Dragon Tales
I have been on the back of motorcycles since I was a kid. It seems like
forever ago, but the same feeling of having the wind in your face and
the freedom of the open road before you is as exciting now as it was
then. The biggest difference now is that I no longer ride on the back.
Something my husband says he misses. Well, what can I say? I am a
power chick, and some what of a control freak, so how much more in
control can you be than riding your own bike?
Now, I know many of us have the hereditary riding gene in our blood,
but I have to admit that I may never have furthered my riding career
if it weren’t for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) class I took,
back when my best friend Nancy and I turned 17. Two young girls out
learning how to ride. What a rush! Unfortunately life took some twists
and turns, and I didn’t get my own ride.
Jump years (and years) forward, and I take the MSF class again. There
were 12 of us in class, men and women together, most with some
previous riding experience, so of course we asked the instructors if we
could do some of the exercises over and over again. They were very
perplexed by our enthusiasm about stopping full brake, skidding in
a straight line right at the instructor, or any of the other challenging
maneuvers we performed over a two day period. It was fun, and learning
from a complete stranger was probably a good thing. I love my family,
but I don’t think I would have been as receptive to learning from them.
Besides, who says they know what the heck they’re doing anyway?
By the way, some of the men in our class had years of previous riding
experience, and all of them commented on the fact that they learned
something during the course. They were surprised to learn what they
didn’t know about riding.
2 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
Working in the motorcycle industry, I have often talked with people
about their motorcycle training, or lack thereof. There are those that
were just born on a motorcycle and instinctively knew how to ride, or
were taught by a family member way back when. Then there were those
who actually took a rider’s training course. The more I talk with people
the more I realize how the course is a great way to gauge your abilities
and interest in motorcycling. Riding a bike is not for everyone. I do
suggest, however, that even as a passenger you should have some basic
knowledge of motorcycle operation.
This is where MSF, Rider’s Edge, and other training courses come in.
You can make an honest assessment of yourself as a rider, as you learn
basic handling skills. These courses teach you about the motorcycle
in general. Even if you only want to see the scenery from the back of
a bike, it is your responsibility as a team member to know some very
basic information. In an emergency situation, you should know how
to take the bike out of gear, and how to shut the motor off. Even learn
how to pick it up and put it on the kick stand, without giving yourself
a herniated disk. All of this, and more, is completed on their student
modified (no turn signals or mirrors) motorcycles. So at least if you drop
it, it’s not yours hitting the black top.
So if you have wondered if you should take a rider course or just wanted
to sharpen your skills as well as gain a discount on your insurance, then
a rider training course may be for you. What do you have to lose?
Ride safe and keep the shiny side up!
Donna
 Thunder Roads West Virginia From The Editor........................................... 4
P.O. Box 606 / Charles Town, WV 25414
www.thunderroadswv.com Letters......................................................... 5
Owner / Editors
Winging It.................................................... 6
Gary Westphalen, Editor-in-Chief Hidden Highways – State Route 28............ 8
gary@thunderroadswv.com / 304-616-0102
Donna K. Westphalen, CFO Road Ready Gear – Frogg Toggs.............. 10
donna@thunderroadswv.com / 304-261-1609
Randy’s Run.............................................. 11
Layout & Design Barboursville Veterans Home Run............ 13
Meredith Hancock / Hancock Graphics
Accidents Happen..................................... 14
COPY EDITOR
Thomas M. Korzeniowski White Sulphur Springs Festival................. 18
Contributors
Welton Run................................................ 19
Mary Berry, Zippy Horwatich, Donna Jones, Dave Luksa, TNT............................................................ 21
Sara Matzek, Michael Mendell, Earl Nuzum, Jerry Pastine,
Sissy Robertson, Greg Vernon, Moe Vetter, Susan Vetter Center Calendar........................................ 22
Advertising Sales / Distribution Ride for Bill Jennings................................. 26
EASTERN PANHANDLE West Virginians Finish the Hoka Hey........ 27
Dave Luksa - 304-268-1315/dave.luksa@thunderroadswv.com
High Flying Fun......................................... 28
NORTHWEST WV
Earl Nuzum – 304-816-2863 / earl@thunderroadswv.com WV’s Oldest Biker Turns 100..................... 30
NORTHWEST WV
Greg Vernon 304-616-0249 / greg@thunderroadswv.com 125 Years! Birthday of the Bike................. 31
POTOMAC HIGHLANDS Seats & Saddles........................................ 32
Moe Vetter - 304-668-9563 / moe@thunderroadswv.com
Bike of the Month – Dawkins Dragon........ 34
SOUTHEAST WV
Jeff Davis – 304-673-7321 / jeff@thunderroadswv.com Joker’s Wild............................................... 35
SOUTHWEST WV
Tim Higgs – 304-546-5982 / tim@thunderroadswv.com Biker Friendly Directory............................. 36
STATEWIDE The High Road.......................................... 39
Tom Barber – 304-376-2338 / tom@thunderroadswv.com
Mountain State Ink.................................... 40
WESTERN WV
Mike Skinner – 304-482-3550 / mike.skinner@thunderroadswv.com Wounded Warrior Run............................... 41
National Founders Upcoming Events...................................... 42
Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon
1528 Matlock Drive / Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Ride to Remember.................................... 43
Office 615-792-0040 / Fax: 615-792-7580 ON THE COVER
email: thunderroads@charter.net
Copyright 2010. Published by Thunder Roads West Virginia, LLC under license from Thunder Every adventurous biker has, at one time or another, ridden a
Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this magazines content may be reproduced without motorcycle over a jump. It was so much fun that we made the jump a
the written permission of the Publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility and is not little higher, and then higher still. Suddenly, we hit a height that crossed
to be held liable for errors beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error, slander of any the line between fun and scary. Most of us stopped there. Some of us
group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond our
control, any and all suits for libel, plagiarism, copyright infringement, and unauthorized use
only stopped after we crashed. Then, there was that select few who
of a person’s name or photograph. Opinions and claims made by advertisers and authors simply didn’t know how to stop. They became members of Team FMX
are their own, and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Roads West Virginia, East, a motocross stunt crew that brought its show to West Virginia.
Thunder Roads Magazine, or Thunder Publishing. The Publisher does not promote the abuse Their airborne antics are on display on page 28.
of alcohol or other drugs.

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 3

 Happy Birthday Thunder Roads West Virginia!
It’s hard for me to believe, but with this issue we are completing our first
year of publication. It has been a whirlwind of a year. I have traveled many
thousands of miles by motorcycle, crisscrossing this great state to bring
you the stories about my brothers and sisters in the fraternity of bikers, our
bikes, where we ride them, and the great things we band together to do to
help others in need.
Many of you weren’t with us in the beginning last year, and I’m afraid
you missed some great stories in those early issues. Our very first issue
carried a picture of our bike riding Governor as he led the ride to Freedom
Fest, just as he will do again this August. Issues two and three explored
the damage that ethanol blended gasoline is doing to your bike’s motor.
In addition, we rode along with numerous fund-raising events and brought
these stories of bikers helping people to you, just as we continue to do. In
fact, we have so many event stories this month that we can’t possibly fit
them all in. Be sure to log onto our website at www.thunderroadswv.com to
read the stories that didn’t get in the magazine.
The magazine has grown tremendously in this first year. We had four
advertisers in issue one, and now there are well over a hundred regulars,
as well as many seasonal and event-related members of the Thunder
Roads West Virginia family. We started by printing a 40 page magazine
and struggled to get less than 4-thousand copies sprinkled across the

Come
state. As I write this I’m not sure what the numbers will be for this August
issue, but July’s magazine was a whopping 56 pages and the 10-thousand
copies we printed ran out before the month was over. That is growth
beyond our wildest dreams.
Here’s the best part: we’re just getting started. We have only scratched in for a
test save.
the surface of what’s important to you as a biker. There are so many West
Virginia places to visit, so many roads to ride, bikes to fawn over, and
riders to meet that my work will never be done. Now, I’m not complaining
about that. Far from it. When my responsibility is to ride around the great
State of West Virginia to bring these stories to you, I can truly say I have
the best job in the world.
Milestones in motorcycle history seems to have emerged as a theme for
some of this month’s magazine. In addition to this issue marking our first full
year of publication, you’ll also find stories this month of the first bike, and the Jim McCartney, Agent Total average savings of

$696*
400 Morgantown Street
State’s oldest biker. Kingwood, WV 26537
Bus: 304-329-2420
I’m going to celebrate all jim.mccartney.bvlx@statefarm.com
of this biker style. Instead
of lighting candles and
Let me show you how combining
throwing confetti around,
I’ll just point my left arm home and auto policies can add
downward with several up to big savings. Like a good
fingers extended, and offer neighbor, State Farm is there.®
a bikers wave as these CALL FOR A QUOTE 24/7
milestones rush by in the
opposite direction.
It’s not the Destination…
It’s the Journey.
Gary
*Average annual per household savings based on a national 2009 survey of new policyholders who reported savings by switching to State Farm.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company
P097197 04/09 State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL
4 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
 Letters To
The Editor

Hey,
Just wanted to let you know I really enjoy the magazine. I live on the
panhandle of WV. My wife and I both ride. I’m sending a picture along
of Babye. This bike was my therapy when my first wife died in 2003.
It was a stock 2003 Big Dog Pitbull. I spent the next 3 to 4 years
changing things. I ended up with a 23 time trophy winner. Hope you
like the picture.
Keep up the good work. Thanks.
Dennis Sanders

Dennis,
That’s a very, well, sharp scooter. Seriously, she is beautiful. With any
luck, we can get together and give Babye a chance to strut her stuff in
a future issue of Thunder Roads West Virginia. Congratulations on
winning all those trophies. See you on the road!
Gary

Dear Gary,
Donna Jones brought me a copy of your magazine. Now in my 70’s,
the pictures and articles brought back memories of 1955 when my
husband and I were dating, riding his BSA. Me on the buddy seat
with one hand around his waist, and the other holding the record
player. Yes, it was called a record player way back then. And, yes
we were usually on our way to a party. With the arrival of 3 children
we continued to ride as a family, but it was on dirt bikes traveling
the logging roads and switch-back trails in the Sierra Mountains of
California. Reading your magazine gave me a sense of continuity --
new bikers building their own memories.
Sincerely,
Mary E. Powell

Dear Mary,
Thank you for the wonderful reminiscence of your days on two wheels.
I can almost visualize you and your sweetheart bouncing down the
road on your way to a gathering of friends. I’ll bet you were the coolest
couple at the parties! SATURDAY, SEPT. 18
VALLEY THUNDER XVIII
I share your feelings of continuity. Donna’s father and mine are both
bikers. Our brothers and cousins are bikers. Our kids have little dirt
bikes of their own, and go riding with us on the back seats of our
street bikes every chance they get. If we can share that enthusiasm bike show • food • vendors • contests
and passion through this magazine, inciting others to build their own IDES! R!
E PREMIE IVE MUSIC!
biking memories, then we have done our part for the motorcycle DEMO R E W B IK
N L
community.
Gary

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 5

 Winging It
The first thing you notice when
rolling into a Gold Wing Road Riders Weighing in at around 900
Association event is how quiet the pounds, the Gold Wing is one
parking lot is. These machines might of the heaviest 2-wheelers you
be powered by massive automotive can buy. Tip one on its side in a
grade six cylinder engines, but they parking lot (they don’t actually
sound more like…well…they barely fall all the way over, they just list
make any sound at all. You actually heavily) and watch how many
have to look around to make sure guys it takes to get it upright.
you aren’t stepping out in front of an But don’t make the mistake of
oncoming bike. That’s not something thinking this bike is a dog in
you have to do at most bike ral- the curves. Honda’s engineers
lies. But here at the have placed all of
Down Home West the weight way down
Virginia State Rally low. That massive
in Summersville, power plant is actu-
you’re more likely to ally the lower frame
hear the stereo of an member, and even
oncoming bike than the 6.6 gallons of
the bike itself. gas it can hold is
The next thing you tanked below the
realize is that the rider’s seat. Get the
average age of the Gold Wing rolling
riders is higher than and by the time you
at most rallies. The Honda hit ten miles per hour, all that
Gold Wing is no entry level weight melts away into a very
bike in either size or cost. stable, powerful, and remark-
These riders have logged ably nimble bike.
a lot of pavement time and The Gold Wing has also
worked enough years to be been given the handling char-
able to afford a bike that acteristics of a sport bike. With
retails in the neighborhood a rake of 29 degrees and trail
of 30-grand stock. Not that of 4.3 inches, the front suspen-
you’ll find many stock bikes sion will send you through the
here. Nearly every Wing in corner in a hurry. This monster
the Convention Center lot sports a customized paint job. And on a has no problem with hanging
bike this big, riders find lots of places to bolt on gobs of extra bling. it out in the curves. Pushing
A high percentage have been converted into trikes, and more than a Gold Wing to the limits of
half are pulling trailers. Wingers do not believe in sacrificing creature physics is truly a blast.
comforts when they’re out on the road.
The truth, however, is that
The Gold Wing is one of the most enduring motorcycle models of Gold Wing Road Riders Asso-
all time. It was introduced, without a fairing or saddlebags, by Hon- ciation members are more interested in highway safety than in liv-
da in 1975. The engine, a horizontally opposed and silky smooth ing on the edge. This rally focuses on training, with courses for trike
bastion of endless torque, was originally a 4-cylinder, 1000cc riders, trailer towers, and group riding techniques. A rigorous series
mill. 35 years later, after several displacement upgrades and the of safety certifications within the hierarchy of GWRRA is detailed in
addition of another pair of pistons, the bike now glides down the the patches worn on the vests of every member.
highway under the guidance of a 1,832cc six-cylinder behemoth
that never really has to work hard. It is not uncommon to find Gold “Riding a motorcycle is not a safe thing to do,” Buz admits. “It’s a
Wings with well over 100-thousand miles on their odometers, that great hobby, but it’s not safe because people are not aware of us.
look and run as though they just left the showroom yesterday. They So we’ve developed, over the years, programs to train our riders
are available with awesome sound systems, GPS navigation, anti- how to ride safe.” GWRRA puts on these training courses for no
lock brakes, and even air bags built right in. charge, at rallies like this one all over the country. (For more on
one of the impressive safety demonstrations staged at this year’s
“It’s an addiction to a particular kind of motorcycle,” says Buz rally, see our sidebar story, Accidents Happen on page 14.)
Mowrer, who is the West Virginia District Director of GWRRA. He
has three Gold Wings in his garage at the moment. “Gold Wings Still, there’s more to a Gold Wing Road Riders rally than just lec-
are tremendously reliable. It’s just a wonderful machine that’s tures and training sessions out on the pad. There’s a camaraderie
super-comfortable. They’re much more comfortable than a car for among these Wingers that rivals the tightest m/c. “We have nation-
long distance.” wide friends,” says Buz, “and if you meet them for five minutes, you

6 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010

have another friend. If you
need them you call them
on the phone – even if you
don’t know who they are – if
you’re in trouble, you call.”
A directory of all GWRRA
members is published each
year, and members go out
of their way to help each
other when things happen
on the highway. In a recent
incident on the West Virginia
turnpike, an out-of-state
GWRRA member had a
battery fail, and two local
members with trailers were
there to help within minutes.
That friendship was on
display at this year’s West
Virginia rally, themed Wing-
ing Over the Seven Seas.
Activities on Friday included a pa-
rade of more than a hundred Gold
Wings into downtown Summers-
ville, where a street party thrown
by the city included free ice cream
for everyone. A few attendees even
took the theme seriously enough pleasant aural medley with the sounds of a local bluegrass band.
to don themselves in pirate garb. The street party went on until the sun went down. With lights
Bikes lined both sides of three city ablaze, the Gold Wings made their way back to the Convention
blocks in the historic district. As Gold Wingers mingled with the Center area motels, carrying their diehard Wing Riders and memo-
town folks, laughter and happy chatter blended into a ries of an evening of fun and new friendships.

West Virginia
One year subscription to Thunder Roads is only $35 a year.
The nation’s largest FREE biker publication
can be delivered right to your door.
Name___________________________________
Address_________________________________
City____________________________________

State_________________ Zip_______________

Make Check payable to:

Thunder Roads West Virginia

Mail check and this form to:

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P.O. Box 606
Charles Town, WV 25414

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 7

 Hidden Highways
State Route 28
As you can tell from the pictures, State Highway 28 is fairly well known by
motorcyclists. What qualifies it as a Hidden Highway is its remarkable lack of cage
traffic, as well as the fact that it is buried deep within the Monongahela National
Forest. Open your West Virginia state highway map. That giant green blob in the
east-central part of the state designates some of the best riding you’ll find anywhere
in the nation. There are farms and some small towns through here, but much of this
area is pristine wilderness.
One of the best ways to experience this region on a motorcycle is by following State
Highway 28. It runs in a predominantly north-south manner through much of the
forest. There are no hard-charging switchbacks on this road. In fact, the path this
road takes over some of the highest elevations in the state is remarkably mild. But it
is loaded with sweeping curves and gentle up and
downhill stretches that go on for miles. Highway
28 provides a terrific sampling of everything the
Monongahela Forest has to offer.
Our trip begins near Marlinton, in the heart of
Pocahontas County. Regardless of which direction
you have come from, if you’ve made it to here
you have already experienced some awesome
biking roads. Right now, we’re about six miles
east of Marlinton on Highway 39, where Highway
28 begins. The first 16 miles takes you through a
combination of family farmland and the Seneca
State Forest. The road here runs more-or-less
along the western edge of the valley floor. If you’re
familiar with how highways in this state are laid
out, then you know that’s code for saying the road
is a constant serpentine course as it makes it’s
way along the base of the ridge.
Humans are visitors in this area. Creatures of the
forest outnumber us. Deer are commonplace, and it is even quite possible to spot
a bear along this road. I have even heard stories of several bike-bear crashes over
the years. Roadside visibility is usually quite good, so an attentive rider should have
no problem avoiding wildlife.
8 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
Highway 28 makes a left turn at Dunmore, joining forces with Highway 92 for the
next 16 miles. It’s in this stretch that you’ll catch an amazing sight off to your left.
As you approach the town of Green Bank, the rich green forest canopy is torn open
by something that looks so out of place you’re likely to do a double-take. Reaching
high above the treetops is a 100-meter diameter radio telescope. It’s often joked
that the satellite dish is the State Flower of West Virginia. If that’s true, then this
is the mother of all flowers. This 17-million pound dish is more than two acres in
surface area, and is one of the largest moveable objects ever built. Its official job is
to explore the universe, collecting the faintest of radio waves from distant galaxies.
This giant dish is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
at Green Bank, and a tour of the facility is highly recommended. You
can even jump aboard a bus that takes you right to the base of the
behemoth, as well as to numerous smaller dishes employed at the
facility. Leave your cell phone in the saddlebag, though. You are smack-
dab in the middle of the “National Radio Quiet Zone”, and there are no
cell towers for miles. Most radio transmissions are not allowed in this
area because they interfere with the miniscule signals the telescopes
search for. Truth is, even outside of this zone the cell phone is largely
useless on this Hidden Highway. Reception anywhere along it is spotty,
at best. But this is a bike ride. Toss the phone in a saddlebag and forget
about the thing.
Heading North from Green Bank, Highway 28 continues its romp
through the Monongahela National Forest, joining up with U.S. 250 for
a couple of miles before again splitting off on its own path. Rounding
the bend atop Allegheny Mountain, the rolling nature of the surrounding
land belies the fact that you are just a few ticks below 4,000 feet in
altitude. But a 37 year old marker alongside the road stands as a silent
reminder that this peak decides which way the rain waters flow into
some of the region’s mightiest rivers. The Kanawha, James, Potomac,
and Monongahela Rivers all trace their earliest downhill advances to this spot.
It’s all downhill for bikes from here, too. The road winds its way down for miles,
sweeping back and forth as it traces the early beginnings of the South Branch River.
With the dense forest all around you as you make this winding descent, you’ll find
the smiles-per-mile quotient of this road
to be among the best.
Fifty-six miles after turning onto Highway
28 near Marlinton, you’re faced with a
choice. Highway 28 T-bones into Highway
33 at Judy Gap. Whichever way you
decide to turn, you’ve made a great
choice. If you follow Highway 28, the left
option, you’ll roll through Seneca Rocks
on your way to Petersburg. This gorgeous
road though Germany Valley is filled with
sweeping valley curves, and a few tight
twisties to keep you sharp. The 30 or so
miles is filled with interesting sights and
things to do. A stop at Seneca Rocks is
mandatory, and a tour of Smoke Hole
Caverns halfway between Seneca
Rocks and Petersburg is not only
fascinating, but also a great way to cool
off on a hot summer day.
Just past the Smoke Hole Caverns,
a little road shoots off to the south.
It’s called Smoke Hole Road, and
has been assigned the Highway
number 28/11. But local bikers have a Back at Judy Gap, if you decide to take the right turn, you will
different name for it. The Smoke Hole be bidding adieu to Highway 28 and joining Highway 33 on its
Blacksnake takes you down a canyon right in the heart of the eastward march. This stretch of road between here and Franklin
Smoke Hole Recreation Area. The road is worthy of a Hidden makes a very noteworthy climb up and down the mountainside,
Highway story of its own. In fact, Jerry Pastine of Elkins has providing breath taking views of Germany Valley at a couple of
written a story about riding the Blacksnake, and you can read pull-off areas near the top of the mountain. Thunder Roads West
it on our website. Log on to www.thunderroadswv.com, and Virginia has climbed the western face of the this run with a bike-
you’ll find Jerry’s story on the home page during the month mounted video camera, and you’ll find a link to our video along
of August. with Jerry’s story on our home page. Be sure to log on to www.
thunderroadswv.com for these web-only features.

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 9

The mountains of West Virginia give rise to two
fascinating phenomena. The most important one
is that they provide us with what is absolutely the
best motorcycling anywhere in the world. The oth-
er is that they generate their own weather. On any
given hot, humid summer afternoon, those moun-
tains can catch the clouds and stir them up into a
caldron of rogue thunderstorms. The sun can be
beating down on a dry section of road just a mile
away from torrents of rain bouncing wildly on the
tarmac. Sometimes a biker can find dry refuge to
wait out the storm, but often there is nowhere to
go. And sometimes those storms join forces with
other ornery clouds and expand to cover vast ar-
eas. So, there you are. Riding in the rain.
There is one other camp of bikers that I must
mention, because I’m one of them. To this group,
the weather is just one more challenge that we
must overcome. Rain or not, we will not be de-
terred from a two-wheeled romp.
Whether you’re a fair weather biker, or a hard-
core rider of arguable sanity, at some point this
summer you’re going to be donning rain gear.
This is probably the most hated garment any bik-
er owns. Nobody likes to spend a couple hundred
bucks or more on something we really hope not to
use. Rain suits are also bulky, so carrying one on
the bike is another pain. Then, when we do have
to break it out, the suit is stifling, uncomfortable,
and frankly doesn’t work very well. Most rain suits
feel like you’ve been stuffed into an oversized
garbage bag. By the time you get if off, you’re not
sure if it’s wetter on the outside because of the
rain, or on the inside because of the sweat you’ve
generated in this airless environment.
Frogg Toggs® offer an alternative. This light-
weight rain suit packs into a small bundle, doesn’t
cost a bundle, and actually works. Let me state
right here that you will not win any fashion awards
in Frogg Toggs. Even our Thunder Roads West
Virginia calendar models would have a tough time
making this rain suit look good. But riding in the
rain and fashion statements are concepts that
don’t blend, so forget about it.
Like nearly all rain gear, Frogg Toggs are made
of polypropylene, but this plastic suit feels to the
touch more like a heavy paper towel. The com-
pany, based in Arab, AL, says the suits are actu-
ally made of three distinct layers. The layer in the
center is a micro-porous film that doesn’t allow
water molecules to penetrate. The pores are said
10 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
to be 20,000 times smaller than a droplet of wa-
ter, so air exchange can happen freely, but those
annoying drops of water are locked out.
I have had my Frogg Toggs rain suit for several
years, and I no longer own anything else. After
decades of buying expensive suits that almost
always left me soaking wet, either from sweat,
leaky zippers, or both, I have sworn off the bulky
gear forever. Let’s look at the good things about
Frogg Toggs, one feature at a time.
Packability. The entire rain suit weighs a pound
and a half. It easily rolls up and jams into a stuff
sack, made of the same material, just ten inches
long and six inches in diameter. But, the whole
thing is soft, so it can be crushed into a much
smaller space down in the bottom of a saddlebag.
Affordability. Frogg Toggs makes many different
models of their rain suit for different applications.
For motorcycling, they offer half a dozen different
models, as well as separate pant and parka op-
tions. There are designs specifically for women,
and several colors are also available. Full suits
begin at a manufacturers suggested price of $70
and range as high as $160 for their top-of-the-line
suit. Mine is a base model called the Road Toad,
which opens the door to so many bad jokes that
I’m not even going to start. The more expensive
suit has a few bells and whistles that mine doesn’t
(and the moniker Elite Highway isn’t as rough on
the ego), but I’m not itching to upgrade.
Durability. My suit has been put through the pac-
es. It has been packed and repacked dozens of
times over years of use. It has done thousands
of rain-soaked miles, and hundreds of thousands
of miles jammed into a saddlebag. Every seam,
every zipper, every cuff, looks and works like new.
I have not tried to melt it against a hot pipe, but
quick brushes against pipes have caused no dam-
age to the garment. The company says that if you
do manage to ruin your suit, it is 100% recyclable.
Comfort. Every rain suit is another layer of cloth-
ing. There’s no getting around that. But - and this
point is worth repeating - this stuff breathes. It re-
ally doesn’t feel like rain gear. There’s no sense
of being stuffed in a garbage bag. It does have a
tendency to blow up some in the wind, so you get
a little bit of that marshmallow man sensation, but
that’s the only negative comment I can muster.
Functionality. A rain suit may be lightweight and
inexpensive, but that won’t matter if the thing
doesn’t work. This one does. It is a two-piece out-
fit, so care must be taken about that split at the
waist. However, the pants pull high enough, and
the jacket comes low enough, that it’s easy to cre-
ate a hefty overlap at this critical junction. Pull the
elastic strings snug, and you’ll stay dry. The suit
has elastic bands around the wrist and ankle, as
well as zippers on the leg openings that allow for
easy transition over boots. It is simple and quick
to get into and out of, even when your hands,
boots, and other parts are already wet. It also has
highly reflective piping around the seams, and a
one inch wide reflective stripe across the back.
Just how dry will you stay? Dry. Water doesn’t
get in, and perspiration gets out. I’ve been very
happy with the results over many miles of rain rid-
ing. But to see just how dry Frogg Toggs will keep
a wearer under the most extreme conditions, we
ran a little test. I put on my suit, and gamely stood
still as TRWV lab techs Taylor and Tim turned the
garden hose on me. After several minutes of un-
mitigated fun hosing the old man, they reluctantly
halted the deluge. Tim had managed to lay a shot
right across my neck, and a little water trickled
down inside the collar. Other than that, I was com-
pletely dry from top to bottom.
Frogg Toggs are also billed as being wind re-
sistant. This allows the suit to serve another
purpose. I have worn my Frogg Togg jacket un-
derneath my regular riding jacket several times,
when I encountered unexpectedly cold condi-
tions. This dual use functionality means I don’t
have to pack a liner for my jacket when the chilly
winds might blow.
I have had many rain suits over my riding ca-
reer. I’ve bought cheap. I’ve bought expensive.
I’ve always been disappointed. They leak.
They’re stifling. They take huge amounts of stor-
age space. One mistake around a hot pipe and
they’re ruined. Basically, they suck. Then I got
the Frogg Toggs, and my animosity towards rain
gear, uhmm, dried up.
 Randy’s Run
by Greg Vernon
photos by Sissy Robertson
The run that I find myself in today is not just a cause for a group
of people, or a benefit for the loved ones of someone who is no lon-
ger with us, but for Randy Stettin, a young man from Rivesville with
a condition known as Arteriovenous Malformation.
Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) is a condition where a place in
the body has abnormal connectivity between arteries and veins. It
is basically like a mass of spaghetti. This can occur in the brain or
along the spinal cord. The best knowledge is that it is congenital.
Less than 1 in 500 people have the condition. The biggest problem
is that it can hemorrhage at any time and cause stroke-like affects
and even be fatal. It is a ticking time bomb, and no one knows
when it could go off. Randy’s is of the brain.
The organizers of this ride were Joe Hardesty and his wife,
Michele, owners of Road Hogs Saloon in Rivesville. As this is the
first one of an annual event I didn’t expect a huge turn out, but to my
surprise well over 100 bikes of every make showed up. The riders
were a great group of people. Local riders were gracious enough
to provide traffic control throughout the route of about 66 miles with
five stops. The ride started and ended at Joe’s place with food,
entertainment and prizes after the ride.
The ride twisted around the northern West Virginia area through
Fairmont and up to Morgantown and back to the beginning. Being
a poker run I had hopes of maybe a prize as well as the blast it was
riding with this group but I only drew 2 pair, 9’s over 8’s, not good
enough but the fun I had was more than the cost of admission.
Joe has reported that when all the proceeds are in about $2,000
was donated to help this young man, Randy. The Brotherhood of
bikers has hearts the size of watermelons when it comes to helping
others in need. Ride on Bros, ride on.

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 11

12 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
 Riding for the Barboursville Veterans Home
by Mary Berry
Motorcycles and their owners from 12 area clubs cov-
ered the grounds of the West Virginia Veterans’ Home July
12th. The ride was hosted by the Huntington Chapter of the
Dry Riders, a group of bikers that live a clean and sober
life. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day to get some
wind in your face, enjoy a beautiful scenic ride through four
counties, and feel the gratitude in your heart for raising
more than $600 to place directly in the veterans recreation-
al fund. The fund is used to offset the cost of activities they
want to participate in, like fishing and camping trips.
Close to 80 bikes registered for this event, said club
president Chad Christian. “We have enjoyed this poker
run for quite some time now. It is for a great cause,” he
said. “This year, we ran out of hot dogs and buns on
two separate occasions. We had a tremendous turnout,”
Christian added. A 50/50 raffle, along with lots of door
prizes were highlights. There were trophies for best
hand, 2nd best hand, and the coveted Horses Ass trophy
for the worst hand. “Seems like everyone wants that
one,” a veteran was heard saying.
Plaques for the largest group, as well as the ‘oldest
biker’ were given out, too. Cost to register for this years taining a warm, attractive,
run was five dollars, and tickets for hot dogs, pinto beans and and comfortable home for
other food items sold for a dollar each. “People are very willing the West Virginia veteran
to give back to the veterans that live here,” says Tom Berry, Vice who is in need of a place
President of the Dunbar Dry Riders. “It’s an honor just to be here, to live. We, the residents and staff, wish to extend an invitation to
and support them any way that we can,” he said. each of you to visit our facility. You will be proud, as we are, that
According to the homes’ web site, “Emphasis is placed on main- such a home exists.”

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 13

 These are experienced riders, and have
taken GWRRA safety courses, so they know
what to do. Their CB radios come alive with
a precise conversation. “The front bike says
to the tail gunner, ‘We’re coming up on an
accident, ’” says Don Henrey, the District
Educator for West Virginia, who is respon-
sible for this training session. “The front bike
is going to go ahead down the road and stop
traffic. The tail gunner’s responsibility is to
drop back behind the scene to stop any traf-
fic. That way we don’t have to worry about
any traffic at the scene.”

In this
scenario, that
As you look at the pictures and read this car has struck means there
story, keep reminding yourself that this is a a motorcycle. are three rid-
re-enactment. The car and bike have been The rider is lying ers to attend
placed this way to illustrate an accident unconscious in to the immediate crash scene. One of them
scene. The four “victims” of this crash are front of her bike, makes the call to 9-1-1 as the other two
doused in fake blood. The young boy lying and her helmet begin assessing the victims. “They know to
on the pavement is not really dead. The has popped off. do the basic first aid,” says Don. “You’ve got
“mom,” whose hysteria over the loss of her A boy has been to make an evaluation about who’s injured
baby provides a serious impediment to the thrown through the worst, and try to help them.”
rescuers, is acting. Remind yourself of these the windshield
facts over and over, because the scene is so of the car, and
dramatic that you won’t believe it isn’t real. is lying motion- They check the
less on the rider. She may have
This accident re-enactment was pre-
pavement. The neck or spine inju-
sented by the Gold Wing Road Riders
mother, also ries. They check the
Association at its rally in Summersville. It
unconscious, boy who has been
is designed to provide riders with a realis-
is still in the thrown through the
tic lesson in what to do when an accident
car, which has windshield. Serious
occurs. Although the riders involved know
come to rest on head wounds and
they are taking place in a re-enactment, they
its right side. In other major injuries
don’t have any idea how the scene is going
the back seat, suggest that he has
to play out. The obvious goal is to arm riders
another young not survived. The
with knowledge and skills that can, and has,
child is trapped rider with the cell
saved lives.
in the wreckage. phone is relaying
The scene begins with 5 bikers out on a There is blood, this information to
group ride. Rounding a curve, they discover twisted metal, leaking fluids, and broken the 9-1-1 dispatcher
an accident that has already happened. A glass everywhere. as the other two rid-

14 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010

ers check the victims and tell him what they lances arrive, the tail gunner - who remains
see. Fire trucks and two ambulances have at his position stopping traffic from behind
already been dispatched, and with this new the wreck - points them in the appropriate
information the dispatcher decides to get a direction.
medical helicopter in the air as well. The rid-
ers move on to the mother, lying in the front
seat of the car with one leg dangling out of When the paramedics and firemen arrive,
the broken windshield. As they approach the riders at the crash quickly tell them
her, they discover the fourth victim pinned in everything they
the back seat. know about the
scene. Then One paramedic has wiggled his way into
“AHHHHHH!” A blood curdling scream - and this is a the back seat of the car, and is tending to
emanates from the mother as she suddenly critical moment the injured child. The injuries are serious,
regains consciousness. She begins strug- - the riders step but very little aid can be rendered inside the
gling to get out of the wreckage, nearly over- back to allow the wrecked vehicle.
whelming the professionals to handle the scene. Other firemen
rider who is have been
trying to tend “If the EMTs have got plenty of help, they prepping their
to her. The just back off,” explains Don Henrey. “If the Jaws of Life
rider is taken EMTs need our help, they will tell our riders equipment, and
by surprise what to do.” they begin to
as she fights The emergency crews have their hands remove the roof
his efforts to full. One fireman of the car. The
help her. She begins foaming helicopter lands.
is in a blind panic. When she sees her child the rear of the The airborne
lying motionless on the pavement in front of car, where gas is medical crew
her, the riders’ skills are tested to their limits. leaking from the jumps out and
“MY BABY!!! MY BABY!!!,” she wails. tank, to prevent a rushes towards
Despite the riders’ efforts to calm her, fire from erupting. the scene with
she fights her way out of the wreckage The paramedics their gurney.
and pushes past them to the motionless don’t take long They are met
body. “What’s happened to my baby? MY to confirm the halfway by the
BABY!!!” Tears and palpable grief gush from fears that the boy ambulance
the scene as is dead. As they crew that has
she wraps her place a white extracted the in-
arms around sheet over the jured biker. She
the boy. As one body, the moth- is transferred to
rider takes on er’s emotions the chopper’s
the assignment overflow once gurney with
of staying with again. The rider some help from a couple of the assisting
the mother, the who has been bikers, and the helicopter is back in the air
other two continue assessing the victims, consoling her is within minutes. By now, they know that the
and providing first aid where they can. The called back into child in the back seat also has sustained life
child in the back seat is also injured, but service, assist- threatening injuries, and the helicopter will
there is little they can do because of the ing the EMT’s by have to return for this victim as well.
wreckage around her. keeping her from
interfering with their efforts to treat the other
“NOOOOOOO! OH, NO! MY BABY!” The three victims.
realization that the boy is dead washes over
the mother as she screams in hysteria. She The injured and unconscious motorcyclist
kneels beside the lifeless body and wraps is fitted with a neck brace,
him in her arms. Tears fall in a torrent. and carefully moved onto
The riders do their best to assist her in her a back board with the help
immediate grief, even as they continue to of the other two riders. The
assess her for injuries and the likelihood that shadow of the arriving he-
shock will soon overtake her senses. licopter flashes over them
as the biker is lifted onto a
Distant sirens gurney. The mother lapses The mother has passed out. One para-
signal the im- into shock, and medic tends to her while the others keep
pending arrival the rider who has watch on the child still trapped in the wreck-
of help. The been her com- age. The car is on its side, in danger of
riders have their panion remains tipping upside down as the firemen struggle
hands full just by her side as to remove the roof. The riders position
trying to console she slumps to themselves on the corners of the car and
the mother and provide whatever first aid
crash page 17
the ground, sob-
they can offer. As the fire trucks and ambu- bing wildly. see
www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 15
16 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
crash from page 15
You remember
what you see in a
re-enactment a lot
better than like a
TV program.
stabilize it as the firemen work. Two of the
crew members place the boy’s body in
an ambulance.
The helicopter is landing again as the car’s roof is peeled back
far enough to release the final victim and the paramedic who has
crawled in with her. The crews tend the victim as much as possible
at the scene and quickly get her into the helicopter for its second
trip to the hospital. The mother has regained consciousness, but
remains in shock. She is distraught, confused, and bleeding. She is
helped into the remaining ambulance and taken to the hospital.
With all of the victims now on their way to receive medical atten-
tion, the riders who first came upon this scene offer their help to
the firemen, whose job is now to clean up the scene and get traffic
moving again. When their help is no longer needed, and police
statements have been taken, the bikers excuse themselves from the
scene and get out of the way.
“I was in tears,” says one of the GWRRA members who watched
www.thunderroadswv.com
this mock crash scene in person. “I was cry-
ing my eyes out. It was so realistic!”
The GWRRA training for accident assis-
tance has developed the acronym SETUP
for the process of providing assistance like
this. It stands for: Stop – Environment –
Traffic – Unknown Hazards – Protect Self &
Victim. The first thing this team of riders does
is STOP at the scene. They pay attention
to the ENVIRONMENT in which they find
themselves. A country road, for example, pro-
vides a different set of circumstances than a
six-lane expressway. They control TRAFFIC
around the accident scene by positioning a
biker at both ends to stop oncoming vehicles.
They check for UNKNOWN HAZARDS, such
as downed power lines or, in this case, a
leaking gas tank on the car. They do all of this
as they PROTECT SELF & VICTIMS from
compounding the situation with secondary
injuries. A rider is no help to the emergency
crews if he himself gets hit by a car or is
injured in some other way.
Part of this last step of protecting them-
selves involves what the riders do after they
have left the scene. GWRRA trainers suggest
that riders who have assisted in an accident
need to find a rest area or nearby restaurant,
where they can take a few minutes to collect
their thoughts, check each other for delayed shock, and talk it out.
This re-enactment is something that GWRRA has done before,
and West Virginia District Director Buz Mowrer says the program
is known to save lives. “We had three wrecks during a short period
of time last year,” Buz says. At each of these crashes there were
GWRRA members who had attended an accident re-enactment
like this one. “At two of the three wrecks, there would have been
someone who would not have made it had they not witnessed this
re-enactment. Because they did things that they not normally would
have done.”
“Even though we have a Powerpoint presentation, it’s different,”
Don Henrey says as he explains why it’s important to stage such a
real-life scene. “You remember what you see in a re-enactment a lot
better than like a TV program.”
“We know of two people for sure, that were saved because of
this,” says Don, “and as an educator, that’s a Grand Slam.”
AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 17
 by donna jones
Police Chief Hylton and his fam-
ily and committee did a wonderful
job planning this event for the biker
community. Friday night was the
bike show where Steve Jones took
the trophy for “Best of Show” with
his suede pearl 2007 Heritage
Softail Classic with those shiny
performance wheels. He really
isn’t into bike shows. He just wanted to show his wife that he could
compete with her Fat Boy Screaming Eagle, and he did just that.
Then, the Old School Abbey band performed a myriad of songs that
incorporated their unique spin on them. They are a very talented
group of musicians and were very much enjoyed by all.
The poker run was on Saturday at Old White Motors and bikes
poured in, a few at a time, from everywhere. The ride headed to
Marlinton via Route 92 to 39 and back on 219 South via Lewisburg.
Riders enjoyed a beautiful hot, sunny day void of rain. In the evening
4 couples participated in biker games. This was a must see event,
and sort of like a rodeo with motorcycles instead of horses. Instead
of barrels, there were cones and tennis balls. Rather than a draft
pull, there was a keg roll. Getting to the finish line fast defeated the
purpose of the slow ride, and instead of walking the plank they rode
it. And for the balloon toss and weenie chomp there is no compari-
son to a rodeo game. Just use your imagination. Before the games
kicked off, Knucklehead Leathers donated a $100 gift card to the
all around winner. The competition mounted once there was a nice
prize at stake, and the excitement amongst the competitors was
contagious. Larry Simmons won the competition, and was awarded
a fancy new leather coat. And, believe you me, we were all glad
about it, and hopeful that he would no longer ride with his camou-
flage hunting coveralls on the colder days. Although there was some
cut throat competition, everyone had a ball and the experience really
bonded this group of riders together at a whole new level.
Chief Hylton and his wife Cindy are encouraged to stick to tennis
when handling tennis balls and to just eat cooked hot dogs in a bun
vs. raw ones hanging from a string. A special thank-you goes out to
the entire Hylton family for your time and effort organizing such a
monumental 3 day event. We had a blast and are already looking
forward to the “fourth annual” motorcycle festival next year. Your
volunteerism is extra ordinary, and you are a great inspiration to
your community.
18 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
 Present this ad for

15% OFF
YOUR
ROOM RATE
OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 2010.

FROM LEFT: Fran

Welton, Eleanor
Welton, Jack Welton,
event organizers
Gene and Cindy
Mangold, and ride
planner Steve Bosley

Welton Run photos by moe vetter

The Welton name is well known in the Moorefield area. So when
Eleanor Welton was diagnosed with breast cancer, the news rippled
through the community. When bikers Gene and Cindy Mangold,
together with Steve Bosley, organized a run to help Eleanor with
medical expenses, the bikes showed up in force. They labeled it a
“Ride from the Heart”, not requiring any specific fee, asking only for
donations of any amount.

The ride began at the Moorefield Town Park, and riders rolled at
their own pace on a scenic ride that took them over awesome roads
to Maysville, Scheer, Keyser, and Needmore, where the ride ended
with a party at Steve’s Broken Spoke.

Eleanor tells Thunder Roads West Virginia that she has been un-
dergoing chemotherapy for a while now, and is planning to go back
to work on a limited basis.
20 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
 TNT

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 21

National Aviation Day
 Ride for Bill Jennings
by Zippy Horwatich
I was approached by some fellow co-
workers and was asked if I could set up a
fund raiser for Bill Jennings. Bill has CAPS
and has been sick for nearly a year. It was
with the help of my friend Dave Luksa
that I was able to pull everything together.
The ride started at the Brickhouse. Kevin
Haught was able to get State Patrol escort
for the ride. I would like to thank Troopers
Kennedy, Bowman, and Berry for a job
well done escorting us thru the hills and
valleys of God’s country, WV. With nearly
50 motorcycles rumbling, we saddled up. I
led the group for a 50 mile ride ending up
at The Rock Club, where there was a hog
catered meal and music by Black Water
Still awaiting for the bikes to arrive. After
the bikers arrived, the band played and
everybody enjoyed some food and music.
We ran raffles and a 50/50 jar. When the
band stopped for a break we had the
family come up front to help with the ticket
drawing. Bill’s daughter Evelyn pulled the
tickets from the bucket. When we did the
50/50 jar she pulled the winning ticket,
and it just so happened to be her mother
Rose’s ticket. How beautiful was that! The
day ended and all had fun. We ended up
raising $4000.00 for the family that day. It
is so rewarding and heartwarming to take
the lead on events like this. I am proud
and honored to have helped make this
happen. I would like to thank all of the
people that showed up and donated their
time and a little bit of money for it to be a
successful day.
 West Virginians Finish the Hoka Hey
“If you finish this, you won,” was the comment made by Bill “Bat-
man” Pixler when Thunder Roads West Virginia talked with him for left to right:
our March, 2010 issue about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. It Mendell, Wilson,
was an eight-thousand mile race, of sorts, that began in Key West, and Pixler in
Key West before
Florida in late June, and ended in early July in Homer, Alaska. Bill the start.
is one of four West Virginians who took up the challenge, and by
his measure, all four won. Pixler, his riding mate Michael “Enigma”
Leaving Morgantown on June 16 (left to
Mendell, Mark Wilson, and Mitch Matzek were among the more right) are Bill “Batman” Pixler, Michael
than 700 riders who began the race, as well as the 231 who finished “Enigma” Mendell, and Mark Wilson.
by the deadline.

None of the West Virginia brothers, however, won the $500,000

first prize. In fact, at press time, no one has yet been declared the
winner by race organizers. Frank Kelly of Prosperity, South Carolina
and Will Barclay of Highland, Florida were first across the finish line
on June 28. They completed the trip in 190 hours. Race organizers
say they have to confirm that riders who may be in line for the pot of
gold did not cheat by shortcutting the course. Many bikers reported
that course directions were at times impossible to follow, resulting
in riders being disqualified. Other allegations of misrepresentations Mendell gets a hug at the finish line in
Homer, Alaska.
have also been made against race organizers, but none have been Mitch Matzek stands at the finish line.
proven, and are in no way any reflection upon the courageous bik-
ers who accepted this incredible challenge. year- old Kenneth Greene of Florida rode onto the shoulder of the
road, lost control, and was thrown from his bike.
There were a number of crashes along the way, including at
least two that resulted in lost lives. One crash occurred in Wyo- All four West Virginians made the entire round trip safely, and Thun-
ming, when the rider apparently fell asleep while riding. The other der Roads West Virginia offers a hearty “Hoka Hey” to these warriors.
occurred on a highway near the Mantanuska Glacier in Alaska. 63-

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 27

 High
Flying
Fun

“We thrive on noise!” Travis Willis is shouting into the micro-

phone. “If you don’t make noise, we can’t do the tricks!” The as-
sembled crowd jumps up from the aluminum bleachers into the hot
mid-day air, cheering at the top of their lungs. The rider at the end
of the field guns his motocross bike towards a ramp that launches
him about forty feet in the air. During the three seconds or so of
hang time, the rider will dismount and assume the “Superman”
position – flying through the air several feet away from his bike.
As bike and body hurl in unison towards a gravitationally induced
meeting with the landing ramp, he remounts the bike and assumes
command of the precise touchdown. Everyone breaths again, and
then screams even louder.
This is Team FMX East, a motocross stunt crew based in Florida.
Five members of the stunt team are in Martinsburg, West Virginia,
on this day for the Norwalk Festival. Willis is one of the founders of
the group, along with his partner, Clint Esposito. Both guys are rid-
ing at this event. Esposito is the upside-down guy on this month’s
Thunder Roads West Virginia cover.
The Norwalk Festival is actually about a car. The Norwalk is a
hulking monster of a machine, but with an elegance that belies
its mass. The car was built at a factory in Martinsburg from 1911
until 1922. Today, there is only one known Norwalk in existence.
It was purchased and brought back to Martinsburg two years ago.
The foundation that owns the car sponsored the Norwalk Festival
to help pay for the automobile, and eventually house it in its own
museum. For more about the Norwalk and its very interesting story,
log on to www.norwalkmotorcar.com.
In addition to the Team FMX East motocross stunt show, the
festival included a bike show. Thunder Roads West Virginia Calendar
Models Jessie and Kristi spent part of Saturday cruising through the
show bikes and checking out the other sights. They also signed cal-
endars and took pictures with the many TRWV readers who came by.

28 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 29
 West Virginia’s Oldest Biker Turns 100
(Editor’s Note: It isn’t every day that Donna
and I are invited to someone’s 100th birthday
party. When Moe Vetter, the Thunder Roads
West Virginia rep in the Potomac Highlands
area, asked if we would like to attend such
a gathering, we thought it sounded like fun.
Then we found out that the guest of honor was
the grandfather of Moe’s wife, Susan. Then
we found out that he was a biker with a 70
year history on two wheels! Then we found out
that he’s a regular reader of Thunder Roads
West Virginia! No better gift could we give this
man, who has seen nearly the entire history
of motorcycling during his lifetime, than the
very first copy of our July issue, days before
it was released to anyone else. As Russell
Smallwood looked over the issue, Donna
and Susan made sure he didn’t spend too
much time on the calendar pages. Afterwards,
Susan penned this story about Grand Daddy
Russell’s life on two wheels.)
by Susan Vetter
Russell S. Smallwood was born June 25, 1910, and had a fas-
cination with motor vehicles from an early age. He started driving
by age 12. In his Teens, he worked for his father, driving truck in a
hauling business. Russell had a Star Car that he really liked. This
was a car built by the Durant Motor Company between 1922 and
1928. It was an assembled car that was built from parts supplied
30 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
from various outside companies. His daugh-
ter, Norma McDonald, reports that he and his
brother, Harley Smallwood, started buying and
riding motorcycles in the late 1930s. She said
that before they started riding, every weekend
the family would go to Ridgeway to visit vari-
ous family members. After they started riding
motorcycles, Russell and his wife would go out
riding, and leave Norma home with her grand-
father. She does note that one time he bor-
rowed his brother’s motorcycle that had a side
car, and took her for a ride. Russell is unable
to remember all the motorcycles he had in his
life except for the last three that he bought.
In the mid sixties he bought a 1937 Indian
Chief and paid $35 for it. He decided that he
did not like the suicide shift and gave it to his
son-in-law Ernie McDonald. He then bought
himself a 1952 Harley Dresser. It was the first
year that it had a hand clutch and foot shift and there was a plaque
on the back naming it “The Jewel.” He and his son rode them for
several years before he sold his Harley. His last motorcycle was a
Honda 350 Scrambler which he bought in the early 70’s.
The last time Russell Smallwood was on a motorcycle was in
2002, when he went for a ride with grandson-in-law, Moe Vetter.
He has also passed on his love of motorcycles to his grandson J.R.
McDonald.
Dining
Family rience
Ex pe Mome’s
Plac
ed
n u se r v
Full me to 10pm
6am
S-M-T at 24 hrs
W-S
“Her legacy lives on”
“ G ood The end of
H om e ”
Hoult Road by the
Phillips Plant in
Cooking Fairmont, WV
 125 Years:
I swear historians record things in such a manner as to allow for
Birthday
of the bike
all facts to be debatable, without resolve, forever. Take for example,
this simple question: When was the motorcycle invented?
The question can only be answered with other questions: What
is a motorcycle? Does it have two wheels? Three? Four? Is it pow-
ered by an internal combustion engine, or by steam? Does it have
rubber tires?
A consensus seems to have formed that the first invention which
truly bears the right to call itself a motorcycle was invented 125
years ago this month. Based on a wooden frame bicycle design
of the time, German automobile inventor Gottlieb Daimler was
the first to incorporate an internal combustion engine into a two-
wheeled vehicle. It was powered by a single-cylinder engine called
the “Otto”, after its inventor, Nicolaus Otto. The wheels resembled
wagon wheels – wooden spokes wrapped with an iron band. A
modern hardtail has nothing on this bad boy.
Nicknamed the “Bone Crusher”, the bike did sport tiny spring-
loaded outrigger wheels on both sides of the floorboard. Presum-
ably, the low top speeds attainable with this bike didn’t allow for the
best of handling characteristics. But, it did mark the first time that
internal combustion power was combined with the highest-tech bi-
cycle of the day. It would be another 18 years before William Harley
and Arthur and Walter Davidson launched The Motor Company.

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 31

 Seats & SADDLES

32 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010

 ’S BIKE
0TV
2 SCAR OUTS PARKIN
IDEP G
FORNA ATIO

AUGUST Schedule:
7th Fanasea
WETT-SHIRTTHCONTEST
AUGUST 14 & 28
TH
21st Party After
CYCLE SUNDAYS 2 - 7 PM
RIDE ON IN FOR GREAT BIKER SPECIALS
BIKE NIGHT
J Factor performs 10-2
ROCK-N-ROLL HAPPY HOUR M-F 5-7 27th Cross Bones
BUCKETS OF BEER SPECIALS FOOD SPECIALS $ 5 EVERY
28th March Cov
er

Til Morning SUNDAY RIDE

214 MID ATLANTIC PARKWAY Kick Stands up at 2:00
MARTINSBURG, WV 25404 | (304) 264-2304 Weather Permitting

WWW.THEBRICKHOUSESPORTSBAR.COM HOME COOKED MEALS - DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS

FRIDAY NIGHT DJ WITH JUSTIN

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 33

 The Dawkins Dragon BIKE O
F TH
E
It isn’t often that the stock color of a brand new

MON
TH
motorcycle inspires the aftermarket customizing
of a bike, but in the case of Lori Dawkins’ Harley-
Davidson that’s exactly what happened. When she
found this 2010 Dyna Super Glide Custom of her
dreams, it wasn’t just the bike that spoke to her soul.
The Black Ice Pearl paint job meticulously applied
by The Motor Company was whispering its own
invitation in her ear.
“I know it looks purple,” Lori says as we sit on a
couple of rocks in Valley Falls State Park near
Grafton. “It kind of changes. As you walk around the
bike it either looks blue or purple, especially in the
sunlight. I thought it was kind of neat.” Lori had been
kicking around the concept of a dragon theme for her
new bike. She knew the moment she saw this color
that it would be the perfect base for her plans. So
the bike came home with her to Bridgeport, and was
promptly stripped. The tank and tins were sent off to
Cruiz for the dragon artwork. The theme is most bold
on the tank, but the dragons’ tails extend all the way
back to the rear fender.
“It’s a Celtic Dragon, actually. I like Celtic symbols.
The Celtic people revered dragons almost like gods,
and they thought they were protectors of all life.” As
President of the Harrison County Humane Society,
Lori understands the notion, so the dragon motif
was a natural call for her. The dragon is a mystical
creature, of course, but mythology has a way of
making its presence known in real life. Maybe that’s
why Lori’s first big ride with the finished dragons on
her bike came during the Hogs For Dogs run last
month, which raises money for the Humane Society
(see our story on page XX).
The Dyna might be a new beast in Lori’s garage, but
it follows in the wheel tracks of several bikes over her
20 year riding career. She started riding while she was
in officer training school, stationed at Griffiss Air Force
Base in Rome, NY. “There was a pilot up there that
was on my base, and he had a motorcycle,” she says.
“I told him I would love to learn to ride. He took me out
on his bike and taught me and turned me loose the
very first night. I’ve been hooked on it ever since.”
Lori’s first bike was a used Honda Shadow 750,
which she bought very soon after her introduction
to motorcycles. “Then I kept wanting a bigger and
bigger bike. You know how that goes,” she says as
that maniacal I need more power look falls over her
face, just as it does to nearly every one of us. “I went
to Yamaha for a while. I had V-Stars. I had a 650
and that wasn’t big enough, so I traded that within
about three weeks for an 1100.” The next bike was
a Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200, which eventually
gave way to yet another V-Star. The switch to this
gorgeous Dyna came early this year.
“I think this is a better bike for a woman than a
Sportster is, really, because you sit lower, and I think
your center of gravity is a little bit better,” according
to Lori. Harley-Davidson says the stock seat height
on this bike is just over 23 inches. She has dressed it
up with a Granucci seat, which drops it another inch
or so, and adds a complimentary touch to the scaly
beast that adorns her paint. “It’s got Python scales on
it,” she says. “I think it adds a lot to it.”

34 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010

“Squiggy” and his wife, Joletta, are having hard financial
times, so they decide she’ll become a hooker. She’s not
quite sure what to do, so “Squig” says, “Stand in front
of that bar and pick up a guy. Tell him a hundred bucks.
If you’ve got a question, I’ll be parked around the
corner.”
She’s not there five minutes when a guy pulls up and
says, “How much? Joletta says, “A hundred dollars.”
Guy says “Dang, All I’ve got is thirty.” She says,”Hold
on.” She runs back to Squiggy and says, “What can
he get for thirty dollars?” Squig ponders and says,
“A hand job”. She runs back and tells the guy all he
gets for thirty dollars is a hand job. He says okay, so
she gets in the car, he unzips his pants, and out pops
an astonishing HUGE pecker. Joletta stares at it for a
minute, and then says, “I’ll be right back.” She runs
back around the corner and says breathlessly, “Squig,,
you reckon you can you lend this guy seventy bucks?”.
A little boy and a little girl attended the same school and
became friends. Every day they would sit together to
eat their lunch. They discovered that they both brought
chicken sandwiches every day! This went on all through
the fourth and fifth grades, until one day he noticed that her
sandwich wasn’t a chicken sandwich. He said, “Hey, how
come you’re not eating chicken, don’t you like it anymore?”
She said “I love it but I have to stop eating it.” “Why?” he
asked. She pointed to her lap and said “Cause I’m starting
to grow little feathers down there!”. “Let me see” he
said. “Okay”, and she pulled up her skirt. He looked and
said, “That’s right. You are! Better not eat any more
chicken.”He kept eating his chicken sandwiches until one
day he brought peanut butter. He said to the little girl,
“I have to stop eating chicken sandwiches, I’m starting
to get feathers down there too!” She asked if she could
look, so he pulled down his pants for her. She raised
her eyebrow at him and said “Oh my, it’s way too late
for you! You’ve already got the neck and the gizzards.”
The football coach noticed that his star tackle, “Boner”,
had so many women hanging around that he couldn’t
possibly handle all of them. So one day he asked Boner
“Just what the hell is your secret, kid?”
Boner replies, “Well, Coach, whenever I’m about to have
sex, I always whip it out and bang it on the dresser like
a hammer. That numbs it up, and I can screw ‘em till
they beg me to stop!”
The coach went home early one day and went to the
bedroom. He heard his wife in the shower. Seeing a
window of opportunity, he tore off his clothes and
started bangin’ the hell out of his “wanker” on the
dresser. His wife stuck her head out of the shower and
yells out, “That you Boner, baby?”
This morning on Hwy. 12, I looked over to my left and
there was a woman in a brand new Cadillac doing 65
mph with her face up next to her rear view mirror, put-
ting on her eyeliner. I looked away for a couple sec-
onds...to continue shaving; and when I looked back
she was halfway over in my lane, still working on that
makeup. As a man, I don’t scare easily, but she scared
me so much; I dropped my electric shaver, which
knocked the donut out of my other hand.
In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car
using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked
my cell phone away from my ear, which fell into the
coffee between my legs! splashed and burned “Big Jim
and the Twins”, ruined the damn phone, soaked my
trousers, and disconnected an important call.
Damn women drivers!
Ma was in the kitchen fiddlin’ around when she
hollers out....”Pa! You need to go out and fix the
outhouse!” Pa replies, “There ain’t nuthin wrong with
the outhouse.” Ma yells back, “Yes there is, now git out
there and fix it.” So......Pa mosies out to the outhouse,
looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin
wrong with the outhouse! “ Ma replies, “Stick yur head
in the hole!” Pa yells back, “I ain’t stickin’ my head in
that hole!” Ma says, “Ya have to stick yur head in the
hole to see what to fix.” So with that, Pa sticks his head
in the hole, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There
ain’t nuthin wrong with this outhouse!” Ma hollers back,
“Now take your head out of the hole!” Pa proceeds to
pull his head out of the hole, then starts yelling, “Ma!
Help! My beard is stuck in the cracks in the toilet seat!”
To which Ma replies, “Hurt’s, don’t it ?!”
When little Tony Soprano returned home from
elementary school, in his youth, he told his Dad he got
an F in math. “Why?” asks the father? “The teacher
asked ‘How much is 2x3’, I said “6’”, replies Tony.
“But that’s right!” says his dad. “Yeah, but then she
asked me “How much is 3x2?’” “What’s the f***ing
difference?” asks the father. “That’s what I said!”, little
Tony yells.
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate
to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended
her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat
and flashed her. Without missing a beat....she said,
“Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.”
One day a man came home and was greeted by his
wife dressed in a very sexy nightie. “Tie me up,” she
purred, “and you can do anything you want.”
So, he tied her up and went for a ride on his Harley.
 BIKER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
Select Books & Videos
237 Walnut Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
selectbooksvideo@aol.com
Something for Everyone
ATTORNEYS
Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson
Attorneys at Law
84 Aikens Center
Martinsburg, WV 25402
(304) 263-0900 www.burkeandschultz.com
1 mile past Morgantown Mall on 19 South
Colombo & Stuhr, Attorneys at Law
1054 Maple Drive
Morgantown, WV 26505
(304) 599-4229
www.colombostuhr.com
BAIL BONDS
Weatherholtz Bonding
306 West Stephen Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 267-5888 or (304) 728-6889
tweatherholtz@verizon.net
BARS & RESTAURANTS
3rd Base Sports Bar & Grille
22 Virginia Avenue; US Rt. 220
Petersburg, WV 26847 Up from the stop light
(304) 257-2273 Email:
3rdbasesportsbarandgrille@gmail.com
Bee Hive Tavern
463 Morgantown Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 282-8196
One block from Thinkin Ink Tattoo
The Brickhouse Bar & Grill
214 Mid Atlantic Parkway
Martinsburg, WV 25404
(304) 264-2304
www.thebrickhousesportsbar.com
Bucket Heads Pub
81 N. Dents Run Road
Granville, WV 26534
(304) 284-0661 bucketheadspub@yahoo.com
Award Winning Wings and Drink Specials
Chesapeake Crab Company
1014 Winchester Avenue
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 262-0077
www.chesapeakecrabco.biz
Chicken Lizards
7306 Husky Highway
Mannington, WV 26582
(304) 986-1158
2 mi. North of Mannington on Rt. 250
Cindy’s Bar & Grill
Route 3 (End of Speedway)
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 363-0058
Across from K&T Truck Stop
Classic’s 3 Hot Spot Lounge Restaurant
1384 Greenbag Rd. Sabraton
Morgantown WV 26505 (304) 292-8368
Affordable Place to Eat! Where Good Friends
Meet!
www.Classics3.com
36 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
Colt’s Restaurant and Pizza Park Inc.
425 S. Main St.
Moorefield, WV 26836
(304) 538-2523
Dakota Tavern
Route 19 North of Fairmont
(304) 288-4893
Friendly Atmosphere and Good Food
Est. 1964
The Dawg House Bar & Grill
Pool, Darts & Music Entertainment
1387 Fairmont Road
Morgantown, WV 26501
Desperado’s Bar & Grill
35 Potomac Street
Ridgeley, WV 26753
Food – Games – Cold Beer
(304) 738-0010
Dirty Dawg Saloon
1017 S. Queen Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 596-6200
www.dirtydawgwv.com
Donna Jean’s Family Restaurant
23480 George Washington Hwy.
Aurora, WV 26705 (304) 735-3260
Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Mon-Fri 5:30 - 7 Sat & Sun 7:00 - 7
Doodles Place
Rt. 50 Augusta, WV
(304) 496-9481
Fireside Cafe
927 North Main St.
Franklin, WV 26807
(304) 358-3733
www.fireside-cafe.com
Four Corners Club
72 Pedal Car Drive
Inwood, WV 25428
(304) 229-3443
www.the4cornersclub.com
Fox’s Pizza Den
646 North Main Street
Franklin, WV 26807
(304) 358-2118
Pizza – Salads – Subs – Chicken
Harper’s Old Country Store &
Front Porch Restaurant
View Seneca Rocks from the Deck
Casual Dining - Store built in 1902
(304) 567-2555
Hide Away Tavern
Rt. 50 Burlington, WV
Near WVDOH District 5 Shed
(304) 289-5396
Iffie’s Sports Bar & Grill
7113 Winchester Ave
Inwood, WV 25428
(304) 229-2999
Iron Horse Bar & Grill
HC 84 Box 33 (Cutoff Road)
Keyser, WV 26726
(304) 788-7533
Longshots Billiards
76 Wolfcraft Way
Charles Town, WV 25414
(304) 724-1975
www.longshotsbilliards.com
Lost River Grill, Motel and B&B
8079 SR 259 Lost River, WV
(304) 897-6482 www.lostrivergrill.com
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Accomodations
Biker Friendly Full Service Bar
Melanie’s Family Restaurant
25164 George Washington Hwy.
Aurora, WV 26705
(304) 735-3219
Good Food, Friendly Smiles, Low Prices
The Millstone Barbeque Restaurant
Rt. 50 West Burlington, WV
Great Pork-Ribs-Steak & Shrimp and Cold Beer
(304) 289-3693
Mom’s Place
Full menu served 24 hours a day
The end of Hoult Road by the Phillips Plant
Fairmont, WV
(304) 368-9223
Mountaineer All Star Cafe
U.S. Rt. 220 South / 2 mi. from Keyser
A Family Restaurant with a Sports Atmosphere
(304) 788-6433
Mountaineer Country Ice Cream
659 Point Marion Rd. Morgantown, WV
Exit 7 off of I-68 East 119 N, (304)284-9811
32 Hershey’s Hand Dip - 90 Soft Serve Flavors
Shakes – Slushies – BBQ - Chili Dogs
Nan & Pops Place
3485 Winchester Avenue
Martinsburg, WV 25405
(304) 267-2007
www.nanandpopsplace.com
The Office Pub
17 Virginia Avenue, Petersburg
Open 10am Tuesday – Saturday
(304) 257-1877
Pap’s Pub
RT.3 Box 501 Fairmont, WV
Located beside Mom’s Place
(304) 368- 9277 Sun-Thur till Midnight
Friday &Saturday 7 - 3am - Stop in and See us!
Petie’s Pub & Grill
304 Morgantown Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 363-0698
Wednesday Bike Night
Poor Dave’s Restaurant and Lounge
Rt. 55 – American Legion
Petersburg, WV 26847
(304) 257-4322
PoorDavesRestaurantandLounge@hotmail.com
Potter’s Hill Top Inn
4726 US Hwy. 33 West
Camden, WV 26338
(304) 269-4004
Coldest beer in town.
Road Hogs Saloon
415 Clayton Street
Rivesville, WV 26588
The Rock Sports Bar
Located on Rt. 11 North of Martinsburg
2573 Williamsport Pike
Martinsburg, WV
(304) 263-5558
 BIKER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY
Rock Forge Inn/Haught Diggity Dogz
Serving WV’s #1 Rated Chili Dog
Off I-68 at Sabraton Exit #4
Turn left .2 mile – Red Roof on right
Rt. 7 East (304) 291-DOGZ (3649)
Santana’s Pub
2430 Smithtown Rd (Rt. 73, near Goshen Rd)
Morgantown WV (304) 241-5762
Happy Hour M-F 3-7pm ~ Bike night every Tues.
Mountain Fest outdoor cooking ~ We love bikers!
The Shady Spring
5221 Ritter Dr. Shady Spring, WV 25918
(304) 763-2839
Cold Beer, Full Service Bar, Biker Specials
Bikers Always Welcome – Let’s Ride!
Sissie’s Bellview Bar
1009 Pennsylvania Ave. Fairmont, WV 26554
Tues. 8pm Pool Tournament
Thurs. 8pm Women’s Pool Tournament
Cold Beer - Good Food
Smiley’s Hotdogs
606 Philippi Pike (East View) Clarksburg, WV
(304) 622-0004
Eat In – Take Out – Drive thru
Our Dogs Are Simply The Best!
Spokes N Spurs Bar and Grille
913 Ritter Dr.
Beaver, WV 25813
(304) 860-1912
Email: spokesnspursbar@yahoo.com
Star Mercantile, LLC
80 W. Main Street
Wardensville, WV 26851
(304) 874-FOOD (3663)
star.wardensville@gmail.com
Steve’s Broken Spoke Bar & Grill
14977 SR 55
Needmore, WV 26801
(304) 897-7706
www.oldroute55.com
Stray Dawg Saloon & Grill
Route 9
Hedgesville, WV
(304) 754-3361
Biker Owned and Operated
Thirsty Bear Tavern
14 East Main Street
Rowlesburg, WV 26425
(304) 454-2444
Biker Owned
Uncle Joe’s Wood Pile
Rt. 1, Box 400
Ridgeley, WV 26753
(304) 726-8505
White Front Tavern
Pool & Darts
Happy Hour Monday & Tuesday
(304) 265-2280
Rt. 50 West of Grafton, WV
The Wild Side
110 Merchant St.
Fairmont, WV. 26554
(304) 367-WILD (9453)
www.facebook.com/wildside.wv
Wings Ole’ Specialty Restaurants
A WEST VIRGINIA TRADITION
1125 University Ave. - Morgantown
725 Chestnut Ridge Rd. - Morgantown
1486 Locust Ave. – Fairmont www.wingsole.com
www.thunderroadswv.com
Wright Dawgs Wiskybilt
540 East Park Ave Fairmont WV 26554 It’s all about the ride.
609 Bellview Plaza Fairmont WV Custom crafted parts made in WV
(304) 368-0834 – (304) 333-8002 (304) 329-1214
If you want the BEST DAWGS eat Wright Dawgs! www.wiskybilt.com
BIKER ACCESSORIES, APPAREL, DEALERS & SERVICE
LEATHERS & GIFTS
Amsoil Store
Anthony’s Specialty Wholesale and Retail
Biker Apparel – Leather – H-D Boots Mount Clare, WV
Patches & More (304) 745-5522 or Cell (304) 709-1038
112 Davis Avenue - Glen Lyn, VA 24093 “Best Prices in Town”
(540) 726-3080 www.lubedealer.com/frankmanojr
Cool Ridge Busted Knuckles Custom Cycles
329 High St. Morgantown, WV 26505 47 Post Office Lane
(304) 296-5757 Bunker Hill, WV 25413
Mon - Sat 11 to 7 / Sun 12 to 5 (304) 229-9360
“Take It Easy” www.bustedknucklescycles.com
DFM Special Tee House “The Biker Shack” Evel Speed
Helmets – Shirts – Chaps - Jewelry Custom Machine & Motor Sick’l Shop
162 Nancy Jack Road 7323 Winchester Avenue
Gerrardstown, WV 25420 Inwood, WV 25428
(304) 229-7609 dfmthebikershack@aol.com (304) 229-0987 www.evelspeed.net
East View Variety Shop JT Cycle & Hoodlum Motorcycle Garage
We have everything from A – Z, Old and New Aftermarket & Custom Parts & Accessories
715 Philippi Pike- East View Community 486 Ragland Road, Beckley, WV 25801
Clarksburg, WV 26301 (304) 255-2468
(304) 622-6710 www.jtcycleparts.com
Evel Speed Leesons Import Motors Inc.
Custom Machine & Motor Sick’l Shop 320 W Main St.
7323 Winchester Avenue Bridgeport, WV 26330
Inwood, WV 25428 (304) 842-5469 (800) 760-4840
(304) 229-0987 www.evelspeed.net www.leesonsmotors.com
HIAWATHA’S The Little Shop of Harleys
Boots – Hats – Jewelry – Gifts – Aigner Leather Service & Accessories – HD Certified Mechanic
Moccasins – Beaded Jackets – WV Shirts 44 Bay Berry Lane
Jct. Rt. 250 S. & 33 E. Elkins, WV 26241 Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
(304) 636-4836 “JUST LOOK FOR THE INDIAN (304) 258-3909
PRINCESS”
M&J Motor Company
Lehman Trike Conversions
CUSTOM APPAREL 1000 S. Queen Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Fairmont Graphics (304) 262-6200 www.mjtrikes.com
408 Morgantown Ave.
Fairmont, WV 26554 Morgantown Honda Yamaha Suzuki KTM
(304) 367-1379 526 Mileground Road
fmtgraph@fairmontgraphics.com Morgantown, WV 26505
304-296-9055
CUSTOM ART www.morgantownhonda.com
Art by Weeze O.B.’s Motorsports
Custom art on bikes, leathers, helmets, 1019 7th Street
auto, canvas & murals Parkersburg, WV 26101
Martinsburg, WV (304) 264-4604 (304) 420-0910 www.obsmotorsports.com
www.artbyweeze.com Motorcycles Shipped FREE
CUSTOM DESIGN & FABRICATION Power House Cycle
2748 Winchester Ave.
K & L Enterprise Martinsburg, WV 25401
Custom Paint and Fabrication (304) 316-8660
417 Forgotten Road
Martinsburg, WV 25403 R.G. Honda-Yamaha & Polaris
304-267-2450 1619 Buckhannon Pike
Nutter Fort, WV 26301
Smack, Jack and Wack Upholstery (304) 624-5420 (800) 734-3694
Custom Motorcycle Seat Specialists The Fun Starts Here!
Seat Softening and Gel Pad Inserts
“Set Your Crack On Smack, Jack and Wack!” Ruff Road Cycle L.L.C.
Morgantown, WV (304) 328-5707 Authorized Drag Specialty Dealer
Tires & Service – Fast Turn Around
2050 Burke Rd. Masontown, WV 26542
(304) 980-2005
continued on next page
AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 37
 BIKER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY
Shenandoah Harley-Davidson
213 Rolling Thunder Lane
Staunton, VA 24401
(540) 213-7433
www.shenhd.com
Skip’s Honda
580 South Mineral Street
Keyser, WV 26726
(304) 788-1615
Smitty’s Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha
Rt. 33 E. Corridor H
Buckhannon, WV 26201
(304) 472-4824
www.supersmittys.com
The Twisted Spoke
Custom Builds, Motorcycle & ATV Repair
97 Milford Street Clarksburg, WV 26301
(304) 326-HOGG (4644)
www.thetwistedspoke.com
Woodhead’s Custom Cycles
126 King Street
Reedsville, WV 26547
(304) 864-3000
Tues. – Fri. 5-9pm Sat. 10-6
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Edward Jones
Yvonne Williams, Financial Advisor
210 N. Main Street
Moorefield, WV (304) 538-2811
Yvonne.Williams@edwardjones.com
INSURANCE
Jim McCartney State Farm Agt.
400 Morgantown St.
Kingwood, WV 26537
(304) 329-2420
Auto, Fire, Life, Health, Motorcycle Insurance
Mathias & Associates Insurance
Farm – Home – Auto – Life - Health
Motorcycle – Boat – RV Insurance
and Retirement Planning
(800) 628-3064 mathiasins@hardynet.com
Nationwide Insurance
Cynthia A. Hinkle Agency
125 S. Main Street Moorefield, WV 26836
(304) 530-6225 devered2@nationwide.com
Call Cindy for a quote today!
Rider Insurance
Est. 1971
For a hassle free ride …Ride with Rider
For a quick quote call (800) 595-6393
www.rider.com
LODGING & CAMPING
Elkins Motor Lodge and 1863 Tavern
830 Harrison Avenue (Old Rt.33)
Elkins, WV 26241
(304) 636-1400 and (877) 636-1863
Motel and Restaurant
Mount Herman Campground
Hiking, 4 Wheelers & Social Events Welcome
6-miles West of Hundred, WV on RT. 7
HC 61, Box 60A Wileyville, WV 26581
Contact Roger Spragg (304) 775-2252
River Bridge Retreat
Your Personal Get-Away
Moorefield, WV
(304) 886-5100
www.RiverBridgeRetreat.com
38 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
Smoke Hole Resort
Open All Year Round
HC 59, Box 39
Seneca Rocks, WV 26884
(800) 828-8478 www.smokehole.com
South Branch Inn – Romney & Moorefield
1500 U.S. 220 N. Moorefield, WV 26836
Route 50 Romney, WV 26757
800-856-9167 Moorefield 866-492-3122 Romney
www.southbranchinn.com / Open 24 hours
MASSAGE AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
A Therapeutic Touch of Fairmont
210 East Park Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 366-8711
EVERYBODY NEEDS A MASSAGE
MOTORCYCLE PARTS
CycleMart - Your Motorcycle Parts Store
All Makes All Models
202 Elkins Street
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 366-8119 www.cyclemart.net
PHOTOGRAPHY
Vetter Photo
1675 Cold Spring Road
Moorefield, WV 26836
(304) 530-6855 www.vetterphoto.com
SPORTING GOODS
Doug’s Sport Shop
New and Used Guns, Sporting Apparel,
Aigner Products and Reloading Supplies
220 North Main Street; 743B Hawse Plaza
Moorefield, WV 26836 (304) 538-6496
Mountaineer Gun Sales
659 Point Marion Rd. Morgantown, WV
Exit 7 off I-68 East to 119 North
(304) 284-9811
Your Sports Store and More
TATTOO STUDIOS
Pattys Art Spot Tattoo & Piercing Studio
3399 University Ave.
Star City, WV (next to Crocketts)
(304)-598-0190
www.PattysArtSpot.com
VEHICLE SERVICES
Big ‘Ens Muffler & Auto Repair Shop
290 Main St Hinton, WV 25951 (304) 466-5768
Custom exhaust, tune-ups, oil changes,
transmission and brake service.
Yes, we service motorcycles too.
Brady’s Exxon
I-79 Exit 132
Fairmont, WV 26554
Complete Auto Repair
(304) 366-0206
Brady’s Exxon
I-79 Exit 139
Fairmont, WV 26554
Complete Convenience Store
Open 24 Hours (304) 363-1810
Bob’s Tire Service Inc.
812 East Moler Avenue
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 267-2797
www.bobstireservice.net
Hot Rods Roll Back and Towing
Specializing in Motorcycle Towing
274 Bedington Road
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 267-5586 Visa & MC Accepted
WEB DESIGN
Meridian Websites
55 Meridian Parkway, Suite 101
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 263-1000
www.meridianwebsites.com
HOME SERVICES
B & B Appliance Repair
Most Brands Serviced - 25 Years Experience
(443) 605-6367 – Bill / Frederick County MD
(443) 605-6368 – Brian / Jefferson County WV
JD’s Painting
Interior and Exterior Residential Painting
10+ Years servicing Marion, Mon & Harrison Co’s
Contact: Jeff Davis
(304) 657-0087 davisjep@aol.com
Clubs & Organizations
BACA - Bikers Against Child Abuse (Inwood, WV)
A non-profit organization that exists with the intent
to create a safer environment for abused children.
Hot Line (304) 839-7809
bacaworld.org
Email: bacaofwv@yahoo.com
Calvary Riders Motorcycle Ministry
Fishers of Men of Morgan County
For more information email Larry at
CRMMFishersofMen@live.com
C.E.’s Helping Hands (Old Fields, WV)
a non-profit organization enlisting the help of
other good hearted people wanting to contribute
to the cause of helping others in need. The
organization holds monthly meetings and several
fundraising rides every year. Donations are
always appreciated. For more information visit our
website at www.cehelpinghands.com.
GWRRA WV-A (Martinsburg, WV)
(Gold Wing Road Riders Assoc.)
‘Mountaineer Wings’
Meets the 1st Sunday of the month - 8am at
Ryan’s Restaurant, Martinsburg, WV
Chapter Directors: JJ & Becky Jones
JJ: (301) 667-4040 johnjonesjgj@aol.com
Becky: (301) 667-0121 Rpepgirl@aol.com
Highways and Hedges Motorcycle Ministry
(South Charleston, WV)
For more information email Jim “Jammer”
Marcum at: harley4me2@verizon.net
 By Jim “Jammer” Marcum
Lord, give me patience, but hurry!
I was recently faced with several difficult situations that seemed to hit me all at once. I felt like I was
approaching an intersection on my bike, with cars coming at me at full speed from all four directions, with no
route of escape! I was overwhelmed and needed God‘s help, now! However, my prayers weren’t answered
instantly as I expected, but gradually. Although it wasn’t easy, I had to force myself to remain patient as I stood
on the promises of God, knowing that He would make a way out for me. I realized that I had to turn loose of my
spiritual handlebars and let Him take complete control of the throttle and brake. It was only after I let Him take
control that He began to answer my prayers, while at the same time teaching me a lesson on patience.
Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between “No” and “Not yet,” between a denial and a delay. If you’re
discouraged because of God’s delay in answering your prayers, understand the delay is NOT a denial. Just
because the answer hasn’t come – yet – that doesn’t mean God isn’t going to answer. It simply means “not yet!”
The delay may be a test of your patience. Testing breeds patience, patience breeds faith, and faith will move the
hand of God!
Are you going through difficult times right now? Are you discouraged? You may be saying, “God, I can’t take it
anymore,” but you can. He will enable you to press on, but you must first give Him complete control, and then
be patient and hang in there! I encourage you to read Psalm 40:1-3. Remember, you are never a failure until
you quit. Resist discouragement and finish the race God has set before you.

Jim “Jammer” Marcum resides in Charleston and has been involved in motorcycle ministry for
nearly 15 years and serves as Clergy within Highways and Hedges Motorcycle Ministry.

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 39

40 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
Wounded Warrior Run
As a free citizen of the United States of America, you can never
thank our veterans enough. These are the men and women who
stand guard on that wall around our freedoms, putting themselves
in harm’s way so you don’t have to. When they are harmed, the
debt is even greater. That is the basis of a run organized to sup-
port a mission of the Wounded Warrior Project in Martinsburg,
West Virginia.

“They need $5,000 dollars to put together, for lack of a better

word, a halfway house here,” says Ken Ramey, who organized the
run. The house will be for recovering veterans who are released
from the VA Hospital in Martinsburg. “These guys and their families
would be meeting and staying with them, and being trained in how
to take care of them” in the house, according to Ken. The project
is close to having the amount of money needed to make it happen,
and this run was aimed at closing the gap.

“Well, I’m a vet,” says Ramey in explaining why the issue is per-
sonal to him. “A lot of the guys in my club are vets. A lot of the guys
on the ride are vets. My son was wounded in Iraq. It’s something
that is near and dear to my heart.”

That sentiment drifted over the thunder of about 60 bikes as they

roared to life for the run. Under a Berkeley County Sheriff’s escort,
the bikers took a turn onto the grounds and around the driveway
in front of the VA Hospital, as a salute to the veterans being cared
for there. The bikers then made a left turn and headed for a stop
in Jefferson County before returning to Nan and Pop’s Place in
Martinsburg, where the run originated.

Award Winning artists with 45 years combined experience

Pattys Art Spot

(304) 598-0190
Pattysartspot.com
Tattoo & Piercing Studio

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 41

AUGUST
UpComing Events
August 7 – Elkins, WV
FOP/Law Enforcement 6th Annual Memorial Poker Run
Registration begins at 10:00 at the Fraternal Order of
Police Seneca Trail Lodge #104 in Elkins, WV. Last bike
out at noon. All cards are to be back at 4:00 pm. $10.00
to play. First 50 pre-registration will receive a free T-Shirt.
Bike show after ride, entertainment and lots of food.
For more information please call:
Bill at (304) 636-0678 or Terri at (304) 637-0353.
August 7 – Farmington, WV
Farmington Poker Run
Farmington WV 8th annual Poker Run Saturday
August 7th 2010. Register from 9:00 am till noon at the
Farmington Volunteer Fire Department. The last bike out
by noon from Sams Place in Farmington. The last bike
in by 5 p.m. $15.00 single $20.00 couple. There will be
a $10.00 donation for non-participants of Poker Run.
Children under 12 free. Poker run benefits 50/50 split:
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) & Farmington
Volunteer Fire Department.
For information call Donna or Linda at (304) 825-6442 9
am till 4 p.m. eastern time
August 7 – Keyser, WV
Black & Gold Poker Run
This poker run is to benefit the Keyser Football Team.
Starting at the Stray Cat Wing Shack 2 North Mineral
Street in Keyser.
Registration at 11:30 Kick stands up at 1:00.
$10.00 includes meal and music with AOK.
For more information call (304) 788-0760
August 7 – Martinsburg, WV
USMVWV2 Annual Poker Run (Rain Date)
For more information go to www.usmvwv2.org
August 11 - 15 – Little Orleans, Western MD
7th Annual East Coast Sturgis
You are invited to be part of a new tradition. 2 Stages, 10
Bands, Special Local Biker Attractions, Motorcycle Stunt
Shows, Rolling Mountains Poker Run. Scenic motorcycle
rides. Camping. Bike Show. Vendors. Wednesday thru
Sunday – 5 days $40 - $50 at the gate. Friday thru
Sunday – 3 days $30 - $40 at the gate. No one day rate.
Info & Reservations (301) 478-3421 Discount tickets
online at www.eastcoaststurgis.com
No Colors - No ATVs – No Kids – No Dogs Good Food -
Cold Beer - Great Times.
August 14 – Kanawha County, WV
The ARC of the Three Rivers 1st Annual Poker Run
Rev up your engine at this year’s event!
$25 per person. By taking part in this year’s poker run and
completing all five stops you have a chance to win... Best
Hand $1,000 Worst Hand $250 Prizes at each stop
The ARC of the Three Rivers proudly serves individuals
with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
For more information contact: Meredith Gainer (304) 344-
3403 x191
mgainer@arcthreerivers.org www.arcthreerivers.org
Rain date - Saturday August 21, 2010
42 Thunder Roads West Virginia AUGUST 2010
August 14 – Martinsburg, WV
Poker Run for Robbi Santore
Starting at Duffey’s Tavern in the Berkeley Plaza
registration at 2:00pm with kickstands up at 3:00pm. Cost
is $20 per bike. Cars are also welcome. All donations
appreciated. Robbi Santore. A single mother of two young
boys, suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm in March and is
still recovering but unable to work.
Please come support this worthy event.
For more information please contact:
Christine Raposa at (304) 283-8030.
August 14 – Summersville, WV
The Freedom Rally
Organized by volunteers in Summersville, WV to honor
those that lay down their lives every day in order to protect
and serve the citizens of America and, specifically West
Virginia. Freedom Rally 2010 will be the 10th year for this
event which is highlighted by the motorcycle rally. For more
information visit www.summersvillefreedomrally.com.
August 14 – Terra Alta,WV
4th Annual Megan’s Angels Poker Run
Sign Up at the Terra Alta VFW from 11 am – 1 pm $10
Per Player
Hog Roast sponsored by Smokin’ BBQ immediately
following the Poker Run 5 – 8 pm with Free Entertainment
at the VFW. Dance at the VFW 9 pm – 1 am.
Music by Brother Short. $6 Per Person - $10 Per Couple
August 19 – Clarksburg, WV
Cycles for Soldiers
Sponsored by Twisted Spoke
at the Clarksburg Bike Nite 6 – 9 pm
There will be a collection for non-perishable items to be
sent to soldiers overseas.
Music, Raffles, Prizes, Food and Drink
For more information call: Twisted Spoke
(304) 326-HOGG
August 21 – Blacksville, WV
1st Annual Memorial Dice Run for Levi McVicker
Registration will be from 10:00 to 12:00
at Just One More in Blacksville, WV
Last bike in by 6:00 p.m. Live Band and
Chicken Roast to follow at Just One More
Award given for Best of Show Raffles:
505/50, gift baskets and more...
$10.00 Rider/$10.00 Passenger
After Party Pass $10.00 a head
For more information call (304) 290-0374
All proceeds will benefit the McVicker Family
and St. Judes Children’s Hospital
August 21 – Martinsburg, WV
Martinsburg Bike Night 2010
This event is sponsored by the Blue Knights WV V and
Main Street Martinsburg. Registration will be from 1pm -
4pm with a donation of $20 per bike which will include a
2010 Bike Night pin. A police escorted ride will begin at
4pm at the Berkeley Plaza Shopping Center located on
Williamsport Pike just outside of Martinsburg and going
through Berkeley and Jefferson Counties with arrival
downtown at 5pm. Music by Surrel and Black Water Still.
The event goes till 11pm. Erik Estrada from “CHIPS” will
be a guest at this event and will be signing autographs for
a donation. Proceeds from the BK WVV will be given to
Hospice of the Panhandle.
For more information contact wvv5pres@gmail.com.
August 21 – Monterey, VA
Wayne Arbogast Benefit Poker Run
Registration starts at Word of Faith Church 93 Water
Street Monterey, VA at 9:00 am.
The ride begins at 10:00 am. Last bike in at 4:00pm.
Each hand $10.00 donation.
For more information call: (540) 474-3803
or (540) 290-9261
August 27 - 29 – Davis, WV
Timberline Motorcycle Rally
This rally is held in the Beautiful Mountains of West
Virginia at Timberline Four Seasons Resort. All bikes are
welcome. For more up to date information please contact:
Email: info@timberlinemotorcyclerally.com or visit www.
timberlinemotorcyclerally.com
August 28 – Inwood, WV
Evel Speed Open House
The House of Evel is having our 3rd Annual Open House
August 28th at 1:00 til ?
Music by J Factor, Bike Games and Vendors.
Camping available.
For more information contact (304) 229-0987
Email: evelspeed@hotmail.com
www.evelspeed.net
SEPTEMBER
September 1-4 – Charleston, WV
West Virginia State HOG Rally
There will be Entertainment, Activities, Vendors and
more for everyone to enjoy. Registration will end on July
14th. More information will be provided as the event
approaches. For more information about this event visit
www.wvstatehogrally.com.
September 16 - 18 – Moundsville, WV
Back To Back IBA Saddle-Sore World Record Attempt
Hoagy’s Heroes, Inc. will be yet again trying to beat the
World Record of the most riders to finish an IBA Back to
Back SaddleSore, this is 2,000+ Miles in 48 hours or less.
Carmichael’s Irish Pub (aka Hoagy’s Garage
508 5th Street, Moundsville, WV 26041 For more
information about this ride go to www.hoagysheros.org.
September 18 - 19 – Martinsburg, WV
Speed Weekend Car & Bike Show
Donations to benefit Berkeley Co. Parks and Rec.
Saturday Sept 18 - Registration (FREE) 9 am.
Show begins/vendors open 10 am.
Burn-out contest ($5) 12 Noon.
Awards Presentation 1pm. Bike ride begins 2pm.
Bikers BBQ @ Green Landings ($5 per person) 5pm.
Inflatables! Food Vendors! Family Fun
Sunday Sept 19 - Special Features:
Cars, Bikes & Music 9:30 & 11:15am
Event Location: The Living Room 50 Monroe Street
Berkeley Plaza Martinsburg, WV.
www.thelivingroom.us www.thelivingroom.us
304-263-4787
 Beckley Bikers
Ride to Remember by Donna Jones
Hundreds of bikers roared into the John Eye Big Sandy store in
Beckley, W.V. on June 5, to memorialize the fallen coal miners, as
well as Kevin Cooper after his battle with prostate cancer. Last year
around the same time, we rode to raise funds for Kevin’s medical
expenses but he passed in December of last year. The white Big
Dog motorcycle that Kevin owned was raffled off last year, and the
new owner led this year’s ride on this beautiful and special bike.
Many of the fallen miners had their family members represented
at this ride, and all of them are still at various points in the griev-
ing process. As the Black Water Outlaws played their song about
Coal Miners, many family members and supporters mourned while
others consoled them with hugs and kind words. One of the men
at this event revealed that he lost a 20 year old son, nephew, and
brother on that horrific day. In fact, Tommy Davis, was in the mine
and able to get out before the explosion. He is courageously facing
this immeasurable loss of 3 close family members and assisting ture and an appreciation for nature and creation. We love to get
others with similar grief. together with like others and share of our travels. The love that
Sonya Cooper and her sister and extended family were all present was shared in that parking lot was amazing and everyone had the
and serving in a variety of roles.  They created a wonderful slide same agenda, to show our support and care for the fallen miner’s
show of the life of Kevin Cooper which everyone was able to watch families. Over 7,000 dollars was raised this day and over 40,000
throughout the day. It was a heartbreaker and it touched the hearts was already raised by First Community Bank. No manner of money
of those that were able to watch it. Kevin had a great life surrounded could replace the life of someone you love but it sure means a lot
by his loving family. Tomorrow is not promised and now is the time when people are willing to support other people in their time of mis-
to do those things that bring you joy with the people you love and fortune. We often read about the criminal things that people do, but
enjoy. Take those trips while you are healthy and young. Kevin and there are some awesome charitable people in the biker community
his wife did just that and lived life to the fullest and had no regrets.  who show up when there is a tragedy like this one. We will continue
Bikers are a unique bunch of people with a love for adven- to lift these families up in prayer and not forget their sacrifice.

www.thunderroadswv.com AUGUST 2010 Thunder Roads West Virginia 43

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44 Thunder Roads West Virginia

ThunderRoads PA_WV ad.indd 1 7/16/2010 2:38:25 PM