Oct 2009 by Thunder Roads Magazine of Pennsylvania

MAGAZINE ®

Pennsylvania

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 2009

Freebyrd Custom Motorcycles Please Ride By My House Military Quotes Laurie Smucker New Rider Geneva Events

Photo by Eric Miller, joekellyphoto.com Model: Sarah Powell

AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING BIKER PUBLICATION

IF THIS WAS YOUR AD Thousands Of Riders Would Be Seeing It Right Now

Bruce Rossmeyer Killed In Motorcycle Crash

YEA!!!! I got my motorcycle permit. My friend

Editor / Owner

Keys and I got our permits and signed up for

Robin Montgomery Lapp 717-682-7529 thunderrdspa@yahoo.com

didn’t want to ride Beach behind my husband

our Motorcycle Safety classes.I guess I just anymore. Plus this gives me the chance to get my very own bike. Not sure what kind yet, but I

Sales Staff

do know it will be pink or purple so my husband

Robin Keys 717-286-4689 reller65@aol.com

won’t want to ride it! Look out everyone…two new female bikers. Kind of scary isn’t it? I will keep you posted on

Tony Montgomery 717-431-4551 tmonty22@comcast.net

the progress. I hope everyone will come out and see us at the BIG BIKE SHOW Oct. 30, 31, Nov 1 at the

Jason Shiflet 717-201-7675 teufelheunden@hotmail.com

Bruce Rossmeyer, Harley Davidson’s largest dealer, was killed in Wyoming in a motorcycle crash on Thursday morning, July 30, sources have confirmed. Rossmeyer had been traveling with a group of friends en route to the Sturgis motorcycle rally being held in South Dakota. Wyoming Highway Patrol police officers confirmed there was a fatal motorcycle crash involving a resident of the state of Florida Highway 28, near Pinedale. Rossmeyer, a long-time resident of Daytona Beach, was “retired” from the automobile business when he purchased his first Harley-Davidson dealership in January, 1994 located in Daytona Beach, Florida. He had wanted to do something fun during his retirement years. He then added New Smyrna Harley-Davidson in 1997, Grand Junction Harley-Davidson in 1997, Ft. Lauderdale Harley-Davidson in 1998, Harley-Davidson of Pompano in 2002, and Aspen Valley Harley Davidson in 2002. When the new Ft. Lauderdale dealership opened to the public in December 2001, the existing store turned into the police and fleet sales division. In October, 2005, he opened “Destination Daytona” in Ormond Beach, FL, the world’s largest Harley-Davidson dealership. The total dealership utilizes more than 150 acres. Another South Florida dealership, Sunrise Harley-Davidson was completed by the end of 2006 in Sunrise. In February 2006, Bruce Rossmeyer purchased Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson located in Horn Lake, MS.

Lancaster Convention Center. It’s going to be a blast. We will have a vendor stand there, so please stop by and say hello.

David Peterson 215-439-5271 davidapeterson@verizon.net

Don’t forget to support our advertisers and make sure to tell ‘em Thunder Roads Pa sent you. Also, we are always looking for new

Layout and Design Warren Ells, Art Director Thunder Publishing Warrenlayout@yahoo.com

advertisers and Sales People! Pass the word!! Ride Safe, Ride Friendly, and Feel The Thunder

Tom Roe Tom Roe Photography Cover and Calendar Photo tomroe.photography@yahoo.com

“The Grand essentials of happiness are: Something to Do, Something to Love, and

NATIONAL FOUNDERS Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1421 Chapmansboro Road Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 Email: thunderroadscharter@charter.net

Something to Hope For!” ~Allan K Chalmers~

© THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THUNDER PUBLISHING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF ITS CONTENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. PUBLISHER ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY AND IS NOT TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR ERRORS BEYOND THE COST OF THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE ERROR, SLANDER OF ANY GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL, FAILURE TO PRODUCE ANY ISSUE AS SCHEDULED DUE TO REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, ANY AND ALL SUITS FOR LIABLE, PLAGIARISM, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A PERSON’S NAME OR PHOTOGRAPH. OPINIONS AND CLAIMS MADE BY ADVERTISERS AND AUTHORS ARE THEIR OWN, AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE POLICY OF THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE OR THUNDER PUBLISHING. PUBLISHER DOES NOT PROMOTE THE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS.

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KEVIN’S KORNER From

ALASKA

666MILITARY “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer” ~General George Patton Jr~ Cowards Die many times before their deaths; the valliant never taste death but once” ~William Shakespeare ( Julius Caesar) Armed Forces Mottos US AIR FORCE Integrity First Service Before Self Excellence In All We Do MARINES “Semper Fidelis” (Always Faithful)

US COAST GUARD “SEMPER PARATUS” (ALWAYS READY) US NAVY HONOR,COURAGE, COMMITMENT

U S ARMY THIS WE’LL DEFEND DRAFT BEER…………….NOT PEOPLE!

We liked our ride to Independence mine so much we went back and this time Steve and Whitney went with us. Whitney just got her licence and the blue Suzuki is her first bike. She is a natural. Kevin

Last Friday we went up to Independence Mine Park. Fun ride! Lots of twists and turns. Got rained on a little at the top, but worth it. Tuesday Steve joined us on his Honda Interceptor. We went to Hope again because it’s fun and the food is good. Kevin Thunder Roads Magazine 4

OFFICER: “Soldier, do you have change for a dollar”? Soldier: “Sure Buddy” Officer: That’s no way to address an officer! Now, let’s try again! Officer: “ Soldier, do you have change for a dollar”? Soldier: “NO SIR” YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP At a time when our president and other politicians tend to apologize for our country`s prior actions,here`s a refresher on how some of our former patriots handled negative comments about our country. These are good. JFK’S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60’s when DeGaule decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaule said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible. Rusk responded “does that include those who are buried here? DeGuale did not respond. You could have heard a pin drop __________________________________________________ When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.’ You could have heard a pin drop.

Quotes666 _________________________________________________ There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying ‘Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?’ A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: ‘Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?’ You could have heard a pin drop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?’ Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, ‘Maybe it’s because the Brit’s, Canadians, Aussie’s and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German..’ You could have heard a pin drop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE... Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically.. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. “Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” The American said, ‘The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” “Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !” The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ‘’Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.” You could have heard a pin drop.

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Please Ride By My House The distant rumble could only be one thing and I could only try to imagine how many bikes there might be in the group. The tone changed as they neared the intersection at the end of my road, a half mile from my house, so I knew they would be riding by. This wiffle ball game with the kids just got an unscheduled time-out! I watched with envy as 12 beautiful bikes went by and I listened to my favorite sound when all 12 of them rode up the hill and out of sight. My years of riding took a time-out when the kids came along (sometimes priorities stink!), but every now and then, time with the kids takes a time-out so I can remember my years of riding. I have quite possibly the three greatest kids in the world and I wouldn’t trade them for all the Harleys ever made. And I realize that I’m easily distracted so I probably wouldn’t give the kids the time they need if I still had a bike in the garage, so for now riding is a memory from the past and a dream for the future. But, I will be back sometime! My wife and kids have come to understand, and expect, that everything will come to a stop when someone rides past the house. And when I’m driving the mini-van, my window will always go down so I can get a better eyeful and earful whenever someone passes me on a bike. I may be behind the wheel of a “grocery getter” but in my mind at times that steering wheel is a set of handle bars. I have a drawer full of black t-shirts from shops all over the country. And my leather jacket is still in the closet, so the “uniform” is ready when I’m ready to get back in the game. My mind is filled with great memories, my heart may still be shaped like a V-twin, and think I could possibly bleed black and orange. But until I get there, please give the throttle an extra twist when you pass me in the mini-van. And if you see my in the yard with the kids, please go around the block so I can get another look at the bike. And please hammer it when you go up the hill so I can still hear you after you’re out of sight.

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KNOW THE LAW

to be injured by one of these folks, then the only source of compensation you have to look to is your UN-insured motorist coverage, also known as UM coverage. Again, I carry by Attorney Steve Stambaugh a single combined limit of $500,000.00, and would carry UN-insured motormore if I could find an insurance company that would sell it. ist coverage and A quick word on “STACKING”. Stacking allows you to stack UNDER-insured your UIM and UM coverages by the number of vehicles motorist coverage. (usually just bikes but sometimes your other vehicles as well, it depends on your insurer) on the policy. So, if you Insurance agents get UIM / UM coverages in a single combined limit of NEVER properly $250,000.00 each, have 2 bikes and get “stacking”, you explain these cover- multiply $250,000.00 by your two bikes for total UIM / UM ages, let alone that coverage of $500,000.00. If you had three bikes with stackthese two coverag- ing your UIM / UM coverages would be $750,000.00. Et es are the most im- cetera. If your car(s) and bike(s) are insured by the Biker portant coverages a injury cases tend to be worth far more than similar motor biker can have. You vehicle accident cases for many reasons not the least of should never ride which are that we are not protected by a cage and because without these two coverages in place, at the highest levels the insurance companies won’t sell us medical expense of coverage that you can afford. coverage like they do for cars, which means that we are When you are injured by some idiot that “never saw you,” left with huge medical bills when we are injured. that person is what lawyers call a “tortfeasor” - which means I will discuss the difference between split limit coverage and that s/he harmed you. Pennsylvania law requires that a single combined limit in next month’s issue. If you don’t vehicle owners must have a minimum of $15,000.00 per want to wait that long, call my office, schedule an appointperson in liability coverage to pay to you if they injure ment, and bring your policy with you when you come to see you. They do not have to have one penny more to be legal. me. Better to do it before you get injured than after. If your case is worth more than $15,000.00 (or whatever same insurance company but under different policies, be the tortfeasor’s coverages happen to be) but the driver sure to have the word “stacking” on both policies - even if that hit you only has a $15,000.00 policy, then the driver is you only have one vehicle on each policy. UNDER-insured, also known as UIM. The way you Be forewarned, if you tell your insurance agent that you protect yourself against UNDER-insured motorists is by want “full coverage”, s/he will probably sell you coverage buying UNDER-insured motorist coverage. The amount that protects the value of your bike but leaves your body, you buy is up to you, but look in the mirror and ask yourself YOU, totally exposed. Don’t let your agent talk you into how much money you want to have available to you and/ waiving UIM / UM or taking minimal coverages because or your loved ones in the event that you lose a foot, leg, the agent is trying to protect the insurance company from hand or arm, or suffer an injury to your spine, or suffer a having to pay you a bunch of money if you are injured - they head injury, or one or more of your limbs are paralyzed, or, are not trying to protect you!!! God forbid, you get killed. I carry a single combined limit of Don’t wait until your policy renews. Check your policy now $500,000.00. and fix it because I will bet that you do not have enough I would carry a lot more if the insurance companies would UIM / UM coverage. If you don’t trust your insurance agent, sell it - but they don’t, at least not that I have been able to call my office, schedule an appointment, and bring your find. Not to bikers anyway. It’s because the insurance policy with you when you come to see me. The consultation companies know the risks we face each and every time we will be FREE. Like I said before, better to do it before you ride. get injured. Of course, we all know that some car owners ignore the law If you, a family member, or a friend is in an motorcycle, and don’t have any insurance at all. These pillars of society automobile, truck or any other kind of accident, call Attorney are called UN-insured motorists. If you are lucky enough Steve Stambaugh. You’ll be glad you did! Thunder Roads Magazine 10

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Welcome to Freebyrd, family owned and operated by husband and wife Mike & Pam Godwin. Mike & Pam decided to open Freebyrd Custom Motorcycles to be able to offer what they couldn’t find at other bike shops, customer service and satisfaction. Located on Route 74 in Brogue, Pennsylvania, Freebyrd is a one stop shop for all of your biker needs. We carry everything from parts to riding gear, and shirts to accessories, most importantly at affordable prices. They say that if you love your job, you will never work a day in your life. The wrenches at Freebyrd certainly pay homage to this motto when they start each day. So let’s talk a little about the wrenches that work on your bike. Mike Godwin a.k.a. Doc is more than just the owner. You will find him in the back getting greased up with the best of them. Mike has an eye for customization and creating amazing bikes. His imagination with customizing a bike is second to none. He got his start working with his father as a mechanic. Working on all sorts of vehicles, his passion quickly turned to motorcycles. You’ll also find Nick Adams or Morgan as people tend to call him, working in the back. Nick is a former Harley Davidson mechanic who received his certification from the American Motorcycle Institute of Daytona, FL. Nick has worked on bikes for many years and has earned his home here at Freebyrd. Up front you will find Pam and me (Hollie). In case you didn’t know, Mike and Pam are actually my parents. My mom and I strive for customer service and satisfaction up front. Pam, or Momma, was a stay at home mom all of my life and entered the work force a little timid. But she loves to ride and loves motorcycles. So it all came naturally back to her. Most often you will find her riding back and forth to work or just to anywhere, anytime she can. As for myself, I have an extensive background in sales but decided that the “typical” job wasn’t for me. I wanted to be with my family. Not everyone gets to see their mom and dad everyday and it means a lot to me that I get to. Besides, who wouldn’t want to work for a bike shop? When you come into Freebyrd, you will see it is more than just a bike shop. It’s more than working on bikes and being with customers. It is about two people who wanted to work closely with their family and give them a future. In fact, Mike has often said that one day he hopes his grandson, Nicholas will be working as a wrench with him in the shop someday. Mike doesn’t have to hope, Nicholas has already gotten the passion for motorcycles and loves to “work” on them with his Paw Paw. We invite you to come on down and stop in and let us see what we can do to make your dreams come true. Last month there was a misprint in our ad and our article. We go to Ruby Jades every Thursday and it is located on 1500 S. George Street in York. Picture by Eric Miller from Joe Kelly Photo.com Article by Hollie Rodriguez

WHERE IS THIS?

Can you guess where T Burk is this month, In a not so far away land, somewhere in Pa Be the First three to guess correctly and win a Thunder Roads Pa t-shirt and koozie Email your guesses to: thunderrdspa@yahoo.com Good Luck! Last Month: Punxatawny Phil the Ground Hog, from Punxatawny, Pa Winner: Daniel Roussey From Kartaus, Pa

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Cory TexTer Another month of racing in the books and what a busy month it was. After our long trip out west to South Dakota, we came home and I have since raced in Ohio, Indianapolis, and Peoria & Springfield, Illinois. I will give you a quick run down on each. Making a grand national main event in AMA Flattrack is one of the hardest mains to make in all of AMA Pro Racing including motocross, supercross, road racing, supermoto, and more. We usually start off the day anywhere from 50-100 riders and they take 18 to the main event. Not one guy dominates in our sport either. You can have a guy win the main event one weekend and not make the 18 rider main the following weekend. Grove City, Ohio was a good one for me. I was a little nervous coming into this event because the track is so sketchy and rough and I did horrible at this event last year, but it was a twins event and I know I needed to climb the point standings. I ended up having a solid heat race for a direct transfer to the main event and finished 11th place in the main event. Peoria, Illinois didn’t go so well for me. This track has been around for 50+ plus years and I have only raced it once before this day. I struggled all day but learned alot. However, I would be watching the main event on this day. Indianapolis is a track I really liked last year as it was my first ever main event I qualified for. Bad news struck us before practice as my main motorcycle broke a camshaft. I pulled out my back-up bike hoping I could still get the job done. However, they did a horrible job at prepping the track. They didn’t do any track matietence on it, like last year and a combination of bad starts and poor riding left me watching the main event. I was very bummed, because I have made 3 GNC Twins finals in a row before this one, but I knew there would be a race again in my future I would be watching the main because that’s part of the sport. It only left me determined for the next twins national in Springfield, Illinois the following weekend. After hard rain, we raced the Springfield Mile which is like our Daytona 500 of flattrack. Almost any rider would pick Springfield as their “most want to win” race. Last year was the first time I raced in Springfield and although it is typically a track veterans go fast on because of the strategy it takes to master the draft passing going on and high speeds, I felt awesome right from the first lap. I missed the main event here last year, by one spot and also by one spot in the spring race here. The track was very rough and tacky, but I was determined to do well to make up for the bad luck in Indianapolis the week prior. Sure enough, I qualified for the main event out of my heat race. I was picking guys off left and right in the main event and was up to 9th position when my motor when sour with 8 laps to go. I was very bummed because this would of been my best finish yet and to do it on a historical track would of put the icing on the cake. It also hurt us alot in the point standings, but I will gladly take my licks as a rookie if it will make me a stronger rider down the road. In addition to the GNC series, I also finished 4th in both the AMA Expert Hot Shoe 450 and 750 Series! Last year I

SHAYNA TexTer Shayna Texter #25A. www.ShaynaTexter.net Hey Everyone,

finished 18th and 20th in these series. I am making alot of ground every year and I am continuing to learn so much every time I am out on the track with these guys. We have one more GNC Twins race in Pomona, CA on Oct, 24th. In the meantime I will be putting my 2010 resume together to work at gaining some sponsors to help support me next season and also doing alot of training and racing some local events. Check out my website, CoryTexter.com for continued updates. I also want to give a shout out to my best buddy, Brandon Robinson. He was hurt bad at the Indy Mile a few weeks back as he crashed and it sent him tumbling over the track fence and he landed in the parking lot outside the track. He broke his pelvis in 3 spots and also his hip joint. After 2 surgeries, he has 20 screws and 3 plates. Brandon is an extremely talented rider and someone who I raced with from day one. We push each other to the limits every time we ride and I need you to heal up kiddo so we can get back to training together. In the meantime, I will dedicate all my success to him. Visit his website, brobinson44.com and sign his guestbook showing some support. Until next time, go fast and have fun! -Cory Cory Texter AMA Grand National #65 717-330-8408 CoryTexter.com Twitter.com/CoryTexter

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(cont. from September issue) Sturgis Short Track Hotshoe National Sturgis short track I was getting more excited for as the day went on. The track was starting to look real nice compared to years past and the rider count was average, which was a plus for being so far out west. The Jack Pine Gypsies decided to bring in the transponders and run the Hotshoe as close to a Grand National as possible. This was even more exciting as last weekend in Elkins we didn’t have the tr ansponders and I think it hurt us. In practice and timed qualifying I ended the three sessions 2nd overall with Jeffrey Carver fastest. In the 2nd heat I was on pole and ready to go. I had an ok start and went into the turn in 4th. The middle starting positions had great starts all night as the track was the best for them. Coming to the checkered I ran it in harder than the 3rd place rider and made the clean pass for a front row start in the main. In the main I started on the outside with 5 riders below me. Going into the first turn we all were about dead even until I had to shift twice to get to third gear. After the main I found out everyone was running 2nd gear and not 3rd, so they only had to shift once, which honestly showed on the first lap. Everyone stayed right where they were pretty much when they came off turn 2 as it was slick and hard to pass. I ended the race in 4th place with Rispoli taking his first Hotshoe win of the year as the race was shorten by one lap due to a red flag incident.

me, but when I did so I went a little higher in the turn and hit a hole and lost not only 3rd, but 4th place as well. I was bummed as I could not regain my position back before the checkered. I was happy with my finish though because my mechanic had to fly home, so I was making all the calls on my own all day. The only thing I wish I could have figured out before the day was over is my gearing. I was the only bike on the track shifting between 4th and 5th everyone else was running one gear. Heats my gearing was working great, but the track got slower and my 5th gear would not pull me down the straightaway, but the track was still fast enough that 4th was too tight, so I was stuck in between. All-in-all I was happy with my performance during the week as I came home with three 5th place finishes. My next Grand National race is this weekend in Grove City, Ohio. I just want to thank all of my sponsors, family, friends, and fans for all of your support this year. I honestly couldn’t have done as much as I have this year without you, so thanks!

Rapid City Half Mile Grand National Rapid City half mile was20smooth, but very dry and slick due to the heat and winds throughout the day. It was really hard to get times that would be similar for tonight’s program as the sun had not went down yet, but I ended the qualifying session in 9th overall. I started on the front row in the heat, but I think the whole second row passed me before I even got off the line from spinning. I went into the turn in last, but put my head down as I knew Best Wishes, Shayna Texter the rain storm was approaching. I was running a high line all day and immediately went up there. I picked off a bunch and was up to 4th by the time I was going into turn 3. I put my head down and made the pass for 3rd by the second lap. My times were even with the leaders, but I left them get a way too soon. I finished the heat in 3rd place with our heat being the faster of the two. Shortly after all the heats were ran in the Pro singles and Expert twins the rain, lighting, and wind came forcing the AMA to call the race and pay off by heats. Sturgis Half Mile (outlaw race) After the racing being cancelled the night before we decided to head back over to Sturgis to race the Amateur race as the pro classes had a nice purse going with them today. I started 2nd on the line in the heat and made my way up to first by the end of the race. I was given pole position for the main and decided to start on the groove. Being from PA, I usually can start in second gear off the line on groove tracks, but today that was not the greatest decision I could have made. The bike just bogged and my chances of winning slipped away. I put my head down worked my way up to 3rd and coming to turn 3 and 4 on lap 13 out of 15 I left Ripoli slip under

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October 3 Fallen Heroes Ride – Sciota, Mercy’s Ride for Kids – Bethlehem, Annual Massacre Mountain Cycle Ride – Bangor October 4 Cycle Ride for Scout Camps – Jonestown, Covered Bridge Ride for Wounded Warriors Ephrata, Make A Wish Foundation Poker Run Fogelsville October 9 Philadelphia Motorcycle Show (9-11) Oaks October 10 Coopersburg 7th Annual Toy Run Quakertown October 11 Heidi Michelle Lingle Fall Foliage Ride Bellefonte, Lancaster Toy Run AmVets Post 19

Genie Marine Three men - a Canadian farmer, Osama bin Laden and a White Trash Biker are all walking together one day. They come across a lantern and a Genie pops out of it. ‘I will give each of you one wish, which is three wishes in total’, says the Genie. The Canadian says, ‘I am a farmer and my son will also farm. I want the land to be forever fertile in Canada ‘ POOF! With the blink of the Genie’s eye, the land in Canada was forever fertile for farming. Osama was amazed, so he said, ‘I want a wall around Afghanistan , Palestine , Iraq and Iran so that no infidels, Americans or Canadians can come into our precious land.’ POOF! Again, with the blink of the Genie’s eye, there was a huge wall around those countries. The Biker says, ‘I am very curious. Please tell me more about this wall.’ The Genie explains, ‘Well, it’s about 5,000 feet high, 5oo feet thick and completely surrounds the country. Nothing can get in or out; it’s virtually impenetrable.’ The Biker sits down on his Harley, cracks a beer, lights a cigar, smiles and says, ‘Fill it with water.’

October 17 Down on Mainstreet 3 – Darby October 30 Axis of Steel – A Motorcycle Experience (Oct. 30 – Nov. 1) – Lancaster Convention Center November 1 Eastern Pa Toy Run – Leesport, 29th Annual Delaware Valley A.B.A.T.E. Toy Run for the Kids

Pink Thunder Cancer Awareness Event at Albany Harley-Davidson Oct. 3rd, 2009 Dice Run First Bike Out at 9:00 Am, Last bike in at noon. Starts at the Dealership Bike & car Show Registration starts at 10:00 Judging closes at 2:00 Silent Auction 10:00 to 4:00 Other drawings and door prizes Both Riders & public are welcomed to participate in this important charity event ! All profits from the Dice Run, Bike & Car Show & Silent Auction will be Donated to the American Cancer Society Live music will be on tap and food & drink will be available in conjunction with Albany Harley -Davidson’s Anniversary celebration

November 7 Bros. M.C. Annual Toy Run-Birdsboro November 21 25th Annual L.V. Chapter of A.B.A.T.E. Trexlertown December 12 & 13 Lehigh Valley Motorcycle Extravaganza – Allentown, Agricultural Hall, Allentown Fairgrounds

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Pennsylvania

Tech Tips Harley Hop-Up by Kirby Apathy

This month we are going to discuss camshafts. To know what Camshaft you need, you need to understand how they work and how to choose a profile for your particular application. A camshaft is the brain of you motor, it tells the motor how to perform thru valve timing, duration and lift. Let’s start with lift, the lift is how high the cam opens the valve, thus allowing fuel mixture to enter and exit the motor. Lift is measured at the lifter and multiplied by the rocker arm ratio. (For Shovelheads, the ration is 1.431, for Evo’s and Twin Cams it is 1.6-1) Stock lift for a Shovel is .390, for an Evo it is from .472 - .495, and the Twin Cam is .473 A higher lift will help the fuel/air mixture to get around the valve. When you have a higher lift, you will require different springs to eliminate the possibility of coil bind or valve float, (Either can be catastrophic and we will talk more about them later) Next, is valve timing. Valve timing is the number in crankshaft degrees in which the valves open and close. This, the most, important aspect to where your power band will be in the overall RPM range and it also determines the duration (but we will get into that later). The degree of the crankshaft where the intake valve and the exhaust valve opens is the most important factor of valve timing. This will determine how much cylinder will be produced. In choosing the correct cam for your bike, there will always be a trade off between low-end torque cam and high RPM cam; unfortunately it is very hard if not impossible to have both. For low-end torque, you want the intake to close sooner and have the exhaust open later. A good low-end torque cam will have a shorter duration and the engine

should have low to moderate compression. On high revving motors where you want the power at the top of the RPM range, you want the intake valve to stay open longer and the exhaust valve to open earlier. When the intake stays open longer it will also increase the duration and require higher compression to keep the cylinder pressure up. You want the exhaust valve to open earlier because it will have a better scavenging effect. On to Duration, also measured in degrees, duration is the time the valve is open and is measured from the time the lifter first moves .053” (some manufacturers use .020”). It makes sense that the longer the intake is open, the more fuel/air mixture will enter but it also reduces the cylinder pressure requiring higher compression. Many riders think they want the longest duration possible when picking a cam, but longer duration kills low-en power and without higher compression it will overall performance. Also, the larger the displacement, the more duration it will accept. It is a MUST when installing high lift cams that certain things are checked! First is coil bind, Coil bind is when the rocker arm is compressing the spring farther than the spring can go. This will usually result in bent push rods or broken rocker arms. To check the springs, first take the compressed spring measurement and add the lift plus .060. This total needs to be less than the installed height measurement. You also must check the top dead center lift, this will affect the valve-to-valve contact and also valve to piston contact and neither is good! Checking the top dead center lift can be done by opening the valves to the TDC that will be included in the cam specs that come with the cam. There should be at least a .060 clearance between valves. Valve to piston must be checked by putting clay in to the valve pockets on the piston, carefully rotating the motor over then measuring the indents in the clay, once again, you are looking for at least a .060 clearance. Trock Specialties make a real nice tool for holding the valves open to check these measurements. Now, to break down what we have learned. As a rule of thumb, a cam that provides a short duration, early opening and closing of the intake and a later opening of the exhaust valves are what you need for good low end torque. Longer duration, longer opening intake and earlier opening exhaust are for high RPM horsepower and larger motors. Next month we will get in to compression ratios and cylinder head design, until then, be safe and see ya at the races.

Noodle’s Tips For The Road -Cell Phones and Texting! Although they are illegal and pose a fine in many States…Our fine State of Pa is a little behind. Pull off of the Road if you need to call Aunt Gertie to see what she is making for dinner or if you need to text your BFF to see what she is wearing to the party!The life you save may be your own, or more importantly…the innocent person you just hit…or God forbid, what if you ran over me. That would be awful…no more tips!

Kirby Apathy veetwin@bluemarble.net

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The 69th Annual Sturgis Rally 2009 There was much anticipation leading up to 2009 Sturgis Bike Week – the 69th annual. After experiencing lower attendance numbers after the 65th and downturns at some of the major rally’s earlier this year, we wondered what this year would hold. Would this be the big year or would riders hold out for next year’s 70th? The ride up was perfect and after getting into Rapid City early in the afternoon, a shopping trip for a few groceries was the first order of business before relaxing for the evening. The next morning, Russ discovered issues with his front tire, so we rode to Rapid City Harley-Davidson for a replacement. We pulled into a service center that was set up for minor repairs and took a free shuttle up the hill to the dealer. That turned out to be a good call. Rapid City Harley-Davidson was packed, the parking lot overflowing with bikes and our 2-hour wait for the repair gave us an opportunity to take a look around at all the vendors and wares located on site. What Went On There is no way to see and do most of what goes on during Sturgis Rally Week. Here are some highlights: 2009 Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Jackpine Gypsies Short Track Racing and Hill Climbs Million-Mile Motorcycle Man Famed motorcycle photographer, Michael Lichter’s Motorcycle as Art exhibit was housed at the new Lichter Exhibition Hall on the grounds of The Buffalo Chip. The 2009 theme, “Rebel Rousers”, featured motorcycle icons that inspired the culture and the history of the attitude and camaraderie of motorcyclists. Legends Ride raised $61,000. For $150, participants rode with celebrities (Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler, Toby Keith, Lorenzo Lamas and the cast of Easy Riders II), world-class builders and other special guests. The $150 donation included a ticket to the Toby Keith concert, special parking, VIP souvenir gift pack and more. This year’s Legends Ride benefits The Black Hills Children’s Home and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum. About halfway through the Aerosmith concert at Buffalo Chip Campground on Wednesday night, Steven Tyler fell backward onto a couple of fans in the middle of what was reported to be a record crowd with over 100,000 in attendance. Tyler was dancing around to entertain the crowd while the sound crew replaced a fuse that blew during the song “Love in an Elevator.” He was rushed to a hospital in Rapid City. Tyler suffered a broken shoulder, minor neck injuries and received stitches in his head as a result of the accident. There was a lot of “Monkey Business” scheduled at Monkey Rock, former Thunder Road venue. Their schedule included entertainment such as Spank Your Monkey Dance, Country Monkey Line Dance Lessons, Stripper pole gymnastics competition and more.

engineering excellence earned him fourth in the freestyle competition last year. He is the highest placed American competitor behind an international top-three in both 2007 and 2008. AHDRA Drags After a 2-year hiatus, Loveland, CO racer Dan Brummett made the decision to race “one more time” at the Sturgis Drag Strip. There’s no way to “do it all” at the rally, but spending a day at the drag strip proved to be a great choice! Brummett registered for 2 classes and won both! Mike Friberg, master mechanic from Rampage Performance Cycles in Longmont took first place in his class for the 3rd consecutive year. Prior to the races, we witnessed history as the Time Machine fired and roared down the track. This Motorcycle features a progression of seven different Harley-Davidson engines from 1909 to present. The engines chronicle the history of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company by including a 1909 JD motor, a 1944 Flathead motor, a 1946 Knucklehead motor, a 1948 Panhead motor, a 1981 Shovelhead motor, a 1993 Evolution motor and a 2005 Twin-Cam. Hand-built over the last several months by Doc (Steve Hopkins, owner of Docs HD, Wisconsin, this massive motorcycle seats 10 people & stretches over 24 1/2 feet long! What Else? We noticed lots of motorcycle traffic heading south as we were heading north at the front end of the rally. Each year we are noticing an increase in “pre-rally attendees” We don’t know if numbers were up or down this year. It was crowded in Sturgis, but it always is. My estimate is that numbers were close to last year’s or even a bit down. There were vacancies in every area as has been the case for the last 3 years and there were deals to be had. $99 at The Broken Spoke County Line got you a camp spot for the week and some top-notch entertainment like Foghat and 38 Special. We decided to stay an extra night in the hills after finding a cabin in Custer for the normal tourist rate of $80. Cooler temperatures throughout the week were a welcome relief from the rally week scorchers in years past. As is typical, thunderstorm warnings were a normal part of almost every day, but this year’s storms more severe. A hailstorm coupled with fierce winds hit Sturgis on Friday, Aug 7th. With some hailstones the size of baseballs, the storm ripped holes in canvas tents, beat up motorcycles, broke windows in vehicles and buildings and sent some to the hospital. There was one reported fatality. A crash on Saturday in Rapid City took an Oklahoma man’s life. Highway Patrol: Sturgis Rally Daily Report. Accident and crime statistics this year were down in almost all categories lm Steven Tyler photos credit: Wendy Pitlick

What We Did Ride the hills, Biker Breakfasts, Ride the hills, Mount Rushmore National Monument tour and night lighting ceremony Rushmore Civic Center – Took a look at the 2010 H-D model line-up Sturgis – Shirts, pins, people watching. StarBoyz Stunt Riders offered some exciting entertainment downtown Sturgis Drag Races, Hang out downtown Custer..and again this year attended the AMD World Championship 2009 AMD World Championship For the first time since its inception in 2004, an American custom motorcycle engineer won the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building. Dave Cook of Cook Custom Choppers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was voted World Champion by his fellow competitors. 51 year old Cook is an internationally recognized engineer and creative genius whose passion for design and Thunder Roads Magazine 22

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Things Men Say Find out what it may really mean when they say...

YOU THESE ROSES”. Means: “The girl selling them on the corner had

“I’M GOING FISHING” Means: “I’m going to drink myself dangerously stupid,and stand by a stream with a stick in my hand, while the fish swim by in complete safety.”

great tits.” “OH, DON’T FUSS, I JUST CUT MYSELF, IT’S NO BIG DEAL.” Means: “I have actually severed a limb, but will

“IT’S A GUY THING” Means: “There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical”.

bleed to death before I admit that I’m hurt.” “HEY, I’VE GOT MY REASONS FOR WHAT I’M DOING” Means: “And I sure hope I think of some pretty soon.”

“CAN I HELP WITH DINNER?” Means: “Why isn’t it already on the table?” “UH HUH,” “SURE, HONEY,” OR “YES, DEAR...” Means: Absolutely nothing. It’s a conditioned response.

“I CAN’T FIND IT.” Means: “It didn’t fall into my outstretched hands, so I’m completely clueless.” “WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?”

“IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN” Means: “I have no idea how it works.”

Means: “What did you catch me at?” “I HEARD YOU.”

“I WAS LISTENING TO YOU. IT’S JUST THAT I HAVE THINGS ON MY MIND.” Means: “I was wondering if that redhead over there is wearing a bra.” “TAKE A BREAK HONEY, YOU’RE WORKING TOO HARD”. Means: “I can’t hear the game over the vacuum cleaner.”

Means: “I haven’t the foggiest clue what you just said, and am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you don’t spend the next three days yelling at me.” “YOU KNOW I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE ELSE” Means: “I am used to the way you yell at me, and realize it could be worse.” “YOU LOOK TERRIFIC” Means: “Please don’t try on one more outfit, I’m

“THAT’S INTERESTING, DEAR.”

starving.”

Means: “Are you still talking?” “YOU KNOW HOW BAD MY MEMORY IS.” Means: “I remember the theme song to ‘F Troop’, the address of the first girl I ever kissed, and the vehicle identification numbers of every car I’ve ever owned, but I forgot your birthday.”

“I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU, AND GOT

“I’M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.” Means: “No one will ever see us alive again.” “WE SHARE THE HOUSEWORK” Means: “I make the messes, she cleans them up.”

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FRANKENSTIEN’S FAVE PORK CHOPS w/ CRANBERRY, DIJON & PECAN SAUCE 4 Thick Bone-In Pork Loin Chops 4 tsp. Dijon Mustard 1/4 Cup Cranberry Mustard (* see below) Nonstick Cooking Spray Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper Arrange pork chops in a single layer in a ceramic baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. In a small bowl, add mustard & cranberry sauce and stir to mix well. Take a small paint or basting brush and brush the mixture on thickly and evenly on both sides of the chops. Cover & refrigerate for 1 to 12 hours, depending on when you want to cook, turning occasionally throughout marinating time. Coat a large fry pan over medium heat with cooking spray,. When pan is good and hot, add the marinated chops. Partially cover & cook for 10 mins. Uncover. Turn the chops over & cook uncovered on the 2nd side until meat cooked thru but still juicy; apprx. 5 to 10 mins. longer. Season w/ salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste & transfer to a serving platter. FRANKIE’S CRANBERRY DIJON MUSTARD SAUCE: 1 Pkg.(12 oz.) of Frozen Cranberries (apprx. 4 cups) 1 Cup Water 1 Cup Sugar or Splenda 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans 4 tsps. Dijon Mustard In a medium saucepan, over med. heat, add the water & the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the cranberries & return to a boil. Reduce the heat & simmer until the cranberries burst, about 10 mins. Stir in the pecans & the mustard & transfer to a small bowl. Let cool completely, at room temp., then cover & refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce will thicken as it cools. THUNDER GHOUL’S CARAMALLOW DIP 4 Cups Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows 25 Kraft Caramels (about 1/2 of a 14-oz. bag) 1/4 Cup Evaporated Milk Microwave marshmallows, caramels & evav. milk in large

bowl on high for 2 mins. then an add’l. 1 min. until marshmallows are completely melted & mixture is well blended. Cool slightly. Serve with a combination of different kinds of cookies or as a dipping sauce for sliced, fresh fruit. Delicious! THUNDER SPOOK COOKIES One Pack of Baker’s brand White Chocolate Squares 1 Pack of Nabisco “Nutter Butter Peanut Butter” Sandwich Cookies (the ones already shaped like a peanut) 1 Tube of Black Cookie Decoration Microwave white chocolate in small bowl on High for 1-1/2 mins, stirring after 45 seconds. Make sure is completely melted. Let cool slightly. Spread white chocolate mixture on the cookies nice and thick. Place on a sheet of wax paper to cool. Then take tube of black decoration and add little black eyes on each cookie. Since these cookies are shaped like a peanut, when you put the white chocolate on them and the black eyes, they now take on the appearance exactly of little ghosts. Totally simple and cute as can be! Make a batch w/ your little bats and ghouls! THUNDER JACK O’ LANTERN PIE 1 Pkg. Orange flavored Jell-O 1 Tub of Cool Whip, thawed 1 Pre-made Oreo Pie Crust 10 Pieces of traditional Candy Corn Make your Jell-O according to package directions. Refrigerate 1 hour or until slightly thickened (the consistency of unbeaten egg whites). Add 2 cups of the Cool Whip; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Spread into premade Oreo pie crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until good & firm. Just before serving, decorate pie with remaining whipped topping along the outer perimeter of the pie, then use the candy corn to form Jack O’ Lantern eyes, nose and the wicked looking mouth. Too cool! SCARE SOMEBODY TO THE BONE!

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An elderly biker named “Hermit”, goes into a brothel. He tells the Madam he would like a young and feisty girl for the night. Surprised, she looks at the ancient man and asks how old he is. ‘I’m 90 years old,’ Hermit boasts. ‘Ninety!’ exclaims the woman. ‘Damn, old man, don’t you realize you’ve had it?’ ‘Oh, sorry bout’ that,’ mumbles Hermit. ‘How much do I owe you?’ Ole’ Wayne Smith of Angel City went out one day and bought a brand new stud rooster for his chicken coop. The new rooster struts over to the old rooster and says, O.K. old fart, time for you to retire.’ The old rooster replies, ‘Come on, surely you can’t handle ALL of these chickens. Just look at what it has done to me. Can’t you just let me have the two old hens over in the corner?’ The young rooster says, ‘Beat it: You are washed up, and I’m taking over.’ The old rooster says, ‘I tell you what, young stud, I will race you around the farmhouse. Whoever wins gets the exclusive domain over the entire chicken coop.’ The young rooster laughs. ‘You know you don’t stand a chance, you old cock. So, just to be fair, I will give you a head start.’ The old rooster takes off running. About 15 seconds later the young rooster takes off running after him. They round the front porch of the farmhouse and the young rooster has closed the gap. He is only about 5 feet behind the old rooster and gaining fast! The farmer, meanwhile, is sitting in his usual spot on the front porch when he sees both the roosters running by. The Old Rooster is squawking his head off and flapping his wings, and running as hard as he possibly can. Ole’ Wayne Smith grabs his shotgun and - BOOM - He blows the young rooster to bits. Wayne Smith sadly shakes his head and says, ‘Gid Dangit......Third gay rooster I bought this month.’ Dr. Calvin Rickson, a scientist from Texas A&M University has invented a bra that keeps women’s breasts from jiggling and prevents the nipples from pushing through the fabric when cold weather sets in. At the news conference, and after announcing the new invention, a group of men and fellow scientists took Dr. Rickson outside and kicked the ever-loving shit out of him! A woman; appropriately named ’Hussy”, was having a passionate affair with an inspector from a pest-control company; appropriately named “Rat”. One afternoon they were carrying on in the bedroom together when her husband arrived home unexpectedly. ‘Quick,’ yells Gypsy to Rat, ‘into the closet!’ Gypsy pushes Rat into the closet, stark naked. The dim-witted husband; appropriately named “Duh”, becomes suspicious. After a search of the bedroom, Duh discovered Rat in the closet. ‘Who are you?’ he shouted. ‘I’m

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an inspector from Bugs-B-Gone,’ says Rat. ‘What are you doing in there?’ asks Duh. ‘I’m investigating a complaint about an infestation of moths,’ replies Rat. ‘And where are the hell are your clothes?’ asks Duh. Rat looked down at himself and proclaims, ‘Those little bastards!’ Duh replied, “o.k., how much is this going to friggin’ cost me to get rid of the dang moths?”. (Duh!) The boss walked into the office one morning not knowing his zipper was down and his fly area wide open.. His assistant walked up to him and said, ‘This morning when you left your house, did you close your garage door?’ The boss told her he knew he’d closed the garage door, and walked into his office puzzled by the question. As he finished his paperwork, he suddenly noticed his fly was open, and zipped it up. He then understood his assistant’s question about his ‘garage door.’ He headed out for a cup of coffee and paused by her desk to ask, ‘When my garage door was open, did you see my Hummer parked in there?’ She smiled and said, ‘No, I didn’t. All I saw was an old mini van with two flat tires.. A woman brings her duck into the Vet’s office and tells the Vet it’s in a coma. The Vet uses his stethoscope and declares that the duck is dead. The woman says, “how can you know this, you did no kind of testing”. The Vet calls in a Golden Lab who stands on his hind legs and sniffs the duck from his bill to his butt, then sadly looks at the Vet and shakes his head back and forth and leaves. Then, a cat enters the room and jumps up on the examining table and proceeds to walk around and around the duck and even puts its’ paw on the duck’s head. It looks at the Vet and shakes its’ head back and forth and jumps down off the table and leaves the exam room. The Vet says, “well, that’s it. The duck has been declared dead. That will be $350”. The woman is outraged. “What are you talking about.....how can it be so much to tell me my duck is dead?”. The Vet calmly explains, “well, if you would have just taken my word for it, it would only have been $50. for the office visit, but you didn’t, so I had to order up a Lab Report and a Cat Scan”. Two blondes are on an elevator when a man gets on with a bad case of dandruff. After he reaches his floor and departs, the one says “someone needs to give him some Head & Shoulders”. The other blonde replies, how do you give shoulders?”.

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Laurie’s Sturgis Trip “Sturgis.... Plan your sick days wisely.” I remember seeing this t-shirt in 2001 (my 1st trip to Sturgis) and thinking, hmmm, that’s a cute shirt! I often wish I would have bought it, because I never saw it again and at the end of the trip I remember thinking of the words, vowing to go again the next year - no matter what! At that moment I realized an addiction had started for my husband Sam and I. For us, there is no better vacation or trip than to pack the bike and go! Each year we plan a different route home, depending on how much time we have. We have gone anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 1/2 weeks. We’ve gone to the West coast, California, Oregon, Washington, or come home by way of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada. Each trip seeing beautiful scenery making lots of memories- including making friends, that we now return to see each year. Let me give you a little back ground on our group. Friends of ours. Bill and Connie Hubbard have been making this trip for 19 years and are probably responsible for getting us into the addiction. In 2006, my sister and brother -in-law Suzie and Bruce Rineer said they were finally going to make the trip with us as well. Well, one trip for them turned into 4 and I think it is safe to say, they too are now addicted! Our trip usually begins by meeting on the first Saturday morning of August bright and early at the 1st rest area on the PA turnpike. Our first day we usually ride around 495 miles, - stopping in Englewood, OH for the night. The 2nd day is about 420 miles, staying in the Bettendorf/ Davenport, IA area. That night usually includes either staying or at least getting a free shuttle over to the Isle of Capri River Boat Casino on the Mississippi river. They have a great seafood buffet, and the casino is a big plus for the gamblers amongst us! Our 3rd day consists of 450 miles taking us to Sioux Falls , SD. The 4th day we usually stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. This is a very interesting place to see- each year the art inside and outside of the building is totally redone with a different design by art students using nothing but CORN. It is really amazing and definitely worth seeing. This day also includes the scenic Chamberlain rest area - famous for the Louis and Clark expedition. Along this stretch of road you will also see the Bad Lands off in the distance and of course the signs for Wall Drug. No trip is complete without a stop for a Buffalo burger, free ice water and 5 cent coffee! Once your stomach is full and you are well hydrated- the next stretch of road you will start to see those BEAUTIFUL rolling black hills! We stay in Rapid City, SD with some friends and that makes a 360 mile day. Most times we stay in the Sturgis/ Rapid City area for 3 days. There is so much to see and do- as Bill put it the first year we went “you can’t see it all the first time”, and he was right! Some of our favorites include: Riding to Huylett, Wy on Wednesday for Ham & Jam at Captain Ron’s Rodeo Bar. Free hot ham sandwiches, baked beans and chips with lots of good music. Spearfish canyon and Nemo road are always a beautiful ride, Rochford to the Moon Shine Gulch for a burger and fries, not to mention all the popular points of interest like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil’s Tower, and Deadwood. For all the race fans, don’t forget about the Hill Climbs and the Flat Track races! This year we left Sturgis on Friday morning and headed over to Buffalo, Wy to spend a couple days with some friends we met last year. On Monday morning we met some friends from Pa, Marlin and Wanda King. They were finishing a North West Loop including Yellow Stone and Glacier National Park with Rodney Horning and Janie Reiff. The 6 of us rode to The King’s ranch in Silver Cliff Co. This is another beautiful area. Located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, words just cannot describe it, but I love it! Monday night we stayed in Walden Co, and Tuesday morning it was 32 degrees when we woke up! Talk about a beautiful, crisp morning for a ride! I tell ya, you can’t beat it! We spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the ranch- Wednesday night we had a picnic with bikers, cowboys and good food and that all equaled up to one good time! Thursday we started the trip back East. It doesn’t take long for the mountains to get smaller , until they are just a memory for another year. We get back home on Sunday and unpack, wash clothes and gear and get ready for another trip. You never know when the next opportunity may be- maybe even Ocean City, Md Bike Week! This has become our favorite means of travel. I’ll never forget my first trip to Sturgis. I was so nervous, even almost scared- we had never done anything like it before. I’m so glad that we didn’t let that stop us- for us, just packing the bike and going is half of the thrill! So, go ahead and plan that trip..... but be warned- your liable to start an addiction! Ride safe and remember..... “Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul”

LIFE IS GOOD! Laurie and Sam

A stop at Wall Drug for Buffalo Burgers, free ice water and 5 cent coffee! Sam and Laurie Smucker, Connie and Bill Hubbard, Suzie and Bruce Rineer

A Stop at the Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow, Wy for some lunch. Marlin and Wanda King, Janice Reiff, Rodney Horning, Laurie and Sam Smucker

Hard to believe this is August! It was 32 degrees when we left Walden, CO

Soft Tissue Injuries Have you ever wondered why when you cut, scrape, or puncture your skin that some areas of your body bleed more than others? It all has to do with how vascular the area is that the wound occurred. For example, your scalp is very vascular; a cut on someone’s head can sometimes bleed profusely. Whereas, a cut on your knee or knuckle can be easily stopped by a little pressure. When we speak of Soft Tissue Injuries, there are several kinds. Laceration, puncture, abrasion, avulsion, contusion and amputations. A laceration is simply a cut, a puncture wound is a hole in the skin, an abrasion is a scrape, an avulsion is a flap of skin torn away, and a contusion is a bruise. If you remember from one of our past articles, a bruise is a collection of blood under the skin that is what gives them their discoloration. There are various ways to receive these injuries, cut with a sharp instrument, stabbed with a sharp or dull instrument, road rash, hit with a blunt object, and so on. What to do, If the bleeding is slow dark red blood known as venous blood, then it can be stopped easily by applying direct pressure with a sterile dressing or piece of cloth. If it is a large wound, it may take several dressings or pieces of cloth to control. If the wound is spurting bright red blood also known as arterial blood, this may pose more of a control problem as it is much more serious. Tight direct pressure must be performed and it will most likely take several dressings or pieces of cloths to handle for they will get saturated with blood more than a venous bleed. Abrasions can pose a different type of problem especially if it covers a large area. An abrasion can be just like a burn, and if not cleaned and bandaged properly, can become infected sometimes easier than other injuries. Try to cover an abrasion with a sterile dressing or cloth; you may see clear fluid as well as venous blood from an abrasion. As stated above, contusions (bruises) are a collection of blood under the skin usually caused by hitting or being struck by a blunt object. The best way to manage a contusion is to apply ice or direct pressure with your hand if it starts to swell. Other than that, just observe the site for enlargement or pain. Although amputations can be very dramatic, they are also unique because if not mangled to severely, most can be reattached. If possible, pack the amputated part in ice and transport it with the patient. If no ice is available, wrap it in a clean cloth or dressing. All wounds of concern should be seen by a medical professional. However, before you take that trip to the doctor, or before the paramedics arrive, try to stop the bleeding, clean the wound, bandage the wound, and stay calm. If you get a wound, especially an arterial bleed, that you cannot successfully stop, try elevating the wound above the plain of the heart. Until next month, ride free and stay safe.

The Unknown Rider Around 8:47 on 9/11 Our world came crashing down Never imagined Never thought it could happen Devastation all around. I watched as lives were changed in an instant How little did I know To my surprise another plane Collides that morning at Ground Zero There’s smoke everywhere And fire in the air No time to ask why The towers came down As they fell to the ground We watched our neighbors die And I still cant believe

Kevin G. Charleville (Doc)

This must be a dream Unknown Rider Submissions to: UR, 205 E Thorncliff Rd, Florence, SC 29505

Time to shed some clothes! Look at the beautiful scenery!

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News Bytes MISSOURI GOVERNOR VETOES HELMET REPEAL BILL As most bikers across America were celebrating Independence Day weekend, riders in Missouri were reeling from their governor’s veto of a bill to partially repeal the Show-Me state’s 42-year old mandatory helmet law to allow freedom of choice for adult motorcyclists. Despite overwhelming approval from both the State Senate and House earlier this summer, on July 2nd, Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed Senate Bill 202, denying riders 21 and older the right to ride without a helmet. In 30 other states, most adult motorcyclists have the right to make wearing a helmet a personal choice. The legislation also would have prohibited insurance companies from reducing claims from injured motorcycle riders, deeming them at-fault solely on the basis that a motorcycle is a hazardous vehicle. In 1999, Freedom of the Road Riders for Missouri (FORR-MO) and other concerned riders and groups succeeded in lobbying a helmet repeal bill through the legislature and onto the desk of then-Gov. Mel Carnahan, who vetoed it. “It’s a basic freedom of choice,” said FORR-MO chairman Mark Chapman, “Another human being should be not be able to make a choice for someone else.”

recent actions by the State Senate could eventually legitimize poker runs. The S.C. Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation in May that would have revised the state’s 207-yearold gambling laws which ban “any game with cards or dice.” Although the bill died at the end of the legislative session, bikers were able to educate some legislators that banning all such games is not in the best interest of charities. Currently, the state’s centuries-old gaming laws are enforced at the discretion of the local law enforcement agency and typically only when someone complains. South Carolina’s Lions clubs have lost roughly $500,000 since last year when state law enforcement officers - responding to a complaint threatened a club that was raffling off a motorcycle. Traditional motorcycle poker runs, which have historically raised tens of thousands of dollars for local and statewide charities have been severely curtailed as a result of an Attorney General’s ruling that the events were illegal under the current State statute. A separate proposal would ask voters whether the state constitution should be changed to allow nonprofit groups to hold a limited number of raffles yearly. Currently, the only legal raffle is the state lottery.

HIGH COURT TO HEAR CASE AGAINST MYRTLE BEACH Tom McGrath, the Virginia-based AIM Attorney (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) who is personally representing Myrtle Beach, S.C. residents William and Carol O’Day and 47 other motorcyclists who received tickets for not wearing helmets in protest of the city’s new helmet law, told The Sun News that he is awaiting a decision from the state’s high court involving their case. McGrath, on behalf of the O’Days, filed the first constitutional challenge against Myrtle Beach seeking a court order to stop the city from enforcing two of the myriad new ordinances it passed last fall to dissuade bikers from attending the spring and fall rallies held there for decades, including the mandatory helmet requirement and noise law. But the O’Days were also among 47 others who received tickets during a Feb. 28 protest ride when the new law took effect, so they are now part of the helmet lawsuits the Supreme Court has agreed to hear. McGrath said there might be little point in moving forward with the Circuit Court lawsuit now that the high court is going to issue a ruling. The South Carolina Supreme Court became involved after attorney Thad Viers, representing his brother Bart in a helmet lawsuit, and the group Business Owners Organized to Support Tourism appealed directly to the state’s highest court for a ruling. The two cases have been combined for the sake of oral arguments before the Supreme Court, and McGrath’s and Viers’ helmet arguments will be heard at the same time. So far, no court date has been set, but McGrath speculated about a hearing in November. Another case involving business owners suing the city to stop it from enforcing some rally ordinances, including the helmet law, is still pending in federal court. The lawsuit claims some of the 15 new municipal ordinances are unconstitutional because they are vague, chill freedom of speech or infringe on interstate business rights.

GOVERNMENT MAY MAKE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MANDATORY ON MOTORCYCLES Citing spiraling motorcycle accident statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may require new safety features on bikes. For example, the federal agency plans to decide by next year whether or not anti-lock brakes should be mandatory equipment on motorcycles. The government report also mentions an insurance industry study that shows that the rate of fatal crashes are 28% lower for bikes equipped with optional ABS braking systems than for those same motorcycles without them. Though NHTSA frequently enforces the implementation of safety technology into automobiles, their involvement in motorcycling tends to focus more on helmet usage and the prevention of drunk riding. Anti-lock brakes are now standard on some Harley-Davidsons and optional across a variety of manufacturers on everything from dual purpose bikes to scooters -- and in many cases, they can be disabled if the rider chooses. ENGINE REVVING MAY BECOME A CRIME IN ALBUQUERQUE Revving your engine in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, may soon be a crime punishable by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment and seizure of your bike or car. Mayor Martin Chavez (D) proposed adding a blip of the throttle to the city ordinance listing “nuisances” that the city uses as a justification to seize automobiles. The city council is expected to vote on the idea soon, and may expand ticketing to the entire city. “It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in exhibition driving in the Downtown Quiet Zone by operating a vehicle in a manner that willfully creates excessive engine noise because of revving the engine to magnify the engine noise,” the proposed ordinance states. At first, Chavez will ask police set up traps to ticket motorcyclists before going after other motorists.

SOUTH CAROLINA CONSIDERS LEGALIZING POKER RUNS Not all of the news coming out of the Palmetto State is as controversial as Myrtle Beach’s anti-biker ordinances, and

CALIFORNIA SMOG CHECK BILL HELD OVER ABATE of California would like to thank everyone who helped lobby against Senate Bill 435, which would establish biennial

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News Bytes emissions testing for motorcycles. According to Tim Tennimon, ABATE Executive Director, SB 435 is now a two year bill and will be held over until next session....no amendments have been submitted, so it still appears as a smog check bill. “Despite the promise by Senator Pavley to amend the bill to be more about catalytic converter inspections, rather than smog check...there have been no amendments to the bill,” explains Tennimon, adding that the bill won’t be eligible to be heard again until January 2010. “Stopping this bill for this legislative session is a huge victory for us...and a testament to Jim Lombardo’s (ABATE lobbyist) hard work...we really weren’t sure we could stop this bill once it hit the Senate floor...but you guys did it!” However, Tennimon cautions, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned; “The smog debate ended up being a noise debate on the Senate floor...and there was much discussion about loud pipes...and, not coincidentally, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has just released a new standard for sound tests on motorcycles which will make it easy and consistent to test bikes...in addition, the MIC has called for a focus more on noise than emissions...all of which means that we will have to look at all new legislation because it is very possible that there will be attempts at new sound standards and emission standards...and they could pop up anywhere...Unfortunately, this is the message you have heard from us for over a decade... we must police ourselves...we know you love the sound...but not everyone feels the same way...and as much as i hate booming cars and loud trucks, etc...we are an easy target and those behaviors are coming back to get us now.”

in urban areas. For motorcycles 50 cc and up, the most fatality-prone class was sport bikes. A bike’s displacement and maximum velocity were not significant factors in predicting a rider’s death. As with bikes under 50 cc, the rider, not another vehicle, was at fault in most crashes that ended in death. The most common rider error for motorcyclists was making the wrong decision in reaction to a road hazard; 44% of motorcyclists also lost control in their avoidance maneuver. Most of the fatalities occurred in rural areas. How applicable the MAIDS 2.0 data is to the American market is a subject of debate, not only because the study is dated, but also because the European market is so different,” wrote Susan Carpenter in the LA Times article. “Its riders are more commuter-oriented than those in the leisure-minded U.S. and the bikes are, on average, smaller. Still, the MAIDS update points to some intriguing findings that, at the very least, could serve as cautionary advice as the U.S. motorcycle market becomes more transportation-oriented.” Some of the more relevant takeaway messages for riders of bikes both big and small: - Nighttime riding can be deadly. While most accidents in the MAIDS report happened during the day, fatal accidents were significantly higher at night. - Major roads are hazardous. The majority of fatalities occurred on straight roadways and “major arterials.” - Get a license. Riders who weren’t properly licensed were more likely to crash. - Wear protective gear. The 921 accidents in the study resulted in 3,417 injuries -- 31.8% of which were to the lower extremities, 24.3% to the upper extremities and 18.4% to the head.

U.S. MOTORCYCLE CRASH STUDY STALLS: EUROPEAN MAIDS 2.0 STUDY RELEASED The bikes crashed. The data was collected. And the information from the 53 accidents investigated in the Southern California pilot phase of the U.S. motorcycle crash causation study are now sitting -- waiting for an assessment of its efficacy and, more importantly, a huge infusion of cash. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times newspaper, “The long-awaited follow-up to the 1981 Hurt Study is short at least $2 million, and it’s unclear whether that funding will come through any time soon. Or ever.” So while the first nationwide motorcycle-crash study to be conducted in the United States in almost 30 languishes in limbo due to differences in focus and funding between government entities and advocacy groups, filling the void is MAIDS 2.0: An update of the Motorcycle Accident In-Depth Study of 921 accidents investigated from 1999-2000 in five sampling areas located in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain. Among other things, the European study found that just over 50% of the motorcycle accidents in the subject cities were caused by drivers, with 69% of those resulting from “perception failure” which can include not seeing the rider, misjudging distances and space on the road. MAIDS 2.0 focuses on the 100 crashes out of those 921 accidents that resulted in death -- 25 of which occurred on bikes under 50 cc and 75 of which happened on motorcycles 50 cc and larger. Of the under-50 cc bikes, the rider, not another vehicle, was responsible for his or her own death in 64% of the fatal crashes; most often, the rider failed to perceive a road hazard and, as a result, failed to react to avoid that hazard. Most of the fatalities occurred

ON THE ROAD TO ROMANCE Motorcycling opens the road to romance, love and sex appeal. Famous faces increase their x-factor when they get onto two wheels on the big screen, and Hollywood has provided us with many cool biking images -- remember Quadrophenia? The Great Escape? Easy Rider? And they’ve recognized that girls like to ride too, from stylish Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday to more recently the modern Charlie’s Angels and glamorous Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Plenty of celebrities like to pull on a pair of leathers and enjoy the freedom of riding on two wheels, from actors and musicians to politicians, comedians, and chefs have all joined the growing numbers of people who like to ride. But at least in Britain, romantic bikers would rather ride with their other half than movie megastars like Kate Winslet, or Tom Cruise. In a Motorcycle Industry Association survey, when asked to name who they would most like to take a fantasy ride with, twice as many bikers nominated their partners than petite pop star Kylie, Star Wars’ Ewan McGregor, or Bond’s Pierce Brosnan. So if your partner doesn’t already ride, why not get them onto two wheels so you can “Get More Out of Life” together, as promoted during National Motorcycle Week in England, held July 12-18…“More freedom, more fun, more friends, more action and more opportunities.” QUOTABLE QUOTE: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) civil rights leader & clergyman

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Brandon Lee Robinson 08/03/09 – Sturgis, SD Well believe it or not, but this was the first Hot Shoe National I have attended all year and it was also the first time I have ever made the trip to Sturgis. It was for sure a bit different as far as tracks and weather, but it was the same old atmosphere of the bar banging short track racing. Timed qualifying went pretty good as I ended up a solid 7th place. Heat race was pretty tough with Mees, Taylor, and Russell. For once I was able to pull that all important hole shot, but I had Mees breathing down my neck. Mees snuck by at the halfway point and started pulling away. I was able to hold on to 2nd place for a front row start in the main event. Time for the main and I got a pretty good start, but red flag came out for Mees who looped it around in turn one and collected Eslick. Re-start didn’t go as well and I was running in 5th place. I was able to hold my own for the first ten or fifteen laps right with Halbet, Schnabel, and Carr. After that I made a few mistakes as the track was changing and I started moving around trying to find traction. Kirkness was able to slip by going into turn one and then a few laps later Russell got around me on the outside of two. I was struggling real bad in one and two at this point and I ended up bringing my Action Motosports Suzuki RMZ 450 home in 7th place. 08/04/09 – Rapid City, SD The track looked pretty nice upon arrival. We were back on the twins tonight and let me tell you we checked our restrictors multiple times after our Hagerstown experience. We got our Lancaster H-D XR 750 working pretty good in the very dry slick conditions of practice. Ended up 9th fastest in timed qualifying and that put us in a pretty hard heat with Kopp, Mees, Schnabel, Taylor, Texter, & Mataya. I had a horrible start and was running in 5th place for a while. I put it under Taylor pretty hard entering turn three and was in a two wheel drift until I got into him. We both managed to hold on and I was the beneficiary by taking over 4th place. I felt bad about making a pass that way, but I guess thats racing. Anyways I held onto 4th place to have a ticket to the big dance. About five minutes later mother-nature releashed her fury on us and cancelled the rest of the show. Everyone was

sent packing up with half the purse and one point if they qualified for the main. I was credited with a 12th place finish. 08/05/09 – Sturgis, SD We stayed an extra day to race the Sturgis half mile. There was a pretty good showing of pro riders because of the purse that was put up. I rode my Action Motorsports Suzuki RMZ 450 in the 450 Expert class. Practice seemed to go alright, but I had some troubles figuring out the gearing. By the time my heat race came up the track changed a bit and my gearing was even worse than before. Carr walked away with the win in my heat and I was able to sneak by Gough and Kirkness for 2nd place. For the main event I had to start on the edge of the dust and I think I had my worst start of my life. I ended up coming out of turn two in 9th place. I made quick work of Mataya and Cose, but int the few laps it took me to get around them the leaders put down a pretty good gap. I was able to catch up to Kirkness and Texter. We had a great battle passing one another a few times. For the final few laps it came down to Texter and myself. I was right on him and had one opportunity to get by him, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold my line entering turn three so I backed out. Other than that I rode right on Texter’s rear wheel to the finish. Texter rode flawless those last five laps and I was forced to settle for a 6th place finish. It was not what I expected, but I was happy that I figured some things out for next year. All in all a good trip with solid results was what we needed to rebound from Hagerstown. 08/16/09 - Grove City, OH For the second event in a row I we were heading to the races with the Texter’s. I was very excited to race at a track I was successful at in last years basic expert class. The track was pretty wet for practice and it chunked up bad with huge holes. Despite the sketchy track conditions I was sitting in 11th place after timed qualifying on my Lancaster H-D XR 750. I was in the first heat race with Weidman, Taylor, Schnabel, Russell, and Texter. I had a great initial launch off the start, but I missed the shift to second and third gear. There was a red flag for track conditions being to dusty, so we had a restart. Again I missed the shift to second and third gear and I knew something was wrong. I was dead last entering turn one by a good distance and was only able to make up enough ground to put me in 6th place. It was very dissapointing knowing I had the speed to put it in the main. I originally thought the problem was the clutch not working properly so we worked on it a little before the semi. I had a tough semi with Russell, Kirkness, and Mees. Only top three transfered so I knew I needed a good start, but once again the bike would not go into gear. By the time I finally entered turn one the leaders were heading off of turn two. I knew my chances of making the main were gone, but I rode my hardest praying for some sort of miracle. Well it didn’t happen and I could only muster another 6th place. I was completely bummed and now I know we had a transmission problem that didn’t allow the bike to shift. We will get this problem fixed and be ready for the next GNC twins race in Indy. See everyone at Peoria! Thanks to all my great sponsors, family, friends, and fans for their continued support. Sponsors: Action Motorsports, Lancaster H-D, Arai, Moose Racing, Power Bar, Motion Pro, Tepic Leathers, Seal Savers, Tipton Trucking, Maxima Oils, CP Pistons, Hotcams, PMP Sprockets, Supertrapp, Fusion Graphix, Scott USA, Engine Ice, Penske Shocks, PR2 Racing Technology, Chicken Hawk, Shayna, Joe & Rich Reynalds, Jim Ch``apman, Grand Parents, & Parents

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Stories From A New Rider Riders, It’s starting out to be a beautiful weekend here in NC. With only one week of riding my new bike, I decided it would be a good idea to work on some of the basic skills. I was up at 0530 this morning with my boots on and my jacket zipped, eagerly awaiting the sunrise. It was nice and cool with very little traffic on the way to Lowe’s parking lot where I met with Aaron. He’s the friend who sold me the Triumph. As you can see in the photo, Aaron’s new bike is a 2006 Softail. He swears that he does not love the color blues with flames, but the photographic evidence tells us otherwise. We rode around the parking lot, doing a variety of exercises for about two hours. I got a better feel for the Triumph by simply doing tight circles. Even Aaron, with many years of riding experience, enjoyed getting familiar with his new Harley. It sits very low, so he was concerned that his downward curving Vance and Hynes pipes were going to scrape if he leaned too hard. They didn’t.

it once. I am still working on a “battle rhythm.” I will eventually add the kick stand to my series of steps that I perform from muscle memory even time I get ready to ride.

The Top Twenty Things NOT to say to Cops

I wrapped it up at almost 1100, so it was time to go home and get some lunch. It was a nice morning of riding. The afternoon will be reserved for cleaning the bike and my car. All so I can get it dirty again on Sunday.

19. Sorry officer, I didn’t realize my radar detector wasn’t plugged in.

On the final stretch back to the house, I passed a police escorted group of about a hundred bikes. I was aware that there were several motorcycle events in the area this weekend. Since every one of them waved as they spotted me going the opposite direction, I simply held out my hand out in that familiar motorcycle wave to acknowledge all my new friends. See you down the road, Kraig

We took a few breaks so we could critique my riding and so Aaron could shorten his life expectancy with a cancer stick. It was then that I realized why motorcycle owners enjoy long discussions about the custom details of their bikes. I already have thoughts about a new seat, a windshield and possibly relocating my turn signals. Before long, I’ll find my self involved in deep conversation about directions. What road to take, where to turn, how long does it take you to get there...?

18. Aren’t you the guy from the villiage people?

7. Gee officer, that’s terrific. The last officer only gave me a warning. 6. Do you know why you pulled me over? Okay, just so one of us does.

17. Hey, you must have been doing 125 to keep up with 5. I was trying to keep up with traffic. Yes, I know there me, good job. is no other cars around, that’s how far they are ahead of me. 16. I thought you had to be in relatively good physical shape to be a police officer. 4. What do you mean have I been drinking? You are 15. I was going to be a cop, but I decided to finish high the trained specialist. school instead. 14. Bad cop. No donut. 13. You’re not going to check the trunk, are you? 12. Gee, that gut sure doesn’t inspire confidence. 11. Didn’t I see you get your b**t kicked on cops?

3. Well, when I reached down to pick up my bag of cr**k, my gun fell off of my lap and got lodged between the brake and the gas pedal, forcing me to speed out of control. 2. Hey, is that a 9mm? That’s nothing compared to this 44 magnum.

10. Is it true that people become cops because they are too dumb to work at McDonalds? 1. Hey, can you give me another one of those full c***ty searches? 9. I pay your salary!

MAGAZINE ®

Pennsylvania

2009 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 OCTOBER

Freebyrd Customs Glenn’s Ride By Military Quotes Lori Smucker New Rider Geneva Events

After Lowe’s, I rode back onto the island to a coffee shop for a break. I would have gone to the bar, but it was 0930. I had coffee and a scone, while considering whether or not I should leave that detail out of my narrative. Coffee or tea, and pastries just doesn’t seem to fit the biker protocol. When it was time to move on, the couple sitting outside of the coffee shop was entertained as I stalled the bike before continuing my ride down the road. I followed route 50 to the southern end of the island and came back the same way. My last little rookie move for the day was at the gas station. I filled the tank and backed away from the pump. A group of Harley riders were hanging around the gas station admiring my attempt to put the motorcycle in gear with the kick stand down. I only did

20. I can’t reach my license unless you hold my beer.

8. So uh, you on the take or what?

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When The Open Road Calls Your Name, A Little Planning Is A Good Thing!

My husband Sam says “Don’t over pack! Every town

Motorcycle Traveling/Packing Tips brought to you by

~If you carry sneakers, the inside of a shoe is a good

Lori Smucker

spot to pack delicate things or cell phone chargers.

has a Walmart” ~every bar sells T shirts

(or all those Harley shot glasses you collect on your Rolling your cloths when you pack will save space.

trip!)

Make sure you pack your clothes is a heavy trash bag first, this way if you do hit rain, your “spare

Latex gloves under your riding gloves will help keep

clothes” will be dry!

your hands dry and warm in the rain. Keep a pair in your leather jacket. They don’t take up much room.

Always carry water! Wide mouth plastic containers

You may never know when you might need them.

can easily be filled with ice from the motel in the morning. As it melts, you will have cold water.

Please feel free to email your packing and traveling tips to: thunderrdspa@yahoo.com

Extra bandana’s come in handy a lot! They can help keep you dry, warm and cool. If you are having a bad hair day, you can always cover it up with a bandana!