09/17/2011 – 09/19/2011: 16th Annual Catskill Mountain Thunder. Blackthorn Resort, East Durham. Info: 518 – 634 – 2541; www.catskillmountainthunder.com
04/10/2011 – 04/10/2011: S&S Motorcycle Show. Dome Center, Henrietta. Info: www.skinandsteel.com
04/10/2011 – 04/10/2011: 10th Annual Newburgh Spring Breakout Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. Ice Time Sports Complex, Newburgh. Info: 607 – 863 – 4295; www.odypro.com
The motorcycles, featured in the museum’s “Art of the Motorcycle” exhibit, are being offered without reserve.
Harley Davidson is the most popular brand of motorcycle in the United States. Because most Harley riders are more mature men and women, they are often seen as good risks for insurance companies. You might expect that to result in lower insurance premiums, but insurance rates for Harleys depend on the value of the bike too…and Harleys are not cheap.
Why Harley Davidson Insurance Tends to Cost More
Even a standard stock bike straight off the showroom floor will cost big bucks. Every time you take it out on the street there is the possibility of damage to its chrome and clear coat. Harley Davidson riders are proud of their bikes and tend to park them where they are highly visible. Unfortunately, this tends to be near the edges of roadways where cars are more likely to hit them.
Harley owners are right to be proud of these beautiful bikes. Unfortunately, their beauty also tends to attract thieves. Harley Davidson motorcycles are often stolen and then customized to make them unrecognizable to their former owners. These bikes are much easier to steal than most cars because their motors are exposed all the time. Sadly, most stolen Harleys are never recovered.
Agreed Value is Important for Custom Bikes
A custom motorcycle costs even more to insure. It is important to talk to your insurance company about modifications every time you make them. Customization can drastically change the value of your motorcycle compared to a stock model. If your insurance company only covers the value of a stock bike, you will be out of luck if something happens to your Harley.
Try to find a company that sells agreed value insurance for bikes. With this type of policy, you and the agent discuss the real value of your bike with all of the custom accessories included. Once you agree on a value, you will be reimbursed up to that agreed upon price should there be any covered damage to your custom motorcycle. Without an agreed value policy, you will only receive standard stock rates if your bike is stolen or damaged.
Ways to Keep Insurance for Bikes Affordable
One way to bring down the cost of Harley Davidson insurance is to protect your bike from theft. Electronic alarm systems and other theft deterrent mechanisms can make your bike a less inviting target for thieves. Parking your Harley in a covered, locked garage while you are at home will also protect it…plus you’ll get a discount on your insurance.
The preceeding article was wrote by Jessica Bosari who writes for carinsurancequotescomparison.com, a site that seeks to keep motor vehicle consumers informed. Those who understand insurance are more likely to get the best rate when they compare car insurance.
Hoping to break into a segment dominated by BMW, Honda and Aprilia, two entrepreneurs revealed a pair of American-built high-performance touring bikes on Thursday night.
The motorcycle customizer has closed the chop shop that provided his initial brush with fame.
I have been shooting emails back and forth with Robert Swope (President on the committee for the Guts and Glory event). I was asking him a few questions about the Guts and Glory Rally so that I would have a better understanding of the rally. He has been very responsive to my questions and thanks to him I have a little more information regarding the event. He also sent me a press release and I should be getting a few more as they are released.
The following are responses to some of the questions I had concerning how the money is handled for the charities and prizes;
- We work actively with all of our charities on a daily basis, and have started a separate 501c3 Foundation for all charitable donations. It is The Guts & Glory Foundation. All of the proceeds from the RIDE A MILE program will be split as such: 50% to the Shriners Hospitals for Children; and the remaining 50% split evenly between our three Veterans groups (Not Alone, Able Forces and Project Healing Waters). None of the charity donations are being used to fund the rally in any way.
- ? I can say that we are not looking for 1000 riders. In fact, we are limiting the number of long rally riders to 400. We are also limiting the number of RIDE 4 A REASON leg riders to 400 as well. This is due to organization logistics. We want a safe ride… And too many bikes out there, staggered though they will be, will create a mess…. That is something that no one wants, especially us.
- The entire prize package is bonded through One Beacon/Lloyds of London as part of our $100,000,000 insurance policy on the event. Again… The Guts & Glory Rally is about a SAFE long distance ride.
- We will be awarding the winner $100,000; a custom motorcycle; and a hand made Gibson Guts & Glory Trophy Guitar. These prizes paid for with 1) Rider apps, 2) Sponsor dollars, 3) our money.
- The Guts & Glory Rally will include checkpoint stops at two Shriners Hospitals for Children, with additional lunch stops at two more Hospitals along the route. Camp Guts locations range from Speedways to Fairgrounds to private land…. We have tried to mix and match each checkpoint locations to make this a very fun experience for any rider.
The following is the press release;
Guts & Glory Motorsports Announces RIDE A MILE for the 
Shriners Hospitals for Children and three Veteran Charities.
Nashville, Tennessee, November 30, 2010 – The Guts & Glory Rally Across America is proud and honored to announce the Shriners Hospitals for Children as the leading charity in its landmark inaugural Guts & Glory Rally Across America in May of 2011.
On May 17, 2011, The finest motorcyclists in the world will depart Los Angeles on a 9,000 (plus) mile, 11 day timed rally across America. Crossing 48 States, and concluding in Bar Harbor, Maine, the Guts & Glory Rally Across America may well total up to 10 Million collective miles ridden by its participants. The Guts & Glory RIDE A MILE sponsorship program is aimed at National and International corporations that are proud to support the work of the Shriners, and the three Veterans charities already a part of the Guts & Glory Rally Across America. Guts & Glory Motorsports seeks to raise up to, if not more than, $10,000,000 through marketing sponsorships of at least $1 per collective mile ridden for the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Able Forces, Not Alone and Project Healing Waters, with all proceeds from RIDE A MILE going directly to these deserving causes.
“It’s FEZTASTIC for the Guts & Glory Rally to be sharing the proceeds of this 9000 mile (+) ride with the “worlds greatest philanthropy” as SHRINER’S continue the monumental job of giving a better life and future to our kids. The lengthy and prestigious history of providing specialized care for almost a million children in need has been the Shrine focus for the past 88 years. It is my hope this event will reflect on all Shriner’s past success. THANK YOU for being partners in our Shrine Family as all efforts are very much appreciated in support of the children that come to SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN for help” says George Mitchell, Imperial Potentate of the Shriners International.
The RIDE A MILE program provides major companies an innovative marketing opportunity through the Guts & Glory Rally Across America phenomena. Sponsors will be able to leverage the hundreds of millions of impressions garnered by simply committing to pennies per mile, or even fractions of a penny per collective mile ridden.
”This marketing platform is both powerful and meaningful to our corporate partners. It brings smart marketing and humanity together for what will be the Ride of Our Lives, as ailing Children and Brave Veterans fight for their life each and every day. It is an amazing privilege to work with the Shriners, and our Veterans, on what we all know will be the Ride of 2011. We are excited about making a difference in the lives of thousands of children and veteran hero’s … two things very close to the hearts of all of us creating the Guts & Glory” says Robert Swope, president of Guts & Glory Motorsports.
The Shriners and staffers from the three Veterans charities will work alongside the Guts & Glory Motorsports production team in handling all logistics and organization of the 11 checkpoints along the route.
Says Able Forces Executive Director Skip Rogers, “What an incredible event! 48 States, over 9,000 miles in 11 days, this has never been done and will undoubtedly capture the interest of our entire Nation. Able Forces is honored to be one of the recipients.”
“We’re pleased to join Guts & Glory Motorsports in this inaugural event and we’re looking forward to the awareness the Rally Across America will generate for the organizations who do so much for deserving individuals,” stated Ed Nicholson, president of Project Healing Waters. “When America’s warriors participate in a Project Healing Waters activity they’re involved in a great national pastime. Plus, there are also significant therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits associated with fly fishing, and for a while these injured soldiers forget about their injuries and feel good about themselves. And, that means the world to them.”
As a key component of the Guts & Glory Rally Across America, Emmy Award winning Sunrise Entertainment will be filming a reality television series throughout the course of the rally. This television series will chronicle the joys, struggles, challenges and most importantly, the personal stories of many of the participants. Filmed in High Definition using cameras mounted on motorcycles, chase vehicles, helicopters and even an ultra-light aircraft, viewers will not only feel as though they are a part of the rally, they will also see the amazing scenery and vistas of this great country as seen through the eyes of each rider. Fast moving and engaging, the programs foundation is the overwhelmingly compelling personal stories of victory and defeat, joy and hardship, camaraderie and competition.
For further information about the Guts & Glory Rally Across America and/or to become a RIDE A MILE Corporate Partner, please visit:
Contacts:
Jane Crossman
Marketing & Promotion
Guts & Glory Motorsports, Inc.
As I get information I will be printing it. Hopefully I can get a heads up and some pictures of the custom motorcycle that they are having Dave Perewitz build. I am sure there will be one one lucky person who will be a very happy biker. I am still looking for someone who is doing the ride to send me updates on the ride and a few pictures. I plan on giving someone $100 for their time. Contact me through this link; Open Road Biker contact form
Related Article; Guts and Glory Rally Across America
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This year the good ole US of A will play host to two very large rally rides across its great land among the scenic highways and byways. Both pledge to cross all 48 lower states, be over 9,000 miles, and rewards to the best finishers. They also have a $1,000 entry fee. I don’t know about you but that’s a hell of a lot of money. One of the rides has a sort of notoriety that it picked up from its last outing. It is called the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. It had its challenges all right, from fatal wrecks, tons of scam rumors, and a photo finish with two riders arriving at the finish point in Alaska at the same time. The ride publicized a half million dollar grand prize with the rest of the proceeds to benefit the Oglala Sioux Tribe providing water to the Pine Ridge Reservation. There were stories of motorcyclist mortgaging their homes just to compete for the grand prize. This year they are back again but with Harley Davidson as a major sponsor.
The other rally ride, the one we are here to talk about today, is called the Guts and Glory Rally Across America. It will be a competition with the winner being decided by who has the most points remaining at the finish line. The organizers will have a company ride the route from checkpoint to checkpoint to determine a safe time in which to complete the ride. That time will not be made available to the riders. If you come in over or under that time you will be docked points. At each checkpoint there will be some type of lodging that is paid for with your $1,000 entry fee. You will be on your own for the rest (food, gas, repairs) but they will provide information for those conveniences. The grand prize will be $100,000 and a custom motorcycle by Dave Perewitz. There will also be prizes awarded at the checkpoint for the rider coming in closest to the appropriate time.
There will be a few charities that will benifit from the ride. The charities being advertised are;
- The Shriners Hospital for Children
- Able Forces (Benefits Veteran)
- Not Alone ??(Benefits Veteran)
- Project Healing Waters ?(Benefits Veteran)
I like the thought of the ride supporting charities that benefit Veterans me being in the military and all. Even more I like the thought of support going to a children’s charity.
I have visited a few forums and sites and they are all buzzing about the ride. Another thing I have noticed is that there seems to be a fair amount of people that are polarized on this ride and the Hoka Hey. Some say it is a rip-off of Hoka Hey, while others believe that while it does cover all 48, the way they go about it makes it original. I don’t care one way or another, hell they both seem to be loosely based off of the Iron Butt runs.
If there is anyone out there who is planning to do it, I will offer $100 to someone to cover the run for me (can’t do it from Afghanistan). Use the contact form to send me and email and I will discuss the details of what I want you to do.
I have sent a series of questions to the chairman for the run; I am currently waiting on him to respond. Once he does I will post the questions and answers on the site.
