Cycle Connections

Years ago, when I worked in a large corporate office, management would come up with various team building exercises to help build comradery and motivate employees to work better together; however, none of the them were near as cool as what Shawnee Cycle Plaza owner Barry Bunner and his management team came up with.

The Lost Girls MC 10th Annual Breast Cancer Ride was held on October 5, 2014 in Visalia, California. The theme for this year’s ride was “Tutus for TATAs.” This was also the first year the boys were allowed to join the girls.

If you’re a fan of the classics, the “Old Guys,” you would have loved this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. If you were part of the 70 something thousand people who were there, you know what I’m talking about.

About 100 bikes gathered at Rider’s Harley-Davidson on Saturday, September 20 for the 5th Annual Ride for the Burkett Center in Morris, Alabama. This wonderful event is sponsored by the Burkett Center P.T.A and assisted by the C.H.R.O.M.E Cross Cruisers.

I had hoped to begin my trip to Sparks for the annual Biker Halloween Party on Thursday, October 24, but my departure was delayed until early Friday morning. Bike games were already in progress when I arrived at about 11:30, so I postponed setting up camp until later in the day and instead headed for the “playground” area. Friday’s bike games and people games included plank ride, horseshoe toss, basketball shoot, potato race (with tennis balls), titty licking, buff the woody, wienie bite, keg toss (men’s and women’s), drinking and riding (Don’t try this at home.), butt darts, dizzy race,…

Thursday, October 16, 2014 was a beautiful evening at Shawnee Cycle Plaza for their 3rd Annual Biker Diva Fashion Show, which was evident by all the guests who rode their motorcycles to the event. This free fashion show caters to women riders, and features the latest bier diva fashions.

Worth Harley-Davidson was the location for our last cover bike & cover model search of the riding season, which took place on Thursday, September 25, 2014, and coincided with their weekly bike night.

Kansas City is the home of the nation’s number one Bikers for Babies® fundraiser. Starting in 1995 with 130 riders and $3,000 raised, the event has seen phenomenal growth. The 20th annual RIDE attracted more than 5,200 riders and approximately an additional 1,000 people to Kansas Speedway with donations of more than $800,000 bringing the total raised to over $7.7 million. This year’s amount included $100,000 each from the NASCAR Foundation and Kansas Speedway resulting from Don Post’s selection as the winner of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian of the Year Award in December, 2013, and an additional $20,000 donated…

The Valley Cycle Association (VCA) End of Summer Run took place on September 27, 2014 in Exeter California. Bikers from VCA, 5 Diamonds MC, Kinfolk MC, Ninety 9 Saints MC, Sinnister MC, B.A.C.A. Bakersfield Chapter, and other riders showed up to support the run.

It was a beautiful, bright, crisp Sunday morning on September the 21, 2014, as hundreds of bikes rolled into the Barber Motorsports Park in anticipation of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundations “Ride for Kids” event in Alabama.

On September 19 and 20, Gail’s Harley-Davidson hosted the Heartland Police Motorcycle Challenge for 2014. Twenty-six riders from 12 different law enforcement agencies registered for the event. The maze of cones marking the course was set up in the parking lot directly behind the dealership rather than using the lower lot which would have been farther from restrooms and less convenient for spectators. Having less available space than past locations, the course was more compact and therefore more challenging for the competitors. Practice was conducted on Friday, and the competition took place on Saturday.

On Sunday, August 24, 2014 riders gathered at The Brass Rail Sports Bar, Restaurant, & Pool Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, for the 2014 Missouri Patriot Express Dice Run to raise money for Fisher House and Operation Military Embrace, a non-profit organization providing assistance to military families during hospitalization, illness, or injury.

The 1st Annual Blues, Booze and Bar “B” Que took place from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday September 6, 2014 at the Ararat Shrine Temple in Kansas City, Missouri, which is located at 5100 Ararat Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64129. This festive event was a fundraiser for the Ararat Shriners General Fund, and for only $25, you were treated to a delicious menu that included brisket, turkey, pulled pork, sausage, BBQ beans, slaw, and corn on the cob. Beer, soft drinks, tea and water were included, and there was a cash bar for those wished to enjoy a mixed drink.

On Thursday, September 18, 2014, from 2-6 p.m., Indian Motorcycle Kansas City invited Indian motorcycle enthusiast and tire kickers back to their dealership once again for an event entitled Scout’s First Run. When Stripe and I pulled into the dealership, the first thing that caught your eye, was a shiny black Indian SUV attached to a shiny red trailer with an image of a red Indian Scout on the sides, and huge lettering on the back and sides that read “INTRODUCING THE 2015 INDIAN SCOUT - NOTHING ELSE.” As you can see in the photo below, the image of the…

On Saturday, September 13, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts 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.  The rally began at 9:00 a.m. and featured vendors, children’s activities, and displays of current and vintage military and emergency services vehicles. Dora the Explorer, a Remotec robot belonging to the 509th Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit from Whiteman Air Force Base, was in need some cleaning up, and bikini bike wash girls Elly Jean and…

Dates for the 39th Annual National Labor Day Rally hosted by A.B.A.T.E. of Kansas at Perry Lake’s Paradise Point were August 29 through September 1. The gates opened at noon on Friday. Rain was forecast on and off all weekend, but fortunately Friday’s showers were mainly far to the north. Members of A.B.A.T.E. or other motorcycle rights organizations were admitted for $25 and non-members paid $40. An additional $20 was charged for recreational vehicles, campers, and all-terrain vehicles. Members of the military were eligible for a discount.

For over 30 years, the King’s Ranch and Hannah Homes have been home to hundreds of young people, women and children seeking refuge, hope and help from abuse, neglect, abandonment, homelessness, and other difficult circumstances. They also provide residential group home services in eighteen Christ-centered homes, located in three different counties, teaching the necessary skills and providing tangible services to help the residents heal from their devastating past, breaking the cycle of abuse, building healthy relationships and helping them to become independent, productive members of society.

Check out this year's collection of Sturgis babes photos! Latest from Mike Schweder

The anticipation of our annual road trip to Sturgis is almost too much to handle. This is our favorite ride of the year, and the only opportunity we have to meet up with some of our good friends and riding buddies from around the country. We woke up early on Saturday, August 2, and made our way over to Danny and Amanda’s house, where Nichole hopped in our support vehicle with Amanda, before heading north on I-29 out of Kansas City to meet up with the rest of our group at the rest stop on I-29 between Platte City and…

Check out this year's collection of Sturgis bikes! Photos by Stripe and Mike Schweder