But on this day, something went wrong. It was really hot. And speculation is that he was dehydrated and got dizzy while performing his encore. The bike began to wobble while he was standing on it and he lost his balance. He fell off the bike before it crashed, but he hit his head when he fell. He wasn’t wearing a helmet because, well, it’s a showstopper stunt much like a tightrope walker walking without a net.

Indian Larry photo by Tom Zimberoff (Art of the Chopper)

Larry died later that day of head injuries from that accident at the age of 55. Many won’t forget him and his legacy lives on.

but who was Indian Larry?

Indian Larry, a native New Yorker, was a stuntman and a motorcycle builder. In his youth he was heavily inspired by Von Dutch and went out to California to apprentice under hot rod legend, Big Daddy Roth. Surviving a troubled and tumultuous youth, he focused on motorcycle building and founded Gasoline Alley, where he became known for building attention-getting, old school choppers. He is credited for re-popularizing the 60′s style chopper: stripped-down, tall handlebars, foot clutched, jockey shifted, no front brake (or fender), small gas tank, open-piped, kick-start only, stock rake with a single twisted down tube.

Indian Larry's Tiki Bike

He was heavily featured in the resurgence of the popularity bikers were getting on television, showing up in “Motorcycle Mania 2″ with Jesse James and competing in Discovery Channel’s series “Biker Build-Off.” In 2000, he married The Coney Island Mermaid, a.k.a. Bambi. They often performed together: he with motorcycle stunts and the bed of nails, she with snake charming and stripping down to her pasties (among other things, of which you can read at this old article about them on Salon.com).

After his untimely death, Gasoline Alley became known as Indian Larry Legacy, with Paul Cox driving the continued effort to preserve Larry’s memory and style. Cox and team continue to produce cutting-edge custom bikes in honor of Indian Larry as well as a signature clothing line and motorcycle parts.

Learn more at indianlarry.com or on the Facebook page for Indian Larry Motorcycles.

Seems like tension is mounting with the impending season 3 premiere. Last week Charlie Hunnam and Kurt Sutter had a small, public pushing match over creative strategy. Hunnam off-handedly voiced his opinion to the Chicago Tribune, “Keeping actors in the dark is not always the right move, because without knowing the direction that something’s going, one can make slight mistakes.”

Mr. Sutter answered to that via Twitter, explaining he doesn’t always give his cast a heads up about story details, but he does share major plot lines.

“i regret some of my cast feel that the writers are conspiring to ‘keep actors in the dark.’ that’s not the case. we are doing the best we can,” Sutter tweeted. “i love my cast and try to challenge their talent with quality writing and deep, 3-dimensional stories. that effort requires focus and time. perhaps if they were doing a network procedural they’d have a showrunner who could tell them everything and assuage their apprehension. i’m not that guy. SOA is not that show.”

Anyway, they’ve since kissed and made up, blaming everything on the media for putting a negative spin on Charlie’s comment.

Mark Boone Junior arrested for assaulting a cop

TMZ reports that Mark Boone Junior (real name: Mark Hiedrich) was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Glendale, Calif., for allegedly assaulting a traffic cop who pulled him over.

Authorities say it was a routine traffic stop until Boone got nasty. Backup was called and he was ultimately arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.

Drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the incident, according to Glendale Police Department.

Sons of Anarchy: Season 2 DVD available next Tuesday, August 31st!

To hype up the release of season 2 being released on Blueray and DVD, there’s a fun little microsite that you can go and customize Jax’s ride. If you’re looking to kill a few fun minutes, head on over to soacustomchopper.com.

SOA season 2 on Blueray & DVD 8/31!

You can still pre-order season two on Amazon.com now for a low, low price and get season one while you’re there.

New season 3 promo!

Another trailer to get you psyched up for the new season.

A peek at the press kit screener that FX sent out to those lucky TV critics

from laist: FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” season 3 doesn’t premiere until Tuesday, September 7 at 10pm but we had to share with you what FX sent us. Check out the video clip showing the SOA guide and DVD of the first four episodes. We’ve seen the premiere and it’s very good – we can’t wait to dig into the DVD!

Spoilers!

(stop reading if you don’t want to know details of the season premiere)

Film School Rejects watched the screener for the season premier. Here’s what they have to say:

We join Jax and the rest of the Charming charter a few days after Abel’s kidnapping. And as you would imagine, Jax is distraught, and emotionally lost. By the end of the episode he’s going to be forced to make a choice. Show the rest of the SOA that he can lead them and will do anything to get his son back, or step out of the way.

Everyone in law enforcement will make an attempt to find Abel and Gemma this season. But the real fight for survival is between Clay and Stahl. Clay lays it all out on the table for Stahl, and she will be left with only one option for sake of herself, and everyone around her.

We also learn the current fate of Gemma. She’s still on the lamb with Tig at her side. But Gemma, for the good of the club will stop at nothing to break away from her SOA escorts. All leading up to a moment that will change the show forever. Before the episode is over, you will learn the roots of Gemma Teller Morrow.

This season will also put Deputy Hale in the hot seat as Chief of Police. And let me tell you, this is the move we have all been waiting for. This is the one thing that can bring SAMCRO down, for good. And by the end of the premiere, his decisions will reach a tipping point for everyone.

Related post:

Sons of Anarchy: season 3 news, updates, promos and new cast photos!

Read all my extensive Sons of Anarchy coverage here.

The dust is just beginning to settle after Sturgis Rally Week 2010 brought tens of thousands of motorcycles and motorcycle enthusiasts to the distinguished grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip. Once again proving itself as the best party anywhere, Sturgis’ premier entertainment venue and travel destination celebrated Sturgis Rally Week’s 70th Anniversary in true biker fashion. Providing record-breaking crowds of visitors with an array of entertainment, art, vendors, food, amenities and countless memories, the Legendary Buffalo Chip is already counting Sturgis Rally Week 2010 as one of its most successful rally gatherings ever.

Sturgis crowd

Rally Week 2010 at the Legendary Buffalo Chip included a vast and impressive selection of celebrated musical guests resulting in the biggest and most authentic summer music festival of its kind. Performances that graced the Chip’s four entertainment stages included; Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Dylan, Kid Rock, Motley Crue, the Scorpions, ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason, Lee Rocker, Tesla, Drowning Pool, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Guess Who, Trailer Choir, Buckcherry, Orianthi, Stone Sour, Jason Aldean, Williams & Ree and Disturbed.

In addition to its unparalleled musical lineup, the Legendary Buffalo Chip was proud to host Michael Lichter’s 10th Annual Motorcycles as Art exhibit. From August 7 through August 13 throngs of bike enthusiasts filled the Lichter Exhibition Hall on the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip and were captivated by the machines and photographs on display by custom motorcycle photographer and curator, Michael Lichter. Focusing on the explosion of interest and passion for custom motorcycles seen over the past thirty years, this year’s retrospective was entitled “Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind”. Described as one of the finest industry collections ever assembled, this year’s exhibit consisted of thirty bikes built by 15 pairs of renowned builders tied together by family, respect, friendship or apprenticeship. By melding art and motorcycles together in a way that bikers can genuinely appreciate, year after year Lichter has truly been able to capture the essence of the motorcycle lifestyle.

The Legendary Buffalo Chip’s 2010 Sturgis Rally festivities also included the third annual Legends Ride. Signaling the official start to Sturgis Rally 2010, more than 300 bikers from around the world converged to take part in the renowned ride for charity. The star-studded and scenic 50-mile expedition from historic Deadwood through the Black Hills to the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip raised a jaw-dropping $53,000 to benefit the Sky Ranch for Boys and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum.

The epic grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip have witnessed an impressive assortment of recording artists and celebrities during Rally Weeks past.but nobody quite like this. The quirkiest addition to the Chip’s 2010 Rally lineup was eccentric funnyman and American icon, Pee-wee Herman. As part of “Pee-wee’s Big Sturgis Adventure”, on August 8 & 9, Herman participated in a number of entertaining events which helped kick off the Chip’s Rally Week festivities in style. “Pee-wee’s Big Sturgis Adventure” included an “extreme makeover” of Pee-wee’s iconic 1947 red Schwinn bicycle. A mix of nationally renowned and local South Dakota motorcycle and bicycle builders took part in transforming donated TRANSIT 3-Speed Electric Schwinn bicycles into high-tech, tricked out, ultra cool rides uniquely suited for Pee-wee Herman. Steve “Brewdude” Garn of BREW Bikes, built the winning bike. An “Easy Rider” themed bike dubbed the “Pee-wee Rider” complete with an American flag paint job was the bike that Pee-wee chose and inaugurated as Captain of the third annual Legends Ride.

Tequila!

Pee-wee also orchestrated the “World’s Largest Tequila Dance” and although not officially submitted to the Guinness Book of World Record, it sure was fun. He acted as the 2010 Miss Buffalo Chip Beauty Contest Celebrity Judge. In addition, “Pee-wee’s Big Sturgis Adventure” was nationally highlighted on an episode of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”.

Victory Motorcycles was also proud to return as an official sponsor of the Legendary Buffalo Chip for the 70th Annual Sturgis Rally. On Thursday, August 12 the annual Victory Riders Association (VRA) Ride and Sturgis Party were held on the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip, with over 200 Victory riders participating. Beginning at the Deadwood Gulch Resort, the annual scenic ride concluded at the Chip with a party of raucous proportions exclusively for Victory riders.

Also part of the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s event schedule was the 2nd Annual PinkNProud Ride4Women. On Friday, August 13, riders, cancer survivors and celebrities turned the hills pink during a 50-mile escorted ride through the Black Hills. Celebrating motorcycling and the spirit of women riders in order to help eliminate cancer, all rider contributions were given to the Rapid City Regional Health Foundation and Keep-A-Breast Foundation. A Chip-sized finale awaited PinkNProud riders at the Buffalo Chip Event Center following the ride including a pink parade through the campground, a delicious dessert bar, champagne toasts and a great night of concerts including Disturbed and The Scorpions.

Rally-goers also took advantage of a significant selection of Hot Leathers’ specialty-printed Sturgis Rally and officially licensed Buffalo Chip merchandise including t-shirts, hats and other miscellaneous products for men, women and children. Merchandise flew off the shelves at a number of Hot Leathers locations in and around Sturgis during Rally Week this year including a permanent location on Main Street Sturgis as well as a number of strategically located spots at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. In addition to the officially licensed Buffalo Chip merchandise, the industry leader in motorcycle apparel and accessories, also partnered with Pee-wee Herman and created a unique and stylish line of merchandise to commemorate Pee-wee’s Big Sturgis Adventure at the Buffalo Chip. Known for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road, Hot Leathers was proud to showcase its quality products at Sturgis Rally Week this year.

Sturgis Rally Week 2010 at the Legendary Buffalo Chip was a truly legendary experience. Bikers from across the country converged on the Chip to enjoy the best facilities, food, vendors, music and entertainment that Sturgis has to offer as well as to celebrate Sturgis Rally Week’s 70th Anniversary. The Legendary Buffalo Chip has been offering guests the true Sturgis experience for 29 years. Next year the Chip will be celebrating their 30th Anniversary and its going to be rowdy, high-caliber good time. You’re not going to want to miss it. The Chip is Sturgis and there really is no reason to go anywhere else. Visit buffalochip.com now and make your reservations for Sturgis Rally Week 2011 at the best party anywhere!

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.

With help from celebrities such as Pee Wee Herman (actor Paul Reubens), Survivor star Rupert Boneham, former Guns and Roses guitarist Gilby Clark, MTV’s Riki Rachman, actor/bike builder Lorenzo Lamas, and an array of celebrated bike builders and motorcycle enthusiasts participating in the 2010 Legends Ride donated $52,650 to Sky Ranch for Boys and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum.

Hosted by the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground and sponsored by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, the third annual Legends Ride drew hundreds of riders, media and celebrities on Monday, Aug 9, the first day of the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  The bikers each contributed $150 to participate. The group assembled on the street in front of Deadwoods Historic Franklin Hotel, then took the 50-mile, escorted ride through the Black Hills past Nemo and Sturgis. The ride ended at the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground east of Sturgis. At the Chip, they were treated to a private reception and Monday night’s concert lineup that included Trailer Choir, Buckcherry and ZZ Top.

Sky Ranch for Boys, one of this year’s Legends Ride recipients, is a group care center and school that has been helping troubled boys since 1960. The boys receive counseling and drug-and-alcohol treatment. They also learn to ride horses, develop a work ethic and, for some boys, pilot an airplane. The 3,000-acre ranch is located on the far western edge of Harding County, S.D.  The other recipient, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame, has been a Legends Ride beneficiary since the first ride in 2008. Located on Sturgis Main Street, the museum celebrates the history of motorcycling and the heritage of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. More than 70 vintage motorcycles are on display, including a 1910 Flying Merkel, a 1912 Indian Twin and a 1952 Vincent Black Shadow.

To date, the annual Legends Rice has raised more than $150,000 for charity. Rod Woodruff, president of the Buffalo Chip, said the generosity of motorcyclists is not a surprise to him. Bikers are some of the most giving people anywhere, he said. Woodruff noted that during a traffic jam en route to Deadwood Monday afternoon, bikers struck up conversations rather than beeped their horns.

George Milos, director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, said the Deadwood business community is proud to host the start of the annual ride. It’s a good cause and a fun event, Milos said. He said the Silverado-Franklin Hotel and Gaming Complex and Deadwood Tobacco Company, both Deadwood businesses, have been generous with their sponsorship and help in staging the event.

“The Legends Ride would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, said Buffalo Chip Sponsorship Director Lon Nordbye. We would like to thank Anheuser Busch, Black Hills Harley, First Interstate Bank, Hot Leathers, Interstate Batteries, K & G Cycles, Knology, Lehman Trikes, Pepsi, Progressive, the Renewable Fuels Association and Victory Motorcycles.”

The Behelian teaser was filmed on Cape Cod, MA. There were forty plus background actors with Harley Davidson’s. It also introduces the main characters in the film, Damballa, Kroni, Hathor, Elyon and Matt The Weasel.

Behelian is scheduled for a 2011 release. Keep up to date on the latest news on the official Behelian Facebook page.

Related post:
Demon bikers want to destroy the Earth in Altruist Films latest movie, Behelian

Updated Season 3 episode list:

Episode 1: SO
(According to SAMCRO_BLOGGER: Charlie gets naked in the first 10 minutes of 301. Very important information for some people to know!)
Episode 2: Oiled
Episode 3: Caregiver
Episode 4: Home
Episode 5: Turning and Turning
Episode 6: The Push
Episode 7: Widening Gyre
Episode 8: Lochan Mor
Episode 9: Turas
Episode 10: Fininne
Episode 11: TBD
Episode 12: TBD
Episode 13: TBD

Spoiler-ishy stuff

EOnline teases that the Abel babynapping storyline will drive a majority of the season and IRA leader Jimmy O (Titus Welliver) will be this season’s “Big Bad.”

Maggie Siff, who plays Tara, tells EW that when the new season kicks off September 7, we’ll pick up the action almost immediately where “Na Trioblidi” left off. “The first episode is just a couple days after the last episode, so it’s really the aftermath of the [kidnapping],” she says. “So there’s still a lot of shock involved.”

Season 3 cast photos (from Daemon’s TV All photos CR: Frank Ockenfels / FX):

Tidbits of info from Comic-Con:

Kurt said the new season picks up a few days after Half-Sack was killed, Abel was abducted and Gemma went on the lam, and he and Charlie talked about how poorly (but unsurprisingly) Jax is handling his son’s kidnapping. Charlie said that Jax and Clay will have to put their animosities aside, because the Abel thing is bigger than the feud they had about the direction of the club.

Four episodes will take place in Belfast, though none of the actors actually went there to film.

There will be 3 new prospects introduced midway through the season to replace Half-Sack

Gemma would become even more bad-ass this year, gets “very familiar with a gun” and goes to an even angrier place. (source: HitFix)

Kurt’s explaining role of homeless woman: “She is who she is, and says what she says.” Take from that what you will. [SAMRO_BLOGGER]

SUTTERINk update

From the SutterInk blog:
All 13 episodes are broken.
A writer’s draft of 313 is being written.
[KS] is currently working on a draft of 312.
Adam Arkin is prepping 311.
Gwyneth H-Payton is directing/shooting 310.
Stephen Kay is working on his director’s cut of 309.
I’m working on my producer’s cut of 308.  This will be a 90 minute episode.
Craig Yahata, my post producer, is working on the pre-mix for 307.
306 is mixed and in layback.
305 is getting final post touches and is ready for final mix and layback.
304 is done and out to critics.
303 is mixed and waiting for a re-shoot to drop in.  A temp version is out to critics.
302 is done and out to critics.
301 is done and out to critics.  The name of the premier episode is “SO”.
The SOA iPhone app should hit the week that episode 308 airs.  It’ll make sense why.

SutterInk’s Twitter updates:

A recent tweet sheds a little more light on that iPhone app: soa iphone app will be more content than flash. provides backstory that fans would not get anywhere else. no droid/ BB app yet, maybe later.

About the emmy snub: after hearing my boss and stars at TCA, i’m no longer worried that my opinion about the emmys will hurt the show. it’s a collective blow me.

Kurt Sutter is trying to reach 12,000 followers and he’s only got about 500 more followers to go to achieve that goal. If you’re not following him yet you may want to consider it.

random news:

In a recent interview, Kurt Sutter refused to give his birthdate to the interviewer. When asked why, he commented on why he feels his age has a negative connotation for what he does.

“I wish it didn’t matter, but unfortunately it does…at a certain point when you have a big enough body of work, [age] doesn’t really matter. I’m sure David Milch and David Mamet don’t give a f*ck if people know how old they are. But I’m not there yet.”

FunnyOrDie.com says this photo depicts the reaction on Ron Perlman’s face when a fan asked him if the second season of his rough-and-tumble motorcycle drama “Sons of Anarchy” was influenced by “The Empire Strikes Back.” Whether that’s true or not, it’s still pretty funny. Heh…

Related post:
Sons of Anarchy: season 3 spoilers and exclusive photos!

Behelian, a new biker horror movie written and directed by local guy Woody Bavota, is currently being filmed down in Cape Cod Massachusetts. Behelian is the story of The Accuser, overlord to The Kingdom of Abhorren and his army called The Impenitent. For millenniums, the Accuser has followed his destiny of destroying the Earth and his Heavenly brother Elyon.

Behelian: mankind's fight for survival

Woody wrote this film with world turmoil in mind, wars, political unrest and human persecution. The bikers, demons and the heavenly are just metaphors used to view today’s world and the terror in what our future may hold.

Kristi Lynn, a Boston-based stuntwoman and actress, was cast as lead biker Damballa, which was originally a male role. Principal photography began only last week. When the movie crew converged on the small town of Sandwich, locals thought a real biker gang was in town and the police received a plethora of worried phone calls.

Kristi Lynn plays Damballa

The cast of Behelian

The film also stars Shawn Doherty as Matt the Weasel, Kachina Dechert as Hathor and Peter Ziobro as Elyon and is scheduled for a 2011 release. Be sure to join their Facebook fan page!

I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on this gem!

Related post:
DVD review of  “Hell Ride”

Word is spreading that the Legends Ride is the ride to be on during the Sturgis Rally. The August 9 Legends Ride, one of the largest charity-celebrity events in motorcycling, is on track to be at full capacity once again in 2010. This is the third year for the Ride, and it sold out the first two years.

The Legends Ride begins in Deadwood and takes riders on a scenic path to Sturgis and the Legendary Buffalo Chip through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Celebrities and the nation’s top bike builders will join the riders. The Legends Ride raised nearly $100,000 for its charities in its first two years. Contributions from the 2010 Ride will benefit The Sky Ranch For Boys and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

“The Legends Ride continues to gain momentum as the premier ride during the Rally, and it’s great to see such charity and support from riders,” said George Milos, executive director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, a partner in the Legends Ride. “2010 looks to be bigger and better, and we look forward to donating even more to charity and having a lot of fun while we’re at it.”

An all-star roster of celebrities are scheduled to participate including Pee Wee Herman (Paul Reubens), America’s Most Beloved Survivor, Rupert, and Lorenzo Lamas, plus masterbuilders Roger Bourget, Brian and Laura Klock, Michael Prugh, Mike “Kiwi” Tomas and many more. Rod Woodruff, the Buffalo Chip’s owner, said “We’re all thrilled with the generosity shown by Legends Riders and look forward to making it
all look good to a national television audience.”

Betsy & Genevieve at 2009's Legends Ride

Legends Ride riders donate $150 to participate in the ride, 100 percent of which goes to the two charities. That tax-deductible contribution entitles the Riders to participate in the pre- and post-ride events in Deadwood and at the Buffalo Chip. Other benifits of paticipating include: free parking, complimentary food and drink at the post-Ride reception, meet-and-greet opportunities with master builders and celebrities, a special souvenir gift pack and attendance to concert performances by Trailer Choir, Buckcherry and ZZ Top.

The pre-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 Co., 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. The riders depart Deadwood at 3 p.m. as the convoy heads through the Black Hills and Vanocker Canyon before reaching the Buffalo Chip for the pre-concert reception and auction, which begins at 5 p.m.

The 2010 Legends Riders will also have a chance to bid and ride away from the reception on the 2K10 bike built by Michael Prugh and students at Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City. This is truly a custom bike, designed by Michael Prugh with parts actually manufactured just for this one-of-a-kind Screaming Eagle-powered bike built specifically to support the Legends Ride. Prugh, of Prugh Design, has been a feature builder of the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off series, and has been featured in numerous industry publications.

“This bike is an absolute work of both form and function,” says Lon Nordbye, Buffalo Chip Sponsorship Director. At the conclusion of the live auction, it can be assured that its owner will be riding off with one of the best custom motorcycles built in 2010.”

The Legends Ride is sponsored by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, Deadwood Tobacco Company, Silverado-Franklin Historic Hotel and Gaming Complex, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Black Hills Harley-Davidson, First Interstate Bank, Hot Leathers, Interstate Battery Systems of America, Inc., Knology, K & G Cycles, Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., Progressive Insurance, the Renewable Fuels Association and Victory Motorcycles. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit legendsride.com

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated hard rock band Disturbed will be headlining the 70th Annual Sturgis Rally on August 13, 2010. The Sturgis Rally takes place August 6-14th in Sturgis, SD at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. This year’s rally will host hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The Sturgis Rally kicks off the Disturbed’s summer and fall of touring in support of their new album Asylum, set for release on Reprise Records August 31, 2010. Attendees will be able to hear new material off Asylum, including first single “Another Way to Die” which is already a #1 hit at Active Rock Radio.

Disturbed's new album, Asylum, available for pre-order with Sturgis on August 6th.

Disturbed will be kicking off an exclusive Asylum pre-order with Sturgis on August 6th. Fans who purchase the album on-site at the rally will receive a limited edition Disturbed-Sturgis-Buffalo Chip lithograph with a unique code to download Asylum on street date. Asylum can also be pre-ordered at buffalochip.com.

As a special gift to fans, Disturbed will be including documentary Decade of Disturbed with every copy of Asylum. The 60-minute film candidly captures the band’s ten-year history with extensive behind the scenes and never before seen
footage.

After Sturgis, the band will hit the road to headline the first annual Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival that kicks off August 17th. Also on the bill are Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Halestorm, and Hell Yeah. Tickets for UPROAR are on sale now. Please visit rockstaruproar.com for details.

Disturbed is vocalist David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren, and bassist John Moyer. For more on the band please visit disturbed1.com.

The 2010 Sturgis Rally marks the 29th year of the “Best Party Anywhere” at the Legendary Buffalo Chip. For fans, sponsors and media alike, “The Chip” delivers a high-octane mix of unique entertainment, headlining events and one of the best 9-day concert lineups in the nation. As the largest music festival of its kind, few outdoor events can match The Chip’s depth and breadth of activity, which has become one of the most highly-televised and publicized celebrations in motorcycling. One quality that distinguishes this leather-clad music festival is its base of loyal and
passionate consumers. This diverse audience has made the well-established, dearly-beloved Buffalo Chip the number one entertainment venue and travel destination in motorcycling for more than 25 years and counting.

Broken Spoke Campground-Sturgis 2010

How can you beat that? The earlier you get to the County Line, the better chance we have to look it over — so come out and be seen! Plus, you can sign up for the S&S Smokeout on Thursday – a thrilling event where one participant out of 500 will win a brand new S&S engine. Just for being in the Smokeout!

There is no cost for showing your bike, since that would be a drag. All you have to do is show up on Thursday, August 12th and be ready to show ‘em if ya’ got ‘em! The Broken Spoke Campground is located on Highway 79 North, just past Bear Butte State Park in Sturgis, South Dakota. It is the best place to stay for the Sturgis Rally and spots for RV’s and tent camping on 600 beautiful acres can be reserved now on-line at BrokenSpokeCampground.com.

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!

Top national concerts are free for campers and only $10.00 after 6:00 p.m. for non-campers and will feature Blackfoot* (August 7), .38 Special (August 8), Dokken and Great White (August 9), Black Oak Arkansas and Eddie Money (August 10), Confederate Railroad, comedian Gallagher and Warrant, (August 11), The Kentucky Headhunters and Black Stone Cherry (August 12).

The Legends Art Gallery is an exhibit of fine art that will feature a plethora of works including David Uhl’s fine art prints, the photography of Josh Kurpius, pin-striping by Russ Mowry and illustrations by Jody Wyse. The collection of bikes will include the Indian Larry “Rat Fink Chopper,” Dave and Jill Iversen’s 1915 Harley Davidson Boardtrack Racer, The Naked Knuckle, 1941 Indian Military Scout 741 and Jay Allen’s, Bonneville record holding fastest 1946 Indian Chief.

"Stella" by Dave Uhl

The Legends Gallery, located on the second floor inside the main Saloon is free and open to the public. The Broken Spoke will celebrate the opening of this extraordinary exhibit on Saturday, August 7th at 8 p.m. at The Broken Spoke Campground.

David Uhl will be presenting his Sturgis Commemorative Collection, including “70 & Counting” – his newest piece commemorating the 70th anniversary of the “rally”. The exhibit will be also feature “Stella” and “Evelyn”, which are the two last pieces in the Women of Harley-Davidson Collection. Uhl’s artwork is displayed throughout the world, and sought by serious art collectors and celebrities alike. Charles Osgood, of CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, referred to Uhl as “The Norman Rockwell of Harley-Davidson artists”.

photo by Josh Kurpius

Josh Kurpius, known for his photography, work has graced the pages of Forbes, HOG, Street Chopper, Road course, Kustom Garage, IronHorse, DiCE, American Iron, Rod N’ Custom, 6 Over, Iron Works and Car Kulture Deluxe among many others. His most recent work captures the “Lifestyle” of motorcycling. He is known for shooting while piloting his bike standing and hands free. This unique perspective allows the viewer to feel as if they are on the road with his subjects.

Master Pinstriper Russ Mowry is one of the world’s most prolific motorcycle rally stripers. A veteran striper Russ executes the most intricate symmetrical designs with unparalleled speed. Mowry is known for his elegant lines and incredible hand lettering. Mowry travels from rally to rally; his work has transformed so many motorcycles he has literally changed the biker world. Russ will be painting live in the Gallery.

For more info visit brokenspoke.com

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

The same rubber chunking, heart pounding, hair raising event that first graced the County Line during the 2009 Sturgis Rally is kicking off round two in 2010. To top even last year’s amazing event, the Broken Spoke and S&S Cycles will raffle off an S&S motor!

On Thursday, August 12th at 7:30pm, 500 lucky individuals will line up their motorcycles to become part of history and create a one-off burnout that could probably be seen from the far reaches of space. Of course, safety is the number one priority and The Broken Spoke will bring in concrete jersey barriers for contestants to pull up to.

Each and every rider will receive a number and a corresponding certificate for their participation in this one of a kind experience. They will also receive a raffle ticket for their chance to take home that shiny new S&S motor. This is the only way to get your shot at the motorcycle history books and a killer prize from America’s premier horsepower provider, so don’t miss out! Check out the website for full details about the S&S Smokeout.

Just start a good conversation and win a $100 shopping spree!

K&G Cycles, the site that boasts over 100,000 motorcycle parts available online, is offering customers one more reason to not only purchase their motorcycle parts through their website, but to participate in their one-of-a-kind online community created especially for V-Twin enthusiasts.

K & G Cycles

Beginning on June 1, K&G Cycles is encouraging customers to participate in their online forum by offering patrons a $100 shopping spree! Simply visit kandgcycles.com, click on the “Forum” link in the top section and start a new thread. At the end of each month, the K&G staff will judge the best thread of the month and that lucky person will win a $100 gift certificate from K&G Cycles. The staff may choose the winning thread based off of a variety of factors- the topic relevance, the number of replies, or how much it makes them laugh. Customers can enter as often as they’d like and can win over and over again if their thread is chosen.

Clean and contemporary, K&G Cycles website offers an efficient online shopping experience by which customers are able to peruse over 1,200 categories of parts from over 250 manufacturers and 6 major motorcycle parts wholesalers. The site’s innovative online forum gives visitors the opportunity to post commentary about products, ask questions about installations or projects, buy or sell items from the classified ad section, or simply interact and build new relationships. K&G Cycles, your one-stop motorcycle parts specialist, is synonymous for providing customers with state-of-the-art online motorcycle parts shopping and guarantees that you will find exactly what you need for your next project.

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 by their 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. Check out their online forum at kandgcycles.com for your chance to win a $100 shopping spree.

lucky mo-fo Keith, winner of the bike with Tim Ozgener, CAO President and Jon Huber, CAO Head of Lifestyle Marketing

Saturday was the big day where one lucky winner would be walking away with the keys to one of the most coveted giveaway bikes of 2009-2010. The party was in full swing by 10 am at CAO headquarters where the public was encouraged to show up and support the semi-finalists, have some food and drink and enjoy a cigar. Everyone that showed up got a CAO gift pack complete with cigars, lighter, cutter and SPS/CAO co-branded t-shirt.

“We really wanted to throw a party that allowed the general public to come and see our facility, meet some of the staff and celebrate the culmination of what we believe is one of our most successful promotional campaigns. Having Cigar Dave here to broadcast it live really allowed everyone to be a part of the festivities by simply tuning in,” said Jon Huber.

Cigar Dave “The General” did his weekly broadcast from the premises and was joined by numerous cigar personalities as well as local songwriter John Rich. Through a process of elimination live on the air, semi-finalists names were picked in order to eliminate them from the running and receive runners-up prizes. It came down to two finalists, Keith Henninger and Bob Maurer, in the end Bob was the first runner up and Keith walked away the big winner with the CAO Cigar SPS Lady Liberty custom motorcycle.

“This is a great partnership, cigars and motorcycles compliment each other and we look forward to doing more with CAO in the future,” said Christian Clayton of Sucker Punch Sally’s.

Sucker Punch Sally’s is a custom motorcycle manufacturer specializing in old school, stripped-down motorcycles. Heading into 2009, their Swinger was selected as production custom of the year by Cycle Source Magazine. In past years they have also received awards for their ’66 Bobber and Traditional Bobber. Sucker Punch Sally’s is the official motorcycle of Progressive Insurance and has also made alliances with
Fender Guitars and Toyota. Look for a dealer near you or for more information, visit Sucker Punch Sally’s on the Web at suckerpunchsallys.com.

I had my third sitting in mid-June. Detail work was started on the children. The smaller girl looks pretty complete (don’t you love the chubby tummy on her? I do!) and the older girl’s dress was worked on. Some of the grass was filled in and where the blank area is between grass and her gown will be see through.

This past Tuesday night I had another appointment with Natan, my artist, which actually surprised me since he’s buried up to his eyeballs planning the next Boston Tattoo Convention. (Yeah, he’s that guy.) He squeezed me in his busy schedule for a few hours, which was awfully nice of him.

He spent a lot of time working on the guilded framework some more, making it look burnished. The mother’s dress was completed and looks even more drapey. The folds of the older girl’s dress were worked on as well. Some of the background behind Mama’s hair has been filled in. Now I have to figure out what color her hair should be. Maybe she should be a brunette. What do you think?

It looks like we’re at the half-way mark! Check out more of Natan’s work and if you wanna get inked over Labor Day weekend, come join us at the Boston Tattoo Convention!

Related posts:

• Tattoo sessions pt. 1: outline
• Tattoo sessions pt. 2: color and shading begins

Boston Tattoo Convention: September 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th!

This year it’ll be held in a new location: the Boston Back Bay Sheraton Hotel. Join the fun over the long Labor Day weekend for tattooing from artists from around the world, a variety of different vendors, entertainers and performers, seminars from leading artists, discussion panels and forums and more!

Boston Tattoo Convention hours will be:

Friday 9.3.10: 1:00PM – 12AM
Saturday 9.4.10: 12PM – 12AM
Sunday 9.5.10: 12PM – 12AM
Monday 9.6.10: 12PM – 10PM

For more information, questions or to register for a booth head on over to bostontattooconvention.com and follow them for real times updates on Twitter: @bostontattoocon

This entire post is full of information about season 3, so if you don’t want to know anything…STOP READING!

Instead, go read about my visit to the SOA set (which is chock full of great photos) or maybe you can go pre-order season two on Amazon.com now. And don’t forget to order season one while you’re there (if you don’t already own it)

OK, you’ve been duly warned!

sons of anarchy season 3 partial episode list

From tv.com

Episode 1: TBD
Episode 2: Oiled
Episode 3: Caregiver
Episode 4: Home
Episode 5: TBD
Episode 6: The Push
Episode 7: Widening Gyre
Episode 8: Lochan Mor
Episode 9: Turas
Episode 10: TBD
Episode 11: TBD
Episode 12: TBD

Sons Of Anarchy casting info tidbits

(mostly from the Chicago Tribune)

• Dayton Callie, who plays Sheriff Wayne Unser, has been made a series regular this year.
• Agent June Stahl will be back for us to hate with a fiery passion for four or five episodes.
• Hal Holbrook, who plays Gemma’s father, will be in the first four episodes of the season (probably being visited by his fugitive daughter.)
• Stephen King’s cameo will be in Episode 3
• Paula Malcolmson (former “Deadwood” cast mate of Dayton Callie and Titus Welliver, who plays Jimmy O),  is in eight episodes as the “Gemma” of the Belfast chapter (SAM BELL)
• Speaking of Titus Welliver, Jimmy O’Phelan will be back taunting Chibs and no doubt lots of other people for eight episodes.
• Yet another “Deadwood” alumni will be joining the cast this season: Robin Weigert, (who played Calamity Jane) has a recurring role this year as SAMCRO’s lawyer
• Lots of UK actors are joining the cast for the Belfast story arc. James Cosmo appears as Irish Catholic priest Father Kellan Ashby, Andrew McFee as Belfast chapter president (and SAMCRO original 9 member) Kevin McGee, Ari Verveen as SAM BELL Sergeant at Arms Liam O’Neill and Zoe Boyle as Maureen’s (Paula Malcolmson) daughter Trinity.

Sons Of Anarchy season three set photos: Rippin-Kitten exclusive

As we already know, much of the season will take place in Belfast. While on my set visit I was shown, and photographed, some of the interior sets for the Belfast scenes.

The Chicago Tribune also had some exclusive photos to share. Granted the photos are small, but still worth a gander.

Here they are, some Sons Of Anarchy season 3 spoilers!

The Belfast story line will be very important this season. Mr. Sutter’s blog post a while ago set up the back story for  Charming/Belfast explaining that John Teller set up the Sons of Anarchy charter in Belfast at the urging of Clay and Kevin McGee (a member of the original nine and current Belfast chapter president) in order to run guns for the IRA.

From the start of the season there will be dual stories taking place in both Charming and Belfast, which will eventually converge a few episodes in. It also sounds like we’re going to get a little more backstory about John Teller this season. Kurt Sutter told the Chicago Tribune, “I think people are invested enough in the characters and the world to where they’re open to getting backstory about John Teller (SAMCRO co-founder and Jax’s father) and about this world.”

In the Belfast storyline, Father Kellan Ashby and Jimmy O. will have a very combative relationship. KS told the Chicago Tribune, “It’s really this conflict between these two men (Jimmy O and the priest). They are living outside the box and it’s really mirroring a lot of the stuff that went on last season with Jax and Clay. It’s really all about character and that dynamic. And what happens is, the baby sort of becomes the pawn in all of that.”

James Cosmo (Father Ashby) and Titus Welliver (Jimmy O)

Also, apparently Father Ashby will listen to someone’s confession and eventually he will be forced to condone the ultimate punishment. (TV Fanatic).

And lastly, an SOA show “nsider, snitchesgetstitches left a comment here last week saying the following:

“I work on the show…for obvious reasons my real name aint here. I will tell you guys were wrapping up and there are some big surprises in store for the new season. Kurt is very careful about PR so you wont be getting anymore info other than whats out there…except I will say there is a “vacation” planned to the Emerald Isle which will be interesting.”

Hmm, a “vacation”? Anyone want to take a guess?
I’m going to predict that it will be Jax taking that vacation based on this from Sutter, “In my mind…I knew the Irish backstory was always a very big part of this mythology…It’s like, Jax is in a place where he’s deciding what he’s going to do, and he gets pulled away from all of that with everything that happens with his kid. Yet he can’t ultimately deny the information that he’s going to get in Belfast, and it will continue to impact him. So it seems like we’re going in a completely different direction, but, you know, we’re just continuing to tell the emotional story of our lead character.”

FX’s Sons of Anarchy season 3 live pre-show sweepstakes

Seven grand prize winners will receive:

• A trip for 2 to LA
  
• Tickets to a private Season 3 premiere screening & live webcast featuring Kurt Sutter
  
• $500 spending cash

The sweepstakes ends on August 16, 2010. See the official rules for details and for the love of god, go enter now!

** Rippin-Kitten is in no way affiliated with this contest. We’re just passing on the good word to all you folks.**

Ok, that’s all I got for now. As always, if you got a scoop on some info, spoilers or news about Season three, leave a comment and share with the rest of the class!

Rock 'N Rev Festival August 9-13, 2010 in Sturgis SD

The festival features 20 bands including Godsmack, Creed, Stone Temple Pilots, 3 Doors Down, Eagles of Death Metal, Three Days Grace, Hellyeah, Wolfmother, Daughty and just the other day Guns and Roses was added to the line-up, playing August 13th with Alice in Chains. The infamous Jim Rose (of the Jim Rose Circus) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster:
$45.00 for any single day General Admission Ticket
$300.00 for a single day VIP ticket
$1,000 for a 5 Day VIP pass/ticket (Not available on Ticketmaster- only through the website)
$150.00 for a 5 day General Admission pass

The VIP tickets ($300 & $1,000) include the following:

* Access to the private VIP areas and tent located throughout the venue (6 locations)
* Access to the backstage VIP tent where the artists will make appearances
* Private bars and bathrooms
* Free event t-shirt
* Private VIP entrance
* On Site VIP Motorcycle parking (watch the show from your motorcycle)

A portion of all ticket sales before June 1st will be donated to the Wheelchair Foundation and DC3′s Plane To Haiti mission.

For specific inquiries about Rock N’ Rev-Sturgis, VIP Packages, Group Sales,  Sponsorship or Vendor Information, you can visit the website or e-mail them at RNR@DC3GLOBAL.COM

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

It was rumored the last time I wrote about SOA but Entertainment Weekly confirms that FX has announced their fall schedule and the show will return on it’s regular night, Tuesday September 7th. Rejoice, one and all!

You can pre-order Season Two, which will be available August 31st on Amazon.com now, (as well as Season One) and spend the week before the premiere catching up.

Eff the Emmys!

By now anyone that cares about the Emmys knows that our girl, Katey Sagal, was snubbed for a nomination for her incredibly amazing performance as Gemma in season 2. I wouldn’t even bother to mention it if I didn’t honestly think that she deserved the acknowledgment. And I think the majority of us deep in our hearts knew that the show itself would not get a nomination, even if we wanted it to. There’s a lot of good shows out there and it would seem that the Academy chooses to stick with the safe ones.

Dear Emmy Academy: we don't like you, either.

Sutter speaks

Speaking of the Emmys, Mr. Sutter did not hesitate to speak his mind on the issue. In his post “We Don’t Like Your Kind” he reminds us that it’s ok for a show about outlaws to be shut out of the inner circle. Also check out his other recent posts about the controversy of his blogging and how the media spins everything he writes so that he seems like the “Sean Penn of the Blogosphere”.

“My most recent blog is being spun by the rag blogs as an angry rude rant. Sour grapes? Maybe, but clearly honesty makes folks uncomfortable.”- from a recent tweet.

Sons of Nerd-ary?

Comic-con in San Diego is happening July 22-25 and the attendees better make sure they put on their big-boy pants. Making a first time appearance will be Sons of Anarchy series stars Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman and series creator Kurt Sutter. They’ll be there on Sunday afternoon and appearing with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

I could make all sorts of jokes about people who attend Comic-con but I’m not going to because if I was in San Diego I’d be there, too!

Charlie Hunnam prospects for a new movie

Charlie Hunnam is heading back to his native Newcastle to make a movie about his dad. The Sunday Sun reports that Hunnam wrote the script about his dad, Billy. “He has a really, really interesting life and is a real tough guy from a very, very tough corner of England.”

Charlie Hunnam

Charlie is hoping to be as hands on as possible in the making of this movie. “I am thinking I may be able to produce that in a more hands-on way in terms of hiring the director that I want and hiring an actor to play my dad and stuff, and actually fully produce that film, which would be great.”

Hunnam’s other script “Vlad” about Vlad the Impaler (the real-life inspiration for Dracula) is being made into a movie called “Blood” by Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company.

FX’s Sons of Anarchy season 3 live pre-show sweepstakes

SOA fans: there’s a new sweepstakes in town!

Seven grand prize winners will receive:

• A trip for 2 to LA
• Tickets to a private Season 3 premiere screening & live webcast featuring Kurt Sutter
• $500 spending cash

The sweepstakes end on August 16, 2010. See the official rules for details and for the love of god, go enter now!

** Rippin-Kitten is in no way affiliated with this contest. We’re just passing on the good word to all you folks.**

Did you read about my visit to the set of SOA?

In case you missed it, last month I was fortunate enough to be out in California and to spend some time with Mr. Sutter on the set of Sons of Anarchy. You can read about my experience and there’s lots of good photos that I took while I was there (and some shaky video footage that I shot, ha ha).

Have you seen the new Season 3 promo?

Neither have I.

But friends of mine claim they’ve seen it running on FX. If anyone finds it online somewhere can you drop me a line and send me in that direction? Thanks!

Want more?

Follow this link for all my posts, ever, about Sons of Anarchy. You’ll be reading for quite a while…

Fundraising Contest with Top Motorcycle and Bicycle Designers to Makeover Pee-wee Herman’s Famed Schwinn Ride

As part of “Pee-wee’s Big Sturgis Adventure” at The Legendary Buffalo Chip August 8 & 9, a mix of nationally renowned and local South Dakota motorcycle and bicycle builders are taking part in an “extreme makeover” of Pee-wee Herman’s iconic 1947 Schwinn at the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Pee Wee's bike!

Schwinn has donated TRANSIT 3-Speed Electric bicycles to be redesigned and fabricated especially for Pee-wee. Each participant will have only a few weeks to transform these electric bikes into high-tech, tricked out, ultra cool rides uniquely suited for Pee-wee Herman.

All entries will be presented at The Legendary Buffalo Chip’s Event Center on Sunday, August 8 from 5:30-7:30 pm. Pee-wee will choose his new bicycle, and then autograph all the other entries for a fundraising auction of these unique one-of-a-kind Pee-wee collectibles to benefit The Kids & Chrome Foundation, who supports various Black Hills children’s charities and The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame. The following day, Pee-wee will inaugurate his “New Ride” as Captain of the Buffalo Chip’s Annual Legends Charity Ride that starts in Deadwood on Monday, August 9 at 3:00pm.

“My old red Schwinn is my best friend, but I’m ready for something new,” said Pee-wee. “I’m so grateful to Schwinn and all the cycle builders for their amazing donations. I’m really proud to be a part of this fundraiser, and can’t wait to be a part of all the fun at Sturgis.”

Fabricators include Steve “Brewdude” Garn of BREW Bikes, LLC. BREW has been building custom bicycle frames since 1987, and 2008 BREW received the Easyrider Old School Builder of the Year Award. Bryan Schimke of TPJ Customs started his custom bike building business in his garage. Bryan builds only handmade bikes with the highest quality parts to withstand the abuse of the real world. Jesse Hansen founded Rushmore Mountain Sports from his love of bikes and people and it soon became everyone’s favorite local bike and outdoor shop located in beautiful downtown Spearfish, South Dakota. Recycled Cycles started out in 1978 selling just used and reconditioned bicycles today they are a full service Schwinn dealer located in Fort Collins Colorado.

Playing host to the largest and most prestigious motorcycle music festival of its kind, the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s 2010 Sturgis Rally Week musical lineup is guaranteed to provide visitors with the ultimate Sturgis experience. To celebrate Sturgis Rally Week’s 70th Anniversary, Sturgis’ premier entertainment venue and motorcycle travel destination has not only rounded up an enormous selection of legendary musical acts but offers its guests an array of accommodations, created to suit any travelers’ needs. The Chip boasts a cozy selection of campgrounds and RV areas as well as travel trailer and cabin rentals.

Also set to perform at the Chip’s infamous outdoor amphitheatre are Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, Kid Rock, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, The Doobie Brothers, and The Scorpions. Visit www.buffalochip.com to make your reservations for Sturgis Rally Week 2010- you simply can’t miss this!

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!

One of America’s top 50 volume screen printers and the predominant leader in motorcycle apparel and accessories, Hot Leathers is continually proving itself as a world-class printer, designer and provider of premier merchandise. Hot Leathers’ most recent accomplishment involves accolades from the prestigious Motorcycle Riders Club of America.

Hot Leathers gets thumbs up from MRCA

The MRCA recently tested a number of Hot Leathers’ high quality products and presented their line of riding jackets with a 100% approval rating. Known for testing a significant variety of motorcycle products in order to separate the good from the bad, the MRCA is the standard by which all motorcycle industry products are evaluated for quality and durability.

Hot Leathers’ array of superior riding jackets received the highest score possible by each product tester proving that its superiority is unsurpassed. Each Hot Leathers riding jacket is quality constructed with high grade materials and heavy duty hardware. The quality and comfort of each jacket will exceed your expectations on even the most challenging of rides. Travel in comfort and in style in one of their many styles. All Hot Leathers jackets are available online at hotleathers.com in a variety of sizes from small to 3X large and start at only $99.95. With their durable construction and comfortable fit, Hot Leathers’ line of riding jackets is a cut above the rest.

Hot Leathers is the foremost leader in motorcycle apparel. They have supplied high quality products to the biker market for over 25 years. By traveling to every major motorcycle event in the country, selling wholesale to fine retailers and distributors across the globe, and selling on their website, they continually establish their position as the number one source of apparel and accessories for bikers everywhere. Unbeatable prices, unparalleled customer service, hot print designs and numerous industry accolades combine to make Hot Leathers your premier provider of motorcycle apparel and merchandise year-round.

When is Mountain Dew® more than just the world’s most refreshing and exhilarating soft drink? When it’s also a coupon worth $2 off the 2010 Official Sturgis Buffalo Chip Event shirt, that’s when!

Do the Dew and get $2 off the 2010 Official Sturgis Buffalo Chip Event shirt

In a unique marketing collaboration between Admiral Beverage and the Legendary Buffalo Chip beginning June 21, 1.5 million specially marked cans of the world’s favorite soft drink will be distributed in retail outlets and vending machines in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota. Each can contains a coupon on its side panel worth $2 off Hot Leathers’ premier Buffalo Chip 2010 Event Shirt available only at the Buffalo Chip Official Logo Store in the campground’s amphitheater.

Hot Leathers, the industry leader in motorcycle apparel and accessories, in conjunction with the Legendary Buffalo Chip has fashioned the renowned Sturgis hot-spot with an officially licensed event shirt to specifically commemorate Sturgis Rally Week 2010.

“We’re ecstatic to be partnering with Mountain Dew®,” said Rod Woodruff, campground owner. “It’s natural that the world’s favorite biker party would collaborate with the world’s favorite soft drink. The Legendary Buffalo Chip is celebrating its 29th year and is a perfect fit for the active, freedom-loving bikers who choose the distinct taste and refreshing formula of Mountain Dew®.”

If you are among the millions of people who have made Mountain Dew® the largest selling soft drink in the world, make sure to bring your Buffalo Chip Mountain Dew can to the Chip and receive $2 off the 2010 Buffalo Chip event shirt. So, do the Dew! You’ll save some dough!

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!

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.

Casting news: a familiar face returns

Filming for season three of Sons of Anarchy is well underway and we’ll see the return of a familiar face. Taryn Manning will be returning  as Cherry, who we haven’t seen since season 1. A while back on Twitter Kurt Sutter indicated that she secured a role on the reboot of the Hawaii Five-O series. I guess it’s not as big of a role as first thought.

Taryn Manning will be reprising her role as "Cherry" on season 3 of SOA

Fancast reports that a storyline involves the Belfast charter of SAMCRO, populated in part by Keith McGee (to be played by Aussie actor Andrew McPhee, ‘Pirate Islands’) and Liam O’Neil (Arie Verveen, ‘Sin City’). Liam, a source revealed, is “involved” with Cherry.

If you’ve forgotten, when we last saw Cherry she confessed to Gemma that her real name was Rita, she was still “sorta married” to an abusive husband, and she was wanted for grand theft and arson. After narrowly escaping police custody and saying goodbye to boyfriend Half-Sack, she went on the run and disappeared.

Emmy hopes for sons of anarchy

The nominations for the Emmys will be announced July 8th and there’s a lot of buzz and hope surrounding some of our favorite actors on SOA.

Gemma stole the show in season 2, episode 2 "Small Tears"

Opie in episode 2.10 "Balm"

The obvious nomination we’re hoping for is Katey Sagal as Lead Actress in a Drama Series. There’s also a lot of buzz that Ryan Hurst may have a good chance at being  nominated as Supporting Actor in a Drama. *fingers crossed*

Chuck Zito files $5M dollar lawsuit against FX

Chuck who? Chuck Zito, former NYC HA, body guard and “actor”, has filed a $5 million dollar lawsuit against FX, claiming that “Sons of Anarchy” was his idea. According to TMZ, Zito claims he entered into an “implied-in-fact contract” with FX which guaranteed if they used his ideas for a TV show, Zito would be “reasonably compensated and afforded appropriate screen credits.”

Chuck Zito & Pam Anderson (photo lifted from chuckzito.com

So when FX began developing “Sons of Anarchy” in 2006, Zito got pissed claiming that SOA was “substantially similar” to his show idea.

Kurt Sutter is  spewing brimstone and hellfire about the lawsuit in his latest entry at SutterInk.

“Before I dissect the claim, let me say that I know guys like Chick [sic]. He tried to file a legal claim a few months back and it was so preposterous that I believe FX legal simply dismissed it. So he’s pissed and he’s desperate. What we are witnessing now is his “plan B”. And it’s outlaw mentality in full gear. He will take his bogus claim and shop it to every celebrity rag and website hungry for topical gossip, he’ll go on Celebrity Justice, TMZ, any sleaze forum or cable access show that will have him. He will become a bitter, juvenile gnat buzzing in the ear of FX and myself. He will use lies, intimidation, and his big mouth to become such a pain in the ass, in the hope that Fox will throw some money at him to shut the fuck up. It’s not a coincidence that his claim hits while academy members are voting.”

Kurt goes on to say that there’s no way Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox, will ever pay a red cent to Chuck because the “parent company [being Fox] is as stubborn and aggressive” as he is.

That’s for damn sure.

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.

Eight members of a Boston area all female motorcycle club called the East Coast Biker Chicks, will soon be featured in a new television series. Filming for the Biker Chicz docu-reality series is scheduled to start on June 19th during the annual Laconia Bike Week in Laconia NH, and continue in eastern Massachusetts throughout the summer.

Biker Chicz will focus on the positive aspects of the Harley-Davidson biker lifestyle and is being produced by an Oklahoma production company, Blockhead City Entertainment. “Our intention is to produce a happy, feel good television series that will be enjoyable to watch, and realistically capture the true nature of bikers, their spirit and the Harley lifestyle – this series will be just the opposite of what you see in shows like Sons of Anarchy and Gangland,” said Executive Producer Edward Winterhalder.

Winterhalder, a biker personality, author and the creator of the Biker Chicz TV series, has been riding Harleys since 1974. One of the world’s leading authorities on bikers, motorcycle clubs and the Harley-Davidson biker lifestyle; his books about the biker lifestyle are published in multiple languages and sold all over the world. “Because I have lived the biker lifestyle myself for more than thirty-five years, I feel confident that I can accurately capture for TV what really goes on in the life of a biker on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Lucky Belcamino, the founder and current President of the East Coast Biker Chicks, is excited to be a part of this ground breaking concept. “Thank God someone is finally going to show the world that bikers are ordinary people from all walks of life; regular people that have families and jobs, who enjoy riding Harleys in their spare time and giving back to the communities in which they live when they can,” Lucky said.

Another Harley rider featured in the Biker Chicz TV series, Annie Concemi, who was recently profiled on TLC’s blockbuster series What Not To Wear, was adamant when she said, “Everyone I know is sick and tired of all of the negative television these days, where everyone argues and fights for sixty minutes – Biker Chicz will be a breath of fresh air as far as I am concerned.”

For more information about the Biker Chicz TV series, please go to blockheadcity.com.

South Side Kustoms is building 20 limited edition, pink ribbon “Real Divas Ride” custom bikes based on their Untouchable Bobber. Each bike will be numbered with limited edition badge on the frame and a 6″x3″ enamel pink with gold trim ribbon on top of the gas tank.

Southside Kustoms Divas For A Cure - Limited Edition Untouchable Bobber

To see the list of customizing options go to South Side Kustoms’ site at south-side-kustom.com. You can also follow them on Twitter: @southsidekustom. Learn more about the Divas For A Cure program at realdivasride.com.

*3D renderings done by Bo Asciu. Custom Eyes Concepts http://customeyesconcepts.com/

However, I’m incredibly happy with the progression of this piece. The detail work far exceeded my expectations and I am fortunate to have such a beautiful piece of art to carry around on my body. I’m so pumped to see it when it’s finished! But that’s still a ways away.

I go back again later this week. And for those inquiring, my work is being done by Natan Alexander at Witch City Ink (who is also the man behind the Boston Tattoo Convention) in Salem, MA.

Related post:
Tattoo sessions pt. 1: outline

This week Hot Leathers simply can’t wait to get to their next 2010 rally stop, the one and only Laconia Motorcycle Week. Celebrating its 87th Anniversary this year, Laconia Motorcycle Week promises a high-octane mix of action, racing, entertainment and events. Synonymous for offering the best selection of motorcycle merchandise in stores, online and on the road, Hot Leathers will not only be setting up shop at the popular rally scheduled for June 12-20, but will also be a presenting sponsor and the official merchandiser of Laconia Motorcycle Week.

Laconia Motorycle Week 2010

One of the foremost motorcycle rallies in the nation, Laconia Motorcycle Week is located in beautiful Weirs Beach, 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.

This summer’s rally will be Hot Leathers 25th year in attendance at Laconia Bike Week, which boasted nearly 40,000 visitors during last year’s events. 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. Hot Leathers is proud to showcase its quality products at the Lobster Pound and at several locations up and down Lakeside Avenue.

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.

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.

Sucker Punch Sally’s and CAO Cigars Announce Final Drawing date of “Lady Liberty” Sweepstakes Custom Motorcycle

SPS teamed up with premium cigar manufacturer CAO to produce a one-off bike and the new owner will be randomly drawn from the finalists on July 17th at the CAO headquarters in Nashville. The bike named “Lady Liberty” has already made stops all over the United States to numerous cigar shops where a few lucky customers have qualified as finalists. Time is running out to qualify, just visit caosuckerpunch.com BEFORE JUNE 15th and you could be in the running as well! This site will also give you a behind the scenes look at building the bike and the hundreds of hours of work that went into it. Finalists will be announced on June 21st and will be flown into CAO headquarters in Nashville for the weekend of festivities and the final drawing.

SPS's "Lady Liberty"

“We have had great success at our retailers and are looking forward to finding out who is going to be riding “Lady Liberty” away that day”. Said Jon Huber Director of Lifestyle Marketing for CAO.

SPS’s CAO-inspired custom features the quality craftsmanship, modern components and old-school aesthetic SPS is known for while incorporating details unique to the CAO brand. Named “Lady Liberty,” this bobber-style “Swinger” carries the mantra “Free To Ride–Free To Smoke” and was hand-painted by SPS’s renowned in-house artist Sara Ray.

Sucker Punch Sally’s is a custom motorcycle manufacturer specializing in old school, stripped-down motorcycles. Heading into 2009, their Swinger was selected at production custom of the year by Cycle Source Magazine, in past years they also received awards for their ’66 Bobber and Traditional Bobber. Recently Sucker Punch Sally’s is the official motorcycle of Progressive Insurance and has also made alliances with Fender Guitars and Toyota. Look for a dealer near you or for more information, visit Sucker Punch Sally’s at suckerpunchsallys.com.

I’m 15 minutes late. I’m sweating. And there’s not a soul in sight. I’m in a large parking lot of an innocuous looking industrial building with a line of trailers to my right. I recognize the names on those trailers: Opie, Chibs, Bobby.

*Sigh* Looks like I’m going to have to call him. When he answers the phone I tell him I’m roaming around outside. He says, “ok, darlin’ I’ll come and get you.”

What bizzarro world am I in that I’m in N. Hollywood, standing on the set of Sons of Anarchy and calling Kurt Sutter from my cellphone on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon?

He comes strolling out in baggy shorts, t-shirt and sandals with the cutest French Bulldog happily running beside him. A polite hello & friendly cheek to cheek kiss. We exchange pleasantries and I learn the little dog’s name is Lumpy. I’m instantly smitten (Lumpy? or Kurt Sutter? I’m not tellin’!).

It’s very difficult to not appear as a smarmy ass-kiss when you meet someone “famous”-especially when you’re juggling an iPhone, professional DSLR and a Flip video camera. But I didn’t have a photographer with me or videographer at my disposal to document this meeting, so I had to suck it up.

We launch into small talk about my weekend trip to California, discuss the demo ride for Honda and how that experience was. He then starts to tell me about the set that we’re on and how the exterior shots will match up to some of the interior shots that he’s about to show me. We head into the office area where all the writing and production work happens. There are a bunch of desks that belong some of the writing staff and I instantly recognize it as the Charming police station.

Then we head into his office and just as we get there he stops in his tracks. “You lost your dog, didn’t you?” I ask. “Yup, be right back.”

I AM STANDING ALONE INSIDE KURT SUTTER’S OFFICE.
Hmm, what can I touch?

There is his desk. There are posters on the wall and family photos, mostly of his lovely wife and baby daughter. I’d better just sit down.

Lumpy comes bounding in the room and showers me with doggy kisses before eventually jumping into Kurt’s lap. Lots of chit-chat about the show, it’s history. He says that he generally doesn’t like people but is so appreciative of the support fans give to him and the show. We are about 10 minutes into the conversation before it dawns on me that I’m a one-man band here and I’d better start taking some pictures and videos. But how do I without looking like an asshole? There’s no way around it.

this is Lumpy

After a few minutes of talking about the show, fan interaction on Twitter and Facebook and the success of season two, we start going through the maze of sets. Some of the sets, like Jax’s apartment, are locked because there was some equipment in there. And Clay & Gemma’s place was not set up at the time. But then we came up a familiar set: the hospital and the hospital chapel, that only had the window in place.

Then there was the clubhouse. This particular set was probably the largest set in the building. He tells me: “We create these actual functioning spaces so that you can put the camera anywhere. As long as you don’t point it up, you’re fine.”

It’s amazing to see how intricately decorated it is. And if I didn’t see all of the lighting equipment above me I’d swear it could have been a real clubhouse. Only it didn’t smell like stale beer and cigarettes!

I start taking photos, there’s so much to see! I take a few of Kurt, but he never really looks directly at the camera even when I tell him I’m taking his picture. He just keeps on talking. I spot The Table and immediately run over to it. It is a gigantic table with that enormous reaper carved into it. I mention that I’ve seen the artist’s website of all his carvings. He says they almost didn’t get that table because they gave the artist (Carver Doug) some ridiculous time line, like two days, to get the table done. But he did it and it’s made of real redwood.

We head off to see some of the other sets. In the space that was set aside for Cara Cara they built some additional hospital space and right next to it a home set for the Ireland storyline in season three. That’s right, an unseen home set!

Rippin-Kitten season 3 sons of anarchy exclusive!

These first photos are obviously of a small store and the following two are interiors of someone’s lovely Irish home.

And because I’m me, not even Kurt Sutter can escape my ball-busting. I think I’m being a smart-ass by asking: “You mean they didn’t send you to Ireland to film all the stuff in Belfast?” He gave me a straight-up answer: “We’re sending two second units to film in Belfast. We’re sending Billy Gierhart, who was my first cameraman on the Shield and has directed two episodes [of Sons of Anarchy] for me now, to film the second unit stuff.”

Here’s more from the Man Himself (sorry for the shaky video footage!):

If the embedded video doesn’t play go here.

I never asked too many questions about the show itself for two reasons: I don’t want to appear pushy trying to get info about the upcoming season and honestly, as a fan of the show I don’t want to know too many details about what’s going to happen! But I do ask about the fate of one particular character: Otto!

If the embedded video doesn’t play go here.

The tour is winding down because we’re running out of sets to look at. We head back outside to look at the exterior set where the Teller-Morrow garage is. “The exterior of that lot we play all the time, which since we’re in the asshole of the Valley here, you know, it’s fucking N. Hollywood. It’s brutal when we’re filming in July and August. It’s like 110 degrees out there and these poor guys are on these Harleys and they’re dressed in leathers…” he chuckles and I interject, “And they hate you cuz those things are hot!”

By this point we’ve made it full circle. He kindly walks me back out to the street where my rent-a-wreck is. I humbly thank him for the taking the time out of his day to hang out with me. He is gracious and wishes me safe travel back to the east coast.

I get into my car and sigh with relief. This was the cherry that topped an incredible, whirlwind weekend trip to California.

The day of the demo ride finally arrived! Honda split us up into three separate groups to ride: morning, mid-afternoon and late afternoon. I ended up being in the middle group, which gave me some time to kill. I missed watching the morning group leave because I was having breakfast, but I did get out there earlier in the morning to photograph the motorcycles before there were lots of people around.

When my group gathered with all our gear in tow, they almost didn’t let me ride. Something about not having a DOT approved helmet, blah blah (they never said I had to have one, but I suppose I should have known better. Please no lectures about riding safety, I’m well aware). One of the ride leaders let me borrow a helmet: a full-faced one, to my chagrin. Talk about sensory deprivation…

photo by Kevin Wing

Anyway it was suggested I take the standard model out first and when we got to the canyon we’d all switch bikes and I’d get to ride the DCT back. Sounded good to me.

And here begins the convergence of a perfect storm of comedy (and a whole lotta stress and frustration) for me: wearing a full-face helmet that I’m not used to, riding a motorcycle that I’m not familiar with (and uncomfortable on because I’m leaning forward and my feet are behind me), in a group of people I’ve never ridden with before on roads that I’ve never driven on…ever.

photo by Kevin Wing

I felt like I was back in my first day of the MSF course, I kept stalling out the damn bike. I ended up lagging way behind the rest of the group at the beginning of the ride. I had a really difficult time with the clutch because the friction point was a lot further out from where I’m used to (and although it’s adjustable we didn’t have enough time ahead to do anything about it).

The entire ride up to the canyon was a struggle for me and I’m sure it made some of the Honda guys doubt my riding abilities. I kind of wished that they had let us take a quick spin around the parking lot before we headed out for the ride so that we could set our expectations. [After all was said and done I was happy to learn that I wasn't the only one that had a bit of difficulty with the manual bike.]

After lots of swearing and finally catching up to the group I tried to focus on the gorgeous scenery and the bike itself. The ride was very smooth and first and second gears last a lot longer than I expected. Honestly, we never ended up going very fast for long enough to really get the bike going. I guess when the group of journalists went out a few days before us, one of the groups was pulled over for speeding. So Honda was very conservative while bringing the consumer groups out.

When we got to the canyon, I jumped on the DCT. Immediately it felt foreign not to be holding in the clutch while waiting for the rest of the group. I think the Honda guys were a little concerned about me because I did struggle initially. But you know how it goes, after a half hour on an unfamiliar bike you finally used to it and become a lot less nervous. And plus, hello automatic motorcycle!

photo by Kevin Wing

Off I went, this time second in line. That’s the silly thing about being on an automatic: you just go. I always thought riding an automatic felt a little like cheating because you’re not doing any work. But in this instance I quite enjoyed it in contrast to my frazzling time on the manual model. I got to enjoy the scenery, I kept up with the front of the group just fine. I didn’t fiddle too much with the controllers. I did toggle it into “S-mode” over “D-mode.” Most everyone who rode the DCT agreed they would almost never ride in D-mode, maybe the only reason to would be if you’re in heavy traffic.

It was interesting for me to see where the motorcycle’s computer decided to change gears versus where I normally would have. And I did notice if I seemed to be traveling in between gears I heard  “click-clack click-clack” while it tried to decide what gear to be in. There were a few spots where the road declined that I would have downshifted sooner than the computer did. And stopping was a little strange. Again, no clutch means no downshifting. You just use the brake to stop. Weird!

photo by Kevin Wing

If the ride had been longer I would have loved to have tested out the paddle switch in manual mode. The ride was only about an hour total, a half hour on each bike. Not nearly enough time to play around with all the features like we would have wanted to. But since this was Honda’s first time doing a consumer demo ride I can understand them being cautious.

I don’t know that I’d give up my street cruiser anytime soon for this one, but I really liked the DCT’s ability to toggle between manual and automatic and am intrigued by the paddle switch. I personally didn’t find the sporty style of it particularly comfy, based on my posture while riding, but the other folks who like this style found it very comfortable.

Everyone had lots of opinions, good and bad, about the VFR after the ride and didn’t hesitate sharing their thoughts. I hope American Honda finds that holding that kind of an event is successful and decide to do it again. If they do then they’ll be more aware of what worked and what didn’t. Oh, and I hope they invite me again, too! It was a great experience.

photo by Kevin Wing

Check out all of my photos from the Honda Consumer Event on my Facebook page!

Go to Honda Powersports for more information on the Honda VFR1200F DCT.

And if you really want to nerd out with other VFR fans, join them at VFRworld.

Related post: Anatomy of the Honda VFR1200F DCT

*Honda's VFR1200F DCT in a lovely shade of candy red

Honda VFR1200F: standard model vs. DCT

First off, let’s just clear up a little confusion. There are two versions of this motorcycle. There’s the standard model of the VFR1200F, with a regular clutch lever and toe-shifter. Then there is the DCT version. DCT= Dual Clutch Transmission.

Honda's VFR1200F standard model: regular clutch lever

VFR1200F standard model: toe-shifter

Well, so what does that mean?
The DCT allows the rider to ride in either manual mode or automatic mode. If you’d like to ride in automatic mode, there are two options to choose: D-mode for regular operation and S-mode for sporty riding. Or you can ride in manual mode, but instead of your typical clutch lever and toe-shift you have paddle-shifter-type controls that deliver the same shifting response as a manual transmission.

Detail of the DCT: above the power button you can see the switch to put it in either Automatic/Manual mode. In automatic mode you can use the grey switch for a "drive" or "sport" mode.

Detail of the DCT: if the bike is in manual mode you use the paddle shift to change gears. No clutch lever or or toe shift. You shift up in gears using your index finger and pressing the grey triangle, down shift with your thumb where the "minus" button is.

And in Honda-speak:
“The Dual Clutch Transmission configuration employs independent clutches for the odd-numbered gears (1st, 3rd, 5th) and the even-numbered gears (2nd, 4th, 6th), respectively. The two clutches operate alternately to effect gear changes. For example, when changing from 1st to 2nd gear, the computer detects the up-shift and engages 2nd gear, then releases the 1st-gear clutch while engaging the 2nd-gear clutch to achieve a smooth gear change. It’s a fast and efficient transition that delivers extremely quick shifts.”

fans have nicknamed it "The Buffalo."

During the presentation of this bike the first night we were in Santa Barbara there was a lengthy chunk of time dedicated to the tech and engineering behind this bike. A lot of thought went into making the VFR1200 a very comfy and performance-oriented motorcycle.  I won’t get too in-depth with all the technical details, but here are some basics stats (full specs listed at Honda’s website).

Engine: 1237cc liquid-cooled 76-degree V-4
Transmission: six speed
Final Drive: Shaft
Wheelbase: 60.8 inches
Weight: 591 pounds (VFR1200F) / 613 pounds (VFR1200F with DCT)
Seat height: 32.1″ (probably not a great option for vertically challenged people. Again, at 5’7″ I had no problem with my feet hitting the ground comfortably.)
Fuel Capacity: 4.9 gallons
Induction: Programmed Fuel Injection
Front Brake: Dual full-floating 320mm discs with CBS six-piston calipers with ABS
Rear Brake: Single 276mm disc with CBS two-piston caliper with ABS
Front Tire: 120/70 ZR-17 radial
Rear Tire: 190/55 ZR-17 radial
Color: Candy Red

Accessories to consider

Every bike, no matter how well engineered, always needs some extra accessories to make it a little more comfortable for the rider. While there are many accessories for the VFR1200F, here’s a few that I would definitely consider:

Windscreen deflector: has 3-position adjustability that attaches over the standard windshield. Not as much buffeting with the addition of this screen.

VFR1200F windscreen deflector

Heated grips: sure, heated grips are always nice in theory but sometimes the design doesn’t really follow through and your digits still end up out in the cold. These grips are smaller in diameter and the coil shape is designed to distribute more heat to your fingers. A definite benefit on those super-cold riding days.

VFR1200F heated grips

Center stand: while I don’t really care for a center stand, many folks definitely prefer one for a bike like this. But it’ll cost ya a little extra.

VFR1200F center stand

If you’d like to see the full line of accessories you can download this PDF (1.1mb).

Overall, this is a pretty good looking motorcycle with a lot of bells & whistles. Honda is very excited about the VFR1200F and is definitely positioning this as a premium ride (and perhaps to rival BMW’s K1300S?). The standard version of the VFR120oF is now available in dealerships starting at $15, 999 (the DCT model is around $18k).
Next post: VFR1200F, the ride and review.

The Journey

I was dropped off at Boston’s Logan Airport by one half of the Hungry Mouse team: The Angry Chef and their new fluffy addition, Miss Penelope.

Penolope

I arrived with much time to spare before my flight. Had an overpriced yogurt for breakfast. Cracked open a new book and began reading through sleepy eyes (didn’t get much sleep the night before). Then boarded the plane, snapped myself into my seat and waited nervously for the plane to take off. Once in the air I…Zzzzz. Yup, fell asleep on and off for the next five hours while the two guys next to me chatted like ladies at a book club meeting.

Connecting flight was in Phoenix AZ. High temperatures of 103 degrees during the day. Wha…? Whoa. This would be one day I’m glad I’m not staying in Phoenix…

The second flight was only an hour but I seriously couldn’t wait to get both my feet on the ground again.

The Destination

Made it to Santa Barbara airport and first thing that struck me was: all of the mountains and how mild the weather was. Oh, and the airport is pretty small too, but very nice.

Welcome to Santa Barbara

There was a hotel shuttle waiting  to take me to Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort. It’s a beautiful, sprawling resort on 25 acres of land with all the amenities you could ask for, not to mention a beach right across the street. This is the first time that Honda has ever done something like this aimed at consumers and they’re doing it up right so far.

Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort

After getting settled in I notice a big Honda trailer and tent set up in the parking lot behind my room so I head out to say hello to all the Honda folks and some of the other lucky contestants here to ride this VFR1200. My first impression: these guys are hardcore fans. They’re talking about all the different generations of the VFR, lots of tech specs, specific gear and helmets and some have encountered each other on different sport-touring message boards.

I start to feel dreadfully out of place. But I’m not discouraged.

Later in the evening comes the meet and greet with the Honda folks. They are all pretty generous and gracious. There’s a pretty extensive and informative presentation with a little history about Honda and the engineering behind the VFR1200 DCT and 1200F. Clearly they are excited about this model, which I’ll go more in depth about in a future post.

presentation slide

The group starts firing out a lot of questions. I felt like I was at a Comic-Con with a bunch of Trekkies firing questions about what episode in the Original Series can you see the U.S.S. Enterprise is seen orbiting a planet from right to left, only these are motorcycle fans. They were getting pretty granular about what they were asking. And the Honda folks were nothing less than delighted.

goodie bags

Honda schwag

We then had a lovely dinner, many drinks and were split up into riding groups for the next day. I will be riding in the second group which will head out in the afternoon. We will get the opportunity to ride both models of the bike while we’re out.

Honda VFR1200F and DCT

Then we’ll find out if this baby is worth the hype!

Stay tuned for an in-depth post about the bike and my ride experience. In the meantime, if you’re on Twitter follow @HondaPowersports!

K&G Cycles

Located in Detroit, MI, Rebel Girl Clothing takes pride in offering high quality tattoo-inspired women’s motorcycle apparel, clothing and accessories. An exclusive online retailer of Rebel Girl Clothing, K & G is thrilled to partner with a company that celebrates women who take life by the handlebars. From bandanas, belts and handbags to hats, jackets and jewelry, Rebel Girl has bold and original garb created to outfit even the most intrepid biker chick. Rebel Girl even has its own bath and body line complete with moisturizing milk bath, shower gel and body butter. Check out Rebel Girl’s full line of merchandise at rebelgirl.com or visit K & G Cycles online at kandgcycles.com.

Rebel Girl clothing

K&G is also pleased to announce that it has become an official retailer for West Coast Choppers. Out of Long Beach, CA, West Coast Choppers is renowned for their custom bikes, parts and accessories which have set the standard for style and old-school craftsmanship while pushing the limits of what a custom is- and can be. Headed by legendary owner and builder, Jesse James, the West Coast Choppers brand has maintained a loyal and passionate following and continues to create unique works of rolling art. Visit westcoastchoppers.com to browse their selection of custom bikes and parts.

West Coast Choppers

With over 1,200 categories of parts from over 250 manufacturers and 6 major motorcycle parts wholesalers, K & G Cycles guarantees that you will find exactly what you need for your project. 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 by their 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.

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.

On her blog Christina announced that she will be hitting the road, with her daughters no less- from June 26 – July 11th, making her way up the coast from San Francisco to Vancouver. The show will include a video projection show of some of the ladies featured in Chicks On Bikes, she’ll talk about her experience in tracking down and photographing those featured in the book and will include images left out of the book and on the editing table. Best of all it’s free and she will sign your copy of the book with her favorite silver Sharpie (I got mine!).

"Chicks on Bikes" West Coast book tour

She is looking to book events all along the way and is taking bookings right now, particularly looking for venues in Seattle and Vancouver. If you think you have a venue that you’d like her to be at you are her ideal contact if you:

• a. love women and at least suspect that women are indeed smarter than men.
• b. Think motorcycles are the perfect vehicle
• c. are fascinated with the frozen moments and million words embodied in great photography.
• d. own a motorcycle related shop
• e. belong to a motorcycle club, great excuse to gather your buds.

If you think you have the perfect place and want Christina there, email her through her site ChicksOnBikes.us or comment on her blog at Christina Shook photography.

If you missed any of my previous posts about Sons of Anarchy: season three, be sure to check them out:
Early Sons of Anarchy season 3 spoilers
SoA season 3 update
SoA casting news

So, what’s the status of Season 3?

According to SutterInk himself: update: 301 being locked. in post on 302. 303 being edited. 304 being shot. 305 and 306 written. writing 307 and 308. breaking 309. He also wrote a quickie blog post with an update of sorts.

Kurt Sutter's sure to be drinking a lotta this stuff while working on season 3. Photo lifted from @SAMCRO_BLOGGER

By the way, if you’re on Twitter and not following Mr. Sutter then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Plus he’s just a few shy from 10,000 followers. Help the guy out!

Release date for Season 2 of Sons of Anarchy on DVD:

August 31st!  That means you can catch up before season three starts airing! The DVD will include the following special features:

• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
• The Moral Code of Sons of Anarchy
• Sons of Anarchy Happy Ending Roundtable
• John the Revelator Music Video
• Commentary on Select Episodes
• A Night Out with the Crew at Happy Endings Bar

Sons of Anarchy season 2 on DVD: available on 8/31/10!

You can pre-order Season Two from Amazon.com now, heavily discounted from listed price (and so is Season One)!

SOA season three Casting news:

We already know that season three will have some new faces, including Paula Malcolmson, Hal Holbrook, Kenneth Johnson and even Stephen King, who is an avid motorcycle enthusiast. He recently wrote an article on his website about his experience on the set. Kurt Sutter assured Mr. King that he’d write “a suitably nasty part” for him, put him in all black clothes and on a a bright red Harley-Davidson Road-Glide.

Stephen King will be making a cameo on season 3 of FX's Sons of Anarchy

SK wrote, “I got to meet most of the cast, who’ve bonded into a little family on the ranch locale about an hour from the city where they do the filming…They treated me like a professional, which I most assuredly am not.” Full article available here.

The latest actor to join the cast is James Cosmo. According to TV Fanatic he will appear in a six-episode arc as Father Kellan Ashby, an Irish Catholic priest who will be forced to condone a character’s confession.

James Cosmo will be joining the SOA cast in Season 3

What happened to Half-Sack?

DEAD, DEAD, DEAD.
Sorry folks, I know a lot of you are hoping that Half-Sack isn’t really gone, especially with the promise of him finally passing from prospect to full patch member. But it’s been reported that Johnny Lewis was no longer happy being on the show and requested to be written off.

Alas poor Half-Sack!

Our beloved Half-Sack will go down as a legend and a hero in SOA lore. Gone but far from forgotten…

Life after Lost

Fans of the show Lost will certainly be feeling lost these days, wondering what the heck to watch now that our favorite show is gone. Joe.IE made a list of five shows for Lost fans to try to fill the cavernous void that the end of the show left. SoA was definitely tops on that list. In fact, four out of the five shows on that list is Rippin-Kitten approved (I haven’t gotten around to watching Treme yet…but I’m sure once I do it’ll be 5 out of 5)!

Katey Sagal is on Ausiello’s 2010 Dream Emmy Ballot

Michael Ausiello from EW.com made out his 2010 Dream Emmy Ballot, this one focused on the lead actor and actress in a drama series categories. Katey Sagal made it on the list of picks for Best Lead Actress (Drama). He wrote: “(Sons of Anarchy) Season 2 sent Gemma to hell and back. Heavenly!”

I think we would ALL be happy to see her at the Emmys and even more thrilled to see her take home a statue! She definitely deserves it.

RIP Dennis Hopper: 1936-2010‎

“It gives you a whole new way of looking at the day.“-Billy, Easy Rider

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.

On Friday June 4th Honda is flying me cross-country to California and the next day is the big ride. That weekend I’ll be meeting with some select moto journalist, consumers and bloggers (along with all the marketing and media folks from Honda). We will split into smaller groups and go on a ride through beautiful Santa Barbara, getting a feel for this motorcycle.

Honda VFR1200F sport-tourer

It will be an interesting experience for me as most of my riding experience is on cruiser-style bikes (I would love to check out the new Shadow Phantom or even the Fury street chopper!). I have read a few reviews online about this bike and it seems that opinions are a bit all over the place. Some feel that it’s just a heavy sports-bike while others think its innovative design sets a new bar for sports motorcycles, establishing “a new definition of performance motorcycling”.

Either way, this is a super-exciting experience for me and I’m so grateful that Honda thought enough of me and the work I do here at www.rippin-kitten.com to be a part of it.

One of the features I’m most intrigued by is the Dual Clutch Trasmission. Like a traditional bike you can shift using your foot/hand combo but the VFR1200F also has a fully automatic mode and “paddle” shifting which lets you shift with just a flick of the index finger or thumb. Oh, and did I mention the six speed transmission?  Check out the specs on Honda’s VFR1200F and me know what you think.

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.

The older I get the wiser I’m becoming when it comes to gloves. Perhaps the reason I have so many gloves in my closet is because I haven’t found the best ones for me yet. Maybe it’s an ever-lasting quest to find a pair that fit right, offer enough warmth, without being too bulky, and are still waterproof so that your hands stay dry and free of black dye.

Black-dyed hand: I've been there, have you?

River Road Taos cold weather gloves (for women)

I typically don’t have much of a problem with fit like some women with small hands do. I wear a size large (women’s) because of my fat sausage fingers and these gloves fit comfortably without the tightness around the base of my fingers or the common bulkiness at the tips of the fingers. I’ve only been wearing them for early spring weather (roughly 45-60 degrees) and my hands have stayed mostly warm in that temperature range.  I’m not so sure how well they would protect in more frigid temps.

River Road Taos Cold Weather Glove

The Taos gloves are constructed of soft leather, which means you can pretty much put them on and go without a breaking in period. They have Thinsulate insulation to keep your hands warm without all of the potential bulk and a Hipora® glove insert that renders the gloves waterproof (the water does initially bead up and run off), windproof and allows your skin to breathe. The lining in these gloves might be the only drawback.It feels like the lining won’t hold up well to extensive wear and tear.

One neat feature is the rubber squeegee wiper on the left index finger that you can use to clear water from your glasses or helmet visor. Simple and effective. These gloves also have a zippered gauntlet closure and adjustable velcro strap around the wrist area, which I like as extra protection to keep the wind out.

River Road Taos Cold Weather Gloves with rubber wiper on left glove

I did an extreme water test with these gloves (as I haven’t had opportunity to wear them riding in torrential downpour rain). As promised, the liner kept the water out while keeping my hands dry. After long exposure to water the lining was still dry, but the gloves began to absorb the water. Although your hands and fingers will stay dry, I’m guessing that if the temperature is cold enough your fingers will get cold at some point. However, this is a total assumption on my part.

The River Road Taos gloves run about $45 on Rider’s Discount (with free shipping!), which I think is a pretty good price for the quality of glove you’re getting. (The men’s version of these gloves can be found here, for the same price!)

These gloves came in a generous package of gear I received from Rider’s Discount for product reviews.

Related post:
Waterproof gloves: Hugger Motorcycle Gloves

Over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the motorist, not the motorcyclist, is at fault because they unintentionally fail to “recognize” a motorcycle. Car drivers are often distracted while they are driving, whether it’s due to children acting up in the car, using a cell phone, fiddling with the radio, trying to eat or using some sort of GPS device.

MSF encourages all car drivers to use the SEE strategy while driving to reduce the number of accidents out there on the roads. What is SEE?

• Search: actively scan and identify factors that could create increased risk
• Evaluate: consider potential problems arising from the interaction of those factors
• Execute: the physical skills used to prevent or avoid the resulting hazards

I realize that stressing motorcycle awareness on a motorcycle blog is essentially preaching to the choir, but hopefully there are some cagers that also read this blog that can help encourage other car drivers to become better drivers. Look and look again for motorcyclists, just drive while you’re driving (let the cell calls go to voice mail!), turn signals aren’t just there to hold your hair elastics and slow the F down! We should all be able to be nice out there on the roads.

Here’s a taste of what to expect if you’re lucky enough to go this year!

So, here’s to all you ladies that ride you own. Have fun and be safe out there on the roads.

HBO's True Blood begins its 3rd season on June 13th

This isn’t the first time True Blood has done some major flirting with the biker culture. Before the second season of HBO’s hit show hit the air, a slew of fake ads (for real brands) were released in a viral marketing effort, one of them contributed by Harley-Davidson.

I don’t know how prevalent the werewolf biker gang will be in the television show, despite the fact that I’ve read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that the show is based on (show creator, Alan Ball, only uses the books as a guideline and has taken a whole lotta creative license with the show). I do have a gnawing feeling in my gut that these bikers will be irretrievably stereotypical.

However, there are some recognizable actors joining the cast.

Grant Bowler

Grant Bowler, last seen on Ugly Betty, has been tapped to play Coot, the leader of a pack of werewolf bikers.

Dawn Oliveiri

Dawn Olivieri, who’s character was killed off of Heroes, shows up as Janice Herveaux, described as a tough-as-nails biker chick who’s protective of her younger brother, Alcide, and is also into horoscopes and psychics.

Don Swayze

Don Swayze (brother of Patrick Swayze) will be playing the role of werewolf biker gang member “Gus” in several episodes.

Andy MacKenzie

And there was a casting call for a part known as Creepy Biker. [insert groans and moans here] The lucky winner of that part is a dude named Andy Mackenzie (who appears in the upcoming MacGruber movie). He doesn’t look so creepy to me. I think he’s actually pretty cute (I have a soft spot for red heads…)!

So if you’re as curious as I am, tune in to the season 3 premier of True Blood on HBO, June 13th at 9PM.

Honda Points cover

Honda Points Cover- When building a CB550 project, the crew at Fuller Hot Rods ran into a problem. What to do with the ugly stock chrome points cover? The solution? Get a new one cast on site in Atlanta. Their cast aluminum points cover is perfect for that custom touch and allows for engraving or machining. It is offered in rough cast or semi finished and will fit CB500/4, 550/4 and 750/4 with points on the right side of the crankshaft. The Honda Points Cover sells for $120.00.

Buell XB Carb Conversion

Buell XB Carb Conversion- This Stainless Steel Intake will mount a carb on to a 2002-present XB-9 or XB-12. Normally these bikes are Fuel Injected but Fuller likes to switch his to carb to reduce the number of wires and remove the computer. Water Jet flanges out of 3/8″ 308 Stainless is fixture welded, and bolts directly to the engine so no other mounts are necessary. S&S Super G carbs or PSI Power carbs will bolt directly to this unit. Mikuni can be mated with their adapters. The Buell XB Carb Conversion sells for $399.00.

Triple Clamp set

Triple Clamp Set- These beautiful triple clamps are CNC machined from 6061 Aluminum to Fuller Hot Rods’ specifications. They are designed to fit Fullers’ Buell based “Fueller” choppers with stock XB Showa inverted forks but could also be used for custom Harley Davidson applications. Stem hole size is 1″, lower clamp fork ID is 56mm and the upper is 54mm. Fork offset is 5mm less than stock Buell XB9/12. Fuller’s Triple Clamp Set sells for $799.00.

Velocity stack

Velocity Stack- Beautifully machined carburetor intake velocity stack in 6061 Aluminum. 2″ ID, 3″ long, 3.4″ OD at wide end. 5/32″ thick material allows room for modification for custom applications if needed. The Velocity Stack sells for $50.00.

Shop online at fullerhotrods.com to purchase any of Fuller’s specialty parts or visit their website to learn more about Fuller Hot Rods and keep an eye on the progress of any of Fuller’s projects.

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.

SPS garage

“We’re ecstatic to be partnering up with SuckerPunch Sallys,” explains Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson. “SuckerPunch Sallys is a prominent brand that produces exceptional bikes and we’re thrilled for them to be a part of the Destination Daytona family.”

Since 1994 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson has achieved a number of impressive accomplishments including being ranked #1 in new bikes sales, used bike sales, parts and accessories sales and motor clothes sales for Harley Davidson Motor Company. In addition to featuring the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in the world at a massive 109,000 square feet, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson also encompasses 150 acres of biker ecstasy, known as Destination Daytona, that consists of an amphitheatre, restaurants, bars and enormous vending area built specifically for events such as Daytona Bike Week and Biketoberfest.

One of the first appointed SuckerPunch Sallys dealers, the thriving dealership’s recent collaboration with SuckerPunch Sallys not only expands upon its large selection of merchandise but it also effectively positions the dealership for increased sales and notoriety by associating itself with the SuckerPunch brand. Founded in 2002, SuckerPunch Sallys continues to stay true to their traditional biker values by providing the best stripped-down bobbers and choppers at the most reasonable prices. Built on old-school values and a simple business model, the SuckerPunch Sallys brand has quickly evolved into a lifestyle defined by a love for all things quality, classic and vintage.

“Despite our growth, at SuckerPunch Sallys bike building remains at the heart of the company,” explains SPS Director of Sales & Marketing, Paul Devine. “Building quality bikes is what we do and having the opportunity to sell our bikes at a high caliber dealership like Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson is incredible. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. We attract a new kind of customer and pull in a whole new demographic to the store.”

This isn’t the first time that these two industry high rollers have collaborated. In 2008 SuckerPunch Sallys announced the launch of the limited edition “Destination Duo” motorcycle, built exclusively for Destination Daytona Equal parts old-school and modern; the Destination Duo bike celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first fully suspended American motorcycle, while still capturing the bold no nonsense style of a true SuckerPunch Sallys one-off. Only fifty limited edition Destination Duo motorcycles were manufactured at that time but a life-long and beneficial relationship was established paving the way for their current collaboration.

SPS's "Destination Duo"

The old school no-nonsense style of bikes that started SuckerPunch Sallys are the bikes they still build today, only now with the convenience of modern manufacturing practices. The Traditional and the 66 Bobber both received industry awards in 2007 and are the two models that the company was founded on. They have the capacity to build 100 bikes a month at their manufacturing facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., including the widely anticipated Swinger. 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 Sallys 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 Sallys at suckerpunchsallys.com. To browse their selection of SPS bikes in addition to their unmatched selection of Harley-Davidson bikes check out Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson online at brucerossmeyer.com.

When the hell is season three going to start?
Production for season 3 of Sons of Anarchy kicked off last week and will hit the tube in September this year!

Casting news
Season 3 will introduce a host of new characters, so most of recent news has revolved around casting. A few weeks ago we learned that Paula Malcolmson will join the show for an eight episode arc. She’ll be playing a wee-Irish lass named Maureen, who is based in Belfast.

We also learned that Kenneth Johnson will reprise his role for six episodes as the Tacoma chapter’s Kozik, an SoA club member who has some kind of an unhappy history with Tig.

Paula Malcolmson, Kenneth Johnson & Hal Holbrook will be part of SoA season 3

The latest character revealed is Gemma’s father, played by Hal Holbrook (who was in Creepshow, one of my favorite movies!). He will appear in a four-episode arc, beginning with the premiere episode. His character is 80 year old Rev. Nathaniel Madoc, who has mid-stage Alzheimer’s and is completely unaware that his wife has died. He spends his days in bed watching old Westerns and is delighted to see Gemma when she visits. Also, his dementia has made him a little trigger-happy. Recently tweeted by Kurt Sutter: “first day of production done. hal holbrook was awesome. sweet man. not a false fucking moment.”

There is also a rumor that Titus Welliver may be reprising his role as Jimmy O for a handful of episodes. *Fingers crossed* I love that guy!

Non-casting news
Here’s a small bone for those looking for news about lovebirds Jax & Tara (from EW): Season three will find them reeling from the trauma of season 2. “They’re both struggling with who they are as a couple,” reveals series creator Kurt Sutter. “It’s made them both take a step back. It was a reality check and it will impact everything they do throughout the season.”

Jax & Tara in happier times. Sounds like the honeymoon is on hiatis in season 3 as reality sets in...

And what about Gemma?
After killing Polly and getting framed for the death of Edmond Hayes, Gemma remains on the run but that doesn’t mean she’ll tame down nor will she lay low. “I’m in danger, I killed somebody. There’s an element of danger for everybody,” Katey Sagal tells TV Guide. “Gemma got totally screwed, but she’ll get revenge.” (source: BuddyTV)

Read on for a few additional spoilers.

Back to season 2 for a bit:

When is season 2 going to be out on DVD?
There’s no date yet on when it will be released. Mr. Sutter and the gang recently finished up the DVD commentary and also taped a roundtable discussion. Kurt asked people to send in questions that he randomly selected and answered for the DVD. He received over 2000 questions from fans! Good job answering the call, everyone.

Apparently the season 2 DVD is  available for pre-order on Amazon.com (price is listed at $34.99)!

additional SoA desktop wallpapers available at fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa

SoA in the U.K.
Season 2 of the show will air on Bravo UK very soon. Henry Rollins was interviewed (more like bamboozled) by a guy named Rich Pelley (who writes for The Guardian) who, not only irretrievably annoyed Mr. Rollins, but basically spoiled the fate of  his character, AJ Weston for the UK fans. What a douche.

Mr. Henry Rollins

Random tidbits:
Someone on Kurt’s FB page asked: where the idea of Bobby moonlighting as an Elvis impersonator came from and will we see any more of it?
Kurt answered part of the question: we have to use it sparingly. it costs like 10-20 K to use elvis’ likeness (bobby in a jumpsuit) and another 75-100 K to use a song… crazy how much the presley estate gets paid.

As a lot of you know, Kurt Sutter is a productive Twitter user and is still looking for more followers! He tweets frequently, so if you want to hear some news right from the heartbeat of the show, go follow him! He posted some pictures last week so I’m going to be bold and repost some of them here. (Looks like Charlie’s hair is a bit shorter this year. Enjoy!)

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. I will keep my eyes peeled as more news becomes available!

Related posts:
Sons of Anarchy Season 3 casting news
Early Sons of Anarchy season 3 spoilers

Looking at the static photos, I thought it was a cute looking ring. The matte stainless steel ring with gears could be interpreted as reminiscently steam-punkish, with the possibility of wide appeal to the mainstream and biker culture as well.

Gear Ring by Kinekt Design

Gear Ring is made from high-quality matte stainless steel

My interest was piqued enough to compel me to watch the video. And, HOLY COW! The gears actually MOVE! This is the best thing ever. So adorable!

This unique, innovative ring features six micro-precision gears that turn in unison when the outer rims are spun. It is currently available to purchase for $165 and comes in five standard US ring sizes: 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 (sizes 5, 6, 7 and 8 will be available soon).

If you want to learn more about the Gear Ring be sure to read the FAQ (although not on the list of questions: will my hair will get stuck in the gears when I wear it?) about this unique piece of jewelry.

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.

• You can win round-trip tickets [RK: airfare, I think?] and front row seats to UFC 116
• Hang with Dana White
• Meet the Octagon girls

All you have to do is register to win! Do it soon, the contest ends April 30th, 2010 (11:59:59 PM Central Time)!

*Please note: Rippin-Kitten.com is in no way affiliated with the Harley-Davidson Ultimate UFC weekend contest (although I wish they would consider sending me to the fight to cover the even!). We’re just passing along the message.

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.

Are you a Facebook user? If so, please check out the “Rippin-Kitten” page and join in on the fun! It’s a place to post fun links, photos and love for our biker culture! I also have a personal profile page that is just dying for new friends! Won’t you be my friend? [insert sad, puppy dog eyes here.]

Become a fan and friend Rippin-Kitten on Facebook

Follow Rippin-Kitten on Twitter

I use Twitter all of the time and other than my blog posts, this is the most direct way and personal way to stay up to date and keep in touch with me. So follow me today!

While Facebook and Twitter are the two social networking sites I frequent the most, you can also find me on these other sites:
MySpace
BikerorNot.com
Flickr

If you have any other social networking sites you think I should be a part of, please leave a comment and let me know!

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.

Peter Steele of Type O Negative

Peter Steele was born Peter J. Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. Steele has several noteworthy characteristics including his height at 6’7″. He is the lead singer, bassist and composer for the “gothic” metal band, Type O Negative. Steele has a low, heavy, bass voice, which is one of the most recognizable features of the Type O Negative’s music. There are several stories that state that Steele apparently suffers from clinical depression. He also raised some eyebrows when he posed nude for Playgirl magazine (ladies, you can just search Google to find those photos!).

RIP Peter Steele

At this time no official statement of his death has been made, but reports say that his death was confirmed by band mate, Kenny Hicky. Internet buzz of his passing was met with a bit of skepticism because back in 2005 the band’s website featured an image of a gravestone engraved with the message “Peter Steele -1962 -2005 ….Free At Last.”

Type O Negative's website announced Steele's "death" back in 2005

I met the band back in 1996 when they did an in-store promotion where I worked, for their October Rust release. I remember they requested that the Beatles be playing for the time they were there. They were all nice enough guys (although it appeared that there were many other places they’d rather be than there) but Peter Steele was the most personable.

A fresh-faced, young "R-K" with Type O Negative back in 1996

He chatted with me about what music I liked (he asked specifically about the band Elastica…hey, it was 1996…) and asked me if I was going to their show that night and when I said I wasn’t, promptly had me put on the list. Maybe he was flirting with me a little (despite the fact that I was standing there with my boyfriend) because I wasn’t falling over myself to talk to him. Or maybe he was just being a dog.

RIP Peter Steele.

Type O Negative-Everything Dies

Kevin | MySpace Video

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.

Ok, so maybe I lied about the zombie part (I was inspired by the book title Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! Yes, it’s a real book…)

But anyway,  TLC is on a tear of late, taking perfectly good shows (like LA Ink) and hyper-dramatizing them with creative editing, a la Jersey Shore or Real Housewives of [insert city here].

So, why settle for creating drama when drama exists freely? Enter Paul Sr. and Paul Jr…

The new show, “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior,” begins filming next week and will premiere in August. It will center around the original Orange County Choppers shop, which is still run by Paul Sr., and Paul Jr.’s startup shop, Paul Jr. Designs, which is located across from the original OCC shop in Rock Tavern, NY.

the reanimated corpse of Amercian Chopper

Sr. and Jr. haven’t spoken in over a year, ever since Senior fired Junior from the family business. And if you remember, the two have been in a brutal legal battle over…what else? Cash and control. Senior is demanding the return of Junior’s 20 percent stake in OCC.

According to the NY Post, Junior rode out his one-year non-compete clause and moved into his new shop last week. Father and son remain at odds, with no resolution in sight.

“I’m always hopeful for a reconciliation, but sometimes these things happen for a reason,” Junior told The Post. Senior told The Post, “I’m happy he’s making an attempt to go out on his own, but I don’t feel he’s ever really followed through with anything in his life.”

Are you feeling the drama yet? How about the zombies? Think they’ll be any ultra-violent mayhem? Yeah, me neither…

Rippin-Kitten's 3 year blogoversary!

I remember sitting in my living room with my husband 3 years ago. I think I was complaining (hey, it’s what I do best…) about not being able to find sites about “cool chicks” that ride motorcycles. It seemed like every site had info for/about older women, which is great for them. But not for a chick like me, who was a rider on the younger side, listens to punk/goth/metal/rockabilly/swing music (sorry, not a big fan of country, unless it’s Johnny Cash or Patsy Cline) and likes tattoos, tv and movies.

As I sat pouting, my husband plainly said: “you should start a blog.” To which I replied, “ha, yeah right.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

It was not easy for me at first. I’m not a writer by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, I pushed pixels for a living and I never finished college. It took me a while to be consistent with posting and it took me longer to find my “voice.” But here I am three years later. Every year brings a little more success, lots more readers and a greater inspiration to keep going.

And I have you all to thank for that.

THE TING TINGS – “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”

Alphonse Mucha Monaco, Monte-Carlo, 1897

But many people get direct copies of his art for tattoos and I wanted to do something different. Luckily my tattoo artist/owner (who is also a friend and founder of the Boston Tattoo Convention) of Witch City Ink was up for the challenge. He came up with a great design and finally set aside a chunk of time to do the work.

stencil placed

The first attempt at applying the stencil was successful. I thought it looked really good. And then it hit me how big it was. Wow, this was gonna be great and suck all at the same time. The buzzing began and he started the tattoo from the bottom up.

a bit out of focus, but I don't mind it

I tweeted part of the time I was in the chair, but signal was not always so great inside the shop. Plus we were chatting a lot and I was trying to concentrate on not moving and to ignore the painful parts. We took a break halfway through and I got someone to grab some pics for me.

halfway through. Seeing this pic makes me realize I need to hit the gym and get my hair done at the salon!

alt view

Going back under the needle after taking a break is the worst. You have to sort of get prepared again, the endorphins wear off a little bit. Plus, I was starting to wear out. Two hours later and the outline was complete. We both sighed with relief and happy with the end results.

outline done

detail

Now it’s time to take time to heal (and get thine ass to the gym) before we begin the shading process.

Malcolmson, a.k.a. Amanda Graystone on “Caprica” and Trixie on “Deadwood,” has signed on for an eight-episode arc in the new season of “Sons of Anarchy.” She’ll be playing a character named Maureen.

Paula Malcolmson as "Trixie" on Deadwood will soon appear on season 3 of Sons of Anarchy

That season won’t air on FX until September, but a bit more casting news has already leaked out: Kenneth Johnson, who played Lem on “The Shield,” will be back in a six-episode arc to reprise his role as the Tacoma chapter’s Kozik, a Sons of Anarchy club member who has some kind of twisted history with Tig (Kim Coates).

Kenny Johnson, who we briefly saw in SOA season 2, will reprise his role as "Kozik"

Production on the third season of “Sons of Anarchy” begins in about three weeks.

story via Chicago Tribute

Last night while nursing a scratchy throat with some tea, I was flipping through the channels and stumbled across the movie Purple Rain. I immediately began to feel really old when I realized that it was released 26 years ago. Sigh. I remember when I was a kid it looked like the Best Movie Ever, but as I started to watch it last night I realized that it was a really horrible movie with really great music clips.

Purple Rain

Then there was his motorcycle. My recollection of it was much different than what it actually was. Maybe it’s the giant fairing in the front, but I recall it being more flashy and impressive. A little bit of Googling ensued (and a lot of conflicting opinions later) led to a forum thread that included info from a guy named Tom Summers, who supposedly worked on the bike for the movie.

He revealed that the motorcycle was a 1981 Honda 400A (also called a Hondamatic 400) and had a Kutter fairing added on (although a lot of people say it’s a Windjammer fairing). The seat had a hot pink velour inserts and you can see the early version of Prince’s symbol painted on the fairing.

movie captures found at imcdb.org

There were three bikes in the movie, two of them stunt bikes. Prince’s actual bike was revamped in 1990, painted black and gold for the movie Grafitti Bridge. But one of the stunt bikes, still painted purple, is currently on display at Paisley Park Studios.

Graffiti Bridge

OK, there’s my useless knowledge post of the week! I will now have this song stuck in my head for at least…three days!

A lot of people take different approaches to storing their rides for the winter months. Some place their bikes in a storage facility that is climate controlled and then later have it professionally detailed, others have their own heated garages and lovingly polish the chrome in the middle of January as they “X” out the days of the calendar for Spring to arrive. Me, I am lucky that my parents let me store mine in their unheated, under utilized garage.

While my motorcycle is protected from sitting out in open, exposed to the harshest elements, it still gets exposure to some. Typically when I pull it out in March there is a fair amount of surface rust, mold on the leather and a few other things that make my hand and elbow ache as I start to think of cleaning all of those things.

dirty...and not in a naughty way!

moldy & dirrty leather

get me some engine cleaner, stat!

inspecting all the work ahead of me

Actually in previous years I’ve had good luck cleaning everything up with a Mother’s power ball (although these days I use a Flitz. It holds up a little better to wear and tear) and some nano polish, which was subject of one of my very early posts. Everyone has different fail-safe techniques but this one works for us.

So, as I followed my yearly tradition and visited my ghost-flamed, two-wheeled friend I also came to realize that this is going to be the year that I really have to make some major modifications. First on the list is new exhaust pipes. The one’s on there are stock, but I did drill out the baffles to make it a little louder (which now may be a bit too loud now, since the fascists in this state are beginning to crack down on noise pollution). Now the big question is: what kind of pipes should I get? I want some that look great and have a bit of noise to them but aren’t stoopid loud. Anyone have any suggestions?

That also means I need a new air kit. A few years back I was having problems with air flow with the stock set up and ended up drilling out the carbs to adjust the mixture, then I pulled the stock air kit and installed a Uni filter. But that opened up a new and different can of worms. So it’s time to try something else.

my saddlebags are begging to be cleaned...

I do love my Willie & Max saddlebags. I like the size and think the two-toned colors of the bags go well with the paint on my bike. The only thing I don’t like about them is that they’re not quick release. Does anyone know if there is a kit out there to modify saddlebags to do this? I also got a great little River Road studded fork bag from Riders Discount that I’m looking forward to using on some day trips.

Soon enough it will be back in shiny, summer time shape and I’ll be ready to rip up the roads!

Magpul Ronin

The prototype was introduced at the SHOT show in Vegas earlier this year. According to their website: “the model 1125R was selected due to its high level of performance and aesthetic potential that were never fully realized by Buell as a subsidiary of Harley Davidson.” Basically they redesigned the outer shell (it looks pretty futuristic, eh?), tinkered with the mechanics a little and lightened the load by 50 lbs.

Currently it is not available for purchase. But one day it very well could be…

If you’d like to learn a lot more about the Magpul Ronin,  Hell for Leather magazine wrote an incredibly detailed article about this bike.

Dayton Callie, Theo Rossi, Mark Boone Junior and Kim Coates during their USO tour in the Persian Gulf

The eight-day USO tour visited Kuwait and Iraq, and touched more than 2,000 service men and women. Among the installations visited were Camp Arifjan, Camp Taji and Joint Base Balad. This was the first USO tour for the quartet.

In 2009, 157 USO celebrity entertainers traveled to 25 countries and 8 states, entertaining more than 275,000 troops and family members. “Leading up to this USO tour, I was very excited and couldn’t wait for it happen.” said Mark Boone Junior. “Now that it’s over and after spending time with the brave men and women serving on the frontlines, I can say that this trip has exceeded my expectations.”

All photos courtesy (and copyright) of the USO.

The actors came to Iraq to show their support for service members overseas. Kim Coates said, “I loved every moment of this trip, from being in the desert meeting service members to sharing this experience with my cast mates. I know that each of us walked away from our USO experience with a greater sense of how much these young men and women sacrifice on a daily basis. I can’t wait to do it again!”

They all signed autographs, held meet and greets and posed for photos with all service members. Theo Rossi said he was humbled by the experience. “We are a country at war, if you watch the news you know that. But this trip wasn’t about the war. It was about the troops and letting them know that they aren’t forgotten and that we appreciate the sacrifices they make every day.”

Even Dayton Callie seemed to be at a loss for words. “Thank you to the men and women who serve this country and thank you to the USO for making this trip happen. I honestly don’t know what else to say, this was an experience of a lifetime and I am so grateful to have been a part of it.”

Kim Coates discusses his experience about visiting service members during a USO tour with a military reporter.

Seems like they had a great time going out there and boosting the morale of all those soldiers.

Sporting polished chrome and miniature American flagswhipping in the frigid reeze, a multitude of seasoned bikers made their way to Daytona Bike Week 2010 to support the “A Walk with Heroes” Veteran Tribute. The tribute, sponsored by the Legendary Buffalo Chip in conjunction with the Plaza Resort & Spa, has been heralded as one of the largest and most successful Veterans Tributes and celebrations in the United States.

R. Lee Ermey speaks at the "A Walk with Heroes" Veteran Tribute

The homage which included a selection of prestigious speakers, top level entertainment and the largest balloon launch in Veteran memorial history was supported and attended by more than 75 Veteran related associations and ten Veteran
motorcycle organizations. Highlights of the tribute included a replica of the Vietnam Wall which was escorted to the Plaza Resort & Spa by Rolling Thunder along with a number of other Veteran related motorcycle groups, a ceremony and evening of entertainment to formally honor Veterans of every branch and a balloon launch to pay tribute to fallen heroes.

Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey was also on hand as the event’s keynote speaker. A former Marine and award winning actor best known for his performance as the abrasive drill sergeant, Hartman, in the critically acclaimed film, “Full Metal Jacket”, Ermey also stars in his own shows on the Discovery and History channels including “Mail Call” and “Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey”.

A well known and outspoken advocate for the United States Marine Corps, US Armed Forces and Veterans groups, Ermey has also just announced that he will be participating in this year’s salute to Veterans at the Legendary Buffalo Chip during
Sturgis Rally Week 2010. Known as the best party anywhere, the Legendary Buffalo Chip is also synonymous for taking special pride in honoring America’s Veterans. To find out more about the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s tribute to Veterans check out their website at legendarybuffalochip.com.

Related post:
A Walk with Heroes veteran tribute in Daytona

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.

An impressive list of world-class builders, industry elite and media gathered at the Doghouse Bar and Grill on Main Street Daytona to raise funds for Soldiers’ Angels. A volunteer-led non-profit that provides aid and comfort to active servicemen and women of the U.S. military as well as veterans and their families, Soldiers’ Angels go to great lengths to demonstrate care and concern for those who daily fight for our freedom and safety.

Special hosts at this year’s celebration included Major General (retired) USAF, David Scott and Master Sergeant U.S. Army Special Forces, Scott Neil. Bert Baker, of Baker Drivetrain and Bryan Fuller of Fuller Hot Rods were the evening’s emcees, directing the night’s festivities.

A highlight of the evening’s celebration included a presentation of the Special Ops Sidehack built specifically for wounded Special Ops veteran, Romy Camargo. A Special Forces soldier paralyzed by a gunshot wound while serving in Afghanistan, Romy has achieved a number of personal freedoms others take for granted, but one major hurdle remains- once again feeling the wind in his hair from a motorcycle. As a result, Romy’s friend, Special Forces teammate and custom bike builder, Izzy Izquierdo along with three additional Special Forces brothers created a bike/sidecar combination just for Romy. Funds for the bike were raised by the Post 911 Foundation.

Special Ops Sidehack

Romy is presented the Special Ops Sidehack

Preceeding the event, Romy was accompanied by a large assembly of motorcyclists and a police escort from Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley Davidson Beach Street Daytona store to the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse amongst the cheers and applause of thousands of bikers there to offer their support to the war hero.

The smile says it all.

The night’s additional festivities included a live auction with proceeds going to Soldiers’ Angels. A number of renowned builders were also on the scene such as Steve Broyles, Paul Wideman, Izzy Izquierdo, Matt Hotch, Cory Ness, Athena Ransom, Bryan Fuller, Kyle Shorey and Matt Olsen. The night’s revelry was all set amidst artwork in the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse by Mike Lichter, Sara Liberte, Paul Cox, Peter Grant, Jeff Cochran and Buck Wild.

left to right: Mandy Rossmeyer, Shelly Rossmeyer-Pepe, Ken Conte, Carrie Repp, Mike Cole, Andy George, Dar Holdsworth, Kyle Shorey, Bryan Fuller, Donny Loos, Steve Broyles, Paul Wideman, Kris Krome, Athena Ransom, Matt Hotch and Rollin Carroll. photo credit: Michael Lichter Photography

Sponsors for this year’s event included the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse, Hot Leathers, Bare Knuckle Choppers, R&R Promotions, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona, Spectro Oil, Baker Drivetrain, K&G Cycles, Rise Above Consulting, Limpnickielot.com, Intrepid Powerboats, Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping.com, and Lefty Brothers Cycles.

A good time with a purpose, this year’s Biker Fusion event proved to be a celebration of compassion and philanthropy amongst the motorcycle industry. Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse’s Biker Fusion has quickly become an industry staple and will continue raising support for our troops for years to come. To learn more about the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse visit them online at www.hrroadhouse.com.

Related post:
Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse Biker Fusion: good times for a purpose

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 DMs started off as an Irish-punk band about 14 years ago (in my hometown Quincy, MA), playing small hole in the wall clubs in and outside of Boston. With constant touring they built up a core audience and started their unique tradition of playing a week-long string of St. Patrick’s Day shows, complete with bagpipes and Irish step dancers, which for the past 10 years have been the most popular tickets in town.

Dropkick Murphys

They gained a larger audience in Boston when in 2004 they re-recorded an old Boston Red Sox song called “Tessie,” which happened to be the same year the Red Sox won the world series for the first time in 86 years. Then you couldn’t go to a DMs show without it being an asshole convention…I mean, being filled with loving sportsfans waiting to hear that song.

In 2006 the Dropkicks gained national attention when the gritty, Irish-mob movie The Departed, directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, used the song “I‘m Shipping Up to Boston” on the soundtrack. And tying it back to the Red Sox, that song became the walk-out song of Red Sox closing pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, who would dance an Irish jig to the song several times throughout the 2007 Red Sox Championship season. During the team’s victory parade through Boston, Papelbon did the jig while the Murphys played the song on the same float.

So, there’s your little history lesson about the Dropkick Murphys. Now enjoy this song, “The Dirty Glass”.

Irish Choppers, Boston MA

Irish Choppers, Irish Proud

Irish Choppers was founded by Mickey Stevens in 2004, blending the love of his Irish heritage with the motorcycle lifestyle. They specialize in custom choppers as well as enhancing existing customer bikes. They also offer Celtic-themed motorcycle parts, their own line of apparel and accessories, as well as full custom builds.

Feelin’ Lucky?

One of the bikes they’re famous for is “Lady Luck” a complete Irish-themed, old school chopper. From their website: Lady Luck is Irish Choppers radical-themed bobber powered by a 100 cubic inch show polished motor. This bike is a definite head turner and is a perfect blend of that old school look with new school style.

"Lady Luck"by Irish Choppers photo by Forrest Frazier http://www.ffphoto.com

Detail of family crest on Irish Choppers "Lady Luck"

recipe for an Irish Car Bomb on Irish Choppers "Lady Luck"

Teardrop tank detail, "Lady Luck"by Irish Choppers photo by Forrest Frazier http://www.ffphoto.com

For more information about “Lady Luck” or to view their other customs, “Smugglers Blues” and the “New England Chopper” check out their website: http://irishchoppers.com

They travel quite a bit and you will find them at most major motorcycle events, like the Laconia Bike Rally and most recently at Daytona, as well as appearing with their bikes at Irish pubs & festivals around the country. Check out their calendar to see if they’ll be appearing someplace near you. In the mean time, raise a pint in their honor.

Check them out here as well:
Myspace: Irish Choppers
Facebook: Irish Choppers

Wow, this commercial just screams the late 70′s! You gotta love the music…

Oh, and if you’re wondering who the H is Erin Gray? She was Wilma in Buck Rogers and the 25th Century and Kate in Silver Spoons. I guess you’d only know those shows if you grew up in the 80′s…

Buck Rogers and the 25th Century

Silver Spoons

The Runaways movie, starring Kristen Stewart (yes, Bella from the movie Twilight) as Joan Jett, comes out this summer. It will no doubt succeed in exposing a brand new generation to a band that was assembled waaay before their time.

Hello world, I’m your wild girl!

Joan was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno the other night. She performed the classic song “Cherry Bomb”, talked a little bit about motorcycles, the movie and the band.

If she’s the benchmark for life as a 51 one year old then sign me up! So what if there’s so much botox in her face that it barely moves…

Related post:
Video Tuesday: Joan Jett and OCC

This spring Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Theo Rossi and Dayton Callie of the FX drama “Sons of Anarchy” will soon deploy to the Persian Gulf for an eight-day USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. The first USO tour for all four actors, the cast mates will spend time with troops, sign autographs and pose for photos.

Dayton Callie, stars as ‘Chief Wayne Unser’ and is best known for his role as ‘Charlie Utter’ on the HBO series “Deadwood”

Kim Coates, stars as ‘Alex (Tig) Trager’ and is most recognized for his roles in the Academy Award-winning films “Blackhawk Down” and “Pearl Harbor”

Mark Boone Junior, stars as ‘Robert (Bobby) Munson’ and has appeared in box office hits “Batman Begins,” “Armageddon” and “2 Fast 2 Furious”

Theo Rossi, stars as ‘Jean Carlos (Juice) Ortiz’ and has made appearances in such feature films as “Code Breakers,” “Last Resort” and “Cloverfield”

More details soon!

An HD Garage Party attendee learns the proper way to pick up a motorcycle.

We ladies already have the month of May as “Women Riders Month” and now March is “National Garage Party Month,” which encourage thousands of women across the country to learn to ride. These events are for women only, hosted by hundreds of HD dealerships, offering seminars, basic information and hands-on tips (like learning how to pick up a fallen motorcycle). You can also shop for all the gear you’ll need to ride safely and of course, find the right HD for your personal style.

Check out the Harley-Davidson website if you would like to find a Garage Party near you.

Enter the National Garage Party Month Sweepstakes

During March, enter online or attend a Garage Party™ event at participating H-D® dealers for a chance to win a weekend getaway in L.A. with three girlfriends and America’s wellness expert and H-D rider Jillian Michaels.

H-D rider Jillian Michaels

The weekend will feature participation in the H-D Rider’s Edge® New Rider Course, spa treatments and a motivational talk with Jillian on how to live a better, healthier life. Enter the Sweepstakes.

*Rippin-Kitten.com is in no way affiliated with this giveaway. We’re just passing along the message. If you have any questions, please visit H-D’s National Garage Party Month Sweepstakes page.

Related post:
Oh yes, it’s Ladies Night and the feeling’s intimidation-free

Research suggested that drivers who personally know a biker are more respectful of motorcycles on the road—hence the garish neon signs, which make it seem like you know these people. Motorcyclists are 16 times more likely to be injured in serious or fatal crashes than car drivers.

Hi, my name is Tom. I'm a Gemini, I like walks on the beach and I ride a motorcycle. Please don't kill me.

The ad was created by AMV and BBDO and did a really good job of communicating the human element of this advisory without excessive sentimentalism.

The new THINK! motorcycles strategy is supported by national communications campaigns aimed at drivers and motorcyclists. The national campaign divides into two strands of communications by getting:

• Car drivers to notice motorcyclists on the road by thinking more about the person riding the motorcycle.
• Motorcyclists to take steps to manage and reduce their own personal risk.

Now if only the US would run similar PSAs…

Resources: AdFreak and THINK!

Kurt Sutter posts an SoA FAQ

Since Mr. Sutter is heavily involved in social networking these days and making himself so accessible to his fans, he hears the same questions over and over and over and over and over and over…well you get the idea. So, he decided to compile a list of FAQ’s to hopefully squelch some of those questions. You can read them over at SutterInk.

As it’s an ever-growing list I can think of one more question he should add to that list pronto:
Ever thought of making Jax’s dad’s journal into an actual book?

Kurt, do yourself a favor and add that to the FAQ! (BTW-the answer to that is this: John Teller’s journal/biography is an ever-evolving document. It won’t be finished until the series ends. Then maybe it will get published.)

New SoA merchandise available

Too many sleazebags have been pirating Sons of Anarchy merchandise. Get the real stuff instead. FX added some new items to FX’s SoA store and it’s worth checking out.

top row: SoA Zippo $29.95, Samcro hoodie $42.95, SoA bandana $11.95, Men’s Teller/Morrow tee $24.95

bottom row: “Property of Redwood Original” women’s tee $24.95, Reaper Crew baseball cap $22.00,  Charming Born & Bred tee $24.95

Did you know?

I doubt there are many of you that are Twilight fans, but did you know that the author of the books, Stephanie Meyer, really really wanted Charlie Hunnam (Jax Teller) to play Carlisle Cullen?

On her website she said: “Second only to Edward on my “passionately decided” list is Carlisle’s character. My favorite: Charlie Hunnam. The reason this actor was able to get such a hold on me was his work as the title character in Nicholas Nickleby. He pretty much was Carlisle in that movie.”

Hmm, well I think we’re all glad that didn’t happen!

fun in photoshop: what the cast of Twilight *could* have looked like...yeah, it looks weird to me, too.

Help Kurt Sutter reach his goal

Kurt Sutter put the call out recently: by the season 3 premier he would like 50,000 fans on his Facebook page and 12,000 on Twitter. Ok, people. You have a mission. Get going.

Related posts:
Season 3 Sons of Anarchy news
Early Sons of Anarchy season 3 spoilers

When Tom Jones sang “Sex Bomb” he had to be singing to Ann-Margret.  If you’re asking: who the hell is Ann-Margret? well then, you need to do a little bit of homework. Go watch Bye, Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, or Tommy…like, stat!

Ann-Margret

She became a huge star in the 60′s, well-known for her flaming red hair and earned the nickname “Sex Kitten.” She even showed up on the Flintstones as “Ann Margrock“.

And, she’s an avid motorcycle enthusiast…

Ann-Margret "sex kitten"

riding easy

I’m not here to rewrite her biography, but here’s a quick cheat sheet:

• she’s acted in 75+ films
• Born in Sweden on April 28, 1941, she came to America at age 6
• Her first motorcycle ride was at the age of 10 with her Uncle Calle
• She was discovered by George Burns
• Bye Bye Birdie was her break-out role
• Ann-Margret & Elvis had a passionate affair when they met on the set of Viva Las Vegas, which came to an end resulting in his marriage to Priscilla
• In the movie, The Swinger, she rides a 500cc Triumph T100C Tiger and after making the movie she was featured in Triumph Motorcycle’s official advertisements.
• In 1967 she had her first minor motorcycle accident
• In 1972 she survived a dramatic 22-foot fall from a concert stage in a Lake Tahoe, which literally destroyed her face and sent her into a coma.
• chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.
• In 2000, Ann-Margret had a motorcycle accident in rural Minnesota and suffered three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder.

What do you think it’s like to be this sexy?

From "The Swinger"

on the Triumph T100C Tiger

The Ann-Margret Show in Vegas: featured 11 different Triumphs in the opening act

In 2001, she was on the Larry King show and he asked her about her motorcycle (full transcript of the interview here)

KING: And do you still ride motorcycles?

ANN-MARGRET: I have a beautiful, brand-new one waiting for me.

KING: Harley.

ANN-MARGRET: Hand-painted, lavender, with gorgeous, gorgeous daises.

KING: Let’s just — there are so many things to talk about. But why do you ride motorcycles?

ANN-MARGRET: Why do you do this show?

KING: Well, it ain’t going to send me off the cliff.

ANN-MARGRET: No, but don’t you love it?

KING: Yes, I love it. But why do you love motorcycles?

ANN-MARGRET: It is everything. It is — I loved it since my uncle…

KING: Did Presley get you started with this?

ANN-MARGRET: No, my uncle Carl (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Sweden got me started.

KING: Oh, so you go way back with motorcycles.

ANN-MARGRET: Yes. Yes. And then, of course, I saw “The Wild One.”

KING: Marlon.

ANN-MARGRET: And I have always loved speed. I mean, the bikes, not the…

KING: You don’t drive fast when you drive a car?

ANN-MARGRET: Not really.

KING: Not really.

ANN-MARGRET: No, not really. You know the feeling that you have in a convertible, with the elements and everything, the little bit of danger, the speed…

KING: So you…

ANN-MARGRET: Freedom, independence.

KING: Exhilaration.

ANN-MARGRET: Exhilaration, yes.

KING: And so accidents are something you accept from it, right?

ANN-MARGRET: There are two types of motorcycle riders: ones who have had an accident and ones who will.

Il Profeta

I have to give props to Christina Shook for inspiring me to do this post when she posted some great photos and videos of Ms. Ann-Margret on Twitter. So thanks Christina!

If you’re in the Denver area, this event looks like SO MUCH FUN!

The renowned and always anticipated 4th annual Love Thy Chopper old school chopper art show will be held Saturday, June 26 at David Uhl’s Studio in Golden, CO. A community art event for charity, the show will feature local and national talent and showcase the chopper in a formal art gallery setting.

Love Thy Chopper Art Show

There will also be a ride in Chopper show that day where a number of hand-built custom choppers will be displayed during the show. In addition, an array of local and national artists has donated an assortment of art work to be sold with proceeds benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver. Several artistic mediums, ranging from spray can art to fine giclee prints, will be displayed and available for sale. Food and beverages will be provided by Tambien Restaurant.

LTC 2009

This is more than just a chopper art show and ride in bike show, there will be live bands, a skateboard demo and a whole days worth of festivities. You won’t want to miss this one! Get more information online at myspace.com/lovethychopper.

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.

Two-Wheeled passion seminar successfully reignites enthusiasm for V-Twin Industry

Despite having to make their annual voyage through wintery conditions that nearly shut down the entire East coast, a barrage of V-Twin dealers and exhibitors trekked their way to the 10th Annual V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati the weekend of February 6-8. The industry’s premier trade show, the V-Twin Expo is an opportunity for dealers and manufacturers to strike a deal and ascertain the overall state of the industry from veterans and colleagues. In addition to browsing an impressive array of V-Twin parts and accessories, this year’s expo also featured the “Eternal Combustion-Opportunity in the Wind” seminar.

Sponsored by the Legendary Buffalo Chip and Hot Leathers, this round table gave audience members the chance to converse, listen and learn from an impressive selection of successful and established bike builders and discuss the current climate of the V-Twin industry.

Turn out for the seminar was remarkable as an impressive assortment of industry giants discussed how they have managed to capitalize on their passion within the current climate and how they have successfully turned difficulty into opportunity. The seminar was moderated by celebrated motorcycle photographer, Michael Lichter and the panel consisted of industry notables Kevin Baas, Bryan Fuller, Brian Klock, Gary Mauer, Dave Perewitz, Matt Olsen, Kirk Taylor and Paul Yaffe. An overwhelming sense of passion for the industry permeated the room while journalists, industry insiders, dealers, manufacturers and builders discussed the industry; how it has changed since starting out, how to adapt to these changes and refocus business as well as how to pass this passion down to the next generation of bike builders.

At the conclusion of the seminar celebrity moderator, Michael Lichter also revealed the theme, participants and the logo, designed by Hot Leathers, for the 10th annual Motorcycle as Art exhibit to be displayed at the Legendary Buffalo Chip August 7-13. Titled “Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind” this year’s exhibit will focus on the explosion of interest and passion for custom motorcycles seen over the last thirty years. The display will include 30 custom motorcycles from 15 pairs of custom builders and will feature the photography and limited edition prints of the renowned photographer. This internationally renowned and highly anticipated yearly exhibit will be on display at the Lichter Exhibition Hall on the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip August 7-13. An opportunity to peruse, mingle, discuss and learn this year’s V-Twin Expo and highly anticipated “Eternal Combustion-Opportunity in the Wind” seminar was the perfect opportunity for those involved in the V-Twin industry to rekindle their passion for the business and introduce this years Motorcycles as Art exhibition.

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

More information on the free Motorcycles as Art 2010 Exhibition, “Eternal Combustion-30 in the Wind” is available at motorcyclesasart.com and buffalochip.com.

Related post:
Sturgis Buffalo Chip Announces Motorcycles as Art Exhibit for 2010

Well, news and details about season 3 of SOA still remain slim, but there are a few tidbits floating around out there. Last week Kurt updated his blog (in his jammies and slippers, no less) that he’s finally finding his groove getting back into the writing process:

“I’ve been back with the writers for a month now, and today was the first day I felt like I actually plugged back into the show.  I finished a first draft of episode 301 this week, but it wasn’t until I mulled, sorted and boarded 302 that I felt reconnected to the process of running a show.”

Of course he didn’t leak any details about story lines, but he did end his post by saying:

“Season three of Sons of Anarchy will take us to some new and very different places — both narratively and emotionally. We will reveal some dark Teller family secrets and create a few more in the process. It was John the Apostle who said “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Clearly he never spent a weekend with Gemma Teller.”

Casting news

Taryn Manning, who played Cherry in Season 1,  has been cast in the reboot of classic cop show Hawaii Five-O, which also stars Daniel Dae Kim (LOST) and Alex O’Loughlin. Kurt Sutter tweeted: “happy for taryn manning getting 5-0 gig. hopefully 3 will be the charm for les’ boy o’loughlin. bummed for soa, had an arc for cherry in S3.”

Sons of Anarchy merchandise

If you’re chomping at the bit for some SOA stuff to buy, have no fear. Kurt says “talked to the network yesterday. they r going to have LOTS MORE SOA MERCHANDISE for sale. on the website and IN STORES. i’ll keep you posted.” SA-WEET. Now be patient and stop buying those knock off t-shirts…

SOA knockoff t-shirt: if you're buying this crap...stop it. Stop it right now.

Extracurricular activities

Anybody catch Katey Sagal reprise her role as Helen on Lost? She and Terry O’quinn are two of the best actors on TV right now…

Katey Sagal on LOST (screencap from lost-media.com)

And lastly, we all know that Charlie Hunnam wrote a script for a movie based on Vlad the Impaler, which traces Dracula’s days back to when he was a wee impaler…

Vlad the Impaler

The script was picked up by Summit Entertainment, who we can thank for bringing us the Twilight franchise (take that with as much or as little sarcasm as you like) and now writer Scott Kosar (The Machinist and soon to be released The Crazies) has been asked to take a stab at it. The film is being produced by Mr. I-own-fifty-bazillion-expensive-motorcycles Brad Pitt.

If you got the scoop on some info, spoilers or news about Season 3 of Sons of Anarchy, feel free to leave a comment!

Related posts:
Early Sons of Anarchy season 3 spoilers
Sons of Anarchy season 2 finale

Suckerpunch Sally Rally & Music Festival March 20th, Shreveport, Louisiana

Admission is $20, which gives you access to live music, great vendors, tattoo artists, food, custom motorcycles, hot rods, rat rods, custom motorcycle raffle and even some activities for the kiddos. Some of the entertainment will be provided by:

• The Nomads
• Gray Schuler Band
• Built for Speed
• Dragstrip Phantoms
• Michael Dearmond
• Cody Cooke
• and many more…

Suckerpunch Sally's old school choppers

You can purchase raffle tickets for $20 to win a custom Sucker Punch Sally’s Chopper, which will be awarded the day of the event. The adult portion of the evening will bring the after hours party, complete with bikini contest. Sounds like a kick-ass party!

Gates open at 10am. Learn more about SPS  and their custom choppers & stripped-down bobbers at suckerpunchsallys.com.

Help Riders Discount get their 10,000th fan! You can become a fan on Facebook and help them reach their goal. And while you're there enter to win a $500 helmet!

The winner may choose any helmet from their inventory up to $500 in value, no strings attached! The giveaway includes motocross, cruiser and sport bike helmets from top of the line brands like Shoei, HJC and Arai.

So what do you have to do to enter?
Simply go here and fill out this form. That’s it! The winner will be announced on March 1st!

Follow Riders Discount online:
facebook.com/ridersdiscount
twitter.com/ridersdiscount

*Please note: Rippin-Kitten.com is in no way affiliated with this giveaway. We’re just passing along the message. If you have any questions, please visit the Riders Discount Sweepstakes page.

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.

Back in 2003 was the television hey-day for motorcycle fans. Discovery Channel was the place for gearheads to get their fix with shows like Monster Garage, Biker Build-Off and American Chopper. As we all know American Chopper was a reality show chronicling the life of the Teutuls and Orange County Choppers. In the beginning the novelty of the show was how crazy it was to see Paul Sr. & Jr.’s on air bickering, while Mikey offered up the crazy comic relief. Oh yeah, and there were some of the visionary custom bikes dreamed up by Paul Jr.

Paul Teutul Sr. of OCC

The arguments between Senior and Junior were funny and fodder for watercooler discussions. The bikes were interesting and watching the process of building those bikes intriguing. And there was Vinnie, Paulie’s right hand man who was often caught in the middle of the fights when all he wanted to do was build bikes. And Cody, who was taken under the OCC wing until he and Vinnie jumped ship to form V-Force Customs.

Speaking for myself, I probably watched the first two seasons until the show began to get formulaic. There was more focus on the crazy rantings between Paul and Paulie and less on the bikes, which then only became theme bikes for various corporations. Oh and the occasional yuk yuk’s from Mikey, who couldn’t build bikes and couldn’t ride them for a while either. As their bank accounts grew fat so did the ego’s. That’s when I jumped ship. And it seemed that I wasn’t the only one. The backlash began as the arguments became boring, the show switched channels, Paul Jr. left the company and Mikey ended up in rehab. And now Paul Sr. is suing Junior for control over the OCC empire. Yikes.

But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Even if it’s about 3 years too late. The series finale will air on TLC Thursday, February 11th at 9 PM. Somehow I don’t predict a happy ending. What do you think?

During this year’s 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week, hundreds of female motorcycle enthusiasts and Harley-Davidson Motor Company are banding together to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and their efforts to find a cure for neuromuscular disease.  On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, the MDA and the Motor Company will host the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride.

MDA and the Motor Company will host the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women's Ride

The Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride will feature hundreds of female motorcyclists who’ll ride through the streets of Daytona celebrating their freedom and passion for the sport, as well as supporting the important work of the MDA.  All of the ride participants will be encouraged to secure pledges and donations from their friends and families to support MDA Summer Camp programs across the country.  The first 500 eligible riders will receive a 2010 MDA pin, Women’s Ride flag and riders who raise $600 will receive a one-of-a kind charm.  Also, the top three fundraisers will receive a Harley-Davidson jacket.  Last year’s ride raised more than $65,000 for MDA Summer Camps.

Ride staging will take place between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. near Gate 70 of the Daytona International Speedway.  The ride will depart at 10 a.m. and continue to Riverfront Park on Beach Street.  Female riders of any brand of motorcycle interested in participating in the ride, or those interested in pledging support for the riders can go to www.mdarides.org.

In addition to the Women’s Ride, the Motor Company is also hosting a women’s area at Riverfront Park on Beach Street throughout Bike Week. Experienced women riders or those just looking for information on how to get started can learn more about the sport by participating in bike lift seminars and getting information about learning to ride. They’ll also be able to enter a raffle to win a new Pink Label Collection item from Harley-Davidson MotorClothes®.

HD's Women's Pink Label Layering Tank

For more information and to register for the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride, visit mdarides.org.  To learn more about Harley-Davidson and women riders, visit harley-davidson.com/womenriders.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s Web site at http://www.harley-davidson.com.

Since then, the steampunk movement has become it’s own subculture, popular among goths, punks, cybergoths, rivetheads, gamers, and geeks. It has influenced fashion, art, books and movies and there was even a steampunk cruise on Sydney Harbor for those who dress up wearing cool goggles and their neo-Victorian best.

a fine example of steampunk fashion (from the LiveJournal Steampunk community)

So, what is steampunk?

The literal definition of steampunk is: a genre of science fiction set in Victorian times when steam was the main source of machine power. But the original idea of steampunk came from scientific, fantasy novels written by H.G Wells and Jules Vern. A facet of steampunk culture is comprised of modifying a modern object (computers, ipods, guitars & amps, etc.) using materials like old cogs & gears, rivets, polished brass, iron, and wood.

Movies like Hellboy and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen incorporate a lot  of the steampunk aesthetic.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Capt. Nemo's car from LXG

Steampunk motorcycles

OK, now on to the good stuff.

Some of the motorcycles highlighted here may not necessarily been created with steampunk specifically in mind, but the end result of the design can easily fall into the category.

The Whirlygig Emoto is a steam-electric hybrid motorcycle that actually doesn’t “go” using steam, it’s propelled by propane and batteries. You can read my original post about it and even watch video of it in action!

Whirlygig Emoto

Dave Geertsen’s metal sculpture on wheels. There are more photos of his creation at bentwheel.com.

Dave Geertsen's steampunk creation

Choi Minsoo’s steampunk motorcycle is a hybrid motorcycle powered by gasoline and electricity, and the big box on the bike probably holds the batteries.

Choi Minsoo’s steampunk motorcycle

Newstalgia Wheel created this steampunk-styled chopper.

Newstalgia Wheel's retro meets modern, steampunk chopper

Confederate Motor Company’s Hellcat Combat and P120 Fighter.

Confederate Motor Company's Hellcat Custom

Confederate Motor Company's P120 Fighter

Concept bike RK Chain from RK Concepts

RK Chain from RK Concepts

Victory Motorcycles concept bike, the Victory CORE.

Victory CORE concept

Bike builder Chicara Nagata hand-crafts every element on these bikes that he can, except for the antique drivetrains he uses. There are almost 500 parts on each bike and fabricating each part and assembling it can take Nagata up to 7,500 hours per bike, which cost a cool million each.

Chicara Art Classic 1

Chicara Art Classic 2

Chicara Art Classic 3

Chicara Art Classic 4

Are you drooling yet? I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a spare million for one of Chicara’s bikes (although I wish I did!).

More, more, more Steampunk

So do you think Steampunk is the coolest thing you’ve ever seen, or you just don’t get it and you want to learn more? Here are some great sites to peruse and discover more:

Steampunk Workshop: for all things steampunk
Boing Boing: the geekier side of steampunk
Steampunk Fashion Flickr group: this is how the kids do it

Related posts:
Steampunk motorcycles
Video Thursday: Steampunk motorbike