So, Bike Week came and an amazing 10 days it was! But truly amazing is this story of some bikers with hearts of gold…
Drifter’s on the River in Astor is owned by friends of mine and they were packed, when a large group of bikers rode in. They knew the food was good, and that there would be a wait by the full parking lot but decided to stay and eat anyway. They happened to be served, after a 45-minute wait, before a table who had been seated before them. The man at that table was livid. The waitress apologized profusely and, in the end, told the man with a large table she would personally pay his bill! Whether the wait was slightly longer because of the food choices, or amount of peeps at each table, or maybe she even forgot to put his order in…I do not know, but her graciousness was witnessed by the bikers and his rudeness was too. His table ate, drank and took leftovers to go all on the waitress and then didn’t leave a tip.

The biker table started throwing in money to pay for the rude table’s meal and even some for a tip, as well as tipping her for her service, hard work and kindness for their own meal! Here is the best part of the story. As they exited the building, the rude man was still in the parking lot holding his leftovers! His car had been towed for parking in the Bridge Master’s parking spot!! One of the petite blondes with the bikers went up to him and let him know Karma is a bitch, and that they paid for his table’s meals. He just stood there with his BIG mouth wide open!!
Just gotta LOVE good people who deliver justice in a kind way while leaving a positive impression of bikers!! And a waitress who probably would have lost money that day trying to make his wait acceptable while tolerating his rudeness for being a better person than most!

Enjoy this beautiful spring weather, do a kind deed, and don’t forget your sunscreen!

By Holly Will Bond

The 23rd Annual Riding Into History™ (RIH) planning committee created a new class for their Premier Vintage Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance event on April 15th, 2023 at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. With this new class, Under 35 is Alive!©, RIH is working to attract younger participants to get involved with our event and hopefully get bitten by the bug of collecting, restoring and showing vintage motorcycles.

If you have attended any type of motorcycle event or gathering of late, one thing you notice is none of us are getting any younger. This is especially true of the collectors of fine antique and vintage machines that RIH is known to be host to. Not to mention the volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year to make the event a success for our entrants and our charity partner, K9s for Warriors. For years we have racked our brains to come up with ways to involve younger people, in the hopes they too, will catch the bug and usher in the next generation of passionate collectors, judges and volunteers.

For a motorcycle to be considered for judging at RIH, it has to be 35 years of age or older. The name of the new class, Under 35 is Alive!©, speaks to both the age of the machine as well as the age of the entrant. This class will allow bikes that are not yet 35 years old, and the class is limited to participants who are 14 to 34 years old. Hence, the name Under 35 is Alive!© was born. As an added twist, the motorcycle being entered must be as old as the entrant. For example, a 20 year old person would have to enter a 20 year old, or older bike. More information and the online registration form can be found at https://ridingintohistory.org/under-35-is-alive/.

In addition to this new class to attract younger entrants, RIH began the first youth judging program for any motorcycle concours in the US in 2014. More information and the online registration form for our youth judging program can be found at https://ridingintohistory.org/youth-judging/.

The featured marque for this year’s show is GET YOUR HEART RACING-COMPETITION MOTORCYCLES.

Our Grand Marshals for this year are AMA Hall of Famer, Brian Slark of the Barber Motorsports Museum and Motogiro D’Italia Hall of Famer, Vicki Smith of Ducati NA. Our Honorary Grand Marshal is none other than AMA Hall of Famer, Mary McGee, Pioneer Woman in Women Racing. Read more about the amazing careers of all three of these individuals at https://ridingintohistory.org.

We look forward to seeing you April 15th, and please bring the kids.

About Riding into History

Riding Into History™ is the premier all motorcycle Concours d’Elegance in the United States. Riding Into History™ is a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization with its primary charity, K9s for Warriors which provides service dogs for disabled veterans. Riding Into History™ has donated over $600,000 to local charities since its founding in 1999.

By Lulu

Some hardworking guys in Bushnell have been busy keeping bikes on the road since 2019! Neil & Fred at Twisted Evolution have enjoyed 5 years in business. The guys recently purchased a building to store motorcycles for snowbirds and others that need their bikes maintained in a safe environment. This year’s BBQ was held at this new property, and it was awesome. This was their biggest event so far! Sticky Fingers BBQ put on an awesome spread again and the band Carry the Day rocked the inside of their new building. A bike show was also part of the event this year.
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9a-6p. Stop in and visit if you are in the Bushnell area. They are located at 212 N. Main St. The phone number for Twisted Evolution is 352-617-5224. Good guys who really enjoy what they do!

By Phoenix and Metric

Hurricane Ian devastated SW Florida and large portions of cities across the state. Despite the devastation, one thing that will always stand is the fighting spirit of the American people especially that of our veterans. The American spirit was on full display this past weekend in Desoto County. The American Legion Post 11 in Arcadia sits on the banks of the Peace River. Just about every time we have a hurricane the post experiences a lot of damage, but this time the post was almost completely under water. It has been a long and expensive road to recovery. There is still a lot of work to be done to restore the post, but this weekend was a step in the right direction. The community came out to help with the cost of the recovery. We had a day filled with great food, fun, and entertainment. Commander Ronnie Jones and all the members of the post would like to thank everyone who came out to support this effort. Special thanks to all the veteran organizations that came out to make this event possible.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR VETERANS!!!

By Lulu

Preparing to celebrate 29 years of business at his huge antique & custom bike show at Beaver Bar in Ormond Beach, I got Heavy Kastrul, owner of Midwest, to sit down and tell me what he contributes his success to and how the whole thing got started.

Dan Johnson the founder realized in 1992 with a three year wait to get a Harley, there was a need to rent motorcycles. He contacted the local Harley dealer to purchase six bikes. The only bikes available were a surplus of police bikes, but they would need approval from corporate to sell the police bikes to individuals other than police. In the end H-D said he would need to have a “Escort” License (like for escorting funerals), so Dan formed an escort business and had a steady supply of Police bikes. In 1994 Midwest incorporated and set up shop in Minnetonka, Minnesota. As business took off, they moved on to downtown Minneapolis. The business rented Harleys, Mopeds, pocket bikes & four wheelers. Seven years later their success was so great that they opened a second location in Daytona Beach for Bike Week and Biketoberfest. As the growth continued, they started a Sturgis location and in 2003 added a Myrtle Beach locale. In 2010 Ed “Heavy” Kastrul became a 50% partner and took the business from primarily renting bikes to a full-service motorcycle dealership selling used Harleys in Daytona, Sturgis, and Minneapolis. They moved inventory across the country at specific times of the year to maximize sales. This created the need for a full-service department to maintain rentals and to prepare used bikes for sale. Of course, that made having a parts department sensible. In 2014 Heavy bought Mr. Johnson’s remaining half and became sole proprietor. By 2014 most of the custom bike builders in the US were fading out such as Big Dog, Bourget, Orange County Choppers, Ironhorse, to name a few and so Heavy started building bikes. In 2023 Midwest Motorcycles will build about 20 custom bikes, from Choppers to Bobbers, to Cholos and a lot of big wheel baggers. Since Scott Foxx joined the team at Midwest he brings to the table years of builds and a manufacturers license so no special tag is required for those builds. Scott is known for his unique style and loves the bobber and Cholos builds. Ron Rhodes specializes in the art of old bikes. He is trying to maintain Old Man Tom’s knowledge and love of the Old Shovels/Panheads with antique restorations. Old Man Tom was a mechanic with Midwest for a long time, he passed away last year, and he is missed! The Bike Show in February was dedicated to his memory. Randy Rayfield is an electrical guru and has a vast knowledge of Metrics and does their trike kit conversions. They have 4 bikes on the build lifts in process now. They strive for affordable road worthy builds! They do it all: Bobbers, Cholos, Choppers, Tri conversions, Big Wheel Baggers and even audio. Heavy claims that his success is “I am not that smart, so I realized I better have more drive than most.” And knowing how hard it is to get him to sit for a short interview I can attest to his energy. We had time for a few short notes and then a whirlwind tour of his builds in the back.

Their business offers Sales, Rental & Service of Harley’s & Scooters, they repair and build your ride, offer financing on bikes and have a 24-hour Motorcycle Rescue & Towing too. Call 386-257-6265
So, if you need a build or custom work on your ride, Midwest is located at 444 N. Beach St. or check out their website midwestmotorcycles.com.

By Lulu

It is always a curious thing to me how certain businesses find motorcyclists as the demographic for their products. So, when I heard GorillaPro® with H.B. Fuller had been a major presence at Sturgis and Lone Star Rallies I had to find out why! I must admit, right off the bat, that I am not familiar with the nuts and bolts of motorcycles! I simply love the ride and the lifestyle. But I have experienced pieces from a bike in front of us flying past as they lost a light cover or even a mirror from the vibrations of the bike and the highway.

As I was introduced to Scott Pergande the Vice President of Product Management and Marketing with H. B. Fuller, and a mechanical engineer who graduated from LSU, I was intimidated to ask the questions of how GorillaPro® fit into the world of motorcycles, but he was smart, patient, and informative. Scott had worked with Mobil Oil, and Henkel Loctite before joining H.B. Fuller. H. B. Fuller has been producing adhesives and sealants since 1887 including a Wet Paste Adhesive used for gluing shoes, hanging wallpaper, mending books, attaching labels and manufacturing boxes. They now produce all types of high-tech adhesives and sealants for the automotive, commercial roofing, electronics, structural bonding, aerospace and even paper straws. The company is based out of St. Paul, MN. Anything you can imagine likely has their product holding it together. Gorilla Glue, which we all have in a drawer in the house or garage, has been in business for 2 decades producing; Gorilla Tape, Gorilla Super Glue, and Gorilla Construction Adhesives. H.B. Fuller and Gorilla Glue joined their expertise to combine technology, innovation, and BRUTE strength to develop GorillaPro®. GorillaPro® products are professional grade adhesives, sealants, and lubricants. Using color coding and unique packages, they made these perfect sizes for our work toolboxes and bike saddle bags. Their tag line What’s in Your Toolbox? ™ let’s you know their products are just that, chemical TOOLS! Color coding for red permanent threadocking, blue for removable threadlocking and green for retaining compounds, makes these easy to grab and know their use in a hurry. They started marketing to the motorcycle community in 2022 as they saw the need in dealerships, bike shops and those who work on their own to have dependable reliable strength, heat resistance and high-performance adhesives and sealants for safety and maintenance of our bikes. See the photo of their Motorcycle Application Guide to see all the uses of their products on a bike. They even have a 5-minute epoxy adhesive that will repair the sole of the Harley boots that you love! GorillaPro carries instant adhesives, epoxies & urethanes, anti-seize lubricants, gasket sealants, retaining compounds and threadlockers. All important in the professional automobile and motorcycle industry. You cannot buy their line in your local hardware store. You can order directly through www.gorillapro.com, industrial distributors and motorcycle businesses are beginning to retail their products.

Richard Rawlings from Gas Monkey Garage created the GorillaPro Ultimate Service Truck with H.B. Fuller that is KING KONG size that you must check out during Bike Week. Richard used their products to create the beast and taped a documentary of the build on YouTube (GorillaPro® – YouTube). Over a million people have watched the episodes. The GorillaPro “Pros” will be at Bike Week 2023 in Daytona at Broken Spoke Saloon and Iron Horse Saloon on US 1. Stop in and visit with the staff and welcome them into the biking family! They are also sponsoring the “Strongest Man & Strongest Woman Biker” contest at Broken Spoke on Wednesday. If you have the brute strength of a Gorilla, sign up! The trophies are super cool! And there will be a GorillaPro Burnout contest on Thursday at the Iron Horse, hope the contestants have used their heat resistant threadlockers and lubricants!! See you there!

By Lulu

Although it was a bit nipply and rain forecasted, lots of peeps showed up on two and three wheels for a great birthday bash for Pirate’s Pub in Paisley. Mark and Tanya know how to throw a great party with an incredible spread of free hot food that filled our bellies. The pasta, sausage and chicken were delicious. The band, Bassfield Park, kept everyone entertained all afternoon. If you haven’t ventured out to Paisley while in town for Bike Week or at Leesburg Bike Fest it is a pretty ride in the country and not that far from either town. Good people own this bar and friendly bartenders can pour you a nice drink or pop a top! Look for their Too Broke for Sturgis bash in August…always a great time at Pirate’s Pub!

By Lulu

Each year in November, OBs in Deland fills their property with one of the best Pan/Shovel shows anywhere. Lots of great bikes made it difficult for the judges to make choices for the trophies. Willie from Tropical Tattoo emceed the trophy presentation and is a lover of old bikes! The weather was better than in years past and the parking lot was crammed full of entrants and spectators.
Crashrocket kept all entertained with their great tunes and the bartenders were busy quenching everyone’s thirst. Always an enjoyable day at OBs in Deland. They will be ready for you in March for Deland Bike Rally, and it’s a good destination ride from Bike Week in Daytona. Also look for the Americana Custom bike show coming this June or join them for Wednesday night bike nights for live music and food specials!

By Phoenix and Metric

When it comes to helping Veterans, few places can match the efforts of American Legion Post 69 in Avon Park. To kick off the year in a “BIG” way, they hosted a three-day event starting with an escort by the Patriot Guard Riders of the Traveling Vietnam Veterans Wall and Desert Storm Memorial Wall on Friday. The escort starts in Lake Wales twenty-two miles from the post in remembrance of twenty-two veteran suicides each day. A “BIG THANK YOU” to the Polk County and Highlands County Sheriff’s officers for a safe escort. This year’s ride was twice the size of last year. We had over three hundred motorcycles, plus cars, jeep and trucks that stretched for miles.

State and local veteran organizations from across Florida were on hand to offer a variety of resources including therapy, counseling, and assistance with Veterans claims. There were too many organizations to acknowledge them all, but two organizations specifically caught my attention. MY WARRIOR’S PLACE in Ruskin, provides a beautiful retreat for a vacation and/or short-term transitional housing for veterans. FINAL SALUTE INC. provides homeless women veterans and their children with safe and suitable housing. Check both out online. On a lighter note, Saturday was filled with food, vendors, and entertainment. One of our own, Adam Martin with BLACKBIRD ANTHEM, provided the music all day long.

Topping off the weekend was a great poker run around some of the most beautiful roads in GOD’S Country, better known as Highlands County. It was three days of the Biggest Veterans Expo in the county, everyone enjoyed it and left with a wealth of information. If you have never attended the Veterans Expo at the American Legion Post 69 in Avon Park, you need to mark your calendar and make your reservation for next year. See you next year!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN VETERAN!!!

By Lulu

Glen, the owner of Smiles Night Club in Palm Coast, took the time to lay wreaths at Arlington one year and I have wanted to do that since he shared his experience. This year while visiting The Garage in Somerset, Massachusetts, our friend Steve Matton invited us to spend Saturday attending a ceremony for Wreaths Across America and then to lay wreaths on veterans’ graves at a local cemetery. I was thrilled to be invited to join them. The event included a marching band, scout troops, a gun salute, taps, and what appeared to be men dressed as Minute Men. The story of how the yearly wreath tribute started, was a 12-year-old, Morrill Worcester won a trip as a paper boy for the Bangor Daily News. His trip to DC included a visit to Arlington which left a deep impression on the boy. In 1992 as the owner of Worcester Wreath Company, he had a large surplus of wreaths near the end of the holiday season, so with the help of a senator he was able to make arrangements to lay wreaths at an older section of Arlington. This annual tribute went on quietly for years until a photo of the wreaths went viral in 2005. In 2007 there was such interest for this tribute to go nationwide that Morrill formed Wreaths Across America. All across the nation at exactly the same time, wreaths are placed on veterans’ graves, and as you lay each wreath you are asked to say the name of the veteran aloud and take a moment to remember their service. It was a wonderful thing to participate in, certainly put the holidays in a different perspective. There are runs each year to offset the cost of this event, the mission of Wreaths Across America lies in 3 words: REMEMBER (those who have fallen), HONOR (those who serve), TEACH (your children the value of freedom). It was obvious those in Somerset were fulfilling the mission; as the children watched each branch of our military present a wreath, loudly recited The Pledge of Allegiance, and seemed genuinely interested in what was happening on this chilly winter morning. Thanks to a 12-year-old child who left DC a changed boy, who could not have possibly known how that day in Arlington would alter his life’s path, and how many would follow in his dedication to remember our military’s sacrifices!

As we ride into the last month of our 16th year of Thunder Roads Florida Magazine I must reflect on the beginning of this journey. In 2006 Bull Connors was 40 and retired living in Florida, and my boyfriend. I accused him of being addicted to the bar stool as he spent almost everyday drinking from 9am to 6pm. I then told him he needed a JOB. He picked the phone up and called corporate Thunder Roads Magazine and within a few weeks we were on our way to Tennessee to buy the Florida franchise. There is no doubt he was an alcoholic, as he had cirrhosis of the liver at the time of his suicide, but he didn’t drink at home. He just loved the camaraderie of being with people in the bars, particularly Mother’s in Flagler Beach and The Dog Pound in Bunnell. The purchase of the magazine didn’t really curtail the social drinking, in fact, it probably only gave him good excuses for heading out on his bike to “try to sell ads” or to “interview a biker for his monthly “Bull’s Eye” column or as we all know most poker runs involve bar stools! But it did give him an excitement that his life was missing and a reason to attend EVERY motorcycle event anywhere. Many still come up to me and let me know they knew and loved Bull. He was a funny, fun loving and a bit crazy guy. He never passed a kid selling anything without handing him or her a $20. He also never tipped a stripper a one-dollar bill, it was always something much larger! And he loved to buy the whole bar a round if they would let him come inside with his bike to do a burnout!

Upon his death I was given Thunder Roads Florida by the corporate office as they felt I was doing most of the work and they didn’t want to see Florida fold. I should have had my head examined for taking that on in a state of extreme grief, but I was afraid I would regret not giving it a try. So, at 52 years old I took the reins and tried to continue his vision of bringing a motorcycle lifestyle magazine with a calendar and jokes…and stories about the good works bikers do month after month. I have struggled financially at times, emotionally, and at times wanted to give up. I have had great support along the way from friends of his and friends I met from knowing him. My biggest support has been T. J. becoming partner and co-owner 7 years ago and taking over the business side of the month-to-month burden. He also has made it a road not traveled alone. I look forward to our 17th year and the adventures it will bring and to each and everyone who has offered words of encouragement along the way I thank you!
Don’t be afraid of a new adventure, travel a different highway and don’t forget your sunscreen!

by Jeani G.

The 28th annual Bruce Rossmeyer Ride for Children was held on Sunday, December 11th. Usually in October, this year’s ride was postponed due to Hurricane Ian. Over four hundred riders participated in the police-escorted ride from Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach to Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, including a large group of New Smyrna HOG Chapter members. This was the first-year post Covid epidemic that the camp opened its gates once again to the riders who give so generously. And the camp is an amazing place to visit.

This amazing event raised over $419,000 for Camp Boggy Creek, a non-profit camp that enables children with serious illnesses to enjoy an unforgettable camp experience where they can have fun, make new friends and just be kids! Bruce Rossmeyer was one of the founders of the camp and the Rossmeyer family has incredibly raised over $6 million dollars since the event began! It was great to see Bruce’s wife Sandy and daughters Shelly and Mandy, and many other family members as well, enjoying the day’s festivities.

A delicious lunch was donated and served by Outback Steakhouse, while S.R Perrott, Miller Lite and Coca-Cola provided the beverages. Live entertainment by Are Friends Electric kept the enthusiastic crowd rockin’ and singing, while the silent auction had everyone amazed with its abundance of fabulous and unique items to bid on.

The crowd joined in to sing happy birthday to John Hamlin, who is the presenting sponsor of the event, and in a very touching moment, John presented a huge $100,000 check to Sandy Rossmeyer for Camp Boggy Creek.

In the memorable words of Bruce himself, “It’s all about the kids!” This is definitely one of the best fundraising events to be a part of…if you couldn’t make it this time, we hope you can join us next year! We’d like to welcome Teddy Morse, new owner of Daytona Harley-Davidson, as he will continue to participate with the Rossmeyers in the Camp Boggy Creek ride.

By Lulu

You must love the energy of young entrepreneurs. Jim Lynch from Bike Show Mafia and owner of Revelation 1 Concepts in Edgewater has many projects requiring his time and energy. But he saw a need most of us didn’t even think of and he jumped right in to create a ride to fill that need. After 2 hurricanes that caused major flooding particularly in South Volusia County, some homes in low lying areas lost everything…that would include the children’s toys. Before Christmas there are always tons of toy runs for The Marines and other organizations, but Jim wanted to have a run specifically to help those in need from the hurricane’s devastation. If you are busy replacing appliances, or simply having to relocate, Toy shopping may not be in your budget, even at Christmas. So, Jim and his friends, including the bike builder Kory Souza and Silky from the west coast of Florida, rode out of Teddy Morse’s Daytona H-D with stops at Boot Hill Saloon and Iron Axe Bar & Grill to end at AMVETS Post 2 in Edgewater. I was able to make it through the stops, but wasn’t able to be at the end for the Bike Show due to a commitment in central Florida. I heard they raised cash and toys to help with Christmas and that the day was a great success. Jim would like to thank Twisted Tea, Monogram Plus, Teddy Morse Daytona H-D, Wizard Products, AMVETS Post 2 Edgewater, Boot Hill Saloon, Iron Axe Bar & Grill, and all that donated their time for this first ride. A personal thank you to Jim for taking the time to put others before self! He is a good man.

By Lulu

Having been blessed so far in this life with healthy children and grandchildren, I can not even begin to understand the loss and suffering a parent that loses a child must live with. Eli was a child diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2007. Eli fought bravely without complaint and left this life in 2011. Eli’s name is in the word ‘bELIeve.’ He believed in a cure for leukemia. Eli’s father, Paul Matthews had to face the loss of his beautiful child and has made his life a fight in Eli’s name to find a cure so other families will not have this heartache to face. Eli was a hero in his hometown of Oxford, PA. Motorcycle runs and charity events started, and have spread throughout the country in Eli’s name. Donna and John Burress hosted the first Eli’s Run for the Cure in Sanford and invited Paul to attend the event, and he accepted. I know they personally put tons of time and lots of their personal money into making this a great event. We met at Seminole H-D, jumped on our bikes, and headed to Foxhead Lounge in Osteen, The Alibi in Geneva, Shovelhead Lounge in Longwood, Mel’s Family Diner in Sanford and ended at Rhonda’s Neighborhood Bar in Sanford. Lots of raffle prizes, including a huge Christmas tree made of lottery tickets helped fill the kitty for Eli. Rhonda brought in a great band, Jette County Dragsters, who kept the party going way into the night. The plan is for this to be a yearly event so please help this sweet father continue to honor his son’s memory by continuing Eli’s fight for a CURE and ride with us next year!