BIKERS WILL REV UP TO RIDE FOR CHARITY.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

If it's November, then that sound you'll hear Sunday - the growl of 20,000 motorcycles snaking up the Golden State Freeway - can only mean that the 15th annual Love Ride charity fund-raiser is in town.

The annual event, which has ended up at Castaic Lake since 1993, raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This year, organizers expect 20,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to take part in the 50-mile ride that begins at 10 a.m. in Glendale.

Participants pay a minimum of $50 to join the two-wheeled parade of helmets, leather and biker boots, and this year's ride is expected to generate $1 million in donations to the charity that helps victims of the chronic, degenerative disease.

Initial Love Rides journeyed to a park in the Malibu hills, but the event has become so popular that organizers switched to Castaic Lake State Recreation Area beginning with Love Ride 10, said event spokeswoman Annet Peairs.

That's just fine with the folks in Castaic, said local town councilman and school board member Greg Ferrier. ``The community has been receptive. We're really happy with (organizers and participants), and they seem to be really happy with us,'' he said.

Tickets are available for the post-ride barbecue and concert at the lower lake. The celebration gets under way at 11 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m., with entertainment by the Steve Miller Band and George Thorogood & The Destroyers.

Admission to the concert and barbecue, catered by Tony Roma's, is $50, and tickets will be available beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday at the park, 32100 Ridge Route Road.

Lt. Carl Deeley of the sheriff's Santa Clarita Valley station has joined two previous Love Rides and plans to be aboard his Harley Davidson for this weekend's event.

``When you go to the Love Ride, you're going to find every mix, from teachers to lawyers to doctors. I find people from all walks of life,'' Deeley said, including numerous deputies from the Santa Clarita station and the Pitchess Detention Center.

One of the best parts of the day, he noted, is watching the response of spectators along the way, ``having all the people waving from the (freeway) overpasses,'' he said.

Sheriff's Sgt. Robert Norlemann is another Love Ride veteran who is helping coordinate the event this year.

``I've ridden it before. You've got an 18,000- to 20,000-bike procession all the way up to Castaic Lake. It's quite a feeling to have that many people stand on the overpasses on the freeway and wave to you,'' Norlemann said. ``It's like a big parade. Everybody roars up there together.''

The post-ride party is a celebration of biker camaraderie, music and motorcycle merchandise.

``If you enjoy people-watching, you probably couldn't pick a better venue,'' Deeley added. ``And you get people from all over the country who come out here for this.''

For information on Love Ride 15, call the 24-hour hotline at [phone], Ext. 7.