About

Welcome to Jimmy and Janie's website! Here is a little piece of the journey that makes up the Owensboro Biker News!

The whole motorcycle lifestyle was instilled in me at a young age. In the mid 1960s I would remember my Dad riding bikes as an inexpensive commuter vehicle, taking my Brother and myself on rides. Growing up my Mom and Dad had alot of motorsports hobbies which I can remember Dad's Drag Cars, Moms hot rod station wagons and going to the dirt track races, we were always around events that had to do with piston powered vehicles.

I have a lifetime of memories of Dad and Mom enjoying riding bikes as a hobby and even then I think the riding motto must have been "Ride to Eat and Eat to Ride" because they always seemed to join other young couples on rides just to see where the food was best.

Entering the late 1960s, it must have been the summer of 1969, I was 5 years old and we were traveling, which we camped in about every state, but that year we had been on vacation in Florida. On the way back to Indiana Mom and Dad wanted to stop and see some friends who lived in South Georgia, and we had camped with Troy and his family a lot. He had sons that were a few years older than me, and they had the coolest mini bike, a 3hp Briggs powered yellow cat brand machine with chrome fenders! Well it was on this visit that Mom and Dad purchased for me at the age of 5 that cool yellow mini bike. Now I hope you can visualize what I thought, "Man I was the Baddest Biker in the Campgrounds of America, a legend like Peter Fonda, a Captain America of the trails."

Entering the early 1970s, Mom was working as the food manager of Beech Bend Amusement Park, which was back in the hay days of the Garvin family Empire. We spent several Summers there and during these years I would ride the mini bike daily, throughout the campground, racetrack, and every where that I was allowed.

In 1974, I moved up to a new machine, it was a Honda. Wow I thought I had made the big time, 90ccs 3 speeds and all the features of a street motorcycle! I would probably still have that bike but unfortunately the flood of 1997 was the end of that era.

During the 1980s I rode some bikes both street and trail during my high school years, but it was not until leaving the sport that I came back to start a new passion as an adult. In the summer of 1995, I bought a Yamaha Radian 600cc bike from my best friend, you see he had got the bike bug, and managed to buy a new bike and had this Yamaha sitting there, so with the blessing of my wife the bike was mine. Janie and I rode that bike for a couple of summers, if you want a real laugh ask Janie about the first time I talked her into riding around Owensboro with me. Keep in mind that the bike thing was totally new for her and boy what an experience! We moved to other bikes and other brands until the summer of 1999 that is when I was working as a Service Manager in a bike shop and was fortunate enough to buy my first Harley Davidson.

Riding, Socializing, meeting new friends and enjoying what you know today as Owensboro Biker News started taking shape. We rode in something called a poker run and Janie and I thought about how great it was to enjoy riding and helping to raise money for someone, or some charity, at the expense of having fun and making new friends along the way! We have come along way from the decision to hold our first bike event, we have covered a lot of miles, raised thousands of dollars, and made countless friendships that will last a lifetime.

If you receive our newsletter then you will understand what Janie and I stand for, we work very hard to make sure that we can spread the news of helping someone who is in need of a friend or a pick me up thru a tough time in their life. And by spreading the news those events become successful plus everyone has a destination to ride. From being raised in the church I see what we do as our way of shining a little light on those who may need it.

When you visit our website or receive our newsletter think about the miles you have logged with us on our rewarding journey to help those around us, enjoy the ride, sit awhile at bike night, watch the bikes roll past, and remember we do this for you!

In closing, I would like to give special thanks to my parents Dusty and Sally Rhoades, my children Lauren and Jonathon, and my wife Janie for letting me share my time with you. And welcome our next generation of riders, my grand daughter Allie, and most of all thank God for all the times we spend on the road together.

First of all I want to point out that growing up I never was around bikes! I knew absolutely nothing about them. I remember in my late teens I would chase guys on bikes to get a ride but I was rebellious at that point in my life. The faster they drove the better. So, when Jimmy asked about the Radian, I remember thinking that I would never ride it. So if he wanted it he might as well get it. But I had no intentions of riding. Jimmy convincing me of taking a short ride around Owensboro had no idea of what he was getting into. I remember putting on a helmet and trying to get on the bike. I had no idea that he was suppose to get on first. I knocked the bike over and it scared me to death because I thought Jimmy would be upset with me. Laughing it off, he picked the bike up and explained that he needed to get on first. Somehow we ended up riding a great distance that day. Going down Pleasant Valley Road, a mini van pulled out in front of us. Jimmy locked up the brakes and we slid a ways but fully recovered. Which is a miracle in itself since I probably wasn't the best passenger. This day ended with the bike running out of gas! At that time I knew nothing about the reserve so I am not sure why that happened.

Then Jimmy bought the Yamaha V-Star and I really started to enjoy riding. The kids had become teenagers and it was easier to leave them and go for a little ride. At that time we weren't really riding long distances.

Then Jimmy bought the Harley which was something that I wanted as bad as he did. However, when he brought it home, I cried!!! It was a Road Glide and it was the 95th Anniversary colors. It became known as the "Big Brown Turd". It was definitely not what I was expecting of a Harley but Jimmy was very pleased with it. After riding with him for several years, I decided to venture out on my own! No, I wouldn't ride his "Big Brown Turd". We got a Honda 250 Rebel. I told Jimmy that I thought I could "Man Handle" this bike so I would learn to ride on it. I immediately signed up for the Riders Course in Madisonville Kentucky. It was the best thing I had ever done! I would highly recommend to anyone to take the course!

After riding the Rebel for a Summer, I wanted a Harley so Jimmy got me a Sportster 883 for Valentines Day! I rode it for 5 years. I loved that bike!! It was lowered and front end raked, it just wasn't very comfortable. So, when Harley introduced the Street Glide for 2006. I started begging Jimmy cause that was what I wanted!! We decided to sell both our bikes and buy a brand new, out of the crate, Harley Davidson Street Glide! The bike now has 15,000 miles on it and we have had one accident on it. But we get back on and ride some more.

Riding has become a passion for me that can not be explained! The freedom helps me forget about the things that I don't need to dwell on and the risk allows me to take each day a day at a time because we never know what the good Lord has in store for us.

My kids still may not understand why I continue to ride after the accident but they have always been supportive and they too have grown to have a passion for motorcycles in there own special way. Allie loves the sounds of "bbbuuunnn buunn" night and looks for where the sound comes from. She too may become a Harley Rider just like her grand parents.