April 02-04
Beaverton, Alabama
The Circle S Bike Rally
The Circle S Bike Rally in northern Alabama claims to be the wildest biker party in the state. It's an adult's only rally on private property. There will be daily entertainment and bike games. For the camper's needs there are free hot showers, primitive camping,and RV spots are available. For the guy looking for something to do without a bike, there are trails for hiking, with plenty of retailers and food vendors. For more info contact: Dennis Seales at (205) 698-9005.inline_mediumwraptextright32236662/events/1004_hrbp_april_calendar_of_motorcycle_events1004_hrbp_01_z+april-calendar_of_events+tents.jpgTrue

Bagger Nation Adding Dragonfly Fairings to its Playlist OK, I never thought the following words would ever come out of my mouth. But, after a long weekend in Seattle, riding several different styles of bikes...I want a bagger. There, I said it. In print, no less.inline_mediumwraptextright32316417/events/1004_hrbp_dragonfly_cycle_concepts_and_bagger_nation_party1004_hrbp_01_z+dragonfly_cycle_concepts_party+biker_front_view.jpgTrue

Jan 5
Hillsborough, NJ
Annual Hangover Ride
The Manville-Hillsborough Elks MC 2nd annual Hangover Ride is a great event that will benefit the Army of Hope. Sign in will be from 10 a.m. to noon. Kickstands will be up at 12:15 p.m. Route and ride time will be adjusted to weather conditions. Price is $10 and after the ride a hot lunch will be provided for all hungry bikers. For more information, call (908) 420-0868 or visit bpoe2119mc.com.

The temperature was 67 degrees when I thumbed the starter on the bike at 10 a.m. Friday morning. I knew the temperature would be comfortable as I rode south, but rain had been forecast for southern Georgia and Florida. The plan for the weekend was to ride to Daytona on Friday, where I would spend the evening solo, before being joined by long-time friend and riding companion Susan Kennerly on Saturday to spend the day at Biketoberfest.inline_mediumwraptextright26295839/events/1003_hrbp_biketoberfest_2009_event1003_hrbp_03_z+biketoberfest_2009+full_moon.jpgTrue

Best Western and Harley-Davidson Team UpI'm fortunate enough to ride motorcycles just about every day of the year. That is primarily due to the moderate California weather and the summer trips I get to take around the country. Unfortunately, I get much less time for leisure riding and with the hectic magazine schedule we keep just less time in general to soak up the world. There are numerous invites through the year to ride new motorcycles and to check out new destinations and experiences but I'm usually left unsatisfied with the quantity and quality of the riding. There's usually too much talk, too many photo stops, too many rules, too much time to eat, and an ambitious schedule that just doesn't fulfill my pleasure riding needs.

Dec 4-6
Dayton, OH
Dayton Cyclefest
Two-wheeled excitement comes to the Dayton Expo Center. In attendance will be internationally acclaimed custom bike builders and their latest creations, a ride-in bike show, swap meet, vendors, displays and exhibits. For more information, call (937) 938-7237 or visit daytoncyclefest.com.

OCT 9-11
Sanford, FL
5th Annual Sanford Bikefest
One of the premier motorcycle events in Central Florida, Sanford Bikefest has a ride around lake Monroe with great roads to ride on, and top-notch music including Molly Hatchet. The event will have tons of vendors, good food, and nice people. For more information, call (407) 322-2122, or visit sanfordchamberbikefest.com.

I nervously paced my room, the dusty pine boards creaking under my boots with each anxious step. Something was pulling at me, something seductive, something wicked. No, it wasn't Stinky, my distinctively spicy dog.

I think there is something in our biking DNA, something that makes us wander and drives us to spirited adventure. We may be our nation's last living symbol of the American free spirit, exploring the frontier and what the heck ever comes our way. Fortunately, there are still parts of this country that seem untouched by civilization, wild and ancient, and otherworldly lands.

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." - Henry Ford

Muskegon, Michigan is the host for what is dubbed as "America's fastest growing bike event!" For three days this past July 17 through 19, the largest city on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan hosted the third annual Muskegon Bike Time. The town, with nicknames such as Lumbertown, Port City, and The Beer Tent Capital of the World, had 35,000 bikes and 90,000 spectators fill the streets. A mile-long stretch of Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon became a motorcycle-only "Steel Horse Alley" buzzing with people, food, vendors, beer tents, music, and the sweet sounds of bikes.inline_mediumwraptextright30958884/events/1001_hrbp_muskegon_bike_time1001_hrbp_11_z+muskegon_bike_time+street.jpgTrue

Sturgis 2009
Every July as the summer is in full tilt riders across the globe start to turn their thoughts to a small town in South Dakota. Nestled within the pine laden Black Hills of the southwestern part of the state the town of Sturgis, according to the welcome sign, has a population of 6,442. For seven decades Sturgis and the surrounding communities have hosted tens to hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists for the annual the Black Hills Rally.inline_mediumwraptextright31043199/events/1001_hrbp_2009_black_hills_rally_sturgis1001_hrbp_07_z+2009_black_hills_rally+street.jpgTrue

Nov 6-8
Veteran's Day Bike Rally, Clayhatchee, AL
Located on Route 92, the rally will benefit the Alabama Army National Guard Family Readiness Program and will have a poker run, bike show, music, vendors, 50/50 drawing, door prizes and free camping as well as RV parking. For more information, call (334) 498-3003 or email vipervnv@usa.com.

Laconia & the NYC Fire RidersFire Riders
During this past June we sent a group of NYC firefighters to the Laconia Rally in New Hampshire. Each day we had one of their representatives relay the days events, at least what was fit to publish here, to our beat writer Dawn. -Ed.

Riding With the Ghost of John Dillinger

Sept 10
Grand Lake Rally, Ketchum, OK
The Grand Lakes area has spectacular roads to ride and legendary scenery, which are increasingly popular with the two-wheeled community. This year's activities and attractions will once again include a Sept. 11 fallen heroes ride, bike games, multiple poker runs, over 100 vendors, helicopter rides, a classic boat show, food, drink, and live bands.
For more information, visit grandlakerally.com.

Aug 29
12th Annual Blue Knights Charity Run, Yorkville, IL
The proceeds of this event help benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Loyola's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center and American Liver Foundation. There will be door prizes, trophies for First through Fifth places for largest Blue Knights chapter, largest club/organization, farthest rider, oldest rider, youngest rider, and oldest bike. For more information, visit www.bkilxx.com

I always keep my "bug-out" bag at the ready just in case a mission comes over the fax. It has the usual essentials: couple T-shirts, protein bars, canteen, toothbrush, various leathers suitable for casual or formal biking, camera, Geiger counter, and silver bullets. The word had just come in from Baggers headquarters--a small herd off Bigfoots was sighted in the Minnesota woods by a Girl Scout troop. This is just what I had been waiting for.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that many country music fans are fiercely patriotic and bleed the good `ol red, white, and blue. It's a grassroots musical genre that evokes images of cowboys, the love of the land, as well as love lost. It's as American as Harley-Davidson.

There are motorcycle riders...and then there are folks who are transported by a motorcycle. When they arrive they're aware of a whole new paradigm of freedom. You can quote me on that later. It's all pretty profound, really. Or actually, maybe I just wanted to use the word paradigm.

It was that time of year again to venture out into the Nevada desert and meet up with thousands of riders at the 27th annual Laughlin River Run. The weather was great, the girls were hot, and the bikes were aplenty. There was an abundance of companies bolting on a plethora of purchased goodies and all the big names such as Ness, Yaffe, Simms, Klock, Hotch, and more were rubbing elbows with the masses while showing off their latest and greatest bikes. The best part of the event was that we saw plenty of baggers, fully loaded and riding two-up, meaning people left their trucks and trailers at home and RODE to the River Run! We hope to see you out there next year on April 21-25, 2010. For more info, contact them at: (949) 502-3434 or laughlinriverrun.com

July 16-19
The Little Sturgis Rally
Sturgis, KY
Held at the Union County Fairgrounds, the 17th Annual Little Sturgis Rally has more than 100 vendors, field events, live bands, poker run, ride-in bike show, dirt drag races, and more. Trolleys are available from primitive camping areas to vendor areas and events. For more info call (270) 333-9316.

SAN JOSE, Calif., August 5, 2009 - eBay Motors, the No.1 online automotive marketplace worldwide, today announced the 2009 Motors Master Contest, designed to find America's top vehicle enthusiast in four distinct categories. Winners earn the title of "Motors Master" in their category, receive a trip to Las Vegas to attend the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and receive an eBay Motors shopping spree.

June 19-20
Monte Vista, CO
Rally in the Valley
Alibi's Sports Bar & Grill is hosting its 4th Annual rally and motorcycle raffle. The raffle bike is a 2008 Big Dog Custom Chopper with proceeds to be donated to local schools for new playground equipment. There will also be a poker run, vendors, kids games, a bike show and live music. For more information, call (719) 852-9300 or visit valleyrally.org

The Grand Strand & Southward
Luck is a relative thing. I could say I'm lucky that I have a regular digestive tract. Then again there are guys who only consider themselves lucky in the just-pulled-the-handle-on-the-slot-and-won kind of way. I'm not one of those guys. Chance itself, though, has given me a pretty good buzz in the form of my dream job. Sure, I've got mad skills as an adventure photographer and a knack for finding myself in ludicrous situations, but somehow I convinced Baggers Magazine to hand over a Victory Vision and let me take her on a road trip from Washington, D.C., to Savannah, Georgia. Why? Hey, I'm still in shock that they trusted me, too. But my mission was to find the true meaning of freedom and share it with all.