Two Wheel Thunder’s Johnny Lange Comes to BASH 2010

By MJ Reynolds


Johnny Lange and the Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse Tour have been traveling all season with Michele Smith and Jay Barbieri, filming episodes of “Two Wheel Thunder” for Discovery Channel’s Motorcycle Mondays on HD Theater. He will be heading to the Porcupine BASH 2010 in Michigan, directly from the 70th Anniversary of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

BASH 2010 is a full weekend of music and biker-friendly camaraderie "Saluting Our Military" veterans and active service men and women. Gifts for veterans in VA homes and hospitals will also be collected at the event, and are being collected at sponsoring businesses in Michigan and Wisconsin.

“I also want to commit to help entertain the veterans on Sunday by bringing one of my Strip Club Choppers over to the veterans home,” said Johnny, whose parents met during WWII when his father was stationed with the US Air Force in London. His grandfather was a member of the Royal Engineers UK Air Force in WWI and WWII. “I was never in the military, but I give them all my respect for their service to God and country.”

Johnny Lange’s friendship with the co-host of the “Two Wheel Thunder” show goes back to Sturgis, six years ago. “I look a little bit like Kid Rock and I was there with a big fuchsia colored bike with green wheels, and everybody thought I was Kid Rock, although I kept telling them, ‘No, I’m not Kid Rock.’ That’s when this guy came up to me and started telling me that he liked my honesty and that he was going to come back tomorrow for a film interview.” It turned out to be Jay Barbieri, who was filming episodes of “American Thunder” on the SPEED Channel, the longest running motorcycle TV show in history.

The story, with photographs of their meeting at Sturgis is one of many stories they wrote together in the  Bikers Handbook: Becoming Part of the Motorcycle Culture , now in its third printing and available at Amazon.com.

Johnny opened Strip Club Choppers in 2004, and Jay Barbieri became his business partner. “This season, we have filmed at Mazatlan Bike Week in Mexico, The Virginia Beach Classic, Thunder Beach in Panama City and of course Daytona Beach Bike Week.”

Two Wheel Thunder's Mexico Bike Week episode aired July 26th as part of Discovery Channel’s “Motorcycle Mondays.” The Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse will be featured in upcoming episodes filmed with Michele Smith and Jay Barbieri at The Virginia Beach Classic, and episodes filmed with Jay at Thunder Beach Rally in Panama City, Florida. The trio kicked off the season together at the 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week. New episodes and previous episodes are scheduled to air almost daily.

Check the Discovery HD Theater Two Wheel Thunder TV Schedule.

Smith and Barbieri previously hosted “American Thunder” on the Speed Channel but after 14 years, and despite high ratings, SPEED decided not to bring the show back. The new “Two Wheel Thunder” show was quickly picked up for “Motorcycle Mondays” on Discovery’s HD Theater and began airing episodes in June 2010.

Michele has been riding motorcycles since 1994 and is considered the “First Lady of Motorcycling” by millions of enthusiasts.

Barbieri is not only hosting the show this season but is also the Executive Producer. Barbieri has been riding a Harley for over 25 years, has hundreds of thousand miles under his belt and has attended countless motorcycle rallies across North America.

This season, Johnny Lange and the Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse freightliner have played a big role in the “Two Wheel Thunder” show, providing a 400 square foot VIP lounge area, complete with sofas, tables and chairs for the audience at motorcycle rallies and other events. “I really enjoy the crowds of people,” said Johnny. “We sign posters and encourage people to hang out with us in our area, enjoy a beer and listen to some music or share some rally stories.”

The Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse, complete with VIP lounge and world famous Strip Club Chopper “pole” bikes will be rolling into Chatham, MI for the Porcupine BASH 2010, Aug. 27 to 29th – to “Salute Our Military” and help provide gifts and needed activity funds for veterans.

Combining his love of strip club dancers and beautiful motorcycles, Johnny built his first strip pole chopper and landed a spot on the Jay Leno Show.

His one-of-a-kind strip pole chopper and bagger motorcycles will be on display at BASH 2010. Grab your camera because you are welcome to take pictures with the bikes.

“When we were in Virginia Beach together, Michele interviewed me from the pole! I don’t know if they will edit my comments. I said something like, ‘Coming out of retirement’ when I introduced her,” laughed Johnny in an interview from the road, July 27th.

“When we travel from rally to rally together there is never a dull moment,” Jay said in an earlier interview. “Thank God for editing, and I say that with a smile.”

HD Theater is a high-definition television network from Discovery Communications, Inc., the owner of the Discovery Channel. It launched nation-wide in 2002 as Discovery HD Theater and is now the most widely distributed basic cable HD network in the United States.


Two Wheel Thunder – Strip Club Roadhouse Tour: STRIPCLUBCHOPPERS.COM