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Motorcycle Poet Laureate, and columnist for the Connecticut Criuse News Newspaper, and motorcyclegoodies.com |
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It's Laconia Time! Laconia to me is always is a time of memories and dreams. Even the words and phrases, Gypsy Tour, Bike Week, Motortorcycle Weekend, Louden, Laconia, Wiers Beach, all hold a Mystique and Mystry in my memory and dreams. For each one of these words and phraces hold, a symbol, a memory, an image, and a credo, that adheres itself to our motorcycle way of life. Even Road Rt numbers and names take on a specicial meaning when hooked to the words Laconia, Bikeweek and such, 106 ... the track road ... 107 ... the back road ... route 3 ... the old way ... route 93 ... the new highway ... 28 ... 16 ... North ... Laconia, The Kangusmangus Highway. All these Rouetes numbers and Roads are etched into the heart of many a Biker. Yes, all these when conected to the past will bring on flood gates of memories. And, when all these are connected to the presentor the future , they will set a Biker's mind to a clicking and a ticking, to this year's plans and this year's hopes. These names and places have most likely had this afect, since the first Motorcyclists asked another Motorcyclists, "You want to take a run this weekend?" "Where?" "Wier's Beach, Laconia!" That was around 1916, For over 90 years now Laconia has been a motorcycle happening. When Motorcycles first rolled into Wiers' Beach for a weekend of motorcycle fun, the oldest Harley-Davidson on the road was just a little over ten years old. The names embossed on many of the machines the first ten years were names many of us have never even heard of let alone ever rode or ownd? Names that may have appered on Wier's Boulavard durning Laconia's first 10 or 15 years, were Clevelands, Scotts, and Dots and Douglases' *** too and many others that have now slid into the past to beforgot. And of course there were many of our American favorites, Indians and Harley- Dadvidsons, etc. And no, there were no Harvards mototocycles, but there may have been a few Yale Mototorcycles parked on the boulavard. *** Bike referances culled from ... Hugo Wilson's Book ( Hot Bikes ) Covent Garden Books circa - 2005 |
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Electro Glides were the new rumble on the block and for the British Bike fan, Triumphups, Nortons, BSAs still held thier share of chops and stocks. But, the Metrics, 450 and under were starting to pop-up like mushrooms. Once the 80s hit, it was a new day. The Metrics had began to take hold. By the mid-80s, Kirker exausts began to howl and back tires began to smoke. Harleys still gave thier rumble, but the Metrics had grown an new edge and were showing thier musle. It may have been due the Toe-Cutter from Mel Gibson's, Mad Max movie, that made it happen, but, the Kirker exhaust had taken on a new image. The nice guy on rice image was gone, set in its place was the image of a marauding Hun on a Diablo Beast, that howled like a banchee. |
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Harley was making its bid for a come back - The Evo engine was the new block on the street. By 88 even the Sporter had gone Evo engined and the last of the Sportster Shovel Heads almost ... ran apon demand. There also seemed to be peace in the Valley - that year, The 1% Clubs camped amongest themselfs in Pride. The AMA clubs, for the most part, did the same. The Locals, The Police, and The Citizens, alll seem to except us as a good natured show rather than an invading hoard. I now look back on that year, as the year of "Three Hundred Pines." Will thereever be another Laconia like 1989? "No." Every Laconia is a year unto itself. Each year holds its own Promiss, Dreams and Memories ... Else-wise, why go twice? We alltake our ride though this slice of Highway we call lfe. At times, like traverlers on the Highway, we run side by side, but, in trurth, in the end the road we ride is our own journey. I hope for those who choose to ride the road north to laconia this June, a safe and happy journey and may the the year of Laconia 2006, bring many joys and fond memories. |
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Motorcycle Poet Laureate. |
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In Belmont That year under Three Hundred Pines on land owned and cleared by a brother named Chubs He cleared the land with his own hands and big heart and made us a park and as the tree tops brustled and wispered above us the warm June wind fanned and pushed our Pine fed flames and, Harley exhaust rumbled and crackled up and down the access road. and, so it was ... that year My bikeweek date was the Butterfly lady who adorned her jean jacket with butterfly patches and pins and wore butterfly clips in her hair. and she wore denim jeans and cow-gal boots and was dressed more country western than biker weekend But, she was pleasant company and she liked to ride and I was greattful for the smile Why she didd't ride up there with Me? or, if she road home with me? I now, don't have the answer but, perhaps, I arived a day early and left a day late as I often do She rode up North with my prospect little brother brother Louie Little brother louie all dressed in leather from head to Boot, leather shirt, leather jeans, and a leather baseball cap, too and we kidded and wondered about his socks ... were they leather too? Now, it seems in my memories eye there were ... Three Hundred Pines with 300 tents ... with 300 brothers and 300 sisters too with 300 rides all parked under the pines in Belmont that year I can still hear the Harleys rumble I can smell the smoke and feel the sting to my eyes and hear the brustle of the branches as only a memories breeze will do I don't believe it rained that year and laconia's without rain have been so few And so, it was the year of Three Hundred Pines and now? The Butterfly Lady has made her last run hopefully she now rides in Butterfly Heaven and Little Brother Louie on the beach fell to sleep and his spirirt and light drifeted away with the tide. then one winter, Chub's big heart and Harley siezed to to thump and then came spring when a hearse was drove around the bay with 300 Harleys in its trail A fitting tribute for the Man who gave us Three Hundred Pines. |
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supersundayonline.com ... roadpoet.com ... motorcyclegoodies.com and least, Laconiabikeweek.net ... Laconiabikeweek.net is an excellnt site for last moment info and up dates ... it has a very active foroum with much info on in it to who is where and what is happening - right now. Laconiabikeweek.net even has a live web cam along the road to the Wiers. So if your are on the road and near a computer or about to leave home and need last moment info, please check out laconiabikeweek.net. And while we're on the subject of web sites, its a good time right now to check out supersundayonline.com to to take a gander at all the exciting features Supersunday tm Expo's founder Don Clady has lined up for us on May 21st for his Super Sunday tm Expo at the Harford Expo Center. And please, if you would like to send your work in for possible future publishing, please send it to dccj14@aol.com .... or bikerpoet@webtv.net. And for Laconia stories, memories and more, please check out Roadpoet eMagazine i/e roadpoet.com. Best Miles and Verses till then ... |
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