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/2009/09/15/update-ride-with-the-40-memorial-ride/ http://www.rippin-kitten.com/2009/09/15/update-ride-with-the-40-memorial-ride/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:03:55 +0000 Lizzie http://www.rippin-kitten.com/?p=2059 Back in May was when I first heard about Ride with the 40. Someone who was involved in planning the ride contacted me and told me what it was all about, which I found inspiring and promptly wrote about.

http://www.ridewiththe40.org

Over the weekend I was wondering how that ride turned out. I was excited today when I found this article from the San Diego Source:

Fight 93 victims remembered in San Francisco
By JASON DEAREN, The Associated Press
Friday, September 11, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — About a dozen Harley-Davidson motorcycles ridden by relatives and friends of United Flight 93 passengers and crew members roared into San Francisco International Airport on Friday, ending an eight-day journey that mirrored the doomed plane’s intended path.

The 40 people on Flight 93 died on Sept. 11, 2001, after the aircraft crashed in a western Pennsylvania field after being commandeered by terrorists. They were hailed as heroes in tributes for their bravery in confronting the hijackers.

The motorcyclists, led by Ken and Dale Nacke, whose brother Louis “Joey” Nacke was on the plane, left Newark Liberty International Airport on Sept. 3. They pulled into San Francisco just after 11 a.m. Friday, the same time the plane was supposed to have arrived eight years ago.
Jack Grandcolas watched quietly as the motorcycles rumbled in. His three-months pregnant wife, Lauren Catuzzi-Grandcolas, was on Flight 93.

She had called him from the plane after the hijackers took control, leaving a message on his answering machine that there was a problem. It was the last time he heard her voice.

“This is an inspiration to me,” he said, his voice quivering. “The symbolism of this, it finishes the trip Louis and my wife Lauren never got to finish.”

The gruff-looking bikers dismounted their “hogs” and immediately hugged, tearing up as the engines were turned off.

“We made it,” said Ken Nacke, wearing a black leather vest and a doo-rag. “The flight of 40 are home.”

The motorcycles were tailed by a U-Haul truck carrying a replica of the makeshift memorial that sprung up near the crash site in Shanksville, Pa. The memorial was a plain, wooden fence adorned with signed T-shirts, hardhats, plaques and written notes.

The ride also raised money for construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville. The $58 million memorial is scheduled to open on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Linda White, Louis Nacke’s cousin, stood near the mini-memorial with tears in her eyes, her head covered in an “Easyriders” doo-rag.

White rode on the back of her husband David White’s motorcycle on the last leg of the trip, and was overwhelmed with emotion as they pulled into their final stop.

“I was overcome with the feeling of the 40 people as we came in. They were giving us a big thumbs up for this and a thank you for finishing the journey,” she said.

I actually teared up while reading this article and I’m glad they saw support from others during the ride. The Ride with the 40 website also posted this update:

The ride concluded when the core riders, accompanied by a group of local riders, reached the Western Terminus of the Lincoln Hiway in San Fransisco, CA. The total distance from Newark International Airport to the Western Terminus of the Lincoln Hiway is 3,250.7 miles. Special thanks to all those who showed their support throughout the Journey.

Stay tuned for more updates including pictures, videos, and information on T-Shirts.

I shall do that. Again, if you’re interested in making a donation to the memorial you can do so on the website.

It’s simple, just ride – ride to work, at lunch, around the block, or even take the whole day off to ride. Many will be using their return trip from CLUB H.O.G. OKC for their contribution. Non-H.O.G. members can join now, just in time for the event.

Participants worldwide can log on to http://members.hog.com to record their miles, read the blog, submit their photos, explore others’ photos, and more. Those who can’t ride can watch the progress of others with a virtual odometer which will be updated throughout the day on harley-davidson.com and hog.com.

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.

Ride with the 40 is being led by Kenny Nacke, a Baltimore police officer and the brother of Louis Joseph Nacke II, one of the passengers on board Flight 93. He and four other Harley-Davidson riders will complete the journey of Flight 93 by departing on September 3rd from Newark International Airport, where the plane departed, and arriving in San Francisco on September 11th at the flight’s scheduled arrival time.

Riders across the country are invited to join them for a leg of the route, sponsor a mile or more of the route at the symbolic suggestion of $93/mile, or just spread the word to friends and family.

I think this is really cool and the word needs to get out. It deserves as much support as the motorcycle community can possibly give. If you’re interested in donating and staying up on the latest news, make sure to visit http://www.ridewiththe40.org.

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!

I’ve seen plenty of guys people do double-takes when they see me on my bike. And I’ve received occasional props from people when they find out I ride my own. It’s 2009 and I’m still surprised at the variety of feedback I get because of my gender and motorcycling hobby. I wonder what it might have been like almost 100 years ago.

Back in the day, before women could vote and we were under the thumb of “the man” (any man really), two intrepid sisters had a dream. New York “society girls” Adeline and Augusta Van Buren (descendants of our 8th president) dreamed of serving our country by being motorcycle dispatch riders. With America’s entry into WWI looming on the horizon, the time was now (or then, actually) to prove that women could do it.

Adeline Van Buren

Augusta Van Buren

On July 4th, 1916 “Gussie” and “Addie” set out from Brooklyn heading toward the City of Angels. Now you have to remember, (as my husband is so fond of saying to me) prior to the Eisenhower interstate act of 1956 there was “no way to get there from here”. In fact it wasn’t until three years after the girls made their trip, that Dwight D made his trip in a truck convoy as a young army officer, which planted the seed of our future highway system.

Imagine crossing this country on a series of dusty, unpaved country roads and only seeing asphalt, brick or cobblestone when in a major city. That would be like riding 5,500 miles on conditions that today we go out of our way to avoid. And while were talking about the conditions of our country’s infrastructure, lets talk about the machines they were riding.

Back in the early part of the 20th century there were over 200 motorcycle manufacturers in the U.S. and at times the biggest of them was Indian Motorcycles. After sweeping the Isle of Man TT in 1911, most serious riders found themselves on an Indian. Although Harley-Davidson was a solid brand, it wasn’t so until WWII that they left Indian in the dust.  Like other serious riders, Gussie and Addie Van Buren were no exception to the Indian rule. They both chose to ride the top of the line Indian Model F with the Power Plus 1000cc twin.

From Brooklyn, the pair headed north to Buffalo and then west to the big city of Chicago.  After leaving Chi-town not only did the girls really find themselves in rural America, but on occasion they found themselves in handcuffs being arrested for wearing men’s clothing! But for the most part, they were able to talk their way out of most situations as they trekked through Omaha to Denver.

While Gussie and Addie were not the first women to ride across the USA on a motorcycle, they were the first to summit Pike’s Peak. I’ve ridden up Mount Washington on crappy asphalt, stone and packed dirt with no guardrails for your safety to an above the clouds height of 6,288 feet and that was fairly harrowing. They climbed more than twice that to 14,109 feet and made history becoming the first women to ever summit Pike’s Peak (a ride I’d like to do some day…).

Like most motorcycle journeys, the women found themselves in unplanned situations. Some roads were washed out, at times they dumped their bikes, they even got stuck in the mud and lost in the desert west of Salt Lake City. But just like happenings of today, they were helped out by fellow riders, good Samaritans and friendly town-folk.

Mexico or bust

Late summer in 1916 saw the girls ride into Los Angeles, completing their trip on September 8th.  Apparently they were hungry for a little Mexican and since Baja Fresh hadn’t opened just yet, they rode down to Tijuana for good measure.

One of the best parts of a road trip is meeting new people and telling them your story. I’m sure that in the summer of 1916 two slender women in men’s clothing, on a transcontinental journey was a scene that turned plenty of heads. Stories like this inspire me to travel and seek out adventure. I might never be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, or the Sturgis Hall of Fame, but that doesn’t mean that each time I take the road I shouldn’t ride like I’m seeing the world for the first time.

Thanks to my husband for being such a history buff and kicking my butt to write this post!

If you want to learn more about Adeline and Augusta VanBuren check out vanburensisters.com, a website maintained by their kin.

February is my least favorite month of all. Even though it’s short it just feels…so…long…But I’ve snapped out of it and I am raring to go.

Here’s a few interesting bits of late:

All ladies summer tour through Alaska

MotoQuest Tours is planning an all women, 9-day, 1200 mile trip (on all paved roads), with lodging-through Alaska from June 26th to July 4th.  An average day will be about 250 miles so everyone can take in the scenery and all the riders will be followed by a 12 passenger van to schlep all the luggage and provide snacks and refreshment. Full details and information can be found at http://motoquesttours.com/09ladiesintro.html

Sons of Anarchy, Season Two

There’s very little to report lately about the next season of SoA. Writer and creator, Kurt Sutter, posted in his blog a month or so ago that they were back in the writing room working away. Shooting allegedly begins in April, with new episodes hitting the air hopefully in September.

Jesse James News

No, it has nothing to do with Jesse’s appearance in the next “Celebrity Apprentice” or his show “Jesse James is a Dead Man.” This video is of Jesse winning a pie-eating contest at the Tennessee Vally Fair. Just because I think it’s funny.

Those times come mostly in the winter once that holidays are over and it starts getting really cold and snowy. It’s compounded when the local news is showing ice storms and power outages where I live and my friends that live in the south are talking about how great their H.O.G chapters are or how fun the Galveston Rally was.

With all the subtlety of former WWE champion and current UFC heavy-weight champion Brock Lesnar, my husband has been filling the DVR with shows like Road Trip: Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone, Motorcycle Mania: Sturgis and any other road trip programming he can find.

I fire up my computer and in the browser is a google maps trip plotted from here to the Black Hills and back. I find articles about the Fly & Ride program that just happen to be left out on the table for me to discover. Sigh.

Those of us who live up north and don’t have the luxury of riding all year round get our fix in throughout the winter by working on our bikes, whether it’s adding more chrome, perhaps a new paint job or plotting out our good weather riding.

As you know I own a 2004 Suzuki Volusia and over the winter my project list includes:

• a new air filter
• new exhaust pipes (I can’t decide which ones, though)
• maybe some additional lights
• new pegs
• maybe new grips

My husband, on the other hand, is focusing on where he wants to ride this year:

What’s the latest on the Myrtle Beach Rally?
Sorry, hon. That rally is a matter of history.

Do you think I can ride to Florida for a weekend and be back to work on Monday?
Umm…good luck.

Can we take a detour to Yellowstone on the way home from Sturgis?
Yes? I guess so…

How much vacation time does he think he has? How much vacation time does he think *I* have?

It’s only just January and I’m wondering how I’ll get through the rest of winter. I figure I’ll get to read a few books about motorcycles. Last year I read some of Sonny Barger’s books, but this year I’d like to focus on a few books by female authors. Sasha Mullens has a few books out that I’m interested in, if you know of any good reads let me know or send one my way and I’ll do a write up on it.

So how do you get through the winter?  Are you like me, reading the catalogs and looking for just the right pipes and braided cables? Or maybe you scour the web looking for off-beat locations to ride to? Do you anxiously await your next biker magazine to show up in the mailbox?  Something else?

What keeps your motor running through the long, cold winter?

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.

This will be mainly a photographic post. I gathered some of the images that I think represent what autumn feels like in New England.

Salem Common, Salem MA

carved jack-o-lanterns

somewhere off the Kancamangas Highway in New Hampshire

in the mountains in NH

mountain view

colorful corn at the Topsfield Fair

gords

hubster checking out large, prize-winning pumpkins

KISS pumpkins! These RULE.

me freezing my butt off on a charity ride

Hubster & me enjoying a frosty beverage in a toasty Irish bar after a day of riding

They also took video of the entire trip and edited it down into a four-video series, which I commend them on. I know from personal experience that it’s a daunting task to take a ton of video and attempt to edit it down to short, digestible clips for mass viewing.

So, here’s the first video of the series: Toledo to Frankfurt.

And try to check out the other videos of Lucas County Choppers: Michigan on Two Wheels. You won’t regret it.

This adventure has the boys going on a 15,000 mile motorcycle trip, starting off in Scotland and ending up in S. Africa.

Apparently the Fox Reality Channel started the show on August 2, but they’re showing the first episode again a few times this Friday (check out Fox Reality Channel’s site for details, not to mention they have a swanky contest to win some fantastic trips), so set your DVRs to record!

We took our usual leisurely way up there, riding 1A north the entire way. While my husband is not a “beach guy” he did indulge me and spent a couple of days on Hampton Beach with me. I absolutely love the beach and could stay there from sun up to sundown as long as I have a lot of sunblock, a cooler with drinks, lunch and snacks and am near the bathhouse!. He, on the other hand, feels that sitting all day on the beach is a waste of time and could find a 100 other better things to do with his time-especially if there’s riding to do! So, it was a big deal to me to get some beach time in!

We rode locally around the Hampton/Rye area on most days. Riding the Hampton Beach strip is always a trip for me. I get lots of catcalls and thumbs up from dudes who aren’t used to seeing girls riding on their own motorcycles. Sometimes I actually get legitimate questions about my bike’s engine size, make and model, which is always nice because it means that people are actually getting over the fact that girls do ride and might even know a thing or two about motorcycles!

On a particularly mild day we decided to take a ride up to York, Maine. We packed a lunch, jumped on the bikes and rode 1A to 107 up the coast on some wonderfully winding roads. The ride was relaxing and enjoyable, the kind where you can see and smell things you normally wouldn’t be able to if you were in a car. It took us about an hour and half to go up the coast to our final destination: Nubble Light.

We’ve done this particular ride a lot since we’ve been riding together but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. First of all, the lighthouse itself is so cool looking. It’s like being alive inside a postcard. The weather was also completely agreeable, being up on those rocks with the wind coming off of the water is so refreshing and is the essence of summer in New England. I probably sound very cliche, but these are the little things we look forward to when we’re knee-deep in snow in January.

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.

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:

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.

Here’s the background: Ewen and Charley decide they want to go on a motorcycle adventure together (on BMW R 1150 GS duel-sports) from London to New York: by going the “long way ’round.”

Their trip would take them from London to France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska, Canada before arriving 115 days later at their final destination, New York City. Their trip that often took them through some of the most beautiful countries, also took them through some of the most treacherous and unrideable terrains.

I was exhausted after watching all seven episodes in a row! The most extensive road trip I’ve done was almost 1,000 miles in two days-and that made me a little cranky. I can’t imagine doing it for almost 4 months, although I’m sure the longer you’re on the road the more acclimated you become to it.

But what an adventure they had! And, I never had much of an opinion about Ewen McGregor before but he is the cutest!

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!

It was a great day. And my video editing skills are improving quite a bit, too! By the way, I’ve got a new song, “Scary Kitty” featured in the video (got rid of that awful banjo music!) by my friends, the Missing out of NYC. So, BIG thanks to them for letting me use their song. They rock hard!

From Salem to Provincetown, according to Google, is 141 miles. Taking some backroads instead of highway the entire way, the trip was more like 155 miles.

This was the first time I had to pack any gear on the Vulcan and if you have seen the bike, you know it’s not set up to be a pack mule. I put my stuff into a dufflebag, which ended up sitting on the passenger seat. As I was going to bungee the bag down, I realized that the fender rails had no holes on the bottom side (like so many other bikes do) for the bungees to hold on to. The best thing I could do was hook one around the foot pegs and another under the fender itself. Note to Kawasaki engineers: give users a place to put bungee cords.

We left Salem and hit the highway around 10:30 am. This was the first time I got the Vulcan onto the highway and paid close attention to how it handled. I noticed a lot of vibration as I hit the speed limit and got a lot of hand-stinging bike vibration at 70 mph (um, Kawasaki peeps…not that I was speeding while riding this borrowed bike or anything! ‘k, thanks.). I don’t know if I eventually got used to the vibration or if the bike itself mellowed out but after ten minutes I barely noticed anymore.

On my Volusia I have highway bars with pegs, which is helpful to stretch my legs out on longer rides. The nice thing about the placement of the foot pegs on the Vulcan is that I didn’t have a problem stretching my legs out on them, they’re nicely placed for riding comfort.

We blasted down 95 and 93 south, through Boston and picked up Rt. 3A in Quincy-my hometown and home to a couple of dead presidents. We rode some twisty backroads through some of the more affluent Boston suburbs, then into more rural areas. Then we hopped on to Rt 3 to take us to the Sagamore Bridge, which for the first time in my life, was a pleasure. (For the past 3 years they have been doing construction in order to eliminate a rotary (a roundabout for all my UK peeps) which usually blocked traffic for miles). Up and over the bridge and we were finally on the Cape of Cod. Rt 6 and 6A took us down to the house where our surfer friends were staying in Welfleet.

After we unloaded the bikes we headed down to Provincetown (P-Town to us locals) to the absolute furthest point on the Cape, while the boys went surfing over at the beach.

Live webcam shot with real time photo of Cahoon Hollow Beach and the Atlantic Ocean from the Beachcomber.

One of my yearly traditions when I’m down the Cape is to get some fried clams and a root beer for lunch. I also pick up some dessert-type goodies for everyone from one of Provincetown’s many candy stores. If you have never been to P-Town before here is the low down: lots of motorcycles end up there and lots of gays-as it is a huge vacation destination for them. The main strip is arranged like this: art gallery, bar, candy store, restaurant, adult toy store, t-shirt shop…repeat for the next 3 miles.

Entering P-town, parking the Vulcan and a plate of delicious fried clams

Inside one of P-town’s many candy shops.

We had a large dinner with our friends, had some dessert (I ended up getting some fudge for everyone) and all the boys commenced with their monthly stogie night-sipping scotch and smoking cigars. Even though I was tired from the day’s ride, we stayed up to the wee hours of the morning.

Unfortunate for us, the next morning was overcast and cold. It was much cooler than the previous day-30 degrees cooler and 90% humidity. Luckily we packed our leathers and some warmer clothes, but it was still a miserable ride home (especially while hungover!). Our intention was to stop off at the last day of the Boston Tattoo Convention, but we were so cold, damp and tired that we headed straight home narrowly missing a parade blocking off the only road in and out of the cape.

Round trip we topped a little over 300 miles, not too shabby for a little weekend ride.

Since the Custom has such good throttle response, I did find myself getting a little daring with it. At stop lights I would pull up in the right hand lane next to other cars waiting at the light and just blow past them when the light turned green. I generally don’t do this on my Volusia because it just doesn’t have that kind of throttle response. I also noticed that more people tend to watch me ride down the street on this motorcycle and I think it’s because of the eye-catching paint color.

A kind of funny observation I had about the Custom is that the engine makes a whirring sound on acceleration that reminds me of a hovercraft from Star Wars. Which made me think of Star Trek and the obvious “Vulcan” reference. And the candy red color of the bike made me think of a lyric from Prince’s song “Little Red Corvette“-which made me giggle when I thought of Mr. Spock actually saying that line from the song:

“I’m gonna try to tame your little red love machine.“

Stream of consciousness while riding a motorcycle can be a funny thing sometimes!

The left photo is the story of my poor husband’s life: forever waiting for me while I get ready. Right: getting ready to take off. Behind me you can see the historical actors setting up for their witch trial re-enactments.

Like I mentioned before, we planned on avoiding highways and took a leisurely ride north up Rte. 1A. That took us all along the eastern coast and it was really gorgeous.

We got stuck at a bridge somewhere in Newburyport and took a moment to take photos of the boats. About a mile after that, one of my tail lights decided it wanted to fall off. So, I took the opportunity to take some goofy pics of myself while it was being put back on.

It was difficult to take pictures along the way because we got so caught up in the ride. We’d go past a picture-perfect farm with a tractor parked on a hill and horsies outside grazing and I’d think: wow, that’s awesome. I really should take a picture of that…oh, I’ll get it on the way back.

From left to right: stopping in front of “Kittens” gentlemen’s club in Salisbury. (Get it, “kittens/Rippin-Kitten”…yeah, it’s a stretch.) A quick shot while riding down the strip. And lastly, stopping off on the boardwalk at Salisbury Beach.

It took us about an hour to hit the New Hampshire border, where we promptly ditched our helmets (don’t tell my mom!). I know it’s not safe to ride without a helmet, but it’s so completely liberating to ride without one. We made a pit stop on the Hampton Beach boardwalk to grab a bottle of water and I jealously eyed everyone that was playing on the beach, wishing that I could lounge there among them.

Onward, we pushed up the coast through Rye where the beach wind coming off of the water was refreshing, to say the least. Two hours into the ride we hit Portsmouth center, which is one of my favorite little towns, and shortly after that entered Kittery, Maine-home of many retail outlets (a shopper’s dream!).

Once in Maine, we rode through York and Cape Neddick (home of Nubble Light). One of the most distinctive things about riding through any NE beach community in the summer is the smell of fried clams in the air. It’s probably one of the most artery clogging things any person can eat, but they’re so unbelievably good! I haven’t treated myself to them yet this summer, but I will soon.

The rest of the road up to Ogunquit was through wooded, hilly and twisty roads with little pieces of settled areas sprinkled through out. We finally hit Ogunquit center, which was buzzing with tourists, about three hours after we left. We were hot, thirsty and well ready for some lunch. And we were almost at our destination.

So, why the day trip to Ogunquit?

To visit these two little munchkins who were vacationing there!

These little heartbreakers are my niece, Gianna and my nephew, Domenic (who was making motorcycle noises when we took this picture). We drove all the way to Maine just to have some lunch with them. And of course, all they wanted to do was climb all over our motorcycles! And in my opinion, definitely worth the trip.

But that’s if we take the highway. And when you’re on a motorcycle we all know it’s about the ride, not the destination.

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.

Charles Kuralt

Today’s plan is to ride back roads from here, up through New Hampshire and into Maine. We’ll be taking pictures along the way and hopefully can take some time to hit the beach for a bit.

The weather has been unseasonably chilly here in New England the past few days, but today promises to be nice and steamy! OK, I’d love to chat more but I’ve got to get ready!