A Grande Re Opening and a long drive ahead

This morning I will have the pleasure of attending the Grande Re Opening of Kamloops Harley-Davidson. The re vamp and overhaul of the shop has been a while coming but was well worth it as Al Perrett, the owner told me yesterday. There is something special about this shop - not only is Al at 71 still active in racing in the Baja, he remembers the name of pretty much every customer who shops there.

Yes this man is special and that is what makes Kamloops H-D special - the people. I have had the pleasure of having Robin - the service manager work on my bike, Larry DeBolt from Grande Prairie has also had the pleasure of having Derek Jacobs and Jordan Mallais work on his bike and when I say pleasure - I mean it. The Best CUSTOMER Service I have gotten in a shop ever - were Larry's words!

The employees in this shop seem genuinely happy to see and serve you. Everyone wears a smile, there is a feeling of true happiness here which - in retail - is rare. If you have time today - stop in - take in the band, the refreshments and say hi to Al and the gang!

We have some more new business partners where that BDB Club/savings card is good at!

David W. Page - Investors Group - Kamloops BC
Falkland Pub- Falkland BC
Kreater Custom Motorcycles in both Kelowna and Mississauga!
Remember - membership on www.beltdrivebetty.com is FREE and so is your savings card


After I leave the H-D shop - I am on the road again!
This time heading for home and my own bed! I am sooo looking forward to that and seeing my wonderful man!

It's a busy day in the news - if you have a few moments, drop in to the What's hot page at www.beltdrivebetty.com and scroll down to the center of the page...

If you are a lucky dog and are riding on this glorious day - please ride like everyone around you is blind - out to get you and please remember to ride Proud not Loud

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

A sad day as a long standing tradition is cancelled

On Vancouver Island the Association for Injured Motorcyclists has for the past 22 years held a very popular event: The Pig 'n' Fin

Pepper - from the Vancouver Island Chapter announced on Face Book today that the decision was made to cancel the event due to a lack of volunteers - she also announced that for the same reason the Vancouver Island Chapter of AIM would be put in limbo meaning that injured riders would not be getting the support that they once had.

Folks - I am sad - heart sick really. The Pig 'n' Fin has been an event that funds assisting injured riders for 22 years - there are more of us than ever and yet in just about every organization I talk to volunteer-ism is at an all time low!  It appears that in many locales the same 6-10 people do all of the work - time after time until they burn out and can do no more. If you are willing to step up and help out contact the Vancouver Island AIM chapter.

I am begging all of you - every human being who rides - PLEASE - get off your duffers and volunteer for the motorcycle group/cause that is the closest to your heart - without volunteers we are going to start loosing more and more events - look at what happened in Grande Prairie - same thing - our chapter of AIM Can is in moth balls and our events are cancelled - why? Because no one is stepping up to help out.

I wished with all my heart that every riding club and every cause had the number of volunteers they need to survive but only YOU can make that happen. Are you going to be one of those people who says I wished there was something to do this weekend? Are you going to ask why are there no events? No show 'n' shines, no poker runs? People - these things don't happen without two key ingredients - volunteers and sponsors. Remember that! Shop at the sponsors businesses - they sponsor events to gain loyal customers and give back to their community. Why else would they just give an event hundreds of dollars in product etc????

Instead of trying to start your own group or event - why not look around to see what you could join...all of the divided effort in the world is only going to weaken our community - remember - united we ride!

In the news today:

Ottawa - Parliament Hill - a new club is hitting the streets! The Hill's Angels - Red & White will be their colours and all MP's who ride will be the members! After Rex Murphy's commentary a few years ago where in he called Parliament the Big Red Machine - I find it hilarious with all of the politics on both sides of the fence that they should call themselves Hills' Angels - Too Freaking funny if you ask me!

In Calgary - the Cancer Camp is getting ready for their ride.

Check out the BEST Ride's first ride of the season.

Motorcycle Ride for Dad is in the news again!

There's a great article on a biker dog...

The Deb Grey Ride for Haiti has been cancelled

In Kelowna a rider is down after a crash yesterday

If you are lucky enough to be riding today - please, ride like everyone around you is blind, is out to get you and please ride proud - not loud.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

Building a community directory...

My mission in life has become one of creating a great Rider friendly phone book/directory and other useful resources for riders.

The theme is Canadian - when you are in Canada be you a Canadian rider or a visitor to our beautiful country, helping you to find the services, the rides, the people that are integral to your trip is what I want to do and what I have been working on really hard for two years now.

In the last two weeks we have added 15 new business partners to our Rider Friendly Business Association - some from Ontario, BC and Alberta.

BIG BDB Thank You to our BDB Club/ Rider Friendly Business Association Partner renewals!

Harleywood
150 - 1902  Hwy 97 S - Okanagan Falls, BC (250) 460-2493
Directory Listing
Alice's Restaurant
1891 Vernon St, Lumby, BC - (250) 547-2223
Directory Listing
Log Inn Pub (coming back to us after a year off for renovations)832 2nd Ave, Wainwright, AB - (780) 842-2038

Directory Listing

A BIG BDB Welcome to our newest BDB Club/Rider Friendly Business Association Partners!

OK Falls Hotel
1054 Main St, Okanagan Falls, BC (250) 497-5768
Directory Listing

Creek Edge Bed & Breakfast
14414 N Victoria Rd, Summerland, BC  (250) 488-4264
Directory Listing

Hume Hotel
422 Vernon St, Nelson, BC  (250) 352-5331
Directory Listing

Best Western Baker Street Inn & Convention Centre
153 Baker St, Nelson, BC - (250) 352-3525
Directory Listing

The New Grand Hotel
616 Vernon St, Nelson, BC - (250) 352-7211
Directory Listing

Riverfront Pub
6927 Highway 97A, Enderby (Grindrod) BC - (250) 838-7261
Directory Listing
Riders Haven  B & B
28 Kiskatinaw Place, Tumbler Ridge, BC - (250) 242-4475
Directory Listing

Twin Creeks Motel
Box 721, Lumby, BC - (250) 547-9221
Directory Listing

Riders Edge Motorsports
2134 Shuswap Ave, Lumby, BC - (250) 547-2119
Directory Listing

Bunkhouse Campground Resort
921 Third Ave - P.O.Box 174 - Village Queen Charlotte-HaidaGwaii, B.C.
(206) 259-6013

Directory Listing

Wayne Wald, Independent Business Associate
PrePaid Legal Services Inc.
#108, 6030 -- 88 St - Edmonton, AB - (780) 619-4040
Directory Listing

Elbow Grease
632 114 Ave. - Dawson Creek, BC - (250) 782-6453
Directory Listing

Canadian Cruiser Customizing
1323 5th Ave, Prince George, BC- (250) 960-8001
Directory Listing

Tulip Inn
211 Arrowhead Park Rd, Huntsville, ON- (705) 789-4001
Directory Listing

Kingsbridge Inn
268 Main Street, Hwy 92, Wasaga Beach, ON - (705) 429-6364
Directory Listing

That brings our association up to about 175 locations and 120 businesses participating!
Not bad for one sales person  - me.

Now folks - imagine - if I could find one motivated sales person for Ontario and one person for eastern Canada, how good could our community directory be? How great could that little BDB card be? Being able to ride anywhere in Canada, whip out your card or phone book and either get a special service or perhaps a discount or hey - a play and stay offer from say hotels and golf courses - wouldn't that make riding even more pleasurable than it already is?

I would really appreciate it if you read this blog, are a member of my Face Book page or Fan page or Rider Friendly Page,  if you would - if you haven't already, sign up for the FREE membership on www.beltdrivebetty.com - once you are registered and approved - go to your profile page - there is a link there, PRINT MY BDB Card - click on that link - then either print off the card and laminate it for your wallet or write the number down in the back of your Little Black Book of Rider Friendly Businesses and put it in your saddle bags or dash bag.

Use your card often - tell the businesses you found out about them through our network - otherwise they won't stay with us and if they don't stay with us, none of the free services we provide to riders will stay free.

In our on line phone book, you can rate and review the businesses - we love stories about our partners - participate in whatever way works for you - be it flashing your membership card, rating a business, sending us pictures - we just want our partners knowing that riders appreciate them going the extra distance.  Now remember folks, the phone book - the Canadian Riders helping riders our events calendars and more are also available to our members on www.beltdrivebetty.mobi

We are working hard to provide you with the tools and resources that will make riding in Canada more rewarding than it already is! Join us - it is FREE...

In the news today: 
In Kitwanga BC - The service for Alan Degerness takes place on Saturday - May 15th

In Belleville ON the Ride for Hunger is taking place this weekend

Also in Ontario - Classy Chassis & Cycle has it going on...

Biker TV is celebrating a milestone

Motorcycle Ride for Dad in Edmonton is gearing up


In Golden BC there is a new shop for riders to check out

There's sports nees, motorcycle news and more in the latest news section on the What's Hot Page on www.beltdrivebetty.com - come check it out - and if you have news to add - please - DO!!!!

If you are fortunate to be riding, I truly am green as my bike is at home, calling to me. Please ride like everyone around you is blind, can not see you - IS out to get you and ride proud - not loud.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

A lot I'd like to do...

This sales trip has been a really good and positive one. There is so much more that I would like to do but I alas am one person. The driving, lack of sleep and the work load kind of caught up with me today as I actually slept in by 2 hours causing my whole day to be running late. Hence the lateness of this blog post.

The trip in Nelson was very successful - we now have The New Grand Hotel, The Hume and The Best Western Baker St on board with our RFBA program!

Along with the B & B - Creek Edge in Summerland, the OK Fall Bar & Grill in OK Falls and renewing of the Log inn Pub in Avola our program to offer special services and or discounts to riders is growing! We are somewhere around 175 locations your BDB Club or F.I.R.R.E. membership cards are good at!

I would love to find one really motivated sales person to help me. We are growing and have a ton of interest, sadly with all of the other duties I have, I can only sell and do so much! If any of you knows some one to help with sales in Eastern Canada - PLEASE - get in touch!


It was great having a girls night with Mary from Toad Rock, even better having a really - really good lunch at the New Grande Hotel with her and the fabulous meeting with Graham from the Nelson DMO (District Marketing Office)

The drive to Fruitvale to see Randy & Sherri at Leather & Steel was beautiful - nice weather for a change. Thanks for the hugs and the hospitality you two!

I finally got in to Lumby at 9:30 pm - I forgot to take the ferry crossing in to account in my travel time! What a beautiful trip highway 6 is - from Nakusp to Lumby - lots of deer, I saw bear and rabbits - pretty country!

My condolences go out to the family of Colin McDonald, a Colwood, Vancouver Island rider and motorcycle builder who lost his life last night in a single vehicle accident.

As I am already hugely late - I am going to keep this short and sweet -  please check out the latest news at www.beltdrivebetty.com - scroll to the centre of the page - left hand side!
If you are riding today I am green! Please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, is out to get you and remember to ride proud not loud.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com

A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

A wonderful trip so far!

I left Biker Barbie's B & B yesterday and headed to Summerland to meet Louise at Creek Edge B & B - our newest Business Partner in the Rider Friendly Business Association!

Her location in Summerland is wonderful and I can't wait to write the review and share it with you all.
The drive into Toad Rock Campground in Nelson was spectacular! I enjoyed the drive - would have preferred it to have been a ride but oh well!

I am meeting with some Nelson businesses and hoping to grow the movement of Rider Friendly Businesses for our Association. We are working hard on creating ride maps and partnerships that will hopefully see riders get good prices and better customer service and guidance to where the best attractions and rides are!

After my round of meetings today I head back in to Fruitvale to see Randy & Sherri at Leather & Steel, then I am off to Lumby and then back down into the south Okanagan to Kelowna and Penticton to finish a few things up.

I will do my best to keep you all informed as to the developments of this very busy trip because the more businesses we can get designated and identified as Rider Friendly the more valuable your free membership on www.beltdrivebetty.com becomes! Remember to go to your profile page and click on the Print my BDB Card link. If you have a Rider Friendly Phone book there is a membership/savings card in the back  - write your BDB Membership number won on that card or print the card off on line and laminate it for your wallet - the more you use your card to take advantage of the offers that hotels, motels B & B's and campgrounds offer you - the happier everyone will be!

In the news today:
A rider in Northern BC was killed when his motorcycle veered off the road, at the time of writing no one seemed to know why he road off the road.

Pirelli has created personalized tyres! From what I understand this is only available in the UK for now...

Inside Moto X is sponsoring the six Amateur classes in the Canadian Enduro Championship

BMW Motorrad is celebrating 30 years of its “Gelande-Strasse” (GS) line with four special edition models.

If you are lucky enough to be able to ride today please ride like the whole world is driving blind and is out to get you and remember - ride proud - not loud!

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com

A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

People Watching - have you ever?

Have you ever been at a motorcycle event and just sat back and watched people?

This past weekend at the Slack Alice's Show 'n' Shine I did a lot of that - in fact I do at every riding event.

The things I find interesting are the way people change their talk and their carriage of themselves when they are around different people.

For example, I watched this one young fellow who seemed to be everywhere, if I was at the hot dog vendors, he'd appear, if I went to the beer gardens, there he was. Anyhow, this young man changed his personality so many times he could have been a chameleon! When he was talking to a patch holder he was all Bro dis and Bro dat, his walk was cocky almost a jive walk and when he was in front of a bunch of young gals he was all charm and compliments, he treated the physically attractive waitresses like they were "pros" and elderly women like they were his mom  - it was interesting for sure.

Then there were some of the girls - I remember being young and wanting to look all hot and sexy, I wonder if back in the day my friends and I put on the phony the way some of these gals do? Thank goodness for old age and distance from those memories.  Oh lord some of the gals were trashy and catty - some were even cruel. I found it interesting the way all of these young flat bellies had to get all high on themselves in front of the patch holders...the games that get played in real life are more interesting watching than anything on the tube!

I wonder why we as humans can't be content to be who we really are? I wonder why we feel the need to drink and ride or to show off on our machines by doing burn outs and drawing the heat from the cops and ire of the neighbours - I wonder why we feel the need to destroy otherwise good events with bad attitudes and egos. There I go again with that Why thing...

In the news today:

In Quebec more protests are being planned by riders to protest the insurance and licensing hike they experienced last year at the hand of the Charest government. They intend to plug up the road ways going the minimum speed allowed byt the law to drive their point home.

One Ontario - one rider tries to remind vehicle drivers who smoke to please not flick their cigarette butts out the window - she explains the kind of accidents that can cause.

In Vancouver it appears that riders are not going to get a break on parking, at least not yet.

The feds are thinking of allowing what is being dubbed as quadracycles on the roadway - you see them in the USA, they are really nothing more in my humble opinion, than a quad.


If you are fortunate to be riding today - PLEASE ride like everyone is blind and out to get you and ride proud, not loud.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

Happy Mother's Day

I don't normally blog on Sunday but thought I need to wish all of my girlfriends a Happy Mother's Day.

Moms are special people - I came across a poem that is sweet and very heartfelt ands says how I feel better than I ever could:

A Heart Just like Mom
I May not pray often, and I may not pray enough
but when I do, this is all I ask of you..

God please give me a heart just like hers
She loves unconditionally, no matter what, no matter who..

God give me courage to be like her
She's very brave, she makes me unafraid..

God give me wisdom just like hers
She knows everything, big and small, she's there to help through it all..

God give me strength just like hers
She's been knocked down, yet she stands strong for another round..

God give me beauty just like hers
When she smiles it gives me that feeling that everything will be okay,
and all my problems disappear for awhile....

God give me generosity just like hers
She helps the helpless, she never thinks of herself and she's so
un-selfish....

God- someday, if I'm at least half the mom she was to me, I'll know that you were listening On the day that I prayed.

Contributed by: Stephanie
www.mothersdaycelebration.com 

Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP F.I.R.R.E.
www.firre.ca
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me