Born To Ride Motorcycle Magazine - Florida #152, January 2017

Contents

January Issue 152

Ad Index

Features Panhead Randy-48 at 60 Test Ride- 2017 Bonneville Bobber 36th Suncoast Brotherhood Toy Run Lillie Glass Blowers Love-Jugs-Police Story

11 22 28 44 60

Columns

11

Woman’s World-Linda Dalton Craven Moorehead-Christmas Spyke & Mike Christian Motorcycle Association

32 69 71 72

Departments Ride Safe, Ride Smart Everywhere Eddy-Is Everywhere Biker Movie Review-Motorcycle Diaries BTR Events Update Born To Ride Kids

7 40 64 66 72

Reports

58

Sabrina Nova Tropf-Realtor 39 Biff Burger-Biff’s Kids Bike Show 51 Mugs-N-Jugs-Sunday Party 54 Attorney Fran Haasch-Happy New Year 58 Adopt-A-Family 56

On The Cover

Gibtown Bike Fest Jan 13-15 3 Days of Non Stop Entertainment

Start Born To Ride TV and Magazine in your city! Call 888-795-5779 The information contained herein is provided by Born To Ride Magazine or by its advertisers. BTR makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information in the issue. Born To Ride Magazine does not endorse, approve, or certify such information, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness or correct sequencing of such information throughout this magazine. Use of such information is voluntary on your part, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after your independent review. Reference herein to any specific manufacturer, company, commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement of or recommendation of said by Born To Ride Magazine.” “Born To Ride Magazine (including its employees, contributors and agents) assumes no responsibility for consequences that may result from the use of the information herein, including the use of the information obtained at www.borntoride.com and it’s linked sites, or in any respect for the content of such information, including (but not limited to) errors or omissions, the accuracy or reasonableness of factual or scientific assumptions, studies or conclusions, ownership of copyright or other intellectual property rights, and the violation of property, privacy, or personal rights of others. BTR Magazine is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on such information. No guarantees or warranties, including (but not limited to) any express or implied warranties are made by BTR Magazine with respect to such information contained throughout the site.” No part may be copied without written permission of the publisher, Born To Ride, Inc. P.O. Box 3021, Brandon, FL 33509. 888-795-5779, Fax 813-689-2996. ­­

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AAA 6 Adopt-A-Family 56 Affordable Motorsports 57 Al Estes Bail Bonds 62 Allstate - Jeff Ard 48 All World Lift Truck 57 Angel City 52 Applebee’s 26 Attorney Fran Haasch IFC, 7, BC BTR Facebook 58 BTR Free on Three 48 BTR Radio 5, 68 BTR TV 68 CJ Seats 24 Copperhead Lodge 47 Cycle-Rama 50 Custom T-Shirt Quilt Company 65 Dania Vintage Motorcycle Show 24 Find It Now 20 Fort Myers Bike Night 9 Fun Bike Center 29 Gibtown Bike Fest 34 Heat Up 63 H-D Crystal IBC H-D Florida 13 H-D Lakeland 17 H-D Manatee 25 H-D Rossiter’s 25 H-D War Horse IBC International Female Ride Day 59 JT’s Roadhouse 41 L.A.M.A. Tampa 10 Love Jugs 61 Media Design Shop 42, 70 Midwest Motorcycle 14 Mugs -n- Jugs 54 Nothing But Hawgs 8 Overhead Door 50 Party Under The Bridge 53 Peggy’s Corral 27 Plant City Bike Fest 18 Prestige Real Estate 32 Riders on the River 26 Ride Smart Florida 36 Rivers Edge 20 Saddle Creek 42 Sam Swope Charity Ride 33 Screwie Louie’s-Scooter Haven 44 Shakes, Rattles, Rides & Rods 43 Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q 38 Spin Wurkz 53 Stitch On Time 62 St. Pete Bike Fest 4 Tampa Triumph 21 The Naughty Monk 24 Tropic Trailer 55 Ultra Bright LED Lights 70 Wildwood Bike Rally 3 Wings-n-Weenies 65

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RIDING AT NIGHT

Scan Everything To Stay Alive

You should be especially aware at intersections, where other vehicles can cross your path of travel. There are many things to scan for, including traffic devices, road surfaces, and the traffic and pedestrians around you. For more information go to www.msf-usa.org

Attorney Fran M. Haasch isn’t just our attorney, she’s yours too! 1-866-LAW-FRAN

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This “Bucket List” mission began over 42 years ago when I purchased Old Blue at the ripe young age of 18, shortly after graduating from high school along Florida’s east coast. Old Blue is a 1963 HarleyDavidson Panhead that has unselfishly transported me from one destination to another like a magic carpet, always willing to embark on the next adventure. In addition to the day-to-day local riding and fun, Old Blue carried me on several long road trips over the years. In 1975, she took me from the east coast of Florida to the Grand Canyon and back, and in 1984 from Tallahassee to Chicago. In 1990, she carried me from Chicago back to Florida by way of Detroit, Ontario, New York to Maine, and down the eastern seaboard back to Florida.

In 2003, I rode her from Pinellas County to

Milwaukee for the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration. Then there was Sturgis in 2010, and Laconia in 2012, and a couple of Myrtle Beach trips sprinkled inbetween. Sometime before the Sturgis trip, I acquired an embroidered patch of the United States, and began coloring-in those states that I had ridden Old Blue through. Shortly thereafter, it became a bucket list mission to ride her through all of the contiguous 48 states.

All that leads to this story: for the last few years, there was this large uncolored white area remaining in the American northwest area of the patch. In January of 2016, my wife Mary and I began planning for the Northwestern Panhead Adventure, to be undertaken shortly after I turned 60.

The Adventure was to include those states

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that Old Blue had yet to traverse: Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah. The following story chronicles the adventure that we undertook during the first three weeks in July 2016.

Since we only had three weeks off from work, we had Old Blue and Mary’s 2005 Deluxe shipped from St. Petersburg to Reno, Nevada. After we picked up our bikes form Chester’s Reno Harley-Davidson, we rode through the high desert, to historic Virginia City, and then Pyramid Lake, where we camped along that large lake in the desert.

On our approach to this oasis in the desert, it appeared that there were three pyramids on an island in the middle of the lake, resembling the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

From Pyramid Lake, we headed for northern California. There we traversed BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 11

through the high desert to Litchfield, Susanville, and then off to Lassen Volcanic National Park, which still had numerous pockets of snow on the volcanic peaks.

From there we headed to Mount Shasta, another snow-covered volcanic peak, and stayed a couple of days in the nearby town of Mt. Shasta.

From Mt. Shasta, we headed to Yreka (pronounced “why reeka”). Once there, we gassed-up; at that time, I noticed that Old Blue’s generator light came on. We headed to an ATV motorsports shop (the only option in that small town), and I borrowed a meter to confirm what I already knew: the generator wasn’t doing its job. I took it apart, cleaned the commutator, and noticed that the splines on the armature were worn, allowing the gear to spin freely. Within minutes, a guy on a Sportster pulls up to BTR 12 | BORNTORIDE.COM

go to the liquor store next to the bike shop, and Mary asks if he knows anybody in town that has any old Harley parts. He says “Yeah, Mr. _________ had a shop he closed down 30 years ago. He passed away, but his sons are building bikes from the parts.”

He made a telephone call, explained the situation, and handed the phone to me. I spoke with Randy, who said he probably had a generator, but to call him back in 30 minutes so he could look for it. Twenty-nine minutes later, he drove up in an old truck and brought the generator to me! He wasn’t interested in selling it, so he loaned it to me for the trip! A true sign of old school brotherhood! “Just ship it back after you finish your trip.” Wow! I installed it, “flashed” the regulator, and we headed to Happy Camp where we camped for the night at the Bigfoot Campground.

The next morning we rode to Willow Creek, home of the world’s largest Bigfoot museum, and saw numerous plaster-casts of those big feet. From there we headed to Eureka, California where we went to Redwood Harley-Davidson, and checked into a hotel in Arcata near the Pacific coast.

After breakfast, we headed north to Lady Bird Johnson Grove for a walk through the California Redwoods, then rode the Redwood Highway to see thousands of those giant trees. Continuing north, we stopped to put our piggies in the Pacific Ocean, and landed in Crescent City for a good dinner and relaxing night’s sleep.

From Crescent City, we travelled along Highway 101 in the rain (go figure, it is a rain forest region!), and headed for Oregon.

Old Blue was breaking up, running on one cylinder, as if one of the spark plugs was

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fouling. I pulled the plugs, but that wasn’t the problem – it was an ignition failure. We limped along to Coos Bay, and landed at Coos Cycle Supply where we diagnosed the problem with the help of a guy named Randy! The lack of antique parts did not allow resolution with the original equipment, so we decided on an Accel drop-in, but since it was Saturday, it couldn’t be ordered until Monday, for delivery on Tuesday. That plan would still allow completion of the mission.

Following the repair, and tweaking of the carburetor, we headed north along Highway 101 on Wednesday morning to view the rocky Oregon Coast on our way up to Newport. From Newport, we headed east through the mountains, and then into the

high desert to Redman, where we spent the night.

After breakfast, we headed to Smith Rock State Park, to hike through parts of the dramatic landscape that is a magnet for rock climbers. From there, we headed north through the high desert to Yakima, Washington. During the last 20 miles before crossing the Columbia River gorge, we experienced very strong and shifting crosswinds that were being funneled through the canyons; it was quite an experience!

Much of the route in Washington to Yakima traversed through the Yakima Nation, as this territory is the sovereign nation of the Yakima Tribe. We landed in town and spent the night.

The next morning, we travelled to

Fort Simcoe State Park, an historic site containing structures and a museum dedicated to the U.S Cavalry and Native American experience in the American frontier during the 1850s. From there we headed east to Sacajawea State Park near Kennewick. The park celebrates the contribution of Sacajawea, the young Agaiduka Shoshoni woman who was the interpreter that accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805. The park is situated at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, and has a museum that contains numerous artifacts associated with the expedition. We left the park and headed a few miles to Kennewick, and stayed the night in a hotel on a small island in the Columbia River, in the shadow of the

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Pasco-Kennewick Cable Bridge. The bridge style resembles the Sunshine Skyway, although it is much smaller in scale.

After breakfast, we continued heading east through Lewiston, Idaho and stopped at the Nez Perce National Historic Park.

The Nez Perce Nation originally controlled the majority of, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, but signed successive treaties with the U.S. Government eventually conceding 90% of their original tribal lands.

In the mid-afternoon, we stopped at a roadside steakhouse and had an amazing steak dinner. Following dinner, we rode through some of the most beautiful winter white sweet wheat fields down to Grangeville where we would spend the night.

The next day, we stopped by the local BTR 16 | BORNTORIDE.COM

park in Grangeville to see a Mastodon exhibit, waited a long time for a pilot car to “guide” us through a short construction zone, and then about ten miles down the road we descended a steep, winding grade on our way to White Bird. Near the bottom was a truly breathtaking view of a vast plain that had been dissected by glaciers thousands of years ago. That was the beginning of my realization that Idaho is a spectacular State!

South of White Bird, we headed along the Salmon River through the mountains and valleys to Crouch, Idaho, where we were staying with family friends. When we told them of our plans to head to Boise the next day, they said “Boise, why would you want to go to Boise? If in Idaho, you need to see the Sawtooth Mountains!” So

we altered our plans, and we are very pleased that we did. The Sawtooth range is a spectacular smaller-version of the Grand Teton range. We ate lunch in a saloon in Stanley (population 63), and headed to Arco, past Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, because it was late in the day. Craters includes 750,000 acres of lava fields and cinder cones, and the astronauts trained there in 1969 prior to their Lunar missions because it is the closest environment to that of the moon here on earth.

We spent the night in Arco, which is the first town on earth powered by nuclear energy (for one hour) in 1955. After breakfast, we headed 18 miles east to the EBR-I Atomic Museum, the National Historic

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landmark where the test nuclear reactor that powered Arco was located. Being there made us feel like we were part of a 1950s Sci-Fi movie! From there we headed back west to Craters, so that we could experience the volcanic region.

We left Craters, and headed for Twin Falls where we would spend the night. Twin Falls is on the south side of the Snake River Canyon. The Perrine Bridge and the gorge that it spans looked spectacular after travelling through the high desert. The next day we went to Shoshone Falls, walked to the site of Evel Knievel’s 1974 Snake River Canyon Sky Cycle jump site, and then travelled to Snake Harley-Davidson, before heading to Salt Lake City, Utah.

The trip to Salt Lake City was the least

desirable part of the trip, largely because this segment could only be achieved via Interstate highway. We were spoiled by the two lane scenic highways that we had traversed throughout our adventure. The main problem was that the interstate speed limit was 80 miles per hour, and I was riding a 53-year-old 1200cc motorcycle.

Add to that the construction lane shifts with mismatched asphalt elevation layers, grooved pavement, and tandem Semi trucks pulling three trailers whizzing by in adjacent lanes left and right, we felt like we were undergoing jet fighter training!

After a night in Salt Lake City, we headed to the Bonneville Salt Flats, where we went out to mile marker six, then back to the Salt Flats Café (the only diner around)

and had some good Mexican food. We spent another night in Salt Lake City, and then went to Antelope Island Great Salt Lake State Park to see the wild buffalo.

From there we headed north to the Golden Spike National Historic Site in Promontory where the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad system forever changed the history of America, since it allowed coast-to-coast travel to be accomplished in weeks rather than months or years.

We had an incredibly enjoyable western adventure that spanned over 2,700 miles.

Old Blue has truly been a major part of my life for over 42 years, and she has served me well! I’m excited about her next adventure. . . .

Panhead Randy

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2017 Triumph

THE ALL-NEW BONNEVILLE BOBBER: BRUTAL BEAUTY A PURE BONNEVILLE HOT ROD The latest addition to the Bonneville family, Triumph introduces the all-new premium custom Bonneville Bobber. Born in a unparalleled bloodline of Triumph bobber customs that stretch all the way back to the 1940s it perfectly encapsulates the minimalist styling principles, muscular stance and purposeful engineering attitude of a genuine bobber.

Peerless authenticity • A genuine Bonneville, iconic and authentic • A genuine bobber with unparalleled heritage, attitude and desirability • A genuine factory custom with beautifully styled minimalism Stunning hand crafted custom style • Breath-taking poise, presence and iconic silhouette • Authentic bobber features, stripped back, low, single seat, wide flat bars and hard tail look • Premium bobber detailing and finishes Innovative and elegant engineering • Adjustable riding position • Floating aluminum seat pan with beautiful stitched deep foam pad • Sublime crafted ‘swing cage’ and hidden mono shock rear suspension • Signature Bonneville straight line exhaust hidden ‘cat box’ pipe run Thrilling hot rod ride and sound • Category leading torque delivered by a

dedicated Bonneville 1200HT ‘Bobber’ engine tune • More torque and power lower down than the Bonneville T120 • Brushed stainless steel twin exhaust with lighter ‘slash cut’ sawn off peashooter silencers and a rich unique bobber exhaust note Category defining capability, comfort and control • A bobber without compromise • All new frame, chassis and suspension for an engaged and comfortable ride • Authentic wire-spoked black rim wheels and category-first radial Avon Cobra rear tire • Rider focused technology including ride-by-wire, torque assist clutch, switchable

Professional driver on closed course. Always protect the environment and wear your seat belt, helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Read the owners manual and

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See the Launch of the New Bonneville Bobber Fri, Jan 13, 7pm-10pm @ Tampa Triumph

Bonneville Bobber traction control and road and rain full power riding modes There are four premium color options to choose • Ironstone, with a matt finish • Morello Red • Stunning Competition Green and Frozen Silver, with a stylish British racing twist • Jet Black

Elegant engineering innovation The Bobber introduces a first-in-class tailorable riding position, delivered by the beautifully crafted new floating aluminum seat, ergonomically optimized and sculpted for comfort with stitched deep foam pad, and minimal stylish clock – both adjustable to suit rider size and riding style.

The slotted seat design system allows the rider to position the seat ‘up and forward’ for dynamic riding in a roadster position and ‘down and backwards’ for cruising in a more traditional riding position. This is complimented by a simple quick-release function for the clocks that enables riders to adjust the position to complement their seating and riding style.

Combined with a low seat height of 690mm when in the low seat position, the Bonneville Bobber is truly accessible to all riders.

Delivering the Bobber’s hallmark hard tail look is an innovative and distinctive ‘cage’ swinging arm with paddock stand bobbin mounts and hidden monoshock rear suspension.

Topping off the engineering innovation is the ‘clean line’ Bonneville technology packaging system, which includes the straight line hidden ‘cat box’ pipe run and the sensitive incorporation of rider focused technology such as the ECU, ABS modulator and immobilizer.

To deliver even more performance to the Bobber, Triumph is introducing a new partnership with FOX with a dual branded adjustable rear suspension unit plus a range of new Bobber exhausts from Vance and Hines with beautifully machined aluminium end caps which are adjustable to change the profile.

product warning labels before operation. Model shown with optional accessories. Vehicle specifications subject to change.

Triumph of Tampa will get you riding the Triumph of your dreams. Call: 813-523-4693

7000 N Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33614

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Special Thanks to Suncoast Brotherhood and The Biker Community for such an Awesome Job.

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SAVE THE DATE! Saturday May 6, 2017 International Female Ride Day Rides beginning at War Horse Harley-Davidson and Crystal Harley-Davidson to Rock Crusher Canyon for a world record attempt at the largest gathering of women and motorcycles!

Australia holds the record for 1,002 at a single motorcycle event. Come be part of history in the making!

There will be $1000 prize awarded to the largest group of women in an organization to pre-register and ride in together, also 10 $100 prizes and so much more!

The Hampton Inn in Crystal River has special rates just call them at 352-564-6464 and tell them you are with the Road Queen USA group.

To pre-register go to www.roadqueenusa.org or call Road Queen USA 352-586-3504.

• $25 Pre-registration includes an event shirt, event patch, a drawing ticket for awesome prizes including • $$$, a chance to win a 3-night cabin stay at Copperhead Lodge in Blairsville, GA, Saturday morning breakfast and a concert featuring Jasmine Cain at Rock Crusher Canyon!

Invite your friends … Road Queen USA’s version of International Female Ride day for Women that ride and the men that support us! A fun day is being planned for everyone!

Pre-Register, call Road Queen USA 352 586 3504 We’re out to set a World Record this year, be a part of it!

6606 GaLl BlVd ZePhYrHiLlS, Fl 33542 (813)-782-4272

Selling your home is one of the biggest financial moves a person makes, and it’s also personal...but it’s business... So it gets confusing. I realize how extremely important it is to get it done correctly. There are so many pitfalls that can cost tens of thousands of dollars in lost profit and set you back months if not longer if you misstep. The truth is, some of you that are reading this at this very moment, may think you’re ready to sell your home, but you’re not really ready. You may think selling it is simple but you’ll soon find out that there’s much more to lose than you think. What I am genuis at, is making that life transition from one home to another as seamless as it can be and take the stress off of your shoulders.

Every property has surprises and as a homeowner, I completely understand how you love it like a family member and it can sometimes feel as if your home is worth more to you than it is to anyone else. I may give you some harsh reality checks that no one likes to hear about their home.

One thing you can count on is the unapologetic truth because what matters more than manners is that the transaction is as profitable for the homeowner as possible, that it hits the market positioned perfectly so that it launches rather than trickles, and that the ball is never dropped along the way. It will be quick, smooth, profitable and enjoyable. I do not allow unqualified buyers to waste anyones time.

I ensure property inspections are accurate and no surprises come up. I negotiate like a shark if I may say so myself and I know the financial gambling “chips” that can be played better than most that will ensure that the price drops are not the first stop as so many other realtors will try to convince you. I work with so many buyers and sellers and handle your marketing with precision, ensuring that your home is seen often by the most qualified buyers in the market right now, today... and I lock them into a contract when my intuition tells me that this is the perfect home for a buyer. Sometimes, a buyer gets cold feet and navigating that moment word by word can make or break a deal, cost thousands of dollars, add weeks or months to a transaction and completely lose the sale altogether.

Your family background has been involved in taking care of people in real estate?

Yes! I’m extremely proud of my Bucky (I gave him that name).

My grandfather Bert Beigel helped raise me as a child and I

watched him grow a real estate portfolio that included a large portion of commercial plazas and buildings in Pinellas County.

He taught me (and lot’s of his friends) a lot about the real estate business and a lot of his savvy traits are carried on with me today. Bucky has passed away now but I carry on his work ethic and passion for real estate every day. He was a major inspiration to me and many other people! I know he’s looking down on me proud!

How are the mortgage rates for buying and selling?

Everyone knows rates are going up but despite all the negative financial news and pressure to hurry up and sell or buy now before it gets worse I say that right now is the perfect time to sell or buy. Rates are amazing even though they’re raising! If there’s one thing Bucky taught me back in the day (when rates hit the mid teens) it’s that securing a mortgage is crucial and can make the difference of holding property for an extra decade or selling it tomorrow. Since the crash in 2008 is finally behind us and the market is hot, it’s easy to secure a loan for buyers, builders are finally building again and homes are selling almost as fast as they’re coming on the market. It’s a hot market right now. Focus on the ONE thing that is most important to you. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home right now, carefully consider the impact it will have on every other area of your life. What I mean by that is if your family is number ONE, keep it Number ONE and do not let the property transaction take that away from you. Don’t lose focus on what’s important the way that so many people do. And please, don’t do what so many do and try it without professional guidance or god forbid you end up with a second unknown mortgage lien on the property following you because you didn’t do a proper title search or some such catastrophic life changing thing like an old roof that immediately leaks that your professional representative would’ve had replaced free of charge during the negotiation! The best way to chat with me about your home is to just have a quick phone conversation from real person to real person I can feel out your situation in a couple minutes and tell you the best next course of action whether you’re buying or selling. I’ll want to know what your goals are and I’ll point you in the right direction if you’re not quite ready for someone like me yet ;) Reach me directly here: Direct 727-510-3153

“Sabrina Nova” Tropf, A Fresh Approach to Real Estate. Direct 727-510-3153

“Sabrina Nova” Tropf

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Let me introduce you to Thom Lillie of Lille Glassblowers, Inc. A couple of years ago I was sitting on the patio reading the morning paper and I noticed an article about a glassblower who had a studio in Smyrna, Georgia. At the BTR 44 | BORNTORIDE.COM

time I was looking for someone or something to photograph and I thought that the art of blowing glass could be a great subject. I googled the name of the glassblowing studio, and when I contacted them to tell them what I was interested in doing I was told to come

on up.

I threw a flash kit, tripod and camera bag on the back of the Road King and headed on up I-75 to see what I could come up with.

When I arrived I entered a studio surrounded by work tables full of ongoing glass projects.

An award shall reflect the achievement it recognizes. Speak your mind without saying a word.

At a table in the back a tall guy wearing sunglasses and a bandanna had a big ass flaming tool in one hand and a piece of redhot glass in the other. He was in the middle of a project and couldn’t really stop to meet and greet properly, so I set about getting

realized there was a story that went along with the pictures. My whole career I’ve met so many people with great stories when I thought I was only there for images, I should have learned to expect it by now.

As we chatted while Thom continued to work the glass, I mentioned that I rode my bike up from my loft apartment in downtown Atlanta and he said he rode, also. At first it was just something that we had in common, but over time I saw that Thom is another one of those Georgians who can come from all walks of life and just happens to ride motorcycles.

Thom’s first bike was a little red Honda 50 cc he received when he was just 7 years old. That’s another thing we had in common, my first motorized bike was the same model.

He’s ridden many different bikes since that first red jewel, but now he sits atop a ’96 Yamaha Royal Star that he bought new. At the time he was thinking about purchasing a Harley-Davidson Heritage, but when he sat his 6’2” frame on the Royal Star, it just fit him perfectly. But as we know, usually one is not enough, so as of this writing Ideal Customs out of Clarksville, GA is building him a Café Racer from a Yamaha 750.

Thom is a second generation glassblower.

His father, Don Lillie, began blowing glass in 1949, when he started an apprenticeship at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Afterwards Don got a job at Georgia Tech as a scientific glass blower, where he worked for 33 years. After perfecting his craft, in 1965 Don opened a small shop of his own at Six Flags Over Georgia and then one at Underground Atlanta. The first time Thom blew a piece of glass he was 8 years old and he burned his finger pretty badly, so at the time he didn’t want any part of this flaming hot business.

And it didn’t help that most sons don’t want anything to do with what their fathers do for a living anyway, it’s the rebel in many of us. But as he got a little older, he saw the potential and realized he may have the talent that could help give him a vision of what he wanted to do with his own life.

So in 1981 Thom signed up for classes at the University of Minnesota to study scientific glass blowing like his father had done some shots of him in action. While he kept 32 years earlier. In 1986 he moved back working to form a glass rod into a perfectly to Smyrna and together with his father they shaped golf club, we chatted as I started opened Lillie Glassblowers, Inc. Thom feels taking shots of this artist at work. I could tell that getting his degree in scientific glassthis was going to be simple to find wonder- blowing helps “you understand what is hapful photographs of this subject, but I soon pening to your material when you’re working

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BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 45 35

“It’s not just putting glass together and getting a figure out of it, what this does is opens up the design possibilities and techniques.”

with it, it really gives a good boost to your foundation of knowledge … there’s a reason behind it. It’s not just putting glass together and getting a figure out of it, what this does is really opens up the design possibilities and techniques.”

Much of Lillie’s contract work is for corporations and special events held around Georgia throughout the year, such as Petite Le Mans and the Vintage Motorcycle Races, both held at Road Atlanta. His work also decorates the homes and offices of personalities such as Elton John, Michael Jordan, the late actor Jimmy Stewart, President Bill Clinton, Dale Earnhardt and also is on display at Charlotte’s NASCAR Museum, just to name a few.

Making the most unique piece of art possiBTR 46 | BORNTORIDE.COM

ble for each project is important and is what helps carry on the excitement from day to day, from project to project. To Thom, “The satisfaction that you get afterwards becomes an addiction, so you look forward to the more challenging pieces. It’s more than just a business, I enjoy when a customer comes in and they’re ecstatic … ‘Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen anything like that before.’ You look to make the customer happy but then more important, I want to be happy with it.”

He then adds, “There’s a quote that can be read when you’re coming in the building that my old man came up with about 30 years ago, ‘An award shall reflect the achievement it recognizes.’ If a guy wins the Nobel Peace Prize you don’t give him a plaque … you should give the recipient something that’s

worthy of their accomplishment.”

When comparing his work in the studio to riding a motorcycle, “The first thing that comes to mind is when I’m making something, there’s going to be something tangible at the end of the journey. In glassblowing it’s something I can see, something I can look at. And on motorcycles it’s about memories but the journey on both can be very stimulating.” He also adds, “I’ve come up with some of my most creative designs while riding a motorcycle … the problem is I’m having such a great time on my bike but then I get a certain design and I want to get back to the studio to start on that design.”

That could be a tough dilemma … to ride on or create.

But Thom’s creativity isn’t limited to the

Traditions will never mean limits. Real Editorial Content, Real Value for you the Reader.

“In glassblowing it’s something I can see, and look at. On motorcycles it’s about memories but the Journey on both can be very stimulating.”

glass blowing studio. He also is pretty handy with a blow torch and a few wrenches and pliers. To me the most interesting motorcycle he has truly is a bicycle that became a motorcycle, in the true fashion of the early motorcycle pioneers who did the same thing which eventually lead to what we all ride today. Thom was surfing around eBay one day and found a thrift store type reproduction of an older model Huffy cruiser bicycle, with the original tires and turned up handlebars.

He then found a 49 cc gas powered engine that he knew would fit just perfectly. With a blow torch, he has to use fire in his work it seems, he welded a bracket on the bicycle that allowed the seat to be pushed back on the bike and then he turned the handlebars down in a Café Racer style. He mounted

the 49 cc engine inside the frame, mounted the gas tank, painted it all black, moved the Huffy sticker to the tank and then with a few other modifications he had a ride that I think William Harley and Arthur Davidson would be proud of. In a single Saturday afternoon and for around $200 he had a bike that on first glance looks like it belongs in a vintage motorcycle museum.

Another one of those creative engineering twinges that Thom gets from time to time l ead to a giant sized tricycle that he painted bright red and stands almost 10’ tall and seemed to make even Thom look like a little kid out on his first ride on the street. Like most creative people, the process never stops; it just keeps refining itself and morphing into something new.

Born To Ride Magazine, Real Editorial Content, Real Value for you the Reader.

If you’re interested in seeing if Lillie Glassblowers can do something special for you or an organization you work with, look them up on the internet at www.lillieglass.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/LillieGlassWork Eric Albright BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 49

Thank You to Attorney Fran Haasch.

1-866-LAW-FRAN

Congratulations to Biff Burger for all they do with Biff’s Kids to support the community!

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 51 33

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Mugs N’ Jugs. See you on the 4th Sunday of January. Happy New Year!

On behalf of Team Adopt-A-Family Motorcyclist for a Cause, we would like to take this time to thank you and everyone who played a role in the success of our 2016 Adopt-A-Family Event. It’s amazing to see this group of folks miraculously coming together every year to make this now community Christmas run continue to happen.

A task big or small and all in between, It all adds-up to everyone’s success. We can only hope that next year’s Christmas run turns out as good as this one did. Now that we have the American Legion Auxiliary Post 90 as the 501 that came to our recue, this should truly help guarantee the continuation of the Adopt-A-Family program Christmas ride. Great job guys and hats off to everyone involved.

Thank you for your continued support; as you can see, it does make a difference. …

BTR 56 | BORNTORIDE.COM

Born To Ride Magazine, Real Editorial Content, Real Value for you the Reader.

C3PO READS BORN TO RIDE

It was the spring of 2014. A regular customer who worked as a police officer came into my shop complaining bitterly about the excessive heat that his 2013 Police motorcycle was generating. Although all V-twin engines run hot, especially when riding at slow speeds, a police motorcycle is a serial offender because of all the slow riding officers must do.

I had heard this type of complaint many times before, but I had never heard of a good solution to the problem. I thought of several partial solutions such as an oil cooler or the costly option of rerouting the pipes. I knew these ideas would only provide a partial solution. The officer was a good customer, and I could feel how frustrated he was with my unsatisfactory answer. I decided to delve into the subject BTR 60 | BORNTORIDE.COM

and see if there was any viable solution out there. I spoke to mechanics in other shops, searched the Internet, read several highly favorable magazine articles, and asked my customers if they knew anything. Before long, one name emerged and it was a memorable name at that – Love Jugs. Love Jugs, Love Jugs kept echoing as the only answer to my query.

With a healthy touch of cynicism, I googled Love Jugs and made my first visit to their web site. Wow, there was so much helpful information to plow through. Now, as a Harley mechanic, I know my stuff and I quickly saw and understood that if this product was anything like they claimed and demonstrated, the name that echoed in my ears made a lot of sense to the gray matter between them. Air cooling an engine that

demands air to cool it does make sense.

Even digging into their web presentation, it was apparent these people were on to something, at least in theory.

I advised my customer to order a unit for my installation on his police bike so we could see if it was as good as the company – and everyone else said they were. He had considered the matter as well and he was excited about the idea. It would take too long to make the purchase through the red tape of the Department so he decided to make the purchase directly from the manufacturer, Hammerhead Engineering, himself.

My customer is an avid rider. He not only works on his motorcycle, he puts on lots of miles for pleasure when he’s off duty.

Much of his ride is shackled by city traffic,

Born To Ride Magazine, Real Editorial Content, Real Value for you the Reader.

participation in parades, escorts, rodeos, ticketing, etc. Especially in slow riding conditions he felt the burn, big time. Every officer who reads this knows exactly what I’m talking about, as do you other Harley riders.

That summer of 2014 brought us sweltering record breaking heat. It was a long hot summer featuring temps more than 100 degrees for over a month. That extra heat created an unsuspected field laboratory to really test how the Love Jugs would perform. After installation, I kept in frequent touch with my customer to monitor his thoughts. He told me that the Love Jugs had literally transformed his ride. Even with the unprecedented heat wave he said he rode comfortably under all conditions, especially those conditions that would have had him burning up before he installed his Love Jugs.

But that is only half the story. Comfort is important, but what was happening inside those cylinders? Because I serviced his bike and the other motorcycles in his fleet, I can report first hand on how critically important Love Jugs were to him and his Department as well. His bike was a 2013 while the

other bikes in the Department were 2014s.

The first indication that the Love Jugs were working was in the oil changes. All the 2014 bikes had the usual heavy black gook look in the used oil. Only the motorcycle with Love Jugs yielded a liquid that had less than half the discoloration. This informed me that the Love Jugs was working. Elimination of the heat of the engine also significantly reduced the oil heat which showed up visually during the oil changes.

To me, the biggest part of the story was in the service. While the test motorcycle had zero repairs, each of the others needed some combination of new rings, cams, push valves, and even new cylinders. These repairs are heat related and it made sense the test bike’s Love Jugs had tamed the heat and forestalled the related problems.

It was not unusual for many of the repairs to take several weeks, thus putting the bike and the rider down for extended times in those cases. The test motorcycle was out on the road through it all with nothing more than an oil change and checkup as necessary.

I asked the officer if he had any other observations to add. He informed me that

the cooling system had no adverse effect on the battery. I checked this with Steve West, CEO of Hammerhead Engineering and he told me that the total draw was a mere 3.2 AMPs with both fans running.

The final chapter of this story happened recently. The test bike was recently retired and sold in good condition. The officer, who did own the Love Jugs, had them transferred to his new machine.

After this long-term test, I must endorse Love Jugs and recommend that every police motorcycle on the road be equipped with this product. They look great; they will save a load of money on repairs – including down time; and they will add to the officer’s comfort making their ride safer as well. In fact, I think that every Harley-Davidson be outfitted with the useful product. The look, good, they’re priced fairly, and they work like a miracle.

Find out where you can get your Love-Jugs for your motorcycle, become a dealer or supply your Police Motorcycle Unit.

Call 561-499-0974 Nic “Special K” Shultz Harley-Davidson of Madison Madison, Wisconsin

Biker Movie Review

The story begins when two friends decide to embark on a journey on a somewhat ratty and leaking 1939 Norton 500 which they refer to as the “Mighty One.” Heavily loaded with bags and gear, the pair nearly hit a bus when departing their home town of Buenos Aires and end up departing the town via the crowed sidewalk. As the overloaded motorcycle swerves and leaves an obnoxious BTR 64 | BORNTORIDE.COM

trail of smoke. Somewhere on a dirt road in the country outside of town, their bags begin falling off the bike and Ernesto runs the bike into a ditch full of water. Much subtitled profanity ensues, but they finally arrive in Miramar where Alberto gets to see his girlfriend. Oh yeah - did I forget to mention that this film is in Spanish, with no option to change the audio to English? No Bueno!

The ‘mighty one’ finally breaks down and after pushing it through the mud, snow and sand the pair find a mechanic in a small town just outside Astral. After convincing him they are doctors, he agrees to fix the dilapidated machine for free. Only one problem. He forgot to fix the brakes and the pair hit a cow, causing yet more damage to the bike.

After pushing it to Los Angeles, Chile, the lucky duo run into two girls whom share a bottle of wine and food with them. The girl’s father is the local fire chief, and his mechanic gives the old Norton it’s final rights. After they sell the bike for scrap, the pair continue their journey on foot, by truck, train and any other means available still determined to make the destination as planned. In Valparaiso, they both receive letters from home and one of them is lucky enough to get a few dollars in cash. In Cuzco Peru, and still on foot our downtrodden heroes stop to write and take photographs in an Inca temple. In a nearby town the duo run into a real doctor that helps them by putting them up for a few days, giving them clothes and tickets on a boat to take them to their destination. While gambling on the boat Alberto wins a substantial amount of money. When they arrive in San Pablo, they are greeted by yet another real doctor that once again puts them up and in exchange they volunteer in a leprosy clinic. The kind doctor also gave them a raft so they could continue on their journey to Colombia.

By this point in the film, the idea that it is a ‘motorcycle movie’ is pretty much lost.

In the end, the two separate with Ernesto hopping on a cargo plane to return home.

You will have to see the end to see the final outcome! Again, this piece has less to do with motorcycles than advertised, but as bikers enjoy traveling and adventure I suppose it is pertinent to the lifestyle.

Produced by Robert Redford and directed

by Walter Salles, the movie runs 2 hours and 7 minutes and is rated “R” mostly for the foul sub-titled language. I honestly would like to recommend this film as a drama. I wasn’t a bit disappointed. (that’s unusual for me)

Do you have a favorite Biker Movie we don’t have? Let us know: info@borntoride.com

The Phantom

www.B Events Thursday, January 5 Lakewood Ranch, FL (1/5 - 1/8) Thunder by the Bay. Event highlights: Thursday Sporting Clay Tournament, Friday - Born to be Wild Kickoff Party, Saturday - Cruise for Cash, Light up the Night People’s Choice Bike Show, Sunday - Rockin’ and Ridin’ at the Ranch, 18-class Bike Show.

For more visit ThunderByTheBay.org Friday, January 6 Sarasota, FL LAMA Casino Night Open House 7pm Fraternal Order of Police Saturday, January 7 Sarasota, FL “Casino Night Welcome Party” LAMA SRQ Anniversary Party 12pm - 5pm Fraternal Order of Police. Craps, black jack, poker, slots, dominoes and more. Food and drink specials, music, live DJ and more.

Tampa, FL Vinny Campanella Memorial Run JT’s Road House, KSU 1pm. Free breakfast 11:30am - 1pm. First stop River’s Edge until 3:30pm, Second stop - Steel Horse until 5pm, Last stop - JT’s Road House - free BBQ dinner prepared by the Mad Chef. 813-962-4440 Sunday, January 8 Homosassa, FL Heart Strings for Heroes Ride & Rockfest 9am High Octane Saloon. Great prizes, five live bands, food beverages and more. Supporting Purple Heart combat heroes. 352-794-6037 Lakeland, FL Customer Appreciation Concert 12pm - 4pm Lakeland H-D (every Sun). 863-802-1971 St. Petersburg, FL 13th Annual Locks of Love Poker Run 9am Biff Burger. After poker run return to Biff’s for live music, food and fun. Haircuts 3pm - 6pm. Stops: 1.Biff Burger 10am - 12pm, 2.Peggy’s Corral 11am - 1pm, 3.Sunset Grille 12pn - 2pm, 4.Red Tiki Bar 1pm - 3pm, 5.Biff Burger 3pm - end. 727-527-5297 Thursday, January 12 Sarasota, FL Applebee’s Bike Night Thursday 2nd Thu. BTR magazine shoot, food and more. 941-355-1400 Stuart, FL Treasure Coast H-D Bike Night 5:30pm - 9pm. Come start off the new year right by attending our kick off 2017 bike night. 727-287-3871 Friday, January 13 Tampa, FL Tampa Triumph presents Bobber Bonneville 7pm - 10pm. Be a part

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There Thereare aresome somegreat greatevents eventscoming comingup, up,sosoget getout outthere thereand andmeet meetup upwith withold oldfriends! friends!

BornToRide.com/events s, Rides & Destinations of our next great launch event.

813-523-4693 Riverview, FL Gibtown Bikefest (1/13 - 1/15). The Marshall Tucker Band, Greg Billings Band, The Bearded Brothers, and Randy McNeeley, Big Engine, and The Black Honkeys.

Weekend camping is available.

GibtownMotorcycleRally.com Saturday, January 14 Fort Myers, FL Downtown Fort Myers Bike Night 6pm - 10pm.

Lots of vendors and live bands.

RiverDistrictEvents.com Gibsonton, FL Daryl Petroski Family Benefit 2pm - 7pm River’s Edge Bar. For more info, call 813-671-9196 Lakeland, FL Customer Appreciation Concert 12pm - 4pm Lakeland H-D (every Sat). 863-802-1971 Thursday, January 19 West Palm Beach, FL South Florida Fair Bike Nite Concert featuring Molly Hatchet 6pm South Florida fairgrounds.

Friday, January 20 Lakeland, FL (1/20 - 1/22) Lakeland Harley-Davidson Tent Sale Weekend 863-802-1971 Saturday, January 21 Stuart, FL Customer Appreciation & safe Driving Awareness Event 11am - 3pm Treasure Coast H-D. Special guests from Martin County Sheriff’s Office will be here to discuss the dangers of the road and distracted driving. We will also have free lunch, full bar, live music, raffles, giveaways etc! 727-287-3871 Sunday, January 22 Lehigh Acres, FL Mugs n Jugs Slow Race Challenge. 239-246-3045 Palmetto, FL Peggy’s Corral Sunday Funday 12pm - 4pm (every Sunday).

Live music and $2 Bloody Mary’s.

941-729-5442 Stuart, FL Treasure Coast H-D Swap Meet 10am. Bring all your motorcycle stuff to TCH-D for a customer swap meet. No tents required but you are encouraged to bring your own tables and setup gear, reserve/register by email to ensure a spot. No vendors before 9am.

This swap is for customers ONLY. Pinellas Park, FL Spin Wurkz treasurecoasthdevents@gmail.com Motorcycle Grand Opening 10am 6pm. Bike show, Dyno runs, DJ Rico Tampa, FL Hell of a Birthday Jam Smooth, free BBQ, raffles and more.

4pm - 8pm JT’s Road House. 727-592-4600 Join Mike Nap and all the Birthday Brothers & Sisters for this birthday Plant City, FL Plant City Bike Fest jam; free food and live music.

5pm - 9pm Union Depot Station. Live 813-962-4440 music, 8-class bike show, vendors and more. info@plantcity.org Thursday, January 26 West Palm Beach, FL South Florida Tampa, FL LAMA 12th Anniversary Fair Bike Nite Concert featuring 38 12pm - 5pm Teamsters Union Hall.

Special 6pm South Florida fairgrounds Bike show, games, music, 50/50, vendors and more. 813-299-4482 Saturday, January 28 Dania Beach, FL Dania Beach Sunday, February 5 Vintage Motorcycle Show 10am Tampa, FL The Big Game Party JT’s Frost Park. View over 380 Road House. Free food, free draft from vintage motorcycles along with kickoff to first score. 813-692-4440 vendors, dealer displays and more.

DaniaBeachVintageBikeShow.com Thursday, February 9 Sarasota, FL Applebee’s Bike Night Ellenton, FL Riders on the River Thursday 2nd Thu. BTR magazine Bikefest 11am - 5pm Woody’s River shoot, food and more. 941-355-1400 Roo. 941-722-2391 Saturday, February 18 Atlanta, GA The Great American Moore Haven, FL 8th Annual Party Motorcycle Show 2017 (1/28 - 1/29) Under the Bridge 11am FOE. Food Cobb Galleria Center. Join us for & beverages, live music, 50/50 Georgia’s BIGGEST indoor bike drawing, silent auction, bike show, old show! See what’s new in the market car display and more. 863-254-8115 and talk to the pros. See one of a kind custom bikes, cruisers, sport Sunday, February 19 bikes, choppers, trikes, and touring Ormond Beach, FL 22nd Anniversary bikes. Hours: Saturday: 9am - 8pm Antique & Custom Bike Show 9am Sunday: 10am-5pm. 770-279-9899 - 9pm Midwest Motorcycle. Food, music, swap meet, vendors and more.

Sunday, January 29 386-257-6265 Naples, FL Duel Poker Run to benefit Guardian Angels Medical Service Friday, February 24 Dogs. North Run: Crossroads; South Naples, FL 2nd Annual First Run: Gator’s Crossroads; Final stop: Responders Appreciation Event & VFW Post 4254 in Bonita Springs Bike Night 6pm - 9pm Naples HarleyDavidson. Live music, vendors, food Palmetto, FL Peggy’s Corral and trucks, beer & more. 239-594-5504 TBMN 5th Annual Music Award Show and Ceremony 12pm - 5pm. Ten Saturday, February 25 Awards will be presented to Local Naples, FL LAMA (Naples) 3rd & Regional Artists for their talents & Anniversary Party 12pm - 5pm. Live support to Peggy’s Corral. music, food, drinks, raffle, 50/50, #1 Whiskey Blind (12pm) vendors, talent show competition and #2 Blackwater Jack (1pm) more. LamaNaples.com #3 Rocky Diamond Band (2:30pm), #4 Andy Pursell Band (4PM) Tampa, FL Shriners Motorcycle Performances between sets by Jimmy Scavenger Hunt 10am Egypt Shrine, Shelton. 941-729-5442 kickstands up at 11am. Food, music, prizes, fellowship and fun; Shriners Saturday, February 4 ride so kids can walk. 813-884-8381 Greenacres, FL 4th Annual Forgotten Soldiers Outreach Run 10:30am Saturday, March 11 Moose Lodge 994. All proceeds Fort Myers, FL Downtown Fort Myers from poker run will benefit Forgotten Bike Night 6pm - 10pm. Lots of Soldiers Outreach. 561-369-2933 vendors and live bands.

To Send submitinand yourview events even to more info@BornToRide.com, events visit BornToRide.com help us helpEvents you.

RiverDistrictEvents.com Sunday, March 12 Daytona Beach, FL 9th Annual Sam Swope Memorial Charity Ride 8:30am Volusia Top Gun. Ride from Daytona Beach to Sanford (Rain or Shine).

Police escorted ride ends at Seminole H-D, $30 donation. Shriners ride so kids can walk. 888-267-8251 Thursday, March 16 Edgewater, FL Leather & Lace MC Biker Rodeo and Party 3pm Angels Landing. Cone race, slow race, keg roll, and more; cost is $10 per person.

386-345-0562 Friday, March 31 Ocala, FL (3/31 - 4/1) Ocala Bike Fest & Fundraiser. This is for ARC Marion which provides services for the developmentally & intellectually disabled. Live music, vendors, food, adult beverages, poker run, games, bike & car show, tattoo contest, fashion show, Dog Dayz rescue & show and more. 352-351-9048 Saturday, April 1 Brandon, FL 3rd Annual Shakes, Rattles, Rides & Rods 12pm - 5pm Brandon Harley-Davidson. Live music, bike show, Jeep show, vendors, food from Portillo’s, cost is $15 per person.

813-810-5001 Wednesday, April 19 Unadilla, GA (4/19 - 4/23) Angel City Spring Motorcycle Rally. Bike games, bike show, bike ride, live music, wet T-shirt contest, burn out pit, lots of vendors and two saloons. Wet and dry camping is available. 478-627-3168 Thursday, April 27 Wildwood, FL (4/27 - 5/1) Wildwood Bike Rally. Slow races, live music, burnout contest, hoop toss, beer keg tossing, beer keg rolling, camping and more. 863-325-5949 Saturday, May 6 Homosassa, FL International Female Ride Day 10am Crystal H-D. Meet n Greet Jean Davidson, live music, drawings and more. 352-586-3504 Saturday, May 13 Fort Myers, FL Downtown Fort Myers Bike Night 6pm - 10pm. Lots of vendors and live bands.

RiverDistrictEvents.com

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Craven Moorehead A NEW BEGINNING, PERHAPS

So the new year is upon us and the old one has slipped by like a ship in the night. Certainly the boat was rocked and the few shoals that were struck along the way are simply memories that have left permanent scars to remind us that the journey of life is rarely a pleasure cruise. A lot of people have stated that the destination is not reward but the trip should be savored and consumed as a fine wine. For some of us, myself included, that trip at times may taste more like a warm flat beer. Optimism often clouds the harsh realities of life akin to the effect of sunglasses shielding the eyes against UV rays but once removed, the effect of the light remains there to remind you that you were only trying to protect yourself from the truth. If life were perfect however, I suspect that we as humans would learn less and complain more. Far be it for me to try to explain the complications that come along with this existence we call life, and rest assured that in that one moment you think you have it bad, I highly recommend that you look around your world and you will definitely see someone else out here who has it worse. Cynicism aside for a moment, we must be diligent in mentally preparing ourselves for the impending blows that life will deal us.

Otherwise we may fall victim to the overwhelming burden that is life as we know it.

I am not a Psychologist, a Professor or a Messiah. I am simply a writer, a spinner of tales if you will, and amateur journalism be damned, I often touch upon subjects that in some cases cause certain people to become opinionated to a fault. Everyone will not always agree on another person’s ideals, ideas or innermost feelings. Outspoken people often allow their specific thoughts on a subject to turn their interaction with others into verbal or in some

cases, physical altercations. If you don’t believe this, you likely didn’t sit down with your family at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I am lucky enough to be shielded from this scenario however, as I have no living relatives to battle with. I remember once a long time ago a fairly heated brawl with my father over my posting of a ‘Perot for President’ sign in my own front yard. This was not an intentional jab at anyone’s selection for the presidency, it was simply a personal choice, which I felt rightfully entitled to.

Entitlement to freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by our Constitution is often a doubleedged sword however. It has been said that opinions are like A-holes, and everyone has one – and they all stink. I will not dispute this statement as I have observed that in some cases the population will not agree on one specific issue or the other. I have witnessed that when the selection for the leader of our great country becomes a topic of discussion, the arguments become even more heated and intolerable. I know that at some point last year I indicated that I would refrain from discussing politics in my article, and herewith apologize for my prevarication.

Whether you like the outcome of the recent presidential election or not is none of my business or immediate concern.

I believe that the important issue is simply that you voted for someone that you believed in and this is one of the great rights we have here in our country. The main thrust of this portion of the column is the disgust that I felt when I viewed our own citizens rioting and protesting in the streets because their selected candidate did not win. In any race, battle or chess-match there can be only one winner. Certainly, you have the constitutional right to express your feelings publicly, save the fact that you do not commit crimes or do property damage but really? Come on, suck it up buttercup, and realize that you may not be happy but there are others that are. It was the popular vote and electoral college that brought this decision, and bitching and complaining about it isn’t doing any good for anyone. The Democratic party with all their mud-slinging, slander and accusations is in my humble opinion even more disgusting than the aforementioned public outrage. Obviously, there is a Wiener joke in here somewhere but I opted to keep it in my pants. Anthony should have done the same, because apparently Hillary was watching and participating in this offensive and dangerous release of classified information that goes way beyond what we should expect from the leader of the free world.

Personally, I am optimistic for the possibilities of the new year, but as I stated earlier, I perhaps am simply protecting myself from the evils of politics and the fact that there will always be corruption and deception. That is – until Trump actually drains the swamp.

I hope that he does, and I hope and pray that we will all enjoy a prosperous and peaceful 2017.

Until next month, speed safely and believe that things will eventually get better!

CRAVEN

Let us know what you think of Craven Moorehead, info@borntoride.com

BORNTORIDE.COM | BTR 69

Spyke & Mike Well, we made it through one more holiday season, my BTR friends. Another year down, another one to look forward to. Mike and I want to share with you our New Year’s resolutions. We both agree that their needs to be changes in our lives but disagree on each other’s ideas. Mike is going to tell you his and I’ll give you my opinion. Then he’ll have his comments about mine.

Mike begins with, “I just want to start out by saying if 2016 was a person, I’d sue him for pain and suffering and lost wages. Every year I make many plans to change myself. ... This year I’m making a resolution to be myself. In 2017, I resolve to be less awesome since that is really the only thing I do so well.” I cackle, ‘It’s too bad your plan for self-improvement is actually a plan for self-destruction and it’s been working really well for you.’

Mike babbles, “Thanks Spyke, but here are a few things I’m going to give my best shot at improving on.

First, I will put out more effort at work.” I squawk, ‘Ok, so you’re actually going to get up, go into the office or show up at events when required to? Or are you just going to talk a little more on the microphone, make me do a few more tricks, or give away more BTR goodies to all our fans?’ He blurts out, “I will be doing all the above!”

“Second, I’m going to make friends within the workplace.” I cluck, ‘Ok Mike, so you think Ron, Debbie, Jesse and the gang are going to accept you as family? Claim you as one of their own? Dole out bail money from time to time?’ Mike tells me, “Well I hope so.

No other magazine would have a wacko and a fruitcake feathered creature working for them!”

“Third, I’m going to be more on time or early for all events and meetings.” I screech, ‘So, let me get this straight. You’re going to start out the day before and not stop at every bar, gentlemen’s club, and fast food joint along the way?’ Mike blurts out, “Yes I am and I’m going to learn to embrace change. In the past I’ve struggled with this but no more!”

I coo, ‘So you’re going to change your underwear on a daily basis and not a weekly basis?’ Mike replies, “Now Spyke, you know I’ve been doing my part to save the planet by conserving things like water and detergent. But from now on I’m going to splurge, go all out and please everyone around me!” I cackle, ‘Make sure you spring for some deodorant also!’

Mike cuts in, “Last but not least, I am going to control my anger and learn how to meditate. I won’t blow off at every stupid little

New Year’s Resolutions

thing someone does or says about us. I’m going to step back, take a deep breath, and NOT open my vest revealing my shiny Smith & Wesson. I will just pardon them, thank them for making this the last time we cross paths, pull my pants up and walk away. I will stay optimistic in keeping these resolutions with a glass half full of either rum, vodka, or whiskey. And my New Year’s Eve forecast is mostly drunk with a slight chance of passing out. Now let’s hear yours Spyke.”

I quack, ‘Let me start out by saying I only have one. There were so many times in 2016 that I’ve disturbed you, annoyed you, irritated you, and bugged the hell out of you. Today I just wanted to tell you I plan on continuing that in 2017.’

Mike babbles, “Oh great, next year at this time you’ll be telling me that you kept your resolution right?” I chirp, ‘Why certainly! And I just don’t get it. You homo sapiens treat New Year’s like it’s some sort of life changing event. If your life sucked last year, it’s probably still going to suck next year. New Year’s resolutions are something that comes in one year and goes out the next. I’ve been practicing squawking at the top of my lungs, working the go-pro like a champ, and perfecting my aim with the taser you bought me. I’ll be prepared for the next low life scumbag who wants to take me off the scoot.

Paybacks are hell and Karmas’ a bitch!’

Mike cheers, “I hear ya Spyke! That person is gonna wish they wore a pair of pork chop panties and ran through a lion’s den instead of messin’ with you! Let’s wrap it up and call it a year. Time for some warm wind therapy and watching a sunset. Let’s get my knees in the breeze, your wings in the wind, and the Fat Bird’s wheels down the road!”

SPYKE

Why Born To Ride? Why Now? Hit your ideal audience with maximum impact. 888-795-5779

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Christian Motorcyclists Association that fixed and discovered fuel challenges. It began to feel like we were in Whack a Mole game! We got very frustrated, and were beginning to feel like no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t catch a break.

You know, sometimes life can get a little tough, and we need to know that someone has our back. In James 1:2-3, the Bible says, “My brother, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith develops patience.” Time after time, trial after trial, I was again reminded that having trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, He very definitely has my back. When each new problem popped up, His Word, and His promises, came back to me and reminded me that He has me!

I have discovered that as I go through life, men will often fail me in my time of need or trouble, but there is One, Jesus Christ, that no matter what happens in life, will never fail me. The truth is this, life happens, and things don’t always work out the way we want. The challenge in life is to remember that as we travel through life’s journey, it’s not what happens to us that matters, it’s what happens in us. That is where Jesus comes into the picture, turning trials and tests into victories over the stuff that all of us face in life!

If you want to see real support in the challenges, turn to Jesus, and watch how He can move in your life, and turn trials into lessons of overcoming frustration. That is when the challenges just melt away, and Jesus shows us not only His overwhelming power but His joy and peace as well.

In The Wind, Denny Dingler Check out BornToRide.com for more articles from Christian Motorcyclists Association

We Need to Know that Someone has Our Back It’s always been a blast to map a long-distance ride: to plan where you want to go, who you want to see, and what you want to do.

On my most recent trip, the wife and I visited a nationally known BBQ restaurant in the middle of nowhere. It certainly didn’t look like anything special, but when I sank my teeth into the brisket and sausage, it was unbelievable!

On the flip side, even well planned trips develop some challenges. On our first day, we encountered two long bridges that had strong wind warnings, and believe me, we got blown around while crossing the spans. That added a bit of excitement to the day that had not been in our plans.

That night we arrived at the campground very late, due to a lot of road construction. We were worn out and discovered a surprise cold snap blew in; it was a long night in the 37-degree temperature. We shivered the next morning while wiping away the frost and trying to be positive; we laughed about developing a new exercise program to start the day.

Day two started out better, but we ran into battery problems. We got BTR 72 | BORNTORIDE.COM