Thunder Roads Virginia Magazine - March 2012

1920 Centerville Turnpike, Suite 117-270, Virginia Beach, VA 23464 Office phone: (757) 831-2264

Email:[email protected] Website: www.thunderroads-virginia.com

OWNER / EDITOR, SALES: Kelly Collins

Special Thanks to: Warren Ells - our wonderfully talented layout guy who designs our pages & puts all the pieces together for us each month, Rod - for his killer ad designs & Bill of WCFStudios.com, our webmaster, who keeps our site rockin’ on the web. Also many thanks to all of our readers, advertisers & those of you out there that spread the word or pass a magazine to a friend who’s never heard of us before - You ALL are what keeps the Thunder rolling!

THUNDER ROADS VIRGINIA’s “ROAD CREW”SALES CREW

For information about advertising in Thunder Roads Virginia, visit the Advertising page of our website

www.thunderroads-virginia.com or contact any of our Sales Crew listed below.

Covering the state of Virginia

Webmaster

William C. Frohmiller [email protected].

Layout & DesignWarren Ells

Art Director, Thunder Publishing

Rodrigo “Rod” Lobo Guerrero Ad Designer

On Eagles Wings

Preacher Rick Saunders

Pastor Tammy Hayes

Preacher Gordon Bacon

William Day “Wild Bill” (804) 814-8498

[email protected] (Richmond & surrounding areas)

Steve [email protected]

(757) 727-3435(Eastern VA including the Peninsulas

& Mobile Statewide)

Cliff Bryant(757) 879-0903

[email protected](Eastern & Southeast Virginia)

Susan [email protected]

(804) 253-4563(Southern Virginia & Mobile Statewide)

Many thanks to our regular contributors of content (articles & pictures) for our magazine…You guys Rock!:

Beth Albert, Bo Albert, Dave Sutton, Ricky Derby, Skibo Adams (owner of HOG Wild Photography), Stacy Baxter,

Steve Baxter, Susan Smith, Tim Wilmoth, William “Wild Bill” Day, www.peopleofwalmart.com, www.whitetrashrepairs.com

* All articles & pictures within Thunder Roads Virginia are contributed by our Crew, Thunder Roads national network resources, freelance

writers/photographers & our wonderful readers.

Sport Bike Community Correspondent:Curtis “Stitch” Matthews

NATIONAL FOUNDERSToni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon

1528 Matlock DriveChapmansboro, TN 37035

Corporate Office: 615-792-0040 Fax: 615-792-7580

e-mail: [email protected]

Spring is definitely in the air now folks! We’ve all waited the past few months to see if we were going to get some big snow storm or have that extra 6 weeks of winter they had predicted. Looks like we’re in the clear & we are moving forward in high gear for the riding season. March & April are usually the months that we see everything really starting to pop…from events filling the calendar, new businesses opening up, spring blowout sales at shops, bikes coming out of the woodwork & new fangled products hitting the market. It’s such a great time of year when everything is blooming, fresh & exciting….we love it!

If you are planning an event, please be sure to submit it into our online calendar as soon as you have your information. When you submit your event online, this automatically schedules it to go into our print magazine. If you get it in by the 15th of the month, it will show up in the following month’s magazine. Our calendar is always free so please let us help you get the word out about events going on in & around Virginia & the Mid-Atlantic region. We will do our best to bring you all the best events that our areas have to offer.

As most of you know, Thunder Roads is financially supported by businesses that welcome riders through their doors. They are all here with us to reach you, the riders & motorcycle enthusiasts, who are looking for what they have to offer. Please stop in & see them & by all means, tell them that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know of a business that has something worthwhile to offer our motorcycle community & is not in our Biker Friendly Directory, please drop us a line to let us know who they are so we can contact them. The more businesses that we have onboard, the more distribution locations we have for other riders to pick up their free copy. The businesses listed in our directory are very special to us because they are the only places that you can pick up a copy of our magazine. We want to reach every area of our region so that riders living in even the most remote areas can have access to their free copy of Thunder Roads. We would greatly appreciate your help.

Our “Great Places To Ride” feature will be returning in our next issue to give you some wonderful ideas for planning some great adventures on the road for 2012….lots of good stuff coming! It’s going to be a fantastic month folks to get into the swing of Spring. Our event calendar continues to grow with plenty of fun things to do. Our online calendar is updated daily so be sure to check it often for the latest & greatest. We try to get out on the road as often as possible so hopefully we’ll be seeing you out at an event real soon! Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead 1 hour at 2a.m. on March 11th….Spring Forward! Life has no dress rehearsals so make everyday the best it can be & remember…you’re never fully dressed without a smile Stay well, be happy & ride safe on the roads you travel.

Until next month….Happy Trails

Kelly

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF ITS CONTENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. PUBLISHER ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY AND IS NOT TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR ERRORS BEYOND THE COST OF THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE ER-ROR, SLANDER OF ANY GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL, FAILURE TO PRODUCE ANY ISSUE AS SCHEDULED DUE TO REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, ANY AND ALL SUITS FOR LI-ABLE, PLAGIARISM, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A PER-SON’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 PRO-MOTE THE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS.

Calendar Of Events............................................4Proud To Be An American..............................8Hot Shots..............................................................12NCOM News Bytes..........................................22Clubs & Organizations..................................23On Eagle’s Wings.............................................25The Joker’s Wild..............................................26Biker Friendly Directory..............................32Advertisers Index..........................................36

CONTENTSOn The Cover

Southside Harley-Davidson

Hot Rod Hog DragsMarch 25, 2012

EDITOR’S LETTER

Mar 2nd & 3rd, 2012Myrtle Beach Bike Week West™ - Myrtle Beach, SCFlorence Civic Center, 330 W. Radio Road, Florence SC. 29501. Myrtle Beach Bike Week West™ offers everything from Vintage Motorcycle Displays, Drag Bike Displays, Chopper Road Shows Ride In Bike Show, Live Entertainment with Legends of Bike Week, Stunt Riders, Custom Builders, Vendors Mall, plus much more. Vendors, Bands, or General Info. Contact Sonny @ 336-643-1367 or cell is 336-580-1638. www.myrtlebeachbikeweekwest.com

Mar 4thDeparture Bike Works INDOOR Swap Meet – Chesterfield, VA Sunday March 4, 2012 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, 10300 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Vendor Space available - Indoor Booth Space Rentals for: Used Parts Vendors * New Parts/Clothing/Accessories * Bike Corral. For more info contact Lee at (804) 231-0244; fax (804) 231-0250. email [email protected]

Mar 9thYoung Life Capernaum’s 2nd Annual Jamming for Jesus - Virginia Beach, VA Jamming for Jesus - Y L Capernaum’s 2nd Annual Free Praise and Worship Concert. Freedom Fellowship Church 836 Regency Dr. on the corner of Regency Dr and Wolfsnare Rd, Virginia Beach, VA.. Friday March 9th, 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Featuring Christian Rock recording artist STRONGHOLD with their 80’s style rock and roll. Christian music with Bob Linsly performing praise songs from the 70s and members of the Freedom Fellowship Music Team performing traditional worship music. A Love Offering will be taken during the concert. Young Life Capernaum – A Ministry for Teens and Young Adults with Disabilities – www.capernaumhr.com

Mar 10thBlessing Of The Bikes - Elizabeth City, North Carolina Blessing Of The Bikes to be held at Southern Riders M/C 168 Knobbs Creek Road Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27909. Having bikes blessed by Bikers for Christ. A short ride to American Legion Post 288 in Coinjock N.C. Then back to clubhouse for food, fun and brotherhood. For more info contact Robert (Wingman) Huff at 252-573-0362 or email at [email protected].

Mar 11thPoker Run for Paul “OB” O’Brien – Virginia Beach, VAPaul “OB” O’Brien of WTF Leathercrafter was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident back in December. The Biker’s Depot is sponsoring a Poker Run to help OB with his expenses. Registration will be held at The Biker’s Depot (612 Nevan Road - Virginia Beach) from 10:00 to 11:30 - with the last bike out at 11:30. Cost: $10 per rider/$5 per passenger - additional poker “hands” available for purchase at $5 a piece. Best Hand will win $100 CASH! Bring yourselves. Bring your families. Bring your friends. And most importantly... BRING YOUR WALLETS! Ride ends at Clutch Bar & Grill. LIVE MUSIC - Door Prizes - Raffles - 50/50 Raffle. For more info call The Biker’s Depot at 962-0159.

Mar 17thAbsolut Cycle Worx Annual Charity Throwdown – Richmond, VA More info to come

Mar 25th 2nd Annual Southside Harley-Davidson Hot Rod Hog Show Down – Hertford, NC Northeast Dragway, 1099 Lake Road, Hertford, NC 27944. Gates open at noon. Racing begins at 1pm. $10 Spectator (children under 12 free). $15 Test and Tune (all day). Cash payouts in the following classes: Fast Bagger Class, Quick Twin Class (Non FLH), E.T. Race. Sponsored by Hampton Roads HD & Southside HD. www.hrhd.com

Apr 12th – 15thBarry’s Outer Banks Bike Rally – Grandy, NCHeld @ Barry’s on Walnut Island Restaurant * Lodge * Sport Center 169 Walnut Island Blvd. Grandy, NC 27939. Biker’s Party at the NUT. Monday: Welcome to the OBX Party 4PM. Tuesday: OBX Ride to Tim Buck Two 10AM-2PM. Wednesday: Miss NC Bike Week Contest 7PM. Thursday: Outback Burn Out Contest 4PM. Friday: Strongest Biker Contest 2PM. Tattoo Contest 4PM. West and Daniels Band. Saturday: Bike Games – Slow Ride 1PM. Dog Bite 2PM. Barry West Special 3PM. Gator Head Southern Rock Band. Sunday: Bike Games. US Coast Guard Fly Over 1PM. Waitress Carry 2PM. Biker vs Food Contests 3PM. For more info visit www.barrysbikerally.com

Apr 14th & 15thVirginia Bike Fest – Petersburg, VATom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group presents the Virginia Bike Fest - Bike Race & Show. Hosted by The Red Knights Motorcycle Club. Skydive into the Bike Fest! Fly Your Leathers Proud-Register to Win at VirginiaMotorsports.com. Sat Apr 14th – The BIG Show: “Throttle Grippin Speed” - Nitro Harleys * Bike Drags * Heads Up Door Cars. “Midway Action” - Bike Burnout Pit * Nitro Saloon * Free Pig Pickin (while the Hog lasts) * Lots of Vendors! “Wide Open On Stage” - Four Live Bands * Swimsuit Contest * Hot Mama Contest * Big Daddy Contest. Sun Apr 15th – Recovery Day: Open Drag for Cars & Bikes * Bike Fun Runs. Virginia Motorsports Park, 8018 Boydton Plank Rd., Petersburg, VA 23803. (804) 862-3174. www.VirginiaMotorsports.com

Apr 15thDirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VAGates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date Apr 22nd

Apr 15thKundratic Motorcycles Spring Swap Meet Baltimore MDBUY, SELL or SWAP! The Annual Spring Swap Meet has been set for Sunday April 15th 2012. Traditional old school swap meet with motorcycle & hot rod parts only. Tons of vendors will be buying,

SAVE YOUR DATE!!! IS YOUR EVENT IN OUR CALENDAR??? If not, submit it on the Events page of our website www.thunderroads-virginia by the 15th of the month so it will make it into the next issue. We need events submitted as far in advance as possible so that others can be respectful of the date that you’ve chosen for yours.

ONGOING EVENTS

BIKER CHURCH SERVICES

Biker Church Service Mechanicsville, MD Rushing Wind Ministry, 29025 Three Notch Rd., Mechanicsville, MD 20659, Gordon Bacon, Preacher, 240-577-0605, [email protected]. Sunday service 10am -10:30am gathering and fellowship with coffee and snacks. Wednesday Bible study 7pm-8:30. Friday night bike night 6:30pm-10pm. Services are held every Sunday; Bible Study held every Wednesday; Bike Night ever Friday Night.

Liberty Biker Church & Blessing of the Bikes Isle of Wight County, VA Our focus is sharing the Word of God with the motorcycle community, without all the preconceived ideas that you have to dress a certain way or look like everyone else. For anyone who thinks you have to fit in or be like everyone else, guess what: People can be different. And so is Liberty Biker Church. Hang-around (social) time: 10 a.m. with free donuts and coffee. Worship service: 11 a.m. with Christian rock band Stronghold providing the church music. Our address is 17011 Courthouse Hwy, Isle of Wight County, VA, contact is Pastor Jim Manner, (757) 376-3612 –We hold services every Sunday & we hold a Blessing of the Bikes the 1st Sunday of each month.

Tidewater Motorcycles Chili Dog Social EVERY TUESDAY Free Chili Dog’s every Tuesday at Tidewater Motorcycles. 4324 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23434. visit www.tidewatermotorcycles.net for more info.

EVENTS

THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE 4

selling and swapping used parts, vintage parts, new parts, hard to find parts, fenders, tanks, frames, accessories, chrome, steel and everything in between! Pickup parts for your hot rod, rat rod, bobber, café racer, chopper or drag bike. This isn’t just for Harley’s folks! Early Bird Registration $15 per 10x10 space. Waiting until the day of the swap it’s $20 per 10x10 space. This is a drizzle or shine event, remember to bring your pop-up tent. As always, it’s FREE to come and shop plus lots of FREE parking. Sorry, no crafts, jewelry, peek-a-boo dolls, etc.. Call us or stop by the shop to reserve your space today. 410.633.3113. Payments accepted: Visa/MC, Discover AmEx, Cash, Paypal, Personal checks accepted until 03.15.12. [email protected]. www.kundratickustoms.com. Location: Kundratic Kustom Motorcycles 6310 Holabird Avenue Baltimore MD 21224

Apr 21st – 29th10th Annual Outer Banks Bike Week™ - Harbinger, NCFor a complete schedule of events, visit our website at www.outerbanksbikeweek.com For Vendor or Sponsorship packages contact Shamra at (252)338-8866 or contact us via email at: [email protected]. 9 Days of Non-Stop Entertainment & Riding. Win a $1000.00 Shopping Spree. 100 Miles of Scenic Barrier Islands. Live Bands & Bikini Contests. Bike Shows & Poker Runs. Guided Tours. Tattoo Contest & Beer Belly Contest H-D 2012 Factory DEMO Rides. Historic Lighthouses. Wright Brothers Memorial. Pirate lore and history. Location: Outer Banks Harley-Davidson, Harbinger, North Carolina

Apr 28thHillsville VABA Swap Meet – Hillsville, VAThe Hillsville VABA Swap Meet will be on April 28th, 2012 at the VFW Fairgrounds in Hillsville, VA. Vendors for Motorcycles, Cars, Hot Rods and Classic Car parts will be available. General admission is only $5.00. Active military is free. Inside and outside vendor spots are available at a very reasonable cost. Gates open at 10:00 on Saturday. The band Cottonmouth Xpress will play from 4:00 till 8:00. Route 58 in Hillsville, VA (I-77 exit 14). Sponsored by The Virginia Bikers Association. Profits go to selected charities. Contact: [email protected]. Website: http://www.vabikers.org

May 5thC.O.P.S. Relay for Life Team Poker Run for American Cancer Society-Appomattox, VAC.O.P.S. (Commonwealth Officers Promoting Survival) Relay for Life Team is sponsoring a Poker Run to benefit the American Cancer Society in Memory of Lisa Roakes (Retired First Sergeant). Starting at the Appomattox County Rescue Squad Building in Appomattox and traveling country scenic routes. Registration is 9:00 AM to11:00 AM. Last bike out by 11:15 AM. Cost of $20.00 per bike and riders additional $10.00. 2 extra cards available for $5 each. 50/50 drawing and Door Prizes. Meal provided at end of ride. Any questions or for more information, please call 434-352-3409

May 5thHog Bash 2012 – Accomac, VAOnancock Elks Lodge #1766 presents Hog Bash 2012 Bike and Cash Raffle. Saturday May 5th, Noon till 4pm,$40 per person. Only 1250 tickets will be sold. 2012 Harley-Davidson Switchback. $250 Cash Drawing every 15 minutes. Food ALL YOU CAN EAT. Beverages. Live music. T-shirts. Held rain or shine.22454 Front Street, Accomack, VA 23301. For more information Call 757-787-7750 or 757-710-1694 or [email protected]

May 5th6th Annual Salty Dawg Poker Run for the Fisher House – Hampton & Virginia Beach, VA Salty Dawgs Riding Club 6th Annual Poker Run. Supporting: The Fisher House. The fisher house supports America’s military in their time of need, they provide “a home away from home” that enables family members to be close

to a loved one at the most stressful time--during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury, for more information see: WWW.FISHERHOUSE.ORG. Registration from 9-11 am. 1st Bike out at 9:30am Last Bike Out 11am. Last bike in 3:00 PM. STARTING POINTS: Peninsula: Nascar, 1996 Power Plant Parkway Hampton Va.; Southside: Grumpy’s 995 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23464. Ending spot is NASCAR Featuring Door Prizes, Auction, 50/50 Drawing, Cornhole Tournament, Bike and Car Show. Extra Door Prize ticket for donation of paper products TP, Paper Towels, Paper plates, Etc. for The Fisher House. $10.00 per Rider and $5.00 per Passenger Cars welcome! Breakfast Buffet available at both starting points. Live entertainment at conclusion of ride. For information call Run Coordinator, James (Big joker) Bigham 757-621-2325 or Bob (Dutchie) Lyytinen 757-362-7164.

May 20thDirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VAGates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date May 27th

June 2nd Back of the Dragon Day – Tazwell, VABack of the Dragon Day, “The Awakening” will take place in Tazewell and Marion VA. on their main street at the same time on 2 June 2012. Open to the public at 9:00am. Live music, bike show and car show with motorcycle and sport car company displays, with vendors. Each town will have their unique sponsors and vendors. There will be pllenty of food and beverages from local restaurants and food vendors. It’s all about the ride, and we have 32 miles of the most challenging black top you will ride. Come and earn your Dragon Master Patch! Make Back of the Dragon your destination on June 2nd. Contact: Tazewell VA. 276-988-2501 [email protected] Marion VA. 276-783-4190 [email protected] Larry Davidson 276-988-5726 [email protected] Location: Main St. Tazewell VA. 24651 & Marion VA. 24354

June 3rdRichmond Ride for Kids – Mechanicsville, VARichmond Times Dispatch, Times Dispatch Blvd.(off rt 301) Mechanicsville, VA.23116. A police escorted loop ride through Hanover and King William Counties. This is a fund raiser for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Rain or shine event. Coffee and donuts and light lunch provided. Come out, bring your friends, bring your money, meet our “stars”, kids who have survived a brain tumor (cancer) or are currently undergoing treatment. Listen to their stories and be a part of our effort to raise money to find a cure for this deadly disease. Learn more @ www.rideforkids.org or www.pbtfus.org.or 800-253-6530 Local contact Mark Johnson: [email protected] Richmond Times Dispatch Building, Times Dispatch Blvd. Mechanicsville,VA 23116

June 10thDirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VAGates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date June 17th

Jun 21st – 23rd Virginia State H.O.G. Rally – Williamsburg, VA The 22nd Annual Virginia State H.O.G. Rally returns to Williamsburg, VA. www.vastatehogrally.com


EVENTS



EVENTSJuly 15thDirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VAGates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date July 22nd

Jul 20th – 22nd Carlisle Bike Fest – Carlisle, PA Adult Admission: Th.- Sun. $8. Child Admission: 8 and under – FREE. Gate Times: Fri. 9am-6pm / Sat 8am-6pm /Sun. 9am-3pm. For updates visit www.carlisleevents.com

Aug 8th – 12thEast Coast Motorcycle Rally – Little Orleans, Western MDThis is the event that’s taking the country by storm! Formerly known as “The East Coast Sturgis Motorcycle Rally”. All the reasons are right. Mountains, Open Country, Good People, Clean Air and the Freedom of the road! The “EAST COAST MOTORCYCLE RALLY” Apple Mountain, Little Orleans, Western Maryland is the hot spot for motorcyclists to get together for good times, good food, and great entertainment. And the one and only “ Motorcycle Demolition Derby “ event!! Now rivaling “ Bike Week “, “Myrtle Beach “ and many other events. Let the Party Begin! For years Motorcyclist have been having to travel half way across the Country to Rally with new folks and hook up with old friends. Now meet em’ on Apple Mountain at the EAST COAST MOTORCYCLE RALLY ! Come, Camp, Party! Save BIG –Reserve Your Advance Tickets NOW! www.eastcoastmotorcyclerally.com

Aug 12th Dirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VA Gates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date August 19th

Aug 25thDavey’s Ride 6 – Dale City, VAMark your calendars for the 6th Annual “Davey’s Ride” - Aug 25th 2012. We are honored to have chosen an amazing organization called “Hope for the Warriors” to sponsor this year. Please check out their webpage:http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/ This ride is a day of honor & respect for all of our Men & Women who serve Our Country everyday - those here & abroad / those who have sacrificed everything & whom we have lost. It’s a day of remembrance & a day to say “Thank You”. Registration will start @ 9am / small ceremony @ 10:30 am & kickstands up @ 11:00 am. $20.00 donation per bike. 100% proceeds towards “Hope for the Warriors”. This year’s ride is being sponsored by “The CVAMC”, “Lords of Loyalty”, “Post 28 Legion Riders”, “VFW Post 1503” & “The Dale City Moose” to name a few. Route is still being created. Location: VFW Post 1503 14631 Minnieville Road, Dale City, VA

Sept 16, 2012Poker Run to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association – Palmyra, VA Ride to Remember Poker Run to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association of Central and Western Virginia on Sunday, September 16, 2012 to begin and end at Cuppa Joe Coffeehouse on Rte. 15, just south of Palmyra, Virginia. $20 per driver, $10 per passenger and $10.00 for extra poker hand. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. Last bike out at 10:30 a.m. Prize for best poker hand, door prize and 50/50 drawing. Contacts: Barry Boothe, Ph. (434)842-6392, email: [email protected] or Alex and Sue VonDerBecke, Ph. (434)842-2200, Email: [email protected]

Sept 16thDirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VAGates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date September 23rd

Sept 22ndRiding for a Cause – Crozier, VAPoker Run to benefit Special Olympics of Virginia at the Academy for Staff Development. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. - last bike out at 10:00

a.m. $20 per person and you get a poker hand, a door prize ticket and a lunch. Additional poker hands $5. Additional door prize ticket $1. All bike welcome! Academy for Staff Development, 1900 River Road West, Crozier, VA 23039.

Sept 27th – 30thOuter Banks Bike Fest For a complete schedule of events, visit our website at www.outerbanksbikefest.com. For Vendor or Sponsorship packages contact Shamra at (252)338-8866 or contact us via email at: [email protected]. 100 Miles of Scenic Barrier Islands. Live Bands & Bikini Contests. Bike Shows & Poker Runs. Guided Tours. Tattoo Contest & Beer Belly Contest. Historic Lighthouses. Wright Brothers Memorial. Pirate lore and history. Location: Outer Banks Harley-Davidson, Harbinger, North Carolina

Oct 6th3rd Annual Lupus Poker Run – Fredericksburg, VAAll welcome!! $10 per person, sign in starts at 10am. All proceeds go to the Lupus Research Institute, best hand wins--door prizes too! Come join us for good times and great friends! Location: Renegade Classics, 316 White Oak rd, Fredericksburg Va 22405

Oct 7thDirt Drags @ Slades Park – Surry, VAGates open 9 a.m. Admission $15, kids under 10 not racing are FREE. Free vendor setup - please call 1st. Trophies & Cash-All Classes. Top Fuel at it’s Best-Pro Gas/Dirt Bikes. No Colors - No Glass - No Dogs!!! For info call Joe Brookman (804)221-3959 or email [email protected]. Rain date October 14th


Proud To BeAN AMERICAN

American Legion Riders Post 75When the “Riders” give their monthly report at the American Legion meeting(s), there’s something you might not realize,

Here’s an example: - This last Saturday (2/11/2012) at 3 in the morn-ing, we were getting out of bed, showering, and dressing in multi-layers of clothes, we met at Post 75, and at 5 a.m. we left on our motorcycles (flags flying) to meet up with others at the K Mart on Mercury Blvd. by Lasalle, we then headed to Langely Air Force Base where we met over 200 soldiers coming home from Afghanistan. We then escorted their bus-ses to Ft. Eustis for their homecoming. After the homecoming we headed home (around noon). When we left at 5 a.m. if was cold as..... but by the time we headed home it had dropped about 10 - 15 degrees and the wind was howling - we made it home shortly before it started snowing.

I sometimes think that the our membership thinks that our “miles” are spent comfortably on warm summer days - but actually we ride in all temps and times of the day. Since becoming a member I have rode with our members in everything from 22 degrees to 104, in the rain and in the sleet, and from leaving at 1 in the morning to getting home after midnight.

I am not looking for pity or congrats from anyone, none of us are - we don’t do it for that - we get that “warm fuzzy” feeling in the gut from that occasional beeping of horns and/or a thumbs while up on the highway, a “thank you” from troops leaving and/or coming home from the battlefield, a handshake from a two star or a hug from a soldiers child for bringing daddy home, and a nod of thanks from a family member at a funeral.

This is just part of what the Riders from Post 75 do, and we do it all for our Soldiers, our Veterans, our Community, and for God and Country.

Except for being a husband/father and a Veteran - my experience as being an American Legion Rider/Patriot Guard Rider has been the high lite of my life, and will be an experience I will always be proud of.

Rob

This is us at the Wreaths Across America - Yorktown, right after we donated $3,400.00 to the Wounded Warriors (Warrior Transit Unit) at Ft. Eustis/Maguire Hospital Polytrama Unit.

Retired Sergeant Major Alfredo L. DeSerio, 42 years of service to the United States Marine Corps, WW II, Korea and two tours of duty in Vietnam. Alfred was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award by the Upper Darby Marine Corps League Detachment #884 on 1/18/2012.

Volunteers, residents and staff at St. Francis Country House call Alfred “Sarge”. He is a member of the centurion club at age 105. Sarge is friendly, talks with everyone, he can recognize you by your voice, has a good sense of humor and is always smiling.

Presenting Alfred with the award were (from left ) Marine Corps League Comman-

dant George Souder, Marty Mack, Ed Ryan, Steve Quinn and John Morris.

Photo credit: Photo by Patrick J. Hughes

OLDEST LIVING MARINE: Alfredo DeSeno


Get Your Bike Ready For Spring

Now that the warm weather is here to stay, many riders in the northern reaches of the country are faced with getting their motorcycles back in shape for the riding season.

If you didn’t do much more than park your bike on the side of the garage when the first cold winds blew last fall, you’ve got a little work ahead of you. Suffice it to say that prepping a bike for winter is usually a lot easier than getting an unprepped bike ready for spring. That’s because several things have been going on over the past four months that could make your life difficult now.

Foremost is the fuel system. Gasoline is a mixture of volatile chemicals, and when it sits untreated for several months, parts of the mixture can evaporate, leaving behind a brown gunk called varnish. Varnish can clog the small jets inside a carburetor, leading to sluggish performance, hard starting or even no starting. You’ll at least want to drop the float bowls on the carbs, dump out the gas that remains, and clean out any residue with carb cleaner. In addition, you may need to unscrew the jets and clean them, too.

Preventing this next year is as easy as squirting a bit of fuel stabilizer into your last tankful before winter. Then run the engine for a few minutes to get treated fuel into the carbs.

If your gas tank was low when you parked the bike last year, it’s possible that condensation has formed in it. Drain-ing all the remaining fuel and replacing it with fresh gas is your best bet.

Your battery may well be dead or nearly so. Pull it, add distilled water to any cells that need it, and put it on a trickle charger. You can use a hydrometer to tell when it’s ready to use.

You’ll also want to be sure that your tires contain the recommended air pressure, that your brakes work smoothly and have adequate fluid, that your chain is oiled and your air filter is clean.

Yes, it’s a lot to do. But it’s stuff you’d more than likely have to do sometime soon anyway. Consider it getting a jump on your bike maintenance for the year.

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON SEVENTY-TWO™ REVIVES A LEAN LOOK

Milwaukee, WI - Industry News from Harley-Davidson The Harley-Davidson® Seventy-Two™ motorcycle is a

metal flake dream machine, a Sportster® on a trip back to the days when the cool kids rode a Sting-Ray and the big boys parked choppers in a row on the curb. Those motor-cycles were long and lean; candy-apple color and gleam-ing chrome shimmering in hazy summer sunlight. From its Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint and ape bars to its nar-row whitewall tires, the Seventy-Two is a respectful nod to that era, and to the influence of the custom culture that still percolates today along Whittier Boulevard, the legendary cruising street in East Los Angeles also known as Route 72. A new generation of custom builder is tapping into that era and making a fresh statement, not just in California but in garages across the country, even around the world.

“In creating the Seventy-Two, we were also inspired by the vibe of the early chopper era,” says Frank Savage, Har-ley-Davidson Manager of Industrial Design. “Those bikes were colorful and chromed, but also narrow and stripped down to the essentials. You look at period examples and they are almost as simple as a bicycle. It’s a custom style that’s very particular to America and that California scene.”

Metal flake, an iconic design element of the ‘70s, ap-peared in everything from dune buggy gel coat to vinyl diner upholstery, and on custom motorcycles. Harley-Davidson brings the sparkle back on the Seventy-Two with Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint. This new finish is created by applying a black base coat, followed by a polyurethane system that carries hexagon-shaped flakes that are more than seven times the diameter of metal flake used in typical production paint. Each flake is coated with a thin aluminum film and then tinted red. Four applications of clear coat, combined with hand sanding, create a smooth finish over the flakes.

“The final touch to the Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint is a logo on the tank top and pinstripe scallop details on both fenders,” says Savage. “Each was originally created by hand, and we recreated that art in a decal for production, so they still have the appearance of hand-applied graphics in that they are not exactly perfect. The graphics are then covered with a final clear coat application.”

A solo seat and side-mounted license plate bracket leave much of the chopped rear fender – and more of that paint – exposed on the Seventy-Two. The powertrain is finished in Gray powdercoat with chrome covers and a new round air cleaner with a dished cover. A classic Sportster 2.1-gallon “peanut” fuel tank adds a final period touch to the motor-cycle. Key features of the 2012 Harley-Davidson® Seventy-Two™ include:

• Air-cooled Evolution® 1200cc V-Twin engine with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), rated at 73 ft. lbs. peak torque at 3500 rpm.

• Powertrain is finished in Gray powdercoat with Chrome covers.

• Paint color choices include Hard Candy Big Red Flake with period pinstripe details on fenders and fuel tank, Black Denim, and Big Blue Pearl.

• Classic 2.1-gallon peanut fuel tank. • Dunlop® white side wall 21-inch (MH90-21)

front and 16-inch (150/80B16) rear tires. • Chrome Laced wheels. • Ten-inch mini-ape handlebar mounted on a two-inch

high riser. • Chrome, eight-inch round air cleaner cover with

center screw mount. • Chopped rear fender exposes rear tire. • Side-mounted license plate bracket. • Chrome, staggered, shorty dual exhaust with

slash-cut mufflers. • Solo seat with black textured vinyl cover. • Handlebar-mounted speedometer with chrome cup • Chrome rear fender struts. • Chrome coil-over pre-load adjustable rear shocks. • Forward foot controls.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a com-plete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s website at www.harley-davidson.com, or see them in person at your local Harley-Davidson dealership.


When Your Dog Is Your Best Friend


SEND US YOUR HOTS SHOTS!!! Email your pictures to: [email protected] .



The Motorcycle WaveBy: Travis “Blydawg” Blythe

Ever since I can remember, from the very first time I sat on the back of my father’s motorcycle as a young child, one of my favor-ite things was waving at the other motor-cycles. At first I had no idea why we were waving at random people driving by us. My father always told me we “just do” and so we just did!The first thing I noticed

was that the “Harley” riders never waved back at us, or rarely waved back I should say. Since at the time we were a Honda family, we were met with waves from every other brand except the Harley. As the years progressed this remained the same everywhere I went. I however wave to everyone, even if they don’t wave back, I still throw out my wave.Fast forward to 2002, when I purchased my first Harley. Now I was accepted into the fraternity so to speak. But one thing I have always remained true to myself was that I wave to everyone. It seemed that magically over night, all of the bikes that used to never wave, now did, like my cloak of invisibility had worn off. But I do wave to everyone, my motto is as long as it is on two wheels, then I will say hello.Now I know that some car brands do the wave also like some secret society, yes I am talking to you Mr. Corvette driver and you Ms. BMW and I have heard that even the Jeep drivers do a wave. That makes me chuckle some, because then every car brand should wave at each other or hell, lets just all wave at everyone and be a waving society! No, you cage drivers can not have a wave, you will never be as cool as us no matter how many “members only” jackets you have or even when you wear your “driving gloves” which make you look like a dork. We wear gloves for totally different reasons.Sorry to get of topic for a minute there. Back to the biker wave…I came across many blogs and articles on this topic recently and I decided early on I was not going to tell you the “types of waves” or even the “wave etiquette” but what I don’t get are the rules for waving. If you read the above article, the following rules for waving were listed for NOT waving: 1) interstate; unneces-sary, 2) in a curve; unnecessary 3) in the rain or at night; unnecessary 4) on a mellow two lane; proper. 5) a highway with little traffic; proper 6) A rally, unnecessary and 7) in traffic, unnecessary.I have a problem with some of these and let me give you my thoughts:1. Interstate: While I understand we are cruising at this point traveling any-where from 70-80 MPH, this is actually the easiest wave to pull off a wave is it not? I mean you are just rolling down the road. On many a trip across the country, I find it awesome to wave across the median at fellow road warriors. So I veto this and change it to a PROPER! I further question the divided median. I know this was not mentioned, but why is it okay to not wave just be-cause there is a center divider? I mean you can still see the bike and it’s rider, it is not like there is a 10-ft wall you can’t see over. So I also say PROPER to wave when you have a divided road.2. Curve: If you read that article then you saw there were a ton of variations of the wave. If you are that scared to take your hand off the grip or handle bar, then use the “left handed forward wave”or the crotch rocket wave, where you lift your fingers off the grip. I have ridden in many switchback type roads in my time and I have never found it difficult to give a full on wave to some in mid corner or turn. If you know how to ride at all, you can still follow the turn with one hand. I will not ignore my fellow brethren just because we are at 10,000

feet spiraling down the mountain! I veto this and make it PROPER, if you don’t wave it is just a little rude.3. Rain/Night: Well, I really do not see what a little H2O has to do with anything. Most of us if we are riding in the rain are prepared for it so we have our gear on. Unless you get caught in a terenchal downpour and you are in shorts and a t-shirt with no helmet on, then you better wave at your fellow biker. PROPER! Now at night, that is somewhat tricky because you really can not see the other person. I don’t ride much at night, but if it is a well lite area, I would wave away if you can.6. A Rally: while there are usually thousands of bikers everywhere at a rally, this seems to be the most accepted rule of thumb I do come across. Some-times you would be waving and just keep your arm up if you did. I think that you need to be safe, but you should at least do your best. I don’t know about you, but I like being waved at and acknowledged.7. Traffic: Here I have to say, while yes sometimes you can not take your hand off the clutch, the head nod works just fine and is an acceptable substitute for a wave. The other person can usually see you need that clutch hand, so PROPER in my book, I do it all the time at stop lights and what not.So all in all, as you can see I wave at everyone and yes even though I own a Harley, I still get snubbed by my fellow American motorcycle owners for some of the “rules” above, but I don’t care. Should you encounter me, I will wave and I will always wave to my fellow 2-wheel modern knights. Yes I did the research and from what I could find, the wave started with the knights on horseback when they greeted each other in passing. I wonder if they had rules on waving? (all the smart-ass thoughts I am thinking of writing about horse riding)If you wonder why some people don’t wave back at you, here are some top 10 lists I found on both Harley and Goldwing riders, enjoy:Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don’t Wave Back1. They’re afraid it will invalidate their factory warranty.2. Leather and studs make it too hard to raise their arm.3. They refuse to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for.4. They won’t let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off.5. The rushing wind could blow the scabs off their new tattoos.6. They’re angry over the second mortgage needed to pay for the new Harley.7. They just discovered the fine print in their owner’s manual revealing that The Motor Company is partially owned by rice-burner manufacturers.8. They can’t tell if other riders are actually waving or just reaching up to cover their ears, like everyone else.9. If they wave back, they risk being impaled on their spiked helmet.10. They’re upset that after spending $30,000, they still don’t own a bike that’s as comfortable as a Goldwing.To be totally fair, let it be noted that sometimes Goldwing riders don’t wave back, either. Again, to facilitate a better understanding….Top Ten Reasons Why Goldwing Riders Don’t Wave Back1. They aren’t sure whether the other rider is waving or making an obscene gesture.2. They risk getting frostbite if they take their hand off the heated grip.3. They have arthritis and it is difficult to raise their arm.4. The reflection from the etched windshield was momentarily blinding.5. The on-board espresso machine had just finished.6. They were asleep when other rider waved.7. They were involved in a three-way conference call with their stock broker and accessories dealer.8. They were distracted by an oddly shaped blip on their radar screen.9. They were simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height, pro-grammable CD player, seat temperature and satellite navigation system.10. They couldn’t find the “auto wave-back” button on their dashboard.Until next time, keep the rubber side down!My name is Travis and I talk to Strangers!


By Steve Cook

I have IPF a lung disease and I will only live for six to eight month’s best guess from my doctors. The death riders are a group of my friends from all branches of the service, FBI, Po-lice and Medical field. We set-up the rides to honor all of those who have fallen before us . The group looks out for me as we try to make as many rides to memorials as we can to pay our respect to those we have lost. I’m very lucky to have friends that take time out of their busy lives to ride with me and look out for me . I’m very proud of each of these men. We have a ride planned for 3/15--- 3/19 down south some where warm.

The name death riders came from the group their way of dealing with my condition.

There are 14 of us that ride together . Thanks again (Doc) as they all call me

We came to know about Steve & the Death Riders when I received an email from Stephen Kingsley, Steve’s stepson. Here’s what Stephen wrote when I asked him who the Death Riders were: “What I can tell you is that my stepdad has a lung condition that will eventually kill him (he sees hospice), so he and his friends from the Northern Neck have gone for several “Death Rides” all across the East Coast. I think they are on Death Ride #7. My stepdad is a fighter! I told my mom yesterday that there will probably be a Death Ride 15 the way that he fights.” Thanks Stephen for introducing us to your stepdad & his friends. And thank you Steve for sharing the story behind your incredible group of friends who ride with you. You truly are a fighter - Our thoughts & prayers will be with you through the miles.

from left to right are Eddie, Georgie, Me the old guy, Ed, Lee & Greg, Dan is taking the picture .

The DeaTh RiDeRs


The Official Newsletter of Virginia’s First Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization www.abateva.orgAny Biker Friendly Business that offers a 10% discount to ABATE of VA members, will get a free business card size ad in every Freewheelin’ issue.

GOOD FOR YOUIf you were to make one change in your kitchen—one single simple adjustment—to promote health and gain substantial benefits in countless ways, it would be: Use extra virgin olive oil in place of other fats. So many studies have verified the health-promoting qualities of extra virgin olive oil that the European Union has embraced it as the oil of choice, and is in-vesting more than thirty-five million euros to promote consumption in its member states. In the U.S., the FDA, for only the third time, granted a qualified health claim for conventional foods containing olive oil. These foods are allowed to carry labels

saying they may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Olive oil—made from the crushing and pressing of one of the oldest known foods, olives—has been enjoyed since as early as 3000 B.C. It is a staple of the extraordinarily healthy Mediterranean diet, and it is now believed that the consumption of olive oil is a prime reason for the positive aspects of this particular diet. It seems that the heart-healthy effects of olive oil are due to a synergy of health-promoting compounds. The monounsaturated fat in olive oil has various impressive health benefits. In addition to healthy fat, olive oil is a good source of vitamin E. One ounce of extra virgin olive oil contains 17.4 percent of the daily value (DV) for vitamin E. Interesting-ly, part of the nutrient synergy of extra virgin olive oil is that the abundant polyphenols not only provide their own health benefits, they also protect and preserve the accompanying vitamin E. The powerful combination of all the cooperating compounds in extra virgin olive oil seems to have beneficial effects on health, and a wide range of studies has demon-strated that adding olive oil to your regular diet could • Reduce your risk for breast and colon cancer & Lower your blood pressure.

Freewheeling


Check out more of these “Special Shoppers” at www.peopleofwalmart.com

The People Of Walmart

Future Reality TV Star - I watch enough shows like Swamp People and Billy the Exterminator to know that we have probably just discovered the next big re-ality TV star…and his opossum. But what I don’t know is what they are going to call the show, luckily for me I have you guys to help us out.

Hop On Board - I guess it’s always nice to be able to take a nice drive with your lady.

Took the words right outta my mouth!

Choose A Side - We can play a little game here, it’s called “Who has the best sideboob?” It’s where you guys decide if it’s one of our beautiful fans, who are the lovely ladies in the blue and black bikinis, or if it’s Dog the Bounty Hunter who has the sexiest side-titty action going on. I think I might already know where you guys are leaning.

How to age with class.Glad the young ‘un got him a good edjumakayshun


News BytesCONGRESS MOVES TO ABOLISH MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKPOINTS Motorcycle-only checkpoints have revved up concern in Congress, and wording was recently inserted into the House highway bill that would bar the U.S. Depart-ment of Transportation from providing grants to local or state governments for such discriminatory inspections. The action arose over motorcycle-exclusive roadblocks set up in Georgia and New York under federal safety grants that single out motorcycles from four-wheeled traffic for police to check the bike and rider for proper paperwork, helmet, exhaust and equipment violations. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who sponsored H.R. 904 to ban federal funding of motorcycle-only checkpoints, applauded the House Trans-portation and Infrastructure Committee for including his bill’s wording in their Feb. 1st mark-up of the transportation measure, saying; “It is encouraging to see that the transpor-tation reauthorization bill will encourage more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and smart motorcycle safety policy.”“Motorcycle riders are right to be outraged at being singled out for safety inspections,” added Rep Tom Petri (R-WI). “Nobody is suggesting flagging cars down for unscheduled inspections, and there’s no good reason why motorcycles should be treated differently. It’s unnecessarily intrusive, and not a smart way to use limited police resources.”Section 5007 of H.R. 7, the “American Energy and In-frastructure Jobs Act of 2012” reads: PROHIBITION ON FUNDS TO CHECK HELMET USAGE OR CREATE CHECKPOINTS FOR A MOTORCYCLE DRIVER OR PASSENGER. The Secretary may not provide a grant or otherwise make available funding to a State, Indian tribe, county, municipality, or other local government to be used for any program to check helmet usage or create check-points for a motorcycle driver or passenger. The House bill, which also provides federal funding for state motorcycle safety programs and funds for motorized trails, will now go to the full House floor before going over to the Senate for consideration. The Senate will consider their own version of the highway bill, and a final version will be ironed out in a conference committee.

HOUSE COMMITTEE SEEKS FURTHER STUDY OF ETHANOL-BLENDED GAS The House Committee on Sci-ence, Space and Technology passed H.R. 3199 by a 19-7 vote on Feb. 7th to require a comprehensive study of the implications of ethanol-blended gasoline. Although the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency approved E-15 (15% ethanol fuel) in October 2010 for use in most cars, it is not approved for any motorcycles or ATVs and the hotter-burning formula-tion can cause premature wear and could void manufac-turers’ warranties. The bill, introduced by committee Vice Chairman Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), would require the EPA to seek independent scientific analysis on the ef-fects of E15 gasoline on engines. The bill now heads for consideration on the House floor, then if approved will move to the Senate. Earlier, Rep. Sensenbrenner introduced H.R. 748 to prohibit the EPA from authorizing the use of gasoline containing greater than 10% ethanol, which is deemed safe

for use in motorcycles, ATVs, boats, lawnmowers and other small engines.

VIRGINIA MAY LEGALIZE TWO-ABREAST RIDINGThe Virginia General Assembly is considering the repeal of a 40-plus year-old law that makes it against the law for two motorcyclists to ride side-by-side in the same lane. Virginia and Vermont are the only two states in the U.S. with such a law on the books, while 48 other states either don’t ban the practice or have specific laws allowing it. There’s no indica-tion those states have more crashes or problems related to two-abreast riding, according to the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists. The proposal, sponsored by 26th District Del-egate Tony Wilt and 18th District Delegate Michael Webert, sailed through the transportation committee and, over-whelmingly, through the House. The law is an old one, pos-sibly sparked by the menacing image of motorcycle gangs of the 60s. But since the law was passed over four decades ago, motorcycle registrations have shot up and charitable motorcyclists now ride in large groups for fund-raisers or to raise awareness, when riding two-deep is common. Two-thirds of multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes are caused by people in cars who don’t see the riders. Two abreast may enhance visibility. And since motorcycles generally have one headlight, riding together can help illuminate dark roads.

INDIANA LAWMAKERS MAY ALLOW SUNDAY MOTOR-CYCLE SALES After four years of trying, State Senator Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) recently won committee approval for legislation allowing the sale of motorcycles on Sundays. The Senate Commerce and Economic Develop-ment Committee voted 7-0 to forward Senate Bill 192 to the full Senate. Sen. Charbonneau says motorcycle sales have increased in New Jersey and Pennsylvania after those states passed laws allowing motorcycle sales on the Sab-bath. The legislation distinguishes motorcycle sales from motor vehicle sales which would remain prohibited on Sun-days. Thirteen states don’t allow cars to be sold on Sunday, including Indiana. Charbonneau said many motorcycle dealerships are already open Sundays, selling merchandise or servicing motorcycles, and they should be able to sell motorcycles too.

FLORIDA SEEKS STIFFER PENALTIES FOR NEGLI-GENT DRIVERS ABATE Florida members from around the state were out in full force at the state capitol on Monday, Feb. 13th asking lawmakers for safer roads and to support legislation for stricter penalties for drivers who kill bikers on the road. “Kill a motorcyclist they get an $82 fine, that’s all they get; failure to yield. You do that in a car, hit somebody else in a car, you get vehicular manslaughter,” said James “Doc” Reichenbach, ABATE President. Reichenbach, who also serves as Chairman of the Board for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), testified on behalf of ABATE’s Stiffer Penalties Bill, S.B. 1754, which passed the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 27th by a


News Bytesvote of 7-0, and now goes to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. During the rally in Tallahassee, the names of bikers killed in wrecks last year were read aloud. Fifty-six bell chimes were sounded; one for each lost life. The bikers spent the rest of the day talking to lawmakers, then headed home hoping when they return next year, there are fewer bells to ring and fewer bikers lost.

MYRTLE BEACH RALLY DATE CONFUSION PROMPTS ABATE BOYCOTT Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson has moved the dates of its official spring rally into late May, ef-fectively adding 10 more days of Harley-related events on the Grand Strand and sparking confusion among bikers, businesses and rally promoters over when the rally will take place. “They just don’t seem to want to play by whatever rules we set,” said Councilman Gary Loftus in calling on council members to revoke all May vendor permits for biker events. “They keep wanting to push and push and push well they’ve just pushed too hard this time.” Horry County (S.C.) ABATE has decided to stage a boycott, not of the spring bike rally, but of the local Harley dealerships involved in rescheduling the Cruisin’ the Coast rally to May 18-28, carrying it over into Memorial Weekend when sportbikers traditionally begin arriving for Atlantic Beach Bike Fest aka “Black Bike Week”. “The dust just got settled with Horry County, and now this has upset the county council all over again,” said Gary Balcom, ABATE chapter coordinator, recalling that in 2008 Myrtle Beach passed a litany of laws aimed at ending the rallies altogether, including a city-wide helmet law that was later ruled unconstitutional. “It’s a bad idea and was not discussed with anyone else,” said Balcom. But there are other concerns, too, Balcom said. The large crowd would overwhelm local law enforcement resources, he wrote in an ABATE statement. “The last thing we want to see is any event getting out of hand,” Balcom wrote. The statement calls the date change “a slap in the face to the county council” and encourages bikers to boy-cott the two dealerships in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach “and we hope that the biker community as a whole will come together with us on this boycott until such time as they retract their plan of overlapping dates.”

MOTORCYCLE SALES HOLD STEADY FOR 2011The 2011 motorcycle sales estimates from the Motor-cycle Industry Council are in, with annual unit sales hold-ing steady at 440,000. The good news: motorcycle sales haven’t declined from 2010. The bad news: they haven’t gone up either. The MIC reports 440,899 total motorcycle sales for 2011, up 0.3% from 2010’s unit tally. The motor-cycle market shows gains and losses within the various segments, reports www.motorcycle-usa.com, noting that the largest sector, on-highway motorcycles, recorded a 1.8% increase over last year at 312,124 units. The boom and bust scooter market benefited with an 11.8% gain at 31,850 units. The biggest winner, however, was the dual seg-ment which jumped 14.2% for the year, gaining 3337 units. Off-Highway motorcycle sales dropped 13.5% on the year,

losing 10,905 units from the 2010 tally of 80,962. Combined with the ATV market, which continued a downward sales trend, more than 45K OHV unit sales were lost on the year.The 2011 total 440K annual motorcycle sales mark shows stabilizing of a market that crashed following the economic crisis in late 2008. Total motorcycle unit sales topped 1.1 million in 2008 (the sixth consecutive year sales had topped the million unit mark), but plummeted 40.8% in 2009, fol-lowed by a further 15.8% decline in 2010.

WORLD-FIRST STUDY ON CAUSE OF SERIOUS MO-TORCYCLE ACCIDENTS A world-first study will examine the cause of serious motorbike crashes. Motorcyclists will be part of a $1.3 million Australian study aimed at slashing the number of motorcycle accidents. The ground-breaking inquiry will compare the experiences of riders injured in crashes at specific sites with riders who have travelled through the same site safely.

More than 1100 riders - half of whom have survived crashes - will be recruited over the next 18 months. The research is being funded by the State Government and headed by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC). Experts, five of whom are motorcyclists themselves, will analyze factors such as speed, experience and the physical environment in accidents. Transport Minister Terry Mulder described the new research as one of the most comprehen-sive motorbike studies attempted globally. “By comparing the two groups, we hope to learn not only what went wrong for those involved in crashes, but also what went right for those who negotiated a particular crash site safely,” Mulder said. Experienced and active riders have contributed to the questionnaire design to ensure relevance and improve study outcomes. Results are expected towards the end of 2013.

WEIRD NEWS: HELMETED BRIT BIKER REFUSED SERVICE Motorcyclists in England are being victimized by gas stations that enforce a “Remove Helmets” rule, as evidenced by an incident in Coventry when staff refused to serve a rider even though his full-face visor was up. Barry Hadley, 63, told the Coventry Telegraph: “I stood there for a couple of minutes and thought there was something wrong with the pump. Then a message came over the loudspeaker saying I had to remove my helmet, even though I always flip up the front. Why should I be classed as a thief because others are thieves?” The manager said it was company policy, and in a letter to Hadley the station said: “Legally we are required to be able to validate the minimum age for dispensing fuel and this can not be assessed adequately if riders keep their helmets on.”

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “He who has a why can endure any how.” - Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844-1900)



ABATE of Virginia welcomes all riders to join in the fight to protect your rights. No matter what you ride, we want YOU! For more information contact Sharon Keaton at 540-937-3924 or [email protected]. Stay on top of the latest ABATE news and events by visiting www.ABATEofVA.com.

ABATE Coalfield Riders Chapter ( Grundy , VA ) meets 7PM every 2nd Saturday at Caleb & Melissa's garage, Deel Fork, Grundy , VA 24614-9600 . Everyone Welcome. For more information contact Steve Stacy at 276-935-2484 or [email protected]

ABATE Culpeper Chapter ( Culpeper , VA ) meets 7PM every 2nd Thursday at Hazel River Pub, 105 E Davis St, Culpeper , VA 22701. Everyone Welcome. For more information contact Tim Dalman at 540-219-6366 or [email protected]

ABATE 1st Capitol Chapter meets the 1st Sunday of every month at the Williamsburg Moose Lodge (5429 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188) NOT at Beachcombers in Yorktown.

ABATE Iron Horse Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.) meets 7pm every 1st Tuesday at Big Licks 4001 Murray Pl. Lynchburg , Va. 24501 Everyone Welcome. For more information contact Stan at 434-525-1074 or [email protected]

ABATE Lonesome Pine Chapter (Wise, VA) meets 6:30PM every 1st Tuesday at Mosby's Restaurant, 205 Ridgeview Rd, Wise , VA 24293. Everyone Welcome. For more information contact Shag Mead at 276-565-4541 or [email protected]

ABATE Mason-Dixon Chapter ( Fairfax , VA ) meets 8PM every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at John's Place, 11104 Lee Hwy, Fairfax , VA 22030-5005. Everyone Welcome. For more information contact Bob Seoane at 703-206-0571or [email protected]

ABATE Olde Dominion Chapter ( Falls Church , VA ) meets 8PM every 1st Monday at JVs Restaurant, 6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church , VA 22042-2145. Everyone Welcome. For more information contact Tank Fortner at 703-309-7197 or [email protected]

ABATE River City Chapter ( Richmond , VA ) 'No meetings, just action!' For more information contact Steve Skeens at 804-389-8293 or [email protected]

ABATE Virginia Cruisers Chapter ( Hampton , VA ) meets 1PM every 1st Sunday at Mugzy's Grill, 1312 E. Pembroke Ave, Hampton, VA. Everyone welcome. For more information contact Pete Bulgart at 757-870-1517 or John at [email protected].

AMBASSADORS FOR JESUS CHRIST MOTORCYCLE MINISTRY (Virginia Chapter) Do you have a love for the lost and a passion for motorcycles? Then the Ambassadors for JESUS CHRIST may be for you. We meet the 4th Saturday of each month (except Nov and Dec) at the Major Hillard Library 824 Old George Washington Hwy N Chesapeake Va at 10am-12pm. For more information contact: Sean “Bronx” 757-338-1974, or Eric “Holyman” 757-237-6018, or www.ambassadorsecmm.org

Beacons/Christian Motorcycle Association - Meetings: 2nd Monday of each month, Piccadilly Cafeteria, Military Hwy, 6-8 PM. Monthly ride: 4th Saturday each month, depart from Hardee’s, 6075 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach. Check our website for ride times and more information: http://cmaner5.org/VA/BEACONSOFTIDEWATER or contact President Lenny Stowell at (757) 420-4411 or [email protected]

Brothers In Arms MCThe Brothers In Arms MC was formed to support the members of our armed forces, past and present, create a camaraderie between like-minded men and women from those services, share in our love of motorcycling and support veteran charities and causes. The Yorktown Chapter usually meets on the third Sunday of the month at various locations in the Yorktown area. The Brothers In Arms MC is a neutral, non-territorial club. For more information about the club and contact links, visit the chapter web site at www.biamc-yorktown.com.

Christian Motorcyclist Association Northern Virginia Chapter 348 www.nvcrcma.com NVCR meets 3rd Sat each month @ Old Country Buffet in Manassas @ 9:00 am, President – Rick Saunders, [email protected] Richmond, Va. 23230. Mike Walton, President (804) 514-9123 meetings come out and ride with us anyway. It’s not about the meetings. For more information on meetings or rides please contact our chapter president, Mark Johnson, at [email protected] or go the www.star440.org

Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. Our membership is comprised of Full Members (those with verified combat service) and Supporter Members ( those who have non-combat military service, and have a sincere dedication to helping veterans ). Many members continue to serve in our Armed Forces, with several serving in combat areas now. Virginia Chapter 27-1, Hampton Roads, Va. and Virginia Chapter 27-2, Quanitco, Va., Both chapters meet monthly. For informataion to join contact Ed “Amerbadas” Lonecke Jr., Commander Southern Virginia 27-1, at [email protected] or Graig “Spanky” Benson, Commander Northern Virginia 27-2, at [email protected] Our Virginia website can be accessed through our National Website: http://combatvet.org/

Moose Riders District 8 Meetings 1st Monday of Month. Contact Bubba @ 804-691-7671. Email: [email protected] or Jeff @ 804-892-3346 Email: [email protected]

Road Wench East Coast Women’s Motorcycle Club in Northern VirginiaWebsite: http://roadwenchmc.com/ Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000803818092

TAMA – Tidewater Albemarle Motorcycle Association. ALL clubs or any organization that hosts rides/events are welcome to attend. Come out & meet some good people from all around the area. We’re all working together so that each one our rides/events can be scheduled not to conflict with others & then we can all have a successful turnout. Our meetings are held @ 7pm on the 3rd Thursday of every month (except December). Beginning January 20th, 2011, meetings will be held at Mary Jaynes Lazy Horse, 565 Cedar Rd, Chesapeake, VA23322.

The Sons of God Motorcycle Club Ministry® made up of Christian Bikers whoshare a vision of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ with other bikers.We hold bible study every Monday evening. For more information call TJ(757) 819-3362, Thing (757) 621-4891 or Grape Ape (757) 831-1294. or visitour website at www.sonsofgodmc.org

The Widows Sons is an International Masonic Motorcycle Association comprised of Master Masons. The purpose of the Widows Sons is to aid and assist widows and orphans of Master Masons. If you are a Master Mason who rides a 500cc or larger motorcycle and have a desire to help us serve our purpose please contact us about membership. We meet the third Saturday of every month at 7 p.m. at 82 Gatsby Lane Topping Va. 23169. Contact Steve at 804-776-7290. Or email us at [email protected].

V-Twin Cruisers Motorcycle Club - Tidewater ChapterWe are a family oriented, non-territorial motorcycle club thatloves to ride. Our club supports our first responders and the military,welcoming all bikes and all riders. There are no mandatory rides, meetings,or prospecting. We are looking for new members to expand our family. If you are interested in riding and charity work, we might be the club for you. Contact us at: [email protected] or [email protected]

VA Sons Of Liberty Riders American Patriots Defending the Constitutionwww.sonsoflibertyriders.com Veterans First, Inc. Chapter 1 Richmond, VA- Non-profit org. whose mission is to assist our homeless veterans back into the mainstream of daily living. Meetings are held every 2nd Sunday of the month at 12:00 pm, Lakeside Moose Lodge, 1207 Hilliard Road, Richmond, VA 804 -321-2905 www.veteransfirstinc.org

Virginia Freedom Riders - Riders Against Constitutional Erosion (VFR-R.A.C.E.) exists as a grassroots State Motorcycle Rights Organization (SMRO) dedicated to protecting and restoring motorcyclists personal freedoms, liberties and individual rights. email: [email protected]. Website:vfr-race.com

Warriors of Christ Motorcycle Ministry. 4218 Old Hundred Rd. Chester, VA. 23831. Pastor Ron Walton – Phone (804) 335-5025. Meets every Sunday @6pm and Tuesday @7pm. Visit us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/warriors of christ

If you’d like to join The Club House, email [email protected]

Biker Pals


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Tech TipsHaving Your Cake and Eating it Too.

Last month we tackled the myth of “back-pressure” in the exhaust, and some will take this as a direct assault. In a manner of speaking, it is. It is a direct assault on lack of knowledge. Kicking ignorance (the lack of knowledge) to the curb. An informed customer is a pleasure to work with. An ignorant customer takes time to inform and educate. It is the main reason of this column to inform you, and educate you on technical matters.

This month we take on another fallacy regarding perfor-mance tuning. You may have been told that when it comes to performance tuning and mapping, you cannot have best output, and still get good mileage. What a steaming pile of bovine manure. With today’s use of electronic engine management, we can give the engine what it wants for best output at all engine speeds and loads. Best output can be broad torque, crisp response, good peak horsepower, smooth operation, and good fuel consumption. All it takes to get all of this is a bit of hard work, some education, and a bit of experience. And with more and more options for mapping the engine management directly in the ECU, this is becom-ing better and better.

Unfortunately in today’s world, everyone is more con-cerned with peak power than with the part of the engine’s operating range where we operate most - part throttle and lower engine speeds. We all want to see high peak torque and horsepower numbers, and this means most want to compare graphs from wide open throttle (WOT) runs on a dyno. When, in fact, they should be more concerned with the results at part throttle or when transitioning from cruising to grabbing a fist full of the right grip. In fact, it is much too common for many tuning shops to download a map or fuel table into the ECU or a piggy-back controller and perform before and after runs on the dyno at full throttle that pro-duce pretty graphs. They then call this “tuned” and separate your hard-earned cash from your wallet. In many cases, this actually operates worse than stock at part throttle - where you spend most of your riding time.

The answer is for you to become informed, and ask ques-tions of those performing any tuning, mapping, or perfor-mance work. A few dyno runs, and quick changes to only part of a single table are not going to fully map an engine for best output throughout its operating range. To fully map fueling, ignition timing, acceleration compensation, etc. takes hours of work in the dyno cell. This is what you are paying for - make sure you get it.

What many riders do not understand is that cruising fuel consumption happens at low engine speeds and loads. It takes a given amount of torque to hold a bike at a given speed on the road. Maintaining this speed up and down

hills, in higher head winds, or with a large windscreen in place, requires a bit more load on the engine, and a bit more torque produced by it. But this is far from what is required when you rotate the right grip to pass. As a result, the difference in fueling between best torque and best fuel consumption, at these loads and speeds can be a good bit of fuel, and little difference in torque.

In fact, as long as the acceleration compensation and ignition advance is correct, you can run just above the limit of lean-misfire at cruise, and still have crisp response when you go to pass or accelerate. ALL this requires is mapping the cruise region correctly for its usage. And then making sure the engine receives the appropriate amount of addi-tional fuel and ignition lead for acceleration. Also, it is fully normal for a bike to get poor fuel consumption when the cruise region is mapped excessively lean. This causes you to be forced to use more throttle opening (to produce the required torque for a given speed) than would be the case if the engine was given what it wants at cruise. This additional throttle opening can mean more fuel is used to maintain a give speed, than if the throttle opening and intake velocities were lower. This is especially true if the ignition mapping and manifold air pressure mapping is altered for best fuel consumption, rather than best emissions, as is the case with stock calibrations.

Now, if we have added higher flowing exhaust and intake systems, at loads and engine speeds higher than cruise conditions, we should fully expect to have reduced mileage - especially when accelerating hard. However, we should still get good fuel consumption at cruise if we can control our right wrist.

Basically, when mapped correctly, we can have our cake (improved operation and performance), and eat it too (get good fuel economy). It is your choice in tuning solution, and the individual performing the mapping, that determines the results. Knowledge is a weapon, use it well. It is particularly useful at cutting through bovine manure.

Now back into the dyno cell I crawl. The beginning of the month means I need to check the calibration of the torque cell, weather stations, and gas analyzer. No rest for the wicked.

By Wayne TrippPOWER-TRIPP Performance, Inc. Motorcycle Performance and TuningPhone: 205.663.4304 Fax: 205.663.4149103 8th Ave. NW Alabaster, AL, USA 35007 www.power-tripp.com


Compared to the last two years, we have had a pretty mild winter where the temperatures have been well above average many times, and the snow has been much less frequent. Even so, I am looking forward to the official arrival of spring on March 20. It’s always nice when the warm weather rolls in and you begin to see the leaves returning, flowers blooming, and hear the familiar rumble of Harleys on the open road as the “official” start to riding season arrives.

Of course there is plenty to do as you begin venturing out on two wheels. If your bike has been put away for most of the winter, then you need to give it a good once over to make sure that everything is in riding condition. You probably need to give it a good cleaning too, but cleaning the bike is the one kind of spring-cleaning that we all love to do.

Still, there is a lot to do, and if you look at your calendar, you will soon see that the spring and summer months will be filling up with rides, bike shows, rallies, and, unfortunately, all the day-to-day responsibilities of life.

I’m not sure how it happened, but I have discovered that my schedule is already full. This has been a busy, and somewhat hectic, winter, made worse by my mom passing away three days before Christmas. So in addition to everything else that I have to do, I am also busy trying to settle her estate. Even though the real riding season has not yet arrived, there are times that I want to throw my hands in the air and say “I just don’t have time for it all.”

That’s when I need to rely on God. Instead of trying to do everything all at once and on my own, I need to lean on Him to help guide me through this. By relying only on my own efforts I will succeed only in cluttering my life, exhausting my spirit, and burdening my heart.

Psalm 51:10 says “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.”

Our natural instinct is to rely on ourselves rather than on God. That’s always a mistake. By relying on God we can find the energy to move forward and focus on the things that really matter, while letting everything else take a back seat. Join with God at the start of your journey this spring and you won’t have to worry about trying to chase Him down when you venture off track later.

No matter how long the ride, it always begins with the first mile. That is true with everything that we start out to do. We must always begin with the first step. Make that first step a real relationship and reliance on God and see what a difference it will make. And while you are out on the highways and byways this year, instead of worrying about the destination, take time to enjoy every moment of this ride to the fullest.

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience amazing changes in your life. Set your eyes upon him and discover just how amazing the ride will become.

Always and All Ways in Christ Rick ‘Preacher’ Saunders <*)))><

Connect with Us 1 (800) 525-LOVE (5683)Every day, God uses K-LOVE to make a difference in millions of lives. By providing positive music and inspirational stories, K-LOVE helps people draw closer to God. Unlike other radio stations, K-LOVE has a full time ministry team that processes over 100 phone calls a day of listeners in need of guidance. The pastors and staff at K-LOVE pray for over 1,000 prayer requests every day, and on average, inter-vene in one suicide case per day. If K-LOVE has impacted your life, it is because generous listeners stepped out on faith to support the ministry of K-LOVE. We ask that you also take that step of faith and enable us to continue making a positive difference in our world. “ Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. ” (Proverbs 13:20 NLT) Thunder Roads Virginia is a K-LOVE Business Team Member. Find a stationnear you at www.klove.com

PREACHER RICKPreacher Rick is an ordained minister serving as Pastoral Coun-selor and staff member at First Baptist Church of Woodbridge, VA. He is a past president and current chaplain of the Northern VA Christian Riders, chapter 348 of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, and has served as a chaplain for Truckers Christian Chapel Ministries. He is a graduate of Andersonville Theological Seminary and the Institute of Theology and Christian Therapy, and is a member of the American Association of Christian Coun-selors and American Association of Christian Therapists. He lives in Dale City, VA with his wife Teresa and they ride a 1998 95th Anniversary Road King Classic. He works full-time as a Com-puter Operations Supervisor for Inova Health System.


A dad buys the newest, coolest high-tech item; a detector Robot that slaps people when they lie. He decides to test it at dinner. “Son, where were you today?” The son says “at school, as always.” Robot slaps the son! “Ok, I watched a DVD at my friend’s house!” “What DVD?” asks the Dad. “Toy story,” the son replies. Robot slaps the son again! “O.K., it was a porn movie” cries the son. “What!? When I was your age I didn’t know what porn was” says the dad. Robot turns and slaps the dad! Mom throws back her head and laughs, “HaHaHa! He’s certainly your son.” Robot rotates and slaps the mom.

The young man lowers his window. ‘Uh, yes, Officer?’ The cop says: ‘What are you doing?’ The young man says: ‘Well, Officer, I’m reading a magazine.’ Pointing towards the young woman in the back seat the cop says: ‘And her, what is she doing?’ The young man shrugs: ‘Sir, I believe she’s filing her fingernails.’ Now, the cop is totally confused. A young couple, alone, in a car, at night in a lover’s lane and nothing illegal or obscene is happening! The cop asks: ‘What’s your age, young man?’ The young man says: ‘I’m 22, sir.’ The cop asks: ‘And what’s her age?’ The young man looks at his watch and replies: ‘She’ll be 18 in exactly 7 minutes’.

A husband was not home at his usual hour, and the wife was fuming, as the clock ticked later and later. Finally, about 3:00 AM she heard a noise at the front door, and as she stood at the top of the stairs, there was her husband, drunk as a skunk, trying to navigate the stairs. “Do you realize what time it is?” she asked. He answered, “Don’t get excited. I’m late because I bought something for the house.” Immediately her attitude changed, and as she ran down the stairs to meet him halfway, she asked, “What did you buy for the house, dear?” His answer was, “A round of drinks!”. She gave him a slight push backwards. Oops!

A cop walks into an Irish Pub and asks this half-stewed old timer, “Sir, is this a picture of your wife”. “Aye, that be my lassy”. “Sir, it looks like she’s been in an accident”. Aye now, her face can scare a clown at the circus, but she makes a mean corn-beef hash.

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr old girl, to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby. Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked. Heidi pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry. The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-yr old what she thought about what she had just witnessed. Kathleen quickly responded, “He shouldn’t have crawled in there in the first place.....smack his ass again!”

There was a man who had worked all of his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real miser when it came to his money. Just before he died, he said to his wife, “When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.” And so he got his wife to promise him with all of her heart that when he died she would put all of the money in the casket with him. Well, he died. He was stretched out in the cas-ket, his wife was sitting there in black, and her friend was sitting next to her. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said, “Wait just a minute!” She had a box with her, she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away. So her friend said, “Girl, I know you weren’t fool enough to put all that money in there with your husband.” The loyal wife replied “Listen, I’m a Christian, I can’t go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him.” “You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!!!!?” “I sure did,” said the wife. “I got it all together, put it in to my account and wrote him a check. If he can cash it, he can spend it.”


Placing an ad with us?Listing your event in our calendar?

Don’t forget that our deadline is the 15th of every month for the following month’s

issue-don’t be left behind!

DEADLINE!


White Trash Repairs –White Trash Repairs is your one stop shop for some good ole, git r’ done ingenuity. See more of these ingenious ideas at www.whitetrashrepairs.com

Ladder Trellis: Great idea till you need the ladder. I think Mrs. Bubba was messin’ in the garage again, Bubba’s goin’ to be mad!

Grilled Cheese: Yep that is how you make a grilled cheese sandwich, you turn the toaster on its side. OK fess up how many are thinking of trying this one out?

Van Door: Nothing like house doors on a van to make it fancy. Bet it sucks when it rains and the doors swell shut.

Redneck High Rise: No one could have guessed this is what Bubba meant by moving up after winning the lotto. What can I say you just can’t take the trailer park out of Bubba’s blood.

iPad Stand: I’m hoping they washed that plunger before they turned it into an ipad stand.

february 12thRallies staRting

®

viRginia beaCh

LET’S RIDE... FOR CHRIST’’S SAKE

hangout time: Sundays @ 9:30 amWorShip rally: Sundays @10:30 am

®

757-333-2555

freedombikerchurchvabeach.com

1080 Aragona Blvd., Va Beach, VA 23455



Tattoo Of The Month


K.I.S.S. page composed & edited by: Toni McCoy Shearon of Tennessee

While watching a recent episode of “The Chew” onABC, Chef Michael Symon taught us all how to virtually “corn dog” anything! How cool is that?

CORN DOGGIN’ IT BATTERPerfect for “corn doggin’” anything on a stick! Shrimp, hot dogs, whole mushrooms, skewers of steak or chicken, kielbasa......you name it, you can “corn dog” it. 1 Cup of All Purpose Flour1 Cup of Corn Meal2 Tbls. Sugar1 Egg - lightly beaten1/2 tsp. Baking Powder1 Cup of Half & Half (Michael uses Whole Milk)Salt & Pepper to Taste (Michael suggests Kosher salt)Preheat vegetable oil to 365 degreesFill a large skillet 3/4 fullAdd whatever you’re “corn doggin’ and dredge thrui beaten mix and when oil reaches desired temp. Watch as dough gets all puffy and golden brown. Remove to drain on paper towels.

CHIPOTLE MAYO AS DIPPING SAUCE1 Cup MayonnaiseJuice & Zest of 1/2 Lime3 Tbls. Pureed Chipotle In Adobo Sauce (in groceraisle in Spice or Mexican aisle)2 Tbls. Chives; finely chopped

On that same episode of The Chew, Carla Hall showed us how to “blacken” just about anything we wanted. Love the versatility of these recipes on this episode. Use on poultry, fish or meat. I’m going with

BLACKENED PORK CHOPS 6 Large & Thick Center-Cut Pork Chops; Bone InBlackening Mix:3 Tbls. Smoked Paprika3 Tbls. Sweet Paprika2 Tbls. Cayenne Pepper1 Tbl. Onion Powder1 Tbl. Garlic Powder1 tsp. Dried Oregano

1 tsp. Dried Thyme1 tsp. Salt1 Stick of Melted ButterPlace a cast iron skillet on medium-high and just let it get smokin hot. Do not add any oil, butter or anything to the skillet. Just dry. Combine all dry ingredients in an oval glass casserole bowl. Add melted butter and stir well to combine. Add one chop at a time and make sure each side is coated well. Place chops in screamin’ hot skillet (if cooking chicken, place skin side down first) and turn your vent on high and just let it smoke up the joint and get good and blackened on each side. Just move iron skillet directly from stove to oven and let go about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Damn.....this is eatin’.

KING KONG CINNAMON BUNSSame episode of “The Chew”, Daphne Oz shows us how to make Cinnamon Buns that literally are the size of 2 “Grands” style ones’ put together! Betcha’ can’t eat more than one!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper1 Tbl. Cinnamon1-1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract2 Sticks of Butter (room temp)1 Cup Granulated Sugar2 Tub of Cream Cheese; softened1 Cup of Chopped Pecans; toastedYou need to get 2 buns out of 1 sheet of pastry dough, so go according to how many sheets per box as to how many Monster Buns you want to make. Mix all ingredients above togetherRoll out 1 piece of puff pastry onto a flouredcounter top to 1/2” thickness. Spread a generous amount of mixture on the entire pastry sheet. Roll pastry up into a log. Re-frigerate for 30 mins. and then cut log in half. Repeat this until you have as many Monster Buns as you want. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put your buns in. While they’re baking; in a sauce pan over medium heat, com-bine the remaining butter mixture and tub of cream cheese until combined. Take off heat as soon as you see mixing as it will start to “break up” quick. Generously frost semi-hot buns (too hot & will just run off) sprinkle with toasted pecans and grab a big glass of milk! Oh, baby...come to MaMa Thunder!


It’s important for you to know who your friends are out there when you hit the road! Welcome to our Biker Friendly Directory. The following is a list of

establishments throughout the Mid-Atlantic that want you to know that they’re here for YOU. Whether it’s a bike dealer, service shop, restaurant, bar or any other

type of business that welcomes our biking community through their doors, you can count on our family of friends to always welcome you in. ALL of our regular advertisers can be found, in

bold, throughout this listing. All of our friends listed are “Biker Friendly” & most

of them ride too, so they know exactly what you want & need. The staff here at Thunder Roads greatly appreciates of all of our advertiser’s continuous support each month - they are the sole financial

supporters of this magazine. WE WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THEM! So please

give them the support that they truly deserve for being with us & drop by to see them for a visit. Let them know that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know of a business that would like

to join our Thunder Roads family of Biker Friendly Places, please give us a call (757)

831-2264 or email [email protected]

“Where There’s Bikes….There’s Going To Be Thunder - THUNDER ROADS”

* Pick up your FREE copy of Thunder

Roads at these locations

DEALERS, PARTS & SERVICE

Delaware

Harley-Davidson of Seaford*22586 Sussex Hwy.Seaford, Del. 19973

302-629-6161www.hdofseaford.com

also on Facebook

Maryland

All American Harley-Davidson * 8126 Leonardtown Rd.Hughesville, MD 20637

(888) 833-2REVwww.allamericanh-d.com

Harley-Davidson of Washington, DC *9407 Livingston Rd.Ft. Washington, MD

(888) HDFEVERwww.hdwash.com

Virginia

Absolut Cycle Worx *5016 Midlothian TpkeRichmond, VA 23224

(804) 497-7000

ABW Designs *Andrew Walker

340 East Broadway AveHopewell, VA 23860

(804) [email protected]

www.abwdesigns.us

Adams Automotive Service & Repair8435 Hopkins Rd

Richmond, VA 23237(804) 271-2279

Big Daddyz Cycles *2810 Geo. Wash. Mem. Hwy.

Hayes, VA 23072 (In Gloucester County)

(4 miles over the Coleman)804-642-3436

‘fax# [email protected]

Dennis’ Truck & Trailer Repair, Inc. *

2 Locations309 Maury

Richmond, VA 23224Phone: (804) 230-7905

Fax: (804) 232-1302&

9111 S.Courthouse RoadProvidence Forge VA 23140

(804) 966-2232

Departure Bike Works *5216 Hull St

Richmond, VA 23224(804) 231-0244

www.departure.com

Gary’s Automotive Again *23220 Airport Street

Petersburg, VA 23803(804) 733-8644

Grove’s Winchester Harley-Davidson *

140 Independence Drive Winchester, VA 22602

(800) 777-4275 or (540) 667-5655

www.hdwinchester.com

Hampton Roads Harley-Davidson*

6450 George Washington Memorial HwyYorktown, VA(757) 872-7223www.hrhd.com

Mincz Tire Service 2 locations

1724 Altamont Ave.Richmond, VA 23230

(804) 353-1618&

10921 Trade RoadRichmond, VA 23236

(804) 794-5224

Oceana Cycles609 Jack Rabbit Road

Virginia Beach, VA 23451(757) 437-0014

www.oceanacycles.com

Outlanders *4768 US Highway 211 West

Luray, VA 22835(540) 743-2040

www.outlanders.wsemail: [email protected]

Patriot Harley-Davidson *9739 Fairfax Blvd

Fairfax, VA(703) 352-5400

www.patriothd.com

Scooters*6906-B School Ave.Richmond, Va 23228

804-321-0037

Southside Harley-Davidson, Inc. *

385 North Witchduck RdVirginia Beach, VA

(757) 499-8964www.hrhd.com

Waugh Enterprises Harley-Davidson* 385 Waugh Blvd

Orange, VA 22960 800-88-WAUGH

http://www.waughhd.com

LEGAL SERVICES

Epstein, Sandler & Flora P.C.*

295 Bendix Rd., Suite 210

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 627.8900

www.epsteinsandlerandflorapcva.com

Tom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group*

The Firm That RidesDedicated to protecting

the rights of injured motorcyclists

1-800-321-8968www.motorcyclelawgroup.com

Office Locations: Virginia - Richmond,

Newport News, Roanoke South Carolina - Cayce,

Surfside Beach

BIKER ACCESSORIES, APPAREL, LEATHERS & GIFTS

Virginia

Big Daddy Leather*

1900 Princess Anne Street

Fredericksburg, VA 22401

(540) 899-0048

www.bigdaddyleather.com

Biker’s Depot*612 Nevan Rd Suite 108

Hilltop Virginia Beach, VA

(757) 962-0159www.thebikersdepot.com

Cavelli’s Inc*3514 Oaklawn BlvdHopewell, VA 23860

(804) 458-2016

Fast Lane Biker Gear & Accessories *

166 S. Rosemont Rd. Ste. G


(757) 340-4446

* Pick up your FREE copy of Thunder Roads at these locations

Thunder Roads Is Brought To You Each Month By The Following Biker Friendly BusinessesBIKER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY


Harley-Haven*

1920 Atlantic Ave

Virginia Beach, VA

(757) 425-2458

www.hrhd.com

Tidewater Motorcycles, Inc.*

4324 Godwin Blvd

Suffolk, VA 23434

(757) 255-4200

www.tidewatermotorcycles.net

WTF Leather Crafter *

Seats, Sewing, Patches, Leather work

612 Nevan Rd, Suite 108 Hilltop

Virginia Beach, VA

(757) 439-2813

INSURANCE

GEICO Powersports*

Motorcycle, ATV, RV, Watercraft

1-800-44-CYCLE (442-9253)

www.geico.com

BARS & RESTAURANTS

North Carolina

Barry’s Walnut Island

Restaurant, Lodge,*

Sports Center & Marina

169 Walnut Island Blvd

Grandy, NC 27939

(252) 453-4153

www.walnutisland.com

www.outerbanksbikeshow.com

Virginia

Alley Café & Sports Lounge*

688 N Main St

Kilmarnock, VA 22482

(804) 436-1100

Boneshakers Sports

Bar and Grill*

1297 General Booth Blvd


(757) 502-4918

www.boneshakersvb.com

Clutch Bar & Grill*1485 General Booth Blvd (Behind

Hooters)Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 491-2229www.clutchbarandgrill.com

email: [email protected] & Company Sports Bar & Grill *7104 George Washington Mem. Hwy,

Rt 17 NorthGloucester, VA (804) 693-7218

www.damonsbar.com

Goochland Restaurant *2966 River Rd West

Goochland, VA 23063(804) 556-9990

Grumpy’s Bar & Grill* 995 Kempsville Rd.

Virginia beach, VA 23464(757) 474-0880

www.grumpysbarandgrillvb.com Visit us on Facebook/

Grumpy’s Bar & Grill

HOOTERS Richmond – West Broad *

7912 West Broad Street(804) 270-WING

Steel Horse Bar and Grill *1920 W. Hundred Rd.

(1/2 mile east of I-95 on Rt. 10)Chester, VA 23836

(804) 706-6600www.steelhorseva.com

MOTORCYCLE RACES & EVENTS

Slades Park – Dirt Drag Racing1111 Mount Ray DriveSurry, Virginia 23883

Contact Joe Brookman(804) 221-3959 or fax (804) 737-0616

POWDER COATING

J & J Powder Coating*2424 Castleton Commerce Way,

Suite 1101 Virginia Beach, VA. 23456

(757) 406-2922

* Pick up your FREE copy of Thunder Roads at these locations

FUN PLACES TO STAY

North CarolinaBarry’s Walnut Island Restaurant, Lodge,*

Sports Center & Marina169 Walnut Island Blvd

Grandy, NC 27939(252) 453-4153

www.walnutisland.com www.Barrysbikerally.com

Comfort Inn Oceanfront South 8031 Old Oregon Inlet Road

Nags Head, NC(800) 334-3302

Virginia

Outlanders River Camp*4253 US Hwy 211 West

Luray, VA (540) 743-5540

www.outlandersrivercamp.net

LIMOSINE SERVICES

Down Under Limosine(804) 784-4024

Serving Central Virginiawww.downunderlimosine.com

PERSONAL SERVICES

Kuttin Station *For ALL your hair needs!

20820 Carson RdDinwiddie, VA 23841

Biker Specials!(804) 469-9003

TOWING

Peaco Towing Inc.*

6906 School Ave.

Richmond, Va 23228

804-262-1001

BIKER CHURCHES

Liberty Biker Church

17011 Courthouse Hwy

Isle of Wight County, VA

Services every Sunday: hang around

@10am; service @ 11am

Blessing of the Bikes – 1st Sunday of

each month

Rushing Wind Ministry

29025 Three Notch Rd.

Mechanicsville, MD 20659

Gordon Bacon, Preacher

(240) 577-0605

[email protected]

Sunday service 10am-10:30am.

Gathering and fellowship with coffee

and snacks. Wednesday Bible study

7pm-8:30 & Friday night bike night

6:30pm-10pm

Freedom Biker Church of Virginia Beach

[email protected]

www.freedombikerchurchvabeach.com

BIKER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY


BY GARY WESTPHALENPHOTOS BY MOE VETTER

“What a treasure!” trumpets George Yarocki, author of the book Early Indian History. “Very exciting news, indeed!”

“Categorically speaking, it’s a pretty rare bike,” says Dale Walksler, founder of the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

“It’s very possible that it is the oldest surviving, unrestored Indian,” says Indian motorcycle aficionado Steve Rinker of Romney, West Virginia, whose collection was the cover story of the Thunder Roads West Virginia February 2011 issue.

The motorcycle these three knowledgeable guys are talking about is this 1903 Indian, which was recently found residing in a western Maryland garage. This machine has traveled through time to us from the very dawn of the motorcycle age. There aren’t but a handful of older motorcycles on the planet. To understand the place this bike holds

This 1903 Indian, recently uncovered in a western Maryland garage, is one of the oldest motorcycles in existence anywhere in the world.

The bike was nicknamed the “Camelback” because of the gas

tank that sits atop the rear fender. The smaller portion inside

the frame is a separate tank for oil.

in history, we have to travel back to the late 1800’s.

Bicycle racing, first on dirt ovals and later on wooden tracks called velodromes, was the big spectator sport of the day. Competition between the men who raced their bikes was fierce, and George Hendee was the best. He was America’s first national cycling champion, and won 302 out of 309 races he entered. Hendee retired from racing in 1892, and moved into the manufacture of bicycles. By 1898 the Hendee Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, was producing bicycles with the Indian brand name, and he was sponsoring numerous riders and race events throughout New England.

Carl Oscar Hedström, whose family had emigrated from Sweden to the United States when he was a boy, was also fascinated by bicycles, but in a different way. Though he loved bicycling around the streets of New York City, the

The lever on the right side of the neck is the compression release, allowing the motor to be started with reduced compression. The lever mounted through the frame tube is the throttle. The piece with wires protruding from it is the top-end mount for a tube that holds dry cell batteries which provided spark for the engine.The trusses mounted

in front of the standard fork are a retrofit for added strength and suggest that this machine saw action on the racetracks of the day.

mechanics of these machines was his interest, and he began designing and building bicycles that were ever lighter and faster.

About this same time, a curious machine was developed to improve the bicycle racing experience. Called a pacer, the machine was essentially a tandem bicycle that had an engine mounted on it. Pacers were used on the track to help gather up the field of competing bicycles in order to get a clean start to the race. During the race, the pacer also ran out

ahead of the bicycles, allowing for greater speeds as they drafted behind it.

Pacers had a reputation of being unreliable, so Hedström applied his engineering expertise and designed a much-improved pacer. When George Hendee saw Hedström’s pacer at a bicycle race in Madison Square Garden in 1900, he asked

Carl Oscar Hedström poses with the first Indian Motocycle.


BY GARY WESTPHALENPHOTOS BY MOE VETTER

“What a treasure!” trumpets George Yarocki, author of the book Early Indian History. “Very exciting news, indeed!”

“Categorically speaking, it’s a pretty rare bike,” says Dale Walksler, founder of the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

“It’s very possible that it is the oldest surviving, unrestored Indian,” says Indian motorcycle aficionado Steve Rinker of Romney, West Virginia, whose collection was the cover story of the Thunder Roads West Virginia February 2011 issue.

The motorcycle these three knowledgeable guys are talking about is this 1903 Indian, which was recently found residing in a western Maryland garage. This machine has traveled through time to us from the very dawn of the motorcycle age. There aren’t but a handful of older motorcycles on the planet. To understand the place this bike holds

This 1903 Indian, recently uncovered in a western Maryland garage, is one of the oldest motorcycles in existence anywhere in the world.

The bike was nicknamed the “Camelback” because of the gas

tank that sits atop the rear fender. The smaller portion inside

the frame is a separate tank for oil.

in history, we have to travel back to the late 1800’s.

Bicycle racing, first on dirt ovals and later on wooden tracks called velodromes, was the big spectator sport of the day. Competition between the men who raced their bikes was fierce, and George Hendee was the best. He was America’s first national cycling champion, and won 302 out of 309 races he entered. Hendee retired from racing in 1892, and moved into the manufacture of bicycles. By 1898 the Hendee Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, was producing bicycles with the Indian brand name, and he was sponsoring numerous riders and race events throughout New England.

Carl Oscar Hedström, whose family had emigrated from Sweden to the United States when he was a boy, was also fascinated by bicycles, but in a different way. Though he loved bicycling around the streets of New York City, the

The lever on the right side of the neck is the compression release, allowing the motor to be started with reduced compression. The lever mounted through the frame tube is the throttle. The piece with wires protruding from it is the top-end mount for a tube that holds dry cell batteries which provided spark for the engine.The trusses mounted

in front of the standard fork are a retrofit for added strength and suggest that this machine saw action on the racetracks of the day.

mechanics of these machines was his interest, and he began designing and building bicycles that were ever lighter and faster.

About this same time, a curious machine was developed to improve the bicycle racing experience. Called a pacer, the machine was essentially a tandem bicycle that had an engine mounted on it. Pacers were used on the track to help gather up the field of competing bicycles in order to get a clean start to the race. During the race, the pacer also ran out

ahead of the bicycles, allowing for greater speeds as they drafted behind it.

Pacers had a reputation of being unreliable, so Hedström applied his engineering expertise and designed a much-improved pacer. When George Hendee saw Hedström’s pacer at a bicycle race in Madison Square Garden in 1900, he asked

Carl Oscar Hedström poses with the first Indian Motocycle.


the young engineer to come to work for him in Springfield, with the goal of developing a motorized bicycle that could be mass-produced.

They built a prototype and demonstrated the first Indian Motocycle (the “r” wouldn’t be added until some years later) to the public in May of 1901.

“Factory records show that there were three prototypes built in 1901 and one was taken apart, and the parts used in another motorcycle,” says George Yarocki. “Which motorcycle, is not known and the parts could have been used in one, or both, of the remaining 1901 prototypes.” Yarocki has been following a lead based on a 1922 photograph in a newspaper that shows a man riding what may well have been one of those prototypes, but has yet to succeed. “That would probably be the most valuable bike in the world if we could ever find it,” George tells Thunder Roads West Virginia.

Hedström took his engine design to the Aurora Automatic Machine Company in Aurora, Illinois, a company that had the capacity to build the 1.75 horsepower motors in large quantity. Hendee began building a network of dealerships. In 1902, the Hendee Manufacturing Company produced a total of 143 Indian Motocycles.

As production ramped up in 1903, 376 motocycles would be produced. The serial number on this particular bike is 548.

Yarocki says company records show that this serial number means it was produced late in the year of 1903. Obviously, there was no Division of Motor Vehicles at the time, so no registry exists that would tell us who its original owner was.

In fact, at this point, nothing is known about the bike’s history until somewhere around 1960. It was around that time that Charles Alder of Taneytown, Maryland, bought the bike from a woman whose husband had recently died. “He bought it for 20 dollars,” says Steve Rinker. “It was hanging in the basement of the house. Obviously, it was a dry basement. I have talked to a few other guys who knew Charles from the past, and they seemed to think that the previous owner was a dentist. His son Charlie Alder was 14 years old when they got the motorcycle. He remembers that he and his father picked the motorcycle up and brought it home, and they have kept it ever since.” Charles Alder, Rinker says, passed away a few years ago and Charlie was killed in a motorcycle accident last summer.

One day last fall, out of the blue, Steve Rinker’s phone rings. On the other end is a friend of his who owns an auction company. “He says, ‘I have found a 1903 Indian moped.’ I said, ‘No. You didn’t find a 1903,’” Steve remembers saying. “I said, ‘You don’t have a 1903 Indian. Trust me, you don’t have it!’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody I’ve talked to, they swear there’s a 1903 moped.’ I said, ‘Well, first of all, they’re

not mopeds. They were motorcycles. You propelled them like a bicycle in order to get them running, but you couldn’t ride them like a bicycle.” A moped, you can still pedal like a bike. Anyway, I said, ‘Hey, I’d love to see it.’ He said, ‘Well, it’s going to be sold.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to go see the thing.’”

The bike, the auctioneer explained, will be put on an estate auction, along with several other bikes the Alder’s owned. For the auction company to gain some insight into the value and authenticity of this bike, they arranged for Steve to see it. As they are driving to the garage, Steve remembers telling the auctioneers, “I’m 98 percent certain we’re not going to see a 1903. Somebody’s got their years confused somewhere along the way.”

As the men enter the garage, they see the outlines of five cloth-covered motorcycles. “The first one we uncovered was a 1926 Harley-Davidson JD. Charles had restored this motorcycle,” says Steve. “The next one we came to is a 1923 Harley JD. The next one was a 1917 Harley. It was supposed to have been five Indians. Well, the first three were Harley-Davidsons, so my expectations now are almost one-hundred percent sure we would never see an Indian.”

But under the fourth sheet there was indeed an Indian, albeit a 1919 model. “Here’s the Indian they’ve been talking about,” Steve remembers thinking. “I looked at the auctioneer and said, ‘You know, this isn’t an ‘03.’ Then we jerked the cover off the last motorcycle, and I just stood there. He hit me on the shoulder, and said, ‘Hey! Is that a 1903?’ And I’m just looking at it, and he says ‘Hey! What is it?’ And I turned around and said, ‘It’s a nineteen-oh-thhh...it’s...it’s...it’s a Camelback Indian! There it is!’”

Rinker was stunned. For a vintage Indian collector, this is akin to witnessing the dawn of time. “I’ve seen four restored motorcycles up to this one. Then, all of a sudden, I find this bike in its unrestored condition,” he tells me as we talk about the day he first saw this bike. “You and I have talked in the past,

old bikes are only original once. You want to try to preserve anything you can, as long as it’s still original. It was really truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. These bikes are so rare to find. They made it through the Depression, through both World Wars. They never got scrapped. Kids didn’t trash them or beat them up. I mean, face it, it’s nothing more than a bicycle, essentially, with a little gas tank on the back. So, to survive the time is pretty extraordinary.”

The gas and oil tanks over the rear fender is why these early Indians got the “Camelback” nickname. The hump behind the rear frame of the bike held about a gallon of gasoline, and the little portion inside the framework was a separate tank for the oil. Hendee produced this same design from 1902 until 1908, and the serial numbers are the only way to verify the exact year of production.

“The insides of that engine are very simple, but very well made,” says Dale Walksler from his office in the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum. “When that bike was built in ‘03 it was just the most charming little bike.” Dale has unique knowledge about the 1903 Indian, because he not only owns one, he rides and has even raced it! “I always claim that my ‘03 is the oldest running Indian anywhere. I don’t know of an earlier serial number than mine that runs.”

Dale Walksler has raced his 1903 Indian several times on the track at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. He may be the only man alive today who knows what it feels like to ride this bike. “It’s a huge burst of energy,” he tells Thunder Roads West Virginia. “The sad thing is, all the years that we raced the early bikes at Barber’s, nobody ever recorded a lap time. So, we never really measured how fast they went. Last year we measured lap times, and I raced a 1911 Indian. It averaged 48 miles-per-hour for three miles on a road course.

The motor cleverly sits where a bicycle frame would have had a rear down tube, making it a stress member of the frame as well as the source of power (opposite page, left). The right side view of the engine (opposite page, right) shows the exposed exhaust push rod and bears the all important serial number 548 (left). The number confirms that this bike was built late in the year of 1903.


the young engineer to come to work for him in Springfield, with the goal of developing a motorized bicycle that could be mass-produced.

They built a prototype and demonstrated the first Indian Motocycle (the “r” wouldn’t be added until some years later) to the public in May of 1901.

“Factory records show that there were three prototypes built in 1901 and one was taken apart, and the parts used in another motorcycle,” says George Yarocki. “Which motorcycle, is not known and the parts could have been used in one, or both, of the remaining 1901 prototypes.” Yarocki has been following a lead based on a 1922 photograph in a newspaper that shows a man riding what may well have been one of those prototypes, but has yet to succeed. “That would probably be the most valuable bike in the world if we could ever find it,” George tells Thunder Roads West Virginia.

Hedström took his engine design to the Aurora Automatic Machine Company in Aurora, Illinois, a company that had the capacity to build the 1.75 horsepower motors in large quantity. Hendee began building a network of dealerships. In 1902, the Hendee Manufacturing Company produced a total of 143 Indian Motocycles.

As production ramped up in 1903, 376 motocycles would be produced. The serial number on this particular bike is 548.

Yarocki says company records show that this serial number means it was produced late in the year of 1903. Obviously, there was no Division of Motor Vehicles at the time, so no registry exists that would tell us who its original owner was.

In fact, at this point, nothing is known about the bike’s history until somewhere around 1960. It was around that time that Charles Alder of Taneytown, Maryland, bought the bike from a woman whose husband had recently died. “He bought it for 20 dollars,” says Steve Rinker. “It was hanging in the basement of the house. Obviously, it was a dry basement. I have talked to a few other guys who knew Charles from the past, and they seemed to think that the previous owner was a dentist. His son Charlie Alder was 14 years old when they got the motorcycle. He remembers that he and his father picked the motorcycle up and brought it home, and they have kept it ever since.” Charles Alder, Rinker says, passed away a few years ago and Charlie was killed in a motorcycle accident last summer.

One day last fall, out of the blue, Steve Rinker’s phone rings. On the other end is a friend of his who owns an auction company. “He says, ‘I have found a 1903 Indian moped.’ I said, ‘No. You didn’t find a 1903,’” Steve remembers saying. “I said, ‘You don’t have a 1903 Indian. Trust me, you don’t have it!’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody I’ve talked to, they swear there’s a 1903 moped.’ I said, ‘Well, first of all, they’re

not mopeds. They were motorcycles. You propelled them like a bicycle in order to get them running, but you couldn’t ride them like a bicycle.” A moped, you can still pedal like a bike. Anyway, I said, ‘Hey, I’d love to see it.’ He said, ‘Well, it’s going to be sold.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to go see the thing.’”

The bike, the auctioneer explained, will be put on an estate auction, along with several other bikes the Alder’s owned. For the auction company to gain some insight into the value and authenticity of this bike, they arranged for Steve to see it. As they are driving to the garage, Steve remembers telling the auctioneers, “I’m 98 percent certain we’re not going to see a 1903. Somebody’s got their years confused somewhere along the way.”

As the men enter the garage, they see the outlines of five cloth-covered motorcycles. “The first one we uncovered was a 1926 Harley-Davidson JD. Charles had restored this motorcycle,” says Steve. “The next one we came to is a 1923 Harley JD. The next one was a 1917 Harley. It was supposed to have been five Indians. Well, the first three were Harley-Davidsons, so my expectations now are almost one-hundred percent sure we would never see an Indian.”

But under the fourth sheet there was indeed an Indian, albeit a 1919 model. “Here’s the Indian they’ve been talking about,” Steve remembers thinking. “I looked at the auctioneer and said, ‘You know, this isn’t an ‘03.’ Then we jerked the cover off the last motorcycle, and I just stood there. He hit me on the shoulder, and said, ‘Hey! Is that a 1903?’ And I’m just looking at it, and he says ‘Hey! What is it?’ And I turned around and said, ‘It’s a nineteen-oh-thhh...it’s...it’s...it’s a Camelback Indian! There it is!’”

Rinker was stunned. For a vintage Indian collector, this is akin to witnessing the dawn of time. “I’ve seen four restored motorcycles up to this one. Then, all of a sudden, I find this bike in its unrestored condition,” he tells me as we talk about the day he first saw this bike. “You and I have talked in the past,

old bikes are only original once. You want to try to preserve anything you can, as long as it’s still original. It was really truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. These bikes are so rare to find. They made it through the Depression, through both World Wars. They never got scrapped. Kids didn’t trash them or beat them up. I mean, face it, it’s nothing more than a bicycle, essentially, with a little gas tank on the back. So, to survive the time is pretty extraordinary.”

The gas and oil tanks over the rear fender is why these early Indians got the “Camelback” nickname. The hump behind the rear frame of the bike held about a gallon of gasoline, and the little portion inside the framework was a separate tank for the oil. Hendee produced this same design from 1902 until 1908, and the serial numbers are the only way to verify the exact year of production.

“The insides of that engine are very simple, but very well made,” says Dale Walksler from his office in the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum. “When that bike was built in ‘03 it was just the most charming little bike.” Dale has unique knowledge about the 1903 Indian, because he not only owns one, he rides and has even raced it! “I always claim that my ‘03 is the oldest running Indian anywhere. I don’t know of an earlier serial number than mine that runs.”

Dale Walksler has raced his 1903 Indian several times on the track at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. He may be the only man alive today who knows what it feels like to ride this bike. “It’s a huge burst of energy,” he tells Thunder Roads West Virginia. “The sad thing is, all the years that we raced the early bikes at Barber’s, nobody ever recorded a lap time. So, we never really measured how fast they went. Last year we measured lap times, and I raced a 1911 Indian. It averaged 48 miles-per-hour for three miles on a road course.

The motor cleverly sits where a bicycle frame would have had a rear down tube, making it a stress member of the frame as well as the source of power (opposite page, left). The right side view of the engine (opposite page, right) shows the exposed exhaust push rod and bears the all important serial number 548 (left). The number confirms that this bike was built late in the year of 1903.


BACK

In The

Day

The ‘03 honestly is not that much slower. The little bike only weighs about 90 pounds. So, you’ve got a 90 pound bike with enough power to push it. That bike ought to go near 40 miles-per-hour. You’ve got to ride with one hand, because you have to have your right hand on your throttle and timing, while your left hand is keeping you on course. You’re almost always adjusting throttle and spark, so you’re almost always riding with one hand.” You can see several videos of Dale prepping and racing his 1903 Indian on his website at www.wheelsthroughtime.com.

When speaking about the present condition of this 1903 Indian, Steve Rinker says, “This thing is 95 percent there. A lot of the little things are there. The trickler on top of the carburetor where you prime it, the little spring inside of that still works. I’ve cranked the bike over. It’s got awesome compression. I don’t think it would take long to get the motor to run.” The camelback tanks appear to be complete and undamaged by time. The frame is solid and the control linkages are functional, with one exception. “There was a linkage that went from a hand grip that would work the decompression lever,” Steve notes. “That linkage is missing.” One of the rear fender braces is also missing, as is the battery tube that would have held several dry cell batteries which provide the bike’s source of ignition.

There have been some modifications made to this bike, which were probably all done within the first few years of the bike’s existence. The pedals and left side sprocket, for instance, appear to be a 1905 update. “The guy was riding this!” Steve points out. “This was his mode of transportation. He had to do what he had to do. So when his 1903 pedals broke, he couldn’t just throw his motorcycle away, because this was all he had! He got a new set of cranks. It was an upgrade for him. We do it today with our modern-day vehicles.”

“The handlebar neck seems a bit longer than normal,” George Yarocki tells Thunder Roads West Virginia after examining our photos of the bike. “The frame head casting seems to have been altered with added set screw lugs, and third, the remaining top of the battery box is held with a homemade clamp covering the badge.”

The most curious upgrade is on the front forks. The extra trusses mounted forward of the traditional bike forks were not standard equipment. “The first use of the fork trusses on standard models appeared on the 1910 loop frame with the advent of the leaf spring,” George says. Their retrofit to this machine suggests it had an exciting life. “The ‘03 model with these added indicates an early recognition of a weakness in the fork, and no doubt were added for racing and/or cross country competition, both of which were going on at that early date.”

By now, you’re probably wondering about the value of this motorcycle. We all are. Estimates given to Thunder Roads West Virginia are all over the map, so there’s no point in speculating. We’ll find out on April 21, 2012, when the bike goes up for auction at the County Fairgrounds in Frederick, Maryland.

“I’ve got a small private collection,” says Steve Rinker, “and I wouldn’t feel right owning the bike. I really wouldn’t. I would love to have it, don’t get me wrong. When you think about the historical value of the motorcycle, it would really be a wonderful exhibition for some museum somewhere, and hopefully that’s where it will go. But whoever gets it, it’s just a wonderful piece to find.”

George Yarocki agrees. It is, he says, “All in all, a great piece of history.”

continued



Hot Plates

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’Former stuntman and bounty hunter of rogue demons Johnny Blaze has been living in self-imposed exile, believing that his powers are a curse. But when he is approached by a member of a monastic order who is looking for someone to protect a mother and her son, who are being pursued by the devil in the figure of a man named Roarke, the Ghost Rider takes the case.



Advertisers Index – March 2012

Southside H-D Hot Rod Hog Show Down.........Cover & Inside Back Cover Absolut Cycle Worx….........................................................................27Adam’s Automotive Service & Repair…................................................38Barry’s Outer Banks Bike Rally (Event)…................Center Calendar Top Big Daddy’z Cycles……............................................................………27Biker’s Depot...................................................................................….16Cavelli’s….............................................................................................9Dennis’ Truck & Trailer Repair …..........................................................20Departure Bike Works ….................................................................….16Freedom Biker Church….....................................................................28Grove’s Winchester Harley-Davidson...............................................…15Gulliver’s Crossflight Restaurant….....................................................38Grumpy’s Bar & Grill….........................................................................39Hampton Roads Harley-Davidson.....................................................…1Hampton Roads Harley-Davidson…....................................................30Hampton Roads Harley-Davidson…........................Outside Back CoverHOG BASH 2012….............................................................................28Hooters ..............................................................................................…7Mincz Tire Service…............................................................................38Oceana Cycles.................................................................................…27Rick “Preacher” Saunders Devotional…..............................................20Slade’s Park Dirt Drags….....................................................................27South Central Bike Fair (Event)…........................................................43Tom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group …...................Inside Front CoverVirginia Bike Fest (Event)….................................................................11

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Thunder Roads Virginia Magazine - March 2012