Editor’s Note: One thing we really love here at J&P Cycles is a good motorcycle story with a great ending. This story was submitted to us by Tony Colombini, of Garden Grove, Calif., whose son Billy inspired his family, friends and many others.

Billy’s Story

By Tony Colombini

 Twenty years ago at age of 18, Billy was a passenger in a truck that overturned on a back road in upstate New York. For more than three hours he lay in the darkness in a ditch waiting for help. As he waited, like anyone of us, he tried desperately to get himself up and out of the ditch. But even as… Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: Indian Larry was the legendary machinist, metal-sculptor and motorcycle mechanical genius out of New York who built a style of bike that was a cross between a classic chopper and a hot-rod racebike. He won dozens of custom bike show competitions, and raced and performed in movies and television productions. This guest blog post is written for J&P Cycles by James Simonelli of BAKER Drivetrain, who is a frequent contributor to IronWorks Magazine. Here’s his take on Indian Larry.

I took this picture of Indian Larry back in June of 2003 at the Laconia Rally in Laconia, NH. Larry was a pretty cool guy, and he was really… Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: This post was authored by Troy Porter, J&P Cycles’ Iowa showroom supervisor and a hunting enthusiast. What he writes here could save your life this fall.

Autumn isn’t the least bit subtle here in Anamosa, Iowa. It comes on strong with a change in temperature, darker skies for the commute both ways, and of course the unbelievable colors presented by fall leaves. If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, you know that few things are as beautiful as an autumn ride through the rolling hills in Iowa. And a lot of us are taking full advantage of it.

Unfortunately, fall also spells the end of the riding season —… Continue Reading

Chances are that if you’re reading this blog post, you’re deep into bikes. And as a person who is into bikes, you know as well as I that motorcycles move the body, but stir the soul. Each of us has a bike or bikes that do that for us.

There’s just something about the way it feels, looks, sounds or smells that gets the pulse racing and the synapses firing. Maybe it’s the bike you’re now riding that offers you the freedom you could never get from the family truckster. It could have been the bike you took you first ride on, hanging on for dear life. In… Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: We’ve got a raft of good writers here at J&P Cycles who scribble off some pretty good blog posts on a regular basis. Many of these managers and employees not only know how to turn a wrench, they know how to describe to you how to turn a wrench.

Our blog has become the go-to place for those who have questions about their motorcycle or are looking for the latest means of boosting power, maintaining safety or blinging up your bike. So when Carla Elliott, our HR director, came up with the notion of giving everyone at J&P an opportunity to get in the act, our employees… Continue Reading

By: Mitch Winder — Western Powersports, Inc.

Hey, J&P customers and fans! You may not recognize the Western Powersports name, and that’s OK, because we’re here to change all that. The folks at J&P have graciously entrusted me with this blog post so I can tell you about some of the cool and exciting things we’re bringing to the J&P Open House, June 25-26, 2011, in Anamosa, Iowa.

So who the heck is Western Powersports? We are a major motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile and watercraft parts and accessories distributor that supplies many of the items you purchase from J&P. And besides our many familiar brands, we’re excited to introduce… Continue Reading