Re-connecting Veterans with Their Communities, One Motorcycle at a Time

Motorcycles have long been recognized as an important therapeutic resource for military veterans. Riding provides an experience of freedom, control and relaxation, creating much-needed space away from everyday cares. Veterans can also gain social and emotional support through motorcycle clubs that participate in charity events and other community activities.

But keeping a motorcycle is an expense. When a veteran falls on hard times, a motorcycle is more than just a household budget item to be crossed off. Giving it up also means losing an important connection to their own well-being and their community.

Fortunately, the motorcycle community is there to help. One example is chronicled the new three-part Metal of Honor series on digital and social media from Full Throttle Energy, the first episode of which was released November 11 in honor of Veterans Day. 

The series, one of several veterans’ programs supported by Full Throttle Energy, follows former U.S. Army airborne infantryman Ian Refugio as he gets a chance to return to his love of riding after Full Throttle Energy enlists renowned design duo Al Raposo and Taylor Schultz to restore a vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle fit for a hero.

Refugio spent six years in the Army, including multiple deployments to Kosovo and Africa, until injuries from a parachute exercise resulted in a medical discharge. He started civilian life with a degree in a nursing, but his condition worsened to include debilitating migraines linked to traumatic brain injury, along with knee injuries, nerve damage and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He was ultimately unable to work and received a declaration of permanent disability. Unable to afford the upkeep on his motorcycle, he gave it up three years ago.

“A lot of it was my escape and my therapy,” he explains. “Missing out on being with the folks I was riding with, it was challenging. There’s a social and a personal aspect, too.”

Refugio entered the Army at just 17 years old. Feeling like he didn’t fit in with other, typically older soldiers, he took up riding at age 19 while stationed in Italy. At first, it was a form of escape, but it soon became a means of connecting with other bikers.

“The motorcycle community is really group-oriented,” he says. “Ninety-five percent of my rides have been group rides.”

The donated motorcycle helped Refugio reconnect with veterans and other riders who share his cultural background and his enthusiasm for Harleys. 

Refugio says it “blew my mind” when he got to see the bike for the first time. 

“It has given me connections I lost,” he adds, recounting his participation in charity events in and around Sonoma County benefiting causes like children’s homes, veterans housing, Thanksgiving turkey drives, and support for seniors through Meals on Wheels.

The reconnection and recovery theme is present throughout Metal of Honor. It was also central to the one-of-a-kind bike’s design by Raposo who took care of the repair and upgrades, and Schultz who added meticulous, hand-painted artwork.

Schultz says Harley-Davidson motorcycles have a unique and longstanding therapeutic connection with veterans that goes back to World War II when the company was the main supplier of motorcycles to the U.S. military. 

“There were no PTSD programs after World War II,” Schultz explains. “Riding was a form of therapy, and it provides the adrenaline rush they miss.”

Schultz and Raposo have their own track record of community engagement, partly through their roles as brand ambassadors for Full Throttle Energy.

“We‘ve done a lot of different work with the local groups around here. We’ll customize a bike for them to raffle off. We help in any way we can,” Raposo says.

Metal of Honor illustrates how just one meaningful donation can have a life-changing impact on a single person, empowering them to reach out and help others in need of support as well. 

Along with donating sick cycles, Full Throttle Energy aims to support and empower veterans via representation and partnering with those who served. One of those groups Full Throttle Energy partners with is veteran-owned and operated Flags of Valor. Launched in 2015, Flags of Valor handcrafts American flags and goods, fostering community and employing veterans, while also giving back by donating a portion of proceeds to organizations that aid veterans and their families.

This article series is sponsored by Monster Energy and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.