May 2021 PROOF by Florida Full Throttle Magazine

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It’s EXPO TIME!!! That’s right, it is finally here! We had to move the Expo, which is normally held in February back to May, of course due to the pandemic. The Expo this year will be Memorial Day Weekend May 28th, 29thth and 30th at Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson on 49th street across from Quaker Steak and Lube. We have tons of bike parking available for FREE at Bert’s while it lasts this year, if we run out of parking space Quaker Steak and Lube across the street is charging $5 for bike and car parking, but you get that $5 off your tab if you go inside and eat or drink! So, this year we have tons of parking space for everyone! There are a few changes to the Expo this year also, like instead of “the Bike Builder Invitational” we are doing two CASH PRIZE ride in Bike Shows. One Bike Show will be on Saturday and the other on Sunday, two different shows both having a cash prize of $1,500 each day! Best in show wins a 6 ft tall trophy and $500 cash and each of our 1st places in the 10-class bike show will win $100 and a big trophy, we will also have 2nd place trophies in each class and a few choice awards. The New OCC café will not be up and operational yet but will be close to opening, I believe they are planning on mid-June to open the doors. We have a bunch of vendors filling the lots along with some great food trucks. This year has been a little more difficult to plan as we usually have a nation recording artist as our headliner at the Expo. We feverishly called everyone we knew, and the big bands were just not ready to get out in the public and do big shows yet, so we got with Rich from Maximum Bands and did the next best thing, we have packed the Expo with the best tribute bands that we have seen including Saturday Night…… KID ROCK Tribute Band “Cowboy”!!!!! I can not wait as I have seen him before, and he puts on one hell of a show!!! Then on Friday Night we have the best there is, hands down, AC/ DC Tribute Band – Highway to Hell! Besides all that we have a MISS FULL THROTTLE BIKINI CONTEST on Saturday Night before Kid Rock with $1,500 in cash prizes with first place taking home

$750, 2nd place $350, 3rd Place $250, and 4th place $150. We will also be giving away $100 an hour starting on Friday all the way through Sunday at 5pm. We are very excited for the Expo this year and if it works out we are looking to keep the expo around this time from now on and not in “tornado” time in February. Some of you may remember that the Expo and Bert’s were hit by a tornado last year and almost ruined the event, but we move forward, and this is a new year!!!! I hope to see everyone there as it’s going to be HUGE!!! Also don’t forget – this year the EXPO IS 100% FREE to attend. There will be no admission charge. Two weeks after the expo ( June 12th) we are hosting our annual SOAKED AND SORE ASS POKER RUN!!!! We are starting at Kickin Wingz in Hudson on SR 52 and will be ending at Savannah Harley-Davidson in Georgia! This year will be a great ride that takes you to Gator Harley in Leesburg, Main Street Station in Daytona Beach, Bar None Saloon in St. Augustine, Tiki Island Tap House in Jacksonville, Golden Isle Harley in Brunswick in GA and of course ending at Savannah Harley where their HOG chapter is putting on a party for us! I have had a lot of people ask if they can jump in the middle on the ride and do it, the answer is a respectful, NO. You must do the entire ride to EARN, yes, I said EARN your t-shirt, patch, and certificate at the end stop. If you only do half the ride, then that wouldn’t be fair to everyone who did and who’s ass will be sore (and probably sun burnt) for sure! This is always a great ride and we usually have over 200 people on this ride. Also, if you are a single rider or don’t have a group to ride with, no worries. This ride is a great way to make new friends. Show up and register and talk to some of the groups leaving in the morning and there is almost always room for another rider in most groups! It’s bout the ride and comradery after all! We hope to see everyone either at the expo this month or on this great ride! I would like to say Happy Mother’s day to my Mom Mary Cianci in Toledo Ohio, and to my step mom Tracy, Love you both! And to all the other ladies that have been like mothers to me Happy Mother's Day. Be sure to pick up the phone and call them if you still have them in your life. Also maybe order them flowers the day before, every woman loves flowers even if they say they don’t :) Happy Birthday to my Aunt Doodoo, Kailey Bargar, My sister-in-law Christine and everyone else with birthdays in May, EVEN ME! Be safe, Be Smart, don’t drink and ride and I’ll see you at the EXPO BABY!!!

May has always been my favorite month, it used to represent the ground unfreezing and unfolding flowers as a kid from Vermont. Now it just means the Gulf is warm enough to enter without a wetsuit and I don't need two layers on a bike. But the feeling of excitement about summer has not changed for me. This year promises to be more fun than last no matter how you look at it. Last year in May I covered “underground” events being held quietly in remote locations that I could not publish, and we had nothing, but an online bike shows to manage. The pandemic has kicked everyone's 14

ass, in some form. Here is to the summer of 2021, this is my year, may it be yours too! Let's start summer off with the Expo and climb from there. It's Mother’s Day this month, so I want to say thank you to my children. It's been an honor to be your Mom. Your generation represents a dramatic change in how we see things and interact with others. It’s exciting. And I am proud of my kids, life’s been hard for them, but they still carry the optimism most are lacking. And to my Mom who shines down from Heaven when I need it most, Happy Mother’s Day Mom you are missed more every day. I'll see you at the Expo. Thank you for supporting our events and Full Throttle Magazine. Peace and love to the Biker world, Laurie Jo

It is springtime already and 2021 is off to a wonderful great start.... Bike nights, Greg Billings, Cereal for Summer and volunteering for Full Throttle Expo oh my..... We always enjoy getting together, this month we went to Finley’s and danced the night away to Jezebelle. What a treat! The Diva Angels Tampa Bay Chapter along with community leaders Bert’s Barracuda, Law offices of Fran Haasch, and Full Throttle are sponsoring another worthy cause with an awareness ride July 24th. Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) rescues children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. For more information please check out https://ourrescue.org/join-thefight for more details. If you are interested in learning

more about the Diva Angels, Tampa Chapter meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Quaker Steak Lube in Clearwater (6:00-7 social meet & greet). You can also find us at Wednesday bike nights at Quaker Steak and Lube. Spot a Diva, please stop and say hi! Please check out our website http://www.divaangels. org/ to find a chapter near you or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DIVAANGELSTAMPABAYCHAPTER/ we are a 501c (7) not for profit organization. Ride safe and rubber side down. Sheree (Sassy) Media & Marketing Director Diva Angels Tampa Bay Chapter

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FloridaMotorcycleRider.com Florida Rider.com 75 Myers Rd

581

Spring Lake Hwy

St Clair Lake

Church Rd

541

Hancock Lake

Mud Lake

Clay Hill Rd

Middle Lake Bayhead Rd

Moody Lake

Johnston Rd

581

Amberlea Rd

93 75

n to Rd

Bellamy Brothers Blvd

St Joe Rd

578

Darby Rd

Curley Rd

Return to the starting point.

2.6 4.5 1.5 4.3 2.5 3.6 0.6 4.4 1.0 1.0 5.3 2.5 1.0 2.2 0.2 3.0 2.3 3.9 0.2

Nicks Lake

West Right Right Left Left Right Right Left Left Right Straight Right Right Straight Left 2nd Right Left Straight Right Right

Myers Rd Hayman Rd

SR 52 West Bellamy Brothers Blvd Darby Rd Scharber Rd St Joe Rd Bellamy Brothers Blvd Johnston Rd Lake Iola Rd Bayhead Rd Bellamy Brothers Blvd Culbreath Rd Hayman Rd Spring Lake Hwy Lake Iola Rd Blanton Rd James Rd Jessamine Rd Curley Rd Pasco Rd SR 52

Total

420

Road Name Direction Miles Starts at intersection of I-75 and SR52

Hayman Rd

Draw a box on the map using US301, SR52, US41, and SR50 as the borders. Inside that box you’ll find some of Florida’s most satisfying backroads. This route gives you some broad sweepers along with a few tight twisties as you navigate the rolling countryside. Citrus groves, horse farms and shimmering lake views make this a favorite for riders looking for some country comfort. Be forewarned, it’s also a popular riding destination for bicyclists from around the state. Look out and share the road.

Batten Rd

48 Miles of Smiles...

Pasco Rd 75

1.9 4.5 9.0 10.5 14.8 17.3 20.9 21.5 25.9 26.9 27.9 33.2 35.7 36.7 38.9 39.1 42.1 44.4 48.3 48.5

Lake Jovita

581

San Antonio 52

Start 52

End

Hundreds* more riding maps are available at: FloridaMotorcycleRider.com *Maybe only 50 or so, but enough, so stop reading this and go ride!

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James Takacs Hello! My name is James. We may have met at a motorcycle event, Bike Week, or maybe even at a New Rider Course at Brandon Harley-Davidson. I am an Outreach Specialist with Ride Smart Florida and also an MSF RiderCoach here in the state of Florida. This is an opinion piece and I believe in rider training, so what follows may be somewhat biased, but please hear me out... Rider training in Florida beyond the Basic RiderCourse (BRC) is something that can be very beneficial and in fact something that should be strived for by anyone wanting to improve their motorcycle riding abilities. Here's why. There are multilane roads, construction zones and intersections where other road users can and do pose a threat on almost every ride. Research shows that a majority of crashes happen because a rider's right-of-way was violated and the rider didn't apply the brakes properly or take the necessary evasive action resulting in the crash. In case after case, s/he didn't think the driver of the other vehicle would do that. It wouldn't happen to them, but it did. For anyone relatively new to motorcycling, there is a lot that can be gained from taking an 38

additional rider training course, such as a Skilled Rider Course (SRC), Advanced RiderCourse (ARC), an Ultimate Bike Bonding Course (UBBRC), or an FDOT Funded S.M.A.R.T. Course. But beginners and experienced riders alike can learn and practice life saving techniques. When else would you do it? Seems like an advanced rider training course would be the perfect time and place, wouldn't you agree? Learning what to do and how to do it away from traffic and distraction sounds like an awesome way to practice and sharpen your skills. Sure, there are costs and time involved in additional training courses, but a motorcyclist has every reason to acquire this mastery because all too often it's his own life that's at stake. What better time than now? And if you talk to anyone who has taken a course, I bet they learned something, they would highly recommend it, and they had fun! So why not? May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month! Sign up for a class with friends and it can even be more fun! For May, a FDOT funded training subsidy program is available in selected training schools. Please check out Ride Smart Florida’s event page: www.ridesmartflorida.com/endorsementandbeyond

E.J. Chedester “Sorry, I didn’t see you!” It’s a refrain often heard in the aftermath of a crash involving a car and a motorcycle. Research shows inattentional blindness may be at the root of why bikers tend to be “invisible” on our country’s roadways. Inattentional blindness occurs when our brains must choose which sensory information to process (and which to ignore!) — and studies show motorcycles are on most folks’ “ignore” list. What to do? We at RideSmartFlorida encourage motorcyclists to increase their conspicuity — in other words, BE SEEN! Here are seven easy tips to make your next ride safer: 1. Embrace the high-viz lifestyle... or incorporate some white or reflective material into your gear. Research has shown that white, silver, fluorescent green and yellow are more likely to attract the human brain’s attention. If you’re not yet sold on cruising the street as a human highlighter, adding some reflective tape to your helmet, jacket and saddlebags is a good way to be seen. 2. Light it up like a Christmas tree. Those bright lights not only look good but attract attention - and that’s our goal. Modulated headlights and strobe brake lights are another great way to be more conspicuous. One easy tip that doesn’t require a modification: consider using your brights during the day! 3. Be seen in your lane. Select a lane position that allows

you to be most visible to other motorists and allows a space cushion so you can execute any needed evasive maneuvers. On multi-lane highways, avoid the right lane wherein motorists are entering and exiting. 4. Let your intentions be known. Communicate with your fellow motorists by using turn signals, tapping the brake at a red light and using hand signals as an added measure of safety. 5. Play “I Spy” with the youngins. A great way to train young brains to look for motorcyclists is by making a game out of it. Next time you take your kids or grandkids on a car ride, have them point out every motorcycle they see. When the time comes for them to get behind the wheel, they’ll already be on the lookout for the twowheeled kind! 6. Ride defensively. Assume they don’t see you and plan accordingly. Always scan for escape paths and be “a few steps ahead” of the drivers around you. According to researcher Kristin Pammer (2018), “...motorcycles appear to be very low on the priority list for the brain when it is filtering information. By putting motorcyclists higher on the brain 'radar' of the driver, hopefully drivers will be more likely to see them.” Motorcycling is an expression of independence, freedom and, at times, non-conformity. So go ahead and stick out like a sore thumb - it may one day save your life.

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Majestic in all grace…to watch from afar what many never take the time to witness, pure with movement, depth with honesty and engaging as simple as the breath we take when we dare to do so with such ease. For every moment it is said that one’s actions speak into the lives of those we touch. It is with deliberate intent that she moves like the wind, she moves like the ripples in the ocean and she moves with the quiet confidence of the blowing mane of the lioness…SHE moves. “Our generation is so busy trying to prove that women can do everything men can do, women are losing the unique qualities that set us apart. The God-given femininity & unique way our Creator designed us. Women were not created to do everything a man can do.... Women were created to do everything a man cannot do. The lioness does not try to be the lion. She embraces her role as the lioness. She is powerful, strong, and nurturing. She does not mistake her meekness for weakness. The world needs more kind, compassionate, humble, faithful, persevering, confident, fierce, bold, pure, and tender-hearted women.” - Unknown Danyelle Butler, Intuitive Alchemist and Masculine Mindset Coach fully agrees with the above statement from an unknown source. Butler further affirms “[It offers a good picture of healthy balance between the feminine and the masculine]…The feminine energy can be a challenge to understand at times, it’s explosive in its roller coaster of up and down emotions. However seeing the beauty of the feminine in this way allows us to have total allowance for it in every moment, the flow of the energy in that moment, capturing the beauty and destruction for what it is without judgements because with the feminine energy it can shift and transform so quickly if we don’t appreciate it for what it is it can be gone. The feminine can teach us how to move through life in flow and let go of what no longer serves all while being in love. I truly believe the

essence of feminine energy can create fullness of love in our lives and relationships if we allow it to be in all of its intensity.” “In all of its intensity”, there is nothing I can write here that would be original or that has never been said or written about women. May is the month that honors women, as mothers. I have been tasked with writing about women to celebrate them and motherhood. Task I say is nothing, but the reality of a lifetime journey of reflection on women who I have read of, learned from, been close to and dare to dream to walk alongside again, one day if she lets me (in). Scriptures in the book of genesis speak of “sons of man” referred to here as actual angels by some of the most authoritative theologians. They claim these “angels” found earthly women so beautiful they abandoned their celestial nature to be with them. Countless stories in countless books tell accounts of strong men falling victim to women’s beauty. The book of Ephesians speaks of wives needing to “submit” to their husband but we rarely hear about the part where it states that husbands too need to submit and honor their wives. That if they don’t, even their prayers will not be heard. They say it’s a man’s world. I’m not so sure to be honest, if it ever was. A friend recently asked me to describe women. All I could come up with is that in my humble opinion, women remind me of the ocean. Us men are like sailors, fascinated, called to pursue, and relentlessly navigate those waters sometimes at the risk of our own lives. A rookie sailor who is unprepared, disrespectful, arrogant or too eager to sail will be shipwrecked. The seasoned sailor who respects the ocean, knows its dangers, the beauty and the peace it can provide. He will navigate in harmony with the ocean.

For women, like the ocean,

I feel are majestic, dangerously beautiful, captivating, deep, unpredictable, entertaining, vast, mesmerizing, frustrating, powerful and gentle. The ocean can be destructive yet nourishing. The ocean gives and sustains life. It can be deadly. It inspires dreams within, it gives purpose, it is a well of absolutes. It challenges. It rewards. It gives a reflection of oneself if we pay close attention and truly look with wide open eyes. It can rock you to sleep and it can wake you quite brutally. It is filled with a myriad of mysteries to enjoy and be thankful for. It has the capacity to feed the soul, the mind, and the body. It cannot be controlled. It can only be respectfully navigated. The seasoned sailor will know when to refrain from taking the seas. The seasoned sailor will know how to read the signs. He will understand and respect the ocean. The ocean cannot control the sailor either. It can only carry him if he chooses so. If the ocean becomes too dangerous, out of control, unapproachable, violent and stormy, the sailor will not sail it, the sailor will cease to marvel at the ocean. The sailor will retreat and he will not open sails and be vulnerable. The sailor cannot however be a sailor without the ocean. The ocean can be the ocean without the sailor but without the sailor the ocean will be missing the pleasures of being navigated, learned, marveled at, nourishing, and carrying the sailor. Deborah Singh, PhD states that “Woman was apparently made from the rib of man, and for that there is and will always be a connectedness between the two. For the rib surrounds all that helps give life to breath and meaning to souls intertwined. It creates the space for life to be born and that is the one thing, the most powerful, endearing and admired thing a woman can do….for life is a blessing isn’t it.” Men, Mother’s Day is this month. If you have the honor of being with your babies’ mother or, you are privileged to be with your soul mate, do yourselves a favor…take a step back in contemplation to silently and patiently take

her in, observe her, hear her heart, marvel at the magnificence of her essence as a woman in her core and as co-giver of life. She is the single most beautiful creation on this earth. Do that all the while solidly anchored in your identity as a man … you know? The kind of man this society is so hellbent into vilifying, changing, and emasculating? If she does not respect that, she may be a puddle trying to impersonate the ocean. Yeah…don’t let it happen. Be the sailor that respectfully navigates but be the one who is respectfully not controlled. If you cannot navigate her respectfully, you may be a sad excuse for a sailor or simply still not ready to sail. Know the difference. Celebrate your co-givers of life. Celebrate your mothers. Celebrate all mothers in your life. And, if there is one thing I can leave you with, is the influence of voice. As you celebrate for whatever it means to you, I challenge you to do the simplest and sometimes hardest thing to do, utter words that build and lift her and her spirit up for she who is loved deserves to hear it and feel it through the whisperings of kindness both in actions and in words. That is, well beyond the gift of flowers once a year. www.facebook.com/floridanighttrain IG: florida_night_train Picture: Rebekah L.K. with son by 323 Photography Studio, Florida Night Train and Phoenix Engineering. Contributors: Dr. Deborah Singh, B.A. Sociology, Masters & PHd in Counselling, General Practice Psychotherapist, Children & Women’s Rights Advocate Danyelle Butler, Intuitive Alchemist and Masculine Mindset Coach

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