Ride with Purpose

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Ride with Purpose. Today we slow down for a moment and look back at what 2025 has brought us. It has been one hell of a year. We have grown, we have learned, and we have pushed harder than ever to serve our missions for veterans and at risk youth. Every mile, every handshake, every late night planning session has been worth it.

We are thankful for every rider, every supporter, and every person who believed in what we are building. You are the fuel that keeps this whole thing moving. You showed up with heart and you helped turned ideas into reality.

As we head into the rest of the holiday season, we are fired up to keep growing. We are here to serve with purpose, to show up for our veterans, and to give hope to the kids who need it most. We are not slowing down. We are just getting warmed up.

Enjoy the day. Hug your people. Eat well. Ride safe. And know that we are thankful for you.

-the Nortons-

11/24/2025

Love coming home to surprises!
Our friends at Eagle Lights sent us a little something for Gwendolyn.
Here’s a sneak peak at yet another fine product from EL. 🦅

Did you know we have a discount code??
Welp… WE DO!!
use RIDEWITHPURPOSE at check out to save 15% off your order.

And remember, our kick back goes right back into the Ride with Purpose mission to serve our veterans and show up for at risk youth.

https://www.eaglelights.com/products/eagle-lights-irongrip-mx-floorboards-for-2014-2025-harley-davidson-touring-models

11/24/2025

🙌🦃

11/24/2025

Motorcycle Monday

The Truth about the Tail of the Dragon

No Fear, No Rumors, Just Facts

Every riding season someone pops up online shouting that the Tail of the Dragon is about to close forever or suddenly turn into a locals only road. People love panic more than they love the truth. So let us settle this once and for all. The rumors are garbage. The Tail of the Dragon is wide open and still very much the king of American twisties.

If you are planning a run through the Smokies, keep packing your saddlebags because nothing has changed for riders. This legendary stretch is still yours to enjoy.

So what is really happening

The Tail of the Dragon is a United States highway. It stays open all year and everyone is welcome no matter where you roll in from. Tennessee and North Carolina have not created any residency rules. No secret law is waiting to drop. No hidden agenda is brewing in the mountains.

The only real changes are common sense safety efforts
• More police presence to keep the crash numbers down
• A restriction on semi trucks and long trailers because they were getting stuck and blocking the road

These changes do not affect riders. If you are on two wheels or in a normal vehicle you ride exactly the same as always.

How this wild road became a legend in the first place

Long before social media turned riders into content creators, the Tail of the Dragon was carving its own name into motorcycle culture. It started as a simple mountain route built to connect small towns and give access to forest land. Nobody thought it would grow into a destination people travel across the country to conquer.

Then sport bike riders found it in the seventies. Eleven miles of pure adrenaline with curve after curve packed so tight it feels like the mountain is trying to test your soul. Word spread. Photographers showed up in the nineties and started catching bikes mid lean. Riders went home and searched for their own photos. The legend exploded.

Today it is one of the most famous roads in the United States. Cruisers, sport bikes, trikes, touring rigs and everything in between show up for the same reason. It challenges you. It focuses you. It gives you that perfect mix of beauty and danger that only a mountain road can deliver.

Fun history and rider facts
• It holds 318 curves in 11 miles which makes riders either grin or question their life choices.
• The road runs along the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains which gives it a level of protection most roads never see.
• No traffic lights, no neighborhoods and no random intersections. Just you, the pavement and the mountain.
• Riders from every corner of the world come here to check it off their bucket list.
• It has never been in danger of becoming a restricted or private road despite what people claim online.

What riders should expect right now

You will see more patrol cars. You will see more signs reminding people to slow down. You will see enforcement against the folks who treat it like a race track. What you will not see is any kind of rule blocking out of state riders. Show respect for the curves, get out of the way when someone is riding faster and keep your wheels in your lane. Follow those simple rules and you will have the same experience generations of riders have enjoyed.

Final word

The Tail of the Dragon is not closing. It is not losing access. It is not turning into some kind of exclusive locals club. It is alive and well and waiting for the next rider who wants to test their skills on one of the most iconic roads in America.

As always,
RIDE with PURPOSE

11/23/2025

Taking my own advice today. I have not been myself lately. Nothing major, just feeling out of sorts and stretched thin. Yesterday felt like everything hit at once. A million things to do, no time to do any of it, and my head was not in the game.

So this morning I woke up with a different attitude. Handle the work that needs handling, then it is time to Drop the Clutch. A little solo riding is exactly what I need to clear the noise and get my head right.

It is okay not to be okay. What matters is noticing it and calling an audible when you need to. You are not running away from anything, you are getting yourself ready to take it all on.

See you out there. ✌️

11/21/2025

Traverse City is hurting today. We lost Lawrence Boyd IV, and it was senseless. A random act of violence took Larry from this world, and it has shaken our small town to its core.

Larry was one of the good ones. He poured himself into this community. He showed up. He helped however he could. He also cared for his mother as she continues her fight with cancer. That says everything about the kind of man he was.

Times are tight for everyone, and nobody is pretending otherwise. But a GoFundMe has been set up to help his family, and even a dollar or two can make a real difference. If you cannot donate, sharing the link still helps more than you know.

When a life is stolen so suddenly, all we can do is stand together and lift up the people left behind. Let’s show Larry’s family that this town remembers him, loves him, and refuses to let them carry this alone.

Emily and I are heart broken for his family and friends and hold them in our thoughts and prayers

https://gofund.me/3ae55612br

The life of Lawrence Boyd, IV ended tragically while he was a… Peggy Ellibee needs your support for In honor of Lawrence Boyd, IV & in support of Kristi Hooper

11/21/2025

DROP THE CLUTCH CAMPAIGN
THANKSGIVING WITH PURPOSE

Thanksgiving is different when you ride with veterans, break bread with veterans, and fight for the ones who keep slipping through the cracks. This season is supposed to be about gratitude and togetherness, yet far too many of our brothers and sisters spend it alone. Some are dealing with memories that never slow down. Some are wrestling with the kind of silence that can swallow a person whole.

We does not look away from that. We hit the gas and move toward it. Our mission has always been crystal clear. Stand up for veterans. Talk openly about mental health. Fight su***de awareness with action and community. The holiday season is one of the toughest times of the year for struggling veterans, so this is when our presence matters most.

Thanksgiving gives us the perfect excuse to slow down long enough to show people they matter. This month and the next, I want every person who reads this to take one extra step. One extra call. One extra check in. If you know a veteran who lives alone, or a veteran who has no nearby family, reach out. Invite them to a meal. Bring them a plate. Sit with them for coffee. You never know what kind of weight they are carrying or how much difference your time might make.

Real support does not require a big speech or a fancy event. It is the simple act of showing up. It is asking a veteran how they are truly doing, then sticking around long enough to hear the real answer. It is reminding them that their service mattered, and that they still matter now.

The holidays are filled with noise for some people, but for others they become a quiet reminder of everything they lost. That quiet can turn dangerous if no one steps in. This is where our community shines. Bikers know how to show love without making a scene. We show up, we stand tall, we share a meal, and we make sure no one is left behind.

So this Thanksgiving, Drop the Clutch with purpose. Check in on your people. Lift up the veterans who feel forgotten. Spend time with the ones who have carried more than most will ever understand. Let your gratitude become action.

Ride with Purpose is here to remind everyone that tough conversations can save lives and community can pull a person out of the dark. This season is not just about giving thanks. It is about giving time. Giving presence. Giving hope.

You want to honor veterans this holiday season. Start with the simplest truth. No one should fight their battles alone.

11/20/2025

Saturday, December 6 at the whiskey jar in Brown city
The Whiskey Jar Brown City
Steel Horse Ranch

11/20/2025

November is rolling by fast, but you still have time to grab the newest Thunder Roads Magazine of Michigan at any of the killer advertisers who help keep this thing FREE for all of us. 🌟

While you thumb through this veteran focused issue, make sure you hit pages 14 and 15. There is a little something written by yours truly. 🇺🇸

Big shout out to Thunder Roads Magazine Michigan for giving us another solid way to get the word out. You help keep our mission moving and we appreciate the hell out of you. 🙏

And hey, if you catch me out on the bike, come say hi and grab a copy. I keep extra mags tucked in the saddlebags for exactly that reason.

11/19/2025

We are excited to announce that we’ve been invited back to the Reining Liberty Ranch for our 3rd
Some Gave All Veterans Honor Ride.
Date will be close to Labor Day again in 2026.
🇺🇸 🏍️ 🐴

11/17/2025

BIG THANK YOU to Brother MOOK and his much, much, much ( deep breath in ) MUCH better half, Jes for the awesome donation of non-perishable food that Ride with Purpose is going to donate to a local food pantry.

This has kicked off the start to something cool we have planned for next year!

We appreciate the support and we love you guys!

The donations we collected is a small part of helping local families that need an extra hand up during times like these.