Bikers get an extra treat as the Christmas holidays approach, to not only become part of something so much larger than themselves and help the less fortunate, but to also have a great time doing it. Clutch and Chrome has ten tips to help your first Toy Run that much more enjoyable!

It’s an activity that probably brings more new riders into the fold than the most expensive advertisements from any motorcycle manufacturer. One can only imagine a would-be rider sitting in a car of stopped traffic as hundreds of motorcycles thunder by in all their two-wheeled glory.

The event certainly captures the media's attention and the public's imagination, bringing much deserved respect to the riding community.

There is something larger than life with a Toy Run. 
 
Toy Runs have become part of the sales pitch of any motorcycle salesperson, reduced to pins on a leather vest or considered an event as casual as an everyday bike night. But in reality, Toy Runs not only provide a great service for the less fortunate at a special time of year but they act as a burning beacon of everything that is good about the people who choose to ride motorcycles.

Coming in various shapes and sizes over the last few months of any given year, Toy Runs have become a kind of badge of honor for many bikers who take a day away from the solitary open road to bring happiness to children they will never meet or even know.

For those not lucky enough to have participated in this kind of amazing event, a quick overview of what a Toy Run is and some would say more importantly, what it hopes to achieve. The most basic idea of a Toy Run was surely born from two big-hearted bikers talking during some downtime about a child who, for what ever reason would be waking up on Christmas morning without presents. As tough as they portray themselves to be it’s a heartbreaking thought for the most hardened biker.

Basically, bikers are asked to bring an unwrapped toy along with a small donation to the starting point of an organized ride which usually takes place on a weekend morning or early afternoon. This simple concept has grown into police escorts with live music, entertainment, fairs, food and refreshments at the destination. But at the heart of every event is a group of bikers getting together collecting toys for less fortunate children and raising money for a deserving charity.

Like most motorcycle events, Toy Runs tend to go on to become annual events, getting larger every year growing from local awareness, the exploding number of bikers and simply out of the hard work by volunteer organizers. The Fun in the Sun Run in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has grown to an expected 30,000 bikers participating in this years event with even more non-riders attending the post ride celebrations on December 14th. A poster child for Toy Runs, the event was started by bikers 20 years ago and since then riders and supporters have raised in excess of $6,000,000, which is used for the cancer treatments and other special needs for the kids, as well as feeding thousands of needy families during the holidays.

Generally speaking, Toy Runs are made up by a range of bikers on a plethora of motorcycles. From the armchairs on wheels such as the GoldWing and other luxurious touring motorcycles to the naked and sportsbikes built more for performance than long rides, they are mostly dressed like Christmas trees with toys strapped on in a variety of creative ways. The feeling a biker gets from doing the right thing for the less fortunate is also rewarded from conversations with riders not normally in their two-wheeled social circle and take a closer look at motorcycles only seen in magazines or riding by on the road.

New riders look at Toy Runs with anxious excitement, amplified by the size of the event that can consist of a handful of bikers to tens of thousands. Regardless of what more cynical experienced bikers will say, many feel completing a Toy Run is a fun and important inaugural step into the riding world and a proud pin to put on the riding vest.

To help settle some of that excitement, answer some questions about Toy Runs commonly asked or wondered by those who have never completed such an event Clutch and Chrome has brought together ten tips to make that ‘first time’ easier, less stressful and certainly more enjoyable.

Make sure your motorcycle is good working order
It may sound like an obvious tip, but take care of any maintenance or mechanical issues you may be experiencing well before riding in the Toy Run. Larger Toy Runs tend to stop and start making bikes run hot and the shortest distance seeming longer than anyone would think.

If your bike is running hot, coming up for a service or there any issues with it running anything other that smoothly, have a mechanic look at it before the Toy Run. Riders with air-cooled engines facing a large turnout for the local Toy Run should anticipate the chance they might have to nurse their motorcycle into the last stages of the the event. As an example, at the more congested sections of the Fort Lauderdale Fun in the Sun Toy Run, the Harley-Davidson motorcycles tend to get a little touchy towards the end of the run as riders wait to make it into the parking area.

Bottom line, the last place you want to be broken down on the side of the road is in front of hundreds of other bikers.
 

Take cash
Toy Runs start in large parking lots and end in a field where the celebrations and live music take place. Depending on the size of the Toy Run, there could be a wait between getting that great spot in the ride and when the run hits the road.

Consequently, time is passed by making new friends, checking out motorcycles and keeping warm with coffee and the like. At the other end, pins for the vest, T-shirts and a host of booths with everything a biker would want to buy are all best transacted with cold, hard, cash. What ATM’s are available at the wrap-up event will charge the high withdrawal fees portable cash machines are known for. Planning ahead and having cash on hand is not only convenient but also a great way of setting a spending budget for the day and sticking to it.
 

Start with a full tank of gas
Once again, it may seem like common-sense but the first Toy Run can be both exciting and a little daunting, especially if a biker has never ridden in a large group before. Forgetting to fill up the tank is a common mistake and because of the tendency of larger runs to stop and go as mentioned in tip number one, it could be a blunder leaving you embarrassingly stranded on the side of the road in front of hundreds of bikers.

As we mentioned before, not the place you want to be.
 

Festive can be fun and safe
One of the joys of any Toy Run is the mirthful ends bikers will go to celebrate the joyous event. Santa suits, reindeer ears and decorated helmets are all part of the motorcycle merriment.

Before running over to your uncles house to borrow the family Santa suit some forethought about motorcycle safety is needed. When thinking about how the suit hangs, its fit isn’t the concern but how the festive attire handles at any given speed and if any parts could be caught by the moving pieces of your bike. Wearing anything out of the ordinary needs a test run, with the effect of wind on any additions being carefully considered. Many riders don’t realize that riding apparel is designed and manufactured to be more durable against the pressure as well as wear and tear of whipping winds.

Before gluing anything on your lid, consider the effect of the adhesive as some glues can damage certain thermoplastic or polycarbonate motorcycle helmets. Even if there is no long lasting effect on the structural integrity of the helmet, glues can ruin a helmets finish, dulling its polish and paint. As with any products used on a helmet, if any glue is being considered, it should be solvent free.

Regardless of how it’s stuck on, anything worn for the Toy Run shouldn’t obscure your view, move around too much while riding and most of all, come off when moving. You’ll find yourself quickly unpopular with the riders behind you and hard-pressed to find any charitable spirits if the reindeer antlers fly backwards during the run.
 

Test any motorcycle modifications
Many bikers decorate their rides as colorfully as the most elaborate Christmas tree with everything from bows to tinsel. As with the tips given with potential costumes, any alterations to the motorcycle shouldn’t obscure your view, hinder the bikes handling ability or come off while riding. Following the golden rules of packing for road trips applies nicely to Toy Run transformations as well; give yourself plenty of time for test runs to account for wind and items shifting as you ride.

Bear in mind that chrome and paintwork are just as sensitive as the finish on a motorcycle helmet, at the very least any adhesive will be difficult to remove and at worse could damage or mark the finish. As with strapping down luggage for road trips any loose fixtures could also scratch or abrasive cord could scratch paintwork as well as chrome.
 

Choose the toy carefully
Generally speaking, a price point is given for the amount to be spent on the toy, with well organized runs offering a list of suggested gifts for boys and girls of different ages. As great as the toy may look on the shelf of your local WalMart or Toys R Us, try to picture it on the back of your bike and how it will be secured there as well.

How will the ride hold up on the back of a bike at 30 - 40 miles per hour? Is the box robust enough to handle the tension of a bunjee cord? these are question to ask yourself when buying the toy.

Remember to leave room on your bike for the usual items used while riding such as your leather jacket or vest, waterproofs, water, etc.
 

Don’t be cheap!
As much fun as a Toy Run can be and as enjoyable as it is to meet several hundred new riding buddies, the event is about gathering presents for less fortunate children and raising money for a worthy charity. Bring a present you’d be happy to give to the favorite niece or nephew and probably the most important part, donate the present.

One year organizers of Fort Lauderdale’s Fun in the Sun Run complained of riders bringing a toy to the event, but also leaving with it. Some assumed the bikers were using the one present to attend several Toy Runs.

There seemed to be more riders who brought several presents than those who decided to hang onto theirs, but the frustrations were still felt by organizers as well as some embarrassment from fellow bikers.
 

Read up on group riding
The smallest Toy Runs could be considered group rides on steroids and come with more distractions. Non-riding crowds tend to turn up to watch the motorcycles leave the staging area or along the route to wave riders along. Some bikers throw candy to waving children while others just wave.

For riders less experienced in the dynamics of group riding along with the stop and go nature of larger runs leaves ample opportunity for an awkward accident.

Reading Online Motorcycle Magazine's article ‘How to have a great group ride’ will help understand the widely accepted procedures and riding etiquette of being in a large pack of motorcycles. How to ride in your particular Toy Run will largely depend on the number of motorcycles, the length of the ride and the route taken.

Feel free to ask other riders about their experiences in the previous years Toy Runs, what to expect and even for pointers. In typical biker fashion, you'll get more than enough advice.
 

Toy Runs aren’t just for cruisers
Its easy to think with the roar of straight pipes and the rumble rattling riders fillings that a Toy Run is all about cruisers, but its not. Sportsbikes, naked and touring motorcycle as well as trikes all come out for Toy Runs, all in various stages of holiday decorations.

There are few events that bring together as many riders across the motorcycle spectrum like a Toy Run. Hardened riders, all types of motorcycle clubs, weekend bikers and people from every background and lifestyle come together to enjoy the event and of course make a difference for the chosen charity.
 

Invite everyone you know
In so many ways riding is a solitary past time; a rider, motorcycle, open road, the wind and his thoughts. But in a two-wheeled irony bikers tend to ride in packs just proving that ‘more really is merrier’.

Depending on the size of the Toy Run, arriving early for favorable place in the pack and waiting for the run to start can easily stretch a few hours. By inviting all your riding friends you’ll have a group to pass the time with, wander the staging area and make new riding buddies as you check out the other motorcycles.

Also, with the usual after-ride celebrations of live music food and motorcycle related activities, a group makes the time that much more fun.

Besides, the event is to raise money for a good cause and collect presents for the less fortunate children, why wouldn’t you want to bring along more people to help out.

For all the good Toy Runs may achieve they can still get a tough rap from jaded bikers or riders who don’t enjoy being surrounded by too many other motorcycles. Anyone who has raised the question of Toy Runs has most likely been told more times than they care to hear how it’s a long and trying day. The group rides too slowly and the waiting can be monotonous, cynics will say and they are partly right.

But the feeling that you’ll come away with and the memories from the experience make most people dismiss the down side and come back year after year to enjoy Toy Runs. And quite frankly, the event is the rare occasion Harley riders can wear something other than black when they slip on the bright Santa suit.