By Lulu

[autoviewer id="295" width="600" height="600" ] The first weekend in October Iron Horse Saloon, JP Cycles and ROAR Motorcycles hosted the first Hear Us Roar Ladies Event. It was designed specifically to showcase the ever growing number of women riders. Starting with a Friday evening women only “Meet and Greet” at the World Famous Iron Horse Saloon which featured free wine, cheese, pizza, sweets and gift bags for the first 150 women. Vendors filled the back lot for our shopping pleasure. Lots of door prizes and giveaways all weekend long for women only made us feel very special. Following the meet and greet they opened the back up to the male species and Bobby Scott rocked the place. A lady comedienne from Jacksonville Jackie Vargo, a Harley girl, had us in stitches during the band break. The host hotel, The Lotus Inn, was a beautiful South Beach styled small hotel with a fire pit in the sand, hot tub and heated pool with a gorgeous view of the Atlantic Ocean. It was really fabulous sitting by the fire until the wee hours of the morning sharing bike stories with other women! And the exchanging of phone numbers made the event have added importance to those who organized the weekend! Saturday ROAR hosted a pool party from 10a-1p with music by Blue Diamond, free chair massages, sweets and coffee by Sweet Marley’s. After showering we all headed to JP Cycles for a short ride through the loop to ROAR Motorcycles. While at JP Cycles Kathleen Tolleson (CEO of ROAR and author of Hear Me Roar) and Jody Perewitz (fastest woman on 2 wheels) signed autographs while some major shopping was going on, and the hungry munched on a hot dog or two. I am impressed that JP Cycles and Iron Horse Saloon have spotlighted the woman rider! The expense and work to put on an event comes with a great risk as whether the event will be attended, particularly the first year. But the rapidly growing number of women riders can’t be ignored. My helmet’s off to Iron Horse and JP Cycles for acknowledging it. At ROAR there were tech tips, beautiful bikes and free sweets! Saturday night was the monthly first Saturday Bike Night at Iron Horse and their bike show featured ladies bikes. The music was by Yummy and while on break there was a short fashion show and bike awards. We all headed back to the beach for more relaxation in the hot tub with the sound of crashing waves and friendly fireside chats. A special thank you to Twisted Tea, Budweiser, Sweet Ride Wines and Willie and his crew from Tropical Tattoo for helping to put this great event on. Also a very special thank you to Heavy and Christine from Midwest Cycles on Beach St. for providing a bike for Jody to ride. And the ladies from Chrome Divas for lending a helping hand when we realized we needed HELP! The rumor is this is going to be a yearly event moving it to the last weekend in September in 2014. Put this on the calendar we would love this to end up thousands of women riders. I like that it gives new riders a chance to experience Daytona without the crowds and testosterone that can be a bit intimidating during Bike Week or Biketoberfest; and it also allows our sisterhood to have a moment to connect and shine! P.S. Gentlemen, put this on your event calendar too, because there will be more women at the Iron Horse than ever and we know you love girls that RIDE! Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole

[autoviewer id="294" width="600" height="600" ] The weather couldn’t have been any sunnier or warmer for Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Old School Bike Show!! The property was thick with people circulating to take a look at all of the pure ol’ school choppers that were lined up to show off their uniqueness and hopefully get a trophy by its side. The host of the bike show was Tropical’s very own Roadside Marty revealing the awards and entertaining the crowd with his comical humor. Inside Tropical’s Tattoo shop was also booming with ladies and gents picking out their tats and waiting to get inked!! Every year all the profits from the bike show benefit a charity in need. This year we all helped a Marine Veteran named Bob Barry in need of a prosthetic leg. Nikki Lynn, owner and founder of The Arni Foundation, volunteers with many of her peeps every week at the Veterans Nursing Home taking the fellows out to lunch and such. She met Bob at Hooters and he told her his story. Nikki and crew assist during the bike show and with all of us coming together the monies raised was $6200.00 and Bob took his first few steps this Veteran’s Day!! I wish you all could see the video…it’s very moving!! Moments like this make Shane and I feel lucky to be a part of these occasions. Willie would like to say Thank You to all the sponsors who participated, all the volunteers and like some of us say…You tattooed bikers are the BEST!! Thank you, Willie and Jean, for bringing all of these good times together year after year…and it only keeps getting better!!!! Mark your calendar for Bike Week 2014 to be at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Bike Show always on Thursdays! Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock [autoviewer id="293" width="600" height="600" ] Biketoberfest would not be the same without spending time at the world-famous Cabbage Patch Bar in Samsula. They don't follow the Daytona rules. They party for 10 days which this year started on Friday the 11th and went through Sunday the 20th. There was live music daily, tons of vendors, hot buns and wet T-shirt contests. On Friday the 18th they had a Bike & Bagger show, and of course, Coleslaw Wrestling on the 19th. World-famous Coleslaw Wrestling has been seen on National Geographic Channel, the Discovery Channel, and the Travel Channel. They have such a friendly staff that you really don't want to go anywhere else, and with plenty of camping and free Wi-Fi, you don't need to. There's always something going on at the Cabbage Patch. It's open year-round seven days a week. Stop in and check them out and say hi to Ronnie and Roger and his beautiful bartenders. Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy "Kneecap" Braddock

Here we are in December a month of remembrance, observances, celebration, and partying. We need to remember the three very important days that changed the history of this country, and the world, that happened in December. Pearl Harbor Day: this occurred on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked the United States and took us into World War II. Next, we have one of the most important days in our history that nobody ever pays attention to and is not even taught in our state run government schools. Bill of Rights Day: on March 4, 1789 the Constitution of the United States was ratified by the 13 colonies. All states and individuals were concerned that the Constitution did not properly cover and protect the rights of individuals. The Constitution was signed with the requirement that a Bill of Rights would be created amending the new U.S. Constitution. On September 25, 1789 the first Congress of the United States proposed to the state legislature's 12 amendments to the Constitution. 10 of these amendments were added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. Then we have the most important of all the December days that the liberals have declared war on. Christmas Day: on December 25 we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. 95% of Americans celebrate this day with 65% considering it a very religious time. Also 33% of the world also celebrates his day. So get off of the political correctness and stop saying Happy Holidays and say “Merry Christmas”. PS. And it's not a holiday tree it's a “Christmas tree”. Now let's talk about the days of December that are not so important yet a little bit more fun. National Egg Nog Day: on December 24 it's fun to celebrate with eggnog. Bring out the Rum or Cognac, and start wrapping the presents and decorating the Christmas tree. Howdy Doody Day: this occurs on December 27. I think when Pete Campbell of Mad Men said, “I'm the President of the Howdy Doody Circus Army”, he was referring to this administration. Buffalo Bob (Barack Obama) came to Washington DC and began to pull the strings of all the puppets. Phineas T. Bluster (Harry Reid), Sandra the Witch (Nancy Pelosi), Dilly Dally (Joe Biden), Flub-a-dab (Barney Frank), and of course Windy Scuttlebutt (Alan Grayson). The rest of Congress sat in the peanut gallery. The circus came and went but the clowns stayed. Of course, we have the big fun day where we dance, eat, and drink alcoholic beverages. New Year's Eve: is the day that Americans consume more alcohol than any other day of the year. Only, followed by (surprisingly) Christmas, Fourth of July, St. Patrick's Day, and Thanksgiving. Couple things I learned about alcohol: Money can't buy happiness but it can buy you alcohol, which can make you happy. When I realized I was drinking too much, I decided to cut down. I now only drink on days ending in Y. Good girls are made of sugar and spice, but real good girls can be made with vodka and ice. There also two unlucky days in this December. The 31st which is also New Year's Eve is an unlucky day. But you can make it a lucky day if you get rid of all the bad things, so next year you will be happy, healthy, and prosperous. The other unlucky day is Friday the 13th. The fear of Friday the 13th is called: “paraskavedekatiaphoba”. If you can pronounce this on New Year's Eve you haven't had near enough. See you on the shiny side up tomorrow. If you would like to read more, go to my website.  nobodiesopinion.com Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu

[autoviewer id="288" width="600" height="600" ] The Rossmeyer family went all out for Biketoberfest and they report brisk sales of bikes and huge crowds for the event. Molly Hatchet rocked to a huge crowd! The international swim suit competition had plenty of eye candy and a throng (not thong!) of fans to cheer them on. An entertaining though somewhat frightening show was Torch a biker that plays with fire! His bike, his whip and his mouth were all ablaze…Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe was armed with a fire extinguisher and I felt she would need to know how to use it before the night was over! Vendors were all over the place and thank goodness for the shuttles, as the crowds made parking a long walk from the action. Hats off to Destination Daytona for making Biketoberfest the party it is meant to be! Read the rest of this entry »

By Raven Van Pelt

[autoviewer id="287" width="600" height="600" ] American Legion riders from Post 283 and surrounding Legions held their 6th Annual Poker Run for PedsCare on September 28th. Five stops were included in this run; raffle, prizes, and shell game were among just some of the happenings.  What sets this ride apart from most is the best BBQ ever; the sweet meat fell off the bone! As of last count 300 registered riders were in attendance raising so far $21,000.00 and counting. PedsCare is a team of competent and compassionate health professionals who work closely together to serve infants, children, teens, young adults, and families. They provide education and anticipatory guidance appropriate to the age of the child, prevent illness, evaluate and treat acute and chronic diseases, and prevent complications. I was lucky enough to be part of this great cause last year, and this, and will definitely be there again next year, thank you Legion Riders for a job well done. Read the rest of this entry »

By LuLu

Living in the Daytona Beach area, I know for a fact it is hard to find a true native Floridian, but this month’s Bull’s Eye takes the prize for that one. Snake Andress was Holly Hill born and raised! In fact, he was born in the house he still lives in 63 years ago. Anyone who knows Snake probably can tell you where his nickname originates from, but for those who don’t know Snake I had to ask. As a child around 10 years old he would catch snakes of all types and sell them for 50 cents a foot to “The Sea Zoo” for spending money. Snake claims to have been bit a few times, but not by anything poisonous. He played high school sports hard enough to be “broke up too bad” to join the service or to be drafted, he swears “it was a physical deferment NOT a mental deferment”! He enrolled in a trade school and has spent his working life as a welder. He has had his own welding business now for 40 years. He specializes in small repairs now, as he is semi-retired. Snake does a lot of motorcycle welding for local shops such as Crank N Chrome and Black Gold. Snake’s first bike was a Honda 50 Super Sport at 14 years old, probably purchased with some of that “snake by the foot money”. His first Harley was a Sportster in 1992. He now has 7 bikes in his stable including a 2008 Road King that they travel to Myrtle Beach on, 1993 Dyna Wide Glide, 1999 Honda Shadow, 2 Sportsters, 1 Super Glide and finally another Road King. When asked what got him riding he simply stated, “The need for transportation, I got tired of bicycles real quick.” Snake says he enjoys riding now for pleasure and spending time with the group of friends who share his love of riding. He says, “When I am not burning welding rods, I am burning rubber”, either on his motorcycles or in his drag car. The proof he claims is on the road in front of his home! In the garage along with his 7 bikes are a 1964 Falcon and a 1963 Falcon Pro Street that he drag races. Snake has been involved in local politics for the past 20+ years. (Wow, most political activist would never want to be referred to as Snake!) This involvement has led him to help with Hogs on the Hill during Bike Week in Holly Hill. According to his friends he also throws one hell of a biker party during Bike Week and Biketoberfest feeding up to 160 friends! They claim it is a “Little Iron Horse” during his party. Finally, I want to say that Snake is a good man that is an honorary Holly Hill police officer and works special details such as parades. During Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo he worked search and rescue and helped with debris removal to get to those in need. Snake is a fun, funny and happy guy, that I can tell his friends are proud to know. Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock [autoviewer id="286" width="600" height="600" ] The 19th Annual Bruce Rossmeyer's Ride for Children with almost 1000 motorcycles took off with a roar from Destination Daytona on Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 10 AM and headed with a police escort to Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis. The Camp is a year-round medical camp for children with serious illnesses, co-founded by actor Paul Newman and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in 1996. Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Harley-Davidson has supported the camp since it opened and after Bruce's death in 2009 his wife (Sandy) and children (Shelly, Mandy, Wendy, Randy and Will) stepped up and kept it going. The run has had many Grand Marshals including James Gandolfini, who sadly died this year. This year's Grand Marshal, actor-director Steve Buscemi, led the procession, along with Jody Perewitz (Dave Perewitz's daughter) the first woman to break the land speed record of 208mph on a 100ci V-twin. After arriving at the camp the bikers were greeted by the smiling faces of the children and camp volunteers. They enjoyed auctions, music and a great buffet lunch donated by Outback Steakhouse. The MC for the ceremonies was Frank Scott of WHOG 95.7 radio who has been the MC for this event for the last 18 years. Because of all the efforts of the volunteers, the donors, and the generous bikers, this year's funds surpassed the $5 million mark donated over the course of its 19 year lifespan. Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu

I had the most fabulous trip last month and the article will be in next month’s issue, but I had to take a minute here to rave about the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, Texas. This year I went to work the event and had the opportunity to watch an event unfold from the beginning to the end. It was unbelievable the amount of work that goes into putting a 4 day bike rally on. All the details from security, change for registers, signage, parking, bar set ups, stages, sound systems, employees, airline flights, shuttles, bartenders schedules, contests, emcees, celebrities schedules, housing all these folks, vendors…and the list goes on and on. It isn’t like Sturgis or Daytona where the bars host the event. The Lone Star Rally is like bringing twenty Barnum & Bailey 3 Ring Circuses to town with no elephants to put up the tents! Watching the Lone Star Rally staff work this magic was craziness. There were glitches along the way such as torrential rain that flooded streets, heavy winds that destroyed tents, heavier traffic that created delays for celebrity events…but the team handled all this without missing a beat and for the most part the half million bikers that ride into town for this didn’t know a glitch ever existed. The bikers all seemed genuinely just happy to be there. The crowds were fabulous and seemed to truly enjoy the Mardi Gras like atmosphere this historic seaside town has. The next motorcycle event you ride to consider the work required to put it on for you. Just as we want the communities to appreciate the dollars we spend in their towns, I saw firsthand the work the event organizers, individual vendors and the bar staff put in to throw these parties for us and we need to be appreciative of their efforts! I worked my butt off, although my jeans still fit the same!

Next year ride to two wheels to Texas for the Lone Star Rally, buy a cowboy a beer and don’t forget your sunscreen!

By Lulu

My friend Glenn, owner of the Dog Pound Saloon in Bunnell, has back to back events that I don’t miss each year. First was their anniversary party and right behind it is their end of Biketoberfest Survival Party. After Biketoberfest I am so exhausted that I just get a drink and sit on a bench on the big back porch to unwind, listen to some good music and chat with friends. Glenn always has great bands and food, and if you haven’t ridden over on Thursdays you are missing out on their $2.50 U Name It You Drink It (excluding premiums) special from noon-midnight. Now that is a GREAT deal! Read the rest of this entry »

By Raven Van Pelt

[autoviewer id="285" width="600" height="600" ] Mind Ride Cycles of Jacksonville held their 2nd Annual Custom Bike Show at the Jacksonville Landing October 12th.  Owner Roy Dove and his crew built a custom bike that was funded 100% by Mind Ride Cycles and sold raffle tickets at $10.00 a ticket. It was a beautiful day for a bike show, with winners in every category that were judged by Mitch Eves, Cromley from the local radio station and Paul from Puddle of Mud. Four bands to listen to all afternoon including Blister, Comfort Zone, 2nd Shot and Yankee Slickers kept the crowd full entertained. All proceeds from the custom bike went 50% to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and 50% to the Dona Foundation to support breast cancer. The lucky winner of the sharp looking bike was Scott Garvin. Great job to Mind Ride Cycles and I can’t wait to see what they build next year. Read the rest of this entry »

By Phoenix and Metric

This year's Run to the Heartland event in Sebring was one of those “BACK TO THE FUTURE” moments with the return of ABATE heading up the “Famous Fresco” Memorial Poker Run, once again, after a short hiatus. ABATE's “Fresco” Run was the original poker run for this event from the beginning a decade ago. Like most events you have your ups and downs, last year's event was hampered with both a “BAD” economy and “Foul” weather. This year’s event was still hampered by a “BAD” economy thanks to the dumb asses in Washington, but you could not have asked for better riding weather. Another plus for this year’s event was the involvement of “All” the local motorcycle organizations. From Avon Park to Lake Placid, all businesses and Veteran's organization had food and drink specials. American Legion Riders, US Military Veteran MC, and the Alternative MC were all hosting raffles. The Christian Motorcycle Association once again handled all the parking for the event. The Warlocks and Wolf Pack MC's had open house at their clubhouses. The Enforcer MC held a great party. The LAMAS held their annual and arrived at the circle with one of the largest groups ever. TJ's Leather was home to a bike wash held by the Top Gun MC. GHC Motorsports from Lake Placid had its newest “Motor Trike” Gold Wing on display. Highlands County is home to some of the most beautiful back roads to ride your bike. There is nothing like hitting the back roads around the county and stopping at one of the local “biker friendly” establishment to get a bite to eat or the coldest drink for miles around. The Heartland Riders Association, the host the Run to the Heartland, and all of Highlands County is fortunate to have such a great “biker friendly” community. Everyone comes together to pitch in. So if you missed the “RUN TO THE HEARTLAND” this year due to the “bad” economy, save your nickels and dimes and make the trip out here next year. It will be well worth the trip!!! Better yet, come out anytime!!! Get away from the coast and all those tourist and hit the open roads. When you get out here tell them “Metric” sent you. See you soon!!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Miserable George

This year, along with the sadness of losing friends and relatives because of accidents, we lost a long-time ABATE official, and much loved friend...Wayne Carawan, for whom a special service was held just before the regular opening ceremony for the 33rd Annual Spooks & Scoots, at Sertoma Youth Ranch, near Brooksville. I tell ya, during that ritual, in which a "dead" biker is loaded into a hearse and taken to the chapel...there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere...including mine...having lost 4 good friends just last June...very sad time indeed. But, as "they" would want it, this was a time for fun as well, all with a Halloween theme...witches, zombies, ghosts...the works!! Lots of unique costumes, including our own version of Elvira, who posed with the big sign at the entrance to the park...thanks Dee!! I gotta mention this: we had another little lady to do the Elvira thing, but at the last minute...she fell and broke her pretty little ankle!! Get well soon, Lyra!!! Dee was willing to fill in at the last minute!!! Along with biker games, there were giveaways, raffles, and of course...the 50/50 and a "Basket of Cheer! In the afternoon, there was a State ABATE meeting at nearby San Antonio, FL, and to round things out, (after the kiddies were cleared away), a somewhat subdued "beauty contest." Sunday saw the annual Memorial Ride in the beautiful central Florida countryside! Hey, it was a good event...live music, lots of vendors, good friends, pretty girls, and beer...all the good stuff!! We hope to see you there next year...ride safe... Read the rest of this entry »