Monday, August 12, 2013

NOT EVEN RAIN CAN STOP HOT METAL'S EVENTS!

by Rocky Marks

It was a dark and stormy night…. Well, maybe it wasn’t night, but it sure was dark and stormy start for the Annual Roll for a Cause Motorcycle Run to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.  This year the run was hosted by Parkhurst Dining, a division of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, Inc.

This is one of South Western Pennsylvania’s most popular runs do the longevity of the ride and the partners including Hot Metal Harley-Davidson as well as Steel City Harley-Davidson.

On August 3rd, the ride kicked off at 10:30AM after a 9:00AM Registration at Steel City.  The route was mainly composed of back-road country riding through the South Hills of Pittsburgh, eventually making its way to Hot Metal Harley-Davidson for the after-party ride.

Typically the ride boasts 150 to 200 riders, but because of the rain, that number was cut to 50 riders.  Additional would-be riders opted for their vehicles and showed up for the after-party picnic when the clouds parted and the sun started to dry the riders out.

The picnic included beer, food, entertainment, and of course Eatn’ Park Smiley Cookies.  A band and DJ were on-site to entertain the crowd with music, and several chefs were on-site serving up one of the most elaborate motorcycle run buffets courtesy of Parkhurst Dining.

The rain seemed to be the theme for many of our Activities at Hot Metal Harley-Davidson.  On Saturday, July 20th, Hot Metal Harley-Davidson held our 2nd Annual Custom Bike Show in the rain.  It rained last year for this event as well.  Nevertheless, a good time was had by everyone in attendance.

There were over 50 bikes on-site to look at and judge.  The categories included Sportster, Dyna, Softail, Softail Modified, Classic, Non Harley, Touring, Touring Modified, Best Paint, and Best of Show.  AJ Hadad, our Sales Manager who organized our show wanted to split the Softail and Touring categories between stock and modified “so that the casual rider without major frame and wheel alterations could compete and not feel like they had to spend $80,000 on their motorcycles.”

Despite the rainy start, once again, the clouds gave way to partly-cloudy skies with just enough time to hand out the awards and send almost everyone home with a smile on their face and a trophy on the mantle.


Hot Metal Harley-Davidson’s next major event is on Saturday, September 21st.  It’s our New Model Open House where we will be showing off and taking demo rides on the new 2014 motorcycles, playing music, and serving up a free buffet for anyone who is in attendance.  

Monday, August 5, 2013

Going back to remember the Toby Keith Ride!


Harley-Davidson and country music were both born in the United States.  Synonymous with hard work, craftsmanship and loyalty, fans of both came together at Hot Metal Harley-Davidson for a special benefit:  the dealership's  fifth annual ride to see headliner Toby Keith perform at the First Niagara Pavilion.   The tickets for this specific concert and Hot Metal's ride and party were available only at the dealership, several weeks prior to the event.  

Choice pavilion seat tickets in the “Hell Raiser Section” were sold for $35 each and $11 of each ticket price went to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  Over 280 Hot Metal H-D VIP ticket packages were sold.

This was by far the largest turnout to date. On the day of the concert,  those 280-plus country music fans and motorcycle enthusiasts from all over southwestern Pennsylvania rolled in for the 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. tailgate party at Hot Metal H-D, where they enjoyed country music, prizes, food and refreshments, and a chance to win a backstage tour of First Niagara Pavilion.

Keith's 'Hammer Down Tour' with special guest Kip Moore began at  7 p.m. so once the tailgate party wound down at Hot Metal’s parking lot, all 280-plus Toby Keith fans mounted their bikes and enjoyed a leisurely hour-long police escorted ride over the winding back roads of the South Hills to the venue. The best part of the ride? Riders were able to keep moving, without any stops at intersections or for traffic because of the Allegheny County Police Department's and several other municipalities' assistance along the route. That procession of motorcycles, thanks to the accompanying police, was an awesome sight to behold.

When it came time to reach the front gate of First Niagara's parking lot, our riders were waived right in and ushered to a VIP parking area, designated specifically for motorcycles, while other concert-goers had to wait their turn at the gate. 

The three major television stations in Pittsburgh came out to cover the event at Hot Metal because of the size of the ride and the charity it supports.  For me, the day was a blur, but in the end, the event was all about the Ronald McDonald children, and the money we motorcyclists raised to help their families.


Hot Metal Harley-Davidson is holding another police-escorted ride to the First Niagara Pavilion and tailgate party at the dealership for the Kid Rock, ZZ Top, and Uncle Kracker show on Saturday, September 7th.  The tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at Hot Metal Harley-Davidson Monday through Sunday.  More information can be found atwww.hotmetalharley.com.