Feature

Chopporama Builder Profile: Jon Bonner of Vigilante Metalworks, LLC.

Chopporama Builder Profile: Jon Bonner of Vigilante Metalworks, LLC. of Fort Myers, FL. 'Bonner' as his friends call him, and his wife Christal Maiden form a pretty interesting dynamic duo within the motorcycle community in the Fort Myers area. Bonner has been building and fabricating since he was a kid in a bicycle shop. About six years ago he was in a serious BMX bicycle accident which literally cost him his life (for a brief moment). After a year in recovery, he decided it was a good time to pursue his dreams and open up a custom motorcycle shop. As…
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Daytona Bike Week 2020 Boardwalk Show

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The Art of James Silk

Hello, Born To Ride readers, My name is James Silk. I’m a self-taught artist and drew a lot of choppers when I was very young. Motorcycles have always fascinated me, but I’ve never owned a Harley or a large bike. My father retired from the NYPD. He rode a 1947 Indian Motorcycle with the sidecar for many years while working on the force. I get inspiration from the older bikes, riders and beautiful women. Hopefully, that shows in some of these pieces I drew here. My work has been published in Penthouse magazine other publications and now Born To Ride…
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Rider Training & Education Contributes Little to Motorcycle Safety

(According to U.S. Safety Experts) Many reputable groups within the highway safety community have taken the position that motorcycle rider training and education contributes little to motorcycle safety. It is their position that rider education does not have a discernable impact on motorcycle safety, and universal helmet laws are the only reliable method of reducing motorcycle fatalities. Do not take my word for it. Here is what the experts have to say: “While basic rider courses teach important skills, the effectiveness of training as a safety countermeasure to reduce motorcycle crashes is unclear.” (Traffic Safety Facts, National Highway Traffic Safety…
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“So Here’s The Deal” Big Bone 1%er

So it's safe to assume that anyone reading this is probably just as biased as I am when it comes to this motorcycle stuff? We like the look of the bikes. We like the loud noise that they make. Hell, some of us even like the smell of the damned exhaust. There are also a ton of different bikes and there are many different types of people who ride motorcycles. I mean some folks are the so-called weekend warriors that take the bike out of the garage every once in a while. Then you got those folks who go through…
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The Shadow Warrior Riders MC – Warriors Helping Warriors

I love hearing how folks became part of the Born To Ride Family. Today, you’re going to read about a long-time BTR family member, Chance Showell, and the magnificent work his MC is doing for veterans. When did you meet Ron and Debbie? “I think it was 1995. I was doing Tech Tip of the Week, sponsored by the local Tampa Harley-Davidson dealer. I had experience doing TV and radio, so it came naturally for me. In fact, Ron always called me, “One Take Chance” because I always got everything done in one take. Of course, over the years, with…
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Welcome to Daytona Bike Week. Now Leave!

Not a very Southern way of being hospitable is it? Well, to some it may be the greeting they receive when they arrive in Volusia County to attend the annual Bike week event. I’m referring to the percentage of the participants who ride to this event displaying their patch logo or “colors” signifying their membership in a motorcycle-related club or organization. Unless you’ve been under a rock or just don’t participate in Bike Week in Daytona, you can’t help but notice the “No Colors Allowed” on the entrances to various businesses during the event. It is my understanding that this…
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Epicenter 2020 – in the eye of the metal storm

May 1, 2 & 3 At Festival's New Home At Rock City Campgrounds At Charlotte Motor Speedway Metallica To Perform Different Headlining Sets Friday & Sunday Festival Will Also Feature Performances From Multi-Platinum Band Disturbed (Headlining Saturday Night), Along With A Diverse Lineup Including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deftones, Godsmack, Volbeat, Staind, Papa Roach, David Lee Roth, Gojira, Chevelle, Cypress Hill, Rancid, Royal Blood, Anthrax, Dropkick Murphys, I Prevail, Alter Bridge & Many More Weekend & Single Day Tickets & Camping On Sale Now The music lineup has been announced for Epicenter 2020, May 1, 2 and 3 at Rock City Campgrounds…
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Rockville 2020 – 3 days of thunder and lightning

Welcome To Rockville 2020 Celebrates Its 10th Year Florida's Biggest Rock Experience Heads To Its New Home At The Daytona International Speedway In Daytona Beach, FL May 8, 9 & 10, 2020 With Incredible Festival Lineup Featuring Headliners Metallica (Two Unique Sets — Friday & Sunday) And Disturbed (Saturday) Plus Lynyrd Skynyrd—Last Show In Their Northern Florida Home Area— Godsmack, Deftones, Social Distortion, The Offspring, Staind, Lamb of God, Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Mastodon, Gojira, Royal Blood, Alter Bridge, The Pretty Reckless, Anthrax & More Weekend, 2-Day & Single Day General Admission & VIP Passes And Camping On Sale Now With…
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The Compass Expeditions Feature Tour – February 2020

The Compass Expeditions Feature Tour - February 2020 This month we wanted to feature another relatively new Compass Expeditions tour option for one of our most popular riding destinations - Patagonia Wild Patagonia Compass Expeditions has been riding in Patagonia for over 11 years! The Patagonia Explorer tour is our most popular and made it onto National Geographic Traveler’s “Tours of a Lifetime” list. It is still the only motorcycle tour ever to make that prestigious list. In November 2019 Compass fulfilled a long-held plan to release a second Patagonia tour, this time for those looking to get a little…
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MALINDA JOHNSON A TRUE OPEN ROAD GIRL

As a traveling vendor, I have had many opportunities to meet some great people who are honest, run a solid business, and treat their customers with respect and kindness. I was fortunate to meet that type of hard-working person when we were set up at the same event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a few years ago. Lucky for us, Malinda, her family, and her business, Open Road Girl, have moved from Minnesota to beautiful Florida! She has done an outstanding job of branding her business, having a large number of followers and constantly growing her unique and fun clothing line! Sit…
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Showers in Season – Born To Ride Kids

Christian Motorcyclists Association Living in Central Florida, we are prone to have seasons of showers. Before we mount up on our bikes for a ride, we will often check our weather map on our cell phones. That map, along with a good old fashion glance at the skies, can help us to plan our ride to avoid any potential rain. We can study the clouds or the overcast haze, and we can see which way the weather is blowing. That attention to the atmosphere can often give us good guidance. The only challenge with that technique is that we can…
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How are the Resolutions Coming Along? – Spyke & Mike

Welcome to the ‘dead middle’ of winter, my BTR friends. I hope you’ve got layers on under your leathers when you ride and the heat on at the house when you get home. Damned Jack Frost ... isn’t that why we moved to Florida to get away from the ole man? Anyways, let's check with Mike and find out how did his so-called resolutions in January 2020 work out for him. Dude! Have you been making things happen? Managing your own destiny? Still snorting those brain pills you bought off the Dr. Oz Show??? He grabs my beak and yells,…
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A smattering of misinformation. Maybe. (no fake news here) – Craven Moorehead

The words erupt from the keyboard like lava flowing from a volcano, rushing down the side with the sole intent of reaching the eyes and minds of the reader. More and more the characters that form these very words continue to flow and eventually amass into a pool of content ready to be consumed by the reader. In science and nature, these eruptions are rarer than in the mind of the journalist, which must cause the event to occur at least once a month or more often if he or she is lucky enough to have more than one writing…
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Are we having fun yet?

Text and photos by Scott and Carla Odell As the self-proclaimed Isle of Man-iac, I am always scouring the internet for information and stories about the greatest road race on earth. There is a lot of it out there and it keeps my cravings down a little, but the need to experience the sounds and sights is a different story. I can go to a lot of tracks and see motorcycles racing in the USA, but one thing is missing … sidecars! I have never seen sidecars race in the USA in my lifetime. I punched in a few choice…
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“It’s Gonna Knock You Out!” – Chuck Liddell Exclusive Interview

Chuck Liddell was born on December 17, 1969 in Santa Barbara, California. In Hollywood he is known for his work in Movies, such as Kick-Ass 2 (2013), War Pigs (2015) and How High (2001). Prior to his film work he was an Iconic MMA UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion. He is one of the Fighters who put UFC on the map. Chuck Liddell became one of the most recognizable Global Sports Superstar Figures to crossover into TV Commercials, Appearances, Movies and more. It’s an Honor to have him part of the Cast of Nation’s Fire and to top it all…
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