A
season of wishes and a holiday of hope
From the small office in the back corner,
near the water cooler
December 23rd, 2008
As the strung tinsel around the Clutch and Chrome office
shimmers and the desks sparkle with glitter fallen from
various Christmas cards there is no doubt the holidays are
well and truly here.
Toy runs have become yesterday’s news while presents under
Christmas trees everywhere are the subject of conversations
to come in the New Year. It’s during those moments of
pre-Christmas panic over whether the blue should’ve been
bought instead of the red that you realize some of the best
gifts are free and can be found at any time of the year.
A
warm winter day with the cool breeze animating the trees
along a covered road as the motorcycles engine hums its
contentment will never become last years fashion. Life
doesn’t attach a price tag to the smell of autumns changing
leaves enjoyed from the saddle of a bike.
Nor will anyone forget the gift taken away from times had
with fellow bikers on rides and at bike nights. The
spontaneous conversations that linger long after the last
word is spoken and the jokes that make you laugh hours after
they're told, it all comes from the unique times riders spend
together.
It’s human nature to forget our blessings. As bikers the
answer to a bad day is only as far away as our parked
motorcycle and our passions allow us to find Mother Nature
in the most urban of concrete jungles.
Rider to rider, we respect each other on the road, giving a
nod at lights and a wave in passing.
There are many small parts of our riding culture that when
pieced together present an overall picture that would make
any outsider jealous. Oddly enough, they can join our table
in the lunchroom of life easily with the purchase of a
motorcycle and finding the passion that can only come on two
wheels.
However, our informal society is full of contradictions
which is understandable, after all its founded on a group of
strongly independent people coming together for a common
interest.
We
are the first to help a worthy cause, whether it’s to raise
money for charity or collect toys for children. Riders will
even rally if one of their own has hit hard times, medically
or financially. This last example may be where bikers can
betray that individual streak bred so deeply in us all and
look to each other to get through the challenging times that
we may face in 2009.
Despite the hard times that have already arrived and done
their damage there is still such a positive tone in the
motorcycle community. Many know what we are made of and even
more understand that those who rode before us faced much
tougher challenges only to come out in top gear, gratified
to have survived.
To look through the curve on the economic road ahead we
have to look back for lessons on how our forefathers rode
through the darkest times of depression, world wars and
political strife. The overriding advice would be to keep
counting the blessings you have. ‘Be thankful for what
you’ve got,’ our grandparents would tell us.
Never has a season of hope been so charged with optimistic
Americans, whether they voted for him or not, looking to our
incoming leadership to have his promised shoulder as strong
as he is asking ours to be.
It all comes down to having a gift that can’t be bought and
once given can never be taken away. The gift of strength and
the power of hope will never be wrapped, and is affordable
enough for any person to give to another.
So in the spirit of the season, we ask all our readers to
join the family we call the Clutch and Chrome staff in
counting our blessings each and every day. We will never be
shy in telling others of not only what they have, but also
what can be achieved if we all come together and get through
the challenges that lay ahead.
It is the gifts of hope and retrospect that we at Clutch and
Chrome have so carefully wrapped for each and every one of
you, our readers and if we can be so assumptive, our
extended family.
To you, your family and loved ones we wish you a safe and
wonderful holiday season.
The Editor
Past
Editorials
December 23rd
A season of wishes and a holiday
of hope
As the strung tinsel around the Clutch and Chrome office
shimmers and the desks sparkle with glitter deposited by
various Christmas cards there is no doubt the holidays are
well and truly here.
November 3rd
Toy Runs in troubled times
For some a Toy Run is the last major
motorcycle event of the year while others view it as one of the most
important. Bikers, notorious for finding their own road come
together to collect toys for less fortunate children and raise money
for worthy causes.
September 18th
Choosing our battles with the bad
boy biker stereotypes
Regardless of
what they ride, their age or social position in life,
every biker faces the possibility of being painted with
the stereotyped brush of ‘bad boy’ and being considered
part of a ‘motorcycle gang’.
July 18th
The only thing missing is an
engine
The day
this editorial is being written, aside from the
motorcycle deaths and endless riders who insist on
trying to outrun law enforcement at triple digit speed,
no notable news stories have crossed the desks of Clutch
and Chrome. Although both types of stories are tragic in
their own particular way, we have long decided to run
neither for a variety of reasons.
June 23rd
Fixing political mistakes with
good old fashion biker sense
It
was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Charles Dickens opened his novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’
with that seemingly contrary sentence. Even though the
famous British author wrote his contemporary stories
during England’s Victorian Era, the sentiments could be
about bikers in Anytown USA, here and now.
Welcome to our new home
Sure it may look like we've knocked out a few walls
or something as extreme as adding a whole
new wing, but its amazing what a little bit of
paint, some well-placed plants and a new set of
curtains can do.
March 20th
American Idol, frontier of biker's
rights? So American Idol’s Queen
of rock is gone. Long live the queen. This editorial is
being written the day after Amanda Overmyer was asked by the
viewing voters to hop on her Sportster and ride off into the
graphically-enhanced, blue back-lit Fox sunset.
March 5th, 2008
Thankfully, life isn't a
bumper sticker
The bumper sticker, whose quick phrase put a smile on
drivers faces or could solve any of life’s problems, seemed
to infect every car on the road with its humor, wit and
thought provoking slogans has become a rare sight in recent
years.
February 11th, 2008
Passion or Possession? How can a person
not love motorcycles? Understanding that this editorial is
appearing the pages of Clutch and Chrome, the absolutely
free online resource for riders, I’m pretty much preaching
to the choir. Regardless, don’t you catch yourself asking
the same question?
January 11th, 2008
Throwing names into the Dunce
Cap
With Clutch and Chrome’s
Best
and Worst of 2007 just recently published, the morning
meetings which ran into afternoons and occasionally finished over
drinks are still fresh in everyone’s minds around the office. It’s not surprising then to read every
news story that finds it’s way onto the pages of Clutch and Chrome
with an eye to what will be nominated, and possibly win next years
awards. But who would’ve thought that just ten days into the
new year we’d not only be reading, but for some possibly living, a
shoo in for Dumbest motorcycle moment of 2008?
January 2nd, 2008
Riding one big bottle-rocket
into 2008 Like trying on a
new pair of jeans in one of those trendy boutique clothing
stores with too many younger shoppers looking on, we find
ourselves awkwardly in a brand new year wishing it would fit
better and the whole episode just didn’t feel so weird.
December 20th, 2007
Like looking in a mirror
One of the biggest ironies must be
that of the holiday season and the biker.
In many ways, your average rider has so many similarities to the big
man and his magical visit that children the world over look forward
too.
November 29th, 2007
Santa Claus and Cynics Who needs any
reindeer or the silly red suit? Okay, maybe the suit isn’t
so silly and surely enough bikers will tell you that well
insulated Santa attire is just what the bike-doctor ordered
for your upcoming local and possibly cold Toy Run. It
even looks good when you make the local paper and for some,
it’s the rare occasion a color other than black can be worn
while riding.
November 2nd, 2007
Facing down destiny with a Podcast
The road ahead is lit by sunlight
streaming through dark, looming storm clouds. It’s not just the
turning of the season bringing a chill to the heavy lying air.
Bikers are riding across the Great Plains of life straight towards a
menacing storm front, stretching for as far as the eye can see.
September 25th, 2007
Trying to ignore the sound of crashing celebrities
So it had been weeks in the making, between the first few
thoughts, organizing them into some kind of order and then
typing it all out. Everything was looking
great.
It was a deep introspective into our riding world, what
bikers are facing, possible consequences and most
importantly how we as a group will face them.
The new darling of advertisers everywhere There is no doubt the humble
motorcycle is experiencing a wave of popularity and
acceptance across all sections of society. Our riding
brothers of yesteryear who were at best judged and at worst
actively discriminated against could only watch in amazement
at how beloved bikers and their machines have become.
June 11th, 2007
Riding gear,
new look and life lessons I know, I know,
certainly a lot of road to cover in one trip, but it has
been two months since the last editorial so it’s
understandable having a lot to write about.
April 3rd, 2007
Our big
screen
biker brothers..... After
nearly a year of the first inklings the demonic motorcycle
daredevil would burst onto the big screen, and a shorter six
months of build-up for the all-star comedic biker-buddy
movie, both Ghost Rider and Wild Hogs are quickly fading
into movie history.
March12th, 2007
Perfection over passion Although
this editorial may at first feel the furthest from
motorcycles and the people who love to ride them, I’d ask
for indulgence and patience while we go around the houses
eventually getting to the point.
February 2nd, 2007
The
fresh smell of fines in the air The first
month of the New Year is still fresh in our minds and
already the world of riding is greeted with gainsaying.
December 26th, 2006
Why Bikers are dogs Admittedly
it’s a loaded and possibly inflammatory headline, open to a
range of interpretations. But before all the female readers
have their heads fall off from nodding in agreement with much
enthusiasm, don’t jump ahead of me.
November 12th, 2006
Politics on
Two Wheels
Just when you thought there
would be a sanctuary from the endless stream of political
reporting, electoral Monday morning quarterbacks and analysis
of the analysis which picked apart the original analysis,
here’s an editorial which should be about motorcycles but
instead references the mid-term elections.
October 23rd, 2006
Riding with a
bullseye on the back
There are
always signs. This editorial isn't about the ones that stand on the
side of the road which help various vehicles navigate the
endless roads of this great country.
September 20th, 2006
Changes
and perspectives
It's always a hard making a decision
for change, with the degree's of difficulty usually corresponding
with how much it impacts your life.
August 19th, 2006
Two
sides Of the
Worlds Coin
A quick informal survey around the
cyber-office has all the staff of Clutch and Chrome admitting the
same thing. Everyone is crazy about motorcycles. Sure some may lean,
if you'll excuse the pun to one kind or even one brand of bike, but
all in all if it's moves, is motorized and has two wheels, we're
interested.
July 26th, 2006
Life is like A sharp blind curve
I always find the
best friendships are those built on complete understanding
and upfront honesty. Certain buddies are quite happy with
riding once a month while others look forward to weekly
mini-excursions. Being the easy-going biker types and not
pushing anyone for more than they're willing to give has our
circle of friends happily wearing smiles and enjoying life.
June 16th, 2006
Limited run only!!! Tragic news and
moral outrage
The last week just goes to
show that any type of momentum, regardless of how strong it
may appear is stoppable and maybe even reversible. But
before we get to the conclusion, lets baby-step our way
through the connecting dots.
May 1st 2006
Looking back, glancing forward
It’s been just over three weeks since
Clutch and Chrome has been
‘live’ on the internet. That is, according to the official
launch date and schedule the Clutch and Chrome staff was
working with.......
April 1st 2006
A note from the Editor I’m honored to be the first to welcome you to
Clutch and Chrome, a
website devoted to news, information, facts and figures
about motorcycles for those who love to ride them.......
A
season of wishes and a holiday of hope
A
warm winter day with the cool breeze animating the trees
along a covered road as the motorcycles engine hums its
contentment will never become last years fashion. Life
doesn’t attach a price tag to the smell of autumns changing
leaves enjoyed from the saddle of a bike.
We
are the first to help a worthy cause, whether it’s to raise
money for charity or collect toys for children. Riders will
even rally if one of their own has hit hard times, medically
or financially. This last example may be where bikers can
betray that individual streak bred so deeply in us all and
look to each other to get through the challenging times that
we may face in 2009.