Sturges North 2011 & Veterans Motorcycle Run

Friday morning was the sign up for the Veterans Motorcycle Run in support of the Canadian troops.  Everyone had to sign a waiver and show proof of valid motorcyle license.  When I left my motorcycle to go sign up, I asked the fellows near me if it was okay to leave my motorcycle there.  With smiles, a big fellow answered, "Don't worry we'll protect it."  My Honda 230 CFR was by far the smallest bike there.  I'd given up telling everyone I couldn't bring the Harley Electraglide on the back of the truck towing the RV.  Instead I just called it my 'baby'. "Looks like it could be a trouble maker, " a Gulf War Vet commented.  The rest of the bikes ranged from 600 cc to 1600 cc and maybe more.   At the Sturges North grouns Azzkikr had a custom built motorcycle  with the biggest car engine Chevy ever made.  As this was a Veterans Bike Run I wouldn't put it past some of these guys to have rigged their machines with military ordnance to enhance performance, maybe even Stealth technology.
When we 'd signed in and got our Sturges North "Ride with Honor" t shirts, the ride captain told us the route. I couldn't hear so would depend on staying with the group. That was my first mistake.  Then we all bowed our heads when the chaplain said a prayer for the ride.  I find motorcycling is a great catalyst for prayer and like that these rides begin with the sacred.  Then someone called out "Mount Up".  Another shouted "Lock and Load".  The women and men got on their bikes and a collective throbbing roar filled the air.  I couldn't hear my little bumblebee so had to trust to the feel.  We rode out in double lines.
On the flat the Honda CRF does 110 km but as soon as there was an incline I had to lie down over the top of my bike to reduce wind resistance.  I'd say I started on point and drifted to rearguard but in fact I just slipped a little back in the middle of the pack when the space opened a bit in front of me and some big bikes behind would pass and fill it up. I had a definite advantage with gnarly tires when we hit the road repair before Sorrento   but then we took the uphill turn at Monte Creek. I was reduced to 80 km with guys and gals flying past me. You could actually see my feet pedally furiously to keep up.  On the downhills I'd make 120 and close the gap. I had no idea where we were going.  I actually thought I was the last bike.  It was only when I pulled into Falkland for the buffet lunch at the Falkland pub that I found out there were a whole lot of bikes behind me. They must have got caught behind traffic.  That happened to me and even with the passing lane I didn't have the get up and go to pass this one car that thankfully turned off somewhere letting me get back to making my maximum 110 km/jr speed.
The scenary was tremendous along the winding roads with lakes and evergreen, cattle on rolling grass pastures. Falklands Pub was welcoming , a famous Hog destination with a lot of biker paraphernalia on the walls from previous rides.  Great roast beef , ham and chicken wings, roast potatoes and salads for $10/  I sat with a fellow who said he had got chilled without any windscreen. I said, "I know what you mean. I don't have any either on my Honda 230.  I got chilled plus  I got bugs up my nose. I also think I'm the smallest motorcycle here."
"Then I'm the second smallest, I'm riding a 600 cc Buell Blast."  he said. He was up from Vernon.  Since I'd had a Buell and loved it we got along just fine.  I left early though figuring that even though I couldn't ride fast I could eat fast and get the jump on most of the other bikers.
I had to fill up with gas and riding wide open throttle had to add a litre of oil.  Then I was back on the road way out ahead of the crowd.  The salmon valley with the horses and cattle and rolling hills was a treat to ride through.  I came out at the place where we began and as no one was there thought I'd just beat everyone.  So I drove 5 km back to Pierre's Point Campground, shut down the motorcycle outside the trailer, hailed Gilbert and Laura, regaled them about my exploits as a great motorcyclist only to have Laura say, "It's on the radio, the Veterans ride, ends in Sicamous.  I just heard the first bikes were arriving." I gave Laura a hug and chucked Gilbert under the chin. Then I had to get back outside to the bike and climb wearily back in the saddle.
Crossing through Salmon Arm there were bikes going everywhere. I took the road to Sicamous and arrived in a town flooded with motorcycles. There were bikes parked on the sides and down the middle of the main street.  The band, "Lead Painted Toys" was belting out rocker tunes at the open beer garden. The Canadian legion was open and inviting visitors. Ice cream vendors were doing a hot "cold" trade. Harley Davidson had some big bikes there and the firemen were out watching the big "burn off' event.  I definitely got into the ice cream.  I took a picture of myself and my motorcle dubbing it the "little motorcycle that could'.  Picking bugs out of my nose I missed the windshield on my Harley Electra glide and the comfort but there was a strange sense of accomplishment in just getting there. I thought it appropriate for a Veterans ride given that often the Canadian troops had done the really big jobs with the least and certainly not the latest equipment.  Canadian troops got the job done regardless. I was glad too that they'd finished their tour in Afghanistan doing Canada proud.
Siccamous has a great marina and given all the power boats here I expect there's great fishing. Driving back at a reasonable 80 to 90 km/hr pace, not pushing my bike to the limit I enjoyed the magnificent lake and scenery thankful that the ride had given me a chance to see what wonderful country lies around Salmon Arm.  Sturges North picked a great place to have the rally.
When I got back to the RV  I was exhausted. All my muscles ached and all I could do was lie down and watch another episode of Sons of Anarchy starring Charlie Hunnan, Ron Perlman and Katey Sagall, Kurt Sutters television series about an outlaw biker gang.  Very apropos viewing material.  I'm reading a Louis L'Amour western novel too which seems an equally good fit. .

Sturges North 2011 & Dr. Hook

I rode the Honda 230 to Sturges North. I really wanted a sticker that said "my other bike is a Harley Electraglide".  I think it was the smallest bike in the line up. I put it near a Honda Goldwing in hope someone thought it was a baby that had tagged along. There were alot of big Harleys, some touring BMW's, and big Kawasakis and Yamahas.  It was a big biker event.  I traded my online ticket in for a bracelet but they couldn't give me Laura's.  It almost proved a problem because at night they were closing up at 10 pm when she came along for the concert.  In the morning I'd bought the t shirts. "You're our first Sturges t shirt sale at the grounds", the biker babe told me as I got xlarge for me and medium for Laura.  Having found the place and figured my way around for coming back in the dark I headed into town.  Salmon Arm was filling up with bikes.  They even had a shuttle bus going to the all day stripper Outlaw Saloon. Shuttle buses ran to the parking lots and down town venues, a great solution to avoid drinking and driving on motorcyles. I stopped for coffee and a breakfast bagel when the skies opened. Then I sneaked back to Pierre's Point Campground to have the mandatory afternoon snooze in preparation for an 11 pm to 1 am concert.  Bands were playing all day but Laura wanted to see Dr. Hook.  There was a huge thunderstorm in the afternoon with hail even then thankfully the rain let up and skies cleared just before we headed out at 10 pm.  We took the Ford 350 Harley Davidson Diesel truck given the iffyness of the skies.  But the rain had ended.  At the fairgrounds people were sitting on the lawn or had brought folding chairs. I laid out the poncho then got Laura and I some coffee and grain fed beef jerky.  Azzkkrr Custom Bikes had the best exhibits. Then Ray Sawyer came on. The crowd exploded. Dr. Hook was a blast.  Laura's favourite was "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" and "Staying the Night Together."  The moon was magnificent over the fairground. I loved when Ray Sawyer screamed "We love you William and Kate!" Then he rode right into "Cover of the Rolling Stone" to a roar of applause.  The bikers went wild.  What a great opening headliner concert.  We love you Dr. Hook!

Sturges North

http://www.sturgesnorth.com 
When I joined the West Coast Biker Church, I was early asked by one of the members if I had a "clean record".  I asked 'why" and the fellow said that they wanted to liason with some of the other gospel biker groups south of the border.  The trouble was, 'some of us had troubles with the law before we found Jesus."
Now this was a born again Christian biker talking. So obviously the American border could be a detriment to many motorcyclists travelling to the great annual American Black Hills motorcycle rally, Sturges.  This is where the Harley Davidson crowd meets and the Boss sang a year or two ago.
Given the increasing paranoia of Homeland Security and the profiling of bikers, all bikers are drug addicts or terrorists, it's not surprising that someone figured there was a need for a major West Coast Motorcycle Rally north of the border. I hear increasingly from elderly Christians that they don't want to cross the American border because the radiation from their cancer treatments gets them strip searched and anal probed.  I imagine a lot of bikers especially those with iron butt awards would want to avoid this.
Further, Sturges North  welcomes 'all makes of bikes' , not just American made.  I ride a Harley and am thankful that I do as one fellow Harley rider of dubious background told me, "My friends and I think it's okay to hurt anyone not riding American made."  I think he was joking. It was a backhand compliment to me when I attended a sober round up in the northern backwoods, riding in on my Buell.  Even though I think this big guy on his high bar chopper was joking, I was glad at the time that Buell was American made.  Since then I ride  a Honda enduro as well as my Harley.
Canada is a nation that embraces pluralism.  The Triumphs have been with us since they served the WWII vets that fought with England for that great motorcycle making nation.  BMW's are a favourite here thanks to their success in the off road categories and popularity with the 'The Wrong Way Round' sorts.  Being  part of the Pacific Rim we've also had the best of  Honda,Yamaha, and Kawizaki.  Naturally the Italians who brought us the finest foods and taught the locals how to grow grapes like their Dukatis and  Moto Guzzis.
So Sturges North is an "inclusive" gathering. All bikes are welcome. The Salmon Arm area has long been on part of the most popular motorcycle ride advertised the world over for it's scenic beauty and winding roads.  It's a great location for lakes, rivers, camping, rv's, back woods trails and wilderness, as well as fine dining and fine accomodation tourist towns with even nearby Halcyon and Nakusp hotspring resorts.
In addition to the Motorcycle Rally, the Music Festival is really shaping up with a truly Woodstock flavour. I'd personally like to hear Third Day, Creed, and I Need to Breathe Christian band but Doug and the Slugs even though Doug is dead isn't anything to sneeze at .  Powder Blues is unstoppable.  Streetheart, Nazareth and Harlequin should be appreciated for the older Woodstock crowds who will be able to take off their hearing aids for a change.  Helix, Prism.  Steppenwolf and Eric Burden and the Animals will be amazing.
Some of the older bikers will have given up riding two wheelers because of virtigo. Fortunately ,there will be enough young people of the cafe racer set there who will be able to help them out of their walkers and onto their trikes.
I feel for the emergency doctors in town who will likely get experience with wild mushroom intoxication in old farts on high cholesterol, hypertensive medication,  heart medications, chronic obstructive lug disease puffers,mixing their Jim Bean with viagra.  UBC should volunteer a research team for on site medical emergencies.
The organizers are great in that they're giving cut rates to the Military Vets.  I love the biker organizations in general for their appreciation of our troops.  The RCMP will likely be paid to be there. As a biker organization they've shown themselves over the years to be understanding and appreciative of other mounted folk.
The only downside is that they don't allow dogs.  I can understand that pitbulls and bull mastiffs, popular with some bikers, should be outlawed  but  dogs, like my cockapoo, who rides on my bike shouldn't be discriminated against.  There really should be a separate category for biker 'purse' dogs.   That said there are pet friendly RV and tent campgrounds, cabins and motels in the Salmon Arm area.
I don't know if my Harley Electraglide will make it but it sure looks like a place to take my Ford F350 SuperDuty Harley Davidson Edition truck,  Rockwood Minilite RV, the Honda 230 and Honda Big Ruckus,  canoe and fly rod.  I've always been proud to say I was at the first Strawberry Mountain Peace and Love Festival. I had long hair and my face was painted with stars or some such shit.  I don't remember most of the festival.
Now I'd like to be able to regale the folk around the nursing home some day with my being at the first Surges North Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival.  I figure that most of us will have learned by now how to have a great time in the wilderness without the need of drugs and booze. We still love motorcycles and rock and roll.  I just hope the good bands play early because I fall asleep before midnight.  The best trout are up at dawn.

http://www.sturgisnorth.com