border, in the high desert, lurked a small group of notorious little critters known as road gremlins. You know, the ones who always leave little obstacles like, one shoe, boards, and pieces of old tires on the road, and also dig those dreaded potholes for bikers to run over and crash, thus giving the road gremlins a chance to rejoice over their acts of evil. Well, as the lone wolf of a biker rounded a curve that moonlit night, the gremlins ambushed him, causing him to crash to the asphalt and skid before coming to a stop next to one of his saddlebags that had broken free. As he lay there, unable to move, the road gremlins made their way towards him. Well, this biker, not being one to give up, started throwing things at the gremlins as they approached him. Finally, with nothing else to throw but a bell, he started ringing it in hopes to scare off the dirty little gremlins.

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About a half a mile away, camped in the desert, were two bikers sitting around the campfire talking about their day’s ride, and the freedom of the wind blowing in their faces as they rode across this vast country. In the stillness of the night air they heard what sounded to them like church bells ringing, and upon investigating, found the old biker lying along the roadside with the gremlins about to get him. Needless to say, being part of the biker brotherhood, they proceeded to ward off the gremlins until the last ran off into the night. Being grateful to the two bikers, the old road dog offered to pay them for their help, but as all true bikers do, they refused to accept any type of payment from him. Not being one to let a good deed go unnoticed, the old biker cut two pieces of leather from his saddlebags tassels and tied a bell to each one. He then placed them on each of the biker’s motorcycles, as near to the ground as possible. The tired, old road warrior then told the two travelers that with those bells placed on their bikes, they would be protected from the road gremlins and that if ever in trouble, just ring the bell and a fellow biker will come to their aid. So, whenever you see a biker with a bell, you know that he has been blessed with the most important thing in life—friendship from a fellow biker.

The Purpose of the Bell

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Many of us have heard the story about Evil Road Spirits. They are little gremlins that live on your bike. They love to ride, and they’re also responsible for most of your bike’s problems. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work; your battery goes dead, the clutch needs adjustment, or any of several hundred things that can go wrong. These problems are caused by Evil Road Spirits. Evil Road Spirits can’t live in the presence of the bell, because they get trapped in the hollow of the bell. Among other things, their hearing is supersensitive, so the constant ringing of the bell and the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. Have you ever wondered how potholes are formed? The bell has served its purpose. If you pick up a Bell of your own, the magic will work, but if your bell is given to you, the power is doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you. So, if you have a friend who doesn’t have a bell, why not give them one? It’s a nice feeling for the recipient to know you care. The bell, plus a good preventive maintenance program by the bikes owner, will help eliminate Evil Road Spirits.

Polishing the Bell It has been a tradition among some of us for a long time to attach a brass bell to our left swing arm, to remember our brothers and sisters who have gone down riding. It’s a small thing, but the reason a brass bell is chosen is that, as we ride, it gets dirty and tarnished. Every time we get down washing and polishing it, we are reminded of friends lost, and our thoughts turn to the meaning of being in the wind. As we ride and hear the bell ring, we know that our brothers and sisters are riding with us, and how easy it would be to join them with a single mistake. And maybe, just maybe, the next time a situation comes up; they will be there to help us...as long as we remember them by polishing the bell. THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

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OCTOBER 2012

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s an up and coming hard rock band climbing out of ‘Charm City’ (Baltimore, Maryland), King Belvedere launched their mission of rock, roll, and repeat while defining their own sound. King Belvedere has quickly established themselves as one of Baltimore’s premier rock acts. Gigging in and around the northeast region, King Belvedere rocks the same local scene that launched Baltimore’s rock elite Kix, Child’s Play and Charm City Devils. Setting out to mirror the successes of these local heroes, King Belvedere released two ‘DIY’ independent projects, ‘Ain’t Got No Shame’ in 2007 and the follow up “My Kinda Rock and Roll’ in 2011. King Belvedere has just signed a recording deal with record label Jamsync Music for their next release coming 2012/2013. “Hard, Driving, Fast and Loose best describes King Belvedere. If this is your idea of fun well strap yourself in cause that’s what these guys are. As solid a rock band as you can get.”

Formed in 2004 by the consumption of alcohol of the same name, members were recruited from as far away as New York, as close-up as Washington D.C., and Baltimore from places on the edge such as West Virginia. Five amazing musicians all with different and unique styles playing riff-driven retro-power rock, King Belvedere has morphed into a dynamic monster onthe-scene today. The new music is speaker shredding, and a fistpumping rocker’s delight reinvented for today’s music fans, and presented in a balls-to-the-wall style that will remind you of why you love music in the first place. This is a band that comes along once in a great while, a band that shakes the foundations of the music scene, a band that proves once again that no matter where you come from, a great band is just that. Baltimore is a city that has the capacity to meld you into something great – if you survive the process. Initial feedback on the bands live performance says “The band has solid stage presence and displays a lot of energy to get the crowd pumped!” and “This band could go places. It looks like there are doing all the right things, they were spot on and rocked.”

The new release is currently being recorded at ‘Audio Production Factory’ in Baltimore and is far more superior than any of its predecessors. Now running at full stride as a band, King Belvedere has honed their craft and is firing on all cylinders yielding some of their best song writing to date. The new release will contain 10 tracks of high powered, high energy, screaming rock and roll that grips your soul and refuses to let go. ‘Back Again’ a ballad type track from the new project is being released in advance for a charity organization against Cystic Fibrosis.

King Belvedere is poised to jump to the next level and has enlisted III Entertainment as management to help them get there. Completing their next opus is only the beginning for this band with plans that include touring, video’s, press, charitable work, Europe and more. If you’ve never heard of King Belvedere, you will...

Regards, Bill Chavis

OCTOBER 2012

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OCTOBER 2012

Unchained Few Motorcycle Club hosts an annual ride named, The Mitchell Ride for Children’s Charities. With help from our family, friends, local businesses and club members, we raise funds, collect raffle items, silent auction items and spread the word of our ride. All members of Unchained Few are expected and are eager to help with the planning, organizing, running and breakdown of our fundraising events.

he Unchained Few Motorcycle Club was founded after the success of the first Mitchell Ride fundraiser in 2011. We were so overwhelmed by the support of our fellow riders and local businesses that we decided to create an organization to make this ride an annual event. In January of 2012, “Sal”, “Captin”, and “Squintz” worked together to create what would become the Unchained Few Motorcycle Club. In just three short months, patches were created and word began to spread. To date we have 23 full patched members (riders), and 12 associate members (passengers). Interest in our club has grown so strong that we are developing a following of non-riders. Our Social Members share our passion for raising money for children’s charities and are dedicated to spreading the word of our organization.

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diagnosed with Short Bowel Syndrome as a result of complications from prematurity. Short Bowel Syndrome is a malabsorption disorder caused by surgical removal of the small intestine. Mason is missing over 85% of his small bowel, leaving his body unable to meet his nutritional needs. Mason’s nutritional needs must be met with 20 hour daily infusions of IV fluids thru med-port and a specialized formula through a stomach G-tube. Financial needs for Mason’s care range from nutritional supplements to maintain energy and growth, transportation and travel expenses for dr. appointments, and hygiene needs due to chronic diarrhea caused by the malabsorption.

Money raised from our annual event is broken down so that we may support several charities throughout the year. Our charities include, but are not limited to, the selected recipient of The Mitchell Ride, Cystic Fibrosis, Faith and Family Foundation, as well as supporting a local family during the holidays. In November 2011, monies were raised for the Sylvain family to assist with making their home more accessible for their 10 year old son, Mitchell who has Cerebral Palsy. According to his mom, “We would have never been able to move forward with the construction this year if the Mitchell Ride had not occurred.” As a result of the ride, the Sylvain family was able to order an elevator, hire a contractor and submit the paperwork to the county so that construction may begin. Vickie Sylvain noted, “They are thrilled to have this wonderful event continue to happen on an annual basis, and we are honored that Mitchell’s name will still be used. The Unchained Few Motorcycle Club and Unchained Charities, Inc. will help so many families and children in need.” Despite uncooperative weather this July, the 2nd Annual Mitchell Ride was once again a huge success! Over 50 riders dodged the raindrops to raise money to help Mason Thibault and his family. In September 2008, Mason was THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

Due to Mason’s needs, his mom sacrificed her income as well as the family’s 2nd vehicle so that she could provide his medical care at home. With the success of this year’s Mitchell’s Ride and a partnership with Jeff Barnes Chevrolet in Sykesville, MD, Mason and his family will receive a Pontiac Montana to enable them to get to their appointments. “Because Unchained Few Motorcycle Club was willing to ride in spite of the rain, I no longer have to worry about a lack of transportation for Mason’s appointments. We could not have done this on one income,” explained Susan Thibault. “It isn’t everyday that strangers will allow us to just be parents while others worry about some of your financial needs. That’s exactly what the Unchained Few did for our family!” To contact the Unchained Few for information, or to ride with us visit us on Facebook @ unchainedfew@ groups.Facebook.com or email us at unchainedfewmc@gmail.com. OCTOBER 2012

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Delaware Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM 3rd Annual Fall Out Car and Bike Show Car and Bike Show to benefit the residents of the Delaware Veterans Home, Reg. @ 9am, 19963 Veterans Way, Milford, DE. Contact (302) 242-2232

Maryland Saturday, October 6, 2012 2:00 PM Annual Red Helmet Ride The Police escorted ride to the National Fallen Fighters Memorial in Emmisburg, MD will leave at 3:30PM. This is a rain or shine ride – all will ride at your own risk. No registration is required, just ride and show your support to the families of the Fallen Firefighters. home.comcast.net/~conyank/page2.htm Sunday, October 7, 2012 11:00 AM 9th Annual Southern Maryland Bikers for Babies Registration begins at 11:00 am at Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, Maryland. The 45 mile police escorted ride will begin at 2:00; The ride will end at Ape Hangers Bar & Grill in Bel Alton, Maryland for a free after ride party www.bikersforbabies.org Sunday, October 7, 2012 Starts @ 12:00 PM Bamboo Bernie’s Biker Bash Registration 12-2PM – Band – Broadcast www.bambooberniesUSA.com Saturday, October 20, 2012 Starts @ 12:00 PM Cancun Cantina West Charity Bike Run & Bash Registration 12-2PM www.cancuncantinawest.com

Sunday, October 21, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Ridgely Pharmacy & Ice Cream Parlor Car/Motorcycle Show Ridgely pharmacy (7 west belle st, Ridgely md) will be hosting its 2nd annual car/ motorcycle show on October 21st 2012. All proceeds from the car/motorcycle show will benefit the petty family foundation with monies going to victory junction/ folds of honor & wounded warrior foundations. Email: cbjw@verizon.net / 410-924-7710 Sunday, October 21, 2012 Starts @ 12:00 PM Cancun Cantina Biker Bash Registration 12-2PM – Band – Surreal www.cancuncantina.com

PENNSYLVANIA Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Cruisin’ For Cancer Dice Run, $20.00 per Bike. Prizes awarded and food to follow an Amazing Fall ride through hills the back roads of Northwestern Pennsylvania! Contact: murdock10@onewoods.net – 814-723-3575 Sunday, October 7, 2012 9:00 AM Ride for HOPE In support of breast cancer awareness and H.O.P.E. (Help for Oncology Problems and Emotional Support) www.twinroseladyriders.com Sunday, October 7, 2012 10:00 AM Officer Petzold Memorial Dice Run - 6th Annual Take a scenic ride, with 3 poker stops, ending with a picnic sponsored by: Smokin’ Smitty’s Catering, Registration Fee: $20.00 for all participants, All vehicles welcome – 2,3,4 wheels **PRE-register by Aug 30 for a Free RidePin INCLUDES: ride, food, prize money for 1st, 2nd, 3rd & low roller Rain or Shine Event! officerdavid.org Sunday, October 7, 2012 11:00 AM 2012 Covered Bridge Ride for Geena & Dave’s Cancer Fight Please come out for a very scenic 2 hour/45 mile ride in the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. We’ll go OCTOBER 2012

through 10 covered bridges on the back roads of Lancaster County. Only $10.00 donation per person. Registration from 08:00-11:00 Rain Date is Sunday October 14th. Leaves from the 1st Sunday Ride-in Breakfast at the American Legion Post 429 Email: karenandjeff1@yahoo.com Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM A Hero’s Ride Rain or Shine. Ride leaves Wendt’s Pork Palace on Route 522 in Selinsgrove at 10 a.m. sharp, Registration starting at 8:30 a.m. Door prizes, and pig roast after the run. justusfewmc.yolasite.com/ Saturday, October 13, 2012 rom 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM 10th Annual Toy Run Toy run to benefit Bucks County Children and Youth Services of Doylestown, Pa. Event pins (400), refreshments, Santa and raffles. Please bring a new unwrapped gift, gift card or cash for the children. Rain or shine and opened to all bikes. See you there. Regristration start-9:30 leave-10:45 Email: qtjeep@aol.com Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM First Annual Quakertown Bike Night This will be a ride-in event, with great vendors, live music, food, activities, a bike show (with trophies), and a spectacular bonfire! www.quakertown.org/index. aspx?page=303 Sunday, October 14, 2012 8:30 AM 1st Annual Silence the Violence Ride There are a couple of things we like, riding our motorcycle and helping people. This ride is approximately a 60 minute ride starting at Scott Power Sports and ending at Riverside Barr & Grill, just far enough out of town where nobody cares how much noise you make and there’s no bad way home. Over by 5:00 PM or stay ‘til they close the bar. silencetheviolenceride.com

continue our mission to support the children and families of our fallen heroes. $20 per Rider - includes lunch. Registration 9:00am to 11:00am. Ride will leave promptly at 11:00 am. www.katyeshelpinghands.com Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Fall Fest featuring Bonfire Proceeds will benefit MDA. Fall Poker Run $15 per person/ Bonfire and Burnouts at dusk. Free marshmallows. www.classicharley.com/news Saturday, October 20, 2012 6:00 PM Halloween Bash at Steel City Motorcycle Company You can ride...but you can’t hide!!! Halloween Bash is 1 of our favorite events of the year! Come dressed in your best costume for the costume contests. www.steelcitymotorcycles.com Sunday, October 21, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Pink and Orange Event Proceeds will benefit Holly Heilman Cancer Fund Women-focused event celebrating women! Showcasing local businesses, women in business, women focused charities, support groups, and information booths. 610-916-7777 www.classicharley.com/news Saturday, October 27, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Benefit Ride Partial Proceeds to benefit the Reading/ Berks County Homeless Veterans $20/ Person, $30/Couple - Includes Pig Roast at the VFW Post 9045 Mohnton after the ride 610-777-9106 Like us on Facebook @ VFW Post 9045 Mohnton PA Sunday, October 28, 2012 10:00 AM Steel Horse Poker Run Ride will Start and End at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA www.steelhorsepokerrun.com

Saturday, October 20, 2012 9:00 AM Katye’s Helping Hands Fall Foliage Ride Escorted ride followed with food, fun & prizes. The monies raised will help us THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

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Sunday, October 28, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM 2nd Annual Chester County Toy Run Second Annual Motorcycle Toy Run benefiting Chester County Children, Youth & Families. This event will take place on Sunday October 28th, 2012. Meet at West Chester Cycle 739 Downingtown Pike West Chester, PA. 19380 @ 10:00am. Kickstands up @ 11:15am. We will finish at PJ Whelihans 853 East Lancaster Avenue Downingtown, PA 19335. www.facebook.com/ events/277797988996568/ ?notif_t=plan_user_joined

Virginia Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Fleet Ride - Rumble Through The Tunnel! REGISTRATION AT BAYSIDE H-D 9:00 A.M. - 11:30 AM WWW.BAYSIDEHD.COM Saturday, October 6, 2012 f rom 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Ride A Mile 4 Able Forces The road to recovery..... Ride to benefit the mission of Able Forces.. Employment and job training for wounded warriors veterans and disabled veterans. www.ableforces.org Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM 3rd Annual Lupus Poker Run Renegade Classics Starts at 10am, $10 per person, all are welcome! kaatlarz@gmail.com Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 5th annual special bikes for special olympics poker run poker run, sign up starts 9am, 1st bike out 10am 2nd bike out 10:30am, purse: $300.00 must be present to win breakfast biscuits and coffe for sell, lunch homemade stew for sell 50/50 drawings, silent auction, door prizes FaceBook: Cruiser Club USA Chapter 30 OCTOBER 2012

Saturday, October 20, 2012 10:00 AM Third Annual Special Operations Warrior Foundation Kids to College Poker Run The Special Operations Warrior foundation provides full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of Special Operations Personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families. For more information Contact Recoil at Recoillvmc@cox.net Saturday, October 20, 2012 - Sunday, October 21, 2012 5th annual special bikers for special olympics dance doors open 7pm dance starts 9pm, “the janitors”, $15 single $25 couples, tickets advailable at the door or from any member for sell: ice, drinks and popcorn, 50/50 drawings maybe some door prizes, special olympic athletes will be there FaceBook Cruiser Club USA Chapter 30

New Jersey Sunday, October 7, 2012 from 1:00 AM to 4:00 PM 2nd Annual New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Ride Ride To Support the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum Sponsored by the American Legion Riders of New Jersey 732-232-3286 www.njvvmf.org/pdf/ VVMRideFlyer7Oct2012-3.pdf Sunday, October 7, 2012 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM

5th Anuual Wantage Twp Veterans Memorial Car, Truck & Bike Show $15 Pre-registration, $20 day of show. 973-352-9203 gmlnj.com/car_show/car_show.htm

upcoming events

TRMDEL is not responsible for inaccuracies or the specifics of the information provided. If you would like your event listed, please email details and your contact information to: Events@TRMDEL.com

The Thunder Roads Magazine APP A MUST for all bikers

By Hillbilly

n this new world of technology, an old school biker could get lost. Thank goodness Thunder Roads Magazine has an App for that! It will help even the technologically challenged, like me Hillbilly, enter the next century of technology. The best part is it’s FREE. I know that›s hard to believe, but yes, it’s FREE! Once you download this App, I doubt you will go on any rides or trips without it. Our vendors and sponsors will love it as well because you will be able to find them with the push of a button. From the first day I learned about the App, and every day since, I still can›t believe how easy it is to use and how much information is in my phone under one little button. The first thing you need to do is download the app from your particular App store on your phone. Click on search and type in Thunder roads magazine. Download and install the app on your phone. When you first open the App give it a couple of seconds to find you and what state you are in. That›s right I said it will find you! Maryland edition will pop-up for everyone in MD, Delaware, and D.C. We are the same App for all three and the listings will come up for all three. When you hit the events/calendar part, a listing will come up letting you know all the rides and events that are coming up and where you can go for more info. If you are looking for a place to eat, hit advertisers and then hit bars/restaurants. You’ll see our advertisers and the specials they are running. You can also find apparel, and other business services that are biker friendly. If you hit the map button, it will show you where you are at that time and show you where you need to go to find the business or event you are looking for. You can also visit their website or call them from the App. If your memory is not as good as it used to be, like mine, you can set a reminder about the event or advertiser you want to visit. Sounds too good to be true doesn›t it? Now if you go to another state that has Thunder Roads Magazine, the app will automatically switch to that state and you can browse their events and advertisers. Please remember to shop with all the Thunder Roads advertisers; without them we don›t have a magazine. We now have Thunder Roads Magazines in 21 different states and we are working to get all of them. As with all new technology, there have been some glitches with the app and sometimes you have to manually switch to the state. We are working everyday to fix these minor issues. If you find yourself having any problems with the app please don›t hesitate to call Hillbilly at 443875-7887 and I will do my best to have your problem resolved. Soon the app is going to be your number one source when you’re on the road. It will help you find events, places to shop, and eat, that caters to bikers and who would LOVE to have you stop by. Don›t wait DOWNLOAD it TODAY!

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OCTOBER 2012

Dealer & Shops Bohemian Biker Electrical Gear Newark, DE. 19714 www.bohemianbiker.com 302-562-1706 IGS Auto Body, Inc. 1230 Cronson Blvd. Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-7405 Old Glory Harley Davidson 11800 Laurel Bowie Road Laurel, MD 20708 www.oldgloryhd.com 301-575-0575

Bars & Restaurants Bamboo Bernie’s 8359 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. Pasadena, MD. 21122 www.bambooberniesusa.com 410-647-6100 Cancun Cantina 7501 Old Telegraph Road Hanover, MD. 21076 www.cancuncantina.com 410-761-6188 Pit & Pub 2706 Philadelphia Avenue Ocean City, MD. 21842 www.pitandpub.com 410-289-2020 Reckless Ric’s 1702 Furnace Drive Glen Burnie, MD. 21060 www.recklessrics.com 410-590-2280

Sullivan’s Steak & Beverages 9624 Fort Meade Road Laurel, MD. 20707 301-498-7427

J.K Johnson Marketing& Graphics www.jkjohnsonmarketing.com Email: jenjohnson@verizion.net 410-956-6335

The Blue Ox Bar & Grill 12601 Coastal Hwy Ocean City, MD. 21842 www.blueoxsteakhouse.com 410-250-6440

KD Space Lifts Structured Solution for an Organized Environment kdspacelifts.com Email: kd@kdspacelifts.com 410-804-0207

The Greene Turtle 11601 Coastal Hwy Ocean City, MD. 21842 www.thegreeneturtle.com 410-723-2120 Triple nines Bar & Billiards 7540 Washington Blvd. Elkridge, MD. 21075 www.tripleninesbarandbilliards.com 410-799-1818

Business Services AJK Events Event planning and Promotions www.ajkevents.com Email: ahilz@ajkevents.com 410-533-3661 Expressway Office Solutions Next Day Office Supplies www.exposinc.com Email: weikenberg@exposinc.com 410-247-6800

M&T Bank 39 Shipping Place Baltimore, MD 21222 Email: cwparks@mtb.com 410-284-8801 Outback Leather 309 Main Street Laurel, MD. 20707 www.mdoutbackleather.com 301-604-2211 Pouliot Accounting Service Certified Public Accountant www.tpacpafirm.com Email: info@tpacpafirm.com 800-313-3713 Roundz Gourmet Market & Catering Wedding & Event Catering www.roundz.com Email: info@roundz.com 443-292-4631

Heartland Payment Systems Payroll / Card Processing HeartlandPaymentSystems.com Email:William.Fine@e-hps.com 410-493-8467

Signs By Tomorrow Annapolis 2134-A Generals Hwy. Annapolis, MD 21401 www.signsbytomorrow.com/annapolis 410-266-3341

In Step Leather 7540 Washington Blvd. Elkridge, MD. 21075 www.leathersuperstore.com 410-799-1568

Tobacco Stop 3351 Corridor Marketplace Suite #300 Laurel, MD. 20724 301-317-5316

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Fast Frame Expert Picture Framing www.fastframe.com Email:djhreframed@verizion.net 410-267-7007

Home Services

Creative Memories Plaques & Digital Photo Books www.mycmsite.com/geli Email: gelib@verizon.net 443-254-3789

AEGIS Technologies Inc. Home Audio / Security Designs Network Cabling / Service Email: tferrante@aegistechnologies.com 703-303-9311 Master Plan Interiors There’s no Substitute for a Master Plan. www.masterplaninteriors.com Email: Kathy@masterplaninteriors.com 410-867-1111 Grove Heating & Cooling Your Comfort is Our Only Concern www.groveheatingandcooling.com Email: danielg@grovehvac.com 410-721-5595 Covered Bridge Home Renovations & Restoration Steve Bromley Email: stevebromley@comcast.net 410-507-5006

Realtor Services Deborah Wade Your Maryland Realtor Re/Max Executive 443-274-1918 Lakeside Title Company Chris Baker (Settlement Officer) www.lakesidetitle.com Email: cbaker@lakesidetitle.com 410-207-5798

Personal Service

Cakes By Rachael Artisan Cakes, Chocolates & Pastries www.cakesbyrachael.org 443-995-1691 Ron Treacy Automotive Certified Master Technician All Makes and Models Mobil at Rte 3 & 450 Bowie, MD 301-262-0003 Total Lawn & Landscape Brad Robinson www.totallawnservice.net Email: totallawn2@gmail.com 410-353-9566

Florist Little House of Flowers Your First Choice in Flowers www.littlehouseofflowers.com Email: getflowers@verizion.net 410-923-3170

Insurance Company CNR Insurance The Right Coverage at the Right Price. www.cnrinsurance.com 410-897-9890

Photography Mark Petinga Photography markpetinga.com Email: info@markpetinga.com 443-630-4124

Tattoo Orange Tattoo Company 2020-A West Street Annapolis, MD. 21401 www.orangetattoocompany.com 410-224-6088 _____________________________ Thunder Roads Magazine MD-DE-DC If you would like to be listed in the Biker Friendly Directory, please contact Sales and Marketing or email BFD@TRMDEL.com for more information. If your Club, Foundation, or Association would like to be listed in our Directory, please email BFD@ TRMDEL.COM with your name and contact information and someone will be in touch with you.

Apparel Itz Done Custom Apparel & Embroidery www.itzdome.com Email: heidi@itzdone.com 410-279-1676

STC Nutrition Nutrition Consultant www.stcnutrition.com Email: helene@stcnutrition.com 410-437-3325 THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

OCTOBER 2012

biker friendly directory

Top Caliber Maryland Security Services Email: topcaliber@live.com www.topcaliber.org 301-526-9093

News Bytes THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com. FEDERAL HIGHWAY SAFETY GRANTS IN JEOPARDY Despite a spike in traffic fatalities, states could lose as much as $120 million in highway safety grants if Congress doesn’t change a planned bill to fund the government’s operations for six months. Congress passed a new highway bill this year that streamlines the federal grant process that provides state funds for alcohol-impaired and distracted driving prevention, increased occupant protection, motorcycle safety, teen driving safety and data collection. Under the typical rules for a continuing resolution, new programs such as those authorized under the highway bill cannot be funded. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently reported that its estimate of all traffic deaths for the first quarter of 2012 show a 13.5% increase to the highest number since 2008. The substantial increase is the second-largest quarterly jump in traffic deaths since NHTSA began tracking deaths on a quarterly basis in 1975 -- and the biggest since 1979. NHTSA reported the rate of traffic deaths per 100 million miles of vehicle travel increased significantly to 1.1 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled during the first three months, up from 0.98 in the same period last year, with 7,630 fatalities compared to 6,720 in the first quarter of 2011. The increase would end a steady decline in U.S. road deaths over the last seven years, falling last year to their lowest number since 1949. HEAD OF MOTORCYCLE CRASH STUDY RESIGNS OVER CONCERNS Dr. Samir Ahmed, the Oklahoma State University researcher who has been heading up the latest motorcycle crash causation study, announced that he was leaving the program in a Sept. 11 e-mail stating; “I am writing to let you know that I am no longer working on the motorcycle crash causation study. I have serious reservations about the value of study with the existing FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) involvement. My expectations of the study are very low.” Dr. Samir did not offer any further explanation as to the reservations he has regarding the FHWA involvement. The study was originally planned to examine 900 crashes but due to funding difficulties that was cut back to approximately 300, though the Case Counter on the FHWA website currently reads 100. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) had raised commitments from its members to provide $3 million to the study but decided not to make the money available for a study with fewer than the 900. It was decided then that the study would use only one location instead of the three that had been envisioned, and the reduced study got underway last year. In the meantime, the MSF has announced the conclusion of 28

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

an unprecedented year-long Motorcycle Naturalistic Study in conjunction with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute designed to track comprehensive, real-time routine riding that likely included near crash, pre-crash, and actual crash data that had heretofore been unavailable. The study is yielding preliminary results that will be released at a later date. HELLS ANGELS SUE FEDS OVER BAN ON MEMBERS ENTERING THE U.S. NCOM Brothers Behind Bars Newsletter editor Mike Davis SOS MC Retired recently reported that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is going to court to protest a U.S. government policy barring the club’s foreign members from visiting the United States and is also fighting its federal designation as a “known criminal organization.” In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, DC the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation names Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Alejandro Mayorkas who is the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and claims its designation as a “known criminal organization” by the departments of Homeland Security and State violates immigration law and the group’s constitutional rights by systematically denying entry to its members in 26 countries on six continents. HAMC v. Napolitano et al. (1:12-cv-1357) disputes the Obama administration’s foreign policy that declares “the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, Bandidos, and the Mongols” to be organized crime groups and is seeking an injunction allowing foreign members to be granted visas to travel to the U.S. In its lawsuit, the group claims the government routinely denies visas “to all aliens based solely on their membership in a Hells Angels charter without further analysis into whether or not that individual seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in unlawful activity.” Lawyers for the club describe its membership as composed of loosely associated charters, “made up of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, organize social events, fundraisers, parties and motorcycle rallies” and the group says any crimes committed by its members have been done as individual acts, and are not representative of the club as a whole. DEPUTY SUSPENDED FOR SEIZING BIKER’S CAMERA The Dallas County Sheriff’s office issued a 30-day suspension without pay to a deputy after footage showed him seizing a helmet-mounted camera from a motorcyclist as potential evidence of alleged crimes committed by other unidentified riders. A video viewed nearly 500,000 times on YouTube shows the Texas deputy on camera issuing this comment to the biker: “The reason you’re being pulled over is because I’m gonna take your camera and we’re gonna use it as evidence of in the crimes that have been committed by other bikers.” Our legal experts at AIM/NCOM (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists/ National Coalition of Motorcyclists) agree that the officer’s

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rationale does not constitute probable cause to make a traffic stop and does not justify seizing the camera, nor is it illegal to wear a camera on a helmet. The sheriff’s deputy eventually arrested the motorcycle rider and according to the Examiner newspaper he then tried to slam the door of the patrol car on the biker’s leg before hauling him off to jail. The biker was finally released and issued a ticket for only an obstructed license plate. The officer was also disciplined for leaving a drunk driver at the jail without booking him before going out on the call relating to motorcyclists riding on I-35. LONE STAR COURT RULES ON CELLPHONE SEARCHES Suds, Texas Commander of the U.S. Defenders/COIR Division, issued the following notice re: Texas Court of Appeals Opinion on Cellphone Searches - Our AIM/NCOM Attorney Bill Smith shared an important decision made by the Texas Court of Appeals about evidence retrieved from a cellphone without a search warrant. The Court rules in favor of the people. The opinion cited a case where an individual was arrested on one charge, and based on hearsay, an investigating detective went to the property room of the jail and retrieved the individual’s cellphone and scrolled through the photos he had stored on it. Originally arrested for disorderly conduct, the defendant now had to face an indictment of improper photography or visual recording. Prosecutors argued that a jailed individual had no rights to expectation of privacy. The Texas Court of Appeals disagreed and stated that while an inmate has no reasonable expectation of privacy in his cell, his/her stored property does fall under reasonable expectation of privacy. It is not as though the officer saw the pictures scrolling on the display screen, rather the phone had to be turned on and the photos accessed and scrolled through. While this may not stop a rogue officer from scrolling through your cellphone, anything found will not be admissible in court without a search warrant first. SPEED CAMERAS COULD BE ANYWHERE As drivers become more savvy about spotting speed cameras along roads and highways, police are making it tougher by disguising their revenue-generating equipment. Authorities in and around Washington D.C. are expanding their speed camera programs, reports the Washington Examiner, and now they’re purchasing cameras that look like mailboxes and trash containers to unsuspecting motorists. They’re also more mobile, so police can reposition them so drivers cannot get used to seeing them in one particular area. Nearby Prince George’s County in Maryland purchased nearly 60 mobile cameras last year, and expects to generate $28 million in annual revenue, reports the news outlet. A similar speed-camera program in D.C. generated $55 million in fiscal year 2011. Meanwhile, the traffic-camera debate has ignited state and local governments across the country: some embrace cameraTHUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE MD-DE-DC

based technology as a cost-efficient law-enforcement and safety tool; others cast it off as an overly intrusive money grab. In all, 13 states utilize speed-reading cameras, while 12 states have passed laws banning them. Twenty-four states are currently operating at least one red-light camera within their borders, while another nine prohibit their use. Despite the conflicting laws, overall use of cameras has gone up rapidly in recent years: red-light cameras were in 25 communities in 2000, compared with more than 500 today. Speed cameras went from 20 jurisdictions in 2005 to 113 today. NEW BIKE INSURANCE SUSPENDED OVER LAW AND ORDER CONCERNS Insurance companies have stopped offering insurance policies to purchasers of new motorcycles in Karachi, Pakistan due to increase in snatching and theft incidents of two wheelers in the city. Law enforcement agencies, facing targeted killings and a skyrocketing crime rate, are apparently not interested in curbing such criminal activity, leaving poverty-stricken citizens at the mercy of thieves who are snatching dozens of motorcycles daily. Motorcyclists who recently purchased brand-new bikes are being fleeced by illegal insurance agents to get their bikes insured, as all listed insurance companies in the city have suspended bike insurance policies due to the prevailing law and order situation. LAWSUITS FILED OVER BAD GAS Two Indiana residents have filed separate class-action lawsuits against BP after they were told it would cost thousands of dollars to fix their vehicles, which were damaged by a bad batch of gasoline from the company’s Whiting refinery. BP has issued a recall for about 2.1 million gallons of offspecification gasoline that was shipped to stations in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin in early August. The company has reported that more than 7,000 people have already reported problems to BP. Lake County resident Mark Gonzalez says in his suit, filed in the federal court in Hammond, IN that he filled up both his 2002 GMC Yukon and his 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle with the bad gasoline, leading to repairs costing more than $1,000. The attorney representing one complainant said they decided to file for class-action status, which must still be granted by a federal judge, because so many people like his client have been hurt by the bad gasoline but would likely spend more on legal fees than any money they would receive from BP. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” ~ Denis Waitley (born 1933), American author and motivational speaker

OCTOBER 2012

Seats & SADDLES Was talking w/ a woman who is actually an experienced cook, but she said she had never prepared “country-fried” or “chicken-fried” (both terms means the same method of cooking) pork chops or steak, which was amazing to me, so here’s the simple recipe.

COUNTRY-FRIED PORK CHOPS 101

8 Bone-In Pork Chops (Center Cut) 2 X-Large Eggs 2 Cups of Whole Milk 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour Dash of Nutmeg Salt & Pepper to Taste A quality margarine, such as “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”. Don’t use cheap margarine or else you’ll dang sure have cheap tasting chops. Let your chops sit out about 15 mins. to get to room temperature while you pour your milk into a glass pie plate or any bigger bottomed, shallow bowl. Crack your two eggs into your milk and beat gently w/ a fork. Add your dash of nutmeg. Now pour your 2 cups of flour into a highersided, big bottomed bowl. Get as large a skillet as you got (I always use one of those long, electric skillets), as then I can do all my pork chops at one time. Go ahead and take a chop in left hand and dip into milk bath. I always poke at the meat a bit while in milk bath to tenderize it and let it soak up, then again take your left hand and transfer the chop over to your right hand mid-air and then proceed onto the flour bowl. You keep your dip hand and flour hand separate so that you don’t end up with two gooey hands and drag a bunch of flour into milk bath. But while your chop is in the flour, pat it well and coat it good on one side then flip over and pat it again to coat well. Place on a plate and finish up dunking and dredging the remaining chops. Get your skillet up to medium hot, add 2 big tablespoons of margarine and melt down till sizzling. Arrange your chops so they all fit in your skillet but there’s plenty of room and no parts of chop are overlapping other chops. Salt & pepper uncooked side and then, gently life after one side has cooked for apprx. 4 minutes and make sure they are a true, golden brown, flip them, and salt & pepper the other side. You may need to add a few more pats of margarine around sides and kinda’ work up under chops to ensure that the just flipped side gets as evenly golden brown as the original side. Remove from skillet when done and plate up right away. Serve w/ fried apples or apple fritters or anything? apples! I’ll take a country-

fried pork chop over a steak any day of the week! *Note* If you dont have a long, electric skillet, then just do 2 batches, but be sure you place first batch in oven on low to keep hot. Don’t foil tent them or they’ll lose all their crispiness and just end up with a mushy top.

SIMPLE AS 1,2,3......CHEESE “BISKITS”

Only 3 ingredients: 1-1/4 Cups *Bisquick Brand Boxed Biscuit Mix 1/2 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese 1/2 Cup Water Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a silicone pad on a cookie sheet. Combine the biscuit mix and cheese in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until combined. Don’t over-mix. Just combine. Dough will be a bit moist. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto silicone pad and leave enough room for them to expand. Bake for about 10 minutes until they firm up but are nice and brown. Serve with honey butter. Just that simple, just that quick! *These are our daughter’s alltime fave. Hence, her nickname...”Biskit”.

GRANNY OLLIE’S BUTTERMILK PIE 1-1/2 Cups Sugar 1 Cup Buttermilk 1/2 Cup Bisquick Biscuit Mix 1/2 Cup Real Butter; melted 1-1/2 tsps. Pure Vanilla Extract 3 Large Eggs Get your oven up to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a 9-inch pie pan. Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat for 1 minute with handheld electric mixer or if you don’t have a hand mixer, just beat by hand until all ingredients mixed well. Pour mixture into prepared pie pan and bake for apprx. 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick into center and if it comes out clean.....it’s done! Cool for 5 minutes and let pie solidify and firm up. Slice and serve good and warm. Take a can of Extra Creamy Whipcream and make little flower dollops all over the top and place a rasberry or blueberry in center of each dollop. This is truly a little slice of Heaven from my Granny Ollie, up in Heaven.

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OCTOBER 2012

Three vampires walk into a bar. The waitress comes up to them and asks them what they’ll have. ? The first vampire says, (Transylvanian accent inferred) “I’ll have a glass of O Positive.” The second vampire says, “I’ll have a glass of O Negative.” The third vampire says, “I’m the designated driver. I’ll just have a glass of plasma.” The waitress turns toward the bartender and yells, “Gimme’ two bloods and one blood lite!” A couple was invited to a swanky masked Halloween Party. She got a terrible headache and told her husband to go to the party alone. He, being a devoted husband, protested, but she argued and said she was going to take some aspirin and go to bed, and there was no need of his good time being spoiled bynot going. So he took his costume and away he went. The wife, after sleeping soundly for one hour, awakened without pain, and as it was still early, she decided to go to the party. In as much as her husband did not know what her costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her husband to see how he acted when she was not with him. She joined the party and soon spotted her husband cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every hot chick he could, and copping a little feel here and a little kiss there. His wife moved on up to him and being a rather seductive babe herself, he lmmediately turned his attention to her. They were both getting turned on so agreed to go out to her car for a “quickie”. Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away and went home and put the costume away and got into bed, wondering what kind of explanation he would have for his wild behavior. She was sitting up reading when he came in and asked what kind of a time he had. He said, “Oh, the same old thing. You know I never have a good time when you’re not there.” Then she asked, “Did you dance much?” He replied, “Honestly, I never even danced one dance. When I got there, I met Pete, Bill Brown and some other guys, so we went into the den and played poker all evening. But I’ll tell you what, the guy I loaned my costume to damn sure had a real good time between all the dancing, groping, and trips to the parking lot!”. Q: Why did the vampire need mouthwash? A: She had bat breath. Q: Why wasn’t the vampire working? A: He was on his coffin break. Q: Why did the vampire’s lunch give her heartburn? A: It was a stake sandwich. 32

Two guys left the bar after a long night of drinking, jumped in the car and started it up. After a couple of minutes, an old man appeared in the passenger window and tapped lightly. The passenger screamed, “Look at he window. There’s an old ghost’s face there!” The driver sped up, but the old man’s face stayed in the window. The passenger rolled his window down part way and, scared out of his wits, said, “What do you want?”The old man softly replied, “You got any tobacco?”The passenger handed the old man a cigarette and yelled, “Step on it,” to the driver, rolling up the window in terror. A few minutes later they calmed down and started laughing again.The driver said, “I don’t know what happened, but don’t worry; the speedometer says we’re doing 80 now. ”All of a sudden there was a light tapping on the window and the old man reappeared.“There he is again,” the passenger yelled. He rolled down the window and shakily said, “Yes?” “Do you have a light?” the old man quietly asked. The passenger threw a lighter out the window saying, “Step on it!”They were driving about 100 miles an hour, trying to forget what they had just seen and heard, when all of a sudden there came some more tapping. “Oh my God! He’s back!” The passenger rolled down the window and screamed in stark terror, “WHAT NOW?” The old man gently replied, “You guys want some help getting out of the mud?” One dark night Bubba & Buck were walking home after a party and decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery, just for laughs. Right in the middle of the cemetery they were startled by a tap-tap-tapping noise coming from the misty shadows.Trembling with fear, they found an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at one of the headstones.“Holy cow, Mister,” Bubba said, after catching his breath, “You scared the crap outa’ us, we thought you was a real-time, ghost! What the hell are you doing working here so late at night?” “Those idiots!” the old man grumbled. “They misspelled my damn name!”

Life is good in the South.

On the night of a Halloween costume party a couple were arguing, having trouble picking suitable outfits. After a while the wife got mad and stormed out of the room. Fifteen minutes later she came back completely naked except for a lemon between her legs. The husband looked at her for a moment and then stormed out of the room himself. Twenty minutes passed and then he stomped back in, completely naked, with a potato around his penis. The wife gave him a weird look, and the husband quickly replied; “If you’re going as a sour-puss, I’m going as a dictator”.

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S K I N A R T

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TNT

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OCTOBER 2012

November is OC BIKEFEST Month All the Bikes, Babes, Bands, Fun, and more By Hillbilly

e have decided to make the November issue of Thunder Roads MD-DeDC all about OC BikeFest 2012. We are going to feature the bikes, the babes, the bands, and hopefully you and your friends! Seriously, we took hundreds of photos and talked to a lot of you during the week. We know some of the best pic’s were taken by you. Why not send in your photos and stories about OC BikeFest and maybe we will use it in the magazine. It was great meeting so many of you at the Thunder Roads Truck and the party at the Blue Ox. I really enjoyed your reviews of our first edition and hearing what you would like to see in future editions. Coming soon we begin our Thunder Nights where we visit one of our advertisers and try to have the party of the year that night at their place. We will also begin a series of articles about people that make a difference in our community while being on a

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motorcycle. If you know of someone please let us know. I hope you read the editorial page and we can get some feedback for Big City. He›s getting a little too big for his britches and you might need to take him down a peg. Write to him at Bigcity@trmdel.com. Remember to download the new Thunder Roads App. The best way to get all you need to know while you’re on the highway. We know you have great looking bikes out there and you would like to see it featured in Thunder Roads. Send us a picture and maybe Big City will pick yours to feature in an upcoming issue. Help us get the Free Thunder Roads Magazine to you. If you know of a bike shop or business that you think would be great for Thunder Roads, ask the business to call us or send us an email and we will be glad to stop by and talk to the owners. We have so much to tell them about the great opportunities available to them with Thunder Roads Magazine.