Less than 48 hours left to purchase your parking passes!
Passes are available for purchase until 11:59 pm Saturday, October 15, 2022.
We’re expecting a larger than ever turnout in Galveston this year, so it is more important than ever to secure your parking spot!
You can also get VIP passes. Exclusive Balcony Access and much more.
Rogue rides to the Toy Run in Brevard County, Florida
It is the time of year that Bikers from around the country hold Toy Runs to help out those in their community who need toys for their kids.
Things have been tough for a lot of people, but you can always count on the Bikers to help where they can.
from https://www.autoevolution.com by Florina Spînu
Honda is finally bringing the Navi to the U.S.! Adding to the miniMoto family for 2022, the machine combines the looks of a motorcycle with scooter features. Given its compact size, it makes up for a sporty and fun commuter that’s easy to maneuver around the city.
Flaunting miniMoto aesthetics, the Navi is somewhat a cross between Honda’s Ruckus and Grom. It features a low 30-inch seat height that allows most riders to touch the ground with their feet and effortlessly hop on the ride. Not only that, but it’s easy to find a parking spot or handle it through the concrete urban jungle.
The bike weighs 236 lbs (104 kgs), including all of its standard equipment and a full tank of fuel, so it’s a light machine that can be transported on an RV bumper rack. It even has a storage unit that is big enough to carry a backpack, a jacket, or a laptop.
The bike is equipped with a 109cc air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder, and it has scooter-like features that set it apart from other members of the miniMOTO family, such as a CVT transmission. That means no clutch, no shifting, no neutral or park. All the riders have to do is hop on, turn the key, press a button and start Navi-gating (pun intended).
Those who want to get a taste of what this bike feels like will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with it this weekend at the IMS Outdoors motorcycle show in Costa Mesa, California. The Navi is set to hit the U.S. showrooms in January (February for California) next year. The bike will be available in four colors: Red, Grasshopper Green, Nut Brown, and Ranger Green. What’s more, it is offered at a crazy affordable price of $1,807.
According to Honda, another five on-road models for 2022 will make a comeback: the Gold Wing tourer and NC750X adventure tourer, the Rebel 1100 and Fury cruisers, and the CBR600RR sportbike. Most of them will be available in multiple trim levels and will sport a fresh set of paint.
from https://www.ketv.com
Omaha police: Only law enforcement in Cpl. Page motorcade for safety reasons
Patriot Guard Riders say they’ll follow behind motorcade.
OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha police said it’s not safe to have hundreds of motorcycles on the route that will only be blocked off for the fallen Marine Cpl. Daegan Page and his family to pass. The Patriot Guard Riders said it’s their honor to pay tribute to Page and still plan to follow the motorcade.
“I’m a bit flabbergasted with the decision. It really took me by surprise,” said Scott Knudsen, Nebraska State Captain, Patriot Guard Riders.
Knudsen and other Patriot Guard Riders said they’ve never been denied a place in a military motorcade and asked Page’s father for permission to be part of Friday’s event.
“We never go anywhere unless we are invited. We always seek out permission to achieve permission from appropriate people,” Knudsen said.
But Omaha police asked all groups to stay out of the motorcade for safety reasons, disappointing Knudsen and hundreds of riders coming from Western Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.
“It’s really a shame that it has come to this, but we are in different times today. I don’t know all the details I’m certainly not blaming the Omaha Police Department or the sheriff’s department or anybody else,” Knudsen said.
“We decided for safety sake and not tie up the intersection,” said Steve Lahrs, Director of American Legions Millard Post.
Millard American Legion Riders were planning to join the escort to honor the fallen Marine until police asked them to stay parked on the sidelines.
“They are short-staffed and short-manned and it would create too much of a havoc for the city of Omaha to have hundreds of bikers blocking intersections,” Lahrs said.
In a statement to KETV, Omaha police said once again the decision is about safety.
“The ultimate goal for tomorrow’s motorcade escort of Marine Corporal Daegan Page is to safely transport him and his family from Eppley Airfield to the mortuary in Millard. We understand there are many organizations who want to assist us in this endeavor. We appreciate that and thank you. However, this motorcade is not a procession or parade. The route will be open, meaning traffic will be temporarily stopped just ahead of the motorcade to allow it to pass smoothly and safely. Once the motorcade is passed, traffic will again flow as normal. Only trained law enforcement officers with vehicles equipped with lights and sirens will be assisting with the motorcade to ensure the safety of all involved along the nearly seventeen mile route. We encourage the public to support Cpl. Page and his family along the route of the motorcade.
“On Friday, September 17th, the date of the funeral, there will be a closed route from St. Paul Lutheran Church to the Omaha National Cemetery. A closed route will allow the opportunity for organizations to safely assist with the procession at that time.”
That message came from Lt. Neal Bonnacci.
“We are absolutely not going to violate any laws and absolutely not go against their wishes and need to respect that and I do respect that,” Knudsen said.
“We start losing the reasoning behind the whole motorcade and it’s to show respect for the family and show respect for Cpl. Page,” Lahrs said.
Bonnacci also gave some safety tips to citizens wanting to pay honor on the motorcade route.
Citizens are encouraged to show their support along the route of the motorcade, but are reminded to allow room for the vehicles, and be mindful of the following:
• Park in compliance with parking regulations
• Ask permission before parking in private business parking lots
• Do not block private driveways
• Be patient if in traffic, and expect delays along the route
• Do not illegally park along the route, block intersections or impede the motorcade. Citizens are encouraged to utilize interstate overpasses for viewing, rather than stopping alongside the interstate.
Legislative Motorcycle News from Around the World
The Highway Bill passes but…, Feds investigate auto-pilot car accidents, anti-profiling in California, lane-filtering, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally turnout, bad-driving and road-rage post-lockdown, fuel prices at a high, International Motorcycle Show, news you should use.
by Angie Angers from https://www.baynews9.com
It’s a Memorial Day tradition for tens of thousands of veterans to ride their motorcycles to the nation’s capital.
Pentagon had blocked their permit request, but vets say they are going regardless
This time, the event was nearly in jeopardy.
Every May for more than 30 years, veterans from all over the country have made the trip to honor those gone and those still missing in action.
“Not only continue the tradition of holding Congress and the government accountable for trying to find these over 82,000 missing veterans, but also for veteran suicide,” said organizer Tom McNamara with AMVETS.
McNamara says they’re expecting roughly 100,000 veterans and they’d received nine out of the 10 permits needed to make the trip happen.
But just recently, defense officials denied their application to use the Pentagon’s parking lot like they have for the last three decades.
“Using our satellite views on how we’re going to stage motorcycles, and a month ago they came back and said, ‘No, we’re not gonna do it, and didn’t give us an answer as to why,’” McNamara said.
Officials of the Pentagon later cited COVID safety concerns and left AMVETS scrambling for another plan.
Now Rep. Brian Mast is involved and is accusing leaders of blocking the tradition.
He sent a strongly-worded letter to Congress pushing them to reconsider.
McNamara says — either way — the veterans are using their constitutional right to protest and will be coming to D.C. no matter what.
“As our First Amendment right, these people are coming anyway, we’re going to be there anyway. So now, we’re just lining up on the streets,” he said.
They just want to keep the tradition alive.
“Let’s just say Congress will know about it,” McNamara said with a laugh.
The ride is set to take place on May 30. Organizers say they will release a final schedule and route for the event within the week.
View AMVETS website for the event at https://amvets.org/rolling-to-remember-demonstration-ride/
Official Website for the event is https://www.rollingtoremember.com/
by Nikki Wentling from https://www.stripes.com
WASHINGTON – The Defense Department rejected a request from organizers of a traditional Memorial Day weekend motorcycle ride in the nation’s capital, throwing logistics of the event into uncertainty just weeks before it is scheduled to take place.
Motorcyclists typically use the Pentagon’s parking lot as a staging area for the ride, but defense officials denied the permit application Friday for this year’s event. Officials cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the size of the expected crowd as the reason.
Despite the denial, thousands of motorcyclists are planning to gather in Washington during Memorial Day weekend. As of Monday, organizers didn’t know where to gather the riders before and after they drive along the National Mall.
AMVETS, a national veterans organization, is coordinating the motorcycle ride. The group said it was committed to still running the event on May 30 and organizers were searching Monday for a backup plan.
“There are no options with as much space and convenient routes to the memorials, meaning it will be more difficult, disruptive, and expensive than if the Pentagon parking lots were available,” said Joe Chenelly, national executive director of AMVETS.
The group criticized the Pentagon’s slow decision-making process. Chenelly said he applied in July to use the Pentagon parking lot on May 30. He was expecting to hear back by January.
Chenelly told the Pentagon last month that he needed an answer by April 16. Officials called with their decision on Friday.
“The biggest disappointment in the Pentagon’s denial was that AMVETS was ignored for months as its professional staff in Washington requested numerous times an opportunity to hear the Defense Department’s concerns and present a [coronavirus] safety plan,” Jan Brown, the national commander of AMVETS, said in a statement.
AMVETS leaders said they were confident they could hold a “safe, reasonable demonstration outdoors that incorporates social distancing, masking where appropriate, and sanitation stations.”
The group said it is a member of President Joe Biden’s new COVID-19 Community Corps, which is a contingent of local leaders and prominent organizations who were recruited to help inform and encourage Americans who might be hesitant to receive a vaccine.
“The administration included AMVETS in this new group as ‘a trusted voice in communities across the United States,’ but the Pentagon wouldn’t have a conversation with us to share their concerns and give us the chance to address them before deciding to refuse our application,” Chenelly said.
Rolling Thunder operated a motorcycle ride through Washington for 32 years before hosting its last event in 2019. AMVETS took over in 2020 and planned an event to replace the popular ride. It was designed to raise awareness for prisoners of war and troops still missing in action, as well as the issue of veteran suicide.
The event, now titled Rolling to Remember, was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
from https://www.wmur.com
Laconia City Council approves 100% parking, traffic capacity for Motorcycle Week
Council considers lifting all COVID-19 restrictions on vendors, beer tents.
Pre-pandemic parking approved for Laconia Motorcycle Week. The Laconia City Council voted Monday night to return to pre-pandemic parking and traffic flow for this summer’s Motorcycle Week.
LACONIA, N.H. — The Laconia City Council voted Monday night to return to pre-pandemic parking and traffic flow for this summer’s Motorcycle Week.
Last year, the event was scaled down and pushed to August. There were no vendor tents or big scheduled events as organizers and state officials hoped to cut down on the potential spread of COVID-19.
With Monday night’s vote, the council opened the door to having full capacity at this year’s event, which is scheduled for June 12-20.
Some council members also want to do away with COVID-19 restrictions when it comes to vendors and beer tents.
“Everything is going 100% — restaurants, bars — everything,” said Councilor Tony Felch. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t open things up for this event.”
Others argued there should be some restrictions to limit risk as the pandemic continues.
“We’re really asking people here who have health concerns to be totally not considered, and I do think we have some responsibility,” said Councilor Henry Lipman. “Above all else is safety.”
Motorcycle Week organizers plan to revisit the issue at a special meeting in the next week or two.
by Nikki Wentling from https://www.stripes.com
Organizers of the traditional Memorial Day motorcycle ride in the nation’s capital accused the Pentagon on Tuesday of jeopardizing the event.
AMVETS, the national veterans group organizing the ride, said the Defense Department has ignored its application to use the Pentagon parking lot as a staging area. For 32 consecutive years, thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the parking lot before and after the ride around the National Mall.
There are fewer than 40 days until the event, and the Pentagon hasn’t communicated its decision, said Joe Chenelly, national executive director of AMVETS.
The Pentagon “won’t even talk to us,” Chenelly said. “We’ve been trying to really be good partners in all of this and not blast the Pentagon, but we’ve gotten to point recently where we have to put the pressure on them.”
Chenelly said he submitted an application in July to use the Pentagon parking lot on May 30 this year. He was expecting to hear back by January, but no response came.
The Pentagon’s special events office sent Chenelly an approved permit earlier this month but then rescinded the approval eight days later and said they hadn’t made a final decision. At that time, Chenelly told the Pentagon he needed an answer by April 16.
“It’s April 20 today, and we still haven’t heard anything back,” Chenelly said Tuesday.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday that “there’s been no decision yet.” She cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the cause of the delay and said the department is monitoring community spread of the virus. Masks and social distancing are required on Pentagon grounds, she said.
“The permit request is still being evaluated in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Gough said.
AMVETS has gained approvals for the event from the National Park Service, Metropolitan Police Department, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Fire Department, Virginia State Police and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.
Tens of thousands of motorcyclists are planning to travel to Washington for a Memorial Day ride, regardless of whether they have a place to gather, Chenelly said. He’s working with the mayor’s office on another plan to host riders in the parking lot of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
The stadium, in the city’s northeast quadrant, is much farther from the National Mall than the Pentagon. Hosting riders there would require the city to shut down a busy section of the Capitol Beltway, an interstate highway surrounding Washington, for about four hours, Chenelly said. AMVETS planned to meet Wednesday with city officials to discuss the plan.
In reaction to the news of the Pentagon not issuing a permit, riders have been posting online about traveling to Washington in large groups and shutting down highways themselves, Chenelly said. He worries about the potential safety risks that would pose.
“We could see chaos if it’s not coordinated,” Chenelly said. “So, we’re really concerned by that. We want a coordinated, safe, impactful demonstration where people can come, be seen and heard, and then leave.”
Earlier this month, Chenelly reached out to members of Congress for help persuading the Pentagon to approve the permit. On Tuesday, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Austin, urging him to step in and allow AMVETS to use the Pentagon as a staging ground.
Mast also issued a public statement criticizing the Pentagon and President Joe Biden’s administration for interfering with the event.
“We are blessed beyond words to be citizens of the greatest country on Earth, and only live free thanks to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Mast said. “But the Biden administration seems intent on restricting that freedom, and now, even restricting Memorial Day ceremonies.”
Rolling Thunder operated a motorcycle ride through Washington for 32 years before hosting its last event in 2019. AMVETS took over in 2020 and planned an event to replace the popular Rolling Thunder ride. It was designed to raise awareness for prisoners of war and troops still missing in action, as well as the issue of veteran suicide.
The event, now titled Rolling to Remember, was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. AMVETS has made efforts this year to reduce capacity, put space between riders and supply hand sanitizing stations, Chenelly said.
The COVID-19 pandemic apparently is not discouraging as many visitors as previously expected, but home rentals, campground spaces and hotel rooms remain available for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that starts Aug. 7, according to a report by Tanya Manus in the Rapid City, S.D., Journal.
“It’s the 80th rally, so people are coming,” said Kimberly Roberts, owner of Kickstands Campground and Venue outside Sturgis. Roberts said some primitive tent camping and self-contained RV spaces are still open because of cancellations, but full-service RV spots are full.
“This is our fourth rally. What’s different I’m noticing is people are trickling in. People are showing up,” she said.
Gina Huiet, manager of Sturgis RV Park in Sturgis, said that park is usually fully booked by October for the following summer’s rally. The park rents sites for five or 10 days at a time. As of Friday, the park had some openings because Canadian travelers were forced to cancel due to COVID-19 border closures. “Yes, I have had some people cancel because of COVID-19, but all those spots, we’ve booked them,” Huiet said. “People are coming anyway.”
“We do have an overflow camping lot. We do allow one- and two-night stays for motorcycles and tents. We’ve never filled it up before but it could happen this year,” she said. “All those people that waited until the last minute, the only good thing about COVID-19 is it opened a rally spot for you.”
As of Friday, sturgis.com still listed a variety of rentals open throughout the Black Hills. Options ranged from high-end luxury homes to rustic cabins and campsites. Meanwhile this week, Airbnb.com shows its rentals throughout the Black Hills are 81% booked during the rally. Several entire houses for rent during the rally have not yet been reserved.
Julie Schmitz Jensen, executive director of Visit Rapid City, said she’s optimistic about visitor numbers this summer. “Nothing about this year is normal, but I think there are some that had already made reservations, and some are still contemplating reservations,” Jensen said. “We all know things could change overnight; we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”
By mid-July, she said Rapid City area hotels, motels and campgrounds were reporting between 65% and 85% reservation rates during the rally, with the two weekends being more booked than midweek.
“There have been some cancellations recently because some states are implementing stay-at-home rules. … I’m not seeing that as a huge trend yet,” Jensen said. “Canadians have always been a really big part of the rally market so (with the border closure) Canadian numbers are either nonexistent or way down.
“We’re all dipping our toes into regional marketing. We’re not telling the world to come visit this summer. We are telling (those who are within driving distance) we are open, we are safe, we are following all the Centers for Disease Control regulations,” Jensen said. “We are coming back up. We’re aren’t out of the hole yet, but we are getting back. … We’re getting a lot of interest.”
Meanwhile, at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, last-minute guests are always invited.
“We always have room at the Chip for more people and this year is no different,” said Buffalo Chip founder and President Rod Woodruff. “We’d welcome anybody that makes up their mind at the last minute. We always have a lot of people who make up their minds at the last minute.”
The Buffalo Chip has RV sites and primitive camping sites available. Cabins there are fully booked. The Buffalo Chip also rents campers and if it runs out will work with a camper company to bring in more from out of state. The Buffalo Chip also has added a new garage and will have mechanics on site to help visitors whose motorcycles break down.
“We always have room for another million,” Woodruff said. “We’re conscious of COVID-19 so we’re changing the amphitheaters (for the concerts) to accommodate for COVID, but we still have room for people.”
Reservations have been increasing for the past couple of months, he said.
“South Dakota has fresh air, lots of space, beautiful roads, nice little mountains and wide open prairies” that visitors love, Woodruff said. “People are wanting to get back to living a normal life and we’re sitting pretty well out here. … It’s good to see people getting out and goofing off.”
Woodruff said he’ll encourage people to “goof off responsibly” and take precautions, but at the Buffalo Chip everyone’s going to focus on fun.
“We call it partying like it’s 1982. The folks that are worried about COVID-19 aren’t going to come. The people that are coming are coming to have a good time, see other people and socialize,” he said.
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