INSIDE:
COUNTY CROSSROADS RIDE DESTINATION UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR
EVENT
contributors THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE NorCal P.O. Box 794 Orangevale, CA 95662 Office: 530.368.6579 or 530.305.7992 Fax: 530-831-4758 Email: thunderroadsnorcal@yahoo.com Website: www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
Northern California State Editors / Owners
Stan & Terry Hill
On The Cover:
Bike provided by Mike Martinez on location at Dobra Zemlja Winery in Plymouth. Photo contributed by Dan Griffin Photography / Model: Maggie Layout and Design Meredith Hancock/Hancock Graphics Magazine Contributors Billie Wilson/Billie The Kid Photography Rich “Foot” & Jennifer “Sunshine” Elkins Forrest Coss / bikervisionphotos@yahoo.com Randy Wenslawski Rae Lynn Flippo Barry Mendenhall Tech Tips Two Gunners Custom Iron craig@twogunnerscustomiron.com Thunder Road Biker Church Pastor Johnny Johnny@thunderroadchurch.com 916-521-5706 Ride Destination Chuck & Cindy Loseth NorCal Sales Representatives/Magazine Contributors Russell “Raz” Holder (916) 425-2377 russellholder@earthlink.net Charles Gliebe (209) 598-2023 charlesgliebe@comcast.net Dan Griffin (209) 403-8170 acdmf1@yahoo.com
National Founders Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive, Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 thunderroadsfounders@yahoo.com www.thunderroadsmagazine.com (for information regarding Thunder Roads Northern California, please ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO contact PART OF ITS CONTENT MAY at BE top REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISuse information of column
SION. 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.
editor’s letter
A
pril has arrived! Sure would be nice if Mother Nature sent us some of those April showers to avoid another drought year. I suppose it could be worse, she could make us suffer like the east coast with PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome). Since that isn’t likely, we are pleased to add more pages to this issue to accommodate all of the events that are being submitted. If you want your event to be seen by bikers in Northern California, you’ve come to the right place! Simply submit your event to us online at www. ThunderRoadsNorCal.com. Check out the last few pages for upcoming events happening across NorCal and Northern Nevada. You will be sure to find something fun to do. On a related note, if you love to ride and take pictures at events then this will be right up your alley. We are currently looking for contributors across NorCal to help report on more of these events. You will be a TRM NorCal “rally ambassador” that shares the cool events that are happening in your area to other readers. We love what we do but one of the downsides is that we can only be one place at a time and there is so much more going on. It is easy – designate someone to send us article and photo submissions for your club or event. It’s easy and a good way to get the word out about your event. Contact us for more info. On another note, I want to bring your attention to the Thunder Road Biker Church article by Pastor Johnny. Each month he offers lessons to be learned and whether or not you view yourself as a religious person, the articles are always inspirational. It never fails that I often pause to reflect on my own life and situations that we all have to deal with after reading his monthly article. I can’t tell you how many times I thought that he must have been following me around all month long because it seems to be written just for me. Take the time to read his article and I would be willing to bet you will find words of inspiration and common sense that might just brighten or even help you through the day. Or better yet - join them for services held every Thursday night. Rock Hard - Ride FREE Ride Often Stan &Terry Hill
contents
RIDE PRIDE: Two Wheel Legacy
26
35th Annual Sweetheart Run
44
Ghost Mountain Rider MC First Daze of Summer Run................ 3 Product Spotligh: Slingshot.......................................................... 6 Tech Tips.................................................................................... 10 Rusty Coones............................................................................. 13 Izzy’s 24th Annual Santa Rosa Tattoos & Blues......................... 18 My Two Cents............................................................................. 21 Ladies in Leather........................................................................ 22 Road Cam.................................................................................. 24 Ride Destination......................................................................... 30 Sonoma H-D® 2015 Street Bob................................................. 34 Center Calendar......................................................................... 36 Ride Pride: Autism Bike.............................................................. 38 Profiling Press Release.............................................................. 42 6th Annual Wounded Warrior Party............................................ 47 Thunder Road Biker Church....................................................... 49 County Crossroads: 100th Annual Almond Festival................... 50 HardRider Press......................................................................... 56 KISS in the Kitchen.................................................................... 57 Joker’s Wild................................................................................ 60 Marketplace................................................................................ 61 Events........................................................................................ 65 Index of Sponsors...................................................................... 73 Biker Friendly Directory.............................................................. 74
The Latest in Motorcycle Windshield Design Technology
Why settle, when you can have the best! Solid Performance Solid Construction Great Style Made in the USA
877-370-7326 | 408-377-7623 www.windvest.com Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 2
The Ghost Mountain Riders Motorcycle Club’s First Daze Of Summer Run
S
tarted in 1990, and held each year in the first months of riding season (usually April, this year May) the “FIRST DAZE O’ SUMMER” Poker/Pack Run was the bookend run for the GMR’s “LAST DAZE O’ SUMMER” Run held for 30 years during the month of October). Both runs are meant to introduce the first days of the riding season, and the last days of that season. While it is possible here in California to ride year round, the months of November through March are usually a little cold and rainy, making them “iffy” for some people, and not as enjoyable as the other 8 months of the year, which are pretty moderate in temperature and precipitation. So, we kick off the riding season with a good 90 mile run, and a good party at the end, and end it almost the same way, although we try to keep the routes different. There are several important ingredients to a successful “run” in the motorcycling world. Not counting the most important of course, which is a motorcycle! Needless to say, without one, a “motorcycle run” would be kinda boring. Beyond that, a good run should have: a good staging area. In the past the First Daze event has begun at the Elk’s Lodge in Santa Cruz, the Trout Farm in Felton, and more recently, the Moose Lodge in Scotts Valley, which is the starting point for this year’s event. All these places have much in common, that is, they provide ample parking, a restaurant and/or bar, bathrooms, and easy access to the beginning of the route. Most businesses are happy to have us start our event with them, as we provide a solid windfall, in just a few short hours, and maintain goodwill between our club and the communities we operate in. A good route is important, one that provides relatively easy riding for a large group of people, some of whom may be neophytes or newbies, and may not have all the skills of more experienced riders. The route should also have some length to it, but not be so long as to run people out of gas, either themselves, or their bikes! Typically the GMR’s routes are 70 to 90 miles. We also try NOT to stop at any more than one “watering hole” along the way, as we don’t want the liability of riders who may have imbibed too much. Further, the route should be out of heavily
travelled areas, to lessen the impact of hundreds of motorcycles on neighborhoods with already crowded roadways. Our routes for both 1st daze and Last Daze are quite scenic, and rural, to mitigate congestion and possible negative interaction between cars and motorcycles. For the last 20 years or so, the GMR’s runs have been winding up at Camp Krem, a camp for the developmentally disabled, in Boulder Creek. All net proceeds for our events are donated back to this camp. We’re proud to have contributed to Camp Krem and its parent organization “Camping Unlimited” down thru the years. Once people arrive back at the camp, we always try to keep a tight schedule, which provides food, fun and entertainment to our guests in a timely manner, enabling those that want to take part and leave before sun-down, to do so. Typically our afternoons consist of the best food, biker games (with trophies for the winners), a “door prize” giveaway, and poker hand results. All of these activities combined take about 3 hours, and then guests can either stay for the evening festivities, or head on out for home. Evenings are usually for bands, and adult entertainment, which the Ghosties provide (no one under 21 permitted for these “shows.”) In the past we’ve had some really good bands, and this year for our First Daze event, we’ve got a double blockbuster billed, with Charlie Brechtel up on Friday evening, and The fabulous Fryed Brothers on Saturday night. This year we’re making the event a true 2 day event, with camping available, cabins, and vendors, and many other bands playing before during and after our headliners. (see flyer for details). This run has become an institution in the San Lorenzo Valley over the years, with many local bikers and nonbikers coming for the premier summer kick-off event, here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Event begins on Friday May 1st at Camp Krem. Ride starts May 2nd Saturday morning 11:30am at Moose Lodge #545 on 2470 El Rancho Drive in Scotts Valley. Article contributed by Lyle Flemming - Founder GMRMC
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 3
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 4
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 5
product spotlight:
M
POLARIS SLINGSHOT
artin, the owner of SPIRIT MOTO R C Y C L E S , the local Indian and Victory dealer in San Jose invited Thunder Roads NorCal for the opportunity to take the Slingshot out for a ride/drive. Sounded like a great idea to us so we did just that. I have to admit that I have been curious ever since Polaris came out with this totally new way of enjoying being out on the road. The Slingshot is classified as a motorcycle in California and as such - riders are required to wear a helmet for now. The Slingshot is built around a 2,384cc inline-Four Ecotec engine from GM. This is a lightweight, aluminum block engine from General Motors that has proven itself in a number of much larger chassis. In the Slingshot, however, it generates some much more impressive effects. It delivers a reported 173 horsepower at 6200rpm and 166 ft-lbs of torque at 4,700rpm in terms of crankshaft. It weighs in at just over 1,700 pounds it has the power to suck you into the sports car style bucket seats. With its wide and low to the ground (5 inches of clearance)stance the feeling is nothing short of big grin inspiring as sensations are multiplied by being so close to the road. We did not hesitate as it was obvious that the Slingshot begs to find a twisty road; and WOW…this thing is glued to the road. The handling of the Slingshot even surpassed its sporty looks as all three of us that test road it with big grins on our faces as we whipped around a few turns. Now since this was a borrowed ride, we did not want to push its limits too far but I can tell you that if you get in one you will be surprised at how quick and responsive this machine is. It has a manual 5 speed transmission with tight transitions between gears that really give it a sports car feel. I was also surprised at the price, with the base model at $19,999 - you get a lot of road shredding bang for your buck. The Slingshot comes standard with a number of electronic aids designed to balance fun with control / safety. ABS Disk Brakes, Electronic Power-Assisted Steering, Traction Control, and Electronic Stability Control all come standard on the Slingshot. All of these work together to ensure that you maintain control of the vehicle, even when you’re pushing the limits. The Slingshot SL adds snazzy Red Pearl paint, a windshield, upgraded wheels, and a media console that includes a backup camera – with a
MSRP of $23,999. Well worth the additional few bucks in my opinion. We all agreed that the Slingshot would not replace our two wheeled bikes for the feeling that you get riding; but rather it falls into a category of its own that was a total blast to ride/drive. If you are looking for a new kind of thrill on the road or in the market for a three wheeler then this should be considered a fun and very viable option. Thanks to Martin of Spirit Motorcycles of San Jose for reaching out to us for this very fun test ride and all the friendly help from their superior staff that got us quickly up to speed on the features and ready to roll. Article and photos by Stan, Terry Hill and Chuck Loseth.
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 6
2015 POLARIS SLINGSHOT SPECIFICATIONS Base Model
SL
MSRP
$19,999
$23,999
Horsepower
173 crank horsepower @ 6200 rpm (claimed)
173 crank horsepower @ 6200 rpm (claimed)
Torque
166 ft-lbs of torque @ 4700 rpm (claimed)
166 ft-lbs of torque @ 4700 rpm (claimed)
Engine Capacity
2,384cc
2,384cc
Engine Type
DOHC Inline-Four Ecotek
DOHC Inline-Four Ecotek
Bore x Stroke
88mm x 98mm
88mm x 98mm
Compression
10.4:1
10.4:1
Fuel System
EFI
EFI
Transmission
5-speed manual
5-speed manual
Steering
Rack-and-pinion with electronic power assist
Rack-and-pinion with electronic power assist
Final Drive
Belt
Belt
Frame
High-strength steel frame
High-strength steel frame
Front Suspension
Double-wishbone with sway bar
Double-wishbone with sway bar
Rear Suspension
Monoshock, single-side swingarm
Monoshock, single-side swingarm
Front Brakes
Twin, vented, 298mm discs
Twin, vented, 298mm discs
Rear Brakes
Single, vented, 298 disc
Single, vented, 298 disc
Front Wheel
Cast, 8-spoke
Forged, 10-spoke
Front Tire
205/50-17
225/45-18
Rear Wheel
Cast, 8-spoke
Forged, 10-spoke
Rear Tire
265/35-18
255/35-20
Ground Clearance
5.0 inches
5.0 inches
Wheelbase
105.0 inches
105.0 inches
Curb Weight
1,725 lbs
1,743 lbs
Fuel Capacity
9.77 gal
9.77 gal
Electronics
ABS, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Program
ABS, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Program
Warranty
2 Years
2 Years
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 7
EVENT
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 8
Vintage F Cabooses in a Private Park Setting on the Shore of Clear Lake Full Breakfast Daily Private Pier & Boat Launch In-Room Jacuzzi Tubs Check Out our Easy Rider Room! Bike-Friendly - Great For Groups! 2870 Lakeshore Blvd. Nice, CA 95464 (707) B-R-Guest (707) 274-8378 www.featherbedrailroad.com Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 9
Tech Tips T
EVO UPGRADE
oday’s Harley-Davidson motorcycles are a pretty nice product! Swing a leg over a late model bike with a 103” engine and you can’t help but be pleasantly surprised by the power on tap from a bone stock bike. This has not always been the case! For example, the stock Evolution 80” motor, albeit a nice technological jump from the Shovelhead, was kind of a dog right out of the box. Naturally, owner demand and aftermarket supply would give way to numerous performance options. As with all things performance, the more conservative options lend themselves to stock reliability, while the wild drag strip set ups will earn you bragging rights at the expense of more frequent overhauls and parts replacement. Here’s one of our favorites for the Evo that wakes things right up! It is a nice jump in power without sacrificing reliability. This project will involve a top-end rebuild and as long as the bottom-end checks out we can leave that in place. After top-end disassembly, check out your connecting rod end-play, wrist pin bushing clearance and flywheel run-out at the pinion shaft per service wear specs. Also check out the rocker arm shaft to bushing clearances. We send the heads to Branch-O’Keefe (formerly known as Branch Flowmetrics) in Signal Hill. We use the #4 head with Branch’s pistons that, as advertised, will bring the compression ratio up from the stock 8.5:1 to 8.9:1.
We have the compression ratio set to around 9.5:1 which they will accomplish by decking the heads. Doesn’t sound like a huge leap, but this is an outstanding set-up when paired with the Andrews EV-51 camshaft. Not enough compression to worry about detonation and strain on parts, but plenty to wake up this motor. When installing the EV-51 we do some of the normal clearance checks although there is rarely any need for modification. Cam lobe to engine case and cam lobe to lifter block will suffice. If less than .060” a little machining with the pencil grinder will do. Valve to valve, valve to piston, and rocker to top cover will not be an issue with the .510 lift of this cam, even with the decking of the heads as previously mentioned. Lastly, check cam gear to pinion gear fitment. If this is too loose excessive gear backlash will produce a noise that sounds much like a lifter tick. If too tight, you’ll get gear whine. The measurement process is outlined in the service manual and is very simple to do. Different size cam gears can be purchased to establish a better fit. There are many more aggressive performance packages that can be done and we’ll write about those in the future. All builds
have to be tailored to the riding style. A set-up that blows the numbers out of the water at the drag strip will not be fun on the street. However, if you have a bike that you would just like to find the happy medium that gives you better ET’s at the track and you still want to ride it to work every day, there’s a number of builds for that too. Ride safe! Craig Griswold and Mary Kirby are the owners of Two Gunners Custom Iron in Penn Valley. Questions and comments can be sent to e-mail: craig@twogunnerscustomiron.com, or call 530-263-8071. Additional information can be found www. twogunnerscustomiron.com.
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 10
See us on Facebook
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 11
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 12
R
usty grew up in the central valley of California. His father owned a crop dusting business so Rusty spent a lot of time at the airport as a kid. Being around the shop he learned the basic skills of wrenching, fabrication and painting. He didn’t make much working for his dad in his early teens, so when something broke on a bike or car he had to fix it himself. Madera was in the country, so it was easy to just jump on a bike and head out right from the house whenever he wanted to ride. So he honed his riding skills almost daily practicing wheelies and racing around on improvised motocross tracks he set up outside of town. Every now and then a farmer, a sheriff or a CHP would be chasing him through the farms and countryside. Most of the time he would get away cutting through the San Joaquin river bed or riding through a ditch or jumping it in some places. He knew the area like the back of his hand and had his escape routes and shortcuts down pretty well. But being that it was a small town some of the cops knew where he lived, and even though he got away most of the time at least once a cop showed up hours later with a ticket in hand. They can’t do that, can they? And the local traffic court judge wasn’t sympathetic to this argument either because he lived right down the street and was always angry with Rusty for blasting down the street in front of his house or behind it on dirt bikes. Being around airplanes all his young life, Rusty learned to fly at a young age and has owned 6 of his own planes over the years. He got his first guitar when he was nine. He started taking guitar lessons and eventually learned to read and write music. That was the foundation for his music that didn’t really blossom until years later. At 19 years of age Rusty bought his first Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Two months later he was t-boned by a teenage girl in a mustang at an intersection totaling the bike. When his dad found out about the accident he said, “don’t get another one, you do and I’m kicking you out of the house and firing you from work”. So of course, when the insurance check came in for the accident Rusty bought another bike. When he rode it home that night and his dad met him at the door saying, “I told you, get another bike and you’re kicked out of the house and fired, so hit the road”. And so he did, heading for Southern California. It was probably the best thing that could have happened to him at the time. Rusty doesn’t claim to be snow white by any stretch. He was sentenced to California Youth Authority as a kid, state prison and federal prison as an adult. His last stretch was in federal prison where he got inspired to start playing the guitar again. While incarcerated he wrote 32 songs that he performed at shows during the holidays for the inmates. He carried this craft with him back to the streets and started the band Attika7 after his release from prison. Probably 90% of first Attika7 album was written while he was incarcerated. The players in the band evolved over time into the power line up they have now with Evan Seinfeld (ex Biohazard) on vocals, Rusty on guitar, Ira Black (Lizzy Borden, Metal Church) shredding on guitar and Tommy Holt (UPO) on drums. The newest bass player and
contributing song writer is Gus Cryns, a very talented studio engineer as well. The band is currently finishing touches to its second album which is even harder hitting than the first album “Blood of my Enemies”. Rusty has owned and operated Illusion Cycles, Inc. since 1999. Illusion is a CARB and EPA certified manufacturer of motorcycles. They are located at 14726 Goldenwest St. #F in Westminster. They do everything from service to complete custom builds and fabrication. Rusty also played “Quinn” on Sons of Anarchy for three seasons (5-7). His role started as President of the Nomads in season five, then after his chapter was decimated in season five he transferred to the Indian Hills, Nevada chapter starting in season six. And in episode six of season six he was voted into the Redwood Chapter (SAMCRO). His character was one of the few left standing in the end of the series. He is now working with several producers on projects that are in development in TV and film. To quote Rusty “Plan for the future, but know that change is the only constant. And when change affects your plans look for opportunity in it”. Article and photos provided by KO Coones
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 13
D O O F & C SI U M T A E E S, G R
EVENT
LVE R E N TS QU IC KS I S E R P S ION EXPOS IT
IK B M O T S CU
unds o r g r i a F y t oun Alameda C 5:30 0 1 n u S | Sat 10 -7:30
S L L TION AR EA A A R T H S N O R M E BIG INTDDOOOR VOENDOR & MOTORCYCLE D H UG E OU -U P CONTEST IN 10-488-3121 5 – M MS BAMS P O .C 5 1 0 IS AMS2 M – INFO@ BAMS2015.CO
B
5 BAM S 201 Y ED B R SO N O SP
& SUN M E ET SAT rchy’s a n A f o Sons
EMILIO RIVERA * STU NT
R IDE R
L
A J A B R A C Y N O T
ES, OTORCYCL CTORY M UN LI M ITED ED BY VI S *PRE SE NT SPORTS & PART OR ICON MOT
Sell Your Bike in our Silent Auction!
Get your swap on! Sunday Only, 10am-4pm Call -3121 8 8 4 0 1 5 e to reserv ! th your boo
Buy-Sell-Trade your rust for gold! Get rid of your boring old projects! Find exciting new projects! Cash out gear that shrank in the closet!
Special deals for shops that want to move old inventory! Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 14
CityBike-sponsored swapmeet May 3rd only. Vendor spaces are first come first serve, however BAMS vendors will get first choice for space in Swapmeet area. Open to motorcycle-related parts, accessories, and apparel only. No vehicle sales except salvage-titled. Absolutely No Guns, Weapons, or Animals Allowed
EVENT Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 15
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 16
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 17
IZZY’S 24
th
ANNUAL SANTA
February 27-March 1 (Santa Rosa): This three day event (www.santarosatattoosandblues.com) at the Flamingo Hotel had the hotel buzzing with action. The event promoter Izzy Laplante put together some of the finest tattoo shops in the area as well as many others that came from far and wide to be a part of this great event. There were 43 tattoo shops or related businesses on site and the crowd of people that appreciate art had come out in droves to be apart of the weekend. Some came just to admire the great art on display and other were there to get that tattoo that they had been wanting. Here is Jonell – she is getting a tattoo for her sister Paula for her fight with breast cancer, Jonell told me that her sister Paula was her angel. Jonell was accompanied by her significant other Robert who was there to hold her hand and help her through this emotional experience. I was amazed at the talent on display here whether it was an artist just drawing up and idea or actually laying ink down on some skin, I found myself in awe of their artistic vision. This event was also about music and I heard some great tunes on Saturday from Stevie G & the Blue Collar Blues Band. After that the Tattoo contest was held on the stage emcee’d by Dave Channell of Fire and Wheels. After getting a close up look at some incredible tattoos, Fire and Wheels to the stage and got the people out on the dance floor. Later that night, we were all treated to very entertaining show out by the swimming pool from the Wild Fire Dancers as they used fire in creative ways to incorporate with dance. This was a first for me as I watched them perform. It did make for a cool visual to see the fire twisting streaking to the dancers moves against the night sky. Article and photos by Stan Hill
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 18
ROSA TATTOOS AND BLUES
TATTOO CONTEST WINNERS BY CATEGORY: Best Traditional: John Perez for his tattoo of a Native American Lady. Artist: Nick Ackman Best Black and Grey: Nikko for roses on chest. Artist: American Dream Tattoo Best Individual Male: Andres Martinez, for old school Mexican girl. Artist: Bryan Vargas American Dream Tattoo Best Individual Female: Jessica Ramirez for “Mac Dre”. Artist: Brian Vargas American Dream Tattoo Best Sleeve: Laura for Memorial Sleeve, Artist: Bryan Vargas American Dream Tattoo Best Flash Sheet: Ian Rydquist at Gilded Lily for “Shells and Ocean” Best Tattoo of the Day: Olisha Vincent for “Koi Fish”, Artist: Jody Wells Tattoo’s by Jody Wells
SUNDAY CONTEST: Most Unusual: Monique Bonilla for Dust Bowl, Artist: Shotsie Gorman at Tarot Art and Tattoo Gallery Best Color: John Temple for American Flag, Artist: Alfonzo at Glass Beetle Tattoo Best Portrait: Jessie Coccia for Grandfather Smoking, Artist: Stash at Tattoo 13 Best Back Piece: Tim for custom back, Artist: Angel at American Dream Tattoo Best Overall: Ashley Artist: Jim Willoughby at JW’S Archangel Tattoo Best Sci-Fi: Aaron Mathews for Alien, Artist: Cecil Porter at Emporium 1476 Best Tattoo of the Show: George D Rousey for Flowers and Foliage, Artist: Joe at Tattoo Joe’s
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 19
EVENT
EVENT
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 20
MY TWO CENTS: RED LIGHT TICKETS
Ain’t this a bitch!? It’s not enough we have to watch out for bad drivers, texting drivers, people who just downright don’t like bikers and wild animals trying to cross the road in front of us, but now we have to throw camera tickets into the mix. You know which ones I’m talking about! The ones where you’re moving at a good clip and you think you can make it through the intersection before the light turn’s red and you throttle on, just in time to see the bright light flash! And sometimes the length of time for the yellow light is real short, and the red light and camera flash happens unexpectedly fast, in fact, way too fast. There’s a lot of controversy about these camera light tickets from all over the United States. Are these red light camera tickets just a revenue generator or do they really prevent accidents? Cameras that catch drivers who violate red-light laws are far more popular than cameras that catch speeders. Only eight states and the District of Columbia use speeding cameras, and a dozen states have enacted laws banning them. Nevertheless, resistance to red-light cameras may be growing. Nine states already prohibit them, and lawmakers in Ohio are considering a ban, even though the cameras generated $16 million for Ohio cities last year. Lawmakers in Iowa, New Jersey and Colorado also considered turning off the cameras this year, though those efforts fell short. The state shouldn’t be counting on people to violate laws in order to pad their budgets. Tickets generally cost drivers about $100, according to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association. California has the nation’s highest red-light fine at $490 per violation. Here is a graph of the fines that some States charge. California has by far the highest fine for red light tickets. I received two separate notices for red light violations in the mail. The first one was from Los Angeles and I called to dispute it with a bullshit story and the lady said I should look at the notice and log on to the website and enter my ticket number before I say another word. I did, and there was a perfect picture of me
in my car. Then I clicked on “Video” and I watched a video of me making a right turn at a red light without even slowing down, and to make matters worse, judging by the look on my face, I must have really enjoyed what was playing on the radio. How could I fight that in court? Like I said, picture perfect. The second notice came about a year and a half later from the corner of Millbrae Avenue and 101. I thought for sure at the speed I was riding I could make the yellow light. Wrong!! That has to be the shortest yellow light on the planet. Again I received the notice and watched the video. I hammered that turn like a professional road racer. Other than the ticket, I was impressed with myself when I watched the video. I was hoping the judge would cut me some slack because of my high speed cornering skills. What was I thinking? She did knock a hundred dollars off, not because of my riding skills, but because she thought the yellow light was a little too fast, and she highly recommended that I slow down. She made it clear she wouldn’t drop it any more than that. I’ve talked to a few guys that said they got tickets mailed to them and they threw the ticket away and nothing happened. They even registered their bike and renewed their license and nothing came up. I’m not giving advice! I’m not suggesting you ignore your ticket. I’m just saying. I also know people who got red light camera tickets riding in a poker run and got it dropped or significantly reduced because they were caught in the intersection because of stopped traffic. Once again! This is not advice, just my 2 cents. Here’s what I don’t get. I look at the graph above and I wonder. Who set the prices for these fines? Who’s in charge of this shit? Who in the State of California is looking out for its citizens? What government officials are letting Californians get screwed without accountability? Could it be our Leaders are lining their pockets with our hard earned money by over charging us for fines and fees? We need to find out who approved this and who put this into action and vote them out of office! That’s my two cents! Ride like hell and cover your plate! Al Cagle www.rackandpull.com
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 21
Cookie Ayers-Crum: The Queen Dressed in White “I never thought about his name until after I married him”
M
ost people who view my friend Cookie only see her as a beautiful older woman. She is cultured, and polite, well kept and quiet. Quiet, that is until the subject of motorcycles come into the conversationand then the “Queen of the Hell Drivers” has a lot to say; and all of it is gospel. Cookie’s husband Bob Crum had been a friend of mine and when the subject of motorcycle riding once came into a conversation, a spark flamed in Cookie’s eyes. It was then that she pulled out her business card and handed it to me. I was astounded she was in fact the motorcycle icon Cookie Ayers- “Queen of the Hell Drivers—Queen of the Daredevils”. Margery Coffman had been riding motorcycles behind her parents since she was 14, and at 17 had already been working several years with the Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus in the big-top horse ring as a trick rider and on the elephants during their act-as the beautiful girl with the flowing locks of blonde hair in command on their back. Then fate intervened and changed the direction and name of the young star. Margery read an ad in the Sarasota, Florida news paper. “Opportunity to travel with show and learn thrilling, well-paying profession. Will teach personable girl with nerve and courage to become motorcycle exhibition rider in Motordrome. Pay while learning. This is a highly regarded profession and a rare opportunity.” An offer to teach a girl to ride the “Wall of Death”- and pay her to do it! In 1949, despite the fact there were many ‘motordromes’ traveling the United States-there were less than a handful of women riders who risked their lives in these thrilling shows. Margery was hooked on the idea, fudged her age a bit to get the job, grabbed the stage name of Cookie Ayers- and rode the ‘wall’ for 8 years. While many died during performances, Cookie
road fearlessly during her performances - standing on her bike “like a Ballerina”. Earlier this year my wife questioned Cookie as to how old she was in one photo where Cookie was standing on the saddle of the Indian Scout she was ‘riding’ in her show- “Nineteen”. “Were you ever afraid?” my wife further questioned. Quick as a snake strike Cookie shot back- “No, Never!” That brilliant fire in Cookie’s eyes flamed again- she was indeed a great motorcycle rider; Make no mistake about that. For more than 60 years Cookie rode her own ‘bagger’ and cruised up the highways as an ambassador to the public-wearing her traditional white boots and jacket- dressed like the lady she still is today. “You don’t look like a motorcycle rider” is a statement that had been bantered around for years when people would meet Cookie, and she would point-blank answer them with the question- “What does a motorcycle rider look like?” Historically, there had been the big division between motorcycle riders and how the public perceived them. The post-war 4th of July 1947 fiasco in Hollister and movies like Marlon Brando’s “The Wild Ones”, characterized all motorcycle riders as thugs and outlaws. Cookie Ayers was not only a motorcycle rider, but she was a “carnival” motorcycle rider to boot. But, she distanced herself from the stigma by always riding in public in her conspicuous white boots and white riding jacket and always acting like a lady. The public equated black leather with outlaw bikers, and ‘The Queen’ was not that person! She was the Ambassador for the other 99%. In 2009, at the age of 77 years, Cookie Ayers-Crum attended the Sturgis
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 22
Rally where she had been invited and was inaugurated into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Those who had known her during her Wall of Death days called her the Queen, and those who had met her over the next 52 years of riding knew her as the spirit of motorcycling. She was already Hall of Fame in motor cycling’s heart. This past year, during the 2014 Sturgis Rally, one of the large draws was the highlighting of the society of riders who rode the Motordrome Wall of Death over the years and several venues where set up around town where you could see these performers in action. The Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame was a big player in this activity and once again Cookie Ayers-Crum was slated to attend to be honored by the hundreds of thousands of bikers who had ridden from far and wide to the ‘steel rodeo’. Like lightning not striking in the same place twice-Cookie fell at home while walking and broke her leg near her hip. When I asked Bob how she was doing, he said she would eventually mend, but that she was terribly sad not to be able to be in Sturgis for her friends and the honors. This sadness upon Cookie’s heart was a thought that bothered me every mile of the 1700 I rode on my way back to Sturgis and the Buffalo Chip Campground. I eventually concluded to bring something back to Miss Cookie to let her know that despite the fact that she could not attend, there were many who missed her and loved her for what she had done for all of the motorcycling community. In Sturgis, beer advertising banners were everywhere and after buying a box of permanent felt markers, I set out to obtain a banner for riders to sign with sentiments for Cookie. Going the ‘citizen’ route actually worked and I didn’t need to cut a banner off a barbed wire fence in the middle of the night! As I made my ride up to the business offices at the Buffalo Chip, and though Woody was out tending to last minute errands, the ladies down stairs who were busy working with the Buffalo Chip Biker Belles for their annual celebrity ride quickly came upstairs with questions on how Miss Cookie was doing and how sad they were she couldn’t attend. Everyone in Sturgis apparently knows Cookie too! Agreement that we should do something for Cookie was instantaneous.
The people at Buffalo Chip assured me they would come up with something for me and would call—and way before that night’s activities really wanted me out of my sleeping bag- early the next morning they called. I was surprised when I returned to the office to pick up the banner. “We’ve decided we needed to do something a little more special for Miss Cookie and we had this banner made up for you. Two of the photographs I had laminated to show people had been blown up and printed on the banner and with the Buffalo Chip Biker Belle logo centered with “We miss you Miss Cookie!” and “Get well soon” The Budweiser distributor and Buffalo Chip Campground had come through for Miss Cookie. During the week hundreds of people stopped by the Canadian Corner Camp at The Chip and signed the banner. The Biker Belles had it at their ride and great woman riders signed with their sentiments, The Legends riders signed, and Christine Diers, the executive director of the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame, heard of our efforts and requested that this banner be down at their building for riders to sign while they honored Miss Cookie and those who had ridden the Wall of Death. The week eventually came to an end; the banner was rolled up and tied to my bike, and after a ‘lightning quick’ 1700 mile ride back to the west coast of Oregon the arrangements were made to present the motorcycling world’s sentiments to our Queen. It is said that a man who causes a woman to cry, is not much of a man. When the banner was unfurled and shown to Cookie, she gasped at the names and tears welled up in her eyes at the realization of the sentiments. Yes- “We miss you Miss Cookie”. I must have got a bug in my eye or something, as I had to wipe my face with my sleeve. Yep, even old dogs like me find their tender spot once in a while. I have that spot build into me for women who ride. My mom was one of those ‘Belles’ who loved motorcycles and rode when she was younger. She really would have liked Cookie. Our Miss Cookie is the Queen to all motorcycle riders. “God Save the Queen” Article and photo contributed by Frank Medicine Wolf Springer - Copyright 2014
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 23
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 24
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 25
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 26
RIDE PRIDE:
TWO WHEEL LEGACY
I
one’s Mike Martinez inherited this 2008 Soft Tail after his father passed away. Mike says that his dad loved to ride and thinks that the love of two wheels was passed on to him as a teenager. The bike came to Mike with a Screaming Eagle 110 ci engine so Mike decided to put his stamp on this family tradition by personalizing this bike to his style. Mike had some custom built ape hangers built and installed a Screaming Eagle programmer. Then he had the cylinder heads sent out to be polished and ported along with bigger valves installed. Next, he sent out the cylinders to be diamond cut and a set of custom pipes were built and installed. Mike did as much of the work on the bike as he could himself. continued ...
Thunder Roads MagazineÂŽ Northern California 27
The end result is what you see here and is a very nice looking Soft Tail. Mike sincerely feels that the joy of riding was passed down to him from his father. He also feels that when he rides his father is there riding along with him. It is always difficult to lose a loved one and Mike really wanted to thank the many friends and family that helped him get through this rough time in his life. We want to twist our throttles to Mike and the memory of his dad with many more thousands of miles riding together, just the way it started. Thank you for sharing your story and we hope to see you out on the road soon. Photos contributed by Dan Griffin / Model: Maggie Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 28
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 29
Lake Sonoma From Vista
Ride Destinaton: SONOMA
A
lthough we could have used a little more winter, the arrival of spring is always reason to celebrate. The riding season is again upon us, so let’s go! One of our early forays is always a trip up along the coast. So we sat down and mapped out a little ride from Jenner that would include an excursion through wine country (about 110 miles). Our plan was to, again, stay at one of our favorite spots, the Ocean Cove Lodge (www.oceancovebarandgrill.com) on Highway 1. A great place to hang out and the folks there treat you right. FYI, the guys from Folsom H-D will be leading a ride there on the 25th of April. Check it out! Heading north from the Lodge, you’ll enjoy a nice scenic seaside ride. Lots of curves in and out of the woods mixed in with the rocky coastline. At Stewart’s Point, a right hand turn on Skaggs Springs Rd will take you, about 50 miles later, into Geyserville. If you’re a little adventurous, this piece of asphalt can be a bit like ‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’. It starts out in the woods as a one-laner, turns to a two-laner for a while, then back to a single lane with plenty of elevation changes and tight turns as it follows the various creeks through the hills. About half way to Geyserville, a well paved two-laner begins as you climb out of the forest and take in some beautiful views of the surrounding valleys. Nice! You can crank it up some through here if you want to get the adrenaline flowing...a feast of curves and sweepers. By now a butt break at the Lake Sonoma overview will be in order. A nice clean rest
Bridge On Skaggs Rd
New Deck and Art At OC Lodge
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 30
e Entranc
Coppola
Winery
The Tucker 48
Godfather Movie Stuff
area at the top of the hill with a great view of the lake. From the overview it’s just a hop, skip and a jump into Geyserville. (Skaggs Springs Rd is now Dry Creek. Don’t miss the left at Canyon Rd.) A fine lunch can be had downtown at Catelli’s. It’s an Italian Restaurant/Bar with a good menu and cozy atmosphere. You can’t hardly go into wine country without making a stop or two, can you? We’re no sommeliers, but do enjoy a glass or two now and then. I kinda prefer the sweet wines or ports and heard that the Trentadue Winery on Geyserville Ave warranted a stop. Picked up a couple of bottles from the friendly folks there and since it was just across Highway 101, decided to check out the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Coppola, of course, is the Academy Award winning director of ‘The Godfather’ and other successful films, such as ‘Apocalypse Now’, ‘Tucker, the Man and His Dreams’ and ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’. At this winery, not only can you relax and enjoy some good wine, but it’s also a mini museum. Lots of memorabilia from his movies and a friendly staff more than willing to answer questions, not only on wine, but historical facts related to the films. I was fascinated a bit by the Tucker ‘48 (the year it was produced). An earlier prototype had been continued...
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 31
Trentadue Winery named the ‘Torpedo’. The car had features unique for its time. Rear engine/drive, the third headlight and many safety features such as a pop out windshield, perimeter frame and a roll bar integrated in the roof. Only 51 cars were produced, of which 47 still exist. There were a couple of early problems since the car was rushed for its debut and Tucker’s enemies took advantage. A combination of envy, politics and bad press ended up sinking the company. Too bad. This car was no Edsel! There’s no charge to check things out, so it’s definitely worth coming by if you’re in the area. From the winery it was Southbound on 101 to Healdsburg, where taking Westside Rd will pass you by vineyard after vineyard as it meanders down to the River Road. Turning west, River Rd follows the Russian River through Guerneville and Monte Rio, after which you can catch the highway up to Cazadero. Small little town, but if you’re into Willy’s, there is a large wrecking yard here full of them. ‘Willy’s America’ has just about any part you would need. (www.willysamerica.com) From Cazadero, the road turns to a single lane for much of the way to the coast (it’s now Ft Ross Rd). Personally, I really enjoy these types of tracks. They’re a great change of pace. I think of them as kind of off-roading on the asphalt. These roads are usually in the deep woods, have some uneven surfaces and texture. In other words, character. You rarely see a vehicle and I enjoy picking various lines as I make my way around. Climbing is the best. Less wear and tear on the scoot. Hated to see this section come to an end, but it was a blast and a half! Now it was back on the Coast Highway and some final scenic miles back to the lodge. What was a great day and a fine ride. God willing, there will be plenty more. Article and photos contributed by Chuck & Cindy Loseth
On Fort Ross Rd
Need Willy Parts
The Babe Carved From Tree Trunk On Cazadero Hwy
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 32
EVENT Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 33
Sonoma County Harley-Davidson®’s
2015 STREET BOB
As we have mentioned before the folks in the North Bay area have a tight sense of community so when Thunder Roads NorCal shows up to do a photo shoot for the new Street Bob customized by Sonoma Harley-Davidson in Cotati, it is no surprise that the community gets behind the effort. Another local business, Sonoma County Martial Arts Center in Rohnert Park is mutually supportive in helping with motorcycle events in this area so it only makes sense that the two businesses team up. Sonoma County Martial Arts Center (www. MartialArtCenter.net) is also very active in promoting boxing and kick boxing events as well as training a lot of Northern California’s up and coming future champion fighters like Karissa Crowe. Our model, Karissa is a local kick boxer that is blasting her way through
her division with a 10-0 record - making her one of the best up and coming fighters out there. She said that she has been fighting since she was 13 years old and knew the minute she stepped into the ring that kick boxing was something she was born to do. She says that every punch she delivers speaks louder than any words she could ever speak. Karissa also says is grateful for her amazing Sonoma County Martial Arts team and the support from her family who make it possible for her to fulfill her dreams. She defiantly has the mentality of a champion who is not only willing to work as hard as possible to meet whatever challenge is put in front of her but she really seems to enjoy the process and hard work that goes into it. Karissa is a proud Native American woman from Northern
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 34
California who also loves to ride her Harley-Davidson motorcycle and thinks of her bike as an “Iron Horse” of today. She loves to feel the power and the adrenalin rush of riding and how the rush of fighting and riding have a commonality in her life. Karissa said the power of her drive rumbles like the power of her “Iron Horse” to do better than good, to be the best. Thanks again to Sonoma County Harley-Davidson in Cotati (www.SonomaCountyHD.com) for bringing this perfect ride for Karissa to pose with as the bike has that aggressive stance that looks like it’s up for any challenge the street can dish out. Stop by the dealership and check out their showroom for your next ride. Article and photos by Stan Hill / Model: Karissa
Bike: 2015 Harley-Davidson® Street Bob Wheels: Mag Bars & Risers: Biltwell risers and High Bend Bars from Big Al’s (Rohnert Park) Fairing: Harley-Davidson Quarter Fairing Paint: Morocco Gold side covers and fairing painted to match by Jason at Reality Custom Paint (Rohnert Park) Seat: Harley Fat Bob 2 up seat with passenger pegs Other: HD Grips, wrinkle black primary and horn cover
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 35
SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE
WWW.FOLSOMHD.COM JIM HILL ANDY WELTON STEVE ZARWELL
CALL OUR SALES TEAM TODAY
115 WOODMERE ROAD - FOLSOM CA - 916.608.9922
HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF FOLSOM
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST INVENTORY!
Bike provided by Sonoma County Harley-Davidson on location at Sonoma County Martial Arts Center in Rohnert Park. Photo by Stan Hill. Fighter/Model: Karissa
RIDE PRIDE:
AUTISM ARMY BIKE
A
pril is National Autism Awareness month and we felt that this would be the perfect time to feature this RIDE PRIDE from Livermore. The Autism Army bike is a one off custom bike that was built to help bring awareness of autism. A few years ago we met Marty and have personally witnessed his tireless efforts on behalf of families with autistic children. Owner-builder, Marty Seagraves’ son - AJ is the inspiration for this build. Check out his handprint on the oil tank. Upon learning that his son was autistic, Marty took it upon himself to research and learn as much as he could to help AJ. Simply providing multitudes of experiences and opportunities so that AJ could
give it his best shot is Marty’s focus. Marty has become quite knowledgeable in the subject from his own personal experiences as to what works and what doesn’t, obviously patience is crucial. Another thing that Marty suggests for parents to keep their kids active - to find some type of activity that they enjoy from bike riding to running or whatever activity sparks an interest. The most important thing is to get the kids outside and engaged in something other than the TV or games. Personally, this advice should be just as important for ALL kids. You can see for yourself on the Autism Army Facebook page or on Instagram as Marty regularly takes AJ and his friends on some sort of adventure or activity riding
mountain bikes or whatever. It was apparent to Marty that that more and more folks know of someone that is affected by autism whether it’s a family member or a friend. As time went on and as he learned more, Marty stepped up to the plate and started to help guide other families with autistic kids. It is all about creating awareness. It still amazes us with just how many people we meet in our motorcycle family who are actively involved within their communities in ways that it seems most others are not. Bikers are natural humanitarians, we haven’t figured out why this is - but we are glad to know that there are people out there that willingly
give so much of themselves to others in need whether it is a kid or a parent that needs support and guidance. Do as Marty does… “follow your heart - keep your eyes open and let them show you the way”. During the photo shoot, Marty proudly told us that AJ made the honor roll at school. Congratulations AJ - keep up the hard work…and by the way you got a pretty cool dad too! Article and photos by Stan and Terry Hill continued...
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 39
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 40
BIKE SPECS Fabrication: Riff Raff Customs Year: 1992 Harley-Davidson Model: Softtail Time to Build: 2 years Engine: 1992 EVO-PAN 80” S&S Builder: Greg Chess Ignition: Dyna Cases: S&S Carb: S&S Aircleaner: Stromborg Pipes: Custom Thunderheader Muffler: None Primary: Open belt BDL Transmision: 5 speed polished S&S Frame: 1992 Santee Swingarm: Molded, widened, Boxed Bars: Arlen Ness Retro Grips: Arlen Ness Mirrors: RSD Speedo: Stock Carbon fiber Cat Eye Dash Fender: Rear- Fatboy widened Gas Tank: Split Oil Tank: Custom oval Headlight: 53/4” Carbon Fiber Taillight: Model A Carbon Fiber Seat: Ann Newlcold – Custom Leather Front end: Riff Raff Customs 2” lower Wheel: Front- 41/4X18 Black Bike, Perelli Venom tire WHEEL: Rear- 51/2X18 Black Bike, Perelli Venom Brakes: Sproter Paint: Riff Raff Customs Scott Houltquist Type: Beechnut aircraft green - PPG Candy Special Modifications: Every part of this bike is custom
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 41
PROFILING PRESS RELEASE: ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 334
LEGISLATION to Curb Profiling of Motorcycle Riders February 17 (Sacramento): Thunder Roads Magazine NorCal was present at the State Capitol’s Governors Press Conference Room for this big announcement and press release. AB 334 introduced by Assemblyman Ken Cooley and co authored by Assembly members: Achadjian, Chavez, Gallagher, Gray, Olsen, Perea and Wagner make this a very important by partisan effort that would require training of all peace officers in order to prevent profiling of motorcycle riders. Currently there are nearly 1.4 million registered motorcycle riders in the state of California and that number is continually growing. AB 334 will require that all local law enforcement agencies to adopt a written policy designed to condemn and prevent the profiling of motorcycle riders and to review and audit any existing policies to ensure that those policies do not enable or foster the practice of profiling motorcycle riders. This legislation is modeled after the legislation that has passed in the state of Washington and has made a big difference there with the issue’s that relate to law enforcement’s profiling of motorcycle riders. You should not have to be worried about getting pulled over because you ride a motorcycle, or you look different from others because you wear a leather jacket. Nor should you feel that you need to defend yourself because you chose to ride with friends in a motorcycle club. Having a patch on your back does not make you a gang member worthy of interrogation and we as Americans should not have to worry about such things. But unfortunately as most motorcycle riders can tell you that is just not the current reality and even though we really should not have to educate peace officers to this fact since being a citizen of this country is supposed to be enough, it is necessary to take these measures to ensure that we can ride in the future without fear of being singled out inappropriately. Big thank you to all the representatives who have stepped up to the plate on this very important issue and also to Greg “Coach” Coppes who is running for the 3rd District State Senate Seat, Rodney Grenier President and CEO of MMA, Tracy Perry Chairman for BRO of California, William Wollner President District 36 AMA, for bringing the importance of this legislation to the representatives that can make AB No. 334 a reality. Also thanks to Joseph Iosefa for his testimonial and video that was taken after he and some of his club members were pulled over in Stockton. It was a perfect example of why this is a must pass issue – check out this 30 minute video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVt8Kcs46F8 HOW DO THE FEW CONTROL THE MANY? On a related note I also attended a meeting in Fairfield on March 8th as a follow up were we learned a bit more about
Greg “Coach” Coppes’s preparation to run for the 3rd District State Senate seat and I was very happy to see a full room of interested bikers and community members as a short head count there was around 145 people there who all came on just a few days notice. Also present were Jim McCully Solano County Republican Chairman, Andrew Untal First Vice Chairman, both brought a wealth of information on the process. The propose for this meeting was strictly educational. (How do the few control the many?) We were all treated to an eye-opening insider’s view of just how the political game is played. I was surprised at just how sophisticated the politicians running for office or those currently in office are in their approach to their constituents. For example, if you call to voice your opinion to an elected representative, the first thing that happens is the receptionist will take your name and pull you up on their voter database. It is here they can see your voting history, not how you voted - but rather if you are registered and what elections that do you vote in. For example, if you are not a registered voter – then your voice will have no weight as your opinions do not matter to a politician. Another thing is if you are registered and only vote in the general elections, then you will have their attention during that campaign for a general election. If you are the type of voter that votes by mail and votes in every election, then you are the citizen that holds some weight with that politician because he or she understands that you’re going to be a voter and your vote and opinion matters to them. I had no idea that they used this kind of software and we were all treated to how this software works with a couple of volunteers in the crowd offering to be the example. I was also surprised to find out that a very small percentage of motorcycle riders are registered to vote. The reality is that we are all dictated to by the people in the state that are regular voters (How the few control the many) so if we don’t like what we have now for government that is the only way to make a change. The bottom line to this is that YOU MUST REGISTER TO VOTE! Like it or not - if you do not you have no voice in the outcome of any issue be it biker related or otherwise. Please follow along with us here in the magazine and on social media for updates as we get them both on AB 334 and Coach’s run for the State Senate seat for District 3. It’s about time we had representation at the state capitol that understands issues relating to motorcycle riders here in the state of California. If any of you are able to help with Greg “Coach” Coppes’s campaign your time would be well spent. Remember your opinions matter - now is the time to register to vote! Article and photos by Stan Hill
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 42
EVENT Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 43
35 Annual Jack & Joan Stadel SWEETHEART RUN th
February 15 (Auburn): Carlo and Emma the owners of C&E Auburn Indian & V-Twin must be living right because mother nature always seems to shine on this day as it was the 5th year in a row of spectacular riding weather. Emma was up in front of the pack with her new ride up and running, a brand new Indian Scout that she had personalized a bit for her comfort. Check out YOU TUBE “Emma Leads The Sweetheart Run” as we also recorded the pack that she lead in the run – you just might see yourself! She was beaming with excitement for the ride, I can understand why after test riding one of the Scouts earlier in the year I can tell you that it is one sporty, lively and very fun to ride. The route took us over the Foresthill Bridge and down into the American River Canyon before heading up the twisty road that leads to Cool. Terry and I rode with
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 44
Chuck and Cindy Loseth - Thunder Roads NorCal contributors of the RIDE DESTINATION features and after all the bikes rolled through where we staged ourselves, we stopped in for lunch and a cold one at Cool Beerwerks (www.cbwbeer. com). Cool Beerwerks is located in the shopping center located at the corner at Hwy 193 and Hwy 49, be sure to check them out when you ride in this area they have top notch entertainment on the weekends too. Afterwards, we headed off to the Coloma Club were the party was already in high gear with Buzztones Band sounding continued...
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 45
EVENT great on the back patio and bikers were mingling every were inside and out some checking out all of the cool rides in the parking lot some inside and a bunch out in the back kicking up the dust dancing to the tunes. As the sun began to set, bikes started to roll out as everyone put the wraps on a perfect day of riding; and for most this has become the unofficial start to the spring riding season. Thanks to the C&E crew and all the volunteers that make this run so organized and efficient, it’s no small task when there are around 1500 bikes rolling out. Article and photos by Stan and Terry Hill
Thunder Roads MagazineÂŽ Northern California 46
6TH ANNUAL WOUNDED WARRIOR PARTY
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY FORREST COSS Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 47
Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson® & Jamestown Harley-Davidson EVENT
®
Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson®
SATURDAY APRIL 11th ANNUAL PISMO BEACH RUN!
®
NEW DATE! NEW LOCATION!
Event located at: Ocean Breeze Inn Tickets $25 per person
®
®
209-522-1061
®
209-984-4888 18275 HWY. 108 Jamestown www.jamestownhd.com
500 N Carpenter Rd. Modesto www.mitchellsmodestohd.com
When You’re Injured, We’re Here To Help
WE GET RESULTS!
Millions Recovered For Our Clients • We Specialize In Motorcycle Accidents • FREE Consultation! No Recovery = No Fee Or Costs • 24 Hours A Day, 7 Days A Week, We’re Here To Help You • Big Cities Or Small Towns, We’ll Come To You • Representing Bikers For Over 30 Years Steve Schapiro, Don Laughlin, & Herm Walker
• We Do Our Own Work - We Are Not A Referral Service
Photo by PJ Hyland
Join us with our friends at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort for the Laughlin River Run 2015 April 22nd to 26th
CALL US 24/7 - FOR A FREE CONSULTATION - (877) 835-7800 Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 48
Have you ever been riding and see someone broke down on the side of the road only to find yourself passing on by? Maybe you’re tired from being on the road all day or you have been working all day and just want to get on home. Or maybe it’s because they don’t ride the same kind of bike you ride or maybe it’s because they don’t look like you or dress like you. The fact of the matter is if they’re on 2 wheels and need help; then, we as a community of bikers should feel a sense of urgency to help. If you have ever broke down you know exactly what I’m talking about. It sucks to watch “bikers” ride on by while you wait patiently (well, maybe not patiently) for anyone to stop and help. Do you really think a “cage” is going to stop and help? I would bet to say, “No”. Here is a good story that explains what I’m talking about. A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side of the road. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when
he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the inn keeper two silver coins, telling him “Take care of this man” - if his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here. (Luke 10:30-35) So what I am trying to say is that if you see a biker broke down on the side of the road, pull over and help him out. The “cage” may look and just pass on by. The trucker may not have enough room or time to pull over and stop; we (bikers) should keep a watchful eye and help another biker in need. I’ve pulled over many times to help and most of the time we were able fix the bike, get gas or just wait for a tow and a simple “Thank You” is all the payment that was required………… See You At Thunder Road! Luke 10:33 – “Then the despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.” “Never Ride Alone” Pastor Johnny Lujan
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 49
County Crossroads:
100 Annual Almond Festival th
February 22 (Capay): Sunshine and I have heard of the Almond Festival for years, figured this would be a good year to hit it being it was its 100th anniversary. We got up early that Sunday morning dressing appropriately for cool weather. Sunshine looked like the Stay Puff Marshmallow dude... with boobs. Since it was a bit breezy we decided on three wheels instead of two. Good call. Once we got on HWY 20 it wasn’t breezy anymore, it was a downright wind storm. If we had sails, we wouldn’t have needed those 103 cubes. The farther we rode on HWY 20 the larger the packs of bikes grew until there were several packs of a dozen or more in each group. All bikes pulled up to the turn off at the junction of HWY 20 and HWY 16 single file taking his or her turn at the intersection making a left turn onto HWY 16. Once on HWY 16, the wind was block somewhat by the foothills making the ride a little more comfortable. The Almond Festival runs all the way on HWY 16 from Rumsey to Esparto, first stop was Rumsey and the festival was in full swing. We picked up our “stop” passports and got our first stamp. Looking around we saw many handmade crafts, homemade pizzas made right before your eyes in two outdoor brick ovens, homemade almond ice cream and homemade almond
beer; hey, it doesn’t get any better... but wait there’s more, live music! Next on the “stop” list for a stamp was Guinda. Here we found the local fire department putting on one hell of a feed. Up the hill by the Grange they had Hit & Miss engines, a petting zoo (put on by the 4H) and pony rides for the little ones, more food, crafts, forged metal works and #2 stamp for our passports. Crawling back onto our land barge we made our way toward “stop” #3, but got side tracked by the Cache Creek Casino at Brooks, it was lunch time. Stop #3 was the Road Trip Bar & Grill in Capay. Sunshine and I decided to hit that stop on the way back and make it our last stop, so on to Esparto and the next stamp in our passports. Esparto was hopping with two live bands, beer gardens, classic car show, multiple vendors, no less than three news and radio stations doing live broadcasts. The Esparto Fire Department and Chamber of Commerce had a lot to do with the activities in Esparto. Traffic by this time was getting crazy, stop and go all the way from Capay to Esparto. Not looking forward to the traffic getting back to Capay. And the men in blue were everywhere - a little over the top with coverage. There was no turning around in Esparto with all the traffic so we scooted alongside traffic until we came to an alley and made it out of
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 50
town that way. Still stop and go, not much air flow past the fins so I turn on the cooling fan. Long time advertisers / supporters of Thunder Roads NorCal - Road Trip Bar & Grill was now in sight... there was no parking available so we passed it... very slowly and then found a parking spot on the opposite side of the road and a small break in traffic… exit stage left! Inside was where it was happening. Inside the bar was full, bar keeps were running there cute little tails off, outside the Terry Sheets Band was entertaining the crowd and keeping tempo, grill master was keeping a watchful eye on the meat, and the bar keeps were doing the same outside. It was here that we ran into fellow Thunder Roads NorCal contributors Chuck and Cindy of “Ride Destination” and photographer Forrest Cross. We shared a drink, a few stories and blended in with the crowd. Sunshine got herself a nice spaghetti strap T shirt with the Almond Festival 100th logo and of course our last pass book stamp. These pass books once filled were turned in with names and address for the chance to win a Capay Valley gift basket. After a nice visit with the TRM NorCal gang it was time to hit the road. If you are traveling HWY 20 you need to be home before dark 30 - if not, the bugs come out and the heat goes away, so we raced the sun. It was a good day, fun day, good ride (could have been better) and we will do it again next year! Ride on and keep the shiny side up.
Mason Tearing It Up Almond Fest
Article contributed by Rich “Foot” and Jennifer “Sunshine” Elkins. Additional photos contributed by Forrest Coss, Chuck and Cindy Loseth. Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 51
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 52
EVENT Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 53
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 54
EVENT Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 55
HardRider Press M
eet Joelle “Xmas” Fraser - an award-winning author from Northern California who teaches college level English and journalism on a part-time basis. Joelle has two published memoirs already under her belt—both of which have received great reviews from The New York Times to the Washington Post to USA Today. It was about six months ago that Joelle launched HardRider Press – a compilation of short stories that have it all: romance, MC intrigue, epic rides—and a fair amount of whiskey and sex. Five short stories have been published so far and Joelle hopes the HardRider stories will take off so she can write—and ride—full time. The fictional characters and situations are rather captivating simply because they are somewhat reminiscent of character traits within our very own motorcycle community. Personally, I enjoyed that Fraser mentions recognizable rural towns and roads that each of us ride on in NorCal as backdrops in her stories. You instantly feel a connection with the characters as you could easily imagine it to be someone or someplace that you may have encountered. And because they are short stories, each one makes for an easy read for a busy lifestyle. Not to give anything away, each story has a cliffhanger ending that will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to read more. Are you wondering where can get your hands on one of these stories? It’s easy - for the tech savvy, the stories can be downloaded from i-Tunes and Amazon for $2.99 each. If you’re not-so tech savvy, the good news is that the print volume hit the streets in March. Fraser says “…I realized that a lot of my readers are old school, and they want an actual book. So I collected the first four
stories into one volume to satisfy those folks.” Meanwhile keep an eye out for Joelle on the road because “When the riding season comes around, I’ll be doing book signings at more than a dozen rallies, from Daytona to Sturgis to Galveston…it’ll be great because the biker world is actually a small community and appreciates the personal connection. I can’t wait to meet readers and talk to them about their own riding stories.” Article by Terry Hill
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 56
K.I.S.S. page composed & edited by: Toni McCoy Shearon aka “MaMa Thunder” of Thunder Roads National Founders’ Office. SPRING has SPRUNG....so let’s keep it light, fresh and tasty! This is one of my all-time favorites and good cold, also.
EASTER EASY GLAZED HAM STEAKS 2 Thick-Cut Ham Steaks (find these in same section where they sell whole hams or next to pork chops in meat section) Do not mistake for the small, pork chop looking ham steaks. These are BIG, shaped and come in a clear, thick wrap and are essentially pre-cooked. You’re just adding flavor and color to them. Take them out of fridge, let them come to room temperature, cut out of thick wrapper and each one will literally take up almost a full plate. DRY RUB: Small of palm each of: Pepper Salt (easy, as it’s pork & already salty) Dry Mustard Powder Garlic Powder Rosemary; fine chop Set aside Parsley and 1/2 cup of Maple syrup Your ham steaks will already be wet coming out of the package. Swipe off excess with hand and put both on a big platter. Generously apply Dry Rub to each side and let rest for apprx. 10 mins. Now, I use my X-large cast iron skillet, but have used a large, flat pancake electric skillet and even a non-stick X-large skillet. Have even used to medium skillets going at the same time. They’re excellent on the grill also. I let skillet get moderately hot on medium-high heat, add a dollop of margarine and swirl to cover entire bottom of skillet, place them and let them be. It only takes about 4 minutes to turn golden brown. Flip and other side only takes 2 minutes. Just before removing from pan pour syrup over the top and let it bubble down and stick a fork in them and allow syrup sauce to get up under. Remove to plate and sprinkle parsley on top of each. Woo-eee baby! These are audacious!
HIPPITY-HOP PEANUT GINGER PASTA (*If you want to use real gingerroot and garlic, have at it. But I use dry spices to Keep It Simple Sweetie) 2-1/2 tsp. Grated Lime Peel 1/4 Cup Lime Juice 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk 1 Tbls. Sesame Oil 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (*quality brand) 2 Tbls. of dry spice Ginger 1 Rounded Tbls. of Pre-Minced Garlic (found in small glass bottle in Produce section of market) Salt & Pepper to taste (but keep in mind Soy Sauce is very salty, so taste before adding salt 1 8 oz. box of premium Linguine 2 Cups of small, Broccoli Florets 1 Large carrot; grated 1 Large Sweet Red Pepper; (julienned) aka slicing in medium long strips 3 Strips of Scallions (green onions); medium chop 2 Tbls. of Basil 2 Tbls. of Parsley 1 Heaping Tbls. of premium Margarine or Butter Take the first 10 ingredients and either put them in a blender, a food processor or just blend them down low and slow in a saucepan until rich & creamy. In a separate non-stick skillet, add a touch of margarine or olive oil and saute’ down your broccoli florets, red pepper and carrot. Cook your linguine; drain, and I transfer to a big pasta bowl and add a heaping tablespoon of butter and basil and parsley. Add in your piping hot Peanut Sauce, & saute’ed veggies. Take tongs and blend until every strand of linguine is WABBIT’S CHOICE E-Z P-Z DESSERT absorbed in peanut sauce. Sprinkle generously with 1 Jar of premium Marshmallow Creme’ scallions (green onions) and dig in. This sauce is SO 1 Squeeze Bottle of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup delicious, I often double up on the recipe but hold back a full cup just to have as extra for pouring over 1 Gallon of premium Hand-Churned Vanilla Ice-Cream top or using as a dipping sauce for crusty bread. Microwave a small bowlful of both marshmallow creme’ and chocolate syrup. Add two BIG scoops of ice-cream to bowl, cover up with both syrup & creme’. These two are the perfect match. Slurp!
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 57
EVENT
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 58
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 59
THE OCEAN ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!! CHILDREN WRITING ABOUT THE OCEAN 1) - This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly, age 6) 2) - Oysters’ balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6) 3) - If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don’t have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (Mike, age 7) 4) - Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson . She’s not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6) 5) - A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 8) 6) - My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6) 7) - When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn’t blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7) 8) - Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6) 9) - I’m not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can’t think what to write. (Amy, age 6) 10) - Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7) 11) - When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6) 12) - Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can’t go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky, age 8) 13) - On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won’t do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7) 14) - The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don’t drown I don’t know. (Bobby, age 6) 15) - My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn’t know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7) When my girlfriend said she was leaving because of my obsession with the Monkees – I thought she was joking… -and then I saw her face. THE MAGIC LAMP An old biker goes into a bar and asks the bartender, “How about a free drink for a tired old biker?” The bartender laughs, and says,”If I gave a free drink to every tired old biker who comes in here, I’d be outa’ business pretty quick.” The old biker smiles, and says, “If I can blow your mind.... I mean really astonish you with something, would you give me a free drink then?” The barkeep says, “Sure... but I gotta tell ya fella, not much astonishes ME anymore... I’ve seen it all.” The old biker reaches down to the saddlebags he brought in, pulls
out a tiny piano, and places it on the bar. He then pulls out a tiny man, and sits him in front of the piano. The little man begins to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto #21, as the bartender stares in amazement. “Okay, old man, you’ve earned your drink... what’ll it be?” he asks. “Jack Daniels straight up!” the old man replies. As the bartender pours, he inquires as to where the old man got the tiny piano player, and the old man tells him that he found a magic lamp, which when rubbed, allows the holder one wish to be granted. And of course the bartender asks, “So where is this lamp now?” The old man lets out a big grin and pulls the lamp from his other saddle bag. “Here, give ‘er a try for yourself... be my guest.” The bartender hands the old man his drink and takes the lamp. He rubs it with great vigor as he says out loud, “I wish for a million bucks.” Soon the bar is overflowing with ducks. There are ducks on every table, on every bare spot of floor... ducks as far as the eye can see. “What the hell?” he screams at the old biker. The old biker lets out another big grin and answers, “Well ya don’t think I wished for a ten inch pianist, do ya?” The Journey of a Man When I was 13, I hoped that one day I would have a girlfriend with big boobs. When I was 16 I got a girlfriend with big boobs, but there was no passion, so I decided I needed a passionate girl with a zest for life. In college I dated a passionate girl, but she was too emotional. Everything was an emergency; she was a drama queen, cried all the time and threatened suicide. So I decided I needed a girl with stability. When I was 25 I found a very stable girl but she was boring. She was totally predictable and never got excited about anything. Life became so dull that I decided that I needed a girl with some excitement. When I was 28 I found an exciting girl, but I couldn’t keep up with her. She rushed from one thing to another, never settling on anything. She did mad impetuous things and made me miserable as often as happy. She was great fun initially and very energetic, but directionless. So I decided to find a girl with some real ambition. When I turned 30, I found a smart ambitious girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground, so I married her. She was so ambitious that she divorced me and took everything I owned. I am older and wiser now, and I am looking for a girl with big boobs. I went into the confessional after years of being away from the Church. Inside I found a fully equipped bar with Guinness on tap. On one wall, there was a row of decanters with fine Irish whiskey and Waterford crystal glasses. On the other wall was a small refrigerator with food, and an array of the finest chocolates. Then the priest came in. I said to him, “Father, forgive me, for it’s been a very long time since I’ve been to confession, but I must first admit that the confessional box is much more inviting than it used to be.” He replied: “Get out, you moron, you’re on my side.”
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 60
MARKETPLACE THUNDER ROADS NORCAL EVENT Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 61
Subscribe Today!
GET YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO THUNDER ROADS Mail Check and This Form for 1 Year Subscription 12 Issues $30 To: THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE NorCal, P.O. Box 794 – Orangevale, CA 95662 Now accepting credit cards – Call 530.305.7992 NAME____________________________________________________________ STREET OR P.O. BOX_______________________________________________ CITY_______________________________ST___________ZIP______________ NE_______________________________________________________________ Make check payable to Thunder Roads Of Northern California
EVENT
MARKETPLACE THUNDER ROADS NORCAL
DON’T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE!
GOT EVENTS ? Submit your events online at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 62
MARKETPLACE THUNDER ROADS NORCAL Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 63
MARKETPLACE THUNDER ROADS NORCAL
Thunder Roads Magazine速 Northern California 64
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
GOT EVENTS ? Submit your events online at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com APRIL APRIL 1 Mileage Maniac Challenge SACRAMENTO Presented by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 9am - 7pm. Think you have what it takes to beat our most dedicated rider? Visit the dealership on the 1st of every month to check in your bike’s miles. Return at our “Welcome to the Family” event before 2pm for your chance at winning a free oil change. *oil change is valid for regular oil only For more information: Savannah Westbrook (916) 929-4680 x 3100 APRIL 4 FREE-KEY Friday LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 Harlan Rd. All Day. Visit Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson and receive a FREE-KEY for your chance at unlocking the treasure chest! For more information: Megan (209)941-0420 APRIL 4 Brunch and Bikes LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 Harlan Rd. 9am-11am. FREE breakfast – while supplies last! All donations will be given to a local charity! For more information: Megan (209)941-0420 APRIL 4 Edd Fowler’s Birthday Party ANDERSON Presented by United Bikers Of Northern Calif. Located at Anderson River Park at the Gazebo. 12pm noon / Donation of $10/person or $15/couples. This is a Family Event, and Anderson River Park is putting on a Free fishing for kids 16yrs and young, they supply everything poles, bait and people to net your fish. At noon we have food, games for
the kids and adults. music, drawings and 50/50. Proceeds benefit money raised to buy turkeys for the holidays for the less fortunate families in Shasta County. For more information: Valerie (530) 243-3654 / www. ubncshastaco.org APRIL 4 Free Pictures with the Easter Bunny SACRAMENTO Presented by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 12pm-3pm. The Easter Bunny is hoping on a motorcycle and taking free pictures! Stop by HarleyDavidson of Sacramento to take your free picture with the Easter Bunny. Bring the kids! For more information: (916) 929-4680 APRIL 11 7th Annual Sgt Bobby Rapp Memorial Scholarship Ride JAMESTOWN Presented by V.V.A. Chapter 391 MC Riders. Sign in at Jamestown Harley Davidson - 18275 California 108. 8AM11AM. Poker run thru beautiful Sierra foothills with stops at Coppertown Square in Copperopolis, Rods Grill in Angels Camp, R & L Minimart in Columbia, ending at Tree and Liza’s Tattoo Shop in Tuolumne. Raffle prizes and silent auction with fabulous lunch at the Tuolumne Veterans Hall. Proceeds benefit Tuolumne County grads For more information: Roger Oliver (209) 768-6174 APRIL 11 Saints MC Steak and Spaghetti Feed MARTINEZ Presented by Saints MC Martinez. Located at Saints MC Clubhouse - 605 Marina Vista. 10AM. $20 donation. Annual steak and all you can eat spaghetti with all the fix’ns, raffle prizes, 42 inch flat screen grand prize with entry. Live music, good food, good drink, good day! Proceeds benefit Vicentes Briones High School Scholarship Fund. For more information: Joe (925) 890-8209.
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 65
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
APRIL 11 10th Annual Veterans Memorial – Support The Troops Run MERCED Presented by Merced STAR Chapter 212. Located at Merced Power Sports - 265 W. 15th Street. 9am This is a free ride, all we ask is to bring a donation. We will be collecting donations and care packages for our troops, to be delivered at home and abroad. We will then ride together to the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella for a ceremony and to pay our respects to the fallen, then ride to Veterans Park in Atwater for lunch and to deliver the care packages. Proceeds benefit Wounded Warrior Project. For more information: Ben Edmondson (209) 484-3918 APRIL 11 Meat and Greet LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 Harlan Rd. 11am-2pm. Come and Join Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson for a FREE BBQ – while supplies last! All donations will be given to a local charity! For more information: Megan (209)941-0420 APRIL 11 Ladies Garage Party VACAVILLE Presented by Iron Steed Harley-Davidson - 100 Auto Center Dr. 6pm-8pm. Free. Discover the freedom of riding your own Harley motorcycle at the event geared toward women. Interactive seminars, food, drinks and Raffles, Bring a buddy bingo. If you bring a friend you and your friend get a bingo card. For more information: Danielle, Sarena or Dave (707) 455-7000 See page 53 APRIL 12 2nd Annual Autism Run SANTA CRUZ Presented by Coastal Riderz MC. Sign in at Pono Hawaiian Grill - 120 Union St, Santa Cruz. 10am. Rider’s donation $20 rider & passenger / $15 rider only. 11am kickstands up - 2pm end spot Blue Lounge, 529 Seabright Ave in Santa Cruz. Food-Door Prizes-50/50-DJ Music. Proceeds benefit Balance 4 kids.com For more information: Stoney V Godet (831) 227-7966
APRIL 12 Covella Family Fundraiser SANTA ROSA Presented by Sonoma County Hells Angels. Located at 516 Fraizer. 12pm. $20 Donation. Music, food, raffle, silent auction. All proceeds go to the Covella family whose house burnt down. For more information: SonomaCoHellsAngels.com APRIL 18 Patriots MC 20th Annual Spring Event PRUNEDALE Presented by Patriots MC. Sign in at American Legion Post #593 - 8300 Prunedale North. 10am-Noon $15 donation includes 5 stop hand (high & low), rider reward ticket, BBQ meal, live band. Keg toss,door prizes,50/50,rider reward prize. Vendors welcome - no fee. Proceeds benefit 27th Annual Palo Alto Veterans Hospital Event. For more information: Frank (831) 636-5956 APRIL 18 Spring Fling 2015 SACRAMENTO Presented by Hells Angels Sacramento. Located at Clubhouse – 3405 9th Avenue. 7pm - ??. Food – Fun – Raffle – Entertainment – Refreshments. Music by Rogue and Some Fear None. Grand prize Hawaiian Vacation for 2. Benefits Sacramento Defense Fund. APRIL 18 Hogs and Dogs LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 Harlan Rd. 11am-2pm. Come and Join Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson for a FREE BBQ – while supplies last! All donations will be given to a local charity! For more information: Megan (209)941-0420 APRIL 18 Dirty Bash SUISUN CITY Presented by Dirty Whites MC. Located at Cloud 9 Bar – 4519 Walters Rd. 5pm $20. Live music, Go-Go dancers, raffle prizes. And of course this is our annual crawdad feed – will have plenty of food. For more information: Joe or Dave (707) 628-5664
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 66
Remember Remember to to check check for for MORE MORE events events submitted submittedAFTER AFTER print print deadline deadline at at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com www.thunderroadsnorcal.com APRIL 18 Zombie Mobb MC Blood Drive & Motorcycle Swap Meet SAN JOSE Presented by Zombie Mobb MC. Located at Harley Davidson San Jose - 1551 Parkmoor Ave. Free. 9am till 4pm. Blood drive and motorcycle swap meet. Join in for a day of fun, live music, food, raffle and kids zone. VENDORS NEEDED SPACE LIMITED CONTACT VIA EMAIL. Proceeds benefit American Red Cross. For more information: Zombiemobb@comcast.net APRIL 18 First Annual Fun Run CLEARLAKE OAKS Presented by Castro & Friends. Located at Spring Valley Community Center - 3000 Wolf Creek Rd. 10am - 12pm/$20. Rigatoni, BBQ chicken and more. Music Horseshoes. Ride from Spring Valley around beautiful Clearlake with a few stops along the way. Proceeds benefit Spring Valley Lake Rehabilitation Fund. For more information: Anthony “Hawk” Castro (707) 998-0343 / Mike “Yamaha” Anderson (707) 998-1973 APRIL 18 Big Rig Parts Extravaganza SACRAMENTO Presented by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 11am-2pm. Stop by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento for their biggest event of the year! Enjoy free food, vendors, and prizes every half hour. Enjoy free food & $1 beer while supplies last. For more information: Savannah Westbrook (916) 929-4680 x 3100. See page 33 APRIL 19 R.O. M.C. Swap Meet and Social CARSON CITY, NEVADA Presented by R.O.M.C. Located at Eagles Lodge - 1380 East 5th St. 7am till 5pm. 10x 10 spaces $10 Motorcycle swap meet and social live music and food avail. For more information: Thomas (775) 291-2775 APRIL 19 B.A.C.A Carwash WOODLAND Presented by B.A.C.A. Bikers Against Child Abuse. Located at Corner of Main St and Johnston Street. 9am to 3pm / Donations. Will wash cars, truck and semi’s. You bring we will wash it.... Proceeds benefit to help empower abused children in Yolo, Sutter/Yuba and Solano Counties. For more information: Stitch (530) 304-8725
APRIL 19 Home For Our Troops Car & Bike Show RANCHO CORDOVA Presented by Illuminati MC California. Located at 11476 Sunrise Gold Circle. 11am. Ride in car and motorcycle show. Food trucks, vendors, and raffle items. All proceeds go directly to assisting in getting a handicap accessible home built. All proceeds to US Army Sgt Cristian Valle. See page 62 APRIL 19 45th Annual Rolling On The River Poker Run SACRAMENTO Presented by Capital City Motorcycle Club. Located at Capital City MC Clubhouse - 2414 13th Street. 9am11am. $15. Scenic route along the beautiful Sacramento River. Sign in includes: coffee & donuts at sign-in; lunch at ending location; run pin for first 150; door prizes. Proceeds benefit Chick In Crisis. For more information: www. capitalcitymc.com / (916) 389-0285 APRIL 22-26 33rdAnnual Laughlin River Run LAUGHLIN, NEVADA Come see historic US Route 66 the way it was meant to be seen. Turn back time as you ride the hills from Kingman to Oatman, AZ. For more information: www.LaughlinRiverRun.com APRIL 25 5th Annual Hi-5 Run RIO LINDA Presented by American Legion Riders Chapter 521 – Sign in at 6700 8th Street. 8am-10am There will be opening ceremonies at 10am followed by a ride through the surrounding countryside (app. 100 miles). Upon return to the Post there will be a Tr-Tip Bar-B-Q with all the trimmings, a huge raffle, live music and dancing. We will have a “BIGG” time. Proceeds benefit Local Veterans and their families For more information: Bob Perryman (916) 873-5007 APRIL 25 Big Rig Parts Extravaganza LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 Harlan Rd. 11am-2pm. Be here early for a Big Rig Extravaganza! Top 8 vendors and thousands of items to choose from! For more information: Megan (209)941-0420 See page 33 SANTA ROSA
ROHNERT PARK
101
SONOMA
COTATI
HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
GRAVENSTEIN HWY /HWY116 101
AVE TATI E CO
WY DH OO DW RE OLD
481B
PETALUMA
Thunder Roads Magazine Northern California 67 ®
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
APRIL 25 Andy Stevens Memorial Run AUBURN Presented by C&E Auburn Indian and V-Twin 12015 Shale Ridge Lane. For more information: (530) 885-5556 / www.auburnvtwin.com See page 46 APRIL 25 EMS Angels MC Cali Fun Run YUBA CITY Presented by EMS Angels MC Cali. Located at Waffle Barn - 590 Colusa Ave. 9am – 11am. $20 Rider $10 passenger. Travel some Scenic country roads with some twists and turns and end at a Historical Landmark for some good ol’ country BBQ and refreshments. Proceeds benefit Potters Syndrome. For more information: Redneck (530) 788-5189 APRIL 25 ABATE 17 Annual Spring Run VACAVILLE Presented by ABATE 17 of California. Located at STR8 Shooters -1072 E Monte Vista Ave. 9am. $5.00 donation per card/per stop. Don’t miss this event! Sign up starts at 9:00 A.M, first game at 10:00. $5 donation per card. 5 stops, 5 games. Join ABATE the day of the event and get 1 bingo card FREE at each stop. Proceeds benefit Yountville Veterans Home, Vaca FISH, Sarah’s Scholarship. For more information: Glenn Phillips (707)6246310 / www.abate17.org See page 20 APRIL 25 Demo Days JAMESTOWN Presented by Jamestown Harley-Davidson - 18275 Highway 108. 9:30am. Free. Demo any of the 2015 model year Harley-Davidson line up. FREE BBQ while supplies last. For more information: (209) 984-4888 See page 55 APRIL 25 DHMC Poker Run SACRAMENTO Presented by DHMC. Located at Stoney Inn - 1320 Del Paso Blvd. 9am -11am. $20 (PRE SALE) Door Prize 50” SAMSUNG TV (PRE SALE ONLY) Steak BBQ with plenty of fixin’s, vendors, live music and raffle. Proceeds benefit Woodland skills. For more information: Cowboy (916) 952-5634
APRIL 30 Bike Night LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson and Haven Acres – 1691 Frewert Rd. 6pm. Bikes, beer, live music! Cheeseburger, fries and a beer for $6
MAY
MAY 1-3 First Daze O’ Summer Music & Motorcycle Festival BOULDER CREEK Presented by Ghost Mountain Counsil of Elders. Located at Camp Krem – 102 Brook Lane. 3 days of live music, motorcycles and California dreamin’ Gates open at noon on May 1st – Close at noon on May 3rd. Overnight tent camping, cabin rental and meals available. Day Pass $30/$20 if purchased on website. Tent camping $60/$50 if purchased on website. Net proceeds to Camp Krem – a camp for developmentally disabled children. For more information: (831) 601-9818 / (831) 831-9818 www.1stdaze.com See page 3 MAY 2-3 BAMS Bay Area Motorcycle Superfest PLEASANTON Presented by Quicksilver Expos. Located at Alameda County Fairgrounds – 4501 Pleasanton Avenue. Show expanded: 2 Big Halls and huge outdoor area, custom bikes, swap meet, vendors and entertainment. American metric vintage bikes. Lifestyle performance parts accessories, sell your bike in the Two Wheelers corral. Live music, food and fun for all motorcycle lovers. For more information: www.BAMS2015.com See page 14 MAY 2 29th Annual Spring Poker Run CHICO Presented by Chico HOG. Located at Hall’s H-D -1501 Mangrove Ave. 8:30am-10:30 am. High & Low Poker, raffle prizes, 50-50 raffle. Tri-Tip lunch included. Tickets $20.00 per person thru April 18th, $25.00 after tickets available at Hall’s H-D. Rain Date: May 16th. Proceeds benefit benefits Wings of Eagles. For more information: Brian (530) 893-1918 MAY 2 Pirate Treasure Hunt PLACERVILLE Presented by Sierra Riders & Folsom HOG 1787. Sign in at Placerville American Legion Hall - 4561 Greenstone Road. 9am – 10am. $25.00 to register (includes food ticket) HI/LO Hand Prize and much more! Lve music by Out
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 68
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com Of The Blue It’s not just a poker run, it’s an adventure. All bikes welcome, All proceeds to local charities / CASA El Dorado. For more information: Thom Bliss (530) 5035832 / Bliss Electronics (530) 642-9326 See page 15 MAY 2 Annual Cinco de Mayo Run/Bike Show SACRAMENTO Presented by Chicano Yank. Located at Renegades Classics Sacramento - 6758 Folsom Blvd. 9am -10:30am. $20. Scenic Ride down the river to Rio Vista then return to end of run Party/Bike Show at Florez Bar and Grill 5900 S Land Park. Proceeds benefit Cystic Fibrosis. For more information: Rudy Alba (916) 524-4609 MAY 2 Cycleworks 20th Annual Spring Party HEALDSBURG Presented by Cycleworks. Located at 1401B Grove Street. 11am-4pm. Food, great fun, door & raffle prizes, 50/50 drawing. Live music by The Renovators. For more information: (707) 431-0404 / cycleworks@att.net MAY 2 1st Annual T Force Memorial Fun Run NEVADA CITY Presented by Sinbads MC. Located at Nevada City Elks Lodge - 518 Hwy 49. 8am. Single $20 / 2up $30 Poker run. $100 hi/lo hand. 50/50 raffle run pins first 300. Spaghetti feed. Proceeds benefit local charities. For more information: Skovy (530) 798-3556 / mike.skovy@gmail.com MAY 3 CINCO-DE-BIKE-O LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 S. Harlan Rd. 11am-2pm.Bike Show and Vendors! Interested in entering your bike? For more information: (209) 941-0420 MAY 9 10th Annual Gold Country Lions Club Poker Run GRASS VALLEY Presented by Gold Country Lions Club of Grass Valley. Located at Higgins Diggins Lions Community Center 22490 E. Hacienda Drive. The Higgins Diggins Lions Club will provide a no-host pancakes and eggs breakfast for a charge of $7.50. Registration from 8:30am- 10:30am. $25 single/$40 couple. Features a 95-mile ride through the
foothills of western Nevada County. Approximately 250 riders are expected and all motorcycles and scooters are welcome. The final destination is Greenhorn Campground at Rollins Lake off of Highway 174 at Greenhorn Access Road (Camping is available at Greenhorn Campground (530) 272-6100) Upon arrival, riders will pick their last poker card and will be treated to a delicious tri-tip barbeque lunch. High & Low Hands, Raffle prizes, 50/50 drawing, silent auction and ride pins and live music by Mad Dash. Bring your mom, and she rides for free. Proceeds benefit Sierra Services for the Blind and New Events and Opportunities youth group. For more information: Tom Parilo (530) 265-6393 MAY 9 Sac Metro Lions Wrestling Club’s 2nd Annual Car & Bike Show SACRAMENTO Presented by CK McClatchy Lions Wrestling program. Sign in at CK McClatchy High School - 3066 Freeport Blvd. 8am-2pm Cars $20 ($25) / Bikes $10 ($15). Open to all classic & custom cars 1974 & older Open to all years & makes of motorcycles. Proceeds benefit CK McClatchy Lions Wrestling program. For more information: Jeff Norene (916) 375-1939 MAY 9 Yuba City HOG Poker Run YUBA CITY Presented by Yuba City HOG. Sign in at Guidera’s Harley Davidson - 720 W. Onstott Rd. 9am – 11am. $20 a person. Scenic ride going to Colusa Casino for Buffet lunch and ending at Guidera’s to see your cards and Raffle prize & 50/50 drawing. For more information: Rob, Director (530) 788-5189 MAY 9 High Sierra Heroes Ride MODESTO Presented by Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson - 500 N. Carpenter Road. 7am-9:30am. $50. Ride from Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson to Ironstone Vineyards. Ride leaves 10 am sharp. Music, food, beer and wine. Friday night registration at party 5-9pm at MMHD. Proceeds benefit Welcome Home Heroes Foundation. For more information: (209) 522-1061 See page 48
SANTA ROSA
ROHNERT PARK
101
SONOMA
COTATI
HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
GRAVENSTEIN HWY /HWY116 101
AVE TATI E CO
WY DH OO DW RE OLD
481B
PETALUMA
Thunder Roads Magazine Northern California 69 ®
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
MAY 10 13th Annual Lone Wolf Cycle Shop Swap Meet AUBURN Presented by Lone Wolf Cycle Shop - 160 Team Track Rd. Spaces $10. Vendors 7am / Shoppers 8am For more information: Brian (530) 889-1769 MAY 16-17 Frog Jump Weekend JAMESTOWN Presented by Jamestown Harley-Davidson - 18275 Highway 108. 10am. Free. Frog Jump Weekend Party at Jamestown H-D. Live band, beer garden, and BBQ. For more information: (209) 984-4888 MAY 16 15th Annual California Rendezvous MADERA Presented by Renegade Events. Located at Madera Fairgrounds - 1830 W. Cleveland Ave. 10am Huge bike show, vendors, food & beer, stunt shows by Jason Pullen, hot Playboy models, live music by 51 Aces, bikini contest. Come be part of the show and join the fun. You’ll tell stories about this event for years! For more information: Renegade Events - Kent Mortimer (559) 348-9690 MAY 16 Hammer Down Poker Run STOCKTON Presented by Habitat for Humanity of San Joaquin County. Sign in at Whiskey Barrel - 151 W Alder Street. 9:00AM. Kickstands up at 11am. Poker run to raise money for providing shelter for those in need. Whiskey Barrel, Eagles Nest, Waterloo Restaurant, Clements Corner Bar and Habanero Hots are the stops. Last stop at the Whiskey Barrel will have Food, Raffle prizes and Music. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. For more information: Michael Huber at the ReStore 4933 West Lane in Stockton (209) 465-5054 See page 59 MAY 16 ALR Chapter 77 2nd Annual Poker Run WOODLAND Presented by American Legion Riders Chapter 77. Located at 523 Bush Street. 9am till 10:30am. $20 single /$30 couple. Raffle, Live Music, Tri Tip lunch. Proceeds benefit American Legion. For more information: Tony (530) 908-4152
MAY 16 17th Annual Fallen Rider Memorial Run REDDING Presented by Missing In America Project. Located at Lee’s Honda - 2230 Larkspur Lane. 8am-10am. $25 Poker run. Prizes for High and Low hand. Raffle and 50/50 Drawings. Catered Lunch / Refreshments included. Pre-registration Fee: $20 per person (by May 2) On-site Fee:25 per person. Pre-regs will be entered into a drawing for $50 cash. Includes year bar, a Nor-Cal patch ( for 1st time participants) T shirts available on pre-regs order only. ($12-15) Lunch served 12-2pm only. Come and ride the scenic roads of Nor Cal. Proceeds benefit MIAP. For more information: Robert (530) 365-4579 / FRMR.Redding@yahoo.com / FRMR.Redding@gmail.com MAY 16 Ride for Independence ATWATER Presented by Atwater 4th of July Committee. Located at Veterans Park - N Buhach Rd & E Bellevue Rd. 9am. Early registration $25. Ride for Independence Poker Run, BBQ and Concert. Raffle prizes, event shirt, event pin, live music and more! All proceeds going to help fund Atwater’s small-town America, 4th of July celebration! For more information: Pinky McDaniel pinkmcdaniel@yahoo.com MAY 16 Kiwanis Pre-Redwood Run Poker Run and Rally GARBERVILLE Presented by Kiwanis of the Redwoods. Located at Branding Iron Saloon - 757 Redwood Dr. 10am. $5 per hand. High hand wins a pair of Redwood Run tickets. Pack ride through the Avenue of the Giants. Raffles, 50/50, music and BBQ Tri-Tip dinner available. Proceeds benefit Kiwanis local youth programs. For more information: Jim Brickley (707) 247-3507/ (707) 223-5788 MAY 16 100 Mile Ride SAN JOSE Presented by BACA Silicon Valley. Located at San Jose HarleyDavidson - 1551 Parkmoor Ave. 8am Registration / Kickstands up at 10am. Donations. Proceeds benefit physically, sexually and emotionally abused children of Silicon Valley (San Jose/ Santa Clara) For more information: (408) 930-2131 / bacaloosenut@yahoo.com / mamabearbaca@gmail.com MAY 17 Women’s Garage Party LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson - 13900 S. Harlan Rd. 3pm-5pm. Calling all women who are interesting in learning more about bikes, this event is for you!
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 70
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com MAY 19 Indian Demo Day AUBURN Presented by C&E Auburn Indian and V-Twin - 12015 Shale Ridge Lane. 9am. Free. Come and test ride all the NEW 2015 Indian Models, including the New Scout and Darkhorse! This is a 1 day only event! For more information: (530) 885-5556 MAY 21 Bike Night & BBQ 2015 AUBURN Presented by C&E Auburn Indian and V-Twin - 12015 Shale Ridge Lane. 5-8pm / FREE Come Show Off Your Bike!! All Motorcycles Welcome! LIVE MUSIC, RAFFLE PRIZES BBQ by Bam Dazy! For more information: (530) 885-5556 MAY 22-24 14th Annual Run-A-Mucca Motorcycle Rally WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA Plenty of action with free live concerts, $1000 poker run, death defying special acts and the burning bike. For more information: www.runamucca.com MAY 23 Annual Veterans Memorial Day Poker Run HOLLISTER Presented by American Legion Riders Post 69 - Veterans Building 649 San Benito St. Downtown Hollister “Birth Place of the American Biker” 10am. $20 per rider or $30 for rider and passenger. We will be featuring area memorials and historical sites. Poker run with high and low hand. Food and 50-50 drawing after the ride. For more information: Bill Rodgers (408) 804-2047 MAY 24 7th Annual Ishi Motorcycle Swap+Show CHICO Presented by ISHI AMCA and Chico Elks. Located Ishi AMCA - 1705 Manzanita Ave. Free to Public 7am-2pm. 20x20 Vendor spaces 6am - $30 - if you’re traveling from over 100 miles away, they are $25. Free ride in Bike show with People’s Choice/Best of Show+2nd and 3rd places will be awarded. Show is open to all. For more information: Rick at (707) 292-3033/Knuck39@yahoo.com / www.IshiAmca.org for downloadable Vendor Form....Like us on Facebook @ Ishi Chapter Antique Motorcycle Club of America
MAY 27 Bike Night LATHROP Presented by Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson and Haven Acres – 1691 Frewert Rd. 6pm. Bikes, beer, live music! Cheeseburger, fries and a beer for $6 MAY 30 Surprise Saturday SACRAMENTO Presented by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 9 am - 7 pm. 5 Saturdays are a rare occasion in a month! In honor of the 5th Saturday we will be giving out FREE “Surprises” to the first 50 people who come to the dealership. Hurry down! For more information: Savannah Westbrook (916) 929-4680 x 3100 MAY 30 Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson 2nd Annual Summer Bash UKIAH Presented by Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson - 2600 N. State Street. 11am-3pm. Join the Gunnink family as they celebrate 2 years in business! The music will be rockin’ by JoJo’s Way and the bikes will be rollin’ with Skilled Rider demos. Come on in for barbecue and brew, plenty to see and do: Chopper and Antique Bike Show, Patch Sewing by Hasse, Photo booth and more! Hope to see you there! For more information: Annie Gunnink (707) 462-1672
JUNE JUNE 5-7 Street Vibrations Spring Rally RENO & VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA Presented by Roadshows, Inc. Vendors & participants go to www.roadshowsreno.com. For more information: (775) 329-7469 / admin@roadshowsreno.com See Inside Cover JUNE 6 20th Anniversary Party JAMESTOWN Presented by Jamestown Harley-Davidson - 18275 Highway 108. 9:30am. Free. Help us celebrate 20 years in the Motherlode. Food, giveaways, beer garden and spinthe-wheel prizes. For more information: (209) 984-4888 JUNE 6 Bike Blessing and Run OAKHURST Presented by Bikers for Christ Central Sierra Chapter. Sign in at Mountain Christian Center - 40299 HWY 49. 9:30am. $20.00. Fee includes breakfast, bike blessing, benefit run, lunch music, fellowship. Proceeds benefit Helping Hands. For more information: Mark Smith mcsmith@sti.net SANTA ROSA
ROHNERT PARK
101
SONOMA
COTATI
HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
GRAVENSTEIN HWY /HWY116 101
AVE TATI E CO
WY DH OO DW RE OLD
481B
PETALUMA
Thunder Roads Magazine Northern California 71 ®
Remember to check for MORE events submitted AFTER print deadline at www.thunderroadsnorcal.com
JUNE 6 Ride For A Reason WOODLAND Presented by B.A.C.A. Bikers Against Child Abuse. Sign in at Denny’s - 1568 Main Street. 9am to 3pm. $20/single $30/couple. 50/50 Raffle High Hand Low Hand. Proceeds benefit abused children in Yolo, Sutter/Yuba and Solano counties. For more information: Stitch (530) 304-8725 JUNE 12-14 Redwood Run 2015 PIERCY Presented by Kiwanis of the Redwoods – Riverview Ranch. Last of the Old School Rallys. Tickets $110 ($130 at the gate) 2nights of non-stop kick ass music!! Biker games, vintage & custom motorcycle shows, wet T-shirt contest, commemorative run pin, vendors & tattoo artists, prizes & surprises! Event sells out! 21yrs or older. No attitudes! For more information: www.RedwoodRun.org See page 61 JUNE 27 Sideways Saturdays EUREKA Presented by International Riders Helping People. Located at Redwood Acres – 3750 Harris Street. Flat track speedway racing. Gates open at noon, sign ups 1:30pm-2pm, racing begins at 4pm. For more information: www.IRHP.org See page 58
BIKE NIGHTS
2nd WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH VALLEY SPRINGS BIKE NIGHT Located at Smokehouse BBQ & Sports Complex – 126 Quail Oaks Drive. 7pm-9pm. FREE - All bikes welcome. For more information: Mike (209) 815-0042 / snoopy54@ caltel.com / Tanya (209) 772-2727 EVERY THURSDAY RANCHO CORDOVA BIKER CHURCH NIGHT Presented by Thunder Road Biker Church - 11257 Coloma Road #B8 7pm-8pm 3rd THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH ARCATA BIKE NIGHT Presented by M.O.B. of Humboldt Everett’s Club on the Plaza at 784 9th Street. The fun starts at 6pm. All motorcycles welcome. Free food, 50/50 raffle, pack ride. / www.mobofhumboldt.com
1st FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH WOODLAND Feather River BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE Meeting at Steve’s Pizza – 714 Main Street. 7pm Meetings are open to the public. (530) 848-2090 with any questions. 1st FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH SACRAMENTO FREE-KEY FRIDAY Presented by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 9am-7pm. Stop by for a chance to win a free t-shirt. You will receive a free key that may unlock our treasure chest with the free t-shirt inside! 2nd FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH FAIRFIELD OPEN HOUSE Presented by Dirty Whites Club House – 748 N. Texas St 8pm - ? Come have a blast! Contact Joe 707-694-5251 1st SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH HISTORIC COLFAX PANCAKE BREAKFAST Presented Grand Fathers MC No Cal – Clubhouse 301 S. Railroad Street – 8:30am – 11am. Start your day out with the Grand Fathers MC! 1st SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH SACRAMENTO BREAKFAST & BIKES Presented by Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 9am-11 am. Free hot breakfast while supplies last. Come and enjoy! 2nd SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH SACRAMENTO BIKES & BEER Located at Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 11am-2 pm. Free hotdogs every 2rd Saturday Beer available for purchase. All donations will benefit a local nonprofit organization. (916) 9294680 x 3100 3rd SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH SACRAMENTO TECH TIPS & PARTS SEMINARS Located at Harley-Davidson of Sacramento - 1000 Arden Way. 11am-2 pm. Free nachos and free seminars about various topics every 3rd Saturday from our professional staff. Parts seminar at 12pm / Tech Tips at 1pm. Check website for this month’s topics. All donations will benefit a local nonprofit organization. (916) 929-4680 x 3100 TRM NorCal is not responsible for errors or omissions and events are subject to change without notice
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 72
Johnny’s Bar & Grill…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….BF Kirby Law…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 1 Kiwanis of the Redwoods …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… MP Mid Cal Cycles …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 55 Mitchell’s Modesto H-D…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 48 Mom & Pop’s Saloon…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…BF Mom’s Kitchen …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… MP My Favorite Things Clothing Boutique …..…..…..…..…..…..… 52 Ocean Cove Lodge …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 33 Omega Motorcycles …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 15 Omlete House …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 55 Naughty N’ Nice…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 23 Penngrove Motorcycle Company …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 2 Performance Powercoating …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 4 Rack and Pull Industries…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 21 R.A.M. Products …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. MP Raz Website…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 20 Ride-On Motorcycles…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 52 River City Motorcycles …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 52 Road Rider Motorcycle Accessories …..…..…..…..…..…..…. 20 Roadshows Reno …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. Inside Cover Road Trip Bar & Grill…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 52 Rushford & Bonotto Trial Lawyers …..…..…..…..…..…..…..… MP San Jose Hogwash …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 4 Schapiro & Leventhal …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 48 SeatWorks …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 55 Slabsides…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 12 Sonoma County HD …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… EVENTS Spancky’s Bar …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….BF Spirit Motorcycle San Jose…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 5 St. Charles Place…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…BF The Leatherworks …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 12 Thunder Road Biker Church…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 49 Two Gunner Custom Iron …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 10 US Cycle & Tire …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 2 V Dawg Cycles …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 4 Valencia Club…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… CAL Wild Bill Tattoo …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 20 WindVest …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 2 Xtreme Cycle of Sacramento …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 4 Xtreme Green Grass …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… MP
Share Your Photos on Instagram @Thunder_Roads Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 73
index of advertisers
A Dependable Overhead Doors…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 12 American Legion Ambulance …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 17 Arlen Ness …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….9/Back Cover Autosound Lab …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….BF Bagger Design …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 2 Bail Mentor …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 17 Bay Area Motorcycle Superfest…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 14 Bikers Inner Circle …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… MP Billy’s Motorcycle Shop…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 15 Bliss Electronics …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 15 Blue Lake Casino / Sideways Saturdays …..…..…..…..…..…. 58 Bones Roadhouse Bar & Grub …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 9 C&E Auburn Indian &V-Twin…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 46 California Custom Trailer & Motorsports …..…..…..…..…..…. 16 Citrus Heights Victory …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 55 Clinton’s Custom Cycle…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 2 Crazy K Motorsports…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 53 CycleInsure Agency …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 4 Cycleworks …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 4 Dudley Perkins Co …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 12 Eagle Iron and Leather …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 11 Eagle’s Nest H-D…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 33 Elkhorn Saloon …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 12 Executive Choppers …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 52 Fairing Plus LLC …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 11 Featherbed Railroad B&B …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 9 Folsom Harley-Davidson …..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 43/CAL Freedom Rides Trikes …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 5 H-D of Sacramento …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 33 Hatt’s Motorcycles …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 55 HK Cycles…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 4 Hollister Powersports …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 11 Horse Power By Gerolamy…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 49 Humboldt Performance Cycle …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 9 Inn of the Lost Coast…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 16 Iron Steed H-D …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 53 James Dean Rebel Design…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 11 Jamestown H-D …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 55 Jim Wall Insurance Agency …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 55 John Jessup’s Dream Rides…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 49
THUNDER ROADS NORCAL
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Pick up this month’s current issue of Thunder Roads NorCal at these locations Favorite Watering Holes
Hair / Beauty Salon & Spas
Bones Roadhouse Bar & Grub
Reflection Salon & Spa www.reflectionsalonfolsom.com 24996 Blue Ravine Rd Folsom, CA 95630 916-985-7510
www.bonesroadhousehangtown.com
4430 Pleasant Valley Road Placerville, CA 95667 (530) 644-4301
Elkhorn Saloon www.elkhornsaloon.com 18398 Old River Road W. Sacramento, CA 95691 (916) 371-BARR (2277)
Insurance CycleInsure Agency www.cycleinsure.com 4201 Sunrise Blvd – Suite B Fair Oaks, CA 95628 800-800-0965 / 916-200-1000
Johnny’s Bar & Grill Breakfast, Lunch, Cocktails Jim Wall Insurance Agency and Karaoke Kelly Weber – Owner/Agent 526 San Benito Street 6045 Hazel Avenue Orangevale, CA 95662 Hollister, CA 95023 Email: jimwallins@yahoo.com 831-637-3683 (916) 989-1915 Mom & Pop’s Saloon Lodging & Resorts “Where fun people go, to have more fun!” Featherbed Railroad 205 3rd Street Bed & Breakfast San Juan Bautista, CA 95045 www.FeatherbedRailroad.com (831) 623-2393 2870 Lakeshore Blvd. Nice, CA 95464 Spancky’s Bar (707) 274-8378 www.spanckysbar.com 8201 Old Redwood Hwy Inn of the Lost Coast Cotati, CA, USA 94931 www.innofthelostcoast.com 707-664-0169 205 Wave Drive St Charles Place Commercial Street Downieville, CA 95936 530-289-3237 The Valencia Club www.valencia-club.com 2162 Taylor Road Penryn, CA 95663 (916) 663-0300 Bail Bonds General Bail Agency 1852 West 11th Street #412 Tracy, CA 95376-3736 www.bailmentor.com 877-571-1659
Shelter Cove, CA 95589 707-986-7521
Ocean Cove Lodge Bar & Grill www.oceancovelodge.com 23255 Northcoast Hwy 1 Jenner, CA 95450 (707) 847-3158 Motorcycle Attorneys Kirbys Law www.KirbysLaw.com California’s Motorcycle Lawyers 24/7 (800) 699-9097
Rushford & Bonotto Trial Lawyers www.rushfordbonotto.com 1010 Hurley Way – Ste 410 Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 565-0590 Schapiro & Leventhal The Motorcycle Attorneys Call us 24/7 for a FREE Consulation (877) 835-7800 Motorcycle Detailing San Jose Hogwash Motorcycle Detailing www.sanjosehogwash.com P.O. Box 24273 San Jose, CA 95154 (408) 641-1940 Powder Coating Performance Powder Coating & Sandblasting 6326 Main Avenue #4 Orangevale, CA 95662 (916) 987-1942 Real Estate Sharon Holder BRE:01279594 Notary & Real Estate Agent sholder@golyonRN.com Worldwide Referral Network 916-425-2377 Restaurants / Bars Bones Roadhouse Bar & Grub www.bonesroadhousehangtown.com 4430 Pleasant Valley Road Placerville, CA 95667 (530) 644-4301
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 74
Elkhorn Saloon www.elkhornsaloon.com 18398 Old River Road W. Sacramento, CA 95691 (916) 371-BARR (2277) Road Trip Bar & Grill www.roadtripbg.com 24989 State Hwy 16 Capay, CA 95607 530-796-3777 Spancky’s Bar www.spanckysbar.com 8201 Old Redwood Hwy Cotati, CA, USA 94931 707-664-0169 The Valencia Club www.valencia-club.com 2162 Taylor Road Penryn, CA 95663 (916) 663-0300 Sales / Service / Accessories
Arlen Ness Motorcycles www.ARLENNESS.com 6050 Dublin Blvd Dublin, CA 94568 (925) 479-6350 Billy’s Motorcycle Shop 3233 Elkhorn Blvd. #1 North Highlands, CA 95660 (916) 332-3023 Bagger Design www.baggerdesign.com 2112 Drive In Way Auburn, CA 95603 (530) 852-1554 California Custom Trailers www.calcustomtrailers.com 10381 E. Stockton Blvd Elk Grove, CA 95624 (916) 714-2310 C&E Auburn V-Twin, Inc 12015 Shale Ridge Auburn, CA 95602 530-885-5556
Clinton’s Custom Cycle 555 G Street Lincoln, CA 95648 (916) 645-0954 Crazy K Motorsports 2280 Sierra Meadows Drive – Ste B Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 624-3006 Dudley Perkins Co www.dpchd.com 333 Corey Way South San Francisco, CA 94080 650-737-5467 Executive Choppers www.ExecutiveChoppers.com 2115 March Road Roseville, CA 95747 (916) 780-6508 Folsom Harley-Davidson www.folsomhd.com 115 Woodmere Road Folsom, CA 95630 (916) 608-9922 Hatt’s Motorcycles www.HattsMotorcycles.com P.O. Box 608 Forest Knolls, CA 94933 (415) 488-1441 HK Cycles www.hkcycles.com 196 Airway Blvd Livermore, CA 94551 (925) 443-1269 Hollister Powersports
www.hollisterpowersports.com
411 San Felipe Rd Hollister, CA 95023 (831) 630-5200
Humboldt Performance Cycle 1341 Evergreen Road #1 Redway, CA 95560 (707) 923-7103 Iron Steed Harley-Davidson www.ironsteedhd.com 100 Auto Center Drive Vacaville, CA, USA 95687 707-455-7000
Jamestown Harley-Davidson www.jamestownhd.com 18275 Hwy 108 Jamestown, CA 95327 (209) 984-4888 John Jessup’s DREAM RIDES www.dreamridesusa.com 2383 North Wilson Way Stockton, CA 95204 (209) 467-4669 J&S Surplus Eagle Iron & Leather www.Surplusinc.com Hwy 1 & North Struve Road Moss Landing, CA 95039 831-724-0588 The Leatherworks, Inc. www.LeatherworksInc.com 188 Frank West Circle #C Stockton, CA 95206 (209) 983-9200 Mid Cal Cycles 2510 Evergreen Avenue – Ste E W. Sacramento, CA 95691 916-373-1745 Omega Motorcycle www.OmegaCycle.com 660 Harbor Blvd West Sacramento, CA 95691 (916) 372-2206 Penngrove Motorcycle Company www.penngrovemotorcycleco.com 9585 Main Street Penngrove, CA 94951 (707) 793-7993 Ride-On-Motorcycles www.Ride-On-Motorcycles.com 1416 Sonoma Blvd Vallejo, CA 94590 (707) 647-RIDE(7433) Road Rider Motorcycle Accessories www.roadridermca.com 2897 Monterey Hwy San Jose, CA 95111 (408) 227-6936
Sonoma County Harley-Davidson www.SonomaCountyHD.com 7601 Redwood Drive Cotati, CA 94931 (707) 793-9180 Spirit Motorcycles San Jose 460 Meridian Ave San Jose, CA 95126 (408) 571-6000 Seatworks Custom Motorcycle Seats www.SeatWorksCMS.com (916) 729-1012 Slabsides Motorcycle Parts 2100 Winchester Blvd. Campbell, CA 95008 408-364-0284 The Leatherworks www.LeatherworksInc.com 188 Frank West Circle #C Stockton, CA 95206 (209) 983-9200 Two Gunners Custom Iron www.twogunnerscustomiron.com 21183 State Hwy 20 Penn Valley, CA 95946 530-263-8071 US Cycle & Tire 9477 Greenback Lane #205 Folsom, CA 95630 (916) 988-7760 V Dawg Cycles 5630 Roseville Rd – Suite C Sacramento, CA 95842 (916) 338-3710 VICTORY of Citrus Heights www.victorymotorcyclesch.com
7601 Auburn Blvd Citrus Heights, CA 95610 (916) 725-8158 WindVest Motorcycle Products www.WindVest.com 16840 Joleen Way Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (408) 377-7623
Thunder Roads Magazine® Northern California 75
Xtreme Cycle of Sacramento www.XtremeCyclesSac.com 5910 Auburn Blvd. #11 Citrus Heights, CA 95621 (916) 348-3366 Stereos Autosound Lab Specializing in Motorcycle Sound 7133 N. Blackstone Avenue Fresno, CA 93650 (559) 227-8357 Bliss Electronics 4224 Fowler Lane Diamond Springs, CA (530) 642-9326 Tattoos Tattoo Betty’s www.TattooBettys.com 20692 Hwy 88 Pine Grove, CA 95665 (209) 296-8287 Wild Bill Tattoo www.wild-bills.com 115 Lincoln Street Roseville, CA 95678 (916) 783-9090