I’ve always found it funny that people match their bikes. Black Springer, black t-shirt. Red Triglide, red flannel shirt. One of my friends has ladybugs all over her life — all over her house, all over her clothes, and all over her FXRL. Last week we uncrated a beautiful silver Screaming Road Glide for — you guessed it — a guy named Ted Silver. He was a very happy man, as you can see here.
Today we had two new bikes ride out of the parking lot! The first, an orange and black Nightster, belongs to Jim and Carol Hunt of Eagle Point. The last Harley Jim had was destroyed in a fire years ago, and Carol thought he had Harley out of his system. But then their son Steven bought a Sportster at D&S three months ago, and Carol knew just what to get Jim for their 21st anniversary. Don’t you wish someone loved you that much?
The second Harley is a black Street Bob that now belongs to Taylor Gillespie of Grants Pass. You know how everybody says that a Sportster is a temporary Harley — you ride it for six months, then trade up? Well, not Taylor. He bought his XL883 brand new in 1992, and he’s been riding it every day for 17 years. “Piglet” now has over 75,000 miles on it, a mismatched fender, a cracked motor mount, and a sweet disposition. He did trade it in — after we promised we’d find a good home for it.
We wish you both many, many, many miles.
One of our customers sent us a rather titilating confession this week, and we have posted it on our Community Page. It’s about a serious love affair, where the red head wins… Oh Ralph, how could you?
We have four new friends who joined the Harley-Davidson family this week!
Steve Macartney, from Portland, happened to pass by on Saturday during our Spit Shine Bike Show and fell in love with a new Electra-Glide Classic. He’s shown here with his friend Vicki who helped him pick out the best bike on the floor.
And today Harry & Judi Knitter picked up their new FXD. Harry’s ridden all kinds of bikes, but this is his first Harley. Last time we talked to him he was taking the long way home to Merlin — through Jacksonville, and through some of our favorite twists and turns.
Congratulations and welcome to the family!
Ladies and Gentlemen — we have not just one winner. We have 11 riders who took away the top prizes in their categories at this year’s Spit Shine Bike Show at D&S. And here they are.
Antique Stock: 1st Mike Cables
Antique Custom: 1st Tom Swift; 2nd Lenny Parrish; 3rd Eric Neilson
Lightweight Class: 1st Doug Newman; 2nd Gary Yeoman; 3rd Michael St. Johns
Midweight Class: 1st Mike Plane; 2nd Bob Pederson; 3rd Travis Grimes
Heavyweight Class: 1st Butch Gilbert; 2nd Todd Wilkens; 3rd Bruce Read
Trikes & Sidecars: 1st Tina Lokken; 2nd Dale Wall; 3rd Old School
Women’s Class: 1st Sue Summers; 2nd Robin Shaw; 3rd Joyce Paulson
Screaming Eagle: 1st Vince Leviner; 2nd Ralph Ford; 3rd Jeff Shaw
Radical Custom: 1st Michael Irvin; 2nd Jerome Ellison; 3rd Tom Trouskie
People’s Choice: Scott Setzer
Best of Show: Butch Gilbert
Thanks to everyone who rode their bikes in and shared the day with us. It was a great day in the D&S parking lot! And special congrats to Audra Wonsyld who showed up on the back of her husband’s Indian and rode away the new owner of a new 2008 Anniversary FatBoy. She won it fair and square in this year’s “Free Ride” drawing by Opus Radio’s “The Drive.” Watch for her on the backroads of Josephine County — she’s the one riding a copper-and-black beauty and wearing a big, big smile.
This weekend more than 400 HOG members from 10 different chapters met in the middle — at D&S — for the first North Meets South rally. We had a great time meeting all of you!
Ty Newcombe, our 2009 Bikers Have Heart kid, has arrived in China for treatments that may help his blindness. He has had two of six scheduled treatments and, according to his dad, he is doing okay so far.
If you’d like to read more about his adventures, go to his blog: HopeForTy.
So far we have raised $7,000 for Ty’s treatments. We will wrap up our fundraiser with a party at Woody’s in Medford on Saturday, June 30. See you there!
if you ride, if you used to ride, if you want to ride — be sure to check out Harley-Davidson’s special section for women riders this month – www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders. there’s a lot of information there, but best of all there’s a place to share your stories. check it out.
people were wondering if we would have any weather issues at today’s Bikers Have Heart Yahtzee Run. well, we rode through cool breezes, heavy rains, narrow roads with 6 feet of snow on either side, dry pavement, what felt like hail at one point, and ended at a street party where we were perfectly comfortable in our Bikers Have Heart t-shirts. typical oregon spring day, right?
the real force behind this event is to show that bikers have great hearts — and they do! there was nothing a hot cup of coffee at lake of the woods, or a cold beer at howie’s couldn’t fix along the way. at the end we all had weather stories to tell, and laughed as we told them.
and we raised some money — and some hope — for ty, who will soon travel to china for experimental treatments for his blindness. thanks to all of you who rode with us today, came out to the street party and dropped by the dealership to donate. you, and those raindrops, made it a day to remember.