Cycle Connections

Ride Safe & Stay Cool!!!!

Cover Design By: Lisa Bonta

In This Issue:

Cycle Connections will be going through a “transitional” period, and as we do so, we will be loosing some of our contributing writers. We have enjoyed seeing things through their eyes for over 10 years, now we will be looking toward you the readers to share your bike adventures, benefit/fundraising efforts, Rally experiences etc.

You are already attending these events and no doubt taking some awesome pictures along the way. We would like for you to share that with us and EVERYONE else!

Also, we would like to help advertise your event in our “Upcoming Events” at NO charge to you, just drop us a note with the information.

If you are interested, or if you would like to submit event information, Please contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We appreciate all of you for your interest in Cycle Connections and look forward to sharing in your up coming adventures!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I’m excited to start the New Year off with a big announcement! My business partner Dennis and I have decided to hand off the Cycle Connections baton to our good friends and longtime staff members Lynn Reynolds and Leigh Lilly. As many of you know, Lynn and Leigh have been with the magazine for years, and have covered numerous events for us in and around the Birmingham, Alabama area. Being down south also enables them to take advantage of pretty much year-round riding when it comes to event coverage. Super jealous!

MILWAUKEE (August 21, 2018) The new Harley-Davidson^® FXDR^™ 114 motorcycle delivers moto-aggression with a technical edge. Like a drag racer crossed with a fighter jet, this unapologetic power cruiser brings a new level of all-out performance to the Harley-Davidson line-up. The FXDR 114 combines the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight^® 114 engine with the liberal use of new weight-saving aluminum and composite components. Every aspect of handling and performance is amplified.

Zoo Run Safari For Children's of Alabama

Saturday, September the 29th, 2018

Modern retro class bikes:  This line-up of bikes in the BBC’s Modern Retro class is only a part of the bike show on Saturday.

  On Saturday, August the 11th, riders gathered at Thunder Inn, a favorite local watering hole, for the bikers to make the annual ride over to the final resting place of Larry "Mad Dog" Rogers.

  On July 28th, 2018, The Gintown Lowlife Society hosted a fundraiser event for the family of Joey Garner.

On Saturday, July the 7^th, 2018, riders gathered at Jack's on Gadsden Hwy in Birmingham, Alabama to ride over to the Lakeview Country Club just below McCalla, Alabama to join up with others to ride in memory of Kelsey Hunnicutt.

Austin, TX – Locally owned Top Dawg Electronics announced today that it will be releasing the latest technology in motorcycle camera systems.

President and CEO Jared Jolly expects this dual camera system to revolutionize the safety of motorcyclists and disrupt the Moto Vloging world. The MotoPro system will deliver high quality videos for either day or night time riding.

  On Saturday, July the 7th, 2018, a group from the Birmingham H.O.G jumped on their bikes and headed out for the Blue Ridge mountains in north Georgia, encountering rain along the way, but hey, they needed to rinse the bikes anyway! 

This poker run was a non-escorted ride using the 50/50 split format, where the winner took 50% and the remaining 50% went to The Autism Society of Alabama.

Daredevil Extraordinaire Travis Pastrana recreated 3 of Evel Knievel’s most memorable jumps.

The jumps recreated were:

• Evel jumped 50 smashed cars-Travis attempts to jump 52 smashed cars.
• Evel jumped 15 Greyhound buses-Travis attempts to jump 16 Greyhound buses.
• Evel jumped the Fountains at Caesar’s Palace- Travis attempts to jump the Fountains with 200 feet less take and landing room.

On June the 9^th, 2018, Homestead Hollow in Springville, Alabama played host to the Lowdown Crawfish Boil, Car, Truck & Bike Show benefiting Black Tie and sponsored by Sparkle Detail.

  July the 9th, 2018, marked the start of the Motor Maid convention, where hundreds (final count of 423 plus 150 guests) of women from all over the country converged on to the city of Montgomery, Alabama. Motor Maid membership currently stands at 1323.

***HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO MOVE SOME OF THEIR MOTORCYCLE MAUFACTORING TO OTHER COUNTRIES DUE TO E.U TARRIFS.

Just thought we would share a few shots from the Run For The Wall, the Southern Route!

Close to 4000 H.O.G members converged on the city of Maryville, Tennessee on May the 31^st for the Great Smokey Mountain H.O.G Rally.

On June the 16^th, 2018, the Saints of Cullman County and friends of the Miracle League hosted the 2nd Annual Miracle League Benefit Ride.

             In 2008, the small town of Grady, Alabama awoke to the rumble of Harleys roaring through their township. Marvin Askew had opened the gates to the local bikers to come and do what they do best, which is to-PARTY! Add live music and games to the mix and they did just that. With people showing in the hundreds; Shine in LaPine Bike Rally quickly grew to be known as the “Best Little rally in Alabama".

Source

Motorcycling is definitely an adrenaline rushing experience for every rider. Being a rider by myself, the scenario is exactly the same for me. Just like my motorbike, I have been always fond of the latest gears in the market even. Recently, I came across the new concept of MIPS which is taking the world of Motorcycle accessorieshttps://www.dealslands.co.uk   by storm.

The spring Thunder Beach Rally rolled into Panama City Beach, Florida, May 2^nd thru the 6^th, 2018.

The weather was awesome for the whole weekend so there were a lot of folks that headed down the first of the week to get some extra soak time in with that special beach sunshine!

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck 

The endless road in front of you, the stunning scenery on each side, wind in your hair; that’s what motorcycle road trips are all about! 

We woke Saturday morning, March the 24^th, 2018, to an absolutely beautiful day for riding.

There was one stop we needed to make along the way, then it was off to the Moody Ball Park to meet up with the ride that Larry Hardeman had pulled together along with support from several of the clubs like the CMA, the Saints and the Veterans Brotherhood, just to name a few.

This ride was to benefit the Moody Miracle League, where they believe that “Every Player Deserves a Chance To Play Ball”

The Indy guys rolled back into Alabama April 20-22, 2018

Kicking things off Friday night at the beautiful Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum was the 8^th annual “Racing for Kids” dinner, presented by: Medical Properties Trust and benefiting Children’s of Alabama, Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. Where they are committed to a Cure!

David and I, along with our son, Matt and good friends, Brenda and Michael Strickland, left Argo, Alabama on May 3, 2018 heading to Maggie Valley, North Carolina to attend the 2018 Thunder in the Smokies Motorcycle Rally.  It was the perfect morning to be heading to the mountains.  Our first stop was at White Lightning Harley Davidson dealership in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  We always stop at as many of the local HD dealers as possible during our travels.  Leaving Chattanooga we headed north to Cleveland, Tennessee and on through the beautiful scenic winding roads along the Ocoee River.  This is one of my favorite rides and I always enjoy watching the groups of whitewater rafters along this stretch of road. 

Wisconsin has been called the Winter Wonderland. With good reason; you have to wonder what will happen next. In recent years, the weather has been more than a little unexpected at times, leaving us to wonder. Of course, we have long used the old saying, “Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes—it’ll change.”

  While it’s true that just about any motorcycle can be taken out of the city and into the wide open road, touring bikes do have their perks. They make long road trips much more comfortable and safe, whilst your street bike might leave your muscles cramped and your whole body burned-out. 

  Most people who own a motorbike use it for road trips, which is one of the main reasons why motorcycle touring has been gaining so much popularity over the past years. There are many choices out there, with plenty of key features that will help you get the most out of your motorcycle tour; from fast and furious sport bikes to classy tourers and laid-back cruisers, there’s something for every free spirit out there looking to embark on a long, adventure-packed journey.