Published in V-Twin Magazine and Easyriders Magazine, 2007
You know that whenever you ride, people are checking you out. Most of them can see the look of contentment and freedom on your face. It’s something they can only dream of while they are sitting there in their cars.
Well, for everyone that took part in the 8th Annual Fort Lauderdale Harley Davidson Bikers Bash presented by V-Twin Magazine down sunny South Florida December 8th-10th, even the cops were there to help rub it in. All weekend long, the V.I.P riders were treated to a police escort, stopping traffic along the way, as they rode around town for the weekend. And the best part of the whole deal - it was all for a good cause!
The Bikers Bash weekend was filled with good food, great riding, an awesome Charity Auction, live entertainment and more. The event was set up as a benefit for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Chairman Jeff Cheek, honorary Chairs Bruce Rossmeyer and the Chief of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Max Osceola, made sure that everything was top notch all the way around.
With over 600 people taking part, the Bash raised over $185,000, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Clubs, working hard to make the community a “Positive Place for Kids”.
To top off the weekend, all of the riders were given the opportunity to be at the front of the pack for the “Christmas Toys in the Sun Run”, one of the oldest and largest group rides in the country.
The 19th Annual Toy Run was a bittersweet success, as the founder of the event, Bob Amchir, passed away just days before this year’s run. With nearly 40,000 riders and over 73,000 people showing up for the ride through Fort Lauderdale, over $576,000 was raised for the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. Most of the bikes had presents strapped to their bikes that were all donated some special children could have something to open at Christmas.
So next year, when you are looking for a place to ride in December, and be treated like a V.I.P. for the weekend, be sure to remember the Bikers Bash. It is guaranteed to be an awesome weekend of food, entertainment and riding… all for a great cause.
For more information on next year’s Bikers Bash, check out www.bikersbash.org.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A Trip to Biker Heaven
Published in V-Twin Magazine, March 2008
Imagine heading up to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina for the Fourth of July. It’s known to be one of the best places to go for an awesome ride, but your bike is out of commission, needing some major engine work. To make it worse, add the fact that you will be spending a week with all of your in-laws, including eight kids under the age of seven, all under one roof. It’s enough to drive anybody a little nuts, right?
Now to be fair, I love my family, really I do. But a week, all together, with no bike? That may be asking a bit much. Thankfully my wife is not only beautiful, but very understanding. She practically demanded that I find a place up there to rent a bike for the week.
With the internet, it really is easy finding a place to rent a bike. If you know you are looking for a Harley, just check out the Harley website and you can find a listing of all the places to rent from, anywhere in the country. I knew which bike I wanted to rent, so after a little hunting around I found a dealer not too far from where we were going to be staying. I made a few phone calls and secured myself a nice 2007 Street Glide for the week from Tilley Harley Davidson in Statesville, NC.
I spent two days driving our big boys up from Ft. Lauderdale. I let my wife fly up with our new baby. Again, I wasn’t too excited about spending a week up there, but knowing that I was going to have a bike to satisfy my riding fix, I at least had something to daydream about. Finally we made it up to where we were staying, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
The day after we got there, I headed over to the dealership to pick up my bike. It was a Sunday morning, and I was there as soon as they opened the doors. The rental manager, Kris Kerley, was great and had everything ready to go for me. Shortly after signing my life away on all of the forms, they gave me the keys and I was on the road. Almost as soon as I pulled off the lot I came to the realization that I was no longer in North Carolina…I had gone to biker heaven.
Having done almost all of my riding in downtown Fort Lauderdale, with crazy cage drivers, traffic jams, 90 degree turns, pancake flat roads and stop lights every 500 feet. When I drove off the lot at Tilley’s, I found myself on a rolling, tree-lined, two-lane road with nobody around but a few farmers and some horses. You just don’t get to ride on roads like this anywhere in South Florida. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees, with a little breeze. The bike, with its six-speeds, bigger engine, CD player and fairing wasn’t like anything I had ever been on before. Like I said…it was heaven.
I made sure to scope out a nice scenic route back to Blowing Rock from Statesville, which was only about an hour away. That is an hour away from the house with the in-laws. An hour away from the eight kids, and all the noise that goes with them.
So that hour ride back turned into two. And then, oops, I made a wrong turn that turned it into three. When I finally got back to the house, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It’s amazing what a little time in the saddle can do for your spirits, and your sanity.
Over the course of the next few days I would spend the mornings going on hikes with the family, hanging out at the parks and visiting the sights in Blowing Rock and nearby Boone. Then in the afternoons, when it was time for the kids to get a little rest, I hit the road.
While I was there, I was able to get a couple of rides in on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I usually headed south from Blowing Rock to a place called Little Switzerland. Coming from the straight, flat roads I was used to, it took a little time figuring out the tight cornering and changes in elevation. After awhile I was feeling comfortable and having a blast. It may have been my imagination, but when I was riding out on the Parkway, I’m pretty sure the bikes outnumbered the cars. I was able to meet a few other bikers enjoying the day whenever I stopped at the scenic mountain lookout points. North Carolina really is a biker’s heaven.
At the end of the week, it was time for me to bring the bike back. I made sure I left early in the morning so I could get a few more hours in the saddle before getting back into the minivan. The weather was perfect, just like it had been all week. When I got back to the dealership, the guy behind the counter didn’t even have to ask me if I enjoyed myself. The satisfaction was clearly written all over my face. I can only assume being where they are, they get a lot of city folk heading up there renting bikes, and they probably all come back with the same silly look of satisfaction that I had.
From now on, any family trips we take that I can’t bring my own bike, we will be adding a line to the budget for “Bike Rental”.
For information on renting a Harley Davidson from an authorized rental dealership, check out www.harleydavidson.com
If you are riding in the Carolinas, check out Tilley Harley Davidson at www.tilleyhd.com
Imagine heading up to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina for the Fourth of July. It’s known to be one of the best places to go for an awesome ride, but your bike is out of commission, needing some major engine work. To make it worse, add the fact that you will be spending a week with all of your in-laws, including eight kids under the age of seven, all under one roof. It’s enough to drive anybody a little nuts, right?
Now to be fair, I love my family, really I do. But a week, all together, with no bike? That may be asking a bit much. Thankfully my wife is not only beautiful, but very understanding. She practically demanded that I find a place up there to rent a bike for the week.
With the internet, it really is easy finding a place to rent a bike. If you know you are looking for a Harley, just check out the Harley website and you can find a listing of all the places to rent from, anywhere in the country. I knew which bike I wanted to rent, so after a little hunting around I found a dealer not too far from where we were going to be staying. I made a few phone calls and secured myself a nice 2007 Street Glide for the week from Tilley Harley Davidson in Statesville, NC.
I spent two days driving our big boys up from Ft. Lauderdale. I let my wife fly up with our new baby. Again, I wasn’t too excited about spending a week up there, but knowing that I was going to have a bike to satisfy my riding fix, I at least had something to daydream about. Finally we made it up to where we were staying, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
The day after we got there, I headed over to the dealership to pick up my bike. It was a Sunday morning, and I was there as soon as they opened the doors. The rental manager, Kris Kerley, was great and had everything ready to go for me. Shortly after signing my life away on all of the forms, they gave me the keys and I was on the road. Almost as soon as I pulled off the lot I came to the realization that I was no longer in North Carolina…I had gone to biker heaven.
Having done almost all of my riding in downtown Fort Lauderdale, with crazy cage drivers, traffic jams, 90 degree turns, pancake flat roads and stop lights every 500 feet. When I drove off the lot at Tilley’s, I found myself on a rolling, tree-lined, two-lane road with nobody around but a few farmers and some horses. You just don’t get to ride on roads like this anywhere in South Florida. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees, with a little breeze. The bike, with its six-speeds, bigger engine, CD player and fairing wasn’t like anything I had ever been on before. Like I said…it was heaven.
I made sure to scope out a nice scenic route back to Blowing Rock from Statesville, which was only about an hour away. That is an hour away from the house with the in-laws. An hour away from the eight kids, and all the noise that goes with them.
So that hour ride back turned into two. And then, oops, I made a wrong turn that turned it into three. When I finally got back to the house, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It’s amazing what a little time in the saddle can do for your spirits, and your sanity.
Over the course of the next few days I would spend the mornings going on hikes with the family, hanging out at the parks and visiting the sights in Blowing Rock and nearby Boone. Then in the afternoons, when it was time for the kids to get a little rest, I hit the road.
While I was there, I was able to get a couple of rides in on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I usually headed south from Blowing Rock to a place called Little Switzerland. Coming from the straight, flat roads I was used to, it took a little time figuring out the tight cornering and changes in elevation. After awhile I was feeling comfortable and having a blast. It may have been my imagination, but when I was riding out on the Parkway, I’m pretty sure the bikes outnumbered the cars. I was able to meet a few other bikers enjoying the day whenever I stopped at the scenic mountain lookout points. North Carolina really is a biker’s heaven.
At the end of the week, it was time for me to bring the bike back. I made sure I left early in the morning so I could get a few more hours in the saddle before getting back into the minivan. The weather was perfect, just like it had been all week. When I got back to the dealership, the guy behind the counter didn’t even have to ask me if I enjoyed myself. The satisfaction was clearly written all over my face. I can only assume being where they are, they get a lot of city folk heading up there renting bikes, and they probably all come back with the same silly look of satisfaction that I had.
From now on, any family trips we take that I can’t bring my own bike, we will be adding a line to the budget for “Bike Rental”.
For information on renting a Harley Davidson from an authorized rental dealership, check out www.harleydavidson.com
If you are riding in the Carolinas, check out Tilley Harley Davidson at www.tilleyhd.com
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Cincinnati Holds Promise
Published in US Rider News, April 2008
A few years ago when the economy was hot and everything in the motorcycle industry was booming, the hot ticket were the custom made, one-off choppers. Bikes were being built on television and with plenty of disposable income, spending $40K or $50K + on these bikes wasn’t such a big deal. This past year with the housing bubble busted and disposable income dwindling, there is more supply than demand and companies are having to find new ways to stay in business.
But the worst of it may be over, according to the majority of attendees at the 8th Annual V-Twin Expo by Easyriders in Cincinnati.
John Parham, President of J&P Cycles, said he was very upbeat after walking through the expo and talking with all of the dealers and industry people in attendance. “The industry keeps moving with its trends.” He added that the industry’s lifeblood is its new products, and coming to the show you see “all of the little companies coming out with unique products that really showcase their creativity.” When asked about his feelings on the Expo and the industry as a whole, he replied, “It is all very upbeat. I’m excited about how optimistic everyone here is.”
Custom bike icon Arlen Ness was also pleasantly surprised at how well things were going this year. “Expecting the ‘doom and gloom’ we’ve had for the past few years, things are really good here.”
Not everyone was as carefree and optimistic about the coming year. There were a number of attendees concerned about the changes in the market place, specifically with an increase in product availability through the internet. Addressing some of these concerns was a well attended V-Twin Exclusive seminar titled “Survival of the Fittest.” The panel of guests consisted of industry veterans Bert Baker of Baker Drivetrains, Rick Fairless from Stroker’s Dallas and Click Baldwin from Carolina Harley Davidson. Several dealers in attendance brought up the issue of customers buying products on-line and bringing it into their local shop for installation. “What do you do when a guy comes to you with a tire, or an exhaust system he bought either mailorder or on the internet?”
Everyone on the panel agreed that you can’t just tell the guy to get out of your shop. One of the best suggestions from the panel was to give the guy “one freebie.” That’s it. You don’t have to be rude about it, but try to explain to the guy that he wouldn’t bring his own eggs to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for him. It’s the same in the bike industry. A shop isn’t going to survive on labor alone. So you give him his one freebie, and hopefully he comes back. Remind him also that when they buy the product from you, there is a warranty with it. If it’s an exhaust system, and something goes wrong, he is going to get charged for putting the system on. He’ll get charged again for taking the system off. Then he is pretty much on his own to do battle with the company he bought the stuff from. If he gets it replaced, he is going to come back and get charged again for putting the stuff back on. The prices are not that different from the catalog, and he’ll have a lot less trouble in the long run if he just buys it from you.
“I make sure they know that we will guarantee the lowest price,” said Rick Fairless of Stroker’s Dallas. “If the guy tells me he can get the part for $250, but my price is $300, I’ll do it for the $250. I’m not going to lose money on the deal, but if I can work with the guy, I will.” This is coming from a guy that on a typical Sunday afternoon has over 2,000 bikes hanging out in his parking lot.
Click Baldwin, President of the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealer Association agreed to be on the panel, although he was concerned he might be viewed as the “Big, Bad Harley Dealer.” Baldwin told the standing room only crowd how important it is to give the customer a reason to come to the shop, and when he or she gets there to make them feel like part of the family. He and Fairless both use email newsletters to keep in constant contact with their customers. “The first thing we try to do when somebody new walks in the shop is to get their email address,” remarked Baldwin.
to get their email address,” remarked Baldwin.
A few years ago when the economy was hot and everything in the motorcycle industry was booming, the hot ticket were the custom made, one-off choppers. Bikes were being built on television and with plenty of disposable income, spending $40K or $50K + on these bikes wasn’t such a big deal. This past year with the housing bubble busted and disposable income dwindling, there is more supply than demand and companies are having to find new ways to stay in business.
But the worst of it may be over, according to the majority of attendees at the 8th Annual V-Twin Expo by Easyriders in Cincinnati.
John Parham, President of J&P Cycles, said he was very upbeat after walking through the expo and talking with all of the dealers and industry people in attendance. “The industry keeps moving with its trends.” He added that the industry’s lifeblood is its new products, and coming to the show you see “all of the little companies coming out with unique products that really showcase their creativity.” When asked about his feelings on the Expo and the industry as a whole, he replied, “It is all very upbeat. I’m excited about how optimistic everyone here is.”
Custom bike icon Arlen Ness was also pleasantly surprised at how well things were going this year. “Expecting the ‘doom and gloom’ we’ve had for the past few years, things are really good here.”
Not everyone was as carefree and optimistic about the coming year. There were a number of attendees concerned about the changes in the market place, specifically with an increase in product availability through the internet. Addressing some of these concerns was a well attended V-Twin Exclusive seminar titled “Survival of the Fittest.” The panel of guests consisted of industry veterans Bert Baker of Baker Drivetrains, Rick Fairless from Stroker’s Dallas and Click Baldwin from Carolina Harley Davidson. Several dealers in attendance brought up the issue of customers buying products on-line and bringing it into their local shop for installation. “What do you do when a guy comes to you with a tire, or an exhaust system he bought either mailorder or on the internet?”
Everyone on the panel agreed that you can’t just tell the guy to get out of your shop. One of the best suggestions from the panel was to give the guy “one freebie.” That’s it. You don’t have to be rude about it, but try to explain to the guy that he wouldn’t bring his own eggs to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for him. It’s the same in the bike industry. A shop isn’t going to survive on labor alone. So you give him his one freebie, and hopefully he comes back. Remind him also that when they buy the product from you, there is a warranty with it. If it’s an exhaust system, and something goes wrong, he is going to get charged for putting the system on. He’ll get charged again for taking the system off. Then he is pretty much on his own to do battle with the company he bought the stuff from. If he gets it replaced, he is going to come back and get charged again for putting the stuff back on. The prices are not that different from the catalog, and he’ll have a lot less trouble in the long run if he just buys it from you.
“I make sure they know that we will guarantee the lowest price,” said Rick Fairless of Stroker’s Dallas. “If the guy tells me he can get the part for $250, but my price is $300, I’ll do it for the $250. I’m not going to lose money on the deal, but if I can work with the guy, I will.” This is coming from a guy that on a typical Sunday afternoon has over 2,000 bikes hanging out in his parking lot.
Click Baldwin, President of the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealer Association agreed to be on the panel, although he was concerned he might be viewed as the “Big, Bad Harley Dealer.” Baldwin told the standing room only crowd how important it is to give the customer a reason to come to the shop, and when he or she gets there to make them feel like part of the family. He and Fairless both use email newsletters to keep in constant contact with their customers. “The first thing we try to do when somebody new walks in the shop is to get their email address,” remarked Baldwin.
to get their email address,” remarked Baldwin.
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