By T. J. Costa

I was recently introduced to a small bike shop doing BIG things in Jacksonville. Hardcore Cycles tag line is “performance done right” and owners Hillbilly and Sammy take that mission very seriously. They have been operating their Harley-Davidson specialized full service and performance shop for ten years. Engine builds and repairs is what they do, as well as precision dyno tuning, extended warranty issues and comprehensive tire services. High performance is the goal, so if you want it done, these are the guys to get it done right the first time.

After riding and wrenching his own bikes all his life, Hillbilly decided it kind of made sense to open a shop since that was his lifestyle anyway, and Hardcore was born. He’s a cool, laid back, self proclaimed, born and raised Florida Cracker with three bikes in his personal garage. A ’05 Dyna that he bought brand new and has 300K miles on it. WOW! Also, a newer ’22 Road Glide and a Buell. His story is about a lifetime commitment to the ride.

Sammy is an Ohio boy that grew up racing flat tracks. Knowing at such a young age that he wanted to work in the motorcycle industry, he got on at an aftermarket shop, at 17 began Harley-Davidson Tech school and became a Certified Harley-Davidson Technician at age 18. He spent the next 10 years working at Harley dealerships in Ohio before escaping the cold winters and slow riding seasons. Eight years ago, Sammy moved to The Sunshine State and brought his skills to Adamec H-D before teaming up and partnering with Hillbilly. His early start and lifetime in the industry speaks volumes about his dedication and expertise. He currently rides a 2016 Road Glide with 150K miles, a ’07 Street Bob and a ’55 Panhead.

If you’re riding a vintage motorcycle, Squirrel is there to take care of your ride. I’m told he has 60 years of experience working on bikes. Sounds to me like he is overqualified. Old to new he has you covered. Cecil rounds out the lineup of technicians and Chris takes care of procuring the needed parts to keep the shop running.

Hardcore is also the home of the $65 oil change (conventional) and if you call ahead for your appointment, they will do it while you wait. To me, that’s great service! Their labor rates are $125/hr with a discounted rate of $110/hr for military, first responders and teachers. Professional pick-up and delivery are available, and they offer financing if needed.

Hardcore Cycles is located at 8625 Alton Ave, business hours are 9-5 Monday through Friday, closed on weekends. Phone 904-329-3649. Follow them on Facebook for more info.

Give Hardcore a call and tell them Thunder Roads Florida sent you.

By Lulu

A quick 30-minute ride from Panama City Beach and Thunder Beach Fall Rally is a really cool spot with friendly staff. The Hideout is known for great food and ice-cold beer. It is a great place to take a ride and get away from the traffic of Panama City Beach. They put on Red Bay Thunder from October 21-27 with bikini bike wash, bike games, contests, and live music! I have heard the food is good too, although when we were there in July, we had just had a big meal. But both large tables inside were full, and people seemed happy with their grub! Put this in your GPS and tell them you saw it in Thunder Roads Florida. The address is 8704 SR 81, Ponce de Leon, and you can find them on Facebook at thehideoutredbay.

By Lulu

It was a beautiful sunny day for the first Annual Memorial Day Ride in Deltona. Rue & Ziffra Law Firm hosted the run which was organized with the help of the City of Deltona and Veteran Enforcers Motorcycle Association. Sponsors included Lowe’s, Family Health Services, Naughty Hog Enterprise, Seminole Harley-Davidson, So Hoss Bar, Cigar Hustler, Daytona Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Division Weapons, Deltona Firefighters, TD Pro Solution, and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. This was an escorted ride that started at Deltona City Hall with a stop at a Veteran’s Park for services and laying of wreaths. A great Veteran’s Museum was open to the public. The ride ended back at City Hall with vendors, food trucks and great music by Whiskey Sunrise. The ride proceeds benefited the Deltona Firefighters Foundation as the ride was held to honor Veterans and First Responders.

By Lulu

As we all know who frequent bars in our travels, there are bartenders and staff that are a cut above others. Michelle at The Alibi in Geneva is one of those gals. Everyone who knows her, loves her. Recently she was diagnosed with an aneurysm which will require surgery and having to be out of work for an extended time. So, her friends, family and the new owners of Alibi came to her rescue with a fundraiser to help cover some of her expenses when the surgery is scheduled. The Whiskey Sunrise Band put on a great show to help make the festivities of the day well worth the price of admission, which was simply showing up and helping a friend in need! Take a day soon and ride out to The Alibi and throw a little extra in the tip jar if Michelle is still there slinging cold ones. Our prayers are for a full, quick recovery!!

By Lulu

Anyone who knows Ken and Colleen Wallace know they live life to the fullest. They are both fit, full of energy and love to have fun with family and friends. They both ride and live the motorcycle lifestyle. Colleen started riding as a 12 year-old on dirt bikes, her first road bike was a Honda 250, and her first Harley was a 99 Sportster which she still has. She also has had 2 Dynas. Currently she has an orange Big Dog Texas Chopper Trike and a recently purchased Harley trike. Ken sports a trike with “We The People” etched onto the windshield and also rides an Iron Horse Texas Chopper. Motorcycling, sports particularly football, concerts, boating at their lake house, going to the beach, and caring for their 10-acre farm complete with roosters, pigs, chickens, donkeys, and cows keeps them busy and entertained. Ken and Colleen both worked in distribution when they met. He was on the West Coast and Colleen was on the East Coast. She was born in Manhattan, lived in Queens as a young child then grew up in New Jersey. They started KCW Distribution in 2002. They married in 2003. They combined their two families and have 6 boys, and a granddaughter now. In 2009 when the economy was heading south, business was drying up a bit and Colleen put herself on a fast track through nursing school. She got her master’s at Florida Southern and is currently finishing up her doctorate. She is a nurse practitioner with her own office in Umatilla which she opened in 2020. Her specialty is primary care and provide spa services too. Including Botox & fillers.

Colleen and Ken are involved in Lake County charities and the biking community. They give to Shriners, American Heart Association, Toys 4 Tots, local needs, PTA, and she volunteers her time to do sports physicals for the local schools. These two are really good people!

Colleen’s love of staying fit, healthy, and full of youthful energy is an important part of her medical practice. She strives to have all her patients have the best quality of life possible. They do joint injections, treat ED problems and Biote for hormone replacement. All modalities that help with staying strong, agile and with a healthy libido. The practice is accepting new patients, and they are a Medicare provider. Her patients come from both coasts and many drive over from The Villages! If you are in search of a great medical care specialist, check out WallaceHealthCares4U.com, or call 352-747-0747. They are located at 287 S. Central Ave., Umatilla.

By Raven

The 11th Annual Boots on the Ground Poker Run and Concert was once again hosted by American Legion Riders Chapter 9, Flamingo Lake RV Resort and Dick’s Wings. LOCATION: 3640 Newcomb Road, Jacksonville to support K9s For Warriors, K9 Line, Inc., Operation New Uniform, American Legion Post 9 and Wreaths Across America. Over 909 registered riders, and 250 Jeepers came out to honor this Nations Veterans, their families and memorialize our Fallen Heroes while supporting this great cause. Live music by South Bound 41 on Friday Night’s Pre-Ride Party, Saturday there were performances by the Side Project Band Pipe and Drum, Rob Powell, Metal Mucil and closing out the night was Blistur. The event, after expenses, raised over $123,000 in support of the 5 Veterans support organizations. There were fifteen separate bike routes and a Jeep Party with a total of forty-four different poker stops to choose from. Over forty vendors and several food vendors participated. The bikes kicked up at 11am when the Dreamland Squadron conducted their flyover, that they do for this event every year. Thousands of military and first responder boots lined the RV Resort, each with a flag and a picture of a fallen military personnel KIA in OEF/OIF or a first responder that perished during 9/11. It is part of ALR Chapter 9’s “Boots on the Ground-America Remembers Memorial”. The bikes and the Jeeps paraded through the memorial as they left out. It truly is an emotional and humbling experience. This event is always the Saturday prior to Mother’s Day so mark your calendars for 2025. You will not be disappointed.

On the first day of my annual family vacation in Pensacola Beach, I was enjoying the Blue Angels Air Show feeling VERY patriotic in my Trump pin that Ken Wallace had given me earlier in the day. My family is 97% Republicans (a few young liberal minded relatives make up the 3%). They were all arriving when someone announced Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania. Stunned, with no idea the severity of his injuries, we tried to get the TV on to find out what the hell was going on. By the grace of God and I do believe there was Godly intervention, he was grazed by a bullet. But the feeling of relief was short-lived when we heard a man in the crowd was killed instantly and another two had been rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AMERICA?! I am pleased that as I sit here to write this the morning after the attempt to assassinate Trump, that the DNC has taken down some of their most provocative ads on TV and in Milwaukee to try to deescalate the anti-Trump rhetoric, but it is obviously a little too late. I do not care what your political preference is, a billionaire is giving his all to try to help steer the country in a better direction, almost giving his life, and he has at least half of the country behind him… in my opinion, he has earned the right to have four more years to give it his best shot. Four years from now if his plan fails the left can have their chance. That is the way this is supposed to work. They have tried a false Russian collusion hoax, allowed Hillary to get away with the destruction of a computer with thousands of incriminating emails, two bogus impeachments, close to 100 indictments for bullshit, and finally getting a conviction for a paperwork crime that will almost certainly be overturned and now this!!! Well, I honestly believe God had a hand in the outcome of the attempt on Trump’s life. Less than an inch made the difference. Often, In the face of life changing events, wisdom is gained, I hope Trump will also turn down the rhetoric, I pray America can turn down the rhetoric on both sides and that as a country we will put on a unified face for other countries, both friends and foes, to see.

At least President Biden today sounded somewhat presidential, asking the country to bring down the temperature and calling for unity. We are a country that people flee their homelands to come to. United we stand. Divided we fall! Our enemies should not be each other!!

It is hot outside…drink lots of water, hang up a flag to show support for our nation and don’t forget your sunscreen.

By Lulu

This year Jan and the crew at Gator put up $1000 for first, $500 for second and $300 for third to crown Miss Gator Harley-Davidson 2024! Seven gorgeous girls were selected for the event. I was the emcee, and a panel of judges had the hard task of picking the winners based on stage presence, attire, with two appearances including biker wear and bikini, crowd approval, body and face. A special thank you to the sponsors that brought us this event Atlantic Site Development, Bruce Kirkley Remodeling, Inc., Midnight Movers, Wallace Health Care, Dropkick Customs, All Touch Inc., and Spray Mobile Tanning. Stage sponsor and one of the main supporters of all the great events at Gator is Fran Haasch Law. The girls spent an hour before the contest posing for the crowds on bikes provided by Dropkick Customs, Gator Harley and Angel, a contestant’s personal chopper she built. In the end Shelbie, Elecia and Nickie were the top 3 with Nickie a 37-year-old medic from the Air Force winning the crown!

By Lulu

John, Johnny, Jan and the entire crew at Gator Harley in Leesburg never fail to put on a great time. This year the rally brought plenty of vendors to the property, a tattoo expo upstairs in the dealership and 7 beautiful girls competing for the grand prize of $1000 and the title of Miss Gator Harley-Davidson. The bands this year included Barfly, Hypersona, Driven, Zack Denby Band, Kelly Jarrard McGowan, Bobby Blackmon, Sweetwater Groove, and Jeff Vitolo and the Quarter Mile Rebels. Look for their anniversary party in the fall and the fall rally dates in Thunder Roads Florida!!

By Lulu

Leesburg Bikefest did not disappoint!! It was back full steam finally!! The bands were great, crowds were huge and the vendors plentiful. Best part the weather was nice! Not too hot as it has been at times. This year 15 bands on two stages entertained the huge crowds. This year’s headliners were Lo Cash, Sugar Ray, and Austin Snell. We caught Sugar Ray who looked and sounded just the same. Full Throttle put on a bike show and Jody Perewitz was on site. Bike games and the Central Florida Motorcycle Drill Team were part of the weekend. John owner of Chicago Fire & Brewery and The Warehouse had live music too. We will feature a story in August on a Cool Joint in Leesburg, Dirty South Saloon that featured pudding wrestling and a late-night bikini contest. What I love about Leesburg is the riding! A ride out to Eaton’s Beach or south to Lake Harris Hideaway and Sugarloaf Mountain Rd. in Clermont is a must do! We also make sure to catch a meal at Big Bass Grill on Lake Panasoffkee and The Fish Camp in Tavares. Another area to ride while in town is Mount Dora and catch the waterfront area in Tavares to check out our advertisers The Dog House, Hemingway’s Cigar Bar and Legacy Cigar Bar. You almost need more than the three-day weekend to explore Lake County and the surrounding areas. Thank you to the sponsors that bring this event to central Florida: Discover Lake County, Gator H-D, Florida Man Radio, WJRR, ESPN Orlando, US 102.3 FM, and of course Budweiser!

By Lulu

One of the best parts of having Thunder Roads Florida is the new adventures. There are always the yearly events we attend which we love seeing the family of rally peeps that work the circuit, but occasionally a brand-new event crops up and we have the opportunity to investigate a new area, meet new people and experience a new event. So, it was in April when we covered the 2nd Vintage Iron Rally that Ed Hunt has organized. We had visited Scooter Haven in the past with a friend Cap. We knew cabins with and without AC are available, RV spots and tent camping was available. We opted to get a tent space although we have a bed in our van, so no tent was needed. There are showers and toilets, food trucks and full liquor available. The bands this year were Big Engine, Devious 4 and Jeff Vitolo & the Quarter Mile Rebels all of which kept the grounds rocking! Bike games including the Weenie Bite and stage games such as vibrator races got the crowd involved. Friday the bike show was Chopper & Bobbers, but Saturday was the Vintage Iron Show with very well cared for old bikes. All the photos from the weekend and photos of the show winners are on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook. If you have an old scoot or just like to spend a few days at a cool old school weekend, check this one out next spring! We LOVED it.

By Lulu

Lake Eustis puts on interesting things at the park including music festivals, Veteran’s events including hundreds of paratroopers landing in the lake, but this year we were able to catch the Spring Showdown. Southern Outlaw Drag Boat Association put up a $12,500 purse to entice competitors to put on the heat. Hundreds of people lined the lake in Ferran Park to watch the races. Vendors and children’s events were also part of the day’s activities. Sponsors for the event included, Eustis Florida, Duke Energy, Rod Van Dykes State Farm, AWP Site Development LLC, Liles Land Management LLC, Crazy Gator, Turf Tech, Shelley’s Environmental, Grow with the Flow Irrigation & Landscaping LLC, Crossroads 44 Music & Sports Bar, Time Machine, Foxtail Coffee Company, Mortgage Financial Group Inc, Yooper Lube & Wash, All American Construction Services, Central Home Roofing and Solar, and American Services. Eustis is a beautiful lake front city that uses the pretty Ferran Park and amphitheater to bring entertainment to all.

By Jeff Gordon

Saturday, April 20th weather was perfect for riding up to St. Augustine with friends, The destination was the new location, the Classic Car Museum, for the 24th Annual Riding into History. This year’s feature was motorcycles of Japan. Oh, what a show. Featuring motorcycles that most of us grew up learning to ride. From the Honda 250 to the Trail 70 and a full line of CBs. One of my personal favorites was a Suzuki RM500 that if you weren’t careful would have run you right up a tree with a ¼ twist of the throttle! All of which looked like they just rolled off the showroom floor, even though all were well over 40 years old.

The show also featured motorcycles for everyone’s taste. The first bike as you walked through the gates was a beautiful Cleveland. Also included were plenty of Harleys, BMWs, Nimbus, Guzzis and others.

Put this on your calendar for next year. Don’t forget it is always a beautiful ride up A1A to get to St. Augustine that we sometimes take for granted living here with the unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean most of the way there.

Editor’s Note: Since Jeff authored this article, we received a press release with the following sad news which is, they have decided 2024 Riding into History was the final one. Along with putting on one of the finest antique motorcycle shows, the staff and volunteers raised funds for charities. The following is an excerpt from the press release about the 2024 event being their last.

It was a long, fun ride! It (Riding into History) brought together so many diverse people from different socio-economic backgrounds and motorcycle marque/club affinities. We brought together hundreds of volunteers from numerous motorcycle clubs/chapters from all across Florida to work together to put this show on every year.  Together we donated an estimated $738,000 for Charity! We started with the Susan G Koman Foundation back in 2000, then supported Buddy Check-12, Wounded Warriors, and K9s for Warriors.

A JOB WELL DONE BY ALL WHO SUPPORTED THIS EVENT THROUGH THE YEARS. Thank you to all and to the owners of the beautifully maintained motorcycles for being part of “HISTORY”! Lulu

By Lulu

The oldest party spot in Daytona is by far The Boot Hill Saloon. Having just celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 2023 they have been rocking Main Street in Daytona Beach far longer than anyone. Known for their live music, Bike Week we caught bands such as Soul Fire, Guilty by Nature, and Last Stand. Live music also rocked their US 1 location, the Boot Hill Outpost. Make sure you check out their Main Street location for Wednesday Bike Nights!

By Lulu

Joe V, Jimbo and Big Bob keep the party going 7 days a week all year long! But for Bike Week, it seems like every performer in the United States fills the bar and strut their talents! The athletic ability of these HOT women is nothing short of incredible. Full Throttle puts on a nighttime bike show filling the parking lot with Hot bikes. Whether it is Race Week, Bike Week, Spring Break, or a party for some bachelor, Grandview Live is always happy to entertain. Ride in anytime to add a little spice to your life.