Thunder Roads Texas - April 2010

The MOST Comprehensive Event Listing Published in Texas!

Te x a s ’ R i d i n g M e c c a

April 2010

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Also Inside:

 Seasons of the Hill Country  A Bike AND Cart Rally?  Texas’ BEST Bike Nights  Snapshots from Points Across Texas

Contents 

April 2010

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On the Cover 24

Texas Hill Country: Texas’ Riding Mecca

This Month

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15

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Bike AND Cart Rally?

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Snapshots from Points Across Texas

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Seasons of the Hill Country

Regular Features 6

From the Editor

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PigTrails: Just a Few of My Favorite Things

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Black Leather Blues: Our Biker Band Beginnings

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The Scout Report: Metzeler Tires

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ThunderCam

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Texas’ BEST Bike Nights

34

Joker’s Wild

Resources 29

Monthly Ride Map: Texas Hill Country

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Event Listing

CENTER - Pull-Out April 2010 Calendar 36

30 34

Biker Friendly Listing

On the cover: D’Rose Inn & Cabins in Leakey, Texas. Proprietor extraordinairre, Deb Rose. Inset: Bob, who turned three years old last month and graces the front entrance of D’Rose.

Photos by Bob Cooney, Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine

OWNERS Bob Cooney, CEO/Photography ThunderRoadsBob@yahoo.com Shelly “TX Dragonfly” Horan, Editor Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Shelly

Bob

ADVERTISING SALES Thunder Roads Texas Main Office 281.866.8149 ThunderRoadsBob@yahoo.com M2 Motomedia - Statewide Reynolds Mansson M2Motomedia@gmail.com 210.259.9916

Reynolds

Greg Harris - D/FW thunderroads.greg@gmail.com 214.434.4545

Bill

Bill “Shovelhead” Barnes - Houston ThunderRoadsBill@yahoo.com MONTHLY CONTRIBUTORS Crazy Al Bill “Shovelhead” Barnes Mean Gene Kelton Elm “Scout” Valle CORRESPONDENTS Dean Downey - Panhandle Houston & Margaret Pruett - Houston Kitti Kluna - Traveling Meghan Heller - Austin Mark Appenzeller - D/FW Joyce Siegert - D/FW Ron Blansett - Houston Linda Morris - Houston Linda Nilsson - East Texas George Darcy - Midland/Odessa Ken Foster - D/FW

Crazy Al

Elm

Dean

Meghan

Pruetts

Kitti

Mark

Joyce

Linda

Linda

Ron Thunder Roads Texas Bob Cooney & Shelly Horan State Edition Owners 4631 Cashel Glen Drive Houston, TX 77069 281.866.8149 ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Gene

Thunder Publishing, LLC Toni & Brian Shearon National Founders 1421 Chapmansboro Road Chapmansboro, TN 37035 615.792.0040 ThunderRoadsMagazine.com

Thunder Roads Magazine® is Trade Marked and may not be used in any way without consent from Thunder Publishing. Thunder Roads Magazine of Texas is published by Thunder Roads Texas. All rights reserved. No part of its’ content may be reproduced without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility and is not to be held liable for errors beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error, slander of any group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond our control, any and all suits for liable, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a person’s name or photograph. Opinions and claims made by advertisers and authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Roads Magazine®, Thunder Publishing, or Thunder Roads Texas. Publisher does not promote the abuse of alcohol or other drugs. Ride & live responsibly. Thank you. Thunder Roads Magazine®, Thunder Publishing, and Thunder Roads Texas.

Thunder Roads Texas is a wholly separate entity from Thunder Publishing LLC and Thunder Roads Magazine editions in other states. As such, content that runs in other states’ editions has no relation to the content in Thunder Roads Texas. Unless specifically stated, Thunder Roads Texas does not endorse, and is not responsible for, any content in other Thunder Roads Magazine editions.

I’m Itching to Ride...

Happy New Year!

The weather’s getting better and we’re starting to thaw out! More bikes are on the road and you can tell by the sheer number of events (now four pages in Thunder Roads Texas) that it’s now riding season!

Last month, Bob Cooney attended the 2nd Annual Oilfield Helping Hands (OHH) Motorcycle Ride & Car Show.

OHH was established in 2003 as a non-profit charitable organization. They help Houston-area oilfield families in financial crisis. A good buddy of ours, Bill, works in the industry and introduced us to the charity. Through events, the volunteer efforts of members, and corporate memberships, they have been able to provide more than $850,000 to those in need since their inception. If you’re interested in volunteering or helping, check them out online: OilfieldHelpingHands.org.

This month, we offer you a highlight of the Texas’ Hill Country by visiting one corner of this vast area that offers everything best in Texas… in a big way! We so enjoyed visiting with local advertisers and motorcycle mecca destinations in and around Leakey, Texas (population 387). In talking with Deb Rose (D’Ross Inn & Cabins), we were able to determine that well within a days’ ride, you can get more pictures than you need to earn your patch for our wildly successful Points Across Texas™ program… a testament to how easy it is to obtain! Even if you’re taking off from your own area, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to participate.

With that, I leave you… it’s BEAUTIFUL outside and I’m itching to go riding!

Ride Safe & Ride with THUNDER! Shelly “TX Dragonfly” Horan Editor / Owner Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com Examiner.com/x-16815-Houston-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner - Not just for Houston!

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 2010

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Just a Few of My Favorite Things ow about the bike. I still remember the day that the salesman said the most beautiful words I have ever heard in my entire life, “You have been approved!”

It was right up there with “It’s a girl” I’m sorry to say but I was that excited. I came real close to wrapping my bike in my arms and looking at it straight in the headlight and telling it how much I loved it!

For the first month I found myself staring at it for hours on end out in the garage.

I know I’m not the only one that does this… am I? I would bet money that Shelly did this when she got her bike! How many of you actually read the owners manual that came with your bike? Here is a little secret.

If you read the owner’s manual while you’re in the garage it gives you a reason to be out in the garage for all that time. All you have to do is look up at your wife and tell her “I’m reading the owner’s manual” This will buy you at least another hour. Simply put I love my bike.

How about the vacations. One of my favorite things in the world is just the planning that goes into a vacation! I daydream for days trying to find the perfect inspiration that will map out our next incredible journey; like the one I am planning right now. I pictured in my head places where you cannot even hear the sounds of the city.

I pictured a fire pit in front of a country cabin with a small stream flowing in front of us just a few feet away. Now that is a thought! But now you have to find this location. This is where the fun begins. Time to get online.

First look up cabins. When you see the listings look for one that has a river nearby. Or preferably right in front of it! The coolest thing is when you find that perfect cabin you now have a destination that will end up deciding where you are now going on your trip. Do you see where I am going with this? Well now that you have a destination you can start looking for the best route! Don’t just go straight there! Look for the smaller roads that include interesting points. Holy crap! Why not use our Points Across Texas program to find all the coolest locations you can along the way! I have to say I feel the Points Across Texas program has to be one of the coolest ideas this magazine and its owners ever came up with. To me it adds substance to your ride, points you in the right direction, and you can learn more about our great Page 8

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Texas history as you go along your way! My goal this riding season is to hit all of them! Well I’m going to try! Hats off to Shelly for this one-of-a-kind idea! You Rock!

How about the pictures! I get a kick out of seeing other

people show off their pictures that they took while they are on vacation. Most of the time it ends up being a collection of self portraits of two people smiling that would make a great profile picture you would put on your Facebook account. I always ask where are you at? Did you get any scenery pictures? Is that a mountain behind your head?

My friends and family always make fun of me when were traveling because I turn into the photographer that sets up all the shots. Usually a simple stop and shoot turns into a twenty minute ordeal getting everyone lined up and staged for the perfect shot. I’m sorry. I just feel that every picture should tell a story! You are the star of the shot for sure.

But it should always include the destination, background, foreground, and be framed correctly. Don’t go chopping off my head! Don’t make 70 percent of the picture Sky! Hey I am a nerd when it comes to this but the finished product ends up being 8x10’s and framed at my house! Last but not least don’t post pictures that are blurry! Oh my God. In the

world of new technology you can take 500 pictures and only end up with 100 awesome pictures. The best way to keep from getting those blurry shots is to take four pictures of the same pose. Most of the time people take the first shot and holler out “I got it let’s go!” Be patient and take two or three more just in case.

The walls of my house are full of some of the best memories I have of my travels!

The camera… never leave home without it!

How about just having the time off! I’m not sure who started the idea that Americans need to spend 10 to 12 hours a day at work but I wish we could go back in time and slap that guy around! We work hard just to make ends meet!

One of my favorite things in life is owning a motorcycle so that my time off has meaning. For some folks, a good day off means spending time working in the yard or just catching up on chores. For me I make sure all that stuff is taken care of after work!

A day off with a bike means getting out and seeing beautiful sights and sounds, rolling down great country roads, getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine on my face, and spending time with good friends. There is nothing like doing a 30-mile stretch of road and pulling into a rest stop to take a break with your pals. You can’t get off the bike fast enough to let everyone know how you feel about that last stretch! I love being able to end the ride at a favorite watering hole and getting to replay the entire day one story at a time! We call that bench racing! Don’t get me wrong about the whole job thing. I am thankful that I have a job.

Times are tough these days and a lot of people are out of work. My heart goes out to each and every one of you!

Make the most of what you have and be thankful you live in the best country in the whole world! And always remember the adventure of riding is to ride another day! Riding season is here!

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 2010

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A Bike AND Cart Rally?

Don’t Laugh – It’s going to be one helluva party!

Somerville * Region: Prairies & Lakes * Metro: Bryan/College Station

By Shelly Horan

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ore and more rallies are starting to ask that golf carts not be brought onsite… okay, maybe not in such nice terms. Damon Dave of The Texas Rally is an opportunist! He knows people like to have as much fun on their four wheels as they do on two. So the Carts, Bikers & Babes Rally was conceived – the rally that not only welcomes golf carts, a good chunk of time, effort & resources are being dedicated to them!

Along with your standard rally fare of good food, bike games, live entertainment, and onsite camping … oh yea, and beer… you’re going to be treated to some unique features that will make this rally really stand apart from a rest. To start, Kooch & Company has built the first ever Golf Cart Burnout Trailer! And there are rumors it may be equipped with a stripper pole? Another “first ever,” a fullblown cart race!

There is a Golf Cart Rodeo, which I can’t wait to see; if you’re daring – a Cart v. Cart Tug-a-Wars; Saturday night Cart Parade, decorated, of course; Best Jams in Cart Contest and a Scavenger Hunt for $$$. Damon Dave hasn’t forgotten fan favorites: stage games; bikini cart & bike wash; a Burger Cook Off with cash prizes; “people” games; campsite decorating contest; and a Friday Night

Best Redneck Hat Contest. This rally begins a multi-rally “Bring Out Your Bad” Cart & Bike Show series, including the BUB Rally in May, with finals at The Texas Rally in October. Prizes awarded for all kinds of “Bests” for both bikes and carts. And what would a Damon Dave production be without “Blowout”?!?

Event tickets are $30 for the whole party or just $20 for Saturday only. Cost to enter the Cart Race is $20; $50 will include the VIP Party for racers! As with The Texas Rally, onsite camping (AKA party) is already very promising! The “Zoo” is already sold out, as is “Infield Left” and “Festival Right.” Onsite RV camping starts at $50; Tent camping is free. As of this writing, vendor spots are still available for as little as $100.

And with all Damon Dave productions – the bands are GREAT! Friday, the Dean Seltzer Band opens for Steel Country. On Saturday, a special unplugged acoustic electric performance by Strange Love; then the John Epperson & Drivin’ Blind takes over the stage; with The Dogz headlining with hard rockin’ modern covers.

We got a sneak peak at the Dean Seltzer Band on Saturday, March 13th at Route 36 in Rosenberg, along with Electric Blues Crew and Voodoo Moon. This was a pre-party for

The Texas Rally (and Carts, Bikers & Babes Rally)… a Damon Dave standard with his rallies. Electric Blues Crew we’ve heard before. They’re a solid rockin’ Blues band that always puts on a good show. I have to admit that I’m a little partial to Country, good ‘ol Southern Rock, Jazz and Blues. So, I have to tell you, the Dean Seltzer Band put on a GREAT show! The music and show were a GREAT blend of Country & Rock – complete with blowing fire as a closing jesture! Dean’s energy on stage is awesome! You’ll hear some of their own music, but you’ll also hear some of your favorite country songs – done the Dean Seltzer way… rockin’! The headliner was Voodoo Moon, a tribute to Godsmack. Wow… like I said, I’m a little partial to Country, but couldn’t help dancing around and really appreciating the Voodoo sound! The drummer – simply awesome! And the showmanship outstanding. Now if I can just hear again, I’ll be really good!

So join us at Carts, Bikers & Babes Rally, BUB Rally (we just signed on to sponsor and have to follow the “Bring Out Your Bad” Cart & Bike Show), and will be partying at The Texas Rally. It’s a GREAT party that lasts seven months!

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Pre-Party Pix Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 2010

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Our Biker Band Beginnings

A condensed excerpt from Mean Gene’s upcoming book: GIGS FROM HELL!

h... The springtime in Southeast Texas. I love it.

Along with the warmer weather and the smell of fresh cut grass comes the mouth watering aroma of outdoor cooking on an open pit. Heard in the distance is the roar of motorcycle engines awakened from a long winter’s nap. Then of course there’s the twang of guitars tuning up to blast through the open doors of thousands of biker friendly waterin’ holes and motorcycle events across the Lone Star State. Haw-Haw-Haw! Every year about this time, as I mentioned in my column about this time last year, I get calls and emails form bands who ask: (1) “How can I get a gig at a big bike rally?” (2) “How can my band become a biker band?” (3) “How did you become a biker band?”

hundreds of bike rallies across the United States.

In 1994, most of the bikers that frequented Michael’s Ice House were not like the RUBs (Rich Urban Bikers) that came nearly ten years later. They were what people today refer to as “real bikers”. Most were just good ‘ol boys who worked in the refineries but some were believed to be associated with various outlaw motorcycle groups.

Regardless, they were all tough

Below is an excerpt from “GIGS FROM HELL” from the chapter: “Our Biker Band Beginnings”.

-------------------------------------------------------------------During the early 1990’s, we tried very hard to be strictly a blues band but every time our southern-rock roots mixed with adrenaline and alcohol, it created a high energy, volatile mixture that to our disappointment was shunned by most Blues lovers and especially hardcore “Blues purists”.

However, bikers loved us! As the weeks and months passed we noticed that more and more motorcycles lined up every Sunday afternoon outside Michael’s Ice House [in Texas City] to hear our Southern Blues/Rock sound. Bikers seemed to gravitate toward the bad boy Blues we were dishing out. That was the beginning of our biker following that over the next decade would cause us to be referred to as a “Biker Band” and eventually place us on the stages of Page 12

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When passing a biker or group of bikers you don’t know, never make eye contact. Just nod respectfully and keep moving. If you should accidentally bump into a biker, by all means, show your hands and back away immediately.

Apologize loudly and take the blame for being a clumsy idiot and move on quickly. Never be so stupid as to bump into the same biker twice!

Never touch, move, or sit on a biker’s bike.

That’s usually followed by a near death experience.

Never ask a biker personal questions about his private life, his job, his old lady, his real name, how he got his road name and so on. In other words, mind your own damn business.

Answer to #2: “I don’t know.” Just do what you do and hope for the best.

So if you wannabe a Biker Band, read on. Hopefully, you won’t make some of the same stupid blunders I made that many times brought me close to a near death experience.

I learned to never interrupt bikers when they are talking.

When approaching a group of bikers, if they all stop and stare at you without speaking, that means you are not welcome to be a part of their private conversation and to keep on walking and deny that you heard anything!

Unless there is a “FOR SALE” sign on a bike, never ask a biker about his bike.

If you must say something, just say, “nice bike”. If he wants you to know any more than that, he’ll tell you.

My answer to the first question is: “Getting a gig at a bike rally is no mystery. Offer to play for FREE and you’ll play ‘em all! I get calls from bike rally promoters all the time asking me to play for free. I turn them all down because I don’t play for free so I know there are a lot of gigs waiting on just the right band willing to play for “exposure”.

Answer to #3: I had to ponder my answer to the third question because in the beginning of my music career, there was no such title to strive for in the early days. I never set out to become a “Biker Band”. There were only bands bikers liked and bands bikers didn’t like. That’s it. In pondering that question, I remembered that I had written something about it in my upcoming book “GIGS FROM HELL”.

in their conversation without an invitation. He went on to enlighten me on proper biker etiquette.

mofos and didn’t take any shit from anybody. I was glad they liked our band.

As an entertainer, it has always been my policy to meet, greet, and introduce myself to all customers wherever we played. Since the bikers were diggin’ the band, I felt I should at least show some respect for their interest and make the rounds to introduce myself and personally say thanks for coming.

Though most of the bikers had become good friends of the band, on one particular occasion as I was making my rounds, I approached a table of bikers, leaned over, extended my hand and said “how ya doin’ fellows? I just wanted to say thanks for hangin’ out and supporting the band.”

They all sat up erect and stared at me in stone, cold silence. Not one offered to shake my hand. The awkward moment of stillness seemed like an eternity. Finally one of them said in a very somber tone, “jes ‘cause we like yer music don’t mean we like you.”

A cold chill ran down my spine. I slowly backed away from the table and walked away. My bass player, who was a biker himself and knew some of the bikers, told me later that I was lucky I didn’t get my ass kicked for intruding

No matter how wild and crazy biker women get, or how interested they seem to be in you and your band, never purposely talk to them or act overly interested in them!

When a biker chick starts flirting and flashing her tits at you, just smile and nod approvingly. That’s all! But also... don’t ignore her while she is showing off. She and her old man might take your lack of interest as an insult to her charms and to his choice of woman as well as what “good stuff” her old man is privy to. Like I said, just smile and nod approvingly... then buy her old man a beer! Don’t speak.

Just buy him a beer, give a “thumbs up” and move on.

A lot of biker girls used to come to the stage at Michael’s Ice House to request songs and dance by themselves while their men were discussing business. Sometimes they would flash their tits just to mess with us. We’d just nod gratefully and grin, but to save our butts from appearing too interested, we’d kick off into the next song as soon as possible and keep on rockin’.

And then, there were the crazy women who...

-------------------------------------------------------------------Read the rest of this story in Mean Gene Kelton’s upcoming book, “GIGS FROM HELL” available soon. Watch for info in Thunder Roads Texas Magazine or send a message to Mean Gene today and say: “Hey Gene, reserve me a copy of “GIGS FROM HELL” and let me know when they’re ready! Email: meangene@genekelton.com or send a message in FaceBook: Mean Gene Kelton.

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 2010

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Snapshots from

Sponsored by D’Rose Inn & Cabins * Leakey It’s been a great year for riding – according to some more hardy riders than I! Through March 15, we have given out all of our free destination booklets & log, taken more orders for the booklet for only $5 (available online), and awarded almost 70 patches… the year, and riding season, has only just begun!

Thank you all for participating and making this inaugural year such a success – insuring that we will bring it back in 2011! We are still working on putting something together, fine tuning the addition(s) to the program, so watch May’s issue for the announcement.

We constantly look at things to do around the state and have found a few more destinations for the list: • • • •

Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, Vanderpool South Texas Motorcycle Museum, Edinburg Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, Buda Antique Capital of East Texas, Gladewater

We promised a quarterly update on non-motorcycle events that qualify. I spent hours pulling that list together and it’s simply too long to publish here. So, here are a few that come up sooner (in April), rather than later. Catch the rest online at ThunderRoadsTexas.com and we’ll give you some snippets each month, with a fuller listing online.

April 8-11 5th Annual Bloomin’ Temple Festival BloominTemple.com Temple Region: Prairies & Lakes

April 16-26 Fiesta San Antonio Fiesta-SA.org San Antonio Region: South Texas

April 9-11 27th Annual Bluebonnet Festival BurnetChamber.org Burnet Region: Hill Country

April 17 Texas Hat Festival LuckenbachTexas.com Luckenbach Region: Hill Country

April 10-11 46th Annual Official Bluebonnet Festival of Texas ChappellHillMuseum.org Chappell Hill Region: Prairies & Lakes

April 17-25 Weekends Houston International Festival IFest.org Houston Region: Gulf Coast

April 10-24 25th Annual East Texas Gusher Days GladewaterChamber.com Gladewater Region: Piney Woods Metro: Longview

April 22-May 2 Buc Days BucDays.com Corpus Christi Region: Gulf Coast

April 16-18 Texas Mesquite Art Festival TexasMesquiteAssn.org San Angelo Region: Panhandle San Angelo

April 24-25 30th Annual Denton Arts & Jazz Festival DentonJazzFest.com Denton Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 24 San Jacinto Day Festival & Battle Reenactment SanJacinto-Museum.org La Porte Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston April 24-25 Buda Country Fair & Wiener Dog Race BudaLionsClub.com Buda Region: Hill Country Metro: Austin April 30-May 1 Stephens County Frontier Days BreckenridgeTexas.com Breckenridge Region: Panhandle April 30-May 2 63rd Annual Pilgrimage TheExcelsiorHouse.com Jefferson Region: Piney Woods

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Metezler Tires emember you only have about four square inches of surface contact on the road when riding a motorcycle; and even less when you go into a sharp lean. These are words of caution that my MSF instructor gave the class and have always struck reality into my mind every time I ride. Motorcycle tires are probably the most important component of any bike. They provide the traction, grip, and overall control of a bike. About a month ago, I had to replace the tires on my bike. I researched for days, pondering over the many options out there. I read many forums, articles, and suggestions. The one resounding commonality was that everyone was recommending the Metzeler ME-880 Marathon Touring Tires.

I ordered my Metzelers from my local dealer and they did the installation as well. Pricing for the tires vary depending on the source. A rear tire will typically run anywhere from $118 to $300. A front tire price range is from $85 to $250.

I suggest that you contact your local dealer for pricing.

They are usually cheaper from an online provider such as motorcycle-superstore or online vendor, but then you would still have to worry about getting the tires and your bike to a dealer for installation; unless of course, you have the ability to mount them yourself. For bike tires, the Metzelers are on the more expensive side; however they are completely worth every dollar.

At first glance you will notice the Metzelers are significantly wider than stock tires and have deeper nhjthreads, giving it a very aggressive custom look, especially the ME880 200 series. They are nice looking tires that will compliment any cruiser bike, especially customs and Harley’s. But more important than they way they look is their high performance.

Metzeler reports a depth tread of about 6.5mm on most of the ME880 tires. Because of such depth, the Metzeler ME880’s have been reported to last up to 20,000 miles before needing to be replaced. A typical life tire ranges between 7,000-10,000 miles. This is double most tire life and makes the Metzeler a great value, even though they are pricier.

I’ve had my Metzelers for about a month now and I must admit the performance is remarkable. I am one of those

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riders who own a cruiser but ride it like a sports bike. I accelerate fast, lean hard, and corner like a bat out of hell.

Traction is superb on dry concrete and it handles like a champion on wet surfaces. At both high and low speed cornering, the Metzelers stick to the road like it glued to it. What makes them so great? The engineering behind Metzeler tires make them probably the best tires for Cruiser, Tourers, and Muscle Bikes. Metzeler is a 130 old German engineering company that specializes in tire technology. From the introduction of new materials to the development of innovative tread designs and compounds, the German manufacturer has always been on the leading edge for technical innovation and superior quality and performance of its tires. Here are some characteristics: • Built to handle the higher loads and handling characteristics of cruiser and touring bikes.

• Rear tires feature flatter tread profile and larger contact patch for better traction and mileage.

• Computer-designed tread pattern with offset groove alignment for uniform wear characteristics • Tread pattern has excellent water displacement ability and stability over rain grooves and under hard braking.

• Linear handling performance due to constant curvature over the entire tread surface in accordance with the “single radius principle”.

• Reliable braking force transmission and insensitivity to

rain grooves due to robust central rib, at the same time optimized aquaplaning behavior due to offset tread.

• High level of driving comfort due to machine-specific optimized carcass construction as a result of reduced tread curvature in the middle of the tire, larger contact patch when running straight, high mileage.

• Reduced rolling noise and convincing line stability due to specially developed tread design for pure touring sizes, reliable grip due to the usage of a high grip tread compound, at the same time high mileage due to increased tread depth.

The majority of Metzeler users rate them with five out of five stars. One user says, “I’ve been riding Metzeler 880s since they were introduced (back then they were ME88s) and selling them through Harley dealers and independent shops. I’ve sold hundreds of sets of ME880s and at least 99% of the people who bought them absolutely love them (so do I, I’ve ridden more than 200,000 miles on Metzelers.)

The dry and wet handling is fantastic and I always get 15,000 miles out of a set on my Harleys, from Sportsters to my FXRP touring bike!.”

Pros: • Great Dry and Wet Traction • Very long tread life • Custom and Aggressive Looks Cons: • Expensive tires Conclusion: I really believe that Metzeler ME880 tires are the best out there. Let me put it this way, last week I was unknowingly riding on them with a two-inch nail impaled in my rear tire. They withheld highway speeds up to 90MPH with a puncture. I only noticed because they looked a little low. I simply got it patched up and it’s good as new. Any tire that can do that is grade A in my book.

For more information visit MetzelerMoto.com or visit your local dealership.

As always, ride safely, and ‘See you on the high ground!’

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 2010

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Event Listing

The MOST comprehensive motorcycle event listing published in the State of Texas!

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Benefit for Blanca BloodKnightsMM.org San Antonio Region: South Texas

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Benefit Rally for the Samaritan House 903.918.8209; 903.742.2963 Kilgore Region: Piney Woods Metro: Longview

26th Annual Easter Run 254-395-4640 Mexia Region: Prairies & Lakes

A police escorted ride benefitting The 100 Club.

Finalizing the details, so watch the website for information as things are firmed up. Grand Marshal this year is Joe Schulte, police chief in Patton Village, member of Reguladore LE MC, and single largest contributor to the ride every year since it began. This year, the donation to ride is half price! $50 for general contributor; $40 for first responders or members of an approved MC; $30 for first responders AND a member of an approved MC. Along for the ride again – Outlaw Dave. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine!

Bring out your BAD at Big Creek Park. Contests for carts, bikes and babes! First ever Golf Cart Burn Out Trailer, built and created by Kooch & Company.

Infield left, festival right and Zoo RV sites are SOLD OUT… marina sites still available – call today to reserve your space. Live bands, stage games, cart show & the first ever Cart Race! Cart & Bike Show series finale held at The Texas Rally in September.

Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine!

Wild Step Child Run & Chili Cook Off 830-837-3808 New Braunfels Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio

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Anniversary Party & Meet-N-Greet DeguelloMC.com Katy Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

Motorcycle Fatality Red Cross Placement for Gary Maddux 903.447.9502; 903.456.5758 Farmersville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Back the Badge Ride BackTheBadge.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast

Carts, Bikers & Babes Rally CartsBikersAndBabesRally.com Somerville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station

Fools Run Rally GWRRA-TX.org Beaumont Region: Gulf Coast

Safety Day/Free Motorcycle Safety Check 940.627.0627; 940.389.0200 Decatur Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Party on the Hill 903.330.4662; 903.424.7408 Tyler Region: Piney Woods

Three Sisters Rally Spring Fling ThreeSistersRally.net Camp Wood Region: Hill Country Metro: Other Live music by Vallejo, Rythym Dawgs and Robert Johnson’s Soul. Games, scavenger hunt, guided group rides, vendors, raffles and food. Saturday Heroes Pancake Breakfast – only $5 donation, FREE for veterans. Sunday Blessing of the Bikes.

Only $25 at the door; $20 online pre-register; and $15 Saturday only pass. Free tent camping included with registration. BYOB. Charity of Choice: Heroes Night Out (HeroesNightOut.org).

23rd Annual NHRA Spring Nationals NHRA.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast 37th Annual TMRA1 State Rally TMRA.org Snyder Region: Panhandle

6th Annual Ridin’ for the Rose RidinForTheRose.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston AMA Supercross SuperCrossOnline.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast

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Bikes & Bass Fishing Tournament TMRA2.org Point Blank Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston

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2-4

Thunder Roads Texas does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided and cannot be held liable. Things change, there may be typos, and weather happens. So before you climb on your steed and ride to one of these events, contact the organizers and verify the latest information. Remember, all events listed in Thunder Roads Texas qualify for the Points Across Texas™ reader rides program! Just have to prove where you are, so find a sign and send a pic. For updates with events that don’t make print time, two weeks worth of events provided every week to your email inbox - subscribe to our FREE Web-zine. Visit us online at http://ThunderRoadsTexas.com.

Katy Ram Challenge KatyRamChallenge.com Katy Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston Bikes & Bugs III Pre-Party Crawish Boil RepublicHD.com Stafford Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston Bluebonnet Rally GoldwingAustin.org Fredericksburg Region: Hill Country April 10

Los Gavilleros Spring Rally 325-374-6678 San Angelo Region: Panhandle

American Red Cross Motorcycle Run SacredCross.org New Braunfels Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio

Arizona Bike Week AZBikeWeek.com Scottsdale, AZ

Corrupted Deeds CoruptedSpeed.com Wichita Falls Region: Panhandle

Titty Twister Run CentralTexasChrome-Divas.com New Braunfels Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio

All Makes & All Models Bike Show JasperInn.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast

JIIZ Memorial Run RZavas.tripod.com Alice Region: South Texas

Lindsay Foundation, Ride for the Bear LindsayFoundation.org Porter Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston

Church on the Bike Easter Sunday CircuitRiders.org Dallas Region: Prairies & Lakes

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9th Annual MARC Run 512-540-2561 Rockdale Region: Prairies & Lakes

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Beach N Biker Fest BeachNBikerFest.com South Padre Island Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Brownsville

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Bikes & Bugs III Pre-Party Crawish Boil SanJacHD.com Pasadena Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

21-25

10-11 15 15-17

AMA Reckluse National Enduro Championship Series 256.837.0084 West Point Region: Prairies & Lakes Hawgs Of Texas Rally HawgsOfTexas.com Somerville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station

Ride for Life 806.231.9134; 806.671.8401 Amarillo Region: Panhandle

3rd Ever TCOC&I State Rally DFRWRally.com Grand Prairie Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

3rd Annual Tribute To Veterans RollingthunderTX1.com Montgomery Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston

Thunder Run Texas Style for JDRF FireAndIron62.org Canyon Lake Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio

Hogs for Hooters SecondIINoneDFW.com Grand Prairie Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Motorcycle Rally & Cook Off 325-721-2293 Sweetwater Region: Panhandle 2010 Einstein Rally 830.624.4006; 210.867.9560 Seguin Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: San Antonio

2nd Annual Unity Run & Benefit SurvivorsMCNETX.org Saginaw Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Ridin’ for Relay Fun Run 432.978.2669 Odessa Region: Big Bend

8th Annual Crawfish Boil stillbruce@sbcglobal.net Waxahachie Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

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8th Annual Chili Cook Off ParisHarley.com Paris Region: Prairies & Lakes Annual Poker Run 972.268.4383; 214.926.2882 Waxahachie Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

EVENTS

Thunder Roads Texas BIKE NIGHT ThunderRoadsTexas.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast

BBQ Cook Off benefitting Veteran’s Fisher House 281.537.7647 Houston Region: Gulf Coast 16-17

8th Annual Crawfish Boil MotoLiberty.com Dallas Region: Prairies & Lakes

7th Annual SportBike Extravaganza FamilyPowerSports.com Iraan Region: Big Bend

Waco 1/2 Miles & Swap Meet 254.875.9955; 469.544.8027 Waco Region: Prairies & Lakes

Cash prizes for BEST BBQ in Houston! Great little icehouse with a great cause. Fisher House is a national non-profit organization that provides housing and support for families of Veterans receiving medical care in the Texas Medical Center.

Houston boasts one of the largest and newest Fisher House locations in the network. But non-profit always needs help. Sponsored by Alamo Icehouse, Sons of the American Legion Post #560 & Ladies Auxiliary, and Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine.

Jericho Ride JerichoRide.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast

April Absolute 2010 Benefit Rally 903.286.1725; 903.262.8312 Kemp Region: Prairies & Lakes

5th Annual Cook-Off Pachanga 361-547-2276 Sandia Region: South Texas

Our monthly Houston-area biker party! Sponsored by Eagle Cycles onJones Road. Co-hosted by Outlaw Dave. Live music this month by the Mark May Band, domestic “Big Azz” beer for only $2.25, great Ribeye special (yummy), vendors, door prizes and more!

Reserved motorcycle-only parking. Come party at the BEST bike night in Houston! Rain or shine... we party like bikers anyway!

20th Anniversary Bikers For Bikers BikerForBikers.com Magnolia Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston

All Motorcycle Cen-Tex Championships TexasScooter.com Temple Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Temple Kick off the 2010 Season at Little River Dragway!

Including Index Racing Classes, E.T. Bracket Racing Classes for both money & trophies along with a “Run What You Brung” Top Bike Eleminator and 30 plus Trophy Classes for Harley Davidson motorcycles of all types, there’s gonna’ be “action” for just about any type of racin’ Texas’ Motorcycling Public wants!!!!

More information will be posted on TexasScooter.com it becomes available. Email Red at red@texasscooter. com for questions about the races.

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Bikers For Grub Spring Poker Run 254-396-0961 Glen Rose Region: Prairies & Lakes

Party Hardcore Rally PartyHardCoreTheRally.com Conroe Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston

23-25

Bike Show & Swap Meet RickFairlessBikeShow.com Dallas Region: Prairies & Lakes

Rendevous in San Angelo ROT-IDC.net San Angelo Region: Panhandle

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Rescue Run CooperVFD.com Cooper Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Cotton Club Riders Annual Bike Rally 903.736.5344; 903.646.3747 Henderson Region: Piney Woods Metro: Longview

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Stroker’s Ace Bike Run 903.573.2276 Daingerfield Region: Piney Woods

9th Annual Thunder in April 361.947.6400 Sinton Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Corpus Christi 3rd Annual Houston Down Syndrome Run 281.726.1362 Houston Region: Gulf Coast

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Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 1

April 2010 Thursday 2

Bikes & Bass Fishing Tournament April 2-4 Point Blank

GOOD FRIDAY

Friday 3

Saturday

EASTER SUNDAY

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Sunday

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Thunder Roads Texas BIKE NIGHT John’s Place Pub Houston

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ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY

21

14

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TAX DAY

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Thunder Roads Texas BIKE NIGHT Texas Rock Tavern Houston

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30

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9 Back the Badge Ride Houston

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14th Annual Hill Country Run April 30-May 2 Fredericksburg

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Texas Scooter Times Swap Meet Dallas

All Motorcycle Drags Temple

Multiple-day events appear on the first day of event. For details on these and other events, see our Event Listing, Page 18.

BBQ Cook Off Benefit for Veteran’s Fisher Houston April 16-17 Houston

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Carts, Bikers & Babes Rally April 9-11 Somerville

Three Sisters Spring Rally April 9-11 Camp Wood

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12th Annual Blue Ribbon Rally Car & Bike Show BlueRibbonRally.com Lubbock Region: Panhandle

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1st Annual Spring Fling Biker Blow-Out 936.652.4777 Nacogdoches Region: Piney Woods

Mud Bug Boogie Crawfish Boil MudBugBoogie.com Coppell Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

29-May 2

7th Annual Retro Blast YesterdaysTexas.com Bridgeport Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Texas Rally On The River TXRallyOnTheRiver.com New Braunfels Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio 14th Annual Hill Country Run HillCountryRun.com Fredericksburg Region: Hill Country

Ride for Relief Nursery Ride-for-Relief-Nursery.webs.com McKinney Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Freestone County Relay for Life 903.388.7317 Fairfield Region: Prairies & Lakes Page 22

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Bikes & Bugs III WallisFamilyFoundation.com Sugar Land Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

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Motorcycle Fatality Red Cross Placement for Pop, Wyatt & Stitch 469.853.8734 Quinlan Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

Run for the Ranch RunForTheRanch.com Bedford Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

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Rally for the Kids MeetUp.com/C4-Cycles Fair Oaks Ranch Region: South Texas Metro: San Antonio

30-May 2

Kruisen For Kids OakGroveGolf.com Texarkana Region: Piney Woods

International Female Ride Day Motoress.com

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Ride For Kids PBTFUS.org Humble Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

GWRRA District Rally GWRRA-TX.org Killeen Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Temple 25th Annual NCOM Convention 800.531.2424 Orlando, FL

3rd Annual End-of-the-Road Armed Forces Music Fest PolecatShack.com Plantersville Region: Piney Woods Texas Star BQ TexasStarBQ.org Tyler Region: Piney Woods Myrtle Beach Bike Week MyrtleBeachBikeWeek.com Myrtle Beach, SC 2nd Annual Bikers Against Breast Cancer The-Rose.org/2010_bikerally Pasadena Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

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Rodeo Express Scholarship Motorcycle Ride SignMeUp.com/68341 Conroe Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston

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EVENTS

Heart Of Texas Wings Rally GWRRA-TX.org Brownwood Region: Panhandle

Spring Swap Meet TexasScooter.com Dallas Region: Prairies & Lakes Fun at the Longhorn Ballroom!! Shopping for bargains, rummaging through boxes in the booths, wheelin’ & dealin’, chattin’ with friends, makin’ new friends, socializin’, flirtin’, kicking back with a cold one and listnin’ to the Blues in the background. Enjoy all this AND make money! Booth space is only $40 for 10’x10’ and includes one admission. Advanced reservations are advised, but walk-in vendors are welcome. Reserve online or mail your payment to Texas Scooter Times, 124 West Main St, Itasca, TX 76055. Payment must be received at least one week in advance.

Fish Fry Benefit for Eugene Neeper 972.262.8886 Grand Prairie Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

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Swing Life Away Ride for Stephanie bigjohn1952@earthlink.net Marble Falls Region: Hill Country

Rock’n at the Ranch 817.875.2388 Bedford Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

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Texas COC State Rally COCTexas.org Manor Region: Hill Country Metro: Austin

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ALR Post 231 Poker Run ALR231.com Pottsboro Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Sherman

Ride for the Fallen 512-495-9111 Austin Region: Hill Country Parkland Foundation Burn Camp Poker Run WFMCDallas.com Dallas Region: Prairies & Lakes

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Bikes for Headlights BikesForHeadlights.vpweb.com Texas City Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

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Bikes & Bugs III Pre-Party Crawish Boil MancusoHD.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast

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EvenT Listing

BUB Rally BUBRally.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast Bike games, tattoo contest, naughty contests, 5050/ raffle benefitting Stephen & Pruitt Ranch, bike show, MMA Cage Fights, Live music… food, drinks and more. Late night insanity down in the hole at Camp Kooch. $25 weekend pass; $15 day pass; $25 for RV site, FREE tent camping. Live music by Voodoo Moon (Tribute to Godsmack) on Friday; The Dogz and Point Blank on Saturday. All held at the Hawg Stop (HawgStop.com). Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine!

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

17 22-23 20-23 19-30

Run for the Wall RFTW.org Washington, DC

September 15-19 The Golden Aspen Rally MotorcycleRally.com Ruidoso, NM

2nd Annual Women Riders Conference Harley-Davidson.com/WomenRiders Milwaukee, WI Party in the Pines PineRally.com Longview Region: Piney Woods Longview Fairgrounds Complex. All bikes welcome.

Proceeds benefit the Longview Child Development Center. All events and concerts are included. Live music, including Mustang Sally; bike show; Joker Run; Dyno-drag races; Patriotic Freedom Parade; vendors; A/C area with beer garden; onsite RV and tent camping; blood drive; bike games, and guided rides through the beautiful Piney Woods. Family friendly during the day; no guarantees after dark. $35 for weekend pass; $20 one day pass; $5 under 16; Active military FREE. Register online before May 9th for free rally shirt & pin.

FUTURE

This year, Thunder Roads Texas is proud to sponsor “The Best Little Rally in Texas” at Big Creek Park & Marina. It’s a Luau and Biker Bash! Free Luau dinner Saturday night. Great entertainment, including world famous comedian, Gallagher - no fruit/veggie is safe!

Games, contests, feasts, parades, and CASH giveaways!

Special 9/11 Tribute Saturday. Proceeds benefit the Texas Biker Relief Organization (T-Bro). Make Zoo reservations now – they’ll be sold out soon!

September 9-12 Hot Springs Rally TheHotSpringsRally.com Hot Springs, AR

Aspen Cash Rally MotorcycleRally.com Ruidoso, NM

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September 9-12 The Texas Rally TheTexasRally.com Somerville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station

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June 10-13 Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker Rally ROTRally.com Austin Region: Hill Country June 12-20 Laconia Motorcycle Week LaconiaMCWeek.com Laconia, NH

September 17-19 The Oldest Town in Texas Rally OTTRally.com Nacogdoches Region: Piney Woods

Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine will, once again, sponsor this phenomenal event - as it gets bigger! With the blow out turn out in 2009, we expect big things from this rally this year! Watch for upcoming news as the organizers get ready to make this a rally to remember!

September 29-October 2 Bikes, Blues & BBQ BikesBluesandBBQ.org Fayetteville, AR September 29-October 3 Myrtle Beach Fall Rally MyrtleBeachBikeWeek.com Myrtle Beach, SC

September 30-October 3 Texas National Motorcycle Rally MySpace.com/TNMRally Baytown Region: Gulf Coast

June 21 International Ride to Work Day RideToWork.org

Reclaim your independence at Houston Raceway Park. $50 weekend pass; $30 single day (Fri/Sat); $20 Sunday only. Live music, vendors, racing and more. Watch website and Thunder Roads Texas for information as it is released. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine.

August 9-15 70th Annual Sturgis Bike Week Sturgis.com Sturgis, SD

October 14-17 Biketoberfest Biketoberfest.com Daytona, FL

August 31-September 5 THE Four Corners Rally IgnacioBikeWeek.com Ignacio, CO

November 5-7 Lone Star Motorcycle Rally LoneStarRally.com Galveston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston

September 3-6 Four Corners Biker Rally FourCornersBikerRally.com Durango, CO Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

EVENTS

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2nd Chad O Memorial Benefit Ride CplChadO.org Austin Region: Hill Country Help us get them “All the Way Home.” Ride or drive from North Austin to Fat Albert’s BBQ & Icehouse in Yoakum. Live music, food, games, door prizes & more. All proceeds benefit the Cpl. Chad Eric Oligschlaeger Foundation for post traumatic stress disorder. Registration opens at 8:30am at N. Hwy 183 & Anderson Mill. Kick stands up at 9:30am. Last bike in by 2:30pm. $35/rider/driver; $25 for Veterans and Active Military.

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Te x a s ’ R i d i n g M e c c a

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he Texas Hill Country is a world-wide phenomenon.

Just type “hill country” to your internet search engine and it’s all about Texas. While I searched in Google and Bing today for this article and got a New York (New York!) website – it’s a New York City restaurant completely dedicated to Texas BBQ and music. They had to pay for that top spot because everything else is Texas based – pages and pages. Search in Wikipedia you’re taken straight to “Texas Hill Country.” Everything best of Texas can be found in the Hill Country – from the great BBQ to good ‘ol Texas music; from mountains to deserts to oceans; beautiful wildflowers, and some true Texas hospitality.

Some things to keep in mind as you travel the Texas Hill

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Country. The folks send you a friendly wave – just wave back. If you’re enjoying the scenic drives and have some cars/trucks stack up behind you, pull onto the shoulder to let them pass – it’s just a Texas-etiquette thing… even if it is illegal. And mostly, for motorcyclists, deer are a definite hazard, especially at/after dusk.

And best of all, the area is Points Across Texas™ rich!

Tons of state parks, the majority of Texas wineries are found in this region, some of the most scenic roads in Texas as found on MotorcycleRoads.us, and beautiful old courthouses. And let’s not forget our sponsor (on our cover this month), D’Rose Inn & Cabins. In speaking with Deb Rose, we identified four locations in, and within 20 miles, of Leakey!

We visited Leakey – stayed at D’Rose Inn & Cabins, had dinner at Vinny’s, had drinks at Buckhorn Bar & Grill, had breakfast at Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop.

Then we headed to Vanderpool and the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, visited with Pete at Koyote Ranch in Medina and ate in Bandera – all before heading back to Houston. We’ll turn this section over to small snippets of what you’ll find in this area… but explore it all!

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

They’ve taken an old red barn and really turned it into something special! The bar is a 6” thick, 15’ long piece of solid Cypress, laminated to protect the beauty of it. The dance floor was just finished, complete with the Buckhorn logo emblazoned in the center. The pool and shuffle board tables are FREE and the beer is COLD. A $40,000 sound system offers the best music venue around and Kerry’s impressive drum set graces the stage… I even got to hear Bob (Thunder Roads Texas CEO) play for the first time in 20+ years! He’s pretty good, too! This place promises to be the next Texas Music Capital!

Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop & Bent Rim Grill Leakey FrioCanyonMotorcycleStop.biz BentRimGrill.com 830.232.6649

D’Rose Inn & Cabins Leakey DRoseInn.com 830.232.5246 The 1940’s inn has been in Deb Rose’s hands since 2003.

In 2005, she turned the inn into a haven for motorcyclists and bicyclists only. You can trailer (or come in to do an article) in a car/truck… but for others… make sure you have that bike to prove it! Deb is very knowledgeable about the area and is eager to make your visit as comfortable and interesting as possible.

Three years ago, Deb celebrated her 50th birthday. As a unique gift, friends/guests gave her Bob… not a B.O.B.… just Bob… a full-size wooden sculpture, lovingly created to sit on a motorcycle in front of D’Rose Inn. Now a celebrity, Bob is frequently photographed and is as unique to D’Rose and Leakey as Deb is… and just as welcoming!

D’Rose offers rooms in the main building, private cabins, a pool, a community room, and refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms. What they don’t offer – TV in the rooms (and good cell phone service… but who needs a cell phone in this setting?). Deb believes in community and getting her guests together to just enjoy each others’ company and the hill country feel of her property. Rocking chairs adorn the front porch of the main building. All cabins have a picnic table and BBQ pit. Deb will even shop for you before you arrive! And if you want to know where to go, what to do, what to see… just ask. Deb is almost always available onsite.

We went a whole quarter-mile to meet Robin & Bob Albright of Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop. The original location was on the corner of Highway 83 and one of the “Twisted Sisters,” FM 337… in the middle of town. When they outgrew that location a couple years ago, they moved a quarter mile down 337 to a prime little piece of property with an expansive view of the Hill Country. Robin and Bob pride themselves on having some unique pieces to offer in the shop… like my “BAD GIRL” belt. Robin even re-opened her cash register for me to purchase it after hours! They look for items others just don’t carry, but you wish they would!

We enjoyed their company at dinner at Vinny’s, now under new ownership – but with the same great food! Funny story… My mom has a high school friend that owns the drive through Leakey Beverage Barn. I went in on our way into town and spoke with Russell. I didn’t remember my mom’s friends’ names (and couldn’t find out with no cell service in the area)… so told him who I was and that my mom insisted that I drop by and introduce myself. We left Russell realizing he had NO CLUE as to what I was talking about and we commented on the fact that he was too young (my age) to have gone to school with my mom. Enter Vinny’s… now this is small town personality! As we finished dinner, I told the Albrights my story. When I was done, Robin pointed at a table nearby and said, “There’s Richard and Betty Sprouse.

They are the owners of the Beverage Barn.” So, I went up, introduced myself, and asked that they let their

manager, Russell, know that the crazy woman he met that afternoon wasn’t all that crazy!

Back to the Motorcycle Stop… we visited Robin & Bob the next morning. Bob offered to cook Bob (Thunder Roads) breakfast, even though they only serve breakfast to large groups upon reservation. We found out that they coined (and trademarked) the phrase, “I did the Three Twisted Sisters”… referring to the everpopular trio of twisty roads Ranch Roads 335, 336 and 337.

We enjoyed a nice meal in a great location… and more of the Albright’s company before we were off to our next stop.

This is a must see stop when riding the Twisted Sisters.

Continued on next page...

Buckhorn Bar & Grill Leakey FrioBuckhornBar.com 830.232.4755 Admittedly, we saw a few “Buckhorn’s” on the trip from Houston… but none can compare to the new Buckhorn in Leakey! We met Deb Rose there for drinks after our busy first day in the Hill Country and were introduced to the NICEST couple – Kerry and Deborah Sheppard, owners of the newest music/bar/dance/pool hall… in town, and their manager, David Hortness!

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1937 BSA M20 500CC. When he was first looking at it and told “$1000” is the price, he really didn’t know if it was worth it. Today, it’s not worth much more… but it’s a great exhibit piece for the museum and it’s special because it started the collection.

John has two favorites in the collection, an HRD he found in Balhanna, South Australia in 1989 and a 1954 Velocette. The HRD being from the same town is father grew up in makes it close to his heard. The Velocette is the actual model (SN 10,001) that sat on the London Moto Show floor in 1953. Additionally, the Velocette is a “comfortable, smooth joy to ride.”

In total, the museum boasts $600-800,000 worth of classic bikes. Some rare, some common, most are still in running condition – all cool. John does all his own restoration work, except chroming and cadmium plating. Thunder Roads Bob just “oohed” and “awed” when John took us back to tour his impressive onsite shop. Debbie has her own “Ace Café” where you can get a scrumptious bite and cold drink.

Lone Star Motorcycle Museum Vanderpool LoneStarMotorcycleMuseum.com 830.966.6103 Allan Johncock grew up in Australia, but when he found Debbie, his “Yellow Rose of Texas,” he never went back!

Growing up with motorcycles, he found himself soon collecting them. Friends would tell him about a friend of a friend who had one for sale. Or he would visit Australia and see one for sale. Either way, his collection quickly outgrew a home garage! John also boasts a racing background, with 10 years of fond memories racing AHRMA Historic Racing series, taking trophies at Mid-Ohio and Daytona.

In 1998, the Johncock’s purchased a pretty little piece of land just north of Vanderpool. They realized they needed a place for the growing motorcycle collection. Additionally, they wanted to share these wonderful machines with others. So, John set up a non-profit museum to do just that, building a place for them on the land they call home.

The majority of the bikes are British, but there are some American, German, Italian, French, and others in the mix.

The first bike that started the Johncock’s collection is a

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motorcycle resort” in the Hill Country. They’ve updated the cabins and are working hard to offer Texas hospitality bar none; they want everyone to feel welcome. They offer 100 acres of prime Hill Country real estate. You drive up a hill to get to the office and store/café. There are large and small cabins, tent sites (really nice!), RV spots, pool with a hot tub, a playroom for kids, a store where you can purchase necessities, a café to enjoy a fresh-made meal and cold drink… you can even gas up before your ride.

And, according to Pete, you can set your watch by the hummingbirds; they always send out their scouts on March 17th! Maybe they have Irish roots!

Koyote Ranch is centrally located, offering access to Bandera (all those rallies and just plain biker friendly), the beautiful roads, Fredericksburg (shopping, shopping, beer & wine) and even San Antonio is close enough to enjoy a day at Six Flags, the Alamo or the River Walk.



The museum sponsors the annual British Singles Ride from the museum to Big Bend. A small group of five-to-six motorcyclists ride classic single cylinder British bikes on a 1200 mile, week-long trip. Last year, all bikes made it the whole way, which John says is unusual. This year, John will ride a 1954 Norton Road Gun version with overhead cam.

The museum is only open Friday-Sunday and there is a minimal donation/admission to help cover the costs of operating the place. You can find John and Debbie onsite and John is happy to talk to you about his bikes.

Koyote Ranch Medina KoyoteRanch.com 800.225.0991 Our last stop on this one night whirlwind trip was Koyote Ranch just north of Medina. I visited there a few years ago and still recall the thrill of sitting on the patio with a cold brew watching the hummingbirds go after the many feeders… not to mention the view of the Hill Country! New owners took over last year and we sat down with Pete Cook, the new manager, to talk about what they’re doing to make this the “premier

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Hill Country Ride

Total Route Distance: About 125 miles Total Riding Time: 3.5 hours

• •

• • •

•

• • •

Starting at D’Rose Inn & Cabins in Leakey Go North on US 83/Market Street Left on Ranch Road 337 to Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop Leaving Frio Canyon, go back to Market Street in Leakey Left on Market Street/US 83 N The Real County Courthouse is on the left at 4th Street

• • • • •

Continue North on US 83 N through Leakey Veer left to take Ranch Road 336 and continue North Right on TX Highway 41 East toward Kerrville Right on FM 1340 South toward Hunt Stonehenge II is on the right Right on TX Highway 39 West in Hunt Left on Ranch Road 187, heading toward Vanderpool Lone Star Motorcycle Museum is on the right before Vanderpool

• Right on 337 in Vanderpool, back to Leakey Other Points Across Texas destinations on the map near this route: • Garner State Park, just South of Leakey on US 83 • Kerr County Courthouse in Kerrville • Cowboy Capital of the World and Bandera County Courthouse, both in Bandera

Ride Safe & Ride with THUNDER!

Some information above was provided by MotorcycleRoads.US. You can find a link on our website to this great mapping resource.

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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Seasons of the Hill Country

By Gambler San Antonio Correspondent

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now the need to break the ice in the dogs’ water bowl. A ride through the country now will bring the smell of wood smoke from ranch house fire places. Weekend traffic will mainly consist of pickup trucks and four wheelers being transported into the deer camps.

he hill country means different things to each and every rider on every type of bike. But, no matter the meaning, there is one thing we all share, and that is the enjoyment it brings just being there.

In the spring, the main focus is on the bluebonnets. Acres and acres of a blue sea of flowers, broken only by a dash of Indian Paintbrushes and a light green color of new leaves bursting to life. The Willow City Loop outside of Fredericksburg is a well known place for photography hounds to gather and try to capture nature in their own way. The sun penetrates the cold river waters and prepares it for the first swimmers of summer. Cactus flowers appear on the prickly pear, opening up to reveal petals of bright yellow, and the song birds whistle merrily as they build nests in the mesquite trees.

Summer time here can turn this country hard. It is hot and dry and the rain rarely makes an appearance. The land thirsts and the grasses shrivel. Gardens burn and water tanks dry up. Road temperatures exceed 110 degrees and can test both bike and rider. It does make one appreciate a rest stop to take a dip in the cool waters of the Frio or maybe the Medina rivers, if there is enough water flowing to do so.

Finally somewhere in September, when you think you can’t stand it anymore, the heat begins to recede and the cool nights change the pace, the trees begin changing their plumage to a more colorful pattern. The fall rains

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come and pastures green up. The rivers swell and begin floating colorful leaves across the rapids and downstream towards the Gulf of Mexico once again. Just sitting there and listening to the water flow by can almost induce one into a hypnotic trance. The air is fresh, cool and clean; and you can actually feel the bike straining against the throttle as if it is to be unleashed. The white tail doe and her twin fawns are feeding heavily just inside the fence, trying to put on all the weight they can before winter’s arrival. The huge Cyprus trees that line the rivers trade their green for an amber glow. Around Vanderpool, the lost maples exchange their color for a bright golden yellow. Red oaks dot the mountain sides adding to an already colorful landscape.

Then one day the color is gone; the first frost comes and takes its toll upon most all of the leafy vegetation. The leaves are now reduced to brown, dry clusters of stuff that rains down upon the earth and makes you rake the yard and clean out the gutters. The temperature drops and there is

All my favorite holidays lay ahead. A time when I get to visit and laugh with family, friends and get all the goodies that go along with the season. Now is the time for some fine winter riding which means little or no traffic. Sometimes it is so quiet out there I feel as if I am the only one left in the world. Isn’t it cold you ask? You bet. But this is a time that a man can get out and clear his head. He is alone with only his thoughts and his bike. It is a time to reflect on the past, present and future; and arrive home feeling relaxed and confident knowing things have been resolved and an inner peace has been established. What is gained from a ride like that far surpasses being cold. Besides, being cold is there to remind you you’re still alive. It may even serve to sharpen the senses. For the fair weather riders, don’t dismay. Here in Texas, usually around mid February, we begin to slowly ease back into spring again. The days are getting longer and the cold blustery winds of winter are giving way to new buds and warmer days and nights. This means we have watched and enjoyed another cycle of life from the back of a motorcycle.

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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Texas Pride Barbeque Every Thursday 2980 E. Loop 1604 Adkins, TX 78101 Phone: 210-649-3730 Region: South Texas Metro: San Antonio A real Texas barbeque joint with a REAL bike night. Live music, no cover, “Class Rock” beer specials, drive through pavilion, and good Texas BBQ. Just 20 minutes East of San Antonio.

Thunder Roads Texas @ Texas Rock Tavern 3rd Thursday 2470 FM 1960 W Houston, TX 77068 Phone: 281.866.8149 Region: Gulf Coast Join the Thunder Roads Texas team at Texas Rock Tavern for live music, no cover, cheap drinks, good food, door prizes, and more!

Sponsored by Eagle Cycles on Jones Road. You may catch Outlaw Dave and Bryan “the Babe Wrangler” partying with the team!

Rain or shine, we party like bikers!

Want to see YOUR mug in our mag? Email pictures to Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com.

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

Thunder Roads Texas @John’s Place Pub 1st Tuesday 8921 Louetta Rd Spring, TX 77379 Phone: 281.655.JOHN Region: Gulf Coast Another great Houston-area bike night! Sponsored by Eagle Cycles on Jones Road. Reserved motorcycle parkking, friendly bartenders & waitresses, great drink specials, billiards, darts, shuffleboard & so much more.

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Joker’s Wild A

father walks into a restaurant with his young son. He gives the young boy three nickels to play with to keep him occupied.

Suddenly, the boy starts choking, going blue in the face. The father realizes the boy has swallowed the nickels and starts slapping him on the back. The boy coughs up two of the nickels, but keeps choking. Looking at his son, the father is panicking, shouting for help.

A well dressed, attractive, and serious looking woman in a blue business suit is sitting at a coffee bar reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. At the sound of the commotion, she looks up, puts her coffee cup down, neatly folds the newspaper and places it on the counter, gets up from her seat and makes her way, unhurried, across the restaurant. Reaching the boy, the woman carefully drops his pants; takes hold of the boy’s testicles and starts to squeeze and twist, gently at first and then ever so firmly. After a few seconds the boy convulses violently and coughs up the last nickel, which the woman deftly catches in her free hand. Releasing the boy’s testicles, the woman hands the nickel to the father and walks back to her seat at the coffee bar without saying a word.

As soon as he is sure that his son has suffered no ill effects, the father rushes over to the woman and starts thanking her saying, “I’ve never seen anybody do anything like that before, it was fantastic. Are you a doctor?“ “No,” the woman replied. “I’m with the IRS.”

A

man wakes up in the hospital, bandaged from head to foot. The doctor comes in and says, “I see you’ve regained consciousness.

You probably won’t remember, but you were in a pile-up on the freeway. You’re going to be okay. You’ll walk again, but...... something happened. I’m trying to break this gently. Your willy was chopped off in the wreck and paramedics were unable to find it.”

The man groans, but the doctor goes on, “You’ve got $9000 in insurance compensation coming and we have the technology now to build you a new willy that will work as well as your old one did – better in fact! But the thing is… it doesn’t come cheap. It’s $1000 an inch.”

The man perks up at this. “So,” the doctor says, “it’s for you to decide how many inches you want. But it’s something you’d better discuss with your wife. I mean, if you had a five inch one before and you decide to go for a nine-incher, she might be a bit put out. But if you had a nine inch one before and you decide only to invest in a five-incher this time, she might be disappointed. So it’s important that she plays a role in helping you make the decision. The man agrees to talk with his wife. The doctor comes back the next day.

“So,” says the doctor, “have you spoken with your wife?”

“I have,” says the man.

“And has she helped you in making the decision?”

T

he IRS summons Grandpa to an audit. The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney. The auditor said, “Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling.

I’m not sure the IRS finds that believable.”

“I’m a great gambler and I can prove it,” says Grandpa, “How about a demonstration?”

The auditor thinks for a moment and said, “Okay. Go ahead.”

Grandpa says, “I’ll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.”

The auditor thinks a moment and says, “It’s a bet.”

Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor’s jaw drops.

Grandpa says, “Now, I’ll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.”

Now the auditor can tell Grandpa isn’t blind, so he takes the bet. Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Grandpa’s attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.

“Want to go double or nothing?” Grandpa asks “I’ll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk and pee into that wastebasket on the other side and never get a drop anywhere in between.”

The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there’s no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again. Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can’t make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much urinates all over the auditor’s desk. The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win.

But Grandpa’s own attorney moans and puts his head in his hands. “Are you okay?” the auditor asks.

“Not really,” says the attorney, “This morning, when Grandpa told me he’d been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty-five thousand dollars that he could come in here and piss all over your desk and that you’d literally be happy about it!”

F

ive surgeons from big cities are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on.

The first surgeon, from New York, says,” I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.”

The second, from Chicago, responds, “Yeah, but you should try electricians!

Everything inside them is color coded.”

“Yes, she has,” says the man, “We’re getting granite countertops.”

The third surgeon, from Dallas, says, “No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order.”

T

The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in, “You know, I like construction workers. Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over.”

wo young businessmen in California were sitting down for a break in their soon-to-be new store in the mall. As yet, the store wasn’t ready; with only a few shelves and display racks set up. One said to the other, “I’ll bet that any minute now some lame ass busy-body is going to walk by, put his face to the window, and ask what we’re selling.”

Sure enough, just a moment later, a curious senior gentleman walked up to the window, looked around intensely, and rapped on the glass. Then in a loud voice asked, “What are you sellin’ here?”

But the fifth surgeon, from Washington, DC, shut them all up when he observed: “You’re all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on.

There are no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains, and no spine. Plus, the head and the ass are interchangeable.”

One of the guys replied sarcastically, “We’re selling ass-holes.”

Without missing a beat, the old timer said, “Sales are good. Only two left.”

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Biker Friendly Listing

Listed here are businesses that are SERIOUS about serving the Texas Motorcycle Community. The list is sorted

by Region, as provided by the Texas Travel Guide. An “*” means you can find Thunder Roads Texas at these locations. Additionally you can find us at ALL Harley-Davidson dealerships, and Cycle Gear and Renegade Classics locations in Texas. Visit ThunderRoadsTexas.com to find a full listing of distribution points. Tell them you saw them in Thunder Road Texas!

BIG BEND *Barnett Harley-Davidson 8272 Gateway East on I-10 El Paso, TX 79907 800.453.1513 BarnettHarley.com *Legacy Harley-Davidson 12100 W Hwy 80 East Odessa, TX 79765 800.788.6921 LegacyH-D.com

GULF COAST *Alamo Bar & Grill 7846 Fallbrook Dr Houston, TX 77086 281.537.7647 MySpace.com/HoustonsAlamo *Awesome Cycles 281.293.7663 AwesomeCycles.com *Backwoods Bar & Grill 11310 FM 1725 Bear Creek, TX 77328 281.592.2254 BackwoodsBarGrill.com *Ball Insurance 416 S Main St Highlands, TX 77563 800.444.7014 BallIns.com *Corpus Christi Harley-Davidson 502 Padre Island Dr Corpus Christi, TX 78408 361.854.3146 CorpusChristiHarley.com *Cowboy Harley-Davidson Beaumont 1150 IH-10 South Beaumont, TX 77707 88.839.4464 CowboyHarley.com *Eagle Cycles 11800 Jones Rd Houston, TX 77070 281.955.0064 EagleCyclesTX.com *Farrar & Ball LLP LAW TIGERS 1010 Lamar, Ste 1600 Houston, TX 77002 888.LAW-TIGERS (529.8443) LawTigers.com *Goe Harley-Davidson 1350 S 288B Angleton, TX 77515 281.383.1000 GoeHarley-Davidson.com Haley Insurance PO Box 8787 The Woodlands, TX 77387 888.4.BIKERS (424.5377) HaleyInsuranceOnline.com *Harley-Davidson of Kingwood 111 Northpines Dr Kingwood, TX 77365 281.358.0457 KingwoodHarley.com *Houston Motorsports North 9550 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77070 281.890.2020 HoustonYamaha.com

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*Jackel Motorsports West 3719 Hwy 90 Brookshire, TX 77423 281.934.4444 JackelWest.com *John’’s Place Pub 8921 Louetta Rd Spring, TX 77379 281.655.JOHN (5646) MySpace.com/JohnsPlaceSportsPub *Mancuso Harley-Davidson Crossroads 12710 Crossroads Park Dr Houston, TX 77065 281.970.9700 MancusoCrossroads.com Mullis Air & Heat Houston Area 281.468.5819 *Republic Harley-Davidson 12707 Southwest Fwy Stafford, TX 77477 866.843.6481 RepublicHD.com Ride Like a Pro - Houston 281.844.6818 RideLikeAProHouston.com *San Jacinto Harley-Davidson 3636 E Sam Houston Pkwy South Pasadena, TX 77505 281.991.4275 SanJacintoHD.com *Stitches 1308 Hwy 6 South Houston, TX 77077 281.558.8572 *Stubbs Harley-Davidson 4400 Telephone Rd Houston, TX 77087 713.644.7535 StubbsHD.com *Team Mancuso Powersports - Gulf Fwy 10222 Gulf Fwy Houston, TX 77034 281.486.4604 TMPGF.com *Team Mancuso Powersports - SW 7537 SW Freeway Houston, TX 77074 713.955.9944 TMPSW.com *Texas Rock Tavern 2470 FM 1960 Houston, TX 77068 281.583.8111 * VIP Apparel 2219 Post Office Street Galveston, TX 77550 VIPBikerApparel.com 713.478.0592 *West of the Brazos Bar & Grill 23220 Hwy 36 Damon, TX 77430 979.742.3100 MySpace.com/WestOfTheBrazos

HILL COUNTRY *D’Rose Inn & Cabins 527 Hwy 83 Leakey, TX 78873 830.232.5246 DRoseInn.com

*Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop & Bent Rim Grill 657 West Ranch Rd Leakey, TX 78873 830.232.6629 FrioCanyonMotorcycleStop.biz BentRimGrill.com *Gruene Harley-Davidson 1288 Loop 337 New Braunfels, TX 78130 830.624.2473 GrueneHarley.com *Javelina Harley-Davidson 29078 I-10 West Boerne, TX 78006 800-860-9696 JavelinaHarleyDavidson.com *Phantom Rider Choppers 6535 West Hwy 46 New Braunfels, TX 78132 830.228.4606 PhantomRiderChoppers.com *Southern Metal Choppers 11116 Middle Fiskville Rd, Ste E Austin, TX 78753 512.833.5044 SouthernMetalChoppers.com

PANHANDLE *Affordable Leather 3302 N Midkiff Rd Midland, TX 79705 432.699.0775 Affordable-Leather-WTX.com *Big Apple Deli & Bar 1804 25th St Snyder, TX 79549 325.573.7788 *Bully’s Grill 8542 Seymour Hwy Wichita Falls, TX 76310 940.689.9195 *Flying V Creations 1903 College Ave Snyder, TX 79549 325.436.0197 MySpace.com/FlyingVCreations *Lubbock Custom Motorcycles 11804 South University #A Lubbock, TX 79423 806.745.7167 LubbockCustomMotorcycles.com *Midessa Motorcycles 8100 West Highway 80 Midland, TX 79706 432.563.4109 MidessaMotorcycle.com *Rolling Thunder Bar & Grll 6441 County Road 2173 Fluvanna, TX 79517 325.573.HAWG (4294) RollingThunderBarAndGrill.com

PINEY WOODS *Backwoods Bar & Grill 11310 FM 1725 Bear Creek, TX 77328 832.579.7668 BackwoodsBarGrill.com *Cycle Heaven 3770 Hwy 69N Lufkin, TX 75904 936.634.8404 CycleHeavenTX.com

*Misfit Motorcycles 11210 FM 1488 Magnolia, TX 7354 877.MIS.FITZ (647.3489) MisfitMotorcycles.com *Phantom Custom Cycles 34507 SH 249 Pinehurst, TX 77362 281.766.1549 PhantomCustomCycles.com

PRAIRIES & LAKES *Cuttin Loose 744 N Burleson Blvd Burleson, TX 76028 817.295.7421 Dragonstar Motorcycle Transport Bryan, TX 77806 281.935.8890 GetARide.net *Frisco Custom Cycles 6427 Main Street Frisco, TX 75034 214.387.0650 FriscoCustomCycles.com *Harley-Davidson of Waco 1524 I-35 South Waco, TX 76706 254.753.0393 HDWaco.com *Horny Toad Bar & Grill Cranfills Gap, TX 76637 254.597.1100 HornyToadBar.com *Longhorn Harley-Davidson 2830 West I-20 Grand Prairie, TX 75052 972.988.1903 LonghornHD.com *Moto Liberty 11441 N Stemmons Fwy Dallas, TX 75229 972.243.5995 MotoLiberty.com *Snook Watering Hole FM 2155 Snook, TX 77879 979.272.3715 SnookWateringHole.com *Thunder Alley Cycles 416 NE Wilshire Blvd Burleson, TX 76028 817.295.0955 ThunderAlleyCycles.com *Yankee’s Tavern 10328 FM 244 Carlos, TX 77843 936.873.3314 YankeesTavern.com

SOUTH TEXAS *American Riders 10874 Leslie Rd, Ste 2 Helotes, TX 78023 210.695.6343 AmericanRiders.us *Caliente Harley-Davidson 7230 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78245 210.681.CALI (2254) CalienteHarley.com

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

*Cowboy’s Alamo City Harley-Davidson 11005 IH 35 North San Antonio, TX 78233 800.397.7875 AlamoCityHarley.com

*Texas Pride Barbeque 2980 East Loop 1604 Adkins, TX 78101 210.649.3730 TexasPrideBBQ.net

*Insurance Lady Agency 642 W Rhapsody, Ste A San Antonio, TX 78216 214.403.2216 InsuranceLadyInc.com

*Yamaha of San Antonio A Kent Powersports Company 15664 I-35 Selma, TX 78154 210.655.2625 KentPowersports.com

*Joe Harrison Motorsports 9710 I-35 North San Antonio, TX 78233 210.656.9400 JHMS.com *Kent Powersports 15664 I-35 Selma, TX 78154 210.656.9400 KentPowersports.com Mission Wrecker 4535 FM 1516 N Converse, TX 78109 MissionWrecker.com

STATEWIDE MAPSCO 800.950.5308 Mapsco.com *Mean Gene Kelton 713.866.4872 MeanGeneRocks.com Thunderbolt Polish 830.796.7920 / 830.739.2996 WGarver99@yahoo.com Thunder Roads Magazine - National 615.792.0040 ThunderRoadsMagazine.com

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