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A motorcycle lawyer will work on your case from start to finish. A lawyer will always be available to answer your questions. Only a lawyer will negotiate with the insurance companies. We will help you with your property claim for free.
Who Works for You? Your insurance company does not work for you. If you are in an accident, your insurance company will try to pay you the lowest possible amount. Make sure you have the right insurance and make sure someone is working for you if you are in an accident.
We will not "nickel and dime" you on costs. We don't get paid unless you do. Scott O'Sullivan has been helping injured riders since 1996. Call Scott today for immediate help in dealing with the insurance companies, so you can focus on healing and getting your life back together.
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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
ABATE..................................................................... 6 Scott O’Sullivan....................................................... 8 Colorado Indoor MC Show & Swap Meet.............. 10 AMA National Riding Series.................................. 12 Dallas Hageman.................................................... 14 Saddles................................................................. 17 Calendar................................................................ 18 Frank Frazetta Artwork.......................................... 20 Across The Pond................................................... 24 Tasty Recipes........................................................ 27 Events................................................................... 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 David Campbell davidc@thunderroadscolorado.com CONTRIBUTORS Adventure Hermit (Joe Trey) joe@adventurehermit.com
ON THE COVER
Peggy Bogaard-Lapp peggy@thunderroadscolorado.com
Motorcycle Owners: Mark Harris, Robert Sack Model: Shane Porter Photographer: Vickie Mullin
Scott O’Sullivan http://osullivan-law-firm.com Stump - Abate stump@thunderroadscolorado.com Whiskyman whiskeyman@thunderroadscolorado.com ADVERTISING AND DISTRIBUTION REPRESENTATIVES 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 ©2016 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 are heading out of the winter and into the spring. On March 4th and 5th the Colorado Springs Super Show and Swap meet will be held at the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center. On Sunday, March 5th the 25th Annual Colorado Tattoo Competition begins at 1:00 PM. There is still time to enter your bike in the bike show or register as a vendor. See the website in this month’s magazine for more information. As we stated last month we want to be the magazine you turn to for events, both during riding season and before. Remember, we can place your event in the magazine for free in our event listings. Please send us your event at events@ThunderRoadsColorado.com with the following information by the 15th of the month prior to your event. Name of Event
We need contributors and correspondents for dirt bike offroad events, on-road cruiser, sport bike and adventure touring, rides, runs and rallies. Contact us today at contributors@ thunderroadscolorado.com or 720-458-3134.
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Add your ride, rally or run to our free events listing page Send us your event information whether on-Road or off-road, rides, runs, rallies and events for all types of motorcycles and three wheelers. We will list it free in our events listing for that month! events@thunderroadscolorado.com or 720-458-3134.
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Colorado’s 2017 Legislative Session Has Started the new one. If you have any questions about finding information on the new website, feel free to contact me.
Hello Concerned Motorcyclists, The First Session of the 71st General Assembly opened on Wednesday, January 11th. After 3 days in session, there have been 81 Senate Bills and 68 House Bills introduced already. Of those bills, 2 have been assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee and 6 have been assigned to the House Transportation & Energy Committee. Of course, most of the bills discussed by those committees won’t have a direct impact on motorcyclists, but I monitor all of them just to ensure no adverse amendments are “snuck” in. Actually I scan all Senate and House Bills to “guesstimate” any possible impact on motorcyclists or which bills we might be able to add/amend verbiage which might include/exclude motorcyclists. For example, SB17-027: Concerning an increase in the penalty for text messaging while operating a motor vehicle. The bill would increase the 1st offense fine from $50 to $500 and subsequent offense fines from $100 to $750. Could verbiage be added to the effect that if a texting driver causes an accident and kills someone, the fine would be greater? Obviously, there could possibly be other charges involved in that scenario, but I hope you get the point for my scanning all bills. As of January 14th, 1 bill of concern to motorcyclists has been introduced - HB17-1044: Concerning autocycles, and, in connection therewith, modifying the definition of autocycle and clarifying that mandatory safety belt and child restraint system requirements apply to autocycles. As you can see from the title of the bill, it is mostly concerned with child safety in autocycles. This bill was drafted mostly from input from the Colorado State Patrol. Even though it isn’t the exact wording ABATE would prefer for the definition of autocycles, it is a good bill and we support it. It’s been assigned to the House Transportation & Energy Committee, but hasn’t been scheduled for a hearing yet. I’ll closely monitor the bill and notify the LegTeam as soon as I know when it’s scheduled. Besides monitoring bills, I’ve been busy at the Capitol. I’ve distributed 28 “Welcome” letters to new members and actually got to talk to 6 of them, despite their busy schedule the first week. I also distributed 18 “special” letters to Senate Transportation and House Transportation & Energy Committee Members, which included ABATE’s agenda and concerns about the MOST Program. I also got to talk to 7 of them this week, mostly about our MOST Program concerns. With help from a fellow motorcycle lobbyist, we already got a couple sponsors for a resolution on “May is Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Month”. He is a constituent of Rep. Carver from Colorado Springs, so he presented the idea to her when he had a meeting with her. I also met with her and confirmed the idea. Then I talked to Senator Tate, who worked on the resolution last year but didn’t get it passed due to time restrictions, and he said he’d introduce it again this year, only earlier! I’ll be following up with both of them in the coming weeks. I’ll also be setting up more meetings with Legislators in the coming weeks for discussions on ABATE’s agenda, possibly find sponsors for a Red-Light or Anti-profiling Bill. There’s also been a rumor about a mandatory helmet bill being introduced. I plan to meet with that Representative sometime also, but according to his aide, such bill hasn’t been discussed yet but might be one of the Representative’s “late” bills. For those of you wanting to get more politically active, the General Assembly has a new website, www.leg.colorado.gov. I think it’s a little more user friendly, even though I found differences that I preferred on the old website. Maybe I just need to become more familiar with 6 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
There have also been some changes with the Legislators’ offices due to new members coming in and old members leaving, plus new leadership roles. Most of them are still on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Capitol, but the offices at the State Services Building (across Colfax Ave. at 1525 Sherman St.) are now only on the 6th floor. The Legislators on the Joint Budget Committee still have their offices on the 3rd floor of the Legislative Service Building, (LSB – across 14th St. from the Capitol). There are also 4 Representative’s offices in the basement of LSB where the Legislative Services room used to be. Now Legislative Services is moved to the basement of the Capitol, right across from the main staircase. Additionally, I’m keeping an eye on National Legislative concerns with the help of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) and the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). The MRF is chiefly concerned with issues at the national level that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists. They are also committed to educating rights advocates to improve effectiveness at the state and local levels. The MRF works together with State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations (SMROs), assisting them with state and local agendas as well as working with them to influence Washington, DC. Below is their agenda for 2017: • Pursue and monitor efforts related to the next highway bill (expiring in 2020). Ensure the following provisions are included: • Motorcycle Education & Awareness Program Grant Funding • Continuation of NHTSA Lobbying Ban related to helmets • Continuation of Motorcycle Advisory Council (MAC) to advise the FHWA • Oppose any motorcycling related federal blackmails or federal sanctions • Monitor for any action that would negatively impact motorcycles, motorcycling and motorcyclists • Continuation of ban on federal funding for Motorcycle Only Checkpoints • SAE Motorcycle Roadside Sound Testing will be addressed by individual states • Continue monitoring any federal studies concerning motorcyclists: • the Federal Crash Causation study • the MSF Naturalistic study • Strongly oppose any federal standard proposing stamping and certifying of motorcycle exhaust systems • Work to discourage ALL forms of distracted driving • Advocate at the federal level concerning the federal definition of motorcycle, ensuring that crash and fatality statistics are separated from other classes of vehicles, including autocycles, and nonmotorcycle powered vehicles, such as mopeds, scooters, and various cabin-based steering wheel type vehicles • Oppose any motorcycling, motorcycle, or motorcyclist-based discriminatory legislation or rules proposed by the U.S. Congress or by a federal agency
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• Seek a legislative vehicle to include motorcyclist anti-profiling language in the 115th Congress • Continue participation in motorcycle related activity in the European Union, United Nations, and Canada • Fiercely oppose any mandatory helmet, apparel, or conspicuity standards • Advocate for changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard including the following actions: • Additional research and independent studies concerning the effects of higher blends of ethanol on motorcycles • Guarantee the infinite and universal availability of approved fuel blends, containing no more than 10% ethanol by volume • Make additional changes to EPA’s Misfueling Mitigation Plan (MMP) ensuring that motorcyclists are educated and protected from using federally prohibited fuel in their small engine products, such as motorcycles, including improving existing at-pump signage and labeling
and associate, when referring to motorcyclists As you can see, there are a lot of political issues of concern to motorcyclists, especially on the national level. There are agencies that have a direct impact on our safety and freedoms and need watching and given our input. MRF is doing that on the national level just as ABATE of Colorado is doing on the state level. Do you care about your safety and motorcycle freedoms? Isn’t it time to become politically active? Maybe even join these non-profit, grassroots, freedom-fighting organizations or at least learn more about them. Take a little time and check them out - www.abateofcolo.org and www.mrf.org. See you at the Capitol. Try it; you just might have some fun, Stump ABATE of Colorado – Legislative Affairs Officer
• Ensure the inclusion of motorcycles and biker perspective in discussions regarding Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) emerging technologies • Advocate and monitor for motorcyclists concerning laws and regulations related to Autonomous Vehicles, specifically: • Required testing for motorcycle recognition and responsiveness • Electronic and cyber security systems of self-driving vehicles to maintain strong standards to ensure the safety of motorcycle users • Establish clear liability in crashes between autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles • Pursue safer roadway design strategies at the federal level • Continue to promote our theme of crash avoidance versus safer crashing, urging NHTSA to focus on crash prevention and rider education • Pursue limiting funding in a relevant legislative vehicle of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and their increasing involvement in motorcycling safety issues • Monitor private organizations that oppose the legislative agenda or mission of the MRF and investigate their funding sources to make certain they are not receiving federal tax dollars • Monitor public organizations for funding sources when in opposition to our legislative agenda or mission, respond appropriately if they receive federal tax dollars • Closely monitor the federally mandated Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) for potential motorcyclist and motorcycling discrimination as well as attempts to repeal and replace provisions of the ACA for potential motorcyclist and motorcycling discrimination • Fully engage the EPA on upcoming activity on motorcycle emission regulations and motorcycle drive train mandates • Support the Black Box Protection Act to regulate black boxes in motorcycles, seek to clarify the rights of the vehicle owner to ownership of the recorded data • Monitor fair tolling concepts on federally funded roadway and projects supported by federal bonds • Monitor and support federal efforts to study and review the benefits and harms of lane splitting and lane filtering • Monitor and respond to federal legislation or regulatory activity concerning the usage of the terms gang, club, known associate, www.thunderroadscolorado.com
February 2017
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 7
Texting While Riding On a Motorcycle
from it all. They want to let their free spirit roam wild, enjoy the open road, and leave the hustle and bustle of the real world behind for a few hours.
By Scott O’Sullivan The O’Sullivan Law Firm
When we are toddlers, we learn a lot of “don’t”s: don’t touch a hot stove, don’t run with scissors, don’t stick your finger in an electrical socket. You learn these things once and usually they stick with you for life. But then there are things you feel like you should never even have to teach people: don’t jump out of a plane without a parachute, don’t lie down in front of a speeding train, don’t text while riding a motorcycle. Basically, these actions seem suicidal, right?
So, given your number-one motivation for riding, why would you ever text while riding your motorcycle? You’d be participating in one of the most invasive technologies ever to hit our society… while trying to get away from it all. If You Absolutely Must Communicate from your Motorcycle…
And yet, I am astonished to report, we are seeing more and more news reports about people who have been caught texting while riding a motorcycle! Such as… Man on motorcycle takes both hands off handlebars to text during high-speed chase “… texting while riding a motorcycle while you’re being pursued by police might rank among the most dangerous and ill-advised acts any motorist could possibly perform. Police helicopter footage out of Florida shows a man doing just that, taking not one but both hands off the handlebars to send a text while in the middle of a high-speed pursuit with police.” There are also videos of people texting while motorcycle riding. These videos quickly go viral because most people find it absolutely mind-boggling that anyone would ever actually text while riding a motorcycle. Have you seen this guy? https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=QE3XsZaL-zo Or this guy? http://jalopnik.com/5941376/is-this-mantexting-while-riding-a-motorcycle We can assume that if those young men continue their suicidal behavior, they will one day die, become permanently injured, or worse, kill someone else. So, now that we’ve gotten through the shock value of this topic, please allow me to share some helpful advice. Why Do You Ride? Take big step back and ask yourself why you ride in the first place. Most of the motorcyclists I know want to get away
While texting from your motorcycle is a completely horrible idea, you can still safely communicate with others while riding. Gear manufacturers are all over this human need! For example, you can get a helmet with Bluetooth, enabling you to access your phone without using your hands. Just Google “Bluetooth helmet” and you will get pages and pages of results. These helmets allow you to accept calls, reject calls, redial calls and some even provide biker-to-biker communication capabilities. If you simply must communicate while riding your motorcycle, gear up! But never, ever text. That’s an Expensive Text Alright, if you are not going to stop texting on your motorcycle for safety reasons, how about financial ones? If you text while riding a motorcycle and if (when) you get into an accident, (if you live) the prosecuting attorney (representing the client you no doubt injured) will subpoena your phone records. As soon as it is clear that you were texting while riding a motorcycle, the jury is going to hit you with the hardest punishment they possibly can. If you own anything, such as a home or other toys (your bike will be totaled), you could lose it. I do understand that it is hard to completely unplug when you get out on the road. It is hard for car drivers, too. But motorcycle riding is already fraught with risks and staying safe requires 100% of your attention. If you simply must text, pull over. You could be saving your life and the lives of others. If you have any questions about this article, please visit me at The O’Sullivan Law Firm, or call 303-388-5304.
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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To Jo in Ou r Tea WE ARE LOOKING FOR: m! FULL OR PART-TIME ADVERTISING REPS FOR NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN COLORADO
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February 2017
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 9
Colorado’s ONLY Indoor Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet in 2017 happening March 4th & 5th and unique trophies. Over 175 swap meet spaces fill the facility with items ranging from parts to leather, clothing to collectibles and just about anything else you can think of. Cold beer and hot food are available to all, and attendees will find the food and beverage prices reasonable. Suffering from “Cabin Fever”? tired of being locked down by the drag of winter? Well there is a Party in March that you do NOT want to miss, and this year, the party celebrates it’s 27th Birthday! The Colorado Springs Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet aka “The Colorado Super Show” marks 27 years on the weekend of March 4 & 5. The event will again be held at the Freedom Expo Center on North Nevada Avenue.
organizer Jim Wear of Pro Promotions. “This event has become the ‘Kick-Off Party’ for the spring riding season, and It’s a huge social gathering for the Colorado / New Mexico / Kansas riding communities. Folks look forward to it all winter long”
“With the cancellation of the Denver Motorcycle Show this year, we will be hosting the only indoor Motorcycle Show & Swap Meet in the state, and we are going to make it our best ever” said
The annual Swap Meet, which has grown in size and popularity, covers about 65,000 square feet within the walls of a modern expo hall. Attendees will find plenty of free parking as well as a free motorcycle parking area, which is secured by seasoned event staff. Inside the show a wide variety of custom and classic motorcycles compete for handmade belt buckles
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Attendees will have the opportunity to win one of TWO Shopping Sprees from Pikes Peak Harley-Davidson, one for $250.00 and the other for $750.00 simply by signing up at the show. Everyone can also register to with a PAIR of Leather Jackets (His & Hers) from Outpost Harley-Davidson with no purchase necessary for either of these great giveaways. Other events of note are the charity auction to benefit the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame and the 25th annual Colorado Tattoo Competition. Both of these features are very well attended and provide unique opportunities for both great bargains and awesome people watching.
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“Every type of person comes to the show every year” said Wear. “It’s like a big reunion where the single common thread is the fun of the gathering. Some come for the Shopping, some for the Bike Show, some for the camaraderie and some for the Tattoo Competition, but EVERYONE comes for the FUN!” Kids12 and under are admitted to the swap meet FREE so this event makes for a great family outing. All in all this is one event that you do not want to miss. For more go to pro-promotions.com. For Vendor spaces or to enter your bike in the show call 719-487-8005.
Schedule of Events Saturday, March 4 8:00 am ...........................Building opens to Vendors/Exhibitors 9:00 am ...........................Show opens to public 10:00 am – 1:00 pm ........Live Remote Broadcast - KILO 94.3 FM 10:00 pm – 1:00 pm........Live Remote Broadcast - KRXP 103.9 FM All Day .............................Kids Coloring Contest 10:00 am – 6:00 pm ........Tattoo Competition Registration 10:00 pm – 12:00 pm......Live Remote Broadcast - KKFM 98.1 FM 11:30 pm – 12:30 pm......Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm........Live Remote Broadcast 95.1 KATC “The Cat” 12:30 pm.........................Charity Auction Round #1 - Front Stage 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm..........Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm..........Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 3:30 pm...........................Charity Auction Round #2 - Front Stage 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm..........Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 6:00 pm...........................Show Closes
Sunday, March 5 9:00 am.......................... Building opens to Vendors/Exhibitors 10:00 am........................ Show opens to public All Day............................ Kids Coloring Contest 10:00 am – 12:00 pm..... Tattoo Competition Registration 10:00 am – 1:00 pm....... Live Remote Broadcast - KILO 94.3 FM 10:00 am – 1:00 pm....... Live Remote Broadcast - KRXP 103.9 FM 10:00 pm – 2:00 pm ...... Live Remote Broadcast - KKFM 98.1 11:30 am – 12:30 pm..... Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 1:00 pm ......................... 25th Annual Colorado Tattoo Competition 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ........ Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 2:30 am – 3:30 pm......... Live Music - Justus League - (Weather Permitting) 4:00 pm (Approx.) ......... Award Ceremony - Tattoo Competition 4:00 pm ......................... Award Ceremony - Motorcycles / Coloring Contest 5:00 pm ......................... Show Closes (All times and features subject to change) www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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2017 AMA National Adventure Riding Series schedule released Series features 20 events dispersed throughout United States PICKERINGTON, Ohio – The AMA National Adventure Riding Series provides American Motorcyclist Association members the chance to put their larger-cc machines to the test throughout the United States in 2017. Adventure riding is one of the fastest growing classes of motorcycling for good reason. Adventure bikes are some of the most versatile and capable motorcycles you can buy. They are comfortable enough to conquer hundreds of miles of interstate without a whimper, and they are rugged enough to climb the highest mountain passes. The AMA National Adventure Riding Series offers the best routes, roads and two-track trail for showcasing the abilities of adventure bikes like these. Not only do these two-day events include ample, challenging rides that are well marked and thoughtfully designed by local clubs, but they are built around a full weekend of activities that typically includes bonfires, camping, food and prizes. “The AMA National Adventure Riding Series was developed in 2007 due to the growing interest in larger, adventure-style motorcycles,” said AMA Recreational Riding and Volunteer Manager Marie Wuelleh. “Many dual sport trails are not conducive to bigger machines, and clubs and promoters have developed trails specifically to meet the needs of these riders.”
THE 2017 SCHEDULE INCLUDES:
March 3-4: Devil’s Creek Adventure Ride Dixie Dual Sport – Brooksville, Fla. March 18-19: 2 Sun Adventure 2017 Tucson Dual Sport, LLC – Amado, Ariz.
April 22-23: Slate Creek Adventure Ride Appalachian Trail Riders – Bybee, Tenn. May 6-7: 2017 Yosemite Adventure Tour Family Off-Road Adventures – Buck Meadows, Calif. June 3-4: Black Dog Northwest Tour & Trail – Hood River, Ore. June 3-4: Show Me 500 National Adventure Ride Midwest Trail Riders Association – Bixby, Mo. June 10-11: Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Dual Sport Durty Dabbers – Lock Haven, Pa. June 10-11: 2017 Ride for Research Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders – Wabeno, Wis. June 23-25: PA Grand Canyon 300 (Threeday event) Pine Barrens Adventures, LLC – Gaines, Pa. June 24-25: Big Bear Run Big Bear Trail Riders – Big Bear, Calif. July 15-16: Mountain Madness Dual Sport and Adventure Rally Coconino Trail Riders – Flagstaff, Ariz. Aug. 19-20: Rat Dog Northwest Tour & Trail – Tillamook, Ore. Sept. 9-10: Blue Ridge Adventure Ride Appalachian Trail Riders – Pineola, N.C. Sept. 23-24: 2017 Acadiana Adventure 400 Acadiana Dirt Riders – Boyce, La.
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Oct. 14-15: Buffalo 500 National Adventure Ride Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club – Columbus, Ind. Oct. 21-22: Howlin’ at the Moon Arizona Trail Riders – Payson, Ariz. Oct 27-29: Pine Barrens 500 (Three-day event) Pine Barrens Adventures, LLC – Hammonton, N.J. Nov. 24-25: L.A. - Barstow to Vegas District 37 Dual Sport – Palmdale, Calif.
Sept. 23-24: 2017 Big Woods 200 Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders – Wabeno, Wis.
For more information visit www. americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/ Adventure-Riding
Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Renfro Valley Adventure Ride Appalachian Trail Riders – Mount Vernon, Ky
Photos courtesy American Motorcyclist Association
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Nineteen events to take place across the country PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Thousands of AMA members search for new trails to ride and sights to see on their dirt bikes each year. The AMA National Dual Sport Series, sponsored by Beta for the third consecutive year, boasts 19 two-day events for 2017. The Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series includes some of the most amazing singletrack trail in the country, all tied together by incredible backroads through America’s countryside. Designed to provide the perfect off-road riding experience, these two-day events include ample, challenging routes that are well marked and well designed. This series is intended for serious offroad-oriented dual sport motorcycles. For larger adventure-style bikes, consider events in the Beta AMA National Adventure Riding Series. “The AMA National Dual Sport Series traces its roots back to 1987 and has been providing an avenue for some of the country’s top dual sports to be featured at the national level,” said AMA Recreational Riding and Volunteer Manager Marie Wuelleh. “AMA-chartered clubs and promoters organize thousands of miles of trail for AMA members to enjoy on their dual-sport machines every year. The noncompetitive events often include meals, a t-shirt, after-ride activities, camping, camaraderie and more. Be sure to mark an event, or several, on your calendar for this year.” The AMA oversees the series, which provides great riding trails and features additional perks for participants. Every rider will be entered to win a Beta motorcycle in a year-end sweepstakes. “Beta is proud to be the title sponsor of the AMA Dual Sport Series,” said Beta Marketing Manager Tim Pilg. “We see the importance of being a part of the series as it has grown over www.thunderroadscolorado.com
2017 Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series schedule announced
the past few years. We have been working hard developing our RR-S models, and it has been nice to see more and more Beta riders signed up every year.” Supporting sponsors of the series include ADVMoto, Seat Concepts, Sena and Sidi.
THE 2017 SCHEDULE INCLUDES:
March 3-5: Devil’s Creek Dual Sport Brooksville, Fla. March 18-19: 2 Sun Adventure 2017 Tucson Dual Sport, LLC – Amado, Ariz. June 3-4: Show Me 200 National Dual Sport Ride Midwest Trail Riders Association – Bixby, Mo. June 3-4: Black Dog Northwest Tour & Trail – Hood River, Ore. June 10-11: Durty Dabbers Great Adventure Dual Sport Durty Dabbers – Lock Haven, Pa. June 10-11: 2017 Ride for Research Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders – Wabeno, Wis. June 24-25: Big Bear Run Big Bear Trail Riders – Big Bear, Calif. July 15-16: Mountain Madness Dual Sport and Adventure Rally Coconino Trail Riders – Flagstaff, Ariz. Aug. 19-20: Rat Dog Northwest Tour & Trail – Tillamook, Ore.
Adventure Family Off-Road Adventures – Buck Meadows, Calif. Sept. 30-Oct. 1 (pending U.S. Forest Service permit): Shenandoah 500 Washington Area Trail Riders – Mount Solon, Va. Oct. 14-15: Buffalo 500 National Dual Sport Stoney Lonesome Motorcycle Club – Columbus, Ind. Oct. 21-22: Howlin’ at the Moon Arizona Trail Riders – Payson, Ariz. Nov. 4-5: Hammer Run Tri-County Sportsmen – Port Elizabeth, N.J. Nov. 18-19: There Will Be Dust Trail Riders of Southern Arizona – Tucson, Ariz. Nov. 24-25: L.A.-Barstow to Vegas AMA District 37 Dual Sport – Palmdale, Calif.
Sept. 9-10: LBL 200 National Dual Sport K T Riders - Golden Pond, Ky. Sept. 9-10: Baby Burr Dual Sport Enduro Riders Association – McArthur, Ohio Sept. 23-24: 2017 Big Woods 200 Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders – Wabeno, Wis Sept. 23-24: 2017 Yosemite Dual Sport February 2017
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I hate flying with the passion of a thousand suns. I know, weird way to start out an article for a motorcycle magazine. As I am writing this however, there is currently 30,000 feet between me and the earth and since it is like in a sardine can in this airplane, it feels appropriate to expand on my present situation. After all, if you have read any of my past articles would you expect a normal, boring and mundane article?! As I was pondering what to write about this month, while sipping my $8.00 sprite seated next to an amply rotund woman I thought to myself “Why not write about the best way to travel?” Now, some of you might be thinking that the obvious… this must be a joke, the only Biker preferred method to travel would be on two wheels. While I would agree with you, I have witnessed that what people SAY and what people actually DO are two very different things. In this day and age it seems that most people are all talk, Bikers included. I have found that a lot of “riders” sink tens of thousands of dollars into tricked out rides and another couple thousand dollars (at least) into trailers fit for a king and his 50 horses. Everyone wants the “marks” of a Biker, but no one wants to put on the miles, so they spend the money but not the time to look the part. This article, for all intents and purposes, is directed to those who own a bike but rarely ride it. The ones that seem scared to death to go on a (heaven forbid) overnight ride, or travel outside the 10 mile radius of their favorite watering hole or poker run. For this article I will try and do my damndest to convince you or anyone else fighting the thought of two wheel travel that yes, you can go almost anywhere you want on two wheels and it will most likely save you money in the long run. If you heed this advice you will get the miles on your bike, the experience of open road travel and the memories that will last a lifetime… unlike any other form of travel. So let us start off by talking about other ways you can get your butt from coast to coast. Flying It was the bee’s knees, cat’s pajamas, the friendly skies, (all outdated terms set in the past and for good reason). People used to get dressed up to fly and eagerly waited in 14 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
line to sit in their plush seats complete with ample leg room and a steak dinner to boot. Hell, on some airlines you could fire up a stogie while cruising above the clouds. The entire experience was relaxing, enjoyable, and made for a great way to get to your destination. Fast forward to the present … If you have not been flying within the past twenty years I would encourage you to keep up your no flying streak, because what most people experience is nothing short of a sky high root canal. The process of air travel is arduous to say the least. After you have parked your car in a sea of asphalt and left it to the car lot employees (who I can only assume possess a litany of felonies) you find yourself walking what no doubt amounts to the conservative total of 95,000 miles to the front check-in desk. As luck would have it, the typical clerks at said desk usually has just been through a messy divorce judging by their sunny composure. Once you are done paying for your bags, overweight fees, check in fees and unfriendly sky fees, you are ushered into the TSA security screening. In my precious and humbling experiences the TSA screening procedure falls just short of an aggressive rectal examination; except in a rectal exam your doctor usually does not actually hate you. Anymore, the TSA seems to pride itself on just how much they can ruin the travel experience by utilizing their tools of torture and belittlement. “Take your shoes off, empty your pockets, spread eagle, bend over and smile”… and judging by the way they stick to this mantra I
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am thinking this would make a good motto for the TSA in the future. And do not even get me started on the full body scans… Somewhere out there are some grainy black and white photos of my pasty pale naked body that will no doubt need to be burned in the name of national security to preserve a future generation’s eyesight. If you have braved any of the aforementioned procedures and managed to make it through the harrowing adventure thus far your entertainment still awaits as you sit in a small tin can on a hot runway with people who apparently do not fully grasp the usefulness of showers or deodorant. If all goes well, the planets align and the pilot is not drunk, you will probably lift off and maybe land in the vicinity of where the airline promised. To fly 100 miles or 9,000, it almost always takes a full day of agony, humiliation and Vicodin (emphasis on the latter). For these reasons and many more, a lot of people turn to ground transportation. Buses and trains Remember everything I said in the article above. Well, take out the flying in the sky parts and put in driving on the ground. Mass travel on asphalt is all of that nasty crap you have to deal with when flying (minus the interaction with the TSA agents) only now you get to look forward to dragging on the whole arduous travelling process for eternity. In fact, I am pretty sure people who boarded buses and trains in the 1970’s are still travelling to their destination at this very moment. Maybe with some prayers and a lot of luck they will get there before President Trump finishes out his term in office. Besides, buses are gross. I am a germaphobe; for many reasons I would rather not get into at this moment but if you have ever seen the inside of a bus after a trip across the US of A, it looks like what I imagine a refugee camp in Russia to resemble. Dark, dirty, scary and with a couple of corpses strewn across the darker parts of the area. It is not a way to travel, even if you happen to be a ghost. If you have no other way of burning up miles may I suggest a good walk, much like Forrest Gump. Sure it might take you 300 times longer but you will have a fighting chance not to contract a flesh eating bacteria strain known only in parts of Syria. Adding to the long list of bus and train woes is the fact that you cannot drive. If you are like me you like to be in control of your vehicle and busses or trains do not give you that control. They take that control away and give you stale peanuts in return. That is ALL you get if you use these modes of transportation… peanuts, and possibly bedbugs. Cars Cars are a staple of America and Capitalism. They are part of the freedom we enjoy and provide an essential part in our way of life. They also have formed part of our identity as a collective country and we love them, much unlike a lot of other countries. Now do not get me wrong. I love the United States. In fact, I feel that if you don’t love this country you need to find the door and show yourself out. However, we Americans LOVE our cars and there is nothing wrong with that; except it is the second best way to travel, and there are many reasons why they fall short of travelling on a motorcycle.
Cars insulate the driver like a lunatic in a padded room. Cars cut the drivers off from everything on the outside and most manufacturers do their best to make each cab as soundproof as possible. There is no connection to the “outside world” except for visual and even then most drivers are so glued to their smartphones that I am constantly surprised anyone gets anywhere, any more without dying in a fiery ball of twisted metal and iPhones. You may see a sunset over the Rocky Mountains driving in a car but you won’t really experience that sunset. You might drive past a lighthouse on the west coast but you will never feel the sea breeze collect on your skin and feel the fresh air and salt in the wind. You will just sit in that insulated and climate controlled bubble and let the world pass by. It can be explained by that old saying “Driving in a car is like seeing a movie, riding a motorcycle is like starring in one”. I absolutely despise road trips… in cars. For whatever reason, the second I get in a four wheeled ride and head down the road Mr. Sandman starts chucking dirt in my face and it is all I can do to keep my eyelids open. Cars are stuffy, removed and boring, so what is the alternative then? Enter motorcycles. Motorcycles Naturally, I wanted to save the best for last. Some might criticize this move and think “Of course you’d say motorcycles are the best mode of transportation, you love them.” I would like to lovingly and gently retort that those people are not only idiots, they are dead wrong. Yes, I love motorcycles but I love them BECAUSE they are the best mode of transportation. I didn’t always ride. In fact it took a divorce and a healthy dose of reality before I even considered riding. Before getting on the saddle I travelled extensively using all the aforementioned methods only to find they were arduous and irritating. Motorcycles offer so much more than a way to get from point A to point B. Yes, that is their intended and primary purpose but the side effects of choosing to ride are almost too innumerable to count and for the sake of proving my point, I will talk about a few of the best reasons to ride. Riding makes you more independent Travelling on two wheels not only requires said wheels, but a Rider who needs little to nothing from anyone else. Typical passengers on planes/ busses/ trains need to be fed, watered and tucked into bed in order to complete their “adventurous” trek across the planet. I am sure the whole experience of the staff is much like watching after a two year old that can do taxes and carries a driver’s license. Typically, people need looked after, not so with Bikers. Bikers plan, they carry maps, or GPS units, know where a good place to grub down is and are always looking out for their Brothers and Sisters on the road. Bikers are self- sufficient and we like it that way. If you find yourself a little too needy and want to up your game in the adult department start travelling on two wheels. It will not only make you a better Rider, but will hone your skills and put you back in the driver seat of looking after your own well-being. You meet people you actually want to know When you take a seat next to someone on an airplane, continued...
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bus or train, you have no control over that meeting. In my experiences, it is a little like playing Russian roulette only in this case losing at the seating game could be far worse… I don’t know what it is but there are a certain segment of people that feel compelled to converse with anyone and everyone immediately following takeoff; it could be they are lonely and know that the audience around them is held captive thousands of feet in the air. This isn’t an issue on the ground. Bikers can come and go as they please on each stop and when riding, if no CB or communication system is equipped, they cannot communicate. It is the way we prefer it, plain and simple. If we engage someone in a conversation it is because WE want to have that exchange, not the other way around. Travelling can be cheaper if done correctly Travelling on your motorcycle CAN be cheaper than any other mode of transportation if a few rules are adhered to (and you can’t be a high maintenance princess either). Be willing to stay in cheap hotels or camp. Camping with tents is nearly free in a lot of parts of the country and there are ample hotels that welcome late arriving guests at a discount rates. Find a good App on your phone for travel discounts or plan a route that has ample campsites and stops, it’ll save big in the long run and if you can get over not staying in the Taj Mahal, can add up to big bucks down the road. Fuel is much cheaper on a motorcycle. Most cars get 20-
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24 miles per gallon whereas a bike will get anywhere from 25-30 gallons (at least). Couple this saving with the camping and you could be looking at somewhat cheaper rates than a plane ticket at peak season. Granted you will have to forego the stale peanuts and $8.00 Sprite, but we all have to make sacrifices from time to time. Street Credit Remember when I said most people want to look the part, but not put the time in? After travelling on two wheels around the country you will rise above the sea of wannabes and begin to become an actual Biker. Travelling changes you, to the core. Travelling on a bike will give you cred among others who have swung a leg over the saddle and put in travel time, it forms a mutual respect almost instantly. Real Bikers know a farce when they see one and can tell if the lines in your face are from the road or not. Get riding, and get some cred. Look, if you travel, why not do it the best way? In this day and age everyone does it but unfortunately only a few attempt to go the distance on two wheels. If you can plan some time and make it happen I would encourage you to throw your leg over the saddle, you will find that the payoff is much more than making it to your destination. Travelling on to wheels will mold and form your outlook on life, give you great and lifelong friends and make you a much happier individual (trust me, I am still trying to choke these stale peanuts down, and I am nowhere near happy at the moment).
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TattooedRide.com / GraphicsUnderClear.com
Motorcycle Owners: Mark Harris, Robert Sack Models: Oksana Neeley, Shane Porter
S
Photographer: Vickie Mullin
ometimes something really cool comes along and you want to tell everybody. Well this is one of those times. Remember the Frank Frazetta fantasy art? Oh if you were around in the 70’s and 80’s you most certainly do! That awesome covers of the Molly Hatchet albums featuring the Dark Kingdom paintings like “Death Dealer” the Horseman with the axe, you owned it or your friends did. Yes the band is stellar, but you probably still have or wish you still had that album cover framed and hanging in your house!
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Well guess what, you can get Frank Frazetta fantasy art on YOUR BIKE!! Oh yah, I’m not lyin’! Images such as Death Dealer, Silver Warrior (my favorite), The Destroyer, and oh yes the very beautiful Ghoul Queen, 18 different character graphic kits to choose from! These are Ready To Apply Graphic Images in three different types of graphics kits. Just Tanks Kits, Basic Kits with tank and fender graphics, Full Dresser Kits and the best part is they are affordable! So where do you find them? Go to TattooedRide.com to see the infamous Death Dealer and other Frazetta designs. And how do I know about all of this you might ask? Well the TattooedRide owner is here in Colorado and I just happen to know him, so of course we did a photo shoot. Didn’t have to ask me twice on this one! continued... www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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When this first came up I started thinking, which would be the best model, and of course the amazing Oksana came to mind first, didn’t hurt that she was already on my mind, as she was the current model on the Thunder Roads Calendar for the month. And of course I wanted a guy in on this too. Hmmm, who would be wild enough to pull this off? Oh, I know!! Wild-man himself, Shane! I had photographed Shane on stage performing at some of the local music venues. Then there where the bikes… getting them tattooed with the Frazetta artwork and ready to go. A Panhead for the Berzerker design and the Death Dealer on a long sleek satin black custom ride. You know I was drooling all over the place when I pulled in for the shoot and saw the bikes for the first time. We did the photo shoot in a huge workshop garage with hanging LED Tube lights and grey brick cement walls, nothing fancy and we just went for it to see what would happen. And happen it did, after two hours of posing and changing clothes and posing some more; we all applauded and felt very good about the hopeful results of the images. And I hope they inspire you not only tattoo up your ride Frazetta style, but maybe do some posing and picture
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taking on it. When you are do send them to Thunder Roads Colorado magazine and to TattooedRide.com to share. Who knows, maybe you will be on the web page or possibly in print. Also, they have a site specific to custom painters and you can put the same designs under clear enamel paint! www. graphicsunderclear.com. RIDE ON!! Vickie Mullin
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FROM ACROSS THE POND
1959 A10 Rocket 650 twin. This was BSA in her prime.
“CAFE RACERS-THE WORLD’S FIRST SPORT BIKES” BY ANDY TALLONE
watering holes was the Ace Cafe in London. As cafe racing gained in popularity, an entire culture developed and clubs formed. These cafe racers became known as “Ton-Up Boys”, because “the ton” it Brit slang means 100 MPH. So, “going ton-up” meant exceeding 100 on your bike. The Ton-Up Club and several other similar clubs formed during these early days, and the Ton-Up Club is still going strong today, worldwide!
Classic-British-Motorcycles.com
THE ROCKERS vs THE MODS
ANATOMY OF A CAFE RACER
A cafe racer is, by definition, a production street bike that has been modified to give greater performance, and also to ape the looks of 1950s and 1960s-era Grand Prix racing bikes. Generally, they are minimalist (that means stripped to the bone), with low handlebars, rear-set foot pegs, a long tank and a short seat with “bum stop”. However, as with all custom bikes, there are no “official rules”. Everything goes. Cafe racers have generally been built or modified by their owners, to their own personal tastes. However today, shops have sprung up that build custom cafe racers for customers, very much like chopper builders do for their customers. The big difference is that everything on a chopper is for looks, and everything on a cafe racer is there to make it go faster.
Rockers pose with this classic Triumph cafe racer.
CAFE RACING CULTURE
The term “Cafe Racer” sprang up in England in the late 1950s and early 60s when young hooligans used to race from cafe to cafe on their “motorbikes”. One clever trick was to start a song on the juke box, then run outside, start your bike and fly off down the road to some predetermined point where you turned around and raced back. The whole point was to get back to the juke box before the song finished. Great fun, those Brits. The most famous of these 24 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
All of this played in nicely with a huge cultural shift that was already taking place in Britain. Just like in America, postwar prosperity empowered legions of youths to spend money on clothes, crazy haircuts, Mods wore suits and ties, and rode music, and bikes. The thing is wildly-modified scooters. that this huge demographic market had split into two distinctly different halves: The Rockers and The Mods. And they hated each other. Mods dressed in neat suits and ties and rode around in dolled-up scooters. Rocker wore black leather and chains, they listened to rock and roll, loudly, and they rode ʻreal motorcyclesʼ. The predominant fashion for those bikes was the cafe racer, and the culture just went along with it, melding well with the Rocker culture.
CLASSIC BRITISH BIKES AS CAFE RACERS
Of course, the world was changing drastically at this same time. While the classic British brands like Triumph, BSA and Norton were still doing well, by the early 1960s there was a wind blowing in from the east, carrying with it boatloads of cheap, fast Japanese motorcycles. Cafe Racing having started in England, most cafe racers were modified British bikes. Triumph, BSA, Norton and Matchless twins were among the most popular, although many built Cafe Racers out of whatever they had, including a wide selection of big British singles (ie: BSA Gold Star, Matchless G80, etc.). At some point, as Japanese bikes became more widespread, they too became the raw material for countless Cafe Racers. But it was the classic British motorcycle that was at the very root and heart of the Cafe Racer and the Cafe A classic British cafe racer: mid-60s Racer Culture. Norton 750 Atlas.
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extreme that they literally became a new class of motorcycle. Probably the first one was the Honda 750 Interceptor in 1983. Suddenly, everything else looked slow. But it wasnʼt long before a whole new crop of bikes arrived, each looking like Grand Prix racing bikes, and the modern ʻSport Bikeʼ was born. Today, sport bikes are insanely fast and capable of handling and braking that riders couldnʼt even dream of a few years ago. The BMW S1000RR makes 199 horsepower and weighs just 400 pounds! At what point is enough enough? The 1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR was Willie G. Davidsonʼs idea of what a cafe racer should look like. Iʼd say he nailed it!
THE FACTORIES JUMP IN
Many motorcycle manufacturers were hoping to tap into the growing Cafe Racer trend in the 1960s and well into the 1970s. Surprisingly, Triumph and BSA didnʼt jump in, they certainly should have, and could have. Norton came out with their Production Racer and the John Player Special, both factory-built cafe racers, essentially appearance packages on stock Commandos. Otherwise, there really was no big factory effort among British motorcycle manufacturers to tap into this huge and growing trend, and itʼs truly a shame, because they certainly could have used the extra sales. It just goes to show how out of touch and out of working capital the British motorcycle industry actually was in the 1960s. But, the opportunity wasnʼt lost on the rest of the industry. Ducati jumped right in and built their entire business around producing factory cafe racers, and what they would become: sport bikes. BMW, Moto Guzzi and Laverda all had handsome factory cafe racers in the early 1970s that sold very well and are still well regarded today. Even Harley-Davidson couldn’t resist, coming out with their gorgeous XLCR 1000cc V-twin Cafe Racer in 1977. And of course, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha bet heavily on the cafe racer market with a wide array of awesome bikes in all shapes and sizes.
Rickman frame, Triumph 650 engine, this modern cafe racer shows the level of craftsmanship that todayʼs builders are bringing to the game.
CAFE RACERS CONTINUE
Despite the big corporations trying to hijack the cafe racer, and their morphing it into an extreme version of itself, the classic cafe racer survived. It was overshadowed during the 80s and 90s by the tsunami of new sport bikes pouring in from continued...
The 1983 Honda 750 Interceptor is widely considered to be the worldʼs first Sport Bike. It looked like a road racer, now they all do.
CAFE RACERS MORPH INTO TODAY’S SPORT BIKES
As the major players got involved, the market for these bikes just seemed to grow. Maybe it was the changing demographic, or the availability of cheap, fast bikes, but people started wanting faster and faster motorcycles, crazy-fast! Somewhere along the way, the factories, mostly in Japan, in an effort to try to outdo one another, pushed the performance envelope of these cafe racers to such an www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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every corner of the globe. But they were still there, the culture was still there, the owners were still spending nights in their garage working on their bikes, and it was growing. By the 2000s, the cafe racer was catching on again, partially due to the “nostalgia boom” that led to retro Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, and New Beetles, and also old Panheads and period-correct Cafe Racers. They came into fashion again. Custom builders began serving this market with some incredible bikes, and of course talented owners continue to build cafe racers and take the state of the art into the modern age.
WHAT IS A NORLEY?
An interesting offshoot of the cafe racer art and science has been what used to be called the “hybrid” or “cross-breed”. This refers to a bike with one kind of frame and another kind of engine. The frames were almost always Norton ʻFeatherbedsʼ, Norton frame + Vincent because they were the bestV-twin = Norvin. Featherbed handling frames available in frames are easy to spot the 1950s and 60s, they were because of that curved light, and as it turned out, very frame tube behind the adaptable to other power plants. engine running up to the A common swap was a Triumph tank. 650 engine in the Norton frame, which was nicknamed “Triton”, for “Triumph-” and “-Norton”. It didn’t stop there. 998cc Vincent V-twins were dropped into the Norton frame, creating the “Norvin”. Even Harley-Davidson Sportster engines were grafted in, creating the “Norley”. All done in the interest of more power and better handling.
MY OWN CAFE RACER
The cafe racer genre is alive and well, and growing. And it’s always been near and dear to my heart. I tried to build my first cafe racer out of my ʼ64 Triumph TR6 (formerly a bobber), back in the mid-1970s, but didn’t have the money to pull That’s me with my Yellow Bike in the it off. It only took Santa Cruz Mountains of CA in 2008. me until 2000 to take up the cause again. I built this wonderful cafe racer, which I named “Yellow Bike” out of a ʼ73 Triumph Bonneville 750 I paid $1400 for. Itʼs the bike I always wanted to build. Iʼve ridden it all up and down California for years, won shows with it, had write-ups in bike magazines, and after all that...like an idiot I sold it in 2009. But the good news is I just tracked it down and bought it back from the guy. Iʼm working on it now and getting it ready for spring. It makes me happy just looking at it. I canʼt believe I ever sold it. I love cafe racers. Please visit my website at www.Classic-British-Motorcycles.com 26 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
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Tasty Recipes All of these recipes have been kitchen tested and biker approved.
Chicken Rigatoni This is a copycat recipe that I created a while
ago. This dish was a favorite of mine at one of the restaurants we used to frequent. The original had mushrooms in it, but because of an allergy to, I always ordered it without. The restaurant changed the recipe and the dish isn’t anything like it used to be. I decided to try to recreate it and this recipe is the result. You can always add mushrooms back into the dish. Just sauté them with the onions during the caramelization process. 4 chicken breast halves 1 Tbs butter 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 cup Marsala wine 1 cup cream 1 cup milk 1 tsp thyme 1 clove garlic minced 1/2 cup parmesan 1/2 cup pasta water 2 Tbs fresh basil, chiffonade 1/2 lb Rigatoni, cooked al dente salt and pepper to taste Grill or griddle the chicken breast until brown on both sides and cooked through (8 - 10 minutes per side). Put aside and allow to rest, covered. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain reserving 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. Put large diced onion in pan with the melted butter, sauté over medium low heat until browned and caramelized. Remove the onions and put aside. Add wine to the pan and reduce until there is only about 2 tbsp of liquid remains.
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Cut the chicken into cubes and add the garlic, onions and chicken to the pan. Add cream, milk, cheese and thyme. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Add the pasta water to the sauce and cook until thickened. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more pasta water. Add the pasta and basil to the sauce toss to heat and combine Serve with extra parmesan cheese Servings: 4
Parmesan Asparagus Spears
When you make this dish make sure you buy the small shoots, not the large ones. You can shave the parmesan easily with a potato peeler. 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 lbs asparagus spears 2 Tbs grated or shaved parmesan cheese Stir together vinegar, oil, mustard in a large bowl. Set aside while cooking asparagus. Heat 2 inches of water and half the salt to boiling in a large, deep skillet. Break or slice off the lower stems of the asparagus spears. Rinse and place half the spears in the boiling water. Cover and cook 1 - 2 minutes, or just until tender crisp. Transfer asparagus to the bowl with the vinegar mixture. Duplicate process with remaining asparagus. Toss gently until spears are evenly coated. Place asparagus on serving plate. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Servings: 12
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FEBRUARY 2017
Support Our Troops Event Pikes Peak ABATE District 2 Sunday at 11 AM - 3 PM 4130 S US Highway 85-87, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80911 Please come join us for the Support Our Troops event. We will be collecting items to send to the troops overseas. Looking for items such as Chap Stick, foot powder, playing cards, lotion, hard candy and anything else you think they may want or need. If you know of a service member that you would like a care package sent to please get us their APO address so we can get it sent out. We will have a 50/50 raffle, lunch will be served (donations accepted) and weather permitting there will be short ride. https://www.facebook.com/events/1289129634503978/ Harry’s Roamers Motorcycle Club 51st Annual Ice Races at Rainbow Falls Mountain Trout Park Between Deckers and Woodland Park on Highway 67 2/12/2017 Sign up begins at 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM Races start at 9:00 AM Studded tire classes Pro 0 – 300 bike, open Pro Bike, Speedway, Quad Pro Studded, Sportsman Bike and Quad (Cash Payback) Powder Puff Class – Quad, 0 – 300 Bike, Open Bike A & Open Bike B, Master Bike 40+, Novice Bike, Vintage Open Bike (1975 and older), Amateur Quad Studded A, B & C, Mini Quad Studded (Max 150cc, minimum age 10 Years) ***maximum 250 studs per quad*** Bare Tire Classes, Quad Classes, 4X4 Sport, 4X4 Utility Quad 2X4 – A, B & C (90cc and Under minimum age 5 years) Bike Classes Bare A, B 3rd wheel, Mini Bike A (150cc or less, 14 years max), B (50 – 80cc, minimum age 5 years, 10 years max) Tri State Swap Meet Denver Colorado 2/4/2017 – 2/5/2017 2/4/2017 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 2/5/2017 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM National Western Complex 4655 Humboldt St, Denver, Colorado 80216 The Tri-State Swap Meet is the region’s largest, indoor automotive swap meet featuring thousands of automotive related products, bumper to bumper and everything in between as well as tools, decals, memorabilia and more. http://www.tristateswapmeet.com/ Saturday - $10.00 Sunday - $6.00 Ladies Free On Sunday Children 12 and Under Always Free Cripple Creek Ice Festival 200 Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 February 11, 2017 - February 19, 2017 Acclaimed ice carvers from near and far will go chainsaw to chainsaw for the 9th Annual Cripple Creek Ice Festival. Carving blocks of ice into more than a dozen large works of art, these chainsaw cowboys will sculpt all their work to fit an Old West theme. There will be street vendors, food trucks, a martini luge, live music, kid activities and a lot more. http://www.visitcripplecreek.com/events/cripple-creek-ice-festival/ skitzman@cripple-creek.co.us F*@# Winter Moto Bash Saturday, February 11 at 12 PM - 10 PM 2770 W Hampden Ave, Englewood, Colorado 80110 Not being able to hit the road daily during the winter sucks!! We are all suffering Parked Motorcycle Syndrome. Come party with us to get through these Winter Riding Blues. www.thunderroadscolorado.com
Noon to 3PM (weather dependent) There will be a Chopper Parts Swap outside. Bring your extra parts, things you’ve got on a shelf, your take offs from your winter projects, or come looking for that part you can’t live without for your winter build! Biker Games in the parking lot! Register at Noon, Games Begin at 1PM. Prepare yourself for the Slow Ride-Passenger Pencil Drop, Ride the Plank, Slow Race, & more! 3PM to 6PM Chili Cookoff & Salsa Competition! Bring a crockpot (or two!) of your favorite chili recipe for everyone to taste and judge. And your favorite salsa! No holds barred for type of chili or salsa. Red, Green, White, Tomato, Corn, Mango, Queso! Bring it on!!! Tortilla chips, & normal chili fixins will be supplied. Peoples Choice Awards will be announced with other awards! FREE BEER !!! Will be served with the Chili & Salsa’s into the night until the Keg Runs out! Custom Bike Show!! Bring your Bad Ass Chopper, Show Stopper, or Beautiful Classic Bike into the shop for all to see & your chance at the Best of Show Trophy, Custom Made just for this event! https://www.facebook.com/events/795736810565647/ 104th Steamboat Winter Carnival February 8, 2017 - February 12, 2017 For several days, the entire town is given over to racing, ski jumping, a parade featuring Steamboat’s skiing high school band, ski jöring and the spectacular night show. Event Category: Charity, Fair/Festival, Music/Concert, Nature/Outdoors, Professional Sports Event, Winter Holiday Celebration Facility Amenities: Accessible by Public Transportation, Bus Parking, Complimentary Local Shuttle, Food/Beverage Service, Parking off site, Parking on site Guest Information: Family-friendly On-site Activities: Athletic Participation, Fireworks, Live Music, Parade, Sports Viewing Rate Information: Cost of Admission: $8 Local: 800-922-2722 bookit@steamboat.com http://www.steamboatchamber.com/signature-events/winter-carnival 27th Annual Super Show & Swap Meet 3650 N Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 10:00 AM March 4 - 5, 2017 Sponsored by Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center, RMC Distributing, and Law Tigers The swap meet will take place at the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center, 3650 N Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. Doors open at 10:00 am. General admission is $10.00 per person. Seniors will be admitted for $7.00 and children 12 and under get in free with an adult. In addition to the swap meet there will be a bike show, charity auction, tattoo competition, food, live music and more. Vendor fees are $120.00 for a 10X10 space. The fee to enter a motorcycle is $25.00 per bike. Bikes will be judged and prizes and trophies will be awarded to winners. For more information call (719) 487-8005 or go to http://www.pro-promotions.com/pro-events/mss for more information. 25th Annual Colorado Tattoo Competition 3650 N Nevada, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 March 5, 2017 from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM As part of the 27th Annual Super Show and Swap Meet, this is Colorado’s largest & longest running tattoo competition. Custom awards in 10 categories including Best of Show! Come show us your ink! For more information call Pro Promotions. 719-487-8005 - Becky Wayman info@pro-promotions.com http://www.pro-promotions.com
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teams and racing talent, and the industry contributes significantly to the British economy by employing over 50,000 people and generating a total of £11 billion of sales each year ($13.5 billion USD).
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
RPM ACT REINTRODUCED IN NEW CONGRESS As the 115th Congress went into session, among the first bills reintroduced was the RPM Act (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017), House Resolution 350 sponsored by U.S. Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC). The bipartisan bill, which was submitted for reintroduction on the first day of the new Congress, protects Americans’ right to modify street cars and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles and industry’s right to sell the parts that enable racers to compete. The RPM Act ensures that transforming motor vehicles into race vehicles used exclusively in competition does not violate the Clean Air Act. For nearly 50 years, the practice was unquestioned until the EPA published proposed regulations in 2015 that deemed such conversions illegal and subject to severe penalties. While the EPA withdrew the problematic language from the final rule making last year, the agency still maintains the practice is unlawful. Motorsports competition involves tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners each year, according to SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) and retail sales of racing products make up a $1.4 billion market annually. There are an estimated 1,300 racetracks operating across the U.S., including oval, road, track and off-road racetracks, the majority of which feature converted race vehicles that the EPA now considers to be illegal. The RPM Act, H.R. 350 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. BRITISH MOTORSPORTS THREATENED BY EU RULING The British government has just issued a document for public consultation that suggests temporarily implementing a European Court decision known as the “Vnuk judgement,” which would make it compulsory for anyone engaging in any and all forms of motor sport to have third party insurance. It would be applicable to all vehicles on any kind of land and even implementing it temporarily would mean an end to motorsports in the UK, because insurance companies will not insure against third party motorsport risks -- the number of vehicle claims alone would be unsustainable for them, meaning that if the Vnuk judgement came into force, motorsport activity in the UK would cease. A joint statement issued by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), Auto Cycle Union (ACU) and the Amateur Motorcycle Association (AMCA) is calling on the government to exempt motor and motorcycle sport from any changes to insurance law that would arise from the ECJ ruling. “At a stroke, this would wipe out a successful industry and all the jobs that go with it, as well as eliminating a popular leisure pursuit for 1.9 million people, along with the boost that this gives to both local and national economies,” said Steve Kenward, CEO of the MCIA, speaking on behalf of all three parties. “If the government implements the Vnuk judgment unamended, British motorcycle sport would end in the UK.” England is home to world leading motorcycle companies, motorsport 30 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
The Vnuk ruling stems from a case involving a Slovenian farm worker, Damijan Vnuk, who was hurt falling from a ladder, which was hit by a reversing tractor. VICTORY MOTORCYCLES WINDS DOWN PRODUCTION Victory Motorcycles is to be wound down, the firm’s parent company Polaris has just announced. The move is to allow the firm to “narrow” its focus onto more profitable areas of the business, including Indian Motorcycle. A statement just released by Polaris says it will “immediately begin winding down its Victory Motorcycles brand and related operations.” Dealers will be assisted in “liquidating existing inventories” and parts will continue to be supplied for 10 years. Servicing and warranty coverage will also continue. “This was an incredibly difficult decision for me, my team and the Polaris Board of Directors,” said Polaris Industries Chairman and CEO Scott Wine. “Over the past 18 years, we have invested not only resources, but our hearts and souls, into forging the Victory Motorcycles brand… The experience, knowledge, infrastructure and capability we’ve built in those 18 years gave us the confidence to acquire and develop the Indian Motorcycle brand, so I would like to express my gratitude to everyone associated with Victory Motorcycles and celebrate your many contributions.” According to the written statement, Victory has “struggled to establish the market share needed to succeed and be profitable.” It says: “The competitive pressures of a challenging motorcycle market have increased the headwinds for the brand. Given the significant additional investments required for Victory to launch new global platforms that meet changing consumer preferences, and considering the strong performance and growth potential of Indian Motorcycle, the decision to more narrowly focus Polaris’ energy and investments became quite clear.” Wine added, “This decision will improve the profitability of Polaris and our global motorcycle business, and will materially improve our competitive stance in the industry.” “Our focus is on profitable growth, and in an environment of finite resources, this move allows us to optimize and align our resources behind both our premium, high-performing Indian Motorcycle brand and our innovative Slingshot brand, enhancing our focus on accelerating the success of those brands. Ultimately this decision will propel the industry-leading product innovation that is core to our strategy while fostering long-term growth and increased shareholder value.” 100% TARIFF PROPOSED ON EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLES Motorcycles are once again caught in the crossfire of an international trade policy standoff between the Office of United States Trade Representative and European Union, stemming from ongoing disagreements over meat products. During the late 1990’s, the World Trade Organization requested the E.U. lift its standing ban on U.S. beef; the E.U. declined, citing the meat’s failure to meet European health and hormone standards. In 2009, the U.S. negotiated a pact allowing some beef market access; but according to the
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White House, the agreement “has not worked as intended.” As a result, the U.S.T.R. is now considering a new petition from the U.S. beef lobby, invoked last December under a revised clause in the 1974 Trade Act that would create a “retaliation list” of foreign products which are subject to heavy import tariffs, to balance the export losses. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. beef lobby’s list consists largely of meat and animal parts, but it also includes a scattershot of other items, like chewing gum, electric hair clippers, and motorcycles. Two vehicular tariffs are proposed on the new retaliation list. One is for European bikes between 51cc and 250cc; the other, European bikes between 251cc to 500cc. Both would be subject to an import tax of 100% (or more). This would directly impact fifteen European manufacturers, including major brands like Aprilla, BMW, Ducati, Husqvarna, KTM, Piaggio and Vespa.
“If a driver does go through a red light, and there is an accident, they have the burden to prove it was malfunctioning,” explains local A.I.M. attorney (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) Ralph C. Buss. “If a motorist or motorcyclist, or bicyclist, does come across a light that isn’t working, it is recommended that they should call police.” The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) invites Bike and Motorcycle riders to contact an ODOT advocate to report problems with traffic signals and roadway conditions via Email to bike.report@dot.state.oh.us or call (614) 387-0722. ARIZONA “PAY FOR PLAY” HELMET LAW PROPOSAL
In doubling prices of the most popular European motorcycles, these tariffs could potentially cripple the U.S. dealer network, putting thousands of salespeople and techs out of work.
A bill has been introduced to require motorcycle riders in Arizona to wear a helmet, except that “AN OPERATOR OR PASSENGER OF A MOTORCYCLE, ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE OR MOTOR DRIVEN CYCLE WHO IS AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE IS EXEMPT FROM THE HELMET REQUIREMENT PRESCRIBED BY SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION IF THE OWNER PAYS A FEE (amount to be determined) WHEN REGISTERING THE VEHICLE.”
It’s not the first time the motorcycle industry has been in this position. In 1999, after the E.U. declined the W.T.O. directive, European motorcycles were included in -- and later dropped from -- a similar retaliation list. The same thing happened again in 2008, leading into negotiations for the current deal.
According to HB 2046, introduced by Representative Dr. Randall Friese (D-Tucson), “THE FEE ALLOWS A PERSON TO OPERATE THE MOTORCYCLE, ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE OR MOTOR DRIVEN CYCLE WITHOUT WEARING A HELMET AND ALLOWS A PASSENGER TO RIDE ON THE CYCLE WITHOUT WEARING A HELMET.”
The beef lobby’s new petition is currently in the review phase, and the U.S.T.R has opened the proposal to a public comment period ending January 30.
“Amending this statute would require all 200,000 motorcycle riders in Arizona to wear a helmet or be subjected to a fine of Five Hundred dollars which three hundred would be going towards Rep. Friese and his friends and their spinal cord trauma practices,” explains Michael Infanzon, lobbyist for ABATE of Arizona. “We have seen Rep. Friese try this game year after year and Arizona motorcyclists have succeeded in stopping this infringement on our right to choose to wear a helmet or not.”
“DEAD RED” LAW PASSES IN OHIO FOR ALL VEHICLES During a three-week lame-duck legislative session that ended in mid-December, state lawmakers in Ohio passed more than fifty new laws, including House Bill 154: Under certain conditions, drivers (and riders) can now proceed through a red light if you think your vehicle is not tripping the signal to change, but only if the intersection is clear. If a malfunctioning traffic signal doesn’t detect your car, truck or motorcycle; the law states that your vehicle must come to a complete stop first, and after a reasonable amount of time you can proceed through the intersection as long as the coast is clear and you must yield to oncoming traffic with the right of way. www.thunderroadscolorado.com
This proposed legislation has been referred to two different committees, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Rules Committee, and ABATE of Arizona has issued an IMMEDIATE CALL TO ACTION for riders to contact Rep. Friese and members of the House committees to kill the bill. “This is nothing more than a tax on motorcyclists and an infringement on our rights,” notes Infanzon.
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A Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $5 million dollars. His bookkeeper is deaf. That was the reason he got the job in the first place. It was assumed that Guido would hear nothing, so he would never have to testify in court. When the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $5 million, he brings along his lawyer who happens to know sign language. The Godfather tells the lawyer, “Ask him where the money is!” The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido, “Where’s the money?” Guido signs back, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” The lawyer tells the Godfather, “He says he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” The Godfather pulls out a 38, puts it to Guido’s head and says, “Ask him again and if he doesn’t tell me, I’ll kill him!” The lawyer signs to Guido, “He’ll kill you if you don’t tell him.” Guido trembles and signs, “OK, OK! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno’s house.” The Godfather asks the lawyer, “What did he say?” The lawyer replies, “He says screw you, you don’t have the balls to pull the trigger.” __________________________________________________________
She really is enthusiastic and sweet. She stopped jumping and breathing heavily from all the jumping up and down, told me that she was pregnant. I knew she’d been trying for a while so I told her, “That’s great I couldn’t be happier for you!” Then she said, “There’s more” I asked, “What do you mean there’s more?”. She said, “Well, we are not having just one baby. We are going to have TWINS!” Amazed at how she could know so soon after getting pregnant, I asked her how she knew. She said.... “Well, that’s the easy part. I went to WallyWorld and they actually had a home pregnancy kit in a TWIN-pack. Both tests came out positive!” __________________________________________________________ I think it’s pretty cool how Chinese people made a language entirely out of tattoos. Just sayin’. I can’t understand why women are okay that Penny’s has an older women’s clothing line named, “Sag Harbor.” ________________________________________________________
During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, “How do you determine whether or not an older person should be put in a Nursing Home?” “Well,” he said, “we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the person to empty the bathtub.” “Oh, I understand,” I said. “A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup.” “No” he said. “A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?” __________________________________________________________ Bubba was taking a dump and checking out FB and read that on average; an American man will have sex two to three times a week. Whereas, a Japanese man will have sex only one or two times a year. This was very upsetting news to Bubba. He immediately called his best buddy, Earl, and said, “I know you’re going to be as shocked as I was, but I just come to find out that I’m Japanese.” __________________________________________________________ The location of your mailbox shows you how far away from your house you can be in a robe before you start looking like a patient who’s just flew out and over the Cuckoo’s Nest. __________________________________________________________ The other day my kinda’ ditzy neighbor with green hair (she changes it every month), came running up to me in the driveway jumping for joy! No judgement. it’s just her “thang”. I didn’t know why she was jumping so excitedly but I thought, “what the hell”, and I starting jumping up and down along with her as that’s just the best way to pacify her. She said, “I have some really great news!” I said, “Great. Tell me why you’re so happy.” www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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PHOTOGRAPHERS: VICKIE MULLIN, SEAN COOK, CARRIE MCCAULEY 34 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
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