One of the most amazing riders I’ve ever personally witnessed on a motorcycle is Leslie Porterfield. I have incredible video footage in my archives of Leslie tearing up the roads throughout the gorgeous Texas Hill Country along with Joe Martin of Martin Bros Bikes. Another cool time was when we were riding California’s coastal State Route 1 just northwest of Santa Rosa when she and a racer from BMW were putting their respective rides through their paces. I was riding drag on my Dyna Low Rider and having the best time with the Pacific Ocean on my left, mountains and forests to my right, and it was just the three of us with our bikes and no one else to share the road with. Then Leslie decided to go to the Bonneville Salt Flats and ride her bike at 232.522 mph and everyone in biking then knew who she was after capturing the women’s land speed record! This Texas gal was prepared to head back up to Bonneville again this year to try to best her own record but an injured knee has taken her out of the running for this year so she has redirected her sights to 2017 to break her own record… I recently discovered another Texas-based rider who will be competing in the Raine Devries, coast-to-coast 3300-mile endurance run September 10–25 (MotorcycleCannonball.com). John Pfeifer lives in Houston and will be piloting a 1916 (all bikes must be at least 100 years old) Harley-Davidson J model V-Twin with a 61 cubic inch engine producing a whopping 11 hp. When asked about his experience in long-distance competition, Pfeifer confided that the furthest he’s ridden is to Dallas and back (approximately 500 miles). John is riding under the team name of the Mapache Tribe (Mapache is Spanish for raccoon) and will join 119 other riders for the journey from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Carlsbad, California. I heard about John from THUNDER PRESS Editor at Large Robert Filla who owns and operates Prestige Leatherworks and is constructing a set of proprietary saddlebags for Pfeifer’s adventure. Specializing in custom, one-off designs purposed to meet a rider’s individual needs, you can reach Prestige on Facebook (facebook.com/prestigeleatherworks) or contact Robert direct at 713.409.4982… The Progressive International Motorcycle Show has announced their seven cities for this season’s tour and Dallas is the only city in this part of the country, with dates set for January 13–15, 2017. Yep, that’s right, IMS opens on my birthday of January, Friday the 13th, and I’m just putting that out there in case anyone feels particularly generous! Tix to IMS are now available at MotorcycleShows.com… On August 20, the new incarnation of Ride for Dime was held and several hundred riders participated to honor the memory of Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott. The concert was held at Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill in Dallas and featured some badass bands including Corrosion of Conformity with proceeds going to help charities. (facebook.com/theridefordime)… Months after the July 7 ambush that took the lives of five Dallas cops, riders from across Texas continue holding rides and fundraisers to donate to the Assist the Officer Foundation (ATODallas.org). Rides have been held by riding groups and venues alike with riders saddling up in all types of weather to get the job done. Much respect and thanks to all of you who have participated.
