“The Life and Times of Motorcycles and
the People Who Ride Them!”
Born To Ride was created in 1995 by Ron and Debbie Galletti of Brandon, Florida. A media venue that incorporates television and magazine, Born To Ride has evolved into a growing business that has seen record growth in sales over the last 10 years!
Born To Ride combines 4 successful media elements; Television, Magazine, Website and Event Promotions.
Born To Ride provides news and events that are of interest to the biker community. Spotlighting hardworking dealers, bike builders, and organizations are only a few of the items the biker community looks forward to reading every month. The staff and writers are all bikers, as well as professionals in the areas they represent.
Born To Ride’s involvement with other successful venues has spanned 15 years the Born To Ride Saloon, West Coast Bike Rally, and Thunder by the Bay to mention a few. Born To Ride collaborates with other local media companies to create cross marketing opportunities for its clientele.
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The Power of Television
– Most dominant and powerful media for reaching customers
– Perceived as the most authoritative, influential, exciting and believable form of advertising
– Targets your audience and provides greater reach
& frequency
– Television remains the single most important source
of information and entertainment for billions of people around the world
– Adults spend significantly more time with television than with other media, in ever major demographic segment
– The average person watches 4 hours, 35 minutes of television each day
(Source: Nielsen NSI – Aug. 2008. Nielsen Media Research)
Born To Ride TV Show
The Longest Running Biker TV Show In The World
In over 3 million homes, 20 counties
Cable and non-cable (3 times a week)
Born To Ride Online TV Network
Watch The Best of Born To Ride TV 3 times a week!
Monday 9-10pm
Tuesday 9-10pm
Friday 9-10pm
News, videos, BTR TV, online magazines, biker babes, social clubs, events, thousands of photos, and more keep bikers connected to the motorcycle world.
Born To Ride Magazine
From blue collar to white collar, women make up more than a 1/3 of the motorcycle market and our demographic hits this ideal market with lasting impact!
Born To Ride Magazine is the most popular magazine in the state. It’s a free publication distributed through dealerships and biker friendly establishments. Celebrating 100 issues – it’s a proven track record and a name you can trust!
We have engaged in the diversity of the technology universe to bring you a more powerful media – scan the QR codes on the content pages and watch the print come to life!
Grassroots Marketing
Grassroots marketing with events promotions is Born To Ride’s forté. Born To Ride is instrumental in bringing thousands of bikers and their machines together every month using their events promotion arm. These events have made significant positive impacts to communities, charities and businesses. The event promotions and their themes are influential in bringing awareness to motorcycle dealerships, motorcycle affiliated businesses, and bringing new audiences to new products.
Social Media & More
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email blasts, a monthly newsletter and more play a major role in keeping bikers connected with layers of mulit-power media.
Born To Ride Intro
Born To Ride TV aired its first show in 1995. Before entering the motorcycle scene Ron Galletti of Brandon, Florida co-produced over 200 International Wrestling Federation (IWF) shows at Universal Studios Sound Stage 23 in Orlando, FL. Ron had several passions, one of them being motorcycles. While producing wrestling footage for IWF he saw a void in the motorcycle community there was no documentation of the motorcycle events he would frequent. He took his IWF production experience and created Born To Ride. The program is a mixture of community and national based events spotlighting bikers and businesses that target the motorcycle enthusiast.
Before Ron’s days in wrestling he was the lead singer of heavy metal band Nasty Savage, who toured the world and recorded six albums. Their demo tape came out in 1983 and the bands over- the-top wild stage show put
them on the map. In 1995 they landed in the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in Tampa. The band broke up in 1990, but still plays from time to time. … Their last gig was in 2008, in Germany at the Keep It Real Metal Festival. Go to www.nastysavage.com for more information about the band Nasty Savage.
The television format is simple people who enjoy motorcycles also watch TV. It doesn’t matter if they are hard core riders or beginners; our program creates an interest in riding. We talk about events, races, runs, lifestyles, and special happenings that make motorcycle riding a fast growing part in your area. It’s the life and times of motorcycles and the people who ride them. My goal is always show bikers in a positive light.
Bikers are the greatest people. Through the television show we try to take the viewer on a journey, an adventure. Born To Ride is for everyone that rides, or those who are curious about the biker culture. Perhaps a journey to the beautiful coast of South Africa would be of interest? You may enjoy reading the journals of a lone trip on two wheels to Sturgis. If these items are not of interest, how about watching a detailed show on the complete restoration of an antique Vincent motorcycle? The variety and depth of the content packed into the television show and magazine is vast. We are proud to state our readership provides support and sponsorship for many nonprofit organizations’ charitable events.
Hard work and dedication is pivotal to creating this successful business. The motorcycling community in and around the state of Florida are well aware of Born To Ride’s multimedia presence. In fact, thousands flock to various biker events where staff from Born To Ride are in attendance.
Thunder by the Bay is one of many (major) annual Florida biker events that Born To Ride is proud to support. Our team works hard to produce positive results for all of our clients!
The added exposure Born To Ride gave to this year’s Festival, both in print and on television, was over-the-top and resulted in a 30% increase in attendance. With the event promoted on the cover of the magazine resulted in an increase in phone calls prior to the Festival and a significant increase in attendance figures. This also enabled many of this year’s builders and special guests to learn more about the Festival prior to arriving in Sarasota for the Festival and how the money raised impacts so many children and their families.
Lucy Nicandri
Vice President of Marketing/Special Events
The Florida Center for Child and Family Development
Born to Ride’s 500th Episode
The motorcycle industry celebrated a significant milestone on Sunday, May 15, 2005 when the 500th episode of Born To Ride Television aired. The weekly show which was started with a shoestring budget and a vision by a former heavy metal singer and wrestling promoter has been bringing the biker lifestyle to television sets in Florida for ten years. Ron Galletti wasn’t sure if his idea for a biker television show would even have a sponsor when he borrowed a film crew he met at a wrestling match in Orlando. Believing in his vision and support from his wife Debbie, he and the crew headed to Daytona Bike Week to put together the first show. That early morning trip provided the film footage for the show’s intro in the early days; a biker riding along the beach at sunrise. It was 1995 and the cable channels were years away from discovering people’s interest in motorcycling. Ron and Debbie were riding custom bikes at the time and attending local bike shows. They were amazed at how fanatical people were about motorcycles–they were caught up in it too. At the time, there was a local biker show called Wheels in the Wind. Ron credits Stretch, who did that show, with being one of the true pioneers in this area (Biker television localized). Ron says, “There was something about the idea I found interesting, but also very scary. I quit my day job punching a clock and said I’m doing it.”
But Ron had ideas for a show of his own. Using the marketing skills he had acquired from working both the heavy metal and wrestling circuits Ron flooded the local shops fax machines with a message, “Born To Ride Is Coming!” When he went looking for sponsors, they already knew the BTR name. The very first sponsor to sign up was Fletcher’s Harley-Davidson. Their check for that first ad was the start-up capital that put the first show on the air. The early shows were aired on Channel V32 which was an independent station back then. The show has been broadcast by several stations and the time slots have moved around over the years before settling into the late night Sunday airtime on WTOG UPN 44. To kick off the debut of the TV show, they put together a big kick-off party at a place called GK’s. It had been raining for about 10 straight days before the party and Ron was getting real nervous as the day approached. On the day of the party, the sun came out and fifteen hundred bikers showed up. It’s been going strong ever since. That doesn’t mean that it’s always been an easy road to travel. Each week is a new show which means that it doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday or your birthday, there’s a show to be done. One goal of the show has been to document the biker lifestyle year round. According to Ron, it took a while to get the system down. “I found that it’s a communication process. You have to be a good communicator to insure you get the right interviews done by the right people and the right camera shots and such. If anything goes wrong, it comes back to me.
I really want to thank our current production company, Zero Gravity. They’ve been working with us for about 7 years now. It’s run by Dave Perich and Clark Hodges. That’s Clark’s voice you hear every week on the show.” Currently it takes about two days to put the show together though we spend many more hours preparing tape and deciding what will be on the show that week. It’s a team effort and the team goal is to make a better show each week. The shows not only cover the events in the area but also show the human side of bikers. One show followed along with a group of bikers who wanted to give a cancer stricken girl named Sydney a Merry Christmas. Another recent story was about Bob Moran, who has no legs but does have a passion for riding. The feature showed how a two-wheeler was converted into a trike to allow him to regain some freedom and enjoy riding like so many of us do. Ron has a passion for getting out the message about all the good things that bikers do for the community. He says, “You have to know how to tell a story, which we do. It may make them cry or laugh, or take them on an adventure. You never know what you’re going to get with Born To Ride.” Though the show has featured a ton of celebrities like Hulk Hogan, Evel Knievel, Jeb Bush, the legendary Daddy Rat, and
many others, Ron says the theory behind BTR is that you don’t have to be a super-star to be on the show. “I’ve always said I could close my eyes and spin around and pick someone out of the crowd and get a great story. The biker community is made up of such diversity. From blue collar to white collar, there are lawyers, doctors, truck drivers as well as the club members, who I believe are some of the few true bikers left out there. The common bond is an interest in motorcycles and wanting to be a part of the show. I think the normal person on the street is just as important as anyone else.” There have been ups and downs through the years but Ron believes that when things go wrong is when you show your strength. He’s quick to point out that much of his success is directly tied to the support that Debbie has given him.
“There have been so many fine people who have contributed to the show over the years. Jim Miller has been with me since day one with his creative talent behind the camera and in many other ways. I couldn’t talk about BTR without telling you how important Radical Randy has been to our success.I’m very proud to have him working with us and now he’s got his Radical Team .I wish I had the time and space to mention everyone who deserves to be thanked for their contributions.. Who
could forget Craven Moorehead’s pirate radio show which featured BTR Radio or our public acsesss one hour talk show that would generate over 30 calls an hour.” A lot has changed since that first episode of BTR aired. Bike shops have opened and closed, bike nights have come
and gone but Born To Ride TV is out there every week putting the biker lifestyle on tape. With so much tape in the vaults it’s only natural that a Best of Born to Ride would be culled from the archives and put on DVD. (insert photo of dvd covers) A few volumes have already been completed and there are plans to offer a dozen that will show the evolution of the biker lifestyle from the mid-90s to present day, at borntoride.com.
The Born To Ride Magazine is Born June 2004 … Now 5 Years Later
Though Ron produced about seven issues of a magazine when they had the Born To Ride Saloon on Nebraska Avenue it just wasn’t feasible at the time. = The second attempt has been an overwhelming success. The magazine was intended to take a real approach to the biker lifestyle and focus on the people and charities. Ron’s also a businessman and sees the benefits of being able to offer different formats to his advertisers. “Having a TV show, the website and the magazine is a powerful multi-media punch”, according to Ron. “We can put people’s products in a direct market and offer great packages and terrific service.” There have been rumors for years that Born To Ride Television was going to go national. Ron doesn’t rule it out but says,”I’ve had people who’ve been interested in taking the show to a
national level but I think I’ve been a bit hardened by the industry and some of the deals. It’s about networking and getting the right people at the right time. I’m really glad I’ve held onto control of Born To Ride for myself. It puts me more in control of my own destiny. There are some people opening doors for us and we’ll keep an eye on things to see how they develop” Tune into Born To Ride Television and you’ll be the first to know. You can read BTR magazine online at bornetoride.com
Easyrider Goes Mainstream
Twenty-five years ago they were the devil may-care, long-haired, tattooed, leather-wearing outlaws of the open road featured in the song, “Born To Be Wild” and in the film “Easy Rider” with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.
Today, said motorcycle enthusiast Ron Galletti of Brandon Florida, “People riding Harley’s are more likely to be Doctors, Lawyers or Accountants as well as leather wearing long-haired ex hippies. More than a few are Grandparents! Motorcycling has hit the mainstream.”
Born To Ride Productions is responsible for organizing and sponsoring a number of local, (Tampa) and State wide charity events involving bikers that bring the biker community in contact with some of the largest children’s charities in the state. The Shriners Hospitals for Children is one of the many charities dear to our hearts.
“Bikers get a bad rap because of the old stereotype image. But now people from all walks of life are involved and the market continues to grow. Women make up a third of the market now said Galletti.” Contrary to the bad-boy image, Galletti said bikers are some of the nicest people he’s ever met.” Bikers are always willing to help kids and people who need it. They’re willing to give back to their communities and they’re always happy to come to the aid of a fellow biker (brother or sister) who has been injured in an accident. There are a lot of people doing a lot of positive things in the biker community,” he said.
One Message that Ron would like to get out to the motorcycle community is, “lighten up, have fun and live your life. It’s better to have a lot of friends than a lot of enemies. Stop the bickering that exists in the Biker community. This Yuppie vs. Hard core, Harley riders vs. import rider, Abate vs. HOG and Cruisers vs. Sport bike riders is stupid! We’re all on two or three wheels by choice and that is what makes this a great country. We need to stick together as Motorcyclists and not as single parts of the big picture. All riders no matter what they are riding are … Born to Ride”
The Superstars on Born To Ride
It was a TV producer’s dream, come true! A day of shooting promo’s and interviews with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage for a feature on Born To Ride TV in Ybor-City, FL. Ron Galletti has had many other superstars on
the show including, Willie G., Evel Knievel, Indian Larry, Arlin Ness, the Teutul’s (Sr., Jr. and Mikey) from American Chopper, Hugh Hefner, Playboy Playmates
(Dahm Triplets, Crista Nicole, Susan Stokes), Gov. Jeb Busch, President Clinton Impersonator, Peter Fonda, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Rob Van Damn, Charlie
Daniels, Bo Diddly, Chuck Mangione, Willie Nelson, Gene Simmons, Eric Estrada, Jerry Springer, NFL Football players, and the list goes on … maybe you’ll be next!
Ron Galletti Lands Part in Movie Vampire Biker Babes Playing Himself
(BTR interviews VBB Producer and Director Walt Jenkins)
BTR: We’re on the set of Vampire Biker Babes movie at Rossiter’s Manatee River Harley-Davidson dealership in Bradenton, Florida, with Director Walt Jenkins and Born To Ride Publisher Ron Galletti. Walt, will you explain a little about what you’re shooting today?
WJ: Yes, we were very lucky to get such a nice location and we want to thank the Rossiters and all their staff for their support. Robin Rossiter graciously loaned us her office for a scene we are shooting today with Ron. Ron plays himself as a magazine editor/publisher who assigns a beautiful photographer played by Patricia Phinney, to go and shoot Bike Week in Daytona for BTR magazine.
BTR: How’s Ron doing as an actor?
WJ: We aren’t finished shooting his scenes yet but so far he’s doing great. In fact we plan to put Ron in some upcoming film projects. I think he’s a good fit and I can’t think of anyone more qualified to play the editor of a Bike Magazine.
BTR: Can you give us a synopsis of the Vampire Biker Babes story?
WJ: The story involves two sisters, one is a vampire and the other is a mortal. Patricia plays the mortal sister who is a photographer. Georgia Cris plays her sister. Their father is a 400-year-old vampire, Vlad, a descendant of Vlad the Impaler, a historical figure that Brahm Stoker based his original Dracula story. Vlad is very wealthy and immensely rich. He is illuminati, a member of a secret society and controls a vast army of vampires who are fed and kept loyal by his worldwide chain of blood banks. Presidents and heads of state do his bidding. When his mortal daughter, Karla, played by Patricia, is attacked in a small town on her way to Daytona, she winds up in the hospital in a coma. The local gang that violates her has some local political juice. The two leaders of the gang are the sons of the richest man in town and his brother, the sheriff. Karla’s vampire sister, Vanna, leads a gang of vampire biker babes who ride custom choppers and kick ass. They come to town looking for revenge. The locals start hunting them and when things are coming to a head, poppa Vlad calls a gathering and an army of hundreds of vampire bikers descends upon the town. The locals have no idea just who they messed with … they find out.
BTR: Director Walt Jenkins also wrote the script. He explained much more of the plot than we can print in this issue. It has many levels, even some Davinci Code type myths and mysteries, but we’ll get more into that in an upcoming issue, the plot lines, back stories and depths of character are an intriguing discussion. There’s more to this movie than the title implies. If you are a horror fan, like bikes and a good story, grab the next issue of BTR and don’t miss the movie. You can purchase the movie at borntoride.com.
Born To Ride Continues the Momentum in 2009
2008 brought in a new exclusive, The Law Firm of Attorney Fran Haasch as a major sponsor and supporter of Born To Ride as well as the continued barrage with Anheuser Busch’s three Budweiser distributors in Central Florida, Pepin, Gold Coast, and Great Bay All three take part in many promotions and third party marketing. Here is a quote from Tommy Weatherholt of Gold Coast Distributors:
“Born To Ride is a visionary company that constantly reinvents itself to capitalize on opportunities in the market! Born To Ride ranks as one of the elite sponsored properties for the Budweiser brand. Their efforts at retail distance them from everyone else. They are not just simply a media partner; they are a full-fledge kick-ass marketing arm for the King of Beers!”
Tommy Weatherholt
V.P. of Sales and Marketing
Gold Coast Eagle Distributing
So when you receive a testimonial like that, you know you are doing something good. But it’s about people. People that contribute to this success like Nick Betlow, Susan Hurst, Jesse Williams, Frankie Schell, Nancy Ray
and many others that contribute every day. And that add everything it takes to lay down the vision that makes Born To Ride what it is. As we progress into this year I’m seeing more and more social activity and cultural dynamism. Designing ideas and concepts to compliment this lifestyle is great. That’s why we created the new online magazine Born To Ride Lifestyle. We have created it an it’s all about the people and the lifestyle we live Born To Ride!
Where and when you can watch the show in Florida
(Sunday) Tampa / St. Pete, Florida WTTA MYTV 38 – 11:30 p.m. or on borntoride.com
“I wish every charity had a FRIEND that could elevate their brand, communicating the impact their cause is having on the community, and rally the masses to a “call to action†whether it is to attend an event, write your legislators in support or opposition of an issue, or simply give your time and resources. Every charity is working very hard to earn your respect and most importantly your support. Charities want to ensure they are staying true to their mission, while honoring the intent of your support and the heartfelt gifts you give, which allows them to do what they do for the good of mankind. I have been fortunate to befriend two people that care as much about their community as they do their own family and friends. They spend countless hours each week trying to meet the demands of their work schedule, while maintaining a solid family foundation—instilling in their “little ones†the value of giving back and making an impact on their community. This month I was inspired to write about two people that truly honor the spirit of one’s social responsibility—that of bridging business with philanthropic efforts and who have inspired me greatly by their passion for doing what’s right. Consumers expect organizations to give back to the communities where they do business. All too often, businesses do not understand this expectation, and it is up to the charity to educate and appeal for their support. The two individuals and their organization that I am referring to need no convincing, they routinely demonstrate the “core values†that all charities look for in a community partner or in this case a Power Media Partner. They have been positively impacting the “biker†world—recently celebrating 17 years confidently displaying the ever-changing biker lifestyle. Along the way, they became a successful and viable source for the biker community to count on as a direct link to the pulse of the motorcycle industry. They have served as leaders in the motorcycle community setting the standard for all others to emulate.
This month as the Ambassador of Goodwill for BTR, I would like to recognize the myth, the man, the legend, and in his case likewise the woman behind the man, Ron and Debbie Galletti for their heartfelt contributions to the motorcycle community and the charities we all care about. There isn’t an opportunity that passes where Ron & Deb aren’t thinking about how to help. Whether it is one of their sponsors or a cause, they consistently leverage their relationships and elevate the issues doing so by employing tools and resources at their disposal. On September 30, 2012, please join me at the Rack in Brandon for Born To Ride Power Media’s 100th magazine party. We will properly recognize the Galletti family for their “helping hands†and in the spirit of giving help, we will raise funds for two worthy causes, the Sylvia Thomas Center for Adoptive Children & Families and the Brethren of St. Francis Animal Rescue. I wanted to do something very positive in the name of the Galletti’s and I couldn’t think of anything better than what they love most, children & animals in a biker environment. Come enjoy a day of recognition & fun and participate in a special presentation to the Galletti family.”
Wayne Witczak – BTR Goodwill Ambassador
A letter from the Publisher
In this pop life we all live Born To Ride… will keep the expression of the life and times of motorcycles and the people who ride them. A proactive nature for the ride lifestyle with vision, insight, and focus! We want Born To Ride to be your essential multimedia tool. We are now finally ready to launch our new website for you the biker community, and we want you to check out the new www.borntoride.com. Watch Born To Ride TV, read Born To Ride magazine plus extra stuff not inside the street publication. Do you have interest in Blogs, Beer, Travel, Women’s World, Tattoos, Cigars, Singles, Events, Babe of the Week, the Page 3 Girl, or more? Please sign our guest book and let us know what you think.
Well that’s it, the Born To Ride story, but wait it’s far from over… 700 episodes is a lot of hard work, dedication, and devotion. It’s an incredible thing; let’s look ahead to the next 700 episode.
Ron Galletti
Born To Ride Inc. P.O. Box 3021 Brandon, FL 33509
www.borntoride.com info@borntoride.com