Approximately ninety miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada, is Laughlin, an oasis in the desert, located on the banks of the Colorado River. For the past twenty years, Laughlin has been the host to one of the biggest motorcycle rallies in the country, the Laughlin River Run. Last April, Corbin’s Ride On host, Brian Jackson, and the rest of the crew were lucky enough to take part in the festivities.

While this rally is about bikes and their owners coming together to have a great time, it is also about helping others. In past years this event has raised more than $280,000.00 for a variety of charities including Easter Seals and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, but now with the creation of The River Run Foundation, even more money will be raised to assist several more organizations such as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and The Ride to the Wall Foundation. In fact, five dollars of every River Run ticket sold goes to fund-raising efforts and that should raise at least another $50,000.00.

There were plenty of rockin’ activities at River Run including a concert series that featured such fan favorites as The Doobie Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, Canned Heat, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Little River Band. There were also plenty of vendors with just about every custom accessory that one could imagine for his or her bike. Also, what rally would be complete without a Poker Run? There was a lot at stake in this one for winners could share in $2,000 in merchandise certificates! There were also Harley-Davidson giveaways by the River Run organization and from several casinos in the area—so, even if you didn’t go to Laughlin on a bike, there was a chance that you could leave on one—you gotta love it--only in Nevada!

With all there was to do in Laughlin including gaming, entertainment, and many other activities, the thrust for this week was bikes and their owners, and believe us, there were plenty of each--some were more unusual than others! For example, Brian ran into Jim Mills and his radical chopper equipped with a Chevy ZZ4 engine. Jim told is that it would make 0-60 in 1.6 seconds, the ¼ mile in approximately 9 seconds, had a top speed around 200 miles per hour! Yikes! Hold on tight! There was cruisin’ galore and there were bikes, bikes, and more bikes. From early morning until late at night, Laughlin’s main drag was lined with bikes and spectators taking in all the scenery. One thing for sure—if you attend the River Run, you will have a fantastic time. We know that we sure did!

If you would like information on the 2003 Laughlin River Run, give the folks at Dal-Con Promotions a call at 714-694-2800, or you can find them on the web at www.laughlinriverrun.com. Until next time remember, ‘Keep the shiny side up and Ride On!”

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