Cycle Connections

Although Saturday July 12 was rainy and bleak, nothing could put a damper on the excitement that was taking place inside East Market Studios in Kansas City, Missouri where Cycle Connections' sales manager Dave Miller and volunteers from several local motorcycle businesses presented Staff Sergeant Daniel Gilyeat with a custom motorcycle modified to accommodate his prosthetic leg that has prevented him from riding since being injured in Iraq. For those who may be unfamiliar with the name Daniel Gilyeat, think back to last February when Ty Pennington and his crew from ABC's Extreme Home Makeover 'moved that bus' to reveal…

EDITORS NOTE: Below is an e-mail I received on Tuesday, June 3 from Cheryl Suter of KC-Creations KC-HotRods. We at Cycle Connections wish Kim, Cheryl, and their staff the best of luck on their new ventures. In preparation for their store closing, they are having a huge Going out of Business sale you won't want to miss. Please check out their website at www.kc-creations.com for additional information. Dear Friends and Colleagues: In 1995, Cheryl and I opened a small motorcycle shop in the back of a gas station. Over the last 13 years, our passion for building custom motorcycles, along…

Twenty-two-year-old Danny Worth is carrying on a proud family tradition. Danny’s grandfather, Ray Worth, not only founded what has become a family of Kansas City area Harley-Davidson dealerships, but also raced, with great success, in the Pro Stock Class in the 1970s and 80s. David Worth, Danny’s father, is the owner-operator of Blue Springs Harley-Davidson, and formerly raced in the Super Stock Class. Currently David is Danny’s crew chief/mechanic. Danny resides in Grain Valley, Missouri, and works in the Parts Department at the family Harley dealership. Danny races at events sanctioned by the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA). He…

On Monday morning, March 17, after pouring a cup of coffee and firing up my laptop, I noticed that I'd received an e-mail from a company called Multi Media Marketing & Production, Inc. (M3Pro) . At first glance, I thought it was just another spam e-mail wanting me to buy some goofy product I had absolutely no interest in; however, as I scrolled down a bit, I noticed it was actually an e-mail promoting a 2 disc box set of the first season of the Metric Revolution TV show that first aired in March 2007 on ESPN2, which we had…

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. What a profound statement that is. No second chances here baby, one shot per customer. I always make a first impression that’s for sure, a good one, who knows. Guess it depends on the people and circumstances, for example; I, looking quite scruffy, come roaring up to the local biker bar on my loud obnoxious Harley, shut her down and back her to the curb. All there think “Wow what a cool brother biker.” Do the same thing in front of church letting out on Sunday morning and…

Be careful what you pray for. Ever heard that one before? Bet you have. I’m a pretty 'prayerful’ guy. Not a “churchy, religious” type at all, but I believe in a higher power and I guess you could say I am a spiritual man. I ask for a lot of help though, in fact, I’m probably a huge pain in the ass. ”Father, I’m runnin’ out of ideas for biker stories. Please help me Sir, I need inspiration, something to work with.”Well, after a while nothing was coming to me, so I decided to take a cruise on my Harley.…

On snowy Kansas City days such as today, I tend to reminisce about fun events I attended during the past year. Readers who are familiar with my rally coverage know that I get a great deal of enjoyment from motorcycle rodeos and field events. Such events never fail to provide great entertainment for the spectators, but the participants have even more fun. In the year ahead, I would encourage rally attendees to get involved in the field events rather than watch from the sidelines. Those who are without partners can usually recruit someone from the audience to team up with…

Australian freestyle motocross jumper Robbie “Maddo” Maddison electrified a live television audience watching ESPN’s New Year, No Limits special by jumping his Honda CR 500 more than the length of a football field at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The spectacular jump, dedicated by Robbie to the late Evel Knievel, broke the old record of 310 feet, 4 inches, set by Ryan Capes in October, 2005, and set the new Guinness-certified mark at 322 feet, 7 ½ inches.Shortly after the ball dropped in Times Square signifying the beginning of 2008, Robbie prepared for his record-setting attempt.…

Editors Note: The author sent me this story a while back, but I decided to hold onto it until right before the next big Daytona rally so it would be fresh in your mind. This article has some great tips for trying to stay out of trouble if you're heading down to Biketoberfest this month or to Bike Week next year. Enjoy! Daytona Beach is a really cool place. I’ve had some of the best times of my life there; I’ve also had some of the worst. If you look at a tourist brochure you’ll find that Daytona has many…

In 1998, the movie Titanic won 11 Oscars, John Glenn returned to space and Harley-Davidson rolled their first motorcycle off of the assembly lines of the shiny new Kansas City Final Assembly Plant, now named Vehicle and Powertrain Operations. Ten years later, Kansas City’s contributions to the success of Harley-Davidson are significant. The 1998 Sportsters were the first production motorcycles assembled there. During 2000 and 2001, the company’s best kept secret, the revolutionary water cooled, high revving V-Rod was being built and tested behind tall dark curtains. In 2002, production of the Dyna line moved from York, Pennsylvania to Kansas…

Wins do not come easy in AMA flat track racing. To have any chance of carrying the checkered flag around the track in the traditional victory lap following the feature race, a rider must do well in qualifying races to secure a good position on the starting grid. The motorcycle must be set up perfectly for track conditions. The rider must be physically and mentally prepared to take on the toughest of competition. A feature race win is a major accomplishment. That’s what makes 21-year-old Jared Mees’ third consecutive victory, accomplished on July 7 at the Route 66 Raceway in…

05:45 the alarm goes off; straddle the saddle at 06:20. I ask Iron Pants if she has any preferences and she declines but adds, 'Just ride.' We head east towards a brilliant Harley orange sun hanging low in the sky. Temperatures are in the high sixties already and humidity is in the air, ten minutes and we clear the city limits, finding a cooler countryside. A gentleman is running a string trimmer in his bathrobe, that's kind of unusual; a cat tries to walk through the early morning dew in search of a mouse; the aroma of bacon frying in…

What the hell's this world coming to when the owner of a supposedly biker-friendly establishment deliberately chases down and runs over one of his bike night patrons with his truck? Sounds pretty bizarre, doesn't it; but that's exactly what happened on Thursday evening, July 26 at Peanut West, which is located at 13223 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Shawnee, Kansas. According to witnesses, two motorcyclists were doing burnouts in the parking lot, when bar owner Charles Tabor went outside and started yelling at them to stop. The bikers said 'OK,' got off their bikes and went inside the bar. Soon afterwards the…

There are many things that lure me to the Sturgis Rally every year. The ride, the scenic Black Hills, the bikes, the races, the vendors, the old friends, the thousands of potential new friends, and, of course, the music. Live music is featured everywhere during the rally, from world famous bands at performing at large venues to local bands in small taverns and at out-of-the-way campgrounds. One group that I make it a point never to miss at Sturgis is the Jasmine Cain Band. Jasmine, lead vocalist and bass guitarist, is talented, sexy, and incredibly energetic. The energy she displays…

Riding a motorcycle is a lot like sex, if you’re not having fun and loving it every time then you must be doing something wrong. Of course riding in the rain is not as much fun as sex in the shower, but it’s still better than a sharp stick in the eye. If you think about it there is probably a story in every ride you take. I ride with some very diverse groups: Two of them are The Country Boys from Schoharie and The City Boys from Schenectady. Kind of cracks me up that the Country Boys call Schenectady…

Paul Yaffe has been, and continues to be, an industry leader in not only custom bike building, but also in custom bike parts. Many of the one-off parts Paul has used for his high-end custom bikes have found their way into his ever-growing parts catalog. Diversification has kept Paul Yaffe Originals at the forefront of the motorcycle industry and will continue to do so for many years to come. CC: How was 2006 for Paul Yaffe Originals?Paul: 2006 was slow. I think a lot of things in our industry are changing and it was kind of a reorganizing year for…

Dave and James Kaye represent the next generation of custom bike builders. You may know Dave and James better by their business name, Detroit Brothers. Dave’s background is in engineering and industrial design which serves him well in developing cutting-edge bikes and parts. James attended the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit receiving training in sculpture and fine arts. James has worked for Ron Finch and Russell Mitchell of Exile Cycles honing the skills that have made him a master fabricator. Detroit Brothers bikes have an edgy, industrial look that provides a welcome contrast to the multi-colored billet bikes that…

Back in February 2005, we had the opportunity to interview Dawn Glencer and talk with her about the U.S. Angels, which are a group of beautiful ladies she manages, who supports our wounded soldiers through personal visits and fund-raising events. Dawn has been very busy since our last interview and is now the host of a popular motorcycle TV show on the East coast called Carolina Cruiser, which airs on Your CW (channel 62/cable 9) on Saturday nights at 6:30 p.m. If you don’t happen to be in her viewing area, don’t worry, because you can also check out her…

It is a fine and wondrous thing, the day your son becomes a man. Doesn’t just the sound of those words bring up a welling of love and pride in your heart? You just want to shout it to the world: TODAY MY SON BECAME A MAN!! I bet most of you are thinking about the time you said those words about your son. You know, like when your son graduated college or got his doctorate degree, or maybe when he became a police officer or fire fighter. Perhaps some of you think about when your son graduated Army or…

I’ve been riding motorcycles for a long, long time. Probably since I was about 16 years old, and I just celebrated my 38th birthday on March 10 so…. happy birthday to me. I’m sure you’re all doing the math in your head and saying, “Hell I’ve been riding longer than that.” Wait a minute though before you come up with the final answer—I have to let you know that this year was the 21st time I celebrated my 38th birthday! Actually if you count the first time it would be the 22nd, now I’m confused; I never was very good…