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Riding Club Profiles

Free Wheelin Canadian Womens Motorcycle Club

04 Jan 2009

Details: Category: Riding Club Profiles; Written by Belt Drive Betty; Hits: 1762

The Original Article Appeared in the 2nd Edition of the

Busted Knuckle Chroniicles 2009

FREE WHEELIN’ CANADIAN WOMEN’S
MOTORCYCLE CLUB

We are an exclusively female riding club, just some gals who want to ride motorcycles and
maybe hang out together a bit, based out of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. We have a current membership of about 40. We welcome all types and brands of bikes – if a bike is legal, insured and in roadworthy condition, then it meets our criteria – metric or not, it’s all the same to us.

Some of our members ride sportbikes, some ride cruisers and we even have a few vintage bike riders amongst us. We also have members who belong to other clubs as well. We don’t have any trike-riding members yet, but we’ll be happy to add them to the roster when the time comes!

Membership fees are reasonable and more
information about the club, our events and how to join can be found on our blogpage at:
http://freewheelinriderz.blogspot.com .

We also have an email address if you’d like to contact us directly: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Some of our gals are very experienced riders, with a lot of years under their belts and some are complete newbies, whom we make welcome and do our best to mentor.
Our club mandate, if we have one at all, is to ride your own ride, but having said that, we try to foster each other’s progress with wise and
sisterly critique and advice. (It could be argued that for some members, “We ride to eat” is
really their motto, but we won’t go into that here ;-)

Over the years, we have had a number of members move away, but several of them have
retained their memberships, even though they now live as far away as across the continent –
we think that says a lot about the level of camaraderie found amongst Free Wheelin’
members!

We meet monthly throughout the year for planning meetings, at a central Coquitlam
location and as well, through the riding season we have standing “pick-up” ride days on designated Wednesdays and Sundays from a Surrey location. We host an online bulletin board for members to post impromptu rides and communicate with other members on and we organize several overnighter or distance rides throughout the riding season. This season, for instance, we participated in rides to Vancouver/Gulf Islands, a Winthrop-Leavenworth loop ride in WA state and a ‘Great Pumpkin Drop’ ride to Hell’s Gate to end off the riding
season. Oh yes, and we held our very popular annual Club Rally and BBQ in July, which is always well-attended.

Club members often attend events sponsored by other clubs or groups as well, such as the annual Gord Heppler Ride and Vancouver and Fraser Valley Toy Runs and we are always happy if a member wants to take it upon themselves to suggest and plan a new ride destination.

In the summer, we host a Mexican-themed potluck and to wind up the riding season, a Fall annual Brag Night where we show photos/videos of our individual bike trips of the year
(and imbibe a few martini’s or other interesting libations).

December brings a group overnight jaunt to the Seattle Motorcycle Show and our usual
Christmas potluck Bash (where we welcome husbands and significant others).

In January, Free Wheelin’ kicks off the year by hosting a booth at the Vancouver Motorcycle Show (which is actually in Abbotsford) where we meet and greet and try to get the word out to other lady riders about our club and in February we host a Valentine’s ‘Tea’ to welcome new members and be reunited with the rest of our ‘gang’, so we can start the year’s riding fun all over again.

So, ladies, if we’ve interested you in joining us, or if you’d just like more information, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

We’d love to hear from you!

Free Wheelin’ Canadian Women’s Motorcycle Club

Grande Prairie Toys for Tots

04 Jan 2009

Details: Category: Riding Club Profiles; Written by Suzie Healey; Hits: 1626

The Orignal Article Appeared in the 47th Edition of the

Busted Knuckle Chronicles 2008

The Grande Prairie Toys for Tots - Christmas Shop & Christmas Parade Float

Group is a very active Toy Run Association and is typical of many such associations right across the country.

Those who belong to these organizations tend to have the Christmas spirit all year long!

Our group decided that since our Toy Run is at the end of September many people would forget that Toys for Tots had contributed to the community and so the decision was made to enter a float in the annual Christmas parade.
They started out with a really dirty truck and trailer and in about four hours, the gang had the float ready to go...

On Sunday morning, (November 30th) this same group took the truck and trailer now transormed into a float and headed for the parade staging area. When I got there to take these pictures I was truly impressed. The group of guys and dolls that decided our organization needed to be
represented in the parade had done a wonderful job!
It was a great idea to have a float in the parade and by all accounts the Toys for Tots float was well received by the community.

This same group of guys and dolls and a few more then got together on Saturday December 6th for our annual Toy Shop...to all of us - this is, without a doubt the best day of the year. Spending the money we raised to fill the Christmas list of the Salvation Army and the Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program - it’s something we all love to do!

After a hearty breakfast provided by Zeller’s, we were off with shopping carts and lists, young and old to spend some serious coin!

Some of us were lucky enough to have kids helping us to choose what is cool and telling us when a gift idea was lame! It’s a lot of fun having the kids - all future riders helping out!

There were a few left to their own devices and although they got off to a bit of a rough start - they came through like the troopers they are! At the end of it all we filled the cube van for the Salvation Army and had our hearts filled with joy!

Visit our new web site at:
www.gptoys4tots.com

The Brandt Tractor Employees of the Grande Prairie Branch represented by my hubby Mark, handed over $1552 to the Salvation Army that was raised the night before at their Christmas party. Yes the Christmas Spirit is alive and well here in Grande Prairie! BDB

Red Knights AB Chapter 4

04 Jan 2009

Details: Category: Riding Club Profiles; Written by Belt Drive Betty; Hits: 2092

The original article appears in the 45th Edition of the

Busted Knuckle Chronicles 2008

History and Highlights,
Red Knights Motorcycle Club
Chapter Alberta 4

by Bill Hnatiuk

We are a paid, Volunteer Fire Department serving the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass.
Our Municipality is located in the Southwest corner of the Province of Alberta, Canada.
We are nestled on the Eastern slopes of the C

anadian Rocky Mountains. Our Fire Station (Coleman Fire Department) was established in 1907, and has evolved to become known as Fire Station #25.

The fact that all members are volunteers means we all sustain other full time
employment. Careers in Mining, Lumber, Utility Services, Trade Workers, and Municipal
Employees are but a few of the jobs that make up our department membership.

However, of our department members enjoy the same leisure activities, one of which is “Riding Motorcycles”.

When we became aware of the International Red Knight Motorcycle Club through an advertisement in the Canadian Firefighter Magazine. We decide to learn more about the International Club by visiting the RKMC International web site. Knowing that fellow fire fighters sharing the same interest had organized a fraternity, it was decided that this would be for us.

Our Chapter applied for a RKMC Chapter and was approved for membership in April of 2003. At that time we had 11 members, as of December 31st, 2007 our club membership sits at 30.

We have acquired membership from four other Municipal Fire Stations; fighters from
Blairmore, Pincher Creek, Fort Macleod and Cardston all located in our area have joined our Chapter. In 2003 we were the fourth RKMC
Chapter started in Alberta there are now eight.

Other locations include Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Calgary, Cold Lake, Spruce Grove,
Fort Saskatchewan, and Lethbridge.

RKMC Chapter Alberta 4, Highlights

    Weekly rides, West through the Rocky Mountains to Fernie British Columbia and
stopping at Tim Horton’s for coffee

    Attending Alberta RKMC Rallies.

    Attending International RKMC Rallies

    Participating in fund raising rides, such as, Ride for Site, Ride for Dad and various Toy Runs through out the Province.

Bill Hnatiuk, President,
RKMC, Chapter Alberta 4

Southern Independant Riders and the St Victor Boogie

04 Jan 2009

Details: Category: Riding Club Profiles; Written by Belt Drive Betty; Hits: 2943

The Original Article Appears in the First Edition of the

Busted Knuckle Chronicles 2009

Celebrating 30 Years

The St Victor Boogie is probably unlike any other motorcycle rally. Unlike rallies such as the Sturgis Black Hills Rally, Daytona Bike Week, and the Laughlin River Run, St Victor Boogie is a straight ahead social event.

The St Victor Boogie started thirty years ago when a handful of close friends gathered at
Sylvan Valley Regional Park south of St Victor, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Entertainment came from the personal stories of those there and an old Led Zeppelin 8 track blaring from an El Camino. Years later things haven't changed much. The crowd is larger with over a thousand bikers pouring in from not only Saskatchewan but all over Canada and the United States and the live music today comes from some of Canada's hottest up and coming bands.

The ever expanding campground situated just out side of St Victor is "ride-in" only for the
father's day weekend every June.

Support vehicles and RV campers are not
permitted into the main campgrounds however the Southern Independent Riders, the organizers of St Victor provides transportation into the grounds for those camped outside of the gate.

One look around and you can see why.

Every square inch of the campgrounds is
covered with motorcycles and tents. Campfires serve as meeting places for those who want to share stories and good times You probably won't find much peace and quiet either near the corral that serves as the band stand as the bands play till long after the sun has come up.

It is this combination that gives the St Victor Boogie more of a feeling of a backyard bar-b-que than of a major bike rally. While the boogie doesn't officially start until Friday, many bikers start arriving at the beginning of the week to ensure that they get prime camping sites, either right in the thick of things or a more secluded, quiet corner of the park. Saturday is the bike rodeo games.

Many also take Saturday to ride through the expansive countryside, taking in Saskatchewan's badlands where many of the wild west's outlaws such as the real Jesse James and Billy the Kid hid out from the law. The surrounding
communities and businesses welcome the bikes with open arms. Egos are left behind, as this is one weekend for whooping it up, partying, and having a good time. The Southern Independent Riders welcome all motorcycle enthusiasts to the St Victor Boogie.

www.stvictorboogie.com
www.myspace.com/stvictorboogie

Vintage Flat Track Racing Association

04 Jan 2009

Details: Category: Riding Club Profiles; Written by Belt Drive Betty; Hits: 2481

The Original Article Appeared in the 3rd Edition of the

Busted Knuckle Chronicles 2009

Vintage Flat Track Racing,
Thorhild Alberta Canada

Flat Track motorcycle racing is unique to North America, and believe it or not, Australia. The first time man put an engine in a two wheeled conveyance, and a second machine was built, racing was sure to follow. The early races where held on horse racing tracks that where anywhere from ¼ mile to 1 mile in length. This “Grass Roots “ racing grew to be one the premier motorcycle events in North America with AMA sponsored events all across the USA.

Early Flat Track motorcycles where mostly stock bikes with some minor modifications. As the sport grew, and the need for speed
increased, more and more modifications where made to the engines and frames of production motorcycles, culminating the Harley Davidson XR
series of production Flat Track racing machines. The history of dedicated flat track racing machines followed the production of stock motorcycles, and there popularity with the buying public. In the early years, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Henderson, Excelsior all had product racing on dirt tracks across North America. As the British influence grew in North America, Triumph, BSA, Norton and other popular British brands became popular on the circuits on the west cost and US northwest.
With the invasion of the Japanese brands in the sixties, the product names of Yamaha and Honda came to the for front of the flat track racing seen.
There is a group of enthusiast in Northern Alberta, that has brought some of the thrills and spills of Flat Track Racing back to a small track in Thorhild Alberta.

Known as the Alberta Vintage Flat Track Association, this hardy group of racers and enthusiast have taken a small 3/8 mile oval and turned it in to what is arguably the best Flat Track Motorcycle racing venue in Western Canada.

The group focuses on “Vintage “ racing, which really means running bikes built prior to 1985.

Product names Like Harley Davidson, Triumph , Norton , Yamaha , Can-Am , Honda , BSA and others can be seen hurtling around the track at speeds in excess of 70 MPH
(They are old school and still talk in MPH)

The association is a relaxed group (When not racing) of enthusiast that got together approximately 4 years ago and came up with an idea.
This idea grew to an event schedule that host 4 race / events per season and a number of practice events that draw competitors from all over Western Canada. Expectations are that 2009 will have 50 or more riders/ competitors calling Thorhild their home track . Although it is called “Gentlemen Racing” on Sundays (Because we all have to get up on Monday and go to work) the caliber of racing skills and talent is quite impressive. With Sportsman class for the novice rider, right up to Expert “B” class there is a level of skill that is equal to any of the other venues in North America.

This whole years worth of excitement could not have come about without the full support of the community of Thorhild Alberta. The town has supported the “Flat Trackers” in there efforts and have contributed greatly to the success of the events hosted. “Turn Left, Go Fast “ !