Since 2008, the Legends Ride has attracted some of the hottest celebrities and legends of motorcycling from around the world, including American Idol’s Steven Tyler, comedic icon Pee-Wee Herman builders Arlen, Cory and Zach Ness, Brian and Laura Klock, Michael Prugh and many more.  Special guests already confirmed for this year’s ride scheduled for Monday, August 8th include America’s Favorite Survivor, Rupert Boneham as well as South Dakota’s own Survivor, Holly Hoffman.
The Legends Ride has set a new standard for giving back during the Sturgis Rally and has risen over $150,000 for local charities in just three, short years.  All Riders’ tickets will again benefit local Black Hills Charities, including the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.

2010 Legends Ride featuring Pee Wee Herman

“We are thrilled to continue the tradition of the Legends Ride,” explains Rod Woodruff owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip.  “Last year’s ride was featured on the Tonight Show as well as Sturgis the Wild Ride on the Travel Channel. This level of favorable publicity will no doubt help us continue to raise money for charities and the fourth consecutive sellout of the event.”
The 2011 ride will begin in Deadwood as the Deadwood Tobacco Company and the Silverado-Franklin Gaming Complex roll out the red carpet for Legends Riders.  From Deadwood, riders will enjoy a beautiful 55-mile ride to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip for a special Riders reception, live auction and double-headliner concert.

“The City of Deadwood and the Deadwood Chamber couldn’t be more excited for the 2011 Legends Ride. We have an opportunity to help raise a lot of money for charity while having the opportunity to ride with some motorcycle industry legends,” said George Milos, Director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. “We are honored to be a part of this worthwhile event and want to thank Rod Woodruff and the crew at the Buffalo Chip for their hospitality. We are confident that the 2011 Legends Ride will be bigger and better than ever.”

Tickets for the 2011 Legends Ride will be available for purchase on February 1st and can be secured on www.legendsride.com or by calling the Sturgis Buffalo Chip at (605) 347-9000.  The Legends Ride requires a contribution of $150, 100% of which goes directly to its chosen charities.

The Legends Ride would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Black Hills Harley-Davidson, Custom Chrome Inc., First Interstate Bank, Hot Leathers, Interstate Batteries, Knology, K & G Cycles, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, Progressive Insurance, the Renewable Fuels Association and Victory Motorcycles.

Laconia Motorcycle Week

One of the nation’s foremost motorcycle rallies, Laconia Motorcycle Week is centrally located in beautiful New Hampshire. From its majestic mountain peaks to its gorgeous coastline, New Hampshire offers an array of stunning landscapes as well as a selection of sizzling scenic byways for bikers to experience and enjoy.

Hot Leathers has become a staple at the yearly celebration and is proud to offer patrons the opportunity to purchase quality and price-conscious motorcycle apparel and accessories to commemorate this legendary event. Known for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road, Hot Leathers is proud to showcase its quality products at the Lobster Pound and at several locations up and down Lakeside Avenue.

“We’re thrilled to be heading back to beautiful Laconia this summer for their 88th anniversary,” explains Hot Leathers’ retailer operations manager, Andy George. “It’s an honor to be a presenting sponsor as well as official retailer at such a high caliber event. We can’t wait to hit the road!”

This summer’s rally will be Hot Leathers 26th year in attendance at Laconia Bike Week. With organizers estimating nearly 275,000 in attendance this year, Hot Leathers is looking forward  rolling in and making their presence known at this year’s festivities and affording New Hampshire rally-goers the opportunity to browse amongst a significant selection of premier merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other products for men, women and children.

Hot Leathers goes to great lengths to ensure that motorcycle enthusiasts from coast to coast have the opportunity to peruse and purchase the ultimate in riding gear at Hot Leathers’ simple one-stop-rally-shop. You definitely won’t want to miss ringing in summer 2011 with Hot Leathers and thousands of fellow bikers at Laconia Motorcycle Week.

Check out www.hotleathers.com to see their full 2011 rally schedule and to peruse their diverse and original merchandise.

Pee Wee writes:
“Yep, I went to South Dakota. (Road trip! Great idea for a movie, by the way…) Get ready for some more name dropping. At the Buffalo Chip were: ZZ Top, Buckcherry, The Guess Who, Bob Dylan and television’s ‘Renegade’ — Lorenzo Lamas. I got a new chopper, burned rubber with about 500,000 fellow bikers and ate the legendary donut burger — the most delicious thing on the planet, and I hear it’s totally good for you too. I met a cowboy named Cork and had beautiful women crawling all over me– I have that effect on beautiful women. BBW — any, and all women. I weighed-in remotely to the Tonight Show (doesn’t everybody these days?!) and I got a tattoo. Didn’t hurt at all. I brought some friends from Funny or Die to record my personal video diary or VLOG, if you will. I love internet lingo!!

Enjoy my journey, okay? I’m changed since I came back from South Dakota. I understand stuff I didn’t understand before.”

Looks like Pee Wee at Sturgis was a heap-load of fun. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

THE COMPLETE STURGIS 2010 CAMPING EXPERIENCE IS AT THE BROKEN SPOKE CAMPGROUND!

The Broken Spoke Campground is the place to stay at the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. They have 600 acres at the foothills of beautiful Bear Butte with tent camping spots, private air-conditioned cabins, and oversized RV spots with hook-ups, plus the best facilities and amenities in the Black Hills. Spots are still available and can be reserved now on-line at BrokenSpokeCampground.com or by calling (877) 653-6679 (8-SPOKE-ON-79). The Broken Spoke Campground is located on Highway 79 North, just past Bear Butte State Park in Sturgis, South Dakota. 

Broken Spoke Campground is the place to stay at the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

BROKEN SPOKE CAMPGROUND CAMPERS WILL ENJOY:

• FREE Concerts featuring: .38 Special, Dokken, Great White, Eddie Money, Warrant, Gallagher, The Kentucky HeadHunters, Black Stone Cherry, Confederate Railroad, Black Oak Arkansas, Blackfoot*, Houses of the Holy, Dallas Moore, Jasmine Cain, Laura Lynn & Lucas Hoge and many more.
• Clean, Hot, Private Showers
• Fully Equipped General Store
• 600 Acres in the Pristine Foothills of Beautiful Bear Butte
• Oversized RV Spots
• Private Air-Conditioned Cabins with Mini Fridge & Microwave
• FREE World’s Biggest Biker Pool with Hot Tubs, Tiki Bar, Live Music & the Sexiest Barmaids in the Black Hills!
• Food vendors ranging from Pizza Hut to Dirty Willies to Hickory Hollow Smokehouse
• FREE Beer Hour 4-5pm Daily with One Time Purchase of $5 Broken Spoke Mug
• FREE Pool Concerts Daily – Laura Lynn & Lucas Hoge
• Good ‘Ol Days Raceway
• Hill Climb
• Gill Montie’s World Famous Tattoo Mania
• An amazing array of motorcycle related vendors on-site
• Limpnickie Lot
• Baker Burnout Box
• Legends Art Gallery
• Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall – “The Wall That Heals”
• FREE WiFi
• FREE SPOKE 2 SPOKE Shuttle to / from Downtown Spoke & Campground

The Broken Spoke Campground is wall-to-wall entertainment for the entirety of the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The 2010 festivities include multiple camping options (tents, RV’s and cabins), the IMBBA Bike Show and Hall of Fame Awards, Easyriders Rodeo, the Michael Lichter & Sugar Bear Ride, the Cycle Source Ride and Chopper Show, the Vietnam Veterans Wall, the Baker Drivetrain Smoke-Down Showdown, the S&S Smokeout, the World’s Biggest Biker Pool with Hot Tubs & Tiki Bar, Legends Art Gallery, Good ‘ol Days Raceway, Hill Climb, America’s Original Extreme Motorcycle Thrill Shows, the Limpnickie Lot – where attendees can interact with the next generation of bike builders, the Lucky Daredevil Thrillshow, Hot Contests with Cash Prizes, Free Spoke to Spoke Shuttle, Live Music Day and Night, and an on-site General Store including all the items campers need!

The Broken Spoke Saloon is the world’s biggest biker bar, with locations across the country. There are two Broken Spoke Saloon locations in Sturgis, SD plus one in Daytona, FL; Myrtle Beach, SC and Laconia, NH (now open year-round). You’re bound to be close to one of them, so stop by during the next rally! The Broken Spoke Saloon in downtown Sturgis, SD is located at 905 Lazelle Street.

Visit: www.brokenspoke.com

The Legendary Buffalo Chip as they host the summer’s largest and most authentic music festival of its kind. For nearly 30 years the Legendary Buffalo Chip has proven itself as the heart of Sturgis Rally Week. This year with Sturgis celebrating its 70th Anniversary, the Chip has kicked it into high gear with a music lineup guaranteed to heat up your Rally Week festivities.

The Chip’s newest addition to the summer’s biggest biker lineup is the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. Certain to send shockwaves through the Buffalo Chip’s infamous outdoor amphitheatre, Ozzy’s notorious spectacle of gore and glitz is sure to rock and shock. Originally rising to prominence as the lead vocalist of the cutting-edge British heavy metal band, Black Sabbath in the 1970′s, Osbourne went on to achieve a multi-platinum solo career spanning three decades which lead to the eventual and complete revolution of the heavy metal music genre.

OZZY!

Also gracing the renowned stage of the Legendary Buffalo Chip for a once-in-a-lifetime performance on Tuesday, August 10 is America’s quintessential singer, songwriter, activist and poet, Bob Dylan. A musical luminary of unmatched proportions, Dylan will be offering those in attendance a unique glimpse into his remarkable repertoire of musical contributions that have spanned nearly 50 years. A trendsetter by every definition of the word, Dylan’s slangy yet profound lyrics successfully changed the face of American music, culture and politics.

Providing guests the opportunity to witness a genuine selection of premier bands and musical superstars, complete with the original members who made these bands legendary, the Chip is offering the most authentic music experience of Rally Week 2010. There are no comparisons or substitutions. Here’s a quick rundown of the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s 2010 Rally Week lineup:

• Friday, August 6- Dave Mason and Lee Rocker
• Saturday, August 7- Tesla and Drowning Pool
• Sunday, August 8- Creedence Clearwater Revisited and The Guess Who
• Monday, August 9- Trailer Choir, Buckcherry and ZZ Top
• Tuesday, August 10- Orianthi and Kid Rock
• Tuesday, August 10- Bob Dylan
• Wednesday, August 11- Stonesour and Motley Crue
• Thursday, August 12- Jason Aldean and Ozzy Osbourne
• Friday, August 13- Disturbed and The Scorpions
• Saturday, August 14- Williams & Ree and The Doobie Brothers

In addition to being the largest music festival of its kind, this year’s Legendary Buffalo Chip Rally Week festivities not only achieves raucous proportions but offers visitors a high-octane and complete biker experience. The Chip has successfully
rounded up an enormous selection of biker-centric entertainment in addition to their unrivaled music lineup. From the Guns of Freedom which offers guests the opportunity to fire over 65 models of machine guns to the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s Freedom Celebration including The American Pride RideT and a special tribute to our American Veterans and Active Duty Military; the Legendary Buffalo Chip offers the complete package.

This year’s Legendary Buffalo Chip Sturgis experience also includes Michael Lichter’s 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art exhibit. Entitled “Eternal Combustion-30 in the Wind”, this year’s exhibit will focus on the explosion of interest and passion for custom motorcycles and will feature the works of 15 pairs of custom builders. Celebrities, the nation’s top bike builders and riders looking to ride for charity are also encouraged to take part in the 3rd annual Legends Ride ®. This historic and beautiful ride takes riders from Deadwood to the Legendary Buffalo Chip through the Black Hills of South Dakota and benefits a number of local charities.

And you won’t want to miss the Chip’s quirkiest addition to their 2010 Rally lineup, eccentric funnyman and American icon, Pee-wee Herman. The Chip is thrilled to have Pee-wee help kick off this year’s 70th Annual Sturgis Rally Week 2010. To celebrate Pee-wee’s visit to the Legendary Buffalo Chip they have planned a number of entertaining events including a “Waiting for Pee-wee Party” as well as open auditions for guests to appear in a scene with the legendary character. Pee-wee  will also be judging the Ms. Buffalo Chip Pageant and participating in the 2010 Legends Ride, as well as a Pee-wee parade through The Chip’s premises.

Pee Wee's going to the Chip!

“For Sturgis’ 70th Anniversary we really wanted to out-do ourselves this year,” explains Buffalo Chip owner, Rod Woodruff. “We wanted to not only provide visitors with a large and varied selection of cool things to do, but also provide them with the nation’s foremost biker music festival- with this lineup I think we’ve officially accomplished that.”

Providing visitors a barrage of world-class entertainment, art, vendors, food, amenities, charitable efforts and countless memories, the Legendary Buffalo Chip offers its guests the undisputed ultimate Sturgis experience and there really is no reason to go anywhere else. Visit buffalochip.com now and make your reservations for Sturgis Rally Week 2010 and enjoy their entertaining selection of events as well as its authentic and unrivaled music lineup at the Best Party Anywhere!

The New England weather is almost always predictable during this week. It either rains cats and dogs (which happened during the first weekend) or it’s oppressively hot and sticky, as it was on the day we went up.

Laconia Bike Week 2010

the main strip

We’ve been going to Laconia for bike week for 20 years, more or less, and I have to say it’s a much different rally today. I remember it being a lot more wild, signs that read “Show us your tits” were every ten feet and people lined the streets on the way to the beach sitting in their lawn chairs with coolers of beer next to them.

These days it’s much more family-friendly. Over the past 10 years if any woman flashed her goodies she might get a ticket from the local authorities. Cops are everywhere. To say it’s been watered down is an understatement. It’s almost so subdued that it can be a bummer.

"Weirs" the beach? har har.

But still, we go mainly for all the motorcycles, great people watching, bad food, good music and to scope out the merchandise!

Here’s a few photos from the day:

stogies & motorcycles=perfect match

a whole lotta bootie shorts

look at that pink bike! It has streamers!

Vampire skull tank

can't you just smell this just by looking at the pic?

local bike builder, Dave Perewitz

a girl after my own heart: great helmet stickers and a Patriots paint scheme

events

H-D blowup

Old School Choppers

veterans tribute motorcycle

Love seeing flags flying on bikes.

Laconia, for me,  is still a fun rally with all the comforts of home sprinkled in. We had a great- but much too-short time there!

Related posts:

• a few photos from Laconia 2009
• Laconia motorycle week 2008
• Video Tuesday: Laconia Bike Week 2007
• Having a blast at bike week-wish you were here!

]]> http://www.rippin-kitten.com/2010/06/24/photos-from-laconia-bike-week-2010/feed/ 8 http://www.rippin-kitten.com/2010/06/22/ozzy-osbourne-caps-off-a-great-musical-line-up-at-the-chip/ http://www.rippin-kitten.com/2010/06/22/ozzy-osbourne-caps-off-a-great-musical-line-up-at-the-chip/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:26:14 +0000 Lizzie http://www.rippin-kitten.com/?p=3534 The Legendary Buffalo Chip: Ozzy Osbourne to Cap off the Summer’s Biggest Biker Music Festival

Get ready to go off the rails with the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s newest addition to the summer’s biggest and most outrageous music festival of its kind; the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. Guaranteed to send shockwaves through the Buffalo Chip’s infamous outdoor amphitheatre during Sturgis Rally Week 2010, Ozzy’s notorious spectacle of gore and glitz is sure to rock and shock.

OZZY

From the slums of Birmingham, England to the inner circle of the lords of heavy metal, Ozzy’s creativity is only outweighed by his unmatched ability on the stage and in the studio. One of heavy metal music’s original trailblazers, Ozzy Osbourne pioneered the sentiment that it’s ok to think dark thoughts. He originally rose to prominence as lead vocalist of the cutting-edge British heavy metal band Black Sabbath in the 1970′s, and went on to achieve a multi-platinum solo career spanning three decades which lead to the eventual and complete revolution of the heavy metal
music genre.

With his infamous occult and horror-inspired lyrics, the Godfather of Heavy Metal astounded and often dismayed his audience, crafting a unique style that changed the face of rock and roll forever. Osbourne is ranked 8th on Hit Parader’s list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal vocalists of all time. In addition, Black Sabbath was donned the “Greatest Metal Band” of all time by MTV and placed second in VH1′s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock” list. They also succeeded in selling over 15 million records in the United States alone. In the meantime, Osbourne has successfully established himself as an international superstar, capable of selling millions of records and packing arenas around the globe.

In addition to being the largest music festival of its kind, this year’s Buffalo Chip lineup during Sturgis Rally Week 2010 not only achieves raucous proportions but offers visitors a high-octane and complete biker experience. With Rally Week celebrating its 70th Anniversary, the Chip has kicked into high gear and is ready to knock the chaps off of the tens of thousands of bikers that will be making their yearly pilgrimage to Sturgis’ premier entertainment venue and motorcycle travel destination.

Poised and ready to offer their visitors the complete biker experience, the Legendary Buffalo Chip has rounded up an enormous selection of biker-centric fun and festivities in addition to their unrivaled music lineup which also includes ZZ Top, Kid Rock, Motley Crue, The Doobie Brothers and The Scorpions. Providing visitors a barrage of world-class entertainment, art, vendors, food, amenities, charitable efforts and countless memories, the Legendary Buffalo Chip offers its guests the undisputed ultimate Sturgis experience. From the Guns of Freedom which offers guests the opportunity to fire over 65 models of machine guns to the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s Freedom Celebration including The American Pride Ride and a special tribute to our American Veterans and Active Duty Military; the Legendary Buffalo Chip offers the complete package.

Sturgis Buffalo Chip Presents 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibit: Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind

This year’s Legendary Buffalo Chip Sturgis experience also includes Michael Lichter’s 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art exhibit. Entitled “Eternal Combustion-30 in the Wind”, this year’s exhibit will focus on the explosion of interest and passion for custom motorcycles and will feature the works of 15 pairs of custom builders. Celebrities, the nation’s top bike builders and riders looking to ride for charity are also encouraged to take part in the 3rd annual Legends Ride ®. This historic and beautiful ride takes riders from Deadwood to the Legendary Buffalo Chip through the Black Hills of South Dakota and benefits the Children’s Home of the Black Hills as well as the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.

Pee Wee's going to the Chip!

And you won’t want to miss the Chip’s quirkiest addition to their 2010 Rally lineup, eccentric man-child and American icon, Pee-wee Herman. The Chip is thrilled to have Pee-wee help kick off this year’s 70th Annual Sturgis Rally Week 2010. To celebrate Pee-wee’s visit to the Legendary Buffalo Chip they have planned a number of entertaining events including a “Waiting for Pee-wee Party” as well as open auditions for guests to appear in a scene with the legendary character. Pee-wee will also be participating in judging the Ms. Buffalo Chip Pageant, leading the 2010 Legends Ride, as well as a Pee-wee parade through The Chip’s premises.

“For Sturgis’ 70th Anniversary we really wanted to out-do ourselves this year,” explains Buffalo Chip owner, Rod Woodruff. “We wanted to not only provide visitors with a large and varied selection of cool things to do, but also provide them with the nation’s foremost biker music festival- with this lineup I think we’ve officially accomplished that.”

The Legendary Buffalo Chip IS Sturgis and there really is no reason to go anywhere else. Visit buffalochip.com now and make your reservations for Sturgis Bike Week 2010 and enjoy their entertaining selection of events as well as its unrivaled music lineup at the Best Party Anywhere!

Hot Leathers

This year’s rally will feature live bands, a chop off, XS Speed’s mini-bike races, roller derby, vendors, drag racing and more choppers than you have ever laid eyes on. The Smoke Out East is also the conclusion of a 2,000 mile ride called The Long Road. Starting in Santa Rosa, NM and ending in Rockingham, NC, The Long Road is boasted as the greatest owner-garage-built-ride-in-bike-show in the world and covers a large and beautiful section of our nation’s heartland. In addition to the motorcycle mayhem, Hot Leathers will be in Rockingham to showcase a number of their superior products. Rally-goers will have the chance to browse amongst a significant selection of Hot Leather’s premier merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other products for men, women and children. Notorious for packing up their merchandise and visiting a number of rallies and festivals throughout the nation, Hot Leathers goes to great lengths to ensure that motorcycle enthusiasts from coast to coast have the opportunity to peruse and purchase the ultimate in riding gear at Hot Leathers’ simple one-stop-rally-shop.

Hot Leathers has been serving the motorcycle community for over 25 years. As a result, the company’s growing wholesale and printing facilities have earned it a place as one of America’s top 50 volume screen printers. Keep an eye out this summer for the Hot Leathers logo. It’s a brand you can trust with prices you can easily afford.

Follow Hot Leathers as they comb the nation, outfitting motorcycle enthusiasts with the quality merchandise that they desire and deserve. Check out hotleathers.com to see their full 2010 rally schedule and to peruse their diverse and original merchandise.

Celebrities, the nation’s top bike builders and riders looking to ride for charity will converge in Deadwood August 9 to take part in the 3rd annual Legends Ride. The Legends Ride takes riders from Historic Deadwood to the Legendary Buffalo Chip in Sturgis through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Riders’ contributions from the Ride benefit the Children’s Home of the Black Hills and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. In just two years, the Legends Ride has raised nearly $100,000 for these charities.

The 2010 Legends Ride to Kick off the 70th Annual Sturgis Rally

Special guests confirmed to participate on the 2010 Legends Ride include actor Lorenzo Lamas, reality television star Rupert Boneham, comedic icon Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) and a host of the nation’s top bike builders and industry dignitaries.

“The past couple years have proved that the Legends Ride is the premier charity and celebrity event in motorcycling. We are proud to be part of this worthy cause, and it’s truly amazing to see Rally-goers come forward to be part of this great ride,” said George Milos, Deadwood Chamber of Commerce director. “And now that we’ve established the Ride as a must-do during the Rally, we are only going to see more support.”

The cost of the ride is $150 per person. That tax-deductible fee offers riders the opportunity to join celebrities, world-class bike builders, cigar aficionados and other special guests on a stunning 50-mile ride from historic Deadwood, S.D., to the Legendary Buffalo Chip for the Legends Ride finale, capped by a concert by rockers Buckcherry and legends ZZ Top. A ticket to the concert is included in the registration. Other perks include free parking in Deadwood and the Legendary Buffalo Chip, food and drinks prior to the concert, meet-and-greet opportunities with master builders and celebrities and a special souvenir gift pack. Registration for the 2010 ride is now open, and space is filling quickly as the Legends Ride heads for its third consecutive sellout.

Also in 2010, the Legend’s Ride reception at the Legendary Buffalo Chip will be highlighted by a special live auction featuring “Method,” a one-of-a-kind custom motorcycle built by Discovery Channel bike builder Michael Prugh and the students of Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City, S.D.

The Legends Ride schedule in Deadwood runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Silverado-Franklin Historic Hotel and Gaming Complex on Deadwood’s Main Street.  Other Deadwood Legends Ride event locations include the Deadwood Tobacco Company, where riders can enjoy a stogie with tobacconists and avid motorcyclists John and Vaughn Boyd.  The Silverado-Franklin will also showcase the works of top motorcycle
and Black Hill’s artists including Marc Lacourciere, Michael Lichter, David Uhl, Eric Herrmann and Kristi Goodell as part of the Buffalo Chip’s 2010 Essential Artists of the Sturgis Rally. The ride departs Deadwood at 3 p.m. as the convoy heads through the Black Hills and Vanocker Canyon before reaching the Buffalo Chip and a pre-concert reception and auction, which begins at 5 p.m.

This Week Hot Leathers is packing up shop and heading to the Lake George Americade in Lake George, NY. One of the nations’ most celebrated and attended rallies; the Lake George Americade offers riders an array of scenic roads, easy access from interstates and unparalleled natural beauty. The Lake George Americade is a rally unlike any other and Hot Leathers, synonymous for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road, is looking forward to participating in the celebration scheduled for June 7-12.

Hot Leathers is heading to the Lake George Americade rally

One of the world’s largest multi-brand motorcycle touring rallies, the Lake George Americade is a celebration of riders and passengers who enjoy riding tourers, sport-tourers, and cruising motorcycles. An action-packed five days of rally mayhem that attracts over 50,000 motorcyclists annually offers riders a plethora of entertainment as well as breathtaking riding opportunities and amazing views. It’s also the perfect opportunity for Hot Leathers to showcase a number of their superior products. Rally-goers will have the chance to browse amongst a significant selection of Hot Leather’s premier merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other products for men, women and children.

Notorious for packing up their merchandise and visiting a number of rallies and festivals throughout the nation, Hot Leathers goes to great lengths to ensure that motorcycle enthusiasts from coast to coast have the opportunity to peruse and purchase the ultimate in riding gear at Hot Leathers’ simple one-stop-rally-shop. Hot Leathers has been serving the motorcycle community for over 25 years. As a result, the company’s growing wholesale and printing facilities have earned it a place as one of America’s top 50 volume screen printers. Keep an eye out this summer for the Hot Leathers logo. It’s a brand you can trust with prices you can easily afford.

Follow Hot Leathers as they comb the nation, outfitting motorcycle enthusiasts with the quality merchandise that they desire and deserve. Check out hotleathers.com to see their full 2010 rally schedule and to peruse their diverse and original merchandise.

For nearly 30 years the Legendary Buffalo Chip has time and again proven itself as the epicenter of Sturgis Bike Week. This year with Rally Week celebrating its 70th Anniversary, the Chip has kicked it into high gear and is ready to knock the chaps off of the tens of thousands of bikers that will be making their yearly pilgrimage to the premier entertainment venue and motorcycle travel destination.

Providing visitors a barrage of world-class entertainment, art, vendors, food, amenities, charitable efforts and countless memories, the Legendary Buffalo Chip truly is the undisputed ultimate Sturgis experience. Here is a rundown of some of the events and entertainment that the Legendary Buffalo Chip has in store for Chipsters during Sturgis Rally Week 2010.

This year The Chip’s Sporting Complex will be the home to a variety of activities. Wednesday, August 11 and Thursday, August 12 the Chip will be hosting the North American Hillclimbers Association annual world championship-qualifying hill climbs. Truly taking it to the max, these Sturgis daredevils will be head to handlebars on a 300-foot course featuring impossible ledges and skill testing jumps during Round 4 of the RacerX/American Suzuki NAHA Pro Series.

The South Dakota Mud Racers will be holding their annual Buffalo Chip Mud Races on Sunday, August 8 and Monday, August 9. Mud Racing, which combines the adrenaline of drag racing with the brains and creativity of auto engineering, is a fan favorite. Tractors and trucks will compete for trophies and bragging rights during the races which are sure to be full of gear jamming, family-oriented, edge-of-your-seat fun.

Guns of Freedom will be held August 4th through the 14th. This display of exotic firearms gives adrenaline junkies the chance to feel the fire. Over 65 models of machine guns will be live and ready for you to pull the trigger. No one has experienced an adrenaline rush of this magnitude until you’ve fired off a few dozen rounds in a half second. Enjoy the rush of this hands-on experience every day throughout Sturgis Bike Week.

Tuesday, August 10 is the Demolition Derby. A fan favorite, watch as fun-loving automobile drivers create head-on collisions.

The Main Stage will host a number of premier musical acts during Rally Week this year. Dave Mason gets the ball rolling on Friday, August 6 followed by Tesla on Saturday, August 7. Creedence Clearwater Revisited joins legendary rockers, The Guess Who on Sunday, August 8. The impressive lineup continues on Monday, August 9 with Buckcherry and ZZ Top followed by Orianthi and Kid Rock on Tuesday, August 10. The entertainment continues with Disturbed and the Scopions on Friday, August 13. And finally Rally Week ends with a bang with Williams & Ree and the Doobie Brothers on Saturday, August 14. And you won’t want to miss Ross & Rotten, Buffalo Chip
regulars performing throughout the week, August 6th through 14th.

An array of acts will also be performing at the Bikini Beach Stage, Hoyt Axton Blues Stage, Kinison Playground Stage and the Micro Brew Stage. These performances will include Charlie Brechtel, Dog Leg Preacher, Dwight York, Electric Rev (Jimmie Bratcher), Roxslyde, the Buffalo Chip Saloon Girls, Toby Roktot, and Tumbleweed Junction.

While enjoying the Chip’s selection of musical acts you may want to head to the Top Shelf Lounge. Boasting the best concert viewing to be had at the Legendary Buffalo Chip, the Top Shelf Lounge is 70 feet out from center front of the stage. Penthouse level views with a cash bar, occupancy is limited at the Top Shelf Lounge. Visitors will need a general admission pass to the campground in order to buy and enjoy this upgrade.

The Lichter Exhibition Hall will also host a variety of events. The Legends Ride Reception will be held Monday, August 9. A barrage of celebrities, world-class bike builders, cigar aficionados and over 500 riders will be making the stunning, 50-mile trek from historic Deadwood, SD to the Buffalo Chip’s Gardens for the Legends Ride reception. During the reception, guests will enjoy live and silent auctions as well as admission to Michael Lichter’s 2010 Exhibition entitled, “Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind”.

The Pink & Proud Reception will be held Friday, August 13. The 50 mile ride starts with an opening celebration complete with mini-sessions, exhibits, seminars and entertainment. The day continues with a beautiful escorted ride through two canyons ending with the final Pink Parade through the gates of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. The perfect close to the perfect event, the exclusive ride reception at the Buffalo Chip Gardens will include hors’dorves, the Pink Fashion show, live auction, entertainment, drinks and a finale like no other charity ride can offer.

Michael Lichter’s 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art exhibit will take place August 7th through the 13th. This year’s exhibit entitled, “Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind”, will focus on the explosion of interest and passion for custom motorcycles. The exhibit will feature the works of 15 pairs of custom builders and the renowned photographer’s own photography and limited edition prints. Free access and admission will be granted to the general public.

The Motorcycle Industry Reception will be held Tuesday, August 10. This invitation-only reception is attended by more than 600 influencers of the motorcycle industry. Attendees will include media representatives, representing radio, magazines and the internet.

Other activities that you won’t want to miss include the Reptile Gardens on Monday, August 9; the daily Guitar Hero contest August 6th through August 14th; and the Buffalo Chip’s military tribute which will include the traveling Vietnam Wall and Golden Dog Tags Exhibit honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country’s freedom. The exhibit will be held for ten days with an awards ceremony on Wednesday, August 11.

The Chip has also recently announced a quirky addition to their 2010 Sturgis Rally lineup in the form of eccentric man-child and American icon, Pee-wee Herman. The Chip is thrilled to have Pee-wee help kick off this year’s 70th Annual Sturgis Rally Week 2010. To celebrate Pee-wee’s visit to the Legendary Buffalo Chip they have planned a number of entertaining events including a “Waiting for Pee-wee Party” as well as open auditions for guests to appear in a scene with the legendary character. Pee-wee will also be participating in judging the Ms. Buffalo Chip Pageant, leading the 2010 Legends Ride, as well as a Pee-wee parade through The Chip’s premises.

The Buffalo Chip Burnout Drags Competition will be held Friday, August 13 and helicopter rides will also be available August 6th through the 14th. You also won’t want to miss the Illumination Fire Troupe, the World Pickle Lickin’ Federation’s World Championship Pickle Lickin’ Contest, the Sucker Punch Sally Bike Give-a-way, and Pitchfork Fondue. This event is a must and includes cowboy chefs from the area preparing steaks, poking them on the end of pitchforks then searing them in a custom-made tank full of specially blended savory oils- an unbelievable western delight.

Other notable events include the Abate Rodeo August 7th through the 14th. On tap this year are events for individual participants such as the always entertaining Keg Push, Plank Race, Slalom, and Slow Race. This year’s rodeo will also have events for women riders and also team events including the Weenie Bite, Joust and safer-than-it-sounds Drive by Shooting event.

The 2K10 Challenge will be held on Monday, August 9th. This year the Buffalo Chip teamed world class custom bike builder Michael Prugh along with the professional staff and state of the art equipment at Western Dakota Tech, to teach students the art, craft and science of building a custom motorcycle. Parts were contributed by a number of Legends Ride sponsors, including Interstate Batteries, Jaybrake, Performance Machine, Custom Chrome, Akzo/Nobel Lesonal, Hot Leathers and Black Hills Harley-Davidson.

You won’t want to miss the Miss Buffalo Chip Pageant taking place between August 6th and August 14th. The girls will be modeling biker attire, lingerie and swimsuits. In addition, the Miss Buffalo Chip Pageant recently gained international attention when then Republican Presidential Candidate joked from the Buffalo Chip stage that he had encouraged his wife Cindy to enter so that she could be the only woman to be both the First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip!

The Buffalo Chip Elite Dinner will be Tuesday, August 10. Enjoy this one-night-only special event where you will have the opportunity to sit back, relax and dine by candlelight while enjoying the most flavorful and tender steak available paired with four wine favorites. And don’t worry sommelier experience and formal attire not required.

The Chip is Sturgis and there really is no reason to go anywhere else. Visit buffalochip.com now and make your reservations for Sturgis Bike Week 2010 and enjoy this entertaining selection of events at the Best Party Anywhere!

Eager to become an integral element at Sturgis’ best party anywhere, K&G Cycles will be making a large presence at the Legendary Buffalo Chip during Sturgis Bike Week. An official sponsor of the 3rd Annual Legends Ride and the 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibition, K&G Cycles has also recruited the help of a couple carefully selected K&G girls that will be distributing K&G bandanas- you won’t want to miss it.

Founded in 2006 by George Marakas, K&G Cycles was born out of his love of motorcycling and a desire to turn his hobby of restoring antique bikes into a business. With the advent of K&G Cycles’ Web store in February 2009, Marakas has successfully created a revolutionary approach to online merchandising without sacrificing his personal touch or passion for the industry.

Since its inception in 2009, K&G Cycles has pioneered one of the industry’s most exciting new concepts in motorcycle parts retailing. With 1,200 categories of parts from over 250 manufacturers and 6 major motorcycle parts distributors, motorcyclists can find everything they need all in one location. Hoping to one day become the “Amazon.com” for motorcycle parts and accessories, it’s inevitable that customers will eventually realize that if K&G Cycles doesn’t have it, it probably doesn’t exist.

“I’m thrilled to partner with the Legendary Buffalo Chip for Sturgis 2010,” explains K&G owner, George Marakas, “Being a sponsor at the Chip allows us great exposure during one of industry’s premier rallies. In addition, K&G will get a taste of the true Sturgis experience that only the Chip can offer.”

For over 25 years, the Legendary Buffalo Chip has offered rally-goers the ultimate Sturgis experience. Providing visitors a barrage of world-class entertainment, art, vendors, food, amenities, charitable efforts and countless memories, the Legendary Buffalo Chip is Sturgis. Renowned for only partnering with the motorcycle industry’s finest, the Chip is also looking forward to their partnership with K&G Cycles.

“We are proud to have K & G Cycles as an official sponsor of Michael Lichter’s 10th annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibition and the 3rd annual Legends Ride,” says Lon Nordbye, Director of Corporate Partnerships for the Legendary Buffalo Chip.  “K & G Cycles is one of the industry’s best online sources for quality parts and accessories for our customers. It’s a great partnership moving forward for the 70th annual Sturgis Rally.”

Bikers from around the world have come to appreciate the accommodations, amenities, events and good times found at the Chip. To get a taste of this true Sturgis experience you’ll want to stay at the Buffalo Chip- there really is no reason to go anywhere else. Visit buffalochip.com for more information or to make your reservations for Sturgis 2010.

Also with new lines being added daily, K & G’s goal is to provide their customers with the widest possible selection of American and foreign-made motorcycles parts as well as clothing, apparel and gear at prices you simply will not believe. Driven bytheir love of motorcycling and the idea of creating a new kind of shopping experience within this marketplace, K&G Cycles have streamlined the buying process while still offering competitive pricing and great customer service. For more information about K & G Cycles, please call (785) 542-9227 or visit them at kandgcycles.com.

Recently news hit that Pee Wee is heading to Broadway (and my family and I are seriously considering a road trip to take in the show). So, you can imagine that news of Pee Wee heading to The Chip makes my heart flutter!

Pee-wee Herman Embarks on a BIG NEW ADVENTURE at the Legendary Buffalo Chip during the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

This past winter in Los Angeles, Pee-wee Herman came back to life with a stunning new production of “The Pee-wee Herman Show” that met with rave reviews by critics and fans of all ages. Now, Pee-wee and many of the original “Playhouse” gang are getting ready to hit “The Great White Way” this fall bringing the hit show to Broadway at The Stephen Sondheim Theatre for a ten week run beginning October 26, 2010. And, with new movies in the works and a brand new role in the SMURFS- it’s no wonder Pee-wee has decided to first have some fun in Sturgis at The Legendary Buffalo Chip.

Pee Wee's going to the Chip!

Pee-wee’s visit on August 8th & 9th will officially kick off The Chip’s festivities during the 70th Annual Sturgis Rally in South Dakota where estimated attendance is over 650,000 riders.  Rod “Woody” Woodruff, owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip, just can’t stop smiling at the prospect.

“When I heard Pee-wee loves bikers and wants to join our party, I go so excited- the laughter had tears running down my face!  I loved “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and that classic scene at the biker bar, and I’m still laughing at Pee-wee trying to ride that bike into the sunset.  I just knew instantly that having Pee-wee at a real biker party presented a once in a lifetime experience for many of the hundreds of thousands of riders who will pass through the gates of The Buffalo Chip this summer.”

Pee-wee is pretty excited too. “Before I made Big Adventure I didn’t know much about bikers. During the filming of that movie I realized that bike enthusiasts are freedom-loving Americans with hearts of gold– and sometimes a lot of tattoos and leather! I am really excited about going to Sturgis and making lots of new friends at The Buffalo Chip. I mean, The LEGENDARY Buffalo Chip.”

Pee-wee’s not attending just for the party, however.  He has generously offered to hang out with his fans, sign autographs and help raise money for various charities in South Dakota: The Black Hills Children’s Home Society, Kids & Chrome Foundation, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.

When Pee-first arrives at The Chip, he will be presented with a NEW RIDE at the Kid’s & Chrome Reception. From there, Pee-wee will use his new bicycle to “Captain” the Chip’s Annual star-studded Legends Charity Ride from Deadwood to The Buffalo Chip.

Woodruff said Pee-wee won’t be arriving alone, but will be accompanied by a television crew to record and post some of the spontaneous hilarity that will ensue while having Pee-wee at the Best Party Anywhere. Woodruff said Pee-wee has asked the Chip’s campers to participate in “Pee-wee’s New Big Adventure at the Legendary Buffalo Chip”, which Woodruff believes this should be a lot of fun for the Chip’s campers.

Those “real” biker men and women over the age of 21 who’d be like to be recorded with Pee-wee during his stay at the Buffalo Chip may apply online at buffalochip.com Woodruff said pre-qualified applicants will be selected and notified to appear for a final audition at the Chip where Pee-wee Herman will hand pick the lucky winners himself!

Woodruff also recommended that all Sturgis Rally goers bring their dancing shoes because he’s pretty sure that the Pee-wee’s visit is destined for the Guinness Book of World Records. With a sly smile Woodruff commented “I can’t reveal more than that right now, but stay tuned to buffalochip.com in the days and weeks ahead for several more announcements surrounding 
Pee-wee New Big Adventure at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. This will be one of the most memorable Sturgis Rallies in history!”

Photo credit © 2010 Buffalo Chip Campgrounds, LLC. © 2010 Herman World, Inc. Pee-wee Herman Photo: © Chris McPherson. All Rights Reserved.

Hot Leathers is headed for sun and surf this week at the legendary Panama City Beach Motorcycle Rally. The industry leader in motorcycle apparel, synonymous for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road is looking forward to a large presence at the much anticipated event being held April 28-May 2.

Panama City motorcycle rally 2010

A mainstay on the biker rally scene, twice a year thousands of riders descend on Panama City for the Panama City Beach Rally for a long weekend of motorcycle revelry along one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Hot Leathers is a sponsor at this year’s celebration which promises to be an action-packed five days of motorcycle-centric festivities including parties, rides, vendors and live music. The Panama City Beach Rally also provides the perfect opportunity for Hot Leathers to showcase a number of their superior products. Florida rally-goers will have the chance to browse amongst a significant selection of Hot Leather’s premier merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other products for men, women and children.

In addition, Hot Leathers has designed and produced an array of premier rally apparel and merchandise exclusively for this year’s Panama City Beach Motorcycle Rally. Creating original designs for all of the major bike parties across the nation is a staple of the Hot Leathers Brand. Notorious for packing up their merchandise and visiting a number of rallies and festivals throughout the nation, Hot Leathers goes to great lengths to ensure that motorcycle enthusiasts from coast to coast have the opportunity to peruse and purchase the ultimate in riding gear at Hot Leathers’ simple one-stop-rally-shop.

Hot Leathers has been serving the motorcycle community for over 25 years. As a result, the company’s growing wholesale and printing facilities have earned it a place as one of America’s top 50 volume screen printers. Keep an eye out this summer for the Hot Leathers logo. It’s a brand you can trust with prices you can easily afford.

Follow Hot Leathers as they comb the nation, outfitting motorcycle enthusiasts with the quality merchandise that they desire and deserve. Check out hotleathers.com to see their full 2010 rally schedule and to peruse their diverse and original merchandise.

Buckcherry joins the stellar line-up at the Legendary Buffalo Chip

Formed in Los Angeles in 1995, the Grammy-nominated hard rock band has seen significant success since the release of their 2006 album, “15,” which included top ten hits “Sorry” and “Crazy Bitch.” In addition, their album “Black Butterfly” which was released in 2008, reached the top ten on Billboard’s Top 200. The hits “Too Drunk.” “Rescue Me,” and “Don’t Go Away,” helped propel the album to Gold status.

The rock music luminaries have toured with an array of rock and roll legends including KISS, AC/DC, Lenny Kravitz and Motley Crue. Their 2009 release, “Live & Loud 2009″ debuted in September and featured live performances in six Canadian venues. The CD features “Lit Up,” “Ridin’,” “Sorry,” and “For the Movies,” as well as songs from “Black Butterfly.”

Renowned for their melodic yet go-for-the-throat styling, Buckcherry is also well-known for their incredible stage presence.

“Buckcherry has taken ‘shock and awe’ to a new level in rock,” said Rod Woodruff, campground owner. “Their live show is amazing. They just carpet bomb the audience with electrifying music. The combination of Buckcherry and ZZ Top will assure our Sturgis Rally music fans a once-in-a-lifetime biker experience.”

Also booked for the Buffalo Chip’s 2010 music lineup are: Kid Rock, Motley Crue, The Scorpions, Jason Aldean, Motley Crue, The Doobie Brothers, Orianthi, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Guess Who, Tesla, Dave Mason and Williams & Ree. Reservations and more information are available at buffalochip.com.

For the first time ever, the Legendary Buffalo Chip welcomes German heavy metal rockers, The Scorpions to their Sturgis Rally Week music lineup. The veteran rockers known for capturing the hearts of hard rock fans around the world for over four decades recently announced that their upcoming world tour and new album will be their last. But before they officially hang up their leathers, the Scorpions are guaranteed to rock the Chip’s infamous amphitheater and solidify its reputation as the best party anywhere.

Scorpions will rock the Legendary Buffalo Chip

The legendary band originally from Hannover, Germany, combines unforgettable melody, intricate guitar riffs and booming vocals to create a sound that cannot be mimicked. Proving that Germany can indeed rock, the Scorpions have written and performed a myriad of hits throughout their career including 1980′s rock anthem “Rock You like a Hurricane” and 1990 ballad, “Wind of Change”. They also had a number of successful singles including “No One like You”, “Send Me an Angel” and “Still Loving You”. The Scorpions unmistakable sound and distinctive style reminiscent of Jimmy Hendrix, Cream and Led Zeppelin resulted in over 22 million records sold making them one of the most successful rock bands to ever come out of Continental Europe. With their polished, hard-edged melodic rock and dramatic power singing, the Scorpions have come to epitomize the best in heavy rock.

Looking to conclude their extraordinary legacy on a high note they are calling it quits with an album considered to be one of the best they have ever recorded and a world tour that will start in their home country of Germany and span five continents over the new few years. Their new album, “Sting in the Tail”, was released March 19 and the “Get Your Sting and Blackout” tour will kick off May 7.

If you’re a rock and roll fan you won’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the legendary musicians perform their popular favorites, introduce new hits and celebrate their musical achievements with a crowd of rowdy Chipsters as they bring their unforgettable journey to a close.

In addition to the Scorpions, the Chip has been staying busy securing an unbeatable array of world-class artists during Sturgis Rally Week 2010. Already on the agenda are musical behemoths ZZ Top, Disturbed, Kid Rock and the Doobie Brothers, with more names to be announced in the coming months. Make sure to check out the Buffalo Chip online at buffalochip.com to view their full line up and secure your tickets for Rally Week 2010.

The Legendary Buffalo Chip has been offering guests the true Sturgis experience for nearly 30 years and has quickly become the authority regarding Rally Week accommodations and hospitality. Every year thousands of bikers from across the country converge on the Chip to camp on over 500 acres of campground and enjoy the best facilities, entertainment, food and vendors that Sturgis has to offer. After a lengthy journey to Sturgis Rally Week festivities, bikers truly appreciate being able to dust off the miles at an array of comfortable accommodations at the Buffalo Chip including cabin rentals, trailer rentals or a variety of camping areas.

Legendary Buffalo Chip

Between the bikes, races, stunts, live music and soaking up the biker atmosphere guests can stay at any one of the Chip’s premier camping areas such as the Sturgis Road Campground, Fenske Park Campground, or RV camping area. Weekly passes include all activities sponsored by the Chip including their enormous and impressive selection of live music performances.

In addition to traditional camping accommodations, the Chip also offers bikers an EZ Camp option that boasts a complete campsite waiting for your arrival. Imagine cruising into your personal campground to a pitched tent complete with air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, flashlight and candles. Visitors will also have use of a cooler, lawn chair and toiletries. All EZ Camp packages also include set-up and tear down.

Visitors may also choose to reside in a selection of cozy travel trailers. These trailers are complete with all the conveniences you’ll need for a comfortable stay including stove, air conditioning, heater, microwave, beds, bathroom and more. However, guests will need to supply their own bedding, towels, dishes and utensils. Trailers sleep as many as 4 adults comfortably. Your biker gal will be thrilled to know that she’ll have access to her own bed, shower and private toilet.

If you’re looking for even more luxurious accommodations during your stay you may want to consider the Chip’s cabin rentals. Having recently added 5 additional cabins on the southern boundary of the campground, the Chip now boasts 17 cabins that visitors can reserve during Rally Week. Cabin rentals include a security deposit which is refundable upon satisfactory inspection at the time of departure. However, rental costs do not include campground admission. Cabins may be rented with basic set-up or deluxe set-up, which includes a mini-fridge, microwave, coffee maker and air mattresses.

The Buffalo Chip offers daily admission passes as well as package rates including the per person rally pass ($255) August 9-15, the per person extended rally pass ($300) August 7-15 or the per person early bird pass ($335) August 2-15. EZ Camp passes range from $100 to $640, RV rentals range from $2145 to $2445 and RV sites range from $100 to $550. Regardless of what level of accommodations you choose, every biker that stays at the Buffalo Chip will have all of their needs taken care of and are guaranteed a memorable Sturgis experience. Bikers from around the world have come to appreciate the ease and convenience of the accommodations and amenities found at the Chip.

To get a taste of the true Sturgis experience you’ll want to stay at the Buffalo Chip- there really is no reason to go anywhere else. Visit buffalochip.com for more information or to make your reservations for Sturgis 2010.

Platinum-selling and world renowned glam metal band, Mötley Crüe, will be joining an impressive and extensive list of artists to perform at the Legendary Buffalo during Sturgis Rally Week 2010. The hard core rockers, scheduled to perform on Wednesday, August 11 will be playing their only scheduled U.S. Summer Concert on the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip.

Mötley Crüe's gonna *RAWK* at the Legendary Buffalo Chip

Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee plan to conclude a line of appearances in Great Britain, Sweden and Finland’s Sonisphere Festival on Aug. 8. They will then be joining thousands of bikers at the best party anywhere, the Legendary Buffalo Chip.

The L.A. party band widely known as the world’s most notorious purveyors of hard rock songs and melodic power ballads has come to embody the sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle synonymous with the rock music industry. Mötley Crüe boasts in their band biography that “no band has consumed as many drugs and downed as much booze without dying as L.A.’s Mötley Crüe.”

Their mixture of heavy metal and glam rock stylings produced several best-selling albums during the 80′s. The band’s impressive list of hits includes: “Shout at the Devil”, “Too Fast for Love”, “Ten Seconds to Love”, “Too Young to Fall In Love”, “Looks That Kill”, “Live Wire”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Wild Side”, “Don’t Go Away Mad”, “Home Sweet Home”, “Dr Feelgood”, “Kickstart My Heart” and “Without You”.

The Los Angeles-based band was formed in 1981and have sold more than 80 million albums worldwide with more than 25 million in the U.S. Their balls-to-the-wall sound is matched only by their outrageous personalities. Known just as much for the controversies that surround them as they are for their chart-busting list of successful recordings, Mötley Crüe’s hedonistic image combined with their unparalleled talent makes them true rock & roll megastars. From the screaming guitars of “Kick Start my Heart” to the fierce sound of the hog that opens up “Girls, Girls, Girls”- you won’t want to miss this opportunity to party with the Crüe.

“They are rock royalty,” said Rod Woodruff, owner of the Buffalo Chip. “They’ve lived through unbelievable battles and yet continue to deliver first class rock, delivered with virtuoso quality musicianship.”

Mötley Crüe joins Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Jason Aldean, Tesla, The Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason, Orianthi, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Guess Who and Williams & Ree for the Buffalo Chip’s annual party during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Woodruff said additional announcements are forthcoming.  Reservations and more information are available at buffalochip.com.

The Legendary Buffalo Chip made the Challenge and other leading area businesses have come together with the staff and students of Western Dakota Technical Institute to get the project underway. The bike build will take place at WDT’s state-of-the-art welding and manufacturing facility under Michael Prugh’s direction and Luke Steinmetz’s classroom supervision. First and second year WDT students will have the opportunity to work on the project, which will put the machining, welding and fabrication skills of these students to the test.

“This bike will definitely have its own personality, as it is being built with the efforts of 25 future technicians,” explains Michael Prugh, the bike’s designer and owner of Prugh Design. “The goals of this project are broader than just the nuts and bolts of a motorcycle. We hope to inspire a new generation of talent.”

Students who are part of the 2K10 Challenge will get the benefit of a real world, real work atmosphere without the costs associated in building a world-class motorcycle. “It’s extraordinary to have this rare combination of business and education coming together on this scale to provide something truly special for our students,” said Luke Steinmetz, WDT’s Welding Manufacturing program lead instructor. “We think our students are up to the challenge and capable of building a world-class motorcycle with the help of top motorcycle businesses.”

a rendering of this years Legends Ride auction bike by Prugh Design

The industry’s top parts manufacturers Custom Chrome, Jaybrake, Performance Machine and Black Hills Harley-Davidson have all graciously donated parts to aid in completion of the build. “The 2K10 Challenge is a way for all of us to come together and give these students a competitive edge by providing the best, high-quality parts in the industry,” said Terry Reimer, general manager of Black Hills Harley-Davidson.” Hot Leather’s, the leader in motorcycle apparel and accessories has also provided the official apparel for the 2k10 Challenge which makes this build more than just a classroom project.

The originator of the 2K10 Challenge, the Legendary Buffalo Chip, will provide WDT students with the ultimate stage to debut the finished bike which will be the highlight of a special live auction in support of the 3rd annual Legends Ride scheduled for Monday, August 9th 2010. Rod Woodruff, owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip, is thrilled that the Chip’s team created this ground-breaking 2K10 Challenge bike build. “We are proud to have brought Western Dakota Tech together with leading motorcycle industry businesses to promote technical education and the future technicians of the motorcycle industry.”

The public is invited to follow the build online at www.buffalochip.com, where a dedicated blog complete with pictures and webisodes will be published. For more information about WDT and its more than 20 programs, visit wdt.edu. Visit prughdesign.com to view Michael Prugh’s previous and exceptional builds or to learn more about Black Hills Harley Davidson make sure to check out blackhillshd.com.

She will be performing tonight on the Jay Leno show if you’re interested in seeing her shred it up!

Guitar Vixen, Orianthi, Set to Dazzle during Chip’s 2010 Rally Week Lineup Sturgis, SD

Rowdy Chipsters and hard core rockers won’t want to miss this. Orianthi, the music industry’s most talked about guitar sensation, is scheduled to play the Legendary Buffalo Chip on Tuesday, August 10 during Sturgis Rally Week 2010. With her cascading blonde locks and cherry red electric guitar, the 24 year old prodigy combines sex appeal and natural talent to create a show-stopping musical experience.

Guitar vixen, Orianthi

Most recognizable as the fierce and sassy guitarist in Michael Jackson’s “This Is It’ documentary concert-film, Orianthi Panagaris was chosen amongst a wide selection of qualified contenders as the lead guitarist for his “This Is It” tour. When
offered the gig in Jackson’s band, Orianthi joined a prestigious line of guitar players including Eddie Van Halen, Santana, Slash, Steve Stevens, Jennifer Batten and Larry Carlton.

In addition she has also opened for industry great, Steve Vai; backed up celebrated country crooner, Carrie Underwood; traded solos with the legendary Carlos Santana and has jammed with music moguls Prince and ZZ Top.

Get to know Orianthi

Her journey began at the age 6 when Orianthi picked up one of her father’s guitars in her hometown of Adelaide, Australia. Teaching herself, she learned guitar from watching Santana videos. She later got the opportunity to meet him when he came to Adelaide. The two had a sound check jam that resulted in an invitation to join him on stage. Inspired by the distinctive, hard-edged sounds of Whitesnake, Van Halen and Def Leppard she has been turning heads ever since.

While audiences consider her look and stage presence striking, industry legend Carlos Santana insists that it’s her talent that separates her from the pack. “She’s a level now where … all of us are going to be cheering for her because it’s not
cute anymore. It’s seriously ass whooping. She can chop it up. I don’t know if I’m going to be doing this for …how long…well if I’m going to pass the baton to someone, she would be my first choice.”

Known for rocking it out and shredding it up, Orianthi is notorious for her killer riffs and anthemic rock tracks. As nimble fingers with nails painted black tirelessly assault the frets of the guitar that she lovingly refers to as “Pepper”, Orianthi is proving to the world that she is clearly the next big thing in rock and roll.

Orianthi joins Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Jason Aldean, Disturbed, Tesla, The Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason and Williams & Ree for the phenomenal Buffalo Chip 2010 Sturgis Rally Week lineup. More information and reservations are available at
buffalochip.com or by calling 605-347-9000.

The predominant masters of old school will be at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson located at Destination Daytona. Notorious for having the largest selection of SuckerPunch Sally’s motorcycles in the country, rally-goers will definitely want to stop by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson to browse their unbeatable selection. Also on hand will be a number of SuckerPunch Sally’s employees to help customers select the SPS Old School Chopper that best accommodates their style.

Suckerpunch Sally's bobber

In addition, SuckerPunch Sally’s along with Progressive Insurance will be making an appearance during the final leg of the 2009-2010 International Motorcycle Show Tour at the Ocean Center Daytona Beach. In November, SPS and Progressive Insurance kicked off their 11 city IMS Tour. Highlights of this year’s show circuit included a one-of-a-kind 50-foot trailer, two new giveaway bikes and a booth complete with lounge atmosphere where bikers had the opportunity to relax, enjoy the bikes and learn more about SuckerPunch Sally’s and Progressive Insurance.

During Daytona Beach Bike Week the custom motorcycle manufacturer will also be on hand at Willie’s Tattoo Old School Chopper Show on Thursday, March 4. Located at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Inc in Ormond Beach, SPS will crown the best of show winner and present them with an SPS roller to take home.

SuckerPunch Sally’s old school chops

Founded in 2002, SuckerPunch Sally’s continues to stay true to their traditional biker values by providing the best stripped-down bobbers and choppers at the most reasonable prices. The old school no-nonsense style of bikes that started SuckerPunch Sally’s are the bikes they still build today, only now with the convenience of modern manufacturing practices. Their model line has been built up to six different models, with the additions of the stealthy Slim and the retro-styled Hot Rod. SuckerPunch Sally’s continuously growing dealer network throughout the U.S. showcases the wide variety of bikes they have available, all of which exude SPS style. You can find out more about SuckerPunch Sally’s at suckerpunchsallys.com or http://www.facebook.com/OldSchoolChoppers or http://www.myspace.com/suckerpunchsallyschoppers

Veterans will be front and center at this year’s Daytona Beach Bike Week thanks to a collaboration between Daytona’s Plaza Resort & Spa and the Legendary Buffalo Chip. One of the largest Veterans Tributes in the United States, “A Walk with Heroes” will include prestigious speakers, top level entertainment and the largest balloon launch in Veteran memorial history. A highlight of the highly anticipated Veterans Tribute will include a replica of the Vietnam Wall to be escorted to the Plaza Resort & Spa by the Rolling Thunder and a number of other Veteran-related motorcycle groups on Thursday, March 4. The memorial which contains all 58,195 names of those who were killed in combat during the Vietnam War will provide overcoming and raw emotion to all who experience it. In addition, the wall will be staffed with honor guard during all three days of display with a “Change of Guard” ceremony taking place every half hour around the clock. Also on exhibit will be a number of memorials including the Walk of Heroes Collection; the “Cost of Freedom” tribute; WWII, WWI, and Korean War Tribute Collection; Gold Dog Tag Collection for casualties since Vietnam and the War on Terror; 9/11 Tribute; and Civil War Memorial.

The culmination of the “A Walk with Heroes” Veterans Tribute will include a ceremony and an evening of entertainment. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 6th to formally honor veterans of every branch. Civilian and Military guests will be encouraged to purchase balloons from their charity of choice and write a note to fallen heroes. At 6:45pm the balloons will be released. Following the balloon launch, a live concert will kick off a night of entertainment on the Plaza pool deck. Bands performing include the Glimmer Twins, the only Rolling Stones tribute band officially endorsed by the legendary group and Jimi Taylor, a Jimi Hendrix tribute band.

Walk With Heros

In addition, Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, former Marine and award winning actor will be the featured speaker at “A Walk with Heroes” on Saturday, March 6th. Ermey is best known for his role as the hard-nosed, abrasive Drill Sergeant Hartman in the critically acclaimed film, “Full Metal Jacket”. He also stars in his own shows on the Discovery and History channels, including “Mail Call” and “Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey”. He is also well known for being an outspoken advocate for the United States Marine Corps, US Armed Forces and Veterans groups. Ermey will be joined by Sgt. Major Gene Overstreet, former Sgt. Major of the United States Marine Corps.

“Our goal is to raise awareness for Veterans groups, and also to raise money to keep them going,” says Gene P. Carroll, Post Commander and National Committee Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. “By the time the 3 days are up, we hope to have raised more than $150,000 for Veteran’s charities and, hopefully, inspired visitors to give, year-round, to help support the men and women who have fought for this county.”

The public is invited to view the memorials and are welcome to join veterans for the ceremonies on Saturday, March 6th. There is no charge to view the memorials or participate in the ceremony. For more information on the “A Walk with Heroes” Veterans Tribute visit buffalochip.com or plazaresortandspa.com.

The Sturgis Buffalo Chip Presents Michael Lichter’s Tenth Annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibit: Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind

Michael Lichter’s internationally renowned and highly anticipated 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art exhibition is sure to be a significant highlight during Sturgis Rally Week 2010. The exhibit is scheduled for August 7-13 and will focus on the explosion of interest and the passion for custom motorcycles seen over the last thirty years. Entitled, “Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind”, this year’s display poses the question, “How is this passion passed on through time?”

Sturgis Buffalo Chip Presents 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibit: Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind

Thirty custom motorcycles recently built by 15 pairs of builders tied together by family, respect, friendship or apprenticeship will be on display at the impressive Lichter Exhibition Hall located on the grounds of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Builder teams highlighted within the show include: Athena Ransom and Laura Klock, Arlen Ness & Paul Yaffe, Carl & Matt Olsen, Dave & Jody Perewitz, Donnie Smith & Brian Klock, Eddie Trotta & Todd Silicato, Kevin Baas & his Kennedy High School Chopper Class, Gard Hollinger & Satya Kraus, James & Dave Kaye, Jerry & David Covington, Kirk Taylor & Brian Schimke, Roland Sands & Drake McGillroy, Ron Finch & Gary Maurer, Ron & Hunter Simms,
Sugarbear & Counts Customs.

In addition, the 6,500 square foot venue constructed primarily to house the notable exhibitions Lichter has curated, will for the first time, be adorned with Michael’s photography. Celebrating his 30th bike week in Sturgis, he will be displaying the best from his archive of limited edition prints, including many images being
premiered for the first time.

“This exhibit has been a total labor of love for me as it has been for 9-years, explains Lichter.

Rebel Rousers exhibit from 2009

Working with these builders to pair them up, occasionally into a seemingly unlikely pairing at their own request, has been great.  It will be great to watch their progress in the coming months. I love this work and I love this industry. Everyone who comes out to see this exhibit will be able to sense the passion felt by all those involved.”

Lichter has been a staple in the motorcycle community for over thirty years, with his name ingrained in the minds and collections of enthusiasts around the world. This is Lichter’s tenth year as curator for the premier Sturgis exhibition. The exhibit started back in 2001 with a display entitled ‘The Biker Generation’. Since
that time he has touched on a variety of appealing themes during the yearly exhibit including titles such as “One World Choppers”, “Speed Demons” “Schools Out – Old School, New Skool” Last year’s exhibit, “Rebel Rousers- Motorcycle Icons that Inspired Us to Ride” focused on the history of iconic motorcycle imagery that inspired many of us to ride. Through a poignant review of renowned motorcycles, art and movie memorabilia, fans were reminded of what originally fueled their passion for riding.

“Last year’s exhibit was phenomenal, thousands of guests came to experience the display,” states Sturgis Buffalo Chip owner, Rod Woodruff. “We’re so enthusiastic for this year’s show. Michael Lichter is truly a gifted artist and photographer and we’re delighted to have his yearly exhibit at the Lichter Exhibition Hall here at
the Sturgis Buffalo Chip.”

The most eagerly anticipated exhibition of its kind, the Motorcycles as Art exhibition provides Sturgis rally-goers with an unforgettable experience. Visit motorcyclesasart.com for more information. Sponsors for this year’s exhibit include Hot Leathers, Interstate Batteries, Progressive Insurance and Spectro Oil.

"Chicks Rule" trailer

The tour officially kicked off during the 2009 Toys in the Sun Run with featured guests the Motor Maids, Leslie Kay of Leslie Kay’s Insurance and Jeffrey Phipps of Jeffrey Phipps Custom Saddles. The Chicks Rule & Boys Drool Tour is a traveling display of what is available for women motorcycle riders, from clothing and parts to motorcycles styled with the woman rider in mind. The tour will feature Athena “Chickie” Ransom and her unique hand-crafted custom motorcycles as well as featured special guest appearances by an array of other unique women in the motorcycle industry.

Athena "Chickie" Ransom

Formulated specifically for women, it also gives men an opportunity to see “the other side” of a culture commonly associated with males. Validating the concept that women riders are more than just a “chick on the back” within the motorcycle industry, the tour also provides a forum for ladies to express her likes and dislikes in a setting that is not full of skulls, iron crosses and spikes.

The tour will include 12 national event stops throughout 2010 including the Heavy Hitters, Daytona Bike Week, New Orleans Bike Week, Sturgis Rally, and coming to an end at the 2010 South Florida Bikers Bash and Toys in the Sun Run. Look for the Vagabond set up at rallies near you.

For more info check out: vagabondchoppers.com and chicksruleandboysdrool.com

Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse Announces Events for Biketoberfest 2009

The Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse will return to the Doghouse Bar and Grill on Main Street in Daytona [Biketoberfest is from October 15th-October 18th]. The Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse is also going to be a part of the brand new Irongate Biker Bar located right next to the Doghouse, be sure to stop by and see the newest addition to Main Street Daytona. In keeping with The Doghouses’ reputation as “the place to party in Daytona,” this year’s Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse line-up will feature some of the industry’s best custom bikes, builders, and special events.

Bikertoberfest 2009

In addition the Doghouse main stage will feature live music from bikers favorite southern rock bands Rebel Son and DB Bryant on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Friday and Saturday night will also feature, the Betty Bangs bikini contest. Sure to be a crowd favorite, Betty Bangs brings a crew of the hottest models from South Beach and adorns them with her limited edition bikinis. Prepare to be BANGED by Betty and her crew of stunning South Beach models!

Friday night will be a Military Tribute for active duty service members and veterans. You can also party at the Doghouse with Phil Pitzer and Sheree Wilson from the movie “Easyriders The Ride Back” along with their bikes. Biketoberfest at the
Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse wouldn’t be complete without bike builders and their bikes. Industry giants Dave Perewitz and Eddie Trotta along with relative new-comers Lefty Brother Cycles will all have motorcycles on display at the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse.

With over 30 years experience building and customizing bikes, Dave Perewitz is truly an industry legend and leader. His custom-fabricated motorcycles are a delicate blend of engineering, design, power, performance and beauty. A self-taught designer, mechanic, painter and fabricator Perewitz’s creations have been featured on a number of magazine covers and television programs. He has also built for an array of celebrities including Hulk Hogan and Tony Stewart.

Custom bike builder, Eddie Trotta has been designing and building custom motorcycles for over 30 years and in so has created the Thunder Cycle Design Legacy. He has quickly become one of the planet’s pre-eminent custom motorcycle designers. His personal touch, imagination and craftsmanship have awarded Trotta a long list of honors including V-Twin Magazines’ Bike Builder of the Year and the Biker Picaso Award at the Discovery Channel’s Ultimate Chop Awards Show. He is currently working with Lorenzo Lamas to produce a limited number of custom motorcycles unlike any ther production custom out there.

Founded in 2005, Lefty Brothers Cycles has taken the motorcycle industry by storm. Izzy and his crew, all active duty military soldiers, are passionate about creating unique rides that ride as good as they look. Lefty Brothers Cycles have established a presence in the industry by producing quality custom one off bikes and their one of a kind creations have been featured in several national magazines.

"ROMY" by Lefty Bros. Cycles

[Additional information that I wanted to share about this bike from the Lefty Bros. Cycles website: "This bike is being dedicated to a very very dear friend. A friend who has always been considered "family"...Romulo was shot in the neck while in a gunfight  fighting the war on terrorism. The gunshot caused severe damage to his vertebrate. Romulo is now facing another fight. A fight to regain the use of his body!"]

“Biketoberfest is always a great time because it’s a chance to get a little more sun before Winter sets in,” said Carrie Repp, event coordinator for the Roadhouse and owner of R&R Promotions. “This year with Rebel Son playing every night, the hot girls of the Betty Banged Bikini contest and the three great builders we have on display it’s sure to be perfect place to fill up on fun before Winter.”

More than 350 bikes and 500 riders from around the world converged on Deadwood, SD on Monday, August 3 to take part in the Second Annual Legends Ride hosted by the Legendary Buffalo Chip. A record-breaking $61,600 was raised to benefit a number of Black Hills Charities including the Black Hills Children’s Home and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum. Just under $40,000 was raised at last year’s inaugural Legends Ride.

Legends Ride 2009

“We are thrilled with the charity riders showed this year. The Legends Ride has once again proved itself a worthy event that brings world-class entertainment to riders and needed dollars to charities,” said Rod Woodruff, president of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. “We will be back bigger and better in 2010.” The Black Hills Children’s Home, recipient of a portion of the monies raised offers a safe haven for children ages 4-13, many of whom are victims of severe abuse or neglect.

“Money raised during this year’s Legends Ride will help the Children’s Home continue long into the future… to provide love, safety, and a second chance at many of the things most of us take for granted: Warm meals, bike rides, story time, creative arts and interaction with caring adults,” said Darla Crown, development officer for Children’s Home Society. “We are incredibly grateful to be co-recipients of such a significant donation – it’s truly a testament to the tremendous goodwill and generosity found in the hearts of the motorcycle industry and its enthusiasts.”

Signaling the official start to the 2009 Sturgis Rally, riders each contributed $150 to participate in the star-studded and scenic 50-mile expedition from the Historic Black Hills town to the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. Participants were treated to meet-and-greets with the world’s top industry aficionados and bike builders before departing and enjoyed a private reception, auction and concerts by Lita Ford and Toby Keith once they arrived at the Chip.

Genevieve Schmitt, Steven Tyler (um...before he fell offstage?) and Betsy Huelskamp

Celebrities that participated in the ride included Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, Toby Keith, Kid Rock, Lorenzo Lamas and the cast of Easy Riders II. Industry enthusiast and supporter, John Paul DeJoria, of Paul Mitchell hair products and Patron Spirits Company made a surprise $10,000 matching donation to the Legends Ride Charities. He also donated the restored 1938 Indian with sidecar that he and wife, Eloise, traveled on during the Legends Ride to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.

Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, and a host of world-class bike builders including Corey Ness, Paul Yaffe, Sugarbear and cigar aficionados were also part of the 2009 ride. Sponsors for this year’s ride include: Biker Incite, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Dirico Motorcycles, The City of Deadwood, the Deadwood Tobacco Company, Ethanol Fuel Producers, First Western Bank, Interstate Batteries, the Lucky Nugget Gaming Hall, Metzeler, Neugebauer’s Fine Jewelery, Progressive Insurance, Sucker Punch Sally’s, South Dakota Pork Producers Council, Taser, the Silverado-Franklin Hotel and Gaming Complex, and Victory Motorcycles.

The following are just a few of the things they have going on:

The Harley-Davidson Road Tour

Now being held outside Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, you can check out demo the new 2010 Harley-Davidson motorcycles as well as new Genuine Motor Accessories and MotorClothes merchandise. Also featured will be a H.O.G. members-only pin stop, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Bike Raffle, Free Bike Wash, Black Hills H-D Road Tour Store, Beer Garden with entertainment and more.

Harley-Davidson Women’s Day

Being held on Sunday, August 2nd, this day-long event will feature special seminars that include how to customize their motorcycle for fit, function and style; healthy eating tips while out on the road; and best practices for conducting a pre-ride safety check.

Harley-Davidson Ride In Show

Now being held on THURSDAY, Aug. 6, stop by this event to check out all that Sturgis has to offer when it comes to customization. Or feel free to enter your own customized ride and you could win some cool cash.

For a complete listing of Harley-Davidson events at Sturgis 2009,  visit harley-davidson.com/sturgis.

They’ll be covering the event on their Facebook and Twitter pages, so check back next week for photos and video. They will also accepting photos from anyone at Sturgis –you can upload your photos to http://flickr.com/groups/sturgis2009 and they’ll post appropriate photos on the H-D Facebook page.

Burnouts are King Friday Night at the Legendary Buffalo Chip

Friday night is burnout night at the Chip and you won’t want to miss this one. The Legendary Buffalo Chip is holding its Second Annual Baker Burnout Drags Competition, followed by an audience participation group burnout on Friday, August 7 during the Sturgis Rally. The competition is a raw execution of power, precision and skill is guaranteed to get your motor running.

The high octane, tournament-style Baker Burnout Drags Competition brought to you by Baker Drivetrain and the Legendary Buffalo Chip will come to a head during Friday night’s entertainment line-up. Between world-renowned artists Red and Buckcherry, twelve of the world’s top custom bike builders will engage in a fearless and gritty drag race competition. You’ll be able to watch as the builders pair off and race head to head in pursuit of the Baker Burnout Drags Champion Title.

Immediately following the Buckcherry concert at the Chip one lucky attendee will also have the opportunity to win a Sucker Punch Sally’s motorcycle courtesy of the Sucker Punch Sally’s and American Cycle Magazine the Legendary Buffalo Chip. The excitement then continues with the Buffalo Chip Group Burnout. Chipsters gathered from all over the world will be able to engage in adrenalin-pumping, rubber-burning burnout bliss. This year’s group burnout is sure to be a crowd-pleaser flaunting up to 100 bikes. The steel bridge along the Kinison Playground will be transformed into burnout central as bikes will be set 10 feet in the air and prepped for huge number of bikes smoking their rear tires.

The climax of this year’s group burnout will highlight a 1938 Indian Chief with sidecar, ridden and restored by prominent industry daredevil and foremost authority on Indian Motorcycles, Mike “Kiwi” Tomas. Kiwi Mike is the owner of Kiwi Indian and the leading authority on the restoration of old Indians. Originally from New Zealand, Kiwi Mike learned the tools of the trade early on. In 1988 he started Kiwi Indian in California and has become the dominant force in Indian parts and restoration.

The striking 1938 Indian Chief that Kiwi Mike will be riding was specifically chosen for this event to commemorate the year in which the Sturgis Rally first blazed onto the motorcycle scene. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to observe a 1938 Indian complete a burnout. This historic bike still has plenty of kick and will be a treat to watch as Kiwi Mike performs a number of bold maneuvers including two wheel stunts and circular burnouts. Owned by John Paul DiJoria, the Indian Chief will be placed on loan for exhibition to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame where it will be memorialized by enthusiasts for years to come.

Attendees are encouraged to participate in the Buffalo Chip group burnout. There will be T.V. cameras and numerous photographers documenting the spectacle in an attempt to capture the raw essence of the burnout. This footage will be provided to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum for inclusion in the exhibit to pay homage to the event, which will undoubtedly be emblazoned in the memories of those who witness it.

Everybody loves a great burnout. Back and bigger than ever you won’t want to miss this year’s spectacle!

Hot Leathers to Feature Multiple Vendor Locations at Sturgis Bike Week

Hot Leathers will be represented to the fullest at Sturgis Bike Week this year. The industry leader in motorcycle apparel and accessories is proud to feature ten locations in and around Sturgis during Bike Week this year. Rally-goers will be able to choose from the Hot Leathers permanent location on Main Street Sturgis in addition to a number strategically located spots including several out at the Legendary Buffalo Chip; the famed Sturgis hot spot.

Customers will be able to purchase from a significant selection of specialty-printed Sturgis Rally merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other miscellaneous products for men, women, and children. Known for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road, Hot Leathers is proud to showcase its quality products at a number of locations at Bike Week. Wherever you find yourself at Sturgis, a Hot Leathers location is sure to be nearby.

Hot Leathers has been serving the motorcycle community for over 25 years. The company’s growing wholesale and printing facilities have earned it a place as one of America’s top 50 volume screen printers. Hot Leathers is constantly on the road, showcasing its merchandise at a number of rallies and events across the country.

Keep an eye out this summer for the Hot Leathers logo. It’s a brand you can trust with prices you can easily afford. Go to hotleathers.com for your printable coupon worth $10 off a purchase of $50 or more redeemable at any one of its Sturgis locations.

International Women & Motorcycling Conference

The weekend will be packed with tours, shopping, hands-on demos and of course seminars, which will be given by veteran female riders sharing their experiences. Some of those seminars include:

• Preparing for the Ride: Packing/Gear/Apparel
• Dealer Interaction
• Inspirational Seminars
• Making your bike fit you

The cost is $165 if you pre-register online and $185 if you wait to register on site. If you’re interested in taking part of this unique event be sure to save your space soon, as online registration ends on August 3rd! For more information about the event visit: womenandmotorcycling.com.

One lucky winner will take home more than just fond memories from this year’s Sturgis Rally. The Legendary Buffalo Chip, in conjunction with American Cycle and American Bagger magazines, will be giving away a custom Sucker Punch Sally’s old-school motorcycle built especially for 2009 rally goers.

win this custom bike from SPS at the Legendary Buffalo Chip

In addition to offering bikers first-class camping accommodations and an impressive entertainment line-up, the Legendary Buffalo Chip is adding yet another rally event to solidify is reputation as the “Best Party Anywhere.” The Chip has asked Sucker Punch Sally’s, the true manufacturers of “Old School,” to build a custom motorcycle that will be given away Friday, August 7, 2009 after the Chip’s headliner concert Buckcherry.

This Sucker Punch Sally’s custom “Slim” will feature a 115-inch Revtech engine from Custom Chrome, a belt drive from BDL and a handmade, tooled leather seat from Lock Baker at Eastern Fabrication. The bike will sport a Steel Visions one-off paint job as well as quality parts from top manufacturers like Westbury Hotrods, Hawg Halters Inc. and Lyndall Racing Brakes. The winner of this retro-styled, race-inspired motorcycle will also receive a custom painted helmet from Biltwell, Inc. and a 6-month Progressive Insurance policy courtesy of the Chip.

“We’re excited to add this extra rally reward to our 2009 event line-up,” said Rod Woodruff, owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. “This motorcycle will feature custom work from some of the biggest names in the bike industry, and we can’t wait to watch the lucky winner lay down rubber on his or her new ride.”

To get a firsthand look at the bike, follow the build page-by-page in the upcoming issues of American Cycle magazine or online at Sucker Punch Sally’s. Registration for the ultimate Sturgis Motorcycle Rally bike giveaway is free, and those interested can register online or by mail. For the official rules and more information about the giveaway, visit buffalochip.com and click on “Free Motorcycle” under the events section.

Press release:

Record breaking crowds, sizzling entertainment and thousands of dollars raised for local charities marked Laconia Bike Week 2009 at The Lobster Pound. Visitors from across the globe converged on The Lobster Pound and the newly remodeled Laconia Roadhouse for the 86th Annual Laconia Bike Week.

The Roadhouse, a 15,000 square foot entertainment complex together with its recent 7000 square foot full service restaurant addition complete with a roof deck bar and dining area, was at the center of the action and saw as many as 40,000 visitors during the nine day event. Blues Legend, James Montgomery packed the complex along with the Tom Dixon Country Band every night.

The Lobster Pound

Wild Turkey girls

Visitors enjoyed a number of giveaways from sponsor Wild Turkey and their famous Turkey Girls. All State Insurance also set up shop complete with models and famous custom bike builder, Dave Perewitz. The crowd-pleasing Jack 94 Rum Custom Bike Build Off boasted four custom bike builders who built four choppers from scratch while competing for a grand prize of $5000. The entertainment culminated with Una and her motorcycle dare devil show. Complete with mid-air flips and twirls, at one point her assistant hung from the bottom of the bike while 60 feet in the air.

Bike Week also boasted a jump in philanthropic activity this year, raising over $10,000 for the Have A Heart Children’s Cancer Fund. USA Lock and Load also raised $2,500 for Operation Home Front with funds going to assist veterans returning from combat with Russ from Wild Turkey getting the crowd to dig into their pockets and buy raffle tickets.

The 86th Anniversary of Laconia Bike Week proved itself true to its roots. Nine days of food, incredible entertainment and custom choppers confirmed that Laconia Bike Week is well-deserving as one of the longest lasting and largest events of its kind. Ultimately leaving visitors counting down the days to next years’ festivities.

The Weirs Beach Lobster Pound property was originally the site of one of the first Howard Johnsons in the country. A fire destroyed the Howard Johnson and Gandy Dancer Saloon 37 years ago. The Lobster Pound was then built and is in its 36th year of operation, The Lobster Pound has been a participant in the Laconia Rally for 27 years. The property was purchased from Lou Gaynor and Harvey Chernin by the Ray family three years ago. Major improvements were made when the Ray family purchased the property including a new 7000 square foot restaurant, an improved 15,000 square foot Roadhouse entertainment complex and becoming a corporate sponsor of the Laconia Race and Rally Association.

Four.

So that morning, my man and I waffled about whether or not we should go (ok, it was really me that was waffling. He was going to go regardless) and headed on up. The weather was so sucky, that even though we went up rather early in the morning and planned to make a day of it, we had to cut the time in half to avoid riding in too much rain.

About half way there I realized that I forgot my camera (*sigh*), so he was nice enough to let me use some of his.

Laconia 2009 Bike Week pins

I think I need a helmet like this!

me! Perusing all the vendors.

Sadly, I do not have a shirt like this one.

*chuckle*

These seemed very popular this year.

For additional POV’s of Laconia 2009, I highly suggest reading Joker’s blog over at the Harley-Davidson Mystique and for a different perspective (and additional photos), Mr. Forrest Frazier’s recently launched blog at FFPhoto.com.

In keeping with its reputation as the “Best Party Anywhere,” the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s 2009 event line-up is sure to rock the Sturgis Rally. The Chip’s variety of musical acts combined with its hot bartenders and special events “by bikers, for bikers” will provide rally goers with the ultimate Sturgis experience.

The Legendary Buffalo Chip features four stages of music and this year’s genres range from country and counter-culture comedy to free-spirited, American rock and blues metal. The daily music headliners include:

• Friday, July 31 – Mark Farner, Peter Rivera, Mike Pinera and Jerry Corbetta
• Saturday, August 1 – Chuck Berry “The Father of Rock and Roll”
• Sunday, August 2 – Rock legends George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Creedence Clearwater Revisited
• Monday, August 3 – Country musician Toby Keith and rocker Lita Ford
• Tuesday, August 4 – Arena rocker Billy Squier and counter-culture comedians Cheech & Chong
• Wednesday, August 5 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Aerosmith and blues-based southern rock band Saving Abel
• Thursday, August 6 – Hard rock bands Tesla and Hinder
• Friday, August 7 – Modern rockers Buckcherry and RED
• Saturday, August 8 – Classic Rock Legends The Guess Who

In addition to its live music line-up, this year the Legendary Buffalo Chip is proud to host Michael Lichter’s 9th annual Motorcycles as Art exhibit. As the new home of the renowned Lichter exhibit, the Legendary Buffalo Chip has constructed “The Lichter Exhibition Hall,” a 7,000-square-foot facility specifically designed as a gallery to showcase art and motorcycle exhibits. This year’s Motorcycles as Art theme is “Rebel Rousers – Motorcycle Icons that Inspired us to Ride,” and will be open Saturday, August 1 through Friday, August 7, 2009. Admission is free to the public.

The Legendary Buffalo Chip will also host the second annual Legends Ride. This charity event offers bikers the perfect opportunity to jumpstart their rally experiences as they join celebrities, world-class bike builders, cigar aficionados and other special guests on a stunning 50-mile ride from historic Deadwood, South Dakota to the Legendary Buffalo Chip for the Legends Ride finale. Tickets are $150 per person and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to benefit the Black Hills Children’s Home Society and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.

Also part of the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s event schedule is the “Pink and Proud” ride. The ride will take place Friday August 7th with registration taking place at 11:30 a.m. Rider contribution is $115 and all contributions will go to support two foundations that work to enhance breast cancer awareness, research and education. In
addition to the ride, the “Pink and Proud” festivities will include an auction of Keep A Breast plaster casts made and beautified by prominent women in the motorcycle industry. Auction proceeds will support the Keep A Breast Foundation.

Sucker Punch Sally’s, The Legendary Buffalo Chip and American Cycle Magazine have all partnered to have a free bike giveaway on Friday night, that’s right it is free just visit www.buffalochip.com to register for this one of kind custom Sucker Punch Sally’s. Sturgis Bike Week has teamed up with Steven Tyler’s Dirico Motorcycles to raffle off a custom Dirico Motorcycle after the Aerosmith concert on Wednesday night.

Burnouts are always a huge part of any motorcycle rally and this year at the chip they will host the second annual Baker Burnout contest as well as the World Record Burnout attempt, led by a 1937 Indian motorcycle with side car. Details can be found at buffalochip.com.

So whether it’s great music, fine art, giving back or just having a great time that interests you, make sure your Sturgis Rally 2009 plans include a stop at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. For more information on the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s event schedule, please visit buffalochip.com.

Sure, our New England weather is typically true to form and is as unpredictable as ever during this week, 90 degree temperatures one day or cold and rainy the next. Actually, inevitably is almost always rains one of the weekends! But that’s part of the fun!

This year the Broken Spoke Saloon in Laconia is stepping up their game a little bit with an East Coast vs. West Coast biker build-off between Paul Cox and Chica (which should be really interesting) and  Boston’s very own, multi-singer-kick-ass band, Bang Camaro, will be rocking everyone’s world the very first night.

So, who’s going this year? Sound off!

An all-star roster of celebrities, world-class bike builders, cigar aficionados and artists have signed on to participate in the second annual Legends Ride to benefit Black Hills charities. Special Guests in the 2009 Legends Ride, which will be held Monday, August 3rd to kick off the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, include Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, and a host of the nation’s top bike builders, including Roger Bourget, Christian Clayton, Brain Klock, Michael Prugh and Paul Yaffe.

Aerosmith will be performing live at the Legendary Buffalo Chip, Wednesday August 5th and according to Dirico Motorcycles publicist, Aerosmith frontman, Steven Tyler and Dirico Motorcycles USA will take part in the 50-mile escorted Legends Ride that will take participants from historic Deadwood, S.D., through the Black Hills, and will finish at the Legendary Buffalo Chip in Sturgis.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Confirmed for 2009 Legends Ride

“The Black Hills have long been known as rider’s paradise, and the Legends Ride takes it one step further. You start in a town that’s infamous – Deadwood – ride through some of the nation’s best territory, and finish in the granddaddy of all motorcycle dreams – Sturgis and the Legendary Buffalo Chip; and you benefit charities,” said Rod Woodruff of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. “Every participant in this year’s Legends Ride is going to be talking about this very special event for the rest of their lives.”

The Legends Ride is hosted by the Legendary Buffalo Chip and the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. The Legends Ride is a fundraiser for the Children’s Home of the Black Hills and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. Last year’s event raised nearly $40,000 for charity.

Registration for the 2009 event is open, and tickets are going fast. They can be purchased at www.legendsride.com or by calling (605) 347-9000. The 2009 Legends Ride is a $150 contribution, 100% of which goes to the charities. Contributing riders not only get to enjoy the ride but also a special souvenir gift pack, special parking privileges in Deadwood and the Legendary Buffalo Chip, meet-and-greet opportunities with master builders and celebrities, food and drinks at an invite only reception scheduled to be recorded for broadcast in a network television series and, to top off the experience, concert performances by rocker Lita Ford and country music superstar Toby Keith. The Legends Ride reception will be highlighted by a live auction featuring “The Deadwood Special,” a unique custom motorcycle built by Kyle Shorey of Shadetree Fabrications and a pinstriping demonstration by Buck Wild.

The 2009 ride begins at the Silverado-Franklin Historic Hotel and Gaming Complex on Deadwood’s Main Street. Other stops in Deadwood include the Deadwood Tobacco Company, where riders can enjoy a stogie with the Stars of Cigars including Christian Eiroa, Jonathan Drew, Nish Patel and many other of world’s top cigar aficionados. The Lucky Nugget Gambling Hall will showcase the works of the
motorcycle industry’s and Black Hills’ top artists including Michael Lichter, David Uhl, Eric Herrmann, Rede Ballard and Kristi Goodell as part of the Buffalo Chip’s 2009 Essential Artists of the Black Hills Rally.

The Legends Ride would not be possible without the generous support of Anheuser Busch, Inc. Coca-Cola Bottling Co., the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, Dirico Motorcycles USA, First Western Bank, Interstate Batteries, Metzeler Motorcycle Tires, Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, the South Dakota Pork Producers, Sucker Punch Sally’s and Taser International.

Deep South Choppers introduces its first model as a manufacturer – the “DSC Shocker”.

You can catch the guys at Deep South, May 7th–9th in New Orleans, LA for Bike Week New Orleans, as The Easy Rider V-Twin Bike show makes it down south to the big Easy. No other city possesses the diversity andwealth of activities, scenery and pleasures in such a convenient location as New Orleans. Plus, it will sure to be the biggest party New Orleans has seen since Mardi Gras! Visit www.bikeweekneworleans.com for all the event details.

Deep South Choppers, in conjunction with the legendary Broken Spoke Saloon is teaming up for the National Unveiling of the DSC SHOCKER.

The National unveiling of the “DSC SHOCKER” will take place at the Broken Spoke Saloon – May 8th @ 7:30

About Deep South Choppers

Deep South Choppers started building custom motorcycles in 2004, and have been established among the leading bike builders in the country. With ongoing print and media attention, and the accumulation of satisfied customers, Gary Rutherford (a personal friend of Bert Baker owner of Baker Transmission) approached Dennis and Brad to build a custom show-bike that would highlight the new Baker Torque Box Transmission. This custom build for Gary named the Red Alligator, has received national media attention and has been on display in the Baker Transmission booth at many national bike shows. But even though DSC had a great business following as leading custom bike builders, the guys at DSC always had the dream of manufacturing and promoting their own brand and official line of motorcycles. Now in 2009, the first official DSC line (the DSC SHOCKER) the bobber with a twist, is on the ground and rolling. The SHOCKER is available in two models, High Voltage and Low Voltage.

DSC SHOCKER

Deep South Choppers introduces its first model as a manufacture – the “DSC Shocker”. For the builders and owners of DSC, this is where old school, meets new school.

The “DSC Shocker”, is a bobber with a twist. The rear of this DSC bobber has Carrera racing shocks. This provides the customer with a comfortable ride while not having to surrender the ultimate old school appeal. The “DSC SHOCKER” is available in two models. The High Voltage, which features mini ape hanger bars and the Low Voltage, which feature hot-rod drag bars.

DSC Shocker

Both models are manufactured with proprietary parts from DSC. The frame, bars, battery box, fuel tank and license plate bracket are all exclusive designs of Deep South Choppers. In addition, Dennis and Brad Mannino also chose high quality components such as a Harley Davision 80 inch engine for reliability and durability in conjunction with a Baker 5 speed transmission.

The “DSC Shocker” is making its mark in the Bobber class of motorcycles. DSC Customers receive a high quality custom production bike at a sensible price.. Low Voltage MSRP $ 19,900 – High Voltage MSRP $ 20,500. Deep South Choppers is currently taking orders for the “DSC SHOCKER”.

In honor of the long-standing relationship between motorcycles and rock-and-roll, the Hard Rock Fender guitars will be on display exclusively at the Hard Rock Roadhouse. Guitars were customized by some of the motorcycle industry’s most recognizable talent including:

Ami James of Love Hate Choppers
Athena “Chickie” Ransom of Vagabond Choppers
Bill Dodge of Bling’s Cycle
Christian Clayton of Sucker Punch Sally’s
Dave Perewitz of Perewitz Cycle Fabrication
Eddie Trotta of Thunder Cycle Design
Keino Sasaki of Keino Cycles
Pat Patterson of Led Sled Customs
Paul Cox of Paul Cox Industries
Paul Wideman of Bare Knuckle Choppers
Russell Mitchell of Exile Cycles
Steve Broyles of Stevenson’s Cycle
Taber Nash of Nash Motorcycles

Of course, the Roadhouse wouldn’t be complete without custom motorcycles. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the latest works from some of the world’s hottest custom bike builders. The photography exhibit will feature work from world-renowned motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter, Josh Kurpius and others. A traditional rock’n’ roll Hard Rock Guitar Smash will kick off the New Orleans Bike Week on Thursday at the Morial Convention Center.

“We’re excited to support and be part of New Orleans’ first annual Bike Week,” said Carrie Repp, producer of the Hard Rock Roadhouse and owner of R&R Promotions. “We’re working with some of the best in the industry including New Orleans Harley-Davidson, Broken Spoke, BikeWeek.com and Easyriders Bike Show Tour to put New Orleans back on the map of the country’s best motorcycle rallies.

The Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse will be open daily during Bike Week. For more information on the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse and New Orleans Bike Week please visit www.hrroadhouse.com, www.easyriderevents.com, www.bikeweekneworleans.com, www.neworleansh-d.com and www.hurricaneh-d.com

I think I’m going to write off Americade this year. We went last year, the weather is always stupid hot and humid, I hate camping and it’s kind of lacking in excitement. I will most likely hit the Laconia rally, as I do almost every year. While I spent the better part of a week up there the year before last, I think I’ll probably just go up for a day trip this year. Laconia is fun but sometimes the weather doesn’t co-operate and it typically pours the whole time.

My husband really wants to check out the Gettysburg rally. He’s fascinated with the history of the location and we’ve never been. Have any of you been and if so, what’s it like? And hey, bitchin’ Molly Hatchet is playing! Yeah.

Since I live on the East Coast, getting out to the Sturgis rally is always on the list to try to attend, but it’s such a logistical nightmare to drive 2K+ miles on I-90 that the thought of it makes me want to kill myself. But this year I’m GOING. We need to hammer out the details but it’s looking like it’s a definite GO.

So, I mentioned last week that some poll action would be coming up soon. Take a gander over there at the poll in the right column and pick a place that you guys think I should ride to this year. If there’s a rally not on the list that you absolutely think should be there, let me know!

The other day I was going through my RSS reader and I came across an article from Daytona on Women Riders Now about the unveiling of a motorcycle built specifically for women. The company’s name is ROAR motorcycles and they tout themselves as the resource of motorcycles for women.

“Vintage modern” motorcycles. What the F is that?

The ROAR WildKaT is the first motorcycle designed from the ground up for women riders. Seriously, do women really need specially designed motorcycles? Why don’t car manufacturers start building women-specific cars then? Oh wait, they do. It’s the mini-van.

“This bike is making history,” said ROAR Motorcycles president and CEO, Kathy Tolleson, the builder of the motorcycle. “We are challenging the industry with the WildKaT. We will begin manufacturing the WildKaT in the spring of ’09 and we have nothing but high hopes and aspirations that women riders across the land will take notice of this truly unique product,” said Tolleson. “It has a unique look that I would call ‘vintage modern’ and is the best handling bike that I have ever ridden.”

Vintage modern, really? Isn’t that an oxymoron? I don’t quite understand what she means by that. And doesn’t Tolleson seem like the female version of Bruce Rossmeyer, marketing their bikes to older female RUBs? Oh wait, we haven’t talked price point yet. I’m getting ahead of myself.

Tolleson showing off the WildKaT

Where’s the basket and the bell on that custom motorcycle for women?

The bike features a 1200cc Harley-Davidson motor sitting in a chassis that’s able to accommodate short and tall women. The frame suspension can be adjusted from a 23.5 inch seat height to a 29.5 inch height providing women with a custom fit. It has also been ergonomically designed for a woman featuring a narrow tank, adjustable handlebars, an easy-pull clutch and foot controls that can be moved forward or backward eight inches, adjustable in two inch increments without needing any extra brackets. The specially designed exhaust curves forward and around the rider’s foot and is run low below the floorboards. Tolleson says that getting burnt by hot pipes is a major concern among women motorcyclists. Um, I’ve never been burned by my pipes. All it takes is dismounting on the side that doesn’t have the hot pipes, or just being generally aware of your bike and its parts. It’s not rocket science.

Does this motorcycle make my ass look fat?

And to top it all off, the WildKaT has a wiiiiiiide, leather seat to accommodate a woman’s…um…hips. Yeah, hips. So, I guess women with lotsa junk in the trunk can ride a with more comfort and less complaining.

All this can be yours, ladies, for a mere $22,970!

Girls, don’t believe the hype.

Is it just me or are companies like ROAR and Ridley (who market their automatic motorcycles mainly to women) not giving women any credit to be able to handle a regular motorcycle and almost taking advantage of them? It seems they are dumbing down motorcycles just to make a buck. Do you think that the Van Buren sisters had modified “girlie” bikes?

Why are some women buying into the hype?!?! It makes me so angry to see droves of women gathering around the Ridley tent at rallies, sitting on those glorified scooters and to hear that ROAR has reservations piling up for this motorcycle that isn’t even produced.

a nice powder-pink Ridley

I know that lots of people (women specifically) might not like my opinion. They might say something like”well, who cares what women are riding as long as they’re out there riding?”

Me. I care.

I am a firm believer that if you can’t do something right, you shouldn’t do it at all. If you can’t handle a real motorcycle then you shouldn’t be on one. Period. Riding a motorcycle is not something that everyone is skilled enough to do. And it does require skill. Now, I will insert a disclaimer here that some people with physical disabilities (like my husband’s uncle with a very bad back condition or another friend who has one leg) are given a pass for certain customizations they need to make in order for them to ride. But an able-bodied woman is another story altogether.

Girls, just bite the bullet. Learn to ride properly (most states offer the MSF course and even Harley-Davidson offers a rider’s safety course) and PRACTICE. That’s all it takes to get on your own ride. You don’t need a “woman’s” bike to join the ranks of riders, in fact you will probably be doing yourself more harm than good if people know you are riding a glorified scooter.  Buy a bike, learn to ride and you will get the respect you deserve.

**EDIT**

Also check out the post on Motorcycle Nation Podcast in response to my post. Very interesting to see another point of view on the subject.

Well, it’s not actually a bike week, it’s more like a festival that takes place over a few days. May 6th-10th, to be precise. This event is brought to us by the Broken Spoke Saloon, Bikeweek.com and Easyriders and features lots of entertainment, events and delicious, authentic New Orleans cuisine throughout the rally at “rally prices.” Most of the events are only about 10 minutes away from the French Quarter so you can head on over after you get yourself a Po’ Boy.

Some of the bands appearing include everyone’s favorite musical albino, Edgar Winter, BlackFoot, Farrell Webber Band, and lots of “tribute” bands including Aultimate Ozzy, Hells Bells (AC/DC tribute band), Seven Bridges Road (Eagles tribute band), and Houses of Holy (Led Zeppelin tribute band).

There will also be the “Chrome Kitchen” where some of the finest chefs will compete in the kitchen against some famous bike builders (although no names are mentioned anywhere that I’ve looked). Sounds like fun.

And one of the biggest Easyriders V-Twin shows of the year will be staged in the New Orleans Convention Center.

“Easyriders Events is proud to be part of the Bike Week New Orleans project,” said John Green, director of Easyriders Events. “It is a rare opportunity for us to be involved at ground level with a group as passionate about the Motorcycle lifestyle as we are.

We have seen a recent shift in Motorcycle entertainment. With the new economy, people are looking for the same experience they find at Daytona and Sturgis close to their home turf.”

Makes a lot of sense if you live on the East Coast and can’t afford to travel far but still want a fun rally experience. More info about the rally, tickets and hotels can be found at http://www.bikeweekneworleans.com

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THE CAROLINA HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS ASSOCIATION 2009 SPRING BEACH RALLY SITE HAS MOVED TO NEW BERN, NC!

The Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Spring Beach Rally is the oldest, continuous running rally in the history of motorcycling and we are excited to be moving to New Bern, NC.

The Tradition Continues . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes, it is good-bye Myrtle Beach!
The Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association is pleased to announce that our 69th Annual Spring Beach Rally will be held in New Bern, North Carolina.  Mark Cox, president of the association said, “We will continue our legacy of 69 years celebrating the oldest, continuous rally by offering our Spring Beach Rally in New Bern”.  Mark went on to say, “This new venue will allow us to get back to basics and offer our existing and new customers a rally experience they will appreciate without restrictions and with the ability to enjoy the freedom of riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle”.

The Mayor of New Bern, T.A. Bayliss, III, welcomed the rally, “We are pleased and honored that you have chosen to hold your rally in our city, and we pledge our total cooperation in making your rally a most pleasurable and memorable occasion for all in attendance”.

Historic New Bern, located at the confluence of two rivers, is the second oldest town in North Carolina.  One of its many features is the picturesque downtown waterfront district and New Bern is only a 30-minute motorcycle ride to the beaches.  Or, if you prefer, plan a ride to the Croatan National Forest located southeast of New Bern.

About a week ago I read an article that said the spring rally in S. Carolina is not neccessarily dead after all. It’ll just be happening everywhere except Myrtle Beach. “Cruisin’ up the Coast” 69th annual bike week will be happening May 8th-17th in Horry County. There’s lots of information at http://www.mbbikeweeks.com and http://www.myrtlebeachharley.com.

“…the City of Myrtle Beach has never played a role in bike week and has made it clear they don’t want to play a role. In years past, over 90% of the events taking place were outside the limits of the City of Myrtle Beach. The new rules and regulations really WILL NOT affect your visit or any of the activities and events.“

So this sucker is still ON and it sounds like as long as bikers stay OUT of Myrtle Beach then none of the new rules & regulations will apply. I’ll be really interested in seeing how this all pans out. Thanks to Dee Hal for sending me an email and giving me a nudge to get a post out about it.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the animal rescue group, Rescue Ink. I love what they’re all about and someone left a comment that I felt the need to bubble up into this post.
From Stefanie:

“Hi, I just want you to know that Rescue Ink is an AMAZING organization. In fact, they’re so amazing that we are holding a fundraiser for them on Saturday March 28, 2009 at Jib Lanes (http://www.jiblanes.com) in Queens, NY at 9:30am. Please tell your friends and family to come down so we can raise some serious money for these great guys!!!”

I hope this fundraiser goes well for them and I plan on donating my next Google Adsense check to them when it comes in. If you’d like to help them out you can either send a donation or buy a Rescue Ink t-shirt.

The other night I caught a promo for this season’s Celebrity Apprentice. Anyone else seen it? Jesse James will be playing for the Long Beach Unified School District and intends for the cash to assist the district’s industrial design classes (i.e. auto shop).

Other than my crush, Mr. James, my other favorites would be Tom Green and Dennis Rodman. Looks like they’re making the “Dice Man” out to be the heavy of the show. I’m looking forward to it. Anyway, here’s a clip:

There was some mixed reaction to the City of Myrtle Beach shutting down the rally, but most people agree that if they don’t want our money we will happily spend it somewhere else. A few people chimed in that it was too much of a RUB-fest and they longed for the days of old skool rallies. Well, my friend ArtBiker invited my man to ride with him in what might be a unique old school meets new school experience.

The Horse Backstreet Choppers Smoke Out 10

The Smoke Out Rally is about as hardcore as it gets. For their 10th year anniversary they decided to branch out a bit from their normal long weekend in North Carolina. This year the rally kicks off Friday, May 8th in Cottonwood AZ with a huge 2 day blow out party. Then brave souls will jump on their steeds and hammer cross country to the Rockingham Drag Strip in Rockingham, NC, where they will party in style for weekend number two.

The Horse magazine

The ride, which is about 350 miles per day, is being called the Long Road. While you or I may not think that 350 miles per day is a long ride, keep in mind that The Horse Backstreet Choppers Magazine is totally devoted to Old Skool Choppers, Bobbers and DIY chops. These bikes don’t compare to the bikes most of us ride with progressive suspensions, rubber mounted motors and air-ride shocks. I used to be 5′ 10″ until I rode a friend’s ’77 Low Rider Rigid Chop one afternoon (and now I’m only 5′ 7″!)

Knowing that riding a chopper cross country is a feat worthy of notability, rally organizer Edge is doing something special for its participants.

Win the Superbowl and you get a ring. Win the Masters and you get a green jacket. Edge is currently working with David Barkhordari from BadAss Jewelry to design a pendant to be presented to each rider that completes the Long Road. Riders, on any type of bike, can pay a small fee and register in Cottonwood for the Long Road. Each rider that completes the ride will be presented a brass (or bronze) pendent designed to recognize that accomplishment. The pendent can be worn as a necklace or key-chain fob or as an addition to your bike in any number of ways.

Going a step further to recognize the home builder any rider that completes the Long Road on rigid chopper or bobber that he or she has built will be presented a sterling silver pendant that will be serial numbered on the back and a record of bike-riders that accomplish this feat will be maintained (by serial number) on the Smoke Out website.

For anyone looking for t-shirts, leather, swap-meets or other fun stuff you find at rallies, there will be vendors at both of the weekend bashes. Oh, and did I mention that every night after the ride there will be a biker party, complete with fire, burnouts and plenty of hootin and hollerin‘.

Not to be overlooked, there will be a bike show. One catagory “Choppers” and 10 winners.  Talk about old skool. If you have the chops to do this ride/rally let me know, I’d love to do a follow up.

Sadly, there will no longer be any rallies in Myrtle Beach. Done. Dead. Finito. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way outta town, buddy. It’s too bad they decided to go this way. I have a sneaking suspicion that their issues are not with the biker community as a whole. I’ll just leave it at that.

A letter from the Mayor:

Dear Visitors,
Myrtle Beach is no longer the location for two long-running motorcycle events. After many years, our residents grew weary of three weeks of noise and traffic congestion each May, and they asked City Council to end the events. As a result, the Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Spring Rally and the Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Bikefest will not be held in Myrtle Beach.

This was a difficult decision. Myrtle Beach welcomes visitors year-round, but the giant motorcycle rallies simply grew too large. Our staff, residents and businesses strained to keep up with these huge single-focus events. It may surprise you, but our economy is much healthier with a fully diversified visitor base, instead of a concentration on one or two extremely large events.

Please know that Myrtle Beach is not anti-biker or anti-motorcycle. We want folks to come on the vehicle of their choice and enjoy all of the things Myrtle Beach has to offer. We are ending the motorcycle-related rallies because they grew too big and lasted too long. The huge rallies even kept visitors away from Myrtle Beach, and that’s not good.

For everyone’s safety and welfare, City Council has added a few new rules and regulations. We believe these new laws will make Myrtle Beach a safer and more friendly destination. For example, with your safety in mind, we now require that all motorcycle riders and passengers wear a helmet and eye protection. We also have a 1:00 to 6:00 a.m. curfew for everyone under 18. These and other rule changes are explained on this web site. Thank you for understanding. As you know, Myrtle Beach is a great place to visit, and we welcome you at any time. I look forward to your next visit and am confident that you will have a great time in Myrtle Beach!

Sincerely,

John Rhodes
Mayor

The official Myrtle Beach Bike Week site is still up with the would-have-been dates and official bike week merchandise still up. You’d have a pretty sweet keepsake if you can actually buy some 2009 t-shirts. And you can still visit Myrtle Beach as a vacation spot, as long as you adhere to the new rules and regulations. You now have to wear a helmet, eye protection and have a “functioning” muffler for your bike. Oh yeah, and there’s a curfew. Let’s face it, not having those things is what made hanging out in MB fun!

I’d only gone once a few years ago, but I thought Myrtle Beach was really nice and I think back on that trip fondly because it was my first long distance ride. Before I had this blog I actually wrote about my trip on a personal blog that I kept. This was how my week went while I was there:

Friday- Day 1 of a two day ride begins when we hit the road at 7:30 a.m. The ride isn’t so bad but we hit traffic in RI, NY and DC. We grab a hotel room somewhere in Virginia. I’m so tired and achy that I take a Tylenol w/codeine and a shot of whiskey and go to bed.

Saturday- Day 2 of riding goes better with little traffic. We know we’re getting close when we see start seeing billboards for South of the Border, Cafe Risque (it’s a TOPLESS! TOPLESS! TOPLESS! donut shop) & the Ava Gardner museum (yeah, I didn’t know there was one either).

We make a pit stop at South of the Border because it’s just so cheesy you can’t not stop. We got an ice cream because it was hot outside, posed with Pedro and perused the trinkets before hitting the road. We arrived in Myrtle Beach around 5:30 and had dinner.  Later that night we headed out to meet friends a local bar called Fatboy’s. There’s no open container law there, so drinking beers outside feels weird! The gang decides to head to Hog Wild and it appears that the entire attendance from the bar leaves.

Sunday- Caught up on much needed sleep! We lounged about for a little while & later that day we surveyed the area around us, grabbed lunch at a steak house and just chilled out.

Monday- We got up kind of early and headed down to Murrell’s Inlet where the old Suck Bang Blow (SBB) & the Beaver Bar is. There were lots of vendors all around so we looked at all the merch. I broke down & bought a pair of chaps. We spent a few hours there and then headed over to the Broken Spoke Saloon. They also had vendors there and Easyriders magazine had some show bikes on display. We saw Goth Girl there, who looked like she was setting up to play music but it started to rain so she scrambled to keep her equipment dry. When it stopped raining we used the opportunity to head back to home base for a little while.

The weather cleared up that night so we checked out the new Suck Bang Blow (I guess the building it’s in used to be a Lowe’s or Home Depot. It’s enormous!). We had a couple of beers there, checked out the burnout pit and the vendors in back. We called some of the guys that we knew were there and met them at another bar called “Sundown’s.” Bikes just kept coming and going the whole time we were there.

Tuesday- The sky was still cloudy this day but no rain. We headed north and stopped at Broadway on the Beach. It’s a mall-like area and there were supposed to be a lot of things going on there. We saw a lot of trailers but not a lot of people had things set up. ArtBiker had arrived from Texas & met up with us there. We stayed there for the bulk of the day and then we went to the Rat Hole. We watched a “biker rodeo” which just ended up being a bunch of games done on motorcycles.

That night we picked up a good friend of mine at her place and went back to the big SBB. We drank beer and chatted up some folks. ArtBiker met us there and we ventured over to the other SBB for a while. Then we hung out at the Angry Beaver for a few beers (the boys enjoyed stogies) until they kicked us out for the evening.

Wednesday- Back to the Broken Spoke Saloon where Billy Lane & Discovery Channel are filming a show. We got bored there after a while and hit the Harley shop where we had lunch and Forrest bought me a cowboy hat! That night the big SBB had the first round of the”Baddest Biker on the Beach” boxing matches. I’d never seen live boxing before so I found the experience kind of interesting. There was a lot of energy flowing while the matches were happening, the crowd was completely digging it. We stayed for a little while after the matches were over. More burnouts, more scantily-clad skanks.

Thursday-Checked out a bike show at the Dog House (south). Was a hot and sunny day so lot’s of PBR talls were had. On the way back we decided to hit Broadway on the Beach again because it appeared that everyone was set up. Exile Cycles was there. I immediately went into stalker-mode and got another photo of me taken with Russell Mitchell (and once again was reduced to a babbling idiot while talking to him). We also managed to get a photo of Eddie Trotta while we were there. So, it wasn’t a wasted visit.

Friday-The day threatened rain but we headed out anyway. We met ArtBiker in N. Myrtle Beach and went to Barefoot Landing- also another mall area with lots of vendors and stuff set up. Biker Billy was there doing a cooking demonstration promoting his new book Biker Billy Cooks With Fire. We got to try some of the food afterwards and it was so yummy & spicy! I’m totally getting his book. Now that I think of it, I should have gotten one there and had him sign it. Oh well.

As it were, it did rain on us sporadically but luckily never while we were on the bikes. We had all of these grand illusions of going out that night because it was our last night there. We were going to take a little nap to rejuvenate ourselves but we just never woke up. We were so tired from running around all week and we had to ride the next day.

Saturday & Sunday- full days of riding. Sunday sucked because it was cold and rainy. It rained on us from NY all the way home and we hit traffic in NY & CT and that delayed us about 2 hours. When we saw the “Welcome to Massachusetts” sign I got all teary-eyed because I was so thankful to be almost home. My feet & hands were completely soaked and frozen to the point of numbness. I had so many layers on under my rain suit that I could barely move, my body ached and I was so tired. When we got to the 5 miles to home mark, a little pebble hit me square in the middle of my forehead and sent me completely over the edge. I had a complete meltdown and started crying. I was hating life at that very moment.

When we finally pulled off the ramp at our exit my poor husband was stunned to see tears streaming down my face, ha ha!!! We made it to his house around 7:30 and I was so happy to be off my bike.

While that trip had it’s difficulties for me, I really did have fun. I’d hoped that I might get to enjoy that feeling again going to the MB rallies.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.
Myrtle Beach passed 15 ordinances Tuesday to crack down on a 70-year tradition of motorcycle rallies in the city, but some attorneys warned the new laws may not survive legal challenges.

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports that city council unanimously passed nearly all the ordinances, which include rules requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets, restricting where bikers can park and strengthening loitering rules.

Lawyers representing Harley-Davidson of Myrtle Beach and businesses that cater to bikers suggested some of the laws are illegal, but city attorney Tom Ellenburg told them to “save those arguments for the judge” and councilman Wayne Gray said the city is ready to face any legal challenge.

The helmet law may get the toughest challenge. State law doesn’t require helmets for riders 21 and over.

The city decided to get rid of the rallies after years of complaints from residents about noise, lewd behavior and congestion, and council raised property taxes earlier this year to help pay for the effort. So far, none of the surrounding governments have followed suit.

The Harley-Davidson rally has been a fixture in Myrtle Beach for nearly seven decades and attracts mostly white riders. The Atlantic Beach Bikefest during Memorial Day weekend is a much newer event. It lasts four to five days, caters to black bikers and doesn’t have the same kind of organization as the Harley rally.

Officials estimate the two rallies bring more than 500,000 people to the Grand Strand every year.

The site design is pretty hip and trendy and while the product is limited, it’s worth checking out.

women's tshirts from pinkpartz.com

Skulls are a large part of the biker culture, but tend not to be very feminine. Voodoo King Designs has the answer with these delicate sterling silver gemstone skull rings. Priced at only $99 with your choice of gemstones: blue topaz, peridot, citrine, amethyst, cubic zirconia, pink cubic zirconia, and faceted black onyx. The result is that you still have a badass skull ring with a bit of feminine flair!

skull rings by Voodoo King Designs on etsy.com

Don’t worry guys, they have some jewelry options for you, too!

Update about the Myrtle Beach bike rallies: this article says a new poll suggests that the Mayor and City Council are listening to a vocal minority who is against the motorcycle rallies while an overwhelming number of residents polled are in favor of the Harley-Davidson event and are against having their taxes raised to fund an anti-rally campaign.

Ladies love Harley-That may be true, but do any women under the age of 45 ride a Harley?

Marketing to women: Harley-Davidson proves once again they’re a mega-marketing machine
Harley-Davidson is a force to be reckoned with, for sure, whether you love or hate them. Since we now have a Harley in the family it’s been more and more apparent to me why people have such brand loyalty to them. They constantly reinforce a feeling of belonging to a family with their customer service, their membership programs and mailings. They’re one of the first brands to really being marketing towards women and they’ll be damned if they don’t bust into my demographic if it kills them. They were one of the first to put a special section on their website geared towards women, they offer women only garage parties and now they’re offering something that’s sure to make women feel like they belong to an exclusive community: they’re giving away an exclusive designer ring to women who buy one of their bikes.

This exclusive HD ring was designed by Karen Davidson

Goldmember would be jealous: a chopper made of GOLD
This extravagant piece of art was shown at the International Motorcycle show in Seattle. It’s gold plated and only costs a mere $500,000. Where can I get one?

View more photos of this magnificient beast at funtasticus.com

Red band trailer for HELL RIDE finally available for viewing
Here it is in all it’s glory, boys and girls. Definitely not safe for work so tread lightly where you’re viewing it. Glad to see that tongue is still planted firmly in cheek after seeing the trailer and I am definitely looking forward to some raunchy sex & violence with this flick.

Anyone else still eager to see it?

We could only spare time for day trip this year (my stinky new job is eating into all my fun “me” time) and it was just a tease. If we plan on spending the whole week (or even just a few days) up in NH we usually take a nice leisurely, back-roads ride up to the Lakes Region. However for day trips we just hit the highway and blast up 93N for 100 miles until we reach the Tilt’n Diner.

Once making it to the diner most people shed their leathers and helmets and prepare themselves for the 13 mile trek to the Weirs Beach. It’s a nice scenic ride that can take up to 3 hours on the busy weekends.

Our first stop was the Belknap Mill. This old mill has a gallery that houses motorcycle exhibits during the rally each year. This year the exhibit was of some sort of acrylic-type paintings with a water color feel by local artist John David O’Shaughnessy. It was like line drawing meets forced impressionist. The show paled in comparison to my friend Art Biker, who had a show a few years back. But I might be slightly biased.

From downtown we headed to the beach, finding parking spots near the very end. We did the typical stroll, down the entire beach up to the drive-in area to peruse all of the vendors. After buying some swag, we were on our way back to our bikes when the skies opened up and we were nailed by the first downpour. Seemed like the perfect time to duck into a local watering hole and wait it out.

As we were hanging out I noticed that there weren’t that many customized motorcycles that knocked my socks off this year, but there was an abundance of photographers. In addition to my favorite motorcycle photographer (again, I might be slightly biased) we saw Michale Lichter and probably 10 other photo crews running around desperately shooting whatever they could find.

When the skies cleared we took the opportunity to jump on the bikes and rode the loop up the the Antler, back down past the Fun Spot and finding our way to the highway. While we were gassing up we got caught in a tremendous downpour and, along with hundreds of our closest friends, decided to hang out and wait for it to pass. Forethought told me to bring my rain gear, but I wanted to travel light (because my rain gear weighs so much?) so I left it at home on the table (perfect place for it, huh?). An hour later it finally stopped and was a bright sunny day again.

But since the biker weeks are not official Myrtle Beach events, the city is still trying to figure out how to get the bikers not to just show up.

The city says it wants the month of May to go back to being a family vacation month, not a time for rowdy partying.

“It’s what you and your thousands of event attendees do when you are here. It’s not who you are or what you drive. It’s what you do and what your behavior is when you’re here. That’s the issue,” says Mark Kruea. (source: WIS News 10)

Bikers from across county are planning to attend the Horry County council meeting on July 1 at 6 PM to show their unified support for continuing both rallies. “At this point we still have both bike rallies and what we need to do is sit down with city (of Myrtle Beach) officials and talk about how we can make the future bike weeks better,” said Hakim Harrell, CEO of Cycle Shoe International and promoter of the Memorial Day events held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. (source: scnow.com)

One of the more exciting bits of news for Sturgis this year is that mother-f*ing KISS (and Kenny Chesney) will be headlining each of the Rock’n the Rally shows! I’m so, so SAD that I cannot go this year. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t!
I will be hosting a contest to giveaway tickets to each show! Stay tuned!

In the meantime: join the legion that is the KISS Army, put on your demon make-up and rock out to one of my favorite songs:

In the meantime, I found an interesting video clip from Daytona 2008, featuring an interesting trio hanging out together.

If you watch UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) then that scary, yet handsome bald fellow should be no stranger to you: that’s the “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine, riding his 2008 HD Crossbones. The other guy, who is the comic relief, is BMX-er Michah Kranz. The hot blonde is Jes Rickleff, who was the “winner” (if you can call that winning?) of season one of Rock of Love with Brett Michaels.

It seems like yet another example of Harley-Davidson trying to engage a younger demographic. Hey, it got me to watch!

I spent some time over the weekend implementing a couple of new features: one failed miserably, the other was making space for private advertising on my sidebar, which worked out just fine. So, if anyone is interested in advertising on this site, email me and I’ll gladly send you an ad pricing list.

Motorcycle Blogger Beware
You may have seen a button for BikerKiss.com in the sidebar for a few days earlier this week. I was approached by their affiliate program about advertising on this site a few weeks ago. After a lot of emails back and forth (and implementing their button/banner) the experience turned sour when the person who I was working with told me they had expected a large banner running across the top of my site (which was never discussed or asked for and for very little monetary compensation). When I told them I was not willing to compromise my layout for that and was only implementing smaller button sizes that fit in my sidebar, they backed out of the arrangement (not to mention throwing a parting jab at me). Needless to say, BikerKiss can kiss off as far as I’m concerned.

Off for a fun weekend
While most of you will be slumbering (or just getting up for work) at the butt-crack of dawn Friday morning, we will be heading out to Lake George, NY for the last weekend of Americade. It was a last minute decision to go, but we decided we need a break from day to day life. Unfortunately making the last minute decision means we’re going to have to do one of the things that I dread: CAMP. Did I mention that it’s also going to be about 90 degrees this weekend? Oh well. At least I’ll finally get some time in the saddle.

Even though the town itself is small, there’s definitely no shortage of events: ranging from New England-style clam bakes, lots of motorcycle demos, music, The Ride to the Sky up Mt. Washington (which I could devote an entire post to, it’s so amazing!), hill climbs and races, beautiful scenic roads to ride on and of course, lots of vendors.

Rippin-Kitten, Ride to the Sky, June 2007

Last year I was able to attend the rally for almost a week. Unfortunately I won’t have the same luxury this year, but I do plan to go up for at least a day trip. If you live or are going to be visiting a near by area, I suggest you do the same.

Over the weekend, as most of us know, the Rolling Thunder rally was underway with thousands of motorcycles heading toward the Pentagon to honor the fallen. The President was even made an honorary member of the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group.

While this video says it’s 9+ minutes long, it’s really only about five minutes long with a lot of dead space at the end. Despite that it’s put together well and still worth watching all of those that took part in the ride this year.

Since there is usually snow & ice on the ground here that time of year (and I don’t relish the idea of riding to Florida in 20 degree weather) getting down there may present a challenge. And shipping the bike could be costly. Needless to say, I have some big planning ahead of me!

Unfortunately, I’m not eligible for Harley-Davidson’s Get Down to Daytona contest. If you aren’t aware of the contest, if you’re a woman you can win a spot on a bike trip to Daytona with Karen Davidson.

From the site: To enter, submit a video, 90 seconds or less, describing how your riding mentor helped you improve your confidence and riding skills, and what riding means to you. Make sure to include your riding mentor in your video or a photo of her or him.

You have to own an HD and been riding for less than 2 years (I’m out on both counts) but if you’re a woman who fits those requirements…well stop reading and go submit a video, dammit!

As I have mentioned before, I have never had the pleasure of attending the Sturgis bike rally. I’ve talked about it a whole bunch of times but the plans just never came to fruition. Well, I guess if I can’t go to Sturgis, I can bring Sturgis to me with the interactive Sturgis street, sidewalk and Main St. webcams, which appear to be on a 30 seconds refresh rate. It’s almost like being there, except that I can hear, feel or smell what’s happening there.

*sigh*

“Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.”

This quote is particularly true in describing yours truly this summer. I have created my own problems by trying to enhance the performance and bad-assness (did I just make up my own word?) of my motorcycle. I’m a bit frustrated because the summer is half-over and I haven’t done any real riding since bike week in Laconia.

The good news is that the pilot jet I was waiting for is finally here! The bad news is that it’s suppose to rain for the next few days.

And today, of course, is the beginning of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I have never had the pleasure of attending, but I hope to someday. The past few years money and occupational commitments have prevented me from packing up and heading out there. Not to mention the fact that I live on the east coast and it’s pretty damn far for me to ride!

But I will do it some day.

(music: “Push Push (Lady Lightning)” by Bang Camaro)

If you want to check out the actual photos in addition to the video, check out the Laconia photo set on my Flickr page!

I have a lot of photos to download from my camera and I’ll try to get those online sometime this evening.

Until then, here’s a little tease. This was taken last Thursday on my way up Mt. Washington!

The ride up here was long, cold and wet! We took the “scenic route” up and while the ride was gorgeous it was difficult to enjoy in the rain…We’re staying at the Naswa Resort, which is really close to the middle of everything!

Yesterday we rode up Mt. Washington. It was a little bit scary to get up it. At certain places the road turns into DIRT road and tryng to keep control of the motorcycle while hammering on the throttle to get up some of the steep parts was dicey. The payoff was worth it, the view were amazing. We got lots of pictures up there. I felt bad for this one old guy though. He was telling the employees up there that he was in trouble because he didn’t think he could get off of the mountain. He was totally spooked. They had to arrange someone to take him down in a van while they rode his Harley down for him. The irony is that going back down was much easier!

After we left Mt. Washington we rode on the Kancamangas highway for a little bit. Oh and did I mention that the weather was gorgeous? It was great. We rode a little more than 200 miles yesterday. I was exhausted last night! We had a bite to eat at the Smokehouse and then I put my sorry butt to bed!

Today there were noticably more and more bikes arriving. There is a steady stream of rumbling motorcycles day and night. Today we hit all of the vendors on the beach, ate yummy sausge & pepper subs and had a few beers. It was a hot day today and my dogs are barkin’ from all the walking we did!

OK-it’s getting late and I’m sure everyone around me is wondering why I’m in the lobby typing on a computer when I should be drinking and singing “Wheel in the Sky” at the top of my lungs…

And don’t forget to track my riding in real time by going to the “where am I” page.

My bike comes stock with a HUGE air cleaner, lovingly referred to as “the football” and a “pair valve” (California emissions control device). The plan was to rip off the pair valve, replace the football with a hidden K&N air filter, re-jet and debaffle the exhaust pipes (since I have not made a decision on what style of new pipes I want). I realize this was ambitious, but I started over a month ago and figured I’d be done by now. The problem is that I still don’t have all the parts that I ordered! The one big thing I’m missing is the jet kit. But I couldn’t wait, so I started anyway!

Getting half-naked.

When you remove the pair valve and the football on the Volusia, it allows you an unobstructed view of the V-twin cylinders (or “jugs”) so some smarty-pants refers to them as having “Naked Jugs“. I began to set my jugs free today by removing the pair valve. Things went fairly smooth except for the front air breather, that’s a bitch.

Once that was done I figured since I can’t re-jet yet that there was no reason to replace the football. My bike runs lean anyway so the last thing I want to do is give it more air.

The top row of pictures is the pair value before and after I removed the casing. The second row is me tackling the “football.”

Voila! Naked jugs!

So now the bike is half-nekkid. I’m going to have to wait until I get back from bike week to re-jet and go au naturale.

Baffled that I haven’t debaffled before now.

I decided to do a partial debaffle of the exhaust pipes. There are 3 separate baffles in the Volusia. My goal was to remove the first one.

We picked up 2 hole saws to cut through the plates in the massive pipes. You cut out a doughnut and the baffle becomes unrestricted. Then put a dowel in the baffle and wiggle it around until the metal fatigues and breaks off.

Pull the baffle out: lather, rinse and repeat on the other pipe.

What a difference! The sound coming out of those pipes now is unbelievable!

So, as I mentioned before I will be at bike week from Wednesday to Sunday and will try to post updates while I’m there. I’ve been working on a special feature that uses a GPS that I put on the bike and Google maps so you can see me riding in real time. Look for the “Where am I” link under pages in the right hand column. When it’s there, that means I’m on the road! Check back soon and check often…

Here’s some other interesting facts:

• it’s usually held in June and typically ends Father’s Day weekend (except in 2008, when it’ll actually start on that weekend)
• motorcyclists began converging on Weirs Beach, NH in 1916
• it began as a weekend event for races, shows and hill climbs
• the popularity of the “biker” image caused a surge in attendance which extended it to “bike week”
• in the 60′s, Laconia saw troubled times when riots between bikers and the police broke out, causing a decline in attendance. The week-long eventually downgraded to only 3 days.
• in the 90′s local businesses, hoping to boost tourism, looked back to the bikers and reviving the week-long event, which is now run by the A.M.A
• 7 years ago, motorcycle week turned into a 9-day event and attracts 100,000 to 400,000 people
• I have been going for about the past 15 years