20th Anniverary of 9/11
BikerDown
WORLD RECORD POKER RUN 2021 Raises over $12k for BikerDown Foundation
On July 31st, over 144 Registered riders left Port Charlotte, Florida, with the sole desire to break a world record for the longest poker run. This poker run would take these riders over 3,200 miles, eight states as they made their way to their final destination, 81st Sturgis Rally.
The riders completed their poker run on August 6th at the Buffalo Chip. Their Coppertone tans and pure adrenaline could finally relax and begin to let it sink in what they had accomplished.
At every stop, they were welcome by dealerships, biker bars, and sponsors. They did their best to soak up all the local color they could in the short time they had there. They averaged over 500 miles per day, so they had to rest and be up bright and early the next day to do it all over again when they stopped. During their evening festivities, these tired riders raised money for the charity of choice, BikerDown Foundation. To date, these riders and organizers have raised over $12,500 to help injured motorcycle riders nationwide.
A Little History
In January 2021, Sonny and Angie (known as “The Badgers”) from supportbikers.com had the vision to break a world record for the longest poker run and wanted to raise money for a charity that helped the biker community. Sonny said, “you would be surprised when you take a look at what is out there; there are hardly any charities that help the biker community.” After some suggestions from their steering committee of riders, Sonny began reaching out and writing emails. BikerDown reached out to me within minutes of me hitting send on my keyboard.
After a few emails and conversations, The Badgers were confident that they had found the right charity.
One of the biggest frustrations BikerDown experiences is an overwhelming number of help requests nationwide where we do not have chapters. BikerDown Bylaws prohibit them from releasing funds outside of our chapter states. The Badgers and WRPR riders have now made it possible for us to give services to riders all over the country.
As President and Founder, I took a flight out to Port Charlotte, Florida, to send off the riders, meet The Badgers and their crew and do all that I could to let the riders know just how appreciative I was on behalf of future injured riders. I was so impressed with how focused and ready they were for these riders; many had already ridden over 800 miles just to start this ride in Port Charlotte.
My next meeting with the crew and riders was in Golden Colorado at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse, where you could see what the riders’ were experiencing. They had almost 2,500 miles under their belt, they had been thru the heat, rain, hail, breakdowns, a couple of accidents, but most importantly, they had overcome every challenge as a group.
Conclusion
On Friday, August 6th at 6 pm, all the riders had to report to the Buffalo Chip for their final check-in; they were happy, hugging, and had such a feeling of accomplishment.
BikerDown will forever be grateful to these riders, organizers, and sponsors for what they went thru for their fellow bikers.
All I can say is the next time Angie and Sonny get a crazy idea; I will say I am ALL IN. Rumor has it they want to do it again next year and break their record.
Bikers Lives Matter Blocking Team
By Laurie Montoya, BikerDown Foundation
There is nothing more fulfilling than organizing a charity motorcycle ride and having riders show up! All weekend riders pay for the privilege of riding on majestic Colorado roads to help every type of cause or charity.
The planning involved in putting together a safe ride is very time-consuming, it is so much more than if we route it….they will come. I have been preaching for years to organized charity rides and events that you must have more than just a first aid kit on a ride, you must have a moral compass and level of responsibility when putting a ride together.
When you are sponsoring or promoting a ride, you are taking the lives of those riders into your hands, waivers are of course signed, and every rider should ride their own ride, but it is important that organizers think about their ride and do everything possible to ensure SAFETY FIRST.
BIKERS LIVES MATTER BLOCK TEAM
Blocking or Leapfrogging is a term that most will not recognize unless you have done it. The purpose of those terms is to get groups of riders thru intersections and not break up the group. There are many that don’t feel bikers should be blocking intersections. I am a proponent of safety first and apologies later. I would rather see a group of 100 riders make it to their destination than worry about upsetting a few drivers who are inconvenienced for a few moments.
In 2020, Lyndell “Fuzz” Elliott founded Bikers Lives Matter Blocking Team with a few of his friends. His sole purpose was to help BikerDown and a few other charity rides he attended with a team of blockers that shared the same vision of motorcycle safety in a group setting and to have a Facebook page where others could volunteer to assist him. Fuzz has a long history in the biker community and has ridden on many charity rides in Colorado and has seen the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY when it comes to things that can go wrong on a ride.
MOLLY-DHARMA RIDE
A few weeks ago, I broke out and attended the 15th Annual Molly-Dharma Motorcycle charity run. If you have never run this ride, put it on your calendar for 2022. This event supports a variety of no-kill shelters in our community and draws a large crowd every year. There were puppies and dogs/cats looking for their forever family running around the Resolute Brewery in Arvada, and it took all my strength not to bring Gerda home for Noel.
150 riders attended this ride which started in Arvada and then headed up Coal Creek Canyon, a route that can be challenging for a large group of riders.
Prior to the ride leaving, I watched Jeff Busch and Fuzz, detail every stop, and turn along the route and the duties and responsibilities of the Bikers Lives Blocking Team. These types of pre-ride meetings can seem overzealous at times, and too much information for others who just came to ride. However, watching Fuzz and Jeff layout everyone’s responsibility is something that most riders don’t get to see which is the goal of a good ride.
The weather was warming up and Fuzz and Jeff did the safety meeting to the crowd, and I thought to myself, guy’s you are going too long…you are losing the crowd. This ride thru Coal Creek has a lot of sharp curves at 10-15 mph and it was important that riders understand and be prepared for the ride ahead.
My responsibilities during the ride was to ride behind approximately 10 blockers (which to me, seemed like way too many) and when we did the 3 designated hard stops, I was supposed to leave enough room for the blockers to get back in the front. I was up to the task but nervous as I have never had that level of responsibility.
As we proceeded thru Coal Creek it became clear that had any of the riders listened to the safety meeting, they should now be prepared for the tight curves and to watch their speed. I would glance in my rear-view mirror and could see that everyone was leaving enough room and being patient with other riders that may not have had their skill level.
As we proceeded to the first hard stop Hwy 72 meets Hwy 119 – the road gets quite steep to the intersection, so the blocker in front of me stopped about 75 yards before the intersection. I began to understand right away that the pre-riders had decided that they didn’t want the riders to come to a full stop on such a steep road. I did my job and stopped the riders about 10 feet away from that blocker. Suddenly all the blockers caught up and several went ahead to the intersection. This break also gave all the riders time to catch up so that when we turned, we could get everyone thru at 1 time.
Our ride on Hwy 119 to Black Hawk was beautiful and the weather while warm was cooler than in Denver and we all really began to enjoy the ride. However, I still was pondering why did we have so many blockers in the front. I was given my answer when we entered Black Hawk and I began to see Fuzz designate each blocker to go to each of the 3 intersections and block so that 150 riders could get thru with ease. Hard Stop #2 was at Johnny Z’s Shell Station on our way down and again, my job was to stop and leave enough room for all the blockers in Black Hawk to catch back up and get in line.
I won’t finish the number of incidents where the blockers made sure the group got safely to the END stop. What was noticeably clear to me was how important it is to have a good blocking TEAM with you on an organized ride. The precision and planning to ensure that 150 riders didn’t get lost or left behind made the event all that more enjoyable for everyone. Riders at the end of the event kept commenting that the ride was great and how much they enjoyed themselves.
These are the comments that you want when hosting a charity ride. A ride was so enjoyable that riders will come back the next year and support you again. A huge thank you to Jeff Bush and Fuzz and their team of riders with Bikers Lives Matter Blocking Team.
The TEAM has accumulated quite a resume of rides that they have blocked for including
- International Female Ride,
- Cruizin for Kruzer,
- BikerDown’s 9th Annual Look Twice Save a Life ride; and
- 15th Annual Molly-Dharma Motorcycle ride.
A special thanks and honorable mention to their TEAM members including
- Fuzz,
- shiner
- Steve Cox,
- Superman John Dentin Asdourian ,
- kickstand Joe Rivera,
- Rick Bouska,
- Jeff Bush,
- Michael Valles
And a special thanks to the Team for Molly-Dharma included
- Rob Bagforb
- Jake Marr
- Charles Holland Jr
- Joey Hackney
- Dave Wynn
- Chad McCullough
- Randy Barnett
High Seas Rally Rescheduled to 2022
Unfortunately, despite some encouraging recent news about Royal Caribbean sailing again later this summer, as we hit the final stretch in the lead up to the 21st sailing of High Seas Rally, it is clear there remains too much uncertainty about ship capacity, vaccinations, and social distancing the deliver on our core mission of producing the most unique and entertaining Motorcycle Rally in the world. We felt it is important to make this call now so you have as much advance notice as possible.
The GOOD NEWS is that we have time to create an even BETTER Motorcycle Rally Cruise for 2022. If we have perked your interest in possibly wanting to join us, here is some information that might seal the deal!
1. The Drinks Are on Us – No alcohol expenses while on this cruise, all drinks are all-inclusive which is a huge saving for 2 people on a cruise
2. Great Entertainment – Trace Adkins has a conflict for 2022 dates, but stay tuned for even more amazing entertainment. Here are the bands that we have confirmed: Foghat, Molly Hatchet, Black Smoke Sinners, and Steel Rod.
3. Payment plans available to help you upgrade to better balcony rooms or suites.
BikerDown Foundation and our local retailer BadGirlsBling.com are both scheduled to be vendors on the 2022 High Seas Rally and you can save an extra $100 on your booking if you use these codes below.
Got Motorcycle Towing/Roadside Assistance Coverage?
By Michael Levy (Owner of Rider Rescue Denver)
In Colorado, Tows Can Cost you a Small Fortune… If you don’t have the right tow coverage.
(But with the right info, you can get your tows for FREE OR reimbursed in FULL)
Colorado is one of the most expensive places in the country to have your motorcycle towed. But if you have the correct type of roadside assistance coverage, you can make towing your motorcycle (when you need it) a whole lot less financially painful.
But you may also be asking why towing rates are going up… when Munky Mark was able to tow people in town, at really reasonable rates? Since Munky (God rest his crazy soul) passed away, gas/diesel costs have more than doubled, liability insurance for tow providers has skyrocketed, and traffic in and around Denver has only gotten more atrocious.
The other reason why motorcycle tows in Colorado are so expensive is those beautiful mountains to the west of us, where we all want to ride. Unfortunately, if you have a mechanical breakdown or get a flat tire in the mountains, there are very few places in the mountains where you can get that sort of work done. So unless you have a buddy with a truck or trailer (who is willing to come to get you), you are going to have to call a tow truck to come up the mountain and then haul you and your bike a bunch of miles BACK down the hill.
Below is the INSIDE SCOOP on how to get most of your motorcycle tows for free or reimbursed in full.
Step 1: Get a Biker Down Membership
Why? Because Biker Down does so much for riders in need when they have accidents and are having difficulty taking care of themselves and their families. Additionally, your Biker Down membership comes included with 1 or 2 tows with a $150 Benefit Limit. Generally speaking, a $150 Benefit limit will get you an approximate 15-mile tow in town. Always know that mileage and prices will vary depending upon a number of factors. As a general rule, the further away you are from the tow truck driver and the bigger the pain in the ass the tow is, the more the tow could cost. To join, please click here
Step 2: Add Roadside Assistance Coverage to Your Insurance Policy!
Why?: Trust me, and do it, TODAY. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Just add roadside/towing coverage to your insurance policy, NOW. Depending upon who you are insured by, your insurance company’s roadside assistance coverage could cover most of your tow costs reimbursed to you in full. This coverage is as low as $7 with Progressive, $14 with Geico and comes included with State Farm motorcycle policies (IF you have “comprehensive” coverage on your policy). Just add roadside assistance coverage to your policy TODAY. If your insurance company does not offer roadside coverage, consider switching to a company that does. If you are going to use your insurance company to get your towing bill reimbursed, remember to call your preferred motorcycle towing specialist first… to make sure that your bike does NOT get jacked up by a towing company (that your insurance company wants you to use) who may not have the proper motorcycle specific equipment or expertise to tow your bike).
Step 3: Add at least one more layer of roadside assistance / towing coverage to your MacGyver Rider Emergency Tool Box
Why?: Because when you live in Colorado and ride motorcycles, you can easily find yourself getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, where you are more than 100 miles from the closest shop. And believe me when I tell you that I have towed folks where the round trip was more than 300 miles… where the tow bill was $1,000 or more. So if you ever find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere, you will want to make sure that you have multiple layers of coverage, IF and WHEN you might need it. Here are some of the additional roadside assistance options you might want to consider adding to your bag of motorcycle tricks:
AAA: Not cheap, but they have coverage options that will tow you up to 100 miles
AMA: Great industry group that fights for our motorcycle rights. Towing up to 35 miles
Factory Roadside Assistance Programs: Harley’s come with the first tow of up to $100 included with your HOG membership. New Indian Motorcycles come with at least 50 miles of tow coverage for at least the first year. And new BMW Motorcycle owners are covered for at least 100 miles of range for the first 3 years of ownership.
Step 4: Call your preferred motorcycle towing specialist FIRST!
Why?: Because that’s who you should call when you don’t want your bike jacked up by a tow vendor who does NOT know how to secure a motorcycle properly. When you reach your preferred motorcycle tow specialist first (with the right roadside coverage in place)… you will likely get most or ALL of your tow bills reimbursed in full.
When using your motorcycle tow specialist, always make sure to get a receipt for your tow bill to present that to your insurance company to have them reimburse you.
Editors Note: A very special THANK YOU to Michael Levy, from Rider Rescue who wrote this amazing article and still promoted competitors towing businesses. To me, this is about the biker code and Michael is showing that it is more important for a rider to be safe off the road than it is to make the mighty dollars.
World Record Poker Run 2021 Comes to Dirty Dogs Roadhouse On Way to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
On August 4th, over 140 Registered riders who started in Florida will be making a pit stop in Golden, Colorado, at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse. These riders began their ride to break the World Record Poker Run on July 30th, and on August 3rd, riders will arrive in Durango for their 2nd to last poker card stop.
On August 4th, they will navigate the Million Dollar Highway to Grand Junction, up I70, and ending in beautiful Golden, Colorado, at the infamous Dirty Dogs Roadhouse.
A Moto Meetup Party and Fundraiser for BikerDown Foundation has been planned for the evening of the 4th at 6:00 pm at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse, 17999 W. Colfax Ave.
These riders voted to re-route their journey to come thru Golden and up thru I-25 to see the #1 Biker Bar in Colorado. So let’s show them a BIG COLORADO WELCOME by coming out to Dirty Dogs on the 4th.
While riding to break the World Record is a big deal, all these riders are also riding to support the BikerDown Foundation and help this 501c3 organization help more riders nationwide. Funds raised thru this poker run and sponsors will replenish the national accident fund to enable BikerDown to reach more injured riders.
For 11 years, BikerDown has worked within the state of Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. The Biker Badgers have a massive network of riders all over the country, and BikerDown with the assistance of this network is being recognized on a more national stage.
Everyone is invited to come to meet some of their favorite moto vloggers and Facebook personalities. The Moto Meetups along the World Record Poker Run Route are open to anyone who wants to come party. Bikers wishing to join the official riders on their way to Sturgis for the Rally will sign a Guest Book and are encouraged to donate BikerDown.org to participate.
Do You Know What The Good Samaritan Law is?
Mark Beluscak, Lead Instructor, Accident Scene Management
As our riding season picks up, I see more and more notices of motorcycle accidents. As an instructor for Accident Scene Management, I am on a mission to present training for everyone on what to do at the scene of a motorcycle accident before EMS arrives. (Accident Scene Management 100). If more riders were trained in the basic trauma skills, we would all be doing something to prevent or minimize injuries or perhaps even deaths at these tragic scenes. Of course, some survival factors have to do with how the accident happens and the forces involved, but as I like to say, “Fortune favors the prepared,” and I want to do everything I can if possible.
This month I would like to mention legal concerns some people have if they help out at the scene of an accident. Questions on legal issues come up in our basic and advanced classes, and there is a part of our instruction that deals with this. Many students ask me, “If I help someone at the scene of an accident, will I get sued successfully?” Fortunately, in Colorado, we have Colorado Revised Statute 13-21-108. This is the Colorado Good Samaritan Law. In Nevada, there is NRS 41.500. The statutes in both states say that you are shielded from legal liability when rendering aid at the scene of an emergency or accident. There are some things you have to remember for this to apply. First, the person you are helping is not a person you are required to treat, and you are not there being compensated as part of your job. For example, Paramedics responding to the scene are not covered as it is their duty to respond and treat them. Volunteers on a rescue squad are protected from liability even though they have to react as they volunteer.
Second, if you act in good faith and do not do something completely negligent, you are protected under the Good Samaritan Law. There is a scene in a funny movie where a woman performs a minor surgical procedure on someone she believes is choking. She has never been trained to do this and only saw the procedure performed on a television show. This woman would not be shielded from liability. For the record, we do not teach minor surgical procedures in Accident Scene Management, not even the advanced class.
The Good Samaritan Law was written to encourage bystanders to help out at the scene of an emergency. So if you are a volunteer or happen to be present when an accident happens, you can help out without fear of placing yourself in legal jeopardy.
Mark Beluscak offers accident Scene Management 100, CPR, and First Aid through the Rocky Mountain Public Safety Training Group (rmpstg@gmail.com). If you are interested in taking the Basic class in Denver or surrounding cities, please contact us so we can get one scheduled in your area.
TOMORROW: BikerDown’s Motorcycle Awareness Ride: Can YOU SEE Me NOW starts at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
By Laurie Montoya
Tomorrow, May 15th BikerDown will again be hosting their 9th Annual Look Twice Ride and our theme again this year is CAN YOU SEE ME NOW. Motorcycle fatalities are up 33% from 2019 to 137. These are un-imaginable statistic and one that riders hope will not happen to them, however, there is hardly a week that goes by that someone in our network of friends isn’t reported to have gone down or passed from a motorcycle accident.
It is a well-known fact that the public does not watch for motorcycles no matter how many billboards CDOT puts up or lighted signs that are only up a few days in May or in August during Sturgis. It is a well-known fact that most motorcycle accidents involve a car and/or some sort of distracted driving. Distracted Driving comes in many forms including texting/driving, use of handheld mobile devices while driving, putting your makeup on while the vehicle is moving, looking in the back seat at your kids, eating while driving to changing the radio station.
Our riding community continues to be the victim of irresponsible drivers who are out driving with no driver’s license and little to no insurance and driver’s leaving accident victims on the ground and leaving the scene. Driver’s change lanes without looking and run stop signs/lights, hit the biker, and keep on going.
We are asking all riders who have been injured in a motorcycle accident or know of someone who is currently hospitalized from an accident, riders who have lost a loved one on the bike to STAND with us on Saturday, May 15th and show this community of drivers to WATCH FOR US!
Riders will need to pre-register for the ride to guarantee themselves 1 of our motorcycle awareness t shirts. T-shirts will be available the day of the event in limited sizes. Registration is $25.00 per rider. Each rider who pre-registers will get 1 free month of motorcycle roadside assistance sponsored by Motorcycle Towing Services.
Our ride will start and end this year at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden with kickstands up at 10-10:30 am. The Look Twice ride is known for great rides routes and safety is always key for this event. Dirty Dogs will have some great entertainment for our event, and our sponsors and biker community always donate great raffles and 50/50 drawings prizes.
Our sponsor for the ride is again Rider Justice. For over 8 years, Scott O’Sullivan from RiderJustice.com has supported this event as well as BikerDown Foundation to ensure that injured motorcycle riders have a resource to go when they go down.
This is BikerDown Colorado’s primary fundraiser that will enable us to continue the mission of helping injured riders until the end of the year!
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month – Safety begins with the rider
By Laurie Montoya, President and Founder of BikerDown Colorado
The Phrase Everyday should be Motorcycle Awareness Day is a statement that signifies the epidemic of motorcycle riders across this country that are injured daily. Everyone knows of a rider who has gone down, been injured or sadly has passed from a motorcycle accident.
Motorcyclists weigh the risk versus the reward for the freedom of the ride and most would say that if they had their choice they would GO doing what they loved. What happens thought when they are injured and their families are left to pick up the pieces of recovery, how does the family survive when you are looking at 6-8 months of recovery and multiple surgeries? What do they do when the driver of the car that hit them has an irresponsible driver with no insurance or at the very least the state minimum required to be on the road.
The answer is actually very simple – Motorcycle Awareness STARTS WITH ME! – Freedom of the ride in no longer free my friends, it requires riders to have the safety gear to keep them safer on the road than ever before, and it requires them to no longer get on the bike without the adequate insurance so in the event of an accident or fatality, the motorcycle law firm of their choice will be able to get them a recovery settlement that they need to survive. THAT IS THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH DOESN’T CHANGE no matter what your ride, how you ride or what group or club you are in!
The National Organization BikerDown Foundation and your local chapter of BikerDown Colorado is mounting a daily campaign “I AM A BIKER” during Motorcycle Awareness Month in the hopes that it will go viral and show drivers/cagers that there are faces behind those helmets, that we are mothers/fathers, husband/wives and that we are more than just a motorcyclist.
We want to give also give our readers and followers tools and tips on how you can make your ride safer on the road, or in the event of an accident have the insurance coverages that you need.
Today, we will start that campaign with a motorcycle insurance checklist provided by Rider Justice.com that is vital to your recovery in the event of an accident. We hope that all riders will take the PLEDGE TODAY, to call their insurance carrier and ask these very basic questions
- In the event I am hit by an un-insured driver, what kind of coverage do i have? Do i have un-insured motorist? Did i waive it when i got the policy?
- In the event I am hit by a driver with limited insurance, what kind of coverage do I have?
- If i have a passenger on the back of my bike and we are hit, is the passenger covered?
- Are my medical bills covered in the event of an accident? How much is it to add Med-Pay?
- I have car and bike insurance – are my policies stackable?
- Underinsured Motorist (UIM) – Purchase a minimum of $250,000
- Medical Payments (MedPay) – Get the maximum offered by your insurance company, usually between $5,000 and $25,000
- Umbrella Policy – If you own your home, you need an underinsured motorists’ umbrella policy for $1 million
- Liability – Purchase a minimum of $250,000
- Collision –
- Comprehensive
- Accessories Coverage – This protects all of the customized accessories on your bike. Be sure to get replacement value coverage
In Colorado or anywhere in the country, if you need an insurance review of what you actually have on your policy and a suggestion of what you should upgrade to, i would suggest that you call Rider Justice and speak to Scott O’Sullivan.
Motorcycle Riders Will Be Forever #BikerStrong
1 year ago, we were all living in a different space with COVID shutting all our lives down. COVID was peaking and our national and local government’s initiated mandatory shutdowns in the hopes that the shutdown would stop the spread.
I am happy to report that while many businesses have closed or will never re-open, our most of biker related businesses have found a way to survive here in Colorado and that is because of the YOU.
It was during these times of hardship that Colorado biker businesses and riders summoned the strength and resilience that lives deep in our DNA to survive. Our biker’s business proved that no matter how often we are knocked down, we will keep getting up and get through this pandemic together. Your commitment to support biker bars thru take out orders, direct donation and continuing to wear your masks has given these businesses just enough revenue to keep their doors open.
The challenges that biker establishments like Dirty Dogs Roadhouse and others have endured, the additional costs involved to remain compliant will take years to recover from, but 1 thing is clear…the biker community is resilient and a community of riders that stand together will forever be #bikerstrong
Colorado Rider News, the only remaining monthly motorcycle publication in our community also faced challenges, and thanks to our motorcycle advertisers and subscribers who continued to read our publication online, we too were able to weather the COVID storm and are still here today!
The future of our motorcycle events in Colorado are increasing, and slowly events are filling up our event calendar. Dealerships, promotors, and charities who struggled thru 2020, are scheduling their annual rides and events and we ask everyone to do what you can to support them.
In this issue we will share with our readers and update on the 2nd Colorado Motorcycle Swap Meet held at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in March. We have also dedicated a portion of this month’s issue to Women riders, their upcoming events, and businesses.
Lastly, April is also Child Abuse Awareness month and CRN was honored to touch base with Biker’s for Justice and Christian Riders MM who will both be hosting rides to bring awareness to child abuse and trafficking.
As always enjoy the ride, let us know what we can do better and BE SAFE OUT THERE
Laurie Montoya
Publisher
Colorado Rider News
Publisher, Colorado Rider News