By Lulu

The weather Gods did not smile down on the day of this ride. Torrential rain was projected, luckily for the children, Jim Lynch of Revelation 1 Concepts/Bike Show Mafia had put out boxes for collection of toys earlier in the month. Those who braved the severe weather mostly showed up in cars, trucks, and jeeps. A few of us rode from Broken Spoke to Sorry Charlie’s and mostly beat the rain. Other stops were canceled due to the weather. Sherry and Justin at the Broken Spoke hosted the registration and made yummy free pancakes and hot coffee. It was awesome! Once we arrived at Sorry Charlie’s, the firepit warmed our buns, and T. J. ordered an absolutely scrumptious and HUGE pork tenderloin sandwich. I think we fed five people off of it!!! Lots of children in Volusia County had a much nicer Christmas due to the generosity of those who gave, and to sponsors such as Kory Souza Originals, Faith Customs, Newsome Law, Twisted Tea, Broken Spoke and Sorry Charlie’s. The bike show that was scheduled for the day at Sorry Charlie’s had to be cancelled due to the storm, I am sure we will see Jim Lynch putting on a show in 2024!

By Dave Frank

In the thrilling world of motorcycle riding, enthusiasts seek not only the power of the engine beneath them but also the comfort that allows them to enjoy the journey to the fullest. For riders, the quest for the ultimate riding experience leads them to a unique destination – coincidentally located at Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach, Florida – Ultimate Motorcycle Seats has become the go-to choice for riders seeking unparalleled comfort on the open road.

At the heart of the riding experience is the connection between rider and machine. Ultimate Motorcycle Seats understands this bond and strives to enhance it by offering premium seating solutions. As the proud manufacturer of motorcycle seats, the company has carved a niche for itself, particularly among V-Twin and Metric enthusiasts.

One of the standout features that make Ultimate Motorcycle Seats an industry leader is their 14-day comfort guarantee. This bold commitment reflects the company’s confidence in the quality and comfort of their products. For riders, this means the opportunity to test their new seat in real-life conditions and experience the difference it makes on extended rides. This guarantee underlines Ultimate Motorcycle Seats’ dedication to ensuring that every rider finds the perfect seat for their bike.
Understanding the distinct needs of riders, Ultimate Motorcycle Seats has engineered a range of seats that combine style, functionality, and, most importantly, comfort. From sleek and low-profile designs to more cushioned and supportive options, the company caters to a variety of preferences within the short and long-distance riding communities.

The secret behind the comfort provided by Ultimate Motorcycle Seats lies in the meticulous craftsmanship and the use of high-quality materials. Each seat is designed with precision, taking into consideration the ergonomics of riding and the unique characteristics of each individual motorcycle. The result is a line of seats that not only looks great but also provides the support needed for long hours on the road.
While comfort is paramount, Ultimate Motorcycle Seats understands that riders also crave style and innovation. The company continuously pushes the boundaries of seat design, offering options that seamlessly blend with the iconic look of cruising and touring motorcycles. Whether it’s classic look, modern materials, or innovative features, Ultimate Motorcycle Seats ensures that riders can express their individuality while enjoying an unmatched level of comfort.

For Harley-Davidson riders looking to transform their riding experience, Ultimate Motorcycle Seats beckons with a promise of comfort and quality. The 14-day comfort guarantee serves as an open invitation to embark on a journey of unparalleled riding pleasure.

Established in 2001, Ultimate Seats has been rooted in its Ormond Beach location at 348 Destination Daytona Lane since 2009. With a history spanning over two decades, the company has solidified its presence, making it a trusted and enduring destination for riders seeking top-notch motorcycle seats. Elevate your riding experience with a seat that not only supports you on the road but enhances every moment of your motorcycle journey. Ultimate comfort awaits – enjoy the ride!

By Lulu

Each November, Jan and the staff at Gator H-D in Leesburg put on a fall rally that includes a lot full of vendors, full bars, and great live music. A new vendor was Biker Brand Coffee, ended up buying 3 bags after trying their iced coffee. Everyone loved it. Our friend, George, from Chrome Premium Cigars was busy selling his smoke. This year they had tattooists showing off their artistic talents inside the showroom. Bands at Gator are always great. This year Rock Hard, Justin Heet, REL, Torn, Rusty Wilmot and Hypersona rocked the stage for three full days of music! Sunday, they opened the event with church services to send everyone back home with good blessings. Look for the spring rally April 25-28 which coincides with Leesburg Bike Rally which is back on full steam! I heard Gator’s events may include a full-scale bikini contest, so girls, hit the gym!!

By T. J.

Jeff Gordon and I put 200 miles on our Harley’s to attend Christmas in the Swamp and it was a great day on 2 wheels! Each year in Groveland, a bunch of elves dressed as bikers, throw one hell of a party/charity event to provide gifts under their trees for children in the Mascotte & Groveland area! These “Santa’s elves” have a great piece of land they call the Swamp. Under a newly built covered patio was a large Christmas tree with more toys than I have ever seen collected by one group. Add to that they feed everyone a Christmas spread that was delicious all for the admission price of a toy for the tree! The Rat’s Nest Saloon had some Nam Knights slinging cocktails for the masses too. Join in for the fun, food and feeling of being a good soul by riding out next year to Christmas in the Swamp with the The Green Swamp Nam Knights of America, MC. You’ll be glad you did!

By Lulu

I never had a parent or grandparent in the military. My brother was in the Navy as a corpsman for a few years and I had older friends shipped off to Vietnam due to the draft, somehow, I developed a real love of veterans. They embody the best of what America should be…brave and patriotic. I must admit I am a bit worried about what the current administration is doing to our military, and it seems like they have lost sight of who should be protecting us.

I have attended the Ride to the Wall with Rolling Thunder 3 years and feel every American who has never attended it is missing a moving and emotional event. Eustis’ Salute to Veterans is one of the best events I have witnessed in Florida for showing off our love of those who serve this great nation. The parade, the lakefront park decked out with military vehicles, with a backdrop of veteran paratroopers from Phantom Airborne Brigade jumping from planes into the lake all morning, and the Iraq and Afghanistan National Memorial walls, made the trip to Eustis worthwhile. The Phantom Airborne Brigade and The Ranger Group hosted the morning jumps. The Sons of Mosby MCA, The Long-Range Reconnaissance Surveillance, and the Paratroopers for the 82nd Airborne Division all participated. Even veterans in wheelchairs were able to participate jumping from the plane to the lake below where boaters scooped them up and brought them to shore. An amazing sight!!

Thank you to all who served in the military, the cost of just being away from your families for an extended time is a great sacrifice. For those of you who served during wars, knowing that your time there kept us safe and helped keep us free, I am in awe of any who can be so self-sacrificing for others.

Next month I begin my 18th year publishing Thunder Roads Florida and I cannot say enough about how many wonderful people have come into my life because of the magazine and the world of motorcycling. Friendships that have lasted and grown over all 17 years! Friends I have just gotten to know in recent months, particularly through the Mystery Rides. I am writing this to thank the readers who have supported the FREE magazine by following our events calendar and showing up at ad clients’ establishments and events, and saying they saw it in Thunder Roads Florida. I even thank you for the friendships I have been blessed with by the success of the magazine. Recently T. J. was part of a golf outing that NASCAR’s Rusty Wallace generously donated to the Iron Horse Saloon’s Saddle Up for St. Judes poker run last spring. Rusty, Craiger, T. J., Mike and his son-in-law Gary spent the morning on the course, followed by a nice lunch at Oceanside County Club. Mike bid and donated $1000 to St. Judes for the day’s round of golf. Thunder Roads Florida was to pay for lunch, but Rusty wouldn’t hear of it! Rusty is one of the many amazing people who I have been blessed with knowing. I first met Rusty on a Camp Boggy Creek Ride. He is an unpretentious celebrity with a good heart! He and his son Steve now have a custom motorcycle company, Southern Country Customs, and their beautiful bikes are onsite at Broken Spoke for Bike Week 2024. The next Saddle Up for St. Judes will be at Iron Horse on April 6th with a poker run, cornhole tourney, Bike Show Mafia Bike Show, live and silent auctions, live music festival and much more. Rusty Wallace and Bill Grotto from Twisted Tea will be riding along with us. Over $40,000 last year was raised by the Iron Horse event and Sherry has a new goal of $60,000 so get on your saddle and join us! Count your blessings each and every day, take a new way to a destination because it is all about the ride and don’t forget your sunscreen.

By Adam Babcock (2023 Toys for Tots Ride Coordinator/Photos by Joshua Bugby

On Sunday, November 19th the Emerald Coast HOG Chapter (Fort Walton Beach, FL) hosted its 44th annual Toys 4 Tots Ride benefitting two local children’s charities – Children in Crisis and the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. Over three hundred registered with over two hundred riders joining the group ride to the Niceville, Florida Mullet Festival site for food trucks, bike games, costume, and decorated bike contests, as well as 84 prize drawings. Almost $7K funds were raised and shared between both charities (plus an extra $2K from the Panhandle Eagle Aerie teams) and approximately $1K in gift cards with over four hundred toys! Many thanks go out to the riders that supported the event and for the tremendous generosity of our Northwest Florida community and businesses!

By Janice Catoggio

In December Crossroads Tavern and Ghost Town Punishers 5th Christmas Come True Poker Run hosted a tremendous event. There are so many people, companies, and organizations we would like to thank because standing together as a community we raised $10,737.00.  Punishers LEMC Ghost Town Chapter FL. all the ladies from their club and the Veritas ladies organized this poker run and we are proud to stand by their side.  We would like to thank the guys in their club that ran their asses off helping us whenever we needed something. There were times we needed something done and it was already done, they read our minds. They did an outstanding job. We would like to thank all the other Punisher Chapters for their support too. Thank you, Joe, The Bike Men of Flagler County, Inc.  for all the delicious food you cooked and to Crab Shack 386 for the Cole Slaw and all the different ladies that donated their delicious salads. Thank you, Nikki Robertson, once again for stepping in and volunteering.  Thank you to my girls at Crossroads Tavern for their hard work too. Thank you to all the different riding clubs that showed up and supported this poker run.  We would like to thank the local business for their generous donations Friends of The Bike Men of Flagler County, Andrew King Mobile Welding, Waterside Homes Renovation & Design, Tilton & Unger Insurance, A and S Hardware, Old Skool Bar, Charles Umpenhour Inc., Florida Podiatry, The Nurses at Halifax Adult Behavioral Services, Sunshine State Heating & Air Conditioning, Automation Logix and Harper Grace Foundation Corporation. Thank you to all the bars that participated in our Poker run Beach Front Grille, Saints and Sinners Pub, Sand Bar and The Pelican Pub  Most of all we would like to thank you our friends, family, our community, our customers without your continuous support we couldn’t have done this without all of you. Happy New Year to all and see you next year making Christmas Come True! ❤️ Janice and Marc Catoggio

By Lulu

The weather Gods did not smile down on the day of this ride. Torrential rain was projected, luckily for the children, Jim Lynch of Revelation 1 Concepts/Bike Show Mafia had put out boxes for collection of toys earlier in the month. Those who braved the severe weather mostly showed up in cars, trucks, and jeeps. A few of us rode from Broken Spoke to Sorry Charlie’s and mostly beat the rain. Other stops were canceled due to the weather. Sherry and Justin at the Broken Spoke hosted the registration and made yummy free pancakes and hot coffee. It was awesome! Once we arrived at Sorry Charlie’s, the firepit warmed our buns, and T. J. ordered an absolutely scrumptious and HUGE pork tenderloin sandwich. I think we fed five people off of it!!! Lots of children in Volusia County had a much nicer Christmas due to the generosity of those who gave, and to sponsors such as Kory Souza Originals, Faith Customs, Newsome Law, Twisted Tea, Broken Spoke and Sorry Charlie’s. The bike show that was scheduled for the day at Sorry Charlie’s had to be cancelled due to the storm, I am sure we will see Jim Lynch putting on a show in 2024!

By Lulu

So, Paul and Lisa Wane know how to throw one hell of a party. A biker destination was the party spot, Boogerville Hideout in Green Cove Springs. Ray came along for the ride just to get a Boogerville shirt! The event is geared towards children with face painting, Santa Claus, elves and Grinch and games. The first 150 kids get a gift bag with an event T-shirt, dinner voucher, toys and more. All proceeds benefit the community. Live music was by Rising Star and the young musicians and singers did a really good job. Guitars for Kids gave away a guitar to a teen boy who was speechless on stage. The vision for Rising Stars Guitars for Kids: “We envision communities united by the magic of music, where individuals are provided platforms that showcase their talents and bring their dreams to reality.” Well Paul and Lisa pulled it off on that day. Our posse on two wheels drove through torrential rain to get there, and as God would see fit within a half mile of the place the rain stopped and the field was dry. A great gift from heaven for Rockin for Stockins that day!

By Lulu

Each October Cotee River Bike Fest has one heck of a 3-day party. 3 stages rock with lots of great music. Vendors line Sims Park, Grand & Bank St. Downtown is closed for bikes only! I can’t say enough about how nice the police are at the event, keeping the peace and keeping us safe. This is a family friendly event and Tina Farrell makes this a charity rally. Bands like Hair of the Dog, Carpool (Car’s Tribute), and Welcome to Destruction (Guns N Roses tribute) entertained the crowds. Children enjoyed the park, face painting and snake handling! Minh from Venom Cycles puts on a bike show on Saturday with trophies by Fran Haasch. A bikini contest, Little Miss Biker Contest, Daisy Duke contest were held and to get the men involved a wet t-shirt contest…but this time the men got wet!

The Fire & Iron Chapter held their yearly poker run out of New Port Richey Harley-Davidson with stops at Starkey Market, The Drunken Mullet, and Get Hooked Grill. The winner donated the money back I believe! The proceeds went to Children’s Burn Foundation and Pasco Safety Town. A special thank you to the sponsors Harley-Davidson of New Port Richey, Team Farrell, Downtown New Port Richey, Doran, Beam & Farrell Pasco Law Team, Brown & Brown, Fran Haasch, Roman Plumbing, and Experience Florida’s Sports Coast for making this event possible. Next year’s event is scheduled for October 11th-13th!!! More photos of the event can be viewed on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook under album Cotee River Bike Fest 2023!

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By Lulu

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My second trip to Maggie Valley and the famous Wheels Through Time did not disappoint. Dale, the creator of this museum with decades of history has passed on and is riding the heavens now, but his son and a wonderful tour guide were on hand to make this an informative and great day. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, you could spend all day here! They charge a fee of $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for children, and each year they raffle off a beautiful bike which helps maintain the building and the display bikes! Not only will you see one-of-a-kind motorcycles, like the Traub, which was encased behind a wall in Chicago dated back to 1916 and discovered during a demo of the building in 1967. The history behind that one is a story you must have Andy Norris share when you take the tour. This museum, that Dale Walksler started in 1969 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, moved to Mt. Vernon, Illinois in 1977 and in 2002 made its way to Maggie Valley, NC. The 38,000 square food building is PACKED full of 300 + rare bikes and memorabilia all artfully displayed. I feel certain this isn’t my last trip to Wheels Through Time. If you aren’t headed to the mountains, visit their website where many interesting articles on their collection can be found.

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By Lulu

One of our favorite fall events is at Howlin Wolf in Melrose on State Rte 100. This bar knows how to do Ol’ School bike parties. The day is complete with a good band, bikini bike wash girls, Sexy Biker Chick contest, bike show, bike games, and burn out contest! Add in a lot of alcohol and you have a great day in the country! Mark and James are veterans, and this place definitely has grown in popularity under their control of the bar’s “Throttle”. They bought the bar in 2020 and have managed to grow this event to a packed crowd twice a year. A great destination ride from Jacksonville, Gainesville, Daytona or Ocala on any weekend, but if you get a chance put Throttles & Bottles on your list for 2024!

By Lulu

We had a huge opportunity fall in our lap this summer. Gator Ken and Jeani rented a farmhouse in Clyde, North Carolina and invited us to ride the mountains with them for a few days. I have ridden the Smokies several time years ago but had never “Slayed the Dragon” on even the back of a bike! So, it was on my bucket list! 11 miles with 318 curves and we did it in about 22 minutes! The Tail of the Dragon in Deal’s Gap was amazing, and I only had to flip off one idiot on a jap bike that passed us on a hairpin turn! Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday it isn’t as busy as the weekend. AND don’t look at the Wall of Shame before you go…you will be too nervous! The weather was amazing. The farmhouse came complete with cows and ground hogs!! We were able to spend every day riding to new and interesting bars, restaurants, the Casino in Cherokee and Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge Tn. Every day was an adventure! The place not to miss for future trips was Bobarosa Saloon in Del Rio, Tennessee. This cool dive bar is owned by a Floridian who packed up and opened this watering hole. It is situated right on the French Broad River and people create rock towers while drinking or staying there. The Iron Horse Station, a restaurant in Hot Springs, N.C had amazing food!

The Twisted Spoke in Maggie Valley, is also owned by a Floridian. And Legends Bar & Grill, also in Maggie Valley, was very cool with the beer iced down in a canoe! I wouldn’t waste a trip to the casino again. The minimum bets have gotten ridiculous. And to me even though it was cool to drive by Ole Red (Blake Shelton’s Bar) and Jason Aldean’s bar in Gatlinburg, the place has turned into a complete tourist trap. It is nothing like the quaint town it was 30 years ago. The traffic even in August was too much, it made that part of the trip not worth the trouble. Truthfully, you are in the mountains for the riding, the view, and the weather!! My favorite rides were Thunder Ride in Maggie Valley which is along the water and the Rattler which has a lot of curves, but not of the nail-biting hairpin type. We also toured Wheels Through Time again, which I consider a MUST DO! Thank you, Ken and Jeani, for an amazing few days…and the home cooked ribeye dinner. Felt a little guilty eating it after getting to know the cows at the Farmhouse!