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Reviews

The Atlas Hitch

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Expo Vendor #2009

Sturgis always gives small publications like Colorado Rider News an opportunity to see what new products are out there in the biker community, and the Atlas Hitch was a product that I knew I just had to do a review on. The first thing that came to mind when I saw this was WHY HADN’T THIS COME OUT SOONER. As with Shark Tank episodes, it takes someone to with a little ingenuity to solve a problem that all bikers have…which is transporting their bikes.

Traveling on your bike is always the preferred means of travel, but there are times that you just need to tow your bike and drive your vehicle to your destination. Some more mature riders can’t take long rides anymore, and large groups traveling long distances usually travel with some sort of chaser vehicle that can carry everyone’s stuff and help in the event of an emergency. The question is, what do you do when a bike breaks down?

Sure, you can call a tow truck and wait sometimes hours for them to arrive especially when you are out of state and don’t have friends that can come get you.

Women riders are growing in record numbers and wanting to travel independently to rallies and events all over the country, but not everyone has a trailer or means to get their bikes to their event.

The Atlas Hitch is for Motorcycle RESCUE and for TRANSPORT and was invented by JAB Dynamics (Patent Pending) and is a MADE IN THE USA product.

JAB Dynamics was founded in July 1996 by owner & CEO, John Berggren. JAB Dynamics is a 28-year old company, which truly defines outside the box approaches to delivering high quality, long-lasting and easy to use products to our customers. We are not waiting around for the next great idea – we are actively creating it.

Since the first motorcycle was built in the late 19th century, committed riders have struggled to find a safe and convenient way to transport their motorcycle, when riding is not a viable option. The Atlas Hitch is designed to be easy and safe to use. It only takes one person just a few minutes to load or unload a motorcycle or Trike. The Atlas Hitch allows you to safely transport your motorcycle or Trike without the fear of injury, high-risk maneuvers or damage to your motorcycle or Trike.

The Atlas Hitch took years to be developed. The parts are machined, laser cut, and powder coated to last. The Atlas Hitch can be used on any vehicle the comes stock with a 2” receiver & can handle 600 pounds of tongue weight. The Atlas Hitch can handle (most) motorcycles with a tire width of 3.5” to 7”, providing the front foot pegs (mounting brackets) are accessible or up to 10” wide tire with the Spider option. If you choose to tow your motorcycle backwards, then securing the handlebars is REQUIRED so they do not turn (i.e. Dirt Bike, Spider).

The Atlas Hitch is on wheels so you can roll it to your vehicles hitch, then just crank it up until level with your receiver and slide it in. To store the Atlas Hitch, just wheel it under your workbench or in the corner of your garage. Truly our product is built for to be handled easily! Whether you select to utilize our manual crank model or prefer the electric version, both will provide you with the ease of self-independence and care when transporting your motorcycle. Yes, it is that easy!

The Atlas Hitch retails for $1,499.00 and beats the cost of purchasing a small bike trailer. It can easily be stored in your garage and kept in the back of your truck when traveling. It is easy to use for men and women! Jab Dynamics is continually adding accessories to the Atlas Hitch to make it easier for the consumer such as an LED tow light kit, adjustable light bar and Pintle Hitch for 6 different mountain positions

If you ride in a group, club or organization that does a lot of rides, this Atlas Hitch can be an extremely valuable addition as it can be pulled with any vehicle that can handle 600lbs of tongue weight. The Atlas Hitch allows you to get a bike safely and quickly off the road and keep you moving on your ride.

For more information on the Atlas Hitch, please visit their website at and watch their YouTube video. I am sure many of you will see why we gave this product 5-stars!

Q&A with owner John Berggren

What inspired you to create/build the Atlas Hitch?

It occurred to us that when a motorcycle breaks down you only have a couple of options for rescue, an expensive tow truck or a friend with a trailer. Trailers are expensive and you need room to store one. I needed something that allowed me to transport my motorcycle without having to rely on a friend or a trailer to easily load and unload by myself.

Ultimately, I needed a way to take my bike to the shop for routine maintenance without my wife having to pick me up and take me back. I wanted to be able to take the family and bring my motorcycle with me on a trip. The Atlas Hitch solved it all.

Does the Atlas Hitch need to be licensed like a trailer?

No, the beauty of the Atlas Hitch, in addition to its convenience and safety, is it does not require a state license or tab. We suggest you check with your local Department of Licensing for specific towing instructions/restrictions.

Can the Atlas Hitch be used on any vehicle?

It can be used on any vehicle with a 2” receiver able to tow a trailer of similar tong weight. Most all vehicles, slated for towing, will tow the Atlas Hitch with ease.

Can the Atlas Hitch handle any type of motorcycle?

The Atlas Hitch can handle any type of Motorcycle or Trike with a front tire width of 3.5”-7”, if the front foot pegs (mounting brackets) are accessible for the securement system.

Do the handlebars need to be secured by straps to keep them from turning?

Only as a secondary safety system or if you haul your bike backward, then securing the handlebars is REQUIRED so they do not turn. We provide a handlebar strap set to use with off-road motorcycles (dirt bikes) and for a secondary safety system.

Is the Atlas Hitch hard to use?

It is easy to use. We have a manual crank or an option for the electric version. It stores on wheels so you can roll it to your vehicles hitch. You just crank it up until level with your receiver and slide it in. It’s a breeze!!
How do you store it when it is not being used?
It has wheels for storage. Just wheel it under your workbench or in the corner of your garage.

Is the Atlas Hitch safe to use?

The Atlas Hitch is designed to be easy and safe to use. It only takes one person just a few minutes to load or unload a motorcycle. Loading a motorcycle on a trailer is dangerous riding or pushing up a ramp and it is more dangerous coasting a motorcycle backward down a ramp. The Atlas Hitch allows you to safely transport your motorcycle without the fear of danger or high-risk maneuvers or damage your motorcycle.
Does the Atlas Hitch come with a warranty?
The information for the warranty is viewable on the product page under the terms tab.

Ride Free or Die Movie Review

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Ride Free or Die movie is an insider’s look into the political world of motorcycle clubs. The clubs are fighting for their constitutional rights against what they perceive as law enforcement profiling and harassment. The documentary features Mongols MC, Outsiders MC, Devils Disciples MC, Sin City Deciples, and clubs from all over America.  Our local leaders in the Colorado Confederation of Clubs were also featured in this movie.

Motorcycle clubs are regularly portrayed as gangs on shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Mayans MC and The Devils Ride.  The theme of these TV shows is violence, drug running, as well as demeaning women as pass arounds with no value in the club.  While this is entertaining on TV shows, the truth is that most motorcycle club members are family orientated and believe in a biker code of loyalty, honor and respect.

It is important to understand the legal definition of motorcycle profiling because it happens every day to riders across the nation. There are an estimated 10 million registered motorcyclists in America representing all walks of life. They include doctors, lawyers, business owners, military veterans, blue collar workers, and even state legislators. 

Unfortunately, the overly broad outlaw biker stereotype embraced by many in law enforcement results in selective enforcement and discriminatory traffic stops targeting a sizable portion of the motorcycling community.  To understand your rights as a rider, you should know the definition of motorcycle profiling as it relates to the law. 

The definition of motorcycle profiling  is as follow: the arbitrary use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related paraphernalia as a factor in deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest or search a person or vehicle.

Solely relying on appearance as opposed to the legal requirement of conduct amounts to discrimination and violates federal law. You should immediately consult a motorcycle attorney and explore your options. Depending on the circumstances of the stop there are numerous potential claims that may be brought under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act.

Profiling violates the 1st Amendment. Being in a motorcycle club or organization, and displaying symbols of association, are both irrefutably protected by the 1st Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971) that individuals have the constitutional right under the 1st Amendment to wear clothing which displays writing or designs and has long recognized and protected the right of an individual to freedom of association. More recent cases confirm that 1st Amendment protection specifically applies to motorcycle club and organization colors and clothing.

Profiling violates the 14th Amendment. In Whren v. US (Supreme Court, # 95-5841, 1996) the Court made a clear distinction between discriminatory stops and mere investigatory stops. The court said, “The Constitution prohibits selective enforcement of the law.”  Although the 4th Amendment is not the proper basis for a complaint, discriminatory or selective enforcement stops are a violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment.

Profiling violates the 4th Amendment. When the duration of the stop extends beyond the reasonable amount of time to adjudicate the traffic infraction then the stop is may be found unreasonable under the 4th Amendment. There is no set time for a reasonable stop because the circumstances of each stop are unique.

This movie will show dash cam and body cam videos of law enforcement violating the 14th and 4th amendments with no probable cause other than the vests and club colors they are wearing.

Ride Free or Die is available to download on Amazon Prime Video and we hope that readers will take time to watch this movie and will walk away better informed.

Product Review: The Atlas Hitch

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Sturgis always gives small publications like Colorado Rider News an opportunity to see what new products are out there in the biker community, and the Atlas Hitch was a product that I knew I just had to do a review on. The first thing that came to mind when I saw this was WHY HADN’T THIS COME OUT SOONER. As with Shark Tank episodes, it takes someone to with a little ingenuity to solve a problem that all bikers have…which is transporting their bikes.

Traveling on your bike is always the preferred means of travel, but there are times that you just need to tow your bike and drive your vehicle to your destination. Some more mature riders can’t take long rides anymore, and large groups traveling long distances usually travel with some sort of chaser vehicle that can carry everyone’s stuff and help in the event of an emergency. The question is, what do you do when a bike breaks down? Sure, you can call a tow truck and wait sometimes hours for them to arrive especially when you are out of state and don’t have friends that can come get you.

Women riders are growing in record numbers and wanting to travel independently to rallies and events all over the country, but not everyone has a trailer or means to get their bikes to their event.

The Atlas Hitch is for Motorcycle RESCUE and for TRANSPORT and was invented by JAB Dynamics (Patent Pending) and is a MADE IN THE USA product.

JAB Dynamics was founded in July 1996 by owner & CEO, John Berggren. JAB Dynamics is a 28-year old company, which truly defines outside the box approaches to delivering high quality, long-lasting and easy to use products to our customers. We are not waiting around for the next great idea – we are actively creating it.

Since the first motorcycle was built in the late 19th century, committed riders have struggled to find a safe and convenient way to transport their motorcycle, when riding is not a viable option. The Atlas Hitch is designed to be easy and safe to use. It only takes one person just a few minutes to load or unload a motorcycle or Trike. The Atlas Hitch allows you to safely transport your motorcycle or Trike without the fear of injury, high-risk maneuvers or damage to your motorcycle or Trike.

The Atlas Hitch took years to be developed. The parts are machined, laser cut, and powder coated to last. The Atlas Hitch can be used on any vehicle the comes stock with a 2” receiver & can handle 600 pounds of tongue weight. The Atlas Hitch can handle (most) motorcycles with a tire width of 3.5” to 7”, providing the front foot pegs (mounting brackets) are accessible or up to 10” wide tire with the Spider option. If you choose to tow your motorcycle backwards, then securing the handlebars is REQUIRED so they do not turn (i.e. Dirt Bike, Spider). 

The Atlas Hitch is on wheels so you can roll it to your vehicles hitch, then just crank it up until level with your receiver and slide it in. To store the Atlas Hitch, just wheel it under your workbench or in the corner of your garage. Truly our product is built for to be handled easily! Whether you select to utilize our manual crank model or prefer the electric version, both will provide you with the ease of self-independence and care when transporting your motorcycle. Yes, it is that easy!

The Atlas Hitch retails for $1,499.00 and beats the cost of purchasing a small bike trailer. It can easily be stored in your garage and kept in the back of your truck when traveling. It is easy to use for men and women! Jab Dynamics is continually adding accessories to the Atlas Hitch to make it easier for the consumer such as an LED tow light kit, adjustable light bar and Pintle Hitch for 6 different mountain positions

If you ride in a group, club or organization that does a lot of rides, this Atlas Hitch can be an extremely valuable addition as it can be pulled with any vehicle that can handle 600 lbs of tongue weight. The Atlas Hitch allows you to get a bike safely and quickly off the road and keep you moving on your ride. 

For more information on the Atlas Hitch, please visit their website at https://jabdynamics.com/Product/atlas-motorcycle-tow-hitch and watch their YouTube video. I am sure many of you will see why we gave this product 5-stars!

Q&A from owner John Berggren

What inspired you to create/build the Atlas Hitch? It occurred to us that when a motorcycle breaks down you only have a couple of options for rescue, an expensive tow truck or a friend with a trailer. Trailers are expensive and you need room to store one. I needed something that allowed me to transport my motorcycle without having to rely on a friend or a trailer to easily load and unload by myself.

Ultimately, I needed a way to take my bike to the shop for routine maintenance without my wife having to pick me up and take me back. I wanted to be able to take the family and bring my motorcycle with me on a trip. The Atlas Hitch solved it all.

Does the Atlas Hitch need to be licensed like a trailer? No, the beauty of the Atlas Hitch, in addition to its convenience and safety, is it does not require a state license or tab. We suggest you check with your local Department of Licensing for specific towing instructions/restrictions.

Can the Atlas Hitch be used on any vehicle? It can be used on any vehicle with a 2” receiver able to tow a trailer of similar tong weight. Most all vehicles, slated for towing, will tow the Atlas Hitch with ease.

Can the Atlas Hitch handle any type of motorcycle? The Atlas Hitch can handle any type of Motorcycle or Trike with a front tire width of 3.5”-7”, if the front foot pegs (mounting brackets) are accessible for the securement system.

Do the handlebars need to be secured by straps to keep them from turning? Only as a secondary safety system or if you haul your bike backward, then securing the handlebars is REQUIRED so they do not turn. We provide a handlebar strap set to use with off-road motorcycles (dirt bikes) and for a secondary safety system.

Is the Atlas Hitch hard to use? It is easy to use. We have a manual crank or an option for the electric version. It stores on wheels so you can roll it to your vehicles hitch. You just crank it up until level with your receiver and slide it in. It’s a breeze!!

How do you store it when it is not being used? It has wheels for storage. Just wheel it under your workbench or in the corner of your garage.

Is the Atlas Hitch safe to use? The Atlas Hitch is designed to be easy and safe to use. It only takes one person just a few minutes to load or unload a motorcycle. Loading a motorcycle on a trailer is dangerous riding or pushing up a ramp and it is more dangerous coasting a motorcycle backward down a ramp. The Atlas Hitch allows you to safely transport your motorcycle without the fear of danger or high-risk maneuvers or damage your motorcycle.

Does the Atlas Hitch come with a warranty? The information for the warranty is viewable on the product page under the terms tab.

Motorcycle Transport Specialist, LLC.

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By: Mark “Munky Mark” Berman

I have been riding a motorcycle for 53 years, and driving a tow truck for 45 years. In those years, I have seen bikes dragged on flatbeds, dangled off the backs of wreckers and other situations that you wouldn’t believe.

[Read more…] about Motorcycle Transport Specialist, LLC.

The Platte Bar & Grill

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By: Stormy
stormyperfect@gmail.com

When you hear bikers say, “Let’s meet at the Platte,” they are not talking about somewhere along the banks of the 310-mile Platte River. They’re referring to The Platte River Bar and Grill on Santa Fe Drive in Littleton, CO. This is a popular hangout for bikers, especially after a long ride in the canyons. It’s near 285, so it’s easy to get to. You would usually find riders hanging out on the patio deck. This gives them a good vantage point to their bikes down below in the ample motorcycle parking lot. It’s funny to see them discreetly nudging each other when they see someone gawking at their chromed-out masterpieces. [Read more…] about The Platte Bar & Grill

The Piper Inn

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By: Stormy

On September 21, Friday night around 5 p.m., after an afternoon motorcycle ride, we stopped at the Piper Inn, 2251 South Parker Road in Denver.

We parked our motorcycles in the designated area in front by the main door. Both sides of patio (non-smoking and smoking) were full as well as the bar and table inside. Lucky for us a patio table on the nonsmoking side opened for us to sit. [Read more…] about The Piper Inn

Review: ROK Straps

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By: Chomper Montoya

Colorado Rider News strives every month to find new or unknown products that help solve riders’ issues and make things easier for you. This month we are featuring ROK Straps. Riders are beginning to pack up their bikes and head to rallys all over the country. How do we strap down all of our gear? Bungee straps. The problem with bungee straps is they get hot and break. [Read more…] about Review: ROK Straps