Finding inspiring things to post about has been downright impossible when all I want to do is sack out on the sofa and watch crime shows all day long. Then it occurred to me. Cake. Cake would make me happy.

With recent television shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss, the mainstream populace has been exposed to the possibilities of incredibly designed and executed confectionery delights. And it’s shows like this that make everyone realize they don’t have to settle on a boring sheet cake with over-sugary flowers to mark a special occasion. More and more people are feeling the creativity when it comes to their birthday | wedding | groom’s cakes.

I recently found some awesome example of cake artistry when I came across these Star Trek cakes and this Nightmare Before Christmas cake, which got me wondering if I could find some good examples of motorcycle cakes.

And so I say, these cakes give a new meaning to “Eat my dust!” (**groan**)

These are only a few photos of some really fun motorcycle themed cakes. Do you have an example of a cool motorcycle themed cake? Share with the rest of the class!

If you’d like some stickers for your helmet, or whatever else you like to stick stickers to, just email me or direct message me through Twitter with your mailing address and I’ll send some out to you!

Here’s what I’ve got:

1"x3" is perfect for your helmet

4.25″x1.37″ size sticker

3 1/2" diameter sticker

Four.

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

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

Laconia 2009 Bike Week pins

I think I need a helmet like this!

me! Perusing all the vendors.

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

*chuckle*

These seemed very popular this year.

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

Boston Bruins Foundation Bike Team: 2nd Annual Boston Bruins Rally for a Cure sponsored by Manchester Harley-Davidson

On Sunday, July 26, join the Boston Bruins for the 2nd Annual Boston Bruins Rally For A Cure sponsored by Manchester Harley-Davidson.

The motorcycle rally ride starts at Nashua Harley-Davidson in Merrimack, NH and ends at Manchester Harley-Davidson in Manchester, NH. Upon the completion of the ride, riders will gather at Manchester Harley-Davidson for an afternoon BBQ, live entertainment, the chance to mingle with Bruins Alumni, as well as win Bruins tickets and autographed memorabilia.

All net proceeds to benefit the Boston Bruins Foundation PMC Bike Team, which benefits the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

• Date: Sunday, July 26
• Registration: 9:00 AM
• Departs: 11:00 AM
• Cost: One rider (operator) costs $30, while an additional passenger costs $20.

If you’re interested, you can sign up at the official site for the Boston Bruins.

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Here’s what the promotions company has to say:
You’re a hotshot - you’re a maverick renegade, speeding through life to hell and back at up to 30 mph straight, 25 hours a day, 8 days a week.

Sure you’re having the time of your life; you’re young, ripe and so very supple - so you need highly styled head protection which comes in a fully branded shoulder bag in printed canvas of course.

Mowie is an advanced utility headwear with interchangeable visor, padded stitched ergonomic neck support, trademark Mohican crest, and truly exceptional robustness.

And it’s as hygienic as you are too! With hygienically treated, ultimate-comfort padding and a leather neck-roll made from fully removable for washing, parts can be replaced or cleaned with ease.

The micro-lock retention system allows quick and easy fastening/unfastening of the buckle to adjust to comfort.

The outer shell, in High Resistant Thermoplastic resin and 2 different sizes, allows the perfect fit no matter how big your head.

Plus the helmet is easily stored inside the space under the saddle of the majority of scooters on the market, and, coupled with drop down, clear, anti-scratch polycarbonate aviator visor (which offers 100% protection against UV rays) you’ll look like the top 1% of dogfighters on the planet no
matter how clumsy you ride, and that’s an empty promise we can keep.

Designed by the Diesel Creative Team, headed by Creative Director Wilbert Das, the unisex helmet is available in sizes XS to XL in the following colours: mat White, mat Black, mat Green and mat Bronze [RK: what, no pink??].

The helmet will be available at an average price of $250 in Diesel stores across the United States starting in the fall of 2009.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m immediately turned off by the headline because it actually does say “SORRY FELLAS, THIS GARAGE IS FOR LADIES ONLY.” Blergh.

So I read through all of the information of the where’s and when’s of the event and it’s “intimidation-free zone” and there’s something else that’s bothering me about the email that I can’t quite pin down.

I show the email to my husband and he immediately reacts negatively, pointing to the photograph used in the email:

Yep. That would be what was bothering me.

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

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

So, who’s going this year? Sound off!

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

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

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Confirmed for 2009 Legends Ride

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

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

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

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

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

In the thick of it. Just started shooting episode 204. I’m writing episode 206 and 207 and editing 201 and 202. Love my job, even when it’s crushing me. Here are some non-spoiler pics. I have my PA, John snapping away on set, so hopefully I’ll update more frequently.

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HBO partnered with marketers for an ad campaign promoting the second season premier of its series “True Blood.” Agency Digital Kitchen created ads for fake products targeting vampires from real brands like Ecko Unlimited, Geico, Gillette, Harley-Davidson, MINI and Monster.com. The ads maintain the brands’ logos and creative style while featuring made-up vampire-themed copy and products.

"Outrun the sun"

I am a big fan of the show and think the idea of the fake ads is kind of fun and playful. I can’t wait for the new season to start on Sunday, June 14th!

See more of the fake ads and the original article at Creativity Online.

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

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

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

The signature old-school styling of custom motorcycle manufacturer Sucker Punch Sally’s (SPS) has once again caught the eye of motorcycle industry outsiders. SPS announced it will team up with premium cigar manufacturer CAO to produce a one-off bike that will make its way into one lucky winner’s garage.

SPS’s CAO-inspired custom will feature 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 will carry the mantra “Free To Ride–Free To Smoke” and will be hand-painted by SPS’s renowned in-house artist Sara Ray inspired by the CAO Cigar brand.

“CAO is the top of the line when it comes to cigar manufacturers, and their product creation process is very similar to ours,” said SPS President Christian Clayton. “They understand that the smallest details truly make a product, and we’re excited to see these ideals come to life in the Lady Liberty build.”

SPS and CAO fans will soon be able to watch the build in progress online or see the bike in person as it makes its way across the United States throughout the latter part of 2009. The bike will be on display at 100 retail tobacconists and numerous bike rallies before it is given away to a randomly selected winner during a party at the CAO headquarters in Spring 2010.

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, they also received awards for their ‘66 Bobber and Traditional Bobber. All of these facts solidify SPS’s position at the top of the production motorcycle market. Recently Sucker Punch Sally’s is the official motorcycle of Progressive Insurance and has also made alliances with Fender Guitars and The Legendary Buffalo Chip. Their bikes have been featured in all the top motorcycle magazines. Sucker Punch Sally’s is the place to go if you’re looking for a totally custom, old school chopper, or just a reasonably priced production bike. Look for a dealer near you or for more information, visit Sucker Punch Sally’s on the Web at www.suckerpunchsallys.com or call them at (480) 778-9500.

CAO International, Inc. is the producer of one of the country’s top lines of premium cigars. Founded by Cano A. Ozgener in Nashville as a labor of love 41 years ago, today CAO products can be found on every continent in the world with the exception of Antarctica. CAO produces 11 cigar lines that have all been rated ‘90′ (”OUTSTANDING”) or above by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider. For more information on CAO, please visit www.caointernational.com

Jesse was there in person for the finale, had a minor verbal exchange with Dennis Rodman about being an alcoholic and threw his hat in Annie Duke’s corner.

Someone in Jesse’s camp posted this picture on MySpace and I couldn’t resist sharing this pic of Jesse and Trump throwing up the horns.

Trump and the Dead Man

It was fun while it lasted and I’ll have to endure a few empty weeks without my Jesse James fix until “Jesse James is a Dead Man” hits Spike at the end of the month. But until then, I just found this info on Spike.com:

On Tuesday May 12th at 8 ET/ 5 PT Spike.com gets taken over by Jesse James as he attempts an impossible stunt, live for the world to see. Jesse will ride a high-powered “Nitro Bike” which can reach a speed of over 200 MPH down a runway. Sounds easy right? Well, this motorcycle will be strapped with two military-grade bazookas on each side and at the end of the runway will be a brick wall. The challenge: ride the bike down the runway, fire both bazookas, and safely continue through the disintegrated wall. Will Jesse survive or will he be a Dead Man? Tune in to Deadman.Spike.com to find out.

The goal is to collect at least 10,000 photos by Friday, May 15th. Once a photo is submitted, you’ll get an email to confirm its receipt. From there you’ll be able to review and locate your photo in the mosaic. I’m definitely going to do it so I can play the HD version of “Where’s Waldo?”.

William Shatner has had a major resurgence in the past few years thanks to those great Priceline commercials and a good run on Boston Legal. But, of course, with a reboot of the  Star Trek franchise in theaters this week, die hards will always remember him lovingly as the OG Captain Kirk.

Here is a great story where The Shat reminiscences about his younger days joy riding on his neighbor’s “borrowed” motorcycle.

“What do you do with your life after you’ve done it all?

How about end it.”

And here’s an interview with Jesse to get us hyped up for the show:

I’m not big into stunt/daredevil shows, but I will check the show out for sure. I hope Celebrity Apprentice is over by then!

The Legendary Buffalo Chip Announces Theme of 9th Annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibition presented by Michael Lichter

The theme of Michael Lichter’s 9th annual Motorcycles as Art Exhibition during the Sturgis Rally this year will focus on history and motorcycle icons. The exhibit will be presented at the new Lichter Exhibition Hall on the grounds of The Legendary Buffalo Chip. Although there are many “iconic” symbols that have defined motorcycle culture, this year’s exhibition entitled “Rebel Rousers - Motorcycle Icons that Inspired Us to Ride” will remind Sturgis rally-goers what motorcycle icons may have fueled their passion for ride through a stunning review of world-class motorcycles, art and movie memorabilia.

Rollie Free

While the word “icon” has come to mean “someone or something widely and uncritically admired” and is often used synonymously for “fame,” “renown” or “legend” in our celebrity-driven culture, this exhibition will attempt to recapture some of the original sense of the word “icon” as it refers to symbols and revered images. On display will be motorcycles, from Captain America and Billy bike to Dave Mann’s Ghostrider, and memorable images like Rollie Free flying down the salt, as well as posters and stills from films like The Wild One, On Any Sunday and Easy Rider. All of the objects in the show have in some way become sacred to bikers. They have inspired — and will continue to inspire — the devotion of enthusiasts. In addition to looking back, the exhibit will look at contemporary images and bikes that may be considered iconic to future generations of bikers, such as films from Biker Boyz to The Worlds Fastest Indian, and motorcycles like Jesse James’ “Camel Bike” and Indian Larry’s “Wild Child” BBO bike.

Easy Rider poster

The Legendary Buffalo Chip has built “The Lichter Exhibition Hall” which is a 7,000-square-foot facility designed to showcase art and motorcycle exhibits like this year’s “Rebel Rousers,” as well as future shows by Michael Lichter. The exhibition will be open to the public Saturday, August 1st through Friday, August 7, 2009, and admission is free. To see more about this year’s exhibition and Lichter’s past exhibits, visit www.motorcyclesasart.com

“Rebel Rousers - Motorcycle Icons that Inspired Us to Ride” would not be possible without the generous support of the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, N.C., and many industry and private collectors. Conceptual help came from Professor Steven Alford, Professor Suzanne Ferriss and Dave Nichols. Presenting sponsors for this year’s exhibit include, Interstate Batteries, Metzeler Tires, Progressive Insurance, and Spectro Oil.

Now celebrating its 28th consecutive year as “The Best Party Anywhere,” The Legendary Buffalo Chip is the Sturgis Rally’s best-known hot spot. Since 1982, the Chip has become internationally famous for the performances on its 4 stages, hotbartenders and special events presented “by bikers, for bikers.” The Legendary Buffalo Chip has been featured on one 13-episode television series and five television specials, some of which remain in current broadcast rotation. Its 2009 schedule of events includes its 9-day concert series (free to campers) featuring favorites like Aerosmith, Toby Keith, Cheech and Chong, Hinder, Tesla, George Thorogood and Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

Captain America shot by Lichter

Michael Lichter began photographing custom bikes and the biker lifestyle after merging passions for photography and Harleys in 1977. In the years since, Easyriders Magazine and their sister publications have published over 900-articles with his photography. Michael continues to supply imagery for clients as diverse as Nikon Cameras, Rolling Stone magazine, Indian Motorcycles, S&S Cycle, Baker Drivetrain, Wiley X sunglasses and more than 20-motorcycle magazines internationally. Since 2001 he has exhibited his limited edition archive prints in galleries across America and abroad and is now finishing work on his 10th book.

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

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

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

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

About Deep South Choppers

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

DSC SHOCKER

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

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

DSC Shocker

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

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

What to look for when you’re checking your helmet:

Fit is Vital

A helmet must fit properly to be effective, and not all helmets fit the same. A well-fitting helmet should rest one inch above your eyebrows and shouldn’t roll forward or sideways on your head. To ensure a comfortable fit that doesn’t squeeze too tightly, wear a helmet for 15 minutes before making a final buying decision.

Helmets Don’t Last Forever

Over time, exposure to UV rays and the aging of adhesives and components will damage a helmet’s protective qualities. That’s why manufacturers and the SNELL Foundation recommend that helmets be replaced every three to five years, depending on use. Every new Harley-Davidson helmet comes with a “purchased on date” sticker that can be placed under the comfort liner for a quick reference.

Keep it Clean

A clean and well-cared-for helmet will protect better and longer. Use a mild soap to wash the outer shell and internal liners. Never use solvents or chemicals for cleaning as they can destroy protective coatings.

One Drop and it’s Done

A helmet is designed for only one impact. Even a small impact may fracture the outer shell or compress the impact-absorbing liner despite no visible damage. If a helmet has been dropped or suffers an impact, it should be immediately replaced.

Who to Ask?

Riders can learn more about helmet fit and care with the “Harley-Davidson Helmet” brochure available at Harley-Davidson dealers. Most Harley-Davidson dealers carry a wide range of helmet styles, including half-, three-quarter, full-face and modular designs.

There is a great little guide available on the Harley-Davidson site with information about helmet styles, components, fit, care and replacement, and you can check out the selection of helmets offered by Harley-Davidson MotorClothes as well.

Another update from Kurt Sutter’s blog:

“We start shooting season two on Monday. Had our read-thru this week. It was great to see everyone around the table again. Not to gush, but it’s such a cool fucking pack of folks…

So we continue to try and generate quality material and the cast and crew continue to bond. It’s a great fucking set. Guerrilla film making with everyone firing on all cylinders. I saw it happen with Chiklis, Walton and Kenny [of The Shield] and it’s happening on SOA as well. The actors have become family and in our case, a club. Charlie, Ron, Boone, Kim, Theo — they all hang out, drink, play golf together. Girls too. Katey, not unlike Gemma, has become the maternal glue. It’s just in her nature to take care of those around her….

Had a great meeting with an actor today whom I hope will be be playing Ethan Zobelle. Zobelle is a new proprietor in Charming and the leader of an ultra conservative organization. Can’t reveal any names until the deal closes, but this guy is a fascinating actor from a very talented family. That character shoots Friday so I hope it closes early this week.

Elisa Seeger’s Genuine Motorworks is a ground-breaking, artistic lifestyle shop that caters to male motorcycle and hot rod enthusiasts that want to pay tribute to American heritage through their apparel choices. It features hip, rider-focused apparel, motorcycle art, helmets, accessories and more. They feature many admired brands including Indian Larry, Levis, Frye Boots, Salinas Boys, Johnson Motor Company, and Filson, to name a few. She successfully achieved a perfect mixture of the true spirit of motorcycling and an alternative to the standard bike shop. It is an experience, rather than simply a place to shop. “We wanted to invite all our supporters and friends in the media to celebrate our grand opening. We are grateful and excited to say it was a rousing success” says Elisa.

The Genuine Motorworks crew

The new space combines a contemporary feel with classic motorcycle style to create a fun and comfortable environment. The response from the press and attendees was overwhelmingly positive. Drinks and hot dogs were served and the crowd stayed well into the evening, despite the cold weather. The artist’s gallery was thoughtfully planned out and featured the photography of Bobby Seeger Jr. Displayed were shots he has taken of Indian Larry over the years and the Indian Larry “Wild Child” motorcycle. The “Grease Monkey” bike was also on display in the front window and shows passersby that Indian Larry’s inspiration is still alive and well. Genuine Motorworks will continue to feature inspired custom bikes and artwork from artists on a monthly basis.

Indian Larry building the "Wild Child"-photo by Bobby Seeger Jr. (I think)

The Genuine Motorworks store is located at 195 N. 14th Street in Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, N.Y., and is open every day 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information about Genuine Motorworks, please visit www.genuinemotorworks.com or call 718-486-6971.

And their performance while riding in the rain is typically nothing short of dismal. Is there anything worse than a raw, rainy day with your hands sopping wet and freezing, only to find your hands stained with black dye from the leather? That’s just not good riding.

LOTS of companies make the promise that their gloves are waterproof. So you can imagine my interest, along with a bit of skepticism, at the discovery of Hugger Glove Company. Their tagline is “a dry hand is a warm hand” and they claim to have completely waterproof, yet breathable leather garments.

Perusing through their online catalog, they do have an impressive selection of glove styles for both men & women. They offer lined gloves, unlined, fingerless and touring styles and while the majority of the men’s styles come in basic black, the women’s styles have a bit of color incorporated in between the fingers or offered in the form of piping giving them a bit of extra flair. While they’re definitely not priced at “rally prices” they certainly aren’t astronomically priced, either. And if they’re as good as they say they are, I think a lot of us would agree that they’re probably worth the price. They also offer some jackets, chaps and accessories (leather clutch bags, scarves and face masks).

100% waterproof leather motorcycle gloves

The gloves from Hugger Gloves are indeed pure leather, but they use a process called Technaline® that renders the leather absolutely waterproof. This process ensures that your hands stay dry and that your gloves don’t stretch, get misshapen or crack. In addition, the inner Wonder Dry® lining keeps your hands dry and warm.  Sounds too good to be true, right? Keep reading.

So here’s the skinny: I tested a pair and here is what I found.

As I said before, there are lots of styles to choose from and since it’s just the beginning of the season where I live, that still means some colder and potentially inclement days ahead. For me, that definitely meant lined gloves. And since I’m a bit of a traditionalist in style, I wanted more of a classic riding glove and chose the Mary classic riding glove. But instead of going for my normal basic black I got a little kooky and got them with a  silver accent. Plus, I thought they would go well with the gun metal gray paint on my bike.

So, are Hugger Gloves really waterproof?

We had an especially craptastic day here in New England, with lots and lots of rain. Seemed like a good day to put these gloves to the test. To my amazement, the water literally beaded up and ran off the gloves. My hands were nice and toasty, not even a hint of dampness. Hmm. It was a steady rain out but I’ve had to ride in some real torrential downpours and my outdoor test just didn’t do these gloves justice.  So in an effort to really put them to the test, I decided to put my hand under my kitchen faucet for a few minutes. Nothing. No trace or feeling of water on my hand inside the glove. SWEET!

So, are Hugger Gloves really waterproof? You bet they are. Do they keep your hands warm?  Yes they do.  Are they worth the $40+ price tag.  Yes again.

If like me you are in the market for a new pair of riding gloves that will be perfect for inclement weather, the Hugger Motorcycle Gloves should be top on your list.

Well, lucky for us Kurt Sutter, creator and writer of FX’s Sons of Anarchy recently updated his blog and gave us a little nugget regarding the upcoming season of the show.

“We’re pretty much on schedule. My goal was to have four scripts written and approved by the time we start shooting and we’ll do that. Have various drafts of the next four being written and well start breaking stories for 209 next week.

The first episode starts shooting on the 27th. Guy Ferland (who directed more episodes of The Shield than any other director) is directing 201, Albification. Guy did an amazing job on episode 107, The Pull, last season. I’m thrilled to have him kicking off season two.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about what the 201 title means. I can tell you it’s a theme for the season.

My entire, talented cast is back (with the exception of a few, whose agents and managers are twisting my fucking arm for more cash that we don’t have and ultimately undermining their clients whom I won’t be able to afford) and we’ve added a few new characters. As you probably have read, Henry Rollins joins us as AJ Weston. He’s a prison hard Aryan walking a fine line between ultra conservatism and violent racism (if a line truly exists). His boss and the brains behind the organization is Ethan Zobelle. That role is still being cast.

As I’ve said in interviews, this season is all about internal alliances. For me, the big antagonist this season is just a catalyst to ignite the deep, primal conflicts within the club. Lives will be threatened, sides will be taken and Sam Crow will become the biggest threat to the Sam Crow.”

Despite the sluggish economy, Sucker Punch Sally’s continues to expand and has hired Ray to help with the artistic direction of the company’s product lines. Ray teamed up with Sucker Punch Sally’s in 2008 to produce ten limited edition customs bikes, all featuring original designs hand-painted by Ray. In her new role, Ray will assist with apparel design, motorcycle paint schemes, custom paint jobs and will provide general design help.

Sara Ray is the newest member of the SPS crew

“It was one of those situations where you meet someone and instantly you are on the same page. Her talents translate perfectly to what we do and she has been like family since day one. We finally overwhelmed her with so much work that it just made sense for her to come to Arizona full time.” Said Christian Clayton, Owner of Sucker Punch Sally’s.

Ray specializes in hot rods, pin ups, rockabilly posters, nose art and World War II scenes - subject matter that complements SPS’s signature old-school style. Her portfolio contains the traditional oil on canvas, but her most recent artistic ventures have included hand-painted Fender guitars, custom motorcycles and airplanes. In her spare time, Ray wrenches on her own hot rods and travels to air, military and art museums.

“Moving to Arizona became necessary as my involvement with the Sucker Punch Sally’s team has grown into more than just painting bikes. They’ve given me the opportunity to create a visual entity of the company with absolute free reign and total conviction in my ideas and abilities. Getting to work within a group of people who back and encourage your Hot Rod addiction 110 percent and where free time is spent doing the same things you do for work is an outstanding situation to say the least. I’m exited to bring my cards to the SPS table and already creating a massive portfolio of art and ideas that are going to showcase very soon.” Said Sara Ray.

Sucker Punch Sally’s is a custom motorcycle manufacturer specializing in old school, stripped-down motorcycles. Heading into 2009, their Swinger was awarded production custom of the year and in 2008 the 66 Bobber and Traditional both won awards. All of these facts solidify SPS’s position at the top of the production motorcycle market.

Their bikes have been featured in The Horse Backstreet Choppers, Motorcyclist, Cycle World, Easyriders, Street Chopper, V-Twin, Barnett’s, Sync Magazine, Ironworks, Cycle Source and Hot Bike. Sucker Punch Sally’s is the place to go if you’re looking for a totally custom, old school chopper, or just a reasonably priced production bike.

Visit Sucker Punch Sally’s online or call them at (480)778-9500. For dealer inquiries contact Alex McClelland alex@suckerpunchsallys.com

Spike has posted two new clips on their site for our viewing pleasure!

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Ami James Jewelry Company announced the launch of its new Web site, which will make the company’s signature “Love Hate Choppers” jewelry collection available to the public.

A tattoo artist by trade, James’ tattoo art and creative designs exploded to life as he expanded his medium from skin and canvas to precious metals for Ami James Jewelry Company. James teamed up with Larry “Benj” Weymouth, a Boston-based jeweler who has been making custom jewelry for 25 years, to produce the company’s first designs – the “Love Hate Choppers” collection. The collection includes leather belts, hand-finished pewter belt buckles, high-polished or brushed-antique solid silver rings and pendants with diamond insets, and sterling silver fluted or frosted necklaces and bracelets. Each piece of jewelry features details taken from James’ Miami shop logo. Limited edition necklaces, bracelets and belt buckles, as well as several “Rock the Ink” pieces are also available on the site.

“The Love Hate Choppers Jewelry Collection reflects another aspect of my artistic side,” said James. “With Benj’s craftsmanship and my designs, we created a collection of high-quality, unique pieces that, like tattoos, are a form of wearable art.”

In addition to serving as the inspiration for the “Love Hate Choppers” jewelry collection, James’ logo design details have also been incorporated into accent parts on another one of his business ventures – the new “Love-Hate Choppers” production bikes built by the unsurpassed talents of Sucker Punch Sally’s. The production bikes made their debut during Daytona Bike Week and are available for purchase through Sucker Punch Sally’s.

All pieces available from Ami James Jewelry Company can be purchased via the new Web site. To make a purchase, or for more information, product details and pricing, please visit www.amijamesjewelry.com or call the customer service number at (603) 898-0013.

I know, it’s sort of over the top geek speak (and I thank GOODNESS that my husband is a nerd) that even I don’t understand sometimes! So, we’ve been busy scrubbing some of the code over here.

If anybody has any suggestions for stricter Wordpress security please drop me a line!

Anyway, how are you guys?

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

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

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

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

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

Going into it I really had no idea what to expect. I wasn’t sure what kind of interview he would throw at me. Up front, I’ll say that he was very easy to talk to and I enjoyed our conversation (thank you, Shawn!). At the time, I thought I was answering all the questions to the best of my capabilities, trying to sound smart and like I knew what I was talking about and voicing my opinions affably without sounding like an uninformed, opinionated bitch. Overall, we had a great conversation and I hung up feeling good about it!

Then I listened to the podcast when he told me it was posted and inevitably I slapped my forehead a few times! First of all, I cringed at the sound of my own voice (who doesn’t, right?). As the interview progressed I started to wonder how many times I said “you know” “ummm” or “I feel like…” Errrgh. So much for sounding self-assured and intelligent!

I’ve heard many times before that I have “strong opinions” or that I’m very “opinionated” and I guess listening to myself made me realize that was true. I hope that I adequately support those opinions and not just blurt them out with attitude. I try to do a good job in explaining what I have to say and hope that it isn’t too off-putting. Sometimes when I throw a statement out there, I hold my breath waiting for the backlash to occur. Luckily most times I’m able to let it all out with relief when most people agree with me (whew!).

There were definitely a few questions during the interview that I wasn’t expecting and I wonder if everyone can tell that I’m floundering. Overall, I think I did ok. If you have a spare half hour take a listen and let me know what you think!

BadAss Jewelry is the baby of David Barkhordari and is a great online resource for good quality, chunky biker jewelry for both boys and girls.

My eyes got nice and wide when I browsed through the inventory of rings, pendants, dog tags and bracelets. I don’t know what it is about silver skulls but I just love them! I also like wearing jewelry that is unique and this site has a lot of unique pieces.

You may remember back in January I mentioned BadAss Jewelry in my post about the Smokeout Rally which features a cross country ride called the Long Road from Cottonwood AZ to Rockingham, NC. Since it’s the 10th anniversary of the Smokeout, all registered riders that complete the ride will receive a serial numbered, solid-sterling-silver Long Road HORSE medallion, designed by David Barkhordari. Pretty cool!

Long Road HORSE medallion

Anyway, not only does BadAss jewelry sell unique biker styles, but they also carry Stingray Jewelry, which is genuine stingray leather (yes from actual stingrays) on sterling silver, by designer Alan K. According to another jewelry site, many people believe that stingray leather brings strength and power to anyone wearing it. It is also believed that the stingray leather brings good luck and good fortune.  Whether that’s true or not I’m not sure, but I do know that it makes for very interesting looking jewelry.

You can purchase directly from their website (don’t forget to check out their coupons) and they ship internationally. Bonus.

Last year, the day came around again. I didn’t think much of it other than “good for them, they’re keeping the event up.” But then I was perusing my Google news reader one day  and I saw a post that Biker News Online had about it and I was actually surprised at what they had to say:

Oh Please!

Apparently some folks are trying to organize an “International Female Ride Day” on Friday, May 2, 2008…Why do women riders need a special day to celebrate themselves? Why do we need to raise awareness of women riders?

Who gives a f**k?

Look, I have all the respect for women riders, just as I would for male riders. I’m not bashing them. I’m bashing this lame idea. I’m sorry, but do we need “female empowerment” in the motorcycling community?

If a chick can master a motorcycle and hold her own among the biker crowd, does she need empowering?

“Hello, I’m a chick, I ride a motorcycle. Today is my special day to celebrate my biker-chickness”.

Barf!

That reaction actually made me pause to think and prompted me to write Women only motorcycle events-sweet or sham? which got some really interesting responses, most of them saying that these women’s-only events, while nice once in a while, are really unnecessary. The outcome of organized them actually causes women to be segregated and it’s slippery-slope to have too many of these all-women events.

And now, it seems, Harley-Davidson has jumped on the bandwagon and piggy-backed onto Motoress’ 2009 International Female Ride Day, which is Friday, May 2nd,  by declaring the month of May “Women Riders Month.” They’ve planned two organized rides on May 1st: one to NYC and one to Milwaukee. And if you can’t make it to either of those rides, you can stop into your local HD dealership to see if there are any rides being organized in your area.

For the remainder of the month HD will encourage women to get out onto the open road and learn more about wrenching their own bikes by attending their women-only garage parties (My friend ArtBiker has a really funny post about not being allowed in to an HD dealership when there was a “women’s only” event happening).

In a recent press release, Leslie Prevish, Harley-Davidson’s women’s outreach manager said: “In the past 20 years, the percentage of women who have purchased new Harley-Davidson motorcycles has tripled, with women now accounting for nearly 12 percent of new Harley-Davidson motorcycle purchases.”

They’ve smelled the blood in the water, girls, and now they’re coming for ya! Watch out!

Clutch and Chrome has an interview with Vicki Gray, founder of Motoress, in their latest podcast. She discusses the idea behind the ride and its incredible success. So if you’re interested in hearing what she has to say go check it out.

Harley-Davidson is trying to build out it’s Women & Motorcycling section on their website and are looking for women who would like to share their personal stories about why they want to learn to ride.

Interested in submitting a story?

Then here’s what you gotta do:
You would need to submit your story to Kelly Yahr (email address: Kelly.Yahr@harley-davidson.com) along with the following information, which will serve as your profile if your story is chosen:

• First name, middle initial, last name
• Username (if you already have an existing online profile at H-D.com)
• Email address (this will be used as your username when logging into the community)
• Zip code
• Birth date
• Community screen name (your screen name will be used to identify any content you submit on Harley-Davidson/Buell websites

Not sure what to write? You can read some examples of Riding Stories from Real Women to get those creative wheels turning.

Punk rock legend, Henry Rollins,  joins the cast of Sons of Anarchy season 2!

A legend in the punk rock world (and an icon from my misspent youth…I can’t tell you how many shows of his I’ve been to!) is joining the cast of Sons of Anarchy for a six episode arc. That’s right, just when I thought I couldn’t get any more excited I just learned that Mr. Henry Rollins is joining SoA this upcoming season.

If you didn’t grow up listening to punk music in the 80’s then here’s a brief bio on Mr. Rollins. He is a singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, stand-up comedian, author, actor, activist and publisher. He was the front man for punk band Black Flag in the 80’s and has since formed the Rollins Band, written a few books, done a ton of spoken word & stand-up tours, has a lot to say about social and political issues (whether you agree with him or not) and even has his own show on the Independent Film Channel.

He will appear in six upcoming episodes of Sons of Anarchy and will play a new antagonist in the show who poses a deadly threat to SAMCRO. Even Kurt Sutter is excited to have him on the show. From his blog, SutterInk:

“I fucking love Henry Rollins. Been a fan for years. From Black Flag to his one-man shows. He’s a super smart cat with exponential intensity. So excited to have him on the show.

I don’t want to say too much about who his character is right now. As we get closer to air, more information will be revealed. Suffice to say, Henry will fucking chew it up.

While Henry’s better known for being an angry, little man and not known for being a fantastic actor, it’s sounds like he won’t have to stetch his acting legs too much. He just needs to have a bad disposition and scowl a lot. I think he’s pretty good at both of those things.

And now for your viewing/listening pleasure is “Liar” by the Rollins Band.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tolleson showing off the WildKaT

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

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

Does this motorcycle make my ass look fat?

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

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

Girls, don’t believe the hype.

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

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

a nice powder-pink Ridley

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

Me. I care.

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

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

**EDIT**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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I’ve worked for some big agencies on big accounts.  Last year I moved to a smaller agency with clients that were more fun and allowed me to be more creative with my design work. The downside to that is that I’d been working stupid hours with unreasonable deadlines and overall not too happy about it. Other than the ridiculous workloads of late, there were other things at play. Office politics were beginning to play a big part, tension with the offline creative group, pressure from upper management and then my boss was maneuvered into resigning by her new boss, etc. etc.

So it didn’t come as too much of a shock when I walked into a meeting the other day with my writing partner and we were informed that our positions were “eliminated”. I was laid off.

The sucky thing is that I was let go for purely political reasons, not economic ones, not because of poor job performance (in fact I got a more than glowing review just the week before and some of the coolest work of my career is slated to go live very soon).  It’s been a long time since I haven’t had a full time job. I’ve been working steadily since I was 16 years old and today starts the first week that I won’t have to go somewhere to work. I can roll out of bed, have coffee with the cat and get my online portfolio together.

Luckily, if you can call it lucky, I had expected it. I had a lot of hypothetical conversations with my husband the week before, made many jokes about the possibility of not having a job the following week.

And so, here I am with a clean slate, at the crossroads, [insert cliché metaphor here]. I think I’d like to get some freelancing going and make a go of it through the summer. And I can also put a lot of focus on riding and blogging. Rippin-Kitten.com is going to be celebrating the two year blogoversary mark next month!

Now I have the opportunity to give more time and attention to this site. It’s time to retire this blog theme and incorporate a more robust layout. My readership has steadily increased over the past year and Rippin-Kitten is now one of the top three motorcycle blogs out there. I’ve been getting more and more followers on Twitter (thx fellow Tweeps!) and I really want to expand it to incorporate all the things people are looking for to take it to the next level. Don’t be surprised if you see some poll action (not pole action, sorry guys!) in the next few weeks so that I can get a better idea of who’s reading. I’m really excited!

Well, that is what’s happening in my world. How are you guys?

Dichrome is a company specializing in glass shifters for motorcycles and cars, creating accents that help make your ride stand out from the crowd. Isn’t that just what we’re looking for?

The company’s purveyor, Lunchbox, reached out to me recently letting me know about some of the more “girly” knobs that they’ve created.

Here are some shift knobs we have made with women in mind some are foot shifters and some will be “jockey or a regular shift knob”. Our knobs come with a thread system so they will fit almost anything threaded or otherwise.

Our foot shifters are brand new for 09′ and are still one off. We are working out our production line of solid color foot shifters in green, purple, pink, amber, cobalt blue and black.”

If you’re looking for more big-boy, manly designs head on over to their site since there are literally hundreds of photos to look through. While they might be a bit pricey to the Average Joe, these unique glass shifters will definitely add that sparkle to the right kind of bike.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last week I bit the bullet and got myself a 17″ MacBook Pro, which is like the Lexus of Macs. And it was delivered yesterday! Last night was like Christmas in my house. I stayed up way past my bedtime.

Now I have no excuse when I’m on the road! I’ll be able to post more regularly while I’m out shaking my money-maker.

Kurt Sutter recently posted an update on his blog about the progress of writing for season 2:

I’ve finished a draft of the first script and my writers are in the process of writing 202 and 203. We’ve broken the first four episodes and have a pretty solid handle on the arc of the season. Two weeks ago, I pitched the big ideas to the network and they loved them. It’s cool when your boss is also a fan of the show. I don’t just get “that’s good for the network”, I get “that’s great shit for the show”. They had very few notes on the first script, so we are off to a good start with the story-telling. My hope is to have four scripts approved by the time we start production at the end of April.

Obviously, I can’t give anything away, but I as I’ve said in a few interviews, this season is all about alliances. We are going to explore and exploit the bonds we have with our brothers, our family, our country and our god. As I was writing this first script, I smiled when I realized that I get to channel all my twisted Catholic angst into a show about men who play God. I love my fucking job.

Still uncertain exactly when season two will air. A lot depends on FX’s development slate. I will keep you posted.

It’s always a good sign when the writer himself is giddy with twisted excitement!

Related posts:
A punk rock icon joins the cast of SoA
More info about SoA
Shooting begins for SoA

Harley-Davidson,  as you know, has a full line of “dark customs”.  Two years ago my pal, Greg White of Speed TV, hooked me up with a Vulcan Custom to ride. And now Honda is putting out it’s own custom, the Fury.  If everyone has the same bike, how is that custom?

Some of these “customs” have a great look (and I really wouldn’t mind taking the Fury out for ride) but I think that calling them all custom is really a misnomer. When I think of a custom I think of originality, one-off parts and unique paint. To me, a bike needs some serious modification to be considered a custom. Every motorcycle owner, especially the cruiser owners out there, makes the same basic changes when they get their bike.

First, we change out pipes, air filters, maybe bars and cables then add some saddlebags (or remove them) to give  our bikes a bit of our personality and performance-liking. With those minor changes, we can park in a lot with 100 other bikes and pick ours out of the crowd, with no problem.  But, can someone else?

What makes a custom motorcycle “custom”?

Lets look at some of the similarities in a few customs.

Vulcan Custom

Iron 883 Dark Custom

Honda Fury

American Ironhorse

HD Cross Bones

Right off the bat you can see that, regardless of the brand, a “custom” is more for the solo rider. They have smaller seats, which are lower to the ground. Fenders are bobbed down, both in the front and rear. Bars are mostly pulled back, although apes or mini-apes are acceptable. Individual stylized wheels are a necessity.

All of these “custom” bikes are just doing at the factory what we normally do when we get our non-customs home. So, I guess in that aspect you might be saving some money if you buy one and keep it bone stock but seriously, who keeps their bike stock?

So, if you buy your own custom, do you have to make all the normal changes to customize your custom? My friend ArtBiker bought a ‘49 panhead and chopped the bejesus out of it. Now that is a custom. Buying a frame and building your own is a custom. For a custom to truly be custom, you need to customize it. Right?

ArtBiker fixing his chopper

Factory Custom Bikes and You

What do you think? Is the world of unique, factory-custom bikes just building more of the same? Would you prefer if they just called them something else? If you bought (or own) one, will you change it or keep it stock?

p.s.  I know that some of you have seen, this but it’s too fricking cute to let pass by.

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

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

Adeline Van Buren

Augusta Van Buren

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mexico or bust

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a few interesting bits of late:

All ladies summer tour through Alaska

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

Sons of Anarchy, Season Two

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

Jesse James News

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

Well, Mr. Jeremy Shoemaker has a feature that he calls “Free Shirt Friday.” You send him a t-shirt, he’ll take a picture of himself wearing it and also gives a shout-out to your site. And my shout-out just happened to occur this past Friday when my Rippin-Kitten “Faster Pussycat” t-shirt was featured on Free Shirt Friday.

Rippin-Kitten t-shirt featured on Shoemoney

To my delight (and relief) my shirt received a lot of great comments and Shoe appears to really like it! So, if you like it too and want to decorate the upper half of your fine physique with this fabulous design there are still some available to purchase.

Decked in black from fender-to-fender, the new Harley-Davidson Iron 883 brings the beat of an 883 Evolution engine backed up by a combo of gritty, old-school garage features like front fork gaiters, drag style handlebar and side-mount license plateholder.

The black powder-coated 883 cc Evolution powertrain with black covers takes the Iron 883 deep into the heart of darkness. With Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) and performance tuning with a flat torque curve, the Iron 883 delivers plenty of power for the city scene. The pipes on the straight cut shorty dual exhaust flow the distinctive American V-Twin sound.

The black chopped rear fender with its combination stop/turn/tail lights shows more of the 150 mm rear tire and black, 13-spoke cast aluminum wheel, while the front tire also rides on a black wheel. The rest of the Iron 883 gets a darker-suited presence with black front forks and fender supports, fuel tank, oil tank cover, belt guard, drag style handlebar and mid mount foot controls.

A classic Sportster solo seat with a height of 25.3 inches fits the lone rider, while a passenger seat and a backrest in complementing black finishes can be added as accessories.

Check out more on the Iron 883 and Harley-Davidson Dark Custom motorcycles at: http://www.harley-davidson.com/darkcustom.

And, as many of you are aware, Daytona Bike Week is coming up on us fast, which will include the 2nd annual MDA ride. Last year was a huge success as I’m sure this year will be as well. Ladies, if you’re interested in being part of the ride this year, you’d better shake your tail.

Sign-up is only open through Feb. 18th and over half of the spots are already full  The ride will obviously take place during Daytona Bike Week on Tuesday, March 3rd. If you’re looking for more info on the MDA Ride and how to sign up, check out: http://www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Horse Backstreet Choppers Smoke Out 10

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

The Horse magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A letter from the Mayor:

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

John Rhodes
Mayor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He sent me a link to the news story where they reportedly pulled 180-200 cats out of this one house. Now, I own a cat myself and I think he’s adorable but I just can’t imagine having 200 of them in my house! Yuckie.

Anyway, the article mentions a group of volunteers called Rescue Ink, “a group of brawny bikers whose Web site promises an ‘in-your-face approach’ to animal welfare” who helped pull out all the cats and are assisting in find homes for all the kittehs. And, of course, my interest was piqued at the idea of a scary bunch of heavily tattooed dudes who have a soft spot for the furries.

I moseyed on over to Rescue Ink’s website and sure ’nuff this organization of “big, scary dudes” will do whatever it takes (within the confines of the law, of course) to save abused animals.

From their site:

“You take a look at us, and maybe your first reaction is to cross to the other side of the street. Just remember to look both ways before you do.

We’re not a gang, vigilantes or a social organization, but we do have that certain “in your face” style when it comes to animal abusers.

You may find us hanging out together at a hot rod show, tattoo parlors, or even hitting up the blacktop together on our bikes for a little road trip, but the main thing that brings us together is our love of animals. We met because we were all doing the same thing on our spare time: rescuing and finding homes for abandoned and abused animals. None of us did it for money; we did it because we cannot stand by while anyone mistreats an animal!“

They have an undeniable devotion to creatures of the 4-legged variety and I think I am now their biggest fan!

In all seriousness, I think these guys are doing some very important work in a very engaging way. If you want to help them with their cause, definitely check out their website, friend them on myspace, send a donation or buy a t-shirt. I’m sure they’ll appreciate any help they can get!

Jesse James. In a suit.

Joining Jesse on the show are: Clint Black, Andrew Dice Clay, Annie Duke, Tom Green, Natalie Gulbis, Scott Hamilton,  Claudia Jordan, Khloe Kardashian, Brian McKnight, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Brande Roderick, Dennis Rodman, Herschel Walker and Tionne Watkins. I know, I haven’t heard of half of these people either, but with the Dice Man, Tom Green and Jesse-I gotta think things will get pretty interesting.

Here’s Jesse’s bio for the show:
JESSE JAMES can be called many things: custom bike and car builder, producer, publisher, television host and restaurateur. James is currently in production for his new show “Jesse James Is A Dead Man” which will premiere on Spike TV. This past summer, James hit the road and toured across the United States to talk to the American worker one-on-one to launch his new clothing line Jesse James Industrial Work Wear, which is currently available in Wal-Mart stores nationwide. James also founded West Coast Choppers, which creates custom made motorcycles. In 2000, James was the subject of “Motorcycle Mania” which chronicled his everyday life as a motorcycle builder on the Discovery Channel. James established a loyal following who would tune in for 85 episodes to watch the anti-host in his best known role on the international television hit “Monster Garage,” which he produced and starred in. In 2006, he opened the restaurant Cisco Burger, named after his beloved pit bull Cisco. James will be playing for the charity, “Long Beach Education Foundation.”

I have never been a huge fan of The Apprentice, but my husband is and I confess that I watched Celebrity Apprentice last season and enjoyed it. So, if you’re curious like me and wondering how long Jesse will last in the board room (and if he can bring himself to wear a shirt and tie every day), then let your morbid curiosity get the best of you and tune in on Sunday, March 1 at 9pm (EST).

So, while I recover from the shock of getting back to the daily grind, I’ll leave you with the top 10 viewed posts of 2008!

1. Steampunk Motorcycles-even though I wrote this post a year ago, it is the most popular post of my site. The Steampunk movement has gained much popularity since then.
2. BikerorNot.com: bikers and social networking pt. deux-social networking sites are booming. It seems that every subculture has formed their own social community these days. Since this post was published I have received numerous emails informing me of yet another new biker social community and asking me to join or write about their site. I can only keep track of so many accounts these days and it makes me wonder if more is better.
3. Bikers and tattoos-Two of my favorite subjects! A brief history of tattoos in America and how they touch my world.
4. Bring Exile Cycles back to TV-the popularity of this post surprises me a little. Prior to this post I had read a myspace bulletin from Russell putting out the call to fans for some help. This year we’ve seen Russell on VH1’s Rock of Love and of course, that silly Comcast commercial that featured Exile Cycles, with an actor playing the part (instead of “hardcore” heavily-tattooed Russell) that confused so many people. Here’s hoping we see a lot more of him in the future.
5. Anatomy of the Kawasaki Vulcan-in the summer of 2007, Greg White contacted me and hooked me up with Kawasaki to test ride the Vulcan 900 Custom. I spent a few gleeful weeks riding this bike and this is my dissection of various elements of the bike in detail. Thinking back on the experience makes me remember how much I enjoyed riding this bike. And yes, the skinny front wheel felt safe!
6. Biker Movie Hell Ride in theaters August 8-this movie was all the buzz for us this summer and it came and went in the blink of an eye. It had a very limited release in theaters and when it finally came out on DVD it would be an understatement to say it is a love/hate kind of movie.
7. Slayer launches a line of helmets-*RAWK!* Rockhard helmets launched a line of motorcycle helmets emblazened with graphics of our favorite thrash metal band. They’ve since increased their lineup of bands that include: Lynard Skynard, KISS, Slip Knot, Motorhead (yes!), AC/DC and The King. These suckers ain’t cheap but if you’re a fan I’m sure they’re well worth the cash!
8. Garage Girls: a new site for women, or is it?-this was my initial review of Sara Liberte’s new online venture. I was as honest as I could be while reading through the site (maybe too honest?). So much so  that I actually received an email and blog comment from Sara letting me and everyone else know that the site was brand-spankin’ new and to cut her some slack. I revisited the site three months later and was pleasantly surprised at the changes that had been made and the fresh content that had been added. Props to Sara.
9. Video Tuesday: Harley-Davidson Dark Custom-this video accompanied the announcement of HD’s newest and coolest motorcycle. I also went on a bit of a tirade about how out of touch Bruce Rossmeyer is with a younger demographic.
10. My first motorcycle love-I’m so happy to see this post made it to the top ten! This is a guest post, written by my nearest and dearest, recounting the love of his first motorcycle, the experiences he had while owning it, and then eventually trading it in for a newer Road King. Definitely a good read. Hmm, that reminds me…I think I’ll bug him to guest post more often!

There’s a new landing page up for Spike TV’s Jesse James is a Dead Man. Apparently, they need our help!

“Jesse wants your ideas for crazy, stupid, and ridiculously dangerous stuff for him to do. He’ll pick the wildest challenge, bring you out to LA to explain what it is on the show and then he’ll do the challenge on the show!”

Send in a video challenging Jesse to perform whatever crazy stunt you come up with! (In order to submit your idea, you will need to register for an account on spiketv.com, which is just a bullshit way for them to capture data, in my humble opinion…)

Jesse’s calling you out!

So, I thought I would take my gift of “free time” to kind of slow down and catch up with my bloggy life.  I do have a few little bits and nuggets of news to share.

This is hardly new news but the winners of the Harley-Davidson Bikes, Camera, Action! video contest were announced earlier this week. I have to give these ladies credit for taking the time to make these great videos. I think a video contest is a lot to ask of the general public and these ladies rose to the occasion. Congrats to them!

Here are the top three:
Her Need for Speed
Girls Night Out
Here Come the Bride

In additional Harley-Davidson news, it’s been announced that registration for the 2009 Women’s Experience ride in Daytona is now open. The second annual MDA ride will take place on March 3rd and only the first 500 women to register will be eligible to take part in the event. Last year they raised $60K from the event. Here’s hoping they beat that amount this year since it’s for such a good cause.

Here’s a bit of Sons of Anarchy news from writer, producer Kurt Sutter’s blog SutterInk:
“Based on final ratings, FX’s critically acclaimed freshman drama series Sons of Anarchy has proven itself to be a worthy successor to the network’s award-winning drama series The Shield, which completed its historic seven season run last month.

With the Live +7 ratings factored in from Nielsen Media Research on a multi-telecast basis, Sons of Anarchy delivered a weekly average audience of 5.83 million total viewers (jumping 16% vs. the Live numbers) and 3.9 million Adults 18-49 (up 18% vs. the Live numbers), the highest ratings of any new series on FX since the network’s hit series Rescue Me, which debuted in 2004. On a first-run basis the series averaged 2.6 million total viewers and 1.75 million Adults 18-49.

For calendar-year 2008 on a first-run basis, Sons significantly surpassed new and returning basic cable shows on delivery of Adults 18-49 including Saving Grace (1.59 million), Battlestar Galactica (1.58 million), Eureka (1.42 million), Raising the Bar (1.37 million), The Cleaner (1.11 million), Mad Men (879,000) and Breaking Bad (821,000).

Sons of Anarchy showed incredible consistency on a week-to-week basis and actually saw audience growth over the final two episodes, hitting its peak with the season finale (episode 13), which delivered 3 million total viewers on its first run. The second-to-last episode (episode 12) delivered the most Adults 18-49 (2.04 million) in the series entire run. The series premiered on 9/3/08 to 2.87 million total viewers and 1.73 million Adults 18-49.

FX has picked up a second season of Sons of Anarchy, slated to begin in Spring 09.” Not too shabby! There’s also another interesting post going back a few weeks about the new defunct HBO project 1% that got HBO in all that legal hot water with the notorious Sonny Barger.

Recently I’ve joined the collective of microbloggers and have been tweeting away! If you’re on Twitter, aspire to get on Twitter to see what it’s all about, you can find me @rippinkitten. A bunch of my fellow blogger tweeps are there as well as some new friends. Come say hi!

I know that we all read a ton of motorcycle blogs of different form and fashion but I’d like to take a minute to plug a new blog written by my friend: ArtBiker World: Art, Bikes, Bikers, Culture. I’ve known ArtBiker, aka Matt Linton, for over 10 years when he used to live here in Boston. He now resides in Houston, TX with his family and is one dude who lives and breathes motorcycles and the biker culture. Oh yeah, and he’s one hell of a photographer, too. His blog went live only a few short months ago and it is a great read. Go show him some love!

Now I’m going to make some hot chocolate and watch those flakes start to fall.

Quite honestly, I was left perplexed after I watched the movie. I really didn’t know what to make of it. Is it bad? For the most part: yes. Is it a “good” kind of bad? Sometimes.

Let’s face it, most of the acting is not really good, the dialog is utterly ridiculous and the notion that chicks are falling over themselves to bang Larry Bishop’s Pistolero is laughable. He clearly needed an ego boost when he cast himself as the lead character. I almost wonder if this movie would have been better had someone else written and directed it. It had ALL the potential in the world to be a great campy flick, but it definitely falls short.

From the opening menu of the dvd you can already tell that this movie is comic book-ie,cartoon-ized and over the top. But isn’t that part of the fun? I don’t think anyone went into this movie thinking it was a straight-up representation of biker gangs. It’s meant to be cheeky (both figuratively and literally!).

In the first seven minutes we see someone who has been shot in the gut with an arrow, two people get their throats cut and are burned while tied to chairs, a bunch of dudes shot in retaliation and a trailer explode. There’s a lotta boobs, gun play and violence. And Vinny Jones’ Billy Wings is a bad, bad dude.

I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it, but I could see where other people would fall to either side of the fence. It really seems to be one of those movies that you have to watch to formulate your own opinion. All in all, it certainly was one hell of a ride!

All orders will be shipped USPS Priority mail ($4.95 for shipping) and arrive in 3-5 business days (usually only 3!) from the day it was shipped (US residents only).

Not only do these shirts look great, but they’re fun to party in, too!

Bettie Page died today as a result of a heart attack she sustained over the weekend. She had been hospitalized for pneumonia weeks before and spent the majority of this week in a coma. I had heard the news this past weekend, wanting to write about her then, hoping that the inevitable might not happen. I held my own silent Bettie-vigil, waiting for any kind of news. And today it was news that I didn’t want to hear.

I don’t even know how or where to begin to write about Bettie Page. She was a secretary-turned-model that ended up being an unlikely icon for generations based on bondage photos and Teaserama dances. She inspired many girls to covet and acquire those trademark, fringe bangs. She had an enigmatic sweetness in her smile, despite all the naughty things she might have been doing in those fetish photos of hers! And she had a body to die for. Not like these sticks with tits that grace our magazines these days, but a real woman’s body with curves that Did. Not. Quit.

There’s no shortage of information, books, videos, photos, websites, movies and songs dedicated to Bettie. She is the subject of many an artist, most notably Dave Stevens (who also passed away this year at the young age of 52) who rendered the famous illustration of her in his comic The Rocketeer, and Olivia De Berardinis, who probably owes all her fame to recreating Bettie’s visage.

"The Rocketeer"

devilish Bettie by Olivia

recent years: Olivia, Hugh Hefner and Bettie

Bettie’s likeness also inspired many people to get lasting tattoos of her iconic beauty and she also graces plenty of motorcycle tanks!

Painted tank by http://www.grumeretz.com

My post is only one of hundreds that you will find online. I didn’t want to rehash the details of her life, you can go to plenty of articles and pages to learn those facts. I really just wanted to pay my respects and write a small tribute to this icon of a woman who influenced me and so many others.

Bettie, you will be missed.

I’ve secretly been hoping that I might some day appear in this coveted section of their site and now I’m giddy with delight…hey! That rhymed!

So, thanks to them for really making my day.

“Payupsucker Productions, James’ own production company that he recently established, will produce two specials and two primetime pilots in each year of the two-year deal with Spike TV.

Metal Church, the first pilot being developed under the agreement, is a do-it-yourself series that will follow James as he shows viewers the ins and outs of customizing vehicles.  In addition, the first Spike TV special starring James is slated to air during the second quarter in 2008.”

Since I posted over the summer that Spike TV has ordered 10 episodes of the stunt-themed Jesse James is a Dead Man (due to air February 2009) I’m guessing that Metal Church is not going to air on television at all.

But if you’re a member of Jesse’s members only Chopperdogs site (for a low monthly membership cost of  $45.00 for the first month and renews for $19.95 each additional month. Oh, but you also get a T-shirt, welcome letter, an autographed photo, and four stickers) the premiere episode “How to make a Frisco style gas tank out of steel” is now available for viewing.

Admittedly, it took me a while to get into watching this show. In the very beginning, I dismissed it as a “Shield” or “Sopranos” on motorcycles. I also couldn’t get past how the “club” was portrayed, the fake tattoos, the lame dialogue and the shiny, new HDs they were were riding.

From the start I did appreciate Katy Sagal’s portrayal of Gemma. As they say, behind every great man is a great woman and Gemma is indeed the great woman behind Ron Perlman’s club leader, Clay. l was unsure about Jax’s character in the beginning. I didn’t get what he was all about, other than a womanizing loser who seemed like a sheep, just following what everyone tells him to do. I always liked Opie’s character and I think I like him even more now that I learned he was intended to be killed off (Ryan Hurst, the actor who plays Opie just signed on as a series regular).

I watched when my husband turned it on, but I didn’t always stop what I was doing to watch intently. Until we got past the middle of the season. Then I noticed the show began to hold my interest more. I realized how good the writing was becoming and, independent of reading any news articles, how much the show was drawing from Shakespeare. Then it all started to click in my head. Jax was a character who was wondering: “To be, or not to be…”

From the SoA page on Wikipedia:

The family drama is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet indeed, star Ron Perlman has said, “I’m sure they’re going to stick to the structure of Hamlet all the way to the end” of the series. Clay is based on the role of King Claudius and Gemma as a Gertrude figure.

Jax stands in for Prince Hamlet himself; his reflective questioning of the SOA culture, brought on by the birth of his son, references Hamlet’s melancholy over the death of the king. Additionally, Jax “communicates” with his dead father by way of his late father’s unpublished journal/manuscript; Hamlet, of course, literally communicates with the ghost of his father.The drama and characterizations are also enhanced by drawing on Macbeth, another Shakespeare tragedy.

Ron Perlman’s portrayal of the Claudius-like character, Clay, is so guilt-ridden that he resembles Macbeth more than Claudius at times. Even more, Katey Sagal’s Gertrude-like Gemma resembles Lady Macbeth because, while it is never entirely clear from Hamlet how complicit Queen Gertrude is in the murder of Hamlet’s father, it is obvious that Gemma has willingly participated in the cover-up of the murder and may even have encouraged Clay in his treachery.

The last two shows were the most intense of them all.

Sons of Anarchy Spoiler Alert!

The turning point and ultimate summation of the season came in the last 10 minutes of the 90 minute season finale. The hint of a weakening leader when Clay is not able to button the sleeve of his shirt. The homeless woman (who we first met outside of the grocery store enlightening Gemma while asking for a few dollars in order to help her boys) shows up again, this time showing Jax the path to redemption. You can’t get more biblical than seeing Jax literally wash away the sins on his hands with the cold water in the graveyard. And he then silently spoke louder than anyone by walking (not riding his motorcycle) to Donna’s burial by himself (wearing white, of course) standing opposite of everyone else decked out in black. The tell-all gazes he shot at Clay, Gemma, Piney and Opie that told them all what he wanted them to know before walking away.

With such smart writing I’d like to think that the show is finally hitting its stride. Beautiful symbolism combined with great writing allows the story to build up and a possible future to be paved.

As a person who wasn’t eager to add another program to my already packed list of television-watching, by the end of the season I can say that Sons of Anarchy is now on my list of must watch shows for next season.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that two of my other favorite shows this season we canceled.

When I got in from work last night I grabbed my pile of mail that was sitting on the floor. Bills, bills, bills…NETFLIX! Jackpot. For, in my hot little hands, I knew that I held a movie I’ve been itching to watch. That’s right, Hell Ride on dvd had finally arrived.

I didn’t have time to watch it last night, but I’m using today’s Video Tuesday to psych myself up for it. Plus, I just read a review over at Road Captain USA’s blog and now I’m even more excited to see it!

I will get back to posting next week. You all be safe.

That was the subject of a contest held over at Crackberry.com recently for those who consider themselves BlackBerry addicts. They were giving away 10 BlackBerry Storms to those who were willing to do whatever it took to win one (and they actually had to follow through on their promise!).

They received 3,000 entries to the contest and “a popular theme of entry that emerged was extreme brand loyalty, or in other words, showing off your love for BlackBerry and/or CrackBerry for the whole world to see.”

The first winner was TJ of Revelation Tattoos in Toledo OH, who had a lifesized BlackBerry tattooed on his leg. Two things of note: 1. TJ didn’t pay for his tattoo. He works at the shop and had it done for free. 2. The tattoo artist, Brian, is a total Mac fanboy and die-hard iPhone lover. It must have killed him to do this tattoo!

While I don’t find the fact that he had the tattoo done to win a phone all that shocking (I hang out with a LOT of tattoo fanatics/artists who get work done for less meaningful things), I find the backlash a little surprising. What makes this guy’s tattoo any different from anyone willing to have a Harley-Davidson tattoo put on their body? It’s essentially showing the same kind of “extreme brand loyalty.”

If you’re interested in reading the war of comments you can read them at Crackberry.com and on Information Week’s blog, which also did a post about this today.

Last Monday it started with my commute home. I work in Boston now and am a slave to commuting on the train. I typically take the 5:25 commuter rail train because it is an express train that goes directly to my town and saves about 5-10 minutes. I am usually home in about a half hour.

It was a normal commute until the train stopped dead about three stops from where it was supposed to. Then we heard that a man had driven his car in to the train tunnel at my typical stop and the car had been hit by an earlier train. Initially, we had heard that the driver was actually ok. He was elderly and had gotten confused as to where to exit the station. The 2 1/2 hours it took me to get home was irritating, of course. I got home just in time to see the smashed car being towed away from the train station, among the many news crews that were there covering the story. Later that night the driver had actually died from injuries he sustained from the crash.

Tuesday was election day, of course. Aside from the obvious presidential results, my liberal state of Massachusetts had three questions on the ballot that resulted in the most asinine results.

Wed., Thurs. and Friday-typical work and life frustrations. Eagerly looking forward to the weekend to wash away the events of the week. Have a few cocktails and a nice night out with my husband. All was going to plan. Until yesterday.

Late afternoon  I received a call from my mother letting me know that my uncle had been in a motorcycle accident. He ended up dying as a result of it. At the time nobody knew the circumstances of the accident or the extent of his injuries. My dad told me that he was wearing a helmet, but it was a shortie so he had a big bump over one of his eyes.

Today we learned that the accident was a hit & run. They determined that someone had run him over due to the extent of injuries to his chest and stomach. There is now an on-going investigation into the accident and who is responsible. And  the kicker? It was my uncle’s birthday.

So now I’m left to ponder: as a motorcycle rider, is it just inevitable that our ticket will be punched at some point? This is not the first time my life has been touched by someone close to me having an accident, or even the first time it’s been a hit & run.

Are we just tempting fate every time we jump on our bikes to go for a leisurely drive? And is it really worth it?

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

Salem Common, Salem MA

carved jack-o-lanterns

somewhere off the Kancamangas Highway in New Hampshire

in the mountains in NH

mountain view

colorful corn at the Topsfield Fair

gords

hubster checking out large, prize-winning pumpkins

KISS pumpkins! These RULE.

me freezing my butt off on a charity ride

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

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

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

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

Vampy kitten

How was your night?

It’s an all-new, fun 2008 Halloween inspired Rippin-Kitten wallpaper! Celebrate Halloween festivities with me and show some love for one of your favorite motorcycle blogs!

800×600
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*edit*
Had some “technical difficulties” earlier with the correct images showing up. Hopefully all is under control now!

I’ve lived here for quite a few years and I’m sure it comes as no surprise that it is the mecca for all things Halloween. It is a haven for tourists who want to learn a little bit about history, maybe to learn what actually transpired during the Witch Trials and to be able to walk around wearing a witch hat, a cloak or a top hat without feeling self-conscious about it.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it’s absolute pandemonium on Halloween. The city shuts down all of the major streets to accommodate all of the people, the police recruit help from neighboring towns and traffic is backed up for hours at a time.

Here’s a video that was shot of last year. It’s a bit long but you don’t have to watch all of it to get the gist of what it’s like here.

While it is both an amusement and a burden to live in Salem, I do love seeing all of the various costumes people come up with. While it’s always been my favorite holiday, I was never one for dressing up in costume until recent years. Here are two of my recent costumes.

psychotic nurse from 2006

zombie concubine 2007

You can also view my Flickr set from Halloween 2007. There’s lots of good photos there.

With Halloween being this Friday, I cannot imagine what this year will hold for my quaint, little historical town. It will surely be insane. And I will be out there in the middle of it all.

While I’m reminded daily just by looking at his scarred body, there is something about this time of year that especially reminds me how lucky he is (and I am) that he is alive.

one month after the accident

I generally try to keep my personal life away from my blogging life when it doesn’t relate to anything motorcycle specific, but this particular instance is where I think the crossover is important to acknowledge. When I think about how much our lives have changed for the better in the past five years, I am grateful that things didn’t go the other way. My life would not be what it is today.

autumn riding in the White Mountains, NH

It’s easy to take your loved ones for granted until something unfortunate happens. Whenever I think about the accident any time of the year, it makes me give my man an unexpected hug or a smooch to let him know how much I love him.

So for us, October 15th is now the day we celebrate that a day of near tragedy paved the way to a (hopefully) long road of happiness.

Trashville USA is an online store with kick-ass clothing, shoes, accessories and lots of other stuff for men and women. Heavily rooted in rockabilly/psychobilly/retro-tattoo style, the site is chock full of cool belt buckles, t-shirts and killer jewelry. I want one of everything. But instead of racking up my credit cards, I’ll just show you some of my favorite items.

From Trashville USA’s Belt buckles section:

These are only a few of the plethora of belt buckles they have to offer.

From the Jewelry Department:

Seems like guns and brass knuckles are everywhere these days. Honorable mention: the bee and seahorse necklaces are awfully cute!

T-shirts: men’s (left) and women’s (right)

So if you like what you see and are looking for something different to wear to your next biker event, go to their MySpace profile at http://www.myspace.com/trashvilleusa, add them as your friend and save 15% on every purchase (there’s a Secret Squirrel code there for you to use).

While I do not condone drinking and riding (or drinking while riding)-there is nothing like a really cold beer after a LONG day of riding in hot summer weather.

Swearing, on the other hand, is an activity to be enjoyed on your motorcycle, off of your motorcycle, in the shower, while eating breakfast…

[*grin*]

This is a commercial for Bud Light that just won an Emmy, despite the fact that it has never been aired on television. It has been viewed over 12 million times and won the Emmy for Outstanding Commercial.

My favorite line: “Will the owner of a white station wagon please go f*ck yourself.”

They’ve got an inside zipper, made from man-made materials (great for you vegans out there) and only cost $49.50!

Moto Boot from Alloy

Whether you want them for riding or for everyday fashion (these probably look great with the right dress or a skirt) I’d grab these babies soon before they’re gone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Their popularity parlayed itself into the creation of a great marketing site ( http://cavemanscrib.com ) where you can tour the Caveman’s home (as well as flip through his photo album, watch the videos on his cell phone and many other easter eggs). It’s a great place to waste some time if you’re bored!

But like all good things, it appeared that people were getting a little sick of the Cavemen and gravitating to the cute lil gecko instead (did you see the picture of the gecko pinned on the dart board in the Party Out of Bounds section?).

Despite the failed attempt at their own tv show “Caveman’s Cribs” (which aired on ABC last fall to dismal reviews and viewers), the Geico Cavemen have recently made a fierce comeback in a new commercial for Geico’s motorcycle insurance.

What better way to kick off “Fashion Fridays” than to announce that Rippin-Kitten t-shirts are FINALLY here!

These are not Cafe Press shirts done up from generic clip art. These shirts were completely designed by me, screen printed using two color inks and I have them in my hot lil hands right now. When they are shipped out, they’ll be sent by me personally.

“FASTER PUSSYCAT” $15.00
Short-sleeved black t-shirt with white printed skull & wing design, featuring the original “skully cat” Rippin-Kitten logo! Available in unisex sizes SM, MED, LG and XL.

All orders will be shipped USPS Priority mail ($4.95 for shipping) and arrive in 3-5 business days from the day it was shipped (US residents only).

Get ‘em now while they last!

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

women's tshirts from pinkpartz.com

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

skull rings by Voodoo King Designs on etsy.com

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

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

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

Here’s a quick reminder of what the show is about:

“FX Network’s new original series, Sons of Anarchy, is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that. Charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegally thriving arms business. The seduction of money, power, and blood.”

If you’re totally anxious for the premier and want to pump yourself up before the show, FX has jam-packed the SoA section of their site with all sorts of goodies: including information about the cast & crew, blogs, downloadable wallpapers for your computer and a few other fun things.

So make sure to set your Tivo or DVR if you’re not going to be around tonight to watch it! I can’t wait to hear what you guys think!

From Spike TV:

New York, NY, August 27, 2008 – Jesse James takes on the role of a modern-day daredevil in “Jesse James Is A Dead Man,” a new, original weekly series on Spike TV premiering in February 2009, it was announced today by Sharon Levy, senior vice president of original series for Spike TV.

“Our goal was to create a new and distinctive series for Jesse that is unlike anything else on television,” said Levy. “In this series, viewers will get to experience one of the most fearless guys on the planet in an entirely new way, taking on death-defying physical challenges each week.”

Each episode will follow James as he readies himself for a different death-defying challenge. Preparing for the risky challenge can often be as dangerous as the challenge itself as he endures a battery of tests to prepare. With CGI effects, viewers get a taste of the enormity of the stunt, revealing the physiological stress James’ body will endure.

Some of the dangerous challenges he’ll be facing include the harrowing, grueling and lawless off-road race, the Baja 500, and hitting over 200 mph on a Nitro bike supercharged by ultra-combustible nitro-methane fuel.

Ten weekly one-hour episodes of “Jesse James Is A Dead Man” will be produced by BASE Productions (“Sports Science,” “Fight Science”) with Jesse James and his production company, Payupsucker Productions, serving as an executive producer. Spike TV signed James to a multi-year talent deal in October 2007, and this project represents his first series with the network.

Jesse James is a custom bike and car builder, producer, publisher, television host and restaurateur. In 2000, James started his TV career with Discovery Channel’s “Motorcycle Mania,” and in 2002 produced and starred in the international television hit, “Monster Garage.” Before his TV gigs, James started West Coast Choppers by doing what he loved, building motorcycles in his mom’s garage. As an expert welder, Jesse produces only 12-14 bikes a year, making a very long wait list for his coveted custom machines.

More recently, Jesse established his own production company, Payupsucker Productions, and in 2004, he became publisher of Garage Magazine and launched Payupsucker Publications. In 2006 he opened an eco-friendly burger joint, Cisco Burger in Long Beach, CA.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.

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What do you guys think of Jesse coming back to television on a non-motorcycle related show?

From HD’s Community Outreach Coordinator:

We Ride serves as an inspirational and educational brochure for non-riders and newly licensed female riders alike. The guide features women riders sharing their passion, apparel designed specifically for women and information beginner riders need to know before they hit the road, along with many other topics specific to women riders.

The guide is on harley-davidson.com/womenriders or directly download the pdf:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/media/downloads/women/HD_GTR_eBook.pdf

In true fashion, HD wastes no time in not only releasing the new line-up of motorcycles for next year, they also have the marketing machine working in full force. You can view the new line of motorcycles on their site.

The video is perhaps a little long for my (and maybe your) short attention span, but it’s a pretty good video. I have a few favorite models that I like, mainly the Softails.

If you wanted to (or had to) ride an HD, what would be your favorite model?

When I initially saw their website I was a bit turned off by the amount of the color pink being used and it didn’t seem very professional. I could have just caught them when they first launched the site- I seem to have good timing that way (re: see the Garage Girls posts). But this time around it appears the color palette has been toned down, there’s a new logo and it’s more streamlined.

Lady Biker website circa 2007

Lady Biker website now

If you’re interested in ordering a copy it takes a bit of effort for U.S. consumers, you’ll need to send an email to get a price. The summer 2008 issue is available now.

Did anyone get to see it in the theater??? I know that critics blasted it in their reviews, but I’ve heard that actual movie goers enjoyed it. If you saw it, please let me know what you thought of it.

Today’s video has nothing to do with Hell Ride, really, other than the fact that it’s from a movie and it’s about bikers. It’s a clip from the classic movie “The Wild One.”

“Chopper Zombie” is a new graphic novel created by Thom Beers (yes, the same guy that brought us “Monster Garage” and “Deadliest Catch”), which was unveiled last month at Comic Con. For the occasion, a custom-built zombie chopper was created by Russell Mitchell and Exile Cycles (dressed with specially created zombie parts).

Image borrowed from Dread Central. View entire gallery of photos from the event there!

Beers got the idea to create a chopper/zombie movie for his ten-year old son, melding his own love for choppers and his son’s love for zombies. The graphic novel (and eventual movie-due to go into production in 2009) is about a motorcycle builder who refuses to sell his formula for a new super-fuel to a dangerous corporation. When a team of thugs drowns him in his own toxic creation, he rises from the dead with a score to settle. It sounds a bit like “The Crow” with motorcycles, but I’ll take it! You can be sure that I’ll be following any news about the movie when production starts.

Go to http://www.chopperzombie.com to check out pages from the graphic novel!

Choppers and zombies are two great tastes that taste great together (not to mention trendy these days)! Since I was unsuccessful in finding any videos of this event from San Diego’s 2008 Comic Con, I decided to go with a video of Russell Mitchell and Exile Cycles celebrating their 10 yr. anniversary.

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

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

My name is Chrissy and I’m working with FX Network to help promote their fall premieres. I noticed your recent post regarding the upcoming series premiere of “Sons of Anarchy”, and I wanted to follow up and provide you with some additional digital assets and information in support of the series.

SONS OF ANARCHY
Series premiere - Wednesday, September 3rd at 10:00pm

Official Press Release: Coming Soon, but here’s a sneak peek:
“FX Network’s new original series, Sons of Anarchy, is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that. Charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegally thriving arms business. The seduction of money, power, and blood.”

In addition, FX Network is hosting offline events in support of the premiere. I know you’re based in New England, but thought that you or your readers might be interested in the following “Sons of Anarchy” motorcycle rally events:

Fri Aug.8-Sunday Aug. 10
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Sturgis, SD

Saturday, Aug. 16
Salute to American Veterans
Winter Park, CO

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if there’s
any additional information I can provide you!

Best,
Chrissy

So, there you go everyone! If anyone is going to Sturgis drop me a line!

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

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

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

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

Sorry things have been quiet around here lately. You know how summer time is, everyone wants to be outdoors either riding or vacationing (not reading or writing blogs, ha ha!). I managed to take off to NH for a week and enjoy some of the nice weather we’ve been having (in between a lot of the rain, of course!).

Here’s a custom motorcycle company that’s come to home for me: Red Wing Motorcycles started by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (who are from Boston for those that don’t know). They debuted their first motorcycles back in 2007 and have an interesting, retro feel to them. What do you guys think of them?

And if you’re a huge Aerosmith fan, each bike is signed by Steven Tyler himself!

So, today’s video is of course, by Aerosmith and is one of my favorite songs.

Relative unknown, Charlie Hunnam stars as the conflicted hero, torn between the love of the brotherhood and the apprehension of its lawlessness. Ron Perlman (Hellboy) is his step-father and club president and Katie Sagal (Peg Bundy from “Married with Children”) is Mom. And you know there is all sorts of dark family drama to go along!

Look for “Sons of Anarchy” on September 3rd. If you’re completely jazzed and need your SoA fix now you can go to the official FX page or check out their MySpace profile!

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

This exclusive HD ring was designed by Karen Davidson

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

View more photos of this magnificient beast at funtasticus.com

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

Anyone else still eager to see it?

Sorry, I have to interject here: do you think if Jesse wasn’t married to Sandra Bullock that he’d even CARE about skincare at all? That he’d even know what the hell Kiehls was?

Photograph courtesy of Kiehl’s and Vanity Fair.

“I’m not metrosexual or anything,” insists James, whose ruggedness—or maybe his baby-smooth cheeks—has gained the charms of wife Sandra Bullock. “But I’m pretty fuckin’ hard on my skin.”

Mhmm.

Well, that didn’t stop Jesse from slapping his name on a Kiehl’s exclusive Jesse James Dopp Kit which includes: Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, “White Eagle” Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream, Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap, Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment and a deluxe sample of Ultimate Strength Hand Salve for a mere $66.

Anyway, here’s the accompanying video to the motorcycle build. Jesse’s not in it, but the end result isn’t too shabby.