By Lulu

This year we traveled over to Clearwater to check out the Motorcycle Expo at Quaker Steak and Lube. Senior of the Tuttle family was on hand and on Friday night I was thrilled to watch one of my favorite bands…Greg Billings. The lot was packed with vendors, the bike show had some cutting edge rides and the best part…my godfather and his wife from Cincinnati came to spend the evening with us and treated Sherry and I to a great meal at Quaker Steak! We had to hit the road Saturday morning to head to Dania Beach so we missed the huge crowd on Saturday but I heard from friends it was just awesome.

By Deborah Speicher

What a great way to kick off 2014 with the downtown Sarasota party known as Thunder by the Bay. Lots of vendors, entertainment, good food, motorcycles and people. The streets were jam packed as always!

This event started on the evening of Thursday, January 9 and ended Sunday January 12. Thursday evening’s “Kick Start” party was at The Francis Ballroom (Louie’s Modern) and featured whiskey, wine and cigars. Friday night was the “Born to be Wild” kickoff party at the Hyatt Regency with live entertainment, silent auctions, casino style gaming, Harley-Davidson fashion show and much more.

By Saturday, they were dancing in the streets (literally!). There was great music all day long with special guest band “Fog Hat.” While the music played on into the night, there was a “Light Up The Night” LED bike show. Attendees also got a chance to meet Paul Teutul, Sr. (“Senior”) of Orange County Choppers and get his autograph. Senior also was part of the Honor Guard for the Legacy of Valor Motorcycle Ride on the following day.

Sunday started with a blessing of the bikes and the “Cruise for Cash” which benefitted Suncoast Charities for Children. There was also nonstop entertainment and a 14 class bike show. The finale for the day was the concert by The Outlaws.

Mark your calendars for January 2015. Sarasota has a lot to offer in the way of food, lodging and amenities, and when coupled with the streets blocked off for motorcycles only, plus a large parking garage with FREE motorcycle parking, it is truly a biker-friendly event!

By Miserable George

It seems that Jan. 18, 2014, was the coldest day of the season…so far…AND, the day of the Third Annual Wolf Pack MC State Party. I tell ya, this club just cannot catch a break on the weather! The first two State Parties fared pretty much the same way as this one did…COLD!!! Anyway, a nice crowd DID show up, and, most of them DID ride!! The first order of the day was to get the 2 fire pits going to provide at least a little bit of warmth…space around these pits was soon at a premium!! The chief cook…OD…had the best job of all: right next to the big cooker, all day long! Nice!! He did his job well too, as the food was plentiful, as well as, very tasty!! The band, “Red Tide” did their best to keep the crowd rockin’…ergo…warm them up a bit!!! All the pretty girls there certainly helped to warm THIS old boy up…ehhh…pretty much, I’d say!! Let’s hope that in the future, WPMC can cop a WARM day for their party! I wanna thank the club for their on-going generosity! Hey, ride safe…ya hear??

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock

Here I am getting excited about the upcoming Daytona Bike Week. Who wouldn’t be excited with approximately 500,000 bikers coming to their neighborhood for a rally that includes motorcycle racing, concerts, parties, and street festivals? The rally started back in 1937 but took a break between 1942 to 1947 because of World War II. I must admit I haven’t been to all of them but I did make many.

I started thinking, “Oh My God”, I made it, and according to today’s standards I shouldn’t have. Things have changed dramatically since I was a kid. I realize life has an expiration date, but I guess mine is longer than the one on my milk carton.

When I was growing up we didn’t have child car seats or airbags. The thing that protected you from going through the windshield was your mother’s outstretched arm across your chest. When one of your classmates died, you dealt with it. The school didn’t send in “grief counselors”. ADHD wasn’t heard of and kids were not given Mind Altering Drugs. Nobody cared about your “self-esteem”. If you failed you learned to deal with the consequences. Not everybody made the team. This had a way of making you stronger. I ate eggs fried in bacon grease. The biscuits, pie crusts, and fried foods were made using lard. Spam came out of a can, not in your e-mail. Come to think of it, we didn’t have the Internet, computers, cell phones, Xboxs, play stations, tablets or television with limitless channels. We had real friends and real books not a thing called Facebook. We even got into fights with other kids, even our friends. We’d end up with bruises, scrapes, cuts, and sometimes even broken bones. I rode horses, went hunting when I was 10 with a real gun, and drove a pickup long before I was old enough to get a license. I was spanked by my parents and the teachers at school when I needed it. Of course, I would never tell my folks that I got my butt spanked at school because I knew they’d whip my ass again. That did teach me something. It was called “respect”. I carried rifles and shotguns in my pickup and I never remember hearing about killings in our schools. The “Pledge of Allegiance” started my school day. I didn’t even lock the doors of my house or my pickup. I do believe it was a safer time and never worried about going out after dark. There were bad things and good things but we didn’t need the government to tell us what was right or wrong. The 10 Commandments told me. I was not Politically Correct, because I wasn’t afraid to say what I felt and thought. On second thought, maybe it was all the lead-based paint that I chewed off the windowsills that led me to be able to write this column.

When we have a meeting of the minds, mine has a tendency not to show up.
Read more from my website nobodiesopinion.com

See you on the shiny side up tomorrow…

By Amy Poole

Well, kids, there’s a new bar in town…and the name is…Bad Boys Saloon. Louie, owner of Bad Boys Saloon, has opened his new venue on Main Street. The “soft” grand opening was cold and rainy although it was toasty inside. Throughout the night hot homemade pizza and wings were served on the house while all were getting to know Louie. When our weather becomes pleasant you will want to check out the outside bar and upstairs. Ride in and try an item off the menu…it is delicious!! Welcome Louie to the area and tell him you saw his ad in Thunder Roads Florida!! Bring your friends in for a great time and make new ones!!

By Lulu

One of my favorite events is always in January, first off it is usually a tad warmer the farther south we travel and this year was no exception. We were in a severe cold snap in Daytona so it was nice to warm our bones in sunny, warm south Florida. Secondly, this is a huge event with antique motorcycles, bicycles, live music, swap meet, vendors, field games and just great folk. This yearly event occurs in Frost Park in Dania Beach and is put on by Dania Beach and the Florida Sunshine Chapter of A.M.C.A. Put this on your event list for 2015!

By Lil Jon

Still Riding After 30 Years in Prison

This month’s Bull’s Eye is about a native Florida biker named RoadBlock, with over forty years of riding under his belt.

As a Jacksonville resident, RoadBlock grew up in a neighborhood known as Sin City. An admitted “adrenaline junkie” in his early years, he raced on NASCAR-sanctioned tracks in the south with many of the great drivers from that era. Fast cars led to fast motorcycles, and RoadBlock joined a 1%er motorcycle club during the high-speed 1970s world of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

When that lifestyle caught up with him, he wound up with a staggering 40- year sentence in federal prison. As one judge declared, they wanted to make an example of him to discourage others from joining motorcycle clubs. Ironically, even from a cell inside Leavenworth U.S. Penitentiary, RB became well known as an outspoken advocate for disabled vets and motorcycle riders and the rights they were due.

In December 2009, RB finally reached his mandatory release date, and was allowed to go home after almost 30 years in prison. How does someone with that kind of history fit back in the real world? Some people would just chill out and watch the tomatoes grow. Instead, RB is writing a fiction biker series. Set in the 1970s, the books follow the adventures of military vet Joe Wilson. Struggling with PTSD in a time when Vietnam vets were reviled, Joe’s rise to power in the notorious Regents Motorcycle Club shows one man’s attempt to find his place in a changed world.

As for RB, he stays busy with interviews, book-signings for the Regents Motorcycle Club series, and charitable events, and of course, riding his Harley.The good news for all those old cops and hippies and bikers who remember a rowdy Florida long gone: RoadBlock is already working on the next book. As he often encourages, join him for the ride back into the 1970s.

By Ron Cox

SWFL HOG held its 7th Annual Wayne Throckmorton Memorial Golf Outing in honor of fallen Chapter member Wayne Throckmorton on Sunday, February 2nd at Castle Golf in South Ft.Myers.

Several years ago Wayne was returning home from a ride with a friend when he suffered some kind of seizure. Wayne crashed his motorcycle and never regained consciousness, a few days later he succumbed to his injuries. Neither speed nor another vehicle was involved.

Wayne was the quintessential “good ol’ boy” with his pronounced Southern accent, wit and wisdom. We used to tease him by saying the Veteran’s Administration doesn’t count service in the Confederate Air Force towards Veteran’s benefits. Wayne never failed to laugh at that, no matter how many times he heard it. Wayne was quick to laugh at a joke or his self.

Wayne always enjoyed the mini-golf outing so in his honor the Chapter named the event after him.

More than 50 Chapter members and guests took to the links and played a round for Wayne. The hackers then proceeded to the biker friendly Bayside Sports Bar & Grill in Ft.Myers Beach for lunch. The Chapter members hoisted a glass in memory of our friend Wayne Throckmorton.

By Amy Poole

Friends and family of Randi’s went all out for her poker run because of the motorcycle accident she was in. About 80 riders signed up at the Beaver Bar during the AYCE breakfast. The monies raised that day from the Beaver breakfast was $400.00 and donated to Randi…and on top of that they included an extra $100.00 for Randi!! Taking a path to Boot Hill, Roadside Tavern, Chris’ Lounge and ending at the Iron Horse for raffles, prizes, music by Crashrocket and many more of Randi’s pals. Roughly $2600.00 was raised for the day. Randi and her friends say a BIG thank you to all who contributed!!

Jeff Simick (Daytona HOG)

I want to reassure you that Mike and Sandi Gilbo’s final few hours on this planet were filled with laughter, joy, pride and fellowship.

That’s not speculation. That’s fact.

I know that because I sat across from Mike and Sandi as we enjoyed a sunny afternoon on a picnic bench outside at The Yalaha Bakery after a 100 mile country ride that punctuated what should have been a perfect winter’s day.

Perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

For most of the day, I was following Mike and Sandi, who were proud new owners of a Rushmore edition Ultra Limited. Almost as if it were a new member of their family, they were beaming over the bike that replaced their well used 2011, upon which they shared more than 70,000 miles of riding – mostly together.

At the Bakery, the group splintered off – some gathered inside, some outside. I settled at a table across from Sandi and Mike. We laughed about wheeling and dealing – they for the new motorcycle, while I shared the adventure of swimming with sharks during a recent automobile purchase.

Sandi and I talked about real estate, and her growing business as the market continued to rebound.
I will savor the small talk – the chatter that I didn’t appreciate would be my last with Sandi and the beloved she called “my Mike.”

Mike told me about the classes and YouTube videos that were so helpful in learning the intricacies of the new entertainment system on the Ultra. He cheered on his success in finally pairing his phone. The beauty of the integrated garage door opener – something he called “the best $125 he ever spent on the Harley.” We laughed aloud when I noted, with more than a touch of dripping sarcasm that “It’s odd about Harley owners – we are actually surprised when the bikes do what they’re supposed to do.”

Sandi was still tending to her sandwich, when Mike volunteered to pop back into the bakery to secure the cookies that they would be tucking away for later. They were veterans of the Yalaha and were clearly thrilled with their return visit. Mike consulted with Sandi at least twice, saying with a grin that when it comes to cookies he’s “always afraid that he’s choosing the wrong ones”.

As Mike and Sandi were finishing their desserts, I noticed that there were only a couple of bikes still at the Bakery — most of our colleagues had already headed back. Mike and I turned our focus to compare our respective routes home. Mike and Sandi were heading north…Tony Ricci and I would take a ride that was more easterly – and I joked to Mike that “I don’t know specifically how we’re going – I’m just following Tony.”

I shook Mike’s hand and, as we have done countless times before, we wished each other a safe ride home.

Minutes later the music that was being beamed into my helmet speakers from my cell phone was interrupted by an unexpected call. It was a phone call with some terrible, unbelievable – absolutely horrific – news. It was apparent that only one of us would make it home on this otherwise perfect afternoon.

Mike loved his time with Sandi. And they savored togetherness on the Harley.
The events that unfolded on this Saturday afternoon are sadly, almost romantically, ironic.

We can’t explain.

We can’t understand.

We can only celebrate lives lived with fervor and freely shared with all of us. And I will hold dearly those moments of laughter, joy and pride – a handshake and a smile.

Farewell, my friends. You loved together. You rode together. And you remain together. Forever, together.

And if it’s not asking too much… about our friend Bod, who died late last year in a motorcycling accident in his native Norway… please let him know that we all said “hello.”

A tribute can be viewed at: http://fredharrisfamily.com/mike–sandi-gilbo.html

By Lulu

Great day, great band and great cause…that’s how I would have to sum up February 1st at Stormy Hill H-D. The Dice Run raised approximately $1800 with lots of food, beautiful blankets and towels all to help our furry friends. May have even been an animal or two that went home as someone’s pet that day!! Radical Randy was on hand to emcee and if you haven’t checked out the Lost N Found Band…you should, they rock the place. Thanks to Attorney Fran Haasch, Wells Fargo Bank, Budweiser, Sweet Ride Premium Wine, PETCO, Crimeline, Florida Auctioneer Academy, Scates Realty, Frank’s Place-The Pavilion, Niagara Bottling, Hurricane’s Dockside Grill, Clermont Bicycles, Hogswipe Waterless Detail Products, Buzzard Beach Bar & Grill, Computer Business Consultants, Family Jewelry & Pawn, House of Inc, Greenbrier Afterlife Pet Care, Petslife Oral Care, Big Mike’s House of Ink, Roetzel Law, Florida Safety Council and all the other vendors and especially to those of you who generously gave of your time and money. We love you guys and gals!!!

By Phoenix and Metric

I ride with the most UNIQUE group of riders!! Every time we hit the road we have some kind of adventure. Not too long ago, Tank, Phoenix and I decided to take a Sunday afternoon run over to Peggy’s Corral on short notice. We called a few fellow riders and they all had other plans so off we went to Palmetto. Well, by the time we got to Charlotte’s Web, Bulldog and Rogue had decided to change their plans and join us, so we waited for them at Charlotte’s. In no time at all they came rolling along.

We all mounted up and off we went again. Just before we got to I-75 it began to rain and of course there was no real safe place to pull off the road and gear up, so we kept going. By the time we got off the road and out of the rain we were soaked. We decided to gear up anyway because it didn’t look like it was going to stop raining. Off we went again and wouldn’t you know it quit raining!! We live in Florida we should expect the weather to change faster than a speeding Hayabusa. The sun comes out and it gets damn HOT!!! It got so hot that by the time we got to Peggy’s we were drip dried.

Well, we finally got to Peggy’s just about everyone was there. The Evil’s JAIL BAIT Girls were there and they were even hotter than the weather. After spending a great afternoon at Peggy’s we mounted up again and headed home. Then Phoenix decided to act like an old Harley and she got overheated so we had to make another unscheduled pit stop to cool her jets. Then, we were back on the road again and we got back to Charlotte’s, but wait the adventure isn’t over yet. Bulldog rode his bike so-o-o hard that let’s just say there was no tread left to ride on. Bulldog says this is the first time that he had to have his bike trailered, but I have my doubts about that. I told him I wouldn’t put that in the article but I just couldn’t help myself. Anyway we finally get everyone home safe and sound, and that was the end of this adventure. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures. THE END!!!!