I finally snagged the opportunity to attend the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, Texas once more. Being semi-retired from the strip club business does have one advantage. It gave me the opportunity to hit more events. On the downside – No Daily Strippers and no paycheck, both serious issues, which at some point I need to think about just in case I don’t win the lotto.

The LSR continues to grow each year in spite of Mother Nature. In 2004, we were hit with the outer bands from one of the largest, most devastating hurricanes in history, which made a mess of Galveston, not enough to stop LSR though. Then last year’s event was postponed due to Hurricane Ike, which flattened Galveston and a big portion of the Texas coast.

While not able to attend the 2008 event, I remember I was shooting a bike for Southern Metal Choppers as they made their way down from Austin, through Houston heading towards the rally. As they pulled up to the shop it was snowing! The 2009 weather seemed improved with Thursday & Friday starting off cool and rainy, but by Saturday the weather was dead on Sunny and in the 70s. Folks were out in droves!

The Lone Star Rally is a free event, and while the official attendance figures are still not in, one of the fine folks at the rally office reported in. “We were estimating 250,000 plus, in attendance this year,” she said, “giving a much-needed economic shot in the arm to the island.”

Businesses are still recovering after Ike’s wrath last year. Our favorite terrific Mexican food place, discovered in 2004, wasn't open. I'm not sure of its fate, as this entire end of Galveston was underwater.

The historic Strand was the favorite people watching area. It's the main drag in this historic part of the island, with vendors set up on side streets. Then the remaining event venues were separated by the 4-lanes of Harborside Drive, where you cross over to the harbor side of Galveston Bay. This is where the main stage was positioned, along with the rally vendors and participants requiring a little more space, like Rhett Rotten and the Wall of Death.

Harbor housed several excellent restaurants and cool touristy shops, plus the magnificent Elissa, known as The Tall Ship of Texas. The Elissa is a 132-year old, 205-foot, 3-masted square-rigged sailing vessel rescued from being destroyed in 1979 and then restored back to sailing condition over the next 3 years. Folks can take tours of the Ocean Star Museum, an off-shore drilling platform, retired from fighting off hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico to fight hurricanes in the harbor.

As I made my way through the crowd one of the more interesting vendors I happened upon was the bright yellow 18-wheeler of TRC Rocks – The Rock Place out of Ogden, Utah these folks have some very cool rock sculptures! While I cannot find a website for them, the phone number: 801-476-3332 and Ed Mueller is the man to talk too if you are looking something unique to add to your yard!

I then came across the Allstate Insurance display, where 2 young ladies were registering folks for a chance to win a custom bike built by Dave Perewitz, that pesky photographer from Easyriders magazine kept getting in my shots though. Mike, a young lady named Sonya (Billy’s goddaughter, I think?) told me if I saw you again to tell you to come find her working over at 20th & the Strand. I know it is a little after the fact, but I did pass along the message to Rick & Joe-T over at Strokers just in case. When it comes to soft messages from young hotties, I honor my word.

While there were plenty of hot bands playing at the harbor stage, this year’s main musical guests included Pat Green scheduled for Friday night, with Leon Russel, Edgar Winter and Lynyrd Skynyrd scheduled to play on Halloween night. Both concerts were held at Moody Gardens with ticket prices ranging from $20-$95 dollars, depending on how close you wanted to be. Since the concerts were held a few miles away from the main event, there was a free shuttle service from the Strand to the music action each night.

There were noticeably more RV’s, travel trailers and tents filling up the now vacant lots along the seawall and throughout the city, in part due to the continued growth of the rally, coupled with the loss of three or four hotels due to the hurricane. One of those lost being the Flagship Hotel, built in 1965; she stretched out 1000 feet into the Gulf of Mexico and was/is one of a few hotels in the U.S. built entirely over the water. It was sort of eerie as I drove past the intersection in search of Denny’s at 5:00 in the morning. I could see nothing more than faint shadow of the building in the darkness.

The storm totally destroyed many buildings that called the beach home. The Balinese Room, another famous landmark washed away, which ZZ Top paid tribute to on their 1975 Fandango album. Although originally built in 1923, it began life as the Balinese Room in 1942, featuring headliners such as Frank Sinatra, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope, and Jack Benny. I am fortunate to have attended a concert or two in this historical place.

While I did not get to participate, there was a hunt for Jean Lafitte’s hidden treasure; Lafitte was a 19th century pirate who roamed the Gulf of Mexico. Rachael Beaman was able to locate all the clues left at various establishments throughout the island and win the treasure along with a custom built motorcycle! Not a bad haul for a day of treasure hunting.

Unfortunately, I was not able to stay for Saturday night’s Halloween festivities; there is no debauchery on the Strand as this is a family orientated event. However, that does not stop the fun, so come on down next year, and check out the Lone Star Rally!

One helpful tip OBEY the speed limits as you head south out of Houston down I-45. There are several small towns along the way. They love to generate additional revenue on the rally weekend.Hopefully by next year’s rally I will be back to having two semi-descent working knees and be able to cover more ground. Like I told the boss man, I may have some parts failing and be slowing some, but I will take old and worn out parts over the alternative any day. And I still ride a rigid frame! Now down to the garage to finish fixing my dad’s FLH, need to put on those new shocks…

Till next time,
–RFR

Hang on for a vast assortment of Mooneyes 2009 Japan show photography from the famous Swedish Sheriff. He doesn't have a lot to say about this classic array of scooters, but I know he had a helluva terrific time during the holiday season in Tokyo.

If you have never been to Japan, make the trip while some tradition remains. Make sure to check out the value of the dollar. I've been on the Zen like island what a fifth of Jack Daniels was $1.23. I also visited when an appetizer was $230. It can kick your ass quick, if you find yourself in a Sushi bar during the wrong economic times.

“One week Tokyo/Yokohama was amazing,” said the Sheriff. It's a different world”

A stock Panhead in Japan is like a Rolex watch over hear. These guys love the classics. They love Harley-Davidson American and muscle. As you will see the bikes are true reminiscent artifacts from chopper and bobbed history.

The Sheriff enjoy Japanese hospitality at the Mooneyes annual show. The Mooneyes crew always invites a handful of American bike builders to display their wares.

” How about this bike from Mooneyes, built by Jene Choppers,” said the Sheriff. “Some15000 came to the show. Also Gibbons, Jeff Decker, Max Grundy Dan Collins, and yeah, Cole Foster too.”

The Sheriff had the opportunity to tour the Vibe offices. Vibe, Hardcore Choppers and Hot Bike Japan are the major chopper publications. These mags are magnificent publications. Look for one, if you're ever at a major international news rack. The printing, layout and paper quality far exceeds domestic mags, especially right now.

“How about an office where 9 out of 10 staff members smoke all day,” said the Sheriff. “Well, those were the days.”

The Sheriff even sent some shots of girls and holiday decorations. You can see how western touches have mixed with the traditional Japanese culture.

“This is just some xmas shots by Tokyo Dome where Vibes have their HQ,” said the Sheriff.

That's all we got from the Sheriff, but we'll let the photos tell the story. His English is a tad rough anyway.

–Bandit

This just in from the Mooneyes web site:

It hasn't been the best of economic times recently, in Japan, USA, as well as many places around the globe. So leading up the show, there was a bit of skepticism, a small dash of worry, a dose of anxiety and a few other feelings too. However, the show must go on, and it did.

Looking back now, and now that the numbers are in, we can see there were 250 Show Cars, 650 Motorcycles, 220 Vendor Booths, 35 Pinstripers, 15 Scale Model Spaces and finally in our new category Collectivities Alley, there were 20 spaces.

Also, this show counted just over 13,000 tickets sold in total so that means there were that at least that many people there!This really means the show has been growing each year and has is truly a must see, must attend show.The people at the show, having a good time, that is what is most important. We thank you for attending HCS09!

The crowd was absolutely amazing this year! Who would have though, one of the most important cars in hot rod history would be here in Yokohama this year? That's right, for the first time, the original car featured in the movie American Graffiti revitalized an almost forgotton love of hot rods. It was made in the 70s when the US was going through many changes. Almost lost in just 10 years, it sparked the fire of the 60s era hot rods and custom cars and has kept the fire going ever since.

For more shots and news from the Sheriff, check his sites:
http://youtube.com/user/sheriffmediagroup
http://www.myspace.com/sheriffmediagroup
http://picasaweb.google.com/SHERIFFMEDIAGROUP
SHERIFF MEDIA GROUP
SWEDEN

Does anything normal ever happen in Vegas during SEMA week? Or is it all just endless days and nights of adventure? One twisted escapade blending into the next until you lose all track of time, and you find yourself asking people what day it is. For most, the week starts out on Monday, setting up the display booth, planning meetings, making lists of tasks: people you need to network with, the desired goals of those meetings, work related research to keep up with what’s current in the industry. It all starts out as serious business. Go forward, get the job done, task accomplished… next.

But somewhere around the middle of the week, the nights of little sleep in a town that truly comes fully alive after dark, takes a toll. Your body running on adrenaline, your mind only half cognizant. Go to dinner with clients or business associates or friends. You tell yourself, ‘After dinner, I’ll go to the room and check emails, then straight to bed to get up early for the show.’ But you’re not really all that tired and decide to make a quick stop by the Circle Bar at the Hard Rock. Just to have one drink and see whose hanging out. Be back at the room by midnight. Good plan. Then suddenly its 3 am and you have to get up at 6:30.

By Friday afternoon you realize you haven’t even looked at those lists you made and SEMA will be officially over in less than an hour. Unless of course you are Craig Fraser and carry the Clipboard of Doom with all those lists neatly organized, tasks precisely checked off as they are accomplished. But I am not Craig Fraser.

I am the opposite of Craig, making it up as I go along, flying by the seat of my pants and somehow against the laws of the universe, accomplishing tasks on that forgotten list. An anomaly dependant on fate and luck.

So here I sit on a post SEMA Saturday night in Vegas. I’m hiding out in the Earnhardt Suite at Casa Del Gregory, an expansive adobe house on the edge of the mountains west of Vegas. I arrived at 9pm to find a box of cookies and candies on the bed. The cookies were badly needed. I’m wide awake as the exhilaration of the week has not yet worn off. Too wired to sleep, too tired to do much of anything else.

Visions of the past week running through my head. Sitting at a table with Kris Krome, his dad telling mind-blowing stories. Running into Rich Evans crossing Paradise Rd. Chip Foose standing in front of the convention center at 8pm, no crowds around him, just another guy looking around, trying to figure out where he needs to be.

What had been planned to be a morning interview today, turned into an all day debacle, complete with interview and 2 photo shoots. I felt guilty taking up so much of Kris Krome’s time, but when you get a great story, you have to run with it and get the most of out it. Sometimes you get one chance and to wait is to lose that chance. The opportunity to tell someone’s story. And when that story is as good as Kris’s, you grab on and don’t let go. His interview and the feature on his AMD winning Triumph will be in an upcoming issue of Cycle Source.

Trying to write about this week makes me realize I need to re-read some Hunter Thompson. Only the good doctor could truly capture the essence of such an experience. To depict it in words. But that’s how this whole week was.

SEMA is the best of the best. The best car and bike builders, the best painters, the best wrenches, all displaying their hard work. I was overwhelmed by the talent, the artistry at that show. Of course the House of Kolor booth was visual sensory overload and hangout central for anyone remotely interested in custom paint. Some of the best airbrush artists in the world gave demos there. Comon, where else can you sit and watch a kickass artist like Mike Lavallee create his twisted art right before you AND ask him questions?

I was so overwhelmed by the talent pouring out of these guys, it made me want to go back to welding on bikes instead of painting them. They make this shit look easy. There was tons of stuff going on HOK, they showed off their new Shimron2 VOC compliant paint, they had the first House of Kolor Hall of Fame induction, legends like Sam Barris.

There was a silent auction for Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp. I got into a wicked bidding war with an HOK exec over a fiberglass fishing lure. And you could bid on the panels being painted. In fact, HOK will be having a new silent auction on their website very soon and I’ll be sure to post it when it starts up.

SATA Spray Equipment was another party booth. Super cool artists like Jack Giachino, Lea Gahl showed their stuff while Chip Foose signed autographs and displayed his brutal old Ford F100 and Kris Krome showed his SATAjet custom bike. And new SATA products to learn about.

I could go on and on…but I won’t. Not tonight anyway. Soon to come on Bikernet, I’m starting a series of paint features on Bikernet. Its 11 pm here. 2 AM back home in NC. But time doesn’t mean much right now. For those who attended SEMA, it will take several days at home to feel normal again. For time to feel in the correct place.

So for now, until the pictures get crunched and the articles find their way into various publications, it’s good night from a quiet spot on the edge of the desert. The lights of Vegas sparkling in the distance, a place where time is just another illusion.

The Essen Motor Show in Germany has a long-standing reputation as the country's most important motor sports trade show and exhibition. While the vast majority of vendors, and also the main focus of the show itself, is clearly on automobile tuning and customizing, the organizers put together special exhibitions every year featuring special interest vehicles including custom motorcycles. For the first time this year, the Essen Motor Show intends to put more emphasis on bikes than in previous years, resulting in an expansion of the Motorcycle Pavilion and, for the first time in 42 years, the Speed Bike Show alongside with the already well established show bike display. The organizers are also working on expanding the range of suppliers and dealers from the motorcycle market. Here is a sneak peek at some of the rides the guys in Essen will be showing off this year from November 28 to December 6.

You have probably seen this monster before: The Gunbus, the largest ridable motorcycle in the world, was built by Leonhardt Manufacturing in Eppingen, Germany. The dimensions are mind-boggling: almost 5 feet high, over 11 feet long and nearly 5 feet wide. At a whopping 1,400 pounds, the engine puts out 350bhp.

A very different approach to an ice racer comes from TGS Motorcycles in Tittling near Passau, Germany. This one off custom named Seppster 2 with the looks of an ice speedway machine carries a turbo charged S&S 1,524cc engine that presses 100bhp on the ground. Each tire is equipped with 120 razor sharp spikes. Another rare feature of the bike is the single sided front fork. Building custom bikes and motorcycle conversion in his professional shop since 1999, Tobias Guckel has won several important prices with his creations, such as the World Championship in the USA last year, as well as the trophy for Radical Over 1000 at this year's Rats Hole Show.

Also built by Tobias from TGS is the Carerra, a bike in arrow design, propelled by a 1,640cc, 100hp RevTech engine. The Carerra features an upside-down fork, 130/60-18 tire in the front and a fat 240/40-18 in the rear.

A contribution from England is the Night Shadow with charging jaguar bodywork and the heart of 1200 Buell. This bike weighs in at almost 800 pounds thanks to the fiber glass cat. Last time this bike changed hands, it reached a price of Euro 325,000 – seriously.

Back to the V-twins: Yamaha's XVS650 engines power these two one off custom bikes. Mario Baer went for an extreme prostreet style and fat rear tire with his aggressive red Lowstar, while his orange bike follows the classic influences of an early tracker.

The guys in Essen promised us a lot more prime examples of custom bike building to be on display at this year's 42nd Essen Motor Show. Should you be in Germany some time between November 28 and Decmber 6, make sure to stop by at the show and let them know BIKERNET sent you. For more information, go to www.essen-motorshow.de

– – C. S. Berg, photos Essen Motor Show

No Love? Well I don’t want to blow Jesse’s bad boy cover, but I felt some love in the air today! Jesse even rides his beautiful better half, Sandra Bullock around on a cushy, red road king to keep her comfy. And you wouldn’t even know that it was Sandra and Jesse under those helmets and Ray Bans!

We got to West Coast Choppers before 9:00, as per the instructions. Pay up sucker! We paid our $50 toward a needy Long Beach charity, and then we were off. Didn’t know where to. It was like a scavenger hunt! We just followed the crowd, and hoped they knew where we were going. Especially since this crowd moves fast! This isn’t the Love Ride folks. Move over into the fast lane! In fact, zig zag into all of the lanes! It was a mad poker run, with cards and location maps at each destination.

First stop was Century Motorcycles in San Pedro.

Second stop was Sugar Bears. I had never been to Sugar Bears place before. It is full of his bad ass rakes and lots of old historical pictures of his life and builds. Sugar Bear and his wife Fuji are always together and a perfect couple. We have ridden together in Sturgis several times, and the man can ride those choppers like the wind. This year he led the “Legends Ride” with Steven Tyler. He is busy now building Fuji a bike of her own.

Third Stop was Bob’s Big Boy, and there were a lot of Hot Rods on the run as well as Bad Ass Bikes, and girls on bad ass bikes!

Fourth was Pistons Bar, and last was the Pike restaurant. Now, I’m not sure if these are Jesse’s regular hang outs, but I can tell you, they were all interesting and unique places! “Pistons” is a Gay bar that offered really interesting literature at the front door!

Back at West Coast Choppers they had a BBQ of hamburgers and hot dogs. The place sure has grown into a metropolis! I hadn’t been to West Coast Choppers since '97 when Jesse welded me a pair of saddle bag brackets. He claims I was his first customer! I have an uncle that likes to say Jesse James built my bike. I keep telling him, he just welded the saddle bag brackets. Hot Rods, Bad Ass Bikes, Hells Angels, sunshine and lastly they raffled off prizes.

Jesse took a real interest in my girlfriend Carlana Stone’s bike. Carlana was in a car accident when she was 17 that left her in a wheelchair. Just last year, her husband helped devise the Harley trike that Jesse awarded best of the Bad Ass Bikes, and gave her a vintage trophy. She told her story and was moved to tears for being recognized as a Bad Ass! She said she actually feels pretty bad ass when she rides her own Harley!

All in all, there was a lot of laughing, new friends, fast and furious riding, sun and fun. I wouldn’t call it No Love at all. We felt the Love!

Last week while sitting here working on something of vital national importance or possibly just goofing off, the radio was on to help override the annoying noise the ceiling fan makes. Basically it was on just for the noise, with the songs and comments going in one ear and out the other. Vaguely even registering as the announcer was talking about bands this and motorcycles that, thinking this was an upcoming event I was paying even less attention.

Thank goodness at least one of my brain cells was paying attention, and I realized he was talking about this upcoming weekend and the acronym wasn't correct. See, in Texas we don’t have any one-named rallies like Sturgis, Laughlin or Daytona. So, we tend to save time and cut to the chase like: HTH, ROT, RBTS, LSR, and now TNMR or by its proper name the Texas National Motorcycle Rally. Seems this was destined to be the second year for this event, with last year’s inaugural event being preceded by Hurricane Ike, which left the Texas Gulf-coast area beaten & bruised.

The 2008 event had been scheduled at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown just east of the city. I was surprised to learn that Ike did not derail it with last year’s attendance exceeding expectations, considering a lot of folks were still without power or trying to cleaning up from the hurricane destruction. Some, such as myself had suffered child abuse after the hurricane…”Are you sure there is no poison ivy over there?” I asked my father, as I was helping clear trees that fell on the house.

Anyway, the 2009 Texas National Motorcycle Rally fun and possibly some late night mischief was again scheduled to take place at the raceway, as part of the TNMR is drag racing! And not just for the folks wanting to take their stock or hopped up street ride down the ¼ mile, but with several of the big boy’s & Top Fuel Bikes from the American Motorcycle Racing Association! For those of you who might follow drag racing then you know that ¼ mile at HRP (see more initials) held its share of record breaking races over the years, when the NHRA rolls through town so this ought to be fun!

It suddenly registered that this was already Tuesday night; so, I need to get moving and fast! My first action was to look up the website and locate a contact phone number; my first attempt got me a recorded message. So bright and early the next morning I called again and inquired more about the event. I was then given to another person who told me I had to contact Steve Scranton the Event Coordinator and was given his e-mail address, which I promptly sent a message explaining who I was, etc. and hoping that it would not be too late to hear back, the gates open in less than 24 hours! I was very surprised to receive a reply just a couple hours later. He was busy this late in the game, but not too harried to handle Bikernet.

Since Thursday was a no-go due to prior commitments, I made my way out I-10 East on Friday to check things out. The racing was scheduled for Saturday & Sunday's festivities, so I wondered around investigating the area. One of the first sites to catch my eye was the display from one of the rallies sponsors the US Army, who happened to have a Tony Schumacher top fuel dragster on display. Granted it may be retired to a life of leisure now, but it would be cool to have in the garage! And hell, this may be the one that set a Top Fuel Track Record of 335.32 mph in April 2005 here in Texas? Amazing!

There were MMA cage fights scheduled and included as part of your entry fee, along with plenty of bands to keep folks jamming, from Ray Wylie Hubbard on Thursday, Charlie Parker, Geneva, and Pat Travers supplying the sounds Friday, and Blues 4 Sale, Mike Zito, and Johnny Winter keeping things rolling through Saturday’s activities.

It is possible the TNMR may also make it onto national television as Geneva and her band is part of a Fox TV reality show “Geneva’s Rock-N-Ride.” Which as I am typing this I just heard a radio commercial for along with the TNM rally on 101X in Austin, a day late, but sort of freaky timing none this less (I have to get my music off the Internet as Houston radio is not so great).

There were all of the rally required activities, a bike show sponsored by the fine folks at South Central Choppers, biker games, sexy girls in wet T-shirts, vendors and the ultimate in survival supplies, and our favorite food on sticks! The folks from Wreaths Across America were on hand; this is the national organization that through donations helps remember our countries fallen service men and women each year by placing wreaths at our national cemeteries.

I arrived early Saturday morning and set out to do what I do, take pictures of motorcycles and cute girls. All of the trailers that had been sealed from prying eye’s yesterday were now open with folks getting the bikes ready for the races which were scheduled to kick off at 10 am. One surprise was the American Graffiti hemi-powered car. While I did not see what class it ran in, I can tell you I was no more than 5’ away from those exhaust pipes when it made its first pass and damn that Rocked!

The fuel bikes put on one hell of a show, as did some very stealthy, right off the street, bikes. While out on the track I met Scott Singleton who has a variety of great jobs, not only is he the Asst. Drag Race Manager, Announcer and Photographer for Houston Raceway Park, he is also a photojournalist for RPM Magazine! Damn I have trouble getting stuff done for one event and I am not even going to tell y’all what I missed out on yesterday, but it involved Chuck Norris & motorcycles. I am way too far out of the loop here in Houston.

While I do not believe the attendance reached the estimates hoped for this year, due to a constant chance of rain and maybe the economy, I will say you missed out on some big time fun if you did not show. Saturday it never rained enough to to hide my camera, and as you can see the bikes had no trouble with the weather. I came across two things I had never previously encountered at any event, a man and his duck, and dogs for sale. I swear, if that lady had not been sitting there, that one pug was the dude from Man in Black and would have requested help saving the universe or at the very least escaping!

Apparently, the late night activities tend to be more adult in nature, refer back to sexy girls in (or out of) wet t-shirts. I can’t say how Sunday’s event went as it was raining on my side of Texas, and the still-in-need-of-repair left knee had all it could take the two days before.

Everyone I spoke with involved in this event was as friendly and helpful as could be, and if they will have me back next year, I think I’ll rent a trailer to drag out there so I got some place to crash at nights end. I’m too old to sleep on the ground.

Till next time,
–Rigid Frame Richard
TNMRally.net
WWW.Houstonraceway.com
WWW.NHRA.com
WWW.Genevasrocknride.com

Here I am nearing the end of 40…………… something. Over half of those years have found me exploring the back roads of this country on two wheels. I haven’t missed the Sturgis Rally in 20 years! Holy Mollie, it’s become a tradition! I never miss The Love Ride either, and when I heard that it was canceled this year, I got to think about what a tradition these events have become in my life. It feels like Christmas was cancelled. I look forward to these events like special holidays. They have become a ritual, for me and thousands of bikers. And somewhere, down the road, a simple motorcycle hobby became a lifestyle.

To recall the events of Sturgis and my summer travels as a new columnist for www.Bikernet.com is nothing short of a huge honor for me. I have known Keith Ball, aka Bandit for many of my riding years. I actually ran around with a couple of his Hamster pals back when Bandit was editor of “Easyriders” magazine, and I was still riding Hondas.

Back then there were so few women riders that a girl got the thumbs up just for riding her own bike. Even my Hells Angels friends overlooked the fact that I was riding a Honda, and let me tag along once in awhile. I don’t exactly know when that restless nomad transformed from riding the back roads of this vast land, alone…searching for a sense of self…to this old school biker chick with a story to tell. I still can’t claim that I’ve actually found myself, but I have covered a lot of roads looking, looking for myself, looking for answers, and looking for adventure!

As bikers, I think we all share a spirit that was born to be wild, seeking to quench an insatiable thirst for life beyond the couch in front of the TV set. In those early years, I rode my Hondas on back roads and to rallies all over the west. Often times alone, my pictures captured an overloaded bike on a lonely road. And when rain and bad weather were pounding me, I would pull over just to document my own misery and to be able to laugh at myself later!

But as the years went by I made the trek to Sturgis with many different friends, and even badgered my family members into joining in on the fun. My little sister finally gave in and bought a Harley too, and my mother still blames me for the corruption of Kathy. But whether it was alone or with a friend, on a Honda, or on a Harley, I haven’t broken my tradition of being in the Black Hills every August. Even though I’ve written my Sturgis story many times over, Sturgis is never the same trip twice. In fact, no road trip is.

Part of why I’ve made an annual tradition of traveling to Sturgis includes my past. I am a Minnesota girl, and have been living in Los Angeles since I graduated from college. My family has conveniently scattered themselves across the west, so with one clean 5,000 mile loop, I can visit them all! And Sturgis just happens to be directly on my kin path. It seemed like God’s divine intervention! So, for a couple of decades I have been making this relative loop in a lot of different ways, different friends, different roads, and different modes of doing it. But I always look forward to it, and the time away from my daily routine never disappoints me. In fact, it clears me. It clears the cobwebs of my mind, and allows me to better focus on the year to come. My Uncle David and Aunt Shelia’s horse ranch on Sunshine Mesa in Hotchkiss, Colorado is always my first stop. The bike they rode around the world back in the '70s paved the way for my obsession. I thought they were the coolest two people on the planet, and I still do! Every year my visits to Sunshine Mesa provide me with my much needed spiritual rejuvenation.

Since I’ve been in a few motorcycle documentaries, and have written for several motorcycle publications, it has changed my Sturgis itinerary. There are events I try to cover or attend, instead of just going whichever way the wind blows me, like in the past. And this year there were a lot of interesting, new opportunities, so it made it an unusual and busy year for me.

Steven Tyler was in town promoting his new bikes, leading the Legends Ride along with Sugar Bear, and putting on a concert out at the Buffalo Chip. Living in L.A., it’s not a big deal to see celebs out in public. But there is something about Steven Tyler that sets him apart. The guy is magnetic! And he’s sexy, and funny. I haven’t been to a concert like that since…well, since I saw Aerosmith when I was in high school! He is better now than he’s ever been.

Even standing next to him, it’s hard to believe the guy is 60 something? When he is out on that stage shimmering in silver threads, his wild hair blowing in the wind, the man is timeless! And that whole falling off of the stage incident was only because the sound system failed while thousands of fans waited. And like the true rock star he is, he started dancing like a wild man to entertain the sea of bodies, so wide I couldn’t see where it ended. The wilder he danced, the more the crowd egged him on. One minute he was spinning on the edge of the island, and in a single moment, he was gone. And then it was over. The concert being cut short just left us all wanting more. The whole crowd just sat in silence waiting to see if he would return. It wasn’t until the ambulance loaded him up and drove away that the mob pushed for the exits.

I never rolled out to the dusty Buffalo Chip camp in my life! Yup, it’s true. Sturgis for 20 years, and I had never seen the ominous gathering. I heard the stories, and saw the crowds, but I had always stayed away because it just seemed intimidating for a lone female rider. If crowds are heading one direction, I usually try to steer in the other. I know every back road in the Black Hills, and I can usually find my way around crowds. But once you’re committed to being inside the chaos, there are no secret paths out of the madness that is the Buffalo Chip! Or at least I haven’t found them, yet! It’s ENORMOUS! It’s self-contained.

I can see why people gravitate to the dust bowl, because once you are there, you would never really have to leave. It caters to all of the bikers' and campers' needs. Plus, with all of the law enforcement in town, and on the road leaving town, if you are going to party, it’s the best way to get-down and dirty safely. My thanks to Ken Conte of “Rise Above Consulting” for making my Buffalo Chip experience all possible!

Earlier that day I stopped for a hot cup of coffee in Rapid City, and a unique looking man came up to me and looked at my bike, and he looked at me, and he said, “Girlfriend, you are one bad Mamba Jamba!”

I said, “Well thanks, I think…” and off he went. Later that night he saw me backstage at the concert and said, “Mamba Jamba!”

I said……… “Weird coffee house boy!”

He said, “My name is Dee,” and I introduced myself. Then I foolishly asked if he played music too.

“Ahh, yes I do,”Dee Snider replied. “I’m a singer.”

I told him I was not Rock educated and a huge John Denver fan. He told me him and John were good old friends back in the day, and that he played for a little band called Twisted Sister, or something like that.

The Legends ride was packed with just that, Legends in the Motorcycle world.It started in Deadwood, and ended at the Buffalo Chip. Still, somewhere on that short jaunt, they managed to lose Steven Tyler and his girlfriend, Lorenzo Lamas and his handsome pal Chad, John Paul De Joria and his beautiful wife Eloise, and their Indian mechanic Kiwi Mike! How the heck did that happen? Nonetheless, it was a beautiful huge-group- ride on a beautiful day in my favorite place on earth. You can’t beat that! Sugar Bear led the ride, and Eddie Trotta and Cory Ness were just a few of the famous builders riding along with us.

Cycle Source magazine put on a ride & rodeo again this year that went from my buddy Jay Allen’s new Broken Spoke out past Bear Butte, to a horse ranch out in the sticks where whoever has the courage to ride the barrels, on a motorcycle or on a horse, gets to give it a go. And for anyone who really needs a face full of dirt, you can ride behind one of the motorcycles or horses on a little mat attached by a rope. Last year I rode one of the crazy horses trained to round up the bulls. He ran the barrels so fast by himself, and then crashed into the other horses. Apparently, that’s how you round up them big old bulls! This year I decided to be a spectator!

Michael Lichter also hosted a ride and shoot out to the same ranch from the Spoke. My camera and I-phone flew off of my bike during that shoot and shattered all over the road, so I had to cut out early and go back to town in search of back-up supplies. Silly me, remember a time when we didn’t have phones in Sturgis? Michael also had his annual amazing display of photography work, and this year moved that out to the Buffalo Chip grounds. All in all, the Buffalo Chip and the Spoke were the hip places to be this year. I was so busy and limited on time that I never rumbled along my favorite back roads. I rode on the big, busy highways! I hate that. I miss my out-of-the-way, curvy, uninhabited thoroughfares!

I didn’t even get to visit Wild Bill or Calamity Jane on Boot Hill this year. I missed the waterfalls in Spearfish, or the Bears in wild Bear Country, no Wildlife Loop, no Wild Horses on vast open plains, not even the buffalos out at Bear Butte State Park scattered in the Jack pines. But it was an action packed week of electric charged energy! A different kind of Sturgis for me, but no complaints here!

The rest of the trip was about family, carnivals, scooters, hula-hoops, and a video game called Weeeeeeeee? We ate Birthday cake and smores, hunted grasshoppers and fished for supper. Nothing like spending time with three, five, and seven-year-olds to remind you of how to see the rainbows, smell the flowers, and learn a whole lot about patience. Sturgis is always an outrageous experience, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s the road out adventure, fueling the saloon conversations during the rally. My family time, to and from Sturgis, is what warms my heart and gives everything else meaning.

…does not stay in Vegas. At least not if we can help it. No need to worry though, whatever you did and were not supposed to do will be safe with us. After great riding weather so far throughout Bikefest, the weather forecast for today predicted gusty winds of up to 55 miles an hour for much of Nevada and Arizona – and they got it right for once. So, instead of hitting the highway and heading home today as originally planned, it might be a smart idea to stick around, take in some more of Bikefest and Sin City and get the wrap-up done.

Rolling out the event for the ninth time this year, Las Vegas Bikefest is still a young event, compared to Sturgis and Daytona pretty much still in its infancy. Located in a city with a multitude of attractions year round and in the heart of a great riding territory, Las Vegas is a destination for bikers regardless of an organized invasion like Bikefest. With already too much going on in the casinos and bars for one extended weekend, adding the packed schedule of Bikefest makes for tough choices. One has to set priorities, yet no matter how much you narrow it down, you still end up wanting to be in at least three places at the same time.

Vendor Village up at Cashman Center is certainly a must, including the Artistry in Iron exhibition and program on a regular basis. The big names on the list are to be found up there, out in the open air and inside the halls. While some builders we talked to prior to Bikefest were hesitant to participate and planned to come just as a visitor and check out what is going on, those who bit the bullet and worked a booth were happy with the attention they received.

Paul Yaffe, who brought his Bagger Nation booth up from Phoenix hardly got a breather all weekend and went through 2000 catalogues until Saturday afternoon. Saxon Motorcycles had no reason to complain either; their display of already upgraded 2009 models – now with Brembo brakes and better transmissions – was well attended. Tim and his crew were even talking about a couple of pending sales from the event and some interest from new dealers to pick up their line.

George Ganem from Nightrider Jewelry, who is displaying his handcrafted masterpieces for the fourth year now at Bikefest was also happy and all smiles. Of course we did not do a representative survey among all the vendors, it should be safe to assume that being here pays off. And it does not even have to be at the epicenter of the whole thing. The guys at Las Vegas Harley-Davidson set up their own vendor village in the parking lot of the dealership, bringing in names like Drag Specialties and Klock Works. The wet T-shirt contest on Friday also contributed to attracting a crowd. Also the Arlen Ness dealership transforms the parking lot into a showground with vendor tents.

In addition to the commercial element, a lot of events are going on during Bikefest. The bikeshow at Cashman Center turned out an impressive line-up of high-quality bikes from professional builders as well as individuals. To pick a winner was near to impossible despite the division of the contenders in numerous classes. For those who are not into the organized display of customized rides, roaming the Strip and the streets around it will provide for a similar experience in many of conspicuous spots.

But roaming the street of what appears to be a gigantic construction zone that is the city of Las Vegas these days can be tricky. This town seems to be constantly reinventing itself with old casinos being blown up and new ones being built, but this year it seems to be really bad. Not only that you suddenly end up in front of a “Road Closed” sign just feet away from where you wanted to go – the Harley-Davidson Cafe on the Strip is one of those traps right now – the patchwork pavement and loose gravel everywhere makes riding in the city anything but fun, in spots flat out dangerous. The fact that most road construction is inactive during the day and work starts with sundown does not help much.

One special event that will take you across town from the main venue is an absolute must for everybody who is into cool custom bikes and custom cars: The Count's Kustoms open house party. Even when you forget the stage, live music, entertainment, free food and tons of bikes in the parking lot, this is just a cool place to visit, and the Count himself a great guy to meet. The collection of cars from Italian sportcars to custom rods to choppers that has its home in the building of Count's Kustoms is enough to make you want to spend the rest of the day there.

Las Vegas Bikefest, as we feel, is well worth making the trip – regardless whether you are a vendor or just looking for a good time in a cool place with cool people. Whatever you prefer – walking off your shoes browsing vendor booths, putting miles on your ride, or partying until the cows come home (well, we did not actually see any) – the choice is yours. See you next year at the tenth anniversary of Bikefest in Las Vegas, which is scheduled for September 30 to October 3, 2010.

– – C.S. Berg

You could call it the oldest show in town and also the newest. The 34th running of the iconic El Camino Bike Show and Swap Meet took place on the roof of the El Camino College massive parking structure in Torrance, CA where it’s been conducted for umpteen years. However, the show was under new ownership and and right out of the chute set new records for vendor attendance, all spots sold out, the first ever 100% capacity in the history of the event and strong indication that one of the West Coast’s longstanding events is still running at redline.

Clear skies called for plenty of Sunblock 34, collateral sunburn bouncing off the acres of chrome and polished aluminum as vintage, classic and antique bikes of all nationalities showed up to be judged. Meanwhile vendors had gathered from all over the Southwest to trot out their precious metal all to the benefit of swappers hunting for their own particular Holy Grail bike part.

Glenn Bator of Bator International could be heard over the microphone as he aided in the transition of the show into the hands of new owner/director Marshall Baker of Classic Cycle Events who also puts on the long running Hanford Motorcycle Show and Swap.

The vendors’ exhibitions literally stretched the width and breadth of the entire parking area and you needed either good walking shoes or a pit bike to take it all in.

Everything from nuts and bolts to entire motorcycles was up for grabs and the grabbing was good by the looks of people carting away parts and assorted goodies.

Some bargains were found at the Sales Bike Corral where you could park you scooter with a For Sale sign.

There you found everything from not one, but two unrestored original 1954 Honda Dreams ($7500 and $9500) to a very nice BMW R100 airhead with full fairing and saddlebags ready for cross-country touring for only an asking price of $2500.

The bike show itself brought some unusual bikes…and their equally unique builders/restorers/owners. One of the coolest was the bright red custom Harley 1940 knucklehead stuffed in a VL frame with “Charlie Davidson” emblazoned on the gas tank.

Seated next to the bike, under a colorful umbrella held by his granddaughter, Charlie Watkins debuted his dream bike. A handwritten letter attached to the bike told the story: “My Dad is 87 and has wanted to build a bike like this since he was a kid. He worked on this bike and got all but the finishing touches done. He lost his eyesight and a bit of his memory. But he is very proud of this bike. And we are very proud of him.” Signed, Henry Farner, Doni Farner, Rachel Farner and Scott Sellch. Scott, Rachel’s fiancé, fired up the bike and it drew an instant crowd. Charlie Watkins could be seen beaming.

It must have been a family event, because lo and behold, one of SoCal’s most famous vintage bike personalities/wild women, Cindy Rutherford, the queen of Century Motorcycles in San Pedro, CA showed up in an electric powered baby carriage in which she stood as she rolled royally around the event. With her were her daughter and Cindy’s brand new granddaughter. Now as to who was supposed to be in the baby carriage is another matter.

Hickory Wheeled Wonder – 1916 Militaire – An American made machine (1911-17) powered by 1306cc 4-cylinder shat drive engine, the 3-speed w/reverse transmission set in the center of the bike. Unusual to say the least, expensive to build, about 100 were built.

While the biggest bike at the event was an incredibly long 1916 Militaire, it was one of the smallest bikes that stole the show.

Back on August 20, 1969 brothers Dean and Jack Lowe of El Monte, CA took their1965 Honda S95 street bike and transformed it into a Bonneville racer where they set a speed record at “a tick under 90 mph” with Jack laid out on the bike. 40 years later, they gathered up the pieces and restored the bike. On August 20, 2009, they fired it up and rode it, 40 years to the day.

Says Dean, “We’re going back to reset the record at Bonneville next year.” They do have a request. They need a set of speed rated 16-inch tires so they can run 100 mph on it, something a little safer that 40-year tires on the bike.

Summing up the day, Marshall Baker says, “I just wanted to put on an event for people like us who love motorcycles and I guess I got lucky. The great turn-out is what made it a great show. And we’ll back at El Camino in 2010.”

Munchkin Harley – Famous model-to-be Makayla poses alongside show winning Greg Stire’s 1961 Super 10.

Going for the Gold – Holding trophies (l to r) are Jim Frankel, Craig Taylor, George Yamaka and Greg Stires and one guy helping George hold all his awards.

Harpo’s Honda – Both Harpo and his human Dydia Delyser are veteranriders, usually in a sidecar but this time brought Dydia’s 1961 305 Dream.

UFO Bike – Sexy Italian Scifi 1955 175cc MV Agusta was named “Disco Volante” aka Flying Saucer after its distinctive gas tank, shown by Italian bike aficionado par excellence Mike Harper-Smith.

Indigenous Indian – Neil Nissing’s 1913 Indian was the lucky winner of First Place in the Antique Class, the bike recently restored by the one and only Mike Parti.

Bike Show Winners

First Place Winner’s List:

Antique Class – 1913 Indian Twin – 97.5 points – Neil Nissing
Vintage American – 1948 Harley-Davidson EL – 98 points – Landy Brakke
Vintage British – 1955 Ariel MK I – 99 points – Perry Owen
Classic American – 1966 Harley FL Electra w/sidecar – 96 points – Johnny Andersson
Classic Britsh – 1966 Triumph – 100 points – Roger Snideles
Vintage and Classic European – – 1961 BMW R50/2 – 99 points –Tim Stafford

On/off Road Competition – 1960 BSA Spitfire Scrambler – 99.75 points – Don Harrell
Two Stroke/ On/Off Road Competition – 1972 Rickman R250MX – 98.75 points Blair Beck
Custom Vintage and Bobbers – 1945 Harley-Davidson VL – 99 points – Jim Frankel
Power Bikes and Scooters – 1961 Harley Davidson Super 10 – 99.75 points – Greg Stires
All Original – 1912 Pierce Single – 98.5 points – Carl Harren
Trial Endura/Street Trackers – 1972 Pickman/Zundapp 6-Day Replica – 97 points – Dave Tonkiss
People’s Choice – 1941Harley-Davidson EL – 89 points – John Messing
Best Restoration – 1954 Harley-Davidson FL – 99.5 points – Larry Ramos

BEST OF SHOW – 1958 BSA Gold Star – 100 points – Don Harrell

It’s been five long years since Indian Larry passed away, and in his absence there have been many changes. Keino and Paul have each moved on to their own respective paths; the old shop on 14th Street in Brooklyn now sits empty. Even the annual event that surrounded his shop, and caused the migration of many to New York each September for “The Block Party” seemed as if it was gone. But that all changed in 2009.

It has been 20 years since Bobby Seeger first met Larry and in his many stories of massages and coffee runs, I got to understand what it means for this cat to keep his brother’s name alive. Larry was a very important part of Bobby’s life, a part that in some ways will always be gone. But when it comes to his style of bikes, the philosophy he lived by and the direction he was headed, Bobby intends to see that this part of Larry lives on forever.

After closing the shop and moving their operation into a small warehouse facility, Elisa and Bobby Seeger decided that while they chose a direction there would be no point in wasting rent money on a big building. Instead, they launched Genuine Motorworks nine months ago; Elisa’s dream of an apparel shop she could call her own. In it you can see works by various artists, American made goods and apparel and even Americana items that all fall under the mission statement painted on the wall: “There’s no way like the American way.” This was still only part of what they had planned. While there was a silent hush last September as the date for the block party came and went, in spite of sponsorship offers and the curiosity of the general public, they decided to get everything stabilized and then move forward in the best way they knew how to immortalize the man behind the question mark. And this year was the year to let it all out. With the new 5,500 square foot building on Union Ave. in Brooklyn, Indian Larry Motorcycles opened its doors and kicked off a new era with the celebration that everyone had been missing, The Block Party.

Almost as if it had never changed, never moved or skipped a year, 8 a.m. saw some forty volunteers standing in front of the shop ready to help. As famous New York photographer Clay Patrick McBride hung giant prints on the outside of the building, people scurried about on the task of preparing the block for a hell of a day. They shut down an entire city block on Union Ave. and by mid afternoon you could tell that was a good thing. People clogged the street with activity, visiting one vendor after another, standing around, just talking and staring at the giant images of Indian Larry. Bobby told me that it still blows his mind how many Larry fans are out there and how many still come up to show him little question mark tattoos or big back pieces that feature his friend and mentor’s image.

Inside the shop, a good friend of Bobby’s who goes by the name Ewok had painted a giant graffiti mural along the whole side wall. It immediately made you feel like you were in the right place; the grit of the city sliding right up along side you. Seeger mentioned that the shop will be open for business now and that means all business. Everything from service work and parts all the way up to custom builds; they want to be the number one shop in the beautiful five boroughs of New York. After that they said they’ll concentrate of the rest of the country.

So yeah, there were killer bands, kickass cars from the “Rumblers” outside and some of the wickedest choppers ever, but this was a different thing. In this day I learned why they called this The Block Party to begin with. This was simply a collection of kids from the block, kickin’ it in the city for a day, in the memory of their good friend. Some were local, some came from as far away as the West Coast, but it was the kind of atmosphere you only get when you live on the block.

www.genuinemotorworks.com
www.indianlarry.com
Indian Larry Motorcycles
400 Union Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211