OCC Hosts Baked Alaska!

I can see Russia from my kitchen window!

Sara Palin to appear on tv's "American Chopper", tonight, 9pm.

Little-known Palin facts include a bike ride to the favorite "fishin' hole". ABM isn't alone with the "grab the poles an' some worms & ride out to catch us a succulent fish dinner!"

Alaska's celebrating 50 years of statehood, & the OCC boys have been consigned to build an appropriate bike to celebrate the occasion.

Politics aside, you'd have to admit that Gov Palin would be high power eye candy riding a bike, while attired in a set of leather chaps & halter top.. an' I don't care if she's got worm guts under her fingernails.. dont' matter.

Can I get an "Amen"?

Too Far To Ride?

It's only three hours!

One of the bro's lives in South Georgia, about a three hour ride..a three hour ride...(and change), from Leesburg. He has kin there, & a free place to crash. Think we could get him to hook up? Too far to ride. Some years back, ABM bought a new Harley across the state, & trucked it back to the compound, figuring it was better to break the new bike in a couple dozen miles at a time. Shoulda rode it home. All last weekend, out of maybe 300,000 bikers, saw maybe..maybe.. 4 bike trailers. Leesburg is about three hours from anywhere in Florida, excepting the panhandle, and brother, it's a loooonnggg ride from Pensacola, but three lousy hours, with a free crash pad awaiting? Is he having trouble with the bike, nursing a nasty case of the hemorrhoids, or is this man.... a Nancy-Boy?

Morning after the weekend before..

Nice if you were one of the lucky bikers to get close enough to Great White last Saturday night. Forget about finding somewhere nearby to park the scoot.

Sunday, on the ride home, we saw hundreds of bikers on their way in, opting for a day of partying, oblivious to the 4pm close. The town had to clean up & get ready for work, just like us.

Yesterday it took twice as long as normal to crank out the weekly American Biker Minute shows, an' fussin' about getting the ABM compound painted before the rainy season, is getting Tuesday off to a rocky start...problems...problems..85 days to Sturgis, dude..

Two Biker Fatalities Temper Leesburg Fest:

Outlaws MC Mishap:

Unfortunate split-second accident:

Southeast Florida Coast bikers. Unofficial reports indicate the lead Outlaw may have hit an object, or a drop off in the road, down, a club member who was following couldn't avoid running over his fallen brother.

Rear End Collision Tragedy:

Another biker crashed into the back of an SUV. He died at the hospital.

Our condolance to family and friends of these two bikers.

Old Faithful:

80-Somethin' Days 'till Sturgis..

ABM is too shot to do the math, but in a matter of a couple months or so, we'll be there, talking to you, the valued radio listener. Change has come to the Black Hills, as it has come to Leesburg, Laconia, Myrtle, & Daytona. What used to be a sea of mohawk-haired sport bikers is down in all these places. You'd have to guess these bikers don't have the resources of the older brothers & sisters. If they have to make a choice between the food, rent, & clothes, or accomodations at the bike fest, they do what they got to do. ABM makes no distinction between bikes-we don't care what you rode in on, just that you're here. We don't care what you wear, past event tees, hawaiann shirt, horned, furred helmets, just that you made it in safely. We do have, however, a special place in our heart for bikini & leather clad ladies..

The New Biker-Frugal:

We heard Leesburg had 250 vendors this year, perhaps an all time high, but like in past years, people weren't toting around bulging bags of biker-related goodies. Beer stands & food trailers don't have 10-deep lines of people waiting to spread around some cash. Bikers are being careful with their dough. Last year's "tooth whitening" booth was nowhere to be found. Our favorite little hole in the wall bar was packed, but nothing like two years ago, when it was so plugged up with bikers, it took 10 minutes to reach the bar, and 45 minutes to get some oysters. Meanwhile, in Seminole county, some gated community homeowners were caught using as much as 1.75 million gallons of water, that's 900 bucks in water charges a month! That's 2-4 new bike payments + insurance & registration cost, at a time when many of us wonder if we'll make next month's rent or mort. We still show in the hundreds of thousands, laugh, & party, just leave with a lot less stuff than 24 months ago. If that's better or worse, we can't say..that's just the way it is..for sure, you appreciate to a greater degree, what you got.

The beauty of being a biker is that if you buy a well-made bike in decent condition, & don't beat it like a rented mule, you get a lot of smiles for not a lot of cash, that's why we bikers will cook our own food, mow our own lawn, sit the kids, make small repairs, & do anything necessary to avoid the biggest mistate a biker can ever make.. selling old faithful.

The Joint is P-a-c-k-e-d

Hello 2-the Sturgis Shuffle..

You take five steps down the sidewalk & stop while people in front of you pause to examine a particular bike, thereby slowing foot traffic to less than a crawl.

The price you pay for a packed venue, & this is one prime example. If they don't hit 300,000 this year, the bean counters have been drinkin'. Prime downtown spots with some shade were gone by 7:30. 2 hours later, they were all gone, and now the spillover crowd has arrived. Leesburg virgins stare & mumble something like they can't believe it, but the out of staters are def in the minority. Ex: 50% of the bikers we interviewed said they'd never rode anywhere but Florida, but have been everywhere in the state that had a road in it. ((Note: Fl is surrounded by helmet law states (Georgia-Alabama)).

We're seeing bikers who could use some brushing up on their go slow skill. A lot tougher to go slow than to go fast, especially when making a turn. Ride safe. Man it is super-hot today. If it weren't for a strong breeze comming off the Atlantic ocean, you could fry eggs on a black bike.

ABM cannot imagine what the parking situation will be tonight for Great White. Mayhem?
Hell Yeah..

Now, on to the really important stuff.. the... ta-taa..

Oyster Reort!

Featuring an all-female shucking team!

Bucket, that's 30 oystersh, for $21.00, steamed or raw, butter, sauce, horseradish too. That box of O's I trucked in on the chop from Winn Dixie was Florida oysters. The Lousiana oysters by comparison were huge--Floridas are a little saltier, but some of the Lousiana O's were "quarter pounders". They cover a whole saltine, so yeah, the price is more than fair for what you get, so ABM gives 5 (*****) stars to "Magnolia's, on where else, Magnolia street, a block down the hill, over one street from the main stage where Great White rocks tonight. The place was packed when we left, an' Skynyrd was on the juke, & the crowd was makin' so much noise you couldn't hear the ol' Florida boys. Don't expect nothin' fancy. The girl shucked 'em out, slide 'en across the bar, & we shot 'em into the horseradish & butter, one by one. It don't get any better than that!

Rat's Hole Shocker!

Women's Chromed Up, Customized Bikes Compete one to one with the Dudes!

Girl power!

More women than ever before are stepping up & showing their own works of bike customization. A good trend.

Guys too:

One dude showed off a trike with 22 inch rear tires! Whoa! He sez the handling is A-1!

Another guy had a beautiful 1948 Panhead, one of our big favorites. Sez you never would believe how rusty it was before the big money injection. Money may not solve all your problems, but it's nice to have some to throw at a build.

Now just got to figure out how we're gonna get back into town for Great White.

Party on, Garth..

The New Saturday

What Parking Spaces?

...Like ABM was saying, yesterday before the wifi cable got pulled...Friday was like a madhouse. Yeah, it took a little time to get going, but by noon, most available parking on the main drag was taken, so in effect, Friday is the new Saturday. ABM interviewed one long time biker who says this festival began in the seventies, in a bar south of town, by a bunch of bikers who gathered each year... that sounds a little bit like Sturgis. He says the city is seriously considering turning this one into a seven day event. We found a lot of out-of-staters. Carolinas, Georgia, even one guy from England. Bet he's nursing a sun burn this morning. By our count, there may be in excess of 140 bikes parked in the lot of our hotel. We haven't seen a half dozen trailers all this week. That's an outstanding trailer to biker ratio for a 300,000..yes..300,000 rally.

She's SO Proud:

The chick in front of us attempted to back her Harley Sportster into a Main Street parking slot, but didn't get past putting the bike into neutral, so the old man took over & parked it. By now, two dozen bikes had pulled up behind us, & I offered to back the better half's softtail in for her..."let me do it!"...ok, okay... geesh.. another little milestone?

Playin' Hookie?

Lots of the bikers we interviewed Friday said they were playing hookie from work. Back when ABM collected a W-2, this was refered to as a.. "mental health day." Being a dreg has advantages.

$3 Water? History!

Levered up, with bags of cash, some of us used to pay three bucks for a little bottle of water. Yesterday, we didn't see one vendor tryin' to sell 'em for more than a Washington.

$4 a cup, or $3 a bottle?

Lots of complaining when the city went from 3 to 4 bucks on a cup of their tap brew. One streetside vendor was selling long necks for $3 bucks. They emptied it into a cup & threw the bottle out. We like to support the town, but maybe, just maybe.. four dollar beer went out with three dollar water? With all respect..just thinkin'...

Internet Bike-Buyin' Blues:

Would make a good biker song. Older dude with a new temporary plate on an '05 Harley CVO, stalls the bike, in packed traffic, not far from the town square. Repeatedly tries to turn her over, with no luck. Giving in, he parks the bike. Turns out he bought it on the internet, drove all the way to Michigan to pick it up, & this was his shakedown cruise. Who among us can lay claim to the title of the only biker never to have had to push it & cuss?

Oyster Experimentation:

Mercury was poppin' out of area thermometers yesterday, before the Atlantic ocean seabreeze finally arrived around dinnertime. The boss (read; better half) was a little dehydrated, so ABM sought out the service of a couple of grocery stores before finding a fifty-count box of Florida oysters. Bombing southbound down US 441 with a fiddy-count white crate of slimeys between my legs was kinda freaking out people in traffic, but, hey, the pick up is back at the ABM compound, wat ya want me 'ta do, walk 'em back? Threw 'em 6-8 at a time into the microwave, dipped 'em in butter, popped onto a saltine, & washed down with a Corona sip. They were so fresh, some seaweed sharing the box looked like it was still growing. $18.00 fer 50 of 'em. Today will hit the bar, pay $9.99 for a dozen, plus tax & tip, to see if a new money-saving short cut has been discovered, or if they're bigger, better when they cost twice as much.

Ride Safe-Ride Smart:

If there are no mc-related fatalities, this will be three years in a row. The cops lay back, don't hassle us, & we respect them back by not freaking out old ladies & trashing the city. Let's go for five or ten with no major accidents.. who sez it can't be done? For now, just two in a row is something else for a biker gathering of this size.

...for the cash ABM laid down for this room, the wifi had better be workin' next time, but as they say.. don't hold yer breath. Check back often at www.americanbikerminute.com, or we'll tweet ya at www.twitter.com/abmrocks.

Da Pool...Chicken Soup, Anyone?

Thursday, the hotel swim pool was sparkling clean, chock full of chlorine, inviting. By yesterday afternoon, hairy biker dudes with brewskies in one hand, cigars in the other, lined one side, the honeys on the other. This morning the water has the consistency of a home made pot of chicken soup! Only the carrots are missing.. maybe I'll grab some leftover saltines & throw 'em in..?

Ride On..

Friday Is Like

Leesburg Hotel Shocker!

Overcharge Virus Spreading!

How's $269.00 (up from $129.00 Thursday) for a room sound to ya? It had to happen, Daytona overcharge fever is making itself known in Leesburg. A vendor who stayed here last night is moving to Ocala, a long haul up the road, he wasn't too happy. We're grandfathered in, I hope.


Honeys Will Hang Out Here:

Dudes who can stomach the sight of of six pack ab's will find plenty of warmed-up women near the Bud stage, this afternoon, palmetto & main. The "Lucky Man Hot Body Contest" starts at 4:30..by 5:30 or 6:00pm, the ladies should be receptive..? So what if you don't get lucky? At least you tried, just don't let the bros know you went to see the male beauty competition!

8pm Tonight: Ms. Bikefest contest. Last year you couldn't pick a winner out of the semi-finalists, the girls were simply that fine. Photo shots of this year's competition are very hot.

Also sweet..

Fresh Florida sweet corn, first of the year, quarter an ear. Throw four into a plastic shopping bag with some water & microwave on high for 4-5 minutes, just like sugar. After last night, the old bod' needs some vit's to recoup & party on.

More Free Food:

Clermont Harley-Davidson, 8am-10am tomorrow morning. Beaver tails (pancakes) &
sausage!

No charge. They do it every year...if you can make it out of bed in time.. it's about a dozen miles south of Leesburg on rt 27.

Round Things w/a/Hole!

One Thousand Dollars!

For munching out on dognuts? Bud stage, 12:30pm, tomorrow, (sat), a donut eating contest with a cool $1,000 to the winner, so if you're looking for a cop...?

Speaking of Eats:

Free pancake breakfast at a local church Sunday morning.. just know they want ya ta' stay for the sermon, which you may need at the end of this weekend? ABM will chase down some local buffet specials so you won't drain the chain drive leather money folder. Last night, as we opted for a couple of ten dollar all you can eat fried fish dinners, two couples rolled in on their bikes, & ordered lobster, at "market price", $36 each.. that's 72 bucks for two plates of food. Who sez bikers don't spend money? I'll say it again; The locals are so glad to see us, it's freaky...like bikers have been transported to some strange planet in an unknown galaxy.

Leesburg Cops Warn:

Sun & beer can lead to dehydration. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, & go easy on the suds. The Leesburg Daily Commercial, the local paper reports 8 bikes stolen at last years bike fest, so they've specially outfitted "bait" bikes to catch some of the low lifes who prey on us. Good hunting, dudes.

Tunes:

First two bands crank up at 10 am this morning-the party is on!

Rat's Hole Open 4Biz:

Friday-Sport Bike Show & Sport bike block party. This place has somehting for every biker-got 'ta love it! Rhett Rotten & his wall of death continue to amaze each day at the Rat's Hole. The RH custom bike show is tomorrow. Some of the build ideas at this one are super radical-over the top.

A Sea of Bikes!

According to the Leesburg partnership, over 300,000 bikers are expected to pass thru town this bike fest-that's a lot of bikes in anyone's book.

Next Time Around.. ABM's best guess as to where a lot of chicks will be gathered come tomorrow afternoon around dinnertime. An educated guess, but that's what we get paid for!

First Dude w/Free Food!

ABM...

First to arrive at the hundred dollar flophouse. Actually, it ain't too bad..studio w/frig/mw/cook counter & ice cold a/c. Good thing. The temp billboard across 441 says 92 friggin' degrees. A lot warmer here than where we came from. This will likely be the only hotel ABM sleeps in until next April. No bed bugs yet.. but the week is young..

In The Zone:

Forty Miles of National Forest, not one discarded bottle or wrapper. Florida's rt 19 runs through a rare stretch of undeveloped hilly palmetto & pine tree scrub brush. Wind blowing off huge Lake George, a part ot the St Johns River, cooled the two V-twins. Here & there, signs beckon you to drop in & buy fresh catfish, blue crabs, garden veggies, & florida citrus. After leaving the Ocala National Park, the scenery morphs into oak & orange groves, then you enter Lake County, & humanity. Man, that forty miles of no cages, no billboards, no trash on a smooth road was really sweet for a city boy like me. The better half, also zonal...it don't get no better.

Free Food?

Bikers can eat, yes? If carb consumption is your specialty, you can win a thousand bucks from Budweiser, the easy way! It's them round things with a hole.

How? Dude, I got to have a hook, ya know?

Next time..

How Hot Is It?

Not too bad. No 90 degree days yet, but we're getting close. Temps might hit 90 in Leesburg this weekend. Leathering up for the ride wasn't an easy decision, especially with only a ten percent chance of rain. Seems like half the bikers in Florida come to Leesburg, & ABM wouldn't be too suprised to see the final tally approach 200,000 this year. A few hotels caught the Daytona ripoff virus, asking 180 for a night of bedbug-infested bliss, but mostly, this one remains, financially, pretty reasonable to attend. There is a local campground with primitive accomodations, which we have not yet visited, & it should be fairly cheap to base out for the weekend.

Yummy...? Not.

Unless something has changed, there is a little diner in the center of town that quite a few people told us to el-paso on.. We're not out to do anyone wrong, but for the price they charge, the bisquits chew like glue, the pre-made scrambles tasted like cardboard, & for us, the experience was not good. Look over the flyers in town. If memory serves correctly, the Harley dealer traditionally has a big pancake breakfast blowout on Saturday morning...and it's... f-r-e-e. As usual, the Publix supermarket will make you a huge sub for six bucks & change, the fried chicken is good too, if you can get it right out of the basket, & oh, the oysters-mmmm..those slimy little suckers,
but I am not releasing the name of the little hole in the wall until I've had my fill, and the place becomes so packed with bikers, the chance of getting a cold one is like betting against the Oct-u-mom having her tubes tied.

Yellow Walls wit' th' Brown Spots?

About four years ago, there was a huge downpour during the bike fest. Rain came down so fast, even the gutters on top of the hill in the center of town were full. No problemo this year. Ain't a speck of rain on the horizon. I'll never forget that night, holed up in a motel with brown specks on the yellow wall above the bed's headboard. Believe me, I was hoping against hope that someone backslapped a chewing tobacco dude..and they ask me why I haven't been in a hotel since last April..?

City Hall-Be There or Be Square:

My..my..my...Once Bitten...Great White, Saturday night. This little town of 25,000 will be absolutely packed to the rafters, with bikers who came to party. We're there!

ABM's coverage of the 13th annual Leesburg Bike Fest begins Thursday.

Virginia Ain't for Bikers:

Stupid Law, or Smart Like a Fox?
*$5,000 fine for bikers who ride side by side in a single lane. ($2500 each).
* Va. legislature defeats bill HB-1870, an attempt to reduce the fine to $25.00

Our Take?
*In these lean & mean times, every thousand dollars counts, & what better way
to fill state coffers than by busting dirty, greasy, felonious bikers?

So What?
*Avoid this state like the plague, & put your $2500 toward a new ride.

Gimme Some Good News!

Leesburg's Bike Fest is this week!

ABM's bikes seem to always act up just before we hit the road enroute to a big party, and the last 10 days has been no exception. Primary noise on both bikes, a new tire, grindin' on hand controls, pumpin' injector cleaner to free up gummed cables, brake fluid that looks like it came out a Mexican well... All is good, & we're ready to split before the wild turkeys rise. My ten foot bagger (the chop) will be loaded down. It has more bags than Cloris Leachman...

Coverage:

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Where:

1-Your Favorite American Radio Station, Nationwide

2-On demand: 360.282.5400

3-podcast: www.twitter.com/abmrocks

ABM will be blogging from the scene of the crime(s), Thursday thru Sunday, unless we hit a bad oyster, a stale Corona, or the chain-drive wallet runs dry.

Bikes, Babes, Beer! 4 Days Only!

Leesburg, Florida's 13 Annual Bike Fest-How About 150,000?

It only happens once a year, last full weekend in April:

This is not Daytona. The cops are laid back, the locals ultra-friendly. If you didn't buy food or drink, riding in would cost you nothing. 40 bands on eight sound stages over three days, including Great White, all free. Rats Hole custom bike show, some of the prettiest girls ever seen anywhere, competing for the Ms Bike Fest title, free stunt shows, free parking, and no cages allowed over a six block area of main street. Some of the best Oysters anywhere. Righteous bikes, and righteous bikers, make this 150 thousand plus rally truly a biker's heaven. Still undiscovered by major vendors, & price gouging hotels, this one will leave a smile on your face, and money in your chain drive wallet. Warning: For many bikers, Oysters are addictive!

Leesburg Bike Fest Coverage--A New Show Everyday!

Nationwide, On the Air at America's Better Radio Stations

On demand by calling 360.282.5400

or

podcasts, blogs, at www.twitter.com/abmrocks

ABM's coverage of the 13th Annual Leesburg Bike Fest:

April 23, 24, 25, & 26, if... we can tear loose of the slimy bar!

(florida-speak for Oyster)

Wanna be biker town? Do what they do. We love this place!