Cycle Connections

October signals the start of fall; the time changes, Halloween and the biggest most exciting thing to happen in the southeast pertaining to the motorcycle community. I say the southeast, but it’s a pretty big deal for people from all over the country and from a few other countries as well, I’m talking about the Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, which takes place October 9-11.

Again this year, all of Kansas City is proud to be the home of the nation’s number one Bikers for Babies® event with $650,000 raised for the March of Dimes mission and more than 5,000 participants including 4,300 who registered to ride. Beginning in 1995 with 130 riders and $3,000 raised, the total contribution of riders, sponsors, and donors has grown to more than $8 million for March of Dimes-Kansas Chapter. The RIDE began and ended in the infield at Kansas Speedway for the 15th consecutive year. It’s a perfect venue for an event of this magnitude!  

On September 18 and 19, more than 40 motor officers representing 11 law enforcement agencies competed in the Heartland Police Motorcycle Challenge held at Gail’s Harley-Davidson in Grandview, Missouri. Friday’s weather was rainy, but still permitted open course training and the partner barrel race competition for which riders chose their partners, and the two bikes were linked with a tether having a magnetic link in the middle so that it would separate if the bikes got too far apart as they weaved through the course side by side. Each team had two runs through the course with the quickest run…

Saturday, August 22, 2015 was the date, and The Bar in Lee’s Summit, Missouri was the location for Sarah’s Ride. This wonderful event included a beautiful scenic ride with two stops, and ending back at the Bar. The ride was to help cover some of Sarah Sietstra;s countless medical bills in her fight against breast cancer.

The Burkett Center is part of the Jefferson County School system and yet they are probably the least known. They have a far greater reach than that of the other schools in that it accepts students from ALL around the Jefferson County School system area and sadly, may be the least funded. Without a doubt, it has to be the cleanest, best smelling school.

The 1st Annual Bike Night and Bike Show fundraiser was held on August 18, 2015 at Z Lounge, which is located at the Zamora Shrine Temple Center in Irondale, Alabama.

On Saturday, August the 22nd 2015, one of the most anticipated events of the year took place at the Saints Club House in Huntsville, Alabama, where “Big Skinny” and Karen Neely joined their souls together in marriage.

Sunday, September 13, 2015 was such a beautiful and slightly cool morning as the glistening dew on the grass greeted the bikes that rolled into Barber Motorsports Park for the Ride for Kid’s benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

On Saturday, September 12, thousands of motorcyclists gathered at Gail’s Harley-Davidson in Grandview, Missouri, to pay tribute to those who perished on September 11, 2001, as a result of terrorist attacks and to honor military veterans and active military, police, and emergency services personnel.

On Sunday, August 23, motorcyclists gathered at The Brass Rail Sports Bar, Restaurant, & Pool Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, for the 6th Annual Missouri Patriot Express Dice Run, a fund raiser for Fisher House and Operation Military Embrace, a non-profit organization assisting military families during hospitalization, illness, or injury.

Here are photos of those winning awards at the 40th Anniversary Labor Day Rally at Perry Lake, Kansas.  Awards are for Motorcycle Olympics, Bike Show, and Dirt Drag Races.  The lovely "trophy girl" is Tamera, a.k.a. Georgia Peach.  Congrats to all the winners.

Dates for the 40th Annual Labor Day Rally hosted by A.B.A.T.E. of Kansas at scenic Perry Lake were September 4 through 7. Paradise Point, located on the east side of the lake far to the north, is a great location with an abundance of shaded camping. There were several new features this year including a vendor area, beer garden, and a day stage behind the showers, a zip line, and wrestling.

Many thoughts were running through my mind this year in anticipation of our road trip to the 75th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Part of me was excited as usual, to hit the road again with our Sturgis crew, but another part of me was somewhat apprehensive due to all the hype and anticipated crowds, with it being the 75th anniversary. This would likely mean longer lines at the fuel stops, lots of newbies crashing, burning, and doing stupid things, and bikes overheating while trying to make it through all the traffic in and around Sturgis. As departure day approached, and…

My ride to the 75th Annual Black Hills Rally began with a short run on Friday, July 31, to rural Wathena, Kansas, spending the first night at the home of Editor Mike’s mom. The hospitality was much appreciated. On Saturday morning, we rode into town for a rendezvous with a group of friends to begin the first day’s trek to Ogalallah, Nebraska.

Motorcycle racing has been at the heart of the Sturgis Rally since its origin. The man known as the father of the Black Hills Rally was Clarence “Pappy” Hoel who owned an Indian Motorcycle franchise in Sturgis and was one of the founders of the Jackpine Gypsies club in 1936. The Gypsies’ first event was known as the Black Hills Classic, a single motorcycle race with nine racers and a few spectators. From that modest beginning, attendance at the rally experienced remarkable growth.

Nine years ago on August 10, 2006, Larry “Mad Dog” Rogers lost his battle with cancer, and the rest of us lost one of the sweetest men you’d have ever wanted to meet. It was a very sad time at Rider’s Harley-Davidson where “Dog” was the parts manager for 16 years. Everyone loved him. He made all of his customers feel like he was there just for them, and that what they wanted or needed was important to him.

The 3rd Annual Mike’s Ride began on July 18 at The Bar in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with registration and breakfast. Ride fees were $25 per rider and $10 per passenger with proceeds going to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Raffle tickets were sold for a chance to win a beautiful customized 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Poker run prizes were $100 for the best hand and $50 for the worst. There were also some nice raffle prizes.

Check out this year's photos of Sturgis bikers Photos by Stripe and Doc Lonnie Blum

Check out our photos of babes at the 75th Annual Sturgis Rally. Photos by Stripe and Doc Lonnie Blum

Every year the art works of motorcycling's Rembrandts and Picassos on canvases of metal are on display in the streets and vendor spaces of Sturgis.  Check out some that got our attention. Photos by Stripe and Doc Lonnie Blum