Laconia Harley-Davidson is commemorating the 90th anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week by launching a campaign to raise $30,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region. The dealership has donated a 2013 Street Glide that will be raffled off to support the organization. Legendary pinstriper Russ Mowry of Candia, New Hampshire, is customizing the bike using the ancient technique of hand-spun gold leaf for the “Laconia Motorcycle Week 90 Years Strong” design on the front, and applying the Boys & Girls Club logo on one side and the Laconia H-D logo on the other. Ticket sales, limited to 3,000, are $10 each and can be purchased at www.laconiaharley.com, and will also be available during Laconia Motorcycle Week at Laconia H-D, White Mountain H-D and the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region… The 7th annual Peter Makris Run will kick off Laconia Motorcycle Week on Saturday, June 8, starting at the Naswa Resort. Activities include a pre-run breakfast, a ride around Lake Winnipesaukee, a buffet lunch, live music, auctions and more. And it’s all for several good causes. For more details, or to register, go to www.naswa.com… The USCRA Vintage Races are presenting four days of racing fun at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Route 106 in Loudon. Thursday and Friday, June 6 and 7, will be race school with on-track practice and a rookie race, while Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9, are the days for the endurance and vintage motorcycle races. For more information, go to www.race-uscra.com… Harley-Davidson has moved the location of its Motorcycle Week setup to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Motor Company will offer test rides, the 2013 motorcycle lineup, the Jumpstart Rider Experience, H-D1 Fit Shop, parts and accessories, MotorClothes and a H.O.G. pin stop. Dates are Tuesday, June 11, through Saturday, June 15… For the first time in its 113-year history, the New York International Auto Show has included motorcycles in this year’s event. And Indian Larry Motorcycles was invited to exhibit at the event that ran from Friday, March 29, through Sunday, April 7. Chaos Cycle from Long Island displayed their customs, and manufacturers were represented by Harley-Davidson, Can-Am and Honda. One problem, though: folks who are used to sitting on new production motorcycles were trying to sit on the high-priced customs. So Bobby Seeger of Indian Larry Motorcycles made up a sign that read, “Wanna Sit on a Bike? Go Sit on Honda’s. They Will Love You Better.”… Two days after Sandy hit the Northeast, Harley rider Greg Nixon and his wife Karen formed Helping Hands of New Jersey, a grassroots organization that helps disaster-struck communities with their food, clothing and shelter needs. Not long afterward, Jersey Calling, a concert series that aids New Jersey’s storm recovery, was formed by promotions company MotorMedia USA. The first Jersey Calling concert took place on April 26 to benefit Helping Hands. MotorMedia USA’s President Indian brought the headliners, aggro-metal band P.O.D., from their homes in San Diego the day before the concert to show them what they are supporting. Barb’s H-D in Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey, found out about the concert from their customer and friend Greg of Helping Hands, and offered to donate motorcycles to each of the band members—all Harley riders—to ride on their tour of storm-stricken shore areas. Barb Borowiec, owner of Barb’s, commented, “In our own way, this is a chance to help the cause and welcome P.O.D. to the East Coast. We’re all family, us Harley fans, and we appreciate that they are coming. We are so honored to meet the whole band and we appreciate that they are coming across the country to support us.” The concert raised about $7,500 for Helping Hands, and Indian tells me that more concerts are planned in the future. Greg says, “The concert was a big success because we not only raised money for the community, we also brought attention to the organization.” For more information on Helping Hands, go to www.hhofnj.org, and to find out about future benefit concerts, go to www.jerseycalling.com… The 3rd annual Wounded Vet Run took place April 28, with over 3,200 riders leaving Boston Harley-Davidson in Everett and arriving at Suffolk Downs racetrack in East Boston. The original intent of the ride was to honor and support veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it took on a whole new purpose after the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks. One of the veterans who will benefit from the run, Army Captain Jake Murphy who lost parts of both legs when he stepped on an I.E.D. in Afghanistan in 2011, participated in the marathon. Other veteran beneficiaries are Marine Lance Corporal Nick Eufrazio who was wounded in Afghanistan in 2010 and Marine Lance Corporal James Crosby who was partially paralyzed in Iraq in 2004… On April 5, I met up with my Iron Knights MC brothers and sisters for the Tri-County Kickoff Party. Before the event, we went on a 60-mile ride around Morris, Passaic and Sussex Counties in New Jersey, winding our way through woods and wetlands, before heading over to the Morris County VFW. For a $10 donation, we got food, soft drinks, vendors and music. It was a great beginning to the riding season… Much as I wanted, I couldn’t be in two places at once so I missed the same-day Motorcycle Dust Off at SideShoBob Kustoms in Ringwood, New Jersey. There, SideShoBob had food, beverages and giveaways as a thank-you to current customers and a welcome to new ones. I rode up there a few days later and discovered that the shop is situated in one of the best riding areas in the state, right alongside the Wanaque Reservoir. SideShoBob has been doing well in the year since he opened, and is even expanding, having taken over the space next to his shop.
