BOTH ENDS OF THE ROAD

BOTH ENDS OF THE ROAD is my goal. The Pan American Highway stretches some 18,000 miles from Prudehoe Bay, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. I am planning on leaving for Prudehoe Bay in 12 months and a friend of mine and I will head south. This blog will be a chronicle of the preparation for this Journey. I have asked myself many times, Why.? My answer is this. I look forward to the challenge. Its a Big goal but with proper planning and preperation I am confident that I can accomplish this journey.  I am planning on the trip taking from 30 to 45 days and it will be filmed for television.

In the next twelve months I have a huge amount of work to do. I need to learn to speak and understand Spanish which is the predominant language south of the USA border. Today I can count to ten in spanish and I know about ten other words. I've got a long way to go. Research will probably be the most important preparation I will need to do. Maps, fuel stops, mechanical service locations and Border crossing protocol are just a few of the things that I need to figure out. I have already done a lot of studying but I know  I've just scratched the surface.

To prepare for this trip I will need to get into better physical shape. My lower back is a concern of mine. I have set my mind to loosing 40 more pounds and increasing my physical endurance.. I'm not gonna go back to boot camp but I have some life changes to make to accomplish my goals.

I'm gonna build a bike specifically for this trip... The bike I have in mind will be an "American made" swing arm type bike. From the wires to the tires. This bike will be Made In The U.S.A. This is gonna be harder than you might think. I could go to the store and buy a BMW or Harley for this journey but I want to put the spotlight on AMERICAN MADE products. Because of the differences in terrain and altitude, this is gonna be a special bike to say the least.

Well there you have it. two guys on two motorSickles riding the Pan America highway from top to bottom. The TV show that is produced from this journey will be of the unscripted type and thats about all I can tell you about the show.

Thanks to all who have helped turn this dream into a project. I will keep you all updated on the progress that we make.
Until next time,
PEACE&GREASE

JUST ANOTHER SHITTY DAY IN PARADISE

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You've heard the ole saying. "Any day on a MotorSickle is a good day". I say, BULLSHIT. Life on the couch is much easier. The couch doesn't add to the richness of your life but on the couch you seldom have to be concerned with weather or break-downs or encountering the foreskin that wants to convince you of how cool he is...
My travels have brought me into contact with some of the greatest people on Planet Earth and I cherish meeting these true souls.  These same travels have also brought me into contact with some of the most judgmental egomaniacs who have ever pushed a start button or lined up a kicker pedal. I AM guilty. I've done it myself. Let me explain... several years back, a small group of us were in Sturgis before the rally got "Officially" started. We knew that before the Rally would be our only good time to ride without all the traffic and we decided to go for a short ride. As luck would have it, Tom's gas petcock wouldn't let him go on reserve and I ran to Bel Fouche to get him some gas. As I pulled up to the gas station wearing my Chucks, a pair of shorts and a tank top I saw 50 completely Leathered motorcycle enthusiasts. from chaps to gusset gloves. This group was milling about the fuel island hydrating and bitching about the heat.. I got "the look" and I gave it but I held my tongue and rolled after getting some gas for my stranded friend. On the ride back to the group I was thinking about what I had encountered. "Posers". "Dressed for the Show". hell, they probably all had matching Dealership T-shirts.. While filling Tom's bike I shared with them what I had witnessed and suggested that we go another route. Now that all sounds innocent enough, right.?
I have often thought how I judged that group just by looking at the "cover of the book". What they were wearing, and why, had no bearing on what I was doing. I judged them and changed my route because of it.

What someone else wears or rides or how they act out or what they do for a living or how butt ugly his ole Lady is has no bearing on me. It doesn't effect me. Who am I to judge.? I shouldn't but yet I still do. I guess it's part of what makes us human. We are all flawed individuals. I'm the last guy who should try to figure out why people do some of the things that they do.. Hell, I still question some of my own past decisions. I will probably never understand why a guy would want a nitrous fed, 502 chevy v-8 powered motorcycle or build a gas tank to look like a horses head but how many times do we say, "what a douche". "I think it needs more lights on it".or a million other SNARKEY comments. I don't spend a lot of time scratching my head about such things. What does make me scratch my head is how judgmental we can All be..

as a side note.... I fully expect that  some bald dude who is envious of my full head of hair will be offended by my "head scratching" comment. such is life.

Until we meet again,
PEACE&GREASE

BIO, well, kind of.

December 28, 1967. Jeff Davis County, Georgia. Dr. Elrod welcomed me to planet Earth with a slap on my ass. Hows that for a beginning.??? I've been asked to write a short bio of myself for an upcoming project so I decided to share this with you all.
I am a Son of The South. My youth was spent like so many other children of our generation. Football, girls, music and rebellion were the things I spent my time with. I think I was a little above average at the things I wanted to do and that included the trouble and mischief that I got into. I was first labeled a "Free Spirit" by a visiting Preacher when I was 7yrs old. As I watched my parents roll their eyes and agree with that Preacher, I felt a high level of satisfaction and I have been seeking my own path ever sense.

 The paths that I had found had lead me into more than a few run ins with the law and at the tender age of sixteen Judge Case and I agreed that Military service would be the best thing for me. I had dropped out of school my junior year, got my GED and on 05 Feb. 1985 I shipped out to basic training at Ft. Benning, Ga.
I had been in the Army for 16 months when I got an invitation to my high school graduation. Class of 86.

After three yrs as a "Straight Leg" Infantry soldier I was Honorably discharged with a service related disability. I am proud to have served my country and I consider it an Honor to have served.

Music and motorcycles have always been part of my life. I got my first guitar at age 8 and it was a guitar that I used to travel the country after my military days were over. I have been blessed to play guitar in some amazing places. From the Grizzly Rose and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver to Gilly's Pub 44 in Florida. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville turned into a 3yr gig for me in the early 90's. It was a guitar that took me to Daytona Bikeweek in the 90's where I stayed for 4 yrs playing everywhere that would have me. This is where I met my loving and patient wife, Shelly.
The common thread that has run threw my life has been travel. From my Army days up till today I have been on the move. There was a time I drove a semi delivering freight and in 9 months I had been in all 48states. I got off the road to help raise my family and start a business and I feel that I have been successful in those endeavors. During that time the call of the road was still there but my responsibilities kept me grounded to building my businesses.
In 2008, when the economy turned south, I could no longer ignore the call of the road. My loving wife was pushing me to do something that I "Wanted" to do. She had seen me totally consumed by my business desires and she knew that I was on the path to self destruction. My motorcycle became my therapy and I guess I needed a lot of therapy. In the last three yrs I've logged around 150,000 miles on motorcycles. Most of them on a Honda VTX1800R. I started going to rally's, big and small. I started getting involved with what other people were doing whether that was a fundraiser or a birthday party. I get a kick out of learning what is important to other people and then sharing those stories with others. Sometimes those stories are captured in pictures. Sometimes they are shared threw printed word but if I had a choice, I would rather tell you the story as the two of us stand next to a bonfire as the morning sun comes up.

The future is looking bright and I am excited about all the possibilities. Filming for the 2nd season of Moonshiners will start in May and will be broadcast the winter of 2012. I am also working on several other film projects that are to young to talk about details. One of them is about the Pan America Highway trip I am planning for May of 2013.  I am still making the Gypsy Biker Bedrolls and I have recently finished the design work on a new product that will be released in the next month or so.. The future is looking good and I am really enjoying all that I am able to do. I have been blessed in that I have met some of the greatest people on Planet Earth and have developed lasting friendships with more than a few of them.

Until we meet again,
PEACE&GREASE