Who are the Southern Cruisers?

I’ve been riding motorcycles off and on for over 25 years, mostly by myself or in small groups of three or four friends. I had been bikeless for a couple years, when in 2002 my brother decided he wanted to start riding again. He went out and bought himself an ’02 H-D DynaWideGlide. When the bike came in, he was living in a small apartment and had no place to keep it, so I became the keeper of his bike, for a short while.

Riding that Dyna during the time when I had it here at my house really brought back my itch to have my own bike again. With a little help from my brother and a great deal from ole’ man Fletcher at Fletcher’s H-D in Clearwater, I was able to get my “dream” bike, an ’03 Heritage Softail Classic. I had to wait eight months to get the damned thing, though. It was worth the wait.

In the meantime, I became interested in possibly joining a riding club of some sort at the behest of a friend of mine who rides with one. I thought it would be a great way to meet new folks and have some good times. I did a search on the Net for “riding clubs” and one of the first ones to pop up was the Southern Cruisers. Now, being a Southern boy myself, this name appealed to me. I signed myself and my brother up that very evening.

What was I looking for in a club? Well, I surely wasn’t looking for a group of idiots riding from bar to bar and raising hell wherever they went. I was looking for a nice family oriented group. I wanted a group that didn’t care what you rode, only that you were on two wheels. I was hoping for a group with a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. Did I get what I was looking for with the Southern Cruisers? You’re damned right I did!

I didn’t get to meet any of the brothers or sisters in the club right away, unfortunately. This was due to an unforeseen incident that most of you know the details of, so I’ll spare you the pain. Short story though, is that I took a tumble on a wet road while out riding with my brother one afternoon in July of ’02. I busted up a couple of ribs and was out of commission for quite a few weeks after that.

I think it was in late October of ’02 when I first met anyone from the club. Jason and I were headed to the Tuesday night Ybor thing and we met up with 2nd Officer Meach and the lovely Fle just on the Tampa side of the Gandy bridge. We went for a nice ride around the Bayshore and then into Ybor. We had a good time that night. It was a bit nippy, but I like that better than rain! We took the scenic route home because Meach, who isn’t completely familiar with Tampa, led us out of Ybor. It was a standing joke between all of us for a while about how Meach would take a different route every time he went to Ybor… not necessarily on purpose, if you know what I mean. The following week, we met and went to Ybor again, by a different route, of course. This time Neil came along for the ride.

I had been communicating on the Florida SCRC forum for about four months by this time, so I had talked with many of the brothers and sisters. However, up to this point I had only met a few. Then November rolled around and the State Rally time came up. The ’02 Rally was hosted by Tampa Bay chapter that year. It was a complete blow-out BLAST! Mark and Dee and everyone else did a fantastic job of hosting that weekend. I was proud to be a Tampa Bay chapter member.

Jason and I scooted over to the Rally hotel on Friday afternoon. I commuted from Tampa each day of the Rally, but I wish I had stayed at the hotel. Anyway, it was damned nippy running across the Gandy that night, let me tell you. We were seriously bundled up for that ride. We arrived just as the scooter games were ending. I think Neil and Wayne walked away with all the goodies in that event. Upon arrival, we were introduced around to everyone. I finally got to meet the famous Shark, 1st Officer of the SCRC Tampa Bay chapter and his sweetheart, Dee! They’re great folks. Hell, I met a bunch of great folks that night… Canada Bob, Scott, Wayne and Teri, Graybeard, and of course, Mr. Wolfman himself, Florida’s illustrious State Officer.

That evening’s festivities included a ride up Hwy. 19 to the Joyland Bike Night. Whew! This was not what everyone expected. Suffice to say, it was the low point of a weekend that had no other low points. I can still picture poor Neil wasting away to nothing while waiting on his food order… heh! And we all know that Neil is the eater of the club. He may not look it, but he can eat. Seems this whole club is pretty good at that. Well, you know I wasn’t looking for a bunch of biker bar hoppers when I joined. Instead, I ended up with a group that rides from restaurant to restaurant. What could be better?!

Since that time, I’ve met many, many great folks riding with this club… Carlos, Juan, Tony, Todd and Ruthy, and many folks from the surrounding chapters. I’m proud to have that patch on my back. I always get a great rush when there are 20 or 30 of us rumbling down the road with all those SCRC patches on our vests and jackets. Again, did I find what I was looking for with the SCRC? Yes, I most assuredly did. I found friends just one phone call away when I needed help or if I just wanted to go out and waste some gas. I found a group that cares about its members and puts safety above all other things. I found a group where everyone belongs and everyone has a say in what happens. I found a group of brothers and sisters who are there for you should you need them.

Are all Chapters like this one? I dunno… but I can tell you this: If you live in range of SCRC Tampa Bay and are considering joining a riding club, then Tampa Bay is the chapter for you! It’s a beautiful day out there. Get that bike outta’ the garage and get that ole’ lady on the back and RIDE! As always… RIDE SAFE!

(c) 2003 Eric Noriega