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Dec 20
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War Dogs Charity Riders Leading Caravan to Kentucky Relief Efforts

By General Posts

War Dogs Charity Riders of Chicago Tornado Relief Caravan Leaves for Devastated Mayfield, Kentucky

Chicago December 19th 2021 –

By Gina Woods – Open Road Radio and War Dogs Charity Riders Board Member

With a six-truck and trailer load caravan of donations, the War Dogs Charity Riders leave tonight at 11:00 pm from Woodstock Harley-Davidson. The War Dogs Charity Riders and friends will gather at Woodstock Harley-Davidson with six trucks and trailers full to the brim and headed to Mayfield, Kentucky to deliver donations.

Greg Voss, a Chicago native and newly relocated Mayfield resident, says, “The past week has been terrific with the outpour of donations from around the world. We just got electricity back on and the clean-up effort has been amazing and ongoing.” Greg lives in the valley of Mayfield and was untouched by the disastrous tornado that wiped out the entire town. Greg uses his house as a headquarters for donations and coordinates with the city of Mayfield the many donations coming in.

Jessica Sheehan, the War Dogs Charity Riders board member who started the idea and organized the Kentucky Tornado Relief Caravan project, says, “My gosh, in the last five days we have collected thousands of dollars in monetary donations and water bottles, toys, clothes, tools and so many other necessary items like batteries, gloves and cleaning products for the trip to Mayfield. It’s a fine example of hope, perseverance and good will of the men and women in the community. I can’t even begin to thank all the organizations and people who have helped.”

Doug Jackson, owner of Woodstock Harley-Davidson and War Dogs president, says that the dealership has been a collection house all week and will feed the 10-plus people riding in the relief caravan to Kentucky and provided monies to help feed them while on the road. Doug comments, “It’s doing what we do in the name of mankind and bikers have always been a big part of relief efforts.”

If you’d like to donate you can contact the War Dogs Charity Riders @ 847.989.1827 or 630.833.9889

Nov 05
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Last call to register for the DAV 5K!

By General Posts

Honor our Disabled American Veterans

This weekend thousands of members and supporters of the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) community will come together to honor America’s ill and injured veterans at the DAV 5K presented by Humana. Although online registration ended for our in-person event, you can still register TOMORROW at The Banks at 7:00 AM.

If you cannot make the in-person event, you still have time to register for the virtual event! Register for the virtual race today and walk, roll, run or ride to support America’s ill and injured veterans November 6-11.

Whether you’re on the West Coast, the East Coast or near us in Cincinnati, you can still support America’s veterans and participate with us.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY

DAV keep the lifesaving programs and services to our nation’s injured veterans free of charge and participate in the DAV 5K, in-person or virtually. Thank you for helping keep the promise to America’s veterans.

Sincerely,
The DAV 5K Team

P.S. Not able to join the DAV 5K, but want to help veterans? Make a special gift to DAV instead. Your donation will help America’s veterans get the benefits they’ve earned.

DAV is a tax-exempt organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible according to IRS regulation.

Jan 03
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Kawasaki Raises Nearly $100,000 For Charities in 2019

By General Posts

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., has proudly supported several local and national charities in raising hundreds and thousands of dollars in 2019, supporting worthy causes with cash and product donations, as well as VIP racing fan experiences at Monster Energy Supercross. The charitable efforts of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. and its employees have nearly exceeded $100,000 in value.

“The charities Kawasaki has chosen to work with are a fundamental part of our community,” said Bill Jenkins, SVP Sales and Operations. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to support charities such as the Boys and Girls Club of South Coast Area, the CHiPs for Kids Toy Drive, Honoring our Wounded Military (HOWM), Orange County Police Canine Association, and The ALS Association – Orange County Chapter. We have supported these organizations with both financial and product donations for their causes to help our community where we can.”

Kawasaki’s efforts helped to raise $45,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of South Coast Area by donating two 2020 Jet Ski® STX®160 personal watercraft and two VIP Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Supercross experience. The items were auctioned off at the Boys and Girls Club of South Coast 2019 Great Futures Gala.

With the holidays fast approaching, Kawasaki employees always make sure to support those in need by providing toys and other gifts for the California Highway Patrol’s ninth annual CHiPs for KIDS toy drive. In 2019, Kawasaki team members stepped up once again to help deliver a happy holiday to families in Southern California.

Amongst the many important charitable causes Kawasaki supports is the Honoring Our Wounded Military Foundation. For 2019, Kawasaki donated a 2019 Jet Ski® Ultra® LX for the Honoring Our Wounded Military live auction, that helped to raise $40,000, which enabled the foundation to achieve more than $195,000 in donations for 2019.

The ALS Association’s Walk To Defeat event became close to the hearts of many Kawasaki employees in 2019, with many participating on Team Tamura in the ALS Association — Orange County Chapter event. Kawasaki helped to raise more than $1,300 for the organization in tribute to former Kawasaki President Yoshi Tamura, helping ALS Association — Orange County Chapter raise more than $283,000 in 2019.

Kawasaki also raised $1,500 for the Orange County Police Canine Association in 2019.

And as 2019 comes to an end the Kawasaki Motors Corp. Charitable Match Contribution Program employees have additionally raised nearly $10,000 for various charities serving an array of causes across the country.

Oct 20
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Veterans find purpose, support through motorcycle rides

By General Posts

by Patrick Filbin from https://www.stripes.com/

(Tribune News Service) — Chris Mathison served three tours in Iraq over a 14-month period.

As a U.S. Army infantryman, he was in charge of millions of dollars worth of equipment, led a team of fellow infantrymen and, all things considered, was a soldier who was depended upon and good at his job.

When he came back home to Tennessee, he had a hard time adjusting.

The Nashville native moved to Cookeville after he got out of the service in 2011 and tried to find a stable job.

“I’ve probably been through 10 jobs,” Mathison said. “It’s hard to find something that fits. You don’t feel like you belong, there’s no sense of purpose or belonging.”

He went to school and received an associate’s degree, but even school was a tough adjustment.

“I remember very fondly when I got out, I was going through a sociology class,” Mathison recalled. “As we were flipping through the book, I found a picture of my unit in Iraq and it just kind of blew my mind.”

Mathison, 35, had a whole life behind him that he had a hard time talking about. Not only was the subject matter sensitive, he couldn’t find like-minded people to talk to. As an infantryman, he was surrounded by people who were going through the same things as he was, living through the same experiences.

When he came back home, he was taking general education courses with 19-year-olds.

“That was interesting,” he said with a smirk.

Soon after he got out, Mathison signed up for his first program with the Wounded Warrior Project, the country’s largest veterans charity organization.

He enrolled in the organization’s TRACK program, which had a curriculum meant to heal, develop and train the mind, body and spirit of each wounded warrior through two semesters of college.

It also incorporated peak performance training, health and wellness training, personal finance advice and a physical education program.

Ever since, he’s been a loyal supporter of the organization that helps veterans in a number of ways.

Wounded Warriors also helped Mathison get certified in scuba diving.

One of the newest programs in Georgia is a 12-week mental health workshop that kicks off with a three-day motorcycle road trip across North Georgia.

Jon Blauvelt, a public relations specialist with Wounded Warriors, said the program is designed to give veterans an outlet to manage PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other invisible wounds of war while connecting with nature and fellow veterans.

Motorcycles play a huge role in the therapy. Through wind and throttle therapy, reflective discussion and several weeks of follow-ups, the group of eight veterans from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Florida will experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip while bettering themselves mentally and spiritually.

“When you’re on one of these big bikes, all you’re thinking about is the bike,” Blauvelt said. “I’m on this bike, here are my surroundings, here’s the weather, but you’re not thinking about PTSD or [traumatic brain injury], you’re not thinking about what happened before and you’re not thinking about the future. You’re thinking about the present moment.”

It’s a perfect fit for Mathison, who is also a part of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.

Mathison and the seven other riders strolled in at the Harley-Davidson store in Dalton, Georgia, on Tuesday afternoon for a lunch hosted by the motorcycle shop.

Cynthia Allgood, manager of the store, said it was a privilege to host the veterans who sacrificed so much for the country without asking for anything in return.

“Something like this gets you together with like-minded individuals and you can talk about everything and it creates a really good atmosphere,” Mathison said. “You’re able to make some really good friends that I would not have met.”

Mar 20
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How to Handle the Four Most Common Road Emergencies

By General Posts

You are out on the Highway, enjoying your getaway when suddenly your motorcycle stalls. What to do? Fortunately, the four most common road emergencies can usually be prevented by regular inspection and maintenance, but here’s what to do when that doesn’t work. FROM www.ridermagazine.com

1. Out of Gas
Run out of gas on the road and you’ll need a donor bike and a transfer device. To siphon, the fuel level in the donor bike must be higher than the level it will reach in the recipient bike; place the donor bike on a curb or rise. Carry a siphon hose, at least three feet of flexible, transparent hose that is easy to coil and stow under a seat or in a fairing pocket. Get one with a squeeze bulb and you won’t need to undergo the potentially disgusting ritual of siphoning raw gas with your mouth.

To avoid mouth siphoning immerse the hose deep into the donor bike’s fuel supply, cap the other end with your thumb and begin to slowly draw out the hose and lower it into the recipient bike’s fuel tank. Remove your thumb once the level of fuel in the hose drops below the top level of the fuel in the donor bike (that’s why a transparent hose is best), and the fuel will begin to flow.

If this is not possible, drain fuel into whatever is handy, such as a beverage container, sidecover or tool tray by removing a fuel line and turning on the petcock. This may not be possible if the donor bike has a vacuum-flow system. Rinse the container thoroughly with gasoline, and be certain ol’ Jimbo ain’t lightin’ up during this procedure.

Tools: Siphon hose

Prevention: Check the gauge, dummy! Zero your bike’s trip odometer when you fill up, and it will show the elapsed mileage.

2. Flat Tire:
Establish whether your bike has tube or tubeless tires. For the past few decades, most bikes with cast wheels have carried tubeless tires, while most with wire spoke wheels have had tube-type. If it’s a tube-type, you’ll have to “break the bead,” pull the tire away from the wheel (pack tire irons) far enough to expose the puncture in the tube. This may mean removing the wheel from the bike. Roughen the area around the puncture with the tool supplied in the patch kit and apply cement. Wait momentarily till the glue becomes tacky, and apply the patch.

For a tubeless tire, it’s only necessary to remove the nail and insert the tool from the patch kit to enlarge and roughen the hole. Cover a plug with cement and insert. Cut off excess and add air. The three methods of doing so are with CO2 cartridges, an electrical pump that runs off the battery and a hand pump.

Tools: Toolkit, tire patch kit, tire irons, air supply

Prevention: Inspect tire tread frequently for depth and foreign objects, and check pressure regularly. The last 10 percent of tire life results in 90 percent of the problems.

3. Low Oil:
Suddenly the oil light comes on. You’re a quart low—oops! Rodney has a quart along, but your bike runs that expensive 20W-50 synthetic bike oil and his is 40W cheapo car oil. Can you mix them?

The answer is yes. Considering that the alternative is either serious engine damage or sending someone on a 100-mile goose chase, mixing will not harm the engine, though it will dilute the properties of the high-quality oil. Change oil and filter at your earliest convenience.

Tools: Rag, funnel, extra quart

Prevention: Check oil

4. Sudden Engine Stop, Reason Unknown
A sudden engine cutout usually boils down to fuel or electricity. Check fuel supply, check for a clogged gas cap vent (does opening the cap suddenly and temporarily “solve” the problem?) or fuel filter. If your bike is carbureted and there’s fuel in the float bowl(s), the problem likely resides elsewhere.

Turn on the ignition and see if your bike has lights, horn and starter. If not, check that battery cables are tightly connected and clean. If your battery isn’t maintenance-free, are the cells properly topped up with distilled water? Spray WD-40 on the sparkplugs, wires and coils to displace any water.

If the lights and horn are strong, check fuses (know your bike’s fuse box location, and carry spares). With a clip lead and light, clip the lead to ground (a piece of bare metal on the engine) and place the point on either side of the fuse with the ignition on. If there’s power on both sides, the fuse is good.

If the starter cranks but the engine does not start, use the clip lead to establish if there is juice at the coils. If so, pull the spark plugs and establish if they’re sparking. If not, trace the wires back to the last place where there was electricity, then inspect upstream for bare wires or breaks. Listen and watch for obvious stray sparks. Wrap broken wire with tape to get you home.

Tools: Clip lead, electrical tape, fuses, WD-40

Prevention: Pray

And, of course, whenever you go for a ride, carry a cell phone, credit cards and some spare cash–sometimes calling in the cavalry is your only option. It’s also a good idea to have coverage with a roadside assistance plan, such as the one that’s included with annual membership at the American Motorcyclist Association.

Mar 12
Love0

California State Parks OHV grants and cooperative agreements program

By General Posts

California State Parks OHV grants and cooperative agreements program seeking public comments – AMA Action Alert

The American Motorcyclist Association believes you may be interested in providing input to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. This period provides an opportunity for the public to review and provide factual comments to the preliminary applications submitted for consideration during the 2018/19 grant cycle.

To review and comment visit olga.ohv.parks.ca.gov/egrams_ohmvr/user/home.aspx for more information. The public review and comment period the began on Tuesday, March 5, and ends at 5 p.m. Monday, May 6.

You may also submit your public comments in writing to the OHMVR Division at the address below.

California State Parks
OHMVR Division
1725 23rd St.,
Sacramento, CA 95816
Attention: Grants Manager

If you are not yet an AMA member, please join the AMA to help us fight efforts to restrict responsible motorized recreation. More members means more clout against our opponents, and your support will help us fight for your riding rights – on the road, trail, racetrack, and in the halls of government. To join, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/membership/join.

Please follow the AMA on Twitter @AMA_Rights and like us on Facebook.

Thank you in advance for your interest in this important program. If you submit written comments please email a copy to the AMA at grassroots@ama-cycle.org.