Midwest Motorcyclist(tm), December 2014 issue

www.bmwmcgr.com

616-530-6900Grand Rapids, MI 49548-5730

5995 S DivisionBMW Motorcycles of Grand Rapids

Midwest MotorcyclistTM 3

The 2015 Indian® Roadmaster™ reflects pureAmerican Luxury. Building upon the iconicRoadmaster name used by Indian in the1940s, the new Roadmaster reimagines IndianMotorcycle comfort, styling and performanceout on the open road, for the long haul.

Now in our showroom...

1765 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MIOne mile north of Square Lake Rd. on the east side of Telegraph Rd.248.920.2000 • www.ridemotorcity.com

on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/MotorCityMotorcycles

BLACKFRIDAY

SALE

Sale Pricingon Everything

in the Store

Friday, November 28, 2014

All Indian Apparel & Accessories

All Victory Apparel & Accessories

EVERYTHING!

The 12 Days of Christmas SaleDecember 12 thru 24, 2014

Special pricing on different apparel and accessories eachday during our 12 Days of Christmas Sale. Visit our Facebook

page for details. Don’t miss it!

The 2015 Victory Magnum.Envy comes standard.Life goes fast – make a lasting impression on the new VictoryMagnum, our boldest bike to ever roll off the line. This big wheel

bagger has the performance to turnheads, along with the style

and sound to makepeople stop, stare,

and listen.Evensitting still, theVictory Magnum isnever idle.Wherever it goes,it can’t be ignored.

December 20144 www.midwestmotorcyclist.com

Columns5 To Our Readers6 Motorcycling and Law: Recommended Coverages for Motorcycle Insurance

by Dondi Vesprini7 Live It Right Dream Ride: Desert Heaven by Jay Wilgus8 The Preacher Speaks About... Helmet Usage by Franz Hoffer16 Dr. Cycholl by Patrick Armitage18 Looking Back: The Year in Review by Jason Waechter22 Open Terrain - Exploring the World and Soul by Motorcycle:

Horizons Unlimited California: Launching the Dreamersby Nicole Espinosa

Features, News & Reviews10 Rider Profile: Cari Draft by Ray Peabody12 Holiday Gift Guide13 AMA Museum and Hall of Fame by Gene Southard17 Book Review: Enduring Courage: Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the

Age of Speed by Ray Peabody17 Book Review: No Thru Road: Confessions of a Traveling Man by Ray Peabody18 Micro Start Personal Power Supply19 The Antidote to Domesticity by Pat Francis19 Toledo Motorcycle Business Adds Free Shipping & Local Services20 History of the Chopper21 VETMotorsports CEO Winner of Annual Columbus Volunteer

Citizen of the Year Award

Resources5 Advertiser Index9 Upcoming Holiday Parties

How to contact us:

709 Fall StreetSpring Lake, Michigan 49456

(810) 923-8738www.midwestmotorcyclist.com

Copyright 2012-2014 cc media. All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, photocopied, or electronically

transmitted without the expressed written permission of the publisher.Advertisers, their agents, contributors of event information, free-

lance contributors and/or editorial contributors will defend, indemnifyand hold cc media and RTP Enterprises, Inc. harmless in any claimsof libel, copyright or trademark infringement, plagiarism, violation oflocal, national, or international privacy laws and any other claim or

suit that may arise subsequent to publication of said advertisement,stories, event information, and/or editorial. Submission of material for

consideration for publication in Michigan Motorcyclist/MidwestMotorcyclist, American CycleRider either solicited or unsolicited,

constitutes agreement to these terms. Except for thePublisher and Managing Editor, all writers are free-lance contributors.Any and all opinions expressed are those of the authors, and don’t

necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Publisher/Managing EditorRay Peabody

[email protected]@sbcglobal.net

Advertising Sales/ Web Master / DistributionRay Peabody

[email protected]@sbcglobal.net

Cover DesignJulie Kirkendoll

cc media publications

Cover photo: Motorcyclist / entrepreneur Cari Draft aboard The Beast thisautumn. Photo by Ray Peabody

This Month’s Contributors:

Contributing Editors

Patrick ArmitageNicole Espinosa

Franz Hoffer

plus

Pat Francis, Gene SouthardDondi Vesprini, Jason Waechter,

Jay Wilgus

IN THIS ISSUE…..

Standard Program Includes:• Storage from November 15 thru March 15

& Made Ready For Summer• Battery Removed, Inspected, and Charged• Carburetor Drained• Bike Covered with Padded Cycle Cover• Oil, Filter Change with Spectro 10W40, OEM Oil Filter• Install New NGK Brand Spark Plugs• Tires and Brakes Inspected

6971 Highland Road 248-666-4651 Waterford, MI 48327 www.tech-care.com

WINTER STORAGE PROGRAMSpace for up to 10 motorcycles.A variety of options and pricing.

Bring your bike in forstorage today and saveon services. Don’t wait!The spaces fill up fast.


1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012

AdvertiserIndex

ABATE of Indiana .....................................8A.B.C. Harley-Davidson ...........10, 11, 15Battle Creek Harley-Davidson ....10, 11, 15Bent Wheels Competition Club.................5Bill Murphy, Author.............................12BMW MC of Detroit.................9, 13, 19BMW of Grand Rapids..........2, 5, 9, 16BMW, SE Michigan..............9, 18, 20, 23Brighton Harley-Davidson .......10, 11, 15C & S Harley-Davidson ...........10, 11, 15Capitol Harley-Davidson ..........10, 11, 15Classic MotorSports........,.........10, 11, 15Cycle Conservation Club ...........................6Dave Bowman, Tech-Care Susp.........4, 17Diamond Gusset Jeans ...........................15Gildner’s Harley-Davidson ........10, 11, 15Grand Rapids H-D................. ...10, 11, 15Great Lakes Dual Sporters ...................17Great Lakes Harley-Davidson ..10, 11, 15Hamilton’s Harley-Davidson ......10, 11, 15Harley-Davidson dealers ..........10, 11, 19Harrison Motorcycle Service ................12Hot Rod Harley-Davidson ........10, 11, 15Jason Waechter, The Motorcycle Lawyer..24Jerry B’s Cycle Works .......................12Kelley & Sons Trailers ............................10Live It Right Dream Ride........................7Michigan Chrome Shop......................9Motor City Harley-Davidson ...10, 11, 15Motor City Underwriters ......................12Motorcity Motorcycles.................3, 14Motorcycle Solutions, LLC......................13MC Sport Touring Association..........6, 19Perry’s Harley-Davidson ..........10, 11, 15Ray C’s Harley-Davidson..........10, 11, 15Retail Warehouse ................................5, 21Sandy’s Harley-Davidson ...........10, 11, 15Shiawassee Harley-Davidson ....10, 11, 15Sport Bike Track Gear ............................ 22Sportbike Leather Service..........................13Sweet Trikes ...........................................12Tecumseh Harley-Davidson .....10, 11, 15Town & Country H-D................10, 11, 15Triumph Detroit...................................24VJU Enterprises / Knee Dragging Daddy....12Zip’s 45th Parallel H-D..............10, 11, 15

The Bent WheelsChapter of the CCCis looking for new

members.BWCC has a long history of promoting

events of all kinds and in preserving ourORV trail system. We are

a family orientated,working club and

ride the trails almostevery weekend. Ifyou’re looking for

good times with greatpeople - check us out.

Contact Billy Vanderhoff by email [email protected].

Event Listings are FREE

BMW Motorcycles of Grand Rapids5995 South Division, Grand Rapids, MI

(616) 530-6900 www.bmwmcgr.comLatitude 41.855022 Longitude -85.66382

When luxury is freed of constraint, it moves to a new level. Atthe very top of this evolution is the K 1600 GTL – a high-classtouring bike like none before it. With the most compact andefficient in-line 6-cylinder engine ever installed in a seriesproduction motorcycle. Every detail is designed for maximumriding pleasure. A motorcycle for people who are looking for anew kind of supremacy. The K 1600 GTL.MSRP: $23,995 including ABS

When you want the best in comfort, luxury

and technology in a touring motorcycle.

The BMW K 1600 GTL$750 Rebate

Visit our store

for details

We take allbrands and

models - almostanything - as atrade-in. Stopby our storetoday to see

how much youcan get for

your trade-in.

Call (269) 651-2464 now or visitour on-line store at www.ridewild.com

Phone: (269) 651-2464 Fax: (269) 651-87671640 S. Centerville Road (M-66 South) , Sturgis, MI

We accept all major credit cards

Retail Warehouse

G-3Microwire

Gloves

All controls &accessories now in stock!

JacketLiners

Heated

Socks

Ultralight

Gloves

Happy Holidays!My last ride of 2014 (barring an

unforseen warming trend) took place a coupleweeks ago. The sun was shining.Temperatures were in the mid 50s. The windwas blowing and that brought thetemperature down a few degrees. Overall, itwas a fine autumn day for a ride.

It’s interesting how the knowledgethat the riding season is winding down affectsthe thinking process. For me, I seemed more intune with the Tiger than usual. I listened tothe sound of that beautiful triple as it idledand then when accelerating away from a stoplight. I noticed the smooth roll of the throttleand the ease with which the clutch wasengaged. Application of the front and rearbrakes had the bike hunkering down on theapproach to the stop light.

I cruised out to I-96 and headedeast towards Grand Rapids. Traffic was lightand I moved easily from one lane to the otheras I made my way around the cars. Riding thefreeway is not especially appealing but, onthat last ride, the boring drone of slab travelwas gone. The power of the engine and thesmoothness of the ride were exhilarating.

After exiting the freeway, I foundmyself on the two laners, cruising through therolling hills and curves of the countryside. Mysenses were alive with autumn smells ofdecaying and burning leaves. Heading backinto the wind, cool air forced its way to myneck and down the front of my leather jacket.The air was both refreshing and chilling; Ipulled the zipper up tight to my neck. TheTiger felt lighter than usual as we floatedalong the road surface leaning first one wayand then back the other. I began to wonderwhy every ride wasn’t exactly like the one Iwas experiencing that day. I like to think thatI’m always mentally in the moment while

riding but I seemed more mindful than onmost rides.

I’m glad that ride was as goodas it was because, at this moment, I’mlooking out my front window at four,maybe five inches of the snow on theground. I’ve already shoveled thedriveway twice in the last couple days.The memory of that last ride is still fresh inmy mind. I can’t wait for spring…

Welcome to our annual HolidayGift Guide issue. Within these pages you’llfind some terrific ideas for gifts for yourmotorcycle riding family or friends. Orsomething for yourself, perhaps.

In addition to the Gift Guide, wehave a variety of columns and stories thatyou’re sure to find entertaining andinformative. For example, we interviewedentrepreneur Cari Draft for this issue. Carihas only been riding her own bike for aboutseven years but has become avid, skilledrider. When not on her bike, she’s activelyinvolved in her fitness and nutritionbusinesses as well as supporting causesthat interest her. We think you’ll find Carias interesting as we do. Read her profile inthis issue to learn more.

Contributor Gene Southard andhis wife traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for acraft fair. Gene saw this as an opportunityto not only make his wife happy but alsothe chance to visit the AmericanMotorcyclist Association Museum andHall of Fame. Even if you’ve been to theMuseum and HoF yourself, be sure tocheck out Gene’s review.

Nicole Espinosa, in addition towriting amonthly

column for us, is also the ManagingEditor for Adventure Motorcyclemagazine as well as an organizer andpresenter at several adventure-relatedrallies (i.e. Horizons Unlimited andOverland Expo). This month, shereviews the recent HorizonsUnlimited Rally in California. Nicoleknows most of the well knownmotorcycle adventurers and sharesthe current activities of several – TedSimon, Sandy and Terry Borden whowith their son, Jack make upAdventure Trio, and Alex Chacon – inher column this month. Don’t missthis latest entry in the adventuremotorcycling journal.

There’s much more to enjoyin this issue including other stories,book reviews and news as well as afew holiday-related events. We hopeyou enjoy this issue. We appreciateyou as a reader and motorcyclist.Please patronize our advertisers thisholiday season. Buy local to supportthe businesses who help support yourlifestyle.

May you have a wonderfulholiday season filled with family,friends, great food and betterweather. We look forward to servingup a better, more informative anduseful magazine in 2015.

See you on the road or at anevent this winter,


We Ride!...All Makes of Bikes

...All Over the Country

...On Back Roads

...On Racetracks

...At Novice-Advanced Levels

...In Our Sleep!

Our members come from all across the Midwest (and beyond)

and we ride many makes of street bikes - including:

We travel to great riding destinations close by and far away. We learn to be

better riders. We share camaraderie and a common passion: The Passion To Ride!

• Aprilia• BMW• Buell• Ducati

• Harley-Davidson• Honda• Kawasaki

• Suzuki• Triumph• Yamaha....and brands in between

In Michigan, contact:

Gregg Mitchell

[email protected]

Sport Touring is Our Middle Name!

For information about membership, meetings, events or rides,

contact the MSTA group in your state:

In Indiana, contact:

Donald “Moose” Parish

[email protected]

In Kentucky, contact:

Gary Dehner

[email protected]

In Ohio, contact:

Doug McPeak

[email protected]

In Wisconsin, contact:

Alan Tesch

[email protected]

Motorcycling & Law

RecommendedCoverages for

MotorcycleInsuranceby Dondi Vesprini

No place to ride? Michigan is home to the largest organized network of off-road trails in the world - more than 3500 miles of marked, maintained ORV trails for the entire family to enjoy! Since 1968, The Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan has led the charge to assure continued access to public lands for motorized recreation by working closely with state and federal government. Membership in the CCC offers organized trail rides, a map CD of the entire trail system, a subscription to the Great Lakes TrailRider Magazine

and a host of other member benefits! Call us today at 517-781-4805.

The Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan

PO Box 486

Let’s Go

Trail Riding!

N O N - C O M P E T I T I O N• MAINTAINED TRAILS

• ORGANIZED EVENTS

• FAMILY FUN

• ALL LEGAL

It’s hard to believe, but the holidayseason is here. As you may be in the process ofcompiling your holiday wish list of newaccessories for your bike or new riding gear fornext year, you should perhaps give somethought to asking for one of the most usefulmotorcycle related accessories there is – yourmotorcycle insurance policy.

When speaking with riders abouttheir motorcycle insurance policies, I am oftentimes told that they aren’t worried aboutwhether they have sufficient and propercoverages because their agent has told themthey have “full” coverage. The fact is that”full” coverage means different things todifferent agents and has no universal definitionunder the law. Therefore, it is essential thateach rider review their policy to ensure thatthey in fact have the types of coverages that areimportant to them instead of relying on theagent’s representation.

In this article, I have compiled a wishlist of the types of coverages that everymotorcyclist riding in the great State ofMichigan should ask for and maintain on theirmotorcycles.

1. Liability coverage – This coverage isthe amount of money that your insurancecompany will pay out on your behalf to aninjured person in the event that you werenegligent and injure said person whileoperating your motorcycle. I suggest that youcarry as much monetary coverage as you canafford. This is because if you injure someoneon your motorcycle, and the value of theirinjury is more than what your liability coverageprovides, then the injured person can comeafter your personal assets for the balance of thevalue.

2. Medical coverage – I suggest carryingas much said coverage as you can afford asyou will look to this coverage to pay yourmedical expenses in the event of an accidentthat does not involve a motor vehicle. (If amotor vehicle is involved, chances are that yourmedical expenses will be payable underMichigan’s No Fault law). For example, if yougo down on loose gravel, hit a deer, hit apothole, etc. I recommend such coverage evenmore so if you have no health insurance.

3. Uninsured motorist coverage – Thiscoverage is to provide you with a source fromwhich to recover your “pain and suffering”damages in the event you are injured by anegligent and uninsured driver. This is the onlyproactive measure one can take to ensure asource of recovery under these circumstances.

In my practice, you would be shocked by howmany accident cases I have handled over theyears involving an uninsured driver. Ithappens more frequently than you may think.It makes sense to load up on this coverage.

4. Underinsured motorist coverage –This coverage applies to a situation whereyou are injured by a negligent motorist whodoes have insurance, but in an amount that isinsufficient to fully compensate you for thevalue of your “pain and suffering” claim. Forexample, suppose you are in an accident andfracture your leg and require surgery. Let’salso suppose the negligent motorist onlycarried $20,000.00 worth of liability coverageon his auto policy. In such an event, as thevalue of your claim is more than $20,000.00,you can collect the excess value from yourown underinsured motorist coverage on yourmotorcycle policy. Again, I recommend youload up on this coverage. Many times, aninsurance company will require you to carrythe same amount of liability coverage asuninsured and underinsured motoristcoverage.

5. Extras or accessory coverage – Thiscoverage applies to damage sustained to anyextras or accessories that you add to yourbike outside of what came stock with the bike.This type of coverage is titled differently bydifferent insurance companies, but it is wellworth looking into if you invest time andmoney customizing your bike in any way.

6. Umbrella coverage – This coverageserves as an addition to many of thecoverages listed above. For instance, if youcarry a $500,000.00 umbrella, that means thatyou have $500,000.00 additional dollars incoverage for any category the umbrellaapplies to, on top of the amount of coveragelisted in the motorcycle policy. You may besurprised at how inexpensive umbrellacoverage is, when compared with the amountof added protection it provides.

I hope the holiday season finds youin the company of family and friends, and Iwish you a peaceful and joyous end to 2014.

As always, if anyone has anyquestions or if I can be of legal assistance toyou or anyone you know who has beeninjured in a motorcycle accident, please don’thesitate to contact me as I deal with thesetypes of claims on a daily basis on behalf ofinjured motorcyclists statewide. Give me acall at (248-569-4646) or shoot me an e-mailat [email protected].


http://www.liveitrightdreamride.com/the-merchandise-1/

Live It Right Dream Ride Sticker (upper left image) This 3.5 inch diameter, white

vinyl sticker can go anywhere! Support The Live It Right Dream Ride by purchasingstickers to go on your motorcycle, car, laptop, helmet, water bottle, fridge, wall...theoptions are endless. $1 + s&h

Live It Right Unisex T-ShirtWith a 50/50 cotton/poly blend thiscomfortable, yet durable shirt is great forboth men and women. Spread themessage to Live It Right while supportingour Dream Ride and looking stylish!$20 + s&h

Live It Right Women’s V-Neck T-ShirtThis flattering women’s v-neck tee is 100%cotton making it both comfy and fashionable!Purchasing this shirt will not only support TheLive It Right Dream Ride, but will add a newstaple to your wardrobe. $20 + s&h

Support the Live It Right Dream Ride!We have departed on our 15-month journey

to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. You can help support the

adventure by buying a stylish t-shirt or sticker. Stop by our online

store today. Follow our journey at www.liveitrightdreamride.com/.

Thank you for your support!

The Live It Right Dream Ride

Desert Heavenby Jay Wilgus

Nineteen miles west of the major highwaybetween Ensenada and San Felipe, lies an iconicmotorcycle hangout that epitomizes nearlyeverything I love about Baja. For starters, themotorcycle parking is located right next to the pool.Just pop up the curb on to the front patio, make aright-left wiggle on to the walkway, go straight pastthe office and up on the pooldeck. After duckingyour head to avoid the gutter, hang a quick left, thena quick right and you’re there: Mike’s Sky Ranch -the off-road outpost in northern Baja that hasprovided warm beds, cold beer, and a hearty meal todesert lovers since 1967 when Mike Leon opened hisdoors to the off-road community. His ranch hasbeen a Baja staple ever since.

When we arrived on November 9th, wewere the only ones there. That changed 20 minuteslater when Pete and Terri showed up in their jacked-up Rubicon with Terri’s brother Steve in tow. InBaja time, Pete, Terri, and Steve were old friendsbecause we had met them 2 hours earlier at thePemex station in Valle de la Trinidad. They hadcome from their home in Yucaipa, CA and wereplanning to spend the next two weeks bumpingtheir way down the peninsula toward La Paz. If theygot there, great; if not, that would be okay too.

An hour later we heard the sweet thump offour strokes coming over the ridge to our west.They had ascended the rocky mess north of ElParque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martir andwere making their way to Mike’s for the night.Soon, a stream of red and blue swerved past the pooland filled the “lot.” Hoots and cackles first, thendusty grins and storytelling. We listened as thegroup of 10 recounted the crashes, the injuries, andthe near misses of the 160 miles they had riddenfrom Ensenada that day. They were old motocrossbuddies from San Luis Obispo, CA who werevisiting Baja with a few of their sons. Most had grayhair and some were in shape. The fittest of thegroup was a 17-year-old who appeared to have noclue how lucky he was to be dirty, happy, and free inBaja. All looked exhausted though, as they waitedfor a chase truck that didn’t want to arrive.

Soon after, a lone woman walked inlooking several shades of lost. She seemed toappear from nowhere because we hadn’t heard anengine announcing her presence. Had she walkedin? That seemed crazy. We were 19 miles from the

nearest major road and no where close to a hikingroute. Had she come on a bicycle? That also seemedunlikely. We later learned that she had arrived withher long-bearded husband Forest and his long-bearded father Dennis. They were in a stealthy ToyotaTacoma that is apparently the only thing in Baja with astock muffler - or any muffler at all.

At 7:00pm, los mujeres de la casa told usdinner was ready, so we filed into the dining room.The motocross gang had cleaned up after their chasetruck arrived and was seated at a large table to ournorth. We sat with Pete, Terri, and Steve and talkedabout the desert. Everyone except Emily and I got asteak with rice, beans, steamed vegetables, and hottortillas. We got a cheese quesadilla. We are on abudget after all and we’re not gonna make it to Tierradel Fuego eating steak every night. The only folkscheaper than us were Forest, Dennis, and the not-solone woman who must have eaten something by theirtent outside.

For dessert, we all enjoyed a wafer cookiebefore recessing into the living room where t-shirtscover the ceilings. They describe birthday parties,races, adventure rides, and at least one wedding. Thewalls are covered with business cards (most of whichare brown because they’ve been there ever sincebusiness cards were popular), photos, and other bits ofmemorabilia, including mini-monuments for severalof those who lost their lives riding or racing in Baja.

The art that dominates Mike’s Sky Ranch,however, are the stickers.There are thousands of them.They cover walls, windows,doors, urinals, mirrors,gutters, trim pieces, and ofcourse, the bar. They’reeverywhere and they’reawesome. Although thereare plenty promotingcommercial products andhigh-dollar race teams, myfavorites are the one-off’smemorializing someridiculous event or insidejoke. Take “Team Skidmark”for example. I have no ideawho put their sticker on thewindow behind our dinnertable, but I have a feeling

they were smiling when they did it. So too were theguys who blew up a picture of their buddy and put iton a plaque detailing various unforgivable offenseshe had committed on a previous trip to Mike’s andoffering a reward for his capture. The place isbeautiful in a way that is uniquely Baja.

When the sun came up on November 10th,Emily and I strolled up the back canyon along El RioSan Rafael and enjoyed a few minutes of solitudebefore the engines roared back to life. Pete, Terry,and Steve were headed west toward San Quintin andthe motocross boys were headed north toward SanIsidro where they would pick up a portion of the racecourse for the Baja 1000 which was scheduled to startfour days later. We needed to move along as well.

Before we left though, there was an obvioustask to complete. I reached into Emily’s tank bag,pulled out a Live It Right Dream Ride sticker, andstuck it on the window outside room number 15.Then we jumped on the DR’s, rode them down off thepooldeck, across the San Rafael River, through thepine-oak forests that dominate that sub-region, andeast toward the Sea of Cortez.

Four days later we’d be watching thegreatest desert race in North America from anotherplace that epitomizes Baja: Coco’s Corner. To hearabout our experience there or to learn where we areat this exact moment, visit our website:www.liveitrightdreamride.com.

The Live It Right Dream Ride is sponsored in part by:

www.kindsnacks.com/

www.shadyproducts.com/

www.motorcycleandoutdoors

.com

www.midwestmotorcyclist.com/


The Preacher Speaks About...

Helmet Usageby Franz “The Preacher” Hoffer

Continued on page 20 - The Preacher

I was a strong advocate ofthe “Rider’s Choice Helmet Law” inMichigan and decided to check onwhat the Helmet Optional Law hasmeant since its inception here inMichigan in April of 2012. It’s beentwo years so there should be plentyof statistics out there. I have to admit,I have had a 100% change of heart onthis topic. I also have an ulteriormotivator: a young man who is anemployee of Wolverine Harley-Davidson was riding his motorcyclewithout a helmet (not on company time, on hisown time) and got t-boned. That was in September.At the time of this writing, he is undergoingphysical therapy and I’m not sure of his futureprognosis. The accident was not his fault but thefault of a new young car driver who is completelydevastated herself. Basically, this accident has twoyoung victims: the motorcycle rider and the driverof the car who will both carry the physical andemotional scars for their entire lives.

Overwhelmingly, people familiar with thecase - including law enforcement - all say if theyoung man was wearing a helmet, the head injurieswould have been much less severe or maybeavoided altogether. George DeLaNuez, the owner/operator of Wolverine Harley-Davidson, has made it a policythat any employees observedoperating a motorcycle whileon company time without ahelmet will face immediatedismissal. No exceptions. Noexcuses.

When the law was firstpassed in 2012, I was elated. Istood and applauded. I thoughtI would never wear a helmetagain. Freedom from a bigclunky and hot helmet.Freedom from the expense ofhaving to buy a helmet as wellas freedom from big brothergovernment telling me what todo. I was a big supporter of the“No Helmet” law. I lobbiedfor it, wrote articles in favor ofit, and sent letters to mylegislators urging they supportthe no-helmet initiative. Butarticles I’ve read, accounts of accidents I’ve heardfirst hand from other riders, accidents like the one Idescribed above, discussions with law enforcementand several close calls I’ve had while ridinghelmetless have somewhat changed my thinking onthe subject. I’m not so sure Michigan changing to ahelmet optional state was a good move. I, for one,am back to wearing my helmet 100% of the time.Not wearing a helmet seems to carry a feeling offreedom, of being a rebel; some romance with theroad as well as that “tough guy” feeling. What itreally comes down to is if I have an accident, does a

helmet increase my chances of walkingaway with minimal, short terminjuries as opposed to severe and long-term/permanent head injuries? Oreven death? Give it some thought asyou read on.

So Michigan’s law in anutshell: you do not have to wear ahelmet while operating a motorcyclein Michigan if you are at least 21 yearsold, have been licensed to operate amotorcycle for at least 2 years or havepassed a rider safety course and have

purchased an additional $20,000 in first party medicalbenefits coverage. Michigan is one of 28 states that hashelmet-optional laws based on age or some level oftraining. 19 states and the District of Columbia havemandatory helmet laws while Illinois, Iowa, and NewHampshire have no helmet laws on the books. . Thestatistics are in and statistics don’t lie. Yes, they can beskewed in one way or another, but most are fairlystraight forward. But before we look at the numbers, alittle history on helmet legislation: in 1967, the Federalgovernment, in response to out-of-control highwayfatality rates for both automobiles and motorcycles,required states to enact laws for both helmet and seat-belt usage in order to qualify for Federal funds forhighway construction and repair. The incentive had a

quick effect. By 1970, almost allstates had laws covering theusage of both safety devices.That changed in 1976 whenCongress stopped theTransportation Departmentfrom assessing penaltiesagainst states based on safetystatutes. Thereafter, helmetoptional laws were beingenacted while seat belt usageremained mandatory.

According to theNHTSA the average injuryseverity rate in Michigan hasgone up by over 37% whiledollar amounts of insuranceclaims by motorcyclists inaccidents have gone up 51%.More riding probably accountsfor some of that increase asdoes the high cost of a newmotorcycle and repairs, but

most investigators feel that impact is negligible; morepeople are getting injured and more people are gettinghead injuries. In another study, they found that inhelmet mandatory states, helmet usage was at around97% while, in helmet optional states, the helmet usagewas about 60%. Nationally, researchers found thatmotorcycle deaths have risen every year in 14 of the last15 years. Last year (2013), there were 5,000 motorcyclerider/passenger deaths; the highest percentage of totalhighway fatalities ever at just over 14%.


BMW Motorcycles of Grand Rapids5995 South Division, Grand Rapids, MI

(616) 530-6900 www.bmwmcgr.comLatitude 41.855022 Longitude -85.66382

CHRISTMASOPEN HOUSEDecember 13, 2014 • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Join us at our Christmas Open Houseto celebrate the Holiday season.

• Storewide specials • Door prizes• Food & refreshments

Don’tmiss it!

BMW Motorcycles of Detroit34080 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights, MI

(586) 274-4000 • www.bmwdetroit.com

• Door prizes

• Special sales

• Food & Beverage

Annual Christmas Party

Help us celebrate the Holidays &finish up your shopping at our

Saturday, December 20th, 2014

Join us in celebrating the holidays

at our annual

Christmas PartySaturday, December 13, 2014

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Food & Refreshments

Special pricing on in-store items

BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan

14855 Sheldon Road, Plymouth, MI

734.453.0500 www.bmwmcsem.com

BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan is

thrilled to be a Toys for Tots collection site.

HELP US BEAT THE NUMBER OF TOYS

COLLECTED LAST YEAR.

Please drop off your donations of new, unwrapped toys at our

store between now and December 13. Thank you for making the

Holidays brighter for local children in need.


2015 Road Glide®

Back with a vengeance...The choice of the high-mileage road

warrior is back, loaded with attitude,

modern style and Project RUSHMORE

features for the long haul. The all-new

Road Glide® motorcycle. Starting at $20,899

There are exciting things

happening at your local Harley-

Davidson® dealership. Stop by

your local Harley-Davidson®

dealer to see the 2015 models,

like the new Road Glide®.

The 2015The 2015The 2015The 2015The 2015ModelsModelsModelsModelsModels

AreAreAreAreAreComing!Coming!Coming!Coming!Coming!

2015 Road Glide®

However...if a new Harley-Davidson® is not in

your budget, your local dealer (see

next page) has a wide variety of

pre-owned Harley® s from which to

choose. This really is the perfect

time to buy a pre-ridden Harley-

Davidson® motorcycle. These

excellent buys will be gone by the

time the 2015 riding season rolls

around. Don’t wait!We sell a complete line of open & enclosed

motorcycle trailers at affordable prices.

(734) 783-646412620 N. Telegraph

Carleton, MIMon thru Fri 9 to 6 • Sat 9 to 3

1- and 2-place

motorcycle

trailers for

sale or rent

Celebratingour 22ndyear!SALES, RENTALS,

SERVICE & STORAGE

TRAILER

[email protected]

Rentals

starting

at $30 a

day!Aluminum

1 & 2 place

trailers

FALLCLEARANCE!

FORRENTFOR

RENT

FORSALEFORSALE

Rider Profile

Cari Draft:Motorcyclist,EntrepreneurCari Draft is a busy woman. She is a wife

to husband Jeff, mom to a 15-year-old son and anexperienced, successful entrepreneur. Any extratime is committed to riding her 2007 Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic and off-road jeep explorations. Ohyeah, she is also actively involved in thecommunity. It can be exhausting just hearing aboutall of the things she has going on.

The passenger seat of her Dad’s HondaCB900 was where Cari first experienced the thrillof riding a motorcycle. Barry took his daughter onmany rides and that initial spark grew. Her desireto ride might have been crushed when her Daddied unexpectedly at age 30. But it wasn’t.

Fortunately, her 4’ 10" Mom was also arider and a member of the all widows club, theStilettos on Steel. Mom would take her on clubrides aboard her 250 cc cruiser. Those experiencesas a passenger eventually had Cari thinking thatshe might like to ride her own bike.

About the same time that she began tothink about learning to ride, Cari was alsothinking about changing careers. She worked forMeijer’s in the advertising department as a graphicdesigner for a few years. She wanted more time toraise her son and left that job to do freelancedesign work.

For seven years, she worked as afreelancer. It gave her plenty of time to be with herson while still earning a living. Eventually, after

Continued on page 15


For more information, visit www.mhdda.com

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

15

14

13

4. BrightonBRIGHTON HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

5942 WHITMORE LAKE RD., BRIGHTON

(810) 225-2915, www.brightonhd.com

8. GaylordZIP’S 45TH PARALLEL HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

980 S WISCONSIN AVE., GAYLORD

(989) 732-8000, www.zips45thhd.com

17. Traverse CityCLASSIC MOTOR SPORTS HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

3939 S BLUE STAR DRIVE, TRAVERSE CITY

(231) 943-9344, www.classictc.com

5. Cement CityTOWN & COUNTRY HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

US 12 & US 127, CEMENT CITY

(517) 547-3333, www.cementcity-harley.com

7. FremontSANDY’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON® SPORT CENTER

11940 N. MAPLE ISLAND RD, FREMONT

(231) 924-3020, www.sandysharley-

davidson.com

9. HudsonvilleGRAND RAPIDS HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

2977 CORPORATE GROVE DR., HUDSONVILLE

(616) 896-0111, www.grandrapidsharley.com

14. MuskegonHOT ROD HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

149 SHORELINE DRIVE, MUSKEGON

(231) 722-3653, www.hotrodhd.com

1. Battle CreekBATTLE CREEK HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

5738 BECKLEY RD, BATTLE CREEK

(269) 979-2233, www.battlecreekharley.com

6. Farmington HillsMOTOR CITY HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

34900 GRAND RIVER AVE., FARMINGTON HILLS

(248) 473-7433, www.motorcityharley.com

3. Birch RunSHIAWASSEE HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

11901 N. BEYER ROAD, BIRCH RUN

(989) 624-4400, www.shiawasseeharley-davidson.com

2. Bay CityGREAT LAKES HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

3850 S. HURON ROAD, BAY CITY

(989) 686-0400, www.greatlakeshd.com

11. LansingCAPITOL HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

9550 WOODLANE DRIVE, DIMONDALE

(517) 646-2345, www.capitolhd.com

10. KalamazooPERRY’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

5331 SPRINKLE ROAD, KALAMAZOO

(269) 329-3450

www.perryharley-davidson.com

15. SturgisHAMILTON HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

68951 WHITE SCHOOL ROAD, STURGIS

(616) 651-3424, www.hamiltonharley-davidson.com

12. LapeerRAY C’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

1422 IMLAY CITY ROAD, LAPEER

(810) 664-9261, www.raycsh-d.com

13. Mt. PleasantC & S HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

4741 E PICKARD, MT PLEASANT

(989) 772-5513, www.candssportcenter.com

18. WaterfordA.B.C. HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

4405 HIGHLAND RD (M-59), WATERFORD

(248) 674-3175, www.abc-harley-davidson.com

19. West BranchGILDNER’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON® MOTORCYCLES

2723 S M-76, WEST BRANCH

(989) 345-1330, www.gildnershd.com

16. TecumsehTECUMSEH HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

8080 MATTHEWS HIGHWAY, TECUMSEH

(517) 423-3333

18

17

19

16

It’s the Christmas shopping season at your local Harley-Davidson®®®®® dealer...

Jerry B’s

CYCLE WORKS

Check us out on Facebook atJerry Bs Cycle Works

Located at 25430 Harper in St. Clair ShoresTwo blocks North of 10 Mile Road on the East Side

586.773.BIKE (586.773.2453)

HELMETSDOT3/41/2

NOVELTYHELMETSFlat BlackLeatherChrome

CLEANINGDETAILERS

Bike BrightPig Spit, Plexus

SimichromePolish

MothersWizards

S100, MeguiarsDoc Bailey’s

IN STOCK2015

DreamgirlsCalendar

NEEDCHRISTMAS

GIFTS?

Giveus atry!

* Order from usand get

10% OFFSPECIALORDERS

from:Drag Specialties,

Kuryakyn,Mustang Seats,Biker’s Choice,S & S and more

10%OFF

all in-stocktires

thru 12/31/2014

• Motorcycles• Homeowners• ATVs• Personal Watercraft• Motorhomes• Snowmobiles• Boats• Autos

Serving

Michigan

residents

only

Toll free (800) 400-8564

MOTOR CITY UNDERWRITERS, INC.Motorcycle and Auto insurance for 49 Years!

32743 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073(248) 549-4300

Call or stop by our office for a free quote:

Honda Gold Wing

H-D Softail H-D Sportster

Honda VTX 1800

Trike Conversions

& Kits

SWEET TRIKES

3371 Whisper Ridge Drive, Lapeer, MI

810.357.2515 www.sweettrikes.com

Offering all

Harley-Davidson

FLs and Softails,

Honda VTX1300,

VTX1800, Gold

Wing and Valkyrie

Trikes and Trike

Kits.

Call for more

information.

Viet NamVet Owned& Operated

2014 Holiday Gift Guide

Do you know a weekend warrior?A guy (or gal) who races on theweekends and drags the familyalong? Then you’re gonna love

this book!

Paperback available at Concepts International and Amazon.com.For hard cover book contact “[email protected]”

or call Vince at 248-635-4366

This is the story of a Dad who wants more in life. And he’snot willing to leave his family behind to experience it.Motorcycle racing was something Vince had to do and,with his wife working weekends, taking the kids on a racingadventure was the only alternative. The kids become a veryyoung “pit crew” for an over-aged racer. This comedicadventure chronicles the unexpected highs and lows oftaking kids to the race track. The story culminates in a winthat wasn’t and a surprise role reversal. It will make youlaugh out loud then touch your heart. Motorcycle racingwas the avenue for a knee dragging Dad to fully experiencethe loving bond of his wife and kids.

NEW!NEW!NEW!NEW!NEW!MICHIGANMICHIGANMICHIGANMICHIGANMICHIGAN

MOTORCYCLEMOTORCYCLEMOTORCYCLEMOTORCYCLEMOTORCYCLETOURINGTOURINGTOURINGTOURINGTOURING

GUIDE!GUIDE!GUIDE!GUIDE!GUIDE!

THE PERFECT GIFT FORANY MOTORCYCLIST

WWW.BOOKSBYWILLIAMMURPHY.COM

At bookstores and MC dealers,or order direct from author Bill

Murphy for signed copies

www.bmwdetroit.com(586) 274-4000Sterling Heights, MI, 4831234080 Van Dyke Ave

BMW Motorcycles of Detroit


Pre-Owned Motorcycles

2008 Harley-Davidson

FLSTSB Cross Bones,

Black, 13,459 miles,

$13,499 plus tax & title


FLSTF Fat Boy

23,745 miles,



FLSTC Heritage Softail

Classic, 22 miles,


2007 Yamaha

Royal Star Venture

11,122 miles



FLSTF Fat Boy

9,142 miles, Loaded,


1765 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MIOne mile north of Square Lake Rd. on the east side of Telegraph Rd.248.920.2000 • www.ridemotorcity.com

on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/MotorCityMotorcycles

2012 Honda CBR 250R,

Red, 1,163 miles,

ONLY $2,999

plus tax, title

2012 Kawasaki Ninja

ZX -14R Blue, 6,739

miles, NOW $9,999

plus tax & title

2006 Suzuki

Boulevard C50,

Black,

16,300 miles,

ONLY $3,799

plus tax & title

2007 BMW R 1200 R,

SILVER, 72,357

miles, $6,499 plus

tax & title


Tri Glide, 7,627 miles,


2012 Can-Am Outlander X

mr 800R, 316 miles,


2014 Indian Chieftain,

INDIAN RED, 3,815 miles.


Don’t miss our

12 Days ofChristmas

SaleDecember 12 - 24, 2014

Visit our Facebook

page for details

A couple of weeks back, my wifeasked, “Would you like to take me to a craftfair in Columbus?”

Like any long-married husband, I couldrecognize a loaded question when I heard one. Myanswer had to be well thought out so as to not getmyself into hot water. Columbus? Columbus? Whywould I want to go to Columbus, Ohio? The AMAmuseum is there! My answer “Yes, Dear. I wouldenjoy taking you to the AMA museum. Er, I mean,the craft fair.”

We left on a Friday morning andunfortunately got into Columbus right at rush hour.The traffic was as bad as I have ever seen, but wemade it to our motel just across the street from thefair. The fair was located in the Ohio HistoricalVillage. I actually enjoyed looking thru the mid-19thcentury restored village, with all the shops andbusinesses. The restored Model A delivery truck withwood paneling was a highlight. Like most husbandsthere, I became the pack mule carryng all thepurchases, always looking for a park bench to take aquick nap, and trying to stay out of the way of thewives running through the fair with their creditcards yelling “Charge.”

Next to the Village was the Ohio HistoryMuseum. A walk through the museum gave us agood look at the history of Ohio including a restoredSeneca auto. They were made in Fostoria, Ohio from

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fameand Museum

by Gene Southard

1917 to 1924. There was also a fully working woodshop with belt driven machinery. I would last abouta day in there before I would lose an arm in one ofthe belts.

Sunday, we headed to the AMA Museumand Hall of Fame. It was only a short drive from themotel. The museum, located in Pickerington, isopen 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Admissionvaries according to age but is only $5 for AMAmembers. Being a Life Member of the AMA, myadmission was free. I joined the AMA in 1968 whenI started racing amateur short track and scrambles.

The museum and AMA headquarters arelocated just off I-70 in a park-like campus. The

Museum and Headquarters are attached by anenclosed walkway. Upon entering the front door,visitors are impressed with the tall ceiling of theatrium area. The attendant made fun of how old myAMA card was, saying “That’s the oldest card I’veever seen.” I told him that my first membershipcard was made of stone and my number was inRoman mumerals.

The museum is housed on two floors andgrouped in sections according to type of machine.We first looked at the Flat Track section. Boy, didthat bring back some memories? Race bikes in thatsection included old KR and XR Harleys along witha NS Honda.

Next was the Road Race section. Thesebikes were ridden by some of the greats - Emde,Nixon, and Rayburn, just to name a few. The off-road section had bikes ridden by Malcom Smith,Scott Harden and Jeff Fredette.. All of Jeff’s ISDEmedals were on display in a case. On the other side

Continued on page 20


Continued from page 10 - Cari Draft Profile

her son got into school and was involved withschool-related activities, she began thinking aboutother types of work she would like to do. Sherealized that spending the day at her computerwasn’t exactly what she wanted. Cari wanted to cutthe chain to her desk and spend more time outside.A healthy, fit woman, she considered working as apersonal fitness trainer and had had already takenmany programs that would move her in thatdirection. After attending the Outdoor ActionCertification program at Nike World Headquartersin Beaverton, Oregon, in 2006, her mind was madeup. She launched Eco Trek fitness, an outdoorfitness training program that used the parks andtrails around Grand Haven for aerobic fitness andresistance bands for strength training.

2007 was a milestone year for Cari. Notonly had her business survived the first year, butshe began to expand its reach. She also took theRider’s Edge rider training class at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson in Muskegon and purchased her first (andcurrent) motorcycle, what she calls her “littlehippy girl bike,” the aforementioned Yamaha.

Early on, most of her riding involvedgroup rides – usually with her Mom – and eventrides such as poker runs. Since her Mom stoppedriding, she finds herself riding alone more oftenthat not. That’s the way her riding continued forseveral years. Along the way, a friend namedCharlie Helder taught her how to handle basicmotorcycle maintenance like oil changes herself.

The demand for Cari’s Eco Trek Fitnesstraining programs grew. The demand enabled herto hire other trainers to conduct her program incommunities including Grand Rapids, Lansing,Holland, Kalamazoo and Traverse City amongothers. Her clients come from all over toparticipate in her programs.

Eco Trek eventually evolved from its coremission of outdoor fitness training to offer and

organize a variety of outdoor activities includingkayaking, snowshoeing, stand-up paddle boardingand bicycling.

“I get to do fun, positive things outdoorswith cool, positive people,” Cari said. “My clientsget to do fun, healthy things outdoors in the freshair. What could be better?”

In 2010, Cari was persuaded to enter theMiss Muskegon Bike Time contest at the event. Shetold the organizers that she wouldn’t participate in abikini (or less!) but rather in her leathers. Despitemore scantily clad competitors, Cari finished firstrunner up. That finish led to a cover and pictorial in

the November 2010 issue of Thunder Roads –Michigan. She has since become involved inorganizing the contest but is working to change thetype of clothing worn in the competition frombikinis to standard biker leather wear.

That same year, Cari began to explore thepossibility of introducing an Eco Trek all-naturalnutrition bar. One of the companies she contactedabout producing the bar for her mentioned that theywere getting out of that business. Cari askedwhether they would be interested in producing aprivate label gluten- and dairy-free nutrition barfor her. Her requirement was that they remove thebee pollen and add chocolate to the bar the companywas already producing. The nutrition bar, with 10gof protein and only 195 calories, is a success. Today,the Eco Trek Nutrition Bar is available in more than300 retail stores in seven states with new retailerscoming on board all the time.

Cari has said that she will continue to ridemotorcycles for the rest of her life. She enjoys theindependence that riding a motorcycle provides. Shelikes the fact that her senses are fully engaged andheightened when she rides. She feels ultra awareand thinks that riding a motorcycle makes her abetter car driver. Another motorcycle might be inher future but, for now, the little hippy girl’s 650 isall she needs.

Want to quickly transform your sportster intoan aggressive yet comfortable cafe racer? The RSD lineof Cafe products will do just that. Check out below forsome suggested items that will dramatically change thelook of your bike.

1. RSD Café Tail Section - The RSD Café Tail Sectionslims and simplifies the back of your Sportster. The Tailis made of thick, strong fiberglass that is covered with aBlack Gel Coat. Sold separately are two different seatoptions, the simple clean lines of the Café style, or thetriple diamond stitched Boss. The RSD Café Tailpackage is aggressive, yet flows perfectly with theSportster side covers and gas tank. If you don’t want tocut the struts off of your bike, check out our line of CafeSportster seats that works with your stock fender andstruts! MSRP Café Tail Section $449.95, MSRP Café & BossSeats $189.95-$249.95

2. RSD Rearsets

Our racetrack driven RSD Rearsets for Sportsters are theultimate improvement for an aggressive foot position.These Rearsets have RSD’s high quality finish and

Introducing theRoland Sands DesignsCafé Sportster Package

feature foot pegs with race style pivots allowing fora higher lean angle. The mega knurl on our pegsensure your feet stay planted and your focusremains on the road ahead. High quality fastenersand pivots ensure smooth operation with littleeffort. MSRP: $649.95

The options are endless with the RSD Cafeaccessories, multiple finishes and complimentingproducts. Keep it simple and easy on the budgetwith just the a few pieces or go all out with the fullline. For additional information, please go towww.rolandsands.com.


Dr. Maurice D. Cycholl is a world-renownedexpert in Motorcycle Safety, Riding Techniquesand Touring. In addition, while he is not arecognized expert in motorcycle mechanics, hedoes possess a fair degree of knowledge in thearea of mechanical, and electrical systems foundon many motorcycles. He welcomes your questionson these subjects. While you may submit questionson any subject, his advice on other subjects may, ormay not be, as reliable. Please submit yourquestions via email to: askDrCycholl@ hotmail.comor via snail mail to: Dr. “Moe” D. Cycholl, c/o CCmedia, 709 Fall Street, Spring Lake, MI 49456

Dear Dr. Cycholl, I have a 2013 Harley Ultra

Classic I just bought to do long distancetouring. I will usually be travelling withmy Wife and she thinks we need to pull atrailer to haul all our gear. I see otherspulling trailers with bikes. Do I need one?Is it safe? Will it void my warranty?

Thank You, Terry Forrester

Dear Terry, Congrats on your purchase. Long

distance motorcycle touring is a grandadventuture and has been a highlight ofmy life for more than 20 years. Do you need a trailer?Only if you will be camping. My wife and I have beenin nearly all of the states on a motorcycle and havenever pulled a trailer. We don’t camp on motorcycletrips. We easily fit everything we need in thesaddlebags, trunk, trunk bag and tank bag. It can bedone if you do a few things. First, and mostimportantly, tell her she can pack anything she wantsif it fits in one saddlebag. The other saddlebag isyours. The trunk is for miscellanious things you bothneed, Trunkbag is for raingear and a bike cover,tankbag is for maps and MP3 player. Pack like you aregoing on a backpack trip. Plan on doing laundry on atrip lasting longer than a week.

Is it safe? Conditionally, yes, as safe as riding amotorcycle can be, without taking much more risk. Itwill increase your stopping distances. You will needto alter your lane position and cornering lines.Parking will be more difficult.

Will it void your warranty? It might. You willhave to ask HD and/or any extended warrantyprovider you have.

Not having a trailer forced my Wife to paredown to only essentials. Giving her a trailer to fillwould have allowed her to bring along all manner ofunneeded, heavy stuff. My opinion is that you will bebetter off without a trailer than with one, but that isjust an opinion. You will need to decide that foryourself.

Thank you, Dr. Cycholl

Dear Dr. Cycholl, I see a lot of press in national magazines

devoted to “ATGATT” (All The Gear. All The Time.)What to you think of this campaign?

Thank you, Marilyn Stordahal

Dear Marilyn, It is undebatable that if you were to crash

your chances of survival or minimizing injury is muchbetter if you are wearing all the gear. That includes:helmet, eye protection, jacket, gloves, heavy pants andboots. “Dress for the slide, not the ride.” The chances ofsustaining a head injury are greatly minimized if youare wearing a helmet on impact. Falling and sliding onpavement is like a landing on a 40-grit belt sander for asfar as you slide. This type of injury begins as anabrasion and becomes a burn as heat builds up duringthe slide.

If you want to avoid a burned abrasion you needto be wearing protection when you hit the pavement.The reason injured bikers tell EMS that they were notwearing proper gear is “I didn’t think I would crash.”Duh! If you did, would you have ridden that day?

Good luck getting bikers in a non-helmet lawstate to wear proper gear. From my observation, sincethe helmet law was repealed in Michigan, maybe 15-20percent of riders will even have a helmet on.


ASK Dr. CychollQ&A Column

For Your Questions Relating toMotorcycle Safety, Riding Techniques

and TouringBy Maurice “Moe” D. Cycholl

Pre-Owned Motorcycles

BMW Motorcycles of Grand Rapids, 5995 South Division, Grand Rapids, MI

(616) 530-6900 www.bmwmcgr.com

2004 Harley-DavidsonFLHTCUI, 12,450 miles,

Excellent condition,Black, $9,950

2007 BMW K1200R Sport,26,141 miles, Very goodcondition, Silver, BMW

Side Cases, GPS, $6,950

2012 Triumph Tiger 800,18,896 miles, Excellentcondition, Black, $8,950

2008 Honda Goldwing,53,066 miles, Goodcondition, Gold, New

front tire, $12,950

2014 BMW R1200RT, Ebony, 1,020 miles, $17,5082014 BMW F800GS Adventure, Racing red, 7,500 miles, $12,9502014 BMW C650GT, Havanna Metallic, 684 miles, $9,4502013 BMW K1600GT, Graphite, 188 miles, $22,8402013 BMW F700GS, Glacier Silver, 9,939 miles, $8,9502012 BMW K1300S HP, White/Blue, 2,243 miles, $16,9502012 Ducati Hyper Motard SVO, Red, 3,472 miles, $9,4502012 BMW K1600GTL, Blue, 17,000 miles, $17,4502007 BMW F800ST, Blue, 13,815 miles, $6,4502007 BMW K1200GT, Graphite, 19,474 miles, $9,9502007 BMW F800S, Yellow, 31,192 miles, $5,4502006 BMW R1200RT, Graphite, 62,692 miles, $8,4502005 BMW K1200LT, Graphite, 44,000 miles, $9,4502005 BMW R1200RT, Red, 71,000 miles, $7,9502005 BMW K1200LT, Graphite, 44,248 miles, $9,4502004 BMW R1200CLC, Silver, 19,183 miles, $5,9502004 BMW R1150GS, Grey, 94,440 miles, $4,7501998 BMW R1200C, Black, 15,956 miles, $5,8501992 BMW R100RT, Green, 50,029 miles, $4,750

Dear Dr. Cycholl, I have a fleet of motorcycles

ranging from classics from as long ago as the70’s to 2014 models. I am concerned withusing E10 fuel in my fleet and the rumorsthat fuel may be changing to E 15. Should Ibe worried?

Rick Viet

Dear Rick, For those who do not know, E-10 is

gasoline with 10% Ethanol (alcohol). E15 isgasoline with 15% Ethanol. This fuel causes alot of problems. The alcohol is more

expensive to produce than gasoline. Alcohol hasless heat content than gas so performance and fueleconomy both suffer. Alcohol absorbs water and,under certain circumstances, the alcohol andgasoline can seperate. You could find your enginerunning on near straight alcohol. No productionengine you likely own is designed for alcohol-only fuel. Lastly, these fuels can quickly degradein storage, with or without stabilizing additives.This causes severe fuel system damage. Yourolder bikes will likely have problems with rubberparts that were designed for gasoline withoutalcohol. Thank your busy body federalgovernment representatives for this debacle.



USED MOTORCYCLES & ATVs1984 GL1200

GOLDWING, All

stock, 39,000 Miles,

Runs great,

NOW $1,995

1983 CB 1000

CUSTOM, All Stock,

52,800 Miles, Well

Maintained, Very

Clean, $1,495

1983 Honda CB 1000 CUSTOM, All Stock, 52,800 Miles, Well Maintained, $1,495

1984 Honda GL1200 GOLDWING, All stock, 39,000 Miles, Runs great, $1,995

2007 Honda VTX 1300, 2,600 Miles, All Stock, Windshield, Backrest, $4,995

2014 Honda CRF 250R, 17 HOURS, FMF EXHAUST SYSTEM, $6,495

2005 Yamaha ROYAL STAR 1300 VENTURE, 65,000 Miles,Aftermarket Exhaust, $5,995

2009 Yamaha V-STAR 1300 TOURING, 7,500 Miles, Saddle Bags, Windshield, $6,795

2005 Suzuki BOULEVARD C50, 24,000 Miles, Saddle Bags, Windshield, $3,495

2010 Kawasaki KLX 110L, BBR Handle Bar Kit, Skid Plate, Chain Guide, $1,695

2004 POLINI 50, New clutch, Comes with many extras, $999

2013 KTM 50 SX, $2,495

Your complete motor sports service centerTech-Care SuspensionSmall Displacement Motorsports

6971 Highland Rd. (M-59), Waterford, MI(248) 666-4651 • www.tech-care.com

ClementSalvadori is a name thatwill be familiar to mostmotorcyclists; especiallyreaders of Ridermagazine where hiscolumns and featuresregularly appear. Hehas written severalbooks about hismotorcycle tripsthrough California andBaja as well as one aboutthe Honda VFR /Interceptor. His lastbook was 101 Road Tales.Salvadori’s latest work,No Thru Road:Confessions of a Traveling Man, is acompendium of the manymotorcycle trips he has takenthroughout his life.

Salvadori has been travelingthe globe by motorcycle since histeens. His father was a diplomatbased in Italy when he took his firsttrip (The Grand Tour) around Europewith a buddy. Since then, he hasridden in Europe, Africa, India, Tibet,Southeast Asia, Australia, and SouthAmerica. This book is the storyabout those adventures.

Each trip story in this bookdetails the native people, travelingcompanions, food, history, climateand riding conditions not to mentionthe challenges of border crossings,close calls, and encounters witharmed military personnel. Always

No Thru Road:Confessions of a Traveling Man

By Clement SalvadoriReview by Ray Peabody

with a sense humor andoptimism. It’s noteworthythat he frequently has afemale companion eitherriding pillion or her ownmachine on his trips. Eachof his stories has a uniqueappeal but I especiallyliked his stories about theEuropean Grand Tour 1957,Afghanistan 1973, KashmirIndia 1973, QueenslandAustralia 1974 (the story ofhis “streak” is a hoot!),Copper Canyon Mexico1980, Peru 1998, Tibet1999… Heck, I enjoyed allof the stories.

Salvadori has a way of describingthe environment and people in a way thatI could almost visualize. As a worldtraveler wannabe who will likely not ridemuch beyond the borders of North andCentral America, it’s a picture that isespecially appealing. I also like the factthat, when I get busy or otherwisedistracted, I can put the book down for acouple weeks or a month and when Ireturn, jump back into whichever countryI would most like to experience. While it’snot as good as actually going theremyself, as a substitute, it’s not a bad wayto go.

Midwest motorcyclists whoenjoy a good read when riding is difficultto impossible during the cold wintermonths can’t do much better thanSalvadori’s latest. Published by TrovatelloPress.

Book Review

Enduring Courage:Eddie Rickenbacker and theDawn of the Age of Speed

By John F. RossReview by Ray Peabody

He died in1973 but I’mguessing that manybaby boomers andmost members ofthe post baby-boom generationsdon’t know thename “EddieRickenbacker.”Those who knowhis name andsomething abouthis backgroundknow him as theflying ace whofought Germany inthe skies overEurope duringWorld War I. He shot down moreGerman planes than any other pilotand won the Medal of Honor for hisefforts. The story of Rickenbacker’sexploits during the war is only partof the ace’s history covered byauthor John F. Ross in his book,Enduring Courage. He also detailsRickenbacker’s success as an autoracer in the early 20th century aswell as his business achievementslater in life.

According to Ross,Rickenbacker, who was born in1890, was born into animpoverished immigrant familyyet pulled himself up to become anAmerican hero and a successfulentrepreneur. A rough butdetermined man, he constantlytested himself, pushing his ownlimits as well as those of themachines he operated. Whether hewas racing cars, flying the earliestfighter planes or flying a secretmission on behalf of the U.S., hefrequently faced life threatening

situations but found away to survive.

I found the languagein early parts of the bookto be annoyinglyenthusiastic, similar to asales pitch. Nonetheless,I kept reading. The more Iread about Rickenbacker’slife the more enthusedabout him I also became.

He raced cars whenthey were dangerous (asrelated to brakes andhandling) to drive atslower speeds on theroad. Many of his topcompetitors were killedin races. He competed in

four Indianapolis 500s before WorldWar I.

He aggressively flew earlyairplanes in battle when they wereknown to fall apart in mid air. Hisplanes crashed multiple times. DuringWorld War II, he spent 24 days in a liferaft after a plane he was pilotingcrashed into the Pacific Ocean while ona secret mission.

He wasn’t well educated buthe was smart and determined. He wasoften gruff but understood theimportance of leadership. Heunderstood how things worked andwas able to maximize the performanceof both machines and men.

Despite my early annoyance,the book grew on me and I found itdifficult to put down. It’s not hard tounderstand why Ross was so excitedabout Rickenbacker. It’s a wonderfulread about an inspiring man andAmerican hero.

Available everywhere inboth hardcover and paperback.Published by St. Martin’s Press.

Book Review


Attorney Jason A. Waechter is a national attorneyspecializing in the areas of motorcycle and motor vehicleinjury litigation. Mr. Waechter has collected millions of dollarsin settlements, awards and verdicts for his motorcycle clientsover the past 20 years. Jason feels a duty to give back to hiscommunity. A portion of each case settled goes to educationalresources for bikers, funds to help bikers while their cases arebeing litigated and our motorcycle accident preventioncampaign. Call Attorney Jason Waechter toll free at 1-877-BIKER LAW. Or visit www.TheMotorcycleLawyer.com Legaldisclaimer: The law is very fact dependent and there are manynuances and exceptions depending on your particularcircumstances. Therefore, given the limited space, it isimpossible to cover everything. Do not rely on the short articleto protect your rights.

Looking Back: The Year in Reviewby Jason Waechter, Esq.

It’s hard to believe how quickly this year spedby. It seems like here in the Midwest we had a prettyshort riding season in 2014, and the 2015 season stillseems a long way away. This time of year, I like to lookback at all the highlights and milestones from the pasttwelve months, and I thought I would take thisopportunity to share some of the “best of 2014” with ourreaders.

Even though most motorcyclists park theirbikes for winter, it’s still a busy season for our team herein Michigan. Last February, as part of our commitmentto giving back to the biker community, we launched ournew Biker Card, and since then we’ve handed outhundreds of them to bikers across and around Michigan.The new cards feature potentially life-saving first aidinformation every motorcyclist can use in the event of thecrash. Cardholders also get discounts and freebies atover 100 Michigan vendors, which encourages riders totry new restaurants, products, and services while they’reout on their motorcycles.

As the weather warmed and people startedgetting their bikes ready for spring, we started promotingour “Watch for Motorcycles” bumper stickers moreheavily. Our bumper stickers are a huge part of how wepromote motorcycle awareness among drivers, and ourgoal is to get stickers on cars and trucks across thecountry to remind all drivers that motorcycles areeverywhere. This year, we had so many requests forbumper stickers we could barely keep track, with dozensof requests being fulfilled before Motorcycle AwarenessMonth in May.

Spring is a busy time of year at our firm,particularly with all the Motorcycle Awareness Monthevents in May. This year, I had a unique opportunity togive back to the biker community in a concrete way: bydonating one of my own motorcycles to the MotorcycleSafety Foundation (MSF). The bike, a Suzuki TU 250Xthat had very few miles on it, is now being used for ridertraining in the Motorcycle Safety Program taught atSchoolcraft College. The Detroit-Metro RegionalConsortium (the Consortium) offers “hands-on,comprehensive motorcycle training” that is “taught byprofessional, certified instructors.” I can vouch for theprogram at this location, since that’s where I took myown certified Rider Safety Course many years ago.

This spring also saw changes to Michigan’sTemporary Instruction Permits (TIPs) for motorcyclists.TIPs were originally supposed to give new motorcyclistsenough time to practice riding before taking their Rider

Skills Test, an important part of getting a motorcycle (CY)endorsement to be able to ride legally on the road.However, some riders were just applying for TIPs everymotorcycle season instead of following through withgetting their full CY endorsement. Starting January 1,2015, motorcyclists will be limited to two TIPs in a ten-year period, in order to encourage riders to get fullyendorsed. For the record, I think experience matters whentalking about rider skills, but I always recommend thatnew motorcyclists take a certified Rider Training Course tohelp get the basics down.

Over the summer, my team and I were focusedon helping our clients and, as always, promotingawareness by attending a variety of motorcycle events andswap meets to meet bikers and hand out bumper stickers,Biker Cards, and other awareness materials. We alsocelebrated National Ride to Work day in June, andWomen’s Motorcycle Month in July.

This fall, along with several large-scalemotorcycle recalls across the United States, we also saw anew law promoting motorcycle awareness enacted here inMichigan. Nathan’s Law (House Bill No. 5438), requiresdriver education programs to “include informationconcerning the laws pertaining to bicycles and motorcyclesand shall emphasize awareness of their operation on the

streets, roads, and highways of this state.” In other words,driver education programs are finally required by law toteach new drivers to Watch for Motorcycles, a win forsafety advocates and, hopefully, riders. The law is namedfor Nathan Bower, a young motorcyclist who was killed ina crash with a motor vehicle in 2009. Of course, the newlaw can’t eliminate motorcycle-vehicle crashes, but I can’thelp but feel like teaching new drivers from the beginningthat motorcycles are everywhere is a step in the rightdirection.

Finally, the year ended on a high note for myselfand my firm. I recently found out that I have once againbeen named to the Michigan Super Lawyers, an honorbestowed on only five percent of Michigan attorneys. It isso gratifying to be named a part of this elite group of toplawyers. Additionally, I recently learned that my firm hasbeen named one of the “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News &World Report and Best Lawyers®. My firm has a no-win, no-fee policy, we offer free consultations, we are committedto giving back to the biker community, and we provide awealth of free information through our website andmagazine articles like this one in order to help keep bikersinformed about the issues that affect them. I am so proudthat my team and I are known as one of the “Best LawFirms” for clients.

This year has seen its share of ups and downs,but it’s nice to have so many highlights to share withreaders as the New Year approaches. I hope that in 2015,we see a reduction in motorcycle crashes, injuries, andfatalities. I hope more motorcycle-friendly legislation ispassed across the country. I hope my team and I cancontinue to help injured bikers and their families and giveback to the biker community. Finally, I wish us all a longand safe riding season next year!

BMW Motorcycles of

Southeast Michigan

14855 N. Sheldon Rd.

Plymouth, MI

734.453.0500

www.bmwmcsem.com

We take motorcycles of all brands and models as trade-ins. Bring us your bike when you’re ready to buy!

Pre-Owned Motorcycles2015 BMW F800GT Dark Graphite Metallic / Silver $13,890

2014 BMW R1200GSA *DEMO* Racing Blue Matt / Black Sale Price: $20,545

2013 BMW K1600GTL Damask Red / Mineral Silver $20,990

2012 BMW R1200R *LOW SUSPENSION* RED / GRAPHITE $11,990

2012 BMW K1600GTL MINERAL SILVER / SILVER $19,490

2012 BMW K1600GTL ROYAL BLUE METALLIC / SILVER $18,490

2011 BMW R1200GSA GRAPHITE / BLACK $16,490

2011 BMW R1200RTP BLACK/WHTIE / BLACK $15,990

2010 BMW R1200GS Graphite $13,490

2009 BMW R1200GS SILVER / SILVER $12,490

2009 BMW R1200RT *LOW SUSPENSION, SEAT* BLACK / SILVER $10,990

2008 BMW K1200GT BLUE METALLIC / SILVER $12,990

2008 BMW R1200RT BLUE METALLIC / SILVER $9,490

2006 BMW K1200GT METALLIC BLUE / SILVER $10,750

2006 BMW R1200RT GRAPHITE / SILVER $9,990

2006 BMW R1200RT RED / SILVER $8,490

2005 BMW F650GS *LOW SUSPENSION* BLACK / SILVER $5,490

2000 BMW R1200C BLACK / SILVER $5,990

2009 BMW R1200GS,

SILVER / SILVER, 10,900

miles, Excellent condition,

$12,490

2006 BMW K1200GT,

METALLIC BLUE / SILVER,

19,600 miles, Excellent

condition, $10,750

2006 BMW R1200RT,

RED / SILVER, 40,000


$8,490

2000 BMW R1200C,

BLACK/SILVER, 19,000


$5,990


The Antidote to DomesticityBy P.J. Francis

We are frequently told not toride while under the influence of alcohol,drugs, certain medications, while tired,or when distracted by life issues that areon our minds. I have to disagree with thelatter issue. For some of us, ridingreplaces the distracting issues and helpsus maintain our sanity.

Domestic issues are one of themost common distractions most of usencounter. Nature has given us an innatedesire to engage in sexual activity,procreate and, well, suffer theconsequences of both. Males fight acontinuous battle to plow a furrowsomewhere between domestic bliss anddoing the stuff we want to do. The stuffthat nature doesn’t influence.

I recall one Sunday almost twodecades ago when domesticitythreatened to grasp me in its claws andsqueeze the life out of me. Late on thatfall afternoon, I got on my 1978 HondaCX500 and rode out of town. Route 20traverses the United States from Boston,Massachusetts to Newport, Oregon for adistance of 3,365 miles. In fact, it is thelongest road in the United States. Beforelong, I found myself on 20 heading westout of Rockford, Illinois, towards themighty Mississippi some 100 milesdistant.

Soon I was lost in the task ofriding the motorcycle, dealing withtraffic and enjoying the experience. Theysay it takes a whole tank of gas to getyour mental health in order. Of course,that depends on the capacity of the tank.A hundred miles does it for me. TheCX500 goes on reserve around 130 miles.

By the time I crossed the 1943

Julien Dubuque bridge, darkness hadfallen and it was difficult to see theMississippi. Never mind. I knew it wasdown there and I had fulfilled anotherdream on my bucket list. (JulienDubuque was a born in 1762 and wasone of the first Europeans to settle in thearea.)

After refueling, I headed backthe way I had come. Later, there was astop to put on some extra clothing toward off the cold. “Don’t ride at nightbecause of deer” is another rule onehears. If you find yourself out there atnighttime, be careful.

I arrived home renewed andable to tackle the dreaded domesticity.

I recently found myself in asomewhat similar situation. I still havethe CX500 but it is not currentlyoperational. (This winter, I promisemyself.) It was a 2008 Suzuki Burgman400 that served the honors that time.Being a little earlier in the year, therewere some motorcycles on Route 20.Last time, they were conspicuous bytheir absence.

Darkness descended on myreturn journey. It was preceded by aspectacular sunset. I could not see theactual sunset as I was heading east butthe orange glow covered thecountryside. There were several photoopportunities I may have stopped tocapture on another occasion. This time Ijust kept going and enjoyed the visualexperience. I have stored the images inmy brain.

It is at times such as this I amthankful I discovered motorcycles andscooters many years ago.

Toledo Motorcycle Parts Business AddsFree Shipping and Local Services

Toledo, OH – November 9, 2014 –Motorcycle Solutions LLC is a partsbusiness that’s been under the radar.Owners John and Lisa Strawbridge havebeen in business since 2007. They beganin vintage parts and worked primarilyin e-commerce. Now they’re reallyexpanding to include more bikes andmore work with local customers.In addition to the vintage stuff, they’veadded many dirt bike and adventure/dual sport parts and accessories. Overthe next year, they’ll be adding V-Twin.They’ve launched a new website, whichcan be found atMotorcycleSolutionsLLC.com, thatoffers free U.S. shipping on all orders.

“This is something we didbecause online shoppers like thesimplicity of free shipping,“ said LisaStrawbridge who handles the e-commerce side of the business. “Abonus we didn’t expect is that local andregional customers are using it for free

home delivery.”They’ve also added a few basic

services. They’re not a full service shop thatdoes motorcycle repair, but they’ll mount andbalance tires off the bike. Additionally, they’llrebuild carburetors, calipers, master cylindersand petcocks if you bring them in off the bike.“If you buy the tires from us, we’ll mount andbalance them for free,” said John Strawbridgewho handles the work with local customers.“Bring us the wheels for a cheaper way to getyour tires changed.”

One last addition that could save youmoney is motorcycle tool rental. For about 1/10th of the cost to buy it, you can rent a toolthat you won’t use often such as rotor pullers,chain breakers and wheel bearing removaltools.

Motorcycle Solutions LLC is locatedat 643 W. Sylvania Ave. in west Toledo.Contact: John Strawbridge [email protected] or419-720-4313. Website:www.MotorcycleSolutionsLLC.com

Visit your local Harley-Davidson® dealertoday. The complete list of Michigan

Harley-Davidson® dealers can be foundon page 10 and 11 in this issue.

We wantyour used

motorcycle.New Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are selling like hot cakes.We’re replenishing our inventories as quickly as possible. In

addition to the new bikes, we are also stocking up on pre-ownedmotorcycles, either through trade-ins or outright purchases. If

you’re looking to buy - or you just want to sell the motorcycle younow own - take your motorcycle to your local Harley® dealer for a

quote. Do it today to make your best deal.

Now in West Michigan

Check us out on Facebook @MSTAWestMichigan or send ane-mail to [email protected]

for more information.

Disclaimer: This ain’t your mamma’s pokey bar hoppin’ motorcycle club. It also isn’ta squidly club. We ride and we ride well. You are expected to ride within your limits.You are expected to wear appropriate safety gear, ride a safely maintained machine,and follow reasonable group riding etiquette. We welcome riders of all skill levels,ages, genders, and marques. You will likely find like-minded members who ride atyour level of skill. The MSTA and Michigan MSTA assume no responsibility for yoursafety, state of mind, average lean angle, or degree of rockin’ fun that you’llexperience with us. Just motorcycle enthusiasts getting together to ride.

JOIN US

This club is like none other - no politics, no B.S. We travel togreat riding destinations close by and far away. We learn to bebetter riders. We share camaraderie and a common passion:

The Passion To Ride!


of the room, it was hard to miss the XR750 replicaof Evel Knievel’s motorcycle with a back drop ofseveral of his X-rays showing his many brokenbones. A little on the morbid side, I thought, butmaybe only because I have had an X-ray or two thatlooked like that.

We then entered the semi-circle roomfilled with the plaques of all the Hall of Famemembers. I receginzed many of the names and hadeven raced with a few. Usually, I was at the back ofthe pack and they were at the front.

After descending the wide staircase intothe lower level, we could view the large display of

Indian motorcycles. Although a little before my time,they were all immaculately restored.

After passing by a section of motorcycle artwork, we entered into one of my favorite sections, thecutaways. There were two complete machines on whichmany hours had been spent cutting away sections of theengines, wheels, suspension and rear drives.

The rest of the room was filled with machinesthat were groundbreaking in their time: the KawasakiH1 triple, Triumph Huricane, and the Honda Dreamwere only a few of them.

Although this museum is not as large asBarber or the one in Anamosa, it has to have one of thelargest collections of machines on which riders have

Continued from page 14 - AMA Museum

ABATE (American Bikers Aimed TowardEducation) of Michigan blames the increase onbikers who do not take safety courses. According totheir research, the bikers who do not havemotorcycle licenses or safety training make up anincreasing number of those involved in fatalities.State statistics do not necessarily support that claimbut I think we all know someone riding amotorcycle who does not have an endorsement.Consumer Reports has also joined in on thecontroversy. Orly Avitzur, M.D., a Consumer Reportsmedical adviser, has witnessed the results of notwearing a helmet in an emergency room setting.

“As a neurologist, it is absolute insanity torepeal helmet laws, and to expose the skull and thebrain to potential trauma that could otherwise bemitigated,” says Avitzur. “I’ve seen helmets thathave sustained accidents in the emergency room that

are broken in half. You want something other thanyour skull to sustain the impact of the trauma.”

“Weakening the helmet law seems to havemade it somewhat more likely that riders willsustain injuries, but the big impact has been on theseriousness of the injuries,” said David Zuby, chiefresearch officer of HLDI and IIHS. “Helmets can’tprotect against all injuries, but they do helpprevent debilitating and often fatal head trauma.”

My friends, it truly is the rider’s choice andI won’t ever dispute that, but this rider has made achoice: I will wear my helmet. I have anautomobile that has seat belts. It has air bags allover the place, antilock brakes and a padded dash. Iput my grandchildren in child safety seats andmake them wear their helmets when riding theirbikes. (My grandson has his first Harley at 2 ½years old. See the picture.) We ride on roads thatengineers are constantly striving to make safer. Iwear gloves, leathers, motorcycle boots and my

DOT-approved helmet whenever I ride mymotorcycle to protect against rocks and other roadhazards. I have changed my mind since the law wasenacted. Why would I strive to be safe in everyother aspect of my life and not on my motorcycle? Itonly takes a second to strap on a helmet. The newlightweight, high-strength ones are morecomfortable than ever. End of story. Or, should Isay, the beginning of story? Let me know whatyou think. You can contact me [email protected]. I want to wish you all ahappy and safe holiday…hey….a great idea forChristmas for that rider in your life is a giftcertificate for a helmet. (Data used in this article wascompiled from reports from the NHTSA, University ofMichigan Transportation Research Institute, The Office ofHighway Safety Planning, ABATE of Michigan, TheHuffington Post, Consumers Report, the NationalConference of State Legislators, and the demands of mygrandchildren, children, and wife).

Continued from page 9 - The Preacher Speaks...

made history.The traffic on the way home was not as

bad. We made a gas stop about 40 miles east ofIndy right next to New Castle Motorsports Park sowe took a little time to watch the go-carts practicefor the Dan Weldon Memorial race that was to beheld the next weekend. I wonder if they ever havemotorcycle track days there...

The tour of the AMA Museum and Hall ofFame was well worth our time and gave a glimpseinto the history of motorcycling in the U.S. So if thethe wife asks you to go to the AMA museum - Imean, the craft fair in Columbus - tell her youwould be glad to go.

This portable “Personal PowerSupply” unit from Antigravity Batteriesis the world’s smallest Jump Starter andPersonal Power Supply, giving you theconfidence of being able to supplyelectric power to whatever you want,wherever you want, whenever you needit! You can easily take this compact unitanywhere and be confident that you canjump start your car, truck, motorcycle,ATV, watercraft, UTV or wherever theneed may arise. It can also be used tocharge your phone, laptop, camera, GPS,MP3 player, or any other number ofelectronic devices anywhere, at any time! Italso comes equipped with an LED flashlightwith 2 built-in flash patterns, S.O.Semergency beacon, as well as lighted batterycapacity indicators. You can charge the unit athome or on the road in the car or on yourmotorcycle, holding a static charge for up to ayear!

The Micro-Start PPS XP-1 Kit comesequipped with everything you may need in aconvenient vinyl carrying case with elasticbands to hold and organize all the parts.Included are mini jumper cables, a 2 pieceUSB connector and Laptop connector, 8 piece

Antigravity BatteriesMicro-Start Personal Power Supply - XP1

Retail Price - $159.95

assorted charging tips that fit most USB electronicdevices, and an 8 piece assortment of tips to fitmost 19v laptops. One wall charger and a carcharger completes the set.

This charging kit really is an amazingproduct. It’s easy enough to carry with you on anytrip, and powerful enough to keep you feeling atease. Capable of starting a diesel truck and stillhaving enough juice to fully charge your cellphone, we’d say this unit is a perfect stow-awayfor any motorcycle tour!!

Available at BMW Motorcycles of Detroit,34080 Van Dyke Avenue, Sterling Heights,Michigan [(586) 274-4000, www.bmwdetroit.com].

History of the Chopper:Bikes Wanted!

The long history of choppers is a uniquelyAmerican story, akin to Rock ‘n Roll in its culturalimpact and global influence. The National MotorcycleMuseum is assembling the first-ever exhibitcomprehensively documenting the evolution of theAmerican Custom Motorcycle; the Cut-Downs, Bob-Jobs,show bikes and choppers, from the late 1920s to the mid-’70s. Opening in May 2015, the exhibit will include onlyperiod-built bikes, plus related artwork, memorabilia,film posters and photos, plus contemporary artworkcommissioned for the show. The National MotorcycleMuseum is looking for original or restored 1920s-1970scustom motorcycles and related memorabilia; do youknow where machines built ‘in the day’ can be found?

As a great coincidence, the first comprehensivehistory of American customs has just been released - ‘TheChopper: the Real Story.’ Museum staff are workingwith author/curator Paul d’Orleans to create the newexhibit based on his research for the book. Paul is a well-known writer (‘The Ride’, ‘Café Racers’, plusTheVintagent.com) and curator (most recently at theSturgis ‘Motorcycle as Art’ exhibits with MichaelLichter), and contributes monthly to magazines in sixlanguages.

Do you own an original or restored 1920s-1970scustom motorcycle or related memorabilia? We’d likeyour help to tell this important story, or if you are a fineartist who would like to loan motorcycle artwork, pleasesend an email to Mark Mederski:[email protected], or Paul d’Orleans:[email protected]


BMW Motorcycles of

Southeast Michigan

14855 N. Sheldon Rd.

Plymouth, MI

734.453.0500

www.bmwmcsem.com

Winter is the best time for

MotorcycleService / Repairs

FREEpick-up & delivery on

all service / repairswithin 50 miles

WINTERSTORAGEAVAILABLE

Minimum purchase is required

Ride down and visit the LARGEST and MOST COMPLETELEATHER SHOP in Southwest Michigan near the Indiana State line.

Call (269) 651-2464 now or visit our on-line store at www.ridewild.com

Retail Warehouse(269) 651-2464 Fax: (269) 651-8767

1640 S. Centerville Road (M-66 South) , Sturgis, MI

We accept all major credit cards

END OF YEAR CLEARANCE SALE

25% OFFAll remaining

saddle bags &touring packs

including Auburn(Made in the U.S.A.)

CHAPSas low as

$7500

VESTSas low as

$4000Harley-

Davidson

TIN SIGNS$1650

All in-stockBOOTS

10%OFF

Harley-Davidson

JEANS$1850

RidingJacketsas low as$10000

BeerT-Shirts

• Schlitz• Dos Equis• Red Stripe

& many more

$9 to $11

• AdTech• Milwaukee

• Shaff

Men’sHarley-Davidson

T-Shirts$2400

BMW Motorcycles of Detroit34080 Van Dyke Avenue

Sterling Heights, MI(586) 274-4000

www.bmwdetroit.com

PRE-OWNED MOTORCYCLES2014 BMW F 800 GS Adventure, Racing Red, $14,650

2013 BMW G 650 GS Sertao, Aura White / Lupin Blue, $9,199

2009 BMW K 1200 LT Trike, Night Black, $29,000

2012 BMW K 1600 GT, Light Grey Metallic, $19,000

2013 BMW K 1600 GTL, Dark Graphite Metallic, $21,500

2013 BMW K 1600 GTL, Dark Graphite Metallic, $22,500

1994 BMW R 1100 RS, Marrakesh Red, $4,500

2001 BMW R 1100 SA, Light Black, $6,300

1998 BMW R 1200 C, Ivory / Blue Seat, $5,200

2010 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, Smoke Grey Metallict, $15,000

2008 Can-Am Spyder SE5, Full Moon, $8,700

VETMotorsports CEO Winnerof Annual Columbus Volunteer

Citizen of the Year AwardColumbus, OH (November 13, 2014) –In its third year, Direct Energy andThisWeek Community News havenamed its 2014 Columbus VolunteerCitizen of the Year winner, Pete Cline.Cline is the founder ofVETMotorsports, a Columbus-basednonprofit that uses motorsports as aninspiration to propel military veteransforward and to encourage veterans tofind their strengths and motivations.The VETMotorsports program providesits participants with actual hands-onexperience and immersion in a uniqueformat, engaging wounded combatveterans over a sustained period oftime and providing access to real-timeactivities and leadership roles in ahigh-stress motorsports environment.These events help empower veteranwarriors, providing the same adrenalinrush and sense of vitality andteamwork felt in active duty.

Sadly, after heroic duty to ournation, many veterans find that combatinjuries, post-traumatic stress andtransition to mainstream life prove farmore challenging than ever imagined.That’s where Pete Cline stepped in. In2012, Pete saw an opportunity to helpthis population by combining it withone of his greatest passions in life:professional motorcycle racing. As aformer professional racer, Cline knowsthat the flat-track is an exciting, highenergy environment where racers,

team mangers and pit crew all pulltogether under pressure to work towardwinning results. His idea to seek out post-9/11 wounded combat veterans and invitethem to work as part of a race team turnedinto the VETMotorspots nonprofitorganization Since its inception,VETMotorsports has transformed lives allacross the country and now has a wait-listfor future participants. Just last year, theorganization engaged over 42 woundedcombat veterans in 11 motorcycle and autoracing events and launched nationalfundraising initiatives that raised over$13,000 in 11 days.

Pete’s ongoing efforts to developVETMotorsports’ programs and outreach toveterans are what makes VETMotorsportsthe success story it is today. He spends therace season attending and facilitating raceexperiences all across the United States andin the off-season, he focuses on fundraising,outreach to strategic partners and planningfor the upcoming season. His passion andenergy are infectious and he’s builtenormous awareness and goodwill for theorganization. He has been directlyresponsible for American combat veterans’emergence from silent suffering thatimpacts both them and their loved onesinto a fresh chapter where they’re able tomove forward with a better understandingthat they are valued and appreciated forexactly who they are.

By winning the ColumbusVolunteer Citizen of the Year award, Cline

will receive a $5,000 donation for VETMotorsports from Direct Energy. Thedonation will be used to continue VETMotorsports’ programs in the 2015season to expand relationships and collaborations in the racing and veterancommunities, as well as to develop and encourage continued improvement forveteran mental and physical health.

VETMotorsports honors and empowers disabled combat veteransthrough active participation in motorsports. Peter Cline, Executive Director &Founder, VETMotorsports, a 501c3, www.vetmotorsports.org, 614-563-8634Charitable donations can be made at www.vetmotorsports.org


Horizons Unlimited California 2014:Launching the Dreamers

by Nicole Espinosa

Open Terrain: Exploring the World and Soul by Motorcycle

Nicole Espinosa is Mom to twogreat kids, founder / owner ofwww.ruggedrider.com, Managing Editor ofAdventure Motorcycle magazine andsoon-to-be RTW motorcycle adventurer.Communication welcome for Nicole:[email protected]

There was something specialabout HU California 2014 that seemed toattract the big dreamers this year.Maybe it was the fact that this eventjust hit its sixth year. Founders Grantand Susan Johnson have beensuccessfully fanning the dream firewith huge inspiration since inception.Or maybe it was the fact that largerspace and nice facilities at our newMariposa Fairgrounds venue ignited 40%

growth. What it really boils down to,though, is the fact that it’s finally timeto birth some of these dreams thathave been incubating for years.

The first set of dreamersrepresent a new sector of ouradventure motorcycling industry,but one we’ll see more of in thefuture—family. WatchingAdventure Trio roll down the roadinspires thoughts of togetherness,elevation and shared quest. Hereis Sandy and Terry Borden, anincredibly adventurous motherand father, who want to pass thebaton of living life more fully totheir already daring and well-rounded thirteen-year-old son,Jack. Want to adopt a ready-to-take-on-the-world attitude likethis fearless young man? Thenride pillion behind your dad atthe age of four, grow up feelingcomfortable taking on deepconversations with adults, and thendevelop your musical and cinematicskills to become the family media

documenter for your 18-month familyodyssey into South America.

The second dreamer, DanellLynn, is a woman who has packed herphilanthropic ideals into the tool kit ofa 2006 Triumph Bonneville to launch herinto the highly publicized Black Tie 2Black Top trip around all 50 states plusCanada. Danell is donating copies ofher book Philanthropic Wanderlust—Young Readers Edition to classrooms in

every state to encourage our youngergeneration to find the compassionwithin themselves to reach out toothers less fortunate. She is alsobusting out of the gate with an attemptto break the Guinness Book of WorldRecords’ “longest journey bymotorcycle in a single country” in thelower 48 states. Combine this withdocumentation for a web series alongthe way, plus writing a book uponreturn, and you have one bigundertaking for a grand adventure.

Being the co-coordinator forthis year’s event gave me the luxury topull in whatever speakers I felt wouldignite some fire under ourparticipants. That’s why I was thrilledwhen this dreamer, Alex Chacon, ofthe famed YouTube video “Around theWorld in 360-Degree Epic Selfie”accepted my invitation to be thekeynote speaker at the event. Alexdocumented his 500 day trip exploringthe Americas, and shared the creativeoutcome with his audience through aweb series and viral videos. Andthrough these viral videos that havecaptured the attention of themainstream public, morning mediahas noticed that this adventurer istaking the world by storm and has hadhim on many shows to tell his story.Hollywood is also taking notice ofAlex, which will be a huge step for ourindustry after Ewan and Charley’sbreakthrough in 2007 with The LongWay Round. Alex’s tried and true traveldocumentation and social mediasuccess tips were worth their weight ingold as they fell onto the participants’

ears like seeds planted for lush crops ofbig adventure plans.

This year also attracted manyother colorful presenters who sharedhighly entertaining and educationaltalks that definitely fueled the nextround of dreamers. Try David andHeidi Winters and their presentation“We’re sleeping where?!” This onedelved into the ins and outs ofhandling unusual accommodations

from RTW (round the world) couchsurfing, to wild camping, sleepingin lobbies, and even bunking withcomplete strangers. Anotherpresentation that spread endearingchuckles and huge smiles wascharming German couple Mirkoand Claudia Nagler in the middleof their 18-month tour of theAmericas raising funds for needyLatin American children. Theaudience absolutely loved their rawgrasp of the English language, theirinteraction as a couple, and the lookof our country through their eyes.

It wouldn’t be a HorizonsUnlimited California withoutlegendary adventure motorcycling

icon Ted Simon. All eyes were gluedon Ted as he took us for a ride on theback of his Triumph Tiger 100 into hisJupiter’s Travels journey through 45countries filled with harrowing talesback in 1973. Also revealed in thispresentation was the photographicaccount of this four-year odyssey as acoffee table book beautifully laid outfor glossy publication, Jupiter’s Travelsin Camera that celebrated Ted’s 25th

anniversary of Jupiter’s Travels.But, the biggest response to

the top inspirational speaker at theevent was for Ramey “Coach” Stroudwho left everyone acknowledging hiscontribution to the industry with astanding O, and not a dry eye in thehouse. You see, hearing about Coach’scomeback from a horrible motocrossaccident that broke his back and lefthim unable to walk after a verysuccessful racing career always makesthe crowd cheer. And I couldn’t thinkof ending this event in a better waythan to send our next wave ofadventurers off into the wild withencouragement from Coach on how toplace one foot and one tire in front ofthe other to overcome life andadventure’s biggest obstacles.

Alex Chacon’s 360-Degree EpicSelfie video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTlXttQL_Yk

There’s a type of hunger thatboiled inside many of our ancestors beforethey pushed off in crowded ships andcovered wagons in search of the beyond. Itdrove some to explore the ends of theearth—even when others believed they’dfall off. What is this that’s created in theheart, pumped vigorously through theblood, and then nestled into the womb ofthe mind before birth? In a word—Dreams.And it’s the dreamers who are nowchurning out explorations to match those ofour courageous forefathers you’re mostlikely to meet at Horizons Unlimited.

Nicole (left), with her daughter,Alana (right) and worldadventurer Alex Chacon

Midwest MotorcyclistTM 23* For qualified buyers. Visit BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan for details. Always ride safely and wear proper protective gear.

BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan

14855 N. Sheldon Rd., Plymouth, MI

734.453.0500 www.bmwmcsem.com

“Redefining your motorcycling lifestyle” SM

BMW Motorrad

Dealer of Excellence

BLACK FRIDAY EVENTFriday, November 28, 2014

Join us on the day after Thanksgiving for storewide savings on

apparel and accessories. It’s the perfect opportunity to wrap up

your Holiday shopping for the motorcyclist in your life.

CHRISTMAS PARTYSaturday, December 13, 2014

Join us in celebrating Christmas and the New Year. Always a fun

time, we’ll have special pricing throughout the dealership, food

and refreshments and much more. It’s the perfect opportunity to

wrap up your Holiday shopping for the motorcyclist in your life.

Santa is almost here.Have you been...

Naughty? Nice?

2014 R 1200 RT

Base MSRP: $17,650

including ABS

2014S 1000 RR

Base MSRP: $15,150

including ABS

Or any of the other award-winning BMWs.

MOTORCYCLE WRECK?Call the MOTORCYCLE LAWYER!

1-877-BIKER-LAW

WE TAKE AUTO & TRUCK CASES TOO!Hurt in a crash?Call Jason Waechter - The Motorcycle Lawyer

1-877-BIKER-LAWwww.TheMotorcycleLawyer.com

Triumph Detroit West620 W. Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, MI

(1/4 mile east of Main Street)

(734) 453-1800www.triumphdetroit.com

Triumph Detroit East50662 Van Dyke, Shelby Township, MI

(1/4 mile south of 23 Mile Road)

(586) 726-7400www.triumphdetroit.com

Holiday Shopping Savings!!

Bring this coupon in to eitherlocation and save 20% offTriumph Genuine Clothing

and Accessories.Discount applies to clothingand accessories only - does

not apply to service or parts.

Coupon expires 12/24/2014

Clothing &Accessories

off20%

For more information, call us at: 586-726-7400 (Shelby) or 734-453-1800 (Plymouth)

Need help winterizing your bike?Need someplace to store yourride for the winter?

We can help!

· Bike storage from Novemberthrough the end of March

· Oil and filter change**· An overall maintenance inspection

by one of our certified Triumphtechnicians

We also offer convenientpickup and delivery for

your storage andmaintenance needs, for

a nominal fee.

$400 Winter Storage Special

**oil and filter applies to Triumphs only

Documents

Midwest Motorcyclist(tm), December 2014 issue