Alan Dockery, Lincoln Infield, Brad Patton, Chi, Cruisin’ Gal, Len “3Wheel” Montgomery, Derek Sikes, James Everett Photography, Paul Ricciardi, Chris Hammersley, Wally Wersching WildThing, Alan Dockery, Lincoln Infield, Chi, Cruisin’ Gal, Floyd Baker, Derek Sikes, Paul Ricciardi, Len “3Wheel” Montgomery, Chris Hammersley, Wally Wersching
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
o you feel that? that’s the fall weather setting in. it’s been a GREAT year so far and now that we are done with rally season, it’s time to get into the holiday spirit. WILD?? Right? The good news is we are still looking at some good riding weather, just don’t forget to pack your jacket and gloves. The Cruisin’ Calendar is packed with Toy Runs and other seasonal goodies. Also…take a look at the Cover. We finally have Blue Collar Cycle Company on the cover. Brandon and his team at BCC have been wide open for six years, selling bikes, throwing parties, wrenching and helping their community. They may have your next “new to you” motorcycle or you may just want to hang out at the shop with em. They have two events coming up to finish out 2025. November 8th is their 4th Annual Chili Cookoff and then their Toy Run, Bub’s Rid, is on December 13. Make sure you stop in and see em!
Speaking of events, we are within 100 days til the 4th Annual Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine Custom Bike Show. January 31st we will be back inside the Greensboro Coliseum with the coolest bikes and best vendors on the east coast. All bikes and vendors have to be pre-registered and registration is OPEN! Just go to FullThrottleMagazine.com sign up today. It’s an all day celebration of motorcycles, music and the motorcycle industry. Two live bands, calendar models, food & drink, giveaways, tattoos, pinstriping and a ton of vendors! Last year the event was so packed we expanded the show for 2026 into two rooms. Now we will be working with over 100,000 sq ft! There is $12,000 in cash prizes up for grabs and we have some other tricks up our sleeves too! Register your bike or vendor booth today to avoid the rush! Admission tickets are on sale online as well, but will also be available at the door on the day of the show. See ya there!
Printup, Harriet McDowall
Blue Collar Cycle Company Celebrates 6 Years
efore the countless late nights, re-homed motorcycles, bike nights, parties and charity events there was a man and a dream. Six years ago, Brandon McNeely decided to pursue a dream to open a motorcycle shop after surviving cancer and a heart transplant. Blue Collar Cycle Company has become a destination in Salisbury, NC for bikers looking for a pre-loved motorcycle, service work, great events, cool apparel or just somewhere to feel at home.
I remember walking in to Blue Collar Cycle Company a few months after they opened. At that time, it was a single building with a handful of used motorcycles for sale and two lifts. Brandon told me about learning to turn wrenches with his Grandfather and working on his first motorcycle, an iron head Sportster. He told me how after surviving heart transplant surgery he made a list of three things he’d like to pursue: tattoo artist, restaurateur or opening a motorcycle shop. Since he was lacking in the artistic world and had already ventured in the restaurant world, Brandon started up Blue Collar Cycle Company.
It seems like every time I stopped by Brandon was working on the next piece of the puzzle as he built a biker destination in Salisbury. First it was the back of the building next door to expand the service area, then the front part of that building for extra inventory storage. More office space came with the acquisition of another nearby property and so on till nearly the whole block of Old West Innes St. was flying the Blue Collar colors. Now, you’re not able to make these kinds of moves without doing solid business. Brandon’s team grew in numbers and Blue Collar Cycle Company became known as a place that any regular Joe could walk in and get the bike of his dreams or have their bike serviced at reasonable prices. Blue Collar
BlueCollarCycle.com
Cycle Company can get your bike financed even if you have less than stellar credit. Business was so good that Brandon even opened a second store in Hickory, NC to further extend the Blue Collar Culture.
But all work and no play makes Brandon a dull boy. Not to worry, Blue Collar Cycle Company also hosts some of the biggest events in the area. The Blue Collar Cycle Company compound has expanded to include a large event space with live music stage and an onsite tattoo studio to compliment the motorcycle showroom, service area, and retail store stocked with all kinds of BCC merch. Once a month, bike nights park the street full of motorcycles and make Salisbury look like Sturgis. Brandon and the Blue Collar team also host a ton of other events throughout the year including benefits, chili cook-offs, rides, memorial events and toy runs. All the events end up funneling money into local charity organizations. As Brandon puts it Blue Collar Cycle Company is a “Charity with a motorcycle problem”. It’s not hard to see the impact that Blue Collar has on their local community. As a matter of fact, the Blue Collar impact reaches beyond the local community. Just recently at an event in Daytona Beach a guy stopped my group because he saw a Blue Collar Cycle Company T-Shirt and went on to tell us how Brandon hooked him up when his bike broke down while he was in Salisbury for the Smokeout Rally over 3 years prior.
Basically, you need to get down to Blue Collar Cycle Company in Salisbury or Hickory NC and check them out. They have a huge inventory of used motorcycles and can get out the door on the bike of your dreams. Maybe you just need some cool apparel, or your bike serviced, and BCC can do that too. I’m not sure there is anything Brandon and his team can’t
help you with. As a matter of fact, they are currently working on launching their own brand of biker church on Sundays to round out the Blue Collar event schedule. Nothing pushy or preachy, but somewhere you can go and feel welcomed, sing some songs and have a brew, Blue Collar style. Don’t miss out on their upcoming Toy Run, Bub’s Ride on December 13th. It’s another huge event that will end at Blue Collar and benefit the kids of Rowan and Iredell Counties.
Big Congratulations to Brandon and the whole Blue Collar Family on their six years dedicated to the local biker community.
NOV 1 TESTIMONIAL & BENEFIT RIDE
Heath Church, 1375 Heath Church Rd., Lexington, NC. 8am, reg, fellowship & coffee. KSU 10:30am, lunch after ride. Benefits Craig Liverman who was involved in a motorcycle accident. FMI, Tom Alford, 919-353-0632 or alford.tom@gmail.com
NOV 1 45th ANNUAL SMOKY MOUNTAIN
TOY RUN Kearfott parking lot, 2858 US 70, Black Mtn, NC. Gates open 10am, Run starts1pm, $20/person or $20 new toy. Food, live music, 50/50, shirts. Benefits Buncombe Co Children. www.smokymountaintoyrun.com
NOV 1 WHISKEY & CIGAR TASTING EVENT
Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St, Raleigh, NC. 10am-3pm, Free tastings, giveaways, spin the wheel of fortune, prizes, cigars, vendors. www.tobaccoroadhd. com, 919-832-2261
NOV 1 CVMA CHAPTERS 15-11 & 15-9 OPERATION SANTA CLAUS RIDE BullDog Harley-Davidson, 1043 Outlet Center Dr., Smithfield, NC. Reg 9am, first bike out 10:45am. Best & worst hands, all proceeds go towards Christmas gifts for Veterans at the NC State Veterans Home-Kinston. Rudy “Dutch” Muccitelli, 919-696-7965
NOV 1 SOUND OFF Shipwreck Harley-Davidson, 6620 Market St., Wilmington, NC. 11am-? www.shipwreckhd.com, 910-791-9997
NOV 1 DOG HOUSE H-D FALL SWAP MEET 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. 10am3pm, vendors, free beer*, food truck. To reg, marlee@doghousehd.com, www.doghousehd. com, 803-327-1183
NOV 1 250TH MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY & VETERANS DAY RIDE, BIKE & CAR SHOW
The Harley Shop at The Beach, 4002 Hwy 17 S, N. Myrtle Beach, SC. Reg 10am, KSU 11:15am. $20/rider, $10/passenger. Music, food, drinks, raffles, door prizes. Presented by: Leathernecks Nation MC. Proceeds go to help Veterans in need.
NOV 1-2 THE DAY OF THE DEAD PARTY
Big Daddy’s Road House, 7304 S. Hwy 55, Fuquay-Varina, NC. 919-557-3202
NOV 8-9 53rd ANNUAL CHARLOTTE CBA
SWAP MEET The Rowan County Fairgrounds, 1650 Julian Rd., Salisbury, NC. 10am-6pm, bike show, cash prizes, live music, wet t-shirt contest, swap meet. Rick Nail 704577-1546
NOV 8 SMASH OUT CANCER FOR JOYCE LIPE HD Consignment, 1960 N US Hwy 29, Salisbury, NC. 11am-5pm, smash car, live music, kid zone, food, 50/50, raffle, shirts avail. 765-265-0027
NOV 8 BLUE COLLAR CYCLE COMPANY
4TH ANNUAL CHILI COOK-OFF 1017 Old W. Innes St, Salisbury, NC.12pm, $20/entry for contestants, $5/all you can eat chili, drinks avail, cash prizes. Benefits Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. www.bluecollarcycle.com, 980-621-7399
NOV 8 SMASH OUT CANCER FOR JOYCE
LIPE The Friendly Pub 120 Military Ave. Salisbury, NC. Reg 10:30am, KSU 11am. Donations only. Police escorted ride. After party with live music, games, food, shirts, 50/50, raffles, smash car.
NOV 8 TOY RIDE CrossRoads HarleyDavidson, 1921 US Hwy 421, Wilkesboro, NC. Reg 9:30am, KSU 11:30am, donate new, unwrapped toys. Helps proved Christmas for Wilkes Co. kids. www.crossroads-hd.com, 336-667-1003
NOV 8 4TH ANNUAL TRANSYLVANIA
COUNTY TOY RUN Rosman Elementary, 167 Rosman School Rd., Rosman, NC. Line up 10am, KSU 12:30pm, $10 donation or $10 new toy, all welcome. Bike & car meet, food & beverages after ride. Benefits Sharing House for Children’s Christmas, blueridgerc2021@ gmail.com
NOV 8 RIDE FOR ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St, Raleigh, NC. Free food & beer*, bring your pet for pics & treats, 11am3pm brats & beers*. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261
NOV 8 VETERANS DAY PARTY Big Daddy’s Road House, 7304 S. Hwy 55, Fuquay-Varina, NC. $1pm, All you can eat oysters & shrimp boil, while supplies last, Veterans $25/AYCE, $40/everyone else. 919-557-3202
NOV 8 3RD ANNUAL VETERANS DAY OF HONOR & WHOLE HOG COOK-OFF Freedom Biker Church, 669 Tarheel Rd., Benson, NC. 9am-3pm, $10 donation to taste & judge all BBQ, cash prizes. Proceeds benefit local Veterans. Christy@freedombikerchurch.com, 919-868-3697
NOV 8 BEAN’S 1ST ANNUAL MEMORIAL RIDE 807 E. Nash St., Spring Hope, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 11:30am, $20/bike $5/passenger. Food avail. after ride. Benefits Chapel Hill Christmas Supplies.
NOV 8 HAYWOOD COUNTY TOY RUN Park St Downtown Canton, NC. Line up 10am, KSU 1pm, $20/rider or new unwrapped toy, $10/ passenger. Food, prizes, music, raffles, shirts. Hosted by WNC Bikers & Tows For Kids 828558-7929
NOV 8 CURRITUCK COUNTY TOY RUN Moyock Welcome Center, 106 Caratoke Hwy, Moyock, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 11:30am, $20/ bike plus an unwrapped toy. Rain date: 11/15. Police escorted ride, 50/50, food. www.outerbankshd.com 252-338-8866
NOV 8 BIG BIRD 33RD TOY RUN Thunder Road Harley-Davidson, 4870 Riverside Dr, Danville, VA. Reg 10am, KSU 1pm, $20/rider, $25/double. Benefits Christmas Cheer to help local children for Christmas. www.thunderroadhd.com, 434-822-2453
NOV 8 DOG HOUSE H-D MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. 11am-3pm, free gift w/ purchase for former & active military, free lunch, free beer*, & more. www.doghousehd.com, 803-327-118
NOV 8 12TH ANNUAL ROCKABILLAQUE CHARLESTON FESTIVAL 4831 O’Hear Ave., North Charleston, SC. 11am-6pm, free to attend. Vintage bike & classic car show, vendors, live music, Pinup contest, tattoo contest, bear & mustache contest. Benefits Feral State. www.rockabillaque.com
NOV 9 16th ANNUAL STEELHORSE
STRANGERS MC TOY RUN Homestead Steakhouse, 205 Frank Timberlake Rd, Timberlake, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 1:30pm, $10 donation or new unwrapped toy. Escorted ride, meal included. Proceeds to Santa’s Helpers of Person Co.
NOV 13 BOURBON PULL Locked & Loaded Bar & Grill, 305 McCormick St, Garner, NC. 6-10pm, $10/entry, raffle tickets avail., silent auction, gift basket raffle, 50/50, live music. Benefits Make A Wish Eastern NC. 919-6616688
NOV 15 TITS & TACOS Blue Collar Cycle Company, 1017 Old W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC. 12pm, live music, food & beverages avail. Benefits Breast Cancer Awareness Fund. www.bluecollarcycle.com, 980-621-7399
NOV 15 TWO WHEELS, ONE FIGHT D & D
American Performance,1992 Charlotte Hwy, Mooresville, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 12:30pm, $15/rider, $10/passenger. Benefits Chris who has been diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
NOV 15 POKER RUN FOR MIKE FISH SHB Clubhouse, 1983 Mecklenburg Hwy, Mooresville, NC. Reg 11:30am, KSU 12:30pm, $20/ rider, $5/passenger incl food. Raffles, 50/50, food, best & worst hand. Benefits Susan Fish w/ living & miscellaneous expenses.
NOV 15 RIDE FOR TOMMY Pine Tree Tavern, 3880 Bethania Station Rd., WinstonSalem, NC. Reg 10:30am, KSU 12pm, $20/ single, $25/double. Food avail., live entertainment, giveaways, auction, raffles.
NOV 15 TOY RIDE & POKER RUN Down Home Harley-Davidson, 2215 Hanford Rd, Burlington, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 12pm, $15/ poker hand, $5/passenger not playing, $10/ extra poker hands, bring a new unwrapped toy or cash donation or new item for elderly. Cash prizes, after party at Lucky’s Saloon w/ live music, food & fun. FMI, Lance Greene, 919357-0104 or Rick Murray, 919-656-6900
NOV 15 RIDE IN PARTY Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St, Raleigh, NC. Live music near the beer garden, vendors, cold drinks, hotdogs & burgers. www. tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261
NOV 15 NOVEMBER DAY OF GIVING Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson, 7540 NC Hwy 15 501 S, Pinehurst, NC. 10am-3pm, Red Cross Blood Drive, Moore Co Wingmen food drive, free lunch. Benefits Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care. www.doubleeagleharley.com, 910-420-1564
NOV 15 PAWS & PISTONS FALL ADOPTION
EVENT Dog House Harley-Davidson, 1178 Galleria Blvd, Rock Hill, SC. 11am-3pm, meet adoptable dogs, free beer*, H-D pet basket giveaway, free custom poker chip w/ purchase for first 100 people. www.doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183
NOV 15 PEACE KEEPERS POSSE 3RD ANNIVERSARY POKER RUN Berkeley Shrine Club, 649 Lakeside Dr., Moncks Corner, SC. Reg 3pm, $25/rider, $10/passenger. Best & worst hand cash prizes, gun raffles, 50/50, food.
NOV 16 TOYS FOR TOTS FUNDRAISER
Double D Burnout Saloon 1408 E. Mountain St. Kernersville, NC. Toy Drive, Live Music, Food.
NOV 22 SPRINGERS ANNUAL TOYS FOR TOTS RIDE & FUNDRAISER 405 Rocky Knoll Rd., Greensboro, NC. Reg 11am, KSU 12:30pm, $20/rider, $10/passenger. Live music, food after ride, auction, 50/50. 336763-0707
NOV 22 DAVIDSON CO CBA/ABATE OF NC
CHILI COOK-OFF FUNDRAISER Don Black’s Post 9, 1200 Piedmont Dr., Lexington, NC. Enter chili at 11:30am, judging 12-4pm, free for contestant, $5/judge & eat, cash prizes, 50/50. Allen Hutton, 336-870-8414 or allen_ hutton@yahoo.com
NOV 22 BTN TOY RUN Pine Tree Tavern, 3880 Bethania Station Rd., Winston-Salem, NC. Reg 11:30am, KSU 12:30pm, $20/single, $25/double. Proceeds used to buy bikes & toys for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program for kids in need.
NOV 22 28TH ANNUAL HENDERSON COUNTY TOY RUN Bill Moore Community Park, 85 Howard Gap Rd., Fletcher, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 1:30pm. BBQ lunch, door prizes, 50/50, shirts. Benefits local children. Crystal Quinn, 828-243-7279 or Sandra Mims, 828-273-1817
NOV 22 CROSS ROADS H-D WING COOK OFF 1921 US Hwy 421, Wilkesboro, NC. 12pm, $10/to taste test. DJ, adult beverages, snacks & drinks. www.crossroads-hd.com, 336-667-1003
NOV 22 KOINONIA FOUNDATION MOTORCYCLE MEETUP Bud’s Tavern, 823 Youngsville Blvd S, Youngsville, NC 27596. 2pm, Llve Music, raffle prizes, silent auction. Caring for Neighbors in Crisis for 35+ Years. www.Koinoniawf.org
NOV 22 RIDE IN PARTY Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St, Raleigh, NC. 12pm, live music, free beer* & pizza. www.tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261
NOV 22 TEAMWORKZ CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE & HOLIDAY MARKET Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson, 7540 NC Hwy 15 501 S, Pinehurst, NC. 11am-4pm, local vendors, crafts, photos w/ Santa, bring new toys or gift cards to help support local families in need. www.doubleeagleharley.com, 910-420-1564
NOV 22 MURPHEY’S 31ST ANNUAL TOY RUN Scooter Shed, 114 Camelot Court, Kings Mtn, NC. Meet 11am, KSU 12pm, $10 + new toy per person, rain date: 11/23. Police escort, free BBQ after ride. Benefits Shriner’s Burn Center, Oxford Orphanage Masonic Home for Children, Cleveland Co. Sheriff’s Office & Kings Mtn Police Dept. 704-739-4707 or 704477-5762
NOV 22 DALE’S WHEELS THROUGH TIME RAFFLE DAY 62 Vintage Lane, Maggie Valley, NC. Winner announced for the 1939 H-D Knucklehead, 2nd place $10k, 3rd place $5k. www.wheelsthroughtime.com, 828-926-6266
NOV 22 MELISSA’S 29TH ANNUAL HARVEST RIDE Dog House H-D, 1178 Galleria Blvd., Rock Hill, SC. KSU 1pm, bring canned goods, non-perishable items to help stock the pantry. Free food & refreshments before & after ride. Benefits Safe Passage. Melissa, 803-325-7801
NOV 23 RUTHERFORD COUNTY TOY RUN Denny’s, 1493 College Ave, Spindale NC. Meet 12:30pm, KSU 1:30pm. Motorcycle raffle, food, 50/50
Harley-Davidson, 1178 Galleria Blvd, Rock Hill, SC. First 50 people through the door get a shopping spree coupon w/ one $1000 gift card hidden in the stack, *free beer. www. doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183
NOV 28-29 BLACK & ORANGE EVENT
Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, 1126 S. Saunders St, Raleigh, NC. Free lunch, Old Ghost Tattoo set up & tattooing on Sat. www. tobaccoroadhd.com, 919-832-2261
RUN Tryon Arts & Crafts School, 373 Harmon Field Rd., Tryon, NC. Reg 10:30am, KSU 2pm, $10/rider, or donation of new, unwrapped toy. Door prizes, 50/50, Santa Claus, BBQ lunch provided, shirts avail, cash only. Barry Gee, 828-817-3084
NOV 29 33RD ANNUAL KENNEDY HOME
TOY RUN Temple Church, 1500 Kingdom Way, New Bern, NC. Reg 9am, KSU 11:30am, $20/rider, $10/passenger, toys for kids or gift cards for teens appreciated. Lunch &prizes after ride. Bill, 252-670-7460 or Bruce, 252229-1106
NOV 29 DOG HOUSE H-D FAMILY THANKSGIVING 1178 Galleria Blvd, Rock Hill, SC. Free food, free beer*, shopping spree giveaways. www.doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183
NOV 30 SEA BREEZE H-D TOYS FOR TOTS
RIDE 100 Harley Davidson Dr., Shallotte, NC. Reg 9:30am, KSU 12pm, bring a new, unwrapped toy or cash donation. 50/50, lunch after ride. www.seabreezehd.com, 910-5759997
DEC 6 RIDING HIGH HARLEY-DAVIDSON
ANNUAL TOY RUN 3036 NC Hwy 68, High Point, NC. Reg 11am, KSU 1pm, bring a new, unwrapped toy or $10 donation. www.ridinghighharleydavidson.com, 336-273-1101
Cruisin’ Calendar
DEC 6 35th ANNUAL CONOVER SCHOOL
TOY RUN Wizard Saloon, 651 21st St NE, Hickory, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 12pm, rain or shine. Christmas Pageant at NCHS. Make donation to Mike’s Hand-Up Charities. FMI, 828-327-8555
DEC 6 TAR RIVER TOY RUN Webb’s Mill, 9245 Webb’s Mill Rd, Spring Hope, NC. Gates open at 10am, KSU 1pm. Bring a new unwrapped toy. Food, 50/50, door prizes. Proceeds to families in need in Nash Co. FMI Charlie 252-908-1986 or Josh 252908-6086. www.webbsmillevents.com
DEC 7 39th ANNUAL RANDOLPH COUNTY
CBA TOY RUN Randolph Mall parking lot, 1437 E. Dixie Dr., Asheboro, NC. Reg 10am, KSU 1:30pm. Bring an unwrapped gift, monetary donation or a wrapped gift from a child’s wish list. Ride to Mills Children Home, police escort, gift card giveaway. Gena, 336-9633438
DEC 7 TOYS FOR TOTS MOTORCYCLE
RIDE SC Military Museum, 1 National Guard Rd., Columbia, SC. Gates open 11am, KSU 1pm, one new unwrapped toy per rider, police escort. Food trucks, vendors, DJ, shirts avail. Hosted by Blue Knights SC-1 & US Marine Corps
DEC 13 BUB’S RIDE OPERATION TOY
SOLDIER Blue Collar Cycle Company, 1017 Old W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC. Live music, food & drinks avail., Benefits the children of Iredell & Rowan Co. www.bluecollarcycle.com, 980-621-7399
DEC 13 FREE PHOTOS WITH SANTA Dog House Harley-Davidson, 1178 Galleria Blvd, Rock Hill, SC. 11am-3pm, free photos with Santa & The Dog House Divas, free beer* & Hot Cocoa, Kid’s Holiday arts & crafts. www. doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183
DEC 27 NYE CALENDAR RELEASE PARTY Dog House Harley-Davidson, 1178 Galleria Blvd, Rock Hill, SC. 11am-4pm, 2026 Dog House Diva Calendar release day, free champagne* & beer*, calendar signing w/ the Divas, gift card giveaway. www.doghousehd.com, 803-327-1183
JAN 10 JOE SMITH DAY Pine Tree Tavern, 3880 Bethania Station Rd, Winston-Salem, NC. 336-815-1220
JAN 31 CAROLINAS’ FULL THROTTLE MAGAZINE 4TH ANNUAL CUSTOM BIKE SHOW Greensboro Complex Special Events Center 1921 W. Gate City Blvd. Greensboro, NC. TWO ROOMS, $12k in cash prizes for 25 classes, 300 Custom Bikes, 150 Vendor booths, Live Music, Tattoos and more. Registration begins Sept 2025. www.fullthrottlemagazine.com 336-885-5400.
FEB 2 TINY WRESTLING The Masters Gentlemen’s Club, 1901 Mr Joe White Ave, Myrtle Beach, SC. Doors 6pm, 21+, show 7:30pm. For tickets, www.littlemaniawrestling.com
AUG 22 16TH ANNUAL SHRINERS CHILDREN BENEFIT Double D Burnout Saloon, 1408 E. Mountain St., Kernersville, NC. Live music, food plates, raffles, auction. FMI, Karen Hatchett, 336-962-1445
Quotable Quote
Bike Show Classes
Vintage Chopper 1900-1983
Modern Chopper 1984-2026
Metric Chopper
Greasy Chopper
Vintage Original 1966-2000
Vintage Customized 1966-2000
Antique Original 1900-1966
Antique Customized 1900-1966
Import Antique 1900-1995
Tiny’s Tales From The Road The Road Provides
By: Derek SikeS
ell, hey y’all, it’s been a minute since i’ve written anything. Life gets crazy sometimes! I’ll get you all up to speed really quick; back in June my mom and step dad, Joe, were in a pretty serious motorcycle accident down in Louisiana. They were out for a short ride on a Sunday, and a pickup truck made a left turn off the highway. Luckily, they weren’t killed, but their injuries were pretty serious. I left my job at the dealership and headed down right away to help out with things while they started their long road of recovery. Anyway, that’s how I ended up in Louisiana, just outside of Baton Rouge for most of the summer of 2025.
My mom and Joe met when I was in the Navy. We hit it off right away. I was just getting into custom choppers, and he was into old Harley’s, so we had that in common. I didn’t know a lot but was eager to learn and he was cool about answering my millions of questions. It’s kind of surreal looking back, I was in my early 20’s and he and my mom were about the age I am now, maybe a couple years younger?
Before I got transferred from San Diego to Virginia we did a family trip to Sturgis. My mom’s brother, Pat, had a custom Twin-Cam Fat Boy he bought right around the same time I had bought my first Harley, a 1978 XLH. We had gone to a few runs in Northern California together and me being green and on a maintenance intensive motorcycle meant we got to experience the time-honored tradition of making roadside repairs to a cantankerous AMF era Sportster. It’s not that AMF era Harley’s are inherently unreliable I’ve come to learn, it’s that they were mostly owned by people like me that didn’t know proper maintenance and ran them HARD. There’s nothing like drag pipes on an Ironhead SCREAMIN in 4th gear, but I digress. Anyway, Joe had a kick only Generator Shovel they called “Bonnie” and a new Twin-Cam Deluxe Softail. When we made plans for Sturgis roadside repairs to my Ironhead was not on Joe’s agenda, so he wanted me to ride his Softail. I’m not going to lie; at the time it hurt my pride, but it made sense.
Due to logistics (we all had jobs we couldn’t afford to be gone from long enough to ride), we didn’t ride to Sturgis, we loaded up a trailer with the bikes and towed it behind a Toyota Chinook from Phoenix Arizona. My uncle Pat had his Fat Boy shipped from the Bay Area to Sturgis. Again, being young and wanting to prove myself meant this was yet another strike against my pride, here we were, trailering, and I’m going to be riding another man’s bike, a modern twin-cam that didn’t even have a carburetor, because no one had the confidence in my ability to take care of my own. That’s how mid 20’s me saw it, anyway. Looking back, it’s embarrassing that I felt that way, but at the time I really did feel some sort of way, like it wasn’t
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The Carolinas’
fair, I had to hear all of these stories about “back in the day” but I wasn’t able to experience them myself.
Sturgis was well, Sturgis. This was 2005 I think, Indian Larry had just passed away tragically, the Discovery Channel fat tire theme bike craze was at its peak. Because I was on Joe’s bike, I wasn’t really able to venture out on my own to go do the things a mid-20’s Navy man would have liked to do, which definitely would have involved a lot of beer and bad decisions. We camped at the KOA by Mount Rushmore, and we rode, a lot. I had ridden all over California, which is a rider’s paradise, no question, but Sturgis was incredibly beautiful, and we had some amazing rides. We went into town and got the T-shirts, but we didn’t go to the wild party spots that most of us think about when you mention Sturgis. Looking back, the way we did the trip is probably exactly how I would want to do Sturgis today!
But back to the present, my mom is done riding, Joe isn’t quite so ready to throw in the towel, but we’ll see how that goes. Accidents can be humbling experiences, for those involved and also for the friends and family that are affected as well. My uncle Pat has been done riding for a few years. Before any of this went down we had a conversation about his Fatboy. Long ago, so long ago that I had forgotten all about it he told me when he was done riding, he would give the Fatboy to me. I never intended to hold him to it, but he never forgot. When I came down after the accident the Fatboy was in the shed under a cover. Corrosion had started creeping in and it wasn’t running; it was a true barn find. I wanted to get it running if I could, but it’s a fuel injected model and even though he ran non-ethanol fuel and stabilizer there’s a lot that could cause a bike not to run, and we won’t even get into the electrical system. That’s the thing about Twin-Cams, and we forget that we’re dealing with 25-year-old bikes sometimes! I replaced the crank position sensor, and it fired right up.
The story with the Fatboy is pretty long, maybe I’ll write about it this winter, but the short version is that my uncle handed me the keys and the title. I used to not be a very sentimental person, and that’s a lot to unpack, but I’ve always looked up to my uncle, and we’ve had a pretty solid relationship for as long as I can remember; he’s been a great uncle. It means a lot to me that he trusts me with something that means so much to him.
My parents still have a way to go with their recovery but it’s coming up on my time to get home and get back to my life and they’re at a point where things are manageable at home. It’s just over 1,000 miles from Baton Rouge to Chesapeake, Virginia depending on the route. I’ve always intended to ride the bike home, so that’s what I’m doing. October 17th I’m heading home on the Fatboy. I’ve gone through the bike and it’s as road ready as a 25-year-old bike can be, but I worked in a dealership long enough to know that a 70-year-old bike or a 7-day old bike has the same chances on the road, as long as they’ve been maintained properly. Technology hasn’t changed the fundamentals of what a motorcycle is designed to do. Things can always go wrong, but as I’ve said before, the road provides.
32 nd Annual Bronson Run
Remembering Brothers And Supporting Hospice
s september winds down and another summer fades away, riders in the Hickory, NC, area show up for the Bronson Run. It’s an Old Bikers Reunion for some folks. Lots of hand shaking and hugging during sign-in at John’s Tavern down by the river. Great to see who is still riding and what cool old bike they found lately.
For 32 years the Hickory Riding Club has held this popular ride to benefit the Carolina Caring Hospice. Some of the members have benefited from Hospice care over the years. It’s also a memorial ride for old friends. The back of the T-shirt lists brothers who ain’t riding with us anymore. Now some of their grandkids and great grandkids are there.
The brothers listed on the 32nd Anniversary shirt are – Bronson, Allen, Joe, Mange, Killer, Boyce, Dick, Brett, Shook, Tank, Butch, Kenny, Neil and U.L.
Doing anything for 32 years is an accomplishment to be proud of. The Bronson Run is usually near the end of September when the weather is great for riding and hanging out with biker buddies. The Hickory Riding Club has an awesome piece of very private property and welcomes folks to camp out the night before the poker run. Bring your musical instruments and join the pickin’ party at the clubhouse. Yes, camping and jamming on the front porch on a Friday night.
Back at the clubhouse folks made their last dice roll and settled down for a cold drink and food. The weather was great all day, but rain was coming. The brothers put up some quick covers for folks who stayed for the band Doesn’t Madder and a couple more cold drinks. Andy got a hundred bucks for the Low Roll. Ralph won the High Roll and donated most of it back. He needed a little cash since I saw him ride wobbly into the previous stop at The Wizard Saloon with a real flat front tire.
Folks think about Hospice and the Bronson Run all year. They raised some money at a few functions and raffles and such. I do Turkey Shoots at the clubhouse in the winter. Several local clubs came together for the Helping Us Help Ride in the Spring. The Bronson Run brings them to a total for the year.
Story anD photoS By alan Dockery
“We raised more than $12,000 for Hospice today from the dice roll and auction items,” Gonzo said. “Thanks to everyone who helped and those who rode that day. Big thanks to everyone who dug deep to contribute to Carolina Caring Hospice.”
“Looking back on what we have done for the last 32 years is great. Now let’s keep looking forward. The Hickory Riding Club plans to continue the Bronson Run, remembering our brothers and supporting Hospice for years to come,” Gonzo.
The Hickory Riding Club has a really cool, old-fashioned place out of town where bikers can have fun. I am proud of the club and friends who came out to benefit hospice that day. Wow 32 years for the Bronson Run and remembering brothers.
Thanksgiving
s it really thanksgiving? i once had an older pastor tell me life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer we get to the end, the faster it goes. I am amazed how fast 2025 has gone by.
Our world today often makes feeling thankful or happy challenging. Some years back I started a prayer journal. I would make entries a few times each year to hit the high spots during the year. Some entries included the low spots. Looking back at the entries from years ago I was encouraged to see God’s presence in my life. His presence was not only visible during the good times, but he was especially during times of trouble.
A frequently quoted scripture concerning giving thanks is in Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica. The scripture is misquoted and misunderstood in that many believe it says that we are to be thankful for everything, including our challenges and struggles.
Who would be thankful for having cancer? That is unreasonable and not what the scripture says. I was not grateful for having cancer. I was grateful for God’s presence and his provisions during my treatments. He provided a great medical team, a loving and supportive church family along with the unwavering encouragement and comfort from friends and family. We were never alone, and he was always present.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Job 2:9-10 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? [a]Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
These scriptures reminds us that there will be troubles but no matter what we are experiencing, there is something to be thankful for each day. The deeper and stronger our faith the easier it is to see what to be thankful for each day.
The closer we are to the Lord the more we see and recognize his presence in our daily lives. It is easier to recognize and trust those we are closest too. This is not possible with those whom we have a casual or passing relationship.
This Thanksgiving season I pray you feel the Lord’s presence in your life. As I get older, I am more excited about being able to give than to receive. Most of us can be thankful for the health and resources we are blessed with to love on others. I am confident most of us already have the date for our favorite toy runs and benefit events on our calendar.
I pray you feel the Lord’s blessings on you and your loved ones and are blessed with a very happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings, Floyd
Rally In The Pines Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson
By: lincoln infielD
n september 13th there was smoke in the pines. The boys of Clubstyle NC were having their way with the Riders Academy course and laying down skills you won’t pick up there! This was the second visit Clubstyle NC has paid to Cox’s Double Eagle HarleyDavidson. To kick off the year they came down to a little game of S-T-U-N-T, where riders try to match a motorcycle stunt and then out do the other riders. Real groundbreaking events that set the bar for the motorcycle stunt world in NC. It’s literally been the year of the stunt show here in the Carolinas, but I’ll tell ya, Clubstyle NC is on top of the game and putting on shows that will blow you away. Which brings us to today’s story, The Rally In The Pines.
Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson set up this event to benefit Mission 22 a coalition United in War Against Veteran Suicide. I took a beautiful back roads ride down to Pinehurst to check out the event and rolled into a parking lot packed with motorcycles. The Dyna is a skinny gal, and I was able to squeeze into a great spot, but I could hear that the games had already begun. I snagged my camera and got down to the event site. Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson has a killer open floor plan show room stacked full with all the latest and greatest H-D MotorClothes, Parts and New and Used motorcycles, but I was hustling down to the Riders Academy course just beside the dealership. The huge rectangular pavement is generally reserved for training tomorrows Harley-Davidson riders was lined with vendors like Left Lane Syndicate, Deathwish MotorCulture, tattoo studios, veteran’s associations and biker lawyers. Law Tigers was one of the official sponsors of this event.
photoS By: lincoln infielD & JameS everett photography
The Riders Academy course was fenced off for YOUR safety because the riders of this event were really going at it. Clubstyle NC reaches out to their friends and bring in some of the best stunt riders on the east coast. A dozen riders rolled in to participate in the first motorcycle drift racing event in the Carolinas. There were a dozen photogs shooting away as the riders raced around the barrels on the course with their odometers rolling in the 90’s and their tires melting. The racers had to drift around three barrels to the end of the course, turn around and drift around them again and drag race across the finish line. All the races were tight, and even minor errors gave the other rider the edge to win. Naturally when all the races were run the shenanigans began, I mean, those tires weren’t gonna burn themselves off. It was one hell of a show.
When the smoke cleared, literally, the winners lined up as 1st place was Corey Jennings, 2nd place Levi Jones and 3rd place went to Cameron Karnes. They snagged up their prizes, posed for the photos and went on to change out their smoked tires.
The drift racing was over, but the vendors partied on and the live music on the deck was now audible. It was a hell of party and huge thanks goes out to Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson for hosting and Clubstyle NC for coming up with another stellar event. If you see these boys gathering, get ready for a good time.
The Congregation 2025
By: paul ricciarDi
he seventy-six acre property of camp north end, Charlotte, is a vibrant, bustling center of activity on any day of the year, but for one Saturday each October it transforms into a melange of chrome, leather, music, and the unmistakable sound of Harleys. The Congregation, now having completed its 8th year, brings vintage Harleys and hot rod cars to the Queen City each fall. For 2025, the gathering occurred on Saturday, October 4th.
The show focuses mainly on pre-Evo bikes, with pans, shovels, and knuckles taking center stage on the wood-brick floors of a former Ford factory building dating back to 1924. It’s a fitting location for the classic bikes, and walking through the dramatically lit building perusing the motorcycles and cars feels like stepping back in time. Many of the bikes are choppers, so raked frame necks and extended front ends with custom paint abound. But there are plenty of stock units on display too for the purists, running the gamut from clean restoration to patina’d survivors.
The lineup of bikes changes every year; this is a selected show with entries open for several months before the event, and the show is sponsored by Harley-Davidson and hosted by Prism Supply and Dice magazine. But rest assured, every year’s crop of motorcycles and classic cars is well worth the price of admission.
Once you’ve had your fill of bikes inside the factory, the grounds outside the main show are almost a second show in themselves. A “motorcycle only” parking area is packed with bikes each year, ridden from near and far, and many of them are as old or as custom as the motorcycles featured in the show. Everywhere you turn you’ll find another bike: leaned over between trees, tucked under the awning of a loading dock, cruising around the usually quiet roads of the property. There’s plenty of food and drink to be had, both from the show
organizers and from local establishments, and if you choose to eat your lunch by the outdoor stage you’ll get treated to live music during your meal before going to look at bikes again! The headlining artist this year was Bones Owens, playing tracks from his new album “Best Western.”
And if one day of bikes and cars isn’t enough to satisfy you, 2025 marks the second year in a row that the organizers have partnered with Old Town Revival to host the “OTR Goose Creek Ride in, Drive in, Fly in” event. This occurs the Sunday immediately following The Congregation, at a private air strip in Indian Trail, NC. Bikes, hot rods, and planes are the jam here, with “run-what-you-brung” drag races providing entertainment during the course of the day. Where else can you watch someone drag race a turbocharged shovelhead while a gyrocopter circles overhead?!
But, despite the sea of tire-smoking, two wheeled machines everywhere, the folks running the show are quick to remind anyone that the real focus is on the builders of these bikes and those of us who come together to see them.
And the author is, after several years of attendance, inclined to agree. A Congregation is a gathering, often of like-minded individuals, and this is apparent spending some time walking around the show. People are shaking hands and giving hugs, shouting to a buddy who lives two states and six hours away, swapping phone numbers and social media credentials. It’s a testament to how the machines we all love, and ride bring us together in ways nothing else can.
On a personal note, the people I interact with are what keeps me coming back to The Congregation every year. Yes, I leave with some pictures on my camera, and some inspiration for my own vintage Harley builds, but more importantly I leave with a phone that has a few more numbers saved of guys I can call if I need a hand. I leave with a few more connections made in “Old Harley Land,” and a bucket-ful of good memories to look back on. Every year, Ironhead humming underneath me as I point it to the South, I find myself smiling and thinking to myself: “This Rocked!”
ROBERT NEYLAND 2016 INDIAN CHIEF SPRINGFIELD JACK DANIELS EDITION
By len “3Wheel” montgomery
Art Moto Fest 2025
hances are that if someone was to mention “fusion” you would land on foods. Combining different elements, ideas, and coming up with something completely original to delight your sense of taste and smell. But there are other types of fusion. The music industry has been creating fusion with different genres for quite some time. Ozzy Osborne collaborated with Post Malone back in 2019, crossing over the typical. And when it works, it is something to witness. On October 4th the Art Moto Fest 2025 offered artists and bike builders an opportunity to display their very own style of “fusion.” Over 6,000 attendees came together at Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson to celebrate the intersection of art, music, and motorcycles and from sunrise setup to the last roar of engines, Art Moto Fest 2025 was an unforgettable ride.
In front of Tobacco Road H-D all down South Saunders St. in Raleigh, NC there were 100+ local vendors showcasing their creativity, craftsmanship and community. I spoke to many of the artists. While some were busy creating at the event, others were busy getting their work into the hands of those who appreciated their skills. One such artist was the owner of Black Lagoon Art & Glass out of Raleigh. The artist I spoke to creates art in the style of stained glass. Yes, the style is similar to those beautiful stained-glass windows in churches, but the subject matter is VERY different. Another vendor I stopped in at had some talented artist working for them, but with a twist. The Mad Splatter teaches YOU how to create art! Next up is Rockwell Design Company doing hand painted signs, murals and character design. Jessica Streamo was also set up and runs a 501c3 called Back in the Saddle in Youngsville, NC and she creates hand beaded jewelry. When I walked up, she immediately grabbed a beaded charm she had created of a man with a white beard and proclaimed it looked like me. Back in the Saddle “provides non-traditional therapies for anyone suffering from visible and invisible injuries sustained in
The Carolinas’
the line of duty by our Nation’s Heroes.” These type vendors were all up and down the street!
Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson’s Mad Monkey Race Team was also set up on S. Saunders St. This is the ONLY King of the Baggers race bike that is sponsored by an individual H-D Dealership. The Mad Monkey team hails out of WinstonSalem and is ridden by racing fan favorite Max Flinders. Max and the race team were on hand all day talking to fans, taking photos and hanging out.
In between checking out these amazing vendors there were Live performances on the main stage that was in between the trees across from the dealership creating a great atmosphere. You could grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks and just take in the scene. Throughout the day bands like Weston Estate, Bedroom Division, Burnout, Jake Potter, and more kept the energy electric all day long.
For those looking for some excitement, there was a stunt zone beside Tobacco Road reserved for Jaw-dropping stunt riding from Eric Trimmer & Friends and the Raleigh Police Department Motor Unit thrilled the crowd. Eric was scheduled for three shows throughout the day and the Motor Unit rep’d there skills once at 2pm. All of them were must see shows!
Last, and by no means least, and my favorite fusion of the entire event, was The Builder Bike Show. It featured 75+ custom builds and drew motorcycle lovers from across the region. This wasn’t your ordinary ride in show, it was a curated show featuring some truly unique motorcycles like “It’s All About The Grain. Based out of Etowah, NC, Michael Goldberg is a master woodworker. I know, I know, lots of guys do woodworking, including yours truly. But how many of us woodworkers have ever built a fully functional, running Harley-Davidson? Built around a 2002 Sportster 1200, using 16 different species of wood, and taking over 1,500 hours to complete. The end result? A beautiful bike named simply Ironwood. Some of you termite guys are thinking about potential disasters. But after 40 coats of clear, each piece is protected so this art piece can be passed on for generations to come.
The bike show was made up of some unique classes and winners took home trophies, ribbons and swag bags. The winners of this years Art Moto Builders Bike Show were: Best in Show - Bob Steinbugler, recognized for his exceptional custom Moto Guzzi build.
Resurrections - Vintage motorcycles restored with Intention.
1st -Scales Studio 1975 BMW R50
2nd - BJ Emerson 1972 Triumph T100R Custom Bobber
3rd - Lucas Vann 1975 Triumph Trident
Hometown Heroes - A local owner and their bike that have become part of the community.
1st - Samuel Zevalney 1973 Yamaha RD 350
2nd - Chris Brown 2003 Kawasaki ZRX1200R
3rd - Rodney Morton 1978 Harley-Davidson FLH
Art Bikes - Visually bold and creatively expressive builds that stand out as rolling pieces of art.
1st - Michael Goldberg “Ironwood” Custom Hardtail
2nd - Devon Eckert 1999 Buell Lightning
3rd - Max Sturr 2018 Hand built custom Ideators - Fresh, innovative designs from emerging talent and builders pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
1st - Bob Steinbugler Vyrus Alyen
2nd - Chris Rasile 1995 Special Construction
3rd - Devon Eckert 1999 Buell x1 Lightning
Storytellers - Motorcycles with personal meaning and powerful backstories
1st - James Adams Johnson Yamaha Custom Bobber
2nd - Scott Lawrence Honda CB750 K4
3rd - Paul Lasko 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750
The Art Moto crew would like to say, Thank you to everyone - riders, artists, builders, vendors, sponsors, and fans - for making Art Moto Fest 2025 a celebration of creativity, community, and motion. Stay tuned for Art Moto 2026 - we’re just getting started. Art Moto proudly raised funds for the Motorcycle Relief Project and the ROYL Foundation, helping veterans and youth find healing and hope through the power of the open road. A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors and partners who made it all possible:
Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, Team Powersports, La Buena Vida, Anheuser-Busch, Crank Arm Brewing, Biltmore Winery, Capital City VR Truck, ROYL, and Carolina Exotic Car Club — and the countless community supporters who showed up big.
Rollin’ In Pink
By: chriS hammerSley
n saturday, september 27th, there was already a gathering in the parking lot of Rock Hill’s Doghouse Harley-Davidson of chrome, leather, and bright pink tutus. What began with morning rain quickly gave way to clear skies and an unforgettable day of riding, laughter, and community as Stilettos on Steel hosted their inaugural Rollin’ in Pink breast cancer awareness ride. The event drew riders from across the Carolinas and beyond, proving that a little weather couldn’t keep the motorcycle community from showing up for a cause that touches nearly every family in some way.
Walking through the lot, you were immediately greeted by the pulsing beats from a DJ booth and the sight of Stilettos on Steel members in their unmistakable style: black biker boots, bright pink leggings, sparkling white tutus, and flashy black vests emblazoned with pink-and-silver club patches. The ladies weren’t just dressed for a cause. They absolutely radiated it. Their smiles, laughter, and booming greetings set the tone for the day. It wasn’t long before the stories started pouring out: tales of weekend rides, trips to Florida, sisterhood, and the pride of being part of a nationwide network that champions women on two wheels. “Riding alone can be intimidating, especially for women new to motorcycles,” one member explained. “But when you’ve got sisters riding alongside you, you feel safer.”
Founded to support and grow the community of women riders, Stilettos on Steel has become one of the most recognizable female motorcycle groups in the country. With nearly 200 chapters nationwide, the organization provides a space for women to learn the basics of riding, sharpen their skills, and find a welcoming network in a culture that has often been male
Continues On Page 40
dominated.
If you’re a woman traveling cross country, the Stilettos on Steel network is more than just a list of chapters. It’s a lifeline. Members open their homes, share routes, and provide the kind of roadside assistance only true riders understand. It’s a testament to how motorcycles can build a community.
Of course, the heart of the day was breast cancer awareness. Parked prominently on site was a mobile mammogram trailer, reminding everyone that early detection saves lives. Riders and attendees gathered around to listen, learn, and sign up for screenings.
The statistics are sobering according to the American Cancer Society, approximately 316,950 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2025. But there is also hope. Death rates from breast cancer have dropped by
44% since 1989, thanks in part to early detection, better treatment, and the kind of awareness events like this promote. For many in attendance, the cause was deeply personal. Survivors shared their journeys, families honored loved ones lost, and others, like me, quietly carried stories of relatives who fought, and won, the battle. My grandmother is one such survivor, and seeing the motorcycle community rally behind the cause was a reminder that this lifestyle is about more than bikes. It’s about heart.
No Rock Hill motorcycle event would be complete without a nod to Doghouse Harley-Davidson, the host for the day and a dealership that has become a cornerstone for the local riding community. Marlee, the dealership’s marketing director, has a reputation for turning ordinary weekends into can’t-miss experiences. At Rollin’ in Pink, her Doghouse Divas were out, handing out free beers and keeping spirits high. It didn’t take long before the dance floor near the DJ booth filled up with pink tutus spinning to the beats.
Whenever I ask how she manages to pull off event after event, Marlee is always quick to give credit to her team. “Culture eats strategy for lunch,” she said with a smile. And it shows. Whether it’s the sales staff chatting up new riders, the service department swapping stories with regulars, or the showroom packed with gleaming Harleys, Doghouse feels less like a dealership and more like a clubhouse where everyone is welcome.
Beyond the riding and dancing, the event also spotlighted local vendors and food trucks. There was something for everyone, and the sense of community was palpable. Riders swapped stories over barbecue sandwiches, browsed vendor tents, and strangers became fast friends in the shared language of motorcycles. The raffle drew big cheers, with prizes, but the real prize was the feeling in the air: unity, purpose, and joy.
A 2018 survey by the Motorcycle Industry Council revealed that women now make up 19% of motorcycle riders in the U.S., up from just 10% a decade earlier. That’s a dramatic shift. And groups like Stilettos on Steel are just one of the driving forces behind it.
As the day drew to a close and the last raffle tickets were called, I found myself grinning. The day had delivered everything a rider could ask for: bikes, music, food, friends, and most importantly, purpose.
Doghouse Harley-Davidson’s inaugural Rollin’ in Pink ride wasn’t just an event. It was a statement that motorcycles can be more than a hobby, more than a machine. They can be a platform for awareness, a rallying point for community, and a bridge between people who might otherwise never meet.
With the Stilettos on Steel leading the charge in pink tutus and biker boots, and
Doghouse Harley-Davidson providing the stage, the future of women in motorcycling, and the fight against breast cancer, has never looked brighter. Because at the end of the day, this is what it’s all about: a community that looks out for one another, on and off the bike.
Up And Down The Grandstrand The Fall Rally
By: lincoln infielD
Rocked!
yrtle beach fall rally is like the playoffs of the Carolinas biker scene; it’s basically the last chance of the year to let it all hang out and prove what your made of. The last week of motorcycle mayhem at the beach, whether you are looking to prove yourself at big time bike shows, bike games, or huge biker parties, you’ll find it all on the Grand Strand. We run all the Full Throttle Rally Hot Spots in the magazine a month before the rally starts so that everyone knows where to go and also so that we can have a gameplan to maximize our time.
This year’s Fall Rally was nearly a disaster! There were TWO hurricanes off the east coast tracking towards the Carolinas a week before the rally. Knowing that we needed to have a big weekend those two storms took a right turn and went out to sea. By Wednesday the weather was just right for the rally and the events had been spared!
We got into town on Wednesday and went out looking for a good time. We love some good old school biker fun, and The Rat Hole has that going on. Wednesday kicked off their world famous biker rodeo events. The Rat Hole is a couple miles inland in Socastee but is totally worth the ride. They have a huge bar area completely stocked with all your beverage needs, pool tables and very accommodating bar tenders. They also have an indoor vendor area if you’re in the mood to browse while you quench your thirst. The real attraction though, is Cowboy and the Rat Hole bike games. They have a football field sized rodeo arena area, complete with bleachers and an outside bar. Inside that arena they run bike games all day every day. Weather you got the skills to compete, or you just want to take in some action you’ll have that at The Rat Hole!
The Carolinas’
Chop Suey 2 - Choppers and Antique Motorcycle Show
Thursday was a big day at the Grand Strand. There were events going on up and down the coast. On the north end, in Little River, Beach Customs were hosting a swap meet. Terry, Drew and the crew at Beach Customs know how to have a good time and had a packed house of pickers scrounging through piles of parts for a good deal. It was a big success for this first year event and I expect to see it back again in the Spring. On the south end, Barnacle Bills Rum and Raw Bar was hosting Chop Suey 2, the Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine Choppers and Antique motorcycle show. During a rally full of audio shows, we wanted to highlight our old school bikers and celebrate Antique motorcycles and choppers. Barnacle Bills offers up their parking lot, $3 beers and a great food menu and we parked 30 fantastic old bikes to gawk at. We could hear those vintage engines coming down the road, singing a completely different song than the modern bikes. We had a couple panheads, a ton of shovelheads, even a couple Evo’s showed up to show out! It’s wild to think that Evo’s can fit into the vintage motorcycle scene, but there they are! We wrangled our very first Servi-Car entry at this show too. Anyone who knows Full Throttle, knows we have a soft spot for cool old Servi’s. We also had an excellent 1925 HarleyDavidson JD and a token Knucklehead on the lot. (Sister) Dominick showed up on his ’57 BMW CJ750 dress up as a nun and should have been awarded best dressed. After kickin’ tires and talking a lot of shit, Law Tigers SC rep Jay Wright and I announced the winners of the vintage chrome toaster awards. This is the hardest part of the day, not only because of the killer bikes we had to wade through, but because I have to let go of these cool old chrome toasters. We hand select 10 vintage toasters and have Kristin of The Rebel Spirit pinstripe letter and lemme tell ya, they are cooler than any trophy you’ve ever seen.
The winners list went like this:
Full Throttle Choice: Monty & Ellen King 53 H-D Panhead
Law Tigers Choice: Russ Varney 1957 Servi-Car
Oldest Bike: Dan Gaffer 1925 H-D JD
Best Evo: Dude 1996 H-D Bobber
Radical Chopper: Shane Looper 1980 H-D FX
Best Shovelhead: Donald Clark 1984 H-D FLH
Best Knucklehead: David Harrell 1939 H-D Knucklehead chopper
Best Panhead: Jim Simpson 1955 H-D FLH
Best Import: Jamie Alexander 1975 BMW R90/6
Everyday Rider: Joe Cranford 1990 H-D FLHS
The quest to bring choppers and antique motorcycles will be back in the Spring with Chop Suey 3 and were gonna bring some more toasters! Come out and hang with us at Barnacle Bills Rum and Raw Bar.
Friday was a free day, so I was trying to pack in as many places as possible, stopping in to see friends and get a glimpse of bike rally shenanigans. Bubba’s Bar and Grill, Fishtails Biker Resale, The Rat Hole all got my day going. I even
The Carolinas’
Throttle Magazine
stopped in at the Dealership to check the vendors RickRak is always set up in the back lot and needed some Custom Dynamics turn signal lenses. Naturally Shane had exactly what I wanted and even installed them on the spot. I was working my way north all day long and finally made it to Little River around 5pm for the Springers party at the Pilot House. Jeff and the Greensboro gang were out in number and if you have your Springers shirt on, Jeff will take care of your beer tab! It’s one of my favorite Friday rally parties. After a few ice cold Yoohoos it was time to head even further North! 17 Customs had joined forces with The Dirty Armadillo in Little River to throw a host of bike rally events and Friday night was the Bike Rally Welcome Party. The Dirty Armadillo is right on the NC line, but you can still get in there without wearing a lid! The front lot was lined with motorcycles and there was a motorcycle dedicated lot beside the bar as well! They had Tim Elliot on stage that night and there was a crowd gathering. The Dirty Armadillo kept the drinks cold and had a good dinner menu, make sure they are on your list for future rallies. Big thanks to Scott Britt of 17 Customs for sponsoring these events! On my way back down to Myrtle, it’s only customary to stop in at Thee Dollhouse in North Myrtle Beach. It was a chilly fall evening but the ladies of Thee Dollhouse were heating up the dance floor. Naturally, what happens at Thee Dollhouse stays at Thee Dollhouse, so let’s just say, it’s definitely worth a visit while you are in town.
The Full Throttle Fall Rally Bike Show
Saturday belongs to The Full Throttle Fall Rally Bike Show at Bubbas’ Bar and Grill in Myrtle Beach. This is the 8th bike show that we’ve put on at Bubbas’ and it’s always a big time. The parking lot gets absolutely jammed with bikes coming to hang out and take in the show. No matter how busy the place gets, Liz and the crew at Bubbas’ takes care of everyone with a smile on their face and cold drinks in their hands. After you snag a cold drink, you should check out Fishtails Bike Resale, right beside Bubbas’. If you are looking for motorcycle parts, accessories or apparel, Fishtails has it and you can pick it up for a reasonable price!
One side of the lot is reserved for bike show parking and we stacked up 40 some bikes for judging. Let me tell you this show started hard and stayed hard. Out of the first five bikes and the lot, four could have been best in show bikes. We had choppers, cholos, dirty tails, radical baggers, antiques, metrics and everything in between. Dan Gafford rolled in on a Cool Hand Motor Co custom 1943 Harley-Davidson ULH. It was #3 the 3rd of its kind hand built by Billy Lane. As the day went on the bike show continued to fill up with heavy hitters. This show always brings em out. We always do this one as a free registration and then we throw cash prizes at our winners…which went a little like this.
Vintage Class: Dan Gafford 1943 ULH
Chopper Class: Jon Chadwell 1939 H-D knuckle
Cruiser Class: Thomas Perez 2006 H-D Heritage
Import Class: Ace Berkley 2000 Hayabusa
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Dirty Tail Class: Brian Owens 2008 H-D Softail
Touring Class: Kemp Livingston 2020 H-D Road King
Radical Bagger Class: Paul Solano 2017 H-D Road King
Radical Non-Bagger Class: David Harrell 1961 Denver’s Pan Shovel Chopper
Cholo Class: Josh Lefivre 2009 H-D Softail
Full Throttle Choice: Jody Adams 2024 H-D Road Glide
Bubba’s Choice: Dominick Plastina BMW cj750
Best In Show: Randall Winstead H-D Street Glide
The Choice winners and Best in Show not only snag cash and trophies but are invited to our 4th Annual Custom Bike Show in the Greensboro Coliseum as well!
Holy shit, it was another fun rally in Myrtle Beach. The weather turned out just right, and all my good timing friends were out riding the coast. We rode up and down the coast from the NC line to Murrells Inlet hitting up party spots the whole way. Huge thanks to Liz for hosting our bike shows again this fall. You better believe we will be back at it in the Spring.
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Angels In The Wind Ride
By: Wally WerSching
way of remembering lot friends is to dedicate a motorcycle run to them. On September 20th, we all got together to remember Wendy and “Spanky” Panther who are riding on the highways in heaven. Haley Bradshaw and family put it together.
We all met at the AMVETS on Morgan Street in Shelby, NC. It was a typical “Poker Run”, drawing a card at every stop along the way. The first card to be drawn at AMVETS Post 42 in Shelby, the second card to be drawn at Johnny Ray’s Smokehouse in Lawndale, NC; the third card to be drawn at the Vintage Dog in Boiling Springs, NC; the fourth card to be drawn at the VFW Post in Shelby, NC; the fifth (last card) to be drawn back at the AMVETS in Shelby where there would be food and awards. All the money collected would be donated to the Abuse Prevention Council of Shelby to help stop child abuse in Cleveland County.
I arrived at the AMVETS Post at about 10:00AM. It was a very short ride from home – less than 10 minutes door to door. I had no idea that AMVETS was there. I had passed it many times but never looked at it. I may have to come back and visit some evening when they are open. I went inside to see a very clean establishment. The bar and pool table looked inviting, but I don’t drink any more especially when I’m riding “Miss Vickie”.
After a short while, the “Blue Crew LEMC” rode in. There must have been a dozen of them. They parked, and I gave their president, Donnie Chapman, a stack of the Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazines. There was an article in it about the “Blue Crew Repo Ride” that I wanted him to see.
More and more bikers rode in and parked, then registered for the ride. Everyone was smiling and happy for such good weather – sunny skies and warm temps. As it got close to 11:00AM, Haley called everyone together for ride instructions and a prayer by Reverend Mike from Full Throttle Biker Church. Afterward, everyone went to their bikes, and within a few minutes, they were all gone to Johnny Ray’s Smokehouse. I left later and went home. It was a great way to remember friends we lost. I wasn’t just thinking and remembering Wendy and “Spanky”, I was also thinking about “Grumpy”, “Smitty”, and Ralph Coggins. They all left us too soon!
Polaris To Separate From Indian Motorcycle
ell, here we go again. indian motorcycle may be the oldest of the major brands but it’s not the most continuous. Founded in 1901 as the Hendee Manufacturing Company and later renamed as Indian Motorcycle Company, the storied company hit many milestones until it first ceased operation in 1953. In 1999 the Indian Motorcycle Company of America picked up the torch and brought the iconic brand and its fender skirts back to life but only produced motorcycles for a few years before going bankrupt itself in 2003. Then Polaris came through and picked up the brand in 2011 and began manufacturing Indian Motorcycles again in 2013.
In October 2025 Polaris announced that they are selling Indian Motorcycles to “Enable Polaris to concentrate resources on most attractive areas for profitable gain”. The buyer is Carolwood LP which is an independent, multi-strategy private equity firm out of LA. Although the Indian Motorcycle dealer network never matched some of the other major brands, it felt like Polaris breathed new life into the Iconic brand. Since 2013 Polaris has expanded the brand, brought on new models and produced a quality product for their riders. Polaris CEO Mike Speetzen was quoted saying “the Business is well positioned to succeed as a standalone company with a dedicated focus on its industry. We were highly intentional and selective in our search and planning efforts for Indian Motorcycle’s next chapter of growth. In Carolwood, Indian Motorcycle has a partner that believes in building on the Business’ current momentum and supporting its next stage of success. We are confident and committed to making this a seamless transition for Indian Motorcycle dealers, customers and employees.”
Future Indian Motorcycle Leadership
Carolwood has selected Mike Kennedy to serve as CEO of the new independent Indian Motorcycle organization once the deal closes. A more than 30-year motorcycle industry veteran, Kennedy has a proven track record as a leader in and around the motorcycle industry. He previously served as CEO of RumbleOn, the nation’s largest powersports dealership group; CEO and President of Vance & Hines, a leading manufacturer
of high-performance aftermarket motorcycle exhaust systems and accessories; and spent 26 years at Harley-Davidson in various leadership roles.
Adam Rubin, Principal at Carolwood, said, “Indian Motorcycle has defined American motorcycling for over a century, and Carolwood’s role is to ensure that legacy thrives for the next hundred years. Mike Kennedy brings over 30 years of experience leading iconic motorcycle and performance brands and will play a critical role in stewarding Indian Motorcycle’s growth. At Carolwood, we’re deeply committed to preserving what makes Indian Motorcycle special, supporting its growth, and empowering the team to write its next great chapter.”
Continuity for Indian Motorcycle
As a part of the deal, approximately 900 employees will transition as a part of the new Indian Motorcycle Company. Indian Motorcycle will retain the majority of its team, including engineers, designers and staff, along with manufacturing resources. Manufacturing facilities in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and Monticello, Minn., as well as the industrial design and technology center in Burgdorf, Switzerland, will transition to the new standalone motorcycle company as a part of the deal.
Indian Motorcycle will continue to provide sales, service, and support for dealers and customers throughout this transition. After the sale is finalized, Indian Motorcycle will operate independently of Polaris and continue selling motorcycles and parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) and providing service through its global Indian Motorcycle dealer network.
Hopefully this transition from Polaris to an independent company is just an asterisk in the Indian Motorcycle history book and they can continue to produce the quality motorcycles that we have gotten used to in recent years. We have no reason to believe they won’t. In fact, this might just be what Indian Motorcycle needed to move past the Polaris threshold and achieve more business gains. It will be interesting to see what improvements can be made to the line. More accessories? Bigger dealer network? I look forward to this new future for Americas First motorcycle company.
Source: pr neWSWire
The Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine staff screens hundreds of jokes each month. We make no claim to being politically correct. Most PC jokes just aren’t funny. If you are offended by any of the jokes on this page, take heart in the fact that we go to great lengths to offend everyone equally. This is not a hate crime! At our house we call it “pickin” and it is symbolic of your acceptance in the group. We live in the United States Of The Offended, so get over it!!
My husband and I were responsible for the turkey one year. We saw a Cornish game hen near the turkeys. We got and cooked both. We had 2 large roasting pans. On turkey day we brought in both pans. We apologized profusely to his mother. We explained that something must of happened in the oven and the bird had shrunk. She was stunned at first and said she’d never seen that beforebut it would be ok. We have plenty of sides. We whipped open the other pan to reveal the 23 lbs bird. Mom was so angry she fell for it.
Where do you find a turkey with no legs? Exactly where you left it!
The year my grandmother farted at the table. My brother was around 17ish, and I was 22ish. Too old to laugh at fart jokes. But my grandmother did not hear well, and she thought that whenever she farted since she couldn’t hear it, no one could. It was dead quiet at the table as we all started eating and she let out the loudest one I’d ever heard. Everyone stopped and looked at her, but she just kept plugging along at her meal like nothing happened. Bro and I couldn’t handle it. I broke first and then he did. We had to leave the table and go into the living room so we could get the laughs out of our systems.
Did you know that Moses was the first person to ride a motorcycle? It’s in the Old Testament, ‘the roar of Moses’s Triumph could be heard all over Israel.’
My husband and I were dressed and ready to go out for a lovely evening of dinner and theater. Having been burgled
in the past, we turned on a ‘night light’ and then put the cat in the back yard. When our Uber arrived, we walked out our front door and our rather tubby cat scooted between our legs ran inside, then up the stairs. Because our cat likes to chase our parakeet, we didn’t want to leave them unchaperoned, so my husband went inside to retrieve her and put her in the back yard again. Because I didn’t want the Uber driver to know our house was going to be empty all evening, I explained to him that my husband would be out momentarily as he was just bidding goodnight to my mother. A few minutes later, he got into the Uber all hot and bothered and said (to my growing horror and amusement) as the car pulled away, “Sorry it took so long but the stupid bitch was hiding under the bed, and I had to poke her ass with a coat hanger to get her to come out. She tried to take off, so I grabbed her by the neck and wrapped her in a blanket so she wouldn’t scratch me like she did last time. But it worked! I hauled her fat ass down the stairs and threw her out into the back yard…she had better not shit in the vegetable garden again.” The silence in the Uber was deafening.
We have a saying in my family “Save the neck for pie!” It means you eat until you are full up until your clavicle but save the neck area for pie. For years my husband would go in the kitchen and look at all the desserts and choose a piece of something. Until one year my mom says, “save the neck for pie” and my husband says “Where the heck is this turkey neck pie? I look every year, and I can never find it.” We all busted out laughing. I’ve always been tempted to make a turkey neck pie for him, maybe this year.
What’s the best way to fix a broken pumpkin? Use a pumpkin patch.
We visited our newly married daughter, who was preparing her first Thanksgiving dinner. I noticed the turkey thawing in the kitchen sink with a dish drainer inverted over the bird. I asked why a drainer covered the turkey. Our daughter turned to my wife and said, “Mom, you always did it that way.” “Yes,” my wife replied, “But you don’t have a cat!”
Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all. One afternoon the pastor came to call on her, and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea. As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cut glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, They began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him, and he could no longer resist. Pointing to the bowl, “Miss Beatrice”, he said, “I wonder if you would tell me about this?” “Oh, yes,” she replied, “Isn’t it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven’t had the flu all winter!”
Cletus is passing by Billy Bob’s hay barn one day when, through a gap in the door, he sees Billy Bob doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of an old, green, John Deere. Buttocks clenched, Billy Bob performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move, he lets his overalls fall down to his hips revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt. Grabbing both sides of his shirt he rips it apart to reveal his stained tee shirt underneath. With a final flourish he tears the tee shirt from his body and hurls his baseball cap onto a pile of hay. Having seen enough Cletus rushes in and says, “What the heck are you doing, Billy Bob?” “Jeez, Cletus, ya scared the snot out of me!” exclaims Billy Bob. Then, obviously embarrassed, he says, “Me and the old lady been having trouble lately in the bedroom department, and the therapist suggested I do something sexy to a tractor.”
