Just a quick update - we are in Dryden heading fro Brandon...
It is freaking cold - 4 degrees - so we are gearing up!
If you are riding today - please stay safe....and check out my travel blogs - the ones for New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario have had updates in the last few days...
BDB
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
A quick Update
I just updated my Nova Scotia Travel Blog. Although I am officially on holidays and the sign here should read "Gone Ridin" I intend to keep my travel blogs updated....
http://novascotiabymotorcycle.blogspot.com/2010/09/from-digby-to-truro-back-way.html
Hope you all have a fabulous day -
Until the 23rd of September...
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
AND CHECK YOUR TIRES AGE - AND YOUR TIRE PRESSURES DAILY!!!!
http://novascotiabymotorcycle.blogspot.com/2010/09/from-digby-to-truro-back-way.html
Hope you all have a fabulous day -
Until the 23rd of September...
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
AND CHECK YOUR TIRES AGE - AND YOUR TIRE PRESSURES DAILY!!!!
Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
Contact Me 
Monday, September 06, 2010
Common sense, common courtesy and common decency...
I have some major frustrations that I am going to share with you all regarding my time at the Wharf Rat Rally...
Why? Because as a the editor of a community news paper for riders I think it is important to tell you the truth of my personal experiences and the people I know and have talked to so that you can make informed decisions be you an attendee or a potential vendor, media person, entertainer or VIP.
Normally I let the little stuff go by, I might make a suggestion or two to the coordinator to help them improve their event and talk to them directly about challenges or issues - but when the discussion I tried to have with this rally's coordinator fell on deaf ears I decided that since it doesn't appear it will get better any time soon I had an obligation to you - the reader to not blow smoke up your arse...
Perhaps this editorial will serve to educate the biking community of the treatment some of the media and some of the VIP's were subjected to. And perhaps this community will help push the community of Digby into finding someone else to head up the rally that will balance the need to make money with the simple things in life like common sense, common courtesy and common decency.
Bean're and his crew had deluxe accommodations at this year's Wharf Rat Rally.
I personally think it is a good thing that the person who won the all expenses paid ride to the rally in the contest Bean're held had a family emergency and had to head back for home. I think this person might have been a tad disappointed in the accommodations in Digby...
Can you imagine coming from Florida, Boston, Tennessee or any of the other locales that this group came from, promoting the Wharf Rat Rally the whole way only to be put up in the Army Barracks at Annapolis? According to Melinda from Cycle Source Magazine that is where they were put up and the beds were cots with inch and a half mattresses and while some of Bean'res eclectic crew didn't seem to mind, Melinda asked to be housed somewhere else and some of them just went home.
She said she did not enjoy sharing the bathroom and shower with the men in the crew at all and that it was unnerving to hear them tinkling in the middle of the night not to mention other bodily functions that take place in your sleep like farting and snoring.
My own experiences with the organizer and the admin assistant were less than stellar and as long as this person and the admin assistant are at the helm of this event I won't be back to it.
I can not imagine hosting an event where the people in the media are treated so badly and where common sense, common courtesy and common decency do not exist within the upper echelons of the event management. When I hosted events my VIP's, entertainers and the media were treated like royalty because you can NOT BUY the kind of publicity these people give you freely - especially when they are treated well. Some of the sponsors were not too happy either - one in particular was rather upset to find that their ad was not in the rally guide book as it should have been and their vending spot was rather, distasteful as well...IMHO.
I personally went to have a chat with the organizer to say good bye and to tell him that he had a few really stellar volunteers and that if it hadn't been for one man in particular - Terry - who busted his hump to try and make things as right as he could - I would have left the very first day - his response? "Oh, OK" that was it...No - I am sorry you feel that way, no - what could we do to make it better, NOTHING - just "Oh, OK".
(Terry had rescued me while I was in tears in the parking lot over the treatment I had gotten from the admin assistant for the rally - he asked what was wrong, I told him and I told him I was turning around and heading back to PEI to be with my husband. This man went above and beyond and kept me at the rally - and because of the great time I had with friends and riders from across the country - I am glad he did.)
The people of Digby outside of the rally coordinator are such warm and loving people. The volunteers who assisted me were incredible - but most of them did not come from within the rally but courtesy of my friend Sweet T who had her daughter and cousins and friends come spell me in my booth or help me to hand out the goodie bags from Grande Prairie Tourism and the Busted Knuckle - or my friend Dave Balderson from the River Rat Rally in Ganonogue ON who came and brought me a sandwich and water and spelled me for a half hour so I could do an interview and have a bathroom break - these were caring, considerate and kind people.
These people and the riders who came to celebrate being a biker are what made the event great in spite of the rudeness and callous indifference that was my experience with the admin assistant and the coordinator.
The town of Digby - like many other communities relies on tourism to help keep the community going and this rally has over 6 years been very good to and for the community.
However, there are many upset vendors, media, entertainers and VIP's who will find it very hard to want to ever come back to this event unless the people at it's helm change and that is tragic. Guys like Bean're may come back because Bean're is a professional tourist and he makes his living from these kinds of events - doing trick riding and generally acting like a busker but most of the rest of us will not come back any time soon - at least that is how most of us are feeling right now.
The water front in Digby, the police services and the community itself are pretty fantastic - it is just too bad that the event has become - in my humble opinion from what I have seen, experienced and heard - such a cash grab. The event reportedly has lost money in the past and they are trying to make up for that all in one year by the looks of it. (There has been, according to the locals that I talked to, a huge amount of controversy with this event and its management in the past as well)
Reportedly vendors booths went from $250 to $400 for a 10 x 10 - the booths by the band stand almost doubled as well... (In this economy - that is a financial hardship and burden that most small business people can not handle - after all they had to pay fuel, meals, accommodations and close up their own locations/shops or pay someone to run them to be here). Hence why there were so few vendors in attendance.
I am saddened - because I had looked so forward to this event. The old coordinator that had originally booked me to come to the show as media and a VIP had made me a lot of promises but once he was replaced - reportedly over politics, all of the things that were supposed to be taken care of and happen did not. The blame game is all a person got from the new organizer.
If you are a vendor and you decide to give the Wharf Rat Rally a try - you might want to think on it long and hard. Shediac, Charlottetown and Cape Breton have just as much to offer and treat the people who make their event - the vendors, the media, the entertainers and the other VIP's a whole lot better...at least that has been either my experience and or knowledge as shared by others...
In my humble opinion - I will be back to visit Nova Scotia - the people here and the scenery and history have made me want to come back - but to be honest I don't give a Wharf Rat's Ass about the Wharf Rat Rally and will not be back unless things change - drastically.
I am officially on vacation until the 23rd of September - blog posts and updates will take place as I feel like it cause I am going riding - after the weekend that just transpired and the challenges I have faced while on this trip I need some wind therapy.... seriously!
As always, your feed back is important - please wade in on this topic - cause I need other perspectives on this subject - either that or I need a Valium...
For all of the latest news - visit www.beltdrivebetty.com
Until the 23rd of September...
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
AND CHECK YOUR TIRES AGE - AND YOUR TIRE PRESSURES DAILY!!!!
Why? Because as a the editor of a community news paper for riders I think it is important to tell you the truth of my personal experiences and the people I know and have talked to so that you can make informed decisions be you an attendee or a potential vendor, media person, entertainer or VIP.
Normally I let the little stuff go by, I might make a suggestion or two to the coordinator to help them improve their event and talk to them directly about challenges or issues - but when the discussion I tried to have with this rally's coordinator fell on deaf ears I decided that since it doesn't appear it will get better any time soon I had an obligation to you - the reader to not blow smoke up your arse...
Perhaps this editorial will serve to educate the biking community of the treatment some of the media and some of the VIP's were subjected to. And perhaps this community will help push the community of Digby into finding someone else to head up the rally that will balance the need to make money with the simple things in life like common sense, common courtesy and common decency.
Bean're and his crew had deluxe accommodations at this year's Wharf Rat Rally.
I personally think it is a good thing that the person who won the all expenses paid ride to the rally in the contest Bean're held had a family emergency and had to head back for home. I think this person might have been a tad disappointed in the accommodations in Digby...
Can you imagine coming from Florida, Boston, Tennessee or any of the other locales that this group came from, promoting the Wharf Rat Rally the whole way only to be put up in the Army Barracks at Annapolis? According to Melinda from Cycle Source Magazine that is where they were put up and the beds were cots with inch and a half mattresses and while some of Bean'res eclectic crew didn't seem to mind, Melinda asked to be housed somewhere else and some of them just went home.
She said she did not enjoy sharing the bathroom and shower with the men in the crew at all and that it was unnerving to hear them tinkling in the middle of the night not to mention other bodily functions that take place in your sleep like farting and snoring.
My own experiences with the organizer and the admin assistant were less than stellar and as long as this person and the admin assistant are at the helm of this event I won't be back to it.
I can not imagine hosting an event where the people in the media are treated so badly and where common sense, common courtesy and common decency do not exist within the upper echelons of the event management. When I hosted events my VIP's, entertainers and the media were treated like royalty because you can NOT BUY the kind of publicity these people give you freely - especially when they are treated well. Some of the sponsors were not too happy either - one in particular was rather upset to find that their ad was not in the rally guide book as it should have been and their vending spot was rather, distasteful as well...IMHO.
I personally went to have a chat with the organizer to say good bye and to tell him that he had a few really stellar volunteers and that if it hadn't been for one man in particular - Terry - who busted his hump to try and make things as right as he could - I would have left the very first day - his response? "Oh, OK" that was it...No - I am sorry you feel that way, no - what could we do to make it better, NOTHING - just "Oh, OK".
(Terry had rescued me while I was in tears in the parking lot over the treatment I had gotten from the admin assistant for the rally - he asked what was wrong, I told him and I told him I was turning around and heading back to PEI to be with my husband. This man went above and beyond and kept me at the rally - and because of the great time I had with friends and riders from across the country - I am glad he did.)
The people of Digby outside of the rally coordinator are such warm and loving people. The volunteers who assisted me were incredible - but most of them did not come from within the rally but courtesy of my friend Sweet T who had her daughter and cousins and friends come spell me in my booth or help me to hand out the goodie bags from Grande Prairie Tourism and the Busted Knuckle - or my friend Dave Balderson from the River Rat Rally in Ganonogue ON who came and brought me a sandwich and water and spelled me for a half hour so I could do an interview and have a bathroom break - these were caring, considerate and kind people.
These people and the riders who came to celebrate being a biker are what made the event great in spite of the rudeness and callous indifference that was my experience with the admin assistant and the coordinator.
The town of Digby - like many other communities relies on tourism to help keep the community going and this rally has over 6 years been very good to and for the community.
However, there are many upset vendors, media, entertainers and VIP's who will find it very hard to want to ever come back to this event unless the people at it's helm change and that is tragic. Guys like Bean're may come back because Bean're is a professional tourist and he makes his living from these kinds of events - doing trick riding and generally acting like a busker but most of the rest of us will not come back any time soon - at least that is how most of us are feeling right now.
The water front in Digby, the police services and the community itself are pretty fantastic - it is just too bad that the event has become - in my humble opinion from what I have seen, experienced and heard - such a cash grab. The event reportedly has lost money in the past and they are trying to make up for that all in one year by the looks of it. (There has been, according to the locals that I talked to, a huge amount of controversy with this event and its management in the past as well)
Reportedly vendors booths went from $250 to $400 for a 10 x 10 - the booths by the band stand almost doubled as well... (In this economy - that is a financial hardship and burden that most small business people can not handle - after all they had to pay fuel, meals, accommodations and close up their own locations/shops or pay someone to run them to be here). Hence why there were so few vendors in attendance.
I am saddened - because I had looked so forward to this event. The old coordinator that had originally booked me to come to the show as media and a VIP had made me a lot of promises but once he was replaced - reportedly over politics, all of the things that were supposed to be taken care of and happen did not. The blame game is all a person got from the new organizer.
If you are a vendor and you decide to give the Wharf Rat Rally a try - you might want to think on it long and hard. Shediac, Charlottetown and Cape Breton have just as much to offer and treat the people who make their event - the vendors, the media, the entertainers and the other VIP's a whole lot better...at least that has been either my experience and or knowledge as shared by others...
In my humble opinion - I will be back to visit Nova Scotia - the people here and the scenery and history have made me want to come back - but to be honest I don't give a Wharf Rat's Ass about the Wharf Rat Rally and will not be back unless things change - drastically.
I am officially on vacation until the 23rd of September - blog posts and updates will take place as I feel like it cause I am going riding - after the weekend that just transpired and the challenges I have faced while on this trip I need some wind therapy.... seriously!
As always, your feed back is important - please wade in on this topic - cause I need other perspectives on this subject - either that or I need a Valium...
For all of the latest news - visit www.beltdrivebetty.com
Until the 23rd of September...
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
AND CHECK YOUR TIRES AGE - AND YOUR TIRE PRESSURES DAILY!!!!
Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
Contact Me
Sunday, September 05, 2010
What do you give a 102 year old for a birthday present?
Some how I missed publishing this post - so, better late than never!
What would you give a life long fan - your number one fan and your oldest fans for their birthday?
Well - if you are Valentino Rossi you give your 102 year old fan - Hilda Wright - the chance to sit on your R1. The lady thought she had won the lottery!
In the US, two rival motorcycle clubs shot it out. 27 people have been arrested, 5 injured and one who was injured was taken from the scene by an unidentified vehicle. If the police know what sparked the gun fight, they aren't saying.
Gord Steinke - an Edmonton TV personality on Global News took a trip to the Arctic Circle on a KTM supplied by Cycle Works. His pictures and blog posts are well worth a read!
We have more rider accidents to report as well:
In South Perth the OPP report a rider was killed and his passenger air lifted to hospital and is in serious but stable condition. Kyle Lefrancois, 21, of Perth South Twp. is charged with impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm, failing to remain at the scene causing death, failing to remain at the scene causing bodily harm, criminal negligence causing death and criminal negligence causing bodily harm. In addition, he has been charged with driving a motor vehicle without a required ignition interlock device. He was turning left into a driveway when the crash occurred.
In Lower Sackville, a 27 year old rider hit a guard rail and died of the injuries he sustained in the crash - the police do not know if speed or alcohol were a factor.
If you are a fortunate soul who is riding today - PLEASE - Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
What would you give a life long fan - your number one fan and your oldest fans for their birthday?
Well - if you are Valentino Rossi you give your 102 year old fan - Hilda Wright - the chance to sit on your R1. The lady thought she had won the lottery!
In the US, two rival motorcycle clubs shot it out. 27 people have been arrested, 5 injured and one who was injured was taken from the scene by an unidentified vehicle. If the police know what sparked the gun fight, they aren't saying.
Gord Steinke - an Edmonton TV personality on Global News took a trip to the Arctic Circle on a KTM supplied by Cycle Works. His pictures and blog posts are well worth a read!
We have more rider accidents to report as well:
In South Perth the OPP report a rider was killed and his passenger air lifted to hospital and is in serious but stable condition. Kyle Lefrancois, 21, of Perth South Twp. is charged with impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm, failing to remain at the scene causing death, failing to remain at the scene causing bodily harm, criminal negligence causing death and criminal negligence causing bodily harm. In addition, he has been charged with driving a motor vehicle without a required ignition interlock device. He was turning left into a driveway when the crash occurred.
In Lower Sackville, a 27 year old rider hit a guard rail and died of the injuries he sustained in the crash - the police do not know if speed or alcohol were a factor.
If you are a fortunate soul who is riding today - PLEASE - Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
Contact Me
Friday, September 03, 2010
Motorcycle Events - attending them and the pit falls and the rewards
The people who organized the Wharf Rat Rally have had some challenges to face to say the least.
Their show guide proves it.
Certain builders, entertainers and celebrities who were supposed to appear here are not here - although they are still listed in the guide - reportedly these attendances have been cancelled due to budget constraints on the rally's end of things and there are a lot of signs around town asking people to donate to the rally to see it continue. I have not had the chance to find out the rationale behind the signs or what has happened - but it appears the economy is playing havoc with yet another great event.
Volunteer-ism is down as many volunteers are burnt out. Reportedly many volunteers did not show up for their shifts - hence why I could not get out of my booth yesterday to be a reporter - hopefully after the radio interviews I am doing today I can get out and do some glad handing.
I found it interesting that the stand up comedian who was supposed to be in Digby for 5 days will only be here for one and now with Earl the Hurricane moving in no one is sure how the comedy show will turn out on Saturday - it is only slated to be the one comedian for an hour.
The other "VIP" who was supposed to attend the event that no one has seen or heard from is Mike Cole from the Winter Ride for Diabetes - reportedly he won't be here due to the fact that his bike is down. I guess we will know by the end of the weekend if there is any truth to the "reports" of who is attending and who is not and why...
Shipping stuff here is challenging to say the least. DHL lost 2 of 13 small boxes of the Travel Alberta and Grande Prairie Regional Tourism promotional materials I was to hand out. Originally I was lead to believe that 4 had been lost but apparently the 2 boxes were at rally headquarters the whole time - even though the rally head quarters are huge, one gal working there was not happy that my stock was taking up the space that it was - I hate feeling like I am an imposition - and trying to get in touch with DHL, and Greyhound to locate the missing parcels - well - that was a whole different set of challenges that I could have done with out.
Oh well - there is NOTHING one can do from here about the shipping issues and I know that if I come back again it will not be as a vendor but strictly as a reporter. The job of running a booth is huge and tiring add to that the writing, photography, building the newspaper along with all of the other hassles that have been mixed in and it really made the whole booth thing not worth it for me. If you can't truck and tailer your stuff here - it is so expensive and frustrating to ship here that it is hardly worth the effort.
The bands have been shall we say - um, interesting...yes that would be a kind and diplomatic word. The one head banger group in the afternoon on Thursday - well, my cat - if you step on his tail - he could sing as well as the lead singer of that band did. The country band was OK - I didn't stick around to hear any more as I am staying in Yarmouth - an hour away so I wanted to be on the road before it got too dark.
And Earl - the hurricane has played havoc with the event - tons of room cancellations and only 4 or 500 bikes so far where normally 20,000 + come in. I am sure there will still be many more people come in but ...one never knows what will happen.
Organizers are hoping that Earl bypasses Digby but the weather people and news have been making Earl into a huge deal on the news and changing their forecasts and the storms path so often that no one is sure what is happening and many are not taking any chances opting to stay home.
Between the storm - Earl, the volunteer issues and the regular challenges of running a show of this size well the people in the office look and act like people under siege. How many coordinators have to find alternative places to park people's bikes because of a hurricane? The high school will reportedly be the home for many a motorcycle if Earl's winds prove to be as destructive as it appears they could be.
One thing we all know - mother Nature is FEMALE!
There are highs to this event too - the volunteers that this event does have - are amazing - generous, warm hearted and hard working people.Terry - Vicky and so many others - you all have been stellar people to work with. The show is hosted on the water front which is a back drop that provides amazing photo opportunities. I intend to take advantage of some of those opportunities today because one never knows what is going to happen on Saturday and on Sunday I will be staying in my room to build the last newspaper before my official two week "summer" riding vacation!
I am grateful for the help that the locals have provided me - bringing me coffee and water, giving me the opportunity to get to the bathroom before disaster struck - yes - the locals - the non volunteers - have been fantastic - Sweet T you and your gals - thank you for helping me make the goodie bags and getting them handed out. Dave Balderson and your crew from the River Rat Rally in Gananonque - THANK YOU for the sandwich and water not to mention the company!
My brothers from the CAV have been dropping by in rather large numbers and I should have had a hug meter going cause holy they have been fantastic! Trapper my friend - Love you brother.
I ate supper at a little restaurant on the Wharf called O'Neil's Royal Fundy Seafood Restaurant - OMG - the food was spectacular and service was impeccable!
I had a Cherry scallop salad with the scallop sampler and butterscotch pie - MMM is all I can say.
It was a splurge I am glad I made - I mean who can come to the scallop Capital of Canada and NOT have scallops.
In spite of the frustrations and disappointments I have faced to get here - I am grateful to be here - for the kindness and love of the people of Digby and Yarmouth - I am blessed and really do ride with angels.
You riders - YOU are the reason I am here and I am so grateful to you all for making me feel so welcome and loved.
F.I.R.R.E. needs you!
In the news today:
If you are looking for a get away at the end of September that will take you somewhere warm with your motorcycle - Las Vegas is waiting.
Hawkeye football offensive-lineman Josh Koeppel was hit while riding his motorcycle Monday in Iowa - although his helmet came off and he was only wearing shorts - the very lucky man walked away. Watch the Video - click here
In Windsor ON a motorcycle racer has suffered brain damage...
In Ladysmith BC a Poker Run is being held by the Veterans MC on the 4th
In Southern AB STARS Air Ambulance says it has responded to DOUBLE the number of motorcycle accidents so far this year.
Kamloops BC is reminding everyone of their upcoming Toy Run
Earl - the hurricane is causing anxiety and yet many outdoor events are NOT being cancelled...
Like every day - I welcome your feed back.
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
AND CHECK YOUR TIRES AGE - AND YOUR TIRE PRESSURES DAILY!!!!
Their show guide proves it.
Certain builders, entertainers and celebrities who were supposed to appear here are not here - although they are still listed in the guide - reportedly these attendances have been cancelled due to budget constraints on the rally's end of things and there are a lot of signs around town asking people to donate to the rally to see it continue. I have not had the chance to find out the rationale behind the signs or what has happened - but it appears the economy is playing havoc with yet another great event.
Volunteer-ism is down as many volunteers are burnt out. Reportedly many volunteers did not show up for their shifts - hence why I could not get out of my booth yesterday to be a reporter - hopefully after the radio interviews I am doing today I can get out and do some glad handing.
I found it interesting that the stand up comedian who was supposed to be in Digby for 5 days will only be here for one and now with Earl the Hurricane moving in no one is sure how the comedy show will turn out on Saturday - it is only slated to be the one comedian for an hour.
The other "VIP" who was supposed to attend the event that no one has seen or heard from is Mike Cole from the Winter Ride for Diabetes - reportedly he won't be here due to the fact that his bike is down. I guess we will know by the end of the weekend if there is any truth to the "reports" of who is attending and who is not and why...
Shipping stuff here is challenging to say the least. DHL lost 2 of 13 small boxes of the Travel Alberta and Grande Prairie Regional Tourism promotional materials I was to hand out. Originally I was lead to believe that 4 had been lost but apparently the 2 boxes were at rally headquarters the whole time - even though the rally head quarters are huge, one gal working there was not happy that my stock was taking up the space that it was - I hate feeling like I am an imposition - and trying to get in touch with DHL, and Greyhound to locate the missing parcels - well - that was a whole different set of challenges that I could have done with out.
Oh well - there is NOTHING one can do from here about the shipping issues and I know that if I come back again it will not be as a vendor but strictly as a reporter. The job of running a booth is huge and tiring add to that the writing, photography, building the newspaper along with all of the other hassles that have been mixed in and it really made the whole booth thing not worth it for me. If you can't truck and tailer your stuff here - it is so expensive and frustrating to ship here that it is hardly worth the effort.
The bands have been shall we say - um, interesting...yes that would be a kind and diplomatic word. The one head banger group in the afternoon on Thursday - well, my cat - if you step on his tail - he could sing as well as the lead singer of that band did. The country band was OK - I didn't stick around to hear any more as I am staying in Yarmouth - an hour away so I wanted to be on the road before it got too dark.
And Earl - the hurricane has played havoc with the event - tons of room cancellations and only 4 or 500 bikes so far where normally 20,000 + come in. I am sure there will still be many more people come in but ...one never knows what will happen.
Organizers are hoping that Earl bypasses Digby but the weather people and news have been making Earl into a huge deal on the news and changing their forecasts and the storms path so often that no one is sure what is happening and many are not taking any chances opting to stay home.
Between the storm - Earl, the volunteer issues and the regular challenges of running a show of this size well the people in the office look and act like people under siege. How many coordinators have to find alternative places to park people's bikes because of a hurricane? The high school will reportedly be the home for many a motorcycle if Earl's winds prove to be as destructive as it appears they could be.
One thing we all know - mother Nature is FEMALE!
There are highs to this event too - the volunteers that this event does have - are amazing - generous, warm hearted and hard working people.Terry - Vicky and so many others - you all have been stellar people to work with. The show is hosted on the water front which is a back drop that provides amazing photo opportunities. I intend to take advantage of some of those opportunities today because one never knows what is going to happen on Saturday and on Sunday I will be staying in my room to build the last newspaper before my official two week "summer" riding vacation!
I am grateful for the help that the locals have provided me - bringing me coffee and water, giving me the opportunity to get to the bathroom before disaster struck - yes - the locals - the non volunteers - have been fantastic - Sweet T you and your gals - thank you for helping me make the goodie bags and getting them handed out. Dave Balderson and your crew from the River Rat Rally in Gananonque - THANK YOU for the sandwich and water not to mention the company!
My brothers from the CAV have been dropping by in rather large numbers and I should have had a hug meter going cause holy they have been fantastic! Trapper my friend - Love you brother.
I ate supper at a little restaurant on the Wharf called O'Neil's Royal Fundy Seafood Restaurant - OMG - the food was spectacular and service was impeccable!
I had a Cherry scallop salad with the scallop sampler and butterscotch pie - MMM is all I can say.
It was a splurge I am glad I made - I mean who can come to the scallop Capital of Canada and NOT have scallops.
In spite of the frustrations and disappointments I have faced to get here - I am grateful to be here - for the kindness and love of the people of Digby and Yarmouth - I am blessed and really do ride with angels.
You riders - YOU are the reason I am here and I am so grateful to you all for making me feel so welcome and loved.
F.I.R.R.E. needs you!
In the news today:
If you are looking for a get away at the end of September that will take you somewhere warm with your motorcycle - Las Vegas is waiting.
Hawkeye football offensive-lineman Josh Koeppel was hit while riding his motorcycle Monday in Iowa - although his helmet came off and he was only wearing shorts - the very lucky man walked away. Watch the Video - click here
In Windsor ON a motorcycle racer has suffered brain damage...
In Ladysmith BC a Poker Run is being held by the Veterans MC on the 4th
In Southern AB STARS Air Ambulance says it has responded to DOUBLE the number of motorcycle accidents so far this year.
Kamloops BC is reminding everyone of their upcoming Toy Run
Earl - the hurricane is causing anxiety and yet many outdoor events are NOT being cancelled...
Like every day - I welcome your feed back.
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
AND CHECK YOUR TIRES AGE - AND YOUR TIRE PRESSURES DAILY!!!!
Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
Contact Me
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Road trips! And your motorcycle's tires - not something to mess with...
Have you ever had a tire wear out prematurely and wonder why?
Well - I got an education today - one that cost me $300 and will cost me another $225 or better yet! And maybe - if you read this blog you can learn something and save your self $300 - $500 and - who knows, maybe your life!
Did you know that a tire has a serial number? It isn't quite like the VIN on a vehicle - it is more of a batch number. It tells you what week and what year your tire was made.
Had I known that small little fact - I could have saved myself $300 a real good scare and a ton of time.
I headed for Moncton and my meet up with the Bike Klub at about 11:30 Monday morning.
I was running late after a heated debate with the tracing department of Purolator. I will NEVER use that company again. This is now the third time that they have messed up shipping an order for me and I will never allow myself to be put through the insulting and insufferable thing they call customer service again. I have had NO Marketing materials on this trip because of this company and it has been highly disappointing to say the least. On the way to the Confederation bridge I decided to stop in to Red Rock Harley-Davidson and take some pictures and talk to the owner.
The service manager came over to talk to me as he is a CAV member too and we got talking and he happened to look at the tire on my bike and noticed it was at the wear bars (Later inspection would show and irregular wear pattern - not consistent with low pressure but of tires that are too old). I said how can that be, they are brand new tires...
I have been loosing air pressure in the rear one and I have been filling it every other day. I had mentioned that to hubby when he caught up to me in Charlottetown - he told me that when I got to Moncton he wanted me to have that tire checked.
Well - I looked at the tire and low and behold it was worn - right to the wear bars. Red Rock could not fit me in but they called ahead to Moncton and I was told they would be ready for me when I got in. And they were!
I left the bike in the capable hands of Brian Stuart of Toys for Big Boys and also of Harley Tech Talk and the man who sends us in tech articles once in a while as he has the time. And young master Mark Vale - a member of the Bike Klub took me to the school to meet Chelsea, Paul, Mazz and Stephanie - Keegan dropped in when he got off work and I got the chance to see the 4 confirmed members for 2011. More will be confirmed once school starts mid of next week.
After a great hour or so visiting with the Bike Klub, Stephanie gave me a lift to the dealership.
I got there and they had installed a new tire for me and then proceeded to explain to me, complete with a tech sheet from www.tirerack.com explaining all about how to determine the age of a tire and the showed me (see picture below) how to tell the age of my tire and further explained that a tire only has a 4-6 year shelf life for sale. Now I remember reading something about that in car tires so when I read that what Brian had to tell me about the age of the tire was true it had been built/made in the 13th week of 2002, it came back to me about the news articles on tires I had read in the past.
Now I won't say where I got this tire - the person who sold this tire to me did so I feel in good faith and was probably never trained to know how to tell the age of a tire any more than I was. This practice after all only started in 2000 - that is the practice of stamping the date of creation into the side of the tire.
This person is trying to track down which supplier it came from - in the mean time I want to talk to the dealership that installed this tire. They have a training issue that I am almost certain many other dealerships and independent shops probably have. Their staff should have know or thought to tell a person that this tire was 8 years old - long past it its safe time to use - it wore out in 5,000 km's that is killer scary on so many levels. If the staff didn't know - they need to know and so does every rider out there.
I could have lost my life very easily or have been put in a really tough spot - I got lucky because I have a community of angels who ride with me.
I bought a set from this person and the tire on the front - looks OK and is wearing properly but now I have to watch it like a hawk - until I can get it changed - hopefully in Nova Scotia...the front tire is - are you sitting down...from 2000.
Yah - that's what I said. OH CRAP
Please - every one, it is important to find out what year your tires were manufactured - every time you buy a tire - you need to find those 4 magic little numbers that will tell you if your odds for safety just went up....And to think I rode on that back tire in rain on the confederation bridge - the whole time thinking that it was scarier than normal (meaning I thought riding on the bridge in the rain was scarier than riding on a road in the rain) I guess I wasn't imagining things. It was scarier - just not for the reasons I thought it was.... I guess that every time I looked at my tire I was seeing the good sections because it was plain that in some sections that tire was virtually bald.
Oh well - lesson learned the expensive way because after all I bought the tire and paid the labour in a province that has provincial sales tax but the gang over at Toys for Big Boys took some off of the tire and labour to help the cause.
Their efficiency, concern and service ranks right up there with the treatment I have gotten in Medicine Hat, Prince George, Red Deer and Smithers. Thank you Mark Vale for going above and beyond, Brian Stuart - your tech sheet of information was an eye opener and the hugs were fabulous!
Thank you to all the staff who treated me and my motorcycle so well.
Toys for Big Boys
633 Salisbury Road
Moncton, New Brunswick
Phone: (506) 858-8088
Fax: (506) 382-5601
In the news today:
In Ontario - another motorcycle rear ends a vehicle - rider taken to hospital - what is going on with this people? I can not count the number of rear ending accidents lately - it is like an epidemic - are you not paying attention? Are you following too close?
Twitter has some recommendations for business owners
In BC the names of recent crash victims have been released
Hold on to your pipes boys and girls because California just passed another MOTORCYCLE NOISE law - it now has to go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be passed - he owns several motorcycles....
Like every day - I welcome your feed back.
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
Well - I got an education today - one that cost me $300 and will cost me another $225 or better yet! And maybe - if you read this blog you can learn something and save your self $300 - $500 and - who knows, maybe your life!
Did you know that a tire has a serial number? It isn't quite like the VIN on a vehicle - it is more of a batch number. It tells you what week and what year your tire was made.
Had I known that small little fact - I could have saved myself $300 a real good scare and a ton of time.
I headed for Moncton and my meet up with the Bike Klub at about 11:30 Monday morning.
I was running late after a heated debate with the tracing department of Purolator. I will NEVER use that company again. This is now the third time that they have messed up shipping an order for me and I will never allow myself to be put through the insulting and insufferable thing they call customer service again. I have had NO Marketing materials on this trip because of this company and it has been highly disappointing to say the least. On the way to the Confederation bridge I decided to stop in to Red Rock Harley-Davidson and take some pictures and talk to the owner.
The service manager came over to talk to me as he is a CAV member too and we got talking and he happened to look at the tire on my bike and noticed it was at the wear bars (Later inspection would show and irregular wear pattern - not consistent with low pressure but of tires that are too old). I said how can that be, they are brand new tires...
I have been loosing air pressure in the rear one and I have been filling it every other day. I had mentioned that to hubby when he caught up to me in Charlottetown - he told me that when I got to Moncton he wanted me to have that tire checked.
Well - I looked at the tire and low and behold it was worn - right to the wear bars. Red Rock could not fit me in but they called ahead to Moncton and I was told they would be ready for me when I got in. And they were!
I left the bike in the capable hands of Brian Stuart of Toys for Big Boys and also of Harley Tech Talk and the man who sends us in tech articles once in a while as he has the time. And young master Mark Vale - a member of the Bike Klub took me to the school to meet Chelsea, Paul, Mazz and Stephanie - Keegan dropped in when he got off work and I got the chance to see the 4 confirmed members for 2011. More will be confirmed once school starts mid of next week.
After a great hour or so visiting with the Bike Klub, Stephanie gave me a lift to the dealership.
Now I won't say where I got this tire - the person who sold this tire to me did so I feel in good faith and was probably never trained to know how to tell the age of a tire any more than I was. This practice after all only started in 2000 - that is the practice of stamping the date of creation into the side of the tire.
This person is trying to track down which supplier it came from - in the mean time I want to talk to the dealership that installed this tire. They have a training issue that I am almost certain many other dealerships and independent shops probably have. Their staff should have know or thought to tell a person that this tire was 8 years old - long past it its safe time to use - it wore out in 5,000 km's that is killer scary on so many levels. If the staff didn't know - they need to know and so does every rider out there.
I could have lost my life very easily or have been put in a really tough spot - I got lucky because I have a community of angels who ride with me.
I bought a set from this person and the tire on the front - looks OK and is wearing properly but now I have to watch it like a hawk - until I can get it changed - hopefully in Nova Scotia...the front tire is - are you sitting down...from 2000.
Yah - that's what I said. OH CRAP
Please - every one, it is important to find out what year your tires were manufactured - every time you buy a tire - you need to find those 4 magic little numbers that will tell you if your odds for safety just went up....And to think I rode on that back tire in rain on the confederation bridge - the whole time thinking that it was scarier than normal (meaning I thought riding on the bridge in the rain was scarier than riding on a road in the rain) I guess I wasn't imagining things. It was scarier - just not for the reasons I thought it was.... I guess that every time I looked at my tire I was seeing the good sections because it was plain that in some sections that tire was virtually bald.
Oh well - lesson learned the expensive way because after all I bought the tire and paid the labour in a province that has provincial sales tax but the gang over at Toys for Big Boys took some off of the tire and labour to help the cause.
Their efficiency, concern and service ranks right up there with the treatment I have gotten in Medicine Hat, Prince George, Red Deer and Smithers. Thank you Mark Vale for going above and beyond, Brian Stuart - your tech sheet of information was an eye opener and the hugs were fabulous!
Thank you to all the staff who treated me and my motorcycle so well.
Toys for Big Boys
633 Salisbury Road
Moncton, New Brunswick
Phone: (506) 858-8088
Fax: (506) 382-5601
In the news today:
In Ontario - another motorcycle rear ends a vehicle - rider taken to hospital - what is going on with this people? I can not count the number of rear ending accidents lately - it is like an epidemic - are you not paying attention? Are you following too close?
Twitter has some recommendations for business owners
In BC the names of recent crash victims have been released
Hold on to your pipes boys and girls because California just passed another MOTORCYCLE NOISE law - it now has to go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be passed - he owns several motorcycles....
Like every day - I welcome your feed back.
I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Ottawa Senators are holding their breath - of that I am sure....
Dr. Chow - a Team Doctor for the Ottawa Senators was seriously injured in a motorcycle collision Saturday as he was on his way to the hospital to perform surgery. Apparently he hit the passenger side of a vehicle that cut him off and he is now in coma - in critical condition.
There have been so many serious incidents this past week that my head is reeling. The cause - they are sooo varied too. There does not appear to be any one thing that is happening more than another...to cause these incidents.
There was a passenger that came off the back of a bike in Whitby ON when the police tried to stop it's driver - apparently the acceleration caused the passenger to fall off and the bike took off - the police watched helplessly as the passenger was run over by several vehicles - none of which stopped.
In South Edmonton a man who turned on to a road - realized he had gone the wrong way onto a one way and was trying to get back on the right path was killed when he struck the median and lost control of his bike.
In Saskatchewan a rider is in hospital after a collision where in his north bound motorcycle struck a north bound pick up...In Morden Manitoba a rider did everything possible to avoid a crash - "When police arrived, they saw a motorcycle lying on its side then learned the 52 year old driver of the motorcycle was travelling east on Stephen Street when a vehicle on 10th St. pulled out on to Stephen Street in front of the motorcycle.
The driver of the motorcycle reacted by laying the bike down and sliding into the side of the vehicle"
My heart aches for everyone involve in these horrid situations and my prayers go out to their loved ones.
Folks - I am more determined than ever that F.I.R.R.E. become embraced by the riding community as a national organization to support each other. If today's blog and the articles that are in the news are not enough to convince you that we need to work together, to support each other - than what will? Your near death experience? I hope not - I hope you will join us as we work to create education and awareness as to the many faces of the people who make up the motorcycling community and work to support each other....I, along with all of the executive of F.I.R.R.E. want to see chapters and members in EVERY province!
There is a ton of other news today:
The National Cross Country Ride for Dad wound up at CFB Esquimalt
In Calgary the Ride for Athsma - The Ride for Richard was another success
The Children's Wish Foundation got a bonus in Newfoundland
A teen racer was killed in the US in a freak accident
For the rest of the news visit: www.beltdrivebetty.com
Like every day - I welcome your feed back and I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will
Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
There have been so many serious incidents this past week that my head is reeling. The cause - they are sooo varied too. There does not appear to be any one thing that is happening more than another...to cause these incidents.
There was a passenger that came off the back of a bike in Whitby ON when the police tried to stop it's driver - apparently the acceleration caused the passenger to fall off and the bike took off - the police watched helplessly as the passenger was run over by several vehicles - none of which stopped.
In South Edmonton a man who turned on to a road - realized he had gone the wrong way onto a one way and was trying to get back on the right path was killed when he struck the median and lost control of his bike.
In Saskatchewan a rider is in hospital after a collision where in his north bound motorcycle struck a north bound pick up...In Morden Manitoba a rider did everything possible to avoid a crash - "When police arrived, they saw a motorcycle lying on its side then learned the 52 year old driver of the motorcycle was travelling east on Stephen Street when a vehicle on 10th St. pulled out on to Stephen Street in front of the motorcycle.
The driver of the motorcycle reacted by laying the bike down and sliding into the side of the vehicle"
My heart aches for everyone involve in these horrid situations and my prayers go out to their loved ones.
Folks - I am more determined than ever that F.I.R.R.E. become embraced by the riding community as a national organization to support each other. If today's blog and the articles that are in the news are not enough to convince you that we need to work together, to support each other - than what will? Your near death experience? I hope not - I hope you will join us as we work to create education and awareness as to the many faces of the people who make up the motorcycling community and work to support each other....I, along with all of the executive of F.I.R.R.E. want to see chapters and members in EVERY province!
There is a ton of other news today:
The National Cross Country Ride for Dad wound up at CFB Esquimalt
In Calgary the Ride for Athsma - The Ride for Richard was another success
The Children's Wish Foundation got a bonus in Newfoundland
A teen racer was killed in the US in a freak accident
For the rest of the news visit: www.beltdrivebetty.com
Like every day - I welcome your feed back and I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will
Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
Contact Me
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