Issue 11. The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride is six days out and Atlanta's chapter is locked and loaded. This issue previews DGR 2026 for Sunday, May 17, covers the Brave & Bold Vet Motor Show in McDonough on May 23, handles Memorial Day weekend logistics for Rolling Thunder and Riding 22, and tracks the full bike night circuit through the rest of the month. The calendar runs hot through the end of May. Get your kit ready.
Lawrence Johnson
Editor · Red Line Moto ATL
11
Issues Published
11
Active Bike Nights
May 17
DGR Atlanta
May 23
Brave & Bold
✦ In This Issue
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02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
✦ DGR 2026 — This Sunday, May 17
Distinguished Gentleman's Ride · Sunday, May 17, 2026 · Atlanta
Six Days. Get Ready.
Atlanta Chapter · Classic Style Required · Movember · All Makes Welcome
LIVE COUNTDOWN — DGR ATLANTA · SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026
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Days
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Hours
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Minutes
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Seconds
May 17
Ride Date
ATL
Atlanta Chapter
Movember
Beneficiary
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride hits Atlanta this Sunday, May 17. Six days out. If your registration isn't in yet, move on that today — gentlemanrides.com. Classic attire required: tweed, leather, flat caps, waistcoats. The point is to look like you mean it. Your bike doesn't have to be vintage, but your kit should read the room.
The cause: DGR funds prostate cancer research and men's mental health through Movember. This is a global ride — every chapter worldwide rolls on the same Sunday. Atlanta's chapter runs one of the most organized events in the Southeast. If you've been to a previous DGR here, you know the energy. If this is your first, the bar is high and the crowd delivers.
Prep checklist: Register at gentlemanrides.com. Set a fundraising goal — even a small one. Confirm staging location with the Atlanta chapter on social in the days before. Fuel up Saturday night. Kit laid out and ready Sunday morning. Red Line will be on the ground for full photo coverage — Issue 12 will have the full recap and rider spotlights.
✦ Brave & Bold Vet Motor Show — May 23, McDonough
Veterans. Builds. McDonough. Red Line Will Be There.
The Brave & Bold Vet Motor Show comes to McDonough on Saturday, May 23. This is a veteran-focused custom and show event — bikes built by vets, displayed by vets, judged by the community. Red Line will be on the ground for full coverage: rider interviews, build spotlights, and a proper writeup in Issue 12.
Why it matters: This isn't a swap meet or a generic bike show. Brave & Bold is organized by and for military veterans and their families, with proceeds supporting veteran-focused programs. The builds tend toward custom, vintage, and military-influenced — bikes with stories attached. Henry County, this is your show.
Confirm details and hours through the Brave & Bold social channels before the weekend. Red Line staging typically runs mid-morning — find us at the show, stop and say something.
✦ Memorial Day Weekend — May 23–26
🇺🇸 Rolling Thunder — Ride for Freedom · Washington, D.C.
Rolling Thunder is the largest POW/MIA tribute ride in the country. Every Memorial Day weekend, thousands of motorcyclists converge on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to honor prisoners of war and service members missing in action. The 2026 run is Memorial Day weekend — May 25 staging, with the ride departing the Pentagon on Sunday morning.
If you're making the D.C. run: Coordinate your staging through AVMC Atlanta before the week of. The group convoy typically departs metro Atlanta Thursday or Friday to allow for the drive up. Hotel accommodations near the Pentagon fill early — if you haven't booked, move on that now.
Riding 22 — the veteran suicide awareness ride — has its Buford stop on May 29. That's 22 veteran suicides a day. The Riding 22 mission is awareness and community. Confirm the Gwinnett staging location at riding22.org before the event.
The circuit runs full this week. Tuesday through Saturday, there's somewhere to be in every quadrant of the metro. The week leading into DGR Sunday is one of the better attendance windows of the year — the community is activated, the weather is right, and everyone is primed heading into the weekend. Get out and use the circuit before Sunday.
Note for this week: The second Wednesday of the month is Cycle Gear Lawrenceville night — 5–8 PM, 722 Collins Hill Rd. That's one of the better gear-shop nights on the circuit, with giveaways and games. Worth the east metro run.
🌙 Atlanta Metro Bike Nights — May 11–17, 2026
Tue
12
MAY
WeeklyFreeDealer
Killer Creek H-D Tuesday Bike Night
Killer Creek Harley-Davidson · 11480 Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA
The north side anchor. Every Tuesday through the season — all makes welcomed, consistent 6–9 PM. Post-DGR crowds at Killer Creek run heavy; it's the natural landing spot for the north side riders still buzzing from Sunday. Confirm hours at killercreekharley.com.
Tue
12
MAY
WeeklyFree
Tuesday Bike Night — Victory Sandwich Bar
Victory Sandwich Bar · 340 Church St, Decatur, GA · Patio + Street Parking
The original intown Atlanta bike night. Victory on Church Street in Decatur draws Triumphs, Ducatis, airheads, nineTs, and every other make that self-selects into the Decatur corridor. The patio, the bourbon slushies, the ping pong — all of it. Confirmed running every Tuesday through the season. BMW and modern classic heavy.
Wed
13
MAY
2nd WedFreeGear Shop
Cycle Gear Lawrenceville Bike Night
Cycle Gear · 722 Collins Hill Rd, Lawrenceville, GA · 5–8 PM
Second Wednesday of the month. Cycle Gear Lawrenceville runs one of the best gear-shop bike nights in the region — food, games, giveaways, DJs, slow races, helmet bowling, and regular MotoAmerica and AMA rider appearances. 5–8 PM. All makes, all experience levels. East metro, this is yours.
Wed
13
MAY
WeeklyFree
Wednesday Lot Night — Camp Creek Marketplace
Camp Creek Marketplace · 3677 Marketplace Blvd, East Point, GA
West Atlanta's midweek anchor. Camp Creek runs later than most and draws a heavy mixed crowd — ADV, sport, cruiser in roughly equal proportion. Fulton, Douglas, and Carroll County riders anchor this night. Post-meet roads off Camp Creek Pkwy are light after 9 PM.
Thu
14
MAY
WeeklyFreeDealer
WOW Motorcycles Thursday Bike Night
WOW Motorcycles · 522 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA
America's largest pre-owned powersports dealer — 600+ units in stock — and a Thursday night worth the Cobb Pkwy run. WOW carries all major makes across new and used inventory, which means the lot conversation is genuinely different than a single-brand dealer night. Northwest metro anchor. Confirm schedule at wowmotorcycles.com.
Thu
14
MAY
WeeklyFreeDealer
Cartersville H-D Thursday Bike Night
Cartersville Harley-Davidson · 24 Red Top Mountain Rd SE, Cartersville, GA
Far north metro anchor and mountains gateway. Cartersville H-D sits at the literal entry point to north Georgia riding — the post-meet run up Red Top Mountain Rd is one of the best 20-minute rides on the circuit. Worth the drive from the city if you plan to stay north and ride back late.
Thu
14
MAY
WeeklyFreeDealer
Thursday Night Ride-In — Atlanta Harley-Davidson
Atlanta Harley-Davidson · 7980 Tara Blvd, Jonesboro, GA
South metro anchor. Atlanta H-D's Thursday night runs consistent through every weather window this spring. 2026 demo fleet on site most weeks — confirm at atlantaharley.com before the run. Clayton and Henry County riders, this is your home night. Lot fills from the south end.
Fri
15
MAY
WeeklyFree
Friday Night Cars & Bikes — Marietta Square
Marietta Square · Marietta, GA (North lot off Cherokee St)
Cobb County's organic weekly. No host, no RSVP, no cover — cars and bikes showing up to the same lot on principle. Gets going around 7 PM and runs to 10. Barrett Pkwy north to Canton is the standard post-meet loop. May Friday nights draw the biggest mixed crowd of the season.
✦ Circuit Intel — May 2026
📡 What You Need to Know This Week
DGR — This Sunday, May 17 — Atlanta chapter. Register at gentlemanrides.com now. Classic attire required. Red Line on site for full photo coverage — gallery and rider spotlights publish next week at redlinemotoatl.com.
Brave & Bold — May 23 — Red Line will be on the ground in McDonough. Veteran custom show and build display. Full writeup in Issue 12. Confirm hours via Brave & Bold social channels before the weekend.
Rolling Thunder logistics — If you're making the D.C. run May 24–26, your hotel window is closing fast. Coordinate with AVMC Atlanta for group convoy staging. Pentagon parking fills by 0900 on Sunday.
TN Motorcycles & Music Revival — Loretta Lynn's Ranch, May 14–17. ADV and dual-sport focus. Creek camping. Four hours from Atlanta. Weekend window overlaps with the north Georgia mountain prime window if you want to link it.
Biker Nation Reunion Rally — Helen, GA, June 4–7. 26th annual. North Georgia mountain roads. VIP still available. Book before Memorial Day weekend if you're going.
MotoAmerica Barber Round 3 — Birmingham, AL, June 13–14. Next Barber round after Road Atlanta. Book tickets at motoamerica.com now — Barber rounds sell.
GA-348 Richard Russell Hwy — Still prime. Blairsville to Helen. No active construction. Combine with Unicoi Gap for the full north Georgia loop. The window closes in mid-June when summer traffic builds.
The Dragon (US-129) — Summer surge is building. Plan rides before 9 AM or after 6 PM on weekdays. Weekend crowds are now consistent through October.
✦ Vet Corner
🎖 Memorial Day, Rolling Thunder, and the 22
Memorial Day is not a long weekend. It's a day of remembrance, and the riding community has always understood that better than most. Rolling Thunder — Ride for Freedom is the largest organized expression of that understanding in the country. Thousands of veterans, riders, and civilians converging on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to say: we have not forgotten those who did not come home.
Riding 22 addresses a different kind of loss — the 22 veteran suicides that happen every day in this country. The Buford stop on May 29 is a riding community moment and a community service moment. Show up if you're in Gwinnett. Staging details at riding22.org.
If you're a veteran or active duty and riding in the Atlanta metro, Red Line wants to know your story. DM @redlinemotoatl or email the address in the footer. Rider spotlights and build features are ongoing — we want the community to see itself.
✦ Road Report — The May Window
Mountain Roads Are Prime. The Window Is Open.
May is peak season for north Georgia. The foliage is full, road surfaces are dry from spring, traffic hasn't hit summer levels, and the temperature at elevation is still 15–20 degrees cooler than Atlanta proper on a clear afternoon.
GA-348 (Richard Russell Scenic Highway) from Blairsville to Helen is running clean. No active construction. The elevation changes give you canyon curves, ridge-top vistas, and the fastest S-curve series in the state without touching a closed course. Combine with Unicoi Gap (GA-75) for the full north Georgia loop.
Cherohala Skyway is open and in good condition. 43 miles from Tellico Plains, TN to Robbinsville, NC — zero services on route, so fuel before you enter. 5,400 feet at peak. Late-afternoon light through the ridge gaps is worth the drive.
GA-180 (Wolf Pen Gap Road) between Suches and Dahlonega is dry and clear. This is one of the most underrated runs in the state — tighter and less trafficked than 348 or the Dragon, with the same elevation drama.
GA-348 ✓ PrimeCherohala ✓ OpenUS-129 ⚠ Crowds BuildingGA-180 ✓ ClearUnicoi Gap ✓ DryWolf Pen Gap ✓ Underrated
✦ Upcoming Events — May & June 2026
May172026
This Sunday
Distinguished Gentleman's Ride — Atlanta
Atlanta, GA · Confirm staging via @ATL_DGR
The global DGR hits Atlanta this Sunday. Classic attire required. Register at gentlemanrides.com before the week is out. Red Line on site for full coverage — Issue 12 recap.
May202026
Monthly
Pop's Coffee Bike Night — 3rd Tuesday
Pop's Coffee · Roswell, GA · 6–8 PM
Third Tuesday of the month. Triumph of Atlanta is next door. Outdoor patio, specialty coffee, strong mixed crowd. One of the better north-side evenings on the calendar.
May232026
Veteran Event
Brave & Bold Vet Motor Show
McDonough, GA · Henry County
Veteran-focused custom and show event. Bikes built and displayed by veterans. Red Line will be on the ground for full coverage — rider interviews, build spotlights, full writeup in Issue 12. Confirm hours via Brave & Bold social channels.
May252026
Memorial Day
Rolling Thunder — Ride for Freedom
Pentagon / National Mall · Washington, D.C.
Largest POW/MIA tribute ride in the country. Staging at the Pentagon. Departure Sunday morning. If you're making the D.C. run, coordinate convoy logistics via AVMC Atlanta. Hotel window near the Pentagon is closing — book now. rollingthunder1.com
May292026
Awareness Ride
Riding 22 — Buford, Georgia Stop
Gwinnett County · Buford, GA
22 veteran suicides a day. The Riding 22 mission is awareness and community. Confirm Gwinnett staging location at riding22.org before the event. Show up if you're in the northeast metro.
Jun42026
Rally
Biker Nation Reunion Rally — Helen, GA
Helen, GA · Jun 4–7 · North Georgia Mountains
26th annual. Four days in the mountains. North Georgia road access from every direction. VIP packages still available — book before Memorial Day weekend. Helen in early June is pre-summer-crowd and rides clean in every direction.
Jun132026
MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica — Barber Motorsports Park, Round 3
Barber Motorsports Park · Birmingham, AL · Jun 13–14
Next Barber round on the MotoAmerica calendar. The facility is world-class and the race weekend is one of the best in North America. Book tickets at motoamerica.com now — Barber rounds sell. Four hours from Atlanta with a clean interstate run.
Jun192026
Rally
Daytona Bike Week — Summer Edition
Daytona Beach, FL · Jun 19–28
The summer Daytona run. Smaller than March, better weather windows, shorter crowds. If you missed March or want the Florida coast ride, this is the window. Seven hours from Atlanta on I-95. Full event calendar at officialbikeweek.com.
✦ Event Radar — May–June 2026
GA
May 14–17
TN Motorcycles & Music Revival
Loretta Lynn's Ranch. ADV/dual-sport. Creek camping. 4 hrs from ATL. Confirm at motomusicrevival.com.
McDonough. Red Line on site. Veteran builds and community. Full coverage Issue 12.
DC
May 25
Rolling Thunder — Ride for Freedom
Memorial Day. National Mall. Largest POW/MIA tribute ride in the country. Coordinate via AVMC Atlanta.
GA
May 29
Riding 22 — Buford Stop
Gwinnett County. 22 veteran suicides a day. Confirm staging at riding22.org.
GA
Jun 4–7
Biker Nation Reunion Rally
Helen, GA. 26th annual. North Georgia mountain roads. Book VIP before Memorial Day.
AL
Jun 13–14
MotoAmerica — Barber Round 3
Birmingham. Next Barber round. Book tickets at motoamerica.com now.
TN/NC
May–Jun
Cherohala Skyway
Open and clean. 43 miles. 5,400 ft. Zero services. Fuel in Tellico Plains before entry.
GA
Now
GA-348 Richard Russell Hwy
Prime condition window. Blairsville to Helen. Combine with Unicoi Gap for the full loop.
✦ Issue No. 11 · Monday, May 11 · Full Throttle.
DGR is this Sunday. Six days out. Atlanta's chapter is ready — get your kit laid out, your registration confirmed, and your fundraising page live. Gentlemanrides.com. Red Line will be on the ground for the full ride.
After DGR: May 23 is Brave & Bold in McDonough, a veteran custom show that Red Line covers in full for Issue 12. May 25 is Rolling Thunder in D.C. — if you're making that run, your logistics window is tight. May 29 is Riding 22 in Buford. The mountain roads are prime and the calendar is stacked through June.
Eleven issues in. The circuit is bigger, the community is more activated, and the road ahead is long. Get dressed. Get out. Get after it.
Lawrence Johnson
Editor · Red Line Moto ATL · Atlanta, Georgia · Est. 2025
ELEVEN ISSUES. ZERO APOLOGIES. FULL THROTTLE. NO REGRETS.