Military

Triumph Over Tragedy For Local Motorcycle Company

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by Kelly Wise Valdes from https://www.ospreyobserver.com Jared Weems from Riverview is no stranger to adversity. But, as Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” No one knows this better than Weems. The 42-year-old is from a fourth-generation vintage motorcycle enthusiast family. He explained that the passion for all things involving vintage British motorcycles runs in his blood. Weems was born in Tampa, but ultimately he was raised for the majority of his life in South Tennessee. After high school, he returned to the Tampa area and eventually joined the Army in 2003. He proudly served his country in Special Ops and spent a majority of his military time parachuting from airplanes. It was during this time that he married his wife, Breanne, and they had two children—a son, Austin, 13, and a daughter, Adelaide, 11. After the onset of some health issues, Weems was medically discharged from the Army in 2018 and moved to Riverview. Unfortunately, his health issues proved to be serious and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that caused seizures. It was at this time that he hit a low point in his life. “I sold my motorcycles and was unsure where my life was headed,” said Weems. A pivotal moment took place when a friend came to visit and brought a painting from a famous artist, David Mann. Mann’s work mostly featured Harley Davidson bikes and his paintings were published regularly in Easyriders magazine for more than 20 years. During his lifetime, Mann painted only two pictures of a Triumph bike, and Weems was holding one of those pictures. “I wanted to build the Triumph bike that Mann had painted,” said Weems. “The painting was something of Mann’s creation—it wasn’t a bike that ever really existed.” Weems was motivated by his new […]

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Kawasaki Raises Nearly $100,000 For Charities in 2019

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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

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Veterans find purpose, support through motorcycle rides

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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

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Miles for Military motorcycle ride

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New Castle to Dover, Aug. 10 IHeartMedia Wilmington announced its 15th annual Miles for Military motorcycle ride to benefit USO Delaware is set to begin at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 10 at the Delaware National Guard Training Facility, 1197 River Road, New Castle. IHeartMedia Wilmington’s on-air personalities Christa Cooper, Whiskey, Randy, Kat, Courtney and Benny Panella will host the event, one of the largest motorcycle rides crossing Delaware. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Participants will ride down south Route 9 and finish at Dover International Speedway. “We are excited about our partnership with iHeartMedia Delaware for the Miles for Military motorcycle event,” said Bruce Kmiec, director for USO Delaware. “It has grown over the years into a household name event. We are floored by the amount of support we get for our current military and their families by all the riders that attend this amazing event. The money raised provides some funding to over 50 USO Delaware military support events and programs we hold each year.” The event will culminate with a free Family Fun Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m at Dover International Speedway, 1131 N. Dupont Highway. Festivities will include live music from local group Party Fowl and DJ Rob Tyler, country line dance lessons with DJ Steve Carroll, face painting, a photobooth, cornhole games and demonstrations by the Dover Fire Department and the Delaware State Police SCUBA and Mounted Patrol Units. Sponsors and supporters of the event include the Delaware Law Enforcement Motor Units, A-1 Sanitation, Budget Rooter, Middletown Tent and Events, Shamrock Printing, Where Pigs Fly, Hogs and Heroes, Pepsi Beverage Company of Wilmington, Sean O’Hanlon’s Dunkin’ Herr’s, Party Princess Productions and ASAP Screen Printing. Registration is $20 per motorcycle/driver and $10 for a passenger, available online and the day-of the event. For registration and more,

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Motorcycle Riders Foundation Honors Memorial Day

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Memorial Day is the day we honor all the men and women that never made it home. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation appreciates the sacrifices that allow us the freedoms that we cherish today. Their sacrifices and victories are what helped make our country great. Freedom is not free. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” — General George S. Patton Dating back to the American Civil War when it was known as “Decoration Day,” the practice of placing flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers is not only done in remembrance of the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces, but also to honor the freedom in which they upheld.

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Ural Phenomenon : the Incredible Sidecar Sub-culture Among Motorcyclists

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Soviet Russian espionage during World War II, Nazi motorcycles, hacking, ancient resource rich Ural mountains, a defunct brewery factory, privatization – what have these things got in common? A legendary sidecar wielding motorcycle is what they all mixed together to create in the heat of world economy. CLICK TO READ NOW !!! A legacy of WWII is now an ambassador of goodwill and friendship across the world. We present two-part Feature Article on Ural sidecar motorcycles.

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Lockheed Martin Donates Custom Harley to National Military Family Association For Auction

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Last year, Lockheed Martin commissioned Harley-Davidson to produce a motorcycle to commemorate the commissioning of the USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) because, like Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles, the Littoral Combat Ship represents a beautiful combination of steel and speed. Lockheed Martin worked with Harley-Davidson’s Ray Drea to design the bike, a 2016 softail slim S. This coming month, the motorcycle is donated to the National Military Family Association, an amazing charity that supports those who serve, their spouses and their children. The NMFA will be auctioning off the motorcycle Dec. 10. In fact, the online pre-bidding is open now. Content

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