Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic 4157 Mountain Road #233 Pasadena, Maryland 21122 www.ThunderRoadsMidAtlantic.com
Big City’s Two-Wheel Testament..................................6 Across The Pond............................................................8
Facebook – Thunder Roads Mid-Atlantic Twitter- TR_BigCity Instagram- ThunderRoadsMid-Atlantic EDITOR / OWNER / PUBLISHER
Mike “Rhino” Ryan 443-875-7482 Rhino@BigCityRhino.com Mike ”Bighead” Abbott 443-875-7597 Bighead@BigCityRhino.com
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Tonya Harding 703-314-5200 Tonya@BigCityRhino.com (Virginia Sales Crew) David “Mongo” Robinson RAZZ 240-855-4705 571-319-7534 Mongo@BigCityRhino.com Razz@BigCityRhino.com (Big City Ride Card Manager) (Western MD / WV Crew)
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Cathy Curran 410-251-5438 Cat@bigcityrhino.com (Eastern Shore Sales Crew)
LAYOUT & DESIGN Meredith Hancock Hancock Graphics CONTRIBUTORS Preacher Gordon Bacon “Two Wheel Testament” Joyce “Biker Chic” Leon Brittain “Throttle Life” Andy Tallone “Across the Pond”
Diary of a Biker Chic.................................................. 13 AMA Report................................................................. 14 Bullet Points................................................................ 17 MC Rights Organizations........................................... 19 Road Captain’s Report.............................................. 20 Center Calendar......................................................... 22 Featured Bike: Shop Rat........................................... 24 Breast Cancer Awareness......................................... 27 Riding Our Iron Horses to Wild Ponies..................... 28 Rider Tips.................................................................... 31 Throttle Life................................................................. 33 News Bytes................................................................. 34 Events.......................................................................... 38 Joker’s Wild................................................................. 41 Biker Friendly Directory............................................. 42 Need to Know............................................................. 44
Marc Ritchie & Rose Grant “Road Captain’s Report”
Jim Bull “Brappmag.com” Off-Road/Racing Editor (717-951-5620) DISTRIBUTION Suzy “Carebear” Leighton Mike “Smiles” Johnson David “Barney” Barnhouse NATIONAL FOUNDERS Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive, Chapmansboro, TN. 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 thunderroadsfounders@yahoo.com
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ON THE COVER: Model: Brig-Um-Yung Photography: JCCPIX.com
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CTOBER IS A BUSY MONTH like all the others in the Mid-Atlantic area. We have Colonial Bike Fest this month, which is the last of the major shows in the area for this season. We are also wrapping up this year’s Ride Challenge. Be sure to check in next month and see what one of our lucky riders wins the grand prize. This year we are giving away a cold hard $5k to one lucky rider.
to the web page events tab and click the submit your event tab. We will get it up on the site asap.
Every month we bring top notch content, and this month has more of the same. Again, this month the Road Captain is living the Dream and taking all the rides we all wish we could find the time to do. As a special treat Join our Road Crew Member Darren a.k.a Sandman as he takes a ride with a few friends through Chincoteague. Once again Manny All that stuff is exciting and we are looking from Sunset Cycles gives us tips on how to ride in forward to them all, but we cannot forget that the rain. Also this month Leon from our Throttle October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month Life feature shows introduces us to the Sling Shot and I am sure that this has touch each one of you which is taking over the market. So be sure to follow in one way or another. Last year we ran an article us on line at www.ThunderRoadsMidAtlantic.com about one of Friends and Brother. That’s right I said where you can find everything that matters in the Brother. Breast Cancer is nasty and can affect men motorcycle community for the Mid-Atlantic area. as well as women. We got such a great response The Road Crew here at Thunder Roads® Midfrom those that read the article we wanted to give Atlantic works very hard at keeping you up to date our new readers the opportunity. Please help us with all the local events in your area. We attend raise awareness and hopeful one day find a cure. as many events as we can, more than any of our For a full list of all the local events in the Mid- competitors, but we can’t be everywhere. Submit Atlantic area, be sure to check out our website - your photos and stories to bigcity@bigcityrhino. www.thunderroadsmidatlantic.com. We have all com and be a part of the THUNDER!! the information you will need to plan your season Living the Lifestyle, NOT just selling It! as we update our calendars weekly with new rides L&R, and rallies. As always, feel free to submit your Rhino & Bighead event to be listed on the site at no charge. Just go
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OCTOBER 2017
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It’s Getting Cold
Revelation 3:14-22 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him
and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’” As bikers we have hot days, pleasant days and there are Cold days. Most love those pleasant days especially when we are riding those machines that can pretty hot themselves. Unfortunately we can’t stay in the lukewarm weather. Sooner or later comes the cold and the hot. Some prefer Cold over Hot and others prefer hot over cold. In life you must make a choice. Remember these words… So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Remember those those word as we head into Fall and Winter. God bless all of you. If these articles have blessed you I would love to hear from you. Preacherrwm@yahoo.com
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OCTOBER 2017
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ATTENTION: S
ts & Soldie Hampton Roads Riders ain rs
Looking for a Riding Club that actually Rides a lot?
meetup.com/Saints-Soldiers facebook.com/groups/saintsandsoldiersrc
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OCTOBER 2017 7
FROM ACROSS THE POND
1959 A10 Rocket 650 twin. This was BSA in her prime.
“OLD BRITISH BRANDS NEVER DIE... THEY JUST GET BOUGHT BY SOMEONE ELSE” INDUSTRIAL DOMINANCE IS A FICKLE THING
BY ANDY TALLONE Classic-British-Motorcycles.com
BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES At one time in the not-so-distant past, Britain ruled the world, literally and figuratively. They dominated the worldʼs trade and banking system, had the worldʼs most powerful navy, and most professional army, the largest economy, the highest standard of living, the most technologically-advanced industries and sciences, and the finest products available anywhere at the time. The Brits started and lead the Industrial Revolution, and by the late 1800s, their fine products began to include the worldʼs best cars and motorcycles. There seemed to be no stopping them, and everyone else in the world wanted their stuff. Britain colonized every corner of the globe to obtain raw materials that were shipped back to England, where English workers turned them into high-quality finished products that were exported across the globe. England was in the catbird seat. In their prime, they built the worldʼs best planes (Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane), the finest luxury cars (Rolls Royce and Bentley), the worldʼs fastest performance cars (Jaguar XK120 et al), the sexiest sports cars (MG, Austin-Healey, Triumph, etc.), and the worldʼs best-selling motorcycles (Triumph & BSA).
But it wasnʼt just their political arena that was shrinking, their great industrial dominance was about to be toppled as well. Just as America experienced with the Japanese in the 1960s, and the Chinese today, by building such great products and selling them around the world, Britain was essentially teaching their future competitors how to build a better car, or motorcycle or wristwatch. Before long, everyone was producing advanced products, and England no longer had the edge. As their car and motorcycle companies began to feel the pinch, less money was available for the development of future products, so they were stuck working with outdated hardware, and making the most of it. Fortunately for them, they were actually quite good at it, but it wasnʼt enough to stem the tide of cheap, high-quality products pouring in from Japan. Major industry after major industry constricted then collapsed. The British aerospace industry, consumer electronics, motorcycles, and cars all teetered at the edge of extinction, many never to return. (This should sound hauntingly familiar, if you live in America.)
THE CONQUERER AND THE VANQUISHED
We donʼt know what the new 2019 BSAs will look like, these are artistʼs renderings.
AN EMPIRE CRUMBLES
But nothing stays the same, and the irresistible cycles of change, along with a two World Wars, a Depression and a Cold War conspired to sap the once-mighty British Empire of her strength. They survived it all, won even, but it almost wiped them out, and they never quite recovered. Following the War, the British Empire began to crumble. India, Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine, Burma, Australian, New Zealand, Canada, and many more Colonies broke away from England. America was now the dominant global player, and England was more of a ‘side kickʼ. It must have been tough on the proud British people to accept this new reality. 8
Fast forward to today. Many of these great old British brands simply faded into history. But some were valuable enough, based on their good names and reputations, to be bought and revived by new owners. Unfortunately, theyʼre usually not from England. Today, Rolls Royce is owned by BMW (itʼs ironic that British fighters with Rolls Royce Merlin engines battled German fighters with BMW engines during WWII). Bentley is owned by the Volkswagen Group, also German. Jaguar and Land Rover are now owned by Tata Motors of India, after buying them from Ford (American). BMW also owns Mini, and the Chinese car company Geely just bought Lotus this year. Just about the only English-owned English car companies left today are tiny Morgan and McLaren (both practically a cottage industries). The same thing happened to the British motorcycle industry, but with some British ownership. Some of the best brands, those with the most iconic names and reputations, were bought up by other parties and resurrected, in some form or another, with varying degrees of success. Here’s where all those old classic British brands go when they die:
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Triumph was the king of the Brit bikes then, and now.
The new 961 is instantly recognizable as a Commando.
TRIUMPH
NORTON
Triumph was the ultimate premium British motorcycle brand for decades (1940s-1960s). They always made fast, beautiful bikes, and were literally the ones who started the whole motorcycle boom with the introduction of the worldʼs first ʻmodernʼ parallel twin, the 500cc 1938 Speed Twin. They continued to lead the way right up about 1970, when the combined forces of the Japanese motorcycle industry, an anti-business socialist government at home, and the collapse of parent-company BSA spelled big trouble for Triumph. A worker revolt in 1973 led to a worker buyout of the company, and the resulting Meriden Co-Op struggled along making small numbers of classic Bonnevilles until 1983. British billionaire developer John Bloore bought Triumph out of receivership and made plans to reopen as a modern motorcycle manufacturer. But that was still several years off. In the meantime, he licensed the rights to the classic Bonneville to Les Harris who hand-built Bonnevilles until 1989 or so. By 1990 Bloore was ready to launch the new Triumph Motorcycles Ltd brand, and their new line of modern motorcycles, built in their state-of-the-art new factory in Hinkley, England. Hence, the classic Triumphs are called “Meriden Triumphs”, and the modern bikes are called “Hinkley Triumphs”. Triumph wisely modularized their engines around two component sets, one a 250cc and the other a 300cc. This allowed them to launch with a wide range of engines, including 750 and 900 triples, and 1000 and 1200 fours. They revived historic Triumph names like “Trophy” and “Thunderbird”, but they were not even remotely retro in any other way: these were thoroughly modern highperformance bikes. It wasnʼt until 2001 that the retro-styled 800 Bonneville came out and was an instant hit. Priced around $8,000, it was a lot of bike for the money, not a superbike, but fast enough. Also, a thoroughly modern bike, but styled respectfully toward the original. Today, the “Bonnie” has grown to 1200cc and Triumph Motorcycles Ltd is a major player in the modern motorcycle industry. Bravo!
Norton is another storied British brand, known for the Norton Manx 500cc single-cylinder road racer that dominated the sport through the 1950s, and the Norton Commando, one of the worldʼs hottest bikes in the 1970s. In fact, for a brief moment in time, the 1969 750 Commando was the worldʼs fastest production motorcycle. While the rest of the British motorcycle industry crumbled around them, by 1972 only Triumph and Norton remained. Norton focused purely on the
100% FREE No Registration Required An Online Index of: * Postwar Classic British Bikes * Arranged by Make, Model & Year * Gorgeous, Eye-popping Photos * Specifications, History & more * Bike Shows, Auctions & Events * Clubs, Rides, Shops & Museums
INCLUDES: - Triumph - BSA - Norton - Matchless/AJS - Royal Enfield - Ariel - Vincent - Velocette - Rickman - Cafe Racers - Choppers & Bobbers - Race Bikes & more
www.Classic-British-Motorcycles.com ...and send us pictures of YOUR BIKE!
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Commando until production ended in 1975. They made a brief push with twin-rotor Wankel-powered motorcycles in the 80ʼs, but never built very many bikes. Kenny Dreer of Oregon secured the rights in the 1990s and hand built a new modern Norton 961 Commando in small numbers until 2006 when UK businessman Stuart Garner bought the brand. He began producing the 961 Commando at his new factory in Donington Park, England at a rate of around 500-1,000 units per year, most bound for Europe and the US (although they canʼt be sold in California). The new 961 Commando is totally modern, yet instantly recognizable as a Norton. However, they are produced in such low numbers that you rarely see one.
Henry Ford, theyʼve continued to produce the same machine year after year, getting the bugs out and the cost down. Today, their topof-the-line bikes cost less than $6,000.
Mahindra has big plans for BSA, we just donʼt know what they are.
BSA Royal Enfield Bullets have changed little since the 1950s.
ROYAL ENFIELD Royal Enfield is the anomaly here. It wasnʼt bought in modern times as a retro-revival like the others. When Royal Enfield in Redditch, Worcestershire, England was struggling in the 1950s (they were always struggling), they got so desperate for cash that they sold the rights and the tooling to build Royal Enfield Bullets to Madras Motors of India in 1955. ‘Enfield Indiaʼ, as it was called, immediately set to producing mass quantities of 350cc (and later 500cc) Bullet singles for the Indian domestic market, which was huge. When the original Royal Enfield Ltd in England went bankrupt in 1970, that left Enfield India on its own as the one-and-only Royal Enfield. Unfortunately, they did little to modernize the original bike they were handed by the Brits. And to this day, they still have a very retro look, even though it wasnʼt on purpose. Today most modern Royal Enfields have electric starters and electronic fuel injection, but still look like old Brit bikes from the 50ʼs. They sell well in the developing world, and do a respectable business in America and Europe as low-priced retro bikes. Unfortunately, they never graduated out of the basic single-cylinder OHV design, no OHCs, no twins, no multis. The old Royal Enfield used to make some impressive 750 twins, but the Indians are not straying off the original plan. Much like
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From the 1930s to about 1960, BSA was the worldʼs biggest producer of motorcycles, and owned Triumph and Ariel Motorcycles, along with factories that made cars, trucks, buses, heavy equipment, generators, munitions, military vehicles, steel and more. BSA was one of the largest, richest and most powerful corporations in the world by the late 1950s. Backroom misdealing’s and horrendous management crippled the company, and ultimately led to its collapse into insolvency in 1972. Little had been heard of BSA since, until late last year (2016) when it was announced that the BSA brand had been purchased by Indian tractor giant Mahindra, with plans to produce new BSA motorcycles in India starting in 2019. Little is known so far on the details of the new bikes, but considering the equity in the BSA Gold Star name, a new 500cc Gold Star single is an almost certainty. Mahindra has been building scooters and lightweight 2-stroke commuter bikes for years for their domestic market and the developing world. Now they want to move upmarket, and so bought the only motorcycle brand left with so much market cache in its name and reputation. It will be interesting to see what comes of it. Mahindra, currently the worldʼs largest tractor makers, certainly have the money to take BSA as far as they want to. How far are they willing to go? What about the bikes? Will they do it right?
OCTOBER 2017
For more like this, please visit www.Classic-British-Motorcycles.com
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OCTOBER 2017
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BY JOYCE ELAINE
DIARY OF A BIKER CHIC
I have no idea how it got to September so fast. The summer has flown by and I had plans to enjoy my weekends off by riding anywhere and everywhere. Life doesn’t ever work out the way you plan though. On this particular Sunday, I was being a lazy bum and fighting a slight cold. Just before 10:00, I got a text from Rhonda asking me if I was up to do some riding with her and her hubby. I told her if I could get out of bed I would be. I knew it was going to be a sunny day at just barely 70 degrees and I didn’t know how much more of these type of days we were going to get. Luckily, I was able to get up and meet up with her and Andy at about 1:00. I knew I didn’t want to do a full day of riding with a cold slowly kicking my butt so I agreed to do a ride with them to Thurmont. I had never been there before and figured it was close enough but I would still get a decent little scoot in. Andy led the way and I lazily followed behind. I was just a little off because of my cold and the long week I had working that I probably shouldn’t have been riding but you all know how that goes! I did okay except for the one time towards the end of the ride that I stalled as I was taking off from a stop. Did Andy and Rhonda even notice? I don’t think they did! I didn’t know where we were going but I knew we were headed somewhere to get some lunch. The ride was nothing short of amazing! It was back roads all the way and a couple of things I saw made me chuckle. I saw an older style hot rod car as a mailbox. As we were going through a small town, there was a sign for a yard sale but they advertised their yard sale as “classy crap.” We all got a laugh out of that one! We pulled into a place called “Mountain Gate Family Restaurant.” I went with the buffet option and I have to say that it’s the only buffet I’ve eaten that didn’t fill me up really fast and have me walking away feeling bloated! I was happy about that! The food was great and I’ll definitely go back there again! When we were done eating, I was starting to feel a bit better and wanted to do some more riding. I had a little while before my fiancé (as of two weeks ago!!) got off work so I told Andy that we should ride some more. He said he didn’t know what was around and he might get us lost. Rhonda made the comment that he’s never gotten them lost. My response was, “There’s a first time for everything.” So we got back on the road and Andy led the way without really knowing where he was going. He found a side road and it looked promising at first…but then it turned into a gravel road and we embarked upon a dead end…which was weird because there were no signs stating there was a dead end or no outlet. We got ourselves turned around and went back out on the highway and did a U-turn. When we had to stop at a stop sign he said to me, “I don’t know where I’m at.” My response was, “Yeah, I figured that.” No biker wants to be on a gravel road unless they have to! Andy peeped out another side road to go down. We had hit the motherlode of biker roads on this one! I’m talking about back roads, in the woods, curves, and absolutely no traffic what-so-ever! As I followed behind Andy and relaxed with the silence of the wooded area, I found myself going into an almost trance at how serene and tranquil I was feeling. I thought I could have very easily have fell asleep as all the stresses of the week were melting off of me and I Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
forgot all about the cold that was trying to invade my body. At one point, we came upon another road and Andy took it. I wasn’t sure what we’d find here but we hit the jackpot again! We found ourselves riding along a small creek in the wooded area and I started singing to myself: “over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house we go…” because it was exactly what I picture when I hear that song! We drove on this awesome road for what seemed like forever until disaster struck…GRAVEL! More gravel to have to deal with! The scenery was still just as beautiful but the gravel made it not as enjoyable. At one point we passed a sign that said, “Loose gravel ahead” and as I found out later, we both were wondering what that meant because we were already on loose gravel. Luckily that sign was a big fat liar and the road didn’t get any worse. We passed a man that was standing in front of an entrance and Andy had wondered if maybe we had gotten to close to Camp David. He slowed down, thinking this guy was going to tell us to get out of there, but as it turns out, there was a wedding happening back in the woods somewhere and he was out there to direct traffic. PHEW! Eventually, Andy found another road to turn onto and it was a good decision because it eventually, after what seemed like forever, brought us to the beloved pavement again and from there we found our way out to the main road. As we stopped at the stop sign, Andy’s exact words were, “Let’s get the hell out of here!” I was in agreeance with him as I had enough of the gravel riding for one day! I have to say that I’m so happy that I found a couple of friends who like to get out and ride and are able to, at times, get me out to go riding with them. I think we are going to have many adventures together over the years! Of course, if we didn’t ride we probably never would have met each other. That’s just another example of how bikes bring friends together! When I pulled up to my house, I had done exactly 140 miles. That’s not too bad for a quick day trip out on the bike. It was just after 5:30 and it was starting to get a little chilly. Of course when you read this, it will be October already. I’m not ready to pull out the leather and heated gear just yet. I wish we could have summer back…
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REPORT
U.S. ISDE team finishes fast in France Women’s team ends week with strong results Story and photos by Mark Kariya Though team victories eluded the U.S. ISDE team this year at the 92nd International Six Days Enduro in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, the teams are not disappointed with a second, two thirds and a class win. France won both the FIM World Trophy and Junior World Trophy divisions while settling for third in Women’s World Trophy. The U.S. World Trophy team was destined for the basement after losing Thad Duvall to injury on the first day. Finishing 16th out of 19 countries was as good as the team could finish. With the team title out of reach, the goal became getting the three remaining riders Taylor Robert, Kailub Russell and Ryan Sipes⏤class wins. Robert achieved part of his goal and came away the E3 victor, though after being last year’s E2 and overall individual winner, he had to settle for being third overall. Sipes was runner-up in E1 after going into the sixth day’s final motocross tests in third place. He also climbed to fifth overall individual. In their respective final motos, both Robert and Sipes took second while Russell came home fourth in the E2 moto to put him seventh in the final E2 standings.
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E3 winner Taylor Robert (left) congratulates E1 winner Josep Garcia; E2 winner Loic Larrieu (right) also took overall individual honors.
Layne Michael heads to fifth in the final E1 moto. For the week, he finished 10th in the class, helping lead the U.S. Tteam to third in Junior World Trophy. “That was a big improvement because I don’t think we’ve ever had two Americans in the top five,” Robert said. “That’s huge. It’s just something to build on for next year. We’ve got two guys that can definitely compete for wins, and Kailub’s won days before so Kailub can get back up there when he’s riding like himself.” Robert added: “We just need that fourth guy to be up there every day as well like the French team was a couple days this year. It was a good event. I wasn’t as close to the overall as I would’ve hoped I lost a little bit of time the last couple days but all in all, I felt like I rode really well, especially with the bike that I was on. There were like 30 guys in the E3 class and I think I was the only guy on a four-stroke. Grass tracks really aren’t my forte as well. I felt like we did good [all things considered], and next year’s in Chile in the sand, and I think we’re all looking forward to that.” The Italian Juniors actually bested France as a team in the final day’s results, but it wasn’t enough to completely erase their deficit and they remained second behind the host country’s team, while the U.S. Juniors were a strong third - two minutes and 2.9 seconds behind the French. Of the Americans, Layne Michael finished with the best results, grabbing tenth in E1 and 27th overall, while Grant Baylor earned 13th E2 and 31st
overall. Josh Toth had a one-minute penalty a few days ago and settled for fourteenth E1 and fortyfirst overall. The week ended fairly spectacularly for the U.S. Women’s World Trophy team. For the second day in a row, the three first-timers went faster, as a team, than the leading trio from Australia by nearly 14 seconds. Brandy Richards winning the WWT moto was the highlight of the final day for American fans. But Richard’s win still wasn’t enough for the U.S. team to get close to the Aussies, who were 6:46.62 ahead at the end of the week, with France about 20 minutes behind for third. Kacy Martinez-Coy got taken out and staged a comeback ride to eighth at the finish of the moto about 40 seconds behind teammate Becca Sheets, who finished fifth. The SRT Off-road trio of Ben Kelley, Ty Tremaine and Cody Webb held onto third place in the Club team standings behind winner Italy and MCC Wales/ Welsh MCC. In his C2 moto, Tremaine worked his way to second - less than two seconds behind the moto winner and placing him fourth in C2. Among C1 riders, Kelley got knocked down to seventh for the day but finished second in the class. Webb claimed sixth in the C3 final moto and, like Tremaine, ended up fourth in class for the week.
Early in the Women’s World Trophy moto with Brandy Richards taking aim at early leader Laia Sanz. Rookie Richards made the pass to win the moto though Sanza topped the women for the week. The Americans finished second behind five-time winner Australia in the week’s results, though as a team, they beat the champs the last two days.
nth, o m r e p 9 .0 4 $ t s ju For you can join an organization that fights for motorcyclists' rights!
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AMA Road Race Grand Championship to kick off at Barber Motorsports Park Event to take place in conjunction with WERA Grand National Finals PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- America’s fastest amateur motorcycle road racers will descend on Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala., Nov. 2-5 to compete for AMA national championships at the 2017 AMA Road Race Grand Championship. “Motorcycle road racing showcases not just the enormous talent of the riders, but incredible machines that are packed with cutting-edge technology straight from the showroom floor,” said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. “The competition is fierce as the racers push their bikes to the limit, rounding the course at triple-digit speeds. Barber Motorsports Park is a world-class venue that will provide the perfect proving grounds for the race for AMA National No. 1 plates.” AMA National No. 1 plates go to the winner in each class and run in conjunction with the AMA-sanctioned WERA Grand National Finals, which will award championships in the WERA Vintage Series, WERA Sportsman Series and the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series. The AMA also will award the Nicky Hayden Road Race Horizon Award to one rider who is judged best prepared for the professional ranks, based on attitude,
enthusiasm and past performances as an amateur. The award recently was renamed in honor of 2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden, who passed away in May and was the inaugural winner of the AMA Horizon Award in 1997.
Racing action from the 2016 AMA Road Race Grand Championship.
New generation A millennial’s three favorite bikes in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum By Ashley Price, AMA Associate Editor The world of motorcycling is forever growing and changing, and thanks to current advancements in technology, that evolution is accelerating. The advancements come, not only on motorcycles themselves, but by motorcyclists whose accomplishments over the past few decades have been nothing short of impressive. As a younger generation in a sport that has such a rich history, it’s important to acknowledge all aspects of where motorcycling began and the true heritage of the industry. Walking among the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum displays and gazing at the machines of many all-time greats not only offers the experience to relive the most influential moments and riders of motorcycling history, it is also simply nostalgic. It’s a privilege to be able to learn about the bikes they rode to countless championships and used to change the face of motorcycling forever. Here are my three favorite motorcycles in the museum that I believe were the most significant to motorcycling, to the millennial generation. Jeremy McGrath’s 2000 Yamaha YZ250: Since I grew up in the 1990s it should come as no surprise that Jeremy McGrath is one of my all-time favorite motocross racers. In what many consider the golden years of AMA Supercross, McGrath took the sport to the next level, selling out stadiums and enlarging the world of motorcycle racing through his unmatched talent on a dirt bike. As a young girl who was already obsessed with motocross racing, watching McGrath race brought me the same excitement that going to Disney World brought other kids my age. Seeing his bike in the museum brings back the same feelings of joy, adrenaline and excitement that I would get years ago. It’s almost as if I can hear the echoing sounds of two-strokes ringing through a stadium once again. Ricky Carmichael’s 2005 Suzuki RM250: Carmichael’s famous dirt bikes in the museum provide a true testament of how incredible a racer he truly was. Watching the many epic Carmichael-Stewart-Reed battles in the early 2000s were among the highlights of my childhood and still some of the best racing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. But of all Ricky’s bikes in the museum, his RM holds a special place in my heart, as the last two-stroke to win an AMA Supercross Championship. It’s crazy to think that there are generations that don’t know anything other than the pure power and deep growls of four-stroke Supercross racing. I was fortunate enough to not only witness this incredible advancement take place, but also live through this milestone in motorcycling history. At such a Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
young age, I don’t think I was quite aware of how monumental the introduction of four-strokes to the racing world would be, but I can vividly remember watching this exact Suzuki RM250 flying over the finish line as Carmichael took home his fifth and final AMA Supercross Championship. Josh Hayes’ 2014 Yamaha YZF-R1: After selling all of my dirt bikes and heading off to college, I quickly realized that it was not possible for me to give up riding motorcycles. So to fill the void, I dove into the world of sport bikes. I hopped on a 2007 YZF-R6 and soon become obsessed with road racing, a result of my life-long passion for motorcycles and my background in competition. As a poor college student, I was too cheap to pay for the full cable TV package, so I was forced to watch AMA Superbike and MotoAmerica races on my laptop while I crammed for my finals. Riding a Yamaha, I obviously had a soft spot for Josh Hayes, but his determination and confidence in winning gave me all the more reason to root for him. His talent on a motorcycle was unmatched and debatably still is today, as he fights for more MotoAmerica race wins and championships. Seeing his race-tuned machine in person lights the same fire inside me that I got from watching him fight to the front of the pack on my 12-inch computer screen. Standing next to it, I want to just hop on and ride it out the doors of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum and on down the road to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. As it sits quietly next to you, it’s incredible to think that this machine was flying around a track in upwards of 150 mph. Being next to this bike makes me realize that my passion for motorcycles goes much deeper than just the freedom of riding. BONUS! Ryan Sipes’ 2015 Husqvarna FE250: As the first American to place as the top individual rider at the International Six Days Enduro, Ryan Sipes made history in 2015 aboard this Husqvarna - a truly inspiring moment in recent motorcycle racing history! Although I’ve only been around motorcycles for 23 short years, there is no question that they have shaped my life and made me who I am. Every motorcyclist has a story—our love for motorcycling started somewhere. Being able to see the motorcycles that influenced our passion and changed the face of our industry forever, in person, is truly a nostalgic feeling that is indescribable. For your chance to relive the greatest moments in motorcycling during your own generation, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/hof or check out the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum at the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio.
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RAFFLE BIKE!
WIN A URAL
ENTER for a chance to
Visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Ural to enter online or call (800) 262-5646 for more info. A minimum donation of $5 per ticket, or $20 for five tickets, is suggested.
SIDECAR MOTORCYCLE 2017 GEAR-UP 2-wheel drive!
Featuring custom parts, accessories and gear from these companies: This 2-wheel drive sidecar from Ural Motorcycles is a special “Adventure Together” edition, outfitted by the Wilkinson Brothers of Good Spark Garage. It was carefully set up and dialed in by one of the nation’s top Ural sales and service dealerships, Heindl Engineering of Eaton, Ohio. UPGRADED PARTS & ACCESSORIES: + LED Sidecar Lights /Custom Guards + Black Engine and Drive-Train + Engine Skid Plate + Sidecar Nose & Fender Rack + Aluminum Reinforced Hand Guards + Heindl Engineering Rear Sidecar Bumper + Ural First Aid Box + Headlight & Spotlight Rock Guards + Leg Shields / Mud Guards
FACTORY GEAR-UP OPTIONS: • • • • • • • • •
Sidecar Spot Light Sidecar Power Outlet Sidecar Tonneau Cover Gas Tank with Built-In Storage Jerry Can Utility Shovel Luggage Rack Universal Spare Wheel Sidecar Front Bumper
Winner will be selected in a random drawing to be conducted during the 2018 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony weekend scheduled for September.
This isn’t just a hobby. It’s who I am. Rider gets it.
Share how deep your passion runs.
#NotaHobby
Ride with Rider. Get your quote today. Visit rider.com or call (844) 276-0161. Available in Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
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BULLET POINTS D OM I N ANC E ARTICLE/PHOTOS BY: BRODY KENNEN
SIG-Sauer and Glock continue to hold the covers of magazines and the front of web-pages across the internet. For SIG, the headlines consist of the Army’s M17 variant and the “voluntary upgrade” program on “unsafe” P320s in the civilian arena. For Glock, their headlines cover the good and the bad of the new Generation-5 line of handguns. Of course, both issues were met with various degrees of controversy. SIG-Sauer P320C
SIG-Sauer offered a voluntary upgrade for a safety issue: wherein, if the handgun is ever dropped on the back-plate it could result in a discharge. This came about after two different law-enforcement officers reported discharges, when their service handguns fell to the ground. The most recent case resulted in the officer being wounded. I will be sending one of mine off to assess the differences when it comes back. It doesn’t strike me as a big deal. The mechanical fault requires such specific parameters to meet that it is almost a non-issue. There have been two incidents that brought the problem to light, out of over 500,000 P320s sold commercially and to law-enforcement, so far.
of disappointment with the new Glock. New barrel, new internals, and a requirement for (mostly) new holsters. The compatibility list with older models extremely is short. The Gen-5s are currently only being offered in 9mm – with the full-sized 17s and compact 19s. The next bit of news may alleviate that burn slightly. Glock’s Head of International Sales, Richard Flür, stated that the Modular Handgun System offerings would be put on the commercial market. The two MHS guns are G19 and G23 variants with compact slides on full-sized frames. Currently, there has been no word on other 9mm models or calibers such as .45 ACP. If you are fresh into the handgun market and happen to like the Glock design, then it is irrelevant. The Gen-5 might be right up your alley. The argument of dominance between Glock and SIG is rather irrelevant. Glock reigns supreme in the law-enforcement community and will for the foreseeable future, but they were beaten in the Army’s program due to a lack of modularity. You won’t see Glock innovate until there’s a credible threat to the market they currently control. They merely need to comply with any bulk commercial requests. SIG’s cheap grip modules and X-Change kits are a superior alternative to buying a whole Glock frame. Which, I might add, must be sent through an FFL because it is a serialized part. Those go for between $220-250 before shipping and transfer, versus SIG’s $40 grip modules or a $300 X-Change kit in any other size and caliber. S&W M&P9 2.0
Glock-17 Gen-5
Glock, on the other hand, released their Generation-5 line. The Gen-5 handguns are the commercial version of the M-variant L.E. handguns. It has been described as the “Gen-4 without finger grooves”, but this isn’t accurate. There is a whole lot of difference internally. There is very little backwards compatibility with older models’ parts. For that reason, there has been a lot
As the companies battle it out with new designs, it is the American public that benefit from such competition. On top of the Glock and SIG, Smith & Wesson is releasing a compact-sized M&P 2.0 in 9mm, CZ-USA has their strikerfired P-10C and the H&K VP9 has all controls on both sides without having to be switched. The diversity is there within the commercial market, and there is far more from 2017 than what little I have just covered. LEGISLATION ALERT Sportmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (SHARE Act – H.R. #3668, Duncan S.C.) – Features many pro-firearms related material including a “Hearing Protection Act” provision for deregulation of suppressor purchases. On Sept. 13, the bill was passed out of the Committee of Natural Resources with a vote of 22 to 13. If you want to see extended versions of these articles, then visit www. thearmednovelist.com. Questions or comments? Email thisistheline3@gmail.com.
16 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi | October 2017 | www.thunderroadslouisiana.com Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
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• Make yourself visible. Choose riding gear that increases your visibility in traffic in addition to providing protection in the event of a crash. Use bright colors and retro-reflective strips or decals, especially at night. • Ride so you are seen. There is no one safe place to ride. Use lane positioning to be seen. Ride with your headlight on and consider using a modulating headlight. • Give yourself space and time to react. Allow space for emergency braking or for avoiding a crash. Make your lane moves gradually. • Signal your intentions. Signal before changing lanes. Avoid weaving between lanes. Flash your brake light when you are slowing down and before stopping. • Be courteous and respect other road users. Being courteous, non-aggressive and cooperative can go a long way in reducing crashes.
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MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS If you ride a motorcycle, you should be involved in one of these organizations. Stand up, Get involved, Be a Part of the Solution! Preserve your rights as a biker!
DELAWARE 61 B McMillan Way Newark, DE. 19713 Email: abateofde@aol.com www.abateofde.com
Email: abateofde@aol.com www.abateofde.com
Motorcycle Riders Foundation 1325 G Street NW Suite 500 Washington DC 20005 Email: mrfoffice@mrf.org www.mrf.org
MARYLAND ABATE of Maryland, Inc. 71 Franklin Street Annapolis, MD. 21401 Email: info@abateofmd.com www.abateofmd.org
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Canaan Valley from the Top
Almost at the Top
WATERFALLS, CHAIRLIFTS AND FISHERMEN
A
S MOST OF YOU have probably figured out, Rose and I are big fans of waterfalls. In addition to being fodder for great motorcycle rides and photography, without getting too scientific, the negative charged ion air near them, has proven to provide benefits to health and well being. The same can be said for beaches, and may explain our subconscious gravitation towards water. What’s even more amazing, it how this motorcycling can get this old fart all fired up over science. So, I stumbled on this cool website, WVwaterfalls.com, and found this map containing thumbs, with links to most of the significant waterfalls in the state, many of which, I’d never heard of. The Waterfall on Brushy Run caught my eye, because it was one that we’d ridden by so many times, but did not know it was there. Perfect for a day ride, it was near Seneca Rocks, and Canaan Valley was just a little ways further. We headed west on Rt. 250. I’m happy to report, much of it is being repaved in the correct manner, since my last article. Once completed, VA could market this as one of the best “Fill in the blank of the Dragon” roads out there. The 39 mile stretch from West Augusta to the WV state line contains just about every type of twistie imaginable, from corkscrews to passenger ejectors (the ones that climb and then dip at the apex), perfectly paired with valleys in between to summon up more courage for the next mountain. On a map, it kinda looks like the Jaw of the Dragon. Hmmmmmm. We bailed on Maple Sugar Road to our new found short cut through Blue Grass to Snowy Mountain. This could make
ROAD CAPTAIN’S REPORT
Rt. 28 to Seneca Rocks is a bit of a unique rarity among cruiser roads. No matter how many times I ride on this stretch, getting the turns right and pocketing the apexes is always a challenge, and it’s always fun. Nowhere else, have I seen so many semicircle passing zones between hillsides and fields. When I first started riding as a teenager, I would imagine a really fast, heavy metal song to go along with a road like this. However, on this day, “On the Mend” by the Foo Fighters was playing, and turned our ride into a dreamy slow dance of lefts and rights, at highway speeds. Surreal. With my presumptive GPS listening skills firmly in place, I managed to take the wrong turn and nearly dumped the bike heading down a loosely graveled road that looked like the bottom of an old tri hull ski boat. We did manage to find one of the most ridiculously sloped switchbacks any clutch-fanner on Grandfather Mountain ever negotiated. Once on the correct road, I still drove right past the waterfall. They should have named it “Don’t Blink Falls.” It’s about three quarters of a mile on the left after the turn behind a 10 foot clearing in the trees right next to the road. A small culvert and gravel shoulder mark its location. I also remembered reading that there wasn’t a whole lot of water
H Corridor Overlook 20
anyone’s scenic drive list. Vistas of the valley with the ever-constant “Snowy” in the background, seem to have the same effect as any waterfall or beach.
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Clutch Fanning
Falls at Brushy Run
falling unless it had rained recently, as was the case on this day. It was still beautiful, and as close by as it is, I’m sure we’ll be checking it out again when there’s been more rain. Canaan was only another 20 miles. It was Saturday, so their scenic chairlift ride was open. This was an unexpected pleasure. While still under the influence of negative ion enhancement, the 20 minute ride to the top with my Angel seemed to slow down time even more than a Foo Fighters song. The views were breathtaking and the air was as fresh as it gets. The leaves were just starting to turn, and come mid-October, it will be even better. This may be a bit far for some readers, so check your nearest ski resort to see if they’re running. If you’re like me and find most of the sand in life’s hourglass at the bottom, it will be very enjoyable, especially with your pillion. The historic lumber town of Davis was just 15 minutes away. Known as the highest incorporated town in West Virginia, at 3200 feet elevation, its Main Street is bustling on the weekends with its restaurants and pubs, generally spotted by all of the bikes parked out front. The Wicked Wilderness Pub was no exception and we found an open spot. As nice as the inside was, we elected to eat outside on their patio, enjoying the mild, late summer afternoon. The food hit the spot and Rose was able to enjoy a local craft brew to wash down her jalapenos.
played a Rickenbacker, Neil made Tamas everyone’s favorite drumset, and Alex sported a cameltoe. I recently stumbled on a quote from the famous artist, Vincent van Gogh, who once wrote, “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” I’ve never thought of myself as a fisherman before, or looked at riding from this angle, but it applies very accurately. Heck, I’ll bet there’s more than a few of us that have risked life and limb for a cup of coffee, or grabbing a newspaper somewhere. So, fishing for a waterfall void of water, or a chairlift ride in the summer, or whatever the catch, is a no-brainer. It still beats remaining ashore. Cheers and thanks for reading! Marc Ritchie
Correspondence: facebook.com/friendsof211
We continued our loop along the H-Corridor to Morefield and home. For those who haven’t traveled this scenic concrete ribbon through the mountains and valleys of northeast WV, it’s a real gem. With very little traffic and a 65 MPH speed limit, riders can park it in the big boy gear and let it eat while marveling at all of the amazing views. Ironically, this was the stretch, the heavier Rush songs were playing: you know, the really good stuff, where Geddy
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Photos by Rose Grant
Snowy Mountain Road
Valley Below Snowy Mountain
Tri Hull Gravel
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With the riding stance is like kicking a football, after about 15 minutes you can just let go of the bars and use the foot throttle and sit upright. With the 50 degree rake, the bike is rock stable at anything over 15 mph. This sickle is actually very comfortable without seat padding and very stable out on the highway and a joy to ride. The Shop Rat draws a crowd everywhere we go. But back to the specs - We’ve actually built a device very similar to an old Pinhead mouse trap we call a ‘Rat Trap’ which will soon be available through Jamboozie Customs which is basically 2 gears and a chain that not only make the clutch much easier to pull but eliminates the need to remove the primary to change the clutch cable. We use a standard Softtail clutch cable and it looks cool as hell hanging next to the primary. The foot throttle is operated with your left heel and sits just below the peg. When completed, the bike will still be bare metal but we have 13 different gas tanks that will all have different show quality paint. We fabbed a fuel rail from a bicycle fork to hold the fuel peacocks and also fabbed the curved intake and pretzel piped - we love to fab.
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t a R Shop
Early ’70’s Sportster Motor - 1100 cc Frame - Shop Built Rigid 50 Degree Neck Rake with a Slight Goose Roller Rear Chain Adjustment (Fabbed with tools laying around the shop including holding the rear fender on and also making u the right side foot shifter assembly) Rear Brake- P/M 4 Piston operated fromm the right handle bar Front Brake - None Yet… Rear Fender - Old Superglide Widened Front Fender - None Forks - Air Ride Front Wheel - Honda Rear Wheel - Suzie….Basically whatever was laying around the shop… Throttle - Hand/Foot Air Cleaner - Jamboozie
Model: Brig-Um-Yung Photography: JCCPIX.com Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
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R E C N A C T S A BRE TH N O M S S E N E R A AW
By Robert Kaitz
The chemo was the part I feared the most. I saw how ill my father was when he went through chemo in 1986. I have since finished all of my treatments, my hair is back and there is no trace of breast cancer at this time. YEEEEHAAAAA!
My father died of colon cancer in 1986 because he was too stubborn to go to the doctor. I promised my family, loved ones and myself, I would not let that happen. I get cysts on my back. I have had them surgically removed and tested and they were always just fatty tissue. When I had a lump in my left breast behind my nipple for a couple of years, I just thought it was a cyst too. What else could it have been? Guys don’t or can’t get breast cancer, or so I thought. I had no idea men could get breast cancer.
Since all of this, as you can imagine, many things go through your head when they say, “You have cancer”. I have made it my mission to raise
So I go to my doctor one day in October 2006. I had a sore throat and gave him a list of things that were bothering me. I had acid reflux, a sore throat, etc. I was just about to leave and said, “Oh yeah I have this lump.” I showed the doctor my lump and he started yelling…@#$@*@# (I had known him a while)! I told him I knew I was prone to cysts. He said, “That is not one, they do not happen there.” I asked him how I was supposed to know that. He sent me for an immediate mammogram, followed by a sonogram and then a needle biopsy. I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma and had a radical mastectomy in November 2006. The surgeon also removed 25 lymph nodes, five of them positive. The mass was 2.5 centimeters, stage 3. I went through chemotherapy, four treatments of AC (Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide) and four treatments of Taxol (one every other week). I then did 36 treatments of radiation, every day
awareness of male breast cancer. If I can help one gentleman find it sooner my mission will be a success. Male breast cancer only accounts for 1% of all breast cancer, but in 2016 alone the American Cancer Society estimates 2600 men will be diagnosed and 440 of those men diagnosed with breast cancer will not make it. I have been on my local tv channel 13 (CBS affiliate) talking about my breast cancer. I’ve been in my local papers. I work with the John W Nick Foundation. I have done talks as well as been on the Dr. Oz show. I’ve worked with Myriad talking about men and genetic testing. I help others who are diagnosed and help them through the process. My mission is to get the public to know men can get breast cancer and I want doctors to let their patience know they need to check if they have a history of breast cancer in their family.
Monday through Friday. I was blessed because the treatments did not affect me like other people. I did not miss any work, no nausea, or other side effects just total hair loss.
My mother is a 25-year breast cancer survivor and also had a mastectomy. We are of Ashkenazi Jewish decent, so I went through genetic testing. I am BRCA2 positive which also puts me at an increased risk for prostate cancer and melanoma.
It was funny while I was bald, I would Visit clients (President /CEO My PC Guy,Inc), friends and they would say, “Oh you cut your hair.” I would reply, “No I am going through cancer treatment.” Their faces would drop and they’d say, “I am sorry what kind, if you do not mind me asking?” I would tell them breast cancer and they would start to smile. I could see it in their eyes. It was like they were thinking I was fooling around because like me, they’d be thinking guys don’t get breast cancer.
Today I am a 56- year-old male who has survived stage 3 breast and prostate cancer. I haven’t been called upon much lately to talk about my breast cancer. I know there’s more awareness now than when I was diagnosed, but we still have a long way to go. Maybe I’ll get back out there again….
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In June of 2009 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully it was in very early stages. Because of my BRCA2 diagnosis and high risk status, my prostate was removed and no chemo or radiation was required.
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RIDING OUR IRON HORSES TO WILD PONIES by Darren “Sandman” Myers Road Crew Member A beautiful blue sky, fresh air, perfect temperatures and open road… to ride or not to ride…what a stupid question. That was the beginning of the day our crew headed out for the little town on the eastern shore of Virginia where the legend of “Misty” was born, Chincoteague. The Police Department was hosting their 13th Annual Poker Run for the Kids. I hopped on my iron horse with the excitement of a kid on his birthday ready to ride the eastern shore highway to historic Chincoteague. It was hard to understand how I had managed to miss riding into this magical little town with all the trips I have made up and down highway 13 over the years. Since I was a Chincoteague first timer, I was going to make the most of this trip.
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Our group of ten bikes met up at a Mickey D’s in Norfolk and then scooted across the 17 and half miles of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It was a scenic day with calm waters and a majestic blue sky as we crossed onto the famous Eastern Shore. White beaches and open marshes were soon overtaken by farmers’ fields and little towns. A bunch of childhood memories flashed through my head as we past what must be the last living “Stuckey’s” tourist stop. Many a road trip as a child had a stop at a Stuckey’s as a required break for everyone to look through the gift shop. The 100+ mile trip seemed very short as pulled up to our meet up spot at a gas station across from the famous NASA Wallops Flight Facility. It seemed like an appropriate spot for a sendoff of some kind.
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We were soon off to our first stop on the poker run. This was the first time in the 13 years that the Police Department of Chincoteague had been organizing the run that it wasn’t an escorted ride. According to Assistant Police Chief Bryan Lewis, everyone was just ready to try something different. The route they chose provided a great taste of the Eastern Shore’s quaint little towns, country roads and enough gas stations for those with peanut sized tanks. After a relaxing ride through some lush forest areas, we made our first stop at Fins Ale House and Raw Bar in Berlin, Maryland. This town had the greatest ice cream shop that gave you what I swear was a pint plus of ice cream for what they called a one dipper. Next was the Harvest Moon Tavern in Snow Hill right next to the old firehouse and several beautiful Churches. Then we were off to Pocomoke, MD at the Riverside Grill located at a beautiful spot right on the river. Our final destination was Don’s Seafood Market & Restaurant which had a park behind it on the water in downtown Chincoteague. The setting for the final stop was very picturesque. The river and marina provided a beautiful backdrop for the pavilion with plenty of food and two great bands that rocked the block party style celebration. The usual prizes for best hand, worst hand, 50/50 were awarded and then it was time for the live auction. It wasn’t your usual live auction with lots of bike parts and apparel. This was a Chincoteague style auction with many hand-made treasures representing the culture of the area. There were several hand-carved duck decoys donated by very talented artists, along with framed professional photos, hand-made knives, and other items from local artisans. The proceeds from the event benefits the community from school scholarships, helping less fortunate families with food needs to buying children clothes and toys for Christmas. Congratulations to the Chief Randy Mills, Assistant Chief Bryan Lewis and the entire Chincoteague Police Department for a very successful and enjoyable event. Before jumping on my iron horse to head home I wanted to see if I could spot some of the famous wild ponies on Assateague Island. These modernday descendants of domestic horses have adapted to the hardships of living near the ocean and are famous from the annual Pony Swim roundup put on by the local fire department. As I rounded a corner of the park road, there they were…about a dozen majestic horses grazing in a marshy field. Although I have seen and ridden many horses in my years, there was something magical about seeing these ponies in person. On my way home I was treated to a special viewing of a gorgeous sunset off the bridge tunnel over the Chesapeake Bay. There was no doubt that this was a good day to ride. Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
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RIDING IN THE RAIN N
o matter how prepared you are or how much you try to avoid riding in it, in the end: Rain happens. You need not fear it, or run for cover at the first sight of little dark clouds. But you should respect how rain changes the game and adjust TIPS your riding accordingly. While it’s no fun riding through the rain, sometimes you just get stuck in it. The best thing to do is slow down, pay attention and be safe. Any time you find yourself riding in questionable road conditions, the first thing you can do to improve your chances of arriving to your destination safely is to slow down and create more cushion between you and any surrounding vehicles or obstacles. Riding fundamentals really come into play during challenging riding conditions as rain riding tends to amplify any mistakes. Stay calm, be alert and try to look as far ahead as possible. RAIN GEAR TIPS Make sure you have your rain gear readily available, in the event that you need to use it. The last thing you is to forget to pack it on your bike. Before you do, make sure it still fits, the zippers and Velcro are still intact and that none of the seams are torn. You should never have to endure a motorcycle ride with rain gear that leaks, trust me, I’ve been there and it sucks! Your rain gear should fit over your close, jacket, sweater, vest, jeans and boots. The only thing you should have to remove is your helmet. Riding in the rain can also prove to be tricky with eye protection. Helmets with built-in visors have proven to be very effective for these conditions, as well as full-face helmets. Three quarter helmets allow you to snap visors to them as do some shorty helmets. Whatever you choose to wear, make sure you are prepared. BRAKING TIPS When braking in wet conditions, use both brakes but apply lighter pressure to the front brake than you normally would in the dry. Ease into it, slowing down without being abrupt is important in the dry but critical in the wet. When wheels and roads get wet and scary it’s easier to lock up the wheel if you aren’t making a conscious effort to be smooth. If you grab a handful of front brake when the street is slick it almost always leads to you and your bike going down. CORNERING Give yourself more distance to slow down, apply your brakes well before entering corners and turn-in more slowly and deliberately. This is not the time for aggressive riding. This isn’t to say you should creep along so slow you can barely keep the bike vertical and cause car traffic to run up behind you, but when traction goes liquid, caution should be your first concern. TIRES Any time we talk about cornering we have to discuss tires. Motorcycle tires are often a forgotten part of any bike. Since your safety depends on them, it’s a good habit to check your tires frequently for wear, proper inflation and any defects or damage. A tire in proper riding condition will help you survive the ride when the elements are against you. For those of us who like big, fat rear tires, remember the broader the contact patch increases your chance to hydroplane. Knuckles go white when water floats your rubber and you feel your front end getting lighter and harder to steer while the rear end fishtails. If this happens, try not to brake or make any dramatic changes, but you should back off the throttle a little and ride it out. The best defense to hydroplaning is to see it coming. If you are approaching a deep puddle and can recognize it in advance, safely slow down to allow the weight of your bike to keep the tires in contact with the road. Most tires these days are designed to dissipate water through the rain grooves or tread. Some tires are better than others and there are some tires that are not well suited for rain at all. Like we mentioned earlier, wide tires are prone to hydroplane more so than a thinner tire. Sport bikes generally run a 180-to-190 series tire with very little tread so if you ride a sport bike, ride with extreme caution in the rain. Cruisers these days have wide rear tires too. If you have a big one on back, take it easy. On the flip side of the coin you can do yourself a favor and know the area you plan to ride in. If you live in a wet weather climate you should equip your bike with tires that offer good wet weather performance. ACCELERATING That lack of traction associated with a wet street applies to acceleration as
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well as braking. Moisture allows the road grime and oil to rise to the surface of the street which can amplify the slippery nature of an already wet surface. This is especially true at intersections. Stay off to the center of the lane and ease on the throttle when pulling away from the stop light. Out on the open road, the rule is the same. Be easy on the gas, accelerate smoothly and don’t be ham-fisted. This is a real concern on the higher-horsepower bikes. PLAN AHEAD It might be best to avoid riding in the rain if you can. If you cannot avoid it and its obvious you’re going to get doused, then pull over and put your raingear on before you get wet. Wind chill factors increase exponentially when you’re wet, so do all you can to stay dry. Cheap Tricks: It’s also a good idea to line your saddlebags with heavy-duty trash bags so all your other gear doesn’t get soaked. LIGHTNING Don’t screw around with lightning. You might figure your rubber tires will insulate you from electric shocks traveling through the ground, or ground you if zapped with a direct hit, but you would be wrong. Water is an excellent conductor and if you’re virtually dipped in it, bad things happen when electricity fill the air. Reports of motorcyclists getting killed by lightning are rare, but it does happen. Don’t risk your wellbeing if lightning becomes a factor. Find a safe place to take refuge and wait it out. WRAP-UP Motorcyclists usually don’t find much joy in getting soaked. In most cases our dyed leather jackets and gloves will stain our skin and it is not pleasant at all to be swimming in our boots either. But if you’re prepared, use some common sense and sound riding techniques, you’ll get home with yet another crazy story to tell. Then again, if it’s too bad out there, then let discretion be the better part of valor. Pull over, dry off, grab a coffee or a bowl of soup and embrace your watery fate as just another part of the adventurous biker lifestyle.
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2017 DMV SLINGSHOT TAKEOVER EXPERIENCED BY ADRIAN MCQUEEN FOR THROTTLE LIFE
T
Photos by Adrenaline Lifestyles he weather in Washington DC couldn’t have been better for the 3rd annual Washington DC Slingshot Takeover. Excitement had been ramping up for this event stemming from the ATL and NY events that left both cities in awe. Every city this event takes place sends shockwaves thru the industry by showcasing some of the hottest Slingshots on the street sparking the interest of the slingshot community, dealerships, sponsors, vendors and Polaris to also get involved. The #SSTakeover, brainchild of entertainment pioneer and Slingshot owner James McRae aka Da Plug, was created to bring enthusiasts of this new three-wheeled sensation together to network and join in the camaraderie, fun and appreciation for their love of Slingshots. The Nation’s Capital, home of SS Takeover movement, welcomed Slingshot enthusiasts from New York, Florida, Philly, Atlanta, The Carolinas and many other states to take part in this monumental weekend of festivities. The host hotel for the Slingshot Takeover was the Gaylord National Hotel at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland where tourists were wowed by the fleet of custom slingshots that zipped in and out of the area going to the different events in town. The weekend started out with an Open House at Coleman PowerSports in Falls Church, VA, one of the leading Polaris Slingshot dealer on the east coast. Coleman Powersports opened their doors and offered specials and discounts on all slingshot related apparel, parts and services all day. Slingshot ride and drives took place all day long as well. Friday evening the welcoming meet and greet took place at G & S Auto Center/StreetDreamz mega shop. Slingshot owners showed
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off their sound systems, custom wheels and paint all while conversing with the custom shop about how to do more upgrades, as if they don’t already garner enough attention. Once the night time fell, the fleet of custom lit slingshots descended upon the MGM Grand for fun and fine dining. The valet area was filled to capacity with Polaris Slingshots. On Saturday, everyone trekked right back to Coleman Powersports for a day full of fun events. The Sound show was clearly the highlight of the event as each Slingshot owner battled it for trophies, prizes and the crown. It was great to see Rockford Fosgate installed in many owners rides since they are now the official audio of the Polaris Slingshot. The ride and drive list filled to capacity as onlookers wanted to test out the Polaris Slingshot to see what the hype was all about. Coleman Powersports fired up the grill so that everyone kept their stomachs full while DJ Kelly B. kept all entertained as she spun great tunes throughout the event. Onsite were also a few lovely ladies offering free Slingshots washes to get the rides ready for the custom show. A 50/50 raffle was held with many great prizes that were given out after the custom show. Every vendor supplied gifts that were a part of the raffle. A special thank you must go out to Meguiar’s who supplied complete car care kits as a part of the raffle, along with other gifts. All attendees received gift bags courtesy of Shoe City filled with gifts from Polaris, Coleman Powersports and Megiuar’s automotive care products. On Sunday all of the riders headed out for a trip in downtown D.C. The vibe and energy was electric as the Slingshots and bikers shut down every block they entered upon their grand arrival lining the streets with custom Slingshots as far as the eye could see. Whether on 2s or 3s, the love shared amongst riders and enthusiast is what fuels the industry and community. Events as the DC Slingshot Takeover absolutely enriches this experience and sub-culture.
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NCOM BIKERforNEWSBYTES AIM-2622-F-Ad Tennessee.indd 1 Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) BIKERS AID HURRICANE VICTIMS Dear NCOM Board; We have spoken with Doc (NCOM Board Chairman “Doc” Reichenbach) and he has given us the go ahead to solicit relief assistance from our affiliates. After helping our friends and neighbors, we are now ready to contact the motorcycle community to assist with a storm that has contributed to the greatest property loss in our nation’s history. We have responded to an effort led by Central Harley-Davidson in Austin, Texas. They are receiving donations and then trucking them to dealerships in the affected areas, principally Houston. We asked if we could get our organization’s members to ship to their store and they said yes, but make sure the boxes are marked. We see a great need with the cleanup efforts, so this is what we are proposing – Phase 1 - Groups can order cleanup supplies from the box stores - Walmart.com, Target.com or even the Home Depots and Lowes. Package one type of item per box and then labeled (ex. attached hurricane relief - tarps, or hurricane relief - surgical masks, etc.). Phase 2 - We are coordinating with Motorcycle Resource Teams and bike clubs to volunteer at Central H-D and delivery points to load/unload boxes so the motorcycle shops can still conduct their daily business. Phase 3 - Once delivered we will assist with getting the supplies to the areas in most need. Getting a group to set up at the Golden Triangle H-D shop and delivering supplies to neighborhoods in the affected areas. Following is a list of needed supplies - extension cords, box fans, work gloves, tarps, box cutters, blades, nylon rope for tarps, bug spray, antibacterial wipes, disposable surgical masks, rubber gloves, shop vacs. If folks would rather send money donations, a Houston organization that is networked with a multitude of churches and organizations in the state who are doing the relief work and gets the supplies that 34
are needed in a very timely manner is www.somebodycares.org. 11/1/11 5:06 PM Please check them out, and they have a donate button on their website. They also have a Houston warehouse with trucks going to affected areas daily, so we will also put them on the suggested list of recipients for Mancuso H-D. We want to thank you in advance for the assistance offered from our awesome motorcycle community. Serving Him with Joy, Lou & Denise Nobs, NCOM Christian Unity ncom.christianunity@gmail.com NCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS / REGIONAL MEETING IN OKLAHOMA CITY The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Board of Directors will hold their bi-annual board meeting at the Biltmore Hotel, 401 S. Meridian Ave in Oklahoma City on Saturday, November 11, 2017 in conjunction with the NCOM Region II Conference. All motorcyclists are invited to attend this free event, to learn and share with fellow bikers rights activists from around the country and across the region (NCOM Region II consists of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska). For further information, contact NCOM at (800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com. LACONIA MOTORCYCLE WEEK ORGANIZER ELECTED TO N.H. STATEHOUSE Longtime motorcycle enthusiast and organizer of the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, Charlie St. Clair has won a House Seat in a special election in Belknap County, New Hampshire, posting a mild upset in the previously Republican-held district. Charlie rides a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic and has been riding cross country every year for over thirty-four years to attend Laconia’s sister rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was inducted into the Sturgis Museum Hall of Fame in 2008. He has served as executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association since 1992, and will continue in that role. Newly-elected State Rep. St. Clair (D-District 9) says “People know me, and I’m going down there to represent my constituents in my
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district. As for motorcyclists, I’ll be watching out on their behalf whether they’re constituents or visitors to the state.” ILLINOIS LAW MANDATES STUDENTS LEARN WHAT TO DO DURING A TRAFFIC STOP In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, students in Illinois will now learn a possibly life-saving lesson; What to Do during a Traffic Stop. The new state law, signed by Governor Bruce Rauner, is aimed at preventing a situation from escalating when teens are pulled over by police, and mandates that teachers dedicate instruction time to ensuring that students learn what to do and what not to do during a traffic stop, and how not to panic and do something that may seem like a red flag to cops. “My hope is that if we uniformly require that driver’s education include the protocol and what is expected when you interact with a police officer that things will not escalate,” Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), who sponsored the bill, told the local station ABC 7. ARKANSAS BECOMES 37TH STATE TO REVISE SLINGSHOT LICENSING Polaris Industries reports that Arkansas no longer requires Slingshot owners to have a motorcycle operator’s license, thus making the Natural State the 37th state to classify the three-wheeler as a car for licensing purposes. “When Slingshot was introduced to the market in 2014, most consumers were required to hold a motorcycle endorsement or license to operate it,” the company said in a recent press release. “Because Slingshot does not feature handlebars or straddle seating, but rather offers a unique three-wheel configuration with a steering wheel and side-by-side seating, state policymakers have recognized the need to update their operator licensing laws.” Although Slingshot resides in the motorcycle classification which has long provided for three-wheel designs, operator skills are more similar to those required for a passenger car. “Our goal is to gain a unified classification and operator licensing scheme across the country to provide more opportunities and driving freedom for consumers looking for the ultimate thrill experience that Slingshot offers,” said Rachael Elia, Slingshot Marketing Manager. BANNED KNIVES NOW LEGAL IN TEXAS A bipartisan House bill repealing the Lone Star State’s 1871 ban on Bowie knives and other large blades has been signed by Governor Greg Abbott, dropping the carry of illegal knives such as “Bowie knives, daggers, dirks, stilettos, poniards, swords, and spears” from the Texas penal code on weapons, a crime which currently carries fines of up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both. Still off limits for knives with blades over 5.5 inches will be places such as schools, correctional facilities, houses of worship, and bars that derive more than half their income from alcohol sales. Minors, under 18, will not be able to buy or carry a location-restricted knife. New Hampshire passed the nation’s first repeal of a switchblade (automatic) knife ban in 2010, and since then such knife restrictions Thunder Roads®Mid-Atlantic
have been repealed in Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. FACING BACKLASH, CONFEDERATE MOTORS CHANGES ITS NAME When Matt Chambers created his company in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he chose to name it Confederate Motors “in a salute to good Southern principles,” but in today’s politically charged climate that associates the Southern Confederacy with racism and white supremacy, Chambers has decided to retire the name. “The Confederate brand was no longer viable. I think we lost a lot a business with that name,” Chambers told the Los Angeles Times, adding “We’ve missed out on branding opportunities. So, it’s time to retire it.” The company is now the Curtiss Motorcycle Co., named after the father of American aviation, Glenn Curtiss, who gained fame competing with the Wright Brothers to dominate the skies, but who also famously built and raced motorcycles. Their first model will be called the Hercules, the name originally used for Curtiss’ motorcycles, and will be an electric sportbike. BRITISH MOTORCYCLISTS RIDE ON PARLIAMENT TO PROTEST BIKE CRIME Hundreds of concerned motorcyclists rode through London on Saturday, Sept 9th to protest a staggering increase in bike thefts, bikejackings and brutal attacks on motorcyclists in the U.K. The protest comes after acid was sprayed at six scooter riders in a 90 minute period in a series of attacks in London in July, with one victim suffering “life-changing injuries” according to police. Due to these vicious assaults, acid attackers now face life in prison, and prosecutors have been advised to impose sentences of up to four years just for carrying acid. Other riders have had their bikes stolen from them by armed thieves. Recent crime figures have shown that vehicle theft has risen 18.6% nationwide in the last year and 25.9% in London, which is a trend that has been plain to see for bike owners. The thieves are more brazen than ever, posting pictures of bikes they’ve stolen on social media. As the police struggle with motorcycle theft, the army may be called in to address the situation. Protest organizers ‘#BikersUnited’ say 65 bikes are stolen a day in the capital, while riders increasingly face “violence, knives, acid and even death from the thieves.” Formed of a number of biking groups including MAG (Motorcycle Action Group), #BikersUnited says on its Facebook page: “We represent the 1,000s of riders of motorcycles and scooters in Britain and are protesting about the outrageous escalation of bike theft and bike jackings in our country.” QUOTABLE QUOTE: “A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) science-fiction author
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LONE STAR R A L L Y GALVESTON, TEXAS
NOVEMBER 2-5 2017
NONSTOP MUSIC ON 2 STAGES! BIKE SHOWS, GAMES, CAR SHOWS! 100s of Vendors!
LONESTARRALLY.COM fOr Event details, news & Special Offers... Download the official
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upcoming events
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DELAWARE Bike Nights: Wednesday’s Hooter’s New Castle, DE. 6-10PM
Events: 40th Annual Oktoberfest Poker Run Sunday, October 8, 2017 10:00 AM Boston Market Wilmington Food, Drinks, Games and much more! Rain or shine A Portion of proceeds goes to Local Charities 2017 cruisin’for a cure Saturday, October 14, 2017 10 AM to 3 PM ROMMEL HARLEY OF SEAFORD To raise money for ST JUDE CHILDERENS HOSPITAL this ride will be done like a poker run but will be a dice roll at each stop and will have a total of five stops including seaford harley and ending at salisbury eagles club where lunch will be served and there will be a car truck and bike show with prizes and a chinese auction the coast is $25 per bike and $10 rider free ride Tshirt and free lunch (540) 569-6430 - Teresa Stuber 4th Annual Mystery Run Sunday, October 22nd 10am-4pm Delaware Military Academy, 112 Middleboro Rd, Wilmington, DE 19804 Please save the date for the 4th Annual Mystery Run. Start and End Points will be announced shortly. Bobby Hall / Larry Fisher Memorial Toy Run - 37th Annual Saturday, November 4, 2017 10AM Start Banning Park on Maryland Ave, 102 Middleboro Rd, Willimgton, DE. All Bikes & Vehicles Welcome $15 per Person or a New Toy of Equal Value. After Party at Cheney’s on the Pike. Proceeds benefit Exceptional Care for Children
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Hope for Heroes Scavenger Hunt Saturday, November 11, 2017 10AM Motorcycle Scavenger Hunt followed with Live Music, Raffles, Prizes and more Join us as we thank those who Defend our Freedom
MARYLAND IDBL 25th Annual Fall Nationals October 6th-8th Maryland International Raceway Motorcycle Drag Racing The 2017 International Drag Bike League (IDBL) tour will include five events with four taking place at its flagship location, Maryland International Raceway (MDIR), and the addition of a race at Rockingham Dragway. 8th Annual Iron Horsemen MC Food Drive Saturday, October 14th Noon – 6pm Brews & Cues on the Boulevard, 7954 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd, Glen Burnie, MD 21060 The 8th Annual Food Drive - By the Iron Horsemen MC - Central Maryland Music by - Surreal 50/50 Raffle, Handmade Whiskey Barrel Raffle Ravens Ticket Raffle/Wheelbarrow of Cheer Raffle Drawing On Site Vendors (Vendor spots available) Admission: $10 with a bag of Food - $15 without Food No Weapons or Attitudes We reserve the right to refuse anyone For more information email ihmccentralmd@gmail.com Warrior Day – American Legion Saturday, October 14th Noon – 6pm Live Music Bands Food and Drinks outside at the Tiki Hut!! *Door Prizes * 50/50 Raffle *Auctions *Vendors Custom Bike Builders / Swap Meet ADMISSION - $10 Help us provide support to the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund! Contact Information: 410-544-2066 First Annual Poker Run Saturday, October 14th 9am – 3pm Chesapeake Harley-Davidson, 4600 Thunder Court, Darlington, MD Cash Prize for Winner Sign in at Chesapeake Harley, Darlington, MD @ 9am First Bike out @ 10am Rider $15 Passenger $5 Ends at the American Legion in Havre OCTOBER 2017
de Grace, MD for Live Music by Signal 13, Pit Beef, Ham, Turkey Spoke – Toberfest Saturday, October 14th 7-11PM 44 N Parke St, Aberdeen, MD 21001 The Broken Spoke Family Association would like you to join us for an evening of live music, dancing, and other fun and games, including a liquor wheel and a big six wheel. As well as prizes for best costume. Live Music by Trilogy Must be over 21 Cash Bar - Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd End of Summer Pig Roast Kingsman MC Saturday, October 21st 2-6PM Knights of Pythias, 10 Pythian Dr, Edgewater, MD Kingsman Motorcycle Club - End of Summer Pig Roast Live Music by Legal Action $25 Donation - Beer, Liquor, and Good Food
VIRGINIA
Bike Nights: Tuesday’s Tidewater Motorcycles – Chili Dog Social– Suffolk, VA Thursday’s High Tides – Colonial Beach, VA. 6-11PM High Tides is kicking off the riding season by starting a bike night that promises to be a very good time. DJ Rockin Roger will be providing the tunes for now but as the summer starts arriving look for live music to be on the menu. The Tiki Bar is almost an arm’s reach away from the water and there is usually a fire going in the firepit on those chilly evenings. CLUB COLORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! No Drama, No BS and have a good time. El Rodeo Restaurant – Fredericksburg, VA. 5-9PM Big O Bike Shop LLC sponsored Bike Night Weekly 50/50 drawings. Proceeds to a different charity each month. Games, contests, raffles, and giveaways. Great authentic food and homemade ethnic desserts. More info - Kerry O’Shields 703 963 0697 Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
Events: 5th Annual Veterans Benefit Ride Saturday, October 7th 9 am – 5pm Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, Chapter 27-3 Police escorted 76 mile ride. Registration 9:00am - 11:30am KSU: Noon Music at start location by Josh Misner $6.00 BBQ plates available at end point, Damon and Company Fee: $25 per bike - includes patch for participants. Proceeds benefit local veteran projects. Location Start location: Richmond Harley Davidson 12200 Harley Club Drive Ashland, VA 23005 End Location: Damon and Company 7104 George Washington Memorial Hwy Gloucester, VA 23061 Contact Phone (804) 525-5644 - Hotrod Contact Email 273.pro@gmail.com Ride the Line Bike Rally October 13-October 14, 2017 Holston Brewing Co. 2628, Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, TN 37620 Come join us for our 2nd annual ‘Ride the Line’ bike rally. This year it will be a two day event. Starting Friday October 13th in the evening at Holston Brewing Co. Bristol TN. Live music, food games and giveaways. This year we have also added camping sites at Holston Brewing Co. So if you are traveling and want to make a weekend out of it and camp, we got you covered. As well as our local hotels. The next day venue will go as planned: 8am Breakfast at Friendship Motorsports. 10am Guided ride 12:30pm Lunch at Black Wolf 2pm Guided ride 4pm Meet back at Holston Brewing Co. 5:15 Ride the Line to the Pinnacle for ‘Bikes, Beer & BBQ’ dbooher@friendshipauto.com
Disabled Veteran. Registration: 9:30AM Bikes out: 10:30 $10 per Bike. $5 additional rider or extra cards. Door Prizes 50/50 Raffles Prizes for Best Hand and Worst Hand BBQ dinner also available. Live Music Contact: funds4habitatgm@gmail.com Or Call Charlene – Event Coordinator 804-815-3981 11th Annual Toy Ride Sunday, October 28th 9:30am – 1:30pm FOP Lodge 22223 Main Street, Courtland, VA Registration from 9:30 AM to 10:30 am Riders $15 - Passengers $10.00 Please Bring a NEW UNWRAPPED toy All proceeds go to the purchase of toys for needy children Ride start at the FOP Lodge End at Fred’s Restaurant 107 S. Main Srteet Franklin, VA. 23851
WEST VIRGINIA
Moto Giro d’Italia 2nd Annual Italian Motorcycle Show Sunday, October 15, 2017 10AM to 2 PM Summit Point Raceway, 201 Motorsports Circle, Summit Point, West Virginia 2nd Annual Italian Motorcycle Show presented by the Mid-Atlantic Ducati
Owner’s Club. Show 10 am - 2pm. Judging at 12:30 pm. Rain or shine. Harleyween at Triple S Harley-Davidson Sunday, October 29, 2017 2PM to 3PM Triple S Harley-Davidson It’s Harleyween, so join us for a costume contest, in-store poker run, DJ entertainment and more! 2000 customer loyalty points for 1st place in the costume contest! $250 Triple S H-D gift card to the poker run winner!... Play 1st hand free, arrive in costume to play a 2nd hand free, additional hands available for a $5 donation to the Marine Corps League Detachment 342. Tri-State Power & Ink Expo Saturday, November 11, 2017 Sunday, November 12, 2017 Huntington Convention Center WE ARE LOOKING FOR VENDORS AND RIDERS/BUILDERS TO SHOW OFF THEIR BIKES!! FAMILY FUN! We are an indoor motorcycle show, hosting 80+ vendors, featuring tattoo artists, gun vendors, ATVS, & a kids corner with activities, held on November 11th &12th 2017, at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena $ Convention Center, in Huntington, WV.
Full House Poker Run Sunday, October 22nd 9 am – 4pm Damons Bar & Grill, Gloucester, VA All proceeds will go toward our next build. This home will be built for a Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
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upcoming events
Big Woody’s Virginia Beach, VA Great specials, biker buckets, live music and prize giveaways
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A dog lover, whose female dog came “in heat,” was concerned about keeping it and her male separated. But she had a large house and she believed that she could keep the two dogs apart. However, as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard awful howling and moaning sounds. She rushed downstairs and found the dogs locked together and unable to disengage, as frequently happens when dogs mate. Unable to separate them, and perplexed as to what to do next, although it was very late at night, she called her Vet, who answered in a very grumpy voice. After she explained the problem to him, the Vet said, “Hang up the phone and place it down alongside the dogs. I will then call you back and the noise of the ringing will make the male lose his erection and he will be able to withdraw.” “Do you think that will actually work?” she asked. “Just worked on me.” he dryly replied. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------A husband and wife were shopping in their local supermarket. The husband picked up a case of beer and put it in their cart. “What do you think you’re doing?” asked the wife. “They’re on sale, only $20 for 24 cans” he replies. “Put them back, we can’t afford them,” the wife demanded. They carried on shopping. A few aisles further on, the wife picked up a $40 jar of face cream and put it in the cart. “What do you think you’re doing?” asked the husband. “It’s my face cream. It makes me look and feel pretty” replied the wife. Her husband retorted: “So does 24 cans of beer, and it’s half the price.” -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Norman, an old retired Navy sailor, puts on his old uniform and heads for the docks once more, for old times’ sake and hopefully, some hot sex. He engages a lovely prostitute and takes her up to a “by the hour” room. He’s soon going at it as well as he can for a guy his age, but needing some reassurance, he asks, ‘How am I doing?’ The prostitute replies, ‘Well Norman, ya’ old salty dawg, you’re doing about three knots.’ ‘Three knots?’ he questions. She says, ‘You’re knot hard, you’re knot in, and you’re knot getting your money back.’ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------A man walks into a bar looking sullen and depressed. “Bartender!” he shouts, “Give me three shots of tequila!” The bartender replies, “Sure thing pal. You look like shit. What’s the matter, buddy?” “It’s my brother,” the man answered. “He came out of the Thunder Roads®Mid-Atlantic
closet today. I just found out he’s gay and I’m havin’ a rough time dealin’ with it.” “Wow, man, that’s rough. Consider these drinks on the house.” A week later, the same man walks into the bar. “Bartender!” he shouts, “Give me six shots of tequila!” “Damn!” replied the bartender, “You look even worse now than you did last week! What’s the matter with you this time?!” “It’s my son,” the man answered. “This time he came out of the closet, now I’m dealin’ with him bein’ gay!” “Oh man. These drinks are on me pal, here ya’ go.” Another week goes by, and the man returns to the bar a third time. “Bartender, give me nine shots of tequila!” “Dang buddy, doesn’t anybody in that family of yours eat poontang?!” “Yeah,” replied the man, “Apparently my wife does!”. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------An Irish man has a good memory. While reading an article last night about fathers and sons, memories came flooding back to the time I took me son out for his first pint. Off we went to our local pub only two blocks from the cottage.I got him a Guinness. He didn’t like it, so I drank it. Then I got him a Kilkenny’s, he didn’t like that either, so I drank it. Finally, I thought he might like some Harp Lager? He didn’t. I drank it. I thought maybe he’d like whisky better than beer so we tried a Jameson’s; nope! In desperation, I had him try that rare Redbreast, Ireland’s finest whisky. He wouldn’t even smell it. What could I do but drink it! By the time I realized he just didn’t like to drink, I was so chitfaced I could barely push his stroller back home.
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Dealers & Shops biker friendly directory
A to Z Cycles 1472 E. Lebanon Rd. Dover, DE 19901 302-632-2272 www.atozcycles.com
All American HarleyDavidson 8126 Old Leonardtown Rd, Hughesville, MD 20637 301-274-5000 www.allamericanharley.com Baltimore Harley Davidson 8845 Pulaski Hwy. Baltimore, MD 21237 410-238-2003 www.hdstore.com Bayside Harley-Davidson 2211 Frederick Blvd Portsmouth, VA 23704 757-397-5550 www.baysidehd.com Big Daddyz Cycles 2810 George Washington Hwy Hayes, VA 23072 (in Gloucester County) 4 miles over the Coleman 804-642-3436 www.bigdaddyzcycles.com Coleman Power sports 435 South Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046 703-237-3400 www.wherethepoweris.com Colonial Harley-Davidson 1701 Temple Pkwy Prince George, VA 23875 804-861-4700 www.colonialhd.com CPC Powder Coating 6800 Mid Cities Ave. Beltsville, MD 20705 443-336-2105 Departure Bike Works 5216 Hull Street Richmond, VA 23224 804-231-0244 www.departure.com
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Indian Motorcycle of Fredericksburg 10151 Southpoint Parkway Fredericksburg, VA 22407 540-642-4017 www.indianbikesva.com Jim’s Battery Warehouse Laurel Commerce Center 14721-K Baltimore Ave Laurel, MD 20707 301-604-7333 Old Glory Harley Davidson 11800 Laurel Bowie Road Laurel, MD 20708 www.oldgloryhd.com 301-575-0575 Patriot Harley- Davidson 9739 Fairfax Blvd Fairfax, VA 703-352-5400 www.patriothd.com Precision Motorcycle Inc 129 Southgate Ave Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-248-8004 www.precisionmotorcycle. com Pete’s Cycles 344 Bel Air Rd. Bel Air, MD 21014 410-879-3586 For other locations go to www.petescycle.com Sunset Cycles 9748 Stephen Decatur Hwy Decatur Business Center Units 208-209 Ocean City, MD 21044 443-520-6005 TG Automotive 8176 Telegraph Road Suite E Severn, MD 21144 443-795-4733 www.tgautomotivemd.com The Twisted Spoke 97 Milford Street Clarksburg, WV 26301 304-326-4644 www.twistedspokeinc.com
Whirled of Color Customs, LLC Body, Paint and Custom Airbrushing 116 Roesler Road Glen Burnie, MD 21060 410-553-0953 Zipper’s Performance Products Elkridge, Maryland 410-579-2828 www.ZippersPerformance.com
Bars & Restaurants Bryans & Brent’s Place 229 N. River Street Weston, WV 26452 304-997-8722
Damon & Company Sports Bar & Grill 7104 George Washington Mem. Hwy, Rt 17 North Gloucester, VA 804-693-7218 www.damonsbar.com Dockside Restaurant & Tiki Bar 1787 Castlewood Drive Colonial Beach, VA 22443 804-224-8726 www.docksidetikibar.com Jerry’s Restaurant & Lounge 1102 Sparrow Road Chesapeake, VA 23325 757-424-1086 Find us on Facebook Millstream Inn 5310 Dogwood Rd. Baltimore, MD 21207 410-265-8224 www.millstreamgirls.com Rips Casual Dining 3809 N. Crain Hwy. Bowie, MD Restaurant: 301-805-5901 Deli: 301-805-5903 Wine & Spirit Shoppe 301-805-5902 www.ripscountryvillage.com
OCTOBER 2017
Seabreeze / Swampy’s 27130 S. Sandgates Rd Mechanicsville, MD 301-373-5217 Second Chance Saloon 5888 Robert Oliver Place Columbia, MD 21045 443-545-5844 2ndchancesaloon.com The Tavern 4975 St. Leonard Rd. ST Leonard, MD 20685 410-586-2225 www.thetavernofstleonard.com The Woodstock Inn 1514 Woodstock RD Woodstock, MD 21163 410-750-3673 www.woodstockinn.net Toot’s Bar 23971 Mervell Dean Road Hollywood, MD 20636 301-373-2955
Legal Services
Law offices of Jay Irwin Block 90 Painters Mill Rd. Suite 131 Owings Mills, MD 21117 410-356-6555 800-875-6554 Carolyn Crowley Injury Attorney 301-676-1120 1-866-523-9529 www.LadyLaw.com Law Offices of Richard M Lester Aid to Injured Motorcyclist’s A.I.M 7334 Topanga Canyon Blvd Ste. 200 Canoga Park, CA 91303 800-531-2424 Offices Nationwide to Help You. Tom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group 1-800-321-8969 www.MotorcycleLawGroup. com Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
Photography
Apparel / Retail
Tattoo
Biker Depot 5300 Kemps River Drive Suite 126 Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-962-0195 www.thebikersdepot.com Blaze Leather 2239 Randolph Avenue Elkins, WV 26241 681-298-5055 www.Blaze-Leather.com Maryland Small Arms Range 9801 Fallard Court Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 301-599-0800 www.msar.com Mary’s Bargain Cycle New Castle Farmers Market 110 N. DuPont Hwy. New Castle, DE 19720 302-322-9323 Outback Leather 309 Main Street Laurel, MD. 20707 www.mdoutbackleather.com 301-604-2211 Port Vape & Brew 8 South Main Street Port Deposit, MD 21904 410-652-9223 www.PortVapeBrew.com Renegade Classics Biker Outlet 7950 W. Broad Street Merchants Walk Shopping Center Richmond, VA 23294 804-501-BIKE (2453) www.RenegadeClassicsRichmond.com Southern Maryland Pawn 2224 Crain Hwy Waldorf, MD 20601 240-222-3547 www.smdpawn.com
Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic If you would like to be listed in the Biker Friendly Directory, please contact Sales and Marketing or email BFD@ BIGCITYRHINO.com for more information.
Bobby Tarowsky 304-797-1470 304-723-8955 www.BobbyTRocks.com
Big City Body Art 154 C Lafayette Ave Laurel, MD 20707 240-482-6162 www.bigcitybodyart.com
Lodging
Francis Scott Key Family Resort 12806 Ocean Gateway Ocean City, MD 21842 800-213-0088 www.fskfamily.com
Insurance Agents Rider Insurance www.Rider.com
Clubs, Organizations & Riding Groups
American Motorcyclist Association (800) AMA-JOIN AmericanMotorcyclist.com C.E.’s Helping Hands (Old Fields, WV) A non-profit organization enlisting the help of other good hearted people wanting to contribute to the cause of helping others in need. The organization holds monthly meetings and several fundraising rides every year. Donations are always appreciated. www.cehelpinghands.com
Places of Worship
Rushing Wind Ministry Meets 11am Sunday’s Location: Charlotte Hall Farmers Market. We are a Biker friendly church focusing on uplifting and encouraging others to follow Jesus Christ. “We believe we live in a real world with real people looking for real answers “
If you’re Club, Foundation, or Association would like to be listed in our Directory, please email BFD@BIGCITYRHINO. COM with your name and contact information and someone will be in touch with you.
LIST YOUR BUSINESS, CLUB OR FOUNDATION HERE!! EMAIL TO:
BFD
@BIGCITYRHINO.COM American Legion Riders
American Legion Post 175 Grounds 832 Manhattan Beach Road Severna Park, MD 21146
S aturday: October 14, 2017 12-6 pm Warrior Day 2017 Celebration
Live Music Bands
Food and Drinks outside at the Tiki Hut!!
*Door Prizes * 50/50 Raffle *Auctions *Vendors Custom Bike Builders / Swap Meet ADMISSION - $10
Help us provide support to the
American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund! Contact Information: 410-544-2066 Road Capt.: Boh Asst. Dir.: Steve B.
Sgt of Arms,: T om P, Secy:. Shirley P, Treas. Erica S, Dir.: James S
Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
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biker friendly directory
Weatherholtz Bonding 306 W. Stephens Street Martinsburg, WV 25401 304-267-5888 www.weatherholtzbonding.com
Your GPS May be Spying on You
B
eware. Your GPS may be collecting evidence against you. More and more motorcyclists today are using GPS (Global Positioning Systems) to plan trips, get directions and keep track of miles traveled. However, keep in mind that if you are in a motorcycle accident, you may be collecting evidence that could be used against you in both a criminal and civil trial. Most GPS systems allow you to keep track of your speed. As such, they can be used as evidence in court. I have come across jurisdictions which, at the scene of an accident when speed is a question, will seize a crash victim’s GPS, get a search warrant, and download the information pertaining to speed. Such action does more than subject the crash victim to a speeding ticket. It can, if the injured party was speeding, put their ability to collect damages for their injuries at risk. That means, if the party who injures you can show that you were in some way at fault in causing the accident, then depending on which state you were injured in, your claim can be reduced, or outright denied. Keep in mind that I am in no way suggesting that you should not use a GPS on your motorcycle. I am merely suggesting that if you do, keep in mind that depending on the system and how you use it, you could be collecting evidence that could eventually be used by a party that injures you to avoid paying for the injuries they caused. If you have any further questions or comments concerning this article or any other matters concerning your rights as a motorcyclist, please do not hesitate to contact me. Matt Danielson McGrath, Danielson, Sorrell & Fuller The Motorcycle Law Group 1-800-321-8968 Motorcyclelawgroup.com 44
Matt Danielson is a partner at the Motorcycle Law Group, a personal injury law firm whose attorneys all ride motorcycles and practice in VA, NC, SC, GA and WV. Matt has successfully represented clients in cases from simple property damage to complex multimillion dollar personal injury claims. He is also a lobbyist, adjunct professor and works with motorcycle rights organizations. To learn more about the Motorcycle Law Group, visit MotorcycleLawGroup.com.
OCTOBER 2017
Thunder Roads® Mid-Atlantic
Dedicated to protecting the rights of injured motorcyclists. We ride so we understand. If you’ve been injured through no fault of your own, call the Motorcycle Law Group.SM
1-800-321-8968 www.MotorcycleLawGroup.com Licensed in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. Thunder Roads®Mid-Atlantic
OCTOBER 2017 45