Whether you own a classic big-twin or a new Sportster, the last thing you want is your bike to be damaged during a transport, so it’s always a good idea to prepare your cycle before handing it over to a shipping company. The following process is quick, easy, and will minimize the possibility of your bike getting damaged during shipment. Also, if an accident does occur these steps will help you collect compensation.

Begin prepping the hog for shipment by washing it down. As you clean it note any existing scratches, dents, dings or other imperfections and document them with pictures and in writing. Don’t rush, as this evidence of the bike’s condition will be the basis of your argument should you need to file a claim.

Following the wash, remove any customizations and loose items that could possibly be lost while on the haul. A shipping company’s insurance will not cover any missing or damaged accessories, so make sure that you’ve got everything.

The final step is a quick mechanical evaluation. Even though the shipper won’t be joyriding around, they may have to fire up your hog to get it on or off the trailer so it is important that it is in running condition. Check the tire pressure, fluid levels, charge the battery and make sure it has some gas. If you have been experiencing any reoccurring problems or the bike requires any unique procedures be sure to notify the carrier ahead of time.

Another thing to keep in mind: If your Harley is antique, rare or extremely customized you may want to go with a shipping company that specializes in that area. They will be accustomed to going the extra mile to protect your investment.

Written by Ben Leffler of uship.com, an online marketplace for Motorcycle Shipping.

Technorati Tags: motorcycles, shipping, care, harley, moving

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 Yep, today I share with you a video of our friend The Naked Cowboy that most of the movie was filmed in Daytona Beach during Biketoberfest. The song is funny and the video shows many of the hot spots on Main Street in Daytona Beach.

Recently the Naked Cowboy filed suit against Mars the makers of M & Ms candy for using the candy in commercials with his likeness. I wish Robert Burck all the luck with the suit as to me it appears obvious that the company clearly used his icon in the commercial without his permission.

Any way, enjoy the video and don’t forget to book your hotel rooms early for Biketoberfest. They are going fast this year.

Biketoberfest is not as far away as you think!

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, video, you tube, florida, daytona beach, motorcycles, naked cowboy

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The custom motorcycle that this young man was riding looked pretty new and it seemed that the transmission plug had vibrated enough to work its way out. I introduced myself and he responded that his name was Tony. I was quick to notice that he had a great deal of respect as he spoke using the word “sir”. I wanted to tell him to leave off the sir, but I sensed there was a reason for it. Tony was in trouble and had no way of getting help, so I offered to attempt to find a Harley Davidson transmission plug or at least a close resemblance to get him back on the road. We also would need to find some transmission oil for the machine as it was all drained from the case. I knew this was going to be tough late on a Sunday afternoon during bike week, but we headed out to try.

I found a auto parts store reasonably close, but they had no idea what I might be able to use for a Harley. I guessed at the size and grabbed a couple of bolts that I thought might work and then asked if there was any type of a motorcycle shop nearby. The guy told me that Carl’s Speed Shop was up the road about 2 miles, so I gave them a call to see if they were open and had the parts we would need.

Luckily, I was able to get someone in parts and they said that they had the part and the oil. We headed on up Nova Road in Holly Hill to Carl’s Speed Shop though it was right at closing time for the motorcycle shop. When we arrived, I found the guy I had spoke with outside at one of the vendor tents and we went back inside to get the parts. When he held up the bolt I knew it was definitely not what I was looking for. This drain plug was way too small. I had measured the opening to the case and found it was about one half inch.  He asked one of the mechanics to help and though he was busy, he made his way over to the parts bin to find an assortment of drain plugs. We were able to find the correct drain plug, purchase some transmission oil and get back to Tony just before dark.

When I returned, Tony was glad to see that I had brought back the exact part needed to get his bike back on the road. As he put the drain plug back in and filled the case we talked. I learned that Tony was active Army and was in fact a Captain! He was only home on leave and his parents had surprised him by booking a hotel room in Daytona Beach for Bike Week. After filling the case with oil, we found that one quart was not enough to bring the level up to the stick. He was not real sure as to the Harley specifications for the transmission either. I remembered seeing a fairly large crowd of motorcycles just up the road at a Dunkin Doughnuts, so we followed him up to the restaurant. While I was inside asking if they had WIFI to check on the transmission specs, one of the men asked me what I needed Internet for. I explained the problem and as luck would have it, he had extra transmission oil on him. This was great being as Carl’s Speed Shop had already closed and chances of finding another motorcycle shop or Harley dealer open were real thin. He had enough oil to properly fill Captain Tony’s transmission up and we got him back on the way to having a good time at Bike Week. Thanks for the help!

I followed Capt. Tony back to his hotel and it made me feel good to have helped him out. He called a few days later to thank me again.

Technorati Tags: bike week, Daytona Beach, Florida, motorcycles

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Here is a tip for my local readers. Head on over to Wolfy’s river deck bar and grill in Sanford, Florida on Saturday February 2nd and hear The Mob. The Mob Band does classic rock and blues, you can hear a little taste of what this band sounds like at The Mob Band web site.

Technorati Tags: sanford florida, live music, entertainment, local news, florida

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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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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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Well its time for the end of the year wrap of of motorcycle events in Florida. With Biketoberfest only a week away, many locals will be heading out to Sanford Bikefest for a warm-up weekend.

Looking back on last year this time, I posted about the upcoming Bikefest, but I failed to post a followup on what happened at the weekend 2006 Florida motorcycle event.

Last year we stayed for all 3 days of the event and as we do for all motorcycle events we took along the tent to enjoy some camping. There is not a whole lot of camping areas around the Sanford area, which is surprising being there are many miles of undeveloped true Florida land.

A little search on Google netted us one of the nicest camping areas around. Lake Mills Park is a great place to pitch a tent and spend the weekend and is fairly close to Fort Mellon Park in Sanford where Bikefest is held.

This year we will only be visiting Sanford Bikefest on Saturday. The event is rather small and most of what there is to do and see can be done in one day.

We caught up with a few unusual motorcycles and modes of transportation last year. Notice anything unusual about this bike? Yep, you got it. This motorcycle has not one, but two kickstands!

This guy was demonstrating how to get to Sanford by water riding on a self propelled surfboard.

East Seminole Blvd. runs adjacent to Lake Monroe and is closed to motorcycle traffic only during Bikefest. You can catch some good motorcycle pictures along this road and a few more at the bike show early morning.

The Sanford Police motorcycle division had a little fun when JZ Riders Customs let them all take a spin around the block on the new line of Saxon motorcycles they had on display in the main Bikefest area.

Orlando radio station personality Shannon Burke rides the 104.1 “Real Bike” along with the parade of custom motorcycles.

One good thing about a smaller venue like the Sanford Bikefest is when its concert time, you can get right up close to the bands. Last year it was a treat to kick back and listen to Deep South. Check out the members of this band :

Artimus Pyle (formerly of Lynyrd Skynyrd), Robert Nix (formerly of Atlanta Rhythm Section), Jimmy Hall (formerly of Wet Willie), Hal McCormack, Dean Daughtry (formerly of Atlanta Rhythm Section), Chris Hicks (formerly of Marshall Tucker Band)

While Deep South was on stage, I got the special treat of chatting with Gene Odom who was Ronnie Van Zant’s personal bodyguard, security for the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. Gene was on hand promoting his books and selling autographed copies.

Sanford Bikefest is small, but big enough to enjoy a day or two checking out some of the local custom motorcycle builder’s new creations, meet up with friends and enjoy the free concerts.

Technorati Tags: motorcycle events, bikefest, sanford, Florida, rides, music, custom motorcycles, events

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Australian cyclist Geoff Thomas spent 156 days and traveled over 9,000 miles on the very same bicycle that he used to ride from coast to coast in his homeland, Australia. Geoff set out on his bicycle towing the custom single wheel trailer from New York City on April 28th 2007. His goal? To ride his bike on a “lap” around the USA.

Geoff told me that he wanted to accomplish more than just riding from coast to coast across the United States as many have done. Geoff set his goal much higher. He wanted to do an actual lap around the US by mapping out his course from New York up into the northern states and then continue on until he reached the west coast in the state of Washington.

Then bike south down the west coast before heading back east to cross the lower southern states traveling mostly on side roads and ending his southern ride here in Melbourne, Florida before heading up the east coast returning to his original starting point New York City.

Now, of course Geoff has cycled long distance rides before and although he had set this lap around the USA as a personal goal he wanted to put it all towards a cause. Geoff was diagnosed with Lupus in 2003 and quickly learned that the disease is not only mysterious, but it is also not well known. It is for this reason that he began to contact different Lupus organizations about sponsoring his lap so that he could raise a bit of charity money for them, but more importantly to create a better awareness of the auto immune disease.

I first learned about Geoff Thomas, The Lap and Bikeusa2007.com  when I found an article about him in The South Bend Tribune. By this time he had already put over 800 miles behind him and he was still looking for a charity to contact him so that he could promote their cause. Being a member of Lupus.org and reading his story, gave me the idea that I wanted to help Geoff establish a communication with the Lupus Foundation. I sent an email to Geoff and contacted my local chapter for the Lupus Foundation trying to help get them together. I was delighted to receive a response from Geoff by email and we continued to communicate from then on. Very shortly after, Geoff had finally made contact with the Lupus Foundation and he posted the news on his web site www.bikeusa2007.com that he was riding for the Lupus Foundation. As Geoff continued on his journey, he began to pick up even more charity organizations as well as a few more dealing with Lupus. He also began to draw the attention of some of the mass media and local newspapers and television stations would catch up with him when he rode into town.

I was happy to learn that Geoff’s plans were to bike on into the southern part of Florida and I would get a chance to meet him as he was going to be stopping in to Melbourne, Florida. The”other Melbourne” as many refer to my city, as opposed to the Melbourne Vic Australia. Geoff and I communicated by email and then later by telephone and he had expressed that he wished to do a lap on the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. I thought that was a great Idea and it would seem that something of this nature would generate a great deal of media attention which would benefit promoting Lupus awareness and give the Daytona Speedway some attention for something that had not been done before.

I started the task of trying to make contacts with the media relations department at the speedway. When I say it was a task, I mean I spent 3 days being tossed from one department to another and from one person to another and nothing accomplished but leaving unanswered voice messages on speedway executive’s voicemail boxes. It seemed I was hitting nothing but dead ends in getting this accomplished, so I turned to a mass media reporter for help. It seems nobody ever wants to talk to you once you announce you are an independent news writer and journalist. Of course making contact and getting a mass media journalist to hear you out is another task as well. However, I did finally talk to a real person at a local news station for Daytona and Orlando area. WESH channel 2 news reporter Claire Metz was good enough to answer my telephone calls and sent me the names of media contacts at the Daytona speedway. She seemed interested in the story, if I was going to be able to get Geoff on the track.

I finally was able to talk to the lady that organizes track activities and I explained how I wanted to get the track opened for just a small amount of time in order for Geoff Thomas to ride a lap on his bicycle around the speedway track. I pointed out that this was for a good cause and how we wanted to try and bring more awareness to the disease. This lady blew me away when she told me that she would have to charge me mega-bucks for just those few minutes and it would not be worth my effort. Okay, so much for the Daytona International Speedway being a charitable corporation. So much for being able to get any type of news coverage in the Daytona Beach area. I really hated having to tell Geoff that I had met a total dead end in Daytona, but he took it well and continued on toward Florida.

As he approached the Melbourne area in Brevard County, I tried to get some coverage in the local newspaper Florida Today. I called the chief editor and explained that I had a really great human interest story and told him about how Geoff was riding his bike around the USA and had already covered 8,000 miles. I told him about Lupus and how the disease was not well known though it has developed in over 1.5 million Americans. Well, this guy proceeds to tell me how “people do things for charity all the time” and referred me to his cycling editor. This is just the type of apathy and uneducated people that I was trying to reach. The very same people that I was trying to get involved in the media, were just not interested! It is the same type of apathy toward Lupus with our government when funding is passed out for research on diseases.

Quick fact: 1.5 million US citizens suffer from lupus, the National Institutes of Health (NIH; Bethesda, MD, USA) allocated only US$88 million for research in 2005, down from US$96 million in 2003. Lupus will receive another US$25 million from non-profit organizations, according to Duane Peters, Vice President for Advocacy and Communications at the Lupus Foundation of America (Washington, DC, USA). There are about one million patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the USA, and research received a total of US$2,981 billion from the NIH this year.

This makes no sense!

When Geoff arrived in Melbourne we talked by telephone and agreed to meet at the motel he was staying at in Melbourne Beach the following day. Geoff was diagnosed with Discoid Lupus, the very same type of Lupus that effects Cindi, the love of my life. Cindi and I went over to meet with Geoff and  spent an hour or so just chatting with him and talking about the many things that he had experienced during his ride around the country.

As we were talking I started looking at this bicycle that had traveled across Australia and now was doing a lap around the U.S. I noticed this bike has no pedals! I have never been a big fan of bicycle riding myself, but every bike I have ever owned had pedals.

Seems that a real bicycle made for this sort of trip has no pedals. Instead, there are special shoes designed with a metal tab that slides into the clamp where a pedal should be. So, we learned a little more about Geoff and his equipment and talked about how people really need to be more aware of the disease Lupus. Meeting Geoff in person it was easy to understand how he was able to accomplish such a fantastic journey. He is in great condition, of course, but more importantly he is a very laid back guy. His out look on life, the trips he has experienced and all the obstacles he ran into along the way was you just got to keep movin on mate.

Geoff is an inspiration for both Cindi and myself and it was a pleasure to watch him meet his goal.

So, what is Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can target your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. The great majority of people affected are women. For reasons that aren’t clear, lupus develops when the immune system attacks your body’s own tissues and organs. Three main types of lupus exist — systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), discoid lupus erythematosus and drug-induced lupus. Of these, SLE is the most common and serious form of the disease, frequently causing swollen, painful joints, skin rash, extreme fatigue and kidney damage. In rare cases, mothers can pass antibodies to their babies during childbirth (neonatal lupus erythematosus), though the mothers themselves usually show no signs of lupus. The outlook for people with lupus was once grim, but diagnosis and treatment of lupus has improved considerably. With proper care, most people with lupus can lead normal, active lives.

No two cases of lupus are exactly alike. Signs and symptoms may come on suddenly or develop slowly, may be mild or severe, and may be temporary or permanent. Even the distinctive rash that gives the disease its name “lupus” is the Latin word for “wolf” because doctors once thought the rash resembled a wolf bite doesn’t occur in every case. Most people with lupus have one thing in common, however, and that’s the tendency of the disease to get decidedly worse in episodes called flares and then to improve or even disappear completely for a time.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that instead of just attacking foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses, the immune system also turns against healthy tissue. This leads to inflammation and damage to various parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain.

Someone YOU know has Lupus!

Like the disease itself can be mysterious and misunderstood, so too can the Lupus patient. Being supportive of your loved one or friend that has Lupus is important, but understanding them is very important. Aside from the effects of the disease itself, the Lupus patient will be effected by the medications that they have to take. Understanding that just because they don’t look sick, they are is important. If they say they do not feel well, understand that they truly do not and be supportive of them. I love Cindi very much and I am supportive of her and understand her when she can’t sleep or is emotional. If you have a friend or loved one that has Lupus, show them that you care by listening to them and understanding them. Join a support group in your area and attend the meetings with them. Get involved and become a Lupus advocate by writing the government. Explain your outrage to your congressman and senator in the amount of funding given to other groups with less effected. Remember, the noisy wheel gets the oil!

Be sure to visit Geoff Thomas’ web site www.bikeusa2007.com and read more about his lap around the USA. His site is full of interesting stories and facts like the fact that he had 44 flat tires during his journey!

Read more on Lupus and get involved at www.lupus.org

Participate in the up coming Walk for Lupus Now!

Meet Cindi Odom

Source: Mayoclinic.com

Technorati Tags: lupus, cycling, long distance cycling, sle, discoid, health, medicine, lupus awareness, disease, Geoff Thomas, bicycle, Melbourne, daytona beach, australia, lupus walk

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Geoff is seeking reputable charity organizations to use the lap around the US for a fund raiser or just for awareness to their cause, this is how I first learned of what Geoff Thomas was doing. It seems that Geoff wanted to do this ride and have it benefit an organization for Lupus, a incurable autoimmune disease. I received an email through my Google alerts using the keyword “lupus” that had a link to a newspaper article in the South Bend Tribune about Geoff entitled Cross-country biker seeking charities. Because Cindi is a victim of Discoid Lupus, I found interest in the story and was led to read more about Geoff Thomas at his web site www.bikeusa2007.com.  Geoff’s web site tells more about his cycling adventure and you can keep track of his progress there.

I have sent a email to Geoff Thomas and I hope to bring occasional updates here on his ride. I wish Geoff luck in his ride and look forward to hearing form him soon. I will keep posting on his progress as soon as I learn more.

Be sure to stop by his web site and show support by reading more about his ride around the USA on a bicycle at Bike USA 2007 to learn more about Lupus visit The Lupus Foundation of America.

Technorati Tags: lupus, cross-country cycling, charity, bicycle, news, the lap, bicycling news

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As promised, the weather for the first Saturday was cold and wet and the cold did not give way to warmer temperatures until Monday. The good thing was that out of the 10 days of bike week we only seen rain one day. We postponed our Daytona Loop photo shoot until Sunday due to the in climate weather on Saturday.

It is hard to wrap up nine days of bike week into one article, so I am not going to try. I am still in the process, but closed to finished, of sorting out the pictures that we took during our visit. The final Saturday of bike week was wild and crowded. Running late coming from Melbourne and getting caught in the Daytona Speedway traffic did not help. It took nearly an hour to get from the International Speedway Blvd. Exit of I-95 to the Daytona Lagoon were the Rat’s Hole bike show was being held.

For the first time, the Rat’s Hole featured a V8 Chopper build-off! The bikes and the main stage were set up in the Tidal Wave Pool that normally holds 500,000 gallons of water. The water was gone for the event…. wonder where they put 500,000 gallons of water while the bike show was set up? Any way, the show was held under blue skies and there was plenty to keep our cameras busy. I will do more on the Rat’s Hole later.

Heading down SR A1A to Main Street later in the afternoon to check out the happenings, we found that Main Street was wall to wall. Where there were not bikes, there were people and no room left for either. For the final Saturday of bike week 2007, Main Street took on the look of the bike week of days gone by. It was almost a feeling of “let’s see how far we can take this” pushing the red line on what would get by. It was a good thing and a good feeling to see people having fun, real fun. None of this”I am shocked at all this” looks. For Pete’s sake, if you want family atmosphere head over to Orlando. It is probably too late for the city to revive the entire event back to Daytona Beach, but it looks like they may get a day of the old days.

There were just as many people the entire time of Bike Week, with the exceptions of a lot of Floridians riding in for the day, it is just that they are more spread out now. US 1 has become the new Main Street and a lot of the traffic has been pulled to the North with the opening of Destination Daytona along with other anchor industry leaders like Corbin. New biker bars, custom chopper and motorcycle dealers and tattoo shops are popping up all around the Ormond Beach area. I will get to all this later on as well.

So, I am back from Daytona and will try to get as much information about what happened at the event posted in the next day or so. Keep an eye out for them.

Technorati Tags: motorcycle news, bike week, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events, bike shows

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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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Scrambled eggs, Bacon, Home fries, Biscuit and Gravy for only a buck! available at the No Name Saloon in Edgewater, Florida during Bike Week and Biketoberfest 9 – 11 am add to that a $1.00 bloody mary and you are set for a new day. The No Name Saloon has daily events and live music during Bike Week, check out the web site for more information.

Technorati Tags: bike week, blog, entertainment, motorcycle news

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Wise Guys Watering Hole has had one of the best web cams to catch the Main Street action for years. 3 of the cams are pointed to see what is going on inside the bar, but the top floor cam catches a birds eye view of main street Daytona Beach.

If you are not going to Daytona for bike week, you can check in on what is going on 27/7. You can also wave to your friends at home from these cams and get them to take a screen capture for you like the one above. These web cams are a great way to check the weather and crowd conditions as well.

Check them out, I think you will find them useful and fun.

Technorati Tags: bike week, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle news, web cams

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I love to camp, but nothing beats camping in a tent during bike week and other motorcycle events. Waking up to the sound of a motorcycle starting up, then another and on to almost a continuous roar of engines gets me revved up for the days work.

We camp and base our bike week operations out of the Cabbage Patch Bar. Camping is very reasonable,  $10.00 a head, per night for tent camping only. This works out well because Cindi and I do a lot of the photo work for the bar web site. Here you can party and walk home!

Bike Week Camping is a lifestyle where you can make new friends and see old friends from the years past. The camp ground gets packed pretty fast, but there is a lot of room in the wooded area across from the bar.

Wednesday by 10:00 am this is what the place looks like! Motorcycle parking overflow is pushed into the camping area for the world famous cabbage patch coleslaw wrestling. Make note: The women’s coleslaw wrestling is now held on 2 days at the cabbage patch bar. You can now catch all the action on the first Wednesday and second Saturday of Bike Week at the Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, Florida.

Come join us!

Technorati Tags: bike week, blog, camping, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events, motorcycles

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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/

This release was issued through eReleases(TM).  For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

Source: Carla King

CONTACT:  Carla King, +1-415-379-7372, or Fax, +1-415-520-5749, or carla@carlaking.com

Web site:  http://www.motorcyclemisadventures.com/

http://womenridersnow.com/

Technorati Tags: books, motorcycle news, news, reading, women riders

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