COWTOWN COURIER AUGUST 2023

1 Cowtown Courier 1 The best in the wesT Fort Worth HOG Chapter #1260

As Fort Worth HOG celebrates its 35th anniversary, we wish to express our gratitude to Mark & Jennifer Smith and also to the management and staff at Fort Worth Harley-Davidson for all the years of continued support , generosity and inspiration!



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2023 TOUR OF HONOR 3101 Harvey Road College Station, TX 77845 229-211 FM 933 Whitney, TX 76692 109 Thrush Street Weatherford, TX 76086 S. Main Street at West H Street Waurika, OK 73573 206 W Blackjack Street Dublin, TX 76446 501 NW Ferris Avenue Lawton, OK 73507

3-wheeled motorcycles We are all familiar with Harley-Davidson’s TriGlide, Freewheeler, and the new 2023 Road Glide 3. The Motor Company also made a Street Glide version, the FLHXXX, from 2010 to 2011. No other manufacturer makes factory-built 3-wheeled motorcycles, with the exception of CanAm. Any other motorcycle-based trikes you see have used an aftermarket conversion kit. Yes, there is also the Slingshot, Vanderhall, and Morgan 3-wheelers, but these are Autocycles. (If you have ever seen the Peter Sellers movie “The Party”, you have seen an original Morgan 3-wheeler) Morgans were powered by V-Twin engines mounted at the front of the vehicle. Morgans were brought back into production in 2012, powered by front- mounted S&S V-Twins. As we all know, Harley-Davidson began building motorcycles in 1903. Indian started two years earlier, but the current version is the third incarnation of that brand. One of the first Autocycles was the venerable Morgan 3-wheeler, which began in 1910. Below is a list of mass produced, gasoline powered trikes and autocycles. All are manufactured in North America, except the Morgan, which is included due to the fact that the latest version was powered by an S&S V-Twin. 1911-1932 Morgan autocycle* 1932-1973 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car trike 1983-1986 Harley-Davidson Trihawk 304 autocycle* (less than 100 units made) 1994-present Campana T-REX autocycle* 2009-present Harley-Davidson TriGlide trike 2010-2011 Harley-Davidson Street Glide trike 2012-2021 Morgan autocycle* 2015-present Harley-Davidson Freewheeler trike 2015-present Polaris Slingshot autocycle* 2016-present Vanderhall autocycle* 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide 3 trike *federally classified as a motorcycle Texas Transportation Code section 502.005 (a) defines an “autocycle as a motor vehicle other than a tractor, that is: 1. Designed to have, when propelled, not more than three wheels on the ground; 2. Equipped with seat belts and a steering mechanism; 3. Equipped with seating that does not require the operator to straddle or side astride the seat; And 4. Manufactured and certified to comply with federal safety requirements for a motorcycle (b) For purposes of registering a vehicle under this chapter, an autocycle is considered to be a motorcycle. Amended by Acts 2023, Texas Acts Of the 88th legislature -Regular Session - effective 9/1/2023 EDITOR’S COMMENTS (the opinions expressed below here are probably not those of anyone else) The drivers (Please note that I did not say riders) of these vehicles are of the opinion that these are indeed motorcycles. But with bucket seats and seat belts I see them as automobiles that merely identify as motorcycles.

1934 MORGAN 1947 HD SERVI CAR 1983 TRI HAWK 2021 t-rex 2020 TRI GLIDE 2010 STREET GLIDE 2022 MORGAN 2023 FREEWHEELER TRIKE 2023 SLINGSHOT 2023 VANDERHALL 2023 ROAD GLIDE 3

JULY CHAPTER MEETING The fort worth H.O.G. chapter honored our veterans by presenting to them these special challenge coins







My first Harley was a 1997 Heritage Soft Tail Classic. I’ve owned motorcycles for 45+ years and have always viewed a Street bike as a mode of transportation and not something to just ride. I never understood what the big deal was about owning a Harley until I bought my Heritage Classic after retiring from the Air Force. While riding the bike home from the dealership, (90+) miles, I understood. I really enjoyed riding that bike. It was perfect for the 70-mile commute to my job. Living in California, I was able to share (split) lanes making the commute in heavy traffic a lot faster. I did that commute for over 10 years. My job eventually relocated to Vandenburg Air Force Base and my commute changed to a 300-mile commute (600 miles round trip once a week). Although I really liked my Soft Tail it wasn’t a comfortable bike for such a long commute. So, in 2007, I purchased an Electra Glide Ultra. That year Harley offered it in White Gold Pearl. As far as I know, it was the only year Harley offered the bike in that color. I retired in 2012 and didn’t ride as often, mostly to the golf course 12 miles from home. Sandra got her first Harley in 2020. She joined Fort Worth Harley HOG Chapter and became an active member. Although I have been a member of HOG for over 25 years, and lived in several cities, I never attend any chapter meetings. I went to a HOG chapter meeting with Sandra and really enjoyed the people and atmosphere of the group. I participated in a group ride for the first time in my life and I enjoyed it. Sandra and I have been riding more together as well. We did the Tour of Honor and so far, we’ve been to 5 of the 7 Veteran Memorials.

I’ve been looking at the new bikes after our chapter meetings, but I’m not a fan of the new look and color combos. On July 8th, after the HOG meeting, I went downstairs and saw a 2023 CVO Road Glide Limited 120th Anniversary Special Edition. I really liked that bike. I did get a quote for the bike but Sandra suggested I wait until I have my 2-week follow-up Surgeon appointment before I decide to buy the bike. It had only been 11 days since my neck surgery (three discs removed and 4 vertebrae fused). On Tuesday, my doctor gave me a great report! Right after we left the doctor’s office Sandra, and I went straight to Fort Worth Harley and I purchased the bike. It was delivered 3 days later on 14 July. I still have to wait at least 3 more weeks before I can try to ride. In the meantime, it looks great in my garage next to Sandra’s Softail Slim that she calls Harvey. Above - Love at first sight Right - Frank’s first ride

RULES FOR DESTINATION CHALLENGE RIDES ●SNAP a picture of yourself at the check-in location with a current Membership Guide or Ride Guide cover. ●SUBMIT your photo via H-D.COM/HOG. ●EARN digital badges and get rewarded for the ride with commemorative H.O.G. 40th Anniversary Poker Chips and Challenge Coins! 10 RIDES FOR 23 Calipatria, California , Carrabelle, Florida Church Creek, Maryland Monett, Missouri Tupelo, Mississippi Alliance, Nebraska Valentine, Texas Corinne, Utah Zillah, Washington Globe, Wisconsin

HOT ROD MAGAZINE MAY 1964