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I started riding motorcycles the summer of 1970. Actually it was a Benelli mini bike that my brother and I bought together. With a red and chrome tank accented gold pin striping. Propelled by a 20 horse motor and a 4 speed gear box. looking back I figured it was designed for about 1500 miles of smooth road before it broke down, we were able to get maybe 500 out of it by continually riding with a throng of new friends (we had the basketball per say) riding it around a bumpy dirt track a couple hundred yards long in the back field. Before it kinda kept breaking, boys will be boys.
None the less, 500 miles was bookoo laps around that little track. as I rode around that little bumpy track in my mind I was riding across the country. visualizing riding past things I saw in geography books (lots of pictures in a geography book). I was hooked from there, my first street machine was a 72 honda 350 scrambler in which i rode along with my fellow neighborhood kids eeeerrr gang members "The Cedar Crest Cycle Slobs". We were a motley crew of egg throwers, window soaping, horn sticking hooligans. The much feared gang was made up of the kids that started riding on that beneli riding various makes usually less the 500 c.c.'s.
Later it was on to Harleys, over the years i have owned several different machines some I never rode (okay I couldn't get em started) . Rode a 76 sportster while I was in the navy. That was the first bike that I made long rides on. I rode back and forth between Kokomo, Indiana and Norfolk, Virginia three times over 18 months. Fell in love with BMWz bout that time. Bought my first new one from Moody's Cycle Sales, Kokomo Indiana in the spring of 78. they built 200 "R100RS's" that were red white and blue. I rode it to Rutland, Vermont for the National BMWMOA Rally that July for my honeymoon, my son's mom was 7 months pregger I was forced to go it alone. At the rally it seemed either that everybody who bought one those RS'S was there or there were more than 200 built. anyway i was gone 10 daze rode just over 3800 miles and was hooked on being out on the back roads of America.
Over the years I have rode mostly on the east coast with the exception of a quick trip to Norman, Oklahoma, a result of a bet over happy hour beers that I could leave right there and send a wire from Norman, Oklahoma in 12 hours little over 650 miles. Sucked had to sober up riding in rain, took me 13 hours and 20 minutes to lose 500 bux. proud to say that not long after that I quit gambling. April 28th 2006 I rode out of Orlando Florida for the odessy of my lifetime aboard a new 2005 bmw R1200Rt "The Asphalt Angel". 178 daze and 42,656 miles later I returned to Orlando a changed man ("ruined" is probably a better word) all I ever think about is the next trip . While on that trip I witnessed / experienced the rural life of 40 states including Northwest Canada, Riding the Alcan Highway to Alaska, then on to Deadhorse / Prudhoe Bay as far north as you can get by road in the U.S. Funny living in Florida for most of the last 34 years, Unlike the beaches of Daytona I didn't notice anybody on or wearing tourists clothing on the beach Along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
Live to ride another day Tom tom@sidestandup.com
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Our Road Correspondents | |
| Live Tuesday Nights on the air ... Mike  Abernathy 
I was born a poor boy in Ft. Myers, Fl to an Army Air Corp SGT. right after WWII. Did a lot of moving around. Grew up in Louisana, Oklahoma and Arizona and moved to Germany when I was 15, Finished High School there (learned to type while I was there) and lived there for another year and then moved to Wichita, KS. Went to a Technical School for drafting and then went to Wichita State University and majored in Industrial Technology. Played around with hot rods and race cars until I got tired of that (and broke). Rode motorcycles from the time I was 14 when I got my first restricted to 5 horsepower license. My first scooter was a 1948 Powell P48. Learned woodworking and cabinet making as a hobby and made it my vocation. Am now retired and putter around with mechanical stuff whenever I can. I like to design and build things, metal, wood, plastic. Most of all I love travelling on a motorcycle and meeting interesting people. I RIDE A GUZZI (what else needs to be said)
Listen to the show Live Every Tuesday 7-9 PM
Gadget Guru Tim "Timmer" Bowman aka my spell checker ;) My motorcycle journey began a little later in life than most. At age 56, I acquired my first motorcycle, a Honda Gold Wing, after having never owned or ridden a motorcycle. I ended up having to wait 6 months to get into a motorcycle training class. After graduating from the class, I came home, hopped on my Wing, did a few evenings of practice in the local park's parking lot, and started commuting in Seattle traffic. And the rest is history. As of this writing, it's been 9 years and I'm the owner of 5 motorcycles, and I have logged in excess of 130,000 miles covering most states west of the Mississippi including Alaska. My wife and I really enjoy 2up touring and can be found out on the bike most weekends and vacations. As a dedicated self-wrencher, I've modified most of my bikes with various mechanical / electronic / electrical gadgets as well as upgrades to the suspensions. During the winter months where I live in the Pacific Northwest, I'm often found teaching motorcycling classes related to wrenching, touring, GPS' and the like. 
Imre "Mr. AMA" Szauter Imre Szauter is a government affairs manager for on-highway activities in the government relations department of the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association). His primary focus is state legislation, but he also tracks and reports on international, federal, and local legislation and regulations that impact the on-highway riding community. He is a former Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) certified instructor and taught basic and experienced rider courses in Ohio for ten years. Imre has been riding motorcycles since 1970. He currently rides a 1998 BMW R1100RT and a Trek 4300 mountain bike. He claims to be a better motorcyclist than a bicyclist.  John J. CerilliMoto-Journalist / Photographer
John J. Cerilli has been an active motorcycle enthusiast and rider for over 40 years. He has owned and ridden over 25 motorcycles including: Japanese, Italian, German, British, and of course, four “Big Twin” Harley Davidson’s. He currently rides a 2007 Harley Davidson FLHR 96 cubic inch Road King and a 1983 Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans-III.
John has ridden throughout the continental United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. In 1982 he completed the infamous “Great Escape Tour” covering 22,000 miles of the USA and Canada in 9 months. In 2004-2005, John lived, worked in Aachen, Germany, and rode a 1993 Triumph Trident 900 throughout the beautiful North Rhineland Westphalia region, including Belgium and the Netherlands.
In total, John estimates that he has ridden well over 300,000 miles. He has completed Keith Code’s California Superbike School twice, at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California and Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona. He has also completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s (MSF) rider’s course four times.
Since early 1990’s and to the present, John has worked as a free-lance moto-journalist and photographer. His first published article was featured in Motorcycle Collector magazine, now part of RIDER magazine. For the next several years, he freelanced for Motorcycle Shopper magazine as their US Southwest Correspondent. In addition, John’s motorcycle related articles and photographs have appeared in Easy Rider magazine, the BMWMOA News, the Norton News, and The Moto Guzzi National Owners newsletter, Quick Throttle magazine and many other publications.
From 2001-2007 he contributed as a staff writer/photographer for Moto-Euro magazine, a quarterly, international publication dedicated to enthusiasts of European and British motorcycles. This is where he met and worked with Nolan Woodbury.
John is a current member of The Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA), the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club (VJMC), and a LIFE Member of the Harley Owners Group (HOG), a LIFE Member of the American Motorcyclists Association (AMA), and a LIFE Member of the Moto Guzzi National Owners Club (MGNOC).
John currently lives in northern California with his wife, Karen, and two spoiled cats.
Contact John at: john.cerilli@vintagemotorcyclesonline.com  Nolan WoodburyMoto-Journalist / Photographer
Nolan Woodbury began his motorcycling journey in 1977, when at the age of 17 he purchased from a family friend a 1969 Moto Guzzi V700. Since then, Woodbury has owned a succession of European, Japanese and British-made motorcycles. The youngest member of an active motorcycling family, Nolan followed his father and three older brothers; Neil, Nick and Nathan down a lifelong two-wheeled path.
Born in Cherokee, Iowa, Leo and Joy Woodbury moved Nolan and the other boys from the Midwest to Arizona in January of 1966, where they established Cherokee Tool Company three years later. Nolan grew to appreciate and admire all things mechanical, and just as ex-racers make ideal road test pilots, his background in the machine tool industry gives Nolan a perspective from ‘the other side of the coin’.
An avid reader and magazine collector Nolan began his journalism career in 1990s, Nolan was first published by Frank Wedge; co-founder and chairman of the Moto Guzzi National Owners Club. His ‘Roadworthy’ column featured modified and restored examples of the Mandello-based twin and enjoyed a decade long run. Nolan’s large and comprehensive motorcycle-related archive dates back many decades. He is often called upon to provide other journalists with information from these files.
In the mid-90s Nolan branched out as a freelance journalist. His work has been published in various US-based titles like Cycle World and Sport Rider, Moto Retro and Motorcycle International in the United Kingdom, and in other publications from Holland, Japan and Italy. His photographic work has also been featured in books of varying subjects. In 2000, Nolan helped establish Moto-Euro Magazine where he served as senior writer and photographer until May of 2007.
Inside the Woodbury Brother's dedicated motorcycle workshop are machines from Germany, Japan, Italy and England. Although a Moto Guzzi devotee, Nolan takes time to enjoy life outside of the biking realm. This includes working around the home, enjoying life with his kids and his girlfriend Merry Lucero, and tinkering with old Zenith radios.
Contact Nolan at: nolan.woodbury@vintagemotorcyclesonline.com 
web site stuff
Jerry Watts "TV's Suck" "i should know... i have several" | | Mike "Grizz" Newton My parents did their best to instill in me several values that I have tried my best to follow. Protect your integrity, it’s yours to lose. There are great experiences out there, go find them. There are many different cultures, try to understand and respect them. We moved frequently as I was growing up and spent most of the summers tent camping. I had a great opportunity to appreciate what my parents tried to teach me and I thank them every day for it. My father had me working on and riding motorized vehicles at a very early age. It’s always been a passion of mine. I was about 10 when we met 2 motorcyclists in British Columbia that were heading to Alaska with their fishing poles and tents. I knew that I would do the same when I had the chance. I now live in NC and travel weekly for work. When I am not working I am on a bike with the wheels turning, experiencing life in the most enjoyable way I know. Our current bikes are a Goldwing that allows my wife to share some of the great travel with me and an ST1300 that is my Long Distance and one-up mount. I may be coming to an area near you. If so, breaking bread with old or new friends is always a welcome treat. I hope you enjoy the show as much as we do trying to pull it off. See you down the road! Pat "Our Guide into the World of Dual Sport Riding" McGhie 
I was born and raised in Michigan, in the suburbs of Detroit. My early riding years were on Honda street bikes such as a CL360 and CB 550. I had not ridden in a couple years when I moved to new Hampshire in the early 90's, so I left the bikes behind. New Hampshire has great riding riiding roads (as does VT and ME) and also has the greatest number of riders per capita in the US. Seeing all these people riding the twisty scenic by-ways started causing an itch, I wanted to ride again! In 1999 I pulled the trigger and bought a used Honda Shadow VT 700. It was a fun bike but somewhat small for traveling so I very quickly moved up to an 1100 Shadow which I loved. I did my 1st 2 IBA rides on in 2001, a SS1000 and a BB1500. I kept the Shadow through my 2 Voyagers that I bought for real long distance traveling including Ride to Eats in places like Moonshine Il & Chatanooga TN. I had long lusted after the new 1800 Gold Wings but never imagined I could afford one. In 2007 I found my dream bike, 2002 1800 Gold Wing with low miles and at a killer price.. I flew down to Florida, bought it and road it home. The superior handling was amazing and I was riding the Shadow less and less. I had been reading about Dual Sport riding and in 2008, decided to sell the Shadow and by a Dual Sport, BMW F650GS. I have never looked back, riding the PDR in VT, Trans MA Trail, last year the TransLab Highway and loop through Labrador, Newfoundland, NB and NS. This year, I am doing an Adventure ride up to James Bay in Northern Quebec. I enjoy the peace and tranquility of riding in remote locations on dirt and gravel roads and trails, where you are not restricted by the boundaries of pavement. What about my Wing?? Oh it still gets ridden, 4 IBA rides last year, soon to turn 60K, it still likes to show up at RTE's around the country. I have added a Ural Gear-Up to the stable. For those who may be interested, I am also a Veteran, serving in the Army for 2 in the early 70's. I have been an active member in the Veterans advocacy group know as Rolling Thunder since 2000, promoting the POW/MIA issue among other veterans issues. For the past 5 years I have been the National Director for Rolling Thunder in New England.
 Denise "The woman who dresses the women on the road" Maple Denise Maple founded VaVaVroom, a women’s motorcycle apparel company, in February 2007. Frustrated by the lack of options in style and fit, Denise has set out to provide female motorcycle enthusiasts with fashionable, functional motorcycle clothing and gear for women of all sizes. VaVaVroom is not only an apparel company, but a supportive community of women that all have a passion for riding. Prior to starting her company, Ms. Maple was a senior vice president at a large bank in Chicago. She started riding in 2002 and currently rides a BMW R1200GS. VaVaVroom.com Carla "Miss Adventuring" King Carla King aka Miss Adventuring is the author of a series of realtime dispatches from solo journeys around the world on various indigenous and sometimes unreliable motorcycles. Her book, American Borders, is the story of a journey on a cranky Russian sidecar motorcycle exploring the US borders with Canada and Mexico. Next up is The China Road Motorcycle Diaries about her forays through the northern provinces on a cranky antique Chinese motorcycle. Carla is a prolific blogger and frequent contributor to motorcycle, travel and technology magazines. Find her stories, articles, interviews and reports from the road on CarlaKing.com Chaz "the picture says it all" Aagaard I'm a motorcycle junkie. I admit it. I can't get enough of riding, and have been doing so for most of my life. I have a handful of different motorcycles, and each one seems to have it's own personality. I am a proud 19 year member of the AMA, and a member of the Iron Butt Association. I have been in Law Enforcement for 18 years, and try to contribute to SideStandUp in a way that educates riders, and gives them information about how to ride safer. My family is involved in motorcycling as well. My son, Alec is an avid rider, and my wife Dionne trades time as a passenger and a very good rider in her own right. One of the most exciting things about motorcycling is the people. You will have interactions with people that you would never, ever have driving a car. There is something about the bike that opens up a whole new world, and gets people to drop their guard. I think that is why SideStandUp is so popular. The show is basically that gathering at the end of a great twisty road. Motorcyclists sitting around the campfire talking about their day. I look forward to every Tuesday night; my virtual campfire at the end of the day. The only show like it in the world! 
TIM "long distance" YOW I've been LD riding for 45 years and actually started getting certified by Ironbutt Association in 2003. Since then I've attained 37 IBA certs counting the ones still in the verification mill, with enough of them being extreme to be included on the IBA list of "Mile Eater Gold Club--"Our most Extreme Riders". My 2 longest certified rides have been 13K+ in 2006 and 16K+ in 2009. I'm a business man that resides in Central Eastern Illinois.  Sean "finding new places" McDermott An avid rider, writer and MSF Rider Coach. My website, BestScenicRoutes.com chronicles my commutes and adventures, provides product reviews and is a rider's resource to the best places to ride in the Pacific Northwest. Sean began riding dirt bikes as a kid on a farm in northern Minnesota. I have spent the last eight years as a street rider discovering the scenic backroads in the mid-west and west coast. I ride my Suzuki DL650 V-Strom to commute 100 miles per day for work and spend the weekends finding new paved and dirt road adventures. Larry Kachadourian (bio and picture coming soon) | |
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