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Motogo teaching confidence, building grit through motorcycles

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by Taylor Bruck from https://www.mynews13.com CLEVELAND — Not everyone learns in the same way. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory, some learn better through reading and writing and others are kinesthetic learners, which is another way of saying “hands-on.” What You Need To Know The nonprofit Motogo teaches young people life skills through motorcycles They teach students how to take apart a motorcycle and put it back together They do that by bringing back shop class through partnerships with schools and community organizations Motogo helps students learn from their failures and build self-confidence, resilience and grit “I’ve always been a hands-on learner, and I can relate to students who have a hard time sitting still in class. I think I played sports my whole life because that’s how I learned. I learned by doing and using my hands,” said Molly Vaughn, the executive director of Motogo, a nonprofit in Cleveland. With a majority of funding tied to high test scores in schools, many districts in the U.S. eliminated their shop classes in the 70s or 80s. She and her husband Brian Schaffran are bringing it back. “He’s the head coach at Motogo. I love being his boss,” said Vaughn. Schaffran owns Skidmark Garage, and in 2017 alongside Vaughn, the two founded its nonprofit educational wing, Motogo. Motogo is a mobile shop class with a mission to teach kids to solve problems and build grit and confidence through building motorcycles. Schaffran is a former high school math and history teacher. It wasn’t until he could use his hands that he really fell in love with learning. “Once I just learned by doing, then that woke my motivation up to take as many college classes as I could and learn as much as I could about everything in the world,” said […]

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Harley-Davidson Hometown Rally in Milwaukee Labor Day weekend

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Harley-Davidson hosting a Hometown Rally in Milwaukee Labor Day weekend by Sarah Hauer from https://www.jsonline.com/ Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders are being invited back to Milwaukee this summer for a Hometown Rally during Labor Day weekend. Harley-Davidson, Inc. announced Wednesday it would host the Hometown Rally from Sept. 2 to 6 after stepping back from large events in Milwaukee last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harley-Davidson said the company’s museum at 400 W. Canal St., will serve as the central rally point with six nearby dealerships offering additional events. The Harley-Davidson Museum will have free live concerts, food and beverage sites, stunt exhibitions and skills demonstrations across its 20-acre campus during the rally. The museum will also show off 2021 motorcycles. Born Free and V-Twin Visionary will host motorcycle showcases. The museum will be open for general admission. “The Hometown Rally is an event no Harley-Davidson fan will want to miss,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, in a news release. “It will be a celebration of all things Harley, a chance to re-connect with other riders who share the desire for adventure, freedom and community that is the real heart of the Harley-Davidson experience.” Around 100,000 people attend the company’s Milwaukee events in anniversary years and the crowd is smaller in off years like this one — the company’s 118th anniversary. Hometown Rally schedules will be finalized throughout the summer with updates at H-D.com/hometownrally. Participating dealerships include House of Harley-Davidson in Greenfield, Milwaukee Harley-Davidson, Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson in Thiensville, Uke’s Harley-Davidson in Kenosha, West Bend Harley-Davidson and Wisconsin Harley-Davidson in Oconomowoc. The Milwaukee Rally was one of the few events that weren’t canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local dealerships took the lead in planning the annual celebration. The motorcycle company did not host any

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Harley-Davidson Dealer remembered as the community’s unsung hero

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by Eddie Morales from https://www.jsonline.com The owner of Cedarburg’s Wayne’s Drive-In and a Harley Davidson dealer in Thiensville is remembered as the community’s unsung hero. When Wayne Houpt achieved his goal of becoming a business owner with Wayne’s Auto Body in 1962, it was just the beginning of the many accolades he would earn and lives that he would touch. Houpt, born Oct. 1, 1938, was a family man and owner of several North Shore businesses for nearly 60 years. He died March 28 due to heart failure. The Famous Wheeler Dealer Houpt met his wife and business partner, Joan, during their senior year in high school. The pair were together for 59 years. He started his entrepreneurial career with Wayne’s Auto Body in Saukville. Houpt expanded the business with a used car lot and moved the shop to Grafton, where he opened Suburban Motors of Grafton Inc. In 1975, Houpt added Harley-Davidson motorcycles to his inventory and in 1985, he moved Suburban Motors to its current location, 139 N. Main St., Thiensville. That’s when Houpt earned the moniker “The Famous Wheeler Dealer.” He was known for accepting trades like cows, dental service and boats from customers who were a bit short on cash. Houpt’s daughter, Sandy Rath, said she remembers her father taking the family to various burger restaurants when she was a kid. Rath would later realize Houpt was taste testing the food in anticipation of opening his own restaurant one day. Houpt opened Wayne’s Drive-In in 1998, at 1331 Covered Bridge Road, Cedarburg. Rath said when the drive-in first opened, Houpt would eat there all the time. “He would go to Wayne’s the minute it opened,” she said. “He was like a kid in a candy shop. He loved that drive-in. He loved going there, and he

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Yamaha Delivers Essential Support to American Public Lands for Outdoor Recreation

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from https://motorcycles.einnews.com Outdoor Access Initiative Contributes Over $350,000 to Land Conservancy in 2020 Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, today announces the completion of the 2020 Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) grant cycle with funding decisions for the fourth quarter. In total, Yamaha granted more than $350,000 in 2020 while supplying essential support to public lands providing vital access to outdoor recreation across the country. The Yamaha OAI program continues to lead the powersports industry in providing direct monetary support to grassroots efforts helping to protect, expand, and improve entry to public spaces off-road for motorized recreation. “The pressure on public lands during the pandemic has been enormous due to people finding solace outdoors. Their adventures gave off-road enthusiasts a much-needed breather from the stress we’ve all experienced over the past year,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Motorsports marketing manager. “Public land belongs to everyone and we all have a responsibility to take care of it. Yamaha is proud to continue supporting our riders’ favorite outdoor activities, including OHV riding, hunting, camping and fishing, through the Outdoor Access Initiative.” The fourth quarter 2020 Yamaha OAI grants totaling more than $90,000 were awarded to the following organizations: Blue Ribbon Coalition – Pocatello, ID East Branch Sno-Rovers & ATV Club – Medway, Maine Idaho Single Track Alliance – Idaho Falls, ID Reno Area Dirtriders – Reno, NV Swampsiders Snowmobile Club – Bigfork, MN “The need for funding and leadership for public lands increased exponentially in 2020 with more people engaging in outdoor recreation at the same time resources were being restricted. It was a relief to know we could reach out to Yamaha to help,” said Ben Burr from the Blue Ribbon Coalition, which received $11,740 to develop a trail guide for Utah’s San Rafael Desert area to help visitors explore safely and responsibly. “The

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Barnes Harley-Davidson Launches Squad Wars With Eventzee

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Freeze Tag, a leading creator of location-based mobile social games, announced today that Barnes Harley-Davidson launched their second year of virtual community engagement events using their Squad Wars: Coast to Coast‬ app (formerly known as Barnes Nation: Game of Barnes). Utilizing Eventzee technology, “Squad Wars” has riders driving to landmarks and businesses throughout Western Canada and the United States. Those interested in participating will first need to download the Squad Wars: Coast to Coast‬ app and create an account. Once that is done, it is recommended to visit the Squad Wars webpage to either create or find a squad to join, before doing so in the app. The new game utilizes underlying Eventzee technology which allows for team play. The challenges will require a majority of squad members to complete them before their points will be counted on the leaderboard. The virtual events, which feature gps, photo, video, and quiz challenges, are expected to end sometime in September. “Barnes Harley-Davidson has been great to work with as they are constantly pushing the envelope,” said Craig Holland, CEO of Freeze Tag, “Many features they’ve requested have added polish to Eventzee’s functionality.” There are actually 2 Squad Wars events players can join when competing — the Squad Wars West Coast event and the Squad Wars East Coast event. The West Coast event is run by Barnes Harley-Davidson, while the East Coast event in conjunction with Blackbridge Harley-Davidson. Players can join the event of the dealership they’ve purchased from. The squads that are at the top spots in the leaderboards when the events are over will receive custom squad helmets, custom squad jackets, and an engraved trophy. “We’ve been looking forward to launching Squad Wars since the day we started working with the Eventzee team,” said Kiran Rancourt, Marketing Manager for Barnes Harley-Davidson.

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Americade reschedules 2021 motorcycle rally for Sept. 21-25

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from https://www.news10.com After last year’s rally being canceled, the 2021 Americade Motorcycle Touring Rally is playing things as safe as possible in order to rev the engines around the COVID-19 pandemic. The 38th annual Americade rally has been rescheduled from its original planned June dates to Sept. 21-25, according to event manager Christian Dutcher. That additional time was added to make the difference in safety confidence for riders, vendors, and the village of Lake George. “We want to make 100% sure that a 2021 Americade will happen, but we’re not confident an event of this size will be permissible in June,” said Dutcher. “But, moving it to September gives us a very high likelihood of it happening. And, September is also a perfect time of year for riding, with mild temperatures, no rain, and foliage season beginning. It should be beautiful.” Americade said that the decision also helped them to secure certain venues, some of which can more easily agree to involvement with more time for vaccines to be administered across the state and nation, and ideally for coronavirus restrictions to be lifted. The new dates also allow riders and visitors to enjoy the village during the fall, not too far past the summer tourist season, without bumping heads against Labor Day weekend. “We’re very lucky to have found a 2021 date that works for the community and for the motorcycle industry,” said Dutcher. “I feared we may have to cancel until Americade 2022, but miraculously we are able to slide it into September.”

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Robson Riders Motorcycle Club Coats for Kids Ride

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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

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Memphis Motorcycle Club giving more than ever in spite of pandemic

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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.

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Local motorcycle clubs raise money to feed families during the holidays

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by Tyler Johnson from https://wyo4news.com ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING (November 27, 2020) – Motorcycle clubs in and around Sweetwater County raised $3,500 to help feed families during the holiday season. On Wednesday, Nov. 25, members from Dead Men M.C., Boneyard M.C., Chariots of Light M.C., Unknown Saints M.C., as well as representatives from Flaming Gorge Harley-Davidson presented a check to the Albertson’s store as part of their Tons of Turkey Food Drive. “It means a lot for the community,” said Albertson’s manager Eric Rumple. “It means everything to us to be able to give back to the community, especially this time of year.” Kenn Boyd, a member of Dead Men M.C., said that in past years the riding community would give to the food bank. However, during this time, many people are donating to the food bank and it’s difficult for them to store the food. Albertson’s will use the money to create meals and deliver them to the food bank so that families can pick them up and have food on their tables during the holiday. The excess amount of proceeds will roll over into the “Santa Boxes,” which is essentially the same thing. All contributions will stay in Sweetwater County. The riding community plans to do the same fundraiser next year and will get started earlier to hopefully gain sponsorships and double the amount of money raised

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No masks required as 250,000 expected at 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Here’s what to know.

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by Joel Shannon from https://news.yahoo.com One of the largest events since the beginning of the pandemic has begun in South Dakota: More than 250,000 people are expected at the iconic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. That’s scaled down from previous years, where about half-a-million people have descended on the city of about 7,000 for an event that has developed a reputation as an anything-goes festival. While the 80-year tradition isn’t as raucous as it once was, festivalgoers will be largely free of social distancing restrictions common elsewhere in the country during this year’s 10-day festival. Bikers flocking to the small town from around the country won’t face quarantining requirements if they are from a coronavirus hot spot. And masks? They’re encouraged – not required. So far, few people are heeding that encouragement, according to an Associated Press reporter at the event. Many who rode their bikes into Sturgis on Friday expressed defiance at the rules and restrictions that have marked life in much of the world during the pandemic. “Screw COVID,” read the design on one T-shirt being hawked. “I went to Sturgis.” Local officials have made efforts to scale down the event, but some expect restriction-weary bikers to flock to Sturgis in large numbers. “It’s the biggest single event that’s going on in the United States that didn’t get canceled,” said Rod Woodruff, who operates the largest campground and concert venue that lies outside the bounds of the city. “A lot of people think it’s going to be bigger than ever.” In addition to normal concerns about crime, many locals are worried the huge crowds and lack of social distancing rules will lead to an unmanageable outbreak of COVID-19. What is Sturgis? The rally may be known for rowdy, drunken and naked shenanigans, but in recent years longtime attendees complain it

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