HawgBlog

We just found out that one of our longtime customers died in an ATV accident yesterday. John Wells was 51 and a Medford firefighter for 15 years and a Harley-Davidson rider for many years as well. He sold his RoadKing in the past year to take up other sports, but he still came by to see us. He was always a bright spot in our day, smiling and joking with whoever was behind the counter. He will miss him.

If you have a motorcycle memory of John, please leave a note here. If you have a photo of John and his Harley, send it to terrie@dsharley.com and we’ll be happy to post it.

Despite the snowstorm on Friday, we had perfect weather for our March Madness party on Saturday. Lotsa people showed up, lotsa people took demo rides and the HOG chapter sold lotsa burgers. Greg Bakshas challenged Scott-The-Parts-Dude to a free throw contest and won a $50 gift certificate to his favorite store. Check out his follow-through!

We really had a good time on Wednesday night! Thanks to everyone who came out to learn about riding and to all of our volunteers. Members of our staff — Jamie Miller, Scott Setzer and Lori Nelson — did a great job helping women pick out the right motorcycle, custom parts and MotorClothes. Lori’s demonstration of how to pick up a bike is always a hit. Soon-to-be-instructors — Cookie Sims and Melody Dekorte — answered everyone’s questions on learning how to ride through Team Oregon.

And members of Women In The Wind’s Wild Rogue Chapter provided inspiration and encouragement all along the way. Thanks go out to Sharon Barlow, Holly Christian, Pati Hanson, Joyce Paulsen, Anna Singleton, Terrie Smart and Katherine Tillotsen.

Be sure to check out the photos on our Community Page. And, if you were there, post a comment to let us know how you liked it.

Nobody ever said that heated gear was fashionable, flattering or form-fitting. Just toasty warm! Here’s Jamie, our General Merchandise manager, modeling the jacket, pants and gloves that probably wish you were wearing while we’re waiting for spring.

We’re going to hold our first Garage Party on March 5. It’s an evening for women who have thought about riding — or are new riders — and need a little boost in confidence. We’ll try to answer everyone’s questions and concerns. Like how do you learn to ride? How do you find other women to ride with? And, the big question, how do you pick up a bike if it falls over?

We all had those questions — and, admit it, fears — when we started. And I think we’ve all dropped our bikes once or twice in the garage or the driveway. It’s usually something silly, like a bit of gravel or forgetting to put the kickstand down.

I’ll be honest. About 10 years ago I dropped my Sportster for the first time — at a stop sign, no less. I had forgotten to put it into first gear. I was so shocked and mortified, I just reached down and pulled it back up. It was 450 pounds. And I shouldn’t have been able to do it. But as I like to tell the story, I was so angry with myself I think I could have picked the bike up and thrown it 100 feet. It was either pure adrenalin, or coffee.

What I’ve learned since then is that there’s a better way that doesn’t rely on shock and espresso. And it’s a lot easier on the body! We’ll share it with everyone at the Garage Party, and give you a chance to try it yourself. Just send us an e-mail to let us know you’ll be there. Or, if you’ve got a good gee-I-dropped-my-bike story, send it our way too. We’d love to hear it.

Yes, you did see someone on a beefy black bike out there on the snowy backroads yesterday. Our first Cross Bones rolled in this week and — after a chilly little winter ride — we’ve shined it up and put it on the showroom floor. It turns heads just sitting still….

Our general manager says “Every day is a good day to ride. Some days are just drier than others.” Well, this is one of those not-so-dry days. Our sales guy, Dean Lubbers, rode his Screaming Eagle RoadKing to work this morning and by 1 o’clock, this the kind of day it was…

There’s a new Softail on the block, and it’s fat and black and part of what Harley-Davidson is calling its “Dark Custom” line. It’s got a black springer front end, a 16-inch front tire, 17-inch wide tire on the back, black rims, black mini-ape bars, a solo seat, and, gee, I could go on, but you need to just zip over to the website and see for yourself. Besides all the specs there’s a bad-*** video featuring all the Dark Custom bikes, and another video of the Cross Bones being unveiled at the Winter Dealer Meeting. I’ll make it easy on ya — here’s a link: www.harley-davidson.com    Enjoy….

Grab the calendar and pencil in where you’re gonna be this riding season:

– Bikers Have Heart Yahzee Run, May 3

– Spit Shine Bike Show, June 7

– Iron Horse Rodeo, June 27-29, at Lake Selmac

– Corset Cruise, July 12, from D&S to Riverside Park in Grants Pass

– Rogue Valley Toy Run, Dec. 6

Those are the ones we have penciled in at the moment. Will add more to the D&S calendar in the coming week.

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Rumors have been flying for while now, so we’d like to set the record straight. Yes, from all indications, the Iron Horse “Rally” will not be held this year at Lake Selmac.

And yes, there is a group working to bring back the original Iron Horse Rodeo. The date is set, the park is booked, and, yes, D&S will return as the main sponsor. Prepare for a good time…