It all began back in 1981 with the first Biker's Carnival. Harley-Davidson had become an official corporate sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Oliver Shokouh – owner of Harley-Davidson/Glendale – decided to put together a fundraising event and hold it back behind his shop. Now the world-famous LOVE RIDE is a part of California Bike Week, and is the largest 1-day motorcycle fundraising event.
Being founded 25 years ago made this Sunday, October 26th, 2008, the Silver Anniversary LOVE RIDE.
Thousands upon thousands of motorcycle riders began showing up early at Glendale Harley Davidson for this year’s ride, some before 6 a.m. The first band, MAGDA HILLER, was a bluesy rock acoustic singer/songwriter who took the stage at 6:30 a.m. in front of Glendale Harley Davidson. Who would have thought ANYONE would be ready to rock that early! Magda Hiller was followed by Texan CYDNEY ROBINSON, and last but NEVER least was my fav, the GEORGIA SATELLITES. Founded in 1985 by Rick Richards, Rick Price, singer Dan Baird and drummer Mauro Magellan, this good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll band had what it took to grab and hold the attention of this biker crowd. Sorry Jay, I meant to say “motorcycle enthusiast” crowd!
Honorary Grand Marshal Peter Fonda, Grand Marshal Jay Leno, Honorary Grand Marshal Robert Patrick and Honorary Chairman Willie G. Davidson and his lovely wife Nancy, son Bill and daughter Karen were all alongside Oliver Shokouk to kick this year’s event off. Also making an appearance were many movie and TV stars such as Larry Hagman (whom I don’t think has ever missed a LOVE RIDE), Robert Patrick (The Unit, Flags of our Fathers), the cast from Sons of Anarchy, Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Sin City), Eric Szmanda (CSI), members of VELVET REVOLVER including vocalist Scott Weiland and drummer Matt Sorum, and more.
Celebrities taking part in recent LOVE RIDES have included musicians and actors such as AEROSMITH, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (Born To Run), DWIGHT YOAKAM, and GUNNER NELSON (of the band Nelson); actors Lorenzo Lamas (who played a biker in the TV show Renegade), Kirstie Allie (Cheers), Pamela Anderson (Baywatch), Charlie Sheen (Young Guns), John Hurt (Rob Roy), Lou Diamond Phillips (The Big Hit), Larry Hagman (Dallas), Ann-Margret, Judd Nelson (Suddenly Susan); Mary Hart (Entertainment Tonight), singer NANCY SINATRA, Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner, Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding on Saved By The Bell); Kenny Johnson (Burner on Pensacola Wings of Gold), Los Angeles radio DJs 
Mark & Brian, Darren Burrows (Ed Chigliak on Northern Exposure) and Robert Blake (Baretta).
Our Master of Ceremonies brought the pre-ride crowd front row center with a prayer wishing everyone a safe ride. The U.S. Color Guard presented both the U.S. and CA State flags and led us into “The Pledge of Allegiance.” The opening closed with Lorenzo Lamas singing “The National Anthem.” It was definitely a great way to start off a good charity event like this.
The LOVE RIDE has raised over $20 million for various charities throughout the years. But with today’s turnout – one of the largest I have ever seen – this year’s numbers could easy go through the roof!
The money is raised each year through sponsors and donations. Proud sponsors of this year’s event included BUDWEISER, WEST COAST SUPER TRUCKS, HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES, SPYDER CAN-AM, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, 95.5 KLOS, FM 94.9, THUNDER PRESS, LA WEEKLY, OS WEEKLY, EVENT 360, KROQ, 101KGB…and of course ALL ACCESS MAGAZINE. That’s right: After participating in nearly every LOVE RIDE since it started 25 years ago, we the owners of AAM were one of the “friends of the Love Ride” this year!
For riders, the participation/admission donation was only $75.00 (or $5.00 off by signing up in advance). And if you were any good at getting friends, family or coworkers to sponsor you, then you could get in free! Your ticket included one drink, a BBQ lunch and of course entrance to the concert – although with only lawn seating-standing at the Fairplex, the hot, hot sun was kind of brutal on many this year!
But it was for a great cause and your donation counts as a charity write-off on your taxes. All monies collected this year will benefit: MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION, READING BY 9, PROVIDENCE SAINT JOSEPH FOUNDATION, SPECIAL OLYMPICS - CALIFORNIA, CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES, AUTISM SPEAKS, the FROSTIG CENTER, SCLERODERMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, CATHOLIC BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS, OPTIMIST, GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DIABETES INSTITUTE, UNITED MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE FOUNDATION and THE FRIENDS OF CASTAIC LAKE.
Bikes lined up for blocks and blocks, hundreds of them, along San Fernando Road in Glendale. And just before 9 a.m. all you could hear was a BIG roar of thunder! Everyone started their engines to parade over to the Pomona Fairplex. But unlike all the other years, the 25th anniversary post-ride concert would include TWO big headliners: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rockers ZZ TOP and 2007 Grammy winners the 
FOO FIGHTERS.
Before we left for the Pomona Fairplex, I had plenty of time to talk to a few of the other veteran LOVE RIDE participants who seemed to all agree: They miss the good ole days when the LOVE RIDE, up until LOVE RIDE 24 last year, took you north on Interstate 5 to Castaic Lake. That ride seemed to be smoother, and once you got there the lake and surrounding trees kept things cooler all day. And being that most motorcycle riders wear black, leather, chaps, gloves, and all that goes with riding, cooler is always better.
This year, just after 9 a.m. the stage was taken away from in front of Glendale Harley, and gradually we all finally got on the road. Over 20,000 motorcycles of all kinds paraded slowly through the streets of Glendale and were escorted to the 2 Freeway, where our approximately 35-mile (each way) ride to the Fairplex began. When we finally arrived at the Fairplex 35 miles later, let me just say this: to any “new riders” thinking of taking this ride next year, you may want to get a good year’s riding experience under your butts first! This is definitely NOT the ride you want to be your first!
As we were coming in from the parking lot, packed with more motorcycles than anyone could possibly see in a lifetime, we heard the concert getting under way. THE TUBES, an ’80s theatre rock band from the San Francisco area, was getting the stage warmed up for the day’s BIG headliners!
We all decided to head on over to enjoy the concert, and wanted to pick up some cool refreshment along the way. PROBLEM and no surprise after a ride like that, EVERYONE had the same idea! Except the lines 
were so long…and there just weren’t enough places to get anything to drink! Hydration was definitely going to be an all-day problem that wasn’t going to get any better in the triple-digit temperatures with almost everyone in black leather and no shade!
In fact, there were almost NO drink lines to go to. Once through the vendors and inside the concert area it got worse, with a total of only 2 places to get anything to drink! Ohhhh, there were plenty of restrooms with no lines, which is always good. And there were plenty of vendors selling clothes, purses, boots etc. There were just NOT enough places to get ANYTHING to drink! And that type of planning (lack of planning) was simply ridiculous in over 100-degree weather!
HELLO, PEOPLE… these hot and very, very thirsty “motorcycle enthusiasts” just participated in a long ride to help benefit a great cause…and you couldn’t get someone to sponsor some water lines or a couple water trucks? We would have given anything for better access to any type of drinks – and we did fork over $3.50 for a bottle of water after standing in a line for over an hour to get one! Did I hear you say, “Go to another window”? Good luck finding one.
We all continued to talk about how much the event itself had changed in just these past couple of years. Yes, it’s still the LOVE RIDE and for a good cause. BUT did you know that up until the LOVE RIDE moved to its 
new location at the Fairplex, vendors weren’t allowed to sell their products at the event? Yes, there were plenty of vendors and merchandise in the past, but all they could do was show you their newest, latest and greatest stuff, and offer you samples or business cards, or direct you to their website or store.
In previous years we stood in ticket lines to purchase more drink coupons, because no money was allowed to exchange hands for merchandise, not even a soda. There were plenty of Budweiser girls, giveaways and raffles all day. It was fun and the food was great, I believe catered by Tony Roma’s for a few years. But one thing’s for sure: Whether you had to beg, borrow or rent a bike, EVERYBODY looked forward to riding in the LOVE RIDE back then!
This year, needless to say, I saw people leaving longggg before the concert was over and feeling very uncomfortable. Did I mention the FOO FIGHTERS & ZZ TOP performed? Well, they did! Past post-ride concert performances have included the STEVE MILLER BAND, GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVISITED, BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS, SHERYL CROW, JEFFERSON STARSHIP, BILLY RAY CYRUS, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, STEPPENWOLF, DOOBIE BROTHERS, JIM BELUSHI, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, VANILLA FUDGE and many more. In the past Oliver would go on stage with BIG checks from corporate sponsors and private donors in support of the LOVE RIDE’s charities. Where was the focus on the charities this year? Where were the big public donations that used to be proudly paraded in front of the concert’s crowd?
Congrats go out to Oliver for the 25th Anniversary LOVE RIDE. But personally, I agree with those other veteran bikers! The LOVE RIDE seems to have taken a whole new direction – literally by changing from cool, easy-to-access Castaic Lake to hot, hot, and farther away Pomona, and commercially by allowing vendors to sell all kinds of items EXCEPT beverages. Before, for 24 years, the focus was on raising money for those in need. This year the focus seemed to be more on raising money for the vendors. AAM has a history of supporting charities and those in need, and we are pleased to have once again helped the LOVE RIDE raise money for those less fortunate. Personally speaking, after going to almost every LOVE RIDE since it started, I enjoyed it and looked forward to it much more the way it was before. It just seemed to have more meaning…
For more info, go to www.loveride.com
More pictures: www.myspace.com/allaccessmagazine
