Cyclerides.com
Weekly Update
9/29/10
Greetings Riders,
Hallelujah! For those of us that are
ready for the extended Summer temperatures to take a break, it looks like that
time is finally coming. I checked the extended forecast and it
looks like break we have been looking for will start a week from today as we
will see the mid to high 80's for the following week. That is what we have all
been looking for. Layering will soon be the norm as we leave for early
morning breakfast rides, which will be a welcomed change.
This week I have some unique photos
for you as I combined 2 of my passions, motorcycles and flying into one trip.
As a lot of you know, in December of 2008 I fulfilled a life long
dream of mine by earning my private pilot license. My Dad and Mom were both
pilots and I still remember when I was about 5 years old, they would put me in
the back of the old Piper Cub and go flying. As a result, flying was in my blood
and something that I had been wanting to do for about 45 years. So I
finally carved out the time, got it done and scratched another thing off of my
bucket list. It was one of those things that could easily have been pushed off
another 10 years, but I am so glad I finally made myself do it before I got too
old.
While motorcycling is still my
primary passion, and a lot cheaper to participate in, the intrigue of flying is
right up there and I always look for ways to combine them. Scouting
roads to ride is one good way. But last weekend it was for another reason.
My daughters in-laws, who live in Visalia, CA were throwing a belated wedding
reception for them so that his friends and family could celebrate their wedding.
Mrs. C. and I wanted to attend, so immediately I said "Road Trip"! The only
problem was, riding across the desert through Palm Springs at 110 degrees didn't
see all that appealing. Been there, done that and it wasn't that much fun.
So I went to plan B and came up with
the idea to beat the heat and quickly knock out 2 things that I
have been wanting to do. Fly to Catalina Island and see the special motorcycle
exhibit at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Seemed like a good excuse to
accomplish both in the same trip.
For some reason, I have always wanted
to fly to Catalina Island, just off the coast of California and land at the
airport there. It is an old runway built in the early 40's by
the Wrigley family, who owned the island. They literally carved off the highest
peak at 1600 ft. elevation to put in the 3000 foot strip leaving a cliff on
each end of the
runway. And back then, their levels must not have been that
good because there is a 40 foot drop from one end of the runway to the
other. The words "go around" being broadcast over the frequency 122.7 from
pilot's coming into Catalina are common as they try to land there for the first
time. Doesn't sound like that much fun, but the thrill seeker that I am, it was
a challenge that I was ready to conquer.
So we left here at 8:00am Friday
morning arriving in Catalina Island at 10:50am. We did a quick
sight seeing tour around Avalon
and Two
Harbors and made our way back around to make our attempt to
land. After reading so many pilot stories about landing at
this airport with the 40 foot elevation change, the hump in the
middle which gives you the illusion that you are at the end and the wind that
pushes you down at the numbers, the adrenaline was really pumping. As I turned
base to final and lined up the Cessna 172 on final approach for runway 22, to
take my crack at taming the beast also known as "The Airport in the Sky", I
quickly realized what all the fuss was about. This was not your typical landing
at long and flat Deer Valley Airport, this was something extra special that
was going to take some concentration, a little luck and some skill to
get us safely down on the first try. Click
Here for my view.
Something that the other pilots
forgot to mention is that there is a big optical illusion on approach from
runway 22 due to the elevation change. It appeared that the bottom
had dropped out and I was coming in way too high. To make this landing on
the first try, I quickly had to get rid of some altitude. So I dropped anchor,
went full flaps and bombs away for the numbers. The problem with that is that by
the time that we went over the numbers we were going about 15 knots faster
than I would have liked and we had to bleed off some speed before attempting to
set it down. Fortunately we touched down about half way down the runway and
rolled out to the end, making a successful, albeit exciting first landing at
Catalina. The guy in the Archer behind us had 2 "go around's" and
landed on his 3rd attempt. I later found out that he was an instructor. Now I
was feeling even better to accomplish it on my first try.
We took the shuttle down the one lane
road
1600 feet in elevation to Avalon
for lunch at Armstrong's on the water, walked around a bit and
then back up to the plane to prepare for the next leg to Van Nuys. I took
several beautiful pictures from
the air and on the
ground of Catalina Island and Avalon.
If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend visiting Avalon on
Catalina. It is a one square mile city with plenty to do. There is even a new 5
line Zip Line that looks really good. You can reach the Island by ferry or
helicopter. The ferry takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and costs $66.50 for a
roundtrip ticket. The helicopter takes about 15 minutes and is $165 roundtrip.
The second thing on our to do list
was to visit the special exhibit at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA right
now called "Born to be Wild: Vintage and Celebrity Motorcycles". So we took the short 40 minute flight from Catalina to Van Nuys where we
spent the night in Simi Valley. The "Born to be Wild" exhibit chronicles
the history and tradition of motorcycle culture from around the world. These
bikes are displayed in the Air Force One Pavilion around President Reagan's 707
Air Force One jet. For me, seeing motorcycles and planes in the same room was
pretty cool.
You are probably wondering why the Reagan
Library would have a display of motorcycles around Air
Force One. The reason is that in 1983, President Ronald Reagan
imposed a temporary tariff of 45% on imported Japanese motorcycles which helped
Harley-Davidson stave off bankruptcy and ensured that the 80 year
old American motorcycle manufacturer would continue to produce
higher-quality bikes. This exhibit honors President Reagan's role in preserving
the American motorcycle industry and showcases several iconic movie and
celebrity motorcycles as well as rare and vintage motorcycles dating back to
1899. There are 35 motorcycles on display.
The movie motorcycles on display include Arnold
Schwarzenegger's 1991 Harley from "The Terminator," the 1920 Indian Scout
ridden by Anthony Hopkins in "The World's Fastest Indian". Vintage
models include a 1903 Harley-Davidson, a 1913 Sears, a 1922 Ner-A-Car and Floyd
Emde's winning bike from the Daytona 200, a 1948 Indian now owned by Don Emde.
My personal favorite's were the 1903
Harley-Davidson and the 1914
Pierce. I still can't believe that got those leather belts to hold
up. I guess those motors didn't produce enough horsepower to strip the belts.
But these old bikes sure were fascinating to look at.
As I mentioned earlier, the motorcycle display
is housed in the Reagan Library's Air Force One Pavilion, next to
around and under the very 707 that Reagan flew as Air Force One. You
even get to walk through and tour the plane as part of your admission. The
whole library is very good as you will see his Oval Office as it was with
original furnishing's, a piece of the Berlin Wall and his gravesite among many
other display's. "Born to Be Wild" runs through Tuesday, November 9, 2010. The
Reagan Library is located at 40 Presidential Drive in Simi Valley. Public hours:
are from 10 am to 5 pm daily. The Museum admission is $12 for general admission.
With the weather cooling off here in the next
week or so, I would highly recommend visiting the Reagan Library
and the motorcycle exhibit. It is only a short 400 mile ride from Phoenix to
Simi Valley. Unfortunately mostly freeway, but you can make it interesting by
going through Big Bear on your way back home, that is an excellent ride for
sure. In fact, if you want to go with a bunch of other riders, 5 southern
California HD dealers are having a ride to the library on October 16th.
Click
Here. That could be fun. I
took several pictures of the exhibit for you to view.
Click Here for Pictures of Catalina
Island. (Click Slideshow in upper right for best full screen
viewing)
Click Here for Pictures of Reagan
Library and Born to be Wild Exhibit.
Useful Links:
**I have had a lot of questions about the Rocky Point Rally lately
and it is on and scheduled for November 4th -7th. It is hard to believe, but
this is the 10th anniversary of the Rally. I know that some are hesitant to
go to Mexico right now with all of the bad press down there, but Rocky Point has
seemed to avoid most of the issues that you hear about in the press. One
thing we do know, this is always a good time. Here is
the Agenda. If you are looking to make a
reservation for lodging, Click
Here. If you want a good snapshot of the Rocky Point Rally, check
out this
video from a couple of years ago.
**Photos on Cyclerides.com Smugmug.
I am getting quite a collection of photos on the Cyclerides.com Smugmug page and adding more every week. There are 15 galleries under Events and 10 galleries under
Riding Photos. Click
SLIDESHOW in the upper right of the gallery screen for best full screen
viewing. Or you can just watch the random slideshow of all the photos on the
opening
page.
This Week
Friday, October 1st
Motorcycles On
Main St. in Mesa Sponsored by Chester's Harley-Davidson. Motorcycles on Main
in Mesa is back in full swing. Riders have been asking for something to do on a
Friday night for a long time and now it is here
at least once per
month. This event regularly brings in over 1000 riders for a fun time.
Ride to downtown Mesa the first Friday of every month for the Downtown Mesa
"Motorcycles On Main St." Cruise Main St. and enjoy Sturgis Style parking on the
inside lanes. Park and show off your bike. The night will feature 4 Beer Gardens
located throughout the 2 blocks and 4 Live Band Stages. Be sure and check
it out this month on Friday, October 1st to join in on the
motorcycle fun in Downtown Mesa from 6pm - 10pm. Downtown Mesa is located Just
East of Country Club Dr. on Main St. Ride in with Chester's HD. Meet at the
dealership at 6:30pm located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa. Ride leaves at
6:30pm and ends at the Chester's Booth on Main St. Reserved Motorcycle
Parking on the Main St.
Saturday, October 2nd
Thunder
Mountain Ride Official Kickoff Party at Buddy Stubbs. By now most of you
have heard about the
Thunder
Mountain Ride happening in Payson on October 8-10 that is giving away 13
motorcycles.
The first one of those bikes will be given away on
Saturday, October 2nd at Buddy Stubbs HD. And since it is unprecedented to give
away 13 bikes at one event, Buddy Stubbs is throwing a huge party to kick it
off! Free Admission 3pm-8pm. Anyone who comes to the party will get one
free ticket entered in the drawing. There will be Live Music on the
Main Stage, Great Food, a Miller Lite beer garden, Vendors, Museum Tours
and of course the Sportster Giveaway. You can buy your registration to the
Thunder Mountain Ride and get your name in the hat for the first bike given
away at Buddy Stubbs. Click
Here to see how to register for the event, or register at Buddy
Stubbs to be in the drawing.
Saturday and Sunday, October 2nd & 3rd
Chandler
Harley-Davidson Demo Days. You might have seen the new 2011
Harley-Davidson's by now, but there is nothing like actually getting on one and
taking it for a ride.
This is your chance! The
Harley-Davidson Demo Truck will be at Chandler HD on Saturday and Sunday to
give you an opportunity to see what all the fuss is about with the new 2011
models. Pick the one you want to ride and take a spin on it from 9am - 4pm both
days. You must have a valid motorcycle license and be at least 21 years old.
There will be Free Food, Raffle Prizes and More! Don't miss this opportunity to
test ride your favorite Harley-Davidson. Chandler HD is located at 6895 W.
Chandler Blvd., Chandler, AZ. 480-496-6800.
Saturday, October 2nd
4th Annual We Ride so Kids can Walk
presented by El Zaribah Shrine Motorcycle Unit. Registration at Johnny
Rockets at Westgate City Center at 101 Hwy & Glendale Rd. from 7am -
10am. Ride starts from 9-10am. $20 Registration/$10 Passenger.
This year's Theme is Treasure/Scavenger Hunt. Ride is 100 miles which
is about 3 Hours seat time. Ride ends at El Zaribah Shrine. 1st Prize 1 oz
Gold Bar, 2nd Prize a Diamond, 3rd Prize 10 oz of Silver. Many more
prizes and raffles. Download a Registration form at www.weridesokidscanwalk.com. Registration
at event start only.
Sunday, October 3rd
2nd Annual
"Never Give Up" Ride. For strength and hope in loving memory of Claudine
Brady. 100% Of funds raised will benefit a child with the Make-A-Wish Foundation
of Arizona.
$5,000 makes a child's wish come true! Register at
Renegade Classics, 3102 E. Cactus Rd Phoenix at 8:30 am. All riders will
receive a raffle ticket at registration & Meet Miss Arizona Bike Week 2010
Jules Elliott! 10:00 am We’ll Hit The Road. 1st Stop American Legion Post #107.
Enjoy $7.00 & under breakfast first come first serve! 2nd Stop Gavilan Peak
Sports Bar & Grill in New River. 3rd Stop The Hideaway in Cave
Creek. 4:00 PM Final Stop Legends Bar & Grill in Scottsdale. Legends
will offer a delicious nacho bar, $5 dollar burgers & house chips &
Happy Hour drink prices! Raffle prizes from our sponsors!
Next Week
October 8-10, 2010
There are rides or events that come along
every now and then that really get me excited and that includes the upcoming
Thunder Mountain Ride Motorcycle Rally in Payson, AZ. Not only is
Payson Arizona a beautiful place to have a motorcycle event, it is also the
perfect time of year for it. But they are really making it huge by
giving away 13 motorcycles to those who attend. Not to
mention live music daily including high profile acts like Mogollon and rides through and around the rim.
I will be talking more about this event over the next several weeks.
But for now I would like to direct you to the excellent video that they
have done for this ride that will definitely get you excited about
it. Event is sponsored by Native Air, City of Payson, North Country
HealthCare, Outback Steakhouse and Budweiser.
Stay tuned for weekly updates for this
event.
Drawings For
Motorcycles! There has been some confusion on the registration costs
for the event. I called today and got the bottom line on it. Here is the deal as
simply as I can make it.
If you want to have a ticket in each
of the drawings for the 13 motorcycles the cost is $120. This
will get you into all of the rides and all activities as well as the drawings.
If you would like to be involved in
the drawings for 5 motorcycles, the cost is $60. This will get
you into the event all 3 days and in the drawings for 5 bikes. No rides are
included. You can add rides or motorcycle drawings for $20 each.
If you would just like to go to the
event and watch the bands and view the vendors and entertainment, the cost is
$10 per day.
Bike drawings days,
locations and times, Click
Here.
They have done a real nice job of
lining up Entertainment
for this event.
Friday: John Scott Band, 1-3pm,
74th Street Band, 3-5pm. Valley favorite Mogollon, 5-9pm.
Saturday: John Scott Band, 1-4pm.
Echoes The Fall, 4-5pm. Rondavous, 5-7pm. American Idol Star Amanda Overmeyer,
7-9pm.
Sunday: John Scott Band,
11am-2pm..
Saturday, October 9th
Renegade
Classics 3rd Annual Kick Start Party and Bike Show. Stop by Renegade
Classics 9am - 4pm for some FREE Food, Beverages and Live Music.
And while you are there, take advantage of their huge sale. Save 20%-50%
on Leather Chaps, Jackets, & Vests. HD Leather Boots, Dot Helmets,
Saddlebags & Luggage. Ladies' Tanks & T's & Long Sleeve Shirts.
Men's T-Shirts & Work Shirts. Sewing available on site. Bike Show Voting
begins at 10am. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Trophies & Prizes. Renegade
Classics is located at 3102 E. Cactus Rd. in Phoenix. 602-595-9597. www.renegadephoenix.com
Saturday and Sunday,
October 9th and 10th.
Arrowhead
Harley-Davidson Demo Days. You might have seen the new 2011
Harley-Davidson's by now, but there is nothing like actually getting on one and
taking it for a ride.
This is your chance! The Harley-Davidson Demo
Truck will be at Arrowhead HD on Saturday and Sunday to give you an
opportunity to see for yourself how truly great the new 2011 models are. Pick
the one you want to ride and take a spin on it from 9am - 4pm both days. You
must have a valid motorcycle license and be at least 21 years old. There will be
Free Food, Raffle Prizes and More! Don't miss this opportunity to test ride your
favorite Harley-Davidson. Arrowhead HD is located at 16130 N. Arrowhead
Fntns Ctr. Dr. in Peoria, AZ. 623-247-5542.
Saturday, October 9
Budweiser
Arizona Mile Grand National Championship Finals. The AMA Pro K&N Filters
Grand National Championship series is the oldest and most traditional form of
motorcycle racing
competing on stock car and horse tracks
throughout the country. Motorcycle riders from across the U.S., Japan, Australia
and Canada will compete handle bar to handle bar only inches apart at speeds
over 140mph on the one mile dirt oval. Mile dirt track racing has been dominated
by the Harley-Davidson XR750 for over 30 years, 2010 brought new competitive
equipment to challenge the Harley-Davidson. To date Harley-Davidson has
won 5 races, Ducati 1 and just last weekend Kawasaki won their first race at the
Lucas Oil Indy Mile ridden by former Harley-Davidson factory rider Bryan Smith.
Often called the most spectacular motorsports racing in the
country, both Pro Singles and Expert Twins compete on the K&N Filters Grand
National Championship Series. The drafting technique keeps riders together for
the entire main event with the race often won by only inches at the finish
line. The win by Joe Kopp on the Ducati in May over Harley-Davidson
mounted Sammy Halbert was won at the finish line by less than 2 feet! Takes
place at Yavapai Downs in Prescott Valley, AZ. Gates Open 9:00am.
Practice/Timed Qualifying 10:30am. Opening Ceremonies 1:30pm. Races 2:00pm.
Yavapai Downs (928) 775-8000.
Saturday, October 9th
2nd Annual East Side
B.A.C.A. Poker Run. Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) exists with the intent
to create a safer environment for abused children.
We exist as a
body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they
live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them
with an established, united organization. Sign in at Joeta's Leather, 433 W.
Main St. in Mesa. 9am - 11am. Prizes for High and Low hand. $20 single or
$30 per couple. Your donation includes Ride Pins for the first 100. Live Music,
Merchandise and 50/50 Raffle, Vendors, Breakfast served before run.
Upcoming Rides
Thursday, October
14th
The
Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night will present the second night of the
Fall season on October 14th. If you didn't make it to the first one last
month, don't miss this one. The Fall season is going to be a little
different. We are just going to do 3 Thursday nights for the
Fall. So mark you calendars for September 16th, October 14th
and November 11th which will be a Veteran themed event. Event time is
5-10pm. I will end the season with the Cyclerides.com Toy Event at Westgate on
Saturday, December 4th.
This year we will have Live
Music every month starting with Velvet Tiger bringing back
classic R&B, Motown and Blues. There will be more Vendors,
Restaurant Specials, Videos on the giant LED, performances from the 6 million
dollar dancing water fountains and of course plenty of motorcycle parking on
Coyote Blvd. and beyond. Urban Roots will play from 6-9 pm.
Plan to join us on
Thursday, October 14th from 5-10pm at Westgate City Center located next to the
Cardinals Stadium and Jobing.com Arena at Loop 101 and W. Glendale Ave.
Click Here for Details.
Sponsored by:
Your local Harley-Davidson dealership and
proud sponsor of the Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night. We are located just
South of 83rd Ave. and Bell Rd. Stop to see the latest 2011 HD motorcycles.
623-247-5542
Petersen Johnson Accident Lawyers.
Petersen Johnson is a local Arizona law
firm, whose attorneys have over 60 years of combined legal experience in
Accident/Injury law and DUI/Criminal Defense law. We have substantial
experience in representing riders injured in motorcycle accidents. Ron
Petersen and Brad Johnson are involved in every injury case. We discount
our fees; never our service. Please call us locally at 602-650-1200 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
Stop by Steve Wingenfeld's Allstate
tent on Bike Night and check out Allstate's NEW Lower rates on All Harley's and
all cruiser bikes. Now you can save over 40% with multi-line discounts. You can
stop in at our Westgate office on Coyote's Blvd(suite 1056) or call us at
623.581.0374. Check out our Motorcycle website at http://www.allstategarage.com/, Just
input zip code 85305 to get to my web page.
RideSmart Motorcycle
Training - Celebrating ten years of being the highest quality,
lowest priced rider training school in the Phoenix Metro area! Motorcycle
Safety Foundation based curricula and highly qualified, personable Rider
Coaches. Courses for beginners and experienced motorcyclists. MVD
testing is an integral part of the curricula. Fun, low threat training
environment. Ninety-seven percent student success rate. Not the
biggest school, simply the best!
If you would like to be a
vendor or a sponsor on any of these 3 nights, please contact Barry at info@cyclerides.com
Extras
Mid Week Updates will be made
on the Cyclerides.com Facebook.
Take a look at all
the new photos posted on the
wall. If you are not on Facebook, you can
still view the page, but you will not be able to post. There will
be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. Click the
LIKE
button!
I don't even know how to preview this
one. Still can't figure out how
and why this guy came up
with this idea. Click Here to View.
Video of the Week: Oh my gosh, this
is both funny and unbelievable. See what happens when a guy tests
an airbag. I can't understand what they are saying, but I understand the
laughter. Click Here to
View. Click on the
Video of the Week graphic on the page.
If you would like to sign up for the Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
Click
Here.
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information in this newsletter is
Copyright © 2010 BDC Products,
LLC.
Information may be used only with permission.
All rights
reserved.
