dunphy’s diatribe chapter director tim...

WILD PRAIRIE H.O.G.® Chapter # 2423

www.wildprairiehog.com

Sponsored by: Wild Prairie Harley-Davidson®

12480 Plaza Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344

952-698-5000 www.wildprairiehd.com

2nd QUARTER - 2018 CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

H.O.G. Hotline - 952-953-7430 For information on rides and events, check the Wild Prairie HOG Hotline or HOG Chapter web site www.wildprairiehog.com

Chapter Meeting Schedule Second Thursday of every month at Wild Prairie Harley-Davidson. Dinner @ 6:30 pm, Meeting @ 7:00 pm

LOH® Meeting Schedule Typically the third Tuesday of every month, location TBD. 6:30 pm

Dunphy’s Diatribe Chapter Director Tim Dunphy [email protected]

During a recent discussion with some Chapter members the

subject of American Machine and Foundry (AMF) came up. I

recall doing a presentation on the subject about the time the

series Harley and the Davidsons was out, so I went back and

found my notes and will share some of them with you here.

Some think that the Harley-Davidson Motor Company (H-D)

has been at the top of the heap since 1903. The fact is that

with all the competition in the early years, the lean years of

the depression and the threat of predatory competition from

Japan in the 1960's, H-D has had numerous difficulties

narrowly escaping financial ruin.

With the Japanese onslaught of cheap bikes in the 60s, H-D

attempted to answer market demand for smaller bikes. The

Hummer, Bob Cat, Rapido Topper and Sprint were on the

menu.

Times were tough for H-D in the 60's, the fabled British

motorcycle industry was in ruin and it appeared the H-D would

follow. In 1969, AMF bought H-D just prior to bankruptcy.

They slashed the work force, labor strikes followed as well as

labor slowdowns and sabotage. Old faithful employees retired

and sales and product quality declined. The new FX Super-

Glide series began in 1971 but it wasn't enough. H-D's

reputation was damaged, motors had issues, parts fell off and

jokes ensued. "You can follow a H-D by the trail of parts left

on the road..." The FAITHFUL remained but H-D was failing.

In 1981, H-D bought itself back. On the verge of bankruptcy

again, thirteen H-D executives including Chairman Vaughn

Beals and VP of Styling Willie G. Davidson buy back H-D for

$75-80 million. The amount was low as most thought H-D was

beyond recovery. Under new ownership, H-D rebuilt plants,

restructured the labor force and established a "just in time"

inventory system. The product quality improved but it wasn't

enough. The imports were killing H-D. The Japanese, in an

attempt to drive H-D out of business as they did with the

British motorcycle industry, were dumping heavyweight bikes

on the market at a loss.

In 1983, H-D - charging predatory business practices with the

intent of driving the last American motorcycle company out of

business - appealed to the Reagan Administration for a tariff

on heavyweight imports. The tariff was structured like this:

Bikes over 700cc's.

1983 45% - 1984 35% - 1985 15% - 1986 10%

The tariff was successful and gave H-D breathing room to

again retrofit their operation.

In 1985 the new and wonderful Evolution motor appeared and

changed EVERYTHING! A decade later, H-D "mania" hits and

there was a two- and three-year waiting list to buy a new H-D

motorcycle...and the rest is history.

Over the years H-D has been a model of survival of the fittest.

Safe journey,

Tim

2nd QUARTER - 2018 of 6 CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

Ard’s Bard Secretary Jim Conklin (Ard) [email protected]

Seems my bike has been calling to me so strongly that I am

forgetting a lot of things lately, except the call of the open

road and the voice of the wind. This has been a very long and

stubborn winter - a hard winter to shake loose from! But shake

loose of it i did!

I did something totally out of character about a month ago; I

actually put my bike on a trailer! (Oh the horror!) As I get

older I find my old bones care less and less for 21 degrees and

an inch of snow on the road, which is what I was facing on the

morning of April 9th. I had to get to Phoenix, AZ by April 13th to

attend a surprise 60th birthday party for a dear old friend that I

wasn't about to miss!

Twenty-five years ago, after 2 years of prodding, I managed to

convince my old friend to just "stop by the Harley dealer and

take a look at the new bikes". About 2 hours later he was the

proud owner of a brand new 1993 Softail Custom! HA! Another

convert to our amazing lifestyle! My old friend has never

forgotten that day and the many, many thousands of miles,

smiles, and new friends that have resulted from that first

decision to pull the trigger and join the H-D family.

Back to my story: After waking up in Kansas City to 30 degrees

and ice on the seat of the bike, I hit the interstate and headed

south as fast as the posted allows (well maybe a touch more).

Fighting a 40-50 mph headwind and resulting in sub-35mpg

consumption of fuel, I finally made it to the Valley of the Sun.

My friend’s surprise was total as 6 of us rode up his driveway

and saw the look of shock on his face!

So that was half the reason I begged for a trailer ride as far

south as Kansas City where I began the 2 wheeled portion of

my journey. The other half is that my son lives in the Phoenix

area, as does my daughter-in-law and my two-year-old

granddaughter! I hadn't seen any of them for about a year, so

excuse #2 to blow town was firmly tugging at me as well.

I rode the 45 minutes from my old friend's house to my hotel

closer to the family and let them know I had made it to town!

The following day was the most amazing day of my riding life!

After 30+ years, my son and I finally rode our separate H-D's

next to each other on the winding Highway 60 up to the town

of Globe for lunch. I had to wipe a bit of rain from under my

eyes from time to time (although there wasn't a cloud in the

sky) as I thought of the first time I put my son on a little 50cc

dirt bike when he was about 3 1/2, with an old helmet that

could have spun completely around on his far too small head!

After all those years and so many miles here on my H-D's, it

was the best ride of my life; not the longest or the wildest or

even the most scenic, just plain the best ride of my life.

My son rode a 1984 Shovelhead that I purchased new in 1984

and he has since refreshed, and it ran stronger with that

unique Shovelhead exhaust note! There he was, my son, who

was raised around Harleys, both on the street and watching

the old man on the drag strip, riding next to me in the Arizona

sunshine! I am truly a very lucky man!

I hope that someday all my HOG friends get the chance to feel

the pride that I felt that day with their own families!

Sarah’s Farrahs Ladies Of Harley Sarah Brinkman [email protected]

May 5th – International Female Ride Day

Pictured L-R: Gigi Nielsen, Pam Aase, Sharon Sam, Nancy Evangelista,

Aimee Makres, Kathy Ray, Sarah Brinkman, Judy, Christy and Hannah

Quiner.

Salute by Swecker Spokesman Kevin Swecker [email protected]

No update at this time.

Brenda’s Books Treasurer Brenda Marriott [email protected]



Tom’s Trippers Head Road Captain Tom Deveny [email protected]

On May 12, we had a ride to Hot Sam’s Antiques in Lakeville.

This place has been collecting stuff for 30 years. Everything

imaginable was there from old cars to a tiki bar, a giant guitar,

a very large Tweety Bird in a huge cage, plus thousands of

other items. Hot Sam’s is just across Kenrick/Pillsbury Avenue

from the Red Fox Tavern. The ride went down through Chaska

and Jordan and back across to Lakeville. It was self-directed

home with four of us returning to the dealership.

Flock to Floyd’s began on Monday, May

7 and is in full swing thanks to Rich

McKagan and the Road Captains

working with him. This is a great time

for fellowship and a good way to get

an MVP Point. Check the HOG Hotline

(952-953-7430) for weather updates

for Floyd’s and any other ride.

The Vet’s Ride and Bingo was led by David Sidler on May 19.

Fourteen bikes rode to the Veteran’s Memorial near the State

Capitol. Then it was off to Lucky’s 13 Pub in Mendota, then on

to the VA Hospital for the Meet & Greet. Despite the cool,

cloudy weather, a few patients and family members did come

out to see the bikes. About 25 Vets and family members

attended the bingo games and a good time was had by all.

The Memorial Ride for SPHD employee Michael Fitch on May

20, who was killed in a motorcycle accident May 5th, was well

attended with over 400 bikes. They had live music and a

blessing of the bikes at SPHD followed by a safe led-ride from

the dealership to the Nauti Hawg in Diamond Bluff, WI. The

ride was very well organized by Pete Olson, St. Paul HOG Head

Road Captain. Wild Prairie HOG stepped up with about 12

Road Captains and Road Guards. It was a very nice tribute to

Mike and a great show of support for his wife and daughter.

Upcoming rides of note:

June 16 – Ray Fagen Memorial Air Show, Granite Falls

June 23 – Buena Vista Overlook, Alma, WI

July 12-15 - Hot Harley Nights, Sioux Falls, SD

August 11 – Balsam Lake, WI

The ride schedule is posted at Wild Prairie H-D and a link is

included in the weekly update. Be sure to let the Road

Captains know you appreciate the hard work they put into

planning and making a great riding season.

Chaplin’s Happenins Chaplin Curt Quiner [email protected]

May 5, 2018 - Bike Blessing

It was a great day at Wild Prairie

Harley-Davidson! The weather

could not have been better. We

were blessed to provide a biker

blessing and had a great team to pray with people at their

motorcycles as well. We kidnapped Christy from college for the

day…the girls really enjoy singing to the folks and telling a

joke. The main purpose is to bless motorcyclists with the best

blessing – Jesus!

It was good to see so many of you at the biker blessing!

Whether you made it or not, I thought the illustration I shared

was a good one:

During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the

work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt

came to her, wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough

Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was surprised. His

men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own

funds. When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he

was told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt's face.

Now he understood; the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do

was simply ask and they would be given freely.

That is a great illustration of what we do when we have biker

blessings. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s blessing - it’s not

about being good or trying hard. All we need to do is ask for Jesus to

bless us. To let God know that we want Him in our lives and that we

are asking Him for His presence. God isn’t a genie - this isn’t a good

luck charm. But no matter what happens, God promises to be with

each of us all the way. We ask God’s blessing on motorcyclists. But the

best blessing is that we don’t have to go it alone. You only need to ask

Jesus, and He’ll be with you every day of your life. And He promises

eternity with Him in Heaven; not because of anything you’ve done, but

because He loves you. We ask the Lord to keep our motorcycles safe –

to protect us…To bless us.

If you missed the blessing or would like for us to pray with you

again, please let us know! We’d be honored to pray with you.

And if there’s anything we can do for you, just ask!

Your servants in Christ, Curt & Judi, Christy & Hannah

[email protected], 952-474-3600

mailto:[email protected]


Aase’s Editorial Editor Mike Aase [email protected]

In late April while my wife was

traveling for work, I took a solo

motorcycle trip ‘back home’ in

search of new places and

discovering roads that I hadn’t

been on in a long time, if ever.

Those of you that know me

know that western Wisconsin will always be home no matter how long I’ve been gone.

You’d think growing up a teenager in the land of beer I would

have been on every county road and know every out-of-the-

way attraction between here and there. I bet I could spend a

week doing just that on the bike and be happier than I’ve been

in a long, long time; heck even for a day! Being in the wind

has that effect on me.

It didn’t matter that there was

a chill in the air, that there

was sand in the corners, that

some county roads still had a

white film of over-applied salt

– hell, two weeks earlier the region had a blizzard with over a foot of snow! Heck, there

was even still snow in some of the road ditches as seen above.

The chaps definitely felt good that day.

Often times, we travel the well-beaten path because we’re in a

hurry and it’s quicker or more familiar, never realizing that in

the process we’re bypassing

some of the most scenic,

quaint, interesting or bizarre

roadside attractions. Even

natural phenomenon that we

take for granted like Lock &

Dam No. 4 in Alma, WI,

which typically has a seven

foot difference in water

level. As you can see, on the

day I went thru, there didn’t seem to be any difference due to

all the melting snow. Barges don’t make much headway going

upstream into a current such that was flowing on that day.

I realized that day and since, from riding this early spring with

the Chapter, dealerships, and friends and ‘family’, I truly am

‘back home’ with those that, and on what, make me feel alive

after our long winter sabbatical.

Sidler’s Scribbling Assistant Director Dave Sidler [email protected]

After the graduations and open houses are wrapping up in

June, many people's thoughts turn to their fathers. My dad is

no longer with us, but he left me a legacy with his lifetime of

motorcycling. He owned too many bikes to count over the

course of his almost 50 years of riding. Most were BMW's, but

he owned a few Harleys and a couple of Gold Wings as well.

Once he bought a brand new Limited Edition Super Glide with

a cool flame paint job which he told mom was "for my brother

in the Air Force and I to ride when we came home on military

leaves." LOL! Yeah, right Dad. He was sort of a kid at heart

when it came to motorcycles. It makes me smile when I think

of how he owned five at once and it wasn't that long ago.

I'm thankful to him for getting me not only interested in

motorcycles, but hooked for life. One summer he and my older

brother bought a pair of Suzuki dirt bikes together. I probably

begged them to take me for rides every single day.

Dad took me to a buy my first motorcycle when I was 10 years

old; a 1972 Harley-Davidson Z-90 Enduro from an old

dealership in Lakeville. Living in a fairly rural area of

Rosemount, I rode that little two-stroke mosquito everywhere.

I learned how to work on it. It fostered a real love of tearing

things apart, seeing how they work and then fixing and putting

them back together. (It was during the AMF years after all so it

needed a lot of fixing.) I felt a real sense of responsibility

owning and riding it. My dad might disagree when it came to

me taking the last drops from the lawn mower gas can to fill

my bike up though. But I learned to do my chores before I got

to ride (usually). I grew up on that thing.

Fast forward a few years to when I was 15 and he took me on

a trip out west to the mountains and through Yellowstone on

his old BMW tourer, an R75 or R90, not sure. I remember

along one of the straight, boring stretches of interstate

highway, he pulled over without saying a word. I had no idea

why we were stopping until he said, "Do you want to drive for

a little while?" My eyes lit up and I had a grin from ear-to-ear.

After switching places, we took off and I was on top of the

world. That was one of the coolest moments of my life up to

that point: Dad trusting me to drive his big touring bike with

him as a passenger and our two-weeks-worth of gear. He

knew I could handle it and so did I. I was already over six feet

tall and strong from working on my friend's farm. Never mind


that I didn't even have a permit to drive a car just yet...but

dads back then were occasionally prone to do stuff like that.

After I graduated high school and went off to join the Marine

Corps, I frequently heard stories and saw pictures of the many

motorcycle trips he and my mother took. I always thought how

I'd like to be able to do that one day.

I came home on leave a couple years after that and he took

me to the bike show at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

With his encouragement and a little assistance, I walked out

the owner of a brand new 1982 Yamaha X650J Maxim and

helmet. When my leave was over, I loaded it up and rode back

to where I was stationed in Beaufort, SC, roughly 1340 miles,

in a little over two days. It was a blast and I had done it with

no problems. I've owned several more bikes in the years since

and have done many day rides and taken longer multi-day

trips with my dad.

The last long trip I took with him was the most memorable. My

dad on his big BMW K1600LT, and me on my three month old

2008 H-D Street Glide I had bought from Wild Prairie. We met

up with my Uncle Ed in Cedar Falls, IA and his H-D Road King.

We worked our way down to Branson, MO for a BMW rally but

also spent a couple of days bombing the curves of the Ozarks

in Arkansas. We bonded closer than ever and had such a

fantastic time. So many smiles and laughs. I'll never forget

that trip. I miss you, dad, and THANK YOU from the bottom of

my heart for making motorcycles such an important part of my

life and sharing the joy of being in the wind on two wheels.

Schulz’s Pulse Membership Steve Schulz [email protected]


Sandberg’s Sandbox Webmaster Chris Sandberg [email protected]


Gigi’s Gatherings Activities Gigi Nielsen [email protected]

This quarter, I thought I would write my article on what is near

and dear to my heart; our Military men and women. I recall

back on June 27, 2005 when members of the Westboro Baptist

Church in Kansas held signs over the heads of mourners while

protesting during the funeral for Staff Sgt. Christopher Piper in

Marblehead, Massachusetts. It was then and there I knew I

had to do something for these families that were losing their

kids. I could not imagine losing my son let alone having people

protest at his funeral, so I joined the MN Patriot Guard

(http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/).

My first mission with PGR was in Welcome, MN. I bet there

were close to 300 or so bikes. The streets of Welcome were

lined with the beauty of American flags from one end of the

town to the other.

It was after the number of deaths of our soldiers rose, and

children of the fallen were left with one parent, that the MN

Tribute to the Troops was formed to help the surviving

children by setting them up with an education fund started in

their name to make sure they would have college tuition paid

for in their future. My first ride with Tribute to the Troops was

in 2005 and I have not missed one since

(https://www.tributetothetroops.org/).

Since then both organizations have helped and supported so

many families. Make sure to check out their websites as they

do different events throughout the year. One event that is on

PGR’s calendar is the Welcome Home of the Twin Cities Honor

Flights which I was happy to welcome home our very own

Mickey Bosak this past April.

mailto:[email protected]


Honor Flight Twin Cities Mickey Bosak

One of our long-time and much loved HOG Members, Mickey

Bosak, was one of the attendees of the latest Honor Flight

Twin Cities in April. We welcome Mickey home, thank him for

his service to our country, and look forward to seeing and

talking with him at HOG Chapter events this season!

Content taken from http://www.honorflighttwincities.org/.

Honor Flight Twin Cities (HFTC) is a non-profit organization

created solely to honor America's World War II and Korean

Veterans for all of their sacrifices. We transport our heroes at

no cost to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their

memorials. They have paid enough for their services to

America.

In May of 2004, our nation completed the construction of the

World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. to commemorate

the sacrifices of the "Greatest Generation." Sadly, because of

their age, financial constraints or health concerns many of

these veterans may not have an opportunity to see their

monument. HFTC is happy to offer free flights to World War II

and Korean Veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their

monuments.

Since inception in May 2005, 180,000+ Veterans and

115,000+ Guardians from across the US have been safely

transported as guests of HFTC. The 501c (3) Non-Profit is in a

partnership with the National Honor Flight Organization.

On Saturday, April 7th, 2018, HFTC sponsored its 19th Honor

Flight for Minnesota and Western Wisconsin for World War II

and Korean Veterans. WWII and Korean Veterans living within

a 70-mile radius of the Minneapolis/St Paul Airport apply for

Honor Flight. The Veterans and Guardians on these 1-day

excursions leave the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport at 6:00 AM

and return at 10:20 PM to be welcomed by their loved ones.

For the Veterans, and also for the Guardian volunteers who go

along, this is an emotional journey as well as a physical one.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE MICKEY!

Would you like to be part of the next newsletter?

Send your story along with any photos to:

[email protected]

dunphy’s diatribe chapter director tim...

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