Belt Drive Betty's Cross-Canada Ride Lit A Fire

"I am back ....and a F.I.R.R.E. WAS LIT!"  - Belt Drive Betty, Sept. 20, 2010. 

If you would like to start a chapter of F.I.R.R.E., contact our Canadian National Chairman  - Scott Paulin at: firre@bikerider.com 

Renee “Belt Drive Betty” Charbonneau traveled 34 days and spoke to more than 2,000 riders and community leaders in eight Canadian provinces on her Congo of F.I.R.R.E. en route from Alberta to the Wharf Rat Rally in Nova Scotia. 

This is her final account of the ride across 8 Canadian provinces that included the opportunity to meet Chelsea and Paul - students at Canada's only high school chopper building class - The Bike Klub in New Brunswick, where she sat on "Betty Bobber."

The bike named after her won the Donny Smith Invitational High School Chopper Challenge.... This is Rene, Belt Drive Betty's story:

The trip was gruelling and satisfying all at the same time. My husband and I crossed most of Canada - 8 provinces inluding 3 territorie - round trip in the same time it took the Motorcycle Ride of Dad 10th Anniversary Tour to cross Canada one way.

We visited about the same number of cities as they did too. It was challenging as we had to travel on average 500 KM per day plus meet people, and for me - meeting with the press and blogging about the trip.

The next time I do something of this magnitude I at least understand more about the time requirements and sponsorship needs to make this happen the way I would like it to.

 

Pacrim Hospitality along with Choice Hotels supplied rooms for our Awareness Conga and they also supplied special rates for riders who joined us along the way.

The trip itself was impressive and amazing - seeing our country by motorcycle has been rewarding. I have been across by car and train but this was my first time across the country on a motorcycle.

Th Go-Pher Run - A southern Alberta treat!

The road between North Bay & Sault Ste Marie in Ontario offer up some incredible sights along te shores of Lake Superior.

If you want to see more, visit my Travel Blogs - the links to them are located on the home page of beltdrivebetty.com/.

It was so rewarding meeting so many that until now I have only known by email or letters, including the Ontario Chrome Divas, Crystal, Danni & Members of the Kawartha's Bikers Church, Pastor Dave & his wife Karen.


It was equally rewarding to have interest for starting new chapters of F.I.R.R.E. - it looks like we will have new chapters in Saskatchewan before long - the paper work has just gone out to Terry Hartshorn and Dave Adrian (Preacher) of the Saskatchewan Lone Wolves. If you are interested in joining F.I.R.R.E. or finding out more about who we are and what we are doing please visit: www.firre.ca/

There will be a SPECIAL F.I.R.R.E Annual General Meeting for October 3, 2010 at the Carstairs Community Hall - 1100 Lackner Way in Carstairs Alberta. The meeting will begin at 2 pm - come find out what is on the go!

We are growing and for a group that is only 5 months old we are doing really well at helping our fellow riders and are working hard to get our three committees up to speed. Those committees are: Rider Down - for rider and family assistance and support, Riders Rights, lobbying and support and Education for both the rider and the general public....F.I.R.R.E. stands for the Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights and Education.

We are in the process of looking hard at how we can work with the Downed Rider Society in Nova Scotia - after a great discussion in Nova Scotia there appears to be great interest in the two groups working together to serve riders and their families...

I hope to see a ton of you get on board because if you read the news feeds at all on http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/ you will see that we need to start working together as a family, a community again. We have to start working on the issues that affect all of us motorcyclists from safety to discriminatory bylaws...if we don't those who are working together - the anti motorcyclists will mow us over and there will be little left of our way of life.

 United we ride, divided we ride stock or bicycles...

Belt Drive Betty Homeward Bound From Wharf Rat Rally

Renee “Belt Drive Betty” Charbonneau traveled 19 days, covering more than 6,300 KM on "Black Betty" and spoke to more than 400 riders and community leaders in eight Canadian provinces on her Congo of F.I.R.R.E. en route from Alberta to the Wharf Rat Rally in Nova Scotia.

She arrived Sept. 1st in Digby to attend Atlantic Canada's largest outdoor motorcycle event. And she is now en route home.

The outspoken editor of the Busted Knuckle Chronicles newspaper is most known throughout the world as the author of the Belt Drive Betty Blog and editor of the Canadian travel-events website BeltDriveBetty.com.

Riding across Canada on her motorcycle, Belt Drive Betty met with dozens of motorcycle clubs and talked to many non-riders, spreading awareness of F.I.R.R.E - Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education. En route to Nova Scotia, she attended The National Motorcycle Ride for Dad 10th Anniversary Run in Kenora, ON and The Mother Daughter Ride for the SOS Villages in Butler, ON. She visited The Biker's Church and Biker Coffee Company in Ottawa; Chrome Divas in Ottawa and Montreal; and the high school bike builders in Bike Klub in NB.

She left Moncton New Brunswick at 6 am on September 1st - destination - St John New Brunswick and the Bay Ferry to Digby, where she met up with Bean'r and his crew from Florida, New York and Boston and made the 3-hr crossing. 

Betty is a woman who tells it like it is and she had things to say about the St John's ferry route to Digby.

 "I must tell you folks - St John is disgusting. It is official - in my books anyway - that the roads in St John NB are the worst in all of Canada - worse than any place. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. And the Bay Ferry - what a money grab - disgustingly filthy bathrooms at the terminal - worn out carpets on the floor on the Ferry and the cleanliness left lots to be desired there too and the same price for a motorcycle to cross as a car or pick up. $90 one way fare - 3 hour crossing. RIP OFF - complete and TOTAL!

"Shameful - had I known that's what it was going to be I would have ridden from Moncton to Truro and into Digby - seen some fabulous country and saved myself $40 and still been in Digby before the ferry," Betty reported. On her way home, that's exactly what she did.

On Tuesday, Sept. 7th she was riding from Digby to Truro - the back way with two members of the Canadian Lone Wolves,  Sea Dog the Magic Man and his lovely wife, Jocelyn.

 "The roads are not in the greatest shape so caution should be exercised," said Betty.


But from the Look Off in Blomindon you can see almost all of the Annapolis Valley - breath taking and stunningly beautiful!

Hurricane Earl may have kept some rally-goers at home this year because attendence at the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby was down from previous years. 

But Bean're made his own Fun... riding a go-cart around the Wall of Death.

For details about F.I.R.R.E. visit: beltdrivebetty.com/firre

Belt Drive Betty on Conga of F.I.R.R.E. to Wharf Rat Rally

Canada's Renee “Belt Drive Betty” Charbonneau mounted her bike Saturday morning, Aug. 14th in Grande Prairie, Alberta on a journey to “Light a F.I.R.R.E. of Awareness” across eight providences in a national motorcycle conga to the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby Nova Scotia – Canada’s Largest Outdoor Motorcycle Event.

The outspoken editor of the Busted Knuckle Chronicles newspaper is most known throughout the world as the author of the Belt Drive Betty Blog and editor of the Canadian travel-events website BeltDriveBetty.com.

Riding across Canada on her motorcycle, Belt Drive Betty will be spreading awareness of F.I.R.R.E - Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education.

The first leg of her journey was to Morinville, Edmonton then on to Lloydminister to meet with representatives of the Border Bike Rally and other motorcyclists in the area. She is due to ride as far as Saskatoon on Monday, where she and her husband will be meeting with members of the Saskatchewan Lone Wolves. They reportedly have members from all over the province coming out to learn more about how F.I.R.R.E. can benefit their riding community.

The Conga of F.I.R.R.E. will also be meeting with riding groups and community leaders along the way in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia:


The Saskatchewan Lonewolves in Saskatoon, The National Motorcycle Ride for Dad 10th Anniversary Run in Kenora ON, The Mother Daughter Ride for the SOS Villages in Butler ON, The Retreads in Thunder Bay, Liz from the Women’s Council and Shaun de Jager of Road Awareness in North Bay, The Bikers Church & the Biker Coffee Company in Ottawa, Chrome Diva’s in Ottawa & Montreal, the Bike Klub and Big Boy’s Toys in Moncton NB and Bean’re from Florida at the Ferry in St John NB – then in to DIGBY!
 

The Wharf Rat Rally in Digby, Nova Scotia was just a small event with about 750 motorcycles.

Today it is the  largest motorcycle rally in Atlantic Canada, attracting an estimated 80,000 people and more than 17,000 motorcycles.
 
"Our mission is to spread the message to riders about F.I.R.R.E. - the Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education," said Belt Drive Betty.

"We also want to spread the word to those who don't ride about who we really are as motorcyclists. So that when drivers see us from behind their steering wheels they see something more than a helmet, and gear - they see the person and the family behind that person. We want to ask them to take more care when they are driving their trucks, vans and cars.

"In far too many cases drivers of automobiles tend to be distracted and forget to shoulder check. They throw on a signal and start to move without realizing that the vehicle they are in command of is a weapon when not used with respect and care. Many times they just move - no signals, no warning. Our goal, our mission is to create some awareness...for and about riders."

Belt Drive Betty has one other personal mission -- To send one terminally ill child and their family to Orlando, Florida to the Give the Kids the World Village. "I would love to see a terminally ill child be allowed to be a child and their family be allowed some time to enjoy. I have seen so much sadness in this world and if I can help to spread a little joy - to see a child have their heart lightened...that would be fabulous!"

For details, travel schedule and to donate, visit F.I.R.R.E. Conga 2010.
For more information on Belt Drive Betty visit her blog at beltdrivebetty.blogspot.com

Greatest Biker Radio Interviews

I am listening to some really great interviews on BikerRadioMagazine.com. You can listen to the latest radio show on their site. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed and download some of their best interviews, so that you can listen to them when you're working in the shop or chillin' in the den. The downloads are FREE and high quality... MP3s (so give them a few minutes to download to your media player.)

Here are links to some of their best:

July 9th, 2010


This week on Biker Radio Magazine.... Part II of our interview with Marc Mazerolle as he preps a couple of students for a bike build in Sturgis, Lock Baker of Eastern Fabrications joins us, as does Rick Fairless and Bean're. Biker Radio Magazine for Friday, July 9, 2010.  7_9_10.mp3


June 25th, 2010

This week on Biker Radio Magazine, Kevin Baas talks about teaching kids to build bikes, Dan Lawson of the Dan Lawson Band talks about the Service and playing for well known artists before we knew them, Jeff from Bars4Bikers.com talks about... well, Bars and Jack McIntyre takes pictures of bikes and women. For a living. That's Biker Radio Magazine for June 26,    2010.6_25_10.mp3


June 18th, 2010

This is Biker Radio Magazine for June 18, 2010. This week... Chris Croft, Jeff Starke from the "International Master Bike Builder's Association, Belt Drive Betty and some non-scientific noise testing on motorcycle exhaust systems at bike night. Sorry about the wind noise during that segment but there wasn't much we could do about it. You'll get the idea all the same. 6_18_10.mp3

June 11th, 2010

This week, The Canadian Biker Build Off, The Biker Coffee Company, Cindy Rutherford from Century Cycle in California and Irish Rich all join us as we look at Build Off's, refreshments, Father's Day and just building customs... PLUS a top 10 list! 6_11_10.mp3