Open Road Cyles

This is short notice, but there is a final meeting at Open Road Cycles on Monday, November 30th at 6:15 pm. If you are planning on volunteering for the event, please be present at the meeting.

If you haven’t read our older post, the Toys For Tots Run is less than two weeks away. The Open Road Riderz Riding Group has done a tremendous job preparing for the event. Full Throttle Magazine has been a great help in aiding the cause and sponsoring the after event at The Naked Oyster.

Riders should remember to register at Open Road Cycles between 11am and 1pm. The run will start at 1:30pm and end up at the Naked Oyster for a BBQ meal.

Donation boxes are available around town, at The Naked Oyster and at Open Road Cycles, for anyone not attending the ride but interested in donating a toy to the Toys For Tots Marine Corp Reserve fund. Money donated will go to the Wounded Warriors fund.

Now that winter is almost upon us here in North Carolina, a lot of questions come up about how to prepare your motorcycle for the winter. Since the weather here in NC is relatively mild, say in comparison to Wisconsin or Idaho, you really have two choices depending on how  much you intend to ride your motorcycle over the next few months.

If you don’t intend on riding at all, measures need to be taken.

1. Fill the fuel tank, add fuel stabilizers, turn off the gas, run the engine dry, and empty carburator
2. Also disconnect your battery from the terminals
3. Top it off with distilled water (for non-maintenance-free models)
4. Store it in a cool, dry place
5. Drop / Raise the pressure in your tires by 5 / 10 psi
6. Make sure the bike is off the ground. Put it on some plywood or carpet, or up on stands
7. Use a “smart” trickle-charger

You could go even further if you want to by changing your fork oil, lube your cables, flushing the radiator and putting in fresh coolant/water mixture. More?  Polish the bike, spray rubber protectant on your fork seals, Polish exposed metal and chrome bits, seal your exhaust pipe from unwanted guests with a rag, or wrap it with plastic. Wipe down leather and vinyl with cleaning products.

Now, if you’re like us, we’re always ready to for those wonderful days when the sun comes out and the road starts calling us to ride. If you plan on riding your bike even a couple times in the next few months, do the following.

1. Consider purchasing a “smart” trickle-charger
2. Start the bike once a week and run for a few minutes before riding
3. Add some stabilizer to your gas
4. Keep the kickstand off the ground with a rubber kickstand pad
5. Lubricate your cables
6. Check the tire pressure regularly
7. Check/Change your oil
8. Use a “smart” trickle-charger

All motorcycles should be hooked up to a “smart” trickle-charger during the winter months. These charges keep your battery from draining during periods of low use. We keep these charges in stock. At a cost of $34.95 (plus installation) using one of these charges will save you the cost of a new battery come spring.

Taking these steps to winterize your motorcycle will keep it running smoothly. If you don’t like to do this yourself, we offer a Winterizing Special. And remember, we also offer winter storage right here in our shop.

Give us a call at 704.489.1100

DEC 6 – Denver, NC – TOYS FOR TOTS TOY RUN – Sponsored by Open Road Riderz Riding Group and Open Road Cycles.

Entry Fee: $10 per bike/vehicle plus a new unwrapped toy per person. We are in need of toys for both boys and girls aging from 6 months to 14 years of age. First 100 to register will receive a free toy run t-shirt. Additional t-shirts will be available for sale – $10 per shirt. Everyone Welcome – Bikes, Cars, Trucks. Registration: Open Road Cycles, Hwy 16 North, Denver, NC 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Departure Time: 1:30 p.m. from Open Road Cycles. We will ride as a group!!! The Finale will include a free dinner for participants, Door Prizes, and a 50/50 drawing. Donated toys will go to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program and will be distributed to needy children within Lincoln County. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November, and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The money proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warriors Fund that will be used to buy supplies needed for wounded Marines while they are in a North Carolina facility recuperating from their injuries. Info call Andy Alford – 704 902-6471, Angela Whitaker – 828 291-0761, Open Road Cycles – 704 489-1100 or any Open Road Riderz member.

Originally posted at www.carolinamcevents.com

Tire look a little thread-worn? Planning to ride during the coming cooler months. Open Road Cycles has extended their discount pricing on new tires through the month of November. Call Leo or AJ at 704-489-1100.

Also, now is a good time to get a oil change for only $49.95. Open Road Cycles uses quality Spectro motor oil.

Don’t have anywhere to keep your motorcycle during the winter? Don’t put it in one of those tiny depressing self storage units. Open Road Cycles is now offering winter storage right in their shop. That’s right! Why not let Leo and AJ keep an eye on your Harley-Davidson, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, BMW or whatever make of cycle you ride?

If you need to store your bike for the winter, just call Leo or AJ at 704-489-1100.

Planning for the upcoming Toys for Tots run was the main discussion at last nights meeting for the Open Road Riderz Riding Group. Several issues were discussed, including event advertising, T-shirt design, the route and sponsors.

The Toys for Tots run will be on Sunday, December 6th, 2009. Registration for the event will be from 11am until 1pm at the Open Road Cycles shop in Denver, NC. The ride will leave Open Road Cycles, traveling south on Highway 16, turning west on Highway 73. The route will turn north on Highway 27 traveling to downtown Lincolnton, go 1/4 way around the court house turning onto Aspen St. (old 321) to Car Farm Rd. and travel to Highway 150 back to Highway 16. The final destination will be the Naked Oyster Raw Bar on Highway 16. The Naked Oyster will provide a meal for the riders. Entertainment for the event will be provided by two bands, one of which is tentatively the James-Younger Gang.

Attending the event were representatives of the Full Throttle magazine. Full throttle is a free magazine focusing on motorcycle riders and events. It was decided that a half page magazine ad would be purchased to appear in the magazines November issue. Two articles about the Toys for Tots run will appear in the magazine in the issues before and after the run. Full Throttle will also coordinate the after run event at the Naked Oyster raw bar in Denver NC.

Sponsors for the event are still being sought. Sponsors can make contributions in the amounts of $50, $75 and $100. Sponsors who contribute will have their logos added to the event T-shirts. Logo sizes will reflect the donation amount. T-shirts will be printed prior to the event and be given to the first 100 riders who register for the ride. The remaining T-shirts will be sold for $10 each. If you are interested in becoming a event sponsor please contact the group at openroadriderz@yahoo.com.

Proceeds for the Toys for Tots run will benefit the U.S Marines Corp Reserve Toys for Tots program and the Wounded Warrior Project. Event riders will donate $10 per bike and a unwrapped present for each participant, including passengers.

Event: Toys For Tots Run
Event Coordinators: Open Road Riderz Group
Event Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Event Registration: 11am – 1pm
Event Ride Start: 1:30pm
Event Start Location: Open Road Cycles, Denver NC
Event End Location: Naked Oyster Raw Bar, Denver NC

Come on out and join the Open Road Riderz group at the Naked Oyster Raw Bar on Tuesday nights starting at 6pm.

Naked Oyster is located at 7913 Natalie Commons Drive in Denver, NC. Check out their MySpace page.

A Toys for Tots run is now being organized by the Open Road Riderz riding group. The run will be held on Sunday, December 6, 2009. The route is still in the planning stages but will most likely wind around the Lake Norman area through the towns of Denver, Mooresville and Cornelius.

Anyone interested in helping with the event or becoming a event sponsor can contact the group at openroadriderz@yahoo.com. A planning meeting will be help at Open Road Cycles in Denver, NC on Monday, October 12th at 6:15pm.

It was a great ride on Sunday, August 9, 2009. My riding buddy Bob Lieberman and I met the group at Open Road Cycles at 9:3oam. As we stood in the parking lot waiting for the others, many of us huddled in the shade of a giant billboard. The predicted high temp of the day was about 95° and we were already feeling the heat. At 10am we fired up the bikes and got underway. The wind in our faces delivered some relief from the heat as we drove up Hwy 16, then headed east through Catawba and on to Statesville where we headed north driving past Wilkesboro. Our final leg towards Laurel Springs was a glorious drive through scenic rolling hills, slowly climbing to higher altitudes and cooler temperatures.

We arrived at Station’s Inn around noon, parking our bikes in the lot across the street from the Inn. Looking around the parking lot it was obvious that we were not the first to arrive. Dozens of bikes were lined up one after the other.  We took awhile to look around before crossing the street where we sat down to enjoy lunch outside on the porch at the Inn’s restaurant. The food was good and we were happy to be under some shade drinking something cold and meeting some of the other bikers who drove in from various locations. Every couple of minutes we would look up as another group drove around the corner and pulled into the lot. A live band was scheduled to start around 2pm, but we had to get back on the road if we wanted to get back home on time.

We left Station’s Inn around 1:30, heading west towards Boone. The road seemed like an endless series of graceful twists and turns under a welcome canopy of high trees blocking most of the afternoon sun. As we got closer towards Boone the shade slowly thinned and as we pulled into a gas station to fill our tanks we sought shelter in the shade. Sipping a cold bottle of water, I knew that the next couple hours traveling south on 321 was going to get hotter. And it did. As the elevation decreased the temperature increased and as every mile went on it seemed like the asphalt below our wheels was getting hotter and hotter.

Leaving 321 at Startown Road, we made one last pit stop before setting out for the last half hour of driving. One by one riders had broken off from the group until only four of us were left. And then there were two, and then one. As I pulled into my driveway I turned the key and dismounted my ride. My legs were wobbly, my arms, face and neck sunburnt and I needed another cool drink badly. All in all it had been a great day riding.