Blog

Bike Night Ballyhoo!

It's July and already hotter than a $2 pistol, my BTR friends. I keep telling Mike to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. He keeps telling me his arms are hurting from too many 12 oz curls, his fingers are pruned from holding too many wet cans, and his brain is too foggy from multiple run-ins with Bud, Foster, Stella, Amber and Genny. Bert’s Great American Bike Night at OCC Roadhouse & Museum has been off the chain. Lately there have been two bands and me on stage with at least one of them, a variety of vendors, awesome food choices, and plenty…
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AmeriCAN

Here we go for July. Of course the big celebration in July is, of course, the 4th. On July 4th,1776 the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Thomas Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, 1776. July 4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence. In plain English, it’s America’s Formal Birthday as a country. So how is our 246-year -old country doing? Well, that’s subjective I suppose. I would say that can be stated for the condition of our entire planet. Hard…
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OCC ROAD HOUSE & MUSEUM

Join Born To Ride for “Bert’s Great American Bike Night” every Thursday! This is the tale of three wise men who love motorcycles, the biker lifestyle and how they put their heads together to create a one-of-a-kind country club for bikers and riders’ destination in Clearwater, Florida. This farout facility includes a restaurant, concert venue, and motorcycle museum to bring the Orange County Choppers (OCC) experience to life. Every Thursday Night, Born To Ride teames up with Keith Overton, Paul Teutul Senior of Orange County Choppers, and Bert King of Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson for “Bert’s Great American Bike Night”, powered…
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Big Biker Doin’s in the Sunshine State!

Welcome to the red. white, and blue July issue of Born To Ride. Come with us as we reveal the story of three intrepid men on a mission. We’ll introduce you to Bert King of Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson, where Born To Ride takes part in Bert’s Bike Night every Thursday night. You’ll also meet Keith Overton who partnered with Bert to create an incredible biker country club. Keith brought in Paul Teutul Senior, famous head honcho of Orange County Choppers, and together, the three amigos put together the OCC Road House & Museum! Find out how Born To Ride is…
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Cave Spring

Cave Spring is located in Floyd County and is 25 minutes from Rome, Georgia and less than 5 minutes away from the state of Alabama. It is like any typical off-the-interstate, sleepy small town in the South. With a population at just over a thousand, it is more a community of friends and relatives than a city. Everyone you meet is overflowing with hospitality and you always feel like you’re minutes away from the possibility of enjoying a cup of black coffee, or a beer on the porch with a new friend. Cave Spring is actually located on the Trail…
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Riding The Dragonslayer

In my last column I mentioned pointing my bike in a direction, any direction, instead of having a predetermined route or destination in mind.  Well, I kind of did both recently.  Last week I pointed my bike north into Kentucky.  East Kentucky, to be exact. I connected with a friend who's the motorsports event coordinator for Backroads of Appalachia, Mr. Jay Fryman.  Jay, as his title infers, is responsible for marketing, and delivering a total motorsport's tourism initiative.  I say total because it includes motorcycles, adventure/dual sport bikes, side x sides, Slingshots and a vast number of car clubs with…
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Great American Bike Night at OCC Road House – Meet Paul Teutul Sr. along with Spyke and Mike

We’re right smack dab in the middle of it, my Born To Ride friends. I'm not just referring to the afternoon showers and intense heat/humidity of June, but the OCC Roadhouse and museum. They are the latest and greatest group to join the Born To Ride family and we are the latest and greatest group to be pitching a 10 x 10 tent at their Great American Bike Night on Thursday. You'll find me on the Fat Bird 3 under the tent supporting the festivities at one of the biggest and baddest biker Meccas on the west coast of Florida.…
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The Clock is Ticking…

I’m not gonna waste any time getting to the point. With the way things have been going with our country and the citizens of this country’s mentality, it’s extremely evident we have a problem. Again, our rights are under attack on multiple fronts, and we are allowing it to happen. This past month we’ve had more horrific events taking place committed by our own people against our own people. Again, our Second Amendment rights are under attack. All of this due to the act of another mentally disturbed individual. Every time there’s a shooting with mass casualties, the anti-gun crowd comes…
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Happy Father’s Day Almhütte For his Francoise

While on a family trip to Austria two years ago, Fran spotted an Almhütte and commented to her father Werner how she would adore a hut like this in her back yard. An Almhütte is an Alpine hut that is found in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. It’s commonly used for animals grazing in the wild to seek shelter from weather. It has a peaked roof with an approximate 4-foot overhang on the sides. It’s common in Germany to see a huge boulder on the roof to hold the roof down during windy conditions. You see, Fran has a love for…
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Celebrating DAD!

This month we are celebrating Father’s Day and honoring dads in all forms. We’re talking about biological dads to be sure but also father figures; those who do so much to enhance people’s lives. One such Big Daddy is John Shope of Dirty Bird Concepts in Arizona. Read about how he changed one employee’s life forever in these pages. John’s amazing Dirty Tail is our cover bike this month. See how his generosity changes the lives of his employees and all who know him. We are also celebrating stepdads, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers. All those men in people’s lives who step…
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LOOKIN’ BACK AT ROADS TRAVELED

With the coming of May we're coming into Love Bug season my BTR friends. A time when bugs between the teeth can only mean you're smiling way too much when on two wheels. Except in my case, they just leave juice behind as they disintegrate bouncing off my aerodynamic beak! Mike belches out, “Yeah little buddy, over the past few years there hasn't been enough bugs between my teeth, until recently. Now I can't seem to get my fair share of ‘em and you definitely don't see enough bugs bouncing off your beak either. Lately I've found you sitting for…
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REMEMBER OUR SENIORS – Nefariuos James

I think this time we’re just going to get to the meat and potatoes of the topic. I think it’s very admirable to have celebrations of life for those that meant something to us. A way to honor their memory, their achievements, and their impact on others. To me, it’s a form of being able to say my last goodbye even though I will always keep those people in my memory. There’s a saying I heard a long time ago that a person is not truly gone until their name is spoken for the very last time. I’m a firm…
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All Florida Guidelines – Spyke and Mike

Spring has sprung my BTR friends. So has the influx of retirees, Canadians, and Yankees moving south. Last month I gave out-of-staters the red flags about sightseeing here. For those who are not easily scared by my typing talons and are ready to make a change in their home address, this month I’m giving you the A.F.G’s (All Florida Guidelines) about what to expect living here and what we expect of you becoming a Sunshine State citizen. Mike breaks in, “You tell ‘em my avian encyclopedia of the Floridian lifestyle. They just don’t seem to understand my mortal interactions, profanities…
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JUST BE REAL

OK people here it comes. A quarter of the year is already gone. Time to start thinking about those New Year’s resolutions you made and whether you are sticking to them or not. I hope that many of you found success in accomplishing them; am I being optimistic? To those who are still on track and plugging away at those resolutions, good for you and keep up the good work. I know in some of my past writings I have rambled on about the way things used to be compared to the way they are now as well as my observations of…
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WARNING! Don’t Move to Florida!

Hey there, my Born To Ride friends. Mother Nature blessed us with great riding weather for Thunder by the Bay and Charlotte's Web Mardi Gras parties. Human Nature overwhelmed us with great friends, old and new, for both events. The traffic on I-75 was brutal both weekends and riding on Mike’s shoulder or the backrest of the Fat Bird 3 wasn’t helping the situation. Between the rubbernecking, people speeding up and slowing down to take pictures or just honking and waving, was almost overwhelming for Mike. A lot of those vehicles had out-of-state tags. Believe it when I say a…
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A NICE BIG PUNCH IN THE FACE!

Here we are in the month of March. Many events are coming up including Daytona Bike Week and other miscellaneous local festivities. Makes me reflect on how these events used to be in years gone by. Seems like there have been so many changes to these events in the name of progress, and I guess in a form of social evolution, that they don’t really seem to be the same as they used to be. I remember Daytona Bike Week as being more expressive and minds being more open to the social experience. A place where you used to be…
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