Riding season - the pros and the cons...Motorcycle Awareness

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month - "Do YOUR PART - RIDE SMART"™

I love riding. I am happiest when on my bike.
My motto in life is "A bad day of riding still beats a good day in the office."

However, there is an aspect to riding season that I dread.

When my friends and acquaintances are in a motorcycle crash.
It saddens me deeply no matter the how's and why's of the crash.
It does not matter who is at fault - if a rider is injured or killed, it bugs me.

I want to address the "riding gear, some gear and no gear" issue and I want to address the issue that some in our community create by their attitudes.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month - but what are non riders aware of?

Seriously - the riders who ride respectfully and safely seldom get any notice - no one remembers them.

The riders who are stunting and showing off - those are the people that non riders NEVER forget.
And too often many in our community get to pay a price for the "rotten apples".
Look at the motorcycle only noise bylaws and you'll catch my drift.

It is my hopes that through some dialogue that I can convince just one person to really look at their actions and the consequences and perhaps change their ways and prevent a bad situation. Perhaps just one rider will weigh the consequences of not wearing good gear and save themselves a lot of pain and heart ache... perhaps one rider will choose to be smarter about the risks they take, like taking certain behaviours to the track.

Riding can be a very safe activity, but it can become very dangerous if under taken with a lack of gear and/or the wrong attitude...

I am all for freedom of choice.  
Freedom comes with a heavy, heavy price tag called responsibility - ownership of conduct and consequence.

If you choose to ride without a helmet, then you must suffer the consequences of that choice if you are in a crash.  But your decision does not just affect you.
If you survive the crash, the road to recovery will be filled with people whose hearts are breaking, who have to shoulder the burden of care. If you don't survive, well, that's a whole other discussion.

If you choose to ride without appropriate footwear or other gear because of the heat or for whatever other reason, the injuries that you face, in the event of a crash can be horrific and involve lengthy recovery times.
But who is by your side, also paying the price for your choice?

I understand the reasons for riding with no helmet. I understand the riding without gear in high temperatures. I have done both of those things many times. I got lucky.  I don't push those limits today.
I have seen the consequences of that type of risk and decided it wasn't right for me. Or my daughter.

There is gear now a days, like Kevlar jeans, that make it so you can be a lot cooler on your bike and still be protected. Cordura and armour - these things weren't around when I started riding.

I've talked about choice, now let's talk about wrong attitude and it's consequences.

The need to show off and be "cool".

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM COGNIZANT of the fact that we were all young once.
We have all done things in our lives that should have killed or seriously injured us and yet, for some unknown reason we are here to talk about it, even laugh at it.
Just think back to playing lawn darts!

I will warn you that some of the videos and photos I have found are graphic in nature.

If your stomach is squeamish - stop reading now.

When it comes to riding a motorcycle, especially with so many more people using the highways and byways these days (compared to when we were young and stupid), the wrong attitude - the "Oh look at me aren't I cool" attitude, can and often does have some serious, serious consequences.
It always has but now a days the consequences can be extreme depending on the traffic.

Karma - cause and effect...will get you in the end.

My goal here is to get you to think about the consequences that your choices, your decisions can have on yourself - but more importantly on your family and loved ones, the lives of others that you might endanger.

Think about the insurance  premiums we all have to pay - your decision is linked to my pocket book if nothing else.

Sadly, the people who need to see this the most, won't read it, but I am putting it out there and hoping...just one person learns to take smarter risks.

In this first video - I am only concerned with the crash caused by one of the stunters.
Showing off can and will bite you in the ass - you may get away with it for a while, but...



Notice the lack of gear worn by most of these people. Perhaps stupidity should hurt.
But what if you were riding beside the one stunter who goes down - and you are behaving - but wearing no gear...and you get caught up in his aftermath?
Now in this video, the dude is an absolute show off. Thinks he's cool, but he gets it in the end...

Every one of use looses because of guys like this and we all know one or two...they cause our insurance's to go up. They give the rest of us a bad name... In this next video you will see all sorts of crashes. Some caused by the show off mentality, some from plain stupidity and almost all of them where the rider was at fault - speed and riding OVER their ability appears to be the cause.

In this video link, a young girl shares her experience about riding on a motorcycle with only a helmet for protection: http://vimeo.com/brittanymorrow/roadrashqueen Still think it's no big deal not to wear the gear?   Here are just a few of the less gory photos of what happens to you when you are not wearing protective gear. Left is Brittany - the young girl in the video link above... Like I said, it's your choice, but your choice affects my insurance, affects my community. It affects the people who love you. You might be prepared to pay the price but is everyone else around you? That's all I ask, that you consider those questions and if the answer for you is still yes, then that is your right.

 You might be the safest rider in the world, but I think you need to worry about the rest of the drivers and riders out there. People, be they on motorcycles, in cars, semis - people in general are selfish and self involved - and in my humble opinion, none of us are immune to being self involved at least some of the time. But the ones who drive and ride like idiots all of the time, tend to be highly self involved, seldom do they think of others before they wick the throttle or do that burn out at a stop sign. Seldom do they think of anyone but themselves and their own gratification. These people take chances that endanger others and they exist in every community of drivers - no community is immune from them. I say, if they want to pay the price for their actions - great, but don't put others at risk. Take it to the track or a parking lot - not on the street. If they think they are OK to pay the price, I wonder - did they first ask their care givers or their loved ones if they wanted to pay that price? These people who take chances, that are reckless and selfish are often times spurred on by your applause, and cheering. It encourages them. So please - consider not giving them the attention they seek. Ignore their behaviour, shun it and eventually they might change. At the very least maybe they will take their stupidity elsewhere. Some stunt and take extreme chances because they think they are cool...some how better than others. But how cool are you when your wife/mom has to change your shitty diaper at 20+ years old? How cool are you when you are in a wheel chair with a head injury? Would you still say the risk was worth it? You might think so, I am not so sure how the people who love you would feel. All of the videos above have one thing in common - most people got lucky and walked away. There are many other videos that I did not post because of their extreme graphic content, where the riders did not walk away as a result of their choice. They are either dead or in rehabilitation. It's May - finally Mother Nature is cooperating, most people are out and about on their bikes, in their muscle cars...everyone has experienced a 7 month winter - they are antsy - have spring fever...We know that other drivers are unaware and taking chances - not all but a lot and so we need to treat every driver with caution and assume that they are not aware - riding defensively is your best protection out there. As many of you know, video footage can be used in court to fight tickets and in the case of a crash, can prove who did what to whom where and if you laid your bike down to avoid a more serious impact - your lawyer would have the proof needed.  The other benefit of running video is that if you have no crash, you will have some great memories captured! So, if you are interested, Sharon from VSun is making a special offer to our members and the people in my circle who want to take her up on it. 10% off of video sunglasses, goggles and helmet cams. For group orders of 5 items or more - free shipping! Email me and I will send you the promo code! (bdbetty@gmail.com) We all have to be aware, hyper vigilant. Please weigh the chances and risks you take... Motorcycle Awareness Month - "Do YOUR PART - RIDE SMART"™ PLEASE ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you. Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider

Patience...upgrading never goes 100% smoothly!

We have just finished upgrading our web site's content management system and it's template.
www.beltdrivebetty.com is the online home for everything that Belt Drive Media Media does.

We want our users to have a great experience - BUT...

With a site as large as ours there ARE going to be challenges and issues. (Almost 600,000 pages deep)

We still have content to get re-added, sections that need to be activated and tweaked and it will all happen, but it will take a bit of time.

You can help us shorten the time it takes to make things function as perfectly as technology allows by emailing our web mistress, Ali at ali4evr@gmail.com or by using the chat module on the bottom of the site whenever you see something that isn't working the way it is expected to.

Let her know what browser you are on, what page the problem happened on and any other detail you can.

We ask your patience for the next couple of weeks as we work as hard as we can to get everything the way it needs to be.

I leave you with a few funnies, shared with me by friends..

Thanks

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Creative Solutions for when stuff goes sideways with a paint job.

Many of you know about the heartbreak I have experienced over a paint job gone wrong.

After picking up my tins and seeing the mess they were, I became paralyzed.  I was stuck in the most awful mental loop.  One minute angry, one minute sad – the next fearful about the extra expense this could cost me, just before this big trip.  

After trying several body shops, only to be told Mid May – June before I could get in – well, I had run out of ideas – the only thing I could think of was to slap some stickers with the name of the paint shop on it and ride it…

YUCK – but – I didn’t see anything else I could do.

When I threw the idea out there on my Facebook community – I got some responses back like – let it go – don’t humiliate the shop further etc…when I explained that I had 10 days before I start filming and needed my bike together and asked people for ideas and was not wishing to be vindictive - that wasn't my motivation at all – well man the ideas came back hot and heavy!

1 idea was having the tanks and saddlebags sprayed with box liner for a rat rod look. 

Another involved me spray bombing everything in camouflage.

Yet another suggested flat black spray bomb for tanks and bags.

I was told about plastic kote and hydro painting and then Terry Rae suggested powder coating.

Jeff from Kreater Kustoms recommended talking to my local dealer to see if they had any take offs…

I got offers from painters as far away as Ontario and all sorts of support.

Talking to the people in our community who have had bad experiences and others who work in the industry made all the difference.  The ideas and offers of help were utterly amazing.

Because of all of the wonderful ideas, my tanks are being powder coated by Lee’s Sheet Metal & Powder Coating.

Apparently because my tanks have been empty for so long, there is no risk of fire etc. so one hurdle down as I can have them back on Friday!

While driving into Grande Prairie I saw the guys from Chaotic Customs outside – they hadn’t called me back yet. I wheeled in and talked to Mark and I was in luck – they are spraying gloss black paint today and can have my tins back to me by Friday. WOW.

Some creative thinking and a little bit of luck made a horrible situation so much better – is it ideal?

No.

Is it what I wanted, No.

But at least I don’t have to stare at a reminder of a really bad experience every day I am on the road and I don’t have to feel bad about how my bike will look on camera either.

I’ll be able to hold my head up and that is all thanks to the people who helped me get my brain un stuck and out of that awful place it was – in neutral  - with not an idea of how to resolve this.

If you ever find yourself in a position where you are stuck on how to turn a bad situation around – ASK.

Ask everyone you can, you just never know who or what is going to be the answer you seek…

Thank you riding community – you saved my peace of mind, warmed my heart and helped me to not look like a vindictive bitch, cause really – that is not who I am and I really did not want to have to look at that paint job every day for 91 days on the road.

With much gratitude to all who pitched in with ideas…

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Crowd Funding for small business

Big companies like Harley-Davidson use crowd sourcing for their commercial ideas and there are a ton of crowd funding opportunities for non profits and community based fundraisers, but there have not been many platforms for small business to gain extra funding, or exposure to people who might be able to help their small business grow.

Community Futures is where I got my funding for my business.
They offer a ton of mentoring and services that one can access even if you do not get funded by them.

They offer all sorts of services like business plan writing, grant writing and have courses you can take on marketing and other aspects of being in business.

Here in Grande Prairie we have a great team that is headed up by Holly Sorgen and their help and support not to mention the training and support they have provided to my business have been invaluable.

Recently I was sent an information packet on Alberta BoostR. It's a brand new Crow Funding platform for small business and it is a joint effort of the Chambers of Commerce of Alberta, Community Futures and Alberta Treasury Branch.

Since I would like to upgrade the video cameras I have to use for our upcoming TV show "Ride Like a Local" I decided to give the platform a try.

The team of gals running the AlbertaBoostr site offer great support to help you set up your campaign - they have an interview over the phone with you. They discuss your funding needs and write a "story" for you about what you are doing and why you would like support.

They help you decide what perks you are going to offer to the people who "Boost" your business with a donation and they provide you with tools to promote and generally just hold your hand through the process.

They also along with ATB Financial, the Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures tweet and Facebook about your campaign and do what they can to draw attention to your small business.

Even though it's brand new - the platform is already gaining some traction for 3 small business in Grande Prairie (we here in GP are the first city that AlbertaBoostR is being rolled out in.)

The platform has one limitation - if you do not raise ALL of the funds you are asking for - you don't get any of the funds. The people who pledge to donate do not get charged and you don't send out any perks.

That said, it is another wonderful way to get exposure for your small business - even if you end up not getting the funding you were hoping for.

I dove in head first - and with the help of Chett, Tina and Leah got my campaign decided on and built in about 2 and a half days from start to finish.

My campaign is for TV quality video cameras. I would like to get a new Sony - Journalist in a Backpack kit and 3 new Drift Ghost Cameras and the appropriate accessories for my bike.

We have a new TV series about Motorcycling in Canada starting later this summer on Eastlink TV.
It's community programming - there is no pay in it for me, but there will be phenomenal exposure for the the charities, the small businesses and yes, my business.

I currently have two Drift Stealths and one HD170 - as I said, they are decent quality but the technology available int he latest version is so superior.

Here is a link to my AlbertaBoostR Campaign.  I would appreciate you considering our small business for a boost - we have some great perks to offer you in return...and if you are a fellow small business owner and need some support - why not give AlbertaBoostR a try - what have you got to loose?
The platform is going to roll out across the province very soon.

BELT DRIVE BETTY'S ALBERTA BOOSTR CAMPAIGN

I appreciate your taking the time to look at my campaign and am looking forward to purchasing the cameras that will help my business tell the stories of the Canadian motorcycle riding community.

In other news...

We have a columnist from Nova Scotia named Medric "Cous" Cousineau.  He is also known as SeaDawg the Magic Man.

Medric has suffered from PTSD for over 25 years as a result of his service to our country.
He will be walking with his service dog Thai - from Eastern Passage NS to Ottawa raising funds for 50 dogs in 50 days for 50 veterans.

His message?  Service Dogs work better than drug therapy in the treatment of PTSD so why won't Ottawa consider funding them?  Why do veterans have to pay for their service dogs with no support from the government? Drugs are covered - why not service dogs?

Medric and his service dog Thai are being featured in a documentary called "Working Dogs" that will air on Eastlink TV on May 5th.

Visit Medric's site to find out more about his mission: www.pawsfurthought1.com

Join his Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paws-Fur-Thought/165464803600780 - to show him support and when the time comes - please consider opening your wallet to support his walk to Ottawa and or his mission of raising the funds for 50 dogs for 50 vets.

My National Conga called "Bikers United in Remembrance" will be donating 25% of the money we raise to support Medric and Thai in their quest - and there is a fundraiser called the Hillbilly Scavenger Hunt - held in to the Toronto area that will be supporting Medric and Thai in their quest to see other veterans get the supports they need to reclaim their lives.

There are two requests for support on this page - if you can only help out with one cause - then please
SUPPORT MEDRIC AND THAI...

Have a great day everyone - I leave you with a few funnies, shared with me by friends on Facebook and via email...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

The tragedy of what some people do to themselves

I had a friend who knows Jeff go by JB's Custom Colors in Kamloops BC yesterday to see my tins up close and personal to see what had been done. Besides the one photo I had gotten of the fairing - I had no idea if any of the base paint had been done or what was going on.

I got the call from my buddy that Jeff was incoherent, ranting and raving like a lunatic and not making any sense. There didn't appear to be anyone working except one young man.

And sadly none of the work appears to have been done on my bike save the fairing.
If you read my previous post on this topic you'll know I was deeply disappointed by what I saw.

Apparently my friend Jeff does not exist anymore.

Apparently he looks like the walking dead with wild eyes and that can mean only a few things.
He's either become hooked on booze or drugs or both.

I am told he is super skinny and a babbling mess.

That my friends makes me sadder than my tins not being done and it explains a lot of the frustrations I have experienced with Jeff.

It all makes sense now.

Today my friend is going to the shop to get my tins and get them on a bus back to me.
Hopefully there are no challenges with that.
If he's unsuccessful, I will go down first part of the week, go to the cop shop and ask an officer to escort me to get them.

I am asking you to say a prayer for Jeff.

Something has a hold of him - not sure what - but the good man, the talented painter I once knew is buried somewhere under what ever has a hold on him.

I pray he gets some help before it is too late and we are reading an obituary.

Please say a small prayer for him. In spite of everything I have gone through with him I don't want to see him face down in the gutter - dead.

He's obviously lost and in a lot of pain.

In other news I have an Alberta BoostR campaign underway to raise some funds I need to buy a Sony Moto Journalist pack - it includes a Sony Video Camera and all of the accessories for the camera - all tucked into a nice little back pack. I also need some of the new Drift Ghost Cameras for my bike.

This equipment will be used for filming my TV Series on Eastlink TV called "Ride like a Local"

Alberta BoostR is a BRAND NEW ATB Financial, Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures initiative to provide crowd funding opportunities for small business.

Mine is one of two campaigns - that have already started and I am happy to say I already have two people who have boosted my business in return for some rewards!

Check out the campaign and if you can contribute, I'd appreciate it.  I'll be sending awesome perks out to those who Boost my business - the Boostr's get their rewards and I get the money I need BUT ONLY if I reach my goal!

Our web site is undergoing some enormous changes - there might be some hiccups over the next few days but I invite you to keep tabs on it over the next few days and then we would love your feedback - we want  the information and tools we offer to be easy to access and use - all suggestions and recommendations are deeply appreciated!

Once Ali flips the switch to the new version of the site - we'd appreciate it if you would let us know about any bugs or anomalies that you see....

For GP region riders - don't forget the Toys for Tots Dealer Show and Swap Meet is on at the TEC centre at Evergreen Park on Saturday from 10-4 pm...see you out there...we will be filming using Eastlinks' Video cameras...

And remember to check out our events calendars folks - there are well over 1,300 events in there - there's bound to be something that will interest you no matter where in Canada you live!

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via Email..

Thanks folks...and have a fabulous Thursday.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

A motorcycle video that touched my heart...

Graham Ritchie - a British Columbia rider who was well loved and respected and an active volunteer in the BC motorcycle community passed away last night.

The video below touched my heart as I thought of Graham.

When he speaks of looking over his shoulder and all of a sudden 30 years had passed...(30 years since it's been spring)

As the singer spoke of the King getting slower, and how he wanted to keep it going a little longer, that there was so much still to see and so little time...

We all feel that way at times, like life goes by too quickly - and it does and we loose our friends, our bodies start letting us down...

My wish for you as you watch this video is that you never pass up a chance to tell the people you love how much they mean to you, to embrace life, to be of service to your fellow man and make this life - this very short life - the richest and most rewarding it can be.

Rest in Peace Graham, your work here is done, you have earned your retirement ride.
We will remember you fondly and often, you will always ride with us...

Belt Drive Betty

Seven months of frustration and disappointment...ends today

In October of 2012 (October 10th to be exact) I took my bikes tins to JB's Custom Colors in Kamloops BC to be painted.

I wanted to be pro active and get them done early so that my bike would be ready for filming of my TV Show, "Ride Like a Local" on Eastlink TV and for the "Biker's United in Remembrance" Conga.

I gave Jeff Balmes my logo files in the right format - Adobe Illustrator & high resolution pdf.
He had my company's font.
He had my chopper chick and he had my maple leaf.  See the photo below.

I gave him clear instructions as to what I wanted,  in fact I spent a morning showing him exactly what I wanted...

My chopper chick with the tribal maple leaf in flames for the fairing.

On my tanks were to be three flaming maple leafs each getting progressively smaller and the in military stencil - "Belt Drive Betty" in ghost flames.

On my saddlebags and tour pack were to be three flaming maple leafs all the same size with "www.beltdrivebetty.com" again in military stencil, in ghost flames running through the maple leafs.

I was clear, supplied good foundation art and I waited.
And I waited.

No basic drawings were sent to me as to the concept...
No photos were forth coming.
When I asked for photos or when the tins would be ready - I got told, oh you'll be happy.

In February I had a photo shoot arranged with me and my bike - I had to cancel that - why?
No tins back from the painter.

Then I had another photo shoot scheduled and it got cancelled because - again - I had no tins.

I got excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't have photos at least - always being told, "I am working on it." Hell I even got told once that they had been shipped DHL and another time that they had been sent with a friend of his.  But when they never showed up and I called, I got the run around and a hundred excuses.

Now one of the reasons I took the tins to Jeff to be painted is he is a master at true flame, but come to find out that not only did Jeff not do the work, he had a 23 year old do it.
Nothing against the young man or his talent, which I think - once he has some time on a gun - will be HUGE...But - that is not who was supposed to do the work.

I finally got this photo TODAY - keep in mind, we begin filming here in Grande Prairie on Saturday and I need my tins by Thursday so that I can ride my own bike...

I am so disappointed. What I see here is uneven lettering that is in no way shape or form military stencil.  The maple leaf is not representative of the maple leaf that comprises a good chunk of my logo and he had not even begun on the chopper or the chopper chick.

This is what it looked like at 2 pm TODAY. After 7 months, this is all that is done.

The tanks, saddlebags and tour pack are completely untouched other than for base black.
Now keep in mind that I never once changed my mind - I knew EXACTLY what I wanted and that has never changed since day 1.

This is not it.

This is not my logo, it is not representative of my business...it is nothing like what I wanted - nothing at all like I had explained to Jeff. Nothing at all like the artwork I supplied.

I have asked them to sand it down and paint it black, clear coat it and get the tins back to me.
I start filming THIS SATURDAY.  (Jeff has known all along about everyone of my deadlines.)

My husband needs at least a day to put it together and the clear needs some time to cure.

Jeff was going to be getting some prime advertising on my TV show, a feature in the paper and some other advertising in our phone book and newspaper. He had already benefited from some advertising I had done for him before...about $1,000 worth that we had agreed would go towards a future paint job - this paint job...

I am simply stunned that someone would do this to their own business - let's face it my bike is going to be a rolling billboard for over 26,000 KMS this summer as I go across this country riding with hundreds and hopefully thousands of other riders as we film for "Ride like a Local" and raise funds for the charities attached to my Conga - and the exposure value compared to the cost of the paint job - well -  a top end paint job will cost $10 grand and more from a guy like Blake at Cross-Eyed - one that is front to back, top to bottom, graphics.

This paint job was truly and well going to come in at about $3,000 - $5,000 tops.

My newspaper, web site and social media network reach upward of 150,000 people per month.  
Then there are the articles I write for the Northern Horizon and East Coat Biker - another 130,000 reached bi-monthly. I am not sure how far TV will extend my reach, but suffice it to say that over 11 years of hard work, I have built up a communications network of somewhere around 250,000 - 300,000 people. And his artwork would have been on my bike for a whole season, maybe two...and in a guaranteed 13 episodes on TV and in countless articles...

I estimate the value of that kind of advertising and publicity is well over $65,000.

Is this kind of marketing opportunity not one you would put every effort into?
Am I wrong in thinking that an artist would appreciate the chance to have their art promoted extensively?

This was supposed to be a win - win situation - Jeff and his business would get the advertising and exposure they needed and my bike would have had a new look.

Instead there is a 10 year friendship/working relationship up in flames.


Who does this to themselves?

Who puts someone like me in this position where I have to tell you why my poor bike...my girl - "Black Betty" did not get the 100,000 KM facelift she so richly deserves. The one I have been talking about for months.


I am stunned to say the least.

So today, I did some playing around with photoshop - below - now bear in mind that I am NOOOO artist but I am investigating having Speedpro Signs here in Grande Prairie wrap my bike and their layout artist and I have been talking about what I want.

There is no time left to go to another air brusher, not if I am going to make it to all of the events that I am supposed to be filming at in May and June and then the Conga beginning June 18th.

It won't be everything I wanted, but at least the art will be far more representative of my brand - my logo...my business. I wanted the flames licking off the ends of the leaf, but I don't know how to make that happen.

This is what the maple leaf would look like on black...

And who knows - "Black Betty" may have to stay gloss black for this season - we shall see.

I am a disappointed human being who has learned a valuable lesson - when something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't and I should have listened to my gut, months ago and drove to Kamloops and gotten my tins.  I should not have listened to the advice of others about dealing with artists and to have patience.

I should have done what I felt was right back in February and gone and gotten them.

So a little advice from me to you with love...follow your gut - ALWAYS and if something starts feeling like a jerk around, it probably is.

Don't ask me why Jeff has put me in this situation, one where in I have to tell you all, that this exciting paint job that I have been waiting on has turned out to be a flame out...and I get to share this disappointing news with all of you...

I am so sad and disappointed that there are no words to express the pain I feel.

I never imagined that I would be sharing anything but utter excitement and joy.

Oh well - that my friends is life...time to move on and shake it off.

This too shall pass.

Have a good evening everyone, I am going to borrow my husband's Road King and go for a brain clearer...cause, yeah, I have no bike of my own to ride now and who knows if I will even get my tins back - I have NO IDEA and tonight I am beyond caring.

Tomorrow I will deal with whether or not I get my tins back and what a plan B could be if he decides to make this more painful than it already is.

One way or another the Conga will go on, the charities I have chosen to support will not be let down by me - if I have to go get a loan to buy new skins and get her painted - I will...this situation has a solution and I will find it.  Just not tonight...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

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