Billy Ray, Y2K, and Diamondbacks Bike

Here mi chica and our friend Susan posing for a picture with Billy Ray Cyrus.


It's always neat to meet this people that you either watch on TV or hear on the radio. While mingling a little at the Glendale Harley Davidson dealership the day before the Love Ride we always get to see more than one celebrity. Celebrities are as big a part of the Love Ride as are the bikers. They get there on their bikes and parks them with the rest, and they start walking and mingling too. No body guards following them, no entourage, just them mixing with the crowd.

Now, I couldn't stand Billy Ray Cyrus as host of last season's Nashville Star, but I must admit while at the dealership he was just one of us. Amazing how everybody still remembers him for "Achy Breaky Heart", however on that occasion he was there to sing his hit "Some Gave All" and to also sing our National Anthem. Accompanied only by his guitar I must say he sent chills up my spine as he sang in honor of the troops.

While enjoying a hot dog we were once again sitting by the sidewalk when all of a sudden I heard the loudest noise and it was all over the place. What in the heck is that? Both mi chica and I wondered. I swear it sounded like a plane was falling down. Now you must realize that the narrative I am typing about was for November 2001. The news of September 11 were still very much alive in all of us. Now this noise is so loud and it sounds like a jet engine, my first reaction was to look up at the sky but nothing was there, all of a sudden a see a lot of people run towards the garage of the dealership, mi chica and I were sitting right next to it so we just got up an look inside. There surrounded by many was a hot looking bike, it was a sports bike of sorts but didn't really resemble any of the Japanese bikes I was accustomed to see. It didn't take us long to find out that what we were seeing was one of the firsts "Y2K" American made motorcycles which by the way are powered by a helicopter engine. And the owner of this beauty had just turned it on for all of us to hear. Who owned such a machine? You may ask, well this particular one belongs to the very famous and Grand Marshall of the Love Ride, Mr. Jay Leno. Yep, there he was standing next to it and answering questions.




These are to shots of the "Y2K", and on the last one is Jay Leno making his exit on something that looks like it belongs in the streets but sounds like it should be on the skies.

The Love Ride is said to raise over a million dollars for the different charities they support. It also attracts over 20,000 bikes most of them with two riders on it. The minimum pledge to be on the ride is $50.00 per person and it includes the entrance to the concert and food with one drink. I have participated in the Love Ride on several occasions and have seen Joe Walsh, ZZ Top, Cheryl Crow, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Nelson Brothers, and some others perform.





The above four images are a tribute to my favorite baseball team The Arizona Diamondbacks and was built by our local bike builder Paul Yafee of Paul Yafee Originals.