MON-VALLEY HOG FYBO RIDE, JANUARY 1, 2013

Article written by Rocky Marks, contribution & photo by Brian Kohl.

Hot Metal Harley-Davidson’s Mon-Valley HOG Chapter kicked off another year of riding with their annual “FYBO Run.”  FYBO has many meanings, however “Freeze Your Buns Off” is probably the most politically correct and socially acceptable meaning of that acronym.

This year, the Chapter caught a little break from the cold and rode to their destination in their vehicles due to the weather conditions that would give even the most seasoned rider a white knuckled adventure in the snow.  That didn’t seem to put a damper on attendance.

Over 35 people arrived at Heinz Field which was stop #1 on the ride.  The Chapter took a free tour of the home of our beloved Black & Gold.  The tour began at Gate B, walking through the Great Hall where they replayed the immaculate reception and toured through the lockers of some past Steelers such as Jack Lambert, Lynn Swan, and Jerome Bettis.

In addition to strolling down memory lane, the Chapter strolled through the Stadium’s locker rooms, $150,000 suites, infrastructure, and even the press box which is 95% sound proof.  That is significant because there is very little, if any crowd noise.  In the press box there is absolutely no cheering or speaking in an above normal voice.  Doing so will get you an automatic suspension of the press box privileges.

In addition to the catacombs, corridors, and luxury suites, the Chapter got to make their way out onto the field in the same fashion the Pittsburgh Steelers would using their entrance.  Once out on the field, group and individual shots were taken while gaining a perspective that only the players and coaches know during game day.

After the tour of Heinz Field, the Chapter was treated to free play courtesy of the Rivers Casino.  A buffet was available for those who chose to step away from the gaming area and the FYBO ride ended on the North Side in Pittsburgh.

Because the weather is unpredictable at best, the Mon-Valley HOG Chapter will host several indoor events at Hog’s Restaurant on Prospect Road in Pittsburgh.  This will be done in the first couple months of the year so that members can still participate in the chapter should the weather not be so cooperative when a run is scheduled.

If you are interested in joining the Mon-Valley HOG Chapter, you can send an e-mail to monvalleyhog@hotmetalharley.com or go to Hot Metal Harley-Davidson’s website at www.hotmetalharley.com and click on the “Mon-Valley HOG” link.  There you will find information on joining, a biography of the chapter, as well as upcoming runs and events.

HOT METAL HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S MON-VALLEY H.O.G. CHAPTER RIDES INTO 2013!

Not only is it a big year for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company celebrating their 110th anniversary, but the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.®) is celebrating this year as well! 

For 30 years H.O.G. has been a huge resource for Harley-Davidson Riders with over 1,400 chapters world-wide.  Each chapter is sponsored by an Authorized Harley-Davidson Dealer with the idea of joining riders who share a passion for the brand, lifestyle, and brotherhood of motorcycling.  When joining a local chapter, you’ll always have plenty of opportunities to meet with friends, have fun, support worthy causes, and ride!

In addition to meeting new members, the Harley Owners Group offers benefits like road side assistance, discounted admission to certain national events and rallies, and a subscription to HOG Magazine.

Hot Metal Harley-Davidson’s Local Chapter is the Mon-Valley Harley Owner’s Group which was created in 1990.  As in most organizations, there are primary officers who help facilitate the day-to-day operations of the club.  This year Hot Metal Harley-Davidson has four dealership employees filling those roles.

The Director is Sales Manager, AJ Hadad and the Assistant Director is Master Tech, Ian Arlia. Salesman Brian Kohl is the secretary, while Business Manager Corl Rowe rounds out the primary officers as Treasurer for the club. 

“My goal for this year is to meet new people, strengthen relationships within the club, get members more active in the chapter and more importantly to ride and have fun,” said AJ Hadad Director of the Mon Valley H.O.G.

New Harley owners are given a one-year free national membership and a one-year free local membership from Hot Metal Harley-Davidson when they purchase a new or pre-owned Harley-Davidson.

Mon-Valey H.O.G. Meetings are held monthly at Hogs Bar on Prospect Road in Pittsburgh on the first Wednesday of each month.  Meetings begin at 7:30, but members are encouraged to come early and stay late!

There is a dedicated Facebook Page and section for the Mon Valley H.O.G. on Hot Metal Harley-Davidson’s website, www.hotmetalharley.com There is a Harley-Davidson Authorized App for the Harley-Owner’s Group to help meet members and find out about events while on the go.

If you are looking for something to do and want to see what the chapter does, you can always check Hot Metal Harley-Davidson’s website calendar or call the Hog Caller at 412-HOG-1234.

UPCOMING Mon-Valley H.O.G. Events: 

• JAN 1 F.Y.B.O. (Freeze Your Buns Off) Ride to Heinz Field Tour (Kickstands up at 12:15 from Hot Metal) 
• JAN 26 Game Night at Hogs Bar on Prospect Road (Starts at 7PM)

October Already?? Don't put the bike away Just yet!

We can’t believe we are making our way into October already!  Where has this summer gone?  It seems like yesterday we felt the chilly spring air and smelled the aroma of freshly cut grass.  We worked our way through many hot days and even took a little time off for some rest and relaxation.  Though the air is now chilly, the leaves are starting to change colors and fall to the ground, we know the inevitable is around the corner.

Fortunately we’re troopers and ride year round, right?  A little cold air isn’t going to hurt us, which is why Hot Metal Harley-Davidson and the Mon Valley HOG chapter have rides scheduled well into December.

Looking back to September, Hot Metal Harley-Davidson enjoyed Bike Nights at Quaker Steak and Lube in Pleasant Hills, we spent four days at the South Park Rib Fest and got to meet many new people. The Ladies ride was another huge success this year and we will be looking into doing more with the ladies at various functions and rides to come.

Hot Metal Harley-Davidson also celebrated our Wide Open House with a pre-owned clearance event and demo rides on the 2013 Harley-Davidson Models.  The Mon Valley Hog Chapter rode out to the Smicksburg Apple Festival and held their monthly Dinner Ride.  As they say “Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride”, right?

During the month of October, you will see some changes and updates to both Hot Metal’s website and Facebook page.  We’ll be adding more videos walking around the new models, more pictures of bike customers and their rides, and a way for you to become even more interactive with Hot Metal Harley-Davidson.  If you are on Facebook, you can now see our real-time motorcycle inventory.

Even though we are ramping up our on-line presence, we will still have rides with the Mon Valley HOG chapter and a Witch Hunt at the end of the month on the 27th. Some of the rides include a beautiful fall ride to the Bedford County Fall Festival on October 7th.  On October 14th, there will be a ride to check out the fall foliage and smell the crisp air of the Laurel Mountains.  And once again this year the HOG chapter will do their Haunted House Ride on October 20th.

Be sure to check out our website at www.hotmetalharley.com and www.facebook.com/hotmetalharley for upcoming events and and news from the dealership.  You can also listen to Road Hogs with Rocky Marks on 102.5 WDVE Saturday Mornings at 6AM.  Its motorcycle talk mixed with music and comedy tracks from the DVE morning show.  If you miss the show, you can always listen to the rebroadcast on Hot Metal’s website or at www.dve.com 

Hot Metal Harley's Bike Show Recap!

“It was a dark and stormy night….” Well actually it was more of a dreary, soggy start to a Saturday when we put up the tents and cones for the 1^st Annual Hot Metal Harley-Davidson Bike Show on Saturday, July 14th.  That didn’t stop the riders from bringing their scoots to the shop.

In between the raindrops, dozens of show-ready bikes pulled into the parking lot to register to compete in one of ten classes to compete for the top trophy.  AJ Haddad, our parts manager organized this bike show and wanted it to be old-school.  “The free reign given to me by Toby and Lori allowed us to do it just like it was back in the day, you know what I mean?” 

Almost as if it was timed, the rain subsided just as registration had come to a close at 11:30.  The microfiber cloths came out and judging began.  The legendary Billy Steele was among the judges along with Steve Jurnak and AJ Haddad.

Billy Steele brought out his “Honey Bagger” Harley-Davidson Road Glide that has been featured in numerous publications and shows across the country.  The entire bike is made of steel (fairing, lowers, and bags included), and boasts an iPad2 as the control for its mammoth stereo system.  In addition to the bagger, Steele brought his Model A Ford, and another custom bike that has a couple of its own trophies. Neither bike was in competition, they were for display only.

The Mon Valley H.O.G. chapter fired up the grill and served over 100 visitors and sold 50/50’s that paid $280 to the winner, while other volunteers manned the vendor booths, beer tent, and tabulated the results.  As each bike came in, they were given a ticket for door prizes worth up to $1,200 from Cut Throat Airbrushing.  That meant even if you didn’t place you could still win a prize.  Once the prizes were handed out, it was time to bring on the trophies.

Here are the 1^st place winners by category:

Non-Harley: Al DiVirgilio
Vintage:  Greg Wisenauer
V-Rod: Scott Kalikowski
Sportster: Matt Dragovich
Dyna:  Bill Schrader
Softail:  Dani Jurnak
Softail Custom: Danny Eggerton
Touring:  Mickey Costeline
Touring Custom:  Denny Eggerton
Best Paint:  Rob Farnsworth
Best of Show:  Rob Farnsworth

Minutes after the Best of Show was announced, rain drops started to once again fall from the sky ever so lightly.  It didn’t seem to bother most, as a great afternoon was had by all who attended the First Annual Hot Metal Harley-Davidson Bike Show.

SADDLE-UP & RIDE WITH HOT METAL HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Finally, after a few chilly and cloudy Saturday events inMarch and April, the clouds parted for May and we had a beautiful afternoon forour Saddle-Up and ride BBQ on the 12^th at Hot Metal Harley-Davidson! 

The day started early with free coffee and donuts for ourguests.  The Open House flags went up,the cones came out, and the music started playing at 9AM.  Given the fact that Hot Metal has afirst-come first-serve Saturday in our Service Department, we already had abuilt-in crowd to kick off the day.

The Mon-Valley Hog Chapter kicked off the demo rides at10AM.  Our demo fleet’s line-up consistedof a model from each family, several customer-requested bikes, and for thefirst time we introduced a Tri-Glide to our line-up.  The trike was a favorite among demo riderswho had a fun time knowing that they no longer needed to put their feet downwhen they came to a stop.

At noon a hearty BBQ meal was put out for hundreds to enjoy.  Our lunch was catered and included BBQchicken, baked beans, cheesy potatoes, and hot dogs that were served up by HotMetal’s own Corl Rowe and Ruth Holzer as well as Terry Owens from the HOGChapter.

Inside our guests were treated to 50% of end of season gear,and an offer of a $750 gift card towards Parts, MotorClothes, and Service onall new remaining 2011 model year Harley-Davidsons.  50/50’s were also a big draw for people whopurchased tickets right up until the 2PM drawing.

In honor of Monther’s Day, Curves put together a free registrationtable that consisted of a gift basket and a generous handful of two-month membershippasses to their gym.

On Friday, May 19^th Hot Metal Harley-Davidsonkicked off our first Friday Night event of the summer with the band “Sea ofHeads.”  The band covered everything fromclassic, to alternative to new rock, plus some of their own music.  The lead singer, Rick Ashcraft is a publishedsongwriter from Nashville and the bassist was Hot Metal’s own Master Tech, IanArlia.

To keep up with our events pick up an events list directly fromHot Metal Harley-Davidson or visit our website at www.hotmetalharley.com.  You can also become one of the almost 4,000people that “like” hot metal on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/hotmetalharley. We’ll see you on June 9th for our Anniversary Party, and onJune 15^th for a Movie Night, where we will show “Captain America” onthe big screen outside with free popcorn and munchies!

Hot Metal Harley-Davidson is always the first in the Pittsburgh Market to try out new and creative innovations from the Motor Company.  When Harley-Davidson came out with a program where you can put one of our demo seats on your bike, we jumped at the chance to get these seats in.

The beautiful thing is that you don't have to try out another bike just to see what the seat feels like.   You can now try it out on your own bike, no matter what the year.  This takes the guess work out of "will it help me reach the controls better, will it allow me to be flat footed, will it push me back further, etc."

Please watch this very short video from our Parts Manager, AJ to find out more about the program:

Bike Nights are a beautiful thing!

I have to admit... I was a little nervous about last week's Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube off of route 51.  This was the first time we would have our proverbial "dog and pony" show out for the year.  Believe it or not, it takes weeks and in some cases months to prepare for an event that lasts a few short hours once per week weather permitting.

When we got down there to set up last week, there were some bikes scattered here and there.  Set up was quick and flawless, we knew where everything was and where it needed to go, and we brought the perfect mix of people.  By the time we were set up bikes were coming in by the handful.

Once I started playing the music, the crowd started to get into their own rhythm pretty much the same way I remembered it from last year.  This year was a little different.  This is my 5th or 6th year going down there and with each year, I meet new people and learn new stories.

It was almost a homecoming of sorts.  Faces you haven't seen in months all the sudden appear, slap you on the back and give you a hug.  It's a great feeling to be back at the Lube again this year.  Granted, we only had one "official" Bike Night of the season, but I'm looking forward to some fun times down at the Southland.  Hopefully the rain stays away and even more friends come out of hibernation and join us tomorrow night (Weds May 2nd) at Quaker Steak And Lube ~ Rocky

What a busy April... and it's not over YET!!

Hot Metal Harley-Davidson sprung into the month of April with their Spring Opener on Saturday, April 14^th.  The looming clouds in the morning parted way for a day filled with events, food, and fellowship.  The Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program representatives were on hand to pass out new rider manuals, literature on their free courses, as well as the famous yellow diamond stickers for vehicles. 

Lisa Worsing, the Secretary for the Mon Valley Hog Chapter, and former Pennsylvania instructor demonstrated the slow ride technique and the maximum braking technique.  Operations Manager, Rocky Marks showed the stopping difference ABS brakes make on a 2012 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited.  The shorter stopping distance raised some eyebrows from onlookers during the demonstration and quite possibly may have converted some old-timers to try the new technology.

Parts Manager AJ Haddad gave a demonstration on LED lighting and Harley-Davidson’s BOOM! AUDIO system, while David LeDonne, the MotorClothes Manager talked function, fashion, and safety.

Hot Metal’s 2012 Demo Fleet was on-hand for riders to try out.  Each family of Harley-Davidson was strongly represented in the line-up and reservations weren’t required to take a turn on the Motor Company’s latest models.  Hot Metal believes strongly that any endorsed rider can demo any bike so long as the weather permits, even if it isn’t a demo day.

The guests leisurely enjoyed a catered meal topped off with dessert.  While the tunes of the DJ along with the rumbling of the motorcycles in and out of the parking lot created a long awaited ambiance which was music to many people’s ears.   Those sounds will soon be heard again when Hot Metal Harley-Davidson starts up Bike Nights with Quaker Steak and Lube on Route 51 every Wednesday night through September.

Rider Insurance was in attendance giving free rate quotes and handing out their 2012 swag.  The Mon-Valley HOG Chapter signed up a few new members to go riding with them this summer and held a 50/50 drawing. 

As guests came for regular first-come first-served maintenance, they received a warm welcome as they pulled into the service entrance. “I stopped out for my 1,000 mile service on my 2012 Street Glide to find a Party! Thanks,” said Gregory Bigger.

Hot Metal Harley-Davidson as a full line up of events in May including the Saddle Up and Ride Open house on May 12^th, a Bonfire with local band Sea of Heads on May 18^th, and Demo Rides and Hot Dogs on May 26^th.  All of Hot Metal’s upcoming events can be found at www.hotmetalharley.com or www.facebook.com/hotmetalharley.  

The all new 2012 Softail Slim from Harley-Davidson!

We've had this bike on the showroom floor for several weeks now and it is one beautiful bike!  Styling went out of their way to create a meaty old-school Bobber look.   Take a look at the video and you will see the work that went into this bad a** Softail

THE LADIES GARAGE PARTY IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

It is finally here, the Hot Metal Harley-Davidson Ladies Garage Party!  We are making the final preparations for tomorrow night's festivities.

One of the biggest reasons we do a Garage Party is to have a girls night out without the guys, and let the ladies take the handlebars on their own.  It's no secret that motorcycling is predominantly a male sport.  However, women ridership is on the rise and Hot Metal Harley-Davidson wants to encourage women to ride in front of or beside their male counterparts.

The night promises to be filled with fun, entertainment, and information.  There will be several stations set-up throughout the dealership that will talk about all of the departments that make up our state-of the art dealership.

We'll talk about the functionality and styling of the MotorClothes, the ability to accessorize and get performance out of your motorcycle, financing options, the ability to service  your own motorcycle, and we'll go over the latest Harley-Davidson Motorcycles themselves.

If you are interested in going, or know of a lady who is, please have them contact Carrie at 412-464-9453 or carrie@hotmetalharley.com !  See you tomorrow night!