Midwest Motorcyclist(tm), The Complete Guide to Motorcycling in the Midwest(tm), September 2014 issu

* For qualified buyers. Visit BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan for details. Always ride safely and wear proper protective gear.

BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan14855 N. Sheldon Rd., Plymouth, MI

734.453.0500 www.bmwmcsem.com

“Redefining your motorcycling lifestyle” SM

BMW MotorradDealer of Excellence

Only $199 per month!*Time to upgrade to the BMW S 1000 RR,

the best superbike in the world.

2014S 1000 RRBase MSRP: $15,150

including ABS

Now you can get the technology you’ve been missing -dynamic traction control, race ABS and quick shifter - at the

best price possible. Plus, buy a new S 1000 RR and get afree track day. Stop by our dealership today!

Special factory incentives on select 2014 models - including thenew water-cooled R 1200 GS - through September 30, 2014.

Stop by our dealership for details before the incentives are gone!

Midwest MotorcyclistTM 3

The Demo Truck Returns!September 5th & 6th, 2014

If you missed it the first time, you have a second chance.The Indian Motorcycle demo truck is returning to ourdealership in September. Don’t miss this opportunity to ridethe 2015 Indian motorcycles. We don’t know when thedemo truck will be around again so mark your calendarsand don’t miss your chance.

Riders must have a motorcycle endorsement, helmet, eye protection, jacket, longpants and boots. Don’t miss this opportunity to test ride the new American icon.

1765 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MIOne mile north of Square Lake Rd. on the east side of Telegraph Rd.248.920.2000 • www.MotorCityMotorcycles.com

on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/MotorCityMotorcycles

It’s the PERFECT Opportunity to Check Out the 2015 Line Up!The Legend is Back. Like its iconic forerunner, the all-new Indian®

Scout™ is an innovative and aesthetically stunning American cruiser. Itintroduces the first-ever liquid-cooled Indian Motorcycle engine – anefficient and reliable 69 cubic inch V-twin – for impressive power ondemand. This new model carries the legendary Indian® Scout™ name

into the future in authentic Indian® Motorcycle® style.MSRP - $10,999

NEW LOOK. SAME SOUL The 2015Indian® Chieftain™ is in touch with its past,but far ahead of its time. It’s the first IndianMotorcycle® ever with a hard fairing, hard

saddlebags and unprecedented newcomfort and convenience features. It’s likeno Indian Motorcycle® ever seen before,

yet its style makes clear it has the DNA ofa legendary Indian Motorcycle®.

A STORIED SOUL INA BRAND NEW BIKE.

The 2015 Indian® Roadmaster™ reflectspure American Luxury. Building upon theiconic Roadmaster name used by Indianin the 1940s, the new Roadmaster re-imagines Indian Motorcycle comfort,styling and performance out on the

open road, for the long haul.

STYLE MEETS SWAGGER.The 2015 Indian® Chief®

Vintage brings iconic Indianstyling to a whole new level.

ALL YOU NEED.ALL YOU WANT.

The 2015 Indian® Chief®Classic is everything an Indian

Motorcycle® was and evershould be. It’s a sculpted,

powerful cruiser, built with thepurest necessities of Indianstyle, wrapped around theinnovation of tomorrow.

September 20144 www.midwestmotorcyclist.com

Columns5 To Our Readers10 The Preacher Speaks About: The East Coast and Sturgis by Franz Hoffer13 The Live It Right Dream Ride: The Darker Side of Right

by Jay Wilgus17 Motorcycling and Law: Difference Between a Motorcycle and a Moped

by Dondi Vesprini20 Is a Mobility Scooter a Motor Vehicle? by Jason Waechter22 Open Terrain - Exploring the World and Soul by Motorcycle:

When Your Partner’s on the Road by Nicole Espinosa

Features, News & Reviews6 Moto Armory Dirt Bike Museum Tour by Gene Southard8 Old Geezer Conquers the Tail of the Dragon by Ken Wikle14 Pro Hillclimbers Explode Up Mt. Garfield by Ray Peabody16 Tech Development Serves Pro MX Racers

Resources5 Advertiser Index21 Event Schedule

How to contact us:

709 Fall StreetSpring Lake, Michigan 49456

(810) 923-8738www.midwestmotorcyclist.com

Copyright 2012-2014 cc media. All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, photocopied, or electronically

transmitted without the expressed written permission of the publisher.Advertisers, their agents, contributors of event information, free-

lance contributors and/or editorial contributors will defend, indemnifyand hold cc media and RTP Enterprises, Inc. harmless in any claimsof libel, copyright or trademark infringement, plagiarism, violation oflocal, national, or international privacy laws and any other claim or

suit that may arise subsequent to publication of said advertisement,stories, event information, and/or editorial. Submission of material for

consideration for publication in Michigan Motorcyclist/MidwestMotorcyclist, American CycleRider either solicited or unsolicited,

constitutes agreement to these terms. Except for thePublisher and Managing Editor, all writers are free-lance contributors.Any and all opinions expressed are those of the authors, and don’t

necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Publisher/Managing EditorRay Peabody

[email protected]@sbcglobal.net

Advertising Sales/ Web Master / DistributionRay Peabody

[email protected]@sbcglobal.net

Cover DesignJulie Kirkendoll

cc media publications

Cover photo: 450cc Pro Sport Hill Climber Molly Carbon launches off the first jump on her secondrun up Mt. Garfield at the bi-annual AMA Pro Hillclimb. Photo by Ray Peabody.

This Month’s Contributors:

Contributing Editors

Nicole EspinosaFranz Hoffer

plus

Gene Southard, Dondi Vesprini,Jason Waechter, Ken Wikle,

Jay Wilgus

IN THIS ISSUE…..

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AdvertiserIndex

The Bent WheelsChapter of the CCCis looking for new

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good times with greatpeople - check us out.

Contact Billy Vanderhoff by email [email protected].

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TRACK DAY• Saturday, September 8, 2014 •

The day costs $175, which includestrack time, class room instruction

and lunch. All makes and models ofbikes are welcome to attend ourtrack events! To register, or if you

have any questions at all regardingour track events please call Audrey

at (734) 453-0500



Buy a new S 1000 RR& get a free track day

We're coming into what, for me,is the best time of the year for ridingmotorcycles. Autumn means cooler air,longer shadows and less vacation trafficon the roads. It reminds me that theseason is winding down and I need tomaximize my time in the saddle beforeit's too late. That's what I intend to do.Carpe' Autumn!

This month, our stories cover awide range of topics. That probably isn'tsurprising since we try to cover allaspects of motorcycling but the contentsare especially diverse this month.

Our friend and sometimecontributor, Gene Southard, returnswith his review of his recent tour of theMoto Armory Dirt Bike Museum inIllinois. If you've never heard of theMoto Armory Museum, you're not alone.The museum doesn't have regular hoursbut holds the occasional Open House orconducts special group tours so it's notexactly easy to gain access. This mu-seum contains much of the history ofdirt bike riding. If you're a dirt bikeenthusiast, you won't want to missGene's story about this mostly unknownmuseum.

"Old Geezer" Ken Wikle wasvisiting family down south and decidedto take the opportunity to ride the Tail ofthe Dragon. He didn't choose asportbike as his weapon of choice forthis most well known of motorcycledestinations. Instead, he chose a Harley-Davidson Street Glide. Apparently, itwas the right tool for the job. Be sure tocheck out his tale in this issue.

Franz "The Preacher" Hoffertook two significant motor-cycle trips in the last fourweeks: one out east and theother to his favorite destina-tion, the Sturgis MotorcycleRally. He had fun butstruggled with some wetweather. Don't miss the storyof the two trips in this issue.

I traveled to Mt.Garfield near Muskegon,Michigan for the 2014 AMAPro Hillclimb organized bythe Muskegon MotorcycleClub. Hillclimbs are great forspectators because you cansee the entire race up closeand not miss a moment of theaction. Plus, the racersencounter three jumps whilemaking a steep, fast ascent.What's not to like? Be sure toread our review in this issue.

One half of the Live It

Right Dream Ride Team, Jay Wilgus,writes about a subject recently in thenews. Despite the fact that he and hiswife Emily are in the midst of a grandadventure to Tierra del Fuego at thesouthern-most tip of South America,he acknowledges that life isn't alwayseasy. In fact, sometimes it can bedepressing even when life seemsgood. It's a thoughtful, timely piecenot to be missed.

Nicole Espinosa has been athome while her beau, Paul H. Smith,has been riding back and forth acrossthe continental U.S. and up to Alaskain a test of the new Suzuki V-StromDL-1000 Adventure. She shares herpersonal story about separation andthe benefits it can bring to a relation-ship. If you travel apart from your

loved ones, you'll enjoy Nicole'scolumn this month.

There's much more inthis issue. The event schedule isgetting thin as we near the end ofthe riding season but there's stillmuch to do. Thank you forreading and sharing this magwith your friends. While itprobably seems repetitive(because it is!), I must ask you toplease patronize our advertisers.They pay the bills and enable usto continue publishing. Pleasetell them you saw their ad inthese pages.

Have fun. Watch forcritters and leaves on the road aswe get further into the autumn.Se you on the road or at anupcoming event,


I had been hearing about Moto Armory forabout a year but had not been able to get in touch withowners for an appointment for a tour. Finally, I got adate to view the collection on a Sunday afternoon. Theskies looked threatening with a large storm coming in, soour group decided not to ride over but took two cars forthe 1.5 hour drive from my shop to East Moline, Illinois.

The collection does not have regular hours butinstead is open to groups of 6 or more by appointment.The collection is owned by Tom Reese, an excellent dirtrider in his own right. The collection is currently locatedclose to Quad City Downs horse track.

Ray, who was in charge that day, met us at thedoor and offered to answer any questions that we might

have. He was very knowledgeable about the wholecollection which consists of over 500 bikes, mostly fromthe ’60s, ’70s and ’80s with a few newer machines and afew from the ’50s. You’ll find bikes here from AJS toZundapp.

The collection is housed on two floors. The firstfloor has a more open arrangement with room to walkaround the machines. They are grouped by types ofmachine. Right across from the entrance was a militarysection with a couple of Harley WLA sidecars and aBMW sidecar with machine gun. At the back of the roomwas the flat track section. This section brought backmany memories from my 10 years traveling around theMidwest racing. Some of my favorites from this sectionwere the BultacoAstro, the CR HarleySprints, the XR750sand the rare RS750Honda. Right next tothe flat track sectionwas a V-Rod drag bikethat Ray started upand let us hear - veryloud! On the other sideof the room was asection devoted toMalcom Smith withthree of the machineshe rode in the ISDE(Internaional Six DaysEnduro). I have hadthe opportunity to talk to Malcom a couple of times andhe is a soft spoken, down to earth guy. If you didn’t

know him, you would think hewas one of the local farmers.

A couple of the rarestmachines were the Swedish Litoand Monarch from the ’60s withsome of the best restorations Ihave ever seen. The first floor wasfull of rare machines from aYankee to a Triumph cub withskis and track for riding in thesnow. To access the second floor,you go up a flight of stairs with a

Moto Armory Dirt Bike Museumby Gene Southard

vintage gas pump on the landing and a Jawa speedwaybike hanging from the ceiling. The second floor is moretightly packed with bikes in rows by make. One row ofHuskys, one of Yamahas, etc. One row is the worldslargest Penton collection with the last Penton that John

had ridden in competition &signed. The second floor collectionis so large that I couldn’t get it allin one picture.

Along one wall was a row ofMX bikes that had been ridden bysome of the most famous riders inthe sport. I was intrigued by thesection of European machines atthe back of the room. I found oneof every Ossa I have ever owned.

Of interest to everyone wasthe brand new AJS still in theoriginal crate. At the end of theHusky row was the oldest Husky Ihave ever seen, a ’57 250Silverpilen. The most interesting

Kaw had to be the KD400 factory prototype that neverwent into production. All of the machines in thiscollection are in excellent condition looking like they hadjust rolled off the showroom floor.

Some of this collection can be viewed on theirweb site - www.moto-armory.com. I would like to thankRay for showing us around and answering all of ourquestions. Keep watching the Moto Armory web site fordates that they have open house events or for contactinfo about arranging a tour. As we were leaving for ourdrive home, the skies let loose and we drove in adownpour all the way home. We are very lucky thatTom spent the time and money preserving our past andfor letting me travel back in time to visit my youth again.

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I have been reading about the “Tail of theDragon “in the Smoky Mountains for years. Thereare 238 curves in 11 miles! Motorcycle parts fromcrashed bikes are hung on a tree! This is a biker’sdream of sweepers, off-camber curves and tightcorners with the possibility of turning motorcyclingnirvana into your worst nightmare!

Opportunity knocks for everyone,sometimes at the most unlikely time. For meopportunity knocked this summer. My sister took ajob with the Forest Service near Brevard, NorthCarolina (NC) and suddenly I had a free place tostay. All I had to do is come up with a bike and thetime to make the pilgrimage to the most famousstretch of motorcycling heaven in the USA. Due tothe distance from home (more than 600 miles), I wasnot going to ride a motorcycle down in a day andthen tackle the Dragon the next day or even the dayafter! I’m an old man and certainly no Iron Buttcontender. Renting a bike once I drove my car downwas the only sane way for me to go.

My choice of weapon for this challenge… aDucati, an Aprilia, a Ninja? What should I ride? Onfurther reflection, I had to admit that, as HowlingWolf put it so well, “I’m built for comfort not forSpeed!”

I carefully considered all the possibilitiesfor senior citizen “Canyon Carvers” and came upwith a Harley-Davidson Street Glide. … niceBatwing fairing to shelter me from the wind , a bigsoft seat for my aging posterior, floor boards so Ican move my feet around comfortably and two bigfiberglass saddle bags for all my stuff. The big V-twin would give me lots of low-end grunt when Iforget to downshift enough on a hill or a corner.

Old Geezer Conquers the” Tail of the Dragon”By Ken Wikle

I rented from Smoky Mountain Iron Horses inWaynesville, NC. Nice people. My rental agent, Amber,

took me through thepaperwork, gave medirections to the BlueRidge Parkway, handedme some brochures andI was on my way. Nicebike. Lots of power andslightly modified

exhausts to provide an authoritative but notobnoxious sound.

Getting to the Parkway was easy and soon Iwas cruising along the “top of the world” withfantastic vistas of the Smoky Mountains at everyturn. Now where in blazes is this Tail of theDragon? I scoured the brochures looking for Route129. It was quite a bit south of me so I headed offdetermined to face the Dragon (or at least its tail)before the day was out.

I dropped down off the Parkway, headedthrough Cherokee, NC, and on towards mydestination, the intersection of State Routes 28 and129. As I had to do the Dragon and get back toBrevard by dinner, I pushed it. State Route 28 is akiller when you are in a hurry. Curve after curvedemanding 100% concentration to keep the rubberon the road and not in the bushes or ditch. Finally, Icame around a corner and there it was.

A white and red sign announced Deal’sGap; a gas station, motorcycle parking lot,restaurant, motel and best of all a Souvenir shop!Bikers have many choices of t-shirts, coffee cups,patches, post cards, baseball caps and any other kindof apparel you can think of with various graphicsrelated to the Tail of the Dragon. It’s good to seeAmerican capitalism is still alive and well in thisremote mountain hamlet in rural North Carolina.No recession there. Too bad we don’t have this inMichigan. I almost forgot what I came for as I triedto find the perfect t-shirt to commemorate myadventure.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, you’re supposedto ride your motorcycle up to the top of the gap,turn around and ride back down again, and live totell about it. Riding a rental bike requires that youreturn the rental in the same condition you receivedit. This is a lot of pressure especially when you’reriding a Harley-Davidson Street Glide weighing inat over 700 lbs.

I rushed into the store, bought a Red Bulland chugged it to heighten my awareness. I took adeep breath, worked up some courage, climbed on


the bike, strapped on my helmet and pointed my “Hog” up route129 to launch my assault on the famed “Tail of the Dragon”. To mysurprise most of the bikes challenging the Tail were Harleys.Granted, there are all kinds of bikes navigating Route 129; fromsport bikes ridden by young riders in full leathers to full-dressHarleys with riders in black t-shirts and bandanas.

As I “ease on up the road,” I find that the Tail of the Dragon,while a challenging section of mountain road, is not as imposing as Ithought it would be. Traffic was light on July 3rd and I was onlypassed by one sport bike on my upward-bound trip. Eleven mileslater, there is a turnout with a rock with riders taking a breatherbefore they headed back down. I was halfway through!

On the way up, there are at least three different photovendors who are sitting in shade shelters taking everyone’s picture.I waved and smiled each time without launching into the woods.Search their website by the time of day you rode past and pick outyour photo. You can use your credit card to purchase a photo orcoffee cup with you on your bike riding the Tail of the Dragon.

After a short rest at the top and kibitzing with some otherriders, I remounted my bike and wound my way back down to “basecamp.”

The old guy on the Harley had conquered the Tail of theDragon! I have no road rash, no plastic parts to hang on the Tree ofShame nor any tales of close calls to tell my grandchildren.

I am glad I experienced the Tail of the Dragon. But, in all ofthe excitement, I forgot to buy a t-shirt!

Tips for riding in the Smokies: Seriously, riding mountain roads inNorth Carolina takes 100% concentration to stay safe. Even a secondof distraction on a curving mountain road can lead you to grief.There are many things to distract you: oncoming traffic, scenery,occasionally someone passing you, signs, and road hazards.

While the Blue Ridge Parkway is not a particularlychallenging road to ride, getting up to or down off the Parkway isusually done on some pretty aggressive roads. The Parkway is agreat scenic ride!

Take breaks and get off the bike to combat road fatigue. Eatand drink water to stay alert and hydrated.

Plan your daily rides to make sure you don’t bite off morethan you can chew. 4-6 hours of riding is plenty, Remember, weMidwesterners are mostly “flatlanders” and are not used to theaggressive riding conditions on these mountain roads. Take it easyand come home in one piece with a great story to tell!

Continued from previous page

32nd Annual

Battle of the BritsSunday, September 14, 2014

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Camp Dearborn1700 General Motors Road, Milford, MI

British, European AmericanMotorcycle Show & Swap Meet

Presented by the Metro Triumph RidersSupporting the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation

See www.metrotriumphriders.com or [email protected] for information

Mail check or money order in U.S. funds only, please, to: Metro Triumph Riders , P.O. Box 700521, Plymouth, MI 48170

Number of vendor spaces requiredNumber of bikes x $10Vendor spaces x $40Additional spaces X $30Total Enclosed _____

____

____

____

____

Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone: ________________Address: ____________________________________________________________________City: ________________State: _________ Zip: ______________________ Email: ________________________________

Year Make Model Class

Battle of the Brits Pre-Registration Form

SHOW BIKE REGISTRATIONDay of event:8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Pre-RegistrationBy mail…see entry form below

Save time on event day by pre-registering.Plus, receive a coupon for $5 offon a Battle of the Brits t-shirt!

SHOW REGISTRATION FEESMotorcycle entries:$10.00 per bike+ $5 Camp Dearborn entry fee at gate

Swap-meet spaces:$40.00 for first space (15’ wide x 40’ deep).Additional spaces, $30 each.+ $5 Camp Dearborn entry fee at gate

SPECTATOR ENTRY FEE$6 per vehicle ($4 for Dearborn residents)

An AMA-Sanctioned Event.Be There, Rain or Shine!

PARTICIPANT VOTING:- Ends at 1:00 p.m.- Only votes submitted by

1 p.m. will count!

AWARDS PRESENTATION:3:30 p.m. near the red MTR trailer

Judges’ Awards for Best in Show!

FOOD AND BEVERAGES:Available throughout the day

METRO TRIUMPH RIDERS STOREVisit the red MTR trailer to purchasea variety of club and show items

Become an MTR member: Apply

on our web site or pick up a form

at the show!

Camping Is Available On Site!Go to www.campdearborn.comor call (248) 684-6000

1. Master Class · Only bikes in this class are eligible for (3) Best in Show awards!· Open to all British motorcycles, including café racers, customs, etc.· Will be judged by a panel of experts· All Master Class entrants will receive a free Battle of the Brits t-shirt!

CLASSES 2-20 ELIGIBLE FORPARTICIPANTS’ CHOICE AWARDS,including best in class (1st, 2nd, 3rd)

Modern Triumph Classes (Hinckley-built bikes,1990- )2a. Cruisers (Bonneville America,Speedmaster, Rocket III, Adventurer, Legend)2b. Modern Classics (Bonneville, T100,Thruxton, Thunderbird, Thunderbird Sport,Trident)2c. Urban Sports (all Daytonas, all Sprints, allTrophy models, Speed Four, Speed Triple,Tiger)

3. Triumph and BSA Triples Trident and Rocket 3 (1969-76)4. Triumph Oil-in-Frame Twins 650 and 750 (1971-88)5a. Triumph Oil Tank Unit Bonnevilles all 650 twin-carb models (1963-70)5b. Triumph Oil Tank Unit Other other 500 & 650 models (1963-70)6. Triumph and BSA Pre-Unit Twins all pre-unit twins7. Triumph and BSA Singles all singles, unit and pre-unit8. Norton Commando 750 all 750cc models (1968-73)9. Norton Commando 850 all 850cc models (1973-77)11. BSA Unit Twins A50, A65, etc.12. Vincent all models13. British Open/ Vintage Ariel, Enfield, Velocette, etc.14. British Competition track bikes, scramblers, racers15. British Café Racers including Triton, Norbsa, Norvin16. British Choppers/Customs mild, wild, weird, and wacky17. Italian Ducati, Moto Guzzi, MV, Aprilia, etc.18. German and European BMW, Bultaco, Montesa, Ural, etc.19. American (pre-1984) Harley-Davidson (pre-Evo), Indian, etc.20. Scooters and Mopeds Vespa, Lambretta, Cushman, etc.

Motorcycle Classes


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The Tech Talk segment will return next month, topicto be determined. I put it off an extra month because I wantedto tell you about two great rides I’ve been on: one to the EastCoast covering all the way from Michigan to Delaware andNorth Carolina and then back to Michigan. The otherride…you guessed it, Sturgis, South Dakota and the 74th

Sturgis Bike Week Rally. Both rides held high points andsome weather-related disappointments.

First, our East Coast trip was undertaken byfive of us; my son Eric, son-in-law Tony, two good friendsMike and Jimbo, and yours truly. We left Michigan onSunday morning July 13th at 6:00 a.m. in a steady rain thatcontinually worsened until around noon when it finallystopped. We continued on in great weather. It was a littlemuggy but at least it wasn’t raining. We arrived at our firstdestination, Denton, Maryland 630 miles and 13 hours later.The next morning, it was back on the road and, boy, it was hotand muggy. We left the hotel around 8:30 a.m. and thetemperature was already in the high 80’s with about 90%humidity. We headed straight down the coast on Highway 1and into Rehoboth Beach. We must have looked a sight as weparaded up and down the board walk in our riding garbflanked by men in bathing suits and women in bikinis; wedefinitely liked the look of the women more than the men.

From there, we continued on to Ocean City where wehad an outstanding lunch. It was pleasant riding this throughthis resort area and we did do a little “tourist” shopping.Next, we rode US-13 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunneland spent the night in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Wecontinued on to the Outer Banks and made a stop in KittyHawk, paying homage to the Wright Brothers.

From there, we continued south along the coast and,after a 30-minute ferry ride, spent the night on OcracokeIsland. In the morning, we took another 2.5-hour ferry rideand rode Highway 17 in heavy rain. We spent the night inGreensboro, North Carolina. From there, we continued onand rode the “Devil’s Whip.” It has a 2,000 foot elevation

The East Coast & Sturgisby Franz Hoffer

The Preacher Speaks About...

Continued on page 16


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I’m 15. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Friendshave just been ushered away from my house in hasteas my Dad is rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.Heart attack. Death. Tragedy. A kid’s worstnightmare. After obvious tears and mild hysterics,Mom says four words that continue to shock me –“We’re gonna be fine.” More crying. Familyarrives. Funeral with hundreds. I go back to schooland navigate awkward encounters in which othersdon’t know what to say. Neither do I. Soon after, Idecide to cherish the life I have. The crying stops.Life is precious, I tell myself. It’s also short. Dadwas only 50. There’s no reason to fret over teenagerantics or bad grades. We’re all alive – breathing –and that’s good enough.

I spent the next decade oblivious to thedarkness of depression and the way it can erase allhope. It made no sense to me when others couldn’t“snap out of it,” when they couldn’t see the obviouspositives. I vowed to live my life fully,authentically, and right now. No waiting forretirement. No whining about how bad things are.Just get it done. Make it happen. Dream it – plan it– do it.

That mindset has taken me to some prettyincredible places over the years and it provides

Continued on page 18


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The Muskegon Motorcycle Club hosted thebiennial AMA Pro Hillclimb at their 40-acre Mt.Garfield facility in Norton Shores, Michigan onSunday, August 3. The competition, which drawsthousands of spectators, has been held consistently -with the exception of the World War II years - sincethe 1920s.

Mt. Garfield is impressive. A sand dunetowering at more than 300 feet, the hill is steep. It'sdifficult to judge just how steep the hill is until youclimb the cement staircase on the north side of therun. Anecdotally, the hill looks like it ascends atabout a 60-degree angle to the flat starting area.Three jumps, two near the start and the last near thefinish line, not only add thrills to each run but alsotest each racer's skills. Racers have to shut off thethrottle before reaching the top to avoid flying overthe crest. A large net just over the top catches racersreaching the top with too much speed. Fortunately, itdoesn’t get much use.

Racers compete in three classes - 450cc ProSport, 451cc to 700cc Xtreme or the 701cc and higherUnlimited Class. Depending on the class, the racebikes are modified for speed, traction and control.For example, in the Pro Sport class, the machineshave fewer modifications. The engines are mostlystock but the swing arm is extended to help preventthe motorcycle from flipping over backwards. Therear tires are mostly knobbies but some bikes usepaddle tires or chains for traction. The Xtreme Classrace bikes are often powered by 600cc sportbikeengines (think Honda CBR600RR or Yamaha R-6)

using alcohol-based fuel. The motorcycles in thisclass also have the extended swing arm and useknobbies, paddle tires or chains. The UnlimitedClass race bikes use a variety of engines includingbig Harley-Davidson v-twins, old Triumph verticaltwins or four-cylinder superbike (CBR1000RR or R-1) powerplants running nitro methane and produc-ing in excess of 300 horsepower. Extendedswingarms and high traction tires or chains arestandard. All of the machines, but especially those inthe Xtreme and Unlimited Classes, are beastscapable of reaching the top of Mt. Garfield in lessthan six seconds.

Weather for the 2014 climb was perfect withsunshine and temperatures in the 80s. A big crowd,many of whom had arrived the Friday eveningbefore the Hillclimb, crowded into the viewing areaat the base of the hill. The Xtreme Class was sched-uled to run first followed by the Pro Sport Class andthen the Unlimiteds. Each Class would get two runsand the best times in either of the two woulddetermine the winners. After the points races werecomplete, the top ten racers in each of the Xtremeand Unlimited Classes would compete in the AllStar Pro Shootout for cash prizes.

In the Pro Sport Class, Matthew Walker hadthe fastest time of the day - 6.7750 seconds - in hisfirst run for the win. Kyle Welch, who posted fasttimes in both runs, took second with his 7.0690second run in the last heat. Ryan Preece rounded outthe top three with a 7.1510 run in his first heat. Theonly female competitor at Mt. Garfield, Molly

Pro Hillclimbers Explode Up Mt. Garfieldby Ray Peabody

Mt. Garfield is steepand the racing fast

with lots of air.


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Carbon (see cover photo), unfortunately crashed out in both runs.John Koester was faster than all of his competitors in the Xtreme Class

with runs of 5.6870 and 5.6180 seconds, respectively. Michigander AnthonyDeHart was fortunate to have a fast first run of 5.8070 seconds since he crashedout in the second heat. His first run time was quick enough for second place.Triumph rider Phil Libhart wrapped up third with runs of 5.8330 and 5.8550.

Jay Sallstrom posted a super fast 5.1310 second time in the first heat tocarry the Unlimited Class. Xtreme Class winner Koester took second in theUnlimited Class with a second heat run of 5.6860 seconds. Scott Wentz Jr.finished third with 5.7590 run in the second heat.

The results of the All Star Pro Shootout were similar to the points races.Koester, Jockomo Baldina and Libhart took the top three places, respectively-and most of the cash - in the Xtreme Class Shootout. Sallstrom, Vincent Nuzzoliand Koester took to the top three cash prizes in the Unlimited Class Shootout.

Overall, the 2014 Mt. Garfield Pro Hillclimb was filled with fast races,Continued on page 16

Jockomo Baldino on first run in the Xtreme Class


change and 160 curves in 12 miles. After a night inPaintsville, KY, we turned towards Michigan along US-23to I-75. It was a beautiful six-day trip covering 2,230miles.

Our second big trip took us west to the SturgisRally. My friend, Jimbo, renamed it “The Rally ofChallenges.” We had some problems at the outset as rainhit us big time on I-80 in Indiana. After we pulled over todress in our rain suits, Jimbo’s trike wouldn’t start.

We had no jumper cables or any other way tostart the trike so Jimbo called the AMA Help Line. Theyhad a flatbed tow truck to us within 45 minutes. Thetrike was towed to the Harley dealer in Michigan City,Indiana and, almost two C-notes later, Jimbo had a newbattery and we were on our way. It rained like thedickens and, when it wasn’t raining, it seemed we werestuck in endless traffic. We spent the night near theIllinois/Indiana border in Genesco after doing only 457miles for the day. The next day, we made up for it. Theweather was gorgeous and our optimism high. Little did

we know that would be about the last nice day we saw.We took I-385 North off I-80 at Cedar Rapids to

US-20 West in lieu of taking I-80 all the way to I-29. Thiswas a much more pleasant, scenic ride than staying on I-80 and it cut some miles off the trip. We hit I-29 at SiouxCity, Iowa and took that to I-90 West into Rapid City,arriving at 8:30 p.m. 853 miles for the day. We jokedabout riding around the hotel parking lot for 150 miles sowe could get our Iron Butt designation. We had two othernice days during our trip and that was Monday andThursday. The rest of the week basically sucked weatherwise; it rained all or part of almost every day. I won’t gointo great detail on rides we took in and around Sturgis

Continued from page 10 - The Preacher Speaks...

as they were all abbreviated due to weather. We didspend a lot of time in Wyoming with good friends Tomand Cindi from Minnesota. There, we hit Sundance,Aladdin, the Stone House Bar, the Flying V Ranch anddown all the way to Newcastle. We enjoyed some goodriding despite the weather. All in all, we rode a total of3,433 miles for the week.

The rally was noticeably subdued; partly due tothe weather and partly due to fewer riders inattendance. They claim there were 400,000 attendees,but I think it was closer to 300,000. We never reallystood in line for gas and even the hotel parking lot,which is normally filled with bikes, was at least 50%cages. It seems many riders are waiting for next year forthe 75th anniversary of the rally. It pains me to say thisbut, at this point, I do not plan on attending that rally.For the rally weeks (one week before, the week of therally, and one week after), 1.6 million riders andpassengers are expected when normally there are about400,000. In addition, room rates will be sky high. TheRamkota, which is just off I-90 at exit #59, has charged$199 per night during rally week for the past 15 yearsand I thought that was high. For next year’s rally, theyare raising room rates to $350 per night. That seems tobe the going rate although I heard that some are raisingrates as high to $400 - $500 per night. I won’t pay thatmuch money for a room. Besides, being in Sturgis withmore than one million others… It’s dangerous enoughwith 400,000, I can’t imagine two to four times thatmany with varying levels of riding skill. Prices willlikely be sky high everywhere and I envision waiting ingas lines for upwards of 30 to 45 minutes. Fortunately,there are other rallies.

Word of advice; if you are going to Sturgis nextyear for the 75th, you better book now and you betterstart saving your money.

miraculous saves and even a couple mind blowing crashes. Livehillclimb competitions are more dramatic than those seen onWide World of Sports in the good old days. Seen live, spectatorsget a better feel for the steepness of the hill, the speeds to the topand the athleticism of the racers. The racing was thoroughlyentertaining and the spectators wildly appreciative.

Continued from page 15 - Hillclimb

Michigan’s Anthony DeHart in Heat 1

Todd Libhart ofLibhart Brother’s Racing


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Motorcycling & Law

DifferenceBetween

Motorcycleand Moped

by Dondi Vesprini

If you’re looking for fantastic dual-sport riding and the company ofgreat friends, join us. Check out

our website at www.gldsmc.org tolearn about our group, our eventsand much more. Only $10 to join!

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The Great Lakes Dual Sportersis a like-minded group of off-road motorcyclists who enjoy

riding Michigan’s vast two-tracktrails and back roads. All done

using a street legal dirtbike alsoknown as Dual Sport.

It is common for an avid motorcyclistto own more than one motorcycle. It is alsocommon for motorcycling families to ownvarious bikes of different types and enginesizes to correspond with the riding skills andinterests of the individual rider. For thatreason, it is important to understand thedifference between a “motorcycle” and a“moped” as those terms are defined by relevantlaw.

A motorcycle is defined under MCL500.3101(7)(c) as “a vehicle having a saddle orseat for the use of the rider, designed to travelon not more than 3 wheels in contact with theground, which is equipped with a motor thatexceeds 50 cubic centimeters pistondisplacement. The wheels on any attachment tothe vehicle shall not be considered as wheels incontact with the ground. Motorcycle does notinclude a moped, as defined in section 32b ofthe Michigan vehicle code, Act No. 300 of thePublic Acts of 1949, being section 257.32b of theMichigan Compiled Laws.”

MCL 257.32b defines a moped as a “2-or 3-wheeled vehicle which is equipped with amotor that does not exceed 50 cubic centimeterspiston displacement, produces 2.0 brakehorsepower or less, and cannot propel thevehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles perhour on a level surface. The power drive systemshall not require the operator to shift gears.”

The reason such a distinction isimportant for purposes of the Michigan NoFault law is because if a rider is operating his/her own motorcycle and the motorcycle is notinsured, the rider is disqualified from receivingno fault benefits in the event he/she isinvolved in an accident with a motor vehicle.However, Michigan law provides that a mopedis not required to be insured. MCL 257.801e(1).

Thus, if a rider is operating his/herown moped, and is involved in anaccident with a motor vehicle, suchrider is entitled to no fault benefitsregardless of whether the moped isinsured or not.

The practical effect of this is Ihave had multiple cases where myclient has been injured while ridingwhat may look like a motorcycle but islegally categorized as a moped. Insome of these cases, the no faultinsurance adjuster has advised therider that the vehicle he/she wasoperating was a “motorcycle” anddenying the rider no fault benefits forfailing to have insurance on thevehicle. Riders who don’t understandthe legal difference between a mopedand a motorcycle may not understandthe categorical error that the adjuster ismaking and will thus go without theno fault benefits they are otherwiseentitled to.

Thus, it pays to understandthe legal definition and differencesbetween a motorcycle and a moped, soyou will understand your legal rightto no fault benefits if you are injuredwhile riding a moped.

As always, if anyone has anyquestions or if I can be of legalassistance to you or anyone you knowwho has been injured in a motorcycleaccident, please don’t hesitate tocontact me as I deal with these types ofclaims on a daily basis on behalf ofinjured motorcyclists statewide. Giveme a call at (248-569-4646) or shoot mean e-mail at [email protected].

No place to ride? Michigan is home to the largest organized network of off-road trails in the world - more than 3500 miles of marked, maintained ORV trails for the entire family to enjoy! Since 1968, The Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan has led the charge to assure continued access to public lands for motorized recreation by working closely with state and federal government. Membership in the CCC offers organized trail rides, a map CD of the entire trail system, a subscription to the Great Lakes TrailRider Magazine

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motivation to The Live It Right Dream Ride today.It’s incomplete though. It’s insufficient. It’s not thatsimple, nor that easy. “Living it right” is ascomplicated, emotional, and uncomfortable as it isincredible, romantic, and beautiful. It has to be.That’s what completes the picture.

I didn’t know this until it hit me – my ownperiod of darkness. It wasn’t planned; it justhappened. Like an uppercut from Iron Mike, it hitme square in the jaw and knocked me to the ground.

Down for the count. Paralyzed. Weak.Hopeless. Sad. But not “depressed.” Notme. “Depression” is what happens to otherpeople. “Weak” people. Not me. NOT me!

“Snap out of it,” I told myself.“Cheer up!” “Get over It.” I couldn’t. Itried. It didn’t work. Beer did. So didwhiskey. But Mom raised me well enoughto know I shouldn’t rely on painkillers. Ilooked for other answers. I bought amotorcycle and rode it from the Canadianborder to Mexico City. That helped, but it

didn’t fix anything.Depression, I later learned, is adisease – not a weakness. You can’t simplysnap out of it. Those who have met“Brutus” (my personalized name forCaptain Darkness), know what I’m talkingabout. When he comes knockin’, the most Ican do is ready my toolbox (friends, family,yoga, meditation, a journal, healthy food,and any professional help I might need)and prepare for the ride.On August 11th, 2014, Emily and I wereissued another reminder that it’s not easyto “Live It Right.” Robin Williams took hisown life. If money and fame don’t bringhappiness, what does? Love, gratitude,simplicity, serenity, friendship, andsometimes professional help – my answer.In taking this trip, in titling our adventureThe Live It Right Dream Ride, Emily and I

are not presuming that life is easy. It isn’t. Andneither is adventure travel.

The Live It Right Dream Ride has beenwonderful so far, but it hasn’t been perfect. We’vebeen cold, hot, disappointed, and homesick. We’vebeen tired, frustrated, annoyed, and anxious. That’spart of this journey because it’s part of the humanexperience. So is joy, romance, beauty, friendship,laughter, and love. We’ve come to appreciate thesmall pleasures of this trip: the sun rising over ourcampsite, dew and fog drifting into the morningair, the sound of the engine each time it startswithout issue. This trip is about experiencing thefull spectrum of emotions and opening up toeverything this beautiful world has to offer –whatever it has to offer.

When times get tough, we sometimes needencouragement; other times we need a pillow. I

know this because I havebenefited from depression. I’vealso suffered from it. If all goodthings must come to an end, thenso must the bad things. It’s theyin to the yang; the naturalopposition that keeps us inbalance.

…I’m 15 again. Momwasn’t saying life would beeasy. She was bridging a gapbetween pain and splendor. Sheknew one would follow theother. It did. It will follow foryou too. Keep your head up.Ask for help. Don’t run. Themotorcycle may provide anescape, but it won’t provide thefix. That lies within.

As The Live It RightDream Ride progresses, help usremember this. We’ll try to dothe same for you by notpretending that everything’ssunshine and rainbows and bysharing the full spectrum of ourexperience on this adventure.While it may not all be perfect,it is pretty awesome. As thesummer draws to a close, wehope the same is true for you.

For more detail aboutThe Live It Right Dream Ride,where it has taken us, or whereit’s going, visitwww.liveitrightdreamride.com.In the meantime, Live It Right –in your way and every waypossible.

Continued from page 13 - Live It Right

Continued on next page


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Waterford, Michigan - Tech-Care Suspension hasbeen in business for a few years. The business wasestablished when Tech-Care owner and motocrossracer, Dave Bowman, recognized a need for suspen-sion rebuild and set up services for the motocrossand off-road market. The business took off espe-cially after Bowman began offering tracksidesupport for racers in both Michigan and Florida.

Fast forward a few years. Bowman's otherbusiness, Small Displacement Motorsports, offeringparts, accessories and service to on- and off-roadmotorcycle enthusiasts, was growing and consumingmore of his time and attention. One of his techni-cians, Tim Bennett, offered to buy Dave's tracksidesupport business and Bowman accepted. Bennett is agraduate of Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and had10 years of professional experience. He had beenworking for Bowman since he was 17. Bennett, who is engaged to Heather Bowman,his business partner and Dave's daughter, grew thetrackside-support business. His mechanical skill wasrecognized by some pro motocross racers like JustinBarcia and Matt Lemoine. He gained a reputation foreffectively interpreting a racer's needs even when heor she couldn't technically explain what was wrongor needed. Bennett stays in touch with racers toensure they're satisfied with his work and happywith the results. He also knows the rules regarding

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modifications authorized by major racingorganizations. The business grew. The moretime he spent at the track, the more he con-nected with pro racers. It also meant that he andHeather were spending most of their time onthe road. Two months ago, the pair established Tech-Care Development and set up shop inWaterford, Michigan as a work space and baseof operations. Much of their suspension andengine work comes from professional racers inthe Canadian Pro Motocross series includingNathan Bles, Jesse Pierce and James Roberts aswell as their on-going trackside support work. The goal is to continue to providepremium services including trackside supportto professional motocross racers and graduallyoffer those same services to amateur racers andoff-road riders. Customers will be able to shiptheir suspension, engines or complete motor-cycles to Tech-CareDevelopment (TCD) forservice and repairs.TCD will customize thecustomer's motorcycleto his or her needs andskills and ship the partsor motorcycle back. For more informa-tion about Tech-CareDevelopment's services,call (248) 795-2295 orvisit their soon-to-be-launched website atwww.tcdracing.com.

Please also consider buying a Live It Right Dream Ride t-shirt orsticker available on our website. During the month of September, we’ll bedonating 50% of all proceeds to the National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI). For information about NAMI’s services, visit www.nami.org.#itstime

Continued from previous page


Attorney Jason A. Waechter is a national attorneyspecializing in the areas of motorcycle and motor vehicleinjury litigation. Mr. Waechter has collected millions ofdollars in settlements, awards and verdicts for hismotorcycle clients over the past 20 years. Jason feels aduty to give back to his community. A portion of eachcase settled goes to educational resources for bikers,funds to help bikers while their cases are being litigatedand our motorcycle accident prevention campaign. CallAttorney Jason Waechter toll free at 1-877-BIKER LAW.Or visit www.TheMotorcycleLawyer.com Legaldisclaimer: The law is very fact dependent and there aremany nuances and exceptions depending on yourparticular circumstances. Therefore, given the limitedspace, it is impossible to cover everything. Do not rely onthe short article to protect your rights.

Is a Mobility Scooter a Motor Vehicle?by Jason Waechter, Esq.

What is a “motor vehicle”? The legaldefinition of this term varies from state to state, butfor the most part it’s easy enough to guess what isor is not a motor vehicle. In Michigan, where myfirm is headquartered, there is a case before thecourts that has the potential to change the definitionof “motor vehicle”, and could also change the ruleswith regards to Personal Insurance Protection (PIP)coverage.

It’s important to disclose right away that Iam not representing the client in the story I amabout to tell you, nor have I ever met him orspoken to him about his case. I do not have any“insider” information in this case and the onlydetails I know are those that have been published inthe news. My comments are based solely on myopinions about the facts that have been madepublicly available. That said, I think this is aninteresting case that many legal professionals willfollow closely as it develops.

The story starts off with a man riding hismotorized mobility scooter - essentially an electricwheelchair - to a donut shop near his home. Theman was paralyzed from the waist down in a workaccident back in 2004, but thanks to his motorizedmobility scooter and electric wheelchair, heremained mobile and fairly independent. On theday in question, he was crossing the street when hewas struck by an SUV who turned right at theintersection. While both sides of the case agree thatthe contact between the SUV and the scooter was

relatively minor, it did cause the scooter to tip,which caused the victim new injuries and madesome of his previous injuries even worse.

For example, the victim and his lawyerallege that being hit by the SUV caused damage tohis colostomy wound, to the point that it had to be

relocated. They also allege that the crash torethe victim’s scrotum, hurt his neck and back,caused stomach hernias, and worsenedcirculation problems to his legs. Since he washit, the victim alleges he has required round-the-clock medical care, and has not been ableto enjoy the independent lifestyle he was usedto. To date, the victim claims he has incurredover $2m in medical costs. His doctors havetold him he needs another surgery which couldcost over $150,000. Because of these mountingmedical costs, the victim asked his lawyer tofile a Personal Insurance Protection (PIP) claimwith the SUV driver’s insurer.

In my mind, this is a pretty cut-and-dry case:The victim was crossing the street on his mobilityscooter as a pedestrian when he was hit by the SUV;police even referred to him as a pedestrian in theirreports. Being hit by the SUV caused him injuries,which in turn have created medical bills. It seems tome that the SUV driver’s insurance company should bepaying the medical costs of the victim.

Instead, the insurance company is trying toavoid paying benefits by claiming that he was drivinga “motor vehicle” (his mobility scooter) on a publichighway without PIP insurance. They claim if the“driver” of a “motor vehicle” doesn’t pay in to the PIPsystem, they shouldn’t be allowed to claim benefitsfrom that system.

But is a motorized mobility scooter really a“motor vehicle”? The insurance company is hingingtheir denial of this claim on a definition in Michigan’sInsurance Code [MCL 500.3101(2)(e)], which says a“motor vehicle” is “a vehicle… operated or designedfor operation upon a public highway by power otherthan muscular power which has more than twowheels.”

In my opinion, the insurance company isunlikely to win on that argument alone. I think it’s astretch to say that a motorized mobility scooter orelectric wheelchair is “designed for operation” on ahighway, first of all. Second, the Michigan VehicleCode is very specific in their definition of a “motorvehicle”: “Motor vehicle does not include an electricpersonal assistive mobility device,” (MCL 257.33). Ithink in this case the victim should get PIP benefitsfrom the insurer of the SUV driver, but it’s not up tome.

One of the reasons this case is so interestingfrom a legal perspective is the potential, if the SUVdriver’s insurance company were to succeed with theirargument, for a change in how “motor vehicles” aredefined. Another reason? If a judge were to ruleagainst the victim in this case, it could potentiallyforce people who operate motorized mobility scootersand electric wheelchairs to purchase PIP coverage ifthey want to use them to get around on public roads.This would be a huge benefit to insurance companies,

particularly as the population ages in the UnitedStates and these types of assistive devices becomemore and more popular.

This decision could have a big impact forcrash victims and their families, and I know manyof us within the legal profession will befollowing it closely. To see one of the publishedarticles about this particular case, visit http://bit.ly/VcrtAc.

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EventsEvents do change. Please call ahead.

Michigan

Indiana

August 305th Annual Legion RidersGROOVESTOCKAmerican Legion Post 298228 N. 20th Street, Battle Creek, MI$8 ‘13 & up

September 4-1345th Stevens Fall Trip toBlue Grass Pkwy, Wheels of Time Museum &The Dragon3636 S. Huron Rd., Bay City, MI(989) 737-0190

September 5-6Indian MotorcyclesDemo TruckRiders must have a motorcycle endorsement,helmet, eye protection, jacket, long pants andboots1765 S. Telegraph Road, BloomfieldHills, MI 248.920.2000www.MotorCityMotorcycles.com

September 6R Nine T DemoOpen House5995 South Division, Grand Rapids, MI(616) 530-6900www.bmwmcgr.com

September 6The Ton-Up Motorcycle & Music Festival10 E. Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198(734) 879-1201

September 611th Annual Women Sponsored MotorcycleRideBiker Bob’s Harley-Davidson14100 Telegraph Road, Taylor, MI$30 / personReg. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.(313) 969-9206

September 6Bikes for TrykesScooter’s Bar & Grill6004 Torrey Road, Flint, MI$15 single; $20 double(810) 965-5548

September 135th Annual Vintage Motorcycle DaySharon and Jim Reinerts’ Farm5105 W. Grand River Rd., Owosso, MIFor more information visit BMWTCD.ORG,reply to this email or call 517 651 6427

September 13View Newspaper GroupBeer FestivalLouie’s Sports TavernLapeer, MIwww.mihomepaper.com

September 13Ride through Hell & Backfor JamesonFraternal Order of Eagles141 Schroeder Park DriveHowell, MIReg 10 a.m.Depart 11 a.m.$40 rider; $50 w/ passenger(248) 462-2796

Ohio

August 23ABATE Region 2MDA I Sent a Kid to CampJasper County FairgroundsSR-114, 2 miles east of I-65Rensellaer, INGates open at 10 a.m.$25/ person(219) 808-3182(574) 225-2068

August 30Sarah Strong Memorial RideHoosier Harley-Davidson

Elkhart, INRide begins 10 a.m.$20/single; $30 w/ passenger

September 6ABATE Region 7Charity Ride to benefit the Decatur CountySpecial OlympicsGreensburg Eagles920 E. Main Street, Greensburg, INReg 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Depart Noon$15 / person; $25 / couple(731) 614-9226

September 6ABATE Region 3Wabash County Dam RideWabash Moose Lodge189 E. Market Street, Wabash, INReg. 10 a.m. to Noon$10 /rider; $5 / Passenger(260) 403-2379

August 23Returning American Warriors RunDeshler American Legion505 S. Sterns Ave.Deshler, OHReg. 10 a.m. to noonBegins 12:30 p.m.$15 single; $20 couple(419) 966-9492(419) 409-0349



R Nine T DemoOPEN HOUSE

Saturday, September 6, 2014

We will also have a ScalaRider communications expertwill be here to answer all ofyour Scala Rider questions.

Plus, we’ll have food,refreshments and special

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Now is your chance to ride one of the hottest newmodels in 2014. We will have an R Nine T in stock and

ready for demo rides. Don’t miss this opportunity!

September 13-14Dual Sport LiteBring out your big or small Dual SportPractice riding 2/1 tracks, dirt roads and grassyfieldsSharon and Jim Reinerts’ Farm5105 W. Grand River Rd.Owosso, MIFor more information visit BMWTCD.ORG, replyto this email or call 517 651 6427

September 12-148th Annual Bikes on the BricksDowntown Flint, MIhttp://bikesonthebricks.com/

September 1432nd Annual Battle of the BritsCamp Dearborn1700 General Motors Road, Milford, MI10 a.m. to 6 p.m.$6 per vehicle entry feeFor info, [email protected]

September 20Downtown Homer Car, Motorcycle, Tractor &Bicycle Show - 9 am- 3 pmFree Registration50/50 drawings and horseshoe tournamentHomer, MIBrad Stuart 517-568-7117Jim Lingenfelter 517-414-8468

September 21All Clubs Day, Downtown Stockbridge, MI

September 27Oktoberfest Open HouseBMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan14855 N. Sheldon Rd., Plymouth, MI734.453.0500www.bmwmcsem.com

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September 6BBQ CookoffJoin us for some excellent BBQ, live music andour always popular beer garden.9 a.m. to 6 p.m.2968 N. US Hwy 421Just south of I-94Michigan City, IN219.878.8885

September 7Ride for Health & Heroes(317) 745-7376(317) 745-7594

September 132ndf Annual Lapel Eagles RideBenefit for Tyler Thompson110 East 9th StreetLapel, IN$15 Single Rider; $10/passengerSign up 8 a.m.(765) 617-7720(765) 534-4577

September 13Mark Allen Memorial RideUAW Local 933 Union Hall2320 South Tibbs AvenueIndianapolis, IN$25/rider; $15/ passengerReg. 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.Departs 11 a.m.(317) 709-1961(317) 508-3865

September 27ABATE Region 7Jackson County Toy RunIn memory of Shari StahlFraternal Order of Eagles122 E. 2nd Street, Seymour, INReg 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.$10 / person(812) 522-7146

September 27Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home RideSouthside Harley-DavidsonI-65 & Southport RoadExit 103$25 / rider$10 / passenger(317) 535-9487


When Your Partner’son the Road

by Nicole Espinosa

Open Terrain: Exploring the World and Soul by Motorcycle

Who can resist a grand soloadventure, anyway? But, whathappens if you’re torn about leaving apartner or family behind? Or worseyet, get left behind. How in the worlddo you keep the love alive withthousands of miles or even oceansbetween you? It’s simple. You dig indeep to express that love…from eitherend.

You guys are getting thepersonal scoop on me here, becauseI’m going to be completely honestabout what I’m going through rightnow relationship-wise. Last October,my three week southwestern sololaunched me into some heavy re-evaluation of my relationship withmy boyfriend, Paul. We had gonethrough so much after comingtogether over his tongue cancer threeyears ago. We had been good friendswhen he was diagnosed and then,through the course of the healing

process, we fell in love. I put anythingfor myself on hold for three years togive my all to him, until I felt he wasstrong enough to stand alone. Then itwas finally time to give back tomyself…with the gift of a ridingvision quest through some gorgeoussouthwestern states.

The year prior to the sololaunch, our relationship had slippedinto a routine of unfamiliar territoryfor me. It became heavy with a darkcloud of non-communication andexpansive distance. This hadmetastasized from the loathing thatPaul felt for western medicine’sprocess of removing cancer…bybutchering the body. It affected hiswhole outlook on life, and eventuallyour relationship. This turned out to beone of my biggest life lessons. It forcedme to go within and love myself. Thishappened on my vision quest. Threeweeks of helmet time led me to a big

decision. Ihad not beenthriving inthis homeenvironment,at all. In fact,what hadhappenedwas the exactopposite ofthriving. Ifelt drainedof energy andjoy. So aftercoming homefrom my tripafter weeksofintrospection,I took my lifeback, andasked to beset free. Paul loves me so deeply thathe was willing to let go if that waswhat I wanted.

We continued living togetheras roommates up until the weekend ofOverland Expo in May when Paullaunched off on his Ride RoundAmerica and Alaska three-month tour.This valuable alone time at homepushed me on an incredible journey ofmy own. Usually when left behind onan adventure, it’s not as easy todistract yourself as it is for the partnerwho is stimulated with something newevery minute of the day on his or herroad life. But this time, I used thissolitude to go deeper within myselflooking for answers. I ended upconnecting with nature every morningon my barefoot meditation hike. Thiskept me balanced and focused on whatI wanted out of life. But whathappened next surprised the heck outof me.

As I quieted myself on top ofthe mountain on one clear andfragrant summer morning, I decided todo some distance energy healing onPaul to try and help him clear somenegative emotions that were wrappedaround his life perspective, due to thecancer. My motive for doing this wasthe hope of helping him heal in deeperways, so that I could feel ok aboutmoving on. What happened next wasthe exact opposite. He could feel theeffects of my work on him as if layerswere being lifted. This was alsocompounded by the inner journey thathe was traversing during the extensivehelmet time that he used for reflectionof our relationship and howdevastated he was over letting me go.

Honest revelations werebeing expressed by both sides, and thepoetry of our love for one anotherstarting slipping back into beautifulwritten expression. It was getting to

the point of utter excitement andshaking anticipation over daily emailsthat contained both communicationthat addressed issues in a loving way,and the devotion of our deep love forone another. For me, there was nobetter combination for healing bothparties.

It took being left behind thistime around for me to learn mybiggest life lesson. It was time to lovemyself. And as soon as I took a standand said that I wanted somethingbetter for my life, I chose to love me ina way I hadn’t in a very long time. Andthat’s when I opened myself up toloving others once again. Thisbeautiful journey that Paul and I are oncouldn’t have played out any better forboth of us to learn some of our mostvaluable lessons. And now it seems allthe sweeter to have ridden into thedepths of the valley between us to beable to reach the highest of peakstoday.

And, now you catch me at oneof my most excited and exhilaratedmoments of anticipation as I get readyto launch up the west coast from LA toSeattle, Washington, to meet Paul atmy Mom’s next week. We will havebeen apart for three months by then.That’s a very long time when youreally miss someone to the core. In thiscase, expression of love not only keptthe love alive, it rekindled it into araging bonfire. Now as I journey upthe coast on this particular solo trip, itwill be one of my most treasured. Thistime I won’t be looking for answers,because I already found them. What I’llbe looking for is inching one milecloser to the one I adore, and that willcolor the world anew.Nicole Espinosa is Mom to two great kids, founder / owner ofwww.ruggedrider.com, Managing Editor of AdventureMotorcycle magazine and soon-to-be RTW motorcycleadventurer. Communication welcome for Nicole:[email protected]


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Three Great Brandsat One LocationCOOKOFF

Saturday, September 6, 2014 • 9 a.m to 6 p.m.

1. We provide the slab of ribs. Baby Back.2. They may pick them up 2 days in advance.3. You must provide your own means of grilling, smoking.4. The ribs must be grilled, smoked, whatever your process

is, here at the Harley Shop.5. They may be prepped prior to bringing them.

Example: Rubs, marinades.6. The ribs must be ready by 4 p.m. for judging.7. We will have a panel of judges who will decide the

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We will need to know by September 1st who isparticipating. We will need to have the total number ofcompetitors grilling to get the right amount of ribs foreveryone. The event starts at 12 pm. You may come earlierif needed to set up and get started. There will be bands anda beer garden. So there will be activity going on while youcook. If you have any questions please call Jessica at219.878.8885 or 219.871.0365.

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Live Music

Beer Garden

Documents

Midwest Motorcyclist(tm), The Complete Guide to Motorcycling in the Midwest(tm), September 2014 issu