By Lulu

On Wednesday’s in Deland, bike night at OB’s is the place to party. Live music, $2-3 food specials and great people make for a fun way to spend hump day. Tony and the Big Engine Band was on hand in August to rock the crowd and the place was packed. Lots of improvements including a new outside bar and plenty of comfortable seating make your time there better than ever. Kristi and all the girls do their best to keep your whistle wet! Don’t forget to ride out to Deland to check out OB’s during Biketoberfest and while you’re there try a Twisted Tea!

By Lulu

We have been attending Cotee River Bike Fest for the past few years. The festival is set in a park on a beautiful tree lined river in downtown New Port Richey. A few blocks are closed to autos and have bike parking, vendors and 2 stages with great live music. One of our personal favorite places to sit on a barstool and unwind is Tim Fussell’s cigar bar within walking distance of the event. Little Corona’s Cigar Lounge has a walk-in humidor with a great selection of fine cigars. Little Corona’s stocks 55 different bottled beers and 10 drafts, as well as a good selection of wine to go with your smoke.

7 TVs are playing the big game and the music is great. There is indoor seating and a covered porch with a TV if you prefer to have a cold one outdoors. Animals are welcome and that includes those of us who ride on 2-3 wheels! You do not have to be a cigar smoker to enjoy this bar. The staff are all friendly except maybe the one we call “Carla” who is like the character from Cheers and can be a little rough around the edges…she is one of our favorites!

Whether Tom, Liz or Carla serve your beer or wine, they will make you feel like part of the Cotee River family. You might even get lucky and the owner Tim might have his barkeep “hat” on. Tim is a retired fireman and is a jolly guy who rides a Harley. Can’t get any more Biker Friendly than that! So, stop in Little Corona at 6324 Grand Blvd. and cool off in one of our favorite watering holes.

By Lulu

The monthly Mystery Ride out of the Boat Bar in August took us to Ancient City Brewery in St. Augustine for a day of music, food, friends and beer. The LAMA’s host a bike day on the third Sunday of the month there, although in October due to the grand opening of Adamec H-D of St. Augustine they will not be having one. So, check them out in November.
As usual, we ended the ride with some good chow provided by Tony at The Boat. During Bike Week Tony throws a rally party with food and music. His prices are awesome for ice cold beer, so put this on your list of watering holes to visit!

As we ride into October and the season of rallies in Florida, we should consider ourselves blessed that all Hurricane Dorian caused us was a bit of liver damage. The poor souls in the Bahamian islands didn’t have our good fortune. This year as a Floridian I will be happy if hurricane season comes and goes without touching the Sunshine state.

On a bit of a political rant in the spirit of Kneecap, I have had my fill of liberals saying we should forgive student debt. I paid for my college working a full-time job with kids in daycare. It wasn’t about going to an expensive university, parties, concerts, $800 cell phone bills, apartments and fast food meals for me. It was about getting a job that paid better as quickly as I could. My ex-husband and I did the Florida Prepaid College for both of our boys. Then my mother-in-law paid for college for our 5 grandchildren. Why in the hell should I be responsible for AOC’s college debt when she makes 4 times more than I do now? If kids are foolish enough to rack up college debt by dropping classes instead of flunking them, getting their hair and nails done and buying kegs of beer all while claiming to be pursuing a higher education it is their bill not mine. Then they graduate with a mountain of debt and a degree that no one needs…it is asinine for them to expect hardworking Americans to pay for their folly. Many people don’t choose to go to college because they can’t afford to…why should they have to pay for these kids’ debt. I am all for the government giving interest free loans for passing grades, but not for illegals…or drop-outs…or kids that are just wasting their twenties in college. The interest free college should be room, board and classes. Period. And interest kicks in if they don’t make timely payments. Not getting a job shouldn’t be an excuse. They need to be more selective in the field they choose to pursue. Trump’s idea to push trade schools is another no brainer. The most important thing we can do is to make police officers’, teachers’ (not professors who I think are overpaid for the junk they are pushing), first responders’ and nurses’ jobs occupations we would want our children to aspire to…better wages, college assistance for these jobs, and RESPECT for the work they do would be a good start. Maybe even house loans like we give for Vets for people in these fields!

So please ride safe while visiting our state, lots of critters on the road at night, cops waiting to give you a field sobriety test on every highway so be smart and vigilant when you are out on two wheels.
Make sure you are registered to vote, ride on a breast cancer run in October and don’t forget your sunscreen!

By Lulu

Nothing on a bike is more important for a comfortable ride than the seat! Bar hopping in town may not matter to you much, particularly if you have a little padding on your own rear. But when we travel on our bike, we put hundreds of miles on per day! Ultimate Seats USA builds their motorcycles seats for “long ride comfort”. Our last bike T. J. had worn his seat out so when he decided the ride was just unbearable, he checked out Ultimate Seats and was extremely pleased with the comfort and quality they delivered.

As many bike businesses begin, Des Hockley, the founder of Ultimate Seats, couldn’t find an aftermarket seat for his Honda Valkyrie that was the comfort level he desired. So, he made his own. His buddies wanted one too and Ultimate Seats was established in 2002 in Toronto, Canada. At first, they traveled the rally circuit expanding into more and more bike companies and different models within product line. Daytona is primarily research and development with a beautiful showroom and warehouse for worldwide distribution. Dave Frank is VP of Operations and you can find him at the shows or in the Daytona location.

Their seat bases are made from fiber reinforced rigid urethane which provides a rigid support system to build the rest of the seat. The foam itself is a high-density injection modeled memory foam which acts like a suspension system and gives you support. The mounting brackets are steel and are either black zinc electroplated, powder coated or polished and chromed for corrosion resistance. The seats are custom built for most models including Harley Davidson, Can-Am, Suzuki, Honda, Victory, Indian, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Your new seat comes with a 14-day trial and refund if you’re unhappy with the comfort and fit. They also offer custom colors for you to create your own personalized look for your bike.

The permanent showroom for Ultimate Seats USA is on the Destination Daytona property in Ormond Beach at 348 Destination Daytona Ln. They are open Monday through Friday 9AM – 6PM and Saturday 9AM – 4PM (closed Sunday). Dave has display seats for you to test ride either in the showroom or at their rig at rally sites. They also have a complete rig which travels to many rallies in the US including Thunder Beach fall and spring, Sturgis, Americade, Ocean City Bike Fest, Wing Ding, and Bikes, Blues and BBQ in Arkansas. They also set the rig up at International Speedway during Bike Week and Biketoberfest in Daytona.

The website is UltimateSeats.com, their phone number is 877-672-0288 in the US and 800-818-6868 in Canada. Make sure if your backside is feeling a little road weary to stop by their showroom or their rig at International Speedway to see what they can do to make those miles on the road a little sweeter!

By Lulu

Out in the country of South Putnam county, a nice two wheeled ride away from Daytona, Deland or St. Augustine, is a bar called Long’s Log Cabin. The owners Waylon and Tonya had something to celebrate recently and a pin on Waylon’s chest touted they were celebrating that Waylon is “OLD”! Not quite 50, he is stretching the truth in my mind but getting a year older is worth a shot or two!!! The band Stonegrey is one of my favorites and the place was packed! You must put this on your “ride to” list during Biketoberfest. It is about an hour-long beautiful country ride out to Welaka. Waylon is a veteran and teacher who loves his country, wife and Harley! So happy year 49 Waylon and many more!

By Lulu

Most poker runs have some emotions attached. Whether riding for a downed biker, someone with medical needs, or in memory of something like 9/11, you usually go home feeling happy you rode for a good cause. But what started as a ride in memory of Hallie’s mom who had passed away, turned into a tearful day of sad, happy and fighting tears!!! Hallie’s cause was to raise some money for Meals on Wheels and Charlene’s Dream in memory of her mom…mission accomplished. Momma’s ashes were spread in the ocean as part of the ride…tears! On Facebook we heard good news prior to the run that Hallie was engaged. A few days later we heard that Hallie has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is preparing for the fight of her life…it will begin with a wedding on her mom’s run…more tears!! The wedding was a Harley wedding with boots, jeans and Harley shirts…a bouquet and veil let us know who the bride was. But what moved Hallie to tears is when friends and family donned matching t-shirts and formed the aisle for her to walk. The shirts had a hot pink boxing glove and the words “Her Fight Is My Fight” …flowing tears by all!! And the final waterfall came when her son gave her a gift bag. Inside was a set of pink boxing gloves and a black sharpie for all to sign, letting her know we all are rooting for her! I have to say it was a fabulous day of old and new friends sharing in the “circle of life”…and that circle was not only her mom’s passing, the beginning of a new relationship, the wedding bands, and the boxing ring Hallie is stepping into with her diagnosis…it is also the circle of people who surround her with love. Best wishes to the newlyweds Jay and Hallie for a long happy life together…

By Ken Gardner

Labor Day weekend 2011 at the Iron Horse Saloon we made our debut. We opened on the premise that we could help our friends be safer and still look good doing it. LEDs were the wave of the future and while many had heard or were aware of them not many understood them. We set out to change that. Eight years later we are still helping our friends, new and old be safer!

Several tents and two stores later our business presence in the motorcycling community has grown, but our goal remains the same. Keeping us all safe! You can find us at many major bike events around the country, or right here locally at 1170 N US Hwy 1, Ormond Beach, Florida.

You can stop in and let us help you become safer, we have the brightest headlights and taillights. These are the best place to start. Jamie and I have over forty years combined riding experience and are very knowledgeable as to what will work best for you!

My Two Cents! Ken and Jamie are both long time motorcyclists that I have known for years. They are involved in the biking community and often are at charity events when they can sneak away from their business. If you need custom lighting, I can attest that they do a great job. I feel safer on the bike since T.J. had them install our lighting package. Not only are they hard working, reputable and excellent at what they do…they are genuinely good people!

By Lulu

Janice, owner of Crossroads Tavern in Bunnell has set lofty goals for herself. Opening a bar at the crossroads of Bunnell with a full liquor license was the first. After years of running Smiles Nightclub and the Dog Pound she finally decided to bite the bullet and open her own. Her next goal was to use her business to be involved in community needs of all nature. She works tirelessly to help people within the community. Personal struggles with the illness of a grandchild fostered this desire to help others in need…along with a great big heart and high energy! Stop by and have a drink or two to ensure this young woman is successful in her endeavors. It is definitely a biker friendly establishment as she is often on rides too, when she can step away from Crossroads for a day of riding.

By Lulu

If we are blessed, we have happy healthy childhoods and children! Maybe the worst illness in a healthy kid’s life was a bad case of chicken pox when I was young, nowadays it might be strep throat in this generation. But for some families a doctor comes in the exam room and speaks a devasting sentence, “Your child has cancer.” The entire family’s life changes in an instant! Financially, emotionally, everything completely changes. Fear, exhaustion, anger, sadness…fear! That isn’t part of a normal healthy child’s day to day existence. But angels walking on Earth, headed by the late Danny Thomas and his family, formed St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Their efforts in children’s cancer research have increased the survival rate from 20% in 1962 to 80% today, an amazing feat in 50 years! The hospital is in Memphis, Tennessee with 8 clinics in Baton Rouge, Charlotte, Huntsville, Johnson City, Peoria, Shreveport, Springfield and Tulsa. Children from all 50 states and countries around the world have been treated by St. Jude. No family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food. How is that possible? People like TEAM CONE!

Cone Distributing Inc., based out of Ocala with a satellite office in Tallahassee, works hard bringing libations to a huge part of Florida from Tallahassee to Ocala. They service 22 counties with beer, wine, spirits, energy drinks, water and soda. Douglas P. Cone Jr. began the company in 1985. Along with growing a healthy profitable business, Mr. Cone became involved in charitable community events. One of the largest endeavors in their charitable works is eleven years of giving to St. Jude! Charlie Ingrilli, Vice President of Sales, spearheaded the company’s involvement with St. Jude by using fun events to bring the community together to raise funds for the “kitty”. Cornhole, basketball, bingo, bowling, poker, golfing and celebrity bartending have made all the “players” reach into their wallets and purses for a great cause! In ten years of donating to St. Jude, Team Cone has donated over $260,000. With the help and generosity of Team Cone’s teammates, retail customers and others, Cone has already raised $32,368 of their 2019 goal of $75,000. Their ingenuity and energy in their goal for St. Jude gives all a chance to be part of the team of angels walking on Earth. So, get out your wallet and contribute, be part of the TEAM and get a feather or two for your wings!!

If you have participated with Team Cone in any of the fundraising over the past 11 years, I know Mr. Cone and St. Jude thank you, as do any of the families whose children no longer face a death sentence when that doctor walks in the room. So, suit up and play when the opportunity arises at any of the events Team Cone puts on each year…we can all use a few more feathers in our wings!

By Mike Gasper

This article was written by Mike Gasper one of the organizers of the ride to remember the five Marines and two civilians who were killed returning from Laconia 2019 in a tragic motorcycle accident. The ride began at Broken Spoke in Laconia and ended at the crash site. A thank you to the Broken Spoke and to Boot Hill Saloon for the use of their properties. I was told that the rains came down hard and heavy and people opened their homes and provided towels to dry the riders and passengers. Americans can be good to heal our souls in times of grief. We don’t hear that enough. The following is Mike’s thoughts on that day. In honored memory of Michael Ferrazi, Albert Mazza, Jr., Desma Oakes, Aaron Perry, Daniel Pereira, Jo-Ann Corr and Edward Corr

The moment I realized the intensity of this event was when I was on a very long straight away and as I looked in my mirror there was no end to the line of bikes. Five thousand or so people all with the same purpose to honor and remember these 7 souls whose final ride ended so tragically.

The world came together that day. It was a reminder of times past when patriotism ran thick in our country. From the riders and their passengers, to the folks that lined the roads and waved their flags, to the families coming together to hand out water and feed the hungry, and to the children that sold lemonade to donate money to the families of the fallen. It was a great day to be an American.

The ride ended in a field next to the crash site where people gathered in the deepening mud to pay their respects. The greatest memory I have is the bugler in full uniform playing taps in the background as the sky cried down on us.

By Lulu

As most of us who live in Daytona Beach know, Main Street Station, under the unending energy of Phaedra Lee, is very involved in the community. Whether Phaedra Lee is speaking out on the needs of Main Street and Daytona in general, putting on one of the best bike nights with $1 domestic longnecks on Wednesday evenings or being involved in charity events of all nature, Main Street Station is involved! Three of Main Street Station’s favorite things to be involved in is Veteran’s, her bicycle drive at Christmas and feeding the hungry. The 5th Rock for Food was held this July to benefit Halifax Urban Ministries. A free concert by Sound Theory and The Society kept us all entertained. Bags of non-perishable food was collected. Keep abreast of the happenings at MainStreetLive.com. I know Phaedra Lee is hoping to really add to the number of bikes they collect for Christmas gifts for the needy kids around town so don’t forget to get on your big bikes with motors and bring in a bicycle for the little ones closer to Christmas!

By Kirk

We have had the pleasure of knowing Kirk Higgins from Moto-Tow, Inc. for the past few years. He is a hardworking entrepreneur, that saw a need in Florida for a motorcycle towing company and over ten years has added trucks to cover Daytona, the I4 corridor and the West Coast of Florida. We have seen his crews at many motorcycle events participating as backup and on the road towing trucks all over the state!!! Hard work, long hours and being honest have contributed to his success!!! We let Kirk write his story…hope you don’t need a tow but if you do call 800-TOW-A-BIKE!!

I lived in the suburbs of Chicago my whole life. I worked for a printing company and just didn’t want to work so hard for someone else. I’d go so far as to say I was a “clock watcher” and couldn’t wait to clock out. I used to own rental houses back in the 70’s and 80’s until interest rates got so high the market died. At 29, I decided to try something different and bought a laundromat. Now I ran the store in my spare time and worked a fulltime job. It kind of worked out so I turned around and bought a second one. Soon after buying the second one I got into vending machines for soda and candy, etc. Eventually I quit the day job. I also bought a snowplow and started plowing snow for some of my vending customers. Year after year I kept adding more trucks and more vending accounts. When I sold the laundromats, I bought out a small vending company. Now I was busy a lot. I lost my dad and a few years later my mom. In 1998 I had over 300 machines out on the street and 9 plow trucks then I decided to move to Florida.

I settled in Ft. Myers area and thought about retiring, but I was too restless. I bought a business that was going downhill and I breathed some light into it only to have it all slip away after 9/11. Lost everything. Started over and I’m now 50 years old. I moved to St. Petersburg while I was dating my current wife. She was my boss. I hadn’t worked for anyone since I was 30. I liked what I did but I needed something of my own. I had a 2001 Ultra Classic I rode to work and one day I needed a tow. The truck came out and it was a motorcycle emergency truck. I called my wife and told her I wanted to get into this, and the idea was born. In 2010 I bought a new truck and a new deck that goes into the truck and off I went. My job allowed me to break from it to get a stranded bike from time to time, so the 2 things worked well. Nobody was there to help me. Nobody was there to offer suggestions…I just worked it until I had a system.

In 2014 a friend of mine worked for a motorcycle towing company in Daytona. I found out they were closing the doors on that company. I reached out to the owner and bought him out just a few weeks before Biketoberfest. So now we were running bike calls in two parts of the state. I kept adding trucks here in St. Pete as we grew. I started knowing other motorcycle towing owners and one of them was in Orlando. I reached out to him in late 2016 and bought him out in January of 2017. Now we can cover bikes all across the I-4 corridor. Orlando has grown and an additional truck was needed over there too. We now have 7 motorcycle rescue trucks serving the motorcycle population from St Pete/Tampa, Orlando and Daytona.

Writing this sound like it was so easy, but it is a lot of work. A lot of sleepless night and headaches, but we never give up. We never leave anyone on the side of the road. We are going to be starting our tenth year soon and it is still exciting every day.