April 2007 Newsletter

What’s up with the snow in mid-April? Yeah, I know this is the Midwest, but come on! We get 2-3 inches of snow one day and its 70+ degrees the next! I don’t know about you, but if it snows in May, I’m going to toss the old global warming theory right out the damn window!

I hope everyone had a good Easter, and the Easter Bunny didn’t leave a tank-full of “trix” in your gas tank. I remember when I was a kid my neighbor got the biggest kick out of telling me he was going to shoot the Easter Bunny before he got to my house. Every spring I was terrified that when I woke up on Easter morning, my Easter basket would be empty and there’d be this huge dead rabbit in our front yard. Well, enough about my twisted childhood memories and on to more relevant things.

This time of year is both exciting and hectic for the Cycle Connections team because there are so many bike nights, motorcycle rallies, and charity rides to cover. Putting out a monthly publication is a whole lot of work, especially since we try to cover as many events as possible. For example, here in Kansas City alone, we already have over 40 rides, rallies and events listed on our Local Rallies & Events calendar, and we also have more than 30 bike night locations listed on our Bike Nights page. These biker-friendly bars and restaurants roll out the red carpet every week and can easily draw 300+ riders on any given night!

Bike nights have become so popular in KC that this year we decided to take it a step further and create our first-ever KC Bike Nites Calendar, which lists every participating bike night location under the corresponding day of the week. It includes the street address, city, state, zip code and phone number of each location, along with a 12-month at-a-glance calendar, which is perfect for hanging on the wall of your office, in the bathroom, or in the garage next to your bike. If you plan to attend the Easyrider’s Bike Show in Kansas City on Saturday, May 5, make sure to stop by the Cycle Connections booth and pick up your very own KC Bike Nites Calendar. If you’re lucky, you might even get your photo taken with one of our cover models, which we’ll publish in our June 2007 issue.

To find the bike night locations in your area, check out our US Bike Night locator map and select your closest metro area. If no bike night locations have been submitted for your area, use our Submit a Bike Night Form to let us know and we'll add 'em for ya! Also make sure to take a look at our Local Rallies & Events calendar and US Rallies & Events page so you don’t miss out on all the rides, rallies and events in your area!

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On the Cover

Cover Page - - On this month's cover we feature Jim Testerman’s 2001 Chrome Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster & Cover Model Lissa Kaye.

Features

A Helping Hand - The Chopper Chick crew Pink Ribbon Chopper build is a huge success.

Bike Reviews - Riding the new F800 & G650 BMW motorcycles.

Product Reviews - Wilbers Motorcycle Suspension Technology in Detail.

Rides, Rallies & Events Recap - Stripe covered the 2007 All American Motorcycle Show in Kansas City, Lynn and Lee made their way to the 26th Annual International Motorcycle Show in Atlanta, Georgia, and Doze gave us his two-cents worth on this year’s Daytona Bike Week.

Readers & Their Rides - This month we featured Chance Dawes and his ’05 West Coast Choppers El Diablo ll Mini Chopper.

Scenic Rides & Destinations Reviews - In Honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Mike Lousha took us on a trip to Dublin.

Writer's Block - Manfive Irish gets no respect as he tells us about Rodney Dangerfield and the most excellent pig roast.

Departments

Ask the Jackass - No such thing as a stupid question? Wrong! If there's something on your pea-sized brain and you don't know whom to turn to for advice, just ask the Jackass.

Behind Bars - Loney gives us a look at CliCs Eyewear products.

Biker Humor - Our weekly publication of jokes and cartoons are sure to bring a smile to your face. We encourage you to submit jokes and cartoons, and each month, we'll draw a name out of the helmet for a free Cycle Connections cozie!

Cool Bikes & Hot Babes -Check out our photo collection of cool bikes & hot babes! New photos are added each day. This is a members only page, so sign up now for your FREE online subscription and check them out today!

E-mail to the Editor - We've received lots of great feedback and information from our readers that we want to share. Drop us a line and let us know what's on your mind.

In Memory Of - Please stop by and pay tribute to David “TRAMP” Coffey, who will be missed by his family and friends.

Safe Riding - Learning to ride – the right way.

Spoke to Spoke - Goldie gives a reader some advice on what to do and not do at motorcycle rallies.

Tech Tips - Dave tells us how to prevent hydraulic lock.

Join our Team

Now Expanding – Do you love motorcycles, photography, and enjoy making a few extra bucks while working your own hours on a full-time or part-time basis? Are you active in your motorcycle community and enjoy participating in local rides, rallies and events? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you! Cycle Connections Online Motorcycle Magazine is expanding quickly, and we are seeking motivated self-starters to assemble a team of account representatives and photojournalists to sell advertising and cover events in your area. If you would like to help expand Cycle Connections into your area, please e-mail your resume to mikes@cycleconnections.com.

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We strive to make Cycle Connections Online Motorcycle Magazine your number one source for motorcycle-related information, so please drop us a line and let us know how we're doing. We are here to serve you and the local motorcycle community, so please let us know what you like, what you don't like and what you'd like to see added. Plus, if you know of any motorcycle-related businesses, rallies, events, or organizations in your area that we don't currently have listed, let us know so we can add them! All comments and suggestions are appreciated and will be answered.

Mike Schweder
Editor-in-Chief
Cycle Connections Online Motorcycle Magazine