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Writer's pictureAnne Hartley

The Brand is Not Important

Hello my fellow riders. Hope your Labor Day weekend was off the chain. Those who ride will understand this statement all too well. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as noontime bugs.

The brand is not important. The fact that you ride is.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with its historical rival, Indian Motorcycles. The company has survived numerous ownership arrangements, subsidiary arrangements, periods of poor economic health and product quality, and intense global competition to become one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following. There are owner clubs and events worldwide, as well as a company-sponsored, brand-focused museum.

Indian Motorcycle Company is an absolute rollercoaster. Since its founding in 1901, the Indian brand in various forms had failed four times. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, a whole slew of companies and individuals tried to resurrect Indian Motorcycles. With such a long bad-luck streak, it’s surprising that so many groups would try and revive it. The reasons why so many different people have tried to bring Indian back can be summed up in one word, legacy. Indian Motorcycles are one of the most iconic American motorcycle brands. The original Indian Motorcycle Company (you read that right) was founded 119 years ago.

Victory Motorcycles was an American motorcycle manufacturer with its final assembly facility in Spirit Lake, Dickinson County, northwestern Iowa, United States. It began production of its vehicles in 1998 and began winding down operations in January 2017 to be succeeded by the revived traditional American motorcycle brand Indian, which is (since 2011) owned by parent company Polaris Industries.

Honda was founded in the late 1940s as Japan struggled to rebuild following the second World War. Company founder Soichiro Honda first began manufacturing piston rings before turning his attention to inexpensive motorcycles. Mr. Honda always had a passion for engineering, and this became evident by the wild sales success of his motorcycles in the 1960s and by competing head-to-head against the world’s best on racetracks. Today, Honda is a juggernaut, offering class-leading machines in most every category.

BMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. BMW's own motorcycles—sold under the BMW Motorrad brand—began in 1923 with the BMW R 32, which was powered by a flat-twin engine (also called a "boxer-twin" engine). BMW merged with Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922, and the BFw Helios became the starting point for the first BMW motorcycle.

Triumph motorcycles are widely regarded as being one of the world's most legendary and well-respected brands of motorcycles. This esteemed line of British cycles maintains a rich and colorful history that stretches back to the early 20th century. In 1902, the first Triumph motorcycle was produced in Coventry, England by the Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd. Prior to producing motorcycles, the company imported sewing machines and sold bicycles.

So you see no matter the brand just put your knees in the breeze and let’s ride.

Useless Facts:

1. Throughout its lifetime, an elephant goes through six sets of teeth. The elephant starves to death once the sixth set of teeth falls out.

2. Tigers have striped skin under their hair, but zebras don't.

3. Butterflies are cannibals.

4. Winston Churchill had a heart attack in the White House while straining to open a bedroom window.

5. There are roughly 144,000 mosquitos for every person on earth.

6. Tampons were originally designed to plug bullet wounds. The word "tampon" comes from the French tampion, a piece of cloth used as a stopper.

7. Too much coffee can kill you. A lethal dose of caffeine for the average adult is somewhere around 10 grams, or the equivalent of drinking between 50 and 200 cups of coffee in rapid succession.

8. Humans actually have nine senses. Besides hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch, there’s also equilibrioception (balance), nociception (pain), proprioception and kinesthesia (joint motion and acceleration).

9. If you put a mirror one light-year away from Earth and looked at it through a telescope, you would see two years into Earth's past.

10. At -90 degrees Fahrenheit, your breath will freeze midair and fall to the ground.

11. Chewing an apple is just as effective at waking you up in the morning as drinking a cup of coffee.

12. You can put out a fire with sound waves.

13. Trees make a gurgling sound when they're thirsty.

14. The tongue of a blue whale weighs about as much as a full-grown elephant or a sport utility vehicle.

15. Bamboo is stronger than concrete.



Local Events:

1. Bristol Night Race Sept 17th Bristol TN

2. Slagle Fest Sept. 17th – 18th Elizabethton TN

3. Pepper Fest Sept. 24th 11am – 4pm Bristol

4. 26st Annual Heritage Day Sept. 24th 8am – 5pm Bluff City, TN

Rallies:

1. Live Oak Resort Bike Rally Sept. 15th – 18th Washington TX

2. Camel City Bike Fest 15th -17th Winston Salem NC

3. Freedom Fest 15th -18th Conyers, GA

4. Thunder on Tobacco Road Fall Party & Rodeo Sept. 22nd -25th Seven Springs, NC

5. Myrtle Beach Fall Rally Sept 26st – Oct 2nd Myrtle Beach SC

6. Great Smoky Mountain Rally Sept27th – Oct 1st Maryville, TN

7. Rumble On the River Rally Sept 30th – Oct 2nd Bandera TX

Rides:

1. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 16th Hopkinsville, KY

2. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 16th Cherokee, NC

3. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 16th Cartersville, GA

4. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 16th Chattanooga, TN

5. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 17th Tuscumbia, AL

6. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 18th Hot Springs, AR

7. Trail of Tears Memorial Ride Sept 19th Okmulgee, OK

8. J.D. Nickels Memorial Ride for Donor Awareness Sept 17th

9. Redrum MC Benefit Ride Sept 24th

Bike Night:

1. Kingsport Moose Riders Every Wednesday

2. 19E Pit Stop Every Wednesday

3. Quaker Steak & Lube Every Thursday

4. Tulips Grub & Pub Every Friday

5. Peacemakers Bike Night 801 Boozy Creek Every 3rd Friday of each month

6. East Coast Wings Every Wednesday

7. Dog Tag Brigade Every Wednesday at Jonesborough VFW

8. The Pub Out Back Every Monday

9. Freddy’s in Kingsport every second Monday

10. Creek Side Bar & Grill in Stoney Creek every Wednesday



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