Since several years, the company Target Logistics is sharing with Jay Allen ownership in all Broken Spoke establishments (Sturgis Broken Spoke Campground, Daytona FL Broken Spoke, Laconia NH Broken Spoke) with the exception of the original Broken Spoke Saloon in downtown Sturgis on Lazelle Street still fully owned by Jay.
I was quite surprised when I was informed that due to a different between Jay Allen and Target Logistics about the way to manage these establisments, Jay has decided to step away from his role as manager and entertainer.
For people of the industry and for all those who faithfully attend the different Broken Spoke Saloons and stay at the Sturgis Campground during rallies, Jay is synonymous with Broken Spoke and vice versa. Will his absence affect the success and compromise the future of the Broken Spoke establishments? Below is Jay’s letter announcing the change of leadership and his new activities for the coming months.
In regards to the Broken Spoke Saloons in Daytona Beach, FL; Laconia, NH and the Broken Spoke Campground in Sturgis, SD:
“After 18 years, I, Jay Allen, am stepping away from my leadership role. Brian Lash of Target Logistics, a shareholder, deems it’s his turn to serve the finest people known to man: the riders of the world. Accolades like creating a campground for Harley Davidson’s 100th anniversary, providing services for the Olympics in Greece and Canada, and working with the Bonnaroo Music Festival speak to Brian’s and the Target Company’s ability to get the job done. I wish them well, as I still own a large stake in the company, and only want the best for it, but I am anxious to move forward personally in the motorcycle industry.
For Sturgis 2011, I’ll be at the Original Broken Spoke, dishin’ it out to all you “Scooter Trash,” Jay Allen style with smoking hot servers, hot & steamy contests, great events, and beer so cold it will crack your teeth! After the Black Hills Classic, it’s “LSR” Land Speed Racing time! With talent the likes of Jeff Lange, Rob Schopf and Wink Eller, an S&S Cycle 135” motor and a Baker Drive Train 5-Speed – lord willing – maybe I can pilot our race bike closer to the 200 mph mark at the legendary Bonneville salt flats.
In the Fall I’ll be at the Lonestar Rally presenting the S&S Smokeout and Baker’s “Smoke Down Show Down” which will blow the Texas riders away! Don’t miss it!
For the many young and upcoming rallies out there, my services will be available for: consulting – site selection- talent booking – event creation – security – providing a strong barback team and liquor inventory system – and of course, always bringing in the A-team of beautiful, lighting-fast bartenders! Don’t forget, I am always available to be your crowd- energizing “master of ceremonies.” Let me save you time and money while accelerating your event’s success!
Blazing ahead, in 2012, Jay Allen Productions will be filming at all the major motorcycle events, producing a high-octane 2-wheel TV show for our armed forces.
I’ll be looking forward to crossing paths with my Broken Spoke family on the open highways of this great country.
Let’s ride!
Jay Allen
The Original Broken Spoke Saloon Downtown Sturgis
905 Lazelle St Sturgis, SD 57785
Jay is a GREAT guy and we will support him with his endeavors in the motorcycle industry wherever he goes.
If you ever have the time to sit with Jay away from a motorcycle event, you will then become to know the Jay Allen I do.
All the best Jay!
Boss Hawg
If Jay is not on stage, the Spoke is broke. The same way Cyril’s blog is dead if he stops writing it personally..
Who is Brian Lash? A biker or a shareholder?
The end of an era…I don’t see what a new guy on stage that probably nobody knows can bring that Jay didn’t do.
Jay will now be able to enjoy rallies.
wherever jay goes he will land on his feet, and he still owns a stake in the company, it will do well no matter what, but jay will always be a favorite person to run into at the rallies..good luck jay and see you soon
Jay was the Broken Spoke best ad. Target Logistics better off do now a lot of advertising.
hard to imagine spoke without him
Good luck Jay , will see you at the real spoke !!!
Jay has always been a big part of what makes the Broken Spoke what it is.
He will be missed at the Broken Spoke events around the country But He will still be many places.
This should give him some time to do some of the things he enjoys, he deserves it.
Jay,
Best of Luck to one of the most positive, coolest and hard working guys in the motorcycle arena.
I know he will succeed in what ever he sets his mind to.
best regards,
Scott Tudury
whohoo Jay! GOOD LUCK
Good job Jay….
see you in Sturgis and on the salt……
Jay Allen is the Arlen Ness of motorcycle events period. That title was earned over the course of decades entertaining and touching the lives of countless bikers. Jay’s positive impact on motorcycling as a forward-facing personality of the industry, the culture and the lifestyle is immeasurable. There is still no one to this day that can entertain a group of bikers the way Jay can and there never will be.
I would like to think that the motorcycle industry is one of the last frontiers that respects and honors patriarchs like Jay who have shaped its very foundation, which speaks to why Jay and Target Logistic must be parting ways. Jay you are the Broken Spoke, but for us who know you and care about you, you are more than that. You are our care free, Hollywood-inspired, Hawaii cave-living, Northern Cali-bound, salt flat racing, cool cowboy hat (where did you get that hat anyway?) wearing, people loving, hard riding HERO. The industry and your army of loyal followers are with you wherever you go. Best wishes on your new journey.
Where change occurs, opportunity sometimes follow that brings even greater rewards.
I sense that Jay Allen Productions may be that opportunity for him and I hope he pursues it – we desperately need a good motorcycle-oriented TV show, and if Jay Allen can deliver with product that fills this glaring void in the market, he’d be in great shape. He can break new exciting ground on television and leave Target Logistics to do what they do best.
Good for Jay bad for Target Logistics,and he should brake the 200 MPH he almost did last year…
The ONLY Broken Spoke I’ve ever been to is the ORIGINAL in Sturgis. All the others were for corporate greed in my book! Had ALOTTA good times there through the years with friends who have since passed on to the other side of reality. Still make sure to go to that groovy bar every year! I like the “Hog Sprayers” to cool everyone down! Not to mention the classic bikes that adorn the walls all around you! Good luck to you Jay in whatever you do. Wiz
Jay, you are a true promoter. He promoted the Spoke at so many venues, always greeted everyone with a smile and conversation that went there, a great announcer, has a GREAT reputation in the industry, a true motorcyclist and I consider a great friend. ALWAYS wishing you the best!!
The boys of MTI Powersports and I will definitely see you again this year on the salt. Best of luck with the new endeavour, and stay true to who you are. You have been an inspiration and a hero for a great number of us lucky enough to call you friend.
-Darin
I had heard this from one of the talented servers they bring in for bike week. I spent every night at the Broken Spoke during Laconia Bike Week. Not this year, no Jay and no Kristi, no deal!
Jay is the real deal and I will miss his presence at the County Line..I guess I’ll be downtown more at the spoke this year for sure!
All the best Jay. Great opportunities await you.
hey, after all those years now he can truly enjoy his baby, The Original Broken Spoke in Sturgis, where it all began. Remember when we could park inside? Yah, those were the days. I met you thru ‘BIG – T” in ’90, good man. Time to kick your heels up and take in the Rally for once. You ARE the SPOKE!!! Screw the rest of ’em.
Jay has plans..he always knows the next step – good for you Jay! I hope it gives you time to pursure other ventures but knowing you – you’ve probbly already filled the plate! See you on the radio!! XO
Jay is genuine and an original. He makes things rock no matter where he is. All the best mate.
Everyone above are correct, without Jay as the MC, why go there. He always created energy when at times there was none. Good luck Jay!
Damn and I really liked county line. But downtown it is. You are the man jay keep it up.
I think the plan was always for Jay to step away when the time was right with Target.
I’m glad to hear the time was right for him to go back to being his own man. Good Luck Jay!
Jay:
My best friend, my brother. It saddens me to see our years come to an end. You will be fine, where ever your new journey takes you. The Broken Spoke is Jay Allen!!!
I have been in a hospital {ECD, Extended Care Division} for the last 5 years. I am recovering from some harsh medical surgeries and was given a small chance of recovering and would most likely at best be a paraplegic. So far, it seems, the doctors have been scratchin’ their heads as my motor functions are beating the odds and everything seems to be healing back to normal. Every nurse and doctor say that an attitude can make or brake a person and their healing,and here is proof !!!
I am NOT reaching out for sympathy but wanted you to know what has lifted my spirits daily. When I got hurt I had never even heard about Victory bikes as I lived in a very urban area. While in here I learned to use the computer. One day I saw something that surprised the hell out of me — ANOTHER American motorcycle !!! I started perusing through the various new models, the custom bikes, and anything that said Victory for sale on it. I have owned Harley’s for years but these Victory’s Were just screamin’ at me to get my ass OUT of this place and God willing, be up someday in the near future with my ass ON one !!! I look at Victory’s and the cross-country 2011 Arlen Ness model and it does make getting up in the morning way more enjoyable. What is funny about all of this ? My healing had gone fairly static and at a corresponding time it started getting better about the same time I started delving into anything Victory !!
Now I see a light at the end of the tunnel — and somewhere a Victory along with it !!!
I cannot even BELIEVE that I just wrote the wrong forum !!! OOOPPSS !!!!
Jay Allen! The best boss ever! I’m always there for you.
As an owner of multiple restaurants and prior military I can say with certainty that Jay Allen is a leader that cannot be replaced as easily as the Target group would like. Jay is a icon and leader in every sense of the word, a breed apart. They were given a concept by the “man” himself. Icons are not bought or replaced this easily, Target will be nursing this black eye for a while. Meanwhile, the motorcycle world will follow Jay and the “spoke” will wonder where all the business went.
It’s the end of the Spoke the way you knew it. Target will fail without him, will sell it back in full to Jay at a bargain price for him. Amen
I had the privilege of working for Jay, and I can vouch first hand that he’s the real deal. Without a doubt, he genuinely cares about each and every rider that rolls up to the Spoke. At the start of each rally, he holds a staff meeting where he conveys just how important these events are to many people. He tells of riders saving coins in coffee cans for years just to get to Sturgis; it may truly be the trip of a lifetime for them. And with that, he never pushed us to push the sale. His concerns lie with making sure everyone feels welcome at the Spoke, whether they can afford a beer or not.
In my humble opinion this is the same mistake that Big Dog made when they got rid of Nick Messer. Nick was the face and heart of BDM just as Jay is the face and heart of the Broken Spoke. No one will ever take Jay’s place at the Spoke.
Good luck Jay – see you down the road!
Over & Out,
Jeff
i remember when there was only the Broken Spoke Saloon on Lazelle st. no other rally had a Broken Spoke and it kicked ass. Jay is a great guy , a motorcycle enthusiast,and a hell of a rider.GOOD LUCK in your next adventure and i will be there to support whatever you do. thanks Jay
Jay, As a fellow cave dweller, I know what your personality meant to the spoke and what it meant to you, but I’m glad to hear you will have the oppourtunity to pursue new dreams. I know that any project you take on will be a shining star. We go a long way back and there’s a long way yet to go. Enjoy the ride. Good Luck and I’ll see ya soon brother. .
brian lash is NOT a biker. he’s a corporate suit. this is the best thing for jay. now free to use all the talent and creativity for his brothers and sisters on two wheels. notice i didn’t say customers. the best is yet to come.
I met Jay Allen when I was 20 years old, exactly 18 years ago when he first bought ownership of the Original Broken Spoke on Lazelle in Sturgis. I’ve worked for this man playing rock music ever since
at pretty much every Sturgis Rally, and played all of the other Broken Spoke venues around the country during their respective rallies throughout the years. I consider him one of my greatest friends and mentors. I know his family personally and have even stayed with him and his loved ones at his residence in AZ. Over the years I’ve watched the Broken Spoke go from a little bar on Lazelle St, to a nationwide event at rallies because of Jay. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s stepped down from this position, sometimes a man can only take so much. I don’t think Jay is willing to compromise his ideas of how to run the Broken Spoke vs Brian Lash and the Target Companies, and I also think this is a perfect opportunity for Jay to get his lfe back so he could move on and do things outside of the Broken Spoke box and get back to where it all started, Lazelle St in Sturgis, concentrate on one small venue, dig his fingers into his production company doing tv and film projects, and work as an advisor for other people starting at other rallies. I know through our many conversations he’s always had a vision to do TV. It’s too bad, when people like the Tuttle’s and OCC took off in reality TV, and you have TV shows like the Full Throttle Saloon on reality TV now, before ANY one of them had the idea to do this type of entertainment on TV in the motorcycle world, Jay Allen already had the idea. Trust me I know, I had very long talks with him about the ideas in the mid and late 1990’s. No matter what Jay does, it will be a success, that’s just how the guy works, and when he has an idea he goes over the top to make it happen and is stubborn enough to do it. He’s been a huge influence on me and my own success in life and I give him alot of credit for making me the person I am today. He’s been a huge influence in my life on my own goals, hopes and dreams and is still in my life to this day watching me become something for myself as a musician, artist and a friend. Jay Allen will always be the Broken Spoke to me, to go to one of those venues and see some guy from the Target Companies stepping into that role won’t be the same, no one will be the same as Jay and what he has made and done for that brand. As I write this, I just got off the phone with Jay, and found out I’ll be back playing the County Line and Downtown one more year for him. 20 years and I’m still working for him and look forward to seeing my old friend again this year. I know when we met he kept me and my talent dear to his heart, and I’m proud to say that i’ve been with him all this years helping him make the Broken Spoke what it is today. When Jay’s gone, it’ll probably be my last year working this venue, but I’m happy I got 20 years out of it and wouldn’t change a thing. Good luck Jay, you are definitely one of my heros 🙂
Ryan Rolando
I have worked all of the Broken Spoke location since 2002. I fell in love with the person Jay Allen was to all bikers. I have learned alot from him over the years and the one thing that stands out is his passion for motorcycles and all who love them too. Jay Allen has a big heart and true love for all. He will always be the best promoter around, I wish his all the best.
Kimmycruz
After knowing who Jay is for years, I have finally had the opportunity to know him for a short period of time. I have had the pleasure of staying at the Spoke campground since year 1, about 5 years ago(?) and have seen God and Mother Nature try and beat him down more than once with this establishment, only to have Jay rise to the occasion and make Lemonade of Lemons.
To me, he is an icon of our culture, for ALL riders, placing the respect of all bikers, no matter who they are, before the politics of what seems to be in all aspects of life at this time.
The Broken Spoke Campground, with or without Jay, is merely one of Jay’s legacies. No matter the outcome in the long term, who invested, who’s in charge, and the turns it takes for better or worse, I will always consider this as one of the houses Jay built.
With integrity and determination.
And for that I am grateful.
Fred
I worked at the Broken spoke last year and Jay Allen to me, was a class act. Target losing him is a big loss, pretty much irreplaceable. How can lash rally the troops like Jay? Can’t be done. Places like the Buffalo Chip are better options now. Their band lineup is WAY better than BS.
Well, that’s life where change is the only constant thing that happens. I guess it’s good luck to both Jay and the broken spoke then.