• MotorcycleMotorcycle on the exhibition. image by wrangler from Fotolia.com
  
  Motorcycle enthusiasts in New England are active in dozens of clubs and nonprofit organizations catering to all types of bikers. In addition to being aficionados of motorcycles, many of the bikers are active in community-service activities, organizing major events that double as fundraisers for charities.
  
  

Annual Spring Ride for the Troops

• Each year the Patriot Riders of New England hosts a bike ride to honor soldiers stationed overseas. Proceeds from the April event are used to buy and send care packages to troops. The scenic ride through Maine kicks off with an early-morning breakfast. The route begins in the town of York, Maine.
  
  Patriot Riders of New England
  Ipswich VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1093
  110 County Road
  Ipswich, MA 01938
  508-265-7894
  patriotriders-ne.com
  
  

Bikers Against Child Abuse

• The Bikers Against Child Abuse national nonprofit organization has chapters in New Hampshire and Connecticut. Each spring, the New Hampshire chapter holds an annual Child Abuse Prevention Ride to raise money for injured children. The 100-mile course starts and ends in the town of Loudon. Local Harley Davidson shops disseminate pledge sheets for the ride.
  
  B.A.C.A. New Hampshire Chapter
  P.O. Box 86
  Tilton, NH 03276
  bacausa.com
  
  

Nelson's Ride

• The annual Nelson's Ride in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is an event in memory of Nelson Selig, Sr., who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2000. The ride aims to provide awareness of motorcycle safety and raise funds to assist families of riders in need. It is sponsored by the Massachusetts Motorcyclists Survivors Fund. The ride, usually held during the spring months, kicks off with a raffle, live music and safety briefings. A local minister conducts a blessing of the bikes before the riders begin the hour-and-a-half ride.
  
  Massachusetts Motorcyclists Survivors Fund, Inc.
  P.O. Box 446
  Topsfield, MA 01983
  978-388-3629
  massmsf.org
  
  

Women on Wheels

• Women on Wheels has chapters in the North Shore and South Shore of Boston and in Boston proper. The groups hold motorcycle training classes throughout the year for novices, and they participate in bike shows. Each month, the chapters hold a least one local ride. And several times during the year, they organize overnight trips to places such as the Maine resort town of Ogunquit and western Massachusetts's Mount Greylock. The chapter websites list upcoming rides and events.
  
  Women on Wheels North Shore
  nswow.org
  
  Women on Wheels South Shore
  sswow.org
  
  Women on Wheels Boston
  www.gbfr.org