The O'Sullivan Motorcycle Law Firm Motorcycle Giveaway Benefiting BikerDown!
Register FREEfor a chance to win! a 2014 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide FXDWG Benefit for:
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Enter & official rules @ www.Osullivan-law-firm.com/contest Entry forms can also be found at all events in which BikerDown Colorado participates, organizes, or has a booth presence including: • Two-Wheel Tuesdays • Cruizin’ Colfax events • Colorado Springs Swap Meet • Tejon Bike Fest • Realities Ride for Kids See BikerDown.org for up-to-date event listings. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Approximate retail value of prize is $16,000. Winner must claim motorcycle in Denver - delivery of prize not included. Winner announced Fall 2015. Exact date to be announced.
Scott O'Sullivan has been helping injured riders since 1996. Call him today for immediate help in dealing with the insurance companies, so you can focus on healing and getting your life back together.
Personal Injury Law Firm 600 Ogden Street Denver, Colorado 80218
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THUNDER ROADS® Magazine COLORADO Published by Flying Hound Press, L.L.C. 7477 W. Layton Way Littleton, Colorado 80123 720-458-3134 www.thunderroadscolorado.com feedback@thunderroadscolorado.com
Behind The Lens: Chrome and the Denver Dames.6 History of Motorcycles Part 3.................................. 8 Veteran’s Corner.....................................................11 Phat Rides Custom Cycles.................................... 12 The 33rd Annual Red River Memorial Day Rally... 14
EDITORS Patrick J. McCauley “5” President and Senior Editor Patrick@thunderroadscolorado.com
Ladies Run and Rally Pre-registration Party......... 16 Calendar................................................................ 18 Events................................................................... 20
Carrie McCauley Vice President and Editor Carrie@thunderroadscolorado.com
Tasty Recipes........................................................ 23 Ladies Up Front..................................................... 24
PHOTOGRAPHERS Vickie Jo Mullin Vickie@thunderroadscolorado.com
Skin Art.................................................................. 27 TNT........................................................................ 28
Wayne Madison wayne@thunderroadscolorado.com
Skin Art.................................................................. 29 News Bytes........................................................... 30
ADVERTISING AND DISTRIBUTION REPRESENTATIVES Western Slope Chris Blumke chrisb@thunderroadscoloraodo.com (303)478-2335
Biker Friendly Directoy.......................................... 32 Joker’s Wild........................................................... 33 Thunder Cam........................................................ 34
Greater Metro Denver Area Toby Schmidt tobyb@thunderroadscolorado.com (720)829-7954
ON THE COVER Photographer: Vickie Jo Mullin Model: Kristen Katt Mosconi
Northern Colorado Zak Clayton zak@ThunderRoadsColorado.com (970) 301-4674 Southern Colorado Andrew Hall andrew@ThunderRoadsColorado.com (720)934-2256 LAYOUT & DESIGN Meredith Hancock / Hancock Graphics mhancockgraphics@gmail.com NATIONAL FOUNDERS Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Thunder Publishing LLC, Offices 615-792-0040 thunderroadsfounders@yahoo.com www.thunderroadsmagazine.com ©2015 Flying Hound Press, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of the content may be reproduced without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility and is not liable for errors beyond the cost of space occupied by the error, slander by any group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled, any and all suits for liable, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a person’s name or photograph. Opinions and claims made by advertisers and authors/contributors are their own, and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Road Magazine® Colorado, Thunder Publishing. Publisher does not promote the abuse of alcohol or other drugs.
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W
elcome to the July issue of Thunder Roads Colorado. Between the pages this month you will find some of the usual columns and some other articles with topics running from the Denver Dames to Custom Motorcycles from Phat Rides Custom Cylces, to the Red River Memorial Day Rally New Mexico and the Veterans Administration Hospitals. Hopefully, we have something that will capture the attention of all of our readers with advertising from our advertising partners to tested and tasted recipes to the Ladies up Front article for July and of course, our celebration of Independence Day on July 4th to our calendar of events for the entire month. We would like to thank all of our loyal readers for checking for our magazines and letting your local distribution point know if they have run out of Thunder Roads Colorado or if it is being buried under other publications. This will enable us to ensure that we have enough magazines so that everyone that wants one can pick it up and find it. I would also like to take a moment to encourage our readers to send us an email message or let us know on FaceBook if you would like to see more of anything you see between these covers or, if you have ideas or suggestions of what you would like to see show up here. We are a local magazine brought to you free of charge by our advertising partners. Please visit their places of business or Internet websites for products and services brought to you by locally owned businesses serving the motorcycle community and beyond. Everyone, stay safe out there and keep your face in the wind! “5”
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Behind the Lens;
Chrome and the Denver Dames
I
Kristen, Ashley, Brittney Laura, Bethany, Miranda
met John, better known in the biking community as Chrome, while enjoying a sunny day on the back porch of the Buffalo Rose listening to music. I couldn’t help but keep bothering the tall handsome man in his leathers. I asked if I could take his picture and he said sure, but told me what I really wanted to take pictures of was his bike, and he was absolutely right! John pointed me across the street to go check out his bike so I made my way across to figure out which one he was pointing at in the long line up along the curb.
eight girls. Really? Are you like trying to make my brain go crazy with wonderment all eight girls with one fabulous-o bike? I knew just the spot, and then the rains came… two weeks we scheduled, two weeks we canceled. Third week, I canceled... but one of the girls was already at the location and said it was not raining. So I called John back and said I have eight girls willing and ready to do this, I know I just canceled but please come we will all be waiting for you! Luckily he got my voice mail and rode out to meet us for the photo shoot.
Chrome --- all of it! The pipes, the handle bars, everything that was not leather was CHROME! It mirrored everything around it and it was tantalizing my brain as to what angle to shoot at for what reflections. A photographer’s toy in the sunshine begging for more pictures! I quickly got John’s number and started looking for a model so I could schedule a photo shoot. A week or so later Wayne (another photographer for Thunder Roads Colorado) and I were talking about the Denver Dames. I was excited. World War II pin-up girls. SWEET! One of them would most certainly work for pictures with John’s bike--but the editors wanted to do a photo shoot with all 6 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
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I drove out to the location and there I was standing around with eight awesomely beautiful women dressed up and ready to do. I quickly made my way around to getting model releases signed while waiting for the star of the show to appear and hoped the little ray of sunshine blessing the current moment would not go behind the incoming clouds. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the area was closed so we snuck across the grass and did the photo shoot as soon as Chrome showed up. Everything went great, we had a blast and as we wrapped it up, a few rain drops started to fall so we snuck back across the grass and all went home.
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So who are the Denver Dames? They are more than just beautiful women with great costumes. The Denver Dames are a non-profit pinup for charity group started last year around this time. Someone had an idea for a pinup calendar to raise money for suicide prevention for brothers in arms and the Denver Dames were born. The girls continue to offer services to help raise money at charity events. Like the Last Great Ride of Summer this past summer, a Devil Dog event to raise money for care packages for those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. There next event will be: July 19, 2015 Brothers in Arms Military Suicide Awareness. Kick stands up at the VFW off of Hamden is at 11am
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Last Stop is scheduled for the Buffalo Rose starting at 2pm Guild of Ages and Live to Tell will be performing! There will be companies coming up to hire vets. A Silent Auction and Raffle Get your bike washed by one of these gorgeous gals at the Buffalo Rose Hope to see everyone at the Buffalo Rose for this worthwhile event that promises to be a very good time. Denver Dames is a Classy 1940’s pinup girl extravaganza and is expecting to grow in the coming years. The majority of the girls are moms and are crazily blessed to still have time to give back. To find out more about the Denver Dames find them on Face Book at Denver Dames or email denverdames@yahoo.com
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History of Motorcycles In the earliest days of motorcycle production the biggest players in the industry remained the bicycle manufacturers. They began adapting their designs to accommodate the up and coming internal combustion engine. As engines became more powerful and designs began to outgrow their bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased. With so many people trying to succeed in the motorcycle industry, many of the 19th century inventors inevitably moved from motorcycle development to automobiles. Survival of the fittest at its finest, and at the turn of the century the first major mass production firms were established.
Part 3
1894 marked the year of the first production motorcycle in Germany. Hildebrand and Wolfmüller developed the “Motorrad”. They even patented the Motorrad engine, a revolutionary 1488 cc model, but only a few hundred bikes were ever completed. At the same time the term “motorcycle” was first used in the English language when it appeared in materials promoting machines developed by E J Pennington. Sadly, Pennington’s designs never progressed past the prototype stage. In 1896 The Excelsior Motor Company began selling motorcycles to the public in Coventry, England. (Excelsior would also operate a company in the U.S. from 1905 – 1931) 1898 presented us with a U.S. development in the industry, when the Orient-Aster was built by Charles Metz at his factory in Waltham, Massachusetts. At this point in the game, many names that have become household standards began to emerge. The first familiar name in motorcycles appeared out of the bicycle era in 1898… Triumph. Triumph extended its production focus to include the motorcycle, and by 1902 had successfully produced its first model for sale. The first Triumph was essentially a bicycle fitted with a Belgian built engine that boasted a whopping 2.2 HP, and a short year later Triumph had emerged as the largest producer of motorcycles boasting an annual production of over 500 units. Clearly not considered “mass production” by today’s standards, but in 1902?? Triumph was kicking some serious ass in the motorcycle revolution. By 1907 Triumph had perfected a new 450 cc 3.5 HP engine and was producing 1,000 units annually.
a beloved name in motorcycles. Their first design was the “diamond framed” Indian Single. Its engine was built by the Aurora Firm in Illinois per Indian’s specifications. The Single was made available in one color…Deep Blue. Indian also increased its production to over 500 bikes by the close of 1902, making Indian a strong competitor for Triumph. Along the way, Indian pushed the evolution of the motorcycle in several ways…in 1902 Indian produced the first chain driven bike sold to the public, as well as released the first American V-Twin in 1906 (which remains the most popular motorcycle engine today). 1907 brought the first police unit to NYC (Indian bikes were chosen by all), and by 1914 Indian had created the “loop frame” positioned gas tank, swing arm and leaf spring suspension, and the world’s first electric lights and starter. No more need for a flashlight, or parking your bike at dusk…diehards could now ride all damn night! Indian would continue to rise in the production game as well, up to 32,000 units per year (its best ever) in 1913.
1901 was the birth year for the famed Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company. The love child of two former bicycle racers, Indian quickly became (and has remained)
1901 also brought an eager young man by the name of William S. Harley into the biking world. At the age of 21 he completed his first blueprint of a bicycle engine. In 1903,
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William and his partner Arthur Davidson produced their first motorcycle in their meager 10 by 15 foot factory. Henry Meyer of Milwaukee bought the original 1903 model directly from the founders…Meyer obviously had no idea what a lucky bastard he was! In 1904 the first Harley dealership was opened in Chicago, Illinois by C. H. Lang, where one of the first production models was sold. In 1907, Harley becomes a corporation and builds a new, larger factory. In 1908, the first HD motorcycle is delivered to the Detroit Michigan PD for Detroit’s first motorcycle patrol unit. The following year, for the first time ever, spare parts for the HD V-twin were made available for sale…makes me wonder what the hell you did before that if your bike broke down?? By 1914 Harley had introduced the world to the renowned bar and shield logo, begun production of the “F-Head”, and brought us sidecars… the beginning of the tag-along rider (insert apology here). By this time, mass production was in full swing, and competition was in full force. Experimentation and innovation were taking over and being further driven by the growing sport of motorcycle racing. A powerful incentive to produce tougher, faster, more reliable machines was on the rise. While initiated for the racing world, these enhancements were to quickly infiltrate the public’s machines as well. Remember that mention of the U.S. Excelsior Motor Company? Well those cats can be thanked for being a huge driving force behind why that bad ass bike parked in your driveway does more for you than just take you from point A to point B. We will delve into our need for speed next time… Melanie Schwarte, Thunder Roads Iowa
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to Kristen and Matt from the The Long Trail Home! May your days be filled with happiness!
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by Bill Maddick
VETERAN’S CORNER VA HEALTH CARE
The VA health care system has had more than a fair share of negative publicity lately. One of those negative publicity subjects is the current debacle of the new VA hospital in the Denver Metro Area and the construction woes it faces. The negative publicity does not stop there with been complaints of veterans being stranded by mental health care, long wait lists and allegations of fudging records. What seemed to perpetuate the most recent generation of criticism the most was the story of a veteran in Arizona who died while waiting for an appointment. That criticism, taken at face value makes it seem that veterans are barely receiving care or are not receiving care at all, that their needs are being ignored and that they are merely being used by a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy. I do not believe that is truly the case, in fact, I would not be here without the VA. The notion of providing health care to veterans traces back to 1636, when the Pilgrims were at war with the Pequot Indians, wherein a law was passed stipulating that disabled soldiers would be supported by the colony. The Continental Congress also provided pensions to disabled soldiers in 1776. Post Civil War, a network of veterans’ homes was established and by WWI there were three national veteran organizations: 1) The Bureau of Veterans, 2) Bureau of Pensions (part of the Interior Department) and, 3) The National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Since there were thousands so grotesquely wounded during the WW1, Congress folded all of these agencies into the Veterans Bureau and transferred all Public Health Service Veterans Hospitals into the Bureau on August 9, 1921. Then, by executive order, President Hoover elevated the Bureau to the level of a federal agency and thus began the Veterans Administration. Clearly, providing health care to veterans has been as much a part of our national fabric as public health itself. Except, that the VA and its predecessors have been successfully doing it longer, and therein dealing with the atrocities of war which public health systems were never designed to accommodate. Regardless of recent media driven criticisms, as a disabled veteran I have found the care at VA facilities to be as good as any.
The negative publicity has used the case of the Arizona of veteran dying while waiting for his appointment. As stated, my experience with the VA has been different, so of course I took a vested interest in the story. News reports claimed that “at least” forty veterans died while waiting for appointments. Then allegations of record cover ups to hide same surfaced from whistle blowers. Supposedly, the Arizona VA hospital was using two lists; one presented to the national headquarters in Washington D.C. to show a functioning operation and the other was the real list that reflected actual wait times. As evidence of all these allegations, the case of Thomas Breen was offered as evidence and made me wonder where the other 39 cases might have been. Breen supposedly had blood in his urine, couldn’t get an appointment and died while waiting. To add insult to injury, as the story goes, the VA called his daughter a month www.thunderroadscolorado.com
after his death to tell her they had an appointment for him. So I asked my PCP (Primary Care Physician) directly about this at my next regularly scheduled appointment. Scheduling, which I hasten to add, has been happening routinely for many years. It was his understanding that Breen had missed one of his regularly scheduled appointments (an item not disclosed in the media frenzy). He was also elderly and had multiple chronic conditions (as do I). So in the interim of getting rescheduled, and it wasn’t clear who was attempting to reschedule with Breen or his daughter, he passed. This was a slightly different perspective than that projected by national televised reports of veterans dying while “waiting in line” at the VA (those of us who have been in the military sometimes reflect that living while standing in line is a much worse fate). But I am much more inclined to believe my doctor, who works directly in the system, than I am to believe popular media. Certainly, executive pressure to present the best numbers possible is immense if your hospital might be falling behind and federal funding is contingent upon it. And just so, falsifying reports is reprehensible. Allegations of which led to the resignations of both Eric Shinseki, Director of Veterans Affairs (a career Army General with two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart), as well as Lynette Roff, director of the Denver VA hospital. Yet, I’ve found the care to remain stalwart. For starters, I’ve had a heart transplant through the VA system out in Salt Lake City and I’m still kicking after 13 years. I’ve also had a revisionist hip, a broken thigh reconstructed (damn floor board on an ‘02 Road King) and a spinal fusion, among other usual aches, pains and normal ailments being treated successfully. Mst recently, I found myself in the hospital at Houston’s VA. I had cut myself in the knee and it just wasn’t healing. So while on vacation it developed cellulitis. So on the way home from New Orleans (NOLA), my daughter drove me directly to the hospital. They checked me in after nothing more than completing a simple one sheet form, even being an out of state patient. Then did X-rays, a blood draw, ran an IV, performed an I&D on the wound and took me to a room. Over the next two days I received four bags of vancomycin, got started on oral antibiotics while they maintained my regular medicinal regimen. Upon discharge, I was given two bottles of the antibiotics, a bag of gauze pads, a box of surgical tape and a box of ¼ inch iodine packing. The admitting doctor there called Denver home care and got me scheduled for home care wherein a visiting nurse comes to my house to dress the wound. Would anyone care to compare my experiences with Kaiser? The point I’d like to make is that there are doctors and nurses and therapists and schedulers of the VA who love taking care of their veterans. They get up and come to work every day, even if their hospital administration might be suspect, and they continue to provide care equal to none. And they continue do so while the national media is telling them that their patients are dying while waiting in line. To all of those I’d like to say; Job well done, I wouldn’t be alive without you.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: PHAT RIDES CUSTOM CYCLES
R
andy Hocker and Mike Savage are the owners and operators of the Phat Rides Custom Cycles, located in Loveland, Colorado. Phat Rides does everything from custom builds, selling parts and servicing motorcycles. Recently, we talked to Randy and Mike. Randy told us “We are a full service shop, the name Phat Rides Custom Cycles is a little misleading, we are mainly a service shop doing scheduled maintenance, tires, Dyno tuning, performance engine work, and custom fabrication. We do a lot of customization on Harleys mostly Baggers and are one of the only shops that will still work on the factory choppers like AIH, Big Dog, and Swift to name a few.” Their shop uses Dyno-Tuning and they are one of the few shops that do so. Phat Rides Custom Cycles has the top of the line, state of the art, Dynojet Dynamometer 250i with the latest software, and trained personnel to create custom maps for just about any fuel injected bike. They are also a certified Tuning Center for Dynojet and an Authorized Power Commander Tuning Center and can even use Dynotuning to diagnose problems.
Custom Harley Davidson in 1990. In 1999 he purchased a brand new 2000 Fatboy. It wasn’t long before he had stripped the bike down and customized it to suit his style. The bike gained some recognition with several prizes at bike shows, a calendar shoot and a magazine article in Road Iron Magazine in 2012 and soon he had received requests to build bikes for others, and that is when Phat Rides Custom Cycles was born. One of the first bikes they did as the new Phat Rides Custom Cycles Company was named the “Phatillac”. It won first or second place in just about every show they entered it in and was featured in the November 2012 issue of V-Twin Magazine. Randy on the other hand, was always working on cars, engines and motors when he was young, and he purchased his first Harley Davidson in 1972. In 1998 Randy moved to the Denver area and quickly got involved in building a Custom Softail. That motorcycle was featured in Hot Bike magazine as well as winning best paint, best of show and best in class. On the heels of the success of that softail, he purchased a new 1998 FatBoy to customize and fulfill his need to “go fast”. In 2001 he focused on a Road King for cruising, and of course customizing it.
Using the state of the art Tuning Link from Dynojet, the Dynojet writes the map in real time as your bike is being run under load to create a custom map especially for your bike Mike and Randy met each other in 2009 when the two and your riding style. Also selling tune Power Commanders, of them were working at another shop. Mike told us; “We Harley Davidson Screamin’ Eagle® Super Tuners, and decided to leave and start up Phat Rides.” They started up Zipper’s Thunder Max systems. a shop located at Randy’s house. As the business built a Mike was involved with motorcycles at a very young age, at following they realized that they would need a much larger four years old he had a mini bike and then by the age of 13 and more accessible place. In 2012 they moved to their he was racing motocross, fixing and maintaining his own bikes. current location at 516 S. Lincoln Avenue, Loveland, CO. He raced for almost twenty years before he got his first Softail 12 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
I asked Randy what their style was in building bikes and
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he answered simply “Clean”. Mike clarified and said that means; “No wiring showing, it’s clean its smooth it’s like shaving the door handles off of a car, you can barely tell how the bike operates”. Their list of awards is staggering from best of show Colorado Spring Show and Swap, Sturgis and Greybeard show just to name a few. As a matter of fact the walls of the shop are literally full of the awards they have garnered. On top of their awards, the custom motorcycles they build have appeared in many national magazines including Hot Bike, American Iron and V-Twin magazine as well as regional magazines like Thunder Roads Colorado. Stop by and talk to Randy or Mike the next time you need tires, service or even a full custom. At this point Randy and Mike have slowed down on building those custom bikes for shows. Mike said “We could be gone every weekend and there are only two of us. We don’t build them for the awards, we build them because it’s what the customer wants to see.” They now choose to focus more on their customers instead of building bikes for shows. Although, they have slowed down, they have by no means stopped building and entering their custom bikes in shows. Currently, they are working on a bike for the Greybeard show that takes place each year during Thanksgiving weekend. If you are in Loveland, make sure you stop by and give Mike and Randy a visit! Carrie and Patrick McCauley
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I
The 33rd Annual Red River Memorial Day Rally in the Rain?
love the tension and anticipation of an upcoming ride, and the escape from our daily life that it brings. This year’s ride to Red River, New Mexico (our third) was full of tension thanks to Mother Nature. May had been one long rain storm, keeping the grass green and the bike in the garage. Every day on the week before our trip, we checked the weather report, looking at the forecast for Southwest Colorado and into New Mexico. Each day the report was different, rain, partly cloudy, even snow was predicted over our route down I-25, into Walsenburg, and over La Veta Pass. Our friends were nervous - it was their first ride in that direction. Should they go with four wheels instead of two? Text messages flew between us. We did a “Sun Dance” to appeal to Mother Nature to give us a break. We hoped and prayed. In the mean time, we packed, repacked, dug out rain gear and extra layers in case we did run into snow. We waited. We hoped. We prayed for clear skies and dry roads.
the sun on our faces. Off came the rain gear and on we rode. Soon, the sign for Questa appeared and brought cheers and fists pumping in the air as we rode by. The final stretch! The turn onto Hwy 38 is the start of the winding road through the mountains to the town of Red River. The pine and tall hickory trees that line the Red River that forms the valley are not what you expect when you first think of New Mexico. Here it is so much like Colorado you almost forget how far you are from home. On each end of the town of Red River, which is only a few miles long, a roadside photographer takes pictures of everyone as they ride in, capturing you in motion as you pass. Pictures are available in town usually within a few hours so you can see (and purchase) yours. It makes a great memento and of course you want to be ready for the perfect picture!
Friday morning we woke to rain, a steady drizzle that, along with the cold temps, made it a tough call to hit the road or not. We knew there was going to be some point on the trip that we would ride in rain; it was just a question of now or later. After a few calls and another weather report, we decided to delay our take off an hour. Another cup of coffee, a little more pacing the floor, and finally we wrangled on our rain gear. As we left the garage, the rain came harder but as we headed down the road it got better. By the time we were at the meet point in Castle Rock it had stopped. Looking back to the north I saw the clouds still moving in from the west, and just like that, we knew we had called it right - we were moving away from it. It was coming from the west and moving to the North East. Farther down south were patches of blue sky and it gave us hope as we made our way toward Pikes Peak. The trip from Denver. Colorado to Red River, New Mexico is about 260 miles, and about five hours if you figure in a break for gas and to stretch the legs. We left Castle Rock at 9:30 am, an hour later than planned, and stopped in Walsenburg for gas around 11:30. At this point we were under partly cloudy skies, and it wasn’t warm but it was definitely dry. Since we were racing against the weather, a quick snack of beef jerky and turkey sandwiches was all we got in Walsenburg, we washed it all down with a swig of water and we were back on the road headed southwest to La Veta Pass, elevation 9413. La Veta pass is two lanes wide, and has a climbing lane on the uphill on both sides. It’s quite a climb but has beautiful scenery, and would make a great ride any summer day. On the other side of the pass and Mt. Mestas, and south of Ft. Garland, is a roadside rest stop and picnic area. By the time we got there, a bathroom break was sorely needed, and we took a minute to stretch and evaluate our path into New Mexico. By now it was after noon and we were feeling 14 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
We made it into Red River at around 2:30 and after a quick check in at the rental property office and we were in the condo we had rented. Since our bike has a trunk, I was able to bring two pans of frozen enchiladas so we would not have to cook our first night. So, we sent the guys off to buy supplies at the market and we got settled. After settling in, it was on to check out the town and shop for a t-shirt or patch. Since vendors were set-up in the park and along the street to sell a variety of biker accessories and gear, and several booths sell patches and you can have them sewn on while you wait. There is live music, the crowd, the rumble of bikes, and the smell of BBQ--all make the Red River exciting for us and while there are several restaurants in town, the food vendors are the place to go if you want turkey legs, philly steak sandwiches and funnel cakes.
This year marked the 33rd annual Red River Memorial Day Rally. In the winter months, Red River is a ski town, smaller than Taos but just as popular. The Rally is the official kick-off
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to the summer tourist season, and all of the businesses are ready and waiting when the 20,000+ bikes roar into town.
Memorial Day activities are typically on Sunday and Monday, leaving Saturday free for a ride to see the area. The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway makes a loose circle around Wheeler Peak, and the 83 mile trip is great and worth doing. Starting at Red River, we went southeast to Eagle Nest, Angel Fire, and down to Taos. We made a stop for breakfast in Taos at Michael’s Kitchen, where they serve fresh baked cinnamon rolls and my favorite breakfast enchiladas with some really great green chili. Taos also has a great stop for souvenirs at the Taos Plaza. This year they also had an arts & craft fair and farmers market. The Byway continues on around to Questa and returns to Red River, but we went back toward Angel Fire to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. http://www.enchantedcircle.org/page.php?p=byway The Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park the only memorial exclusively dedicated to veterans of the Vietnam Conflict. The memorial was created by the parents of
Marine First Lieutenant David Westphall to honor their son and members of his unit who were killed in action in 1968. The names of soldiers who served in all branches of the military at any time during Vietnam are listed on bricks that line the path around the memorial. Inside the museum doors is a message board where visitors post notes of thanks, of love, and other messages. If you go, you will end up leaving with a better understanding of what Memorial Day is really about. We returned to Red River in late afternoon, just as things were getting going around town. Main street was filled with bikes, live music was coming from both sides of the street, and the best part of all, the sun was shining! We got lucky and found parking for all six bikes together, and spent the afternoon wandering through the town and hanging out with bikers from neighboring states. Entertainment goes on until late, but the town eventually closes down and rests up for the next day. Leaving Red River is sometimes the hardest part of this trip. We took a different route home, heading southeast on Hwy 38 to Cimarron. Taking US Hwy 64 northeast brought us right over Raton Pass and onto I-25. If you get to Cimarron, stop at the St. James Hotel for lunch for some Old West history and a great burger. Getting home never seems as exciting. Red River was cold and it was raining when we left at 8:30 am. We flew home without difficulty, with dry roads at the Colorado border and as soon as my boots hit the driveway I was already wishing we were back in Red River. Peggy Bogaard-Lapp
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July 2015
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Ladies Run and Rally Pr
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July 2015
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The Remus Tucker Band
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July 2015
Photographer: Vickie Jo Mullen
Pre-Registration Party
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Colorado 17
JULY
July 10 - 12, 2015 4th Annual Rock The Canyon Motorcycle Rally Crawford, Colorado Skooterz & Shooterz The rally will take place at Skooterz & Shooterz, 39522 Fruitland Mesa Road in Crawford. Gates open at 1:00pm on Friday. The event includes a charity ride, bike show, camping, music and more. Categories for the bike show are best in show, oldest, and ugliest. Awards will be given to winners. The charity ride will take place on Saturday. (602) 663-0799 http://skooterzandshooterz.com ____________________________________ July 11th - 12th, 2015 The New Ladies Run and Rally Lakewood, Colorado Springs, Loveland, and Fairplay, Colorado O’Sullivan Law Firm, Thunder Roads Colorado Magazine, The Park Bar This event consists of a ride and rally. The poker run is held on July 11 with three start locations. In Colorado Springs the ride starts at Pikes Peak Harley-Davidson, 5867 N Nevada Avenue, with registration beginning at 7:45 am and motorcycles going out at 8:30 am. In Loveland the ride starts at Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson, 4250 Byrd Drive, with registration beginning at 7:45 am and motorcycles going out at 8:30 am. Riders from Colorado Springs and Loveland will meet up in Lakewood to begin the poker run. Registration for riders beginning in Lakewood will begin at 9:00 am at Greenfield’s Bar and Grill 3355 S Yarrow St, Lakewood, CO 80227. All motorcycles go out by 10:30 am. The poker run will end in Fairplay where the event continues with a rally. The rally will take place on Front Street that will be closed for the rally. The event includes biker rodeo competition, ride in bike show, vendors, contests, music, a comedian and more. Plaques will be given to winners of the motorcycle rodeo and the bike show. Pre-registration fee is $15.00 for this event. The fee at the time of the event is $20.00. Proceeds will benefit Mount St Vincent Children’s Home and South Park Community Fund. Pre registration is available at the pre-registration party and online. (303) 594-8448 http://ladiesrun.org
July 11th, 2015 Lets get Baked and Cakewalk Glenwood Springs, Colorado Doc Holliday Harley Davidson The Lets get Baked and Cakewalk will be held at Doc Holliday Harley Davidson in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Doc Holliday Harley Davidson in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Bring in your BEST baked good by 11am. (cookies, brownies, pies, cakes-everything works!) Best baked good gets a prize! Join us for our cakewalk! Details TBA Meghan Plys (970) 928-7493 meghan@centuryhd.com http://www. dochollidayharley.com/ ____________________________________ July 11th, 2015 38 Special Poker Run Fountain, Colorado American Legion Riders Post 38 The ride starts at American Legion Post 38, 6685 Southmoor Drive in Fountain. Registration is from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. The ride fee is $20.00 for the rider or $30.00 with a passenger. The ride will go 160 miles on some highway riding, through the mountains and then back into Fountain. The ride ends with a 50/50 drawing and door prizes. This event is a fund-raiser for the Post 38 American Legion Riders. (719) 246-0152 http://www.alrpost38colorado.org ____________________________________ July 16th - 19th Top O’ The Rockies Rally 708 4th St. Paonia, Colorado, 70 miles from Glenwood Springs, Colorado BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado The Top O’ The Rockies Rally is the go-to event of the summer. The entire event takes place within the beautifully maintained City Park of historic Paonia, Colorado. Camp on the grass under large shade trees and you will find all rally activities, outdoors and indoors, just feet away. Fill your days with world-class paved or dual sport riding opportunities starting in any direction from Paonia. Evenings are comfortably cool and the beer garden in the park is the perfect place to gather and meet up with friends new and old. There is on-site food and entertainment and down town restaurants are a short 3-block walk away. Planning a really memorable riding vacation? With the BMW MOA International starting just 4 days later and lots of mountain roads in between, TOR is the perfect pre-MOA stopover. Last year, riders came from 37 states and 6 Canadian Provinces. If you haven‚Äôt been to this rally before, just ask
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your friends about it. The rally fee is a bargain at $60 but preregistration is $50 through July 7th. Three nights of camping, hot showers, a meal Saturday evening, live music and spectacular rides. Pre-registered guests are guaranteed rally pins and are entered into a drawing for a Kermit chair. TopOTheRockies@bmwmcc.org www.bmwmcc.org/tor_rally.php ____________________________________ July 18th, 2015 Cool Kats 6th Annual Diabetes Poker Run Erie, Colorado C, Cool Kats M.C.E. The ride starts at JJ’s Pub and Grill, 615 Mitchal Way, Suite 1 in Erie. Registration begins at 9:00 am and the first bike goes out at 10:00 am. The poker run fee is $20.00 for the rider and $10.00 for a passenger. Extra hands are $5.00 each. Awards will be given for the top three hands. The ride ends with a 50/50 drawing, door prizes and more. (970) 231-0059 ____________________________________ July 18th, 2015 Annual 5 IN 1 High Altitude Poker Run Colorado Springs, Colorado Pikes Peak HOG / Pikes Peak HarleyDavidson The ride starts at Pikes Peak HarleyDavidson, 5867 N Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs beginning at 5:30 am. The ride fee is $30.00 per person and $1.00 for an additional hand. Registration will be available at the pre-party on the evening of the 17th. The poker run will go over five 10,000 foot mountain passes in one day. There will be cash awards for winners. (719) 649-6092 http://pikespeakharleyownersgroup.com/5%20 in1.html ____________________________________ July 18th, 2015 2nd Annual Blacktop Jacks 210 Mile Poker Run Sterling, Colorado Wounded Warriors The ride starts at Grease Monkey, 1107 W Main Street in Sterling beginning at 8:00 am. The ride fee is $20.00 for riders and $15.00 for passengers. The ride is a 210 mile poker run ending with a meal. The event will benefit the Wounded Warriors Foundation. (970) 520-9408 http://www.facebook.com/ events/39938662606970/.
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July 18th, 2015 Ride for Baby Aurora Frederick, Colorado My Life Naturals, Tiger Law, Colorado Premium, and Meyer Meats The poker run starts at High Country Harley Davidson, 3761 Monarch Street in Frederick at 10:00 am. (970) 744-0372 http://rideforaurora.eventbrite.com ____________________________________ July 18th, 2015 Red, White and Blue Run Golden, Colorado The ride starts at Wrigley’s Chicago Bar & Grill, 18200 West Colfax Avenue in Golden. Registration begins at 10:00 am and the motorcycles go out at 11:00 am. The ride will be about 120 miles through Colorado mountains. The ride ends with a barbecue, band, silent auction, give-a-ways, and raffles. All proceeds will benefit Homes for our Troops, which builds homes for severely injured Veterans. (720) 360-6563 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Whiteand-Blue-Run/563122133702180 ____________________________________ July 19th, 2015 El Paso County Fair Car & Motorcycle Show Calhan, Colorado The motorcycle show will be held at El Paso County Fairgrounds, 366 10th Street in Calhan with the registration beginning at 11:00 am. There is no fee to enter your motorcycle in the show. Bikes will be judged in various categories and trophies will be awarded. 719-520-7880 http://www.elpasocountyfair.com ____________________________________ July 20th - 24th Star Days Loveland, Colorado In 1999 STAR Touring and Riding “The Official Riding Organization of Yamaha/Star Motorcycles” hosted the first STAR DAYS in Springfield, MO. AT the 2001 STAR DAYS in Bowling Green, KY, STAR Touring teamed with Star Motorcycles and Feed the Children to take a stand against hunger by bringing in 40,000 lbs of food and personal items to the area. Each year we now bring in 80,000 lbs of food and personal items to the area where STAR DAYS is being held. To enable members to experience the wonders of the different States, STAR DAYS is held in a different location each year. This year is the 15th Anniversary of STAR DAYS. It will be www.thunderroadscolorado.com
action packed with events, rides, seminars, vendors, bike show, food, camaraderie and entertainment for the entire family. STAR DAYS begins with a flag ceremony representing all the Countries in attendance and the many facets of STAR. Each year STAR DAYS has a Vet Ride to honor the Vets, Tin STAR ride to honor our first responders, a History Ride to lean about the area and the SWAMPAZZ ride which this year should be one of the best yet. Each year Star Motorcycle host 4 days of Star Motorcycles demo rides. At our live auction Star Motorcycle donates a beautiful Star Motorcycle with 100% of the proceeds going to Feed the Children. STAR’s annual auction also raises fund to support the Star Family Foundation a “Member helping Member” foundation that gives financial help to STAR members who have had a catastrophic event in their lives. STAR DAYS in Longmont, CO will be one you won’t want to miss, bring your family, friends and cameras because the scenery is absolutely spectacular and the rides are unforgettable. Thank you and see you at STAR DAYS 520-292-0200 https://www.stardays.org/ ____________________________________ July 25th, 2015 ABATE IRONAZZ Ride Vickery Motor Sports 2231 S. Parker Rd. Denver, Colorado ABATE of Colorado, District 10 Registration starts 5:30am Route consists of 500 miles in 12 hours Buena Vista, Leadville, Minturn, Wolcott, Toponas, Idaho Springs, Nederland, Boulder, Golden, Aurora Cost, $25.00 Per Person, Each rider receives Ride pin, Rocker and T-Shirt 303-789-3264 http://www.abateofcolo.org ____________________________________ July 25th, 2015 11th Annual All Patriots Run Lakewood, Colorado Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 3-1 The ride starts at Legion Post 178, 1655 Simms Street in Lakewood. Registration is from 9:00 am to 11:30 am and the first bike goes out at 10:30 am. the ride fee is $20.00 for the rider or $25.00 with a passenger. The ride will go 100 miles and end with a barbecue, 50/50 drawing, silent auction, and door prizes. The event will benefit Mountain States Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America. For more information http://www.cvma3-1.org
July 25th, 2015 U S Vets Riding Club 8th Annual Poker Run Littleton, Colorado Click here to view or print this flyer. Flyer opens in a new window. The ride starts at Platte River Bar and grill, 5995 South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton. Registration begins at 10:00 am and the last bike goes out by 12:00 pm. The ride fee is $20.00 for the rider and $10.00 for a passenger. The poker run includes stops in Golden, Boulder, Dacono, and Watkins before ending in Aurora. The ride ends with a band, pig roast, 50/50, silent and live auction, raffle prizes and more. Proceeds will be benefiting The Fisher House, Homes For Our Troops, Freedom Service Dogs and Pets For Vets. (303) 909-4130 http://USVRC.ORG/ ____________________________________ July 25th, 2015 3rd Annual Too Broke For Sturgis Littleton, Colorado Bikers for Christ M/M, Christian Riders M/M, and Grand Prix Motorsports The event will be held at Grand Prix Motorsports, 3105 W County Line Road in Littleton. Gates open at 11:00 am. The event will include bike games, guided rides, vendors food and more. Proceeds will benefit the Down Biker Benevolence Fund For more information http://www.bfc-co.com ____________________________________ July 25th, 2015 Twin Peaks Poker Run Fort Collins, Colorado Bikers Against Child Abuse The poker run starts at Matt’s Place, 6013 S. College Avenue in Fort Collins beginning at 8:30 am. (970) 302-9646. ____________________________________ July 26th, 2015 Honor Flight Motorcycle Run Evans, Colorado VFW Warriors The ride starts at VFW Post #662, 501 State Street in Evans. Registration is from 9:00 am to 10:30 am and the motorcycles go out at 11:00 am. The fee is $20.00 per rider and $10.00 per passenger. The ride ends in Greeley with lunch and entertainment. (970) 396-2534 https://www.facebook.com/ events/373581849468258/
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Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 21
Dear Friend, Thanks to you, our nation’s superheroes now have a guaranteed ride home! These superheroes have four legs, wagging tails, and have bravely served our country in the military. And it’s all thanks to YOU! I am so proud to write you today with the wonderful news that Congress has passed the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act with language supported by American Humane Association guaranteeing that America’s heroic military working dogs will be returned to U.S. soil upon retirement, and that their human handlers and their families – to whom these dogs mean more than anyone else – will be given first right of adoption. And it’s all thanks to YOU! We cannot thank you and all of our supporters enough for sending letters to your members of Congress urging them to pass this important bill. Your tireless dedication means that we will immeasurably improve the lives of both our two- and four-footed veterans. Over the past year we have helped fund the transportation home of 21 K-9 Battle Buddies and reunite them with their former handlers. And you would not believe the stories of what these reunions mean to them, human and dog alike. We are now strongly urging the President to sign the bill. Thank you again for all your hard work to help right this wrong. We couldn’t have it done it without you! With kind regards, Robin R. Ganzert, PhD President and CEO American Humane Association
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American Humane Association 1400 16th Street, NW Suite 360 Washington D.C. 20036, USA Phone: (800)-227-4645
July 2015
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Tasty Recipes All of these recipes have been kitchen tested and biker approved.
This month’s recipes are courtesy of Dave Tjarks.
MONDAY MEATBALLS
I was talking with my wife on the drive home tonight and the subject came up of what to have for dinner. Since it was Monday and we got back home late last night from the Brian Setzer concert, imagination wasn’t running very high in the kitchen department. I just wanted everyone to move out of the way and the stoplights to stop doing their name. She suggested “how about pasta?” I agreed and let her know that I’ll see what I can do when I got home. Let me tell you about my cooking style, I root around the fridge and cupboards and see what is there and then I usually know what might be for supper. Kind of a gonzo mentality as it were. More often than not, I use the TLAR (that looks about right) and close enough methodologies to my measurements. The main problem I seem to have at that point is repeatability because I never write anything down when I’m in the kitchen. This recipe thing? What is it exactly you’re referring to again? It’s more like a guidebook than a chemistry manual right? (Now that’s for cooking, baking is a whole different talk show and you need them recipes there.) Tonight’s result was Monday Meatballs. It’s pretty simple to put together and came out quite well I was told. Boil some water with salt (2 tsp maybe?) 3 handfuls of farfalle (I wear size large gloves if that helps) Add the pasta and cook it for about 11 minutes or so (use a timer mushy pasta sucks worse than the crunchy stuff) While that’s going on, grab a dozen of your favorite prepared out of the bag from the big box store meatballs and put them in a skillet on MEDIUM. Anything more will turn them black and crunchy, again not any fun to eat. Keep them moving around a bit too. I tossed them in frozen in case you’re wondering. Here’s where the personalization comes in: Slice up some Crimini Mushrooms sort of thick and chop up some red onion. I used about half dozen mushrooms and a bit less than 1/4 cup of the onion. Now that the meatballs are about done, push them to the outside and add a bit of olive oil to the pan. Toss in your mushrooms, onions, garlic (it’s cooking ain’t it?) some Italian herb blend. Cook them around a bit and when they’re finishing up add a few tablespoons of red wine, my wife was drinking a lovely Argentinian Malbec at the time, a couple teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, dash or two of pepper and a bunch of that green bottled parmesan cheese - I guess about a quarter cup or so of that (you could use real stuff but I didn’t have any on hand - it’s Monday and I’m tired remember?) Now if you timed this all right, this ragout should be done about the same time the pasta is. Turn off the heat and drain the pasta if you haven’t already. I dropped in about three or four health teaspoons of jarred pesto sauce (once again you could make your own but it’s what I had) and stirred until the pasta was covered and I was happy. I served a bunch of the pasta in a bowl with the meatball mixture on top and a little more cheese for fun. Hope you enjoy it! Prep time: 3 minutes depending on how you do with a knife Cook time: 14 minutes plus water boiling time Boiling water Farfalle or your choice of pasta 12 Italian meatballs from your freezer 6 crimini mushrooms, sliced/chopped/hacked up to your preference 1/4 red onion medium and chopped
chopped garlic (to taste)or 2 tsp 1 tsp Italian herb blend 2-3 T red wine 2 tsp balsamic vinegar dash of pepper 1/4 c green bottle parmesan cheese 3-4 T or to taste of jarred pesto sauce
MARK’S POM-ADE
I was trying to find a recipe for a cocktail to make a punchbowl’s worth of for a graduation party we have coming up and was walking through my mental card file and recalled a particular one a friend made for me last summer. As I remember it as a nice patio drink and one not too difficult once I could figure out what went in it besides the vodka. I know, isn’t vodka and ice enough? A few text messages later and I had the destructions once again in my hot little hands. It’s a very simple, vodka and pomegranate mix with a ginger ale filler. Here it goes, fill up your favorite pint glass (Don’t you have several around? I highly recommend them) about 2/3 the way with ice and pour in a couple fingers of vodka. Too much? Take a sip and level it out if you want, or not. Pour in about a thumb’s worth of that pomegranate juice that comes from the funny looking bottle (that would be a thumb’s width not length - you try it that way and you’re on your own. Just let me know how it works out for you). Fill up the glass the rest of the way to top it off with your favorite ginger ale and garnish with a slice or wedge of lime which you gave a squeeze to for good measure. Still not your cup of tea? Well we had to keep looking as well, because while the previous one was good, it wasn’t quite what we’re looking for (Just think of the song). After digging through some more recipes I came across one that sounded fun but was a bit too foofy for what we were looking for. Time to change it! Start again with your favorite pint glass with the same 2/3 of ice in it. Okay, maybe not the same two thirds that might taste funny if it hasn’t melted already. Add a couple fingers of that vodka (same rules apply) and on top of that add some nice Florida orange juice (yup, I’m a juice snob) for a couple more fingers worth and follow that with a couple fingers of that really groovy looking blueberry lemonade. Top the glass off with ginger ale and you’re almost there. Since it was already tasting good but a bit murky, I added a little grenadine to brighten it up a bit. Not only did it look good but it finished the flavor off nicely! Serve with my favorite toast - just like a pirate..... RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! 1 1/2 jiggers (remember those from your parent’s books?) vodka 1/2 jigger pomegranate juice from the funny bottle ginger ale lime slice or wedge ice (duh) 1 1/2 jiggers (there’s that word again) vodka 2 jiggers pulp free Florida Orange juice (unless you REALLY like scrubbing your glasses) 2 jiggers blueberry lemonade ginger ale more ice Do you think you have some recipes that you love and would like to share with the readers of Thunder Roads Colorado Magazine? Submit them to recipes@thunderroadscolorado.com
Would you like to have your recipes appear in the magazine? Just email us at recipes@ thunderroadscolorado.com and we will try them out and might just print them here! Make sure you include a little history of the recipe and where you got it from. www.thunderroadscolorado.com
July 2015
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 23
Ladies up Front is a column by and for the women who ride in Colorado both on back and up front. Each month we publish an article written by a lady rider. You will find stories of how these ladies ended up where they are today, with their opinions, strange and funny things that have happened to them, their thoughts, dreams and points of view. Some tell the stories about their journey from the back to the front. Some relate how they came to motorcycles, some are just interesting experiences they have had.
Katt
that feeling. Even though we did not work out, I still have much love for him. We parted as friends and I am proud of his dedication to B.A.C.A. and how he gives back to his community. While I loved being on the back I was yearning to ride my own. I wanted to ride all the time and since my former father-in-law had a bike he rarely rode and said I could borrow…
When I was asked to write this article for Thunder Roads I was so excited! Then I realized I had no idea of what to say. How can I inspire someone when I am still learning myself? I have no idea where to even begin. My riding history is not an extensive one so I have no advice to give to beginners. In my youth, I got on the back of a bike maybe two or three times and then only for a ride around the block or out in the fields back in Illinois. I have always liked bikes maybe because I was a tomboy and it was just another outlet to get dirty and piss the guys off. Grandpa had a 4-wheeler and my brother and I would tear the heck out of it! His rules were “don’t get it out of second gear and stay out of the beans.” Ummm…sorry grandpa.. I moved here from Miami Beach in June of 2014. Now, I have not even had my 2009 Yamaha VStar 950 Tourer a year yet and back in Miami Beach, I was barely a back seat rider, not even a weekend warrior. I had been riding on the back of my ex’s 2002 Yamaha 1600 RoadStar Silverado for a few years. I loved being able to look around and take pictures and just enjoy the scenery and the wind in my hair. I loved holding him and when he would grab my leg as we rode. I loved going to Biketoberfest in Daytona and cruising down A1A. It brought us closer and I loved 24 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
We believe that every woman who rides, be it on the front or on the back, has a story to tell that is worth hearing. When they share their perceptions and knowledge, they often have insight and perspectives that can help us all as we journey forward. Here you will see those experiences and hear of the strength and joy we have found on motorcycles. All ladies are welcome and encouraged to join in and contribute to Ladies up Front. Please contact us at: ladiesupfront@thunderroadscolorado.com
I was able to take my Basic Riding Course at the local college back in 2007 or 2008. They had us in the hot South Florida sun with full gear on riding little 250s. I was sweating like a prostitute in church, but I did not care because I was learning and still on a bike! I passed and got my endorsement. Over the next few years I rode my in-laws bike as often as I could--which was not much. Traffic is super crazy in South Florida and the drivers are idiots and my ex was not comfortable with letting me ride on my own. People say how bad drivers are here in Denver about looking out for motorcycles, but drivers down there are like hit men in big metal boxes and seek you out to knock you down! You do not see a lot of cruisers down there either. It’s mostly crotch rockets and I am ashamed to say that the majority of the riders do act crazy on their bikes by doing wheelies down I95 at 125mph or splitting lanes illegally. I have seen a lot of body parts splayed out along Florida’s roads and that might be why I have a lot of respect for the road. I bought my bike on August 8th 2014 and while I was open to all types of bikes I fell in love with my VStar 950 and even picked it over the Harley Streetbob (that was the other bike I considered). The 950 was a step up from my former father in laws 800 Boulevard that I got to borrow every now and then back in Florida. I knew I wanted something not too big but big enough to handle the mountains and keep up with the big dogs. I proudly rode it up to Loveland to meet some friends who were on their way back from Sturgis. Of course they razzed me because I did not get the Harley, but it was all in good fun. It’s not what you ride just that you ride. The day after I got my bike, I went outside to the parking lot to go riding. I had parked it in a spot that had way too much grade and I couldn’t even get it up off the kickstand! I was pissed and crying, but I just kept pulling. I was so determined
July 2015
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to get it up that I finally did. I found out I had muscles I did not know existed and was sore the next day, but by God I did it! So if any of you ladies out there are petite like I am (5’4” 120lbs) watch where you park! Try to back in and pay attention to the grade. While it is easy to park it on an incline it might not be that easy to get it up. Needless to say I did not park on that steep grade again and now I have no trouble at all getting it upright. In fact, I had to pick it up off the ground a few times because, yes, even perfect, princess me has made stupid mistakes. About two weeks after I became a bike owner I was riding with a good friend of mine who lives in Castle Rock. After a nice day riding around down to Palmer Lake we were coming back into Castle Rock from the South up I-25, I got off the interstate and stopped at the light. It was dark and cold so I had my leathers on but no helmet. We started to make our turn and as I was turning I had a sneezing fit. Not your normal A-choo and done, this was four or five sneezes in a row. (Apparently I have developed allergies since moving to Colorado). Now, as everyone does when they sneeze, I closed my eyes and sure enough when I opened them it was too late. I was a few feet from the I-25 overpass retaining wall and barreling into it head on. I cut the wheel to the left and basically slammed into the wall with my right side. The impact pinned me between the bike and the wall which is good because if I had not turned the bike, I would have flown over overpass onto the interstate. I got the wind knocked out of me and thought that I had some broken ribs, and my arm. I was so embarrassed and pissed I just started the bike back up and rode away.
goggles to weld the headlight housing back together and bent my windshield back in place as best as he could. The bike didn’t look that bad, I was shocked! I am so grateful for him for not only taking care of me, but my baby as well.
My friend had stopped to see if I was ok. He picked up the few pieces of my bike that had come off and caught up with me about a mile away where I had pulled off to catch my breath. We were only about a mile from the house and rode right in front of the hospital to get there. He asked if I wanted to go to the ER, but I said I just wanted to get to his house and lay down and assess the damage. When we got back to the house we pulled into the garage and I parked, went inside and fell onto the couch. I didn’t even look at my bike cause that would have just added to my pain. I was really hurting and bleeding at by time so I took some Tylenol and let my friend check me out.
It is always great to have respect for the road and your bikes, but practice makes perfect and with time comes experience. Have respect for your surroundings, know your limitations and skill set and continue to work at it. Don’t let others dictate your riding. You do not have to keep up with the pack. Go at your own pace and in time you will feel more comfortable riding with the pack and pretty soon you might even be leading the pack! I continue to push myself and I honestly think that if your butt doesn’t pucker at least once when you’re riding you are not pushing yourself.
I started crying and he asked me if it was because I was in pain or because I had just wrecked my brand new bike, and I said it was because I had made a stupid mistake. He thought that was funny and told me that everyone makes a stupid mistake eventually and I just had to get mine out of the way right away. Well, I couldn’t lift my right arm up to smack him, but it didn’t feel broken. He tucked me in and went out to check on my bike. I fell asleep and when I woke up the next day and went out to the garage and was shocked. He had stayed up most of the night fixing my bike. I had messed up my windshield, broke my mirror, bent the right fork sleeve, a little ding on the tank and scratched my floorboard up as well as cracked the headlight housing in half. To my surprise, he was able to fix everything! He melted down a pair of safety www.thunderroadscolorado.com
He loves riding as much as I do and he has been in a VERY bad accident before so I am sure he understood my pain and frustration. I can never tell him enough times how much that meant to me and to this day, I would do anything for him. While he did do the customary teasing, and I expected no less, he also educated me and helped me with learn the way to steer, lean, turn, brake, and other helpful tips that only experienced riders can give. Not only do I value his friendship, I value his advice and opinion and I listen to him. I ended up getting a new windshield and new mirrors, floorboards, and other items because that was my plan from the beginning, but it was perfectly fine to ride had I not decided to customize it. That same day, I went to go get tags for my bike. I dropped it in a u-turn because I could barely lift my arm and shouldn’t have been riding to begin with, but I wasn’t going to let that wreck stop me from riding! Granted, after I tagged it, I did park it for a few days so I could heal, but my point is this: Ladies, it’s not if you ever drop your bikes or get into another type of accident, it’s when you do and what you do afterwards about it that counts. Do I recommend riding right after you were injured? If you can safely do it, Heck yeah! If you can barely lift your arm and had trouble taking a deep breath? Maybe not so much.
I still have trouble with tight u-turns so I occasionally go practice them in an empty parking lot at Southwest Plaza along with tight turns. I’ve learned that you need to turn your head and look where you want to go and the bike will follow. It was hard for me to learn this concept because it seems natural to me to want to look at where I am, not where I want to go. I have dropped the bike a few more times but I am learning from my mistakes and getting better and better. There is no way I am going to let a little road rash and an injury to my pride to stop me from the peace I get when I ride. Anyone who rides will tell you that the open road, scenery, and wind in your face helps to relax tension and soothe away some of the emotional pain of everyday life. I know, for me, that when I head out on a beautiful day towards the mountains with my music in my ears and the wind in my hair I have no stress, no pain, and no sadness. I can think clearly
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and sometimes I just don’t think at all. When I lived in Miami Beach I was literally DYING inside. I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD and I was on antidepressants and mood stabilizers because I was miserable. I was going to therapy at least once a week and often suicidal. I became a shut-in and sometimes never got out of bed. I haven’t had to take medication since I moved here and my bike is my therapy. I am not just happy, I am ecstatic about life and I am a new person. It is not just the bike; it is the lifestyle that comes with it. My friends have become my family and I couldn’t have better people in my life. The brother and sisterhood bonds are very strong in this community and I am learning through them how to be a better person and how to love myself and others. I am able to finally give back to the community by doing charity runs and volunteering and that just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. So I guess my message is this: Whether you ride on the back or ride your own, take a deep breath, embrace life and enjoy the ride. Do not give up if you have a fall. Hell….when you fall you can’t go any lower so the only way to go is to get up and continue on. Respect your fears but conquer them. You can do it! The only person standing in your way is yourself. There are great people out there that will have your back, and some of the great ones will even hold your hand along the way, wipe the blood up, dry your tears and bandage your wounds. Don’t let life or stresses ruin you, ride it out…..
BRITISH MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO Meets 1 st Saturday of every month, 10 am South Side Johnny’s 528 S. Tejon Colorado Springs, CO www.bmacinc.com All makes and models of bikes welcome! Contact John @719-213-3239 or 5pointsltd@gmail.com
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News Bytes NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
DOT REGULATORS TO CRACK DOWN ON NOVELTY HELMETS U.S. transportation regulators on Wednesday, May 20 called for stronger rules for motorcycle helmets, proposing additional safety requirements in an effort to crack down on “novelty” helmets that do not meet federal standards. Department of Transportation officials say such uncertified helmets are unsafe and do not protect riders in crashes despite being sold and marketed for use on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 218 to modify the existing performance requirements of the standard by adding construction requirements. Its Proposed Rulemaking changes would further define what makes an acceptable motorcycle helmet, from its thickness to its compression ability, “in an attempt to help riders and state law enforcement officials identify inferior helmets.” Such changes aim “to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from traffic accidents involving use of motorcycle helmets” that fail to meet federal standards, DOT regulators told Reuters news agency, adding that rider deaths are disproportionately high due in part to the high number of motorcyclists wearing substandard helmets. It is not clear why so many motorcycle riders use inferior helmets, said the regulators, but they say part of the problem seems to be that riders do not understand the risks. Novelty helmets can also be cheaper and appear “more comfortable or stylish,” they added. So-called “Novelty” helmets generally cover a smaller area of the head, have thin liners and are often sold with disclaimers stating that they are not for highway use “yet they are sold to highway users and used in great numbers by motorcyclists.” Tougher standards are expected to help authorities prosecute sellers of noncompliant helmets in states where helmets are mandatory, regulators said. The public can comment on the proposal for 60 days, up until July 20, 2015, before the department moves to issue its final regulation. “DOT LOBBY BAN” REPEAL ATTEMPT THWARTED A provision contained in a federal appropriations bill could have struck down the “DOT lobby ban” implemented by Congress in 1998 to prevent the Department of Transportation from strongarming states on helmet laws and other unwanted legislation. However, thanks to the swift actions of national and state motorcyclists rights organizations, riders across the country rose to the occasion and supported an amendment introduced by Congressional Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Reid Ribble (R-WI) to strip the offending provision. 30 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
When the U.S. House of Representatvies addressed the 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations act (H.R. 2577) on June 3-4, Section 102 was removed. WEIRD NEWS: COPS CREATE TRAFFIC JAM TO CATCH BIKERS SPLITTING LANES New York police officers were recently caught on camera intentionally causing a traffic jam on the highway to catch motorcyclists splitting lanes through the stopped vehicles. The YouTube video has gone viral on the Internet, and was picked up by www.filmingcops.com, a conglomerative blogging service documenting police abuse otherwise ignored by traditional media outlets. The narrator of the YouTube clip claims that the police actually shut down the entire highway for the sole purpose of catching bikers driving in between lanes. Several unsuspecting bikers can be seen in the video being pulled over as cops demand their license and registration, while the video shows the rest of the traffic on the highway at a complete stop for some time so that the cops can generate ticket revenues; “This appears to be one of the most epic parasitic wealth-extractions in recent memory.” NEVADA AMENDS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LAW After passing the state Assembly unanimously, AB422 was signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval on May 21, 2015 to amend the state’s handlebar height law. Effective October 1, 2015, Section 1 of this bill prohibits a local authority from enacting an ordinance governing the operation and equipment of a motorcycle or a moped which is in conflict with any existing state laws. Under existing law, a person is prohibited from driving a motorcycle or a moped equipped with handlebars which extend above the driver’s shoulders. Section 2 of this bill provides that handlebars may extend not more than 6 inches above the driver’s shoulders. OREGON MOTORCYCLISTS GET “LIMITED EXCEPTION” TO RED LIGHTS Changing traffic laws that affect motorcyclists often sparks plenty of debate in state legislatures, but that was not the case with a measure allowing two-wheel vehicles to go through malfunctioning stoplights that passed the Oregon legislature unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown on May 21st. Under SB 533, riders will be allowed to proceed through a red light only after it fails to go through one full cycle -- and then only if done with caution. State Representative John Davis (R-Wilsonville) calls it a “very, very limited exception” to the normal rules covering red lights. Effective January 1, 2016, Oregon will join 16 other states with similar “dead red” laws that allow riders to proceed through red lights that do not detect their presence and fail to provide a green light: Minnesota (2002), Tennessee (2003), Arkansas (2005), Idaho (2006), Wisconsin (2006), North Carolina (2007), South Carolina (2008), Missouri
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MOTORCYCLE LICENSE BILL PASSES IN ALABAMA Alabamians will need to have a motorcycle classification on their license, and take a written exam or safety course, under a bill that has passed the state Legislature and awaits the governor’s signature. Alabama is the only state that doesn’t require a specific motorcycle license, and this measure “will make sure that those who are riding motorcycles are qualified and know enough about motorcycle safety,” said the bill’s sponsor State Rep. Phillip Pettus (R-Greenhill). Pettus’ House Bill 212 now goes to the governor for his signature. Currently, only motorcyclists age 14 and 15 have to take a written test and get the M classification. Those older than that may get the classification, but don’t have to. Motorcyclists who already have the M classification will be grandfathered in. Upon Governor Robert J. Bentley’s approval, the new licensure law will become effective January 1, 2016, and law enforcement will then be able to issue tickets to motorcyclists who don’t have the M classification. The bill also allows drivers to complete a safety course instead of the written test. There’s a $5 fee for the written test. TEXAS LAW LEGALIZES SLINGSHOT THREE-WHEELER A new law now legalizes the three-wheel Polaris Slingshot in Texas. Polaris’ Slingshot reverse-trike ended up in legal limbo last year after it was determined that it didn’t fit the letter of any of Texas motor vehicle laws. It didn’t have the safety equipment required to define it as a car, but since it had seats, and not a saddle, it couldn’t be considered a motorcycle, either. That changed last week when Governor Greg Abbot signed an amendment to the law that essentially removed the saddle requirement, allowing three-wheel www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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0 r R2 ec0o0 M Miillion Re cov verredllFion Ou ed For Ourr Ce l i ent or Clie nts s
11/1/11 5:06 PM
11/1/11 5:06 PM “autocycles” to be registered as motorcycles, as they are in many states. A motorcycle license is still required to drive one, but you can take the test in a three-wheeler if you only plan to drive that type of vehicle. The laws that govern vehicles like the Slingshot vary from state to state, and it’s still not street legal in a few. That includes Connecticut, Hawaii and Maryland, while Indiana recently passed its own “autocycle” law authorizing its use. In most states it follows the same helmet rules as a motorcycle, but in California can be driven without one and only requires an automobile license to operate.
MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES DROP FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR Riding a motorcycle in the U.S. is continuing to get a little safer. Based on a preliminary survey of 2014 fatality data, the Governors Highway Safety Association is predicting a second consecutive year-over-year drop in deaths for the first time on record since 1997. The GHSA is predicting 4,584 motorcyclist deaths in 2014, a 1.8-percent drop. The organization bases its forecasts on motorcycle fatality data for January through September in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. From this raw info, deaths fell in 27 states in 2014, increased in 19 and remained the same in four, plus DC. While good in the short term, the GHSA still thinks there’s a lot to do to reduce rider deaths; 28% of fatal crashes in 2013 involved riders with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08, 34% of those killed were speeding, and 25% didn’t have a valid motorcycle license. Of course the GHSA recommends that all states adopt universal helmet laws, noting that currently only 19 states and D.C. require all riders be helmeted. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Knowledge is power [Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est].” ~ Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English Renaissance theorist
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Late in the night, “Buzzard” finally regained consciousness. He was in the hospital, agonizing in pain. The last thing he remembered was going down on his bike and of course was wondering if “she” was alright. He found himself in the ICU with tubes in his nose, needles and IV drips in every arm, a breathing mask, wires monitoring every function and yet a gorgeous nurse hovering over him. Buzzard realized he was obviously in a life-threatening situation. He had heard the Nurses talking out at their station that there was a 50/50 percentage that he could have temporary paralysis from the waist down. The nurse entered his room, gave him a serious, deep look, straight into the eyes, and he heard her slowly say, “For now, you may not feel anything from the waist down.” Somehow Buzzard managed to mumble in reply, “Can I feel your boobs, then?” ________________________________________________ Two women in their early 50’s pass away and meet up for the first time in Eternity. They hadn’t seen each other for quite some time. SYLVIA: Hi! Wanda. WANDA: Hi! Sylvia. How’d you die? SYLVIA: I froze to death. WANDA: How horrible! SYLVIA: It wasn’t so bad. After I quit shaking from the cold, I began to get warm & sleepy, and finally died a peaceful death. What about you? WANDA: I died of a massive heart attack. I suspected that my husband was cheating, so I came home early to catch him in the act. But instead, I found him all by himself in the den watching TV. SYLVIA: So, what happened? WANDA: I was so sure there was another woman there somewhere that I started running all over the house looking. I ran up into the attic and searched, and down into the basement. Then I went through every closet and checked under all the beds. I kept this up until I had looked everywhere, and finally I became so exhausted that I just keeled over with a heart attack and died. SYLVIA: Too bad you didn’t look in the freezer -- we’d both still be alive. ________________________________________________
WHY do banks leave mammoth vault doors wide open and then chain the pens to the counters? ________________________________________________ Charlie was installing a new door and found that one of the hinges was missing. He asked his wife Tilly if she would go to Home Depot and pick up a hinge. Tilly agreed to go. While she was waiting for the manager to finish serving a customer, her eye caught a beautiful bathroom faucet. When the manager was finished, Tilly asked him, “How much is that faucet?” The manager replied, “That’s a gold plated faucet and the price is $500.00.” Tilly exclaimed, “My goodness, that’s an expensive faucet and certainly out of my price range!” She then proceeded to describe the hinge that Charlie had sent her to buy. The manager said that he had them in stock and went into the storeroom to get one. From the storeroom the manager yelled, “Ma’am, you wanna’ screw for that hinge? Tilly shouted back, “No, but I will for the faucet.”
WHY is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? WHY isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food? WHY do they sterilize the needle and the arm for lethal injections? WHY don’t sheep shrink when it rains? www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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This month’s Thunder Cam Features pictures from the Realities for Children Rally Photogapher: Vickie Jo Mullen
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