360bikers.com

I had postponed upgrading the web site for over 2 months because I was a bit wary of the transition. Sometimes, upgrading your system isn’t a step forward. This time wasn’t much different. I finally started the process Tuesday and naturally something went wrong. The steps leading into transferring the database to the new system failed and I had to work with the company in Wales. Fortunately, David does a great job from across the water. Though it took several days to work out the kinks, it was finally up and running.

I had not planned on changing the layout and look of our system but I learned the upgrade would not support some of the features that were in the previous version. Most noticeable was the loss of the vertically scrolling features on the home page. That will no longer work in the system. As a component, I like the scrolling bar, but there are many attributes of the new look that are a bit cleaner.

Perhaps the biggest loss was content relevant to the site. Member information and auction data was kept in tact, but we lost our FAQs, help files, news messages, and other important text that was on the site before. It will be several days before we recreate all the lost information.

However, we are moving forward in creating our charitable foundation for victims of motorcycle accidents. We encourage readers to have their friends sign up and use the site often. The fund is intended to help them in a time of need.

As I was riding home from work yesterday I realized how good it is to have a rain suit with you.  Even in the summer heat of Florida, it was better to be dry while driving in the rain after a major thunderstorm passed through.  Make sure you have rain gear with you if you’re in one of those iffy weather patterns.  Pay attention to weather.  And definitely stop when it’s severe.  Bikes are easily effected by hydroplaning and wind gusts.  Inconsiderate motorists will drench riders as they pass them.

While it may be important to get there, wherever there is, it’s important to get there in one piece.  Always protect the bike and you’ll be fine.  As a friend of mine in Colorado says, “Keep the shiny side up.”

Every year motorcycle riders are involved in careless accidents because a motorist wasn’t paying attention.  Every year thousands of families are effected by the temporary loss of a breadwinner because a car driver “didn’t see them” on the highway.  And every year bikers do charity runs, host bar-b-ques, and create events to make some money to help the victims.  Bikers are without a doubt the most charitable, caring interest group in the county.  Bikes take care of bikers, unlike other interest groups.

360Bikers will transition to a charitable foundation over the upcoming months.  Ideally, we can get the legal process out of the way in 6 months and be fully functional shortly after that when we satisfy all the criteria required.  The focus of this foundation will be to help fellow motorcycle riders who are injured in accidents that are not their fault.  Most specifically, we will seek to help those that have the greatest financial needs as a result of an accident of this nature.

The fund will be paid for with proceeds from the 360Bikers web site.  This makes bikers the winners on both sides.  Not only will we continue to provide the lowest possible prices on auctions and ads, but the proceeds will go to help our fellow riders, perhaps even friends of yours.  This process will take some time to set up, but we’ve started the work towards making it happen.  Check back for more news as it happens.

Yes, it’s that time of the year again to start planning your 10-day vacation in Daytona Beach.  Bike week has released their official logo and the site is already accumulating information on the week-long motorcycle event.  Even the Harley-Davidson web site has plans listed for test rides in Daytona Beach already.  Bike Week is perhaps the largest motorcycle enthusiasts’ event each year.  It attracts hundreds of thousands of riders (and those that trailer their bikes) from across the country.

Bike Week is one of those events that if you haven’t done it yet, it’s time.  There’s something for everyone as it stretches out for 50 miles along the eastern beaches and actually coincides with Bike Week Orlando, less then 100 miles away.   This is one major event when motorcycles converge on two cities for an entire week.

So, start making plans and reservations.