Cycle Connections

Each spring since 1999 the congregation at Heart of God Fellowship in Buckner, Missouri, has hosted a special service welcoming members of the motorcycle community. The 2016 Biker Sunday was held on April 17. There was plenty of room for hundreds of motorcycles in the church parking lot and lots of room for the riders in the huge tent where the service took place. The weather was great for riding, and the sides were removed from the tent just prior to the service providing good air circulation for everyone’s comfort. To get things rolling, Knucklehead Mike rode the church’s 1942…

During the weekend of February 12 through 14, Bartle Hall in Kansas City was the venue for the 56th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels presented by Weld Engineering Performance. The show is part of the Championship Auto Shows series held in various U.S. cities and Canada. As always, World of Wheels fills Bartle Hall with sports cars, classic cars, street rods, race cars, rat rods, motorcycles, and vendor booths. Ticket prices for the show were $18 for adults and $6 for children aged 6 to 12. Discount tickets were available at O’Reilly Auto Parts stores.

Motorcycles are a source of great fun. However, through the years we have found many ways of putting our rides to work. Recognizing this, the Santa Fe Trail Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America selected “Bikes of Service” as the theme for the 7th Annual Mid-Winter Vintage Motorcycle Show held at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence, Kansas, on Super Bowl Sunday,

  On Saturday, January 2, bikers gathered in the Langmade Room at Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary for the 12th Annual Christian Biker Workshop sponsored by Cycle Disciples M/C. Coffee and donuts were provided by the host club. There were 43 in attendance including members of several Christian groups such as Christian Motorcyclists Association, Bikers for Christ, and Heart of God Fellowship.

Sunday Dec 13, 2015 was a great day in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was the location for the 11th Annual Hogs & Heifers Miracle on 3rd Street Toys for Tots Motorcycle Run. This great event is held every year to brighten Christmas for children at Sunrise Children’s Hospital, and Hogs & Heifers teamed up with the Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation for the event.

Front (L-R): Kelly Springer, Sheri Miller, Mel Foster Middle (L-R): Sonja Griffith, Cheryl Sperry, Pam Fedrick Back (L-R): Doug Earnshaw, Jeff Franzeskos On October 25, 2015 a group of fewer than 10 friends with heavy hearts in Lee’s Summit, orchestrated the Fallen Heroes ride to help raise money for the families of Larry Leggio and John Mesh. Many media outlets have reported that we were blessed with over 1,200 riders that day raising in excess of thirty-five thousand dollars. Unfortunately, what most are unaware of is HOW it all came together in merely six days. With none of us having…

A motorcycle run on Halloween? YES! If you’re in Vegas, it happens! On October 31, 2015, 300+ riders showed up for the Marine Corps Las Vegas 9th Annual Toys for Tots Motorcycle Run. Marines brought out the “Big Truck” to haul all the toys. The American Legion Riders from Post 40 donated $250 worth of toys, and other motorcycle clubs, riders associations, and Independents also donated lots of toys.

The Iron Warriors MC, Beartooth Montana Chapter, are a group of firefighters and police officers who each year, for the past 10 years, have hosted a fundraiser to benefit the firefighters and police officers (and their families) who have been wounded or lost their lives in the line of duty.

Proceeds from the annual S.C.A.R. poker run go to assist Cancer Action of Kansas City. That organization’s mission statement is, “As a caring community of professionals and volunteers, Cancer Action is dedicated to reducing distress and improving the quality of life for those living with, through and beyond cancer; and promote education, prevention early detection to reduce the impact of cancer in the greater Kansas City area.” Their vision statement is, “Cancer Action compassionately provides program and supportive services for those living with, through and beyond cancer in the Kansas City area.” Cancer Action provides free services such as practical…

  Travel weather on Thursday, October 22, was cool and wet. Still, plenty of bikers headed for Sparks America Campground near tiny Sparks, Oklahoma for the annual Biker Halloween Bash. Live music was scheduled for every night of the party including Skillet Lickers (Thursday), Blue Trixter and Blind Date (Friday), and New Dynasty and Lip Service (Saturday), so there was plenty of entertainment after the sun went down. The daylight hours, as always, were also packed with fun entertainment.

Congratulations to all of the award winners at the 2015 Sparks America Halloween Bash.  Apologies to any we missed photographing.

Thursday, October 8, 2015 was the date, and Shawnee Cycle Plaza was the place for the 4th Annual Biker Diva Fashion Show. Not only did the guests get to see lots of great motorcycle clothing and accessories, but they also contributed money to benefit Susan G. Komen Greater Kansas City in the fight against breast cancer.

On October 17, 2015, a group of bikers from the Kansas City area met at the Grand River Rally Campgrounds in Urich, MO to support a favorite tattoo artist who had been injured. Rod Creamer, owner of Sideshow Tattoo in Sugar Creek, Missouri had fallen down a flight of stairs and shattered two vertebrae. Having no insurance, the medical bills were weighing heavily on his family.

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.