Check out Stealth Rider on SPEED!!

Check out this footage from the Speed Channel show Stealth Rider. Jason Britton ROCKS his Bike in Las Vegas.

Keep the Rubber Side Down - An Interview with Rick Slark

A few of us in the Harley community follow a guy named Rick Slark who writes a blog called Keep the Rubber Side Down. We also follow each other on Facebook and the banter about Harley Riders vs Riders of other motorcycles has been quite comical at times. We all give Rick a very hard time that he actually has Harley envy. I thought it would be interesting to get to know Rick a little more so he agreed to do an interview.


Rick is from Columbus, OH and currently resides with his wife Michelle in Springfield, OH. Rick has two sons, Jonathan and Ethan and an Alaskan Malamute named Dakota. Rick's passions include writing, touring on a motorcycle, cigars, and starting small businesses. He also attempts to follow Christ which he does some days better than others.

When did you first discover motorcycles?

My childhood friend got a Honda 50cc as a gift and we rode it up and down the sidewalks in our neighborhood. I think that was the beginning of the madness.

What was your first motorcycle?

A friend was moving into a tiny apartment and had no storage so he gave me his 1975 Kawasaki H1-500. I love that bike and hope to add one to my stable of motorcycles one day.

How many motorcycles have you owned over the years?

Not many. I tend to fall in love with them so I keep them for long periods of time. They are like my friends. I know many people buy and sell motorcycles quite often, but I have never been that guy. I guess I am too much of a romantic.

What are you riding now and why?

Currently we have four bikes, 1985 Honda Nighthawk 450, 2003 Yamaha V-Star 1100, 1996 Triumph Daytona 1200, and a 1000 BMW R1100RT.

Most of the time I ride the BMW. My friends call me a super slabber because my style of riding is more long distance riding. The RT is the perfect long distance bike and therefore the one I ride the most.

Why did you decide to begin blogging about motorcycles?

For me it began as an outlet, a place to write down what I was thinking about at the time. I wanted to document some of my cycling experiences, the skills I had learned, and what's more, my mistakes. From there it just evolved and continues to do so.

What is your site called? Why and how did you decide on the title of your blog?

The site is called "Keep the Rubber Side Down" and I chose it because I think this phrase speaks to the camaraderie of the motorcycling community and secondly, because one of the main purposes of the site is to offer stories and tips that will help make one a better rider.

"Keep the Rubber Side Down" is a phrase often used by motorcyclists to encourage one another to be safe while on the road. It is also a great metaphor to be used as we journey down the road called LIFE!

Do you have any other blogs?

Yes, I have Rick's Ramblings.

What types of subjects do you enjoy blogging about?

At Keep the Rubber Side Down I strictly deal with issues pertaining to motorcycling. My readers are not there to read my views on other subjects. I reserve Rick's Ramblings to deal with other topics that interest me such as spirituality, books, humor, etc.

Do you do freelance work for other motorcycle publications or websites?

Yes, I have written for our local paper and a few online magazines, but honestly, keeping my two sites fresh, and working on my book, takes up most of my writing time.

Do you do any creative writing?

I always have a pen and pad on me. I write everywhere I am. I am always listening for something that will spark my creativity.

You use video submissions from time to time. What do you use to do those?

I use a Flip HD camera. Easy to use and fabulous video.


How many states have you traveled?
I have visited most of them, but a couple years ago I decided to ride my motorcycle in every state. To date I am up to 31 states.

What is your favorite state to ride in?

As I mentioned, I haven't been in all of them, so I can't definitively answer that, but I love riding in Tennessee and along the east coast.

How does riding enrich your life?

Big question. Riding, especially long distances, affords me the time to move beyond the surface things that normally clutter my brain. It is the time I am able to connect to that which is important and meaningful in my life.

Do you enjoy attending rallies?

I tend to avoid rallies and riding in large groups. I am most able to enjoy the very essence of my riding style when I ride alone or perhaps with one or two others, but I far prefer to be alone.

What do you think makes a "Biker"?

I despise this term.

Be honest...do you really dislike Harley Davidson Motorcycles as much as you seem to?

Let me just say, I don't believe they warrant the following they have. I simply don't get it. It is not the motorcycles as much as the few riders who make me want to hurl my Cheerios. I love all motorcycles whether they are new, old, big, small, rusted or shiny, and yes; American or foreign. It seems to me some HD folks give off the vibe that if you aren't riding a HD you are a second class citizen and I think that takes away some of the joy of cycling for those riders who can't afford a Harley. Especially when the majority of those riders learned to ride on another brand.

I always ask a couple of fun questions like the guy on "In the Actors Studio" does.

What music are you currently listening to?

Moon Dance by Van Morrison. Music does not play a crucial role in my life.

What are you currently reading?

I am always reading something, be it "Newsweek", or a Triumph service manual. I am a task reader and very seldom read for entertainment. Here is a list of books I am reading now.

They Say I Say - A book about formal writing.
The Oath by Frank Peretti
The Devil Can Ride
The Treasury of Religious Verse

Thanks to Rick for answering the questions that he did. Enjoyed getting to know a non HD rider a little more and it's always good to learn someone elses perspective on motorcycling.

Check out Rick's blogs:
Keep the Rubber Side Down
Rick's Ramblings

3rd Annual 100 Mile Benefit/Poker Run - Saturday, August 21

3rd ANNUAL 100 MILE BENEFIT/POKER RUN SATURDAY,AUGUST 21,2010 This years benefit is for Randy Stevenson also known as: “Rambo” or “Randy Dandy”. Randy has terminal cancer.

Poker Run- Sign in starts at 10:30 am at courthouse square in Montezuma,IA. $5.00 per hand or $10.00 for 3 hands with payouts to highest and lowest hand. Last bike out at 11:30 am Last bike in at 5:00pm(100 mile) 1st stop Delta Junction intersection of HWY 92 & HWY 21, 2nd stop Wildlife Bar-n-Grill Fremont,IA, 3rd stop All In The Family Raceway Oskaloosa,IA, 4th stop Scooters New Sharon,IA, 5th stop and final County Seat Montezuma,IA.

Dinner and Street Dance-In front of and hosted by County Seat in Montezuma,IA $10.00 per person-includes dinner and dance,$15.00 per couple. Food will be served from 6:30-8:00pm. Band CPR will be playing from 8:00pm-Midnight. Several raffles throughout the night.

Lodging- Camping available for free or you can choose the following: Camping at Diamond Lake for a fee (payable to DNR), Cozy Country Inn-call for reservations at 641-623-5505.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!!!

Donations accepted for Randy Stevenson at Montezuma State Bank. For more information call(641)-623-5766

Contact:Caryn Webb (Toots) at 641-990-7826 or email caw@zumatel.net.

Pee Wee Herman at Sturgis

This is GREAT!

Cartoonist Paul Jamiol Starts Bikers are Animals Blog

Paul Jamiol has started a new Bikers are Animals blog on his children's books. He invites all to feel free to stop by anytime and post. The blog will be mostly about the books, the characters, art, motorcycles and both current and future projects that Paul is working on. He loves both art and motorcycles and hopes to share a lot of that with visitors. Please join him at the blog when you get a chance and feel free to comment, follow or just lurk.

Update: The second book, Bikers are Animals 2 - The Rest of the Crew, is right on schedule for it's September release. Pre-reviews are really positve.


Contact: Paul Jamiol
617-327-1431
pjamiol@rcn.com
bikersareanimals

America to Argentina - 20 Countries and 25,000 Miles

On August 15th Bill Dwyer sets off for an eight month trip that takes him from America to Argentina, spanning over 20 countries and 25,000 miles. Without a cellphone, and infrequent internet access he will no longer always be "connected" or "on the grid." He travels alone, but brings along a virtual audience for the ride through documenting his journey on YouTube.

As a software developer, Bill grew weary of his corporate job. He sold most of his belongings and traded his cubical for the open road. Food, gas and shelter will be his only concerns. No more timelines to follow or deadlines to meet, only serendipity creates the destiny of his road map.

Perceptions of Mexico and Latin American countries as a seething breeding ground of violence have been widespread. Bill believes that people and the world around us are not as dangerous as we sometimes are lead to believe. The success of his journey should prove to be a reminder that among a seemingly hostile world there is still some good out there.

Bill is an avid adventure motorcyclist and blogger for 3 years. He has built up an audience from all walks of life and continues to entertain, educate and inspire them to take the plunge and seek out adventures of their own.

Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill - Waterloo, IA

Last weekend Dan and I took a ride to no particular place and ended up in Waterloo, IA at the Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill. People I know have said great things about the place so I thought, might as well check it out. Located downtown Waterloo at 228 East 4th Street the Screaming Eagle is a great place to get a burger and brew. It's very much a biker friendly bar but there were more non bikers there when we arrived. The food was good and the waitress we had made sure we had everything we needed. Might have to head back some Thursday night because they boast a big bike night that begins at 6pm with Live Music and lots of Cold Beer!

If you are out riding with no particular place to go, head to Waterloo, IA and check out the Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill.

Sturgis - I Truly Love that Rally!

Well, it's just around the corner and many of you will be heading out soon to the best rally in the United States! To all of you that are rolling to South Dakota in a few days...Ride Safe, Ride Free, and ENJOY!

How To Pick Up a Motorcycle

Cult of the Cafe Racer

Let's Ride Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcycling

The opportunity to review this book came at the best time. Being I'm a newbie rider I truly learned a lot from Sonny Barger's wisdom. One might think that Mr. Barger would have a ride it like you stole it mentality but he really gave very sensible advice in this book. He was very truthful and didn't sugar coat the risks involved with riding.

In the introduction of the book Sonny writes...Back in the 1970's people used to say: "Ride Hard, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse." People said a lot of stupid things back then. I'm in my seventies today, and that saying seems even more idiotic to me now then it did back then. I've got a better plan: ride smart, live long, and die of old age.

This book has page after page of useful information. Each chapter takes you on the journey that you may take when you finally decide to ride and helps you figure out what type of motorcycle you should consider for your first bike. Sonny covers different parts of a motorcycle and the fundamentals of riding. There is great information on evaluating a used motorcycle and when to walk away from purchasing the motorcycle you are looking at. This book covers just about everything you possibly need to know and things you would never think about as a new rider.

Chapter Six is about Advanced Riding Techniques. I read that chapter a couple times and plan to read it a few more. When you are a new rider there is so much to remember and at times you find yourself getting caught up in the moment, so reading that chapter again and again will remind me of all the things I need to remember to do when I'm out there on the road. Even seasoned riders would benefit from reading the Advanced Riding Techniques chapter.

What I really liked where the bullet points at the end of the chapters that summed up some of the knowledge you should have taken away from what you just read.

What You Should Know

• The engine gives the motorcycle its character.
• Horsepower might win races, but on the street torque is king.
• The more comfortable your bike, the more you enjoy riding.
• Helmets not only protect your head, but they make riding more comfortable.
• Everyone else on the road has the potential to kill you at any time.
• Avoid financing if you can help it because it makes buying a motorcycle much more expensive.
• Don't worry about what everyone else thinks; pick the bike you like.
• You need to prepare your body and your bike for the rigors of a long trip.

I would especially recommend Let's Ride: Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcycling How to Ride the Right Way for Life to anyone considering getting on two wheels or anyone that has just purchased and is learning how to ride on two wheels. I have to admit, I was truly shocked at times on how totally sensible and safe Sonny Barger is in his thinking. He is definitely an ICON of the motorcycling world and he offers so much of his knowledge in this book. You will also laugh at the humor he throws in throughout the book. I enjoyed his straight forward way of looking at things. As I said at the beginning of this post, he doesn't sugar coat a thing about riding. Motorcycling is fun but it should be taken seriously and respected and Sonny reconfirms this in each chapter.

If you need more convincing that you should purchase a copy of this book, visit these blogs for further reviews: Biker Chick News and Road Captain USA .

If you are attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally you can meet Sonny Barger and get a signed copy of this book. He will be at the Local 81 Bike Shop on Aug 9 from 10am to 3pm and on Aug 10 he will be at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum from 1pm to 4pm.

The GoldWing Wing Ding 32 Has Begun

As I drove home tonight I noticed that there were quite a few GoldWings traveling the streets of Des Moines. Then it dawned on me, the GoldWing Wing Ding started today! WELCOME to Des Moines, WINGERS! Glad to have you in the Capital City! They will be in Des Moines from June 30 to July 3.

I'm excited because I'm hoping to go watch the Light Parade Thursday night and the Parade through Des Moines on Friday night! Fun, Fun, Fun!!! I love a good parade and when it is all motorcycles that's even better!

Check out their site - Gold Wing Wing Ding

Thanks Lady Godiva @ Motorcycle Everything and Everything Else

I'd like to thank mtaJudy aka Lady Godiva for doing a 4 part post about me on her blog. It's so great to have people like her on my side. If you've never checked out her blog or website before, please make sure you visit both!!

Motorcycle Everything and Everything Else

Motorcycle Travel America

Rolling Thunder 2010 - A Marine's Vigil

It Was Time for a Little Change...

So I gave myself a new look today. I'm digging it and the great part is the background is orange! Anyway...change is good!!!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. I hope you fill your unwritten pages with many memories!!

Make Them the Next FreeCreditScore.com Band - Jasmine Cain Band

Go vote for Jasmine Cain to be the next FreeCreditScore Band at FreeCreditScoreBand.com.

video removed by FreeCreditScore site.

Rippin-Kitten on the set of Sons of Anarchy

If you are an SOA fan you will enjoy the story that Rippin Kitten has posted on her site. She was lucky enough to get a live, in-person interview with Kurt Sutter. She's included great photos of Kurt, the sets, and there are a couple videos too. Make sure you check it out!

A Singing Heart and a Permagrin - IHG and Sadie

Sitting here drinking some coffee and watching it rain yet again. Glad I took a little putt on Sadie last night. Sadie you ask...how is it going with that?? Well I'm the type of person that if I haven't mastered something I start getting down about it. I've taken her on a few short trips. Nothing too extreme yet. Not sure why I had it in my head that I'd be riding cross country by now. Thank goodness for some pep talks from Di Green and LadyR. It's good to hear from women on riding their own and what they went through to get to superstar biker status. I've always had respect for bikers but now that I'm actually working on this riding my own thing that respect has grown a million percent. I can see why people like riding out in the middle of nowhere with no other traffic. Cage drivers that don't ride are poopstains!

There have been moments as I've been riding that have made my heart sing and have given me permagrin. The first was when I was shifting gears and getting out of 1st for the first time. FUN!!! I kept saying to myself...you are shifting gears woman...go...go...go! The second was my first biker wave. Dan said he laughed out loud when he saw me drop the wave to a fellow biker. He told me that he instantly thought...My chicks a biker now! I know, I know...don't write comments that I'm not a biker yet...that I need many more miles in the saddle. It is my philosophy that being a biker is in your soul. It's not something that you can just get. If I have to explain...blah, blah, blah.

So that's the latest on me and my pretty chrome horse, Sadie.

Freedom Rock - Ray "Bubba" Sorensen

Ray "Bubba" Sorensen was just voted Hottest Husband in Redbook magazine but he is best known for his amazing tribute to our Fallen Heroes, Vets, and Troops. A few weeks ago he was on Fox and Friends. If you missed it you are in luck...you can watch it right here! Thanks to Ray Sorensen for painting this rock every year in honor of all who have served so that we can enjoy our FREEDOM!!

Well I had to replace the video that was on here from Fox and Friends because the owner of the video made it private. Here is a video of Ray painting the 2009 tribute to our Vets.

Diamond Posse - 5 Amazing Women Honoring Veterans

Ok...you have called me IPG...I'm here to say these women are more Patriotic then I can ever be! These are 5 amazing women!!!! Thank you so much for all you have done for our Vets!!!! Good Bless each of you!!!



Diamond Posse