MNO Blog – Motorcycles, News, Opinions

The hospital medical records of Melbourne, Florida custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane will now be allowed to be used as evidence in the DUI Manslaughter case against him. Choppers Inc. owner Billy Lane is facing criminal charges resulting from the Labor Day weekend crash of 2006 that left Melbourne Beach resident Gerald Morelock dead. The victim, Gerald Morelock was killed when he was hit head on by the Dodge pickup that Lane was driving at the time. Witnesses claim that Lane was speeding and had crossed a double yellow line in an attempt to pass 3 vehicles on State Road A1A when the crash occurred.

Billy Lane and his passenger, Erin Derrick were both taken to Holmes Regional hospital in Melbourne after the crash with injuries, Lane and Derrick were treated and released. Prosecutors in the DUI Manslaughter trial had filed a motion with the court to obtain copies of Lane’s medical records to be examined and possibly used as evidence in the case.

Judge Meryl Allawas ruled in favor of the motion on Tuesday allowing Lane’s medical records to be used in the trial. The defense attorneys for Lane argued that the records should not be allowed and contend that they are private. Defense attorney, Greg Eisenmenger has filed a motion to suppress the blood work taken from Billy Lane after the crash. Eisenmenger’s Motion In Limine says the state failed to comply with Florida Department of Law Enforcement rule 11D-8.012(5). The motion says that he has discovered that blood was not properly handled by not being refrigerated as required by the FDLE code.

FDLE Code 11D-8.012(5) states: “Blood samples need not be refrigerated if submitted for analysis within seven (7) days of collection, or during transportation, examination or analysis. Blood samples must be otherwise refrigerated, except that refrigeration is not required subsequent to the initial analysis”.

The burden of proof will be on the State of Florida to demonstrate they have complied with the FDLE rules.  The defense also filed a motion for independent blood analysis, but Judge Allawas is not happy with the independent lab being located so far away and has not ruled on the motion yet. Independent toxicologist Lawrence Masten of Largo, Florida has been retained by the defense to analyze the blood work, but the lab he uses, Rocky Mountain Instrumental Labs is located in Ft. Collins, Colorado thousands of miles away.

Custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane, shown above with defense attorney Gregory Eisenmenger has been present in court during the last few calendar calls. Eisenmenger has several motions to suppress the blood work yet to be heard by the court including the Motion To Limine (mentioned above) and another “motion to suppress the blood draw and resulting test”.

The motion to suppress the blood draw and resulting test was filed on September 28th, 2007 and states that the attending paramedic the night of the crash had detected the odor of alcoholic beverage in the cab of the vehicle and on the passenger. The same paramedic that provided that information did not detect any alcoholic beverage coming from the Defendant, Billy Lane. However, the paramedic did detect an obvious odor of alcoholic beverage from the passenger when he treated her. The female passenger in the truck on September 4, 2006 was 22 year old Erin Derrick of Rockledge, Florida.

The motion also states that registered nurse, Wayne Stewart, withdrew the blood from the Defendant as directed by Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Davis. Nurse Stewart testified that he did not detect the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Billy Lane at or before the blood draw.

the final paragraph of the motion reads: “Withdrawal of blood without consent is only permitted when an officer has knowledge of an accident involving death or serious bodily injury and some evidence that the suspect is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Troopers Taylor and Davis, even taking into account the information known to trooper Corbett (but not communicated to Davis or Taylor) did not have any evidence of the Defendant being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the blood draw, so the draw is illegal. Because the draw was illegal, the Defendant is likewise entitled to suppression of the blood test results.”

These motions are expected to be heard before the court on November 6, 2007 at 9:00 am. The actual trial of Billy Lane is not expected to start until early 2008. Lane could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted on the non capital murder charge of DUI Manslaughter.

Technorati Tags: billy lane, motorcycle news, DUI, manslaughter, drunk driving, court, celebrity justice, Melbourne, Florida, choppers inc

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Bid on Bono’s bike at the nec bike show, and save lives in africa with riders for health

The award winning UK charity, Riders for Health is offering people the chance to own a motorcycle owned by the U2 lead singer and activist, Bono, in an auction to support their lifesaving work in Africa. This once in a lifetime opportunity is set to take place at the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the Birmingham NEC which runs from 23rd November – 2nd December.

The red Ducati 916 has a truly star-studded history having belonged to the late INXS front-man Michael Hutchence, and then Bono. The bike has also been owned by U2 member Adam Clayton.

Now this motorcycle will be saving the lives of children in Africa by supporting Riders for Health.

Bono, a leading campaigner for Africa since the 1980s, donated the motorcycle to Riders for Health to raise money to help health workers in Africa reach rural villages with essential healthcare. He signed the tank of the bike with a touching personal message in memory of his late friend, Michael Hutchence, putting ‘For Michael, Bono’.

This is a unique chance to own a motorcycle that has belonged to three of the biggest names in rock music.

For more information on how to bid for this amazing lot people should visit the Riders for Health website at www.riders.org. Those eager fans wishing to attend the auction on 2nd December at the NEC Bike Show can book their tickets for the Show at http://www.motorcycleshow.co.uk/

The auction will take place on the Black Horse Stage in the Arai Entertainment Zone at 12 noon.

Riders’ CEO, Andrea Coleman, said:

‘Bono’s commitment to Africa and his support for those living in poverty and ill-health is wellknown. And for us at Riders for Health, reaching those people in rural Africa is our focus and is a major challenge. Riders for Health knows that you can’t save a child unless you can reach her. Bono’s support for our work is valued highly and we thank him.’

All the proceeds from the sale of this amazing lot will go to help support the work of the award winning UK based charity, Riders for Health. Riders trains African health workers in motorcycle riding and maintenance, enabling them to reach remote villages with the kind of regular, reliable healthcare we take for granted.

_ One public health worker in Africa is often responsible for up to 20,000 people over an area of up to 300km, so mobility is vital.

_ Three million people die every year in developing countries because of lack of access to treatment.

_ Four million African children each year die before their fifth birthday.

Riders provides health workers with properly managed vehicles that never break down so they can deliver healthcare day in, day out. The charity has programmes in Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania.

Riders for Health currently reaches almost 11 million people in Africa. The money raised in the auction will help to support Riders’ goal of reaching an extra 10 million people by the end of 2008.

For more information on how to bid for this unique lot, please mail Jennie Goodman at Riders for Health: jgoodman@riders.org.

Technorati Tags: auctions, bike shows, bono, celebrity news, motorcycle news, music, U2, UK

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Passage of “Right to Repair” Protects Vehicle Ownership Rights

BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Motorcycle Riders Foundation has declared its support of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (HR 2694) and strongly urges Congress to pass the legislation in order to safeguard individual vehicle ownership rights.

The legislative intent of the Right to Repair Act is to offer protections for motor vehicle owners by making it illegal for vehicle manufacturers to withhold information necessary to diagnose, service or repair motor vehicles.

“The fact is that consumers are entitled to the right to choose how their motor vehicle is maintained or upgraded. The point of Right to Repair is not to discourage vehicle owners from using the dealership for service, but to protect the freedom of American consumers to choose how they take care of their motor vehicle, be it in their driveway or at a trusted repair facility,” said Jeff Hennie, vice president of government relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

“We have formally committed to support the Right to Repair Act because we believe that safeguarding individual ownership rights is an absolute must. Access to accurate information when it comes to the repair or upkeep of a vehicle is essential to the safety and well being of the entire American motoring public,” continued Hennie.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation encourages its members and all motorists to visit www.righttorepair.org to send a letter to each of their congressional representatives, urging them to support the Right to Repair Act (HR 2694) by adding their names to the growing list of co-sponsors.

About the Motorcycle Riders Foundation:

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists’ rights organization headquartered in Washington, DC. As the first motorcyclists’ rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, MRF is the only Washington voice devoted exclusively to the street rider. MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom. For more information, visit www.mrf.org.

About Right to Repair:

The Right to Repair Act, which was introduced by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), would require vehicle manufacturers to make the same service information and tools capabilities available to vehicle owners and their independent repair shops that they provide their to their franchised dealer networks. The legislation further provides vehicle manufacturers with strong protections for their trade secrets unless that information is provided to their franchised dealers. The bill clarifies the responsibilities of the Federal Trade Commission in enforcing the bill’s requirements. For more information about the Right to Repair Act, visit www.RightToRepair.org. First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:

Source: Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association

Technorati Tags: biker rights, law, legal, motorcycle news, motorcycles

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Back several years ago, Bruce Rossmeyer, owner of the local Daytona Harley-Davidson dealership decided to leave his present location on Beach Street in Daytona Beach and build a motorcycle mega-complex to be called Destination Daytona. This complex would not only be home to the world’s largest Harley motorcycle showroom, it would also anchor dozens of shops, restaurants, hotel and a condominium.

Construction of Destination Daytona fell behind and the opening day kept being moved forward in hopes of opening the doors during Bike Week or Biketoberfest. Here I am standing in front of the new dealership while still under construction.

The plans were clear as we toured the inside of the construction site near the escalator that goes up to the second floor showroom. Since this picture was taken, literally thousands of visitors have rode this escalator.

Today, Destination Daytona draws thousands of motorcycle enthusiast through the doors during the major events. The complex is still growing with new extensions and businesses being added on all the while.

Of course these photographs were taken just after the opening of Destination Daytona. Taking the time to get a picture like above during a motorcycle event would be nearly impossible.

J & P Cycles recently opened a brand new store at Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach and held a grand opening during Biketoberfest. The new J & P cycles store buzzed with visitors checking out the displays inside and out.

Arlen Ness Motorcycles moved their location from Beach Street to inside the Destination Daytona complex as well. Arlen Ness has made several guest appearances like when he cruised in during Bike Week last year. Corbin just opened the doors of their new store only a few minutes from this area. Add to all this the popular Ormond Beach biker hang outs like The Iron Horse, Broken Spoke, Battlegrounds and Boot Hill Saloon! The north side of the Daytona, Volusia County area has taken over what used to be concentrated to the Main Street and Beach Street park. Biketoberfest and Bike Week has expanded, but the new north area seems to have rapidly gained in popularity.

Now I believe that Main Street downtown Daytona Beach will always attract a certain amount of visitors and traffic. After all, it is still the place to see and be seen until the north side comes up with some sort of a strip that bikers can cruise and visitors can shop and grab some food and drink. But to me and many of the Main Street vendors, the crowd is thinning every year.

As I have mentioned a few times before though, I always stop by the Krystal Hamburger to grab a sack of burgers. We caught this limousine pulling through to get some food before heading back out on International Speedway Drive. I was glad to see that it was only the driver getting some hamburgers, or we may have been held up for hours!

One of the other main attractions during Biketoberfest and Bike Week will always be the world famous women’s coleslaw wrestling at the Cabbage Patch Bar in Samsula, Florida. The weather played a little bit of a factor again this year with partly cloudy skies and threats of thunder storms, but the clouds cleared and the coleslaw wrestling went on as scheduled.

This golf cart had a live streaming web cam mounted on it. There were 3 live web cameras set up at the cabbage patch during Biketoberfest so that the entire event could be watched at home on your computer. I talked with the man that was running this operation and found out some very interesting statistics on what it takes to handle a set up like this.

Some 385 feet of CAT 5 cable had to be run out from this RV that was parked in the lot next door camping area. The RV was used to power the unit as well as provide an office for the computers that served the live video feed.

Here you can see the trailer behind the RV that holds the cable when rolled in and the satellite dish for communications to the main live video server to the internet. If you missed the opportunity to view these feeds, I hope that they will be available next year so that you can check them out. You can see that a lot of work goes into setting up the live Biketoberfest web cams. All this was made possible by SVCLIVE web casting productions. This may all sound a little geek to you, but now you can see what it takes to bring live video from a motorcycle event to your home computer or laptop.

I will close this year’s thoughts about Biketoberfest with a few pictures that we took of interesting body decorations, Ink and Tattoo. Cindi snapped this picture of a motorcycle passenger who spent plenty of time with a tattoo artist decorating her body.

I saw this girl and her boyfriend walking around at the cabbage patch bar and asked her to pose for a shot of her very colorful ink work.

I think she had a tattoo.

I have heard many say that they prefer Biketoberfest over Bike Week because of the lessor amount of people. This year the even pretty much held true for that. The only real problem is the heavy traffic and small amount of parking available on the the north side, but I am sure they are working on a solution for that. Still, your best bet is to arrive early and plan ahead where you want to go. My apologies to all those who looked for us to be out on the loop this year, as we did not shoot out there. Sunday was our only open day and the weather said it was time to head home.

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, daytona beach, destination daytona, florida, motorcycle events, motorcycle news, ormond beach, volusia county

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Biketoberfest ended on Sunday, but was the annual Florida motorcycle event in Daytona Beach? Not by the looks of the light activity on the famed Main Street in downtown Daytona Beach. The many Daytona Beach hotels still displayed bright neon lights telling of vacancy. The mass media newspapers and television stations all ran the same headlines days before Biketoberfest began “Biketoberfest roars into town”.

But then again, if you decide to roar into town, you will get a ticket for the Daytona Beach noise violation ordinance. The city of Daytona Beach has spent a great deal of money to make sure visiting bikers know to keep quiet, while other recent laws and ordinances to remove the fun out of the event are in the making.

While topless protester Elizabeth Book of Ormond beach has battled the Daytona Beach nudity laws since bike week 2003 and won in appeal courts, Daytona Beach recently tried to add new ordinances banning nudity in establishments that sell alcohol such as Lollipops and the Pink Pony. The planned city ordinance included not only nudity, but also skimpy cover-up outfits, T backs and G strings.

 Welcome Bikers? With all the new attempts to remove the fest from Biketoberfest and other motorcycle events, the city of Daytona Beach will need to change their current signage that reads “we are glad you’re back to “please come back”!

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, daytona beach, florida, loud pipes, motorcycle events, noise violation, nudity laws, volusia county

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Optimization technology software helps Ducati drive innovation in taking concept bike on the road.

TROY, Mich., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Altair Engineering, Inc., a leading global provider of technology and services that empower client innovation and decision-making, today announced that Ducati, the leading manufacturer of racing-inspired motorcycles has chosen Altair HyperWorks as its preferred tool for the optimization and verification of structural parts for the series production development of the “Hypermotard.” The Hypermotard concept motorcycle has already won several awards following its presentation at the EICMA, the 63rd International Motorcycle Exhibition held in Milan during November 2005. To continue this success, Ducati has now taken the prize- winning bike into series production. The Hypermotard 1100 and 1100 S were launched in spring 2007.

“When we presented the Hypermotard as a concept bike at the EICMA, it was enthusiastically received,” said Simone Di Piazza, head of the calculation department at Ducati. “International experts and attendees praised both Hypermotard’s outstanding technology and Pierre Terblanche’s excellent design. Everybody at Ducati was extremely pleased that the prototype was awarded ‘Best of Show’ at the Motorcycle Design Association ‘Designers Night.’ Reassured by this successful presentation, we knew it was time to go into series production with the bike, and started the development for series production in March 2006. As soon as we knew we would go into series production with the bike, we started to look for a state-of-the-art simulation tool to deal with the challenges we would have to face. We then learned that HyperWork’s integrated framework fit our needs in the area of structural optimization perfectly. We are confident that HyperWorks is the best choice for us to receive accurate results and to realize this project within the expected time frame.”

Altair HyperWorks is an integrated CAE framework containing best-in-class solutions for the complete virtual product development process. HyperWorks not only contains powerful finite-element and multi-body simulation solutions, it also delivers an open, programmable platform that is easy to integrate into existing processes. From modeling and assembly, to visualization and reporting, to virtual manufacturing and robustness assessment, HyperWorks’ powerful interface system to all major CAD and CAE packages is the foundation for a truly integrated simulation-driven design process. It can also help bring highly engineered products to market faster.

“The new Ducati machine is a bike built to turn bikers’ dreams into reality,” said Cosimo Panetta, country manager, Altair Engineering, Italy. “It is a radical bike that takes power, versatility and performance to a new level, but is also built to be driven every day of the year. I am very proud that HyperWorks was used to put this 95hp – 90CV (66kw) at 7750rpm, 175 kg dry-weight bike from concept into series production. HyperWorks and the Hypermotard not only share a part of their names – they are also both state- of-the-art products. With two wheels, but only one purpose – to thrill, the Hypermotard is a symbol for innovative driving. Similarly, HyperWorks is a suite of products put together to serve one purpose. That is, to accelerate product development – standing for driving innovation at its best.”

About Ducati
Founded in 1926, Ducati develops racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. The company produces motorcycles in six market segments, which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Supersport; Monster, Sport Touring, Multistrada and Sport Classic. The company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 60 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets. Ducati has won 13 of the last 15 World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together. For more information about the company, please visit our website at http://www.ducati.com/ .

About Altair Engineering
Altair Engineering, Inc. strengthens client innovation and decision-making through technology that optimizes the analysis, management and visualization of business and engineering information. Privately held with more than 1,300 employees, Altair has offices throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. With a 20-year-plus track record for product design, advanced engineering software and grid computing technologies, Altair consistently delivers a competitive advantage to customers in a broad range of industries. For more information please visit http://www.altair.com/ .

Technorati Tags: ducati, motorcycle news, motorcycles, technology

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Biketoberfest Bands and Bars October 18-21:

Joe Santana and Motley Jackson can be seen at Boot Hill Saloon ( both locations), Thunder Gulch and Cabbage Patch Bar Check the band schedule here.

Rebel Son will be appearing at the Boot Hill both locations.

Iron Horse Saloon has no schedule posted, so just drop in and see what is happening! Be sure to check out the California Hell Riders on the Wall of Death while you are there.

Broken Spoke Saloon featured artist concert, see Bret Michaels ( Poison front man) on October 20th

Blackfoot will be performing live at the White Eagle Lounge in Korona on October 19

The Battlegrounds presents “The Monsters of Mock” mega tribute rock and roll band show! Two shows the 19^th and 20^th 3pm to 9pm 5 monster rock tribute bands will hit the stage sounding and looking like the real bands. Highway to Hell (AC/DC) Stones Throw (Rolling Stones) Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin) ZZ Not (ZZ Top) and Fleetwood Max (Fleetwood Mac) with two show dates this is one concert series you won’t want to miss.

Women’s Coleslaw Wrestling on Saturday 12:00 noon at The Cabbage Patch Bar Samsula, Florida. Cabbage Patch has added streaming video on the bar web site.

Pudding Wrestling at the No Name Saloon on Friday 10:00 am with other contest and live music during the weekend.

Saturday October 20^th drop on by the Daytona Lagoon water park to see some the finest looking custom motorcycles in the world at the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show.

This entertainment list is not a complete listing of all the things to do during Biketoberfest, but I have put together some of the top places to listen to free live concerts and have fun. Of course, all events are subject to change and it is suggested that you check the web site links provided or call ahead to verify. This list may also be updated from time to time before my departure for Daytona late tomorrow, Friday. Check back for  more information.

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, biketober, motorcycle events, bike shows, motorcycles, Daytona Beach, Florida, Ormond Beach, blog, concerts, live music, entertainment

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Today, October 15th is Blog Action day. As a blogger I am supposed to write something about the enviroment. Bloggers get to pick there own subject to write about, but the post should be geared toward the enviroment. The choice for me was easy, finding a protected Florida wildlife species to photograph for the story was not as easy.

Meet the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), a protected wildlife species found mostly in northern and central Florida and some parts of southern Georgia but have been found to be declining in numbers.

I took a ride over to Erna Nixon Brevard County Park to see if I could find a gopher tortoise to photograph. This county park is known to have this particular form of protected wildlife roaming the area. I asked the ranger where I might find a gopher turtle, but she told me that they are usually not out until later afternoon.

I decided to walk my way up the nature trail and see if I would get lucky even though it was just after twelve noon. I walked up the path til I reached the wetland area of the park with no luck. Then took a walk up the opposite side of the trail to the wetlands and still had not spotted a turtle. As luck would have it, as I was exiting the trail just past the main pavilion I spotted this big guy chomping on some grass.

Many bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts ride the “loop” when visiting the Volusia County area including Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach during the two big Florida Motorcycle events every year. Bike Week and Biketoberfest attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to this area and most will make plans to ride the loop during these events.

Many of you readers have noticed the signs “Save the Loop” posted in homes and along the 23 mile stretch of road from Daytona to Ormond Beach. The loop is a natural habitat for the gopher tortoise and like the turtle, this land is threatened by development. One such development called Plantation Oaks brings threat to this enjoyable natural Florida scenic ride as well as the lives of over 900 gopher turtles. Read Permit to Kill to see more on how this developer bought his way through a permit loop hole.

It is sad to see more and more of the natural Florida ecosystem losing out to high dollar homes and multi-million dollar golf courses. Along with the natural beauty and surroundings of this land we are also killing off our wildlife, like the gopher tortoise.

Technorati Tags: blog action day, daytona beach, ecosystem, endangered wildlife, florida, gopher tortoise, enviroment, melbourne, ormond beach, the loop, volusia county

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We hit Sanford early morning for bikefest, not sure why we left so early, but we did. We hit the local McDonalds for breakfast and I am really not sure why we did, but we did. After killing time in town with breakfast and stopping to get some super 8 tape, we rolled back into the event area close to 9:00 am.

With fall here, which we do not experience in Florida, the days are getting shorter so the early morning lighting sucks for taking pictures. The back neighborhood streets are beginning to remind me of Daytona Beach with the ride quiet signs as WESH channel 2 news reports complaints about the noise.

Local news reports an expected growth for the Sanford motorcycle event, but if there was it seemed minimal to me. There did seem to be a larger amount of biker event vendors. There were more tattoo vendors then the previous year and more parts and accessory vendors made the walk down East Seminole a little more interesting.

One truly notable vendor we came across was Redz Custom Airbrush where their motto is “boring paint should be a crime”. The custom airbrush paint work on this bike was anything but boring. The amount of work spent on the detail of this paint shows right down to the rivets.

The Can-Am Spyder demo rides were a big hit. You could see trails of these things buzzing around the area all day.

A pretty unique 3 wheel vehicle called the Spyder Roadster powered by the Rotax V990 engine. I listened as most of the comments of the demo riders were positive.

This year the Bikefest visitor’s were treated to two stunt rider shows. About every hour and a half there was a street bike stunt show followed up by motocross jumpers.

These riders were good, performing 3 at a time doing wheelies, stoppies and burnouts. They had a pretty awesome finish to the show were all 3 bikes would slide in together and the rider would dismount. The kind of stuff you do not do on the open roads.

They moved the bike show out to the main event area this year which was kind of nice, but from a photographer’s view the grass could have been cut deeper before opening day.

I needed to find a nice looking purple motorcycle to submit to the Flickr Lupus Awareness group purple photos and I found this sharp looking custom built by JZ Riders of Sanford. I looked through most of the pictures that had been submitted to help create Lupus awareness and I had not seen any motorcycles, so I think I was able to send in something unique with this motorcycle picture.

I guess these pie eating contests are going to come back into style at motorcycle events. I shot the contest this year at Leesburg and Sanford now too. If Daytona decides to have an eating contest, I am hoping they will do Krystal hamburgers. I can eat a sack load of those little guys.

Daytona Biketoberfest is coming up this weekend!

Technorati Tags: bikefest, sanford, motorcycle events, biketoberfest, daytona beach, bike shows, custom motorcycles

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