PUBLISHER'S NOTE Military Social Clubs Seeking new members
As a small boy I was acutely aware of my surroundings and its limits. I could walk or ride my bike anywhere without fear. Maybe it was a more innocent time period in the 60s and 70s or maybe it was the simplicity and security of a small town. Whatever it was, it gave us an overwhelming sense of protection.
One thing that always peaked my interest were the seemingly “secret clubs” around town that no one ever spoke about. You know which clubs I mean; the Eagles Club, AMVETS, American Legion and the VFW.
Surly you remember the secrecy then (and now) that surrounded these social clubs with members whom share their pride, vigor and camaraderie. These local clubs that your own uncle, father or grandfather belonged to but you could never go to. Not even for a freaking Pepsi!
Being aware of what would get myself in trouble was an important characteristic to have, too. Especially, when finding trouble with my two cousins… the Tutton Boys! Both of them, Troy and Toby, were not only relatives but my close pals and cohorts in crime.
As a young lad, I didn’t comprehend how their dad, my Uncle Tim (Tutton), was able to enjoy all of these “secret” places. Though, he did not serve in the military, he always enjoyed how friendly and welcoming all our town’s different military club members were to him, and I envied him for it.
Maybe the fact that he was the local barber and historian got him the “Willy Wonka golden ticket” gaining him preferred access didn’t hurt, either. Nevertheless, he proudly still holds stature in many different clubs as a “Son” or a “Supporter.”
That said, I do have quite a few military veterans in my family, including; my late great uncle Bob who proudly served in three wars for the Army, my uncle Terry who served at Fort Knox during Vietnam, my brother Rick and my cousins Troy, Taree Kay and Kyle who all also served many years and/or retired from the U.S. military with honors (surprisingly though, only one of them attends any of the local military social clubs for some reason).
In a nutshell, these are social clubs for any U.S. service member, both past and present, including immediate family members. They act as a social gathering place for the betterment of their own lives as well as other community service aspects including charities, events and community outreach programs, which benefit many people.
I proudly joined AMVETS Post #2 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, a few years ago as a “Son” and I am here to spark your memories and encourage current and past military service people to look into their local military social clubs.
Any U.S. military member, both past and present, may join any number of different social clubs. Even, if you have not served in the military there are different non-military levels offered as well. Make no mistake about it, these are special clubs that do special things and have sacrificed much for their country. So please be respectful as you consider pursuing joining one of these clubs.
More recently I have also joined the AMVETS Post #2 in Des Moines, Iowa, and we have just formed the 3rd Iowa AMVETS RIDERS chapter and are looking for new members. We are very honored to be representatives in the form of AMVETS RIDERS and as a new group, we are dedicated to growing our membership and are extending our hand to anyone interested. For more information about membership please find us on Facebook at “Amvets Riders Des Moines.”
As always, Ride Hard.
R. Kabel
July 2011 online edition:
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Motorcycles and guns 360-degree view of the Right-To-Carry debate
By Dean Lambert Foundational to a discussion on concealed carry is the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution, which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Currently, there are 40 Right-to-Carry (RTC) states: 37 have “shall issue” laws, requiring that carry permits be issued to applicants who meet uniform standards established by the state legislature. Two have fairly-administered discretionary-issue carry permit systems. Vermont respects the right to carry without a permit. Alaska and Arizona have “shall issue” permit systems for permit reciprocity with other states, and have allowed concealed carrying without a permit since 2003 and July 2010, respectively. Wyoming passed a permitless carry law earlier this year that goes into effect in July.
Of the 10 non-RTC states, eight have restrictively-administered discretionary-issue systems. As if this writing, Illinois and Wisconsin are currently the only states to have no permit system and generally prohibit carrying. However on June 21, both chambers of the Wisconsin state legislature approved one of the nation’s strongest Right-to-Carry license bills; this new legislation awaits the governor’s signature.
NOTE: Cactus Tafoya of El Paso, Texas, owner of Wild Cactus Leathers created the awesome motorcycle seat/holster combination owned by Juan Salcedo and featured on the cover of this month’s Throttler Magazine. READ MORE
Do you know? Sue Slate and Gin Shear
When they met in 1975, both coincidentally riding Kawasaki KZ400s, Sue Slate and Gin Shear could count the number of women motorcycle riders they knew on one hand — with fingers left over. That just didn’t seem right so they set about changing things.
With the help of the women riders they knew, the two created the Women’s Motorcycle Festival, and then put on this five-day event every year for 10 years. From the very start their focus was on encouraging women to ride, building riding skills, and having fun.
“Everything we did was always fun,” says Sue. “And they were very successful. We capped them at 250 people an event to keep it like a community.”
It soon became apparent that some sort of organization would be necessary to handle the planning and execution for this ongoing festival, so the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation was created with Gin as the president, Sue as the program chair.
Then in 1993 Gin and Sue took two trips that would change their lives forever. They were planning a ride to the Arctic Circle with two other women, and had the idea that this would be an event special enough that it could be made into a fundraiser. But a fundraiser for whom?
Electric motorcycles? Electric motorcycles in the future
By Ken Bingenheimer You see the motorcycle coming down the street. It looks like a sportbike so you’re not surprised there’s no rumble but as it draws nearer you expect some engine sound — but there is none.
Electric motorcycles are here, they’re here to stay, and there may be one in your future.
No, you’re not going to be taking a cross-country tour on one anytime soon but the future may be nearer than you think.
The negatives on electric motorcycles are straightforward. Speed, acceleration, and range are limited by battery power. Recharging is slow and unlikely to ever rival the five minutes it takes to fill your tank. And they don’t have that soul-satisfying rumble that so many riders love. Because weight is crucial in maximizing battery usage, electric motorcycles are small, and an electric bagger is out of the question…for now.
But, remember computers? Time was when a 386 PC was blazing fast and a 40 megabyte hard drive on a server was huge. Now we carry what we quaintly still call telephones that have capabilities light-years beyond those once cutting-edge tools. Think of today’s batteries as 286 PCs. Then wait five years.
It’s already happening. Bra
2011 Kawasaki Vulcan® 1700 Vaquero™ Long, low, wide and packed
By Roderick Kabel The dictionary defines vaquero as a Spanish-origin word meaning “cowboy” or “herdsman.” Well, if that cowboy happened to be independent, adventurous, undeniably-cool and sported handmade boots and a custom hat, he’d probably ride a 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan® 1700 Vaquero™.
Baggers are arguably the coolest cruisers these days, and it’s not a stretch to see why. The really good ones are low, long, ultra stylish and, with their chopped fairings and hard-case side bags, plenty functional.
The new Vaquero bagger is all that — and much more. Kawasaki engineers and designers didn’t just throw custom paint and a blacked-out motif on a Vulcan 1700 and call it done. They digested valuable owner and market research, and scrutinized every system — engine, chassis, features, bodywork and appearance — to ensure that the bike being developed squared nicely with what cruiser buyers wanted.
Custom, blacked-out details are your first clue to the new Vaquero’s mission, and there’s plenty to see. It all starts with the beautiful Ebony or Candy Fire Red paint on the abbreviated fairing, sculpted tank and curvaceous bodywork that looks as if it could be a mile deep. Luxurious chrome accents (engine guards, exhaust, mirrors, etc.) provide a beautiful counterpoint to the glossy paintwork, but it’s perhaps the multi-textured blacked-out engine and chassis treatment that best highlights the Vaquero’s radical aesthetic look. The engine, air-cleaner cover, wheels, fork assembly and tank cover all get the blackout treatment, which gives the bike a true custom look that’s beautiful and menacing at once. It’s definitely not a motorcycle you’ll easily forget.
Chopper College Building the future; one motorcycle at a time
By Alec "Chop" Brynnenson At two years of age, Tom Creal got his first motorized tricycle. When he was six, his parents gave him a go-cart, and by 10, he was ripping apart his dirt bike just to see if he could put it back together.
In his teen years, while most of us were out shooting hoops or tossing the football around, Tom was in his garage surrounded by tables full of parts as he disassembled and repaired all of the neighborhood motorcycles and dirt bikes. He had developed a cult following of friends who would spend countless hours in that garage watching and learning from Tom’s every meticulous move; and that’s when it hit him; These guys don’t just want to learn how to fix their bike, they want to learn how customize it, or build one from scratch.
After graduating high school, Tom moved on to attend classes to further his education in motorcycles. In 2006, fresh out of AMI in Daytona Beach and with more building experience than most of us acquire in a lifetime, Tom Creal created Chopper College in Chicago.
With the custom bike craze well in its prime, for those of us with a lifelong dream of building a bike in our very own garage, Chopper College was well positioned as the first and only custom bike building school in the world to offer boot camp style classes that were completed over a three-day weekend.
By Sean Goulart
Editor, www.MXNewsfeed.com, The #1 Rated Motocross Newsfeed There are many ways for kids to have fun outdoors, whether on bikes or ATV’s and amateur motorcycle racing (motocross) is one of them. The final part of this two-part article will cover some things to consider if you are considering taking your child racing.
AT THE GATE
In our last installment we covered everything you need to do before you roll your kid’s bike up to the starting gate. So let’s see what happens next.
First off, make sure that you know the class you are racing in and the race order for the day. You will normally have a practice session (covered in part one) and then two races, in which the combined scores are used to determine the overall finishing order.
For instance, a racer who placed 1st and 8th would not beat a racer who placed 2nd and 3rd.
You must pay close attention to the classes that are out on the track as this will enable you to see when it’s time for you to race. Don’t rely on the track loudspeakers or other racers to tell you this info, it’s easy to let the excitement and preparation distract you. When your class is called up to the gate, you should be ready to race, all fueled up, with your safety equipment and your bike in perfect order.
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David Mann: Outlaws who
saved biker history
David Mann — an American icon
known for his depiction of motorcycles
and the biker lifestyle — learned as
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Throttler Magazine's 2009 Hole Shot
at the Iowa Speedway.
Filmed by Jay Knoll
Foundational to a discussion on concealed carry is the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution, which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
When they met in 1975, both coincidentally riding Kawasaki KZ400s, Sue Slate and Gin Shear could count the number of women motorcycle riders they knew on one hand — with fingers left over. That just didn’t seem right so they set about changing things.
You see the motorcycle coming down the street. It looks like a sportbike so you’re not surprised there’s no rumble but as it draws nearer you expect some engine sound — but there is none.
The dictionary defines vaquero as a Spanish-origin word meaning “cowboy” or “herdsman.” Well, if that cowboy happened to be independent, adventurous, undeniably-cool and sported handmade boots and a custom hat, he’d probably ride a 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan® 1700 Vaquero™.
At two years of age, Tom Creal got his first motorized tricycle. When he was six, his parents gave him a go-cart, and by 10, he was ripping apart his dirt bike just to see if he could put it back together.
There are many ways for kids to have fun outdoors, whether on bikes or ATV’s and amateur motorcycle racing (motocross) is one of them. The final part of this two-part article will cover some things to consider if you are considering taking your child racing.
