Up & Coming Weekly

November 20, 2018

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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24 UCW NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NOV. 23 • BLACK FRI- DAY PANCAKE BREAK- FAST at Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd. 10 a.m. While supplies last, enjoy mimosas and bloody marys. There will also be live music. For more information, call 910-864-1200. NOV. 24 • 26TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CHILDREN'S HOME TOY RUN at Harley-Davidson of New Bern. Line up at 10 a.m., kickstands up at noon. Bring a $15 donation or unwrapped gift for residents ages 1-18. The first 1,000 registrants will receive com- memorative chip. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, lunch and a presentation of gifts at Kennedy Children's Home. For more information, visit www.harley-davidsonnewbern.com or call 252-633-4060. DEC. 15 • WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA - ESCORT & DEPLOY- MENT at Raleigh National Cemetery, 501 Rock Quarry Rd. 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Revenant Warriors Motorcycle Organization will lead an escort of wreaths for Wreaths Across America. Assist us in honoring and respecting veterans by placing wreaths at gravesites for Christmas. Donate or provide service in honor of veterans. For more information, email RevenantWarriors@gmail.com or visit www.revenantwarriors.org/ events/2018/12/15/november-wreaths-across-america. JAN. 26-27 • EASYRIDERS 2019 BIKE SHOW TOUR – CHAR- LOTTE at Park Expo Center, 800 Briar Creek Rd., Charlotte. The "biggest, baddest bike show in North America" features the world's top bike builders, the industry's top manu- facturing representatives showing of all of the latest products and live music from your favorite bands. Show hours are Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit easyridersevents.com for complete details and exhibitor and competitor information. 4624 BRAGG BLVD. Seating at 3 p.m. Side Dishes Welcomed Seating at 3 p.m. Side Dishes Welcomed 11.22.18 Members & Guests Only Members & Guests Only It seems like yes- terday that, around this time of year, I was the most excited kid in the world. I would, not so patiently, wait on the J.C. Penny, Montgomery Ward and Sears Christmas catalogs to come out. I meticulously made my Christmas list and marked every page so that Santa would not miss what I wanted. In the 1960s, those catalogs had everything in them. They had clothes, car parts, sports equipment, music equipment, guns (yes, you could order a fire- arm from Sears), and a few pages of motorcycle accessories. For many, those catalogs were the spark that fueled the engines of our dreams and adventures. As a child, I would look at the tricycles, bicycles, mini-bikes and go-carts. Bikes in those days had style and personality to them. They had everything from a real gear shift to a circular steering wheel, sissy bar, chopper extensions, banana seats and so much more. The toy section challenged me to be a cowboy, a soldier and an astronaut. Montgomery Ward went out of business in 2001 and is now an online company. Sears is almost a thing of the past, and J.C. Penny still struggles with market shares. In 1993, Sears discontinued its big Christmas catalog. These major brick- and-mortar stores will say they cannot compete with the internet, Amazon and eBay. On the surface that seems logical, but people still want that excitement of actually shopping, see- ing and touching an item. Today, instead of finding my dreams in a Christmas catalog or finding everything in one store, I go to specialty stores. For local motor- cyclists, between Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson and Baker American Cycles, you can find about 80 percent of the motorcycles on the market. The economy is on the upswing, and more people have more jobs than ever before. However, interest rates are going up. They still are not that bad, but they are expected to rise to hold inflation down. So, if you want to blow your loved one away this Christmas, take a surprise trip to the motorcycle shop and help them pick out a brand-new motorcycle or ATV. Trust me. Even if they are paying for it, your permission will earn you more cool points than you will ever know. As for accessories, I think that part of motorcycling is strug- gling. Motorcycle industry shows have declined over the past 10 years. At motorcycle industry shows, vendors used to bring their new ideas to the public and market, hoping for that big deal. With the shows going away, that means vendors do not see a big enough profit to make it worth- while. That is why, when you go to so-called motorcycle shows or rallies, you see the same thing over and over: T-shirts, leather and tattoo artists. Cycle Gear on McPherson Church Road is the best place to see a variety of gear and accessories. The prices are competitive, and the staff has always been friendly to me. Of course, Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson has all things Harley- Davidson related. The other local shops have limited merchandise and inventory. There are so many choic- es, sizes, and types of gadgets that it's probably not worth the return for most stores to carry everything. So that leaves you with the internet. If I have to buy motorcycle equipment online, I turn to RevZilla.com. They have great videos for most of their products, and so far, they seem to be honest on the pros and cons on their reviews. They also have a great return policy. Always check return policies before any internet purchase. I love our local motorcycle shops, though, and I try to buy locally. You might find a better deal somewhere online, but I don't mind paying a lit- tle more to keep our businesses here. I don't mind paying a little more to have someone I can talk to in person or who can make recommendations that improve my riding life. I hope everyone has a happy holi- day season. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE! FROM THE ROAD Christmas 2018 by JIM JONES JIM JONES, Motorcycle Enthusiast. Comments? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910- 484-6200. People still want that excitement of actually shopping. Advertising to Grow Your Business www.upandcomingweekly.com For effective advertising call 910.484.6200 today!

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