June 2006 - The Parklander Magazine

Move over Hell’s Angels or you will be RUBbed! Hard-coremotorcycle riders call them Rich Urban Bikers and they’re takingover our nation’s highways in packs. Fort Lauderdale’s biggest bikeclub, The Hogs, has over 900 riders, a good percentage of whomare RUBs.RUBs are riders who have the financial ability to spend $20,000to $100,000 on a bike and they have enough disposable income todrop everything and take off for a weekend or the entire summer.Randy Lifshotz (59) is aninvestment banker for Phil GrantWachovia Securities inCoral Springs. He and PhilGrant (Vice President ofInvestments) are greatfriends who share a bondbecause of their passion forexpensive motorcycles andopen roads.Lifshotz takes his passionto the extreme, towing a30-cubic foot trailer behindhis bike as he takes in thescenery while traveling25 to 30 thousand miles ayear. His bike, a HondaGoldwing (nicknamed TheHonda-minimum) has a CBradio, an intercom so hecan converse with hispassenger, a GPS trackingsystem and a satellite radioso he can cruise in stylewhile listening to jazz.Single and looking, Lifshotz hasa list—what his daughter callsThe 10 Demandments—and by whichany potential female passengermust abide.“I don’t date ladies unless theyride motorcycles,” jokes the formerradio show host and magazinewriter. One of his columns wasRubbie Seeks Rubbette, which is wherehe came up with the list and alsowhere he discussed the differencesbetween Bikers and RUBs. It wassomething he found amusing,although some did not.“I take ladies who want to go outwith me on test runs,” he says.If they can’t handle the short runs,they usually don’t make it past thecity limits.With a digital camera hanging from his neck Lifshotz rides scenicroads off the major highways. He has enjoyed the magnificentviews of Lake Superior and Niagara Falls. He has ridden throughthe Adirondacks and the Berkshires, and then along theAppalachian Trail, crossing over to Virginia and down theBlue Ridge Parkway into North Carolina.“I just bought a house in North Carolina,” he says. “Not toget away—just because I can point my bike in any direction andget a ride out of it. That’s what it’s all about, doing something thatmakes you happy. Being able to get out there and hang out withmy buddies who can afford to do the same thing is fun.”Phil Grant can’t spend all summer on the road because he hasdogs. “They’re like my kids,” he admits. “I just can’t leave them.”So he takes long day trips like the 500-mile round trip to Daytonaand back for Bike Week. He enjoyed riding while growing up inCalifornia and had several motorcycles until he got married andgave it up for a while.Randy LifshotzA little over a year agohe bought a Harley, andthen he bought anotherHarley and he says heloves riding.“It brings me backto when I was a kid. Nowthat I’m single again I rideas much as I can. Naplesfor lunch—I’d never dothat in a car!”But Naples for lunch ona bike, according to Grant,is no big deal. He alsolikes to ride down tothe Keys, something he’sdone several times, oraround Lake Okeechobeefor lunch at the top ofthe lake.MAKE WAY FOR THE R.U.B.SR I C H U R B A N B I K E R SA new class of bikershas moved in.It’s what he calls theCathartic Effect. “Whenyou ride, all the other stuffyou deal with just meltsaway. In a car you go from pointA to point B. On a bike youexperience point A to point B.” Hissmile, when talking about hisrides, says it all. “It’s the sights,it’s the smells—the whole thingis just open, 360 degrees. I canhave a tense day at work, gohome, jump on the bike and infive minutes it’s a total releasefrom stress and aggravation.Not having to worry aboutmoney makes it that muchless stressful.”Phil slides back in his chair,puts his hands behind his headand offers advice like he does forhis clients everyday. “It’s a sportthat’s fun, and you can meet a lotof people. It takes you out into your world and you explore placesin a different way than you would with a car.”If you want to try it you don’t have to buy a bike. You can rentone, but Grant suggests taking the safety course first, to determineif you really like it, and so you can develop some skills.But be patient—RUBs are so numerous that there’s a four-to-sixweeklag time before space opens in a safety class. You can findmotorcycle safety classes by doing a search on the Internet; and justfor fun, you might want to check out www.harley-davidson.com.Photos & Text by Jim Donnelly—www.Imagemastersphotography.com12the PARKLANDER