The Rumble Heard ‘Round The World

I don’t know about you, but I’ve yet to finalize all my ride plans for this summer.  However, I do know where I’ll be riding in August 2013.

Huh?

That’s right it’s more than a year away, but I’ve started making plans to attend the 110th Harley-Davidson Anniversary celebration in Milwaukee which kicks off on August 29, 2013!  It’s also the H.O.G. 3oth Anniversary celebration.

Back in 2008 the event was called the “The Ride Home” for the 105th Anniversary celebration and in my view was an incredible event which was topped off by the Springsteen concert.  It was a breath of fresh air riding out to this event compared to the typical west coast venues our posse attends.  The celebration was awesome and Harley-Davidson scored big in my book.  Most important was the terrific city and all the Milwaukeeans who welcomed us riders with open arms.

It turns out that H.O.G. members got a jump on the process this past week to make hotel reservations, but it all opens up to the public today so if you’re interested get on the web site and check it out.

If you’re looking to get a feel for the ride out to the celebration you can view my 105th Anniversary posts HERE where we started out on the journey.  If you’re looking for a view of just the celebration then start at this post HERE where we kicked off the event or if you want more detail about Knucklefest then go HERE or for a wrap up of the event HERE.  If you’re looking for a recap and a shout out to the Miller girls then go HERE.

Clearly there is a lot to do at the H-D Anniversary celebration and it’s best to get a jump on planning for it early.

Photo courtesy of H-D and H.O.G.

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WikiLeaks Publishes Harley-Davidson Office Party Notice

The holidays are time for a lot of cheer and goodwill. But there is one more infamous element to the holiday season that everyone is familiar with — the office party.

The Harley-Davidson Christmas party notice surfaced on WikiLeaks, and I decided to share it with you below:

From: The Office of The President
Subject: Friday’s Christmas Party

As CEO of the company I decided we’d save some money and have a potluck Christmas party whereby the ladies (who always enjoy cooking anyway) would bring the baked goods this year.  I was going to suggest having entertainment but NO ONE wants to do anything in the way of organizing anything and it is always left up to me, your humble “Head Honcho”  to come up with something that will make the event an enjoyable one for all.

I have struggled with entertainment ideas because many workers do not want their boss to go to the office Christmas party, fearing they will spoil the fun or even spark a violent reaction.  I’m reminded of a recent survey where 2,000 adults by restaurant chain TGI Friday’s found that one in three believed having their manager around stops everyone having fun. One in five said they do not want their boss to attend the office Christmas party at all and 27% are worried they might not be able to resist telling them exactly what they think of them!  One in eight was worried things could turn physical, while 1% revealed they had quit their job at the office party.  But I’ve digressed.

Clearly the office Christmas party is all about cutting loose, having fun and celebrating all the hard work the staff have put in over the year, but I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you that after all the employee concession’s we ‘negotiated’ in the new union contract which will re-build our next-generation workforce, has me a little worried about what that 27 percent has to say!

Nonetheless, as the big BOSS I’ll move forward and give the staff what they want… which is a mix of a lively atmosphere, silly games, great food and indulgent cocktails, and of course, look on the bright side of the boss being there – I’ll pick up the tab!  In addition I plan to bring my new T-Pain super smooth singing microphone for the Karaoke game and Christmas caroling.

HR posted a notice on the company bulletin board (see above photo) and for those of you not in Milwaukee know that you’ll be in our holiday party thoughts.  Lastly, I ask that each of you to send me a short email on one or two trivia details about yourself because in preparation for the upcoming Christmas party – I plan to play “The Man” – Santa – and I’m making a naughty or nice list.   Ho, Ho, Ho.

Yours truly,
Keith

Note: Because parody is all the rage on the internet, I decided to have a little fun.  Clearly not an official H-D publication on WikiLeaks, but it could be!

Logo in photo courtesy of H-D.

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Road To Sturgis

The jester who stole the kings crown…Bob Dylan.

He rode a 1966 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead and loved to ride to get away.  Once when riding through the countryside, he commented that “The police are really friendly around here; they are all waving at me.” Later he learned they wanted him to stop because he had no helmet on.

And speaking of getting away.

It’s about time to load up for the long haul and head east where the thunderclouds hover over grain bins on soybean fields.  I’m talking about the Black Hills Motor Classic, which most of us just call Sturgis.  And the jester himself is playing at the Buffalo Chip on August 10th!

Road-to-Sturgis Game (circa: 1989)

Getting on the “Road to Sturgis” reminds me of that video game by the same name which Harley-Davidson released in 1989.  The game is about a biker who’s trying to get to Sturgis for the annual biker event, unfortunately it’s only days away and you are on the other side of the country. You’re main objective is to get to Sturgis within days, but to gather enough fame to become legendary as the ultimate biker.  You start off the ride determining wealth, charisma, riding ability, mechanical ability and brawler skills…in case you need to work as a bouncer along the way.  After selecting your stats you begin outside a local bike shop where you can spend some of your money to upgrade your bike. Sound familiar?!  Things like brakes, springs and even whole engines can be upgraded but every Harley has to be unique and you have to make it look different.  You’ll also want to buy some extra sturdy clothes because being on the road on a motorcycle is not easy.

Unlike the real world, the riding sequences had very little scenery and were quite lame.  The game suffered from a very limited appeal and these days it’s a challenge to find much of any information about it.  The game did have something that made people want to come back, probably the idea of riding alone on a motorcycle from coast-to-coast is something that appeals to a lot of us.

The Sturgis rally was started in 1938 by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club as an event for Harley riders and their families.  Until he died the founder of the club, J.C. “Pappy” Hoel, would oversee everything, right as rain.  This year it’s the 70th Anniversary and no place in western S.D. will escape the roar and hum of the motorcycle engines.

If you’ve got a few extra bucks on you and can get your scoot to I-90 and exit 32 you’ll be in for a real treat.

Photos courtesy of H-D.

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Street Vibrations Snippet

The weather, the gambling action, the leather and the chrome all attracted higher attendance for Street Vibration 2009.  Maybe the lack of hype or the “sky is falling” press about impending club-on-club violence helped?  There was a positive “vibe” in the city which I’ve not observed in a couple years.  I ask and didn’t hear much from street vendors about the current recession is the new normal… yada, yada.

As I roared out of Reno yesterday on my way home I thought about this video — “Rockin’ The Beer Gut” — a bit of truth wrapped up in a humorous ditty that tells us even though we have dangerous unemployment and we may not be perfect, don’t work on Wall Street making millions, it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun!  And fun at Street Vibrations we had!  The 546 mile ride back gave me plenty of time to try and recall what stood out from years past — there was that monster jump at the Grand Sierra Resort by Ryan Capes who broke the standing 254 foot (ramp-to-ramp) record and then turned around and broke his own new record by clearing 316 feet on a motorcycle, then there were the Motorcycle “Clubs,” more than a dozen all getting along, but mostly it was about the scenic journey on two-lane tarmac with green mountains to sage brush desert which was fantastic.  The weather (mid-90’s) didn’t hurt and put the FUN back into the experience.  As well as tens of millions to the local economy.  I certainly left my small share!

The event didn’t pass without incidents, however.  More riders often means more accidents.  First, there were several motorcycle accidents on US 395 related to the set up for the monster jump.  Then there was a lady who was on the Harley-Davidson demo bike ride and wrecked.  A couple on U.S. 50 who crashed just east of Spooner Summit which sadly resulted in the only fatality at the event.  Then on our ride back from Virginia City we came upon a motorcyclist who struck a wall on Griner’s Bend, a sharp curve at the south side of Virginia City on State Route 342.  It turned out that 6 people were injured Friday afternoon, two of them seriously, in four separate accidents all involving loss of control.  The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) reported there had been 18 motorcycle accidents over the course of the rally weekend.

The final attendance tally and the economic $$ impact will be out in a few days, but from my perspective it seemed like more people and the street crowds were bigger.  Not as record breaking as a few years ago, but none the less significant.  I plan to provide an trip chronology and will post it up over the next few days.

UPDATE: September 29, 2009 — AP is reporting that there were 72 arrest made at Street Vibrations even though LEO consider the event largely peaceful.  Most of the arrests were alcohol related, including 23 for public intoxication.  The police issued 77 traffic citations and responded to six reports of stolen motorcycles.

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Visiting Old Places – Street Vibrations 2009

A lot of people mistakenly assume that gambling originated in Las Vegas.  The fact is that Reno, NV gambling was the hottest and most entertaining until the 1950’s when Vegas started to staked its claim in the market and solicited clientele away.

Prior to the explosive rise of Indian Casino’s and online gambling, Reno and the Lake Tahoe area attracted visitors from all over the world and kept up nicely with the booming gaming industry in Vegas.  Although many Reno casinos closed their doors permanently and others have been transformed into condos,  the city is slowing making the climb back up the gaming destination ladder and its with events like Street Vibrations that calls motorcycle enthusiasts from as far north as Seattle and south as L.A. to help inject some much needed $$ back into the local economy.

It’s rally déjà vu and this year Street Vibrations marks its 14th Anniversary.  I’m fortunate to attend the event — often called Street “Closure” Festival by many locals — which revolves around motorcycles and related interests.  There is a diverse musical line up from rock to jazz along with Custom Bike Builders and personal ink at the Tattoo Expo.  A lot of quality food and drink sprinkled among the thousands of attendees and rows of shiny chrome top off the event which keeps getting better every year.

For those of you traveling the Oregon highways you may want to take note that 21 new Oregon State (OSP) troopers will be sworn in this Sunday (Sept 20).  These new troopers are being deployed across the state and are the first group of 39 new positions authorized by the 2009 legislative session which will help OSP return to around-the-clock coverage in many offices.

Lastly, road trips present certain blogging challenges for me.  I don’t blog from the road.  But, this time I’ll pay closer attention to what those challenges actually are and see if I can determine how to deal with them.  Clearly others have mastered remote blogging, vblogging (video blogs) and do the “tweet” thing from their saddle.   I’ve been slow to jump on this motorcycle road warrior trend especially when it’s a vacation.  Besides like many others I get distracted with the roar of the engines, the entertainment and soaking up the displays in the vendor booths.

Our entourage heads out in a few days.  See you in Reno.

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Chicken Little Strikes Street Vibrations

The story of Chicken Little is an allegory about alarmists, which concludes with an admission about ill-founded apocalyptic predictions.

Thinking about how “The Sky is Falling“…on my return ride from Street Vibrations yesterday…I couldn’t help but wonder if the speculation, rumors, concerns, worry and numerous citizen calls created an apocalyptic “environment” for the rally? 

SWAT

I was in Virginia City during “Street V” and I’ve never witnessed (in the U.S.) so many submachine guns, stun grenades and specialized fire arms attached to so many SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) members… all of them willingly ready to perform dangerous operations.  They were there to prevent another motorcycle rally from going sideways or prevent a terrorist attack by stud-n-leather clad motorcycle riders! 

Talk about taking apocalyptic prevention measures… turns out that Virginia City pulled out all the stops (and city budget $$ too!) to have these specialized paramilitary tactical units “lurking” in doorways and engage any potential armed criminal or take down with steel reinforced boots any dangerous biker who ate one too many $5 combo hot dogs and beer.

Supposedly the apocalyptic predictions started just a few days before the Street Vibrations.  Rumors started about biker “club” tensions or retaliation as a result of the San Francisco’s HAMC chapter president, Mark ‘Papa’ Guardado who was shot outside a bar earlier this month. He was a high-profile figure in the motorcycle club.  A rival Mongols “club” member,  Christopher Ablett is a suspect in the case.  Since the funeral there has been a pipe bomb explosion in San Jose aimed at members of the Mongols.

Phone calls flooded the Nevada police lines with residents stating their concerns of biker violence spilling over into Reno, Sparks, Carson City and Virginia City.  As a result the law enforcement agencies beefed up and planned for the worst of the worst.  I didn’t see it, but it’s likely snipers with high-powered rifles and night vision optics were watching my every hot dog bite and beer burp?

Virginia City Police

There are so many analogies between motorcycle events and that of Chicken Little.  The first is that all the doom and gloom are unnecessarily alarming.  Second, they expose the inability of the average (non-motorcycle riding) citizen and their motorcycle hating followers to process relevant information and synthesize rational, appropriate interpretations.  The majority of people and motorcycles at Street Vibrations are recreational riders and this was overkill to the power of TEN.  An incredible show of AGGRESSION or police force which did NOT correctly interpret the situation or was supported by the facts. 

Yes, there was a large “Red and White” presence at Street Vibrations.  I saw a number of Vagos, Henchmen as well as many other “clubs”.  Many of the clubs have a no colors rule and were not highly visible, but you could easily tell if a group were part of some “gathering”.  I did not see Mongols.

I believe that law enforcement were tricked and fell for “the sky is falling” trap!  It’s another example of how the Outlaw Motorcycle “Clubs” behavior helps set the overall “tone” for many motorcycle events and the police agencies worked in cooperation to miss-interpret.

To be fair, the Sheriff reported that on Saturday there was at one point about 11,000 bikers in Virginia City and they arrested 6 people.  One for domestic violence, 2 for DUI, and the remainder for disturbing the peace and indecent exposure. 

Yeah, the sky is falling…

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Giddy Up

It’s here! Street Vibrations 2008 starts Thursday … and at least for me, anyway I’m headed out on the road and the journey starts tomorrow. 

With part time hobbies of blogging and photography I try to “cover” the various rallies, especially any event I attend.  You’d think Harley-Davidson would comp an oil rag or an oil change…something for all the free publicity I provide the motor company, but they don’t and I really could care. I do my fare share of ranting about their dysfunctions and the arrogant dealer network so why risk a free oil change attempt to influence my semi-subjective reporting!

This year, I think I’ll be following the ‘shortest-distant-between-two-points’ theory and try and avoid the rain that wants to wreak havoc on our end-of-summer riding party!

I’m traveling light and will likely hold off on blog updates until I return.  I will get on the road early as it will be a most ambitious day mile wise, plus, I can’t wait to get rolling in the wind.

See you in Reno.  Travel safe my friends.

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Copper and the 105th Anniversary Package

True to their word for a Spring delivery, the Harley Davidson 105^th Anniversary Ticket Package started shipping to everyone who purchased tickets to the event. 

Mine arrived this past weekend and like a kid at Christmas I couldn’t wait to get the thing open and see what was inside. 

Included in the “105^th Copper” clad box was:

1. 105^th Laminated Event Ticket with color coordinated lanyard
2. Includes admission to the 2-day festival on The Henry Maier Festival Grounds (called Summerfest).
3. Includes one-time admission into Discover World and the special HD exhibit
4. 105^th Event Guide
5. A leather folio signed by WillieG
6. A copper wrist band
7. A commemorative key chain
8. An American and 105^th Anniversary mini-flag.

For the 105th event the price of the package was $60 U.S. plus $5 for shipping.  All things increase and this reflects a price increase of $10 over the 100^th Anniversary five years ago.  Not as dramatic as oil prices, but when I went looking for my 95^th Anniversary package to compare pricing I learned that it doubled in the past 10 years!  That is comparable to oil prices, but don’t get me started.

Granted the price of the package is primarily for the event tickets and I wasn’t’ expecting a lot from the “swag”, but I’m not sure where they found the cow for that leather-ette folio.  And the commemorative key chain with a Bud-Light ad would have been marginally useful had it contained a cool HD logo or something other than a “Ride Straight Ride Safe” drive responsible slogan.

As a reminder the package did not include Bruce Springsteen concert tickets.  Those go on sale April 4^th.  It also does not include tickets to the HD Museum (which is set to open prior to the Anniversary event) or the 105^th Anniversary Parade.  However if you purchased your package prior to November 30, 2007 you are automatically entered for a drawing to receive admission…if you’re lucky and if it doesn’t fill up prior to your arrival and if you don’t tire of “if’s”…

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Ride it in…Live it up!

Harley will celebrate its 105th Anniversary in style next year as the details of the ride to Milwaukee become public.  Harley enthusiasts can ride home to Milwaukee via 105 different official starting points and along 25 major routes across the country. The celebration will take place August 28-31, 2008, with several exclusive ticketed events, as well as many activities that are free and open to the public.

Word on the dealer street is HD is going to do something similar every 5 years…special paint, emblems and welcome home ride.

Surf it on over here for more details.

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