Motorcycle

Smooth oldies and '90s slow jams echoed off the brick walls of Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale on Sunday morning. Yet again, more than 70 bike club members gathered to ride their motorcycles for a good cause. The seventh annual Blanket Run, presented by the Blazers and the Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle clubs, had begun. The Blanket Run is a Pasadena-focused charity ride where club members and other bikers are welcome to bring cash donations and/or blankets for charity.

San Fernando Road will rumble with the sound of more than 13,000 bikes revving up for the 23rd annual Love Ride Sunday, a one-day motorcycle event that will raise funds for 23 charitable organizations. "It's just so much fun," said Deana May, a motorcycle enthusiast since she was 12. "There's barbecue, concerts and so many people. It's just a great experience." May has been to more than seven Love Rides and plans to attend Sunday's ride, which will feature performances from the Black Crowes, Edgar Winter and the Fryed Brothers.

A 50-year-old California Highway Patrol officer is recovering at his Altadena home from injuries he recently suffered when his CHP motorcycle collided with a 1985 Jeep. According to CHP spokesman Officer Todd Workman, the officer was pursuing a speeding vehicle driving west on Angeles Crest Highway. The officer entered into the east lane to pass slower traffic when he collided with the left side of the Jeep. The impact caused the motorcycle to go to the right and over turn. The driver, a 19-year-old woman, received minor injuries.

Man seriously injured after colliding with SUV making a U-turn.NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- A man was seriously injured Thursday afternoon when he collided with an SUV while on his motorcycle on North Verdugo Road, police said. The unidentified 22-year-old man was traveling north in the 3400 block of Verdugo Road near Chiquita Place at about noon, said Glendale Police Off. John Balian. At the same time, a woman in Cadillac SRX -- who was traveling south on Verdugo Road -- started making a U-Turn at Chiquita Place, he said.

A 19-year-old Tujunga man died after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle accident early Monday morning on La Tuna Canyon. Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division Detective Jose Viramontes said Nathan Lackner was driving west on La Tuna Canyon when he allegedly lost control of his 2003 Honda motorcycle, colliding with a plastic trash can bin and a mailbox before hitting the parkway and falling to the ground at almost 1 a.m. ...

Jay Leno and other celebrities turn out for 22nd Love Ride, which tops records in attendance and money raised.San Fernando Road was packed with motorcycles Sunday for the 22nd annual Love Ride, a marathon one-day biking event from Glendale to Castaic Lake that benefits myriad charitable causes. More than 22,000 motorcyclists on everything from BMWs to Hondas, Harley-Davidsons to original choppers lined the street up to the stage in front of Harley-Davidson of Glendale. Longtime event emcee and well-known motorbike enthusiast Jay Leno entertained the colorful crowd with the signature comedy that has made his "Tonight Show" the highest-rated late-night show on network TV. Leno wasn't the only A-lister who turned out for the Love Ride.

A Monrovia man died Saturday morning after the stolen Jeep Cherokee he was driving crossed the center line on Angeles Forest Highway and struck a motorcycle. California Highway Patrol Officer Christian Cracraft said the Cherokee, reported stolen out of Palmdale, was traveling south on AFH when it crossed the divider line at mile marker 18 and hit a Ducati motorcycle head-on around 10 a.m. Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics transported the Ducati driver, a 28-year-old Redondo Beach man, to Huntington Memorial Hospital to be treated for major injuries, Cracraft said.

A La Crescenta man died Saturday morning after he was thrown from his motorcycle on Angeles Crest Highway. John Henschel, 39, was driving his motorcycle southbound on the 'Crest when he entered a blind turn near mile marker 58. On making the curve, Henschel encountered a slow-moving 2003 Chevy Suburban, going three to five miles per hour, according to California Highway Patrol officials. Henschel hit his brakes and was ejected from his motorcycle. He slid some distance before colliding into the Suburban, according to the CHP. He was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital where he was declared dead.

On a recent motorcycle ride, I thought about a column I was planning to write on the wonders of this form of transportation. The column would have covered motorcycle safety, training and riding techniques. Unfortunately, my train of thought was interrupted when a thoughtless pedestrian darted between two parked cars and into my path. Using the skills I have learned from many years of riding, I was able to quickly maneuver the motorcycle and avoid the pedestrian.

An accident on Angeles Crest Highway involving a motorcycle prompted police officials to remind motorcyclists to ride safely. The crash happened Tuesday at almost 4 p.m. on ACH near the intersection of Angeles Forest Highway. A 1992 Plymouth van driven by a 51-year-old Palmdale man crossed the center line as it rounded a curve going down the mountain. The van struck a 2003 BMW motorcycle ridden by a 56-year-old Lake Hughes man. The motorcycle sustained major damage, and the motorcyclist was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital to be treated for severe but not life-threatening injuries.