Free Republic

BIKE IT, COMMUTERS: TAKE YOUR BIKE OR TAKE A HIKE! Elders among us may recall with bittersweet memories the ancient ditty about a bicycle built for two. For those fellow elders, and those sentimental about old times and old songs, part of the song went like this: "I’m half crazy, All for the love of you!... But you’ll look sweet upon the seat Of a bicycle made for two.” Congressional Democrats aren’t known for their sentimentality nor for their humor but they should be credited with being half crazy or full crazy based on their Tuesday antics. Buried way down...

The Meade County State’s Attorney said Friday that members of the Hells Angels initiated a bar scuffle that led to the shooting of one of club’s members at the Loud American Roadhouse in Sturgis earlier this month. Meade County State’s Attorney Jesse Sondreal said in an e-mail that the investigation has revealed the Hells Angels “instigated the assault” in a fight with the Iron Pigs on the evening of Aug. 9. The two clubs got into a fight just before the shooting, according to witnesses at the scene and authorities. The Iron Pigs is a national motorcycle organization made up...

(snip) "We're committed to making sure our customers are safe and feel safe in the Loud American Roadhouse," he said. Kinney's comments came Thursday, the day after a Meade County grand jury called for the arrests of the shooting victim, four off-duty law enforcement officers and another biker. (snip) Meade County clerk of courts Lane Keil said no warrants or summonses would be issued Thursday because there were no judges on duty to sign the orders. The grand jury heard testimony from 25 witnesses on Aug. 10 and from 10 more on Wednesday. After considering the evidence, the panel found...

BROOKSVILLE — Perched on a stool at Crossroads Bar & Grill, Larry Obonnon stroked his handlebar mustache and looked over several fliers for a state campaign encouraging motorcyclists to wear brighter colors. One flier, titled "Green Eyed Monster,'' featured a man wearing shades, a black leather jacket and, stunningly, neon green chaps. Obonnon shook his head in disgust. "I've been riding since the 1960s," said the gray-haired Obonnon, clutching a Budweiser, "and this stuff here ain't going to change a thing.''

Click to watch video: McCain: Sound of Freedom (50,000 Bikers)

Rolling Thunder, Inc. 21st Anniversary Memorial Day Demonstration in Washington, D.C., May 23-25, 2008, To Include Families of Iraq War POWs/MIAs ROLLING THUNDER MISSION STATEMENT The major functions of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. are to publicize the POW/MIA issue, to educate the public of the fact that many American Prisoners of War were left behind after all past wars, to help correct the past, and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become Prisoners of War/Missing in Action. Rolling Thunder is committed to helping American Veterans from ALL WARS. • Rolling Thunder, Inc. is a class 501(c)(4) non-profit...

Run for the Wall returns More than 400 bikers rolled down Hobsonway last year, the first time Run for the Wall came through the town. This year a pair of helicopters plan to join in the parade to the Colorado River Fairgrounds. By Marty Bachman Over 400 motorcyclists will return to Blythe on May 14 as part of the 20th anniversary of the "Run for the Wall," paying tribute to veterans as they make their way to visit all the war memorials in Washington, D.C., including the Vietnam Wall Memorial. Veteran bikers from the Vietnam War, Somalia, the Gulf War,...

Two Hells Angels bikers charged with starting a gunfight acted in self defense because rival Outlaws Motorcycle Club members targeted them, lawyers for the men say. Chad Wilson, 32, of Lynnwood, Wash., and John Midmore, 34, of Valparaiso, Ind., are accused of shooting at Outlaws bikers Aug. 8, 2006, at Legion Lake Resort in Custer State Park, where the Outlaws gathered for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 70 miles away. According to a federal court document, an Outlaws member who was not wounded said he returned fire at the man who shot at his group. Wilson is a member of the...

(CNN) -- Two masked and machete-wielding men who barged into a club in Sydney, Australia, couldn't have picked a worse night for their robbery -- a monthly meeting of bikers. About 50 burly bikers fought back with tables and chairs -- pretty much anything that wasn't bolted down. One would-be robber was tied up; the other in the hospital. Police arrested both. "These guys were absolutely dumb as bricks," Jerry Vancornewal, leader of the bikers, told CNN Thursday. "I can't believe they saw all the bikes parked up front and they were so stupid that they walked past in." Vancornewal...

A would-be armed robber in Australia couldn't have picked a worse target. He ended up hog-tied and in hospital after trying to hold up a bar where a biker gang was holding a meeting. The man and his accomplice, wearing ski masks and waving machetes, stormed into a club in a Sydney suburb last night, local time. About 50 bikers had just started a club meeting in another room and jumped in to intervene. Security camera video from inside the bar caught the entire fracas, which began by the bikers looking somewhat confused. As soon as the burly members of...

Denver and Mountain View police apologized to members of the Hells Angels and settled a federal lawsuit over a 2005 traffic stop with a $14,000 payment to the bikers, their attorney said Thursday. The apologies signed by Denver Manager of Safety Al LaCabe and Mountain View Police Chief Eric Gomez mark the second time Denver police have had to say "sorry" to the Hells Angels.

For the second time in five years, Denver Police have apologized to the Hells Angels motorcycle club for possibly violating the group's Constitutional rights. In a settlement released Thursday, attorney David Lane said Denver and Mountain View Police agreed to pay a total of $14,000 to the group, and apologize for a Sept. 2, 2005 traffic stop in Mountain View

Three motorcycle riders are hospitalized in stable condition after a run-in with a bear in St. Johns County. State troopers say the bear ran in front of the bikers Sunday on I-95 near State Road 207. The animal was killed when the motorcycles slammed into it.

DMV probe keeps bikers off road Orange County kit bike owners aren't sure when they'll be able to ride or sell hand-built vehicles. Friday, June 22, 2007 BRIAN JOSEPH SACRAMENTO -- Dain Gingerelli says he locked up a sure sale of his motorcycle in April – about $10,000 for a kit bike he built himself. But two months later, the bike is gathering dust in his garage and the cash is in someone else's pocket. What happened? The state Department of Motor Vehicles, Gingerelli said, blocked the sale. It turns out Gingerelli used a kit made by Custom Chrome Inc....

Should California ban or place speed limits on lane-splitting by motorcyclists? Ban all lane-splitting (0 Votes, 0%) Allow lane-splitting, but set speed limits (0 Votes, 0%) Allow all lane splitting (1 Vote, 100%) Note: Scroll down on the homepage a bit and look for the poll on the right side. Vote accordingly.

Quoted from a posting I found at DC Indy Media: "It would be a real shame if the expensive custom paint on one of these bikes ended up with, say, Inca's tag keyed into the gas tank and a lot of nice chrome accessories as well as the spark plug wires missing at 3 AM. Riding while drunk and literally "getting smashed" would be an even bigger shame!" http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/139196/index.phpEAGLES UP!

'Thug' bikers have it all wrong By Mike Seate TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Marie Malagreca wasn't looking for trouble when she traveled from her home in O'Hara to Washington, D.C., for an anti-war protest. But when the 79-year-old woman arrived in the nation's capital on March 17, she found her path blocked by a beefy, leather-clad biker with an agenda. "He got right in my face and started asking me what I thought I was doing protesting the Iraq war," she said, "and then he started calling me dirty names." Malagreca was one of several local protesters who shared...

PEORIA, Ariz., April 15, 2007 – Servicemembers stationed in Baghdad got an earful – and an eyeful – yesterday from about 4,000 supporters who gathered here to show their appreciation during the third Cyclerides.com “Hearts to Heroes” motorcycle ride. Riders are seen in the side mirror of a Hearts To Heroes ride participant as the group made its way around the Phoenix International Raceway. The ride, the third Cyclerides.com has hosted, is held to honor the troops and benefit troop-support organizations. Defense Dept. photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. A two-way video connection, provided...

The president of the Vancouver chapter of the Hells Angels says people have been rude to him and his feelings have been hurt since the group was ruled a criminal organization by an Ontario judge last year. In an affidavit filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Rick Ciarnello lists a number of public snubs including a couple in a restaurant who asked to be moved because they didn't want to sit next to him after he walked in wearing Hells Angels colours. He also claims he has been treated rudely by his local supermarket staff, and he says many people are...

Jurors in Hells Angels trial surprised to see flaws in government's case Grainy video, sketches with little meaning and lengthy testimony from drug addicts -- those pieces of evidence had jurors presiding over the Hells Angels trial questioning the strength of the federal government's racketeering case against the motorcycle club. Four years after the 2002 Laughlin River Run, during which the Hells Angels engaged in a violent battle with the rival Mongols, prosecutors attempted to nail 11 bikers for attempted murder and being a criminal enterprise, a gang

Plea deal ends state, federal cases ByADRIENNE PACKER and K.C. HOWARD With their case against the Hells Angels unraveling, federal prosecutors agreed to a plea bargain Wednesday that reduced charges against the six main defendants and dismissed all charges against three dozen other members of the infamous motorcycle club. Forty-two Hells Angels had faced the possibility of life sentences as a result of a gunbattle with their rival club, the Mongols, in Harrah's Laughlin during the 2002 River Run motorcycle festival. But under the deal approved Wednesday, six Hells Angels will serve no more than 30 months in federal prison,...

When the Hells Angels trial began, I wondered how a collection of bikers who insisted on sporting their notorious club colors around the federal courthouse could actually find a fair and impartial jury. Few things in this life say "bad ass approaching" like the Hells Angels' trademark winged skull symbol. The last I checked, not even the mafia wore an official jacket. The average baggy pants barrio gang kills more homeboys in a year than the worldwide Hells Angels does in a decade, but the Harley-Davidson riders enjoy legendary status in America's outlaw mythology. Just days into the trial of...

Federal prosecutors aim to prove bikers are part of organized criminal entity Sorting out what happened during the gunfight inside Harrah's Laughlin won't be the toughest challenge for federal prosecutors trying Hells Angels members; the true obstacle will be proving that the motorcycle club is an organized criminal enterprise, an expert sayAdrie

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2006 -- When Noel Totten arrived home to find 40 leather-clad motorcyclists pulled up at his house in Bloomington, Minn., he knew why they’d come. Universal Recording artist Rockie Lynne, co-founder of Tribute to the Troops, presents a plaque to Noel Totten Sept. 8 at Totten's home in Bloomington, Minn. About 40 members of the group visited Totten's home to pay their respects for the loss of his brother, Chief Warrant Officer Eric W. Totten, 34, an Army Chinook helicopter pilot who died May 5 when his chopper went down in Afghanistan. Photo by William Moss  '(Click...

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) -- Biker gangs have made the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a violence-marred affair in the past. The rally, which draws about half a million people each August to the Black Hills in western South Dakota, has since gotten older, laid-back and more diverse. But this year, gunshots about 75 miles away reminded attendees about the gangs. Authorities said two men affiliated with the Hells Angels shot and wounded five Outlaws Motorcycle Club members in Custer State Park earlier this week. Suzanne Church, who has ministered to biker gang members at Sturgis since 1997, said she hopes there's no...

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2006 – More than 100,000 motorcycles carrying Vietnam veterans, current and former servicemembers, family members, and other supporters rattled the streets here today. Three Vietnam veterans listen to the speakers at the Rolling Thunder XIX Ride for Freedom at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., May 28. Photo by Sgt. Sara Wood, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The motorcyclists were participating in the Rolling Thunder XIX Ride for Freedom from the Pentagon parking lot to the National Mall. The ride is held every year by the non-profit group as a demonstration to raise awareness...

SAN ANTONIO, May 25, 2006 – Their mission here accomplished, three Virginia businessmen are scheduled to arrive home today after completing their "Ride for America's Patriots," a 3,200-mile roundtrip motorcycle ride designed to raise money for wounded veterans. Bikers representing American Legion Post 593 in Converse, Texas, lead the way for three Virginia men arriving on their "Ride for America's Patriots" May 19 after a four-day trek from Fairfax, Va. Photo by Cheryl Harrison  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. On May 15, three riders - Tom Donegan, Joe Kurnos and Bob Loy - set off in cool temperatures...

LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino measure that would prohibit landlords from renting to illegal immigrants and force day laborers to prove legal residency to work has qualified for a special election, a city official said Thursday. The minimum 2,216 valid signatures had been counted, setting the stage for an election, said San Bernardino City Clerk Rachel Clark. Advertisement Joseph Turner, an anti-illegal immigration activist who sponsored the initiative, said it would show cities that they have the power to combat illegal immigration.

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2006 – This summer, one chapter of the famous "Rolling Thunder" protest movement will take their message out to the ballgame. Rolling Thunder members from New York Chapter 3 march in the Hudson Valley St. Patrick's Day parade March 5. From left, Sue Orts, Chapter Board Chairman Bill Palmer, Secretary Mary Lewis, Treasurer Tony Hilinski, President Ron Orts, and Dave Hansen. Courtesy photo   Paul Schneeberger, the event's coordinator, and other volunteers with Rolling Thunder's New York Chapter 3, will hold a military appreciation night at Dutchess Stadium, in Hudson Valley, N.Y., July 1. "The whole idea...

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2006 – Nearly 1,500 Arizona bikers rolled their Harleys through Glendale, Ariz., recently to honor the nation's servicemembers and back a local troop support organization, an event organizer said. The second Hearts to Heroes Ride, sponsored by Cyclerides.com, benefited Packages From Home, a nonprofit group that ships packages to troops deployed overseas, said Dave Whitten, director of marketing and media relations for Packages From Home. Cyclerides.com is an information Web site for the Glendale-area motorcycle community, sponsored the event. Packages From Home is a member of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which highlights efforts by...

A world-renowned motorcycle safety expert from Squirrel Hill was killed over the weekend in a motorcycle accident in Texas. Larry Grodsky, 55, owner of Stayin' Safe Motorcycle Training, died after a deer ran in front of his motorcycle Saturday night in Fort Stockton, Texas. Grodsky, a Gateway High School graduate, had a decades-long love affair with motorcycles and trained celebrities including Ted Koppel and Mike Tyson on safe-driving techniques. He was the nephew of Myron Cope, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers announcer who retired last year. His mother, Violet Grodsky, also 85, said her son began riding motorcycles while attending Ohio...

SHEDDEN, ONT. and TORONTO — A long-simmering rivalry between criminal biker gangs appears to have exploded in the largest gangland slaying in Ontario history. Three members of the Bandidos motorcycle club, long-time rivals of the Hells Angels, were reported missing Friday and may be among the eight bodies discovered Saturday morning. One of the missing men is believed to be associated with Superior Towing, the Toronto-based company whose truck was found abandoned on a side road south of London, Ont., not far from the home of a well-known biker-gang leader.

A South Jersey Assemblyman wants to keep protestors away from those who have lost a loved one in the war on terror. Assemblyman Jack Conners of Pennsauken, Chairman of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, says he's crafting a bill to keep religious or political protestors from demonstrating within 500 feet of the funeral of any Jersey soldier. He says it was prompted by reports of religious protestors in the midwest carrying signs at a soldiers funeral reading, "thank God for dead soldiers"...supposedly because protestors believe God's punishing America for homosexuality. Conners says all of us who have to bury...

Biker group stands guard Patriot Guard Riders converge; protesters are no-shows ANDERSON, Mo. - Like silent sentinels, more than 100 bikers stood in the cool, drizzly rain for nearly two hours Saturday to show their respect to a fallen soldier. Much like a military formation, the motorcyclists trooped up a hill in Anderson toward Ozark Funeral Home to honor Army Pfc. Christopher L. Marion, 20, of Pineville, who died Feb. 22 in Iraq. Clad mostly in black leather, some carried U.S. flags. Many wore patches and insignia representing years of military service. But, not all were veterans. Nor did any...

A former waitress at a Brockton strip club described by an ex-boyfriend as paranoid is accused of sending explosive devices to local strip clubs, Bridgewater State College and the Outlaws motorcycle club in Taunton, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court.Kimberly Lynn DaSilva, 35, of Hull is accused in federal court of sending explosives through the mail last year. She appeared in court Monday and was released on $10,000 surety. She is to appear in court Feb. 23.DaSilva, a former waitress at the Foxy Lady in Brockton and Stoughton strip club Alex's, now sells sex toys, according to...

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (August 19, 2005) -- Harley Davidson motorcycles roared through the hallways of Pendleton Hall and bellowed down the streets of the depot while Marine veterans cruised down memory lane Aug. 12. Seventeen former Marines from the Leatherneck Motorcycle Club, California Chapter, came from all over the state to witness recruit graduation and walk around the base where many of them trained decades before. To be a part of the Leatherneck Motorcycle Club, one must first be an active duty, reserve, or honorably discharged U.S. Marine or Navy corpsman who has served with a...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2005 – The second annual "Tribute to the Troops" motorcycle ride is scheduled to roll through the American heartland over the Sept. 11 weekend. The tribute ride, which will include several hundred bikers, is a means to honor servicemembers who gave their lives for freedom and to raise money for local Minnesota and Wisconsin military families who lost loved ones in recent military engagements. The bikers will visit the homes of many these families to pay their respects. The event will conclude with a benefit concert headlined by Universal South recording artist Rockie Lynne, a Minneapolis resident...

STATELINE, Idaho (AP) - Well-wishers arrived on more than 500 Harley-Davidsons and other motorcycles to empty their pockets on behalf of the biker's daughter who survived a horrific abduction. About 1,000 people attended the six-hour benefit Sunday to aid Shasta Kay Groene, 8. Cash poured into a box at the front door of Cruiser's bar and grill, a biker hangout in this town just east of the Washington state line. Total receipts were not announced. ''I watched one guy walk up, open his wallet and dump everything but $5 into the box,'' said Prospect Bryce, who guarded the donation box...

Mexican film makers trying to video a commercial on Cinco de Mayo run afoul of a drunk driver. Video is disturbing.

To make a hog kosher, just strap a Torah scroll to it. That's what the King David Bikers did to Rabbi Zachary Betesh's hog at the start of their 1,800-kilometer ride, from south Florida to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, for Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremonies later this week. "Hog" is actually biker lingo for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and Betesh's heavy touring model features a special paint job that reads "Harley Ben-David" in Hebrew, with a mezuza affixed to the gas tank to boot. You don't have to own a Harley to join the King David Bikers;...

SOMERVILLE, N.J. Somerset County authorities say two members of the Pagans motorcycle gang shot and killed a man because he was wearing a Hells Angels T-shirt. A friend had given the shirt to John Grover, who didn't even own a motorcycle and was not a member of the gang. William ``Rodent'' Martin and Peter Ciarletta are charged with murder. Authorities say the two Pagans were sent to Gatto's Sports Cafe in Manville looking for someone associated with the Hells Angels on Sunday. Authorities say Martin opened fire on Grover, who was shot in the leg and abdomen. The 40-year-old died...

Ken and Jessica Sierszen are the kind of bikers the motorcycle industry just can't get too many of. He rides an American Iron Horse chopper. She rides a Buell motorcycle and completed a Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge program aimed at getting women and younger riders into the sport. The Sierszens, who live in Bay View, come from a middle-class background, aren't shy about spending money on their bikes, and plan to ride for decades. That's exactly what the U.S. motorcycle industry wants as the baby boomer generation pushes the middle-age envelope. "My interest will always be on two wheels," Ken, 42,...

Love it or hate it, you have to admit: A mullet hairstyle is distinctive There are two kinds of people in this country, and forget that blue-state, red-state thing. You're either for a mullet or against a mullet. What's a mullet? Do not mock us. Yes, a mullet is a spiny-finned, feeble-toothed fish, but we all know it's so much more. A mullet is a hairstyle characterized by the hair cut short in front and on the sides but kept long down the back. It's not a cutting-edge style. But recently, the mullet has re-emerged as a pop culture object...

BIKERS for BUSH will be riding from Daytona Beach to Orlando City Hall to attend the renaming of the I-4 corrridor after Lcpl Smedley who was killed in Vietnam and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. Bikers for Bush will be gathering in the parking lot on the South West side of the Voulsia Mall on Rt. 92 in Daytona Beach close to Penny's early this Saturday morning, October 30th. The Bush/Cheney campaign will be providing small flags to be flown on each of the Bikes. Kickstands up at 8am sharp! We'll ride down I-4 and make a...

Biker for Bush 2004 Event Pictures - Frank's Biker News - Great crowd and a good time for all. Pictures of Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi with Vets, Monk Dixie Bikers Illustrated and more.

(UPDATE) October 9, 2004 New Smyrna Beach. BIKERS for BUSH Support Rally 2004, Starts at 1 pm sharp.  Patriotic Music, Republican Speakers including Monk, Florida State Senator-Elect Carey Baker and President Bush's Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi., 50/50 Raffle with proceeds going to  support the re-election of President Bush. Event T-Shirts available at event, or on-line at: http://www.dixiebiker.com/bfb04.html  .  Support our Troops by showing your support for the re-election of  George W. Bush to the Presidency. Rally held in the huge parking lot at  the Republican Club Headquarters at 57 North Causeway, New Smyrna  Beach. Info or directions at www.vanslawn.com/bfb.htm

Note: This event has been postponed because of hurricane Jeanne. A new date will be determined shortly. Bikers for Bush Support Rally 2004 Support our Troops by showing your support for the re-election of George W. Bush to the Presidency of the United States of America by attending this BIKERS FOR BUSH support rally. Remember the presidential election of 2000 and how close the vote was in Florida? Remember the fiasco of having recount after recount? Let’s not let this election be TOO CLOSE. It is important for the state of Florida to go to President Bush if he is...

Bikers for Bush Support Rally 2004 Support our Troops by showing your support for the re-election of George W. Bush to the Presidency of the United States of America by attending this BIKERS FOR BUSH support rally. Remember the presidential election of 2000 and how close the vote was in Florida? Remember the fiasco of having recount after recount? Let’s not let this election be TOO CLOSE. It is important for the state of Florida to go to President Bush if he is to be re-elected. It is important for President Bush to be re-elected this November for the sake...

Hi everyone! My mother telephoned me about 4:00pm today and said that they were evacuated from there home due to a raid on a biker club just down the road from them. They live in Harrison, MI which is just north of Clare (Mid-Michigan). I just received an update from her per friends who have allowed them to stay with them until this is over. She said the local and state police are present, along with the FBI and SWAT teams totalling around 400 officers, including snipers. The club is reported to be in possession of some type of cannon,...

Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall Comes to Grants Pass, OregonLast weekend, June 24th-27th, 2004, the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall came to Grants Pass, Oregon. A touching tribute to the over 58,000 fallen heros of the Vietnam War, this Wall is a replica of the one in Washington D.C.The four days of events included a flyover, bagpipers, speeches by local politicians and veterans, and an awards presentation by representatives of various Indian tribes.It was sponsored by Point Man Ministries, The Vietnam Veterans of America - Three Rivers Chapter #867, and former Oregon State Senator Brady Adams.The Wall was open 24 hours a...