Cyclerides.com Weekly Update

10/16/13

Greetings Riders,

Well, the riding weather in the Phoenix area couldn’t be better and the October event calendar is filling up fast with new events. Click Here to View. Last weekend, Bob’s Biker Blast kicked off the season with a huge party at Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale that brought out thousands of motorcycles to enjoy beautiful Arizona days and nights. This is really the best time of the year in my opinion. A good little getaway to enjoy this weather is to get out of town and ride to the lakes. Take a look at the article I did a couple of years ago called the “Four Lakes Tour” for some ideas. You can also get plenty ideas from the “Day Rides” section at www.cyclerides.com.

The Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night presented by Arrowhead HD and Ridenow Powersports is the perfect destination for an evening ride. This week we will be one street to the North due to the Cardinals Thursday night game. But the game starts at 5:25 PM so traffic should not be a factor for riders coming in. This week we will have a new band called “Mudstomp Hillbilly” that will perform for you. They have been touring and are ready to release their first CD. Stop by and enjoy the high energy Live show of “Mudstomp Hillbilly”.

The excitement of the new Indian Motorcycle has been on a roll since the epic unveil in Sturgis this year. If you missed my ride review of the Indian Chieftain in the newsletter last week, Click Here to Read. You might be surprised what you will see. The article includes pictures of the 140 mile ride to Bartlett Lake. You can see the bikes in person at the Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night this Thursday night.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Wheels Through Time Museum

If you have been following our Nashville Ride 2013, I left you 2 weeks ago with my review of the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee, which I renamed the “TALE of the Dragon”. If you missed that letter, Click Here to read. This week we will be going through the beautiful Great Smoky Mountain National Park and on to the fantastic Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC.

After doing the Tail of the Dragon and getting our T-Shirts at the 129 Dragon HD store, we followed Hwy. 129 to Maryville for lunch and then on to Hwy. 321 to hwy. 73 aka, Little River Rd. This is an excellent little scenic crossover road that shadows a river through the trees that will get you Hwy. 441 that takes you through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You will then follow 441 South through the park for a wonderful 30 mile ride through the forest. This is an excellent ride on a very good road. You can then hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 12 miles that will take you to Hwy. 19 where you will be 5 miles from Maggie Valley, NC home of the Wheels Through Time vintage motorcycle museum and the site of a very big item on my bucket list.

The Wheels Through Time Museum is home to the world’s premier collection of rare American Vintage Motorcycles. This All-American motorcycle museum is home to over 120 of America’s rarest and most historic classic motorcycles that all run, with over 24 marques on display, including the likes of Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior, Crocker, Henderson, and much more. Western North Carolina’s premier museum and tourism attraction features dozens of motorcycle-related exhibits, ranging from board track racers, hill climbing, and original paint machines to American Dirt Track racing, choppers and bobbers, and one-of-a-kind motorcycles. The museum also annually holds a motorcycle raffle, which helps them continue their mission.

Founded by Dale Walksler in 1993, WTT has become an integral piece in discovering, maintaining, and preserving American motorcycle history. The collection houses tens of thousands of motorcycle pictures, historic memorabilia, and other motorcycle artifacts, and has been featured in hundreds of motorcycle publications, including American Iron, Cycle World, Cycle Source, and American Motorcyclist to name a few.

I had heard about this museum for several years and had recently seen WTT featured on the TV Show “What’s In The Barn” on the Velocity channel as well as Dale’s show about the Lee Hartung collection in Illinois. If you haven’t seen the show “What’s in the Barn”, please catch some past episodes on the Velocity Channel by Discovery or go to the web site to watch them online. They are excellent. Especially the episode where they started 120 of the motorcycles in 12 hours.

Needless to say, this was one stop that I was really looking forward to and it well exceeded my expectations. Maggie Valley, NC is a small little town that pretty much gained fame from an old theme park and the old Hee Haw show where they started out by saying, “Live from the Stomping Ground in Maggie Valley, North Carolina”. There actually is a building there called the Stomping Ground on the main street, but I was never able to confirm that Hee Haw was actually shot there. But none the less, the Wheels Through Time Museum is now the big attraction in Maggie Valley bringing in thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts throughout the year to pay and visit.

The museum is a 30,000 square feet packed, and I mean packed with old vintage motorcycles, motors, parts, signs, and you name it. There are several areas that are recreated to look just like an old 1920’s motorcycle shop and a 1950’s shop. A hill climb display and a racing display upstairs. Not only are there motorcycles in here, there are some old cars as well. As you make your way around the lower level it is almost overwhelming trying to take it all in, in just one visit. Not only are they old bikes from the early 1900’s, they are still “Farm Fresh”, just the way they found them. So you are really transported back in the day, a lot of times with old photos to go along with it. And the really cool part is, they claim that all of the motorcycles run. They even did a show on that.

We had the opportunity to meet Dale Walksler at the museum and spend some time with him. He is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet and has seems to be genuinely interested in what brought you there. He even came outside to pose for a picture with us on our motorcycles and then posted it on the Wheels Through Time Facebook. Not only does he have an incredible passion for preserving old motorcycles, but he is happy to hop on any random motorcycle and start it as he did when we were there with a 1912 Indian.

I could go on for hours about WTT, but they would only be words that would not come close to communicating how incredibly inspiring this place is. The words that I could best use would be to encourage anyone to put the Wheels Through Time Museum on your list of things to do in your lifetime. It really places you into a time 100 years ago where you can get a view of what the industrial revolution was all about and how transportation made that happen. Seeing the pictures of how the motorcycle lifestyle was back then, shows a culture that is not much different than it is today. The next time you are planning a trip back East, certainly go out of your way to stop here and say hi to Dale. Tell him we sent you. Maggie Valley is only 35 miles from Asheville, NC and 95 miles from Knoxville, TN.

I encourage you to see for yourself the past 110 years through the rusty spokes of motorcycles at the Wheels Through Time Museum. If you can’t make it back there, I would encourage you to go to their web site at www.wheelsthroughtime.com and click on the Video tab. Also go to the What’s in the Barn web site and watch some of the past episodes. Dale has done a fantastic job preserving and purveying the history of the motorcycle and I would like to personally thank him for doing that for all of us to enjoy. You can tell it is a labor of love.

I have about 100 photos from the ride through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and from the Wheels Through Time Museum to give a brief look into this magnificent place.

Click Here to View Photos.

Click Here for Map.

Bike Nights

We will be one street to the North this week due to Cardinals Game that starts at 5:25 PM.

Every Thursday, Sept. 12th – Nov. 14th –

Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night this Fall being presented by Arrowhead Harley-Davidson and Ridenow Powersports. Bike Night began Thursday night, September 12th with a HUGE crowd and will continue for a total of 10 nights ending on November 14th from 5 pm – 9 pm. This Thursday, you will once again be able to enjoy a party every Thursday night with Live Music, Vendors, Restaurants, parking on Coyote Blvd. next to the fountains and Hundreds of motorcycles to look at as they cruise by. This is the place to be on Thursday nights for sure.

Attractions this week:

Live Music this week with “Mudstomp Hillbilly” 6-9 PM.

Grab your riding buddies and stop by to enjoy Live Music, Restaurant specials and other special events along the way. Click Here for Photos from the first night. For excellent photos from Rusty Childress of the Firefighter Appreciation night Click Here.

Here are the details for the Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night presented by Arrowhead HD and Ridenow Powersports:

Where: Westgate City Center, Loop 101 and Glendale Ave. SE Corner. Next to Jobing.com Arena.

When: Thursday nights beginning September 12th – Nov. 14th

Time: 5 PM – 9 PM

What: Bike Night. Live Music, Food, Fun, Vendors, Motorcycles and Sturgis Style Cruising down Coyote Blvd.

Click Here for Flyer.

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsors Arrowhead Harley-Davidson and Ridenow Powersports:

Arrowhead HD

Your local Harley-Davidson dealership and proud sponsor of the Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night. Stop by and see the latest in what Harley-Davidson has to offer. Speak to one of our trained sales staff about what Harley-Davidson motorcycle would be right for you. We are located just South of 83rd Ave. and Bell Rd. 623-247-5542.

Ridenow Powersports

Stop by and talk to our staff at bike night or at one of our many valley locations. We feature many brands including Polaris, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda, Can-Am, BMW, Victory, KTM, Spyder, and Ski-doo. Click Here for a list of our locations.

And to our Associate Sponsors

Curly's Customs. Curly's Customs is a full service Custom Paint & Body Shop for the motorcycle enthusiast. 623- 977-0339. Stop by and see them at Bike Night.

Scottsdale Victory and Indian Motorcycles. Scottsdale, Arizona NOW has it's own INDIAN & VICTORY Motorcycle Dealership! The New 2014 Indian Motorcycles revealed at Sturgis on August 3rd are NOW AVAILABLE for PRE-ORDERING! Be the First to OWN a NEW INDIAN MOTORCYCLE that will revolutionize the Motorcycle Industry! Stop by and See us at Bike Night.

Bike Night Restaurant Specials.

I have worked very hard to get the restaurants to come up with some consistent bike night specials. I think they have stepped up very well this year to offer some good deals. There will be restaurant specials all season long that include offers from:

McFadden’s - 10% discount on your bill when you show your M-class license on Bike Night. Plus, bikers can enjoy regular happy hour specials, including $2 domestic Drafts, $3 Wells and $5 Appetizers from 4-7pm.

Calico Jack’s Cantina - $19.99 Bike Night Platters with Nacho chips, mini-chimis, onion rings and jalapeno poppers, plus a pitcher of domestic draft beer. Enjoy 10% off your bill when you show your M-class license on Bike Night.

The Shout! House - $9 Natural Black Angus Burger, Fries, and Beer special ($15 value) and a FREE cover for 2 card to come back on the weekend ($10 value) when you show your M-class license on Bike Night.

Kabuki - Take 15% off when you show your motorcycle license during Westgate Bike Night. Valid only during Westgate Bike Night events. Dine-in only. Valid only at Westgate City Center location. One offer per table per party. Not valid during Happy Hour and Reverse Happy Hour. Cannot be combined with any other offers or rewards. Excludes alcohol, tax, gratuity and gift card purchases.

Saddle Ranch - 2 chicken tacos for $5.50*. Classic pints of draft beer for only $3.75 when showing M class on license. Plus, bikers can enjoy regular happy hour specials from 4-6:30pm with 50% off all appetizers and drinks. *Valid from 6:30pm to 10:00pm on all Bike Nights, excluding event days when there are concerts, sporting or other events at the Center, Stadium or Arena.

Mama Gia’s – Enjoy $3 domestic beer and $.50 cent wings with an order of 24 or more when showing M class on license.

Shane’s Rib Shack – Free 10 piece traditional chicken wings with the purchase of 20 traditional chicken wings when you show your M class license. Plus, domestic beer for $2 per bottle.

Whiskey Rose Bar & Grill. Take 10% off your bill when you show your M class on license. Excludes Alcohol.

This Week

October 18-20

Biketoberfest 2013 at Hideaway Grill located at 6746 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ

Friday

Day Ride leaves at Noon, 15 Year Anniversary Celebration, Vendors all day.

Live Music 2:00 - 10:00 P.M.

Saturday

15 Year Anniversary Celebration Continues, 100 Club ride starts here, KDKB with "Ruby Cheeks", Hog Roast, Tattoo contest, Ice Luge, Vendors all day

Live music 2:00 - 10:00 P.M.

Sunday

15 Year Anniversary Celebration still going strong, Buddy Stubbs ride ends here at 2:00 P.M., Vendors all day

Live music 11:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Saturday, October 19th

Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson at Biketoberfest. Join Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson at the Hideaway Grill’s Cave Creek Biketoberfest! Friday October 18th through Sunday October 20th. Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson will be manning our 40’x40’ tent at the Tap Haus with great Harley-Davidson® merchandise and motorcycles. There will be great live music from Metal Kings and CCR’s Johnny Bulldog, as well as many events, activities and rides happening all weekend this is an event you don’t want to miss! For more information go to www.cavecreekbiketoberfest.com or www.buddystubbs.com.

Saturday & Sunday

October 19 – 20

Superstition Harley-Davidson Open House & Demo Days. Come Together at Superstition Harley-Davidson Demo Days and 2014 Model Year Open House! Saturday 10 to 4 - Free In-Store Poker Run, Boom! Audio Workshop, Demo Rides, Jump Start Rider Experience. Sunday 11 to 3 - Demo Days Continue. All riders welcome. Come with a vision, ride off on your dream! Superstition HD is located at 2910 W. Apache Trail in Apache Junction, AZ. 480-346-0600.

Saturday & Sunday

October 19 – 20

Indian of Scottsdale Demo Days. Indian & Victory Motorcycles of Scottsdale Open House and Demo Days, Make sure you join us for our First of many, 2014 Indian Motorcycle Demo rides. Be the first to experience the all new “THUNDERSTROKE 111” Indian engine, built and backed by Polaris, a 3 billion dollar corporation and the leader of the Power Sports industry. Ride the new 2014 Indian Chief motorcycles this weekend at no charge. The day begins at 9a.m. and goes continuously until 5p.m. Refreshments will be provided and lunch will be available. Gifts will be raffled throughout the entire day. All Demo riders will receive a $250.00 coupon which can be used towards apparel and accessories with the purchase of a brand new 2014 Indian Motorcycle at our Scottsdale dealership. Come to the INDIAN MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCE in Scottsdale, 8420 E. Butherus Drive, Scottsdale AZ, 85260 (just north of the Scottsdale Gun Club). For more information go to www.indianvictorysdl.com or call 480-607-7070. You can also see us at BIKETOBERFEST!!!! Join Indian & Victory Motorcycles of Scottsdale at the Hideaway Grill’s Cave Creek inaugural Biketoberfest! Friday October 18th through Sunday October 20th. Indian & Victory Motorcycles of Scottsdale will be providing dedicated display for our brand new 2014 Indian motorcycles and Indian apparel, as well as the new 2014 Victory motorcycles and apparel, which will be available to you. Our 2014 Indian Chieftain will be on display and tickets will be raffled for you to win a dream of a lifetime. Proceeds will go to the “Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association” as a tribute to all Veterans. The Metal Kings and CCR’s Johnny Bulldog will be providing live entertainment. There will be a variety of rides and activities throughout the 3 day festival. Be part of the BIKETOBERFEST INDIAN EXPERIENCE. For more information go to www.cavecreekbiktoberfest.com or www.indianvictorysdl.com

Saturday, October 19th

2nd Annual 100 Club of AZ Poker Run Ride. Free Registration at The Hideaway Grill - 6746 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ from 9:00 - 11:00 A.M. includes entry ticket for our special event drawing. $5 Poker Score Cards - Highest Poker Hand wins a Tactical Shotgun! ***Raffle tickets available at all stops*** Shotguns, handguns, Tasers and more big ticket prizes. Buy raffle tickets at Hideaway or Tap Haus by 6PM since you do not need to be present to win. Don't have a bike but still want to participate? Follow along by car and drive over to the Tap Haus by 6:00 P.M. to join in the auction! Free Concert at the Tap Haus - 6900 E Cave Creek Rd Cave Creek, AZ 85331 featuring Johnny Bulldog (Lead Singer of Creedence Clearwater Revisited) Prizes include; shotguns, handguns, Tasers, etc. 100% of the proceeds benefit the 100 Club of Arizona. See you at the 2013 Cave Creek Biketoberfest's 2nd Annual 100 Club of AZ Poker Run!

Sunday, October 20th

Biketoberfest Burn Camp Ride. Join Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson and HOG Chapter 93 on Sunday October 20th as we ride from AZ H-D to Biketoberfest raising money for the Wind and Fire Burn Camp! Ride will leave from Buddy Stubbs AZ H-D and stop at Gizmo’s in New River and finally end up at Cave Creek Biketoberfest. Registration opens on 10/20 at 9:30AM with the last bike out by 11AM. Lunch will be included in with the ride and will be at Gizmo’s in New River. Entire pack will leave Gizmo’s at 1:30pm and ride into Biketoberfest as one group. Enjoy raffle prizes, and more! Ride fee: $20 for rider / $15 for passenger. For more information e-mail marketing@buddystubbs.com. All proceeds to will go to Wind & Fire Charity.

Sunday, October 20th

5th Annual Bikers for Boobies Charity Motorcycle Ride sponsored by The Dirty Dogg Saloon, Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale, and Chuck Franklin Law. Registration opens at 9:00 A.M. at Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale - 15600 N Hayden Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Rocking end at the Dirty Dogg Saloon in Scottsdale. There will be live music, drink specials, raffle, auction and many surprises. We will be having the Live Bra and Auction again this year with our men sporting our creative creations on stage. So, get out your pink bandannas and show your support! Bikers For Boobies is a 501(c) 3 not for profit charity that provides cancer awareness, education and financial resources for all cancers. See flyer for details.

Next Week

Friday – Sunday

October 25-27

Indian Motorcycle of Chandler Demo Days. You’ve heard all about the brand new Indian Motorcycles for 2014 that have been completely redesigned and are now being produced by the multi-billion dollar Polaris Corporation. Now is your chance to ride one for yourself and see what all the fuss is about. Indian of Chandler is having 3 big Demo Days that will put you in the saddle of a 2014 Indian to let you see the difference. 9 AM – 5 PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-27. Also join us for Oktoberfest! There will be Live Music (Saturday only), Raffles and Giveaways, Oktoberfest Girls and Free Food. Indian of Chandler is located at 1701 N. Arizona Ave. in Chandler, AZ. 480-899-9113. www.indianmotorcycleofchandler.com .

Saturday, October 26th

Chester’s Harley-Davidson Party on the Patio. Stop by Chester's Harley-Davidson Saturday, October 26th from 11AM-2PM for our monthly party on the patio! FREE event to you, and benefiting Friends for Life Animal Rescue! Getting ready for this year's Halloween but feel in the giving spirit of the holidays? Stop by Chester's Harley-Davidson Saturday, October 26th from 11AM-2PM for a scary good time! FREE FOOD provided by Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers restaurant, LIVE MUSIC by local band Unknown Associates, BIKE WASH by the Dirty Dogg Girls, plus FREE ENTRY for a chance to win a Vegas Vacation! (one entry per person, winner drawn at 2PM, must be present to win) ALL MONEY raised will go directly to Friends for Life Animal Rescue. Friends for Life will be collecting supplies that they are in dire need of, which include: Dog & cat food (wet & dry), cat litter (clay only), paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and copy paper. **Friends for life is a non-profit, volunteer based organization enriching the lives of hundreds of local animals** What more could you ask for on a Saturday afternoon? We'll see you there! Chester’s HD is located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa, AZ.

Saturday, October 26th

Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson Hogs & Dogs. Join Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson on Saturday, October 26th from 11am – 3pm for Hogs & Dogs as well as a brand new Boom! Audio workshop. Are you ready to learn about all the new updates and changes to the audio and infotainment system that Harley-Davidson® has introduced on the new Rushmore Touring bikes? We’ll also cover the available Boom! products for your bike. RSVP today @ boomworkshop.eventbrite.com. Buddy Stubbs H-D will also have free food and drinks (while supplies last), bikini bike wash and museum tours with all donations going to HOG 2376 charities. For more information go to www.buddystubbshd.com or call (602)971-3400. Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson is located at 13850 N. Cave Creek Road.

Extras

Mid Week Updates will be made on the Cyclerides.com Facebook. New Easy to remember Facebook address. Go to Cyclerides.com Facebook. Over 4400 FANS!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!

The Candid Camera crew is at it again. Watch these drivers get frustrated. Click Here to View.

This is an awesome para-ski video from Mont Blanc. Click Here to View.

Video of the Week. This is a really entertaining old video from 1920 showing a promo for a Dodge vehicle. 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.

Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,

Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com