Thunder Roads Colorado March 2011

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THUNDER ROADS COLORADO1313 W. Broadmoor Dr., Loveland, CO 80537

PHONE: 970-669-4015CELL: 970-581-0756

E-MAIL: [email protected]

National FoundersToni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon

1528 Matlock Drive / Chapmansboro, TN 37035Thunder Publishing, LLC Ofces: 615-792-0040

e-mail:[email protected]

COLORADO STATE OWNER / EDITOR

Linda McCartney

LAYOUT & DESIGNBarbara L. Garnerartdirector

Dana Wright graphics

WRITERS / phOTOGRAphERSRuss & Linda McCartney, Joe Farrow, Ben Hochberg,

Jasmine Bluecreek Clark, Jerry Pokorny, Bette Cahill,Allison Hanks, Dana Wright, Wendy Pitlick, Abby Clabough

ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS

Joe Farrow editorsassistant719-598-8103, 719-237-2396

[email protected]

FORT COLLINS/LOVELAND & SURROUNDING AREA

Jerry pokorny719-495-9237

[email protected]

NORThERN COLORADO SALES/WRITER

Abby Claboug720-938-1149

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERDana Wright

[email protected]

SpECIAL EVENT ASSISTANTSue Wilcox

CONTRIBUTORSTerry Howard, Bill Bish, Kevin Chareville, Mad Jack,

Gary Westphalen

Its here! The Colorado Motorcycle Show and Ssignaling the kick-off of our riding season is in the histo

books now, spring is just around the corner and it see

everyone is making plans earlier this year as it promis

to be jam packed full of exciting events. There are maevents that have been going on forever, but still more

their infancy with great ideas and plans for this year an

the future! Weve got some fun rides planned and Thu

Roads Colorado has committed to involvement in manevents. With things starting a bit earlier this year, we

the decision to start publishing our summer centerfold

calendar a month early, beginning in April. That being

I cant express enough the importance of supporting osponsors. Without them, there wouldnt be any of the

calendars or publications we all rely on to keep informabout whats happening in the motorcycle community.

Theres social media, but most of us rely on that papecalendar hanging on the wall or yers or an ad as a

reminder and to help us plan.

We cant wait to check out the upcoming bike nights

Quaker Steak and Lube in Westminster, starting in ApAccording to the Thunder Roads Editors out east, Qua

Steak and Lube Bike Nights draw hundreds of bikes e

week! Bike nights have been popular in the south and

east for many, many years. Its great to see more of thscheduled here each year as they are nally entrench

in the 2-wheeled culture. Bike nights will get riders out

and about more during the week for meet-ups and ride

providing all of us the opportunity to meet more riders,experience new establishments, hear some music and

course to check out everyones ride!

Until next time,

Kp T Siy Si Up!

Li & Russ

I rcgiti fSt Patricks Day

May you live as long as you want and never want as

as you live

May the sun shine allday long, everything go

right and nothing wrong.

May those you love bring

love back to you, and

may all the wishes you

wish come true!

Russ & Linda

.thundercolorado.com

hUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRCh 2011 Thank you for telling them you saw it in Thunder Roads

www.thunderco

ThUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRC


4/17

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Custom and Antique Motorcycles on display

19th Annual Colorado Tattoo Competition

Indoor Beer Garden

Scale Model Car / Bike Contest

Door Prizes All Weekend

Huge Charity Auction

Food and Refreshments Plenty of FREE PARKING

Live Music All Weekend

150 Swap meet tables!

Kids Coloring Contest

AUCTION & BEER GARDEN

PROCEEDS BENEFIT

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM For vendor space and show entries call (719)

For Bike Show Applications visi

www.pro-promotions.

HOURS: Saturday 9am6

Sunday 10am5pm

ADMISSION: Adults $7.00, OVER 65

Kids 12 & under FREE

MARCH 19th & 20th 201

COLORADO SPRINGS

NEWLOCATION

Event Center at RusticAcademy Blvd. & Palme

Colorado Springs

APPEARINGLIVE!

The

BRIAN FLYNN

BAND

_ _


hUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRCh 2011 Thank you for telling them you saw it in Thunder Roads

...

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF ITS CONTENT MAY BE REPRODUCED

WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. PUBLISHER ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY AND

S NOT TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR ERRORS BEYOND THE COST OF THE SPACE OC-

UPIED BY THE ERROR, SLANDER OF ANY GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL, FAILURE TO

RODUCE ANY ISSUE AS SCHEDULED DUE TO REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL,

NY AND ALL SUITS FOR LIABLE, PLAGIARISM, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND

NAUTHORIZED USE OF A PERSONS NAME OR PHOTOGRAPH. OPINIONS AND

LAIMS MADE BY ADVERTISERS AND AUTHORS ARE THEIR OWN, AND DO NOT

ECESSARILY REPRESENT THE POLICY OF THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE OR

HUNDER PUBLISHING. PUBLISHER DOES NOT PROMOTE THE ABUSE OF ALCO-

OL OR OTHER DRUGS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES

Motorcycle Laws and Apathy...................................9

Bite This.................................................................10

The Jokers Wild.....................................................11

Thundercam..........................................................13

Calendar of Events................................................14

Biker Friendly Directory..........................................18

TNT........................................................................21

Thunderbolts.........................................................22

Test Your Tune-up Knowledge..............................22

NCOM News Bytes................................................24

Check It OutIts Here Colorado ShowKicks Off The Riding Season

16Sonny Barger VisitsCO Motorcycle & Swap

23Alcohol Poisoning II

2720


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Mtccl Laa Aath

Did you know as m otorcycle riders we have been deemed to be different from

other motorists? We have been identied to stand out amongst the masses and

it has been determined that we should r eceive special treatment not afforded to

the majority of others who operate vehicles on public roads. Solely identied and

singled out by our two w heels, we have been selected and even targeted to be

treated differently than others on the road. I believe that term they have for this is

called proling.

Apparently we need to be singled out and sw ept off public roadways by local,

state, and federal government agencies all in the name of protecting us from

ourselves. We dont know what is good for ourselves; we dont know what kind

of protection we need to keep us safe.

According to a release by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), the US

Department of Transportation NHTSA followed through with providing a

$70,000.00 grant to the Georgia Department of Public Safety for a motorcycle

only check-point program. Just a note, New York has been doing motorcycle

only check-points for a couple of years now. Funding was pushed through

despite a request from 11 members of Congress asking the USDOT not to follow

through with the grant until relevant question regarding the intent / benets of the

program were addressed.

Starting in 2012 all new manufactured motorcycles w ill have to have an EPA

stamp on the mufer. The motorcycle mufer can only be replaced with a mufer

that has an EPA stamp on it. This will take away the option that we have in modi-

fying the sound of the motorcycle. This will make some people happy; it will hurt

most of us that are responsible riders that dont try to wake up the whole town.

Just this month the NHTSA called for a national mandatory DOT helmet law like

Canada has. We still say it wont happen here, but it is happening here a little at

a time. Think about 3 wheelers and the new lead law that takes ATVs away for

children learning to ride and have a good time on the trails and private property.

Which freedom is next?

Now if this was taken to a national scale and the government were to begin sin-

gling out groups solely based on predetermined stereotypes or proles, forcing

them to pull over, and subject them to a search without probable cause or inci-

dent all in the name of safety; I would imagine there would be a very long list of

checkpoints all along our roadways. That would be met with widespread national

panic and uproar about violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments /

peoples civil rights. I guess as motorcyclists we are just an exception to the rule.

That is why we need to support groups that ght for our rights to ride free. These

groups need our support to ght the government from enacting laws that take

away our freedom to ride. Some of the groups that ght for our right to ride

free are the, AMA (American Motorcycle Association) MRF ( Motorcycle RidersFoundation) ABATE (A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) FORR (Freedom

of Road Riders).

We need to get involved with these groups so they can ght for our rights on a

national and local level to protect us from unreasonable laws that restrict our

freedom to ride a motorcycle. It is a game of numbers, the bigger the number the

more power you have with the government. I am a member of the AMA, MRF,

and ABATE; I will also join FORR this year so that I am counted twice in the local

government as well as the national level. Te time for action is now before

we lose our rigts to te oen road; if we remain aatetic we will lose our

rigt to ride free and be restricted to were we can ride. Remember Myrtle

Beach and the year-long ght to right the wrong, lets not let that happen again!


hUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRCh 2011

www.thunderco

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6/17

Dublin Sunday Corned Beef and Cabbage5 pounds Corned beef brisket1 large onion stuck with6 cloves (whole)6 carrots, peeled and sliced8 potatoes peeled and cubed1 teaspoon dried thyme1 small bunch parsley1 cabbage (about 2 lbs), cut in quarters

Put beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all other ingredientsexcept cabbage and bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. Turn to simmer andcook for 3 hours. Skim fat from top as it rises. Remove the thyme, parsley andonion. Add cabbage.

Simmer for 20 minutes until cabbage is cooked. Remove the meat and cutinto pieces. Place on center of a large platter. Strain the cabbage and seasonit heavily with black pepper. Surround the beef with the cabbage, carrots andpotatoes. Serve with horseradish sauce.

Bubble and Squeak5 medium potatoes; cubed, cooked and cooled1/2 pound bacon - 1 pcs1 bag of shredded cabbage1/2 cup water1/2 teaspoon paprikaSalt and pepper to tasteExtra water

In large iron skillet brown bacon, then remove. Pour off all grease except 2-3tbsp. Add cabbage and 1/2 c water. Cover and cook over low heat about 20minutes. Add potatoes and cabbage along with the bacon. Salt to taste. Cookanother 10 minutes. Extra water may be added while cabbage is cooking, butduring last few minutes let mixture brown.

Luck of Te Iris Brownies1 package of brownie mix (and ingredients needed to prepare the mix)1/2 cup butter, softened4 cups confectioners sugar2 tablespoons milk, or as needed1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract6 drops green food coloring1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips6 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Bake the brownies according to the package directions. Remove from the ovenand cool. Make the middle layer. Beat 1/2 cup of butter with confectioners sug-ar in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add milk as needed to get a spread-able consistency. Stir in the peppermint extract and green food coloring. Spreadthis over the cooled pan of brownies. Refrigerate for 30 minutesIn a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips with the butter until melt-ed. Stir every 20 seconds until chocolate is smooth. Stir in vanilla and then pourover the chilled brownies quickly spreading to cover the surface. Cool until rm,about 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

Iris BoilmakerFill a pint glass about 2/3 full with stout; ll a shot glass with either whiskey, Irishcream, or a combination of the two. Drop the shot glass into the pint glass, thendrink up. Dont swallow the shot glass!

Black and TanYou can make a black and tan beer by lling a pint glass half full with Bass beer,then oat Guinness on top. Slowly pour (very important) your bottle of Guinnessinto the pint glass over an upside-down spoon to get the separation betweenthe two beers.

Iris ToastIt is better to spend money like theres no tomorrow than to spendtonight like theres no money!May you live all the days of your life Jonathan Swift

Bite This!

An Iris pub Joke...

An Irish man shows up in a pub one day and orders three pints of Guinness.He takes sips from each glass until they are empty and calls the bartenderfor three more. The bartender says, Sure its up to yourself, but wouldntyou rather I was bringing them one at a time? Then theyll be fresh andcold. Nah... your man says, Im preferrin that ye bring em three at a time.You see, me and me two brothers would meet at a pub and drink and havegood times. Now one is in Australia, the other in Canada and Im here. Weagreed before we split up that wed drink to each others honor this way.Well, says the bartender, thats a grand thing to do, all right. Ill bring thepints as you ask. Well, time goes on and your mans peculiar habit is knownand accepted by all the pub regulars. One day though, he comes in andorders only two pints. A hush falls over the pub. Naturally, everyone gures

something happened to one of the brothers. A group of the regulars cornerthe bartender and nally persuade him to nd out what happened. Witha heavy heart, the bartender brings the two pints and says, Heres yourpints... and let me offer my sincerest condolences. What happened? TheIrish man looks extremely puzzled for a moment, and then starts laughing.Oh, no, no, no! Tis nothing like that. You see, Ive given up drinking forLent...

An Englisman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walk into a pub. They eachbuy a pint of Guiness beer. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamybeverage three ies landed in each of their pints, and were stuck in thethick head. The Englishman pushed his beer away from him in disgust. TheScotsman shed the offending y out of his beer and continued drinking itas if nothing had happened. The Irishman too, picked the y out of his drink,held it out over the beer and then started yelling, SPIT IT OUT, SPIT ITOUT, YOU BASTARD!!

One day, at a local buffet, a man suddenly called out, My sons choking! H eswallowed a quarter! Help! Please, anyone! Help!_A man from a nearbytable stood up and announced that he was quite experienced at this sort ofthing. He stepped over with almost no look of concern at all, wrapped hishands around the boys gonads and squeezed. Out popped the quarter. Theman then went back to his table as though nothing had happened._Thankyou! Thank you! the father cried. Are you a paramedic? No, replied theman, I work for the IRS.

A woman had fty-yard line tickets for the Super Bowl. As she sat down, aman came along and asked her if anyone is sitting in the seat next to her.No, she said, the seat is empty. This is incredible, said the man. Whoin their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl, the biggestsporting event in the world, and not use it? Somberly, the woman says,Well... the seat actually belongs to me. I was supposed to come here withmy husband, but he passed away. This is the rst Super Bowl we have notbeen to together since we got married in 1967.

Oh Im sorry to hear that, thats terrible. But couldnt you nd someoneelse - a friend or r elative or even a neighbor to take the seat? The womanshakes her head, No, theyre all at the funeral.

Bills Birtday

Bill woke up on his birthday. His wife and kids didnt even say goodto him, so he left for work i n a huff. After his receptionist wished hiBirthday, Bill responded, Thanks, Joanna. Thats the nicest thing asaid to me all day. He worked until his lunch break, when Joanna she could buy him lunch. They went to a beautiful bistro. My apis just around the corner. Would you like to visit? Joanna askedwhy not? Bill replied. At her apartment, Bill sat down on the couchsaid shed be right back and stepped into the bedroom. Minutes lacame back out followed by Bills family, friends, and co-workers. Bilthere... naked.

A Cowboy appeared before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. Have done anything of particular merit? St. Peter asked, Well, I can thinthing, the cowboy offered, On a trip to the Black Hills out in SouthI came upon a gang of bikers who were threatening a young wdirected them to leave her alone, but they wouldnt listen. So, I appthe largest and most tattooed biker and smacked him in the face kbike over, ripped out his nose r ing, and threw it on the ground. I yellback off or Ill kick the s--- out of all of you! St. Peter was impresseddid this happen? Couple of minutes ago.

While making love, a guy says to his wife Darling, lets do a 68! tthe wife asks, 68? Whats that? So the husband replies You doand Ill owe you one.

Exercise

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my permission to join a tness club and start exercising. I decided toaerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up anand perspired for an hour. By the time I got my yoga pants on, thwas over.

Anniversary

A couple was celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. For thtime they had been married, the wife had kept a safe, which the hhad never been allowed to look into. He asked her if, since they h

married so long, he could see what she had been keeping all thesShe said OK and opened the safe. In it was a pile of money totalingand three chicken eggs. He asked her, What are the eggs doing inShe said, Well, I have to admit that I havent been completely fyou. Whenever I strayed, I put an egg in the safe. He thought abosaid, Well, I guess I cant be too upset about three eggs. But whethe money come from? She replied, Every time I got a dozen, I so

Confucius say, He who stands on the toilet is high on pot


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March

April

May

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CMA Colorado Seasons of Refreshingueblo, CO www.cmausa.org or 970/468-6146

Daytona Bike Weekww.daytonabikeweekrally.com

WP Swap Meet, Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO16/228-5811 www.jwswapmeet.com

ABATE D-10 Corned Beef Bashurora, CO 303/909/-4599 www.abateofcolo.org

Annual M/C Show & Swap, Buffalo Countyairgrounds, Kearny, NE 605/545-3602 17

ABATE D-11 St. Pattys Day Partyohnson Village, CO (719) 530-1780

ww.abateofcolo.org

Hawg Wild Rocky Mountain Fall Show &

wap, Island Grove, Greeley Co70/669-5589 www.hawgwildcc.com

1st Annual Super Show & Swapew location Event Center at Rustic Hills,

cademy Blvd and Palmer Park Blvd. Colorado

prings 719/487-8005.

ww.pro-promotions.com

Antique MC Rally & Showaldwell, ID www.idahovintagemotorcycleclub.

om 208/377-4981

Donnie Smith 20thAnnual Bike Showt Paul, MN

ww.donniesmithbikeshow.com

WP Swap Meetairgrounds, OK City, OK 816/228-5811

ww.jwswapmeet.com

5th Annual Arizona Bike Week

ww.azbikeweek.com

ikers Against Child Abuse Candlelight Vigil

anon City, CO - (719) 371-6139

BATE D-10 Coffee Run

urora, CO - (303) 789-3264

ww.abateofcolo.org

ock The Troops VII

as Vegas, NV - (702) 606-4633

ww.post149.org

MRF Beast of the East Bikers Rights

onference, Greenville, SC

ww.mrf.org 202/546-0983

FW Warriors Bobby Clark Memorial Run

olorado Springs, CO - (719) 229-9800

ww.vfw-warriors.com

Ride For Freedom, Tucson, AZTo benet VA Hosp patients and more

(520) 982-0023 www.dava2.club.ofcelive.com

SOS M/C Fallen Brothers RunColorado Springs, CO (719) 227-0099

Colo. Four wheelers AnnualSpringFundraiser Bake Sale & Crafts Auction @ FMMW

303/295-7137

NV State HOG Rally, Las Vegas, NV(866) 687-2259 www.nvstatehogrally.com

Saturday Short Track at IMIwww.banginbarspromotions.com

Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum5th Open-House, CO Springs, CO 719/487-8005

www.pro-promotions.com

Kansas Motorcycle Show and Swap KansasCity, KS - (816) 228-5811

www.jwswapmeet.com

Beach & Bikerfest Motorcycle RallySouth Padre Island, TX - 956 412-0011

www.beachnbikerfest.com

BACA Child Abuse Awareness RideVeterans Park, Canon City Co 719/269-1379

Beach & Bikerfest Motorcycle RallySouth Padre Island, TX - 956 412-0011

www.beachnbikerfest.com

Quaker Steak & Lube 1st Bike Night!Westminster, CO. 303-460-9464 (WING)

www.quakersteakandlube.com

Good Friday/Earth Day

Easter

Church in the Wind Blessing of the Bikes& Cookout at Denver City Park, 20th & York,

Noon 720.635-.2897

Suns of Darkness Childrens Easter Egg

Hunt, City Park, 20th & York, 2 pm303/295-9546

Motorcycle Swap Meet Extravagaza La PlataCounty Fairgrounds 2500 N Main, Durango, CO

To benet Blue Star Mothers, 970.259.0778 www.

durangoharley.com

29th Annual Laughlin River RunLaughlin, Nevada www.laughlinriverrun.com

Antique Motorcycle Club of America

Show & SwapOley, PA 800/782-2622www.antiquemotorcycle.org

13th Annual Thunder Beach Spring

Rally Panama City Beach, FL www.thunder-beachproductions.com

Oklahoma Motorcycle Show and SwapTulsa, OK - (816) 228-5811

www.jwswapmeet.com

All Trades 14th Annual Poker RunIn Memory of AFudgie@ 303/922-1592

North Metro Church 7th Biker Blessing12505 Colorado Blvd Thornton, CO

303/452-6251

ABATE of CO Motorcycle Expo

Denver Metro, 303/789-3264www.abateofcolo.org

ABATE D-1 Annual Sand Hills Poker

Run Ft. Morgan, CO 970/542-0902 www.

abateofcolo.org

JWP Swap Meet, Admiral Twin Drive In,Tulsa, OK 816/228-5811 www.jwswapmeet.com

Texas Rally On The River, New Braunfels,TX - (210) 602-0724 www.txrallyontheriver.com

73rd Annual Music & Blossom Festival-Canon City, CO - (800) 876-7922

www.ccblossomfestival.com

Mile High H-D Mothers Appreciation

Weekend Aurora, CO 303/343-3300www.milehighharley.com

Annual Blossom Festival, Canon City, CO

COC & NCOM National Convention,Albuquerque, N.M. 800/531-2424 or

303/318-4167, www.aimncom.com/ncom/

ncom_convention.htm

World Championship Supercross, LasVegas, NV - (702) 739-3267

www.supercrossonline.com

VFW Warriors Dart Run,Colorado Springs, CO - Start at American Bike

Tailor 3032 S. Academy, (719) 229-9800

www.vfw-warriors.com

CMA Run for the Son Charity Ride ,Colorado Contact 303/659-4363

Spring Breakout Run 2011, ColoradoUnited Riders Assoc. 303/295-9329

ABATE D-10 Blessing of the Bikes Poker

Run 303/909-4599 www.abateofcolo.org


ThUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRCh 2011

www.thunderco


H U N D E R R O A D S E V E N T S C A L E N D A R

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Fly-In Wheels MC 7th Annual Spring

Poker Run Monte Vista CO 720/935-1492MRA Race # 1 at High Plains Raceway,

303/530-5678, www.mra-racing.org

Saturday Short Track at IMI www.bangin-

barspromotions.com

Mothers Day

IPE / Easter Seals Annual Mothers Day

Poker Run 720/685-1918 or 303/233-1666Reds Pub 5th Mothers Poker Run, Broomeld,

CO 303/464-7337 [email protected]

Aspencash Motorcycle Rally, Ruidoso, NMwww.motorcyclerally.com 800/452-804513

Flame of Freedom National Run for the

Wall, Concho, OK 303/694-217314

Combat Vets Assoc. Open Range Run303/670-0624

MH HOG Teddy Bear Runwww.milehighhog.com 303/340-4982

River Rats VFW Car & Bike Cruise-In, 11am

2190 S. Platte River Dr

High Country H-D/Buell Birthday PartyFrederick, CO www.highcountryharley.com

303/833-6777

8th Annual Angel Tree Benet RunFranktown, CO 303/356-8994

MRF Bikers Inside the Beltway

Conference, Washington, D.C.www.mrf.org 202/546-0983

Myrtle Beach Bike Week, Myrtle Beach, SC(336) 643-1367 www.myrtlebeachbikeweek.com

All Trades 14th Annual Poker Run, InMemory of AFudgie@ 303/922-1592

North Metro Church 7th Biker Blessing12505 Colorado Blvd Thornton, CO

303/452-6251

ABATE of CO Motorcycle Expo, Denver

Metro, 303.789.3264, www.abateofcolo.org

ABATE D-1 Annual Sand Hills Poker

Run, Ft. Morgan, CO 970/542-0902 www.abateofcolo.org

Combat Vets Assoc. Open Range Run 303/670-0624

River Rats VFW Car & Bike Cruise-In2190 S. Platte River Dr

High Country H-D/Buell Birthday PartyFrederick, CO www.highcountryharley.com

303/833-6777

Angel Tree 8th Annual Benet Run,Franktown, CO 303/356-8994

Church In The Wind Ladies Retreat at

Ponderosa

B.A.D. Bikers Against Diabetes 10th AnnualPoker Run - Reg. 8:30 - 10:30 AM Eagles Hall

1151 S. Galena St. Aurora Frankieve@comcast.

net www.eagleriders3224.com

Franks Ride for Children,Longmont 303/808-6138

Branson 9th Annual Motorcycle Rally,Branson, MO www.bransonmotorcyclerally.com

Run for the Wall, Viet Nam War MemorialRun to DC, Angel Fire, NM 303/467-342

Mile High Harley Military Appreciation

Weekend,(303) 343-3 300 www.milehighharley.com

Armed Forces Day

Kristis Dream Ride and Poker Run FortCollins, CO. 970-219-3297, www.kristisfund.com

HOG Metro Hogs & Howls Benet Run 303/703-2885, 303/238-0425, or 303/340-4982

Outpost H-D Armed Forces Day MilitarySalute Party, Pueblo, CO (719) 542-6032

www.outposthd.com

ABATE State Motorcycle Extravaganza, (303)789-3264 www.abateofcolo.org

Armed Forces Day Veterans BenetCortez, CO (970) 5653402 www.cityofcortez.com

2nd Colorado Freedom Ride, Littleton, COwww.2ndnationalarmedforcesfreedomridecolora

do.webs.com

GlenLHeureux Memorial Race, IMIMotorsports, www.banginbarspromotions.com

Run for the Wall, Viet Nam War Memorial Run to

DC, Limon, CO 303/467-3424

Speed & Sport National Vintage Trials

Series, Howard, CO - (303) 422-2847www.ahrma.org

MRA Race # 2 at Pikes Peak InternationalRaceway, 303/530-5678 www.mra-racing.org

Kellys Ride to Benet Breast CancerResearch, Denver, CO - (303) 629-9697

4th Annual Defenders of Freedom Veter-

ans Recognition Ride, Colorado Springs, COhttp://www.brianwess.com/VeteransRide

Run for the Wall, Salina, KS 303/4JWP Swap Meet, Twin Drive In, KC, M

816/228-5811 www.jwswapmeet.com

CitW Blessing of the Bikes & Coat Denver City Park, 20th & York, Noon

720/635-2897

Suns of Darkness Childrens Eas

Hunt, City Park, 20th & York, 2 pm303/295-9546

Territory Days, Old Colorado City, C(719) 487-8005 www.shopoldcoloradoc

Fallen Bikers Memorial Rally,Salida, CO - Free admission to rally gro

(719) 539-7769 www.memorialrally.com

10th Annual Realities Ride and RFort Collins, CO - (970) 484-9090

www.realitiesride.com

29th Annual Memorial Day Moto

Rally, Red River, NM - (800) 348-6444www.redrivernewmex.com

Rolling Thunder Parade, WashingtDon 303/514-7916

Memorial Day

For event listing in our cal

send an e-mail with the na

the event, date, location,

cost and contact informa

Events@thundercolorad

Event submission deadline

10th of each month.

IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD I

TO CALL AND

VERIFY EVENT

INFORMATION PRIOR

ATTENDING

T H U N D E R R O A D S E V E N T S C A L E N D


9/17

sands of bikers jammed the doorways of Den-National Western Complex for the 33rd Annualado Motorcycle Show and Swap on Jan 29thh. The biggest show of its kind in the Rockytain region and one of the biggest in the country

opening day, Mother Nature provided sunshine,skies, and warm temps. Organizer, Jack Porticeunced, Im letting them in now! as a line of anx-people waiting to get in swarmed the place. Theng packed up quickly and the crowds seemed tolonger at vendor booths.

rding to Portice, We didnt break any records,was a good show. Were happy with it. I knowome vendors of what Id call vanity items ands would call necessities actually doubled ord their earnings over last year.

Portice, his partner Jim Arnett and their army ofteers make sure there is always something in-ing for everyone with the 120 or so show bikes,

at variety of vendors and good entertainment.

Colorado Motorcycle Show and Swap is on the

s H! 33rd Colorado MotorCyCle SHow & Swa

must do event list every year for many, drawingbeautiful and unique bikes, interesting vendors, andtwo-wheeled enthusiasts from all over the country, allages and types. Its like a homecoming, a big socialevent where you see people you may not have seenall winter, a one-stop shopping Mecca for those look-ing for anything motorcycle and plenty to keep youbusy for 2 days! Events included wet t-shirt contests,Iron Man Bare Chest contest (this one was for theladies), live music by Hollow Point and the best en-tertainment there is for many, people watching. Atleast half the attendees cruising about displayed inkof some kind, some subtle, some big and bold, butno doubt, some of the most magnicent pieces weveseen!

Colorado Department of Transportations boothhoused a motorcycle simulator. You sat on yourmotorcycle seat, grabbed the handlebars and rodeas the monitor in front of you provided a graphicaldisplay of true road conditions. You were required toshift gears (or you could choose an automatic), brakeand react to various conditions. It proved to be apopular stop for many.

Pin-striping demonstrations have become a favoritefor many drawing some of the best talent in the area.Jack Portice explained, The pinstripe demo andcompetition started 3 years ago when Arlin Fatland,owner of 2-Wheelers presented them with a pin-striped derby cover to commemorate the ColoradoMotorcycle Show and Swaps 30-year milestone.That same year, Arlin thought it would be fun to pin-stripe some girls on the stage. The rest as they sayis history. Portice went on to say, There are 5 guysinvolved in organizing everything and theyre bring-ing in the younger ones too. These guys get all thepanels together and encourage others to come andcompete.

The pool of around 15 pinstripe artists included 4women this year. Twenty panels were painted andthen auctioned off to raise money for 3 charities. Withdonated items from vendors and the pinstriped pan-els, about $3000 was donated to ABATE of Colorado,9-11 Freedom Ride and The I Love U Guys Founda-tion.

On the bike show side of things, organizer Jim Ar-nett stated he was happy with all 3 sport bike entries,adding, I wish there were more. The bike show, afavorite among many draws the Crme De La Crmeof motorcycles and although the show wasnt full thisyear, the extra space made room for some stunningdisplays. As always, there was something for ev-eryone; antiques, total customs, old school, metric.Gary Eubanks won best engineering award for thisvery unique 3-wheeled machine, a nasty, stretchedout sleek looking machine. What most of us didntknow was that it was equipped with a vibrating pas-senger seat. Arnett stated, Gary would talk womeninto sitting on the bike, then turn on that vibrator. A lotwomen were turning red!

Inkd Outs beautiful model (and someMartial Arts Ring Girl) Jessica Lil Ink Bosented trophies to winners including. Wthe full list, but here are a few:

Best of Sow - Bill West - 06 Big Dog

Best Dislay - Kevin Giedd from Burling

Vintage Restored - 1st place for his res47 Indian Jim We

Best Engineering - Gary Eubanks

In the end, Its a great show where, mornot, you run into old friends you havenwhile and often times, make new ones.coming back year after year. The commthat people always have a good time.

As Jack says over and over againThein the world come to this show

Trophy Queen - Jessica Boisseaux

Organizer - Jack Portice

Organizer - Jim Arnett

Kicks off riing Ssn

Corsets are a HOT item


10/17

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Wareouse Liquors1710 W. Eisenhower BlvdLoveland, CO970-776-9156

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R&M Services Mufer Secialists622 1st St., Fort Lupton, CO303-857-4000

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Bluecreek Motorcycle Training Co4704 Harlan Street Suite 500Denver, CO303-947-6011Motorcycle License Testing withouta Class

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Skibos Tattoo1008 N. College Ave.Fort Collins 970-224-5241www.skibostattoo.com

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Woodys Weel Works2225 South Platte River DrDenver, CO 303-936-023www.woodyswheelworks.cYou Bend Em, We Mend E

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BARS & RESTAURANTS

Eagles Nest Bar & packa1101 W. Lincolnway, Chey307-778-7678

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Vinos LiquorsI-25 & Vandehei Ave., Chey307-778-9463

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Skibos Tattoo117 West 5th St, Cheyenne307-632-6869www.skibostattoo.com

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Beavers Den019 W. Highway 34oveland, CO70-669-2320

EM Leater4016 Mississippi & I-225Abilene Market) Aurora03-337-6690

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Twin peaks Leater655 Olde Wadsworth Blvd

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BaiL BOnDs

Affordable Bail Bonds

36 Link LaneFort Collins, CO

70-663-2499, 970-490-224570-392-9959

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Slick Macine Rock and Soul70-593-1869 / 970-593-8701

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Bennys Restaurant and Lounge17 W. Colorado

Colorado Springs, CO19-634-2127

Blondies pub & Grub5 W. Main Street

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Bruces Bar45 1st Street, Severance, Co.70-686-23320

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431 S County Road 31oveland, CO970) 667-0454

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Crazy Jacks520 S College Ave

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Fatsos Diner6060 W. Eisenhower (Highway 34)oveland, Co 970-776-9660

FRANKIES BAR & GRILL945 N Powers BlvdColorado Springs, CO 80915719-574-4881www.FrankiesBarGrill.com

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Fullmoon Saloon Bar & Grill206 E. Main, Pierce, Colorado970-834-2880

henrys pub & Club138 S. Front St., Sterling, CO970-522-5162

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Quaker Steak and Lube10392 Reed StWestminster, CO303.460.9464www.thelube.com

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American Bike Tailor Inc.3032 S. Academy Blvd.CO Springs, CO 80916Phone 719-391-1017www.Americanbiketailor.com

Ascend Creations6266 N. Lewis Ct, Parker, Co303-956-8039www.Motorcycleserviceparker.com

Cycle haven Storage and ServiceColorado Springs, CO719-265-0000www.cyclehaven.com

EXp Motorsorts3301 W. Hampden, Sheridan, Co303-688-4001

Front Range Cycle2016 E. Lincoln(corner of Lincoln and Industrial)Fort Collins 970-482-1454

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www.thunderco



11/17

Sonny BargervisitsCOLORADO MOTORCYCLE ShOW & SWAp

of the founders and the most famous of the infamous Hells Angelsrcycle Club, Ralph Sonny Barger was a special guest at the 33rd Annualrcycle Show and Swap to promote his recently released book Lets Ride,itten with Darwin Holmstrom.

Ride Sonny Bargers Guide To Motorcyclingis Bargers sixth bookwith over a million miles and 60 years of riding motorcycles under his belt,an expert in his own right. With the help of Thunder Roads Arizona Editorpper Bob I was able to land an interview with Sonny and his wife Zorana.scussed his book, his bike of preference, Zoranas bike, a day in his life

more.

na said, The best part of the book i s that he dedicated it to m e.

Your book has been out for a few m onths now and getting rave reviews. Int had a chance to read it yet. What can I expect?

y: A lot of interesting things. There are people who have been riding for 20and tell me they found out a lot they didnt know. People tell me there are

any things they didnt know, like they cant ride a bike with a fairing becausecant see the wheel. If youre looking at the wheel, youll cr ash! You have toahead. Theres a lot of common sense information.

Your book was released last June. How are sales going?

y: They tell me its sold over 20,000 copies so far. If you sell 50,000 books,enomenal.

na: You should also read Freedom: Credos From The Road. We get lots offeedback on that book.

What is it about?

y: Its about how to ride free. It is categorized as a self-help book.

You were always a Harley guy, but youve been riding Victory Vision for ae of years now. Why?

y: I rode a Harley for 52 years, but theyre junk. I grew up in the 40slways had American. Back then, thats all there was. I drive an Americana Chevy. I ride an American-bred quarter horse and now I have another

ican motorcycle choice. I ride a 2008 Victory Vision. Zorana has a Victorys Country with a custom paint job. Last year she put 7,000 miles on it in oneh. No, I didnt have anything to do with teaching her to ride.

TR: How many miles do youtypically ride every year?

Sonny: 40-100 thousand ayear on my Victory. I rode about69,000 miles last year becauseI had some problems with mythroat and we were gone a lot. Ialways tried to ride safe. I dontride stupid. Never have. I got hitby a pickup once and by anothermotorcycle. Ive dumped thebike about 10 times.

TR: Whats the most important advice you would give riders?

Sonny: Be careful!

TR: Whats your typical day like?

Sonny: Its very boring. I get up at 5, feed the horses at 6, clean stalls, go to thegym, ride my bike or my horse. Im usually in bed by 9. I didnt start riding horsesuntil I was sixty. Those horses keep m e alive. You have to get up and feed them,water them, exercise them, take care of the. Theres about 15 hours of work forevery hour of riding!

TR: Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in a couple of years?

Sonny: If I knew what was going to happen in 5 years, Id be a millionaire. Imgoing to keep doing what I can do.

TR: Youve done about everything there is to do, books, movies, Sonny Bargerbeer. Whats next?

Sonny: Late this summer, Fox Studio will start making a movie based off myautobiography, Hells Angel. It will be directed by Tony Scott. They bought therights 11 years ago.

TR: Whos going to play you?

Sonny: Maybe Mickey Rourke. Years ago when he was doing all the cowboymovies, we all played his cowboys. Now he might play me!

As in past years, Barger was a very popular draw at the Colorado MotorcycleShow and Swap. Despite many peoples fear of him I found Sonny and Zoranaboth to be gracious hosts. Zorana does a lot of their promotional artwork.

A coule of excerts from Sonnys Freedom: Credos From the Road book

IndeendenceCustomize Yourself; Originals Dont Come Off an Assembly Line

FairnessTreat Me Good, Ill Treat You Better; Treat Me Bad, Ill Treat You Worse

Linda McCartney


ThUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRCh 2011 ThUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRC

www.thunderco

Thank you for telling them you saw it in Thunder Roads

Sara

Rocky Mountain H-D

TNT


12/17

Check it out before you ride it, or, The Pre-Ride Inspection. Before you goriding, do you inspect the bike rst? Sure, its easy to skip this activity, especially ifyou have been using the bike a lot and it seems to have been performing properly.But skipping it is not a good idea, even when the bike is in daily use; and now thatour bikes are getting less use due to unfavorable weather conditions it becomeseven more important to do a pre-ride check each time we intend to ride.

It should be obvious that doing a pre-ride check on a bike is more important thandoing it on a car; there are higher consequences for mechanical malfunctions ona bike compared to a four-wheeler.

It helps to have a checklist to make it easy, systematic and thorough. Some itemsare more critical than others, but those critical ones need to be checked for eachride. In rider education we use a system called T-CLOCS, which stands forTires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, and Stands.

Tires should be checked for overall condition, items like tread depth, agecracks, embedded objects, uneven wear, and bulges. Check the air pressure(when the tire is cold)! Low air pressure is the most common reason fortire failure. Remember that pressure in the tires changes with the ambienttemperature of the environment. The colder it gets, the less pressure is in thetires. Also check the wheels. If the wheels use spokes, make sure the tensionis even for each spoke and that there are no spokes missing. If the bike hascast wheels, check for cracks or dents. Glance at the rims to see if they areobviously out of round or true. It helps to have a bike stand for this, but it isnot absolutely necessary. Grab the tire at the top and bottom and see if thereis free play in the wheel bearings. Glance at the bearing area to see if there istoo much grease that has escaped from the bearing.

Controls should be checked to be sure that they arent broken, cracked orbent, and that they are properly adjusted. Cables and pivot points should belubricated and should operate smoothly. The throttle assembly should operatefreely and should snap closed when released. Glance at the fuel lines; and ifthe bike is water-cooled, look at the hoses as well.

By Ben Hochberg

saFetYtipsNO. 33ABATE of ColoradosRider Education Division

ch i O!

Lights should be checked to make sure they all work, but also loolenses and reectors, and that they headlight is aimed correctlyusually have to be adjusted if you are carrying a passenger. Also tthe battery terminals; see if there is corrosion present and if the are tight.

Oil level needs to be up to where it should be. Different bikes harecommended methods for checking oil level. Consult your ownfor this. Also check the fuel level, and the coolant level if the biLook around the bike for any leaks that can be seen for any tySome bikes have separate reservoirs for transmission and/or nawell, so check those as appropriate.

Chassis should be checked for cracks and bends. Check the smooth and thorough motion throughout its range. With the rear wground push and pull the swingarm to ensure the bushings aresure the suspension is working well and that it rebounds smootas weight is removed. You can check the front suspension by sbike, applying the front brake, and then pushing forward on theThe suspension should compress smoothly, and it should rebouwhen you stop pushing forward. If the suspension is adjustable, is set properly for the type of use you are going to give it. And heoften goes without proper attention: the drive chain. Some bikes aa shaft, some by a belt, but most are driven by a chain. They streand have to be adjusted as well as cleaned and lubricated. Folkthis, because dealing with the chain can be a dirty, greasy job. Ter done: its important! When a chain fails (breaks) not only wil

ride on the spot, it can be a violent and dangerous situation. Takchain and it will take care of you. Consult the owners manual foron this. If your bike has a belt drive, check the tension of the belt

Stands it seems all bikes have a sidestand (thats jiffy standspeak, and some have a center stand as well. Make sure they aror bent and that their springs are in place so the stands retract pryou want them to. Stands occasionally need to be lubricated.

Wow! Thats a lot of stuff to check before each ride! Well, not really. Nstuff has to be checked daily Some things are more critical than oththe short list that, from my experience, of the ones that should neveno matter how frequently the bike is ridden:

1. Tire pressure and possible embedded objects.

2. Control operation, particularly throttle and (both) brakes.

3. All lights (tail, brake, turn signals, high and low beam headlightwhatever else your bike may have).

4. Engine oil.

5. Drive chain (or belt) tension.

Most of the other items can be done less frequently, like each week, ifin regular use. The short list can be done in 5 minutes. The completea bit longer, but its all part of the satisfaction of maintaining your bike pthats something of which to be proud.

The days are getting longer, the weather a tad warmer and like all riders, ourthoughts are turning to spring rides. Spring ofcially arrives this month and itwill be a lot more fun if our motorcycles are ready to go when we are!

Test Your Knowledge of Sringtime Motorcycle Maintenance

Did you forget to leave the battery tender on last fall? If you havent started herup for awhile, its a good time to check the battery.

Your bike is off and you check the battery:

1) Wat is te roer voltage for your motorcycle, cecked wit

te bike turned off?

a) 5.7v 8.0v b) 9.6v 10.5v c) 12.6v 13.0v d) 13.6v 16.0v

Tire condition is another important ingredient for a safe rst ride once spring arrives.

2) Wat is te minimum recommended tread det?

a) 2/32 b) 1/8 c) 5/32 d) 1/2

Riding around on under or over inated tires can cause a myriad of safety issues.A motorcycle that has been parked for the winter will denitely need the air pressure

checked before that rst ride.3) Were do you nd te correct tire ressure for your model

motorcycle?

a) Owners manualb) On the rimc) On the sidewalld) On the valve stem

A clean air lter is vital.

4) how often sould you clean or relace your air lter?

a) Once a year in the springb) Right after riding through a Nevada Sand Stormc) When your ash tray is fulld) Every time you change your oil

Its good to be able to stop as well as go, right? This is a good time to check yourbrake pads front and rear.

5) how do you know wen your brake ads need relacing?

a) When you hear or feel them grindingb) When you see sparks during braking while riding downhillc) When you have a low brake pedald) When your mechanic loudly exclaims, Geez, howve you been stoppingthis bitch?

Springtime in Colorado includes the occasional snow/ice storm. Most municipalitiesand many private roads/parking lots use chemical de-icer products, such as Mag-

Chloride, which can be problematic for motorcyclists.6) Wic of te following is not caused by cemical de-icer?

a) Chrome Corrosionb) Oxidationc) Low Tire Pressured) Slippery Roads

7) Wen is te best time for a sringtime ride?

a) When youre really mad!b) Right after a really long hard day at workc) When feeling fat & happyd) Any day that ends with a Y

TesT your Tune up KnowLedge

ANSWER KEY

Question 1 Correct Answer: c) 12.6 13.0 volts.Lower voltage readings may indicatea battery or charging problem. Higher voltage readings may indicate a regulator or charg-ing problem. Take it to a pro for diagnosis and repairs.

Question 2 Correct Answer: a) 2/32 Remember that is minimum recommendedtread depth, we prefer to install new tires way before the tread is that low. An easy way tomeasure your tire tread depth is to take a Lincoln Head Penny and insert it into the tread,noggin side rst. If Lincolns forehead is hidden in the tread your tire has plenty of treadleft. If you can see the entire forehead, its time for a new tire (see photos).

Another indication that its time for new rubber would be if you see the wear bars installedby the tire manufacturers. These are transverse, raised strips of rubber, meaning they runcrossways to the tread. They become exposed gradually as the tread wears thinner andthinner. Some tires have little raised triangles along the sidewall pointing to the bars, tohelp you nd them. If you can easily see these wear bars head down to your favorite tiredealer and get a new one.

Question 3 Correct Answer: Eiter a) or c) would be correct. a) If it is a new motor-cycle with the factory rubber still on it, c) if you have aftermarket tires on your motorcycle.

Question 4 Correct Answer: d) Every time you cange your oil; IF you ridesert b) certainly applies.

Question 5 Correct Answer: e) ALL OF ThE ABOVE. Any or all of those srequire immediate professional attention. Take it to the Shop and let the prosand repair any issues with the braking system.

Question 6 Correct Answer: c) Maintaining roer tire ressure is your ity. Riding through de-icer has no effect on the air pressure in the tires; howevtemperatures that exist when they are using these chemicals can denitely afpressure. If youre riding on these colder days check the tire pressure befor

Question 7 Correct Answers: Do we really need to tell you the answer to this oday that end in Y

Tune up your ride, take an experienced rider class to hone your rusty skills, aand ride!

See ya on the road this spring and summer. Jasmine Bluecreek Clark and R

More Maintenance Tips in Jasmines ABCs of MC Wrenchingwww.bluecreekartworks.com

Thunderboltsory Motorcycles And Lehman Trikes Join Forces To Reveal A

cial Trike In Honor Of Our Armed Forces

ed We Stand is the inspiration for a one-of-a-kind 2011 Lehman Cross-Trike, fueled by the Victory Vision motorcycle. Victory Motorcycles andan Trikes have partnered to pay tribute to our Military Veterans and Ac-uty members.

ory Motorcycles are our expression of freedom, and w e are proud to honoren and women of our arm ed forces who have made such a commitment toreat country. Thank-you for your service, and for that we offer our militaryams at www.victorymotorcycles-military.com, said Steve Menneto, Vic-

Motorcycle General Manager.

rike will debut at Daytona Bikeweek, Friday March 11th, at the Brokene Saloon. It wil l be awarded ve months later to a past or present mem-f our Armed Forces onstage at the Legendary Buffalo Chip in Sturgis onst 11!

Buffalo Chip is pleased to have Lehman Trikes and Victory Motorcycles

part of this years Freedom Celebration. This is a special event dedicatedr troops, and I look forward to hosting our friends from Lehman and Vic-Rod Woodruff, Legendary Buffalo Chip.

e and Veteran members of all branches of the Department of Defense,d, Reserve, and Coast Guard are eligible to win this one-of-a-kind trike.giveaway is an annual event for Lehman called the Good Turn Trike, andrtnership with Victory Motorcycles and their ongoing military appreciationams this special edition CrossBow Trike valued at nearly $40,000 willa proud new owner. To be considered, all present and former military

and women can visit www.lehmantrikes.com for m ore information on thed Turn Trike.

Hines, President and CEO of Lehman Trikes summarizes, One Gooddeserves another. Lehman Trikes has lived by that adage for many. As a proud Veteran myself, it is a special honor to be dedicating this

s Good Turn Trike to our dedicated members of the Military.

011 Crossbow is made-in-the-USA, luxury touring at its nest combiningans 25 years of trike-building experience with the power and comfort of

rys agship Vision motorcycle.

os and additional details will be shared in a subsequent press releasewing the March 11 unveiling.

cations for the 2011 Good Turn Trike program are available on the Lehm-ikes website at www.lehmantrikes.com and through Lehman Trikes au-ed dealers. The deadline for application submission is May 13, 2011. Forinformation on the Good Turn Trike program, call 1-888-3WHEELS or

heir website at w ww.lehmantrikes.com.

Colorado Long-Distance Ride Group

Colorado Long Riders Motorcycle Club supports motorcycle rides in thetiful state of Colorado. Colorado has fty-three mountain peaks over

00 feet. Our goal is to attract long distance riders from all over the countrye with us. These are timed rides & will cover over 1000 miles in 24 hourss. More info: www.coloradolongridersmc.com/index.html

orcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) Offers Superstreetng I dont know a soul that doesnt love the rush a little speed can

de. Do you have a desire to test your racing skills, but arent sure youto spend the money required for gear?

MRA Superstreet class is designed to allow street riders the thrill ofd-course motorcycle competition. A $100 registration fee i ncludes race in-ion and dedicated track time. Although you must be in full racing gear, thedoes have some available for use, courtesy of some local businesses.ore info: www.mra-racing.org - click on superstreet pre-entry.

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JUST WANT TO RIDE ACT

years ago the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) implementedonsumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 to regulate thecontent in childrens toys, inadvertently banning the sale of youth model all-n vehicles and off-highway motorcycles due to trace levels of lead in someessible components.

anuary 25, Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT) introduced H.R. 412, theJust Want to Ride Act of 2011, which would exempt child-sized dirtbikes and

from the Lead Law and provide a legislative x to the misapplied restric-

Kids Just Want to Ride Act aims to clarify the previous federal law, whichonsumer agency claims they must strictly interpret as written despite havingpostponed enforcement.

Rehberg joined 22 fellow lawmakers from both parties in the House to in-ce the new bipartisan act, calling the legislation the best way to clarifyressional intent and ensure that children have access to the youth-sized ve-s that will keep them safe. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) has announced plansoduce similar legislation in the Senate.

ress conducted initial hearings on the CPSIA on February 17 in the Houseommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, and reviewed CPSC re-es for implementing the lead law.

NG AIM AT ChILD pASSENGERS

ginia Beach lawmaker has tried and failed to prohibit children under 8 fromon motorcycles, but despite the defeat of HB 1850 the issue is recurring in

s across the country.

posing the measure, Matt Danielson, legal counsel for the Virginia Coalitiontorcyclists (VCOM), said that there have been no fatalities among childrenr 8 riding on motorcycles in the past ten years. I dont look at this as a gov-ental issue. I look at this as a parental issue, said Danielson on behalf ofM, a political action committee that represents motorcyclists interests in theral Assembly. I think the parent can make a better decision about whether

child is ready to ride than can some legislator in Richmond.

reasoning hasnt deterred other state legislation, such as HB 2232 in Or-that would ban kids under 7 from riding as a passenger, despite existinglaw that requires a m otorcycle passengers feet must reach the footpegs.

ermore, in a bid to ban children from riding motorcycles in the Philippines, ang senator has cited the States power to invoke parens patriae, or the con-onal mandate to assume and act as a natural parent or guardian in order touard the welfare of any child or individual or an incapacitated and dependent

r who is in need of protection against danger, risk of lives and li mbs.

he growing number of motorcycle users worldwide, and with economic inu-s making motorbikes the most affordable mode of transportation, the matterdren riding and who is ultimately responsible for their safety and welfare will

mounting concern.

U.S. hOUSE BILL ENCOURAGES STATE VEhICLE SAFETY INSpECTION

pROGRAMS

U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) has introduced House Bill 229,the Michael Jon Newkirk Transportation Safety Enhancement Act of 2011 thatestablishes national standards for state safety inspections for motor vehicles. Thebill requires states to establish minimum annual vehicle safety inspection pro-grams or lose specic federal funds.

Included in the requirements listed in the language of this new bill, states mustenact and enforce a law that requires the owner of a motor vehicle registered inthe state to present the vehicle for inspection on an annual basis to ensure thatthe vehicle meets or exceeds motor vehicle safety standards to be establishedby the state.

Less than half the states have vehicle safety inspection programs and of thoseprograms that do exist, many have inconsistent standards, a situation that HB 229intends to address by standardizing such safety inspection procedures.

WARNING: AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY DEVICES COMING SOON TOMOTORCYCLES

Within the next two years, motorcycles could be sporting collision detection andother safety features more typically found installed in cars. The new safety sys-tems being tested for motorcycles include speed limit warnings, information aboutneighboring vehicles and changing lanes, and information of the tightness of roadbends and the speed in which to turn.

According to a report from the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), tests arebeing completed to bring the latest technologies found on cars to two-wheels, andthe rise in motorcyclist fatalities has prompted researchers to adapt the rst bike-based safety systems by late 2012.

MIRA (the Motor Industry Research Association) acts as a testing and innovationcenter for carmakers and has been carrying out tests on the Saferider systemson road bikes and simulators. An ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) con-sultant at MIRA, Jonathan Moore, said of the project: Saferider takes the driversafety systems that are becoming standard on cars and tries to adapt them to theunique needs of motorcyclists.

Moore said making safety systems on motorcycles useful was challenging be-cause of all the distractions to which riders were subjected. With trafc noise andmotorcycle helmets insulating riders from the traditional audible alarms found oncar collision systems, researchers have looked for ways to alert bikers of pendingdanger with tactile warning systems such as vibrating seats and special gloves.

New hi-tech systems could also protect riders from themselves, as one systembeing tested warns that a rider is going too fast to negotiate a turn. MIRA hasdeveloped smart software that acts as a co-pilot which, with the help of a digitalmap, knows what speed a motorcyclist should be travelling to make it around an

approaching curve in the road.

MOTORCYCLE SALES CONTINUE DECLINE, BUT ShOW SIGNS OF IM-

pROVEMENT

Sales of new motorcycles, scooters and ATVs dropped from 2009 to 2010, butsome increases were seen in the month of December according to a recentlyreleased sales report for 2010 from the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).

In 2009, motorcycle sales saw a drastic drop. Close to 360,000 fewer motorcycleswere sold in 2009 as compared to 2008, and sales have continued to decline. To-tal motorcycle sales, including scooters, through 2010 dropped 15.8%, or 82,198fewer units in 2010 for a total of 439,678 motorcycles sold this year. If you break itdown into category, off-road, dual-sport, highway, and scooters all saw a decreasein sales this year.

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The biggest loser was off-highway motorcycles, which saw a 23.3% decrease witha drop of nearly 25,000 bikes. The scooter segment saw the smallest decreaseat 9.4%, amounting to 3,000 fewer units than were sold in 2009. ATV sales weredown 64,000 units, or 20% down.

December saw increases in some segments over the prior year month. Scootersales were up 20% over the year-ago month, with an increase of 322 units. Dualpurpose motorcycles also increased, at 7.2%, with a rise of 86 units over Decem-ber 2009.

SOUTh CAROLINA BILL WOULD ALLOW ChARITABLE RAFFLES

With many states around the nation cracking down on everything from poker runsto rafes, lawmakers in South Carolina moving to ensure that local churches,schools and nonprots do not unknowingly break the law when they hold chari-table rafes.

Legislation, already approved by a Senate committee 18-4, would change thestate Constitution to allow the groups to hold a limited number of rafes and ca-sino nights annually -- as long as 90% of the m oney raised goes to benet chari-table causes.

Its a good start, said Austin Coates of ABATE South Carolina, a motorcyclistrights nonprot that holds hundreds of rafes annually for Special Olympics,breast cancer prevention, burn victims and others. But therell be a ght aheadbefore it becomes law.

The bill next heads to the full Senate for consideration. Should it survive there,it would go to the House. Ul timately, however, voters would have to approve any

change in the state Constitution.

MOTORCYCLE ChECKpOINTS IN GEORGIA DURING BIKE WEEK

The state of Georgia has received a $70,000 federal grant to launch motorcycle-only checkpoints in early March, just as Daytona Bike Week is getting underway.For most travelers, their route will take them through Georgia and likely into await-ing roadblocks to check for such things as proper license and curr ent registration,insurance, DOT-approved helmets, EPA-approved mufers, working horn andlights, etc, etc.

We were informed by unnamed sources that the Check Points would start in earlyMarch to coincide with the Daytona Bike Week event, said Dan Forrest, StateDirector of ABATE of Georgia. Most points of entry to Florida will be involved, soanyone traveling through Georgia to Daytona might want to r ethink their route.

The US Defenders have issued a Call To Action regarding the prothese motorcycle-only roadblocks being funded by NHTSA grants, aing the motorcycle community to voice their opposition to these so-caChecks by contacting NHTSA, the U.S. DOT and m ost importantly byown federal legislators to support H.R. 1498 by Rep. Jim Sensenbreto retain a ban on NHTSAs ability to lobby State Legislators usingdollars through the Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstration gr(DTNH22-10-R-00386).

These roadblocks or checkpoints for m otorcycles ONLY are being clegally and are discriminatory to say the least, says Escondido PaLt. Commander of the US Defenders. This is one more piece of evidconstant proling attempts targeting our community at large.

WAShINGTON STATE BILL WOULD pROhIBIT MOTORCYCLE p

The Confederation of Clubs, US Defenders and ABATE of Washingting support for legislation that would condemn and prevent the widenforcement practice of motorcycle proling.

The Washington Courts have conrmed that the Washington State Pof unlawful proling and discrimination against motorcyclists. In 200granted a permanent injunction against the State Patrols use of a tphlet titled BIKER 101 (Wulfekuhle v. Washington State Patrol). Howvember 23, 2009 the WSP, under oath, explicitly admitted that they pbers of motorcycle clubs and continue to use BIKER 101 as a training

This gross violation of a Washington State Superior Court injunction

the pattern of motorcycle proling continues and that the WSP brazthe liberties of motorcyclists even in the face of judicial reprimand.

To curb such injustices, Rep. Steve Kirby (D-Tacoma) introduced HJanuary 19 to require law enforcement agencies to adopt a writtencondemns and prevents motorcycle proling, review existing procedstitute training to address the issue of motorcycle proling, which mthe fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle-relatea factor in deciding to stop and question, arrest, or search a personwithout legal basis. (Companion: SB 5242).

QUOTABLE QUOTE:Nobody made a greater mistake than he whobecause he could do only a little.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797), British statesman and philosopher

AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured

rcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is

sored by the Law Ofces of Richard M. Lester. If youve been involved in any

of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

M BIKER NEWSBYTES - Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,

nal Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)


ThUndeR RoadS CoLoRado - MaRCh 2011

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Alcohol Poisoning What Ethanol isdoing to your bike

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The practice of distilling corn into a clear, highly volatile alcohol may have quitea rich history in the Mountain State, but the plain fact is: your motorcycle enginedoesnt like moonshine. Yet, every time you roll into a gas station as much as tenpercent of the fuel you pump into its tank is chemically identical to very pure shine.

Im talking about ethanol.In last months issue of Thunder Roads Colorado (see Alcohol Poisoning, WhatEthanol is Doing To Your Bike on page 16), we explored the properties of ethanolthat make it hazardous to the longevity of your bikes engine. To summarize, eth-anol-blended gasoline produces less useable energy, doesnt last as long in yourtank, is destructive to rubber and metal components of your fuel delivery system,and likes to absorb water. If enough water is present, the ethanol will abandon itsrelationship with the gasoline in favor of the water, and the water-ethanol combi-nation will separate from the gasoline, dropping to the bottom of your gas tank.

Once that happens, you have a mess on your hands. Your bike may miss andsputter, fail to start, or even suffer major engine damage. Obviously, preventivemeasures make a lot more sense than having to deal with these effects of analcohol hangover in your motor. The problem is that there really arent a lot ofthings you can do.

The best protection is to buy high quality gasoline at a station you can trust. Theideal station is one that touts ethanol-free gasoline. If you can nd one of these,go there to ll your bike every chance you get. One of the big knocks on ethanol-blended fuels is that they dont have a long life span. If you ride your bike infre-quently, this can become a real issue. Its not uncommon for ethanol-water phaseseparation to happen within as little as a few weeks after you ll the tank. Frequentturnover of the gas in your tank not only means that youre getting in a lot of riding,but helps avoid the issues of aging ethanol.

Buy a high octane grade of fuel. The ethanol added to gasoline accounts for about3 octane rating points. Since ethanol doesnt have as much stored energy (anddoesnt deliver what it does have as efciently as gasoline does in a motorcycleengine) discounting it from your calculations is a prudent step. Figure that 92octane-blended gas youre buying is really good for an octane rating of about 89,and youll be riding on the safe side.

When buying your gas, there is a new threat to watch for. As detailed in lastmonths article, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new rulesallowing for the sale of E15 gasoline for use in 4-wheel vehicles from the modelyear 2007 and newer. E15 is not approved for, and is actually illegal to use, inolder cars and all motorcycles. Even the EPA says E15 will at-out destroy yourbikes motor.

The use of fuel additives is really the only other option out there, and the debateabout their value is a raging dispute. Additives have been called everything froma magic bullet to snake oil. Depending upon the make-up of the additive, bothdescriptions may have merit.

I strongly urge you to look at the ingredients (MSDS) to determine exactly whatthe additive is capable of doing, says Gail Macri of Fuel Testers, a company that

sells kits for performingeld testing of ethanol-blended gasoline. Macriadds, The claims by most gas additive companies about their prod

aggerated, misleading at best, and more often, simply false informatiThe MSDS Macri refers to is the Material Safety Data Sheet. The Fepational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that an MSavailable to anyone who works with hazardous chemicals. The M SDa consumer-oriented document, but it does contain the ingredients liscommercially available chemical products. By reading the MSDS fofuel additive, you can nd out whats inside the bottle.

Thats important information, because many fuel additives are alproducts, and will only make your ethanol problems even worse. Thethese products is that they will boost the octane rating of the fuel in the same time they absorb excess water. But adding more alcohol oethanol already in your fuel mixture isnt going to x things. Yes, youoctane rating, but youre doing so by adding more ethanol, not moSince we know that ethanol burns differently than gasoline, we alsthe extra punch this added alcohol provides isnt happening at the opment in the combustion cycle. Its energy that results in added heat wpower. While an alcohol-based additive may help absorb a little moremember that the alcohol doesnt get rid of the water, it just combinesmay keep the water molecules in suspension, but they still have to your engine.

In fact, an alcohol-based additive is actually harmful for your enginmajor motorcycle manufacturers say their machines are not to be uscontaining more than 10% ethanol. Since there is already that much afuel you buy, adding more may bring the mix in your tank above the relimit. The bottom line regarding the use of alcohol-based fuel additivthis: Dont do it.

Which brings us to a different set of additives that may provide somehelp with some of the troublesome aspects of ethanol-blended gassounds like a hedged bet, it is. No additive even tries to make the cresolves all of the issues presented by ethanol. But the class of additiprove helpful use a base of Naphtha, instead of alcohol. Naphtha isform of gasoline, often referred to as white gas. Those gallon cans of for your lanterns and camp stoves are lled with pure naphtha. Since Nform of gasoline, it doesnt share ethanols propensity to unblend. Butof Naphtha being added to your tank is so small that it doesnt improit just doesnt worsen it like an alcohol-based additive does. Whats whats being carried into your tank by that Naphtha.

In many cases, the active ingredient is an emulsier, such as a deteis going to get a bit like a chemistry lesson, but bear with me.) It hathe electrical charge of the various chemical components. Gasoline i

By Gary Westphalen

Thunder Roads WV

The shelves at your local auto

storeare full of fuel treatments

of themare harmful to your b

engine, and willonly worsen

ethanol problems. Know

what youre putting in your

II

continu

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al. Water and ethanol are electrically charged, or polar, kind of like magnets.s why they attract each other. An emulsier, when added to the mix, gathersew hundred water molecules into a ball, called a micelle, and then surroundsall as it bonds the whole thing to the hydrocarbon molecules of the gasoline.k tiny water balloons, with the detergent forming the balloon skin. This way,ater molecules dont get to leave the party early with those polarized ethanolcules. The end result is a more stable mixture.

or the products that claim to extend the shelf life of E10, says Gail Macri,e these may be true that gas will be usable for nine months, instead of twoee months, all those products do is keep water suspended in the upperleum layer to delay phase separation. They do not prevent water from beingrbed, and they do not remove water or x fuel.

s point, I do have to single out one particular fuelve, for two reasons. First, because it claims todifferently than all other additives, but also be-

e practical application in the eld is indicatinghere just might be something to this. The spe-roduct is called Star Tron. The MSDS states thatthan 95% of the content in a bottle of Star Tron

phtha. So far, so good, but not unique. Where itnteresting is the claim that the active ingredient

a detergent or other emulsier, but a proprietaryf organic enzymes.

comes more science. An enzyme is a protein,e function is to vastly speed up a chemical reac-which allows the affected chemicals to stabilizequickly. In this case, says Star Brite, the compa-

at manufactures Star Tron, it means the processrrounding the water happens more vigorously,ting in smaller balls of water.

Trons impact on the water molecule is to reduceuster size to a size known as a colloid, saysCohen, Star Brites Fuel Engineer. Thats soit will stay in suspension without an emulsiersical bond, at least for a while. This is why, during

ation where there is some fuel movement, Starwill act just like a detergent and move microscopic drops of water up into theolumn where it is harmlessly burned off.

matters here. Cohen says that micelles of water may be large enough toace fuel as a boundary layer lubricant between metal surfaces, which causeson pumps and close tolerance fuel system components. The smaller colloidster, he says, do not.

her benet, says Cohen, of using enzymes over detergents is that, enzymesr become part of the reaction. They are catalysts. They initiate or acceler-hemical reactions, but release themselves from the reaction and start a newmillions of times per second. Its takes only a few molecules to do what untoldbers of detergent molecules do.

Cohen says that the storage life of gasoline treated with Star Tron is greatly en-hanced, but can only offer a couple of theories as to why it works. There is akind of trust me taint to the statement, although he says independent labs haveconrmed the claim. Cohen points out, It took scientists over 70 years to gure outhow aspirin worked, so we have to beg your understanding on this one.

So lets say you have a fuel tank where a partial phase separation has occurred.That is to say, a small amount of water and ethanol has left the party and droppedto the bottom of your tank. Can this load of fuel be salvaged? A data sheet suppliedby Fuel Testers says no. Removal of the bottom layer of fuel from the tank leavesyou with contaminated, octane decient gas, says the paper, supplied by GailMacri. Only advanced, costly, l tration/fuel-purifying in combination with replace-ment of chemicals will x phase-separated fuel.

Star Trons Matt Cohen says a tank of fuel that hassuffered from a high degree of phase separation is be-yond their products reach. However, he adds, Giventhat water will separate from fuel, even E10, you canhave water pooled on the bottom with some ethanol,but the fuel can still have ethanol in it as well. And thisis readily restored by adding Star Tron and operatingthe vehicle.

As youre reading product claims, ask yourself, Ifthese ingredients are so effective to accomplish xyz,then why arent they already in all gas sold?, saysMacri in explaining why the Star Tron claims dont holdwater with Fuel Testers. Any new miracle chemicalthat is developed, that really does help gas in someway, the patent is immediately bought by a major gascompany/renery, and then becomes a standard in-gredient in gas and may also be sold separately toother companies for use.

Several motorcycle shops in the state tell ThunderRoads West Virginia that they have seen benets tousing this particular additive. This anecdotal evidencecomes largely in the form of rough running and hard-starting motors that seemed to calm down when theirfuel supply was treated with Star Tron.

Even if you do have success with this or any other fuel additive, there is one aspectof ethanol-blended fuels that no product on the market can counter. Ethanol is asolvent, and, says Matt Cohen of Star Brite, It will eat up old rubber. Keep an eyeon your fuel lines.

When it comes to the validity of marketing claims for any fuel additive, it would takean army of chemists and engineers compiling absolute proof to convince me oneway or the other. Intelligent people on all sides of this debate make valid points, yetfail to reach consensus. So, Im not advocating the use of Star Tron, or any otherfuel additive. That decision is between you, your mechanic, and your bike. But allof the experts agree the best way to safeguard your bike is to store it with a full tankof fresh, high-octane gas, and to churn through that fuel supply on a regular basis.

ued from page 27


Thunder roads Colorado - MarCh 2011 Thank you for telling them you saw it in Thunder Roads


17/17

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Thunder Roads Colorado March 2011