by Graeme Lowen
My fears of there being ice over the pass were unfounded and the road was dry. It was the stop at Tarras that provide us with chilly clues. I got talking to a lady who drove from Tekapo in the morning. She told us that the first club group ran into dense hoar frost and thick fog all the way from Tekapo to the Ohau turnoff. The guys who left 20 minutes later missed most of it.
by Benjamin Kouchnerkavich from https://www.fourstateshomepage.com
JOPLIN, MO. – Hideout Harley-Davidson and a motorcycle club are celebrating Memorial Weekend with a car and bike show.
The Four Kings of Oklahoma held Saturday’s event to raise money for first responders.
In addition to the cars and bikes, food trucks, local vendors and even artists were on hand.
Artist Len Nordmann say, he has traveled the country making automotive art for over 25 years.
Len Nordmann, Artist, says, “I’ve always had a love for automobiles and I sold my first painting when I was 10 years old. And from then on, I’ve always had an interest in doing special buildings and also doing homes and doing businesses and then also cars.”
Dale Wano, Sales Manager, says, “We just want to have everybody come out, have a great time, look at some awesome cars, look at some awesome motorcycles and enjoy the fellowship of being together.”
They also gave out door prizes from local businesses.
by Maia Hart from https://www.stuff.co.nz
Running out of petrol in Grovetown led Ron Hebberd to a lifetime association with the Marlborough Motorcycle Club, which celebrates 100 years this month.
Hebberd, a Marlborough Motorcycle Club life member, joined the club in 1954.
“I went round to the garage, and the guy that had the garage was secretary of the club. I asked him if he could sell me some petrol,” Hebberd said.
“He told me he only served motorcycle club members after hours.”
The secretary asked Hebberd if he had “10 bob”.
“Petrol was three shillings a gallon at the time, I thought that was a pretty heavy after hours call out,” he said.
But a week later, a membership form arrived in the mail and Hebberd thought he might as well go along.
“I got interested and did a lot of organising for a long time, and I have competed in trials and stunts,” he said.
On March 23, 1921, The Marlborough Express ran a news story saying a Motorcycle Club had formed, with 60 members signing up on the night. A week later, the club’s first event was held in Picton, lead by president Dr Russell G Adams.
Ten years ago, Hebberd published a book Motorcycle Clubs of Marlborough.
The book covered key events for the Club, which included the first Waterlea Grass Track event in 1922, which was an event with five races.
A write-up in the Express said motorcyclists and intended competitors at the races had spent hours amidst oil and machinery – which they dearly love – tuning and trying out motor “bikes”.
Hebberd said it was the camaraderie that kept him so interested in the club. He was president for two periods, and on the executive for 19 years.
He used to live in Seddon, which was where he worked at a service station selling Yamaha motorbikes and also running a motorbike museum, before he retired.
Living in the rural town he “always knew who had a paddock that needed to be ploughed”.
“So it didn’t matter how much you tore it up, it was going to be ploughed the next week,” Hebberd said.
“So I could jack up events. One of the problems with running sporting events now, is that with this health and safety set up, you have to have so many things and all of these things cost money.”
He recalled the 50th Anniversary in 1971, held at the Race Club when he was president. He also organised the 60th Anniversary and 76th in 1996.
The club still held events, such as motocross, trials and cross-country each year.
Current Marlborough Motorcycle Club president Ben Norris said the club was still deciding how they would mark the 100th year.
Norris said the club still had a large group of people involved, and they planned to hold four different events this year.
A Family Riding Club within the FreeMason Organization
By Bandit with photos from David Dolph
And no, they are not destined to take over the world. A brother in the Widows Sons club contacted Bikernet recently. David Dolph told me, “We are a Masonic Riders Association and a group of Master Masons who have come together to promote Freemasonry within the motorcycling community and help introduce motorcycling to our non-riding Masonic brothers. Our first priority, is to aid & assist widows and orphans of Master Masons.”
by Stan Brein from http://robsonranchpioneerpress.com
A big thank you to the wonderful residents of Robson Ranch and the members of the Robson Ranch Motorcycle Club. In this topsy turvy year where community need skyrocketed, your continued support made our 10th annual Coats for Kids Ride event an overwhelming success. Although the ride itself could not be held, we gathered at American Eagle Harley Davidson on Nov. 21, to collect coats and celebrate with the good people who organized and contributed to this event. Everyone who attended the event brought at least one coat and many folks brought several. The final count of coats collected was 1,775, with 205 of those coming from Robson Ranch. The collection box at my front door was constantly overflowing.
The coats were gathered and sorted at the Denton Independent School District Service Center under the coordination of Barb Haflich, Coordinator of Social Services. They were then distributed to representatives from every district in Denton County: Aubrey, Decatur, Krum, Lake Dallas, Lewisville, Little Elm, Ponder, Sanger, and Denton. We are indebted to so many folks for this success. I would like to give a special thank you to Jan and Dave Riddle for their work with the Kiwanis Club, and Cherlyn and Bob Conway and their NxNW neighbors for efforts above and beyond the call of duty.
In an effort to get back to some semblance of normalcy, the club had a lunch ride on Dec. 8, to Doc’s Bar and Grill in Muenster, Texas. This destination is a double favorite for riders, given the great menu offerings and the scenic route to arrive there.
Mike Conley, Stephen Wiley, Dennis Dotson, Steve Williams, Robert Cox, Reggie Rother, Dave Riddle, and Dick Spivey enjoyed good food and comradery in true biker fashion.
The club board members met on Dec. 17 to begin planning for what 2021 will look like. With an optimistic outlook, we began planning rides to Galveston, the Hill Country, Big Bend, Angel Fire, Native American Oklahoma, Branson, and Arkansas. We also want to resume the regular second Tuesday breakfast/lunch rides and fourth Thursday dinner rides. Here’s hoping!
I hope that all of you were able to enjoy the holiday season and ringing in the New Year. Here’s hoping that 2021 will get us back toward health, prosperity, and normalcy.
See you on the road!
Beware of cagers and keep the rubber side down.
by Peter Fleischer from https://wreg.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There are numerous groups and organizations spreading holiday cheer and helping those less fortunate this time of year, but the hosts of today’s “helping the homeless” event may surprise you.
The Memphis Motorcycle Club says they make charity and giving back a priority every year, but with the COVID pandemic presenting new challenges in caring for the homeless, they scaled up this Christmas.
“This is the first time all together as a whole that we’ve ever united as one, to pull off an event of this magnitude,” Durrell Mackey, the Chairman of the Memphis Motorcycle Club, said.
The club handed out food, gift bags and hygiene products. But they also gave away vouchers for a week’s stay at the Memphis Union Mission. In the middle of winter, with below freezing temperatures, that kind of gift can end up saving a life.
“I always think about the less fortunate. The people that don’t have families to go home to, or a warm meal, or a place to stay. So, today we’re here to make a difference,” Mackey said.
And they did make a difference, making this year’s Christmas a little merrier for dozens of people who were grateful for the helping hand.
“I’m just blessed to be able to receive some type of donation to help me get into a room,” Teresa said.
“If I hadn’t came out here, I probably wouldn’t have nothing. I thank God for being here, for them helping me out,” Libby said.
If you’re interested in helping the memphis union mission, click here.
The winter riding season is filled with time-passing activities such as cleaning, polishing, tinkering, adding new farkle, map reading, route planning, and some occasional riding. In late February the weather allows us more limited access to the road, so sometimes we use our time to hone our skills.
Club President Mike Conley conducted a second training on the installation and use of the Sena 30 Bluetooth communication module on Feb. 19. While we have several modes of motorcycle-to-motorcycle communication (CB radio, cell phone, hand signals), the mesh capability of the Sena 30 is best suited for a group of riders going down the road spread over a distance of almost a mile.
Twenty-seven members attended the Quarterly Meeting and Social on Thursday, Feb. 20. The event is getting so popular that we are beginning to outgrow the Board Room at the Grill. Once again, we enjoyed great fellowship and the sumptuous hamburger buffet. We owe a debt of gratitude to our board members, but a big nod goes to Mike Conley for the great presentations at the socials. The information, pictures, and overall good synthesis of the material in an enjoyable format make for a great session.
Itching to get back on the road after a string of cold and wet weather, the club held a lunch ride to Nocona, Texas on Monday, Feb. 24. Cruising north central Texas is wonderful because of the great roads, homey destinations, and great places to eat. Nocona is always popular. The Horton Classic Car Museum is worth the trip by itself. It is quickly becoming the “Classic Car Capital of Texas” with over 120 classic cars in its collection.
The museum is housed in what once was the town’s Ford dealership. Over 120 cars are contained in the collection, which largely focuses on American vintage, classic, and muscle cars. Over 40 Corvettes are part of the collection, featuring nearly every year of production between 1953 and 1978. Different models of Chevrolets, Fords, Pontiacs, Packards, Plymouths, Oldsmobiles, and even a Studebaker are featured in the collection, which is always changing and growing. Riders included Steve Haugen, Steve Wiley, Jim Sico, Martin Munoz, Bill Culhane, L.T. Bryant, Mike Conley and Steve Williams. Despite 30 to 35 mph wind gusts it was a beautiful ride. As many of the restaurants in the area are closed on Mondays, the gang ate Texas style by going to the Dairy Queen in Nocona.
See you on the road!
Beware of cagers and keep the rubber side down.
by Colleen Lewis from http://ntv.ca/
Eight people have been charged with trafficking cocaine as a result of an RCMP investigation into outlaw motorcycle gangs called Project Barbarian.
Six of those charged are members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, also known as the Outlaws MC, or members of its support club the Fallen Few. Project Barbarian was a joint initiative between RCMP NL’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit and the Grand-Falls Windsor RCMP. The RCMP Emergency Response Team assisted in the arrests and containment of the Outlaws MC clubhouse* located in Grand Falls-Windsor.
“Project Barbarian reflects our priority to disrupt inter-provincial criminal networks responsible for the distribution of illegal drugs in our communities,” said Staff Sergeant Stefan Thoms. “Much of the drugs on our streets are due to organized crime, which includes 1% Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. These gangs often try to fool the public into believing that they are just motorcycle enthusiasts who give back to the community. That is simply not true. They are known for criminal activities, as we see here with many of those arrested being members and associates of the Outlaws MC. We will continue our work to target drug trafficking networks and lay charges wherever appropriate.
Charges laid:
The investigation included a search of the Outlaws MC clubhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor. Multiple items were seized:
BACKGROUNDER
Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Terms
1%er: An outlaw motorcycle gang member who wears a diamond shaped patch, pin or tattoo with 1% in the center, signifying that the wearer is an outlaw biker and someone who refuses to conform to the norms and laws of society.
Clubhouse: The regular meeting space for the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, also known as a bunker.
Colours: The official uniform of all Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, consisting of a sleeveless leather or denim jacket with the club logo on the back and various other patches and pins attached to the front.
Full Patch: This refers to a three-piece patch on the back of the biker vest, including a top rocker, the club symbol in the centre and a bottom rocker. The top rocker will include the name of the club, and the bottom rocker will be the area/region/or city to which the club is associated.
MC: Motorcycle Club
Probate or Probationary: The applicant or probationary period to join the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.
Rocker: A gang patch of a Outlaw Motorcycle Gang member`s vest, denoting club status or affiliations.
Support Club: A subordinate gang that receives orders and acts under the direction of a dominant gang. A support club is often a labour pool for the stronger gang.
Support Gear: Clothing, jackets, jewellery and other items that display the colours and logo of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and are typically sold by the club.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) – Federal prosecutors have indicted 17 people with ties to a motorcycle club on charges alleging that they operated a drug ring in Indiana and Kentucky.
The indictments announced Thursday by U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler allege that some of defendants are members of the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club or associates of that Evansville group.
Prosecutors said they believe Evansville residents Gary Wayne Forston, 39, and Jason Wilson, 42, were the ringleaders of a drug operation that allegedly distributed methamphetamine in Evansville and nearby communities.
Forston is the Grim Reapers’ president and was previously indicted on weapons charges after a November raid on the club.
Minkler said officials had seized 23 guns, $35,000 in cash and 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of meth that has an estimated street value of more than $250,000.
Most of the defendants were allegedly mid-level distributors who are accused of selling drugs to lower-level drug dealers or directly to users, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.
The indictments are the culmination of a six-month, multi-agency investigation which included federal, state and local law enforcement.
Minkler said his office will consider pursuing forfeiture of the Grim Reapers’ headquarters.
“What we don’t want is the Grim Reapers to come back and relocate in that clubhouse and start doing business again,” he said.
Defendants Bradley Campos, left, Diego Garcia and Cesar Morales depart the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse following opening statements in a federal racketeering trial for eight Vagos Motorcycle Club members on Aug. 12, 2019, in Las Vegas.
by Rio Lacanlale from https://www.reviewjournal.com
A lengthy federal racketeering trial against eight Vagos Motorcycle Club members will take a weeklong break after four days of closing arguments, which initially were expected to wrap up this week.
Arguments will continue Feb. 18 due to a conflict in U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro’s schedule. The Las Vegas trial began in July.
Between Monday and Thursday, jurors heard from federal prosecutor Daniel Schiess and five of the eight men’s defense attorneys.
On trial are Vagos members Pastor Fausto Palafox, Albert Lopez, Albert Benjamin Perez, James Patrick Gillespie, Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, Bradley Michael Campos, Cesar Vaquera Morales and Diego Chavez Garcia.
The men previously pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, murder, and using a firearm to commit murder during and in retaliation to a crime. Each faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The charges stem from a 2017 indictment accusing Vagos members of a slew of crimes dating to 2005 and spanning more than a decade, including the 2011 fatal shooting of a Jeffrey Pettigrew, a rival Hells Angels gang member in Sparks.
Under the racketeering charge, in addition to the 2011 killing, the defendants are accused of robbery, extortion, kidnapping and possession of narcotics with the intent to sell.
Arguments this week from both sides reiterated two different versions of the 2011 shooting previously told to the jury.
Schiess spent nearly three days carefully laying out the most significant evidence presented during the trial, arguing that the killing was both an authorized hit by Palafox, the international president of Vagos at the time, and part of a broader criminal conspiracy.
But according to the defense, Gonzalez, accused of being the shooter, was “acting in the defense of others” when he fired the fatal shots. Michael Kennedy, his attorney, said Pettigrew and another Hells Angels member were “actively shooting” inside a casino after picking a fight with Vagos members.
The defense also has argued that the government’s case was largely built on lies from Gary “Jabbers” Rudnick, an ousted member who received immunity for his testimony against his former allies. In September, the government’s star witness admitted to repeatedly lying on the witness stand after testifying for three days that Vagos members had plotted the killing.
“They have asked you to convict Ernesto Gonzalez and these other men on first-degree murder and racketeering conspiracy on the word of a man whose reliability they questioned,” Kennedy said.
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