Harley Davidson

Hundreds of Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders packed the streets of skid row in downtown Los Angeles Sunday afternoon for a toy drive at the Fred Jordan Mission, delivering Christmas presents to underprivileged children from around the area. The parade, which began at the Harley Davidson of Glendale dealership, featured riders from throughout the region. Some dressed as Santa Claus while others decorated their bikes as reindeer sleighs. “What a wonderful day!” said Willie Jordan, the mission's president.

Dr. Bruce Varon, D.C. Bruce Varon, beloved father, brother, son, and doctor of chiropractic, passed away May 16, 2012 at the age of 55 in his Burbank home. Bruce grew up in Burbank and for over 25 years he treated countless patients at Varon Chiropractic Center. He cared deeply about his patients and they can testify that Bruce loved to talk and share his wisdom with those around him. With his hands and his heart he helped heal thousands of people. He loved his role as doctor for the Burbank High School Football team.

Several Harley-Davidson motorists roared away from Glendale early Tuesday. Their destination: Milwaukee. To celebrate its 105th anniversary, Harley-Davidson organized a ride from different points around the country that will converge in the motor company’s birthplace of Milwaukee. The motorists rolled into Glendale on Sunday night and celebrated the anniversary on Monday at Harley-Davidson of Glendale on San Fernando Road. Harley riders will take part in the ride that features 105 official starting points and 25 routes.

Love will rumble on the open road this weekend. The 29th annual Love Ride will kick off at Harley Davidson of Glendale at 7:15 a.m. Sunday with a performance by Strawberry Alarm Clock before bikers jump on their motorcycles and rumble to the main event in Castaic Lake. The Love Ride, founded in 1984 by Oliver Shokouh - owner of the local Harley-Davidson dealership - will benefit the USO this year, which provides support and morale-boosting programs and services to military troops and their families.

The 23rd annual Love Ride roared into the Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale on Saturday, kicking off a fundraising drive that will benefit 30 charity organizations, including March of Dimes, the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. and Boys and Girls Club of Burbank. The event is a precursor to the Nov. 12 Love Ride, a 40-mile motorcycle cavalcade from Glendale to Castaic Lake for a barbecue, trade show and a concert, headlined by the Black Crows. Late-night television host Jay Leno will return as grand marshal.

About 2,400 Harley-Davidson motorcyclists -- the largest turnout to date -- showed their soft side Sunday as they delivered thousands of toys to the Fred Jordan Mission in downtown Los Angeles. The bikers, riding in the 16th annual Skid Row Toy Drive, began their 20-mile journey at Harley-Davidson of Glendale. They arrived at the mission 30 minutes later and let hundreds of children living in poverty sift through a myriad of holiday gifts, including toy cars, sports balls and Barbie dolls.

Robert Shaffer GLENDALE -- The only thing that made Rich Kupke look anything less than completely menacing was the pink and white plush bunny strapped to the front on his Harley-Davidson. Kupke, a large man who was dressed in denim with a long beard, was one of about 1,000 Harley riders who rode, with toys in hand, from a Glendale motorcycle shop to the Fred Jordan Mission in downtown Los Angeles to give the toys to children. "This run goes to the mission and you get to see the faces of the kids," Kupke said Sunday from Harley-Davidson of Glendale.

Amber Willard SOUTHWEST GLENDALE -- Bikers bearing teddy bears and other toys are set to descend upon the city Sunday. The L.A. Toy Ride, sponsored by a nonprofit group that promotes motorcycle safety issues, starts at 9 a.m. that day at Harley-Davidson of Glendale. Each rider is asked to bring a toy, which will be loaded onto a flatbed truck and hauled to the Fred Jordan Mission in Los Angeles about 11 a.m. "The kids will be lined up, up and down the street," said Peter Daniels, spokesman for the sponsor group, Abate Local No. 1. The children at the mission will be allowed to go to the truck in small groups and pick their gift.

Gary Moskowitz GLENDALE - They showed up with teddy bears strapped to their bikes, ready to roll. With an entourage of more than 1,000 bikers, Santa and Glendale's Golden State Hog Chapter of Harley Davidson participated in the 13th annual Skid Row Toy Ride Sunday at the Fred Jordan Mission in Los Angeles, an event that makes sure children get toys for Christmas. Bikers from Los Angeles and Orange counties met on Mira Loma Avenue in Glendale on various types of motorcycles, dressed in leather chaps, leather jackets, bandanas and black boots.

Hundreds of Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders packed the streets of skid row in downtown Los Angeles Sunday afternoon for a toy drive at the Fred Jordan Mission, delivering Christmas presents to underprivileged children from around the area. The parade, which began at the Harley Davidson of Glendale dealership, featured riders from throughout the region. Some dressed as Santa Claus while others decorated their bikes as reindeer sleighs. “What a wonderful day!” said Willie Jordan, the mission's president.

Love will rumble on the open road this weekend. The 29th annual Love Ride will kick off at Harley Davidson of Glendale at 7:15 a.m. Sunday with a performance by Strawberry Alarm Clock before bikers jump on their motorcycles and rumble to the main event in Castaic Lake. The Love Ride, founded in 1984 by Oliver Shokouh - owner of the local Harley-Davidson dealership - will benefit the USO this year, which provides support and morale-boosting programs and services to military troops and their families.

Bruce Edward Dahlberg June 8, 1955 - July 5, 2012 Bruce left us while doing what he enjoyed. He was visiting friends in Big Bear with his family for the Fourth of July celebration when he collapsed on a hike on a mountain trail. Emergency services were called and the response was the best from the fire department, the paramedics, the sheriff's department and the US Forestry. A rescue helicopter was overhead in the event transportation was required but the terrain kept it from landing in the immediate area.

Though the city can'tgive the Love Ride, an annual charitable motorcycle event, the same monetary support as in years past, the City Council gave the event a solid endorsement this week. “It's great for the local economy. It's great for the charities,” Mayor Frank Quintero said about the motorcycle caravan that begins at Harley-Davidson of Glendale and continues to Castaic Lake. Glendale used to give the charitable event $15,000 annually to cover police and other city support.

Dr. Bruce Varon, D.C. Bruce Varon, beloved father, brother, son, and doctor of chiropractic, passed away May 16, 2012 at the age of 55 in his Burbank home. Bruce grew up in Burbank and for over 25 years he treated countless patients at Varon Chiropractic Center. He cared deeply about his patients and they can testify that Bruce loved to talk and share his wisdom with those around him. With his hands and his heart he helped heal thousands of people. He loved his role as doctor for the Burbank High School Football team.

Guitar maker Fender has announced a custom design for Love Ride 28, the annual motorcycle fundraiser for autism research. The event, which returns to Castaic Lake Oct. 23, typically attracts thousands of motorcycle riders and features stunt demonstrations, celebrities, such as Peter Fonda and Jay Leno, and a lot of Harleys. Organized by Harley-Davidson of Glendale, it's billed as the largest charity ride in the world. Fender's custom Telecaster guitar design will feature the Love Ride 28 logo and be autographed by the event's featured music artists, Montgomery Gentry, and "other surprise celebrities," according to an announcement released today.

Harley-Davidsons bearing Barbie dolls and stuffed animals idled Sunday morning in south Glendale at the starting point of the 23rd annual L.A. Toy Ride. Event coordinator Richard Wagner said more than 1,000 riders would roar to the Fred Jordan Mission on L.A.'s Skid Row to hand out toys to homeless children. "The toys the kids get today might be the only ones they get this year," Wagner said. Many of the riders are the same ones who gathered at Harley-Davidson of Glendale last month for the Love Ride — a party on two wheels and fundraiser for children's charities — founded by shop owner Oliver Shokouh.

Celebrities came out in force Saturday to Glendale Harley Davidson to raise money for reconstruction efforts in Haiti. The rainy day drew fewer people than organizers anticipated to the Ride 4 Haiti event. Still, the wet weather didn’t damper riders’ goodwill. “Haiti just went through an earthquake, so a few drops of rain is not going to stop me from doing anything,” said Jimmy Jean-Louis, star of the TV show “Heroes.” “Don’t forget, right now we have people sleeping under the rain, so I can definitely ride for an hour in the rain.

SOUTH GLENDALE — Business at Glendale Harley-Davidson was on the rise three years ago when it was one of few area motorcycle dealerships to open seven days a week, but the recession has forced the store to backtrack. The dealership switched to a six-day schedule this week, closing on Monday following a year when sales have dropped about 25%, General Manager Emily Vindeni said. Slumping sales has forced the store to cut about a fifth of its staff in the last year and it seemed logical to reduce working hours as revenues slipped during the recession, Vindeni said.

GLENDALE — The official ride may have been canceled, but the love’s apparently still there. While poor ticket sales and anemic corporate sponsorships may have killed what would have been the 26th annual Love Ride fundraiser, organizers at Glendale Harley-Davidson have made plans to accommodate what could be hundreds of bikers who turn up Saturday anyway, officials said. Allstate Insurance Co. has announced it will donate $10,000 to the Love Ride alternative, which city officials said would include three days of events in which bikers could drop in and still donate to the cause.