This weeks Topic: Riding Etiquette
Time: 12:00pm to 12:30pm
Join the conversation by leaving your comments/questions below during the show!

It's that time again - time for US to show our appreciation for the continued support of our AMAZING MC community here on the treasure coast. Words can never express how truly grateful we are - so why not say it with a small Motorcycle Rally?

WHERE
Yankee Dave's Motorsports - 420 1st st., Vero Beach, FL 32962
WHEN
Saturday October 12th 2019 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
WHAT
Biker Appreciation Day
WHO
Anyone who loves motorcycles, loves a Biker, rides motorcycles
​or ALL OF THE ABOVE!

That time of year is already here. The time where the days get shorter, cooler. That's right, we're talking about the end of summer. Don't despair because we're here to make it all better. Just because summer is ending, it doesn't mean the fun has to stop!! 
We will be having our Sizzling Hot Summer Sale to make the most of the rest of the summer. For a limited time, we will be having huge discount on select items at our store. This isn't a sale you'll want to wait on though, our discounts will be dropping as the days go by!! That means if you want the big discounts, then you better hurry. We have a limited supply of items as we're making room for our Fall items.
The event will begin on 9/16/2019 and end on 9/30/2019, the discounts are as follows:

Save 20% on select services with our new mechanic Martin! This Promo code can save you 20% on any of the following services:

• ENGINE OIL CHANGE SERVICE
• BRAKE SERVICE
• ON OR OFF BIKE TIRE SERVICE
• 22 POINT INSPECT & ADJUST SERVICE
• CARBURETOR CLEAN/REBUILD SERVICE

WOW! It's hard to believe that it's been since November since we've made a blog post. Time has sure been zooming by! If you haven't been by the shop in awhile, we invite you to stop in to have a look - so much has changed in the past few months. One recent change that we are excited to announce, is the newest addition to our family.

Martin has been wrenching on bikes here for a little over a month now and we couldn't be happier! Dave has mentioned on numerous occasions that when it comes to repair work, Martin reminds him of himself, when he was a young lad (and trust me...that was a LONG time ago!)

He is currently working towards his Motorcycle/Motorsport Mechanic Certification. Trust us though...he's a natural! He spent many years working with his dad buying, repairing, building and flipping scooters and he's resurrected a couple of Motorcycles for his own personal use.

The very first one being A Yamaha Midnight Maxim, which came in a box. Talk about vision - you don't get to meet many people nowadays who can say they've had their go at a basket case! Although he still has the Yamaha - you'll most likely find him riding his Chopped out Honda Goldwing, which was not in running/road worthy condition when he got it either. So there ya go Goldwing Guys...we've got an expert in-house!

Welcome to our first annual Biker Santa Gift Giveaway event!

This year, we thought we'd do something really different and give YOU the gift givers of the biker community a chance at receiving! When it comes to the motorcycle enthusiasts giving hearts - man, we see some BIG ONE'S! This time of year, you'll find most riders out on a toy run, or hosting/attending an event that supports someone who is less fortunate, and many other selfless acts if giving.
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Biker Santa, while busy loading up his own sled - wanted to be sure that you and your sled are well taken care of this year! So, we've put together a HUGE Christmas package and we are filling it with all kinds of Biker Goodies!

Some of the goodies, will be known to the public while others will be wrapped and kept a secret! We plan to add at least one item per day and with the contest scheduled to last a full 27 days...well, you get the idea!
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We will be drawing the winner on December 20th (TODAY!!!) at the close of business. That's enough time to "re-gift" items in the box that you do not want for yourself...You're probably wondering how you can get yourself a chance to win this beauty aren't you? well, sit back, pour yourself a cold one and read on!

HERE'S AN UPDATED LIST OF ITEMS ! THE GIFT BOX'S ESTIMATED VALUE IS $400.00!!!

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Hey everyone -  This is Michelle here! As the seasons change, so does our personal riding schedule and based on your local riding terrain - that can mean coming into or coming out of weather conditions that present challenges while traveling on 2 wheels (or three even!) . Here in Florida, we are just coming to the end of "Rainy Season". For us, that means safer riding weather and more motorcycles out and about on the roads here. Vroom Vroom!

Today, I want to talk to you about the importance of knowing (and more importantly) respecting your own personal limitations when riding. We hear all the time, well known motorcycle phrases like "Dress for the Slide...Not the Ride",  " Loud Pipes Save Lives" and my all time fav. "It's about the Ride not the Destination". As riders, we're taught (or learn the hard way) to ride defensively - being sure to be mindful of every movement around us and prepare for unexpected lane shifts or quick stops from the cars & trucks nearby.  

But rarely have I come across an article or post related to trusting your own self, recognizing limiting riding conditions and slowing down, or dare I say it...Even pulling over and getting off the road for a minute. I know some of you might be thinking at this very moment - I don't have to worry about that - I'm an experienced rider!

I also consider myself a safe and experienced rider, but this is not about experience so much as it is about accepting that no matter how much experience you have, your body just might not be able to handle the riding challenges that are ahead and it just might be time to stop.

A couple of weeks ago, Dave and I rode to Myrtle Beach's Fall Bike Rally. It was our very first long distance ride and we planned accordingly by mapping out our route, planning to take the scenic route, checking weather forecasts, etc.

We thought we had it all covered and honestly could not have planned for Hurricane Michael's arrival. The storm moved in (and intensified) so quickly that the Florida Pan Handle barely had enough time to prepare. On a side note, my thoughts and prayers are with those folks. Now, we were obviously not traveling through the Panhandle when the storm hit, but we were traveling along Florida's East Coast when it was in the Gulf. We spent all day dodging rain drops and navigating through 47 mph winds, as well as sideways rain that was impossible to see through.

We stopped a lot along the way, making our what would have been an easy breezy 6 hour trip turn into 12 grueling hours. The decision to finally accept our limitations and pull over to stop while the rain bands came through came after I skid into an intersection into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, I was able to stop the bike (while looking into the whites of the oncoming drivers eyes)and did not dump. It shook me up enough however and led me on a 12 hour evaluation of my riding decisions!
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So, of course I've been telling everybody that will listen to me, about my experience. Most riders change the subject quickly. Maybe they don't want to think about it. I've had a few make (joking around) comments like "You just gotta ride through that!". When I shared my story with our new mechanic Jeff, he said "Well I used to be like that, but not anymore since my accident".

He then went on to tell a story about a rainy ride with friends. He was riding along the North Carolina Mountains and it began to rain hard. While most of the people who were riding with him, pulled off the road to wait for the storm to stop, he and another rider decided to push through it. 

With mountain on one side and a steep drop off on the other, off he went all the while thinking I've got this. Mother Nature had another plan altogether, though. you see the rain had washed away a large mud bank into the road, and as he turned the next blind curve he drove right into it. Taking him and his bike into the mud slide. Eventually his bike caught ground and flipped up over him, breaking his Jaw and causing many other injuries.

It's just not worth it folks...

My 12 hour thinking session, helped me to come up with some tips to use when it comes to knowing our limits, accepting them and doing the right thing for safety