By Miserable George

The Man Upstairs must be watching out for his furry creations, because HE blessed us with a day of perfect weather for the 15th Annual Critter Run, out of the Central Brevard Humane Society Shelter, on Cox Rd...in the farm country! A steady stream of riders signed in for the beautiful ride in scenic Brevard County, and the surrounding area. The run ended at 4pm at the Dog & Bone Café on Stone St. in quaint Cocoa Village, where BIG DADDY and the band were belting out some powerful stuff!! There were cash prizes for best and worst, as well as, a mystery hand. A 50/50 and door prizes rounded out the prizes for the day, and I think everyone was satisfied! Best of all, a wagon load of pet supplies was collected, as well as, another load of supplies donated by the DOG & BONE! This run benefitted all homeless pets in our Brevard County area. Wanna help?? Call Theresa at (321)302-4828. Meanwhile, ride safe! Read the rest of this entry »

By Miserable George

OK, first, this is the largest all ABATE Toy Run in the state, between 6,000 and 8,000 bikes!! After a biscuits & gravy stop at the Warlocks of Brevard, we were off to Merritt Sq. Mall the assembly point for the run. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Macy’s had removed their "NO PARKING" rule concerning the front area of the store’s parking lot, because it was jam packed with bikes! Good move Macy’s...thank you. We were also able to get access to the roof of their building and got some fabulous shots of the whole gathering...again, thank you Macy’s!! We saw all manner of toys and other Christmas gifts strapped to the bikes, awaiting ABATE Prez Mike Pope’s command to get the huge mass of steel and chrome moving to its destination-Wickham Park- some 25 miles away, where the Shriners and several other local charity organizations were waiting to receive all the bike-borne goodies to be distributed to needy kids all over Brevard County! At Wickham Park (pavilion area), free hot dogs and beverages were given to the riders. A host of vendors were selling just about anything you could think of. Inside the pavilion ACE DJ, Doc Holiday was spinning the tunes and, outside on the semi-stage THE MAN...Big Daddy was wailing as only HE can!! Also, GUS the kissing camel was doing his thing with the ladies! Now, the weather had been perfect...up to 3PM that is. That’s when the Warlocks of Brevard presented the Shriners with a check for well over $10,000, proceeds from their recent Biker Bash, AND that’s when the skies opened up!! Mike Pope of ABATE got an award from the Shriners in recognition of ABATE’s service to the Shriners, very nice indeed. The rain provided a kind of yucky ending to an otherwise perfect day! Ya know what...? I don’t think anyone minded at all. Hey, a BIG thanks to all who helped make this huge run the success that it was! Hope everyone had a nice Christmas...

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By Lulu

Well I could use this space up ranting about the gun issue, Lance Armstrong or the silly football player that either was duped or made up a girlfriend…but I am sick of hearing all that so I am sure most readers feel the same. Instead I have to say thank you to the loyal followers and to some new peeps that showed up last night to our first Twisted Bike Night at the Beaver Bar in Ormond Beach. Twisted Tea has teamed up with us and we are featuring a couple of our ad clients’ establishments each month. I decided to give away a $50 gift card to gather food for the local food pantries. To get in the raffle we gave a ticket for each food item brought in. We had a great night, raised a bunch of vittles, and brought some new folks into the new Beaver Bar for their Thursday night bike night which included $1 Tacos that were yummy! But really why I am writing this is the goodness of bikers NEVER ceases to amaze me! I thought since it was our first one of these events we would be lucky to get a few bags of grub, but they filled the back of my SUV. Next month’s events will be at One Horse Saloon in Holly Hill on Thursday the 28th and on Sunday the 24th at Mardi Gras Sports Bar in St. Augustine. Try to ride into one or both and bring friends we had a really great night. As we go into our 6th year of having Thunder Roads in Florida, I reflect on the great people we have ridden with over the years. I have met Billy Lane, Bruce Rossmeyer, Billy Joel, Dan Haggerty, Gretchen Wilson, Mustang Sally, Charlie Daniels, Arlen Ness, Dave Perewitz, John Parnham, Michele Smith, Eddie Trotta, the guys from OCC, Roger Bourget, Dave Mason…I could go on; and not that they aren’t all really interesting people who have made it big in music or in the motorcycle industry…they still pale in comparison to some of the everyday people who I have met and now call friends. Shane & Amy that have helped in the Daytona area since day one, Kneecap who until he got his Beagle was ornery but is always there for me, Micki and Rich in St. Augustine that held my hand through some dark days, Ron Cox in Ft. Myers a wonderful friend, Deborah Speicher in St. Pete who loves to ride as much as any man I know, Lil Jon in Lake City who kept me from throwing the towel in many times and Miserable George from Cocoa that gives me compliments at just the right time! These are the people who have been with us through most of these pages. Our Web Designer Lenny has been just a blessing! We have grown and now have Metric & Phoenix in Sebring, Raven in Jacksonville and Tommy Brandon in S. Brevard. It takes a lot of miles on your bike to be at as many events as we try to cover and I thank each and every one of them for all they do. And I must also thank the ad clients that make it all possible!!! Please try to frequent the establishments in this magazine and let them know you saw them here. Ride out to one of Twisted events soon and introduce yourself, become a Thunder Rider on our website and above all don’t forget your sunscreen! Read the rest of this entry »

By Ron Cox

Upwards of 850 motorcycles and 1,000 riders and passengers assembled at University Center to ride in the annual Great Teddy Bear Run on November 18th. The run benefits K.I.D.S. by the Sea. (Kids In Distressful Situations) Under the direction of Sharon Sieradzki (Program Coordinator for Sarasota HOG), the ride netted 1,700 furry creatures of all descriptions and more than $6,000 was forwarded to the agency. Promptly at 11:30am the contingent set out from University Center, escorted by units from the Sarasota and Manatee County Sheriff's Departments and police from the City of Sarasota for the post-run soiree at Twin Lakes Park. Awaiting the riders was a fine meal of burgers, pulled pork, tube steaks, chilled salads and beverages of all sorts. Of course, there were vendors of all kinds offering biker apparel, sunglasses, temporary tattoos (why temporary?) knives, lingerie, legal advice and my personal favorite the ice cream vendor. After the meal there were biker games, rider skills competition and so forth all the while being "serenaded" by Arden Rules Band. K.I.D.S. By The Sea provides ongoing support to families affected by childhood cancer and related diseases. For more information call 1-941-918-8400. Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole

The 7th Annual Family Renew Run once again had an exceptional turn out for many families that are in need of a “hand up…not a hand out”. Helping families with children to achieve and make a permanent home of their own is a tough mission, but thankfully there are devoted people who do just that. This year there were 200 riders that participated which were more than last year…plus the monies raised were just over $4,000.00 also an increase from last year!! Our day began at the OB Elks with a breakfast buffet and goodies, then off to White Eagle, Captain’s BBQ, Iron Horse, Circus 11, Main St. Station and Dirty Harry’s for free BBQ. There are 32 families with children at the three locations of Family Renew. Each family received laundry baskets filled with groceries, laundry supplies, gifts for the kids and a Wal Mart gift card, which was all delivered before the holiday so they could have a special occasion. This couldn’t be done without the AT&T Telecom Pioneers, CWA Local 3102 volunteers, all the businesses, and all the others that take part…thank you!! Let’s make this a BIGGER success next year!!!! If you would like to lend a hand go to: www.familyrenew.org Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu

Just in time for Christmas Gator Harley-Davidson turned the dealership into Milan with a fashion show that included staff and friends taking their turns “walking the cat walk”. But before the show there was a feast to be reckoned with. It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten at an event anywhere! They also had bags of door prizes and many went home as happy campers with their bounty. Santa rode in on a Harley that looked more like a space ship landing with all the lights, sorry to say my photo of that just didn’t turn out. The most unexpected treat of all was “Girls of Gator Harley Gone Wild”…that’s all I can think of to describe it, they jiggled and jostled on stage to the tunes the DJ played! If you haven’t made it to one of these events don’t miss their yearly fashion show which included free gift wrapping for the gifts I picked up for under my tree! Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole

The 3rd annual St John’s River Blues Festival, who also sponsored our front cover in November, started out quite chilly and as the day went on…it got chillier. That “short little ride from everywhere” seemed to take a little longer to get home! With that said, it did not keep people from strolling St. John’s Street that was blocked off for our entertainment with 2 large stages for the 18 talented musicians. Wandering the festival you would have been amazed, at first, on how many vendors there were and secondly, all the assorted types of vendors from cowgirl hats in all styles, fashionable jewelry, candles in all colors and scents, guitars for big or little people, wreaths for all occasions…and I could go on and on. The various food vendor scents drifted down the street making you not sure where to eat but the cup cake and goodies booth was a no brainer! One block was a kid zone and was full of toys, bouncy houses, and games for the children…and even some of our adult kids horsed around! This is a great event for all ages with many activities to see, play a part or simply sit back and enjoy the show. Also featured during the Blues Festival at the Downtown Blues Bar and Grille was a Thunder Roads Florida and Twisted Tea Event. The music was fabulous, the giveaways were endless and one lucky woman ran off with the $100 cash door prize…oh and the cute little Twisted Tea girls handed out Tea samples and loads of Twisted Tea gear. We would like to thank Twisted Tea for not only being a sponsor of the Blues Fest but for also throwing a “Twisted” event with Thunder Roads Florida. Most of you are familiar with these events and if you’re not you are missing out…so make sure you pick up your Thunder Roads issues and look for our events in the future. Read the rest of this entry »

By Miserable George

Well, the official, opening of the 2012 Chili Challenge was Thursday, Nov. 1...we got there on Tuesday, to secure our regular camping spot, and by Thursday, the place was all but full up! The party out-did itself this year! Yep, THE best biker party in Florida grew in size by one day, and about 15 acres of space...now THAT’S progress, considering that the very first one had only about 40 people, in the confines of a back yard!! The weather was absolutely fantastic this year, bringing out a horde of party animals, as well as, an increased number of vendors...one, offering their services for free...the body painters...who had a line waiting for their artistic talents. This year as always, there was a good variety of food available, with beer on the Hillsborough Co. side only!! New, was the lower platform just in front of the main stage, featuring a pair of bearing mounted stripper poles, which the babes from Show Girls made very good use of! Did I say babes?? They were there in abundance in about every mode of dress that one could imagine! Very camera friendly too, I might add! Master MC, POGO used his talents of talking the ladies out of as many clothing items as possible, and up on stage too!! All these shenanigans led up to the big event day...Saturday! Chili cooking started at 7:30AM, followed by the annual horse shoe matches, while the crowd ogled the bike show entries, and checked out the vendors. Later, bikers showed their expertise in the biker games; out-house races, and mini-bike races. At noon, the crowd scarfed down all the chili, drank a lot of beer, and prepared for the evening events, which included a tribute to our Veterans, and a moment of silence for those lost. Trophies were awarded, the girls did their thing on stage, live music prevailed, and the crowd was...er...ya had to be there!! Hey, a BIG thanks to Roscoe and his huge staff for giving the bikers what they wanted...a real biker party! See ya all next year!! Photos by Kneecap and Miserable George! [autoviewer id="224" width="600" height="600" ] Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu The most “Twisted” event during Biketoberfest 2013 was at the White Eagle Lounge. Sponsored by Twisted Tea the prize money brought in gorgeous girls from around the state. This year’s winner is the beautiful brunette, Ednyr Marie featured on this month’s cover. She was a happy girl taking home the $1200 grand prize. What sets this event apart from others is the opportunity for the crowd to photograph the girls up close and personal, including the owners of the bikes that the girls borrowed to pose on. A special thank you to all who allowed us to use their bikes: Arty, Steve, Bill, Zig, Paul, Mel & Gary from GT Motorcycle. Also to the wonderful judges Willie from Tropical Tattoo, Gary Coleman, James, Gary & Mel from GT Motorcycle, Clint from the audience, and Carol and Rick from the WHOG Radio contest. It was a difficult decision to choose just one. This year we were even able to get guys from the crowd to come dance in pink bras for breast cancer awareness! Thunder Roads will donate $150 to the Tracy Dillon Breast Cancer Fund for their efforts. Our biggest thanks goes to the White Eagle Lounge for being our host, to La Mesa RV for providing a fantastic RV for the girl to change in and to Twisted Tea for their sponsorship! And I personally thank each and everyone who attended…you are what makes it FUN! [autoviewer id="223" width="600" height="600" ] Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy "Kneecap" Braddock If you are reading this you have survived the Mayan apocalypse. Maybe after reading this, you may have wished you didn't. The end of the world was supposed to happen on December 21, 2012. However, it did not end. Maybe it was just simply that the calendar rolled over into the next b'ak'tun (20 k'atun/144,000 days/394.3 solar years). It's pretty similar to the Georgian date of January 1, 2000 the beginning of a new millennium. Boy, those last lines sure make me sound intelligent. Like WC Fields once said “If you can't razzle them with dazzle, baffle them with bullshit”. I'm pretty good at that. Another thought that was brought up was that the Mayans didn't include leap years. There have been 514 leap years since Julius Caesar created it in 45 BC. However, the Mayan “tun” (year) is only 360 days long. Not 365 like our current Calendar. So with recalculating, the apocalypse should've occurred nine months ago. So unless Snooki's baby turns out to be the anti-Christ, congratulations for surviving and enjoy 2013. I almost didn't even make it to December. In November, on my birthday I was at Roscoe's Chili Challenge in Lakeland. Now, I'm not much of a camper. My idea of roughing it is going to a Holiday Inn that doesn't have a bellhop, so camping is quite a challenge for me. Luckily for me, friends of mine T-shirts Plus vendors (Gwen & Pete Hockford) were going to set up at Roscoe's. They carried my gear, so my bike didn't look like The Beverly Hillbillies heading to California. When I got there a new challenge confronted me. I had to set up the tent. Lucky for me bikers tend to assist each other when they see a dummy trying to do something. The first guy who came to my rescue was a biker lawyer from Tampa, Brad Souders. Now, we had two dummies trying to screw a football. Thank God, the campers next to me were experienced so they jumped in and had the tent up in 10 mins. Even though I was there to cover the event for the magazine, I still indulged in the fun. The nights were cold, but the days were awesome. Everyone was in a partying mood. Plenty of entertainment and the body painting was exceptional. With everything that goes on it was hard to remember why I was there. This is one of the best adult biker parties I know of. Oh, by the way the chili was excellent. Now, let's get down to an even more important subject. Recently, the word is “We need to get rid of the Second Amendment.” The word is if you didn't have a gun, you wouldn’t have murdered. Now, I heard this and I thought to myself does a 6'2/228 pound man really need a gun to kill somebody? And a few crazies with box cutters were able to kill more people in a single day than anyone with a machine gun, remember 9/11? Even our attorney general stated, “We have no right to possess guns.” Now that's scary! The person who's supposed to be defending the law of the Constitution is totally blind to its words. The anti-gun industry comes up with more false facts to promote their cause. However, if you do a little research the truth will come out. Even in the FBI crime stats it is reported that you are more likely to be killed by hands or feet, than by a shotgun or rifle. Does that mean that gloves and shoes need regulation because they're concealing a weapon? It's hard to lie to the public anymore with all the available information at your fingertips. The one good thing I've been hearing lately is that the sale of handguns and requests for concealed weapon permits are at an all time high. Maybe the criminals will stop and think it's time to get a job instead of trying to rob somebody because he/she may have a weapon. Some words of wisdom: many things can be preserved in alcohol/self-respect isn't one of them. When you get old, would you rather have Parkinson's or Alzheimer’s? Parkinson's, of course. Better to spill an ounce of scotch, then to forget where you put the bottle. See you on the shiny side of tomorrow… Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu

The Friday of Biketoberfest we always ride down Main Street and visit the Boardwalk for the Bike Show right by the pier. Not only is there always plenty of unique bikes to photograph, there is that beautiful Atlantic Ocean and always some unusual sights such as the tiger striped chick or motorcycles with 3 back tires! Bill Chaffin provided us with the names of the winners for Best of Show: Steve Galvin; St. Petersburg, FL; 2012 Wicked Steel "Pipe Bomb", for Judge's Trophy: Steve Galvin; St, Petersburg, FL; 2011 Wicked Steel "Speedstar" and for People's Choice, First Place: Frank Martin; Neptune, NJ; '04 Chopper "Dead Man Riding" . Read the rest of this entry »

By Miserable George Man, I’ll tell ya, the 2012 Biketoberfest edition of Willie’s show was as good as any I’ve ever seen...maybe better! Eleven years, and getting better every year! Yeah, it was HOT, but the huge crowd braved the late summer warm spell, and came out to check out some of the rarest and hottest hand-made choppers in the state of Florida! As an added incentive, the builders were competing for some of the most unusual hand-fabricated trophies I’ve ever seen...most fashioned from discarded motorcycle parts, along with plaques, bowling pins, and a Mason jar goblet, containing some questionable liquid, that when sipped, caused a funny look to appear on the drinkers’ face! Hmmmm! I wonder.....! Contributors of these trophies included world famous bike builder, Dave Perewitz, and well known Easyriders photog and writer...Rogue. Also in attendance was world class motorcycle event photographer, Michael Lichter from Paisano Publications. Hey, this event was COVERED!! Doing his usual bang-up job as emcee, Roadside Marty kept the crowd in stitches, as well as, keeping the show moving along at a fast pace. And, as always, Willie always recruits a bunch of hotties to act as trophy girls. The several beer stations around the grounds were manned by some real eye candy as well. Oh yeah, just $2.00 for a beer...not bad, while many other places hawked it for $4.00 or more! Live bands all day long were the icing on the cake, as well as, some good food vendors! Yep, yer gonna go pretty far to beat this show, that is, if it CAN be beat! It’s my favorite event of Biketoberfest or Bike Week. Give it a shot...easy to find, right on US#1 in Holly Hill. Lots of free parking all around the place. Hey, ride safe... Read the rest of this entry »

By LuLu

Usually our Bull’s Eye is about someone who is an avid motorcyclist that lives and breathes bikes. Occasionally that love of bikes spills into their professional life also, that can’t be truer than in the life of Frankie D. Frankie lived the biker lifestyle in a grand style rockin’ us with his vocals, guitar and charisma. Several bars in the greater Daytona area had parties to remember Frankie D and his music. Here are some pictures submitted by Bobby Lollis from one of the events at Boot Hill. Our prayers and sympathy go out to the band, Repeat Offenders and to his family and friends. Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu One of my favorite events each year doesn’t occur on 2 wheels…it takes 4. In the fall Micah and I join a lot of great people and play “18” for the White Eagle’s yearly golf tournament for charity. This year the money was given to three charities: Second Harvest Food Bank, Children’s Home Society, Feed Flagler and to the Tracy Dillon Mammogram Fund. Between the entry fees, “desperately needed” Mulligan’s, T-sign sales and raffles they had $4000 to share. Thank you to the White Eagle golfers for a great day on the greens and to the sponsors who help make this a huge success. Read the rest of this entry »

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