The Guitcycle, Nelson's guitar-shaped motorcycle, is something of local and even national fame. Measuring 10 feet long and weighing approximately 200 pounds, it's purported to be the only guitar-shaped motorcycle ever ridden across the country.

Nelson has always been interested in guitars and motorcycles. He's played in several bands, including the Ray Nelson Combo and The Country Fusion. Around 1970, Nelson bought into a recording studio, where he and his colleagues decided to make his "bike tunes"—country sounds—into a record.

The album, called Sing Out for Motorcycles, contained songs like "Motorcycle Rider and Dirt Bikin'."

The cover art on the album was a sketch of a person riding a guitar-shaped motorcycle. When Nelson first saw the picture he became inspired to turn the sketch into reality.

" I know I can do this," he remembers having said.

Eleven years later, Nelson was given the opportunity to make his dream happen.

He purchased a 1980 Yamaha 650 for $200 and began drawing up blueprints. He and his friends spent the next year molding, shaping and painting fiberglass.

"We had a deadline to show it at the Cow Palace," Nelson says.

In 1982, after a year of hard work and with the paint still wet on the vehicle, Nelson wheeled his Guitcycle into the Cow Palace for display. Not too long after, Nelson decided to ride his bike across the country to promote his music. The five-month ride produced a number of positive reactions from spectators.

"One guy said I put the two baddest things together," Nelson says. "I've never had a negative reaction to this."

Nelson—a native of Arkansas—likes to think of himself as a patriot and frequently dresses in red, white and blue. He and his Guitcycle have also made several appearances—on postcards for the Art Car Festival, a New Orleans documentary, and most recently at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Many Campbell residents may have also seen Nelson on his Guitcycle when going to the local bank. Citibank approached Nelson a while back and asked if it could use one of his photographs for an ad at its banks. Nelson agreed to the arrangement, and a picture of Nelson with one hand on his bike, proudly wearing an American flag windbreaker while looking out over San Francisco Bay, has been seen in Citibank for the last six months.

Although the photograph might make riding the Guitcycle look like a breeze, however, Nelson says the bike is actually a little top-heavy.

"It's like having a kid on the handle bars of a bicycle," Nelson says.

And apparently it isn't the most comfortable machine to ride.

"It's like riding a leather-covered brick," says Nelson without mincing words.

Usually Nelson rides his bike at an easy 50 mph, but it can go much faster.

"I've ridden this to 100, but don't tell the cops," Nelson jokes.

As the Guitcycle's fame was rising, Nelson's wife, Louise, approached him with the idea of reentering parenthood and caring for foster children. Their own children were grown, and the Nelsons thought it would be a good idea to open their home to those in need.

In becoming foster parents the Nelsons had to go through an FBI check and attend foster parent classes to be eligible for the program. As he went through the process Nelson learned that most children changed homes several times before even graduating from high school.

The Nelson's first foster child was a 9-year-old boy, but not long after he was sent to live with them, the child was placed in his grandmother's care.

Then the Nelsons became foster parents to two boys and two girls for the next eight years.

Caring for these children brought a greater awareness to Nelson that children need to have a positive environment with constructive activities to help them become productive citizens and avoid getting into trouble.

Nelson wanted to provide those constructive activities for his foster children and other at-risk youths. So he turned to the idea of giving children guitars and offering free lessons.

He began asking for donations of guitars or money to buy guitars. But the process was slow. After several months, Nelson managed to obtain about 10 guitars, but he needed to create better visibility for his idea.

Some of the donors asked Nelson if they could write the donation off on their taxes. That request helped spark the idea to establish a nonprofit organization to reach his goal. Guitars Not Guns was officially born on July 26, 2000.

Once Nelson founded the organization, the process of collecting donations became easier. He would promote his nonprofit through lectures and fundraisers. And during its almost three-year history, many generous people have come forward.

Nelson remembers when a stranger drove to his house and handed him a blue guitar. And the time a woman came to the studio on Julian Street where guitar lessons are taught and donated an expensive guitar. When an expensive guitar is donated, Nelson takes it to a music shop, gets it appraised and sells it. He then uses the money to buy beginner guitars.

Through his Guitars Not Guns program he provides youth with free guitar lessons once a week. The lessons usually last an hour every Saturday, and after a six-week lesson cycle, each student is given a test. If the student passes the test he or she can keep the guitar.

Nick Langston is one of the guitar teachers and also Guitars Not Guns' Bay Area director. He has been with the organization since 2001, after seeing the Guitcycle and a Guitars Not Guns van parked in Nelson's driveway. As the program's director, Langston organizes the classes and other promotional events. But he also works directly with the hundreds of children who have come through the program from foster homes or who demonstrate at-risk behavior.

"We get the kids that are already in trouble," says Langston, 31.

In the two years he has taught youths how to play guitar, he has seen different reactions.

"Some kids you can't reach," Langston says. "Some kids are very timid. After six weeks you see a change and that's rewarding."

Most of the children that come for lessons have never touched or held a guitar, Langston says. He adds that many of the children are worried they may break the instrument and be scolded.

"The fear of failure seems to subside," Langston says. "They know they won't get it right the first time and it's OK."

The organization is hoping to start a pilot program with youth housed at juvenile hall in Santa Cruz. In the program youths would be given the opportunity to learn how to play a guitar if they have the interest.

The program has even helped a child as far away as Bulgaria. The organization received an email from a boy saying he wanted to start a band. So they shipped a guitar to him.

"We get letters from people around the world," Nelson says.

But he adds it would cost too much to regularly ship guitars to different countries, though they do send guitars to other states.

To combat the lack of funding, Guitars Not Guns is also actively seeking monetary donations. On June 29, the organization held a fundraiser at the Fairmont Plaza in downtown San Jose, where a guitar auction took place and bands donated their time and music.

But Nelson says he doesn't measure his rewards in a monetary amount. Instead, he feels he has done his job when he sees his students smile as they play a chord.

"I enjoy what I'm doing," Nelson says. "I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and ask how many guitars I can get for how many kids."

For more information on the Guitcycle, visit http://www.guitarbike.com. For more information on Guitars Not Guns, visit http://www.guitarsnotguns.org.