January 2010 e-Newsletter

ON THE COVER

On the Cover -- 2004 Bourget Fat Daddy Chopper & Cover Model Kendall - Mike Bramble from Lee's Summit, Missouri is the owner of this month's cover bike, and Kendall from Olathe, Kansas is our January cover model.

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WHAT'S NEW

2WheelDeals.com Buy and sell your new or pre-owned motorcycles, trailers, parts, accessories and apparel for as low as $9.95 per ad.

New Magazine Functionality for 2010: All new articles are listed under the New Articles in this Issue section on the Contents page and you can now jump from one article to the next by clicking the Next Page & Prev Page links at the bottom of each article.

All American Motorcycle Show at World of Wheels - Kansas City - On Feb. 12-14, gather up all your riding buddies and come check out the biggest and best motorcycle and car show in Kansas City!

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FROM THE EDITOR

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to the 2010 riding season. Rides, rallies and events are pretty scarce in the upper Midwest this time of year; but fortunately, it’s a great time to install that new chrome Santa left you under the tree, or tinker with your engine to give it just a bit more power before heading out this spring to your first rally. And speaking of which, can you believe the first day of spring is only a couple months away? Therefore, you’d better start making your 2010 travel plans now and book your rooms before it's too late.

When it comes to travel, do you go back to the same places each year or do you enjoy venturing into unknown territories and checking out new rallies and events? Personally, I’m stuck somewhere in-between. I mean, I would never dream of missing our yearly road trip to Sturgis; however, I also find it exciting to check out new rallies and hit the road to places I’ve never been.

New adventures can be a wonderful experience, so I encourage everyone to gather your riding buddies around the computer for a beer and check out our US Rally & Event Locator Page to figure out where the gang wants to ride to this year. If I had never taken a chance on something new, I’d have never experienced what it’s like to spend Halloween in New Orleans during the Steel Pony Express (pre-Katrina), or all the great times we’ve had in Fayetteville, Arkansas during Bikes, Blues & BBQ. Sure, I’ve had my share of “less-than-memorable” adventures; however, they are greatly outnumbered by the unforgettable ones. So, with that said, get off your butt and try something new. Who knows; you might just start a New Year’s tradition!

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FEATURES

A Helping Hand
16th Annual Teddy Bear Ride - Birmingham, Alabama - This Arkansas Teddy Bear ride, hosted by Birmingham H.O.G, has to have been one of the largest that we’ve seen in the past several years. It took about 30 minutes for the over 500 motorcycles to pull out… (Read full article)

3rd Annual Crusin for St. Jude Bike Show - Birmingham, Alabama - Well, this year’s Cruisin for St. Jude Bike Show, which is usually part of a weekend-long fundraiser at the Birmingham Race course, had to be moved after its original date in September had been rained out… (Read full article)

American Bikers Relief Fund Chili Cookoff - Kansas City, Missouri - American Bikers Relief Fund (A.B.R.F.) is an organization founded in 2004 to provide assistance to motorcyclists and their families during times of financial and emotional stress… (Read full article)

Jamboree for Jim Poker Run - Birmingham, Alabama - On Sunday, October 25, 2009, about 50 bikers came together to do a poker run for Jimbo Cox. Besides the poker run, there were also 50/50 drawings, raffles, and many cash donations. It was a perfect day for the ride… (Read full article)

Pool Tournament & Poker Run to Benefit Leigh Lilly - Birmingham, Alabama - As most people know, Leigh was in a bad motorcycle wreck back in September, and we have no insurance. When he doesn’t work, we have no money coming in… (Read full article)

Business Reviews
Hellraisers Fabrication - Where Dreams Become Reality - Most bikers dream of having their own custom bike, but few have the money, time and resources it takes to make it happen. Unless you have $35K or more burning a hole in your pocket for that factory custom chopper… (Read full article)

Rides, Rallies & Events Recap
South Carolina State H.O.G. Rally - Columbia, South Carolina was the location of the Carolina State H.O.G. Rally, which is a bikers three-day event that started on Thursday the 29the and ended on Saturay afternoon, the 31st of October. This is one event I have never attended before in my own state...(Read full article)

Readers & Their Rides
Mike Bramble and His 2004 Bourget Fat Daddy Chopper - The first time I saw Mike Bramble's 2004 Bourget Fat Daddy Chopper was at this year's Bikers for Babies® RIDE in Kansas City, Kansas. Mike purchased the bike at Bike Week in Daytona… (Read full article)

Scenic Rides & Destinations Review
I Wonder Where This Road Leads? - I was 4 years old. My mother, then 3 months pregnant with my sister and still feeling queasy, had decided to take me and my older brother shopping for clothes - brave woman. When we finally arrived I stood outside the doors of the biggest store I had ever seen… (Read full article)

Writer's Block
Harley-Davidson Recalls 111.600 Touring Bikes - Nearly 111,600 2009 and 2010 Harley-Davidson touring models are being recalled because tests show the fuel tank could leak at a weld on a bracket following a frontal collision. The leak could potentially cause a fire that may injure the rider… (Read full article)

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DEPARTMENTS

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 membership and check them out today! … (View this section)

Spoke to Spoke
Women in Motorcycling History - The Van Buren Sisters - Augusta Van Buren and Adeline Van Buren were born before the turn of the 20th century, but their story is anything but ancient. Descendents of US president Martin Van Buren, they were “society girls” who wanted to prove that women could withstand riding motorcycles over the then-treacherous terrain... (Read full article)

Veteran Riders
National Veterans POW WOW & Indian Festival - Canton, Georgia - I was looking through one of the local magazines, and I saw an ad about a first-time event called the National Veterans POW WOW and Indian Festival. This festival would benefit the Cherokee Horse Rescue and My Brothers Keeper. This time of year I begin to look for something a little different and a new place to ride... (Read full article)

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Join our Team

Now Expanding – Do you love motorcycles, photography, and 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

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