THANKS, WILLIE !

Bylo nám potěšením přidat se k zástupům gratulantů, kteří vyjádřili poděkování Williemu G.Davidsonovi, Chief Styling Officer Emeritus, Harley Davidson Company.

V našem poděkování zazněla skutečnost, že jsme mu vděčni , že téměř před 30 lety založil benefici Love Ride v Los Angeles společně s Oliverem Shokouh, Maxem Gemperlem a týmem UGLY , jehož jsou všichni tři členy. Více o historii UGLY  níže.

V roce 2012 připravujeme benefici Autism Awareness Ride dne 9.9.2012 na pražském Strahově ve prospěch dětí s autismem z organizace APLA Praha.

Přejeme Williemu i benefici Autism Ride úspěšný rok 2012.

Radek a Barbora Krieglerovi, Outdoors Riders

Více:   http://www.motoroute.cz/clanek/191-novinky-od-outdoors-riders.aspx

“You UGLY guys ride fast!”

Unnamed BIKER – circa 1993

Genesis of UGLY

The UGLY Motorcycle Club began with an unusual confluence of interests: motorcycles, music, and (surprise, surprise) charity!

In 1984 Oliver Shokouh, owner of Harley Davidson of Glendale, organized and ran the first “Love Ride” – a single day motorcycle charity event that was raising funds in support of Muscular Dystrophy.   That initial Love Ride, though small, was extremely successful.  Oliver knew that part of the reason was the entertainment provided by Robbie Krieger (guitarist from THE DOORS).  Oliver began searching for other “name” musical acts to help draw motorcyclists to future Love Rides.

Enter Bill Elkins.  Bill, a long time motorcycle and hot rod enthusiast, owned (and still owns) The Alley – a rehearsal hall in North Hollywood used by musicians who want to tune their acts before commercial appearances.  Bill would routinely call Oliver to borrow motorcycles for visiting artists.  This was a great situation for everyone.  The musicians got a selection of sleek new Harleys to ride, and Oliver got introduced to a bevy of bike riding rockers who might donate a performance to the Love Ride.

There was no club yet – not even the idea of a club. There wasn’t even a constant group riding on any given day.  This was just guys with a shared connection of music and bikes having fun.  Soon added to this crew was some of the “Sand Gang,” a loose bunch that off-roaded the Pismo dunes with Bill.   The numbers got bigger and the rides became a regular event.   

Some, but by no means all, of the people scooting along at different times were, Hoyt Axton, Bob “Bobalu” Benevides, Niko Bolas, Wayne Brooks, Jim Coldwell, Peter Fonda, David Lindley, Donald “Buddha” Miller, Dennis Scrimo, Joel Smith, Kelly Stewart and Rusty Tinsley. (And if I left your name out please send complaints to UGLY Manny in Gruyeres, Switzerland).   Mind you, there was no Club yet, but all of these guys would eventually become UGLY.  

By 1986 there was a distinct essence of UGLY cruising the boulevards and freeways of Los Angeles.  It only needed a catalyst to bring on the action.  This came when David Crosby was released from jail. 

On his first day of freedom, Bill brought him to Oliver’s shop and David bought a brand new bike.  They all went riding.  Bill remembers David shouting as they cruised through Malibu Canyon, “I was in jail yesterday and now I’m riding a Harley!!”

Dates get tricky here, but the best estimate is that it was shortly after Crosby’s release – sometime in the late spring of ’86 - that things coalesced.  After a scoot through the canyons the gang stopped off at the Sagebrush Cantina for a few beers.  Bill Elkins went to the head, then came back and scrutinized the motley crew sitting at the table.  He prophetically declared, “You are the ugliest bunch of guys I’ve ever ridden with.  The name of this gang is UGLY.”

Bill challenged the UGLY bunch to “gang style” the freeway – two per lane straight across.  They blasted onto the 101 to find it totally empty – not a car in sight for miles.  This is a remarkable situation at anytime in Los Angeles.  They wound it up to 85mph – the motors merging into a “harmonic hum” – and faced a completely open road. 

It was like an omen.

The UGLYmc was born.

“Less is More.”

UGLY Willie G.

UGLY Philosophy

The UGLYmc began as an unstructured consortium of riders -- and it is still pretty much an unstructured consortium or riders. 

Though later years brought up all sorts of rancorous discussions (including shouting matches, pissing contests, shoving incidents, fistfights, stabbings, shootings and a much publicized cane-whipping across the tarmac of H-D Glendale), the idea of having a “Patch” or “Colors” was finally put to rest by, God help us, a vote.   

OK, I’m exaggerating.  It wasn’t much of a vote.  But a conscious decision was made to keep UGLY a “tee shirt” club --- just enough of an identifier to allow the Brothers to scam their way into a concert en masse.  (And, I might mention, you can easily turn a tee shirt inside out and disappear into a crowd!) 

As UGLY Willie G. put it – “Less is More.”

to continue:  http://www.uglymotorcycleclub.com/id1.html