By Raven Van Pelt

[autoviewer id="287" width="600" height="600" ] American Legion riders from Post 283 and surrounding Legions held their 6th Annual Poker Run for PedsCare on September 28th. Five stops were included in this run; raffle, prizes, and shell game were among just some of the happenings.  What sets this ride apart from most is the best BBQ ever; the sweet meat fell off the bone! As of last count 300 registered riders were in attendance raising so far $21,000.00 and counting. PedsCare is a team of competent and compassionate health professionals who work closely together to serve infants, children, teens, young adults, and families. They provide education and anticipatory guidance appropriate to the age of the child, prevent illness, evaluate and treat acute and chronic diseases, and prevent complications. I was lucky enough to be part of this great cause last year, and this, and will definitely be there again next year, thank you Legion Riders for a job well done. Read the rest of this entry »

By LuLu

Living in the Daytona Beach area, I know for a fact it is hard to find a true native Floridian, but this month’s Bull’s Eye takes the prize for that one. Snake Andress was Holly Hill born and raised! In fact, he was born in the house he still lives in 63 years ago. Anyone who knows Snake probably can tell you where his nickname originates from, but for those who don’t know Snake I had to ask. As a child around 10 years old he would catch snakes of all types and sell them for 50 cents a foot to “The Sea Zoo” for spending money. Snake claims to have been bit a few times, but not by anything poisonous. He played high school sports hard enough to be “broke up too bad” to join the service or to be drafted, he swears “it was a physical deferment NOT a mental deferment”! He enrolled in a trade school and has spent his working life as a welder. He has had his own welding business now for 40 years. He specializes in small repairs now, as he is semi-retired. Snake does a lot of motorcycle welding for local shops such as Crank N Chrome and Black Gold. Snake’s first bike was a Honda 50 Super Sport at 14 years old, probably purchased with some of that “snake by the foot money”. His first Harley was a Sportster in 1992. He now has 7 bikes in his stable including a 2008 Road King that they travel to Myrtle Beach on, 1993 Dyna Wide Glide, 1999 Honda Shadow, 2 Sportsters, 1 Super Glide and finally another Road King. When asked what got him riding he simply stated, “The need for transportation, I got tired of bicycles real quick.” Snake says he enjoys riding now for pleasure and spending time with the group of friends who share his love of riding. He says, “When I am not burning welding rods, I am burning rubber”, either on his motorcycles or in his drag car. The proof he claims is on the road in front of his home! In the garage along with his 7 bikes are a 1964 Falcon and a 1963 Falcon Pro Street that he drag races. Snake has been involved in local politics for the past 20+ years. (Wow, most political activist would never want to be referred to as Snake!) This involvement has led him to help with Hogs on the Hill during Bike Week in Holly Hill. According to his friends he also throws one hell of a biker party during Bike Week and Biketoberfest feeding up to 160 friends! They claim it is a “Little Iron Horse” during his party. Finally, I want to say that Snake is a good man that is an honorary Holly Hill police officer and works special details such as parades. During Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo he worked search and rescue and helped with debris removal to get to those in need. Snake is a fun, funny and happy guy, that I can tell his friends are proud to know. Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock [autoviewer id="286" width="600" height="600" ] The 19th Annual Bruce Rossmeyer's Ride for Children with almost 1000 motorcycles took off with a roar from Destination Daytona on Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 10 AM and headed with a police escort to Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis. The Camp is a year-round medical camp for children with serious illnesses, co-founded by actor Paul Newman and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in 1996. Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Harley-Davidson has supported the camp since it opened and after Bruce's death in 2009 his wife (Sandy) and children (Shelly, Mandy, Wendy, Randy and Will) stepped up and kept it going. The run has had many Grand Marshals including James Gandolfini, who sadly died this year. This year's Grand Marshal, actor-director Steve Buscemi, led the procession, along with Jody Perewitz (Dave Perewitz's daughter) the first woman to break the land speed record of 208mph on a 100ci V-twin. After arriving at the camp the bikers were greeted by the smiling faces of the children and camp volunteers. They enjoyed auctions, music and a great buffet lunch donated by Outback Steakhouse. The MC for the ceremonies was Frank Scott of WHOG 95.7 radio who has been the MC for this event for the last 18 years. Because of all the efforts of the volunteers, the donors, and the generous bikers, this year's funds surpassed the $5 million mark donated over the course of its 19 year lifespan. Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu

I had the most fabulous trip last month and the article will be in next month’s issue, but I had to take a minute here to rave about the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, Texas. This year I went to work the event and had the opportunity to watch an event unfold from the beginning to the end. It was unbelievable the amount of work that goes into putting a 4 day bike rally on. All the details from security, change for registers, signage, parking, bar set ups, stages, sound systems, employees, airline flights, shuttles, bartenders schedules, contests, emcees, celebrities schedules, housing all these folks, vendors…and the list goes on and on. It isn’t like Sturgis or Daytona where the bars host the event. The Lone Star Rally is like bringing twenty Barnum & Bailey 3 Ring Circuses to town with no elephants to put up the tents! Watching the Lone Star Rally staff work this magic was craziness. There were glitches along the way such as torrential rain that flooded streets, heavy winds that destroyed tents, heavier traffic that created delays for celebrity events…but the team handled all this without missing a beat and for the most part the half million bikers that ride into town for this didn’t know a glitch ever existed. The bikers all seemed genuinely just happy to be there. The crowds were fabulous and seemed to truly enjoy the Mardi Gras like atmosphere this historic seaside town has. The next motorcycle event you ride to consider the work required to put it on for you. Just as we want the communities to appreciate the dollars we spend in their towns, I saw firsthand the work the event organizers, individual vendors and the bar staff put in to throw these parties for us and we need to be appreciative of their efforts! I worked my butt off, although my jeans still fit the same!

Next year ride to two wheels to Texas for the Lone Star Rally, buy a cowboy a beer and don’t forget your sunscreen!

By Lulu

My friend Glenn, owner of the Dog Pound Saloon in Bunnell, has back to back events that I don’t miss each year. First was their anniversary party and right behind it is their end of Biketoberfest Survival Party. After Biketoberfest I am so exhausted that I just get a drink and sit on a bench on the big back porch to unwind, listen to some good music and chat with friends. Glenn always has great bands and food, and if you haven’t ridden over on Thursdays you are missing out on their $2.50 U Name It You Drink It (excluding premiums) special from noon-midnight. Now that is a GREAT deal! Read the rest of this entry »

By Raven Van Pelt

[autoviewer id="285" width="600" height="600" ] Mind Ride Cycles of Jacksonville held their 2nd Annual Custom Bike Show at the Jacksonville Landing October 12th.  Owner Roy Dove and his crew built a custom bike that was funded 100% by Mind Ride Cycles and sold raffle tickets at $10.00 a ticket. It was a beautiful day for a bike show, with winners in every category that were judged by Mitch Eves, Cromley from the local radio station and Paul from Puddle of Mud. Four bands to listen to all afternoon including Blister, Comfort Zone, 2nd Shot and Yankee Slickers kept the crowd full entertained. All proceeds from the custom bike went 50% to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and 50% to the Dona Foundation to support breast cancer. The lucky winner of the sharp looking bike was Scott Garvin. Great job to Mind Ride Cycles and I can’t wait to see what they build next year. Read the rest of this entry »

By Phoenix and Metric

This year's Run to the Heartland event in Sebring was one of those “BACK TO THE FUTURE” moments with the return of ABATE heading up the “Famous Fresco” Memorial Poker Run, once again, after a short hiatus. ABATE's “Fresco” Run was the original poker run for this event from the beginning a decade ago. Like most events you have your ups and downs, last year's event was hampered with both a “BAD” economy and “Foul” weather. This year’s event was still hampered by a “BAD” economy thanks to the dumb asses in Washington, but you could not have asked for better riding weather. Another plus for this year’s event was the involvement of “All” the local motorcycle organizations. From Avon Park to Lake Placid, all businesses and Veteran's organization had food and drink specials. American Legion Riders, US Military Veteran MC, and the Alternative MC were all hosting raffles. The Christian Motorcycle Association once again handled all the parking for the event. The Warlocks and Wolf Pack MC's had open house at their clubhouses. The Enforcer MC held a great party. The LAMAS held their annual and arrived at the circle with one of the largest groups ever. TJ's Leather was home to a bike wash held by the Top Gun MC. GHC Motorsports from Lake Placid had its newest “Motor Trike” Gold Wing on display. Highlands County is home to some of the most beautiful back roads to ride your bike. There is nothing like hitting the back roads around the county and stopping at one of the local “biker friendly” establishment to get a bite to eat or the coldest drink for miles around. The Heartland Riders Association, the host the Run to the Heartland, and all of Highlands County is fortunate to have such a great “biker friendly” community. Everyone comes together to pitch in. So if you missed the “RUN TO THE HEARTLAND” this year due to the “bad” economy, save your nickels and dimes and make the trip out here next year. It will be well worth the trip!!! Better yet, come out anytime!!! Get away from the coast and all those tourist and hit the open roads. When you get out here tell them “Metric” sent you. See you soon!!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Miserable George

This year, along with the sadness of losing friends and relatives because of accidents, we lost a long-time ABATE official, and much loved friend...Wayne Carawan, for whom a special service was held just before the regular opening ceremony for the 33rd Annual Spooks & Scoots, at Sertoma Youth Ranch, near Brooksville. I tell ya, during that ritual, in which a "dead" biker is loaded into a hearse and taken to the chapel...there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere...including mine...having lost 4 good friends just last June...very sad time indeed. But, as "they" would want it, this was a time for fun as well, all with a Halloween theme...witches, zombies, ghosts...the works!! Lots of unique costumes, including our own version of Elvira, who posed with the big sign at the entrance to the park...thanks Dee!! I gotta mention this: we had another little lady to do the Elvira thing, but at the last minute...she fell and broke her pretty little ankle!! Get well soon, Lyra!!! Dee was willing to fill in at the last minute!!! Along with biker games, there were giveaways, raffles, and of course...the 50/50 and a "Basket of Cheer! In the afternoon, there was a State ABATE meeting at nearby San Antonio, FL, and to round things out, (after the kiddies were cleared away), a somewhat subdued "beauty contest." Sunday saw the annual Memorial Ride in the beautiful central Florida countryside! Hey, it was a good event...live music, lots of vendors, good friends, pretty girls, and beer...all the good stuff!! We hope to see you there next year...ride safe... Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu

Our favorite way to kick off Biketoberfest is to ride up to St. Augustine and party with the gang at Bar None on Anastasia. They have the best spread of homemade food at ANY biker bar…any where! The music for this event was the great sounds of Smokin’ Mirrors. Always a great time with real deal bikers! This is one bar that is honestly BIKER FRIENDLY in every category…bar none!!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole

Sponsoring our November cover was Dirty Harry’s Pub and it was… Hip Hoppin’…Country Boot Stompin’…Hot Rockin’…Day and Night…In or Out…towards getting your Shine On during Biketoberfest 2013!! The Biketoberfest party at Dirty Harry’s was BIGGER than ever this year and not only because of the massive crowds and the gorgeous weather but also since Dirty Harry’s expanded their courtyard!! Plenty of space for the rockin’ bands on the vast Jagermeister stage and just right for the ladies to flaunt their jewels! The sexy barmaids at Harry’s are always the best dressed, behind the bar or on stage during the bike events, as well as, constantly ready to Trick…or Treat you! Promo girls were on stage hurling wet tees into the crowd while others were marketing their shots. Remember the party doesn’t stop when Biketoberfest is over…Dirty Harry’s has bike nights on Friday’s with specials and their free BBQ party on the 1st Sunday of every month!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu [autoviewer id="284" width="600" height="600" ] Over the past 40 years Phil Peterson’s Harley Davidson, with the help of Key West Sunshine Rotary Club, has sponsored the Miami to Key West Poker Run. This event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. Children benefit from the monies raised in the form of scholarships and the event also helps fund Diabetes Research. Of course the influx of thousands of motorcycles also benefits the local economy. Beyond the good works of the run is the FUN! This is one of my favorite events in Florida partially because the police, businesses and locals seem to genuinely enjoy the bikers coming into town. Of course the ride down is scenic and beautiful…even with the never ending road construction. The party once you arrive on Duval is constant beginning on Thursday with the “Upper Duval Crawl” and ending Sunday with Biker Bloody Mary Brunch at Southernmost if you must leave to be back to work on Monday. The poker stops along the way included Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo, Postcard Inn in Islamorada, The Island Fish Co. in Marathon, Boondocks in Little Torch Key and the final stop Conch Republic Seafood Company in Key West. Once you arrive there are parties, contests such as the tattoo contest hosted by Schooner Wharf Bar and live music (my favorite party spot is Irish Kevin’s), the beautiful sunset at Mallory Square, vendors and of course the bike show hosted by Rick’s/Durty Harry’s and The Big Bike Rider’s Association. The main event was the Harley giveaway hosted at Cowboy Bill’s Saloon/The Rose Tattoo Bar on Saturday night. This year Yuengling and Y100 gave two additional bikes or cash away at events at the Peterson’s dealerships and the winners were Bob Pastorello and Ethuko Rodriguez who both plan to upgrade their current Harleys. The winner of the final Texas Hold em hand was Chuck Heck of Venice. Needless to say you can’t possibly make it to everything, but we gave it our best shot and even made it to our friend, Mike Rudicel’s (South Florida Bike Event’s) Jager party at Tattoos & Scars Saloon for a great time and a taste or two of Jager! Sherry Fletcher from the Iron Horse Saloon in Ormond Beach and I decided to stay an extra day to take a sunset boat ride and choose the great guys and girls from Sebago Watersports to ride with. Free champagne and the prettiest sunset I have seen since Negril was our reward for one extra night in the Keys. I also have to send out a thank you to the guys from Pirate’s Rentals which hooked us up with matching green “bad ass” rides while we cruised the streets of Key West on scooters! This is directly across from the Green Parrot on Southard St. if you find yourself in need of a ride other than your Harley! Put this on your list of places to hit next year it is always the 3rd weekend in September! Read the rest of this entry »

By Lulu [autoviewer id="283" width="600" height="600" ] The crowd is still overwhelming even after so many years have passed. This year, unlike last, the weather was absolutely beautiful for the ride. The Red Knights, Blue Knights and the law firm of Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell did a fabulous job organizing and promoting this event. The speeches by the Flagler County dignitaries were short and poignant. Each speaker thanked the crowd of bikers for their presence, as the sheer number of bikers was a loud statement that they will not let anyone forget the lives lost that beautiful September morning in New York, D.C. and Pennsylvania. I do believe that since the tragic event we as Americans do realize the harsh reality of how dangerous what our fire and police departments expect their employees to face on a daily basis. 9/11 was an extraordinary event, but the truth is each person who wears a uniform has the possibility they will face grave danger each and every day. A trip to “Ground Zero” was given by Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell and the winner was Barbara Pricipe from Eustis. Please remember to ride with us each year to continue to honor each one of the families who lost a loved one on 9/11. Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Poole [autoviewer id="282" width="600" height="600" ] The 2nd Annual Flagler Heritage Festival was celebrated at the Black Cloud Saloon this year. Hosting this event is Heritage Crossroads, the same group that acquired Florida’s first highway in Flagler County. If you are familiar with Flagler County you know there are MILES of worthy historic culture! Stormy skies and a soggy ground did not prevent this “fun for the whole family” event from taking place at the Thunder Gulch Campground. This occasion is to recreate the history of Flagler County by showing reenactments of historic ways of work, play, and the way of life back then. Volunteers and attendees made camp and brought the historic atmosphere back to life by blacksmithing toys, cooking by small fires, demonstrating handmade tools, displaying craftsmanship and a few antique autos rolled in. Also on display were some rare antique motorcycles provided by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley Davidson. Many of the children participated, hands on, to see how food was prepared and how children entertained themselves many years ago. Present-day items were on site including Pinstriping by the Rossie’s, Sheila’s Funnel Cakes, arts & crafts, food & more! What an intriguing affair and thank you John, the owner of Black Cloud and ALL the sponsors that lent a hand to make it all come together! You can go to www.heritagecrossroads.org for future info or become a sponsor for next year. Thanks!! Read the rest of this entry »

By Billy "Kneecap" Braddock

I was going to write this whole article on those Moto-Psychos that terrorized a man, his wife, and their two-year-old child in an SUV in N.Y. Their actions reinstates the label of 50 years ago when bikers were considered leather clad, bearded, tattooed barbarians, that did nothing but indulge in booze, dope, and barroom brawls. This, in no way reflects most of the motorcycle organizations that spend their weekends contributing to their community. This whole incident doesn't deserve the ink that is used to write about it, but it needs to be addressed. Rather than waste the magazine's space, I will address this incident in my blog at nobodiesopinion.com. I wrote this article during Biketoberest, after reading an article in our local liberal rag; I decided to address their opinions. The article was entitled "Daytona Beach, other venues face challenge: keep bikers coming" by Jeffrey Cassady. Instead of an upbeat article about the arrival of bikers from around the country, they portrayed a picture of doom. The first sentence was “If you've noticed Biketoberfest crowds seem to be smaller than they were a decade ago, you're not alone”. Maybe we need to do a quick reflection on Biketoberfest. In 1992 it started out as “The Daytona Fall Tour” and attracted approximately 5000. In 1993 it changed its name to “Biketoberfest” and was attended by 15,000. By 1999 it had grown to 75,000, and even with the aftermath of the 2004 hurricanes, 100,000 came to Daytona. This number has stayed fairly steady since. Ever since I was a kid, all I've heard from Daytona was “we need to make Daytona Beach into a family oriented town”. Wake up Daytona; you are a “Beach Town”, not “Disneyland”. Complaining, whining, and blaming the economy, competition, and changing demographics are not going to increase or keep attendance. I even heard of one merchant saying that he'd like to see a little rain so that it would keep the bikers on Main Street. If you need rain to keep people in your establishment, do you think you might be doing something wrong? It's not that bikers are getting older or smaller rallies that are siphoning attendees. There are 10.4 million registered motorcycles in United States with an average age ownership of 40-47. The percentage of owners 40-49 years old has increased from 14 to 28%, and owners 50+ increased from 9 to 25%. Even though the highest percent of owners are male, females are gaining ground. Granted, the population of the millennials now equals that of baby boomers, but baby boomers have and spend more money. Daytona needs to take a lesson from successful businesses. 99% of success is in “Attitude”. They need to ask themselves, “Why are bikers going north or to events in Orlando”? Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe, general manager of Bruce Rossmeyer' Daytona Harley-Davidson at Destination Daytona, hit it on the nose, when she said “It's a total community effort. If you invite people to your home, you need to provide excellent service with an excellent product. You have to offer a party.” Making Daytona more attractive to bikers may not be an easy accomplishment. First, they need to expand Biketoberfest from four days (it's actually three days, Sunday doesn't count) to ten, like they did in 2004. Would you ride 1000mi.+ for a three-day party? Add events and attractions to keep the rally fresh. The bars, restaurants, hotels, and campgrounds need to stop price gouging the bikers. Stop the police from ticketing bikers for every little thing. They have more important things to do, like catching criminals. Stop looking at the glass as being half-empty. Remember the bottom half is full and the top half is empty. Try to fill the whole glass. Stop picking on older bikers. They tend to be multi-taskers. They can laugh, cough, sneeze, and pee at the same time. See you on the shiny side up tomorrow… Read the rest of this entry »

By Deborah Speicher

[autoviewer id="277" width="600" height="600" ] When Harley-Davidson and the City of Milwaukee throw a party, they really pull out all the stops. The party was somewhat spread out throughout the city and surrounding areas. The local dealerships all held parties of their own with live music, vendors, and various entertainment. The House of Harley dealership had different themes for each day and held organized rides that benefitted various charities (Susan Koman Foundation for Women’s Day, Fisher House for Veterans Day, etc.). Up at the Powertrain Plant in Menomonee Falls, they also held demo rides. It was a true twofer as we got to tour the plant and then ride the new 2014 models. There are lots of changes to the new Harley-Davidsons especially the touring models which had long lines to demo. I especially liked the fact that ABS is either standard or available as on option on all models. Lots of very cool paint options for 2014 too! The Harley-Davidson Museum was a great place to check out the history of all things Harley. There were also numerous vendors, a HOG (Harley Owners Group) pin stop, bike night and an AMD motorcycle show. Kudos to H‑D for having great food on the premises. I ate at Motor Bar and Restaurant previously and stopped in again a couple of times this trip. Service and quality were uncompromised even with the large crowds. The staff at the Museum recommended we leave our motorcycles in their secure lot and take a shuttle over to the Summerfest Grounds which we did a few times. The Summerfest Grounds are located in downtown Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan and can accommodate several concerts at once. For one price, you got four days of 60+ concerts which featured The Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joan Jett and several other top notch acts. Three separate concerts (with additional tickets) were available for Aerosmith, Kid Rock and Toby Keith. There was also UFC and other events, making it something for everybody! Saturday, August 31 we attended the H-D parade. Participating were numerous antique motorcycles, hundreds of HOG chapters from all over the world, various law enforcement agencies and departments, motorcycle celebrities such as Willie G. and Nancy Davidson, and Governor Scott Walker (Wisconsin). The parade of approximately 7,000 motorcycles went from Miller Park to downtown Milwaukee and ended at Summerfest Grounds. This was really a sight to behold! We also spent some time out in the country hitting some of the local hangouts such as The DMZ Bunker in Waterford which has the best burgers and cold brews around. Friday night fish fries are popular at just about every local pub and once again the locals directed us to a really good one at Benno’s in downtown West Allis. No matter where we went, the people of Milwaukee and surrounding areas couldn’t have been nicer and welcomed us “home.” You can be sure I will be heading back for the 115th Anniversary in 2018! Read the rest of this entry »