MNO Blog - Motorcycles, News, Opinions » Rides

Sunday Motorcycle Video – Shambhala

Mike Odom — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:27:20 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

This Sunday motorcycle video was produced by one of my favorites on YouTube. Enjoy the video with music by Three Dog Night and check out Rattmanfilms for more.

Happy Fathers Day!

Technorati Tags: motorcycles, video, youtube, riding

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Leesburg Bikefest 2008

Mike Odom — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:35:10 +0000

Leesburg Bikefest 2008 your best bet for Florida fun in the sun. Today is the final day of the 12th annual Florida motorcycle event, but there are still big things happening today in Leesburg.

The Rats Hole Custom Bike show winds down the three day event with the “metric madness” contest held today and there are still plenty of concerts, motorcycle demos and stunt shows scheduled for this afternoon. If you did not make it out to Leesburg this year, make plans to visit next year when the Bikefest will be held April 24-26 2009. The Rat’s Hole bike show holds what is known as the largest 3 day show in the country each year in Leesburg, Florida.

We were present to see the custom motorcycle show and of course the famous ratmate contest. Ten beautiful women on stage competing for the title of miss ratmate is always a big crowd pleaser.

The motorcycle show was huge as always, but this Vietnam Veterans Tribute Bike was one of my favorites. The detail and use of actual military gear showed the great amount of planning that went into building this bike.

Guilty Customs had a booth set up that proudly displayed one of their bikes as a former Leesburg Bikefest Rats Hole winner. The downtown area remained crowded from just after 9 am until after 11 pm with music, food and fun. There is always plenty to do and see and with four stages set up, the free concerts never stop.

Even with the current gas price on the rise, it did not seem to have any effect on the amount of visitors to this annual Florida motorcycle event. Downtown and Main Street was filled with the sound of motorcycles and music, while the smell of food vendors made me want to try all the grilled sandwiches available. Leesburg allows their biker guests to walk the streets of the fest with beer and other alcoholic beverages, which adds to the welcomed atmosphere there. I had a frozen rum runner that was filled way above the rim and priced reasonably at only 6 bucks.

While walking around the area, I ran into an interesting display of custom motorcycles built by Logic Motor Company. Now, you may not recognize this brand name right off, but maybe this next picture will tell you more.

Yea, it is that Insurance company that has a reptile in their commercials, Geico Powersports custom motorcycles are built by another face you will recognize from the Geico motorcycle insurance ads.

Busy man, but I got a quick opportunity to meet Rick “Big Rick” Hoffman, motorcycle builder and company spokesman for GEICO Motorcycle Insurance. Cindi and I had a great time in Leesburg and I strongly suggest that you make it out for this event next year.

Technorati Tags: motorcycle news, events, Leesburg, Florida, Bike Shows, custom motorcycles, biker event

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Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Announces 2008 Route

Mike Odom — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:41:17 +0000

From Traverse City, Mich., to Savannah, Ga., 14th Annual Charity Ride to Travel More than 3,000 Motorcycle Miles to Support Chronically Ill Children

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 26 /PRNewswire/ — Riders, start your engines! The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America has announced the route for its 14th annual motorcycle ride, to take place July 13 – 20, 2008. NASCAR driver and Charity Ride founder Kyle Petty will lead a field of more than 250 riders as they wind their way from the Midwest to the Deep South in an effort to raise awareness of and funds for Victory Junction Gang Camp and other children’s charities.

Riders will depart from Traverse City, Mich., on July 13, making overnight stops in Elkhart Lake, Wis.; Lombard, Ill.; Lexington, Ky.; White Sulfur Springs, W.Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Peachtree City, Ga., before reaching Savannah, Ga., their final destination, on July 19.

Since the Charity Ride’s inception in 1995, 5,700 participants have logged more than 7.2 million cumulative motorcycle miles and donated more than $10.5 million to Victory Junction Gang Camp and other charities that support chronically ill children. Petty and his wife, Pattie, founded the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C., in 2004. The year-round camp serves children, ages 7 to 15, with a variety of health issues that would typically prevent them from attending camp. The camp operates solely on the donations of corporations, organizations and individuals. The Pettys recently announced the opening of a second Victory Junction Gang Camp in Wyandotte County, Kan.

“Pattie and I are constantly amazed and inspired by the dedication of our riders, sponsors and fans,” said Petty. “These companies and individuals are truly committed to bettering the lives of deserving children and their families. We’re looking forward to another great event — and more incredible results!”

Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Dan Cathy will join Petty on the Charity Ride. This year marks Chick-fil-A’s fifth year as the event’s title sponsor, and the company has extended its sponsorship agreement through 2009.

“We at Chick-fil-A are grateful for the opportunity to once again be the title sponsor of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride,” Cathy said. “Chick-fil-A is proud to be associated with such a worthy cause and is eagerly anticipating another exciting Ride.”

Riders will make a pit stop at Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman on July 17 during a camp session designed for children with physical disabilities. As a result of the 2007 Charity Ride’s efforts, 80 children will attend this five-day session free of charge.
Fans and spectators along the Charity Ride route can support Victory Junction Gang Camp through the Charity Ride’s “Small Change. Big Impact.” program. In 2007, donations from the “Small Change. Big Impact.” program alone totaled more than $64,000.
Additional sponsors of the 2008 Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America include Coca-Cola, Pilot Travel Centers LLC, Wells Fargo, Manheim, Racing Electronics, Dodge Motorsports, Wincraft Racing and FLUIDYNE Racing Products.

About The Kyle Petty Charity Ride
Led by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America raises awareness of and funds for Victory Junction Gang Camp and other charities supporting chronically ill children. The Charity Ride is one of the most successful and popular charity events in NASCAR. Now in its 14th year, the Charity Ride has donated more than $10.5 million to children’s charities, with 5,700 participants logging more than 7.2 million cumulative motorcycle miles. In 2008, NASCAR celebrities, ride sponsors and motorcycle enthusiasts will travel from Traverse City, Mich. to Savannah, Ga. from July 13-20. www.kylepettycharityride.com

About Victory Junction Gang Camp
The Victory Junction Gang Camp is a not-for-profit organization founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife, Pattie, in honor of their son Adam. Located on 84 acres in Randleman, N.C., the camp opened its doors in 2004 to enrich the lives of children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses by creating camping experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, empowering, physically safe and medically sound. The Pettys recently announced the opening of a second Victory Junction Gang Camp in Wyandotte County, Kan. www.victoryjunction.org

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Celebrating its 41st year in business, Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc., is the nation’s second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain (based on sales), with nearly 1,300 restaurants in 37 states and Washington D.C. In 2007, Chick-fil-A produced record sales of $2.6 billion — a 16 percent overall increase and an 8.47 percent same-store sales gain that helped extend the chain’s streak of consecutive sales gains to 40 years.
Credited with inventing the boneless breast of chicken sandwich and first introducing the chicken nugget concept, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious and freshly prepared food products in mall locations, stand-alone restaurants, drive-thru-only restaurants, Chick-fil-A Dwarf House(R) and Truett’s Grill(R) full-service restaurants, and through licensed outlets in college campuses, hospitals, airports, businesses and industrial sites. www.chick-fil-a.com or www.truettcathy.com

Source: The Kyle Petty Charity Ride

Technorati Tags: motorcycle news, charity ride, kyle petty

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2008 Daytona Bike Week Live coverage

Mike Odom — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:29:12 +0000

Get ready to send in your pictures and reports live from Bike Week in 2008. I am getting the sites set up and ready to go for this annual Florida motorcycle event.

Daytona Bike Week Live has been set up and I am tweaking the site for mobile content and blogging. You can send me a note at my G mail account bikermobile@gmail.com and I will set you up as a contributor. Once you are set up, you will be able to send pictures directly to the blog using your cell phone. The web site address for the Bike Week live blog is www.daytonabikeweeklive.com and will be mainly for mobile photo blogging using cell phones and mobile devices.

Bike Week Blog is open, but still being constructed for multi users. This mobile blog will be set up for live blogging from Bike Week from your lap top or other mobile devices. I plan on having more content and news on this site while Daytona Bike Week Live will be mainly for pictures. Those of you who would like to participate and become a contributor on the Bike Week Blog can send me a note or reply to this post and I will set you up with an account. The web address for this site is www.bikeweekblog.com .

I will keep everyone updated on these two sites and look forward to sharing the experience of bike week live with everyone!

If you have not already made your bike week hotel reservations, it is not too late. You can still get some great deals here.

Technorati Tags: bike week, motorcycle news, blog, blogging, mobile, cell phones, photo blogs, travel, daytona beach, florida

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Biketoberfest part II, where did it happen?

Mike Odom — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 05:31:07 +0000

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 2007 Entertainment Calendar

Mike Odom — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:07:36 +0000

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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Blog Action Day Post – Gopher Tortoise

Mike Odom — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 01:58:22 +0000

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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Sanford Bikefest over on to Daytona for Biketoberfest

Mike Odom — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:02:46 +0000

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

2nd Annual Shannon Burke Real Ride to benefit Boggy Creek Camp

Mike Odom — Tue, 15 May 2007 00:47:57 +0000

Got to hurry! The Burke Real Ride is coming up this weekend, Sunday May 20th. You can purchase your Real Ride tickets here. Portions of the proceeds will benefit to Boggy Creek Camp that serves enrich the lives of children who have chronic or life threatening illnesses. So like most every motorcycle ride or run, you get to have a great time among friends and help those out in need.

You can read my post Coverage of the Burke Real Ride about last year’s ride to see more about how the event went and meet some of the WTKS Real Radio 104.1 personalities like Daniel, Black Bean, Drunky the Bear and Dirty Jim. Yea, I know the Drunky the Bear link goes to his my space profile. Drunky is one of my my space friends, so I had to give him a plug.

This year The Monsters will be performing at Destination Daytona were the ride will end, but lunch will be served and the party begins. If you missed The Monsters in concert during Leesburg Bikefest, here is your chance to see them again. Don’t miss out this time.

Real Riders will get entry into the ride, lunch and a Real Ride T Shirt.

Shannon, Cindi and I should get shirts for all the promotion that I do …. hint hint. We will be there at the 12:00 start off form Ker’s Wing House in Altamonte and taking pictures along the ride and during the party at Bruce Rossmeyer’s. See you there!

Check out WTKS 104.1 Real Radio for The Monsters and The Shannon Burke Show and not to forget SBK

Technorati Tags: motorcycle events, real ride, destination daytona, florida, motorcycles, daytona beach, ormond beach

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Leesburg Bikefest – Quiet Riot and 3 day Rat’s Hole Bike Show

Mike Odom — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:20:50 +0000

Leesburg Bikefest April 27-29 in Leesburg, Florida will feature a three day Rat’s Hole custom motorcycle show and rock band Quiet Riot Saturday night on the main stage. Announced on the Rat’s Hole web site the Leesburg bike show will be open all three days of the Florida motorcycle event.

Friday April 27th the Rat’s Hole will open with the Leesburg biker showcase. Saturday the 28th will be the Leesburg Bikefest 07 custom motorcycle show and will include a Ratmate contest. Sunday is metric madness day.

The show will focus on metric bikes and get ready to witness the awesome street bike stunts performed by Teem Xtreem.

Leesburg, Florida really does welcome bikers and Main Street is for motorcycles only! Bring comfortable walking shoes though, because once you are parked you will be on foot the rest of the day and into the night as the party continues.

Quiet Riot will be on the main stage Saturday night. Other bands listed to perform during the three days of Bikefest include Confederate Railroad and the Monsters of the Morning just to list a few of the promised 40 concerts on 7 stages. All Free!

Leesburg Bikefest one Florida motorcycle event that you do not want to miss! More information can be found on the official Bikefest web site.

The amount of entertainment crammed into the 3 day motorcycle event includes concerts, 300+ vendors, Hawaiian Tropic/Ms Bikefest bikini contest, Ratmate contest. Biker games, Teem Xtreem stunt show, safety demonstrations and more.

Leesburg Bikefest Hotel Accommodations

Technorati Tags: biker events, florida, leesburg, motorcycle news, motorcycle shows, rats hole

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Bike Week Begins

Mike Odom — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:50:11 +0000

You can see by the recent Bike Week webcam shot that Main Street is starting to see some life.

I made a post the other day on how to watch bike week from the Wise Guys Watering Hole web cams and I just captured this shot from their bike week webcam looking down on Main Street Daytona Beach. The weather is looking better, but the winds are still high.

Look for us! We always take pictures on the road, Cindi will have camera ready as we head up to the Cabbage Patch Bar to set up the tent.

Look for this sign that the Naked Cowboy is holding and your picture may appear on www.daytonamotorcyclerally.com or our 2007.bike-weekdaytona.com web site. Don’t forget that we shoot on the Daytona Loop as well. If you are interested in getting any private work done while you are in town for bike week, give me a call on my cell 321-961-8936 and we will try to work you in.

Bike Week Hotels are still available and with no minimum stay. Click here to check out popular bike week destinations.

This will be my last post for a couple of days until I return home to do updates. I’m out of here, see you on the road. Ride safe and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: bike week, travel, hotels, motorcycle news, daytona beach, florida

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Riding the Volusia County Loop during Bike Week

Mike Odom — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:26:22 +0000

If you plan on visiting Florida for Bike Week 2007, be sure to work a ride on the Volusia County Loop into your plans. We will be on the loop photographing riders and their motorcycles on the first Saturday, March 3 between the hours of 1 till 3 pm.

We have been taking pictures on the Daytona Loop during Bike Week and Biketoberfest for the past 3 years and enjoy the work and friends we make. You can see our past loop photo galleries by clicking here to visit our Bike Week site.

The Loop is a great motorcycle ride that is enjoyed by the thousands of visitors to the Daytona, Ormond and Flagler Beach area each year during the two big motorcycle events Bike Week and Biketoberfest. The road is two lane paved that has stretches of straight roadway covered with scenic tree canopies provided by some of Florida’s oldest oaks.

As you ride in deeper into the 23 mile trail known as the “loop” you will encounter some sharp turns and S curves along the low lying wetlands heavily decorated with natural Florida Palm Trees. The ride stretches out from outer Daytona and into Ormond and Flagler Beach.

There are not many places available to stop along the route, so you will want to ride slow to enjoy the view. The few places that allow for bikers to pull over and rest will not be seen until you are right on them, so you will need to keep an eye out for them.

Bikers taking a break during bike week ride on the Daytona Loop.

It can also be very hard for us to find a good spot to take pictures along the loop scenic ride, but we have a few places that we can be found working. One of my favorite places is at what I call the lake curve. The picture above and at the post opening were both taken there. This spot gives me a great camera vantage and angle where I can lay near the road and catch motorcycles as they pass on the curve.

Look for me and my wife as you ride and your picture may be posted in this year’s loop ride photo gallery. Pictures are available for purchase and are shot at a high resolution so that they are suitable for enlarging and framing. See you at Bike Week!

Technorati Tags: bike week, motorcycle news, florida, daytona beach, ormond beach, motorcycle pictures, the loop, biketoberfest, volusia county

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New Book Describes a Woman’s Solo Journey Around the USA on Cranky Russian Motorcycle

Mike Odom — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:10:24 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ — Breakdowns in small towns all around America is the theme of a new book titled AMERICAN BORDERS by Carla King, which describes her solo journey around the United States on a Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle.

A motorcycle journey to explore the borders between the United States, Canada, and Mexico quickly becomes a comedy of mechanical, social, and natural disasters. King’s four-month, ten-thousand-mile solo test ride of the newly imported Russian Ural sidecar motorcycle is punctuated by cracked welds and electrical gremlins, evil tow truck drivers, roadside romances, tornadoes and hurricanes.

Woven into the narrative are the intensely personal reflections of a woman traveling alone, the Zen of motorcycle maintenance, and keen observations of America’s diverse landscapes and population. From B.C. to the Blue Ridge, Boquillas to Beverly Hills, American Borders is a unique and intimate exploration of the United States and its neighbors.

“A great read!” says Lonely Planet founder Maureen Wheeler. “Carla takes every breakdown, every weird encounter in her stride with a sense of humor, an eye for the ridiculous, and incredible stoicism. All this, and sex and relationships, too!

“Heartwarming and revealing, readers get to know and love Carla, and get to know themselves a little more in the process,” says Genevieve Schmitt, founder of WomenRidersNow.com. “She’s a true hero, smiling every mile of the way and finding humor in the worst of circumstances.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla King is the author of the popular realtime Internet dispatches American Borders, China Road, and Indian Sunset. Her writing has been published in Wild Writing Women: Stories of World Travel, Travelers’ Tales anthologies, and In Search of Adventure. Her book, American Borders, is the first in a series of Motorcycle Misadventures travelogues. She lives in San Francisco.

BOOK DETAILS

American Borders: A solo-circumnavigation of the United States on a

Russian sidecar motorcycle

Author: Carla King

Paperback; 228 pages ($16.95)

ISBN: 0964644509

Find high-quality press photos, news, reviews, and calendar on

http://www.motorcyclemisadventures.com/.

EVENTS

Currently the USA tour includes Chicago, Atlanta, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest. More cities will be added later in the year. See calendar for details.

CONTACT

Please contact the author for a review copy of the book or personal interview (including motorcycle ride with interviewer).

Carla King

Phone: (415) 379-7372

Fax: (415) 520-5749

Email: carla@carlaking.com

Website: http://www.motorcyclemisadventures.com/

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Coverage of the Burke Real Ride

Mike Odom — Mon, 15 May 2006 17:51:37 +0000

Shannon Burke parks the Real Bike at Destination Daytona

The weather was great for a motorcycle ride on May 13th the date set for the WTKS 104.1 Real Ride with host Shannon Burke of the Shannon Burke Show.

Cindi and I got to the WTKS studios around 11:00, a little late considering the ride was to leave at 12:00. We started out early enough from Melbourne, but because this was our first trip to this location, I got lost.

Looking around, it looked like a pretty good turn out for a first time ride event. I was in a hurry to find out some information on the best way to cover the ride and get some good pictures, so I asked who was the event coordinator. I was told his name was Jeff Wagstaff and pointed in his direction. Talking to this jerk was a total waste of time for photo journalist trying to map out an event. This guy tells me he is going to have Interstate 4 closed down and there was no way I would be able to get my car next to the group to take pictures. In complete disbelief in the way this guy treats the media and that he would be able to accomplish shutting down an interstate, I went to talk to one of the FHP officers to get some ideas. It was suggested that I leave ahead of the group and shoot from a top one of the Interstate 4 overpass bridges. Sounded good to me. The only option I had since this so called event coordinator had the power to shut down a US Highway. Oh yea, and when I questioned Wagstaff about it, he says “watch me”.

The Real Ride heads up I4

As you can see by this picture, Mr. Wagstaff was not as almighty as he might wish. The Interstate was not closed, instead the real ride was escorted to their destination by the Florida Highway Patrol. Here you can see the leaders of the pack riding behind the escort of the FHP and the Destination Daytona trucks. Heading up the ride was, of course, talk show host Shannon Burke on the Real Radio chopper with Dirty Jim of the Monsters of the Morning show and his wife next to him. Dirty Jim was riding Shannon’s custom screaming eagle Harley-Davidson, so I am sure that he wanted to keep a close eye on him. Especially since a few days previous the Monsters had an unplanned burnout contest between Drunky the Bear on the Real Radio Chopper and Dirty Jim on Shannon’s bike. The skit was suddenly called to an end after Drunky dropped the chopper in the lot of JZ Riders in Sanford, Florida.

Following the leaders included Bruce Rossmeyer owner of Daytona Harley-Davidson and Destination Daytona, Daniel Dennis, SBK ( Soul Brother Kevin), Drunky the Bear and other radio show personalities which I show below.

After taking a few shots from the Interstate overpass, We tried to take a back road to catch up with the ride. Unfortunately, we caught them just as the final few bikes were pulling into Destination Daytona to park for the festivities.

Motorcycles parking at Destination Daytona

More pictures from the Shannon Burke Real Ride can be seen at Ironhorse Photography.

I don’t get to listen to the radio as much as I would like to. It is too distracting while I am working at my keyboard. Usually, the only real time I do get the opportunity to listen is when I am in route somewhere. When I do get the chance to listen, 90% of the time I listen to talk radio and usually that is on WTKS Real Radio 104.1 out of Orlando. The music stations in my area are not worth listening to and I can catch up on some of the news, current events and opinions by listening to talk shows. Out of all the shows on 104.1, I like the Shannon Burke Show the best, followed by The Phillips Phile and finally The Monsters of the Morning.

Well, the shows are not in that order, that is the order I favor them. So, here are a few shots of the people of Real Radio 104.1 and their shows.

Shannon Burke Host of the Shannon Burke Show

Shannon’s opinions are not always something that I agree with, but if they were, it would not make his show as interesting. One thing about him, when he does have an opinion on something, you will have a difficult time changing it, if ever. Shannon rides and incorporates a lot of topics of biker lifestyle into his show. That’s a big plus! You can catch the Shannon Burke show from 11:00 til 3:00.

SBK Soul Brother Kevin Co-Host of the Shannon Burke show

Kevin Co-Host of the Shannon Burke show

Soul Brother Kevin aka SBK got his name when he started as intern with the Monsters of the Morning, which at that time was at midday. Confused yet? SBK quickly gained popularity and moved on to be with Shannon. Kevin adds an opposing view to topics that come up on the show and hosts his own show SBK Live on Saturday nights at 7:00 til 10:00

Daniel Dennis Producer of Monsters of the Morning

Daniel seems to be a cool cat, although I have never met him personally. He adds to the show and is what I would call an asset to the atmosphere. Daniel has a great collection of tee shirts.

Blackbean Co-Producer of Monsters of the Morning

Blackbean or Black Bean? I am not real sure how his show name is spelled. Together with Daniel as a team have pulled off some of the funniest and best radio skits to happen. The way these two guys put a skit together you can almost see it even though it is on radio.

Drunky the Bear from the Monsters

I am not real sure what Drunky’s job description for the show is. I know he will go out of his way for a beer and to make people laugh.

Bubba “whoopass” Wilson music director for the Monsters

Bubba writes most of the music for the Monsters who not only have the radio show, but a band as well. Bubba also does a segment called correct me if I’m wrong that is a satire ( I think ) on redneck philosophy.

Sexy Savannah (no longer with 104.1)

Savannah was with the Monsters of the Morning when I first started listening to Real Radio. In my opinion ( I am entitled to it, this is my Blog! ) back then, the Monsters show and the band was at their best. Sexy Savannah had a segment called in the mind of Savannah that wondered aimlessly and pointlessly, but was humorous. She had a falling out with the show host Russ Rollins and moved on to be on the Shannon Burke Show. That did not last long and now she is on another O Town station. Savannah is pictured above with my wife Cindi Odom.

Dirty Jim with the Monsters

Dirty Jim adds to the Monsters show with an opposite point of view on just about everything. His best trait is he knows how to disagree, even when it is pointless and usually is. Notice in the picture that he his holding in his hands a can of beans. The very same can that Blackbean and Sexy Savannah are holding. The story? OK, if you insist, I will tell you.
My wife Cindi Odom and I ( Mike Odom ) are photographers. This you probably already are aware of, if you have read the rest of my Blog. This can was used as a prop for a web site called Beans Around The World, you can read more about the travels of the can of S & W Blackbeans at the site. The basic idea is that this can of beans travels around the world visiting famous places, events and people. We decided to get in on the travels by carrying the can of beans up to Daytona Beach for Bike Week to photograph it at the world famous event. You can see the story and pictures of what we did with the can of beans at On the Road to Daytona Bike Week 2005.

Because we had previously photographed some of the Monsters holding the can of blackbeans, except at the time, Dirty Jim. Cindi tried to get a little bit of extra publicity by calling in to the Monsters radio talk show. Now Cindi has a small speech problem that comes out more when she is excited. So any way Dirty Jim being the kind of person that he is and I have previously described, jumped right on Cindi implying that she had been drinking. The other members of the show seemed to detect that it was a speech problem, but Jim insisted on it being a drinking problem. Months later and after the call was forgotten during the Real Ride we had the opportunity, because we had the beans with us, to photograph Dirty Jim holding the can of beans. Cindi took the can to him and asked him to let us take a picture. He allowed the picture and it appears that in real life, maybe he is not so bad after all. I think watching his face as he met Cindi and heard her voice that he recalled the morning of the call in.

bruce rossmeyer, destination daytona, dirty jim, monsters, motorcycles, real radio, real ride, shannon burke

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Shannon Burke Real Ride

Mike Odom — Fri, 05 May 2006 16:36:05 +0000

The inaugural date for the Shannon Burke Real Ride is set for May 13, 2006. Shannon Burke is a radio talk show host that is on WTKS 104.1 Orlando which is one of the sponsors of the ride.

The real ride is limited to 1,000 bikes leaving from the WTKS studios and riding up I4 to Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach.

Should be a good ride! Looking forward to the event

Technorati Tags: shannon burke, real ride, destination daytona, charity, radio

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