By Lulu

Each April the Blue Knight’s organize a memorial ride to honor law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The risk that men and women take to be employed in this field is admirable. And as invincible as they may think they are when they take the pledge to protect us…the truth is, each and every day they are at risk of being harmed or losing their lives.

This year Panera Bread sponsored coffee and bagels with donations going to Protective K9 Ballistic Vests. The ending party after a beautiful ride was at Bulow Campground with a great BBQ chicken lunch. A special thank you to Rue & Ziffra, JP Cycles and Flagler County for always supporting our community heroes! And personal thank you to Danny Mattia and County Commissioner George Hanns for sending me the photos of this event.

By Raven Van Pelt

Wreaths across America, was held Saturday December 12th, all riders met at Saddle Creek Logistics services then made their way to the Jacksonville National Cemetery. The day started out a bit chilly and warmed up quickly, 228 riders in all and 7400 wreaths were laid upon the graves of our fallen heroes.
Wreaths across America is made possible by thousands of volunteers who organize local ceremonies, raise funds to sponsor wreaths, and participate in the events. they receive no government funding. The cost of our programs is paid by individual wreaths sponsors, corporate donors and volunteer truckers.

By Ron Cox

Almost 600 riders and passengers assembled at Six Bends Harley-Davidson in Ft. Myers on Saturday, March 26th to ride in the 13th Annual Easter Bunny Toy Run. Clubs from all over Southwest Florida came in to ride. Clubs included but not limited to Naples & Sarasota HOG, American Legion Riders, LAMA, Roughnecks M/C, Italian Angels and Women in the Wind.

The run actually kicked off on Friday night with a pre-registration and Bike Night at Six Bends. Live music, BBQ food, 50/50 and a burnout pit entertained the more than 200 people who took advantage of the early start.

Saturday morning a steady stream of riders and passengers arrived and registered for the run. All were treated to FREE coffee, pastries, cookies and bagels. NBC-TV was on hand to do a remote to entice more riders to come out. Promptly at 11am the Easter Bunny appeared and the entourage set out for Golisano Children’s Hospital at Health Park escorted by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department.

Hospital staff brought down many, many ambulatory patients from the children’s ward, they were more than eager to meet the Easter Bunny. Upon returning to Six Bends, all were given a FREE boxed lunch prepared by Jason’s Deli, soft drinks and ice cream. The riders and passengers all received a commemorative pin, relaxed and listened to live music waiting for the 50/50 and raffles.

We’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story, but save the date of April, 15 2017 for the 14th Annual Easter Bunny Toy Run.

By Lulu

One of our new favorite bars is in Arcadia. It is aptly named Open Road Bar & Grill because it is out on an open highway. The owners, Rick and Fire, are known locally for the great charities they help, including shoes for the needy and work with veterans. But today it was all about the bikers. Burgers were grilling, the band was rocking the house and the bar inside and out was filled to capacity. You must ride in to wet your whistle if you are in the Arcadia area and if you need any work done on your ride…they have a repair shop out back!

By Lulu

Homosassa and the surrounding communities of Inglis and Crystal River have beautiful country roads to offer motorcycling enthusiasts. Crystal River Harley-Davidson and High Octane Saloon were slammed with visitors for their annual Nature Coast Rally. High Octane had all kinds of great bands and if you haven’t tried their burgers you are really missing out. A bike show had great scoots to ogle. If any of you like to camp check out Scooter Haven in Inglis, they have that old school biker feel and cabins for those of you that ride two wheels in.

By Lulu

The busy crew at Stormy Hill Harley-Davidson has added more to their plate by scheduling a weekly bike night in Clermont at a great waterfront restaurant Lilly’s on the Lake in downtown Clermont. The place features a beautiful view, a huge outdoor screened porch and inside seating for inclement weather. For Bike Night the local celeb, Pam, has tunes, a bike show, giveaways and games to entertain! And even though Stormy Hill may have added “more work to their plate” they picked the perfect venue…because the plate full of food we had was awesome! Ride on out to Lilly’s for a night of food, adult beverages, and friends who love to ride. They have this scheduled for Wednesday nights and each week a different charity receives the benefits of their raffle.

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock

If you’re like the majority of Americans, you believe the ridiculous assumption that everyone should have the right to vote. You probably think our nation has benefited from everyone exercising that right. In order to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, until recently you had to answer this question: “What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?” The correct answer, according to the United States government, was, “The right to vote.” Just as the Constitution once countenanced slavery, it also allowed voting to be restricted to property-holding white men. The Thirteenth Amendment expunged the stain of slavery from our basic law, but the Constitution has never fulfilled the democratic promise we associate with it. This is surprising to many people—there is no constitutional guarantee of the right to vote. Qualifications to vote in House and Senate elections are decided by each state, and the Supreme Court affirmed in Bush v. Gore that “the individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States.”

Polls show 85% don’t approve of the performance of Congress. Who picked them? The constitution does not tell us to directly elect the president, but it does ask citizens to pick their representatives in order to have a functional form of representative government. We do the opposite.

55-62% of Americans will come out and vote in Presidential elections. We currently have 10% of our citizens involved in picking the congress in primaries and only about 50% of us involved in picking the president in general elections. Many citizens irrationally expect to be heard (by the president) instead of seeing the importance of voting in congressional primaries.

We have allowed the liberals to dumb down our educational system to the point that the majority of voters are uninformed. There is a fix, but with all the bleeding heart liberals who believe that 0.001% of the populace have more rights than the majority, it will never happen.

First, we need to allow only tax payers the privilege to vote. My rights as a taxpayer are severely infringed upon when those who are not paying into the system are deciding how the money is allocated.

Second, abolish early voting. This is a major problem because people are voting before the candidates have actually completed campaigning. The only exception should be for active military.

Third, every voter should have to pass a civics test that most six graders could ace. You need to pass a test to get a driver’s license, why not to vote? If you think the phrase “branches of government” has something to do with trees, you don’t belong in the voting booth. If you lack even basic, fundamental knowledge about our government, our laws, and the current political scene, you should not be anywhere near a polling station on voting day. YOU should not be among the majority of adults who can’t describe the purpose of the Constitution, identify the Speaker of the House, name one of the senators from your home state, name your governor, or who our nation’s capital is named for. Our foremost civic duty is to be informed. Voting while clueless should be as illegal as driving while drunk.

Thinking this will ever happen is crazy but it’s better than being stupid.

The world always looks better after happy hour.

If someone yells “you lie” in a room full of politicians, how do they know who he’s talking to?

Check out my website “nobodiesopinion.com”

See you on the shiny side of tomorrow.

By Lulu

Let me start by thanking each and every one of our readers who show up and contribute to our Thunder Roads Twisted Tea Bike Nights. We have garnered over 2000 pounds of food since we started this and well over $500 for the local food pantries. A night of friends and fun once a month helps people in need! The month of May had us putting our kickstands down at Grandview Live on Grandview in Daytona Beach. This brand new, totally awesome gentleman’s club has set themselves apart by bringing a sophistication to this form of night life. AND they have a true sense of community involvement, participating in events such as our Twisted Tea food drive, and on June 5th they are putting on a Bike Show to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. If you haven’t checked out this new spot in the Seabreeze Nightlife District you really will be impressed; a very high end ambiance, great looking and friendly staff and a clientele with lots of peeps you probably know will make it a great night.

By Lulu

Each Bike Week and Biketoberfest anyone who knows me knows I will be on the porch at the Dog Pound Saloon in Bunnell. It is my favorite place to unwind after the hectic pace of our major rallies. Sitting out back with friends old and new, listening to good music and enjoying free food…you just can’t beat it! If it wasn’t for the laid back atmosphere of Glenn’s party I would probably curl up in bed with a good movie and popcorn. But once at the last event of Bike Week I was happy as a clam to curl up instead on a bench with a Twisted Tea and watch the shenanigans of my friends. Don’t forget to stop in for a cocktail or cold beer when you are traveling in the Bunnell/Flagler Beach area…the porch is a great place to cool your pipes!

By Raven Van Pelt

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The American Legion Riders Chapter 9 and their host partner Flamingo Lake RV Resort, in support of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. (AGSM), hosted the 4th Annual Boots on the Ground Poker Run and Concert, Saturday May 7th, 2016

The purpose of this event is to memorialize our Fallen Military while honoring the Mothers who raised them to serve and to provide financial resources to aid AGMS as they support our veterans and their families. The first Boots on the Ground Poker Run started with 88 bikes and 123 riders. ALR Chapter 9 took it over on year 2 and each year it gets bigger and bigger. The 4th Annual event had 803 bikes and 246 riders, and after expenses raised over $20,000 for AGSM, with 100% of the proceeds going to the construction of the $150,000,000 Education Center at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in D.C

Over 2,500 military combat boots and fire fighter boots were displayed throughout the park, each displaying a flag and picture of a fallen warrior with their name, rank, service age, hometown and date of death. Registration started at 8:30 with the band Don’t Call Me Shirley, followed by opening ceremonies, a fly over by the Dreamland Squadron, a gun salute, and colors by the NAS Jacksonville Honor Support Team.

Riders had their choice of 11 different routes stopping at 22 different poker stops all throughout Nassau County and Jacksonville. There were over 20 vendors, and starting at 4pm Ghost Rider took the stage. Blister rounded out the night. The live entertainment was first class and bad ass. Riders were served pulled pork dinners with their registration provided by Fast Freddie’s Bar and Grill of Oceanway.

There was hundreds of raffle and door prizes, a 50/50 that raised $1,724 ($862 going to the winner) and some phenomenal auction items including a hand-made custom Harley-Davidson quilt made by none other than yours truly. It sold for $350.  There were hundreds of volunteers who came out to support this event all weekend as well and that is why it goes so smoothly each year. Not only is this the largest Motorcycle Poker Run in NE Florida, it is without a doubt the best motorcycle event I have ever attended. And for those who did not make it to this year’s Boots on the Ground, all I can say is it is an event you don’t want to miss next year.  Thank you to all who make this such a great event.

By Lulu

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The 75th Bike Week should have brought more of everything to Daytona! More people, more bikes, more big name bands…Phaedra at Main Street Station decided to make “less is more”, less clothing on hot bodies girls more days than ever!!! Butch emceed the bikini contests with his usual flair. Three days of bikini contests by sponsors that included Sailor Jerry, Twisted Tea, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Jagermeister, and Bronx Choppers. The crowds filled the front and back lots…with men and women clamoring to see the girls strut their stuff and to catch the sponsors freebies! Long known for their Wednesday night Bike Nights with $1 beer and great music, now Main Street Station has stepped their game up to include some of the hottest bikini contests anywhere! Phaedra also would like to thank Jack Daniels and Victory Motorcycles for their sponsorship of events during the year!

By LuLu

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The 75th Bike Week in Daytona brought huge crowds all over town, but nothing compared to the packed full lot at Destination Daytona. More
vendors than ever!! Bike Shows!! Shoppers!!! Live music on the stage in front of Saints & Sinners entertained
the crowds. And the new venue Jester’s Live brought in major live music, bikini contests, bike shows and more. The music line-up included
Buckcherry, Blackberry Smoke, Black Label Society, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band. From all accounts the place packed them innightly.

By Dave Twitchell

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Mid-morning on the edge of where Ormond Beach meets the roar of Daytona’s Bike Week is where I sat waking to the breeze coming off the calm Atlantic.  There were no plans for the day and I was itching for action that wouldn’t land me in jail or result in becoming a big red spot on notoriously dangerous I-95.  The Dyna was gassed up awaiting dispatch, ready to inhale forced air mixed with Octane for breakfast.  After a few cups of cheap Coffee the iPhone chimed with a text.   The requested task was covering the risqué sporting competition of Cole Slaw Wrestling at the Cabbage Patch.  That was a no-Brainer so I grabbed the camera and twisted the grip.

For some reason it took hours to find contestants that were willing to roll around in shredded cabbage mixed with Vegetable Oil.  Once underway the crowd was in for a treat.  Not only were some wrestling ladies going to show their ‘assets’, but Cole Freeman of Ill Conduct was on hand to devastate the transmission of his Harley on one wheel at high speeds.  Highly impressive to see a young rider circling with controlled recklessness using torque to throw rooster tails of grass, dirt and gravel.  What makes it harder to imagine is that he was riding with both a torn MCL and ACL in the same knee.  A lot of professional athletes couldn’t stand up under that injury far less man-handle into complete submission a sportified Harley.

At the Press table were a cast of characters.  William Ayscue and Frank Timberlake of Woodland, NC had made the pilgrimage to Daytona.  They’ve been close friends and riding partners for twenty-five years.  Frank told me William at 66 years old is on his last leg.  After further examination I learned that William had lost his leg in 2012 when a car pulled in front of his bike resulting in the amputation of his leg above the knee.  It didn’t slow him down much as he continues to ride a Harley trike with no fear.  We’ve come a long way with prosthetics.  At $33,000, William now has a piston-actuated lower leg that is BlueTooth compatible and rotates 360 degrees at the knee.  Like the Bionic Man of the 1970’s, these are innovations we only dreamed of on TV decades ago.  We watched the oil-soaked Cabbage gals grappling for the $2,500 prize and traded stories spanning near misses on the highway to the finer points of grilling the perfect steak.  These two comrades traded jabs back and forth until Frank elbowed me asking what William’s wife of 44 years says when he takes off his Carbon Fiber leg at night exposing a stump…the answer from her:  “You ain’t stickin’ that in Me.”   Priceless!

Special thanks to Ronnie and Roger at the Cabbage Patch that gave Thunder Roads Florida inside access to the event.

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock

Recently, I was in the hospital and they gave me a blood transfusion. I think it must have come from a liberal because in recovery I had some really weird thoughts. I started to believe that Hillary was a “Lady” who would never lie or do anything dishonest. The only reason socialism hasn’t worked anywhere before is because people like Hillary or Bernie weren’t in charge.

The people should look to the government to provide a structure. Laws are enacted to protect every individual for an equal society sometimes at the expense of economic freedom if necessary. Capitalism and business creates oppression while government creates prosperity. Just look what the government did for the American Indian. Taxes are too low and military spending too high. After all, the military starts the wars not the politicians. Guns in the hands of law abiding Americans are more dangerous than nuclear bombs in Iran. The IRS employee’s tax manual has instructions for collecting taxes after a nuclear war. Global Warming is a more important problem then ISIS. Global temperatures are affected by SUVs and not Mother Nature’s recurring cycles in the earth’s climate. The EPA is too weak and needs to pass more regulations. Government regulations have created thousands of jobs just ask the Chinese.

The NRA is bad because it believes in the Constitution, and the ACLU is good because they believe homosexual parades are protected by the Constitution, but nativity displays at Christmas are illegal. Gender roles are artificial, but homosexuality is natural, and everyone should love gay marriage. Our educational system is perfect when a teacher who can’t teach reading, writing or math to 4th graders is qualified to teach them about sex, hand out free condoms in elementary school, and explain that the AIDS virus is spread because of the lack in Government spending. There would be no art if it wasn’t for government spending. We shouldn’t execute murderers but it’s ok to murder innocent unborn babies. There is a need for more racial quotas because self-esteem is more important than earning it. Intentions are much more important than results. Feelings are more important than logic. Everyone should go to a liberal school, watch liberal news, vote for liberal politicians, and only hang with liberal friends because conservatives are homophobic, racist, evil, selfish, arrogant, condescending, argumentative, self-absorbed, and hateful. Support free speech unless it’s politically incorrect. We can stop global crimes against humanity by tweeting #StopGlobalCrimesAgainstHumanity.

Thank God the anesthesia finally wore off and my brain returned to its normal conservative thinking. At first I self-identified as a cat but I couldn’t find the litter box.

Why do they keep hospitals so cold? While I was there I was farting snowflakes.

On my way out I met a very disgruntled orderly. When I asked what the problem was she said, “I spent $96,000 for a BA in Hispanic LGBT studies and a masters in feminist, gender, sexuality studies and I still can’t find a job”. DA imagine that?

Now that I will be going through my cancer treatment I will have more time to write for my blog on my website nobodiesopinion.com

See you on the shiny side of tomorrow.

By Lulu

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Willie’s Chopper Time is always my Bike Week and Biketoberfest favorite day! I think it is the most attended event in the Daytona area, and the 75th was no exception. Even Willie could barely get through the crowd and trying to get up close and personal to photograph the bikes was a tad difficult as we had to shimmy between tightly packed bikes. The music was great and included Sneaky Tree, Big Rick and the Trouble Makers and Jasmine Cain. The weather was just awesome. The winner of the custom Kramer guitar was Cecil Wallace.

Willie would like to thank everyone that helps put this event on and a special thanks to his sponsors: The Horse Back Street Choppers Magazine, Twisted Tea, Biker’s Choice, Self Made Customs, Rue & Ziffra, PA, Bare Bones Leather, Chop Docs, Cycle Source Magazine, Led Sled, Biker’s Pocket Guide, Bling’s Cycles, Boomer’s Bike Shop, Lucky Loser, DK Customs, Lowbrow Customs, Anvil Customs and Black Water Guns.

Guest judges included Bill Dodge, Tank, Stalker James, Jeff Cochran, Mailman, Phil Z, Englishman, Chris Gallo, Curt Green, Spacey, Boston Mike, Lincoln Strom, Wendall Turner, Clay, Chris Callen, Ron Harris, Hammer, Steve Broyles, Joey Tee, Kari, Reverend Al, Awesome Autumn, Tito, Dave Perewitz, Roadside Marty and Willie. I would not have wanted to be a judge because each bike had awesome qualities that set one apart from the next. Their picks are listed below!