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
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
ABATE..................................................................... 6 Scott O’Sullivan....................................................... 9 Donny Efta’s Free Bird Motorcycle........................ 10 SOS....................................................................... 14 Calendar................................................................ 18 Events................................................................... 20 Ladies Up Front..................................................... 22 Goodbye to Emily’s Parad..................................... 24 Tasty Recipes........................................................ 28 Veteran’s Corner.................................................... 29 News Bytes........................................................... 30 Biker Friendly Directory......................................... 32 Joker’s Wild........................................................... 33 Thunder Cam........................................................ 34
EDITORS Patrick J. McCauley “5” President and Senior Editor Patrick@thunderroadscolorado.com Carrie McCauley Vice President and Editor Carrie@thunderroadscolorado.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Vickie Jo Mullin, Lead Photographer Vickie@thunderroadscolorado.com Wayne Madison wayne@thunderroadscolorado.com
ON THE COVER
David Campbell davidc@thunderroadscolorado.com
Model: Rachel Sessions Motorcycle Owner: Rachel Sessions Photographer: David Campbell
ADVERTISING AND DISTRIBUTION REPRESENTATIVES Western Slope Chris Blumke chrisb@thunderroadscoloraodo.com (303)478-2335 Greater Metro Denver Area Toby Schmidt tobyb@thunderroadscolorado.com (720)829-7954 Northern Colorado Zak Clayton zak@ThunderRoadsColorado.com (970) 301-4674 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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Want to be a contributor or correspondent? We need contributors and correspondents for dirt bike off-road events, on-road cruiser, sport bike and adventure touring, rides, runs and rallies. Contact us today at contributors@thunderroadscolorado. com or 720-458-3134.
H
ello Colorado, welcome to April! This year, it seems like snow is on the agenda in March, as it often is, will we have a snowy April as well? April in Colorado has always been an interesting month. It could be snow one day with the next day warm and clear and perfect for riding. I wonder how it will turn out this year? Last month, as many of you know Katt our cover model for the July 2015 Thunder Roads Colorado passed away suddenly. As someone we had worked with, it was a shock to us and we decided to feature a tribute to Katt again in the March issue. So we scrambled and worked very quickly to make our print deadline. Unfortunately, because of this scramble and time crunch, we ended up with several mistake of one sort or another in the issue last month. Firstly, the Ladies up Front article was incorrectly attributed. Carrie McCauley was the author of that article and it was mislabeled. I wish that was the only mistake was but it wasn’t. The next mistake we made was to use the wrong file of the article for Donnie Efta’s Lynyrd Skynrd custom bike build painted by Maverick Custom Paint. The draft of the article and article notes were used instead of the final edition of the article. This month, Thunder Roads Colorado not only offer our apologies that the article did not get into the magazine properly but we also thought it was important to bring you the full feature article of this strikingly customized motorcycle paint that was completed by Maverick Custom Paint. Please, check out the article and pictures as it was meant to be and let us know what you think about the bike. We think it is pretty great customization and are proud to feature it properly this month here in Thunder Roads Colorado. Again, we apologize to Donny Efta (the motorcycle owner) and Maverick Custom Paint (the custom painters) for the mistakes that were made last month and thank you for your support of Thunder Roads Colorado. Patrick 5
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Colorado General Assembly Nears Mid-session Hello Motorcycle Enthusiasts, Since the 70th Colorado Legislative Session is about half way over today March 15, I’ll give you a mid-session update. So far the Senate has introduced 156 bills and the House has introduced 360. Of those 156 Senate Bills, nine have been initially assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee or are transportation related. Of the 360 House Bills, thirty-three have been initially assigned to the House Transportation and Energy Committee or are transportation related. The House Bill numbers are a little misleading because some of the bills are energy related, while the Senate Bills related to energy are assigned to the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, & Energy Committee. Of the nine bills assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee, none of been postponed indefinitely (PI’d or killed) in committee and none have gone through the entire process yet. Of the thirtythree bills assigned to the House Transportation and Energy Committee, four have been postponed indefinitely in committee and three have been signed by the Governor already. Those are the numbers and you can form your own conclusions but, I will add that it seems the bills are moving slower than in past years. If it wasn’t an election year, I would expect a big rush towards the end of the session, since it is an election year…maybe not. . Bills of concern to motorcyclists: SB16-123 (HOV / Transponders) went to the Senate Committee as a Whole for the second Reading on 2/25/16 and has been laid-over five times since then. Talking to the sponsor of the bill, he expects to proceed with the second reading next week as this has given both sides (proponents and opponents) enough time to meet and try to compromise on certain issues arising with the bill. One thing that has been agreed upon by everyone involved is that motorcycles are HOV per Federal Regulations and should be able to use an HOV lane free of charge. Charging for a transponder is not free of charge. How they will circumvent this issue hasn’t been decided yet. The easiest solution to me seems to be that when a vehicle passes through the toll station and doesn’t have a transponder, a license plate picture is taken (front and rear). Looking at the front view should be easy enough to see that the vehicle is a motorcycle and the toll should automatically be discarded. This seems easy enough to implement and CDOT says it could take about six months to a year to implement. We have a couple Senators pushing to get this done ASAP, and a bill might be introduced to that effect. I’ll keep you all updated on the issue. This week, I distributed thirty-five letters to the Senate Transportation Committee Members, House Transportation and Energy Committee Members, and a few other friendly legislators about an Autocycle bill. I had one brief meeting
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with a Representative so far and expect to have a couple more next week to get an update and a feel for a possible Autocycle bill. I’ll keep you updated on that issue also. Other bills I’m watching are: SB16-122 (More Oversight of CDOT); HB16-1172 (CDOT Efficiency and Accountability Committee); and HB16-1231 (Restricting the use of Red Light Cameras). Additionally, I’m gathering some information about the elections coming up in November: what Senate Districts are up for election; which Senators and Representatives are term-limited this year and who has put their name in with the Secretary of State so far. Candidates will start campaigning soon after the session ends in May, if not before, so we want to get a heads up on which candidates are “friendlies” and try to help them get elected. We will bring you more on this topic in future updates. ABATE will also be putting out a Legislative Questionnaire in a few months and that will help us to find out who our “friendlies” really are, helping us retain our freedom to ride our bikes the way we want to without government interference. We have now reached the entertainment part of the article. If you have been following this column you will know that in the late 1970’s my wife, Val, and I took a 62,000 mile road trip on a chopped Shovelhead. After we stopped to visit family for Christmas in Pennsylvania, we headed out on January second in search of warmer weather. Our plan was to meet an old Marine Corps buddy in New Orleans for Mardi Gras around the first week in February. When we left PA it was 26 degrees out and we made it to Delaware to visit another old Marine Corps buddy and his family. It got really cold that night and when we got ready to leave the next day, after leaving the bike outside all night, I noticed my battery was frozen. Being inexperienced with motorcycle electrics, I figured it was an old battery and just needed replacing anyway so we grabbed a new battery and we were on our way. We made it to Richmond, VA and ended up with a dead battery and a bike that would not start. So we waited a while and finally got it started and limped to the nearest Harley shop. Now, the first thing to remember here is that this was the 1970’s and bike shops were a bit different than they are today. I talked to the manager, Larry, and told him about how we were living on the road as cheaply as possible. He said, “Bring the bike around back at closing time and I’ll personally look at it for you”. He did some testing with an ammeter, couldn’t find anything wrong and said it must be a short in the wires. He then said he lived nearby and we were welcome to stay at his house and check the wiring in his garage. I purchased a small “trickle” charger for $7.00 at the Harley shop and Val and I replaced the wiring harness (all three wires of it) the next day, hooked-up and charged the battery. We spent the next three days at Larry’s house, including a test ride one day to Norfolk. All seemed well! WRONG!! The day we left Larry’s place, we got about 100 miles and
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the battery went dead again. After we found a place to camp, I took the battery out and with my trickle charger, walked to the nearest house. I knocked on the door and asked if they had an outside outlet I could use to charge my battery. They got us plugged in and I came back the next morning to a fully charged battery! The next day we went about 80 miles, stopped for gas and to charge the battery again for a couple hours. Rode another 100 miles and it is dead again! Now, I’m thinking maybe I pinched a wire when installing the new harness. It is still cold with the only day it got above 40 degrees being the day we drove down to Norfolk with Larry. So we look for a cheap motel where we can check the wiring harness again. We found a motel for $5.00 (and it looked it too). But, it did have a linoleum floor and a heater inside and was big enough to bring the bike in. Val and I again replaced the wiring harness and charged the battery. Unfortunately, the new harness did not solve the problem. We continued this routine of charging the battery once during the day, usually at a gas station, then begging for electricity at someone’s house at night through SC, GA, FL, AL, & MS. Our plan was to get to my buddy’s house in New Orleans, who was also a Harley mechanic, and we could fix it there. So after about a month, we finally made it to New Orleans. Now, my buddy actually lived in Southern California, but he always came back to his parent’s house in New Orleans for the Mardi Gras. So, we stopped at his parent’s house and were informed that my buddy Tom, could not get off work and would not be there for Mardi Gras. Thankfully, after some phone calls, Tom convinced his sister and her husband to put us up for a week. During this time I took my bike to another Harley shop to have my electrical problem fixed. They did some testing, figured it was the regulator/rectifier module and replaced it. Cost me $75 which, at that time was about 10 days-worth of travel money! We had a good time at Mardi Gras and then headed for Daytona and Bike Week, thinking that the bike was fixed-WRONG! Got to Pensacola, FL and the battery was dead again. So we head to another Harley shop, explained the situation and again get invited to come around the back after closing. The mechanic met me out back at 6:00 pm and helped me change out the rotor and stator. Finally, the problem was solved and we were good to continue our trip for the next six months. The whole “electrical-problem” situation was quite an experience. We learned that there are a lot of good people in this country and that bikers really do help bikers. I also learned that I needed to learn to be a better mechanic. I wonder what would happen nowadays in a similar situation! Stay tuned for more legislative updates and anecdotes from the road. We invite everyone to help protect our freedom and become more legislatively active. Join your local State Motorcycle Rights Organization (SMRO), they are fighting for all of our freedom and the right for us to ride the way we want to ride. Stump www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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I Think I Can Make It… By Scott O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Law Firm
TURN! Probably is not good enough! Wait until you are POSITIVE you can make it.
A friend called me this morning after she had witnessed a horrible motorcycle accident—that is the kind of call a personal injury attorney gets from his friends! She was shaken up, describing the accident as “so violent” and that it “looked like the motorcycle exploded.” Now, this sounds at first like it could be a rare, out of the ordinary type of accident that was particularly violent--but it wasn’t. I learned that it was caused by one of the most common mistakes that both drivers and motorcyclists make a left-hand turn in front of oncoming traffic. My friend described the accident like this: A southbound motorcyclist on Colorado Boulevard was in the left-hand turn lane turning left onto 8th Avenue. A northbound car slammed into the turning motorcycle and veered off into a nearby bus stop. The turning motorcycle “exploded” from the impact with car. Motorcycle and car parts, glass and liquids were scattered across that intersection. She did not see where the motorcyclist landed but said a slew of people jumped out of their cars to help, so she stayed in her car with her kids and called 911. The motorcyclist did not have enough room to make that left turn. I have only one reaction to this: If you’re in a left-hand turn lane and you’re thinking, “I can probably make it.” DO NOT
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We see this type of accident all the time. I literally help victims of these kinds of accidents at somewhere between ten and twenty times each and every year and in the majority of these cases, the person making the left-hand turn is usually found to be at fault. So, the motorcyclist in the above story would probably be found at fault. The injuries from this kind of accident are usually pretty bad for both drivers. The driver who was going straight ends up with the equivalent of hitting a wall and we see lots of broken wrists and broken ankles, as well as much more severe injuries. Now, let us say that you are the car driver or motorcyclist who is going straight and someone turns in front of you. What should you do? Assuming you are not injured too badly, gather witnesses and take pictures! You need to have witnesses who can corroborate that you had the green light and that the person making the left-hand turn should have waited to proceed. But again, I cannot urge everyone enough not to be the driver or rider that turns without enough room to make it and causes an accident like this. If you are not 100% sure that you can make the turn, wait until you have enough room. The extra time waiting is well worth it when you continue on your way and avoid that accident! If you have any questions about this article, don’t hesitate to contact me: 303-388-5304 or https://osullivan-law-firm.com/ Scott
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DONNY EFTA’S
FREE BIRD
R
TRIBUTE/MEMORIAL MOTORCYCLE
emember dreaming of owning your own motorcycle? So many choices… so many makes, models, colors and accessories… And once that bike was sitting in your driveway I bet you started to think of how to customize it and change it into your dream bike.
How would you make your bike truly your own unique ride? Custom chrome or black accessories? Fancy wheels? Add a great stereo for music? The options seem almost endless these days whether you are riding metric or American accessories are everywhere—especially for bikes built in the past 15 years. How about an airbrushed paint scheme to truly make that motorcycle unique? As a matter of fact, we think a new airbrushed paint scheme 10 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
might just be one of the best things you can do to truly make your bike your own—and gather some stares while you are at it. When it comes to customizing paint work on a bike, airbrushing lets you dream big and gives you a huge amount of artistic range to create a truly customized motorcycle. It can make a bike a true one of a kind. This is how Donny Efta’s journey with his all black 2005 HarleyDavidson Heritage Softail began. Donny told us that it truly started when he had a little extra money in his pocket and wanted to customize that Heritage Softail and he wanted to do something that was different. That was when he met Monte Moore of Maverick Custom Paint at a bike show and that dream of something
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different came alive with some great ideas. Monte had a small bike in his booth with portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and other old time beauty queens on it that was catching the attention of the passersby. Donnie and Monte started discussing it, trading ideas and the dream of something really special was born. Now Donny has always been a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan. So it did not take him long to decide that a Lynyrd Skynyrd theme would be perfect. After much thought and discussion, it became a memorial project to the members of the band that were touring during the time of the tragic plane crash. Lynyrd Skynyrd is known for their iconic songs “Free Bird,” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” During the height of the band’s success in 1977 a plane crash cost them three band members, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and vocalist Cassie Gaines. It was decided that the gas tank would be graced with three portraits of Ronnie Van Zant. This was done in 2009. About a year later some work on the front fender was done and four other members of the band Leon Wilkeson, Steven Gaynes Billy Powell, and Allen Collins were added. Then, guitarist Gary Rossington (who is still alive and still with the band), along with Artimis Pyle (the band’s drummer) were added to the oil tank and the rear fender has the name Lynyrd Skynyrd airbrushed over a flag design. The customizing does not stop there. Lyrics from the iconic song “Free Bird” with the date and location of the plane crash are part of the one-of-a-kind leatherwork of the seat. That leatherwork was completed by Dustin Bustos. If you are a true Lynyrd Skynyrd fan you will recognize the outline on the primary chrome as coming from the “Street Survivors” album cover. So what do you with such a fantastic machine, once the work is done? Well if the rest of us are lucky you show it! Donnie rides this bike and has had it in several shows. Winning Best Paint, Best of Show and last year at the Black Hills Motorcycle Show in Rapid City, SD it was also voted best in show by the public. But talking about the awards is not what puts that big smile on Donnie’s face. That big smile comes out when he is talking about all of the people he has met who love motorcycles and are fellow fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd. So when the current Lynyrd Skynyrd band members where in Laramie, WY at the same time Donnie and the 2005 Softail were there, and since he happened to meet continued... www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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one of the band roadies, they told Donnie where the band was staying. Donnie went to the hotel and parked his bike, and waited and waited. Later, someone finally did come out to smoke a cigarette and they came over to see the bike. Once they saw it, they went in to get the members of the band to check it out. Unfortunately, they were already in bed. So they told Donnie come back at 7:00 a.m. in the morning. When Donnie returned that morning, riding up on his Free Bird Bike the band members were waiting for him in the parking lot!! Lead singer Jonny Van Zant gave him a hug and everyone was very appreciative of the work on the bike. It isn’t everyday you get to meet an iconic band and show them a motorcycle that was customized as a memorial to past and current members of that band. So when you are thinking of making a few changes to your bike to make it special, you will need to decide just how special you want it to be. You also need to decide will it be a custom airbrushed paint for you are will you head in another direction altogether? RIDE ON!! 12 Thunder Roads MagazineŽ Colorado
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13
SOS A
ll of us have probably experienced that sinking feeling as your bike starts to sputter and buck sounding strange as it sputters and dies. It is that moment when all of the adrenaline from the ride so far sinks immediately to the pit of your stomach and you think to yourself something like, “ It’s gonna die and I need to move to the shoulder … NOW!” You pull your clutch-in and roll across the lanes of traffic, praying you will make it to the side of the road before it dies completely. The bike sputters to a stop and there you are, stranded on the side of the road. This happened to me soon after I started riding my own bike on my seventh or eighth trip into the mountains (of course it wasn’t in town). We were heading home after spending a day riding with some friends when my bike started to buck and sputter. Luckily it was on the last hill traveling down 285. So, I sought out my “exit strategy” and rolled the bike on the shoulder of the road. The first thing that I thought of was, “I hope I just either. I was at a loss as to how in the world I was supposed to ran out of gas”. I tried to start my bike, but nothing. Checked signal a passing motorist or motorcyclist if I needed assistance. the stop switch, battery power etc. they were all fine. I checked Afterward, I decided if I didn’t know, perhaps a bit of research the petcock and realized it was in the reserve position--Oops. was in order. So I did some research and found a few places I opened the gas tank and staring down into the void I could that mentioned other ways to signal that I was a motorcyclist clearly see that it was dry, bone dry! I gently shook the bike back in distress. To my surprise I found that there isn’t a universal and forth and didn’t hear any sloshing. Yup, I was out of gas. signal. Luckily my husband Patrick was with me and he offered to go I found that the most common signal of distress is to put on home and bring some gas for my bike. This was my new your helmet on the ground by the rear tire of the bike. Further baby (well new to me anyway) and I didn’t want to leave her on research showed that you can also use a glove on your the roadside at the bottom of the hill alone. So off he went the rearview mirror or a white cloth on the back of the bike. These last few miles home, grabbed the gas can and returned while cannot be considered universal signals because the places I stood on the roadside and waited for him to return with gas. where I did my research had more than 75% of the people I looked at the petcock and was trying to see if indeed I had saying that they didn’t know of them. The final signal I found left it in the reserve position accidentally. I broke open the was either a thumbs up or down to passing a rider to let the compartment that has my toolkit and owner’s manual and yup, passing motorcyclist know that you need assistance or don’t. I had left it in the reserve position. As I was waiting, for my I am glad that we weren’t far from home and the round trip husband to return, I counted at least 30 motorcycles pass me with Patrick going to get gas for me took less than 40 minutes. by and only one person stopped to see if I needed assistance. After we arrived home I thought some more and realized that That was one out of 30 motorcyclists, of course that doesn’t waiting around for someone to help you isn’t the only option. count the endless stream of cars that passed me by while I Roadside assistance is a good thing to have if you are was sitting there with my owner’s manual out and my toolkit on far from home and stranded in the middle of nowhere. my seat. As I sat there I realized that I didn’t know how to alert Unfortunately, this happened to us a few years back on a road passing bikers that I needed help without waving my arms around trip to Louisiana and we were extremely glad that we had like a lunatic and jumping up and down. This time, I ran out of roadside assistance that we purchased from Harley Davidson gas and my husband was on his way, so I didn’t need to signal for Owner’s Group. I have since discovered that similar roadside help. Good thing too, since I didn’t know how. assistance is offered by several companies including the Of course, most recently made motorcycles have hazard American Motorcycle Association, Allstate Motor Club and signals now (and gas gauges), but many older bikes don’t have 14 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
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most motorcycle manufacturers. We always make sure we are up to date on our roadside assistance before we go out of state. It is nice to know that if you run out of gas or need your bike towed that the help you need is only a phone call away. If you mainly stay close to home and you don’t want to shell out the money for a year of roadside assistance, you can always keep the number of a motorcycle towing service (like our advertiser Motorcycle Transport Specialist) in your cell phone or wallet or with your registration and insurance paperwork. It is also a good idea to have a toolkit with you, even if you aren’t a mechanic. It helps if that road trip vibrates your shifter loose (or something else that will keep you from going that only takes the right tool to tighten it and back on the road). It is also useful if someone does stop to help you with the knowledge but their tools don’t fit your motorcycle. All of our toolkits also include a tube of blue Loctite, essential for any nut or bolt that you don’t want to vibrate loose (again). We actually have two tool kits, one that is smaller for short jaunts around town and up in the mountains and a larger one with the tools to handle most of the nuts, bolts and fasteners on our bikes (metric and SAE). We carry that on longer destination trips and it has been a lifesaver on occasion. Hours and hours of vibration at highway speeds can loosen all sorts of things. Even though we don’t service our own bikes, most of us can tighten something loose if that is the problem and get back on the road. Sometimes being stuck the middle of nowhere means no cellphone service too, so you may need that toolkit to play MacGyver and get your bike limping to the next station or cell phone area. After several of our own experiences with breaking down (okay, once breaking down and more than one running out of gas), Patrick and I slow down when we see a biker on the side of the road. We give the rider a thumbs up and let them respond with either a thumbs up or down to signal if they are okay. Even if you are not mechanically inclined, stopping to help a motorcyclist who is stopped on the side of the road is a great way to pay it forward. It might be you the next time, stuck on the roadside and in need of a little assistance. Even if you aren’t mechanically inclined, a cell phone, a small toolkit, some gas or just provide moral support can make the difference. Since my research showed me that there was no “international sign of distress”, we are much more observant of motorcycles on the side of the road. Looking for any of the signs that they may need help, even if that is the obvious flailing of the arms trying to attract someone’s attention. Carrie McCauley Note: The story at the beginning of the article is when my bike received her name. I named her “Audrey” from the Little Shop of Horrors plant (Audrey II). www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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June 17th-19th 2016
2nd Annual Motorcycle Rally
Proceeds to benefit
Friend’s of Charlie’s Place which supports the local No Kill
& Ride In Custom Bike Show
101 Idaho Springs Rd. East Idaho Springs, CO. 80452
Animal Shelter
$1,000 Cash Prize
To win “Best in Show” Plus awards to win in 7 categories
ALL BIKES WELCOME Sponsored by: Havana Napa Auto Parts
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APRIL 2016
4th Biannual Friends in the Wind Benefit 4/16/2016 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM 604 8th Street Dacono, CO https://www.facebook.com/ events/461158444088690/ Join us April 16 at Jerry D’s in Dacono for lunch, socializing, meet your Admins, and generic revelry as we raise money for Brian and Monica Pfeiffer. (Brian and Monica welcomed Andrew and Amelia, twin babys, on July 1, 2015. They were born premature at 28 weeks. Andrew unfortunately passed away. Amelia is going strong and they celebrated their first Christmas together. But it all took a financial (not to mention emotional) toll on the Pfeiffer’s.) After lunch, socializing and whatnot, we ride! The route is probably the same as it has been (stay tuned to find out for sure), 12:30 head up to Bruce’s in Severance and from there we head to Shooters Saloon in Brush for some fun, live music and a live auction. Our Fifth FITW benefit ride will be September 11. Keep an eye out for the latest news on that one!!! Should be pretty damn awesome!!! Come join us for a great day:-) 2016 Central Colorado Riders SEASON KICKOFF RIDE!! 4/16/2016 9:00:00 AM - 6:00 PM 3535 N Carefree Cir. Colorado Springs, CO 80917 Join us as CCR is back on schedule for a 2016 riding season and ready to get rolling on April 16, 2016, a Nice ride East on HWY 24 with a stop at the South Forty Saloon and on through Elizabeth Colo. onward to the Stagecoach in Franktown for lunch, then back on home, just bring money for gas and lunch and this is always a great day for riding and meeting new friends. Breakfast if needed will be available at CJs meeting at 9:00 am and KSU at 10:30. All Bikes and Riders Welcome, as are cages or whatever else you have Please contact Tony via the Facebook event page. https://www.facebook.com/ events/496000160588125/ 20 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
Denver Bacon and Beer Classic 4/16/2016 1:00:00 PM - 11:00:00 PM 1701 Bryant St Denver CO 80204 Tickets available at www.ticketmaster. com Join us at Sports Authority Field, Home of the Denver Broncos, for the Bacon and Beer Classic on April 16, 2016. Come hungry, come thirsty, leave happy! Experience 100+ craft beer samples, 40+ bacon-infused dishes from the best local chefs, music, games and more. Saturday Afternoon: 1-4pm, VIP Access starts at 12pm Saturday Evening: 7-10pm, VIP Access starts at 6pm Tickets on sale now! For more information, visit www. baconandbeerclassic.com 3rd Annual F*ck Cancer Run - In Memory of Sean Throw’d Off Terry! 4/23/2016 10:00:00 AM - 10:00:00 AM 1350 S. Broadway Denver, CO 9:00 AM Starts at VFW located at 1350 S. Broadway, Denver, CO We will meet and greet our Honorary guest and present them with their vest and sing the National Anthem Once again... we will have a booth set up and will be selling hotdogs and H2O to get you fueled for the ride! Kickstands up! @ 12:00 PM Arrive at Platte River Bar and Grill located at 5995 S Sante Fe Dr. Littleton, CO 80120 Kickstands up! @ 1:30 PM We will go to Ft. Logan Cemetery located at 4400 W Kenyon Ave, Denver, CO to have a shot with our brother, Sean Throw’d Off Terry and Keith Fireman Johnson! Kickstands up! @ 3:00 PM Arrive at The Emerald Isle located at 4385 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80015 Casper Iron Powersports Expo 4/23/2016-4/24/2016 10:00:00 AM - 6:00 PM 1700 Fairgrounds Road, Casper WY 82601 Casper Iron Powersports Expo is central Wyoming’s go to event for powersport enthusiasts. The Expo covers all types of motorcycles including scooters, domestic and foreign bikes, four wheelers, side by sides, water sports, campers and trailers. The inside part of the venue will have April 2016
a bike show and swap meet booths. There will be a tattoo show, pin up girl contest, various 50/50 drawings, and an auction on Sunday to raise money for Wyoming Food For Thought Project, where all the proceeds go to this charity that helps children that are in need of food when they are not in school. A mixer will be held on Friday for the sponsors and vendors to visit. Set up is on Friday April 22, 2016 from 8 am -930 pm. SaturdayApril 23, 2016 for the public 9 am - 5 pm. Sunday April 24, 2016 for the public 9 am - 3 pm. 2nd Annual Ride against Domestic Violence Poker Run 4/28/2016 9:00 AM 12311 Pine Bluffs Way # A Parker, CO 80134 (949)939-4262 Sponsored by Expendables Motorcycle Club Denver Chapter and The Eastern Plains Safe Shelter The ride starts at Takoda Tavern, Registration begins at 9:00 am with KSU at 10:00 am. The ride fee is $20.00 for the rider and $10.00 for a passenger. Extra hands are $10.00 each. The ride ends with raffles, a barbeque and more. This ride will help prevent domestic violence by supporting The Eastern Plains Safe Shelter.
MAY 2016
Biker Blessing 5/1/2016 10:15 AM 12505 Colorado Blvd Thornton, CO 80241 (303)452-6251 Ron Hall rph4750@q.com. northmetrochurch.org/ Join the group and Pastor in the NMC parking lot at 10:15 am for our Blessing of the Bikers. This blessing is an opportunity to come together in worship and praise as we ask for safe roads, good weather, and good witnessing for the Lord during our travels. You are welcome to attend our worship gatherings at 9 or 10:45 am No rain date. All are welcome. Bring your friends. Wear your leathers. www.thunderroadscolorado.com
3rd Annual IFRD Sunrise Ride to Red Rocks, CO 5/7/2016 5:00 AM Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre 18300 W Alameda Pkwy Morrison CO 80465 Joan - joan@ladyroaddog.com https://www.facebook.com/ events/1614939642113029/ EXPERIENCE A RED ROCKS, COLORADO SUNRISE + A FRIDAY EVENING MEET IN GREET 3rd Annual Sunrise Ride to Red Rocks, CO - hosted by the S.T.R.O.N.G Women of the Steel Horse Sisterhood 4:00 am - Meetup at Denny’s Restaurant 565 Union Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80228 (if you want to enjoy a cup of coffee or quick breakfast) 4:35 am - Kickstands up heading for Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado 5:15 Arriving at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. 5:15 - 6:15 am - Incredible amounts of fun as we shoot Photos and videos, all women will be included in the photo of the S.T.R.O.N.G. Women of the Sisterhood 5:32 am - EXPERIENCE A REDROCKS SUNRISE Breakfast speaker and other fun activities follow the sunrise! Ride to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado Celebrating International Female Ride Day Sixth Annual Chicano Pride Ride 5/7/2016 9:00:00 AM 8000 W Colfax Ave Denver, CO80214 Join us as we celebrate the Sixth Annual Chicano Pride Ride, one of Denver’s fastest growing events!! With last year’s ride being the biggest one to date, we had over 500 registered bikes, and raised over $11,000 for the Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF). Way to go riders, it wouldn’t have been possible without you! This year LAEF, Chicano Pride Ride and Avalanche Harley-Davidson are teaming up to throw one huge ride / party, and our goal is to break last year’s record! The poker run starts and ends at Avalanche Harley-Davidson, and will stop at 4 different locations, including La Raza Park for the annual CPR photo! We will meet at Avalanche H-D at 8am, www.thunderroadscolorado.com
with kick stands up at 10am, we will be escorted to our first stop - imagine how long that line will be after seeing last years! After making our way around town to each listed location, we’ll head back to the final stop, Avalanche HarleyDavidson and this is when the fun starts! Be ready for food, beer for purchase, music, vendors, dancing and of course our legendary pig roast! Don’t worry the party doesn’t end there this year we’ll have an after party (after party location to be determined) from 9pm-2am with music, drink & shot specials, and lots of dancing!! EVERYONE IS INVITED WE ASK NO CLUB COLORS, PATCHES OR SUPPORT SHIRTS. *Respect that it is a ride, so please drink responsibly! Chicano Biker’s 6th Annual RAZA RUN 5/7/2016 12:00:00 PM - 12:00:00 PM 5271 E 52nd Ave Denver, CO 80022 Join us yet again for a fun filled day with music, food and festivities all in the name of commUNITY!!! ONCE AGAIN IT’S ON.... as Chicano Bikers put on the party of all parties to kick off summer right! All proceeds raised go towards Chicano Bikers annual toy drive benefitting families in need! Be sure to come out and check out the vendors, join us in our renowned RUN PHOTO, which gets bigger every year, and be prepared to have an allaround great time! Denver Punk Rock Flea Market 2016 5/7/2016 1:00:00 PM - 6:00:00 PM 3600 Wynkoop St. Denver CO A DIY all ages specialty flea market catering to punk rock culture. Booths include: Handmade items, new/used clothing, jewelry, vintage items, original artwork, tattoo flash, comics, music equipment, band merchandise, vinyl & more. Northglenn Food Truck Carnival 5/12/2016 6:00 PM 5:00:00 PM 120th and I-25, Northglenn, CO, United States Over 20 trucks will be visiting the City of Northglenn at Food Truck Carnival. Closer to the event we will update who is coming on what day. The trucks are currently in “”no particular order.”” Find out where the trucks will be before and after the Food Truck Carnival by following them on their Facebook page. http://www. April 2016
foodtruckcarnival.com/food-trucks.html Join us at the “”Big Top”” for 3 great days of music! We have searched the front range for the best bands that play Americana and Bluegrass music and have invited them to play at Food Truck Carnival in our “”Big Top”” tent. Look Twice Save a Life - 3rd Annual 5/14/2016 9:00 AM 2885 W. County Line Road, Littleton CO. This is BikerDown’s 2nd annual Motorcycle Safety Awareness Ride. Ride is $20.00 per rider and you receive a long sleeve reflective tshirt in your admission. We will start our events at Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson, Kickstands up at 11am and we will head out on our ride. We will also be drawing the winner of our Sturgis Giveaway, so if you haven’t registered for that, please take a moment to register at https://osullivan-law-firm.com/ contest/2016-sturgis-motorcycle-rallygetaway-giveaway/ Pre-registering guarantees that we will have a t-shirt waiting for you! 7th Annual National Armed Forces FreedomRide 12311 Pine Bluffs Way ParkeR CO USA 80134 5/21/2016 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM gloria@cofreedomride.com or 303-250-1337 Starts and ends at Takoda Tavern Registration from 7:30 am – 9:30 am $15.00 Rider and $5.00 Passenger (Pre-registration) $25.00 Rider and $5.00 Passenger (day of event) Breakfast is available for purchase at Takoda Tavern. Route details to come soon. We will be stopping again at Fort Logan National Cemetery. At the cemetery there will be an opportunity to honor those you know that have served. Then back to Takoda Tavern for giveaways, auction, some fun and whatever else comes our way. All proceeds to benefit Pets for Vets – Denver Chapter http://pets-for-vets.com/ category/southwest/denvco/) and ViT – Veterans in Trouble: Your Turn to Serve (http://www.veteransintrouble.com/) Pre-registration has begun on our website!! Please visit at: www. cofreedomride.com. We accept credit cards via PayPal www.cofreedomride.com Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 21
Tasty Recipes All of these recipes have been kitchen tested and biker approved.
Swiss Steak
Why is this recipe called Swiss steak when it is really about as American as apple pie. Swissing refers to any meat that is pounded or rolled and then braised. My preparation swisses (my spell checker is going crazy right now) the steak by pounding the dredged meat with a toothed mallet and then braising it in the oven (although you can do it in a slow cooker too). On a personal note, the pounding process is a great way to work out some frustrations from the day, week or month. 1/2 cup flour 3/4 tsp salt
smell nutty and brown slightly Add the wine, broth and water to the pot and stir to combine and cook for several minutes. Add the meat pieces and any juices, tomato paste, carrots and spices to the pan Cover and cook in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for two hours. If needed add a little roux or cornstarch to thicken the gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes. Note: You can move all the ingredients to a slow cooker instead of cooking in the oven and increase the cooking time to 3 hours. Set the slow cooker to high for the first hour and a half and low for the remaining hour and a half hours. Servings: 6
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Leeks and Parmesan
3/4 tsp black pepper 2 lbs steak, round cut into small 3 inch medalions 1 Tbs Canola Oil 2 small onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/3 cup celery, chopped 1/4 cup red wine
I know, I know you don’t like Brussels sprouts. Well I thought the same thing before trying this recipe. These are super easy, and come out fantastic. Try it, you might be surprised and discover that you do like Brussels sprouts after all! 1 Lb Fresh Brussels sprouts, outside leaves and stems trimmed and cut in half
2 cups beef broth 2 cups water 1 Tbs tomato paste 24 baby carrots, peeled
1 medium leek, white only, cut in half and sliced in 1/2 inch slices
1/2 tsp marjoram 1/2 tsp sage
1 Tbs Olive oil
1/2 tsp thyme Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a plate Dredge the pieces of round steak in the flour mixture. One at a time pound the steak with a meat mallet to incorporate’ the flour into the meat and tenderize the steak. Add the oil to an oven safe Dutch oven. Cook the pieces of meat a few at a time just searing the outside of the pieces. Move to a clean plate until all pieces are cooked. Add the onions to the pan, stirring to pick up all the browned bits. Add the celery and continue to cook for another minute. Add the remaining flour mixture (or 2 tablespoons) and stir to coat the onions and celery. Cook until the flour begins to 22 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese Grated 2 pieces bacon, cooked and diced Preheat oven to 375 degrees Place cleaned and trimmed Brussels sprouts and cut up leeks on a well greased sheet pan or lined with parchment paper Roast the Brussels sprouts and leeks for approximately 20 25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and toss in the diced bacon pieces Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
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S K I N A R T
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I
Rachel Sessions
was born on Kauai in the 1970s and I was exposed to the beautiful ancient art of Polynesian Fire Dancing at a very young age. Ancient Aztecs performed a fire dance dedicated to Xiuhtecuhtli, the god of fire.[1] . In Bali, the Angel Dance and the Fire Dance, regularly performed for tourists, have origins in ancient rituals. Both the Angel Dance and the Fire Dance originated in a trance ritual called the sanghyang, a ritual dance “performed to ward off witches at the time of an epidemic.”[2] Also known as the “horse dance” men perform the dance by holding rods representing horses, while leaping around burning coconut husks, and walking through the flames. French Polynesia, Antigua, Cuba and Saint Lucia are other locations where fire dances are recreated for tourists. The Siddha Jats of the Thar Desert in India perform traditional fire dances as part of the Spring festival. Modern fire shows vary greatly, from performances choreographed to music, to street style shows with varying levels of audience interaction and participation. Fire performance typically involves tools or other objects made with one or more wicks, which are designed to sustain a flame without being consumed. Modern fire shows can use a very wide range of fire skills and props. Since the mid-1990s fire performance has grown in popularity. This growth has occurred both in the hobby and the professional skills that are seen. Fire performances have become widespread at raves, nightclubs, beach parties, and music festivals.
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The Burning Man festival has also attributed to the growth and awareness of fire performance with its fire-oriented art. Fire performance has become increasingly popular as entertainment at corporate events, street festivals, celebration events and as a precursor to firework displays. I started fire dancing over 20 years ago and my first props were Poi, but I soon discovered a lot of new and exciting props and I now make all my own fire toys. As a lady rider I knew I could incorporate motorcycles into my fire dancing. I will never forget when I told my husband that I was going to make giant butterfly/ fairy wings and strap them to my back and then ride my Harley. He said I was crazy but two weeks later he was in the shop with me
April 2016
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and we were welding them together. The design took a lot of little different kinds of engineering and a bit of trial and error but we finally got it right.
Davidsons. I was like a kid in a candy store. After working there for a year or so I wanted to know more, so I took a technician course and got certified. Back then things were more mechanical, now we have all these special electronic sensors and switches and it is a bit more difficult to work on bikes but I do just fine with the basics. I love being able to work on my own bike. After Indian closed down I went to work for the infamous Rick Fairless and what was still Easy Riders but has now changed to Strockers Dallas. That was another great adventure that I will never forget and I am honored that I had the opportunity to work with such amazing people.
Obviously playing with fire can be very dangerous but if you respect it, it can be such a beautiful expression. Fire dancing for me is a very spiritual thing and helps me to connect to the earth. Like music, it breaks down barriers between people. Fire can touch an old, raw part of a soul—a part that the person might not have been aware was even there. Like fire dancing, riding my motorcycle is also an expression of my freedom and it is also something that touches one’s soul. I was first introduced to riding at the young impressionable age of 13 when my mom remarried a great guy and he had lots of motorcycles. He had all kinds of bikes but my favorite was the 1953 Indian Chief, I was in total awe of that bike and just fell in love with motorcycles. I was flying for American Airlines in 1999 when I heard that Indian was coming back and with very little hesitation quit my job to sell Indian Motorcycles. I spent some of the best years of my life at the dealership in Dallas that I worked for and it was huge. We sold Bourgets, Wild West Bikes and had a whole fleet of Harley
Everyone loves the fire dances and just about everyone loves motorcycles so putting them together seemed like a great marriage of fun and excitement to me. I have performed these shows for almost any kind of different celebrations from kids parties, biker parties, rock concerts and churches to you name it. Everyone seems to love the fire dances. If you would like to see more pictures or find out what is coming up, please visit my website the firedancer. com for more information. We would love to come and make your party an incredible experience for all of your guests.
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After ten years we say goodbye to the Emily’s Parade, an annual parade sponsored by the “I Love U Guys” foundation for the past ten years. This parade has been a fixture in the motorcycle community of Colorado and the un-official end of the season ride. Each year thousands of motorcycles rumble into the parking lots of Columbine High School and ride up to the Platte Canyon High School to support the “I Love U Guys Foundation”. It is always difficult to say goodbye to a long running event that becomes something of a fixture in the riding season so I will let John Michael’s words do it for me. The following is the official statement released by John Michael Keyes, the founder of the “I Love U Guys” foundation. “To our volunteers, participants, friends and community we extend a huge thank you for ten remarkable parades. Emily’s Parade began as a response to tragedy. But it immediately became a symbol of strength and community. Organizing the Parade is also a very difficult task for both Ellen and me personally. Last October we asked The “I Love U Guys” Foundation Board of Directors to make a difficult decision. We asked the Board to declare the 10th Annual Emily’s Parade as the last one. It was a tough conversation. A tough decision. But I think the Board made the right decision. Officially, the 2015 Emily’s Parade and ER5K was the last Parade hosted by The “I Love U Guys” Foundation.
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This coming year will be the 10th Anniversary of losing Emily. Ellen and I would like to share the statement we released on the 1st Anniversary.” – John Michael Keyes Statement from September 27, 2007:
When lightning strikes. And the after-flash sears clenched eyes. And the outcome feels far away from possibility, or even reality... Choice still exists. The choice of sorrow. The choice of response. The choice of dignity. The choice of community. The choice of love. Last year our world changed. For my family, and many of you and yours. And since then, our community has lost friends and family. But we can show each other, our kids and the world, that even in the face of tragedy, we can laugh, we can help, we can be excellent. We just can. There’s been a lot of talk about the kids. Sometimes it’s hard to show kids that the world is an uncertain place. But I think it’s OK to let our kids know, even though the world is uncertain, we love you. And you, my child, can embrace life and laughter and vigor and strength and future, even in the face of uncertainty or loss. Not just “Life goes on,” but “Seize every spark of life as you go fearlessly through it.” Some may try to make September 27th a day of somber grieving. Resist. Some may shed a tear. I know I will, but I’ll also revel in having been touched by a smart, fiery, compassionate, stubborn, friendly, tough and fragile, loving young woman. So I ask this community, the folks of Bailey, to raise a glass, blow a kiss or give a nod, to the memory of Emily. But spend the day living. Show your community that you’re part of it. Make something good happen. Do something kind. Or just pass a friendly greeting along. Play rock-n-roll. And if you happen to be at an organized or spontaneous gathering, look around and recognize what amazing people we all are. Squint at the brilliance of our humanity. And with wide-eyed wonder, face what the future might bring. I love you guys. John-Michael Keyes Ellen Stoddard-Keyes
Please enjoy the photographs collected from previous runs. Photos courtesy of Emily’s Parade and Thunder Roads® Colorado
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by Bill Maddick
VETERAN’S CORNER
THE NEW VA HOSPITAL
If no news is good news then it’s probably a good thing that we haven’t heard anything on the progress of the new VA hospital lately. That is a bit remarkable since the general contractor just successfully sued to get out of the contract only fifteen months ago (The court upheld charges against the VA). Yet, the initial proposal to upgrade veteran’s health care included a joint effort with CU Health Sciences Center that didn’t contain any plans for a new hospital. So what is happening with these conflicting developments? And why has it not been making the news lately?
Back in 2002, Anthony Principi, then Secretary of the Veterans Administration, was advocating for a joint effort between the VA and the private sector. His idea was to pool resources and reduce cost (at the time, it was estimated that a new VA hospital would cost between $250300 million). But the pooling idea raised a lot of open ended questions. Would veteran care ultimately fall under control of the CU system? What would be the division of services between CU and the VA system if a facility were shared? Who would be a government employee and who would be university employee at the hospital? Many Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) remained staunchly opposed to such a plan, rightfully pointing out that the VA is a world leader in veteran issues such as PTSD, prosthetics and homeless outreach. So, the pooling idea never did come together, and the stand alone hospital advocates prevailed. Then Representative, Joel Hefley (RCO), introduced a bill titled The New Fitzsimons Regional Federal Medical Center Act of 2003 in the House of Representatives. It passed on December 6, 2003, and it authorized the VA to build its new hospital. A thirty one acre site was selected on the old Fitzsimmons medical campus--where the CU Health Science Center is now located. A design team was chosen and Kiewit Turner was chosen as the general contractor for the estimated $582.8 million contract. On August 22, 2009 they broke ground with Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Representative Ed Purlmutter, among others, in attendance. The estimated finish date was 2014. But by December 2014, workers were walking off the job and Kiewit Turner would be suing the VA for breach of contract, and winning their case. There were a couple of contributing factors which led to the litigation. One was that the VA didn’t specify any price when it let the contract to the designer, and the other was that the VA decided to use a new and untried construction method known as IDC to build the hospital. So what it came down to was Kiewit Turner was holding the bag on a $582 million contract while the designers kept submitting changes (1400 according to court documents), and they also had to absorb the costs of delays due to the implementation of a new construction management system. By November of 2011, Kiewit Turner executives knew they could not meet the budget. In a hastily www.thunderroadscolorado.com
called meeting, two days before Veterans Day, they presented their observations to the VA. An agreement was negotiated and hand written, which specified that Kiewit Turner would build the hospital for $604 million and the VA would provide the design to get them there. Work continued. By July 2013 however, Kiewit Turner found it necessary to sue for breach of contract. By then, an engineering consulting group estimated that the new cost, with all the VA changes included, would be $785 million. That was considerably more than the $582 million Kiewit Turner first agreed to, and $181 million more than their hand written agreement only twenty months previous. By then, the Government Accountability Office had initiated an audit, and both Representative Mike Coffman and Senator Michael Bennett had asked the Office of Inspector General to investigate (both requests were denied). Again, Kiewit Turner was left holding the bag ($100 million worth), but this time they would press charges and win. The U.S. Board of Contract Appeals ultimately ruled against the VA in December 2014 saying, in part, that the VA did not act with “standards of good faith and fair dealings required by law.” Work ceased. Immediately, Messrs Coffman and Bennett implored both parties to use the ruling as a base upon which to build a new agreement and “find a way forward.” The VA claimed it was still committed to providing a new hospital and Kiewit Turner claimed that they would be willing to allow the U.S. Corps of Engineers to assume management of the project. Work was interrupted for only several days before the Corps of Engineers was put in charge of the project and a series of bridge loans and stop-gap legislation was enacted which authorized Kiewit Turner to continue the project. Finally, in September of 2015, Congress included funding for the new hospital in the annual federal budget and authorized the Corps of Engineers to write a new contract. The price tag now was at $1.7 billion with a scheduled opening of January 2018. That is why we haven’t been hearing anything more about the new VA hospital lately. Supposedly, the project is finally progressing as it should, or so we want to believe. The good-old-boy network of the VA who thought that price tag of the hospital was a secondary consideration to providing care to veterans (Rep. Perlmutter referred to it as “calcified bureaucracy”), and laws have been enacted that will prevent the VA from ever attempting to build a hospital again. Even after fourteen years of delays, budget increases and a law suit, those of us who have been waiting for our new hospital will remain, at best, guardedly optimistic. Being veterans, we’ve become conditioned to the old axiom that you should never believe anything that you hear anymore, and only half of what you see. January 2018 is twenty two months away, after all, and anything could happen between now and then.
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News Bytes
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com. NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
NCOM CONVENTION HONORS FALLEN RIDERS; INVITES NAMES FOR TRIBUTE With the 31st Annual NCOM Convention in Atlantic City just weeks away, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists is requesting that MROs, motorcycle clubs, and riding associations submit the names of those members and supporters who have died since May 2015, so that we may honor their memories during the traditional “Ringing of the Bell” tribute to fallen riders during the opening ceremonies. Dedications can be hand-delivered at the Convention to “Doc” Reichenbach, NCOM Chairman of the Board, or e-mailed in advance to Bill Bish at NCOMBish@aol.com. Attendees are also encouraged to bring an item on behalf of their organization for the Freedom Fund Auction, with proceeds benefiting the motorcyclists’ rights movement nationwide through Getting Our People Elected donations, NCOM Speaker Program, lobbying activities and other pro-motorcycling projects as determined by the NCOM Board of Directors. The 31st annual NCOM Convention will be held Mother’s Day weekend, May 5-8, 2016 at Harrah’s Resort, located at 777 Harrah’s Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This annual gathering will draw bikers’ rights activists from across the country to discuss topics of concern to all riders, so reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate of $109 by calling (888) 516-2215. Registration fees for the NCOM Convention are $80 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $45 for the Convention only. All motorcyclists are welcome and encouraged to attend. Meetings, seminars and group discussions will focus on legislative efforts and litigation techniques to benefit our right to ride and Freedom of the Road. To pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 5255355 or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
which he was wearing, but Ernst didn’t file an official complaint. Sen. Osmek admitted the bill is based largely on anecdotal evidence, but told the state’s Daily Globe newspaper that “I’m focusing on something that constituents brought to me that they had issue with,” and he urges motorcyclists to file complaints and collect data on their own in order to make a stronger case. Meanwhile, a motorcycle profiling bill is gaining momentum in Maryland, having passed the state Senate unanimously 47-0 on March 3 and now moves to the House, positioning Maryland to become the second state in the country behind Washington to pass such anti-discrimination legislation. FEWER AMERICANS GETTING A DRIVER’S LICENSE It used to be a rite of passage into adulthood, but today fewer and fewer U.S. residents are lining up at their local DMV to get a driver’s license, and new data indicates that all age groups are affected. Analyzing decades of data from the Federal Highway Administration, a team from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found that since 2011, the number of U.S. citizens with drivers licenses across all age groups, from 16 to 70, has decreased. A recent University of Michigan report analyzed decades’ worth of Federal Highway Administration records to show how licensure across all age groups has declined in the period stretching from 1983 to 2014. Last year, nearly 77% of 20- to 24-year-old drivers held a license; in 1983, nearly 92% in that age bracket had one. Four years ago, the number was about 80%. For 16- through 44-year-olds, there has been a continuous decline in the percentage of people with a driver’s license. The news may not be surprising for younger generations, who are more likely to use public transit or a ride-sharing company, or telecommute, but researchers also found a decline in the number of older adults with a driver’s license. Other reports have detected related trends, such as a decrease in the distance driven per person and less travel time overall, but even as the age of driverless cars approaches, a driver’s license will continue to be mandatory for years to come.
WHITE HOUSE PUSHES DRIVERLESS CARS The Obama administration aims to remove hurdles to making autonomous cars more widespread, and the President’s fiscal 2017 budget ANTI-PROFILING BILL HEARD IN MINNESOTA proposes spending $4 Billion over the next decade to accelerate the A minority group claims its members are being unfairly profiled and integration of driverless cars on U.S. roadways. stopped by police, and it’s demanding a bill to prevent it. That group The administration’s multi-billion dollar proposal, which would require is motorcyclists, and the legislation, put before Minnesota’s Senate Ju- Congressional approval, calls on federal regulators to work with auto makdiciary Committee by State Senator David Osmek (R-Mound), would ers and others to craft policies and rules regarding autonomous vehicles require Minnesota’s Board of Peace Officer Standards & Training to and their development. develop a statewide policy to eliminate motorcyclist profiling, including “We are going to do everything we can to advance safe, smart and methods to identify and avoid it. SF1509 in the Senate, and compan- sustainable transportation innovations,” announced Transportation ion bill HF59 in the House, would also require every law enforcement Secretary Anthony Foxx at the Detroit Auto Show, “We are bullish on agency in the state to have “a written anti-motorcycle profiling policy.” automated vehicles.” In testimony, several members of Minnesota motorcycle clubs laid out In addition to the new testing programs, Foxx also unveiled ambitious a litany of their own experiences: Officers they believed had pulled federal guidelines that he says will get self-driving on the roads quicker them over on trumped-up pretenses questioned them about who they -- and more safely -- than ever thought possible. “(These actions) will were and why they were in their community and, in some cases, pho- provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state tographed their tattoos & patches. “It’s my constitutional right to be in officials and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full a Motorcycle Club,” said Jim Jahnke of Rochester, the National V.P. of safety potential” he said. the Sons of Silence MC. Now, NHTSA will seek input from automakers and others as the auto Frank Ernst of Chanhassen, MN representing ABATE of Minnesota, and agency tries to wrap its arms around the deployment and operation of also chairman of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists - Legislative Task fully self-driving cars as the norm, not an anomaly. Force (NCOM-LTF), described an instance in which he said he was pulled In addition, the agency plans to team up with state partners and the over by an officer who claimed he hadn’t seen Ernst’s protective eye wear, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to develop a model driverless car policy states can implement, hopefully laying the 30 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado April 2016 www.thunderroadscolorado.com
News Bytes
groundwork for a consistent national policy. CONGRESSIONAL RPM ACT WOULD PROTECT THE SPORT OF RACING The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is attempting to regulate racing by prohibiting the conversion of street motorcycles and automobiles into competition-only racing vehicles, but newly-introduced legislation in Congress would prevent the EPA from impacting the lives of tens of thousands of armature and professional racers, their support teams and millions of race fans across the country. Members of both chambers of Congress have introduced bipartisan versions of a bill that would protect the sport of racing by blocking the EPA from over-regulating the industry and ensuring that it remains legal to convert street legal motor vehicles for racing purposes. The RPM Act (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016); “A bill to exclude vehicles used solely for competition from certain provisions of the Clean Air Act” H.R.4715, was introduced March 7, 2016 in the House by U.S. Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) with 13 bipartisan co-sponsors, while companion measure S.2659 “to reaffirm that the EPA cannot regulate vehicles used solely for competition” was offered in the Senate on March 9 by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and three original co-sponsors. H.R.4715 states, in part: “at the time the Clean Air Act was written, and each time the Clean Air Act has been amended, the intent of Congress has been, and continues to be, that vehicles manufactured for, modified for, or utilized in organized motorized racing events would not be encompassed by the Clean Air Act’s definition of “motor vehicle”. The EPA recently re-opened the proposed regulation for more public comment. The regulation is scheduled for final approval this summer, so the time to act is NOW. WISCONSIN BILL WOULD RESTRICT ACCESS TO BLACK BOX DATA A bill that would require an owner’s consent to access data in “black boxes” in cars and motorcycles seems more likely than ever before to come up for a vote in January 2017, according to members of ABATE of Wisconsin, a grassroots lobbyist group that deals with motorcycle issues but now finds itself leading the charge in fighting for privacy. The bill covers not only Event Data Recorders or EDR’s but any device that is recording any information or tracking user behavior. Anyone that took the information without consent faces potential fines ranging from $200 to $2000 per incident. The bill says insurance companies would not be able to link the issuance www.thunderroadscolorado.com
or renewal of a liability policy to whether the vehicle has such a box, or whether the motorist allows the insurer to access or use data it collects. Currently, the boxes record such data only in the seconds before, during and after a crash. But critics like ABATE, worry about how much more information the devices might collect as they become more sophisticated. ABATE says while the timing of the recordings may be limited now, safe guards need to be in place should that change. At least 23 other states have passed laws defining who owns EDR data, according to Steve Panten, a spokesman for ABATE of Wisconsin, which supports the bill. EX-COP SUES OVER MOTORCYCLE NOISE A former Texas police officer is suing Arkansas officials over motorcycle noise. Rick Holtsclaw, a 31-year veteran of the Houston police department who placed an emphasis on noise enforcement, has sued city officials in Fort Smith and Fayetteville, Arkansas for their failure to enforce federal, state, and local laws regarding motorcycle noise. Holtsclaw’s lawsuit cites the Noise Control Act of 1972 that makes it illegal for motorcycle exhausts to be altered or removed for the purpose of making noise. In addition, the Arkansas muffler statute requires every motor vehicle to be equipped with the quiet factory-installed muffler or a muffler duplicating the specifications of the factory-installed muffler. Holtsclaw stated that “the law enforcement community in Arkansas has failed to intercede on behalf of the noise-beleaguered citizenry,” particularly at rallies “where there are thousands of motorcyclists making illegally loud noise,” and is seeking $1,000,000 (one million) in damages from each municipality. DRIVER WHO DELIBERATELY ASSAULTED MOTORCYCLISTS STILL IN JAIL A viral video showing a Texas driver who without provocation intentionally crashed into a motorcyclist last October, causing serious injuries to the rider and his passenger, has been languishing in jail unable to post bail since the incident. William “Bill” Sam Crum was indicted by a Hood County grand jury on two aggravated assault counts carrying punishment of up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000 and is currently being held on $150,000 bail in Hood County Jail since his arrest October 20, 2015. While motorcyclists can take comfort knowing that Mr. Crum has been in jail nearly 6 months awaiting trial on criminal charges, because he purposefully crashed into the victims, his auto insurance won’t cover any civil judgment due to the intentional act exclusion in every policy.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” ~ Mary Flannery O’Connor (1925-64) American writer and essayist April 2016 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 31
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Dear people who type in all lowercase….. We are the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse. Sincerely, Capital Letters. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Things That Make You Go WTF? WHY do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while so-called healthy people can buy cigarettes at the register right by front door? WHY do people order double, bacon cheeseburgers, large fries, and a Diet Coke? WHY do banks leave mammoth vault doors wide open and then chain the pens to the counters? WHY do we always take a dump, then stand up and turn around and scope it out? WHY do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage? WHY do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight? WHY can’t most women put on mascara with their mouth closed? WHY don’t you ever see the headline; ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’? WHY is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? WHY is it that doctors call what they do ‘practice’? WHY do Politicians always talk about equality when our entire political system is structured to pit us against each other with two major sides? WHY is the man who invests all your money called a broker? WHY is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? WHY isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food? WHY didn’t Noah swat those damn, last two mosquitoes? WHY do they sterilize the needle and the arm when prisons do lethal injections? You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? WHY don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff? WHY don’t sheep shrink when it rains? WHY are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? WHY if flying is supposedly so safe, do they call the airport the terminal? WHY in a 3,000 sq. ft. home, if there’s one fly in the entire house, it’s buzzing around you
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throughout the entire day? WHY is it if you go grocery shopping when hungry you end up spending twice the amount of money on food you can’t eat till you get home? Good reasoning to stop and grab a burger before going to the grocery store. Why is it some people will go sky-diving and love it but refuse to get on a commercial plane as a passenger and fly? Why is the word conundrum so fun to say? Fact: Life is Short, but laughter goes a Long way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------A woman was patiently trying to help her husband set up his new computer. He however was acting annoyed and impatient. She told him to choose a password for security purposes. He made it plainly obvious to his wife what he was entering by stating each letter out loud as he typed: P...E...N...I...S His wife fell off her chair laughing when the computer replied: Password Rejected. Not Long Enough. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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