Qball Photo - Living The Life, Cover Photo

“Ricky’s Beach” circa 197? from “Living The Life”, biker photography book.

I’ve been asked many times where the cover photo was taken, and what significance it has. Well here ya go. After a miserable, cold, wet, nine day ride, fraught with break downs, mishaps, and some damn good times we arrived at to Daytona Beach Florida. Most of us were dog tired and looking forward to just kicking back in the sun. Ricky on the other hand was like a kid at Christmas. Shortly after hitting the beach he was running his sidecar rig up on two wheels down the beach. I grabbed my camera and documented his display of youthful enthusiasm. Ricky was always in the fast lane, right up until the day he died. I never planned on selling or publishing any of these photos until recently when the pressure/encouragement from friends became more than I could bear. When going through my photos looking for a cover, this image stood out as the personification of why we all ride. It was also my way of honoring, and thanking Ricky for all he showed by example.

Long May You Ride,

Q-Ball

Living the Life - Buy the book

More photos from Dime City Cycles Open House

To say that we had a great time down in Largo with all the folks involved with Cafe Racer TV, Dime City Cycles, Lowside Magazine, Ace Cafe London, Biker Metric and Karnage Kustomz is an understatement. Here are a few more photos and some video footage from a local tv station in Tampa, FL.

Born to be wild: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Dime City Cycles Grand Opening Party

Over the weekend we drove the 1400 mile round trip to get down to sunny south Florida to hang out and represent our ideals at the Dime City Cycles grand opening party. It was done with a quickness and earlier in the week we had to score a new vehicle for all the shows this year, but we pulled it off.

Getting down to the deep south and being able to finally meet up with a lot of folks that we only know from linking up online, made it all worth while. Whether it was the monsoon rain that invaded the party early in the day, our 20 riders deep run around Largo and Clearwater filming for season 2 of Discovery Channel's "Cafe Racer TV" or just hanging out at the party with several hundred new friends, we can't thank Herm and Jason enough for throwing a great shindig. Not one too cool mofo in the bunch and damn was that refreshing. Everyone in the pack was a rider and rode solid together, which was also a rarity and welcome sight.

Instead of cramming all the evidence we have of the good times into one huge post, we will do postings for each group of folks to really show ya what they have going on. Look forward to reading about Dime City Cycles, Lowside Syndicate, Karnage Kustomz, Loser Machine, Ace Cafe London and quite a few more. Here are a few photos to show whats coming up.

Dime City Cycles Grand Opening Party - May 14th

This is directly from the Dime City Cycles Blog about the upcoming party on May 14th. We will be there with a lot of friends and soon to be new compadres. If you are in the south east, this is one event to not miss.

Link to post on Dime City Cycles

What do you get when you combine one part infamous Smoke Out style chopper rally, one part Mods vs. Rockers right from London, and good ol’ fashion sweet-tea sipping Southern Hospitality? The grand opening of Dime City Cycles vintage speed shop in sunny Largo, FL! That’s what!

Presented by Preachers Motorcycle Promotions in partnership with Winters, Yonkers and Brothers Powdercoating- come join the crews from Dime City Cycles and Cafe Racer TV for the best and most unique grand opening celebration the South has seen! Enjoy live music by The Dive Bar Stalkers, get your vote in for the official Miss Dime City USA Pin Up pageant, and enter your awesome garage built and legit vintage speed machine in the ride-in bike show for a shot at $250 and tons of other prizes!

In addition, Dime City will have vendors on-site from the likes of Rusty Knuckles showing off their kick-ass southern clothing label, pinstriping onsite by Liza (aka: Von Dutchs’ Daughter) so bring your stuff, and The Ace Cafe right from London. Yep that’s right folks, the Ace Cafe is coming to Dime City, so all you Rockers better drag those old Norton’s and BSA’s out for some fresh air!  And if that isn’t enough for ton chasin’ mayhem havin’ self, the entire crew from the Lowside Syndicate out of Baltimore, MD will be here celebrating their issue #5 release party featuring the CB400F project bike Dime City will be building for season 2 of Cafe Racer on HD Theater.

New bikes, old bikes, choppers, bobbers, brats or cafes- they’re all welcome, so come partake in this rip riot, ground-pounding, two wheeled extravaganza that’s bringin’ vintage back and puttin’ Tampa Bay on the Map!

Go go Cafe Racer!

For more information and updates get plugged into Dime City Cycles on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138537119547198

Fine Print:

Bike Show Rules – Harley Davidson’s must be pre-1985 and all Metric bikes MUST be air cooled, no discrimination on year.  Be at Dime City Cycles to register your bike beginning at 3PM.  $10 registration fee applies.

Pin Up Pageant – Models will NOT be accepted the day of the show.  If you wish to participate please submit a full body photo in Pin Up attire to preacherscycles@aol.com prior to May 1st.

Free Beer & Food – Is completely first come first served. Additional beer and food will be provided by onsite concessions for a nominal fee.

Sponsors & Partnership links:

Preachers Motorcycle Promotions – http://www.preachersmotorcyclepromotions.com

Winters & Yonkers – http://www.wintersandyonker.com

Brothers Powdercoating – http://www.brotherspowdercoating.com

Lowside Syndicate – http://www.lowsidesyn.com

Dive Bar Stalkers – http://www.myspace.com/divebarstalkers

Cafe Racer TV – http://www.caferacertv.com

Ace Cafe London – http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/

Rusty Knuckles – http://rustyknuckles.blogspot.com/

7 Imaging – http://www.7imaging.com/

*Do your kids a favor, pass this on and help save the world of motorcycling!

Dime City Cycles - Grand Opening Party - May 14th

Not sure what your plans are but maybe you should change them if you aren't heading to Tampa, FL on Saturday May 14th. Read through their posting from Facebook for the event and dig on the poster.

Link to event on Facebook

"What do you get when you combine one part infamous Smoke Out style chopper rally, one part Mods vs. Rockers right from London, and good ol’ fashion sweet-tea sipping Southern Hospitality? The grand opening of Dime City Cycles vintage speed shop in sunny Largo, FL! That’s what!

Presented by Preachers Motorcycle Promotions in partnership with Winters, Yonkers and Brothers Powdercoating- come join the crews from Dime City Cycles a...nd Cafe Racer TV for the best and most unique grand opening celebration the South has seen! Enjoy live music by The Dive Bar Stalkers, get your vote in for the official Miss Dime City USA Pin Up pageant, and enter your awesome garage built and legit vintage speed machine in the ride-in bike show for a shot at $250 and tons of other prizes!

In addition, Dime City will have vendors on-site from the likes of Rusty Knuckles showing off their kick-ass southern clothing label, pinstriping onsite by Liza (aka: Von Dutchs’ Daughter) so bring your stuff, and The Ace Cafe right from London. Yep that’s right folks, the Ace Cafe is coming to Dime City, so all you Rockers better drag those old Norton’s and BSA’s out for some fresh air! And if that isn’t enough for ton chasin’ mayhem havin’ self, the entire crew from the Lowside Syndicate out of Baltimore, MD will be here celebrating their issue #5 release party featuring the CB400F project bike Dime City will be building for season 2 of Cafe Racer on HD Theater.

New bikes, old bikes, choppers, bobbers, brats or cafes- they’re all welcome, so come partake in this rip riot, ground-pounding, two wheeled extravaganza that’s bringin’ vintage back and puttin’ Tampa Bay on the Map!

Go go Cafe Racer!

Fine Print:

Bike Show Rules – Harley Davidson’s must be pre-1985 and all Metric bikes MUST be air cooled, no discrimination on year. Be at Dime City Cycles to register your bike beginning at 3PM. $10 registration fee applies.

Pin Up Pageant – Models will NOT be accepted the day of the show. If you wish to participate please submit a full body photo in Pin Up attire to thecrew@dimecitycycles.com prior to May 1st.

Free Beer & Food – Is completely first come first served. Additional beer and food will be provided by onsite concessions for a nominal fee.

Sponsors & Partnership links:

Preachers Motorcycle Promotions – http://www.preachersmotorcyclepromotions.com/
Winters & Yonkers – http://www.wintersandyonker.com/
Brothers Powdercoating – http://www.brotherspowdercoating.com/
Lowside Syndicate – http://www.lowsidesyn.com/
Dive Bar Stalkers – http://www.myspace.com/divebarstalkers
Cafe Racer TV – http://www.caferacertv.com/
Ace Cafe London – http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/
Rusty Knuckles – http://rustyknuckles.blogspot.com/

*Do your kids a favor, pass this on and help save the world of motorcycling!"

 

Lowside Syndicate - Issue 4

Issue 4 of Lowside Syndicate is about to roll off the press. Do yourself a favor and dig into what the fellas up in Baltimore have cookin' as these are some high quality gems of a read.

Lowside Syndicate