By Lulu The Dog Pound Saloon in Bunnell hosted one of our Twisted Tea events at their Thursday night Bike Nights. There was free food, great peeps and lots of Twisted Tea. The Twisted girls were on hand with samples and giveaways. We collected 342 pounds of food for A Child at Heart in Flagler which Loopy was kind enough to help us with. Don’t forget to ride over to Bunnell for Dog Pound’s U Name IT U Drink It for $2.50!!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Miserable George Some really nice turn-for-the-better weather lured out over 100 riders at the 10th Annual Molly Mutt Run...starting point...the Brevard County Humane Society out on Cox Rd. in west Cocoa. This is a run to benefit our little (and big) furry friends with not only possible adoption, but helping to maintain a good supply of food and bedding at the shelter. It was a pleasant run, through a scenic Brevard countryside, with beautiful riverside stops, and ending at the Eagles on Merritt Is. As he does at many local events, Doc Holiday was chief entertainer with his off the cuff wit, and fabulous music. The Eagles offered a good meal at a very low price. There were vendors, and the usual prizes and a 50/50...a fun time, for a good cause! Hey, would you like a pet? It’s easy just call the Humane Society at (321)636-3343. WOOOF!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu What a way to kick off Leesburg Bike Fest! Irene’s Lounge in Tavares had Big Engine rock the place! The Twisted Tea girls gave away all kind of Twisted merchandise and samples. Even Gary Coleman a pro bass fisherman was there with his Twisted Tea bass boat. We attempted to play a scavenger hunt game although I think I should have started before the Twisted Tea kicked in! This bar during the summer is bringing in lots of great bands and in fact Big Engine will be playing again on Sunday, June 9th from 3-7p. They have Primitive camping available during these events but you need to call for reservations (see their ad). So you could camp on Saturday and be ready to ride and party on Sunday. They are having a BBQ and collecting food for the food pantry so bring in cans and get a chance to win $100!!!! We plan on coming so hope to see you there. Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu One of our Twisted Bike Events was held at First Turn Steakhouse in Port Orange. Owned by Rick and Denise Hilliard this is one of our favorite spots for great food and fun. We love sitting on the huge outdoor deck and having a cold one with friends, but our very best pick here is the Firecracker Shrimp and Redneck Salad…you just gotta try it. As usual we held a food drive and the 80 pounds of food benefitted the Children’s Home Society’s pantry. The live music was awesome, the Twisted Tea girls cute as a kitty and I just want to thank all who rode in. Don’t forget their Tuesday night bike nights this summer!!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Deborah Speicher Once again, Gator Harley gave the ladies a day of fun, food and fashion. We arrived at 8:30am and were treated to breakfast. By 9am, a group left to go on an escorted scenic ride. For those choosing to stay at the store, there were seminars, speakers and shopping! Since I decided to forego the ride, I asked one of my riding buddies, Judi Ashlock, how she liked the ride and if she could tell me a little bit about it. Here’s Judi’s story: “Twelve ladies participated in the ride which was led by Wayne Ray, Director of Lake County HOG. The group left Gator H-D about 10:00am and headed northeast for about seven miles. We then turned northwest onto Emeralda Island Road which took us through one of Lake County’s hidden gems, Emeralda Marsh. After about eight miles of riding through the scenic marsh and viewing some of Florida’s natural beauty, we turned west for a bit and then south. This took us along the west side of the marsh with even more Florida scenery and wildlife to experience. We soon hooked back up to County Road 44 and returned to Gator H-D. The ride was about 30 miles and took about 45 minutes. Other than an armadillo trying to sneak out into our path on the road and a few normal road-kill road hazards, the ride was relaxing and definitely scenic. Great weather, great roads, great scenery and experiencing it all from the saddle of a motorcycle. What a great way to start off the 8th Annual Women’s Conference at Gator H-D.” Thanks Judi! Speakers and seminars featured “tech talk” with Mike the master mechanic, Dr. Williams from Florida Heart and Vascular, and Shelly from Cross Train Clermont. The “Jumpstart Experience” was also featured for women who don’t ride since it actually allows them to ride a stationary motorcycle and learn how to shift, use the throttle, etc. Before we knew it, lunch was being served and the fashion show started. As always, Harley-Davidson proved that their clothing is not only fashionable but utilitarian for riders. We then had a yoga session with Lisa from Cross Train Clermont followed by a safety and information seminar by Darrin from Pat’s Pawn and Gun. Last but not least, we were entertained by the “Electrifying Gypsies of the New Millennium.” They had great music and featured belly dancers, a fortune teller and a genie -- you had to be there! The event ended with goodie bags and more door prizes. Hats off to Alex and Peggy for all their hard work in putting this event together. See you ladies next year! Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu [autoviewer id="247" width="600" height="600" ] One of the nicest venues to look at sweet bikes is at the Boardwalk during Bike Week. The beauty of the beach and Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop sets this apart from most shows of the year. Even with the possibility of exposing these bikes worth tens of thousands to the sea spray they have a great turnout. The attention to detail is amazing and this year the pipes seemed to really stand out. My favorites this year were the “Twister” with the twisted frame and pipes, the fire department bike with the hose nozzle pipes and “Bad Sled” with its low profile straight extended pipes. Make sure if you visit Bike Week or Biketoberfest you check this out. There is no admission fee to view this show and it is always on Friday. Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu [autoviewer id="246" width="600" height="600" ] Cochise Chops, Hold Fast Tattoo and First Turn Steakhouse in Port Orange brought in a new twist to Bike Week. Along with some of the best food in town, a fabulous outside deck and great music…they turned the parking lot into a stunt show complete with burnouts. To end the great Friday evening they had a checkered flag waving contest and a Pensacola girl won the $100 cash prize but generously donated it to the Children’s Home Society. Make sure you include First Turn in your places to ride to all year long; they have a weekly bike night on the deck on Tuesday nights! Read the rest of this entry »

By Deborah Speicher The annual Harley-Davidson MDA Women’s Ride goes on rain or shine, and this year it almost went on in the rain. As my group left for the staging area on Beach Street, the rain started. Thankfully, it was only light rain but it made the morning dark and dreary. However, once we got to Beach Street, it all changed. The three children and one adult with muscular dystrophy joining us for the ride were so excited, and no amount of rain could keep them from being all smiles. Thanks to a trike and some motorcycles with side cars, they got to ride with us. This is one event that they look forward to each and every year. We had an incredible police escort courtesy of the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department. The ride took us up Beach Street and over the Main Street Bridge. Going down Main Street during Bike Week with a police escort means no stopping for traffic or lights and is one of the greatest routes of this ride. We then headed north on A1A to SR 40 and into The Loop. The ride ended at Destination Daytona. With over 100 participants, the ride generated $31,000 in donations. Most of monies raised stays locally to help send children with muscular dystrophy to MDA Summer Camp. In the past six years, we have raised over $300,000 for MDA. It would be hard for me to express how important that is to the children and their families that attend this event each year. I would encourage you to come out and support this event next year either as a rider or just come to cheer us on! Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy "Kneecap" Braddock May is an interesting month. There are many days which honor many. We have National Nurses Day on the 6th, Mother's Day on the 12th and Armed Forces Day on The 18th. However, there is one day that is also important to me “World No Tobacco Day” on the 31st. I'm writing this article on April 15th (Tax Day's 100th anniversary). Eight years ago on this date I quit smoking cigarettes after 48 years. “World No Tobacco Day” brings awareness of the health and dependency issues of tobacco. Tobacco may be the most addictive legal drug we know. With all the aids to help you quit smoking, there is only one that really works. It's your “HEAD”. You need to make up your mind that you really want to quit and it will happen. I don't run around preaching about smoking, but the bottom line is if you smoke, you need to kick the habit TODAY. Your LIFE may depend on it. Smoking is not the only thing that can kill you. We’re in the middle of gator mating season and I don't mean the University of Florida cheerleaders. So remember, we live in a state (Florida) where you can be eaten by both alligators and crocodiles. If you need a hug, we also have boa constrictors. Then there are Sinkholes, which is Mother Nature's way to allow Florida itself to commit murder. Mother Nature also gave us mosquitoes, ticks and fleas that like to give you little love bites. Florida is one of the country’s top tourist destinations. The roads are flooded with people who don't know where they're going but in a big hurry to get there. If that isn't enough, we have blue haired, white knuckled, Buick drivers who don't use turn signals and have a tendency to turn left in front of you. When I was a kid, we would say the most dangerous thing you can see in Florida was a Northerner traveling south on I-95 in a U-Haul. There's been a lot of talk lately about legalizing marijuana (cannabis). Cannabis has a long history. The first direct reference to a cannabis product as a psychoactive agent dates back to 2737 BC. It was used as a medication for rheumatism, gout, malaria and oddly enough absent-mindedness. In 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. The English introduced it in Jamestown in 1611, where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco. By 1890 it had been replaced by cotton as a major cash crop in the southern states. It was in the 1920s that marijuana began to catch on. Some say that was brought about by Prohibition. Marijuana was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopeia from 1850 to 1942, and was prescribed for such things as labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. I grew up in the “hippie generation” where it was a symbol of rebellion. I can remember this nerd I knew who was going on vacation. He asked me, “Where can I get some marijuana to take with me? I asked him, “Where are you going?” to my surprise he said Mexico. After I stopped laughing hysterically, I had a visualization of a newspaper headline “Stupid gringo tries to smuggle marijuana INTO Mexico”. Until The Controlled Substance act of 1970, the majority of marijuana came from Mexico. After the Mexican government agreed to eradicate the crop in 1975, Columbia became the main supplier. So now, we advertise our easy giveaway of food stamps in Mexico. With this stupid “Zero Tolerance” climate, the so-called “War on Drugs” and mandatory sentences for possession the police prosecuted 848,408 persons with marijuana violations in 2009. 758,593 were charged with nonviolent possession only. Our jails are overflowing and with 224 million users in the world’s adult population, maybe we better take another look at our laws. Like they say, never let the truth or the facts interfere with the passage of a new law to control. Quote from the person who invented the Internet and global warming. “It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it”. Al Gore, Vice President See you on the shiny side of tomorrow… Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole [autoviewer id="243" width="600" height="600" ] The World Famous Iron Horse Saloon sponsored our “Twisted” cover for Bike Week 2013 and rocked us off our feet featuring David Allen Coe, a known legend…Jared Blake, an awesome county singer…Mustang Sally, an all women country/rhythm/blues band and the many FREE concerts during the week!! The Horse has it “ALL” going on during the off season and during the rallies. Off season if you are out and about you can hit Bike Night the 1st Saturday of every month with live music and a bike contest, during the week play in tournaments for cash prizes either corn hole or horseshoe, eat inexpensive good grub and drinks, join in on the poker runs for great causes, etc. Throughout the rallies you can pretty much do all those things with extras like the Horse teamed up with J&P Cycles (the world’s largest retailer for motorcycles), and had a burnout contest right by THE STAGE until there was no rubber left!!! They even have a place for you to sleep…well, not at the Horse but at their campground called Moonshine… a short distance away. And then there is always the famous beef tip sandwiches and fabulous T-shirts! Everyone always makes a stop at this Famous site!! Check Thunder Roads Florida for all the Horse’s upcoming events!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole [autoviewer id="242" width="600" height="600" ] IT’S CHOPPER TIME!!! I have to say that the BEST part of Bike Week is Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Old School Chopper Show…for a few incredible reasons! It’s quite simple how this all began. Willie’s bike show began about 12 years ago. Willie and a few of his custom builder buddies, such as Jeff and Donnie from Sucker Punch Sally’s, and Adam Chandler would meet up on Thursdays at the shop on their choppers to gear up for a night out. As this continued, many onlookers were aware of this and chose to ride their chopper in, park, shoot the breeze, and from there it just got bigger and that is how we got to the present. This year’s bike show was BIGGER than ever with 173 bikes on property and Willie and the crew’s choppers were not counted!! The eager crowd, getting inked or not, and the unique bikes were packed in tighter then a locked up wheel!! The builders were competing in many categories for some rare hand made trophies handed out by tatted babes and the Twisted Tea girls. Drink stations, like $2 beers, wine, cocktails, soda and water were set up all around along with snacks for lunch, if you got the munchies while listening to the non stop live music. An added perk too were the bales of hay stacked up in the sunshine so many of us parked ourselves on them! Another thrilling factor at Tropical was having celebrities Josh and Bill from Moonshiners TV show and of course Cutie Pie, Josh’s dog, on site selling shots of moonshine and boy was it tasty!! If you are not familiar with the show you fail to see the humor and the hard work they put into their stills, but sippin’ on some shine while doing so…makes it well worth it! The topper of the day was that ALL monies that were profited at the show from selling the beer, refreshments, food, moonshine; the gals and guys tip money, etc. ALL FUNDED the Arni Foundation Animal Shelter!!!! Raising $9,000.00!!!!! Arni is a nonprofit no kill shelter located here in town. They save 100’s of animals from other shelters that are in danger and find them loving homes! Arni has been onboard with Willie at Tropical’s bike show for the past 5 years. Nikki Lynn, founder of Arni, is an angel for these furry friends…she has a heart larger than life!! Here is their website if you are looking to give a 4 legged friend a loving home or to donate…arnianimalrescue.org A big thank you to Dave Perewitz, Twisted Tea, Spectro Oil, Big Rick and the Troublemakers, and to all who supported this event!!! Read the rest of this entry »

I met this month’s Bull’s Eye, Mark Manuel, at the Boardwalk Classic Ride In Bike Show during Bike Week. His creativity and passion for design is evident in his bike “Bad Sled”. In addition to being an extremely creative bike designer he also writes exceptionally, so I have asked him to submit his own story. Lulu By Mark Manuel My story, like this build, is a little different from most. I fell hopelessly in love at 19 years old … twice! First with my wife of 35 years and second, with my Suzuki…not necessarily in that order! Thirty-five years later, I’m still in love with both. The only difference is that I’m into the design and creativity of bike building as much as riding. Like any love affair, it’s been a love-hate relationship at times, but that’s okay, because I’m a clinical psychologist. I work with bad boys at the Florida Department of Corrections, but my true love is a nine-year build that started in Miami at New Age Motorcycle, and continued by builder/painter Jay Horton from Alachua. My bike began life as a 1982 GS 1100 in-line 4 cylinder 16-valve chain drive Suzuki Katana. When I got tired of gear-heading around Miami, I decided to build my own signature motorcycle. I wasn’t into sport bikes or conventional Jap cruisers anymore, but I didn’t want to build another H-D cookie cutter chopper, bobber, or bagger. I wanted to build a whole new breed … a high-end prototype, integrating the old school radical retro FLH design with a wicked drag bike engine. The original 1100 was bored out by Star Racing using a Stage One pro-stock 1200 cc drag bike kit featuring a race cut/heat treated tranny, competition cams, valves, rings, pistons, chain, clutch, 38mm Mikuni stacks, and two 30 pound NOS tanks. This “Bad Sled” claims a staggering 140hp and a heart–stopping 170hp + with the NOS engaged. As of the spring of 2013, ¼ mile and top speed are still unknown pending engine break-in. In terms of design, I incorporated Arlen Ness Tail Dragger fenders, prototype 7 foot side by side fish tail pipes, a functional suicide shift, “floating” suspension, air shocks, flame thrower (gulp!), and $5000 in chrome. Roping it all in, the west coast “True Fire” air brush paint job is designed to reflect the notion of riding and splashing through liquid fire. Not only is this thing crazy fast, it’s a Radical Metric 1000 cc+ show bike, having taken first at the 2012 Rat’s Hole show at Leesburg, 2nd at Rat’s Hole Biketoberfest 2012, 2nd at the 2013 Full Throttle Biker Build Off, 2nd at the Rat’s Hole Bike Week 2013 and 1st at the 2013 Boardwalk Classic Bike Week. That’s 5/5 shows guys… and the bike has been featured in several biker magazines as well. My ultimate goal is to win or place at Sturgis, the biggest and most prestigious custom motorcycle show in the world. I have “Bad Sled” priced at $50,000 and with all the hours, chrome, paint and design innovations, it’s a steal. Blending the past and present, I’ve taken an antique Suzuki and integrated H-D, Arlen Ness, and Indian influences, making this an awarding winning bike. Long… Low… Loud… Phat… and Fast … This is truly one “BAD SLED!” Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu During Bike Week, I was wandering around the Speedway and ran into my friends from Rolling Thunder Chapter 8. They were showing me the coolest piece of art that someone generously donated to them (see photo). A bit later in the day I came upon that artist’s booth and had a chance to meet the artist “Dirt” (James Dorner) and see more of his creations. Upon hearing that I had a friend with lung cancer, he gave me a piece of art to auction at her poker run. This is one amazing and generous man. He didn’t know me or my friend. He wasn’t a local, and yet he insisted I take the pair of metal angel wings his hands had sculpted out of metal. His creative works are sold under the name Art by Dirt and he really creates amazing art made with American motorcycle pieces. From tiny rosebuds to huge eagles his mind and hands take metal art to a new height. So far he has given over $64,000 to his charitable causes, which he is very involved in veteran and children causes. I am keeping this Pony Tales short to make room for the photos. The artist has been featured in Easy Rider magazine and you can find him on his website www.artbydirt.com Thank you Dirt from Thunder Roads Florida, Rolling Thunder Chapter 8 and my friend Sam you are certainly a delightful man and I am impressed by your art and generous spirit! Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole This year The Legendary Boot Hill Saloon and Strip Club Choppers joined together to make the experience of Bike Week even better! Everyone will stop in at the Boot at least once during the rally…it’s just a given…whether it’s to party, pick up a new t-shirt or to look at some eye candy at the Full Throttle bikini contest!! Even after the rally the party continues with live music, Wednesday bike night and free BBQ every 4th Saturday. If you don’t know, Boot Hill has an Ormond Beach location on US1… and it was utilized well this event!! Owner of Strip Club Choppers, Johnny Lange, teamed up to help organize and plan the events and I have to say he pulled it off!! Plenty of free bike parking was available along with the Wall of Death Shows at no charge! The Rat’s Hole Bike Show was impressive; seeing all that power roll up and some of them getting on it and smoking tires! The one feature that was my favorite, and if you know me you know it is, was the Jungle Habitat out of Tennessee founded 25 years ago. Their mission is to provide safe healthy long term care for unwanted or abused exotic animals of all kinds! They had an 8 week old Bengal Tiger named Sadie, (which Shane and I both got to hold and have our pic with her!) another tiger and 2 monkeys. For a donation you could do the same!! Check out jungelhabitat.org. Thanks Boot Hill for awesome experiences and another great Bike Week!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole Bike Week wouldn’t be the same without riding down to Main Street and getting yourself engrossed in the activities at Dirty Harry’s. Most of the year it’s pretty quiet on the strip but during the 10 event it’s rockin’ with 2 big stages, the roar of engines, girls in their sexy attire and 100% amusement! The wet tee contest was slick as oil and is always a handful for Cowboy, known as the King of Entertainment, but he sure had a grip on it! Then there’s always time for a booty break! The booty contest is right smack on top of where the scent of food (and the booties) makes your mouth water! If you want to start the weekends off right Friday is bike night with $1 beer and the first Sunday of EVERY month is soaring with free bbq and live music. Each month has a different sponsor with pretty promo girls strolling around with giveaways. With spring and summer moving in on us, it only enhances being out in the courtyard for some fun!! Check Dirty Harry’s ad in Thunder Roads Florida for all they’re doing or their website at DirtyHarrysDaytona.com!! Read the rest of this entry »