"It's Bike Show Season"
36-Annual FM Crusaders
Fargo Ramada Plaza Suites
By: Dan Jacobson Sr.
Mobile Service by: Credo Mobile
Photos: Dan Jacobson- on my profile
March 28, 2011
Rolling out from the frozen north country winter comes interesting and shinny motorcycles each spring. The Fargo-Moorhead Crusaders Motorcycle Club works hard to open the doors and motorcycle season for the public to enjoy. Since the beinging 36 years ago, the venue has changed from a dirt floor arena to the beautiful Ramada Plaza Suites and Convention Center.
Each year the show's machines styles have swung more away from the long front ends and hard tails. This year we enjoyed more competition bikes from Road Racing, Dirt, Drag and Flat Track racing. The top competition bike prize going to M3 Racing's - CB750 Honda / Trackmaster flat tracker. Mark McGrew, long time Honda machinist, mechanic, and factory rep entered three bikes. Famous for his M3-Racing Honda CB 750 engines, the low slung streched out 750 - drag bike turn many heads during the two day event. The new M3-Racing - CRF-450 Honda AMA Pro Flat Tracker showed the move into the future of motorcycles coming to an oval track near you.
The F-M Crusaders carefully select a local charity to support, this year was Creative Care for Reaching Independence (CCRI) who operate care homes for people with disabilities. Executive Director for CCRI Rhonda King and many of her staff helped with the silent and live auctions. Working through the crowd to bid and view the many items gathered by CCRI and the Crusaders was a welcome break in the first day's afternoon.
Jody Hudson of CCRI, said "Thank you, Crusades", the auctions raised $13,000 for the H.E.R.O. (Helping Each other Remove Obstacles) summer camp. CCRI has over 40 Care Homes inn the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Moving on into the evening I was temped to buy into the many good cause bike rafles. The West Fargo Rotary has stepped up to help the Fargo Zoo develope the "Wings of the Orient Aviary". The Harley-Davidson FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic is going to 1 of 600, $100 dollars gets you into the game and even if you finish second - $1000 or third you recieve $500. These raffle tickets can be purchased at Fargo Harley-Davidson, Scheels All Sport, Fargo Holiday Inn and Straus Clothing all in Fargo, North Dakota. West Fargo Rotary email: fargowestrotary@gmail.com
"Blind Joe" entertained the crowd after the auction. Playing solo guitar, Joe calls it, "Traditional country music with a shot of Jack". Bline Joe also opened for the "Carmen and the Cactus" at the Saturday night dance.
To wrap it all up, the FM Crusaders serve up a great party and show, with plenty of black leather and boots. I enjoy the show because of the competition motorcycles and the well done road bikes. Seeing more from the Sport Bikes ranks and less of the polished stock v-twins would open the show to the rest of the motorcycling public. Best to the Crusaders in the coming year.
Many more stories at Todayscyclecoverage.com.
Dan Jacobson Sr. - Motorcycle Journalist
