thunder roads magazine of iowa february 2011
DESCRIPTION
Iowa Thunder Roads Magazine February 2011 editionTRANSCRIPT
Thunder roads® Magazine of iowawww.thunderroadsiowa.com
P.O. Box 29Kimballton, Iowa 51543
(712) [email protected]
owner/ediTor
Tina (TT) Schwarte(712) 249-5582
ediTorVernon Schwarte(712) 249-5630
represenTaTives Josh (Stampede) and Pam Brown Regional Sales
(SE Iowa Area)563-571-1617
evenT Coverage/Magazine disTribuTionad sales
Richard (Murph) and Annette [email protected]
phoTographyKandi Schlensig
Thunder IllusionsRich
ConTribuTorsCraig Little-Will Ride for Food Dude
design & layouTBarbara L. Garner art director
naTional foundersToni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon
1528 Matlock DriveChapmansboro, TN 37035
Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) [email protected]
letter from the editor ..........................................2letter To The editor………………………......…...4skin art……………………………………........…...599 Counties: boone County ...............................6Joker’s wild .........................................................8Military riders ......................................................9biker friendly directory ....................................10girls of Thunder .................................................12will ride to eat ..................................................13let There be rock……………………………......15ThunderCam .....................................................16february Calendar .............................................18northern iowa bike show .................................20nCoM news bytes ............................................22abaTe update ...................................................24CMa ....................................................................24reader’s submissions……………………....…..25fron the woman’s seat .....................................26girls ride Too…………………………………......28road MC .............................................................29sudoku ...............................................................30Kiss in the Kitchen ...........................................31Cast iron ride ....................................................32subscription .......................................................33alcohol poisoning .............................................34event listing ......................................back Cover
My name is Sarah and I am 27 years old. I am from Omaha, Nebraska, I went to Capitol hair School and have my license in cosmetology. I have been with Fringes Salon for four years and love being in the hair and fashion industry. With my job, I get to help people achieve their ideal look. It is very rewarding to see my clients leave happy, sometimes with a whole new look! Through the opportunities with Modeling, I get to have fun with being the one in the chair. My co-worker and my stylist, Tiffany Welch and I have had a blast creating all the different looks for all
the shoots I’ve done, especially this last one for Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. It was exciting dressing up as cupid for this February issue. I look forward to the opportunities this may bring my way. Happy Valentine’s Day! To get a hold of me please contact [email protected]
All rights reserved. All content is covered by copyright and ownership of said right is retained by Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Photographs may be purchased on www.thunderroadsiowa.com Neither magazine or website materials may be reproduced, distributed, altered or posted to any other websites without the express written permission of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Publisher assumes no responsibility and is not to be held liable for errors beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Slander of any group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond our control, any and all suits for liable, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a person’s name or photograph, opinions, and claims made by advertisers and authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Roads magazine. Publisher does not promote the abuse of alcohol or other drugs, advocate any unsafe practices, or encourage breaking of any laws.
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ON THE COVER
www.thunderroadsiowa.com FEBRUARY 2011 TRM - 1
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EVENT
Wow, February is upon us, and that means that we have a little bit of this dismal weather left before we can get out and ride. Hell, maybe Febru-ary will bring an early spring? We can only hope I guess. We will see what the little rodent does, and if he sees his shadow or not, and go from there. At least the January through April timeframes give us some stuff to do in the biker world. Swap meets and shows are all over the place, and they are a great way to at least hang out with other scooter hounds. This is not quite as good as riding, but the best we can do living in a four season state. We have been out and about to a couple events so far, and you can sure tell people are getting in the mood for riding weather already. It is always great to see the wide variety of parts and acces-sories available, and only at a swap meet or trade show can you see this amount or types of stuff. Most have a bike show along with it, which is another way to appreciate the biker world in all its creativity. Cool paint, dressed up, chopped down, interesting fabrication, or even all the above mixed together, there always seems to be something cool to see. We plan on making a lot of the events around the state, so if you see the Thunder Roads crew, stop and say hey, and tell us your story. We al-ways love to meet more bikers, and hell, we may even take a pic and get you in the magazine. How do you know where all the shows and meets are going on? Well we have been searching high and low, and taking submissions from readers about stuff going on, and have compiled quite the list so far. We found as many as we could for the January issue, and plastered that right there on the back cover for easy reference. We will keep the events list pasted on that back cover for an issue or two yet probably. Hang onto the whole mag, tear off back cover and tack it on the fridge, or fold it up and put it in your saddle bag, wherever you wanna keep it for easy viewing. For the March issue we are working on getting a list of the bike nights across the state. If you know of any events we missed or any bike nights to get listed email [email protected] to make sure we get them listed.We now have a new website that is up and running. Same web address at www.thunderroadsiowa.com but with a new look and we feel a lot better presentation. We have to thank Dan and Cindy at DAC Designs for that. They ride as well, and you may even see a picture of her cute-ness on a cover sometime in the future. You will see more from them on these pages as well. They had the expertise to take the information and make it look better. Some of the changes you can see when you check it out is an expanded photo section. With the new site, we finally have the ability to post a ton of the event pictures for everyone to pe-ruse. There is also the option of purchasing digital copies of any if you
so choose. Looking is free though, and we wanted to give the readers what they ask for, and a common theme is, “more pictures please”! When we do hear any suggestions on how to make things better, we try like hell to make it happen. Sometimes it may take a bit due to time or the al-mighty dollar, but we want you to know that our read-er’s opinions count. Check out the new website, look around and enjoy.This is also the time of year that a lot of bike proj-ects are hopefully hum-ming right along. How are your bike projects coming? We always love to see and hear what people are doing, and how things are going. If you have some interesting modifications, paint schemes, or just want to send a pic, email it away. Share your ideas with the readers; it may inspire oth-ers to be creative in this off time we call winter.As always we would like to throw a thank you out to our advertisers. Without them, you would not be reading this. Please patronize the businesses and places listed in the Biker Friendly Listing. They have all gone above and beyond to get the word out that they are truly biker friendly, and that they not only sell to, but cater to the biker world. It is sure nice to know where you can stop and feel welcome when you are out on the road. When you go into one of the advertiser’s place of busi-ness, tell them Thunder Roads Iowa sent ya.We would also like to throw a thank you to our staff. Some you see more than others, but they are all there helping to make this rag what it is. Murph and Annette have been out and about as much as any of the staff, and we want to pass on a special thank you to them. You may have seen Murph doing some magazine distribution and ad sales. He hails from the Menlo, Iowa area, but he cuts a wide swath with getting the mags out and about all over central and western Iowa. As the show
and swap season is here, then into the spring when riding takes off, you will see all of us out and about more. Don’t ever be afraid to come up and tell us hi, and to shake our hand and introduce yourself. It takes all kinds of bikers to make this world go ‘round, and we would not have a problem meeting all of them. That is what makes the biker community what it is, the bikers themselves. For all of you hot biker chics, there will be a casting call for calendar girls at Quaker Steak and Lube in Council Bluffs on February 10th. Sign up for interested ladies will be from 5 to 7 pm, with judging to follow. The calendar is going to be published for M/C Mags for Military as a fund-raiser to send more care packages over to the troops. Dana got this ball rolling with M/C Mags just over a year ago, and it is going strong and growing. They send magazines and creature comfort packages to the troops across the big water. You may even notice a picture of one of them with one of my favorite magazines in the Thunder Cam section. It should be a great time, so come on out and help support the cause and have some fun.One last thing for you for this month’s letter from us. We would like you to let us know about someone cool in our biker world that exemplifies the biker lifestyle. Let us know about someone that you know, respect, look up to, or admire for some reason in this Iowa biker world we live in. What makes a biker? When you look up biker in the dictionary, it says see “??????”. Is it your local District coordinator? Is it the old gray beard down the road? Is it a friend that never misses a month of riding? Is it someone that has come close to paying the ultimate price for riding,
and lived to tell the tale? Is it a lady rider that gained the courage to be-come a rider instead of a passenger? Is it the couple that rides together and lives by the credo, “those that ride together, stays together”? Let us know who it is and why you think so highly of them. Just may grace pages of a future issue. Email any submissions to [email protected] we meet again, be safett and V
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To The Editor,I am 61 years of age, served during the Vietnam Era. I have seen many changes in our culture as did my parents and theirs before them. Life has always been tough for the Blue Collar and Champagne for the wealthy. There have been extra lean times all through our history beginning with the Pilgrim Age, Disease, Indian Conflicts, and wars of some sort. The Depression of the 1930’s and the Dustbowl of the 1940’s not to mention other earthly natural disasters. So, our past has endured hardship and famine. But through all this one thing has remained constant, “WE THE PEOPLE.” Today one must ask – Who are “WE THE PEOPLE?” Who is really in control of our destiny? I believe there is no single answer. But, I am sure there are many questions that many know the answer but are hiding behind a transparent curtain. This leads me to voice my opinion as follows:Don’t Let Them Take Down Our FlagIn these troubled times, “WE THE PEOPLE,” do fear what lies in our fu-ture, we sense some type of end maybe near. Even if you think that our nation will stand tall and free, with all the high office promises and plans, it looks sad – what “WE THE PEOPLE” see. “WE THE PEOPLE” have built this nation by the standards of the past. Who would have thought that how we evolved could do anything but last. We’ve built and served this nation through good and bad, shed blood and died. But now newcomers and the young don’t care, don’t hear the cries.We do not hear the Liberty Bell, it may be broken. Every year “WE THE
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PEOPLE” loses another Liberty – Another Freedom. The statue of liberty is now on her knees. Will we wake tomorrow from a night of sleep to find things have so changed, everyone will weep? Our way of life has already changed; the past will be no more. Our History, our Heritage, may soon become old folklore. If this nation does not soon get a grip, our heart from our chest will be stripped. And so, while the back door is being left open for those to enter, the front door is blocked by leadership fraud.Our back is to the wall, the Nation is in grid lock lag: Now all we can do is say – please Mr. President – do not let them take down our flag!It is the only symbol left for “WE THE PEOPLE” that we know who we are, Americans of the USA! “WE THE PEOPLE” Stand For us. Do not take the Bus!God Bless What is Left of the USAGary R. Robb
Annette and Murph,Words cannot express our thanks for covering our BAD Ride Event and writing such an awesome article in Thunder Roads Iowa! It was a plea-sure to meet you both and I look forward to working, and riding with you in the future.CarlaBAD Ride Chair
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99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, drive on around, 90 counties to tour on the bike. A few years back, a summer riding goal of ours, also our summer vacation that year, was to ride through each of Iowa’s counties, and what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month we will feature a different county, and new things to go see, and hopefully spark a little touring curiosity for our own wonderful state.
On a hazy day, we took off to go check out Bremer County to see what it has to offer the loyal readers of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. It is a little stretch away from our home, but the beauty of this great state is worth a little time and an ambitious spirit. We have found that you can make it about anywhere and back home in a day. Bremer is located in northeastern Iowa, just north of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls metro area. As we have both previously lived in the Black Hawk County area, we know the area pretty well and have visited there many times in our lives. Our first date actually involved some of our time in this county. Picture this if you can a spur of the moment blind date running around the area with a great group of good friends. One of our stops was at the Rite Spot. This restaurant has a great atmosphere, good food, and a
small price. This is where we had split our first meal; due to neither one of us were all that hungry, with our bellies full it was a great time to get out and dance. Well tt wanted to dance and we both wanted enjoy the company of friends so we walked the short distance to the Whiskey Junction in Denver, so this place has kind of a fond spot in our hearts.The county is intersected by Highway 3 going east and west and Highway 63 going north and south. It includes the County Seat of Waverly, with Denver, Frederika, Janesville, Plainfield, Readlyn, Sumner, and Tripoli rounding off the list of towns. The geography of the area varies about as much in any one county as we have seen with flat as a table areas that allow you to see for miles and take in the sights, to some slight rolling hills, to some neat curves winding along river bottoms. The county has some significant rivers crossing it, the Cedar and the Wapsinicon. The Wapsi makes for some interesting sights in Waverly with the bridges and the dam right along the main drag. An old rail bridge is now a walk bridge that spans quite a distance on the Cedar, and is a very pretty bridge to watch the scenery from.Not far north of the old rail bridge is the Nestle factory that produces a variety of beverages and beverage additives. Tours are available and you may even be able to grab a big cup of hot cocoa. This industry here is just one example of why the area was settled to begin
BREMER COUNTY
with. The rivers that pass through offered power for saw and flour mills, and the close proximity to the railway system. Power and transportation made for an ideal area to settle and develop industry. This of course was the settlement by the Anglos; the original settlement had different causes and effects.The original settlers of the area in and around Bremer County did not choose this location to permanently settle of their own free will but were actually here against their will. Originally this area was an Indian Reservation. The first settlers were called the Winnebago or aka Ho-Chunk. Their land was stripped of them when they were suspected of helping Chief Black Hawk during the Blackhawk War in 1832. Original numbers recorded of the Winnebago were about 20,000 in 1634. They were to receive compensation via land and money paid in the amount of $270,000 for the loss of their lands east of the Mississippi River. Also at this time the Winnebago/Ho-Chunk were forced to lose several of their tribesmen that were thought to have murdered whites during the Blackhawk War. Iowa became a state in 1846 and the Native Americans were moved by troops from Fort Atkinson, Iowa to Minnesota. This went on again and again totaling a number of five times with the following states involved which included Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and currently located in Northeastern Nebraska.
A great deal of information can be found on Waverly. As the county seat, it is the most populated city in Bremer County, but still with a modest head count of about 9,100 people. Some interesting facts found were the current Waverly House/Bremer County Historical Society Museum was built in 1862 as the first large hotel and stagecoach stop in the area. The motel has had a long life and I am sure has seen many things over the years. It is now a home for pioneer artifacts. If you have interest in pioneer artifacts this would a place to kick out the kick stand and stretch your legs for a bit. Sumner is home to one of the few remaining ambulance companies in the United States. There are only a couple dozen builders of ambulances that are in business in the US today. Lifeline is one such company. They take modified cab and chassis units, and then custom build the aluminum box with all of the cabinets and accessories to produce an ambulance ready to be sold to customers. When it is built, wired, equipped, and ready to go, it gets a nifty paint job, and on to the customer. Their units are bought by Cities, Counties, Fire Departments, EMS services, and other entities across the country. The squads are then equipped locally and put on the street. We have both worked in the back of a Lifeline ambulance that was manufactured right here in Iowa. If you are ever in Sumner, stop by and check out how an ambulance is made. Hopefully it will be the only time you see the inside of one. Another point of interest in the Emergency Services world is right north of the fire station in Waverly. All over this state we have true volunteerism of Firefighters and Emergency Medical Service personal. Without these volunteers stepping forward and giving of their time to train, protect, teach and provide a service to the general public we would truly be at a loss. As volunteers, this is done without any pay or compensation or at best a token amount. This area is no different in Waverly, Iowa. Here is located a Fire Fighters Museum. This four thousand square foot building that is adjacent to the towns fire department houses some of the equipment of the fire service of days gone by. This museum is owned and operated by the Volunteer Firefighters and is a pretty neat stopping point.Next month we are off to Buchanan County! ttReferences available upon request.
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Ten Top Up & Coming Country Songs for 200910. I Hate Every Bone In Her Body But Mine.9. I Ain’t Never Gone To Bed With An Ugly Woman; But I Woke Up With a Few.8. If The Phone Don’t Ring, You’ll Know It’s Me.7. I’ve Missed You, But My Aim’s Improvin’.6. Wouldn’t Take Her To A Dogfight ‘Cause I’m Scared She’d Win.5. I’m So Miserable Without You.... It’s Like You’re Still Here.4. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend And I Miss Him.3. She Took My Ring and Gave Me the Finger.2. She’s Lookin’ Better with Every Beer.And the Number One Country & Western song is...1. It’s Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night That Chewed My Ass All Day.
Yesterday I had a flat tire on the interstate.So I eased my car over to the shoulder of the road, carefully got out of the car and opened the trunk.I took out 2 cardboard men, unfolded them and stood them at the rear of my car facing oncoming traffic. They look so lifelike you wouldn’t believe! They are in trench coats exposing their nude bodies and private parts to the approaching drivers.I started to change my tire, and to my surprise, cars started slowing down looking at my lifelike men. And of course, traffic started backing up. Everybody was tooting their horns and waving like crazy. It wasn’t long before a state trooper pulled up behind me.He got out of his car and started walking towards me. I could tell he was not a happy camper!“What’s going on here?”“My car has a flat tire,” I said calmly.“Well, what are those obscene cardboard men doing here by the road?”I couldn’t believe that he didn’t know. So I told him, “Hello-o-o-o-o-o, those are my emergency flashers!”
A guy is 72 years old and loves to fish. He was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say, ‘Pick me up. ’He looked around and couldn’t see any one. He thought he was dreaming when he heard the voice say again, ‘Pick me up.’ He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog. The man said, ‘Are you talking to me?’ The frog said, ‘Yes, I’m talking to you. Pick me up then, kiss me and I’ll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I’ll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your bride!’The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully, and placed it in his front pocket. The frog said, ‘What, are you nuts? Didn’t you hear what I said? I said kiss me and I will be your beautiful bride, forever and ever.’He opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, ‘Nah, at my age I’d rather have a cool, talking frog.’ (* With Age Comes Wisdom.)
Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He next announced that he would now buy monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his Assistant would buy on his behalf. In the absence of the man, the Assistant told the villagers: “Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has already collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each.” The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys for 700 billion dollars. They never saw the man or his Assistant again, only lots and lots of monkeys! Now…….. you have a better understanding of how the WALL STREET BAILOUT PLAN works.
A magician landed a good gig on a cruise ship.The audience was different each week so the magician did the same tricks over and over again. There was only one problem: The captain’s parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how the magician did every trick. Once he understood, he started shouting in the middle of the show, ‘Look, it’s not the same hat!’ or, ‘Look, he’s hiding the flowers under the table!’ or ‘Hey, why are all the cards the ace of spades?’The magician was furious but couldn’t do anything.It was, after all, the captain’s parrot.Then one stormy night on the Pacific, the ship unfortunately sank, drowning almost all who were on board. The magician luckily found himself on a piece of wood floating in the middle of the sea, as fate would have it ... with the parrot. They stared at each other with hatred, but did not utter a word. This went on for a day... and then 2 days and then 3 days. Finally on the 4th day, the parrot could not hold back any longer and said .... ‘OK, I give up. Where’s the f****in’ ship?’
M.B., an energized and horny legend of 75, walks into his local Community Bank and notices that the new Receptionist is quite fetching. He walks up to Shayne, the bank President and inquires, “Quite the pretty lass you have hired on…..what’s her name? Shayne dryly replies, “Really, M.B., the girl is only 22!”, and M.B. never missing a stroke replies, “Oh, that’s too bad. Does she have a younger sister?”.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL YOU SEXY LADIES WHO HAPPEN TO LOVE CHROME !
Military Riders
This month we bring you Dick Bridge from Vinton, Iowa as the featured military rider of the month. He is 80 years young, and has lived in Vinton in Benton County his entire life, with the exception of his 2 years of Military service. He was a Corporal in the Marines that served in 1952 and 1953. He was stationed at both San Diego and the Great Lakes during his tour, and his primary MOS was performing small arms repair. After the Military, he worked and retired from his work as a janitor at the Vinton School. He is still a member of the American Legion in Vinton. We first had contact with this gentleman via a phone call quite a few months back. He just wanted to pass on that he liked the magazine, and was very helpful with some hints for places to go in Benton County. Later he sent us a four page hand written letter about more interesting stuff in and around Vinton, as well as a couple of pictures of him on past motorcycles that he has owned. It was not that he wanted or needed anything, but just sharing life stories and some interesting things in his area. We fully encourage this, and really got a kick out of his photos and correspondence. We know a couple of people in Vinton, and we gathered some information to do our military write up about Dick this month. Thanks Larry and Tom! Dick was raised on a farm northeast of Vinton, graduated High School there, and became a member of the Vinton Motorcycle Club. He was always a Harley rider, and still to this day has a strong feeling of always buying American. His friends state that there has never been anything
other than American Made in his garage. He joined the Marine Corp in 1951, and then when on leave, had a serious motorcycle accident, and was discharged because of it. He stayed in and worked in Vinton and began his life. Riding motorcycles, becoming a car racing fan, and riding and racing whenever he got the chance became his passions. He would ride with friends, and travel to the local dirt track, Knoxville, and even Daytona when he could to take in the races. He still attends regularly at the local track in Vinton during the summer, cheering on Modified driver Scott Hogan and others.Dick no longer rides, and has not regularly for quite some time, but still has a love for motorcycles. This past summer one of his friends got a new bike, and gave him a ride, Dick stated “Sure a lot different ride than my old ’39 EL.” That 39 was one of his former bikes, as well as owning a 1951 61, a 1947 74, and even a little 165 Pacer. He has some very interesting stories, and is quite the historian for the Vinton area, among other things. If you want to try to glean some of this information from this cool cat, you can find him every morning at the Ron-Da-Voo in Vinton at 9 am for coffee. Friends state that if there were a club for good old guys, that Dick could be the President! If you see Dick out and about, give him a nice Veteran’s wave, and if you get a chance, shake his hand and thank him for his service. Ride Free Thanks to our Military!
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It’s important for you to know who your friends are out there when you hit the road! Welcome to our Biker Friendly Directory. The following is a list of our establishments throughout Iowa that want you to know that they’re here for YOU. Whether it’s a bike dealer, service shop, restaurant, bar or any other type of business that welcomes our biking community through their doors, you can count on our family of friends to always welcome you in. The staff here at Thunder Roads greatly appreciates our advertiser’s support each month- they are the sole financial supporters of this magazine. WE WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THEM! So please give them the support that they truly deserve for being with us & drop by to see them for a visit. Let them know that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know a business that would like to join our Thunder Roads family of Biker Friendly Places, please give us a call at 712-249-5630 or email [email protected]
ShopS & FabricatorSBatt’s Cycle
American V-Twin Service1006 Linn Street
Boone, Iowa 50036515-298-0375
Twisted Grip CycleYour Dynojet & Tire Center
2444 L Avenue (I-29 & 25th St. Exit)Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
Throttle Shop LLC1988 Arion AvenueArion, Iowa 51520
Trustworthy Cycles3781 Balk Road
Fulton, Illinois 61252563-249-1777
Specializing in Making the “Old Iron” Trustworthy
Bike Pit Motorcycle Services2694 5th Ave, Building B-Unit 2
Marion, IA 52303319-651-8835
Guthrie Auto BodyJohn Beer owner1804 State Street
Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115641-332-2484
F & J RacingFred & Jackie Ingraham
701 N 3rd AveMarshalltown, Iowa 50158
641-752-8651www.fandjracing.com
XTreme Cycle & Off Road206 E Main St
Panora, Iowa 50216641-755-4288
J & S Custom CyclesDes Moines, Iowa
515-779-4632
M&M Garage408 Market Street
Audubon, Iowa 50025712-563-2425
Metal Ink911 7th Street Ste 102
Harlan, Iowa 51537712-235-2453
www.metalink.org
Nelson Machine & ForgeGeneral Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab
70 Washington StreetMarne, Iowa 51552
712-781-2220
bail bondSDoc’s Bail Bonds
Your 24/7 Prescription to Freedom in MinutesAdel, Iowa 50003
515-993-4773
Iowa Bail Bonds200 4th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309(515) 243-4411
ServiceSRJM Trucking
Cedar Rapids, Iowa319-360-5433
Southwest Iowa SandblastingMike Magers
65162 Oxford RdAtlantic, Iowa 50022
712-249-3995
BCS Computers100 Industrial Road
Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115641-747-3344
www.brubakercomputer.com
biker acceSSorieSLeather & Hawgs
316 Main, Hornick, Iowa121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa
Crispy’s Biker ApparelCedar Rapids, Iowa
www.bncbikerwear.com319-241-0916
photo & videoThunder IllusionsPhoto and VideoFrom Mild to WildDes Moines, Iowa
[email protected] www.thunderillusions.com
Ulrich PhotographyPO Box 1842
Clinton, Iowa 52733563-243-8715
www.natanic.com
dealerSBaxter Cycle311 4th Street
Marne, Iowa 51552712-781-2351
www.baxtercycle.com
Werner Cycle Works14410 Frontier Road Exit 440 I-80
Omaha, NE 68138(402) 894-3050
www.wernercycleworks.com
Carroll Cycle Center1327 Plaza DrCarroll, Iowa
(712) 792-1610www.carrollcycle.com
Big Barn Harley DavidsonI-80 Exit 135
Des Moines, Iowa515-265-4444
www.bigbarnhd.com
Food & drinkSparetime Bar & Grill136 West Main Street
Ute, Iowa 61060712-885-2226
Doc’s Roadhouse309 East 7th StreetLogan, Iowa 51543
712-644-3636Open 365-8 am to Close
Off Sides Pizza1119 Thomas StreetRedfield, Iowa 50233
515-833-2900
Thomas Street Tap1109 Thomas StreetRedfield, Iowa 50233
515-833-2379
Montgomery Street Pub207 East Montgomery Street
Creston Iowa 50801641-782-2165
Sidetracked206 West Union StreetCreston, Iowa 50801
641-782-8534
Wet Goods Food & Lounge113 N. Chestnut StreetJefferson, Iowa 50129
515-386-2111
Do Drop Inn403 3rd Avenue
Under the Water TowerJamaica, Iowa 50128
515-314-0783
ToJo’s Jamaica Bar & Grill408 Main
Jamaica, Iowa 50178641-429-3007
Pearl Street Social Club110 Pearl Street SW
Shellsburg, Iowa 52332319-436-7100
Nitro’s Bar & Grill310 Main Street
Gravity, Iowa 50848641-418-0004
Home of Sunday-Funday
Rusty Duck Bar & Grill723 Marshall StreetDexter, Iowa 50070
Tue-Sat 4-10pm515-789-4142
Quick Rick’s Rib Joint406 East Lincoln Highway (Highway 30)
Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555712-600-6161
Tue-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm
Beer Barn and Grill226 State Street
Kirkman, Iowa 51447712-766-3395
Open Mon 4, Tue-Sun at 11
Phil’s20oz Prime Rib Friday Nights
9956 Swanson BlvdClive, Iowa
515-270-0959
Sambetti’s Bar and Grill1430 2nd Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50314515-245-9780
Mon-Sat 11a-2a, Sun 11a-7p
Texas Roadhouse8744 Northpark Drive (I-80 at 86th street exit)
Johnston, Iowa 50131515-251-4597
Escape Lounge8843 Northpark Ct, Johnston, IA 50131
515-276-2209
RJ’s Lounge109 North Main Street
Conrad, IA(641) 366-2687
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2amSunday 12pm-12am
Corner Tap35 North Center Street
Marshalltown, IA (641) 753-9925
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2amSunday 12pm-2am
Goat Ranch Saloon105 South Main Street
Baxter, IA (641) 227-3502
O’Kelly’s 106 North Main Street
Baxter, IA 50028(641) 227-3013
Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill228 East 4th Street
Waterloo, Iowa 50703319-235-8865
www.partyattheeagle.com
Rumours Sports Bar & Grill309 South 12th Ave. Place
Marshalltown, IA (641) 752-5477
Steve Priske-Owner
14th Street Tavern3418 East 14th Street
Des Moines, IA(515) 266-3446
Open Weekdays 8am-2pmSat 10am-2pm and Sun 11am-2pm
The Haverhill Social Club202 1st Street
Haverhill, IA 50120 (641) 475-3321
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2amSunday 12pm-12am
Riverside Tavern450 E Main St
Lehigh IA, 50557515-359-9998
Email: [email protected]
Good Sons2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102
Des Moines, IA(515) 681-5375
Papa Joe’s117 South 6th Street
Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555712-642-9015
Midway Tavern206 1st Street, Soldier, Iowa
712-884-2230www.midwaytavernsoldier.com
tattooCrave Tattoo
201 S 12th StreetFort Dodge, Iowa 51501
515-576-8289FB Crave Tattoo, Inc.
Bad Girlz Ink1217 Willis
Perry, Iowa 50220515-465-2205
attorneySAIM/NCOM
Richard M. Lester 800-531-2424 / 800-on-a-bike
www.onabike.com
eventSAcross the Border Raid
Bedford, IowaAugust 4-6, 2011
Nitro’s Bike RallyGravity, Iowa July 7-9, 2011
Circle of PrideConesville, Iowa
Hog Wild Rodeo May 26-28Independence Bash July 1-2
T.I.T.S September 1-4
To buy ad space for your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5630 or email
[email protected] - TRM FEBRUARY 2011 FEBRUARY 2011 TRM - 11
Are you from Iowa? Are you a Girl of Thunder?
Renee Gross FergusonHarlan, Iowa
1992 Harley Softail
Girls Of Thunderflying mango restaurant
and cateringDinner: Tuesday – Saturday from 5:00 PM
4345 Hickman Road, Des Moines, IA 50310Reservation Requests and Carry-Out: 515-255-4111
During my visits to places to eat and review, I’m generally accompanied by my wife Lynnette and frequently we are joined by tt and Vernon. Believe it or not it’s difficult to find new and interesting places to go to for review (the tendency is to be lazy and go to the usual favorites). Since tt and Vernon were going to be in Des Moines anyway and Lynnette would be flying back into Des Moines from a work conference in Dallas, TX I would let the Schwartes decide on the venue for the evening’s culinary delight. When Vernon called and said they had decided on a place called Flying Mango, upon the recommendation of a friend, my first reaction was “Um, I’m not really into fruit that much!” I refrained from expressing my feelings, determining to keep an open mind, and immediately upon hanging up I went to the internet to see what I could find out about this fruit place. My search landed me at the restaurant’s web site, www.flyingmango.com. Check out their site for more infoUpon arrival at the restaurant’s location I found that this place is EXTREMELY popular and has limited parking so a large majority of the parking is relegated to the side streets so be prepared for a bit of a walk. When I drove past I noticed an ambulance parked in the alley behind the restaurant... hmm, that’s interesting! Upon investigation it used to be an ambulance, now it’s a novelty vehicle used for catering... whew! You definitely want to make a reservation here, as I mentioned this place is VERY popular and a wait for seating could take a little while. Customer service is the cornerstone of this establishment; the waitresses are very helpful and friendly. The owner, Michael Wedeking, makes it a habit to come out and interact with his customers... tell a few jokes, fix a wobbly table and just make sure you are enjoying your meal (he also rides so he’s got to be OK, right?)Although I had checked out the menu online ahead of time and had narrowed my selection down to a couple of different dishes the final decision was still difficult. The menu is packed with so many delectable dishes that even eeny, meeny, miny, moe will land you on a delicious dish every time! My final selection was the Pick 3 BBQ platter so I could get a taste of more than just one dish. I chose ribs, chicken and brisket as my 3 BBQ selections. You also get your choice of 2 side dishes of which I chose the cowboy beans and the cornbread with honey butter. Allow me to start with the ribs, tender and tasty are the two words that best describe them. The chicken was moist and tender and very delicious. The brisket was fall-apart-with-your-fork... no-knife-required tender and delectably tasty. As long as I’m talking about meat I would like to touch on the homemade sauce in the squirt bottle on each table, this stuff is amazing! It can be put on any of the meat and it actually enhances the flavor of anything it’s applied to. The cowboy beans is a mixture of several different types of beans in a sauce, they were awesome and the cornbread was mouthwateringly
delicious... the honey butter was like the icing on the cake! Lynnette had the Big Chop and I have to tell you it was the largest chunk of pork chop I have ever seen!Looking for a meal of fruit? Although the name may indicate it Flying Mango isn’t the place to go. However if you’re looking for an interesting change in your BBQ diet then Flying Mango should be your destination!Until next month, ride safe and eat hearty!Craig [email protected] If you have someplace you think we should check out in your neck of the woods, shoot me an email.
Dixie HarrisonAnthon, Iowa
2005 Honda Shadow 500
Laura WineLake City, Iowa
2009 Harley Fat Bob
Pat StaplesCarroll, Iowa
Black 2005 Yamaha V-Star
email us your pictures (highest resolution possible) to [email protected]
be sure to include the year, make, and model of your ride and what town you are from!!! look for more girls of Thunder next month.
www.thunderroadsiowa.com12 - TRM FEBRUARY 2011 www.thunderroadsiowa.com FEBRUARY 2011 TRM - 13
EVENT
Let There Be Rock!If you are anything like me, I like to have mu-sic on all the time. I have a system in my house, and, of course, in my car and I listen to my iPod while I’m on a plane. I like my music… I really, really like my music. What better way to enjoy life then listening to your favorite artists while riding your motorcycle?Upgrading your speak-ers in you motorcycle can be a great way to maximize the stereo system currently on your bike and increase your enjoyment cruising down the highway. Doesn’t matter if you are rocking out to some AC/DC and Uncle Ted Nugent, feeling the base with some Gucci Mane, or keeping the rhythm to Lady A. There are some great manufacturers of some high quality speakers out there such as, Hogtunes, Harley-Davidson’s BOOM Audio, J&M, Hawg Wired, Kicker, and many others.The most popular brand now is Hogtunes. They cover everything from simple re-placement speakers for around $100 to complete amplified upgraded systems for $550. The most popular speakers we sell are Amp and Front Speaker kit for the FLHX, FLHTC and FLTR/X models and the “3-Way for the Freeway” Complete Six Speaker kit for the FLHTCU, FLHTK, and FLTRU. The Amp and Front Speaker kit includes 24 watt x 2-channel amplifier with a pair of their high quality replace-ment front speakers. This kit can increase your sound level up to 50% over stock. The six speaker kit includes all four replacement speakers, fairing lower speakers with proper hardware, and a MAXXBASS amp to power all four front speakers. If you see Vernon out and about ask him what he thinks of this kit. He runs the Six Speaker kit on his FLHTK along with the Hogtunes “Hog-Pod”. The Hog-Pod is a complete add on tweeter kit that drastically improves your high-end sound and after being installed on your motorcycle looks like it came there from the factory. If you’re worried about it looking out of place on your painted inner fairing it can be easily disassembled and painted to match. Hogtunes also has speaker kits for the bikes without radios so that you can plug your iPod or other MP3 player in as you travel down the road.Harley-Davidson’s Boom Audio is another heavy hitter on the market. Released just last year, I’ve been getting some good feedback on these. Simply switch-ing out the factory speakers has been a huge improvement. With their new 40 watt per channel amplifier on the Tour-Pak equipped models your system will be distortion-free at freeway speed. This year they also released the BOOM Audio Cruiser Amp and Speaker Kit that mounts two 3.5” speakers on your handlebars or the windshield mounted version that you can hook up to any MP3 player and
jam out to your favorite tunes.J&M have been making speaker since the 1960’s. They have always been an excellent quality product and keep adding and changing their speakers to keep up with needs and trends. Their new BIG thing now is the 7 ¼” upgraded fairing speakers instead of the 5 ¼” from the factory. These are the largest speakers that can be installed into OEM Harley fairings and come with an adapter to be able to mount to the 5 ¼ mounting hole. They carry a 140 watt max power per speak-er and the tweeters are mounted in the grille work instead of the center of the speaker itself. When installed with their 250 watt amp that puts out 125Wx2 they can put some serious vibrations in the air. And if that isn’t enough for you Hells Foundry has what they call the “Woof Pak” which is an 8” JL Audio subwoofer and 200 Watt amplifier in a custom enclosure that fits right into your tour-pak and still leaves plenty of room for your other belongings. If they can’t hear your exhaust they will be able to hear your radio coming down the road.These are just a few your options of better sound systems available for your bike. I have covered the choices I think are some of the best on the market. Come into Carroll Cycle Center and witness the Six Speaker kit by Hogtunes and the BOOM Audio system in person; we have both options installed in bikes on the show floor. We are also here to answer your questions and help you make the best choice for you and your bike. So when spring comes, do Ozzy proud and wave the devil horns while listening to a fantastic system on your bike.Tony Parts Manager, Carroll Cycle Center
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EVENT
We Do Custom: Hats, Can Cozies, T/shirts, Patches etc.. We also Offer Leather Repair & Sewing..
(319) 241-0916
Space is limited. RSVP Required.
(515) 265-4 4 4 4
March 125:00 pm
Develop skills, meet new friends feel comfortable with the
sport of motorcycling.For any woman who is looking to take
the next step to get behind the handlebars…
Ladies only event for potential riders
Big-Barn Harley-Davidson®
81 NW 49th Place Des Moines, IA 50313
www.bigbarnhd.com
It’s no secret that wintertime through out the Midwest can get pretty hairy. Folks in Iowa know this all too well and have dealt with their share of mountainous snow falls and bitter cold, so come the first part of April, the season’s change is in the air and cabin fever has made us all a little crazy-er! It’s not unusual to see a few snowflakes this time of year, but by April spring fever sets in, and it’s hard to keep us biker folk locked up in a cage any longer!
For many years, folks with ABATE of Iowa’s District 7 have hosted their annual Northern Iowa Motorcycle Expo on the 2nd weekend in April, which always keeps folks watching the weather man. Past years have shown the frigid face of old man winter, which is why the event is held indoors at the North Iowa Fairgrounds in Mason City, Iowa. This past year’s event took place April 10th-11th, but for a change in pace, the weather couldn’t have been better. It’s pretty safe to say that more people attended the event on 2 wheels, rather than 4, which made for some show quality bikes sitting outside in the sunshine too.
The show is housed in two buildings on the grounds, with the swap meet and vendor area in the main building, where vendors packed into every nook and cranny of the joint. Any unusual parts, leather goods, biker artwork, and accessories could be found, with DJ music all weekend, along with food and cold beer served all day. The crowds rolled in on Saturday to witness the excellent assortment of artwork on display in the tattoo contest, and rumor has it that a few ladies might’ve shown some ink in unmentionable areas of their shapely bodies after the show.
The town of Mason City opened up its doors for bikers, and the local watering holes were happy to keep folks entertained. There’s a killer bar-b-q joint just down the road, and if the beers hadn’t been flowing so heavily, a fella might remember the name of that particular establishment. Oh well, guess they should’ve combined the place with a titty bar, ‘cause just the other direction sits a hole in the wall called Willow Run. Now, after a few too many cocktails a handful of hotties decided to bare some chest hair for any watching soul, so a person can’t forget the name of a fine establishment like that!
Come Sunday morning back at the Expo, folks showed signs that they must’ve tied it on a bit too hard, ‘cause a best beard contest was slated, but cancelled for lack of contestants. But then again, with the weekend’s warm weather, all the
hairy biker folks might’ve shaved their winter coats. That’s OK though, ‘cause over in the bike show building a couple of long legged brunettes were spotted prancing around the place, and stopping to pose on folks rides, and for some reason they really took a liking to a killer Triumph chopper!
Bike show awards were handed out around 3PM Sunday, with nearly every contestant taking home a trophy. Shouts need to go out to Kent Clemons, Mike Cmelik, Phil McCormick, and the numerous volunteers from District 7 that make this happen every year. Oh shit, just about forgot to mention that blonde babe in the pink dress who was handing out trophies. Damn sure wish I could remember her name!
This year’s Expo will be held at the same location, on April 9th-10th. For more info contact Mike at 641-529-0466.
Nate Ullrich (www.natanic.com)
NOrth IOWA MOtOrcycle expO 2010 ~ AprIl 10th-11th, 2010
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MOTORCYCLE-RIDING CONGRESSWOMAN SHOTIn what has been described as a national tragedy, a deranged gunman opened fire during a public meeting with constituents by Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Gif-fords outside a Tucson supermarket on January 8 that left six dead and more than a dozen injured including the state rep who was critically injured with a bullet wound to the head.Giffords, 40, rides motorcycles and married an astronaut at a wedding where every-thing had to be biodegradable. She is a centrist three-term Democrat who champi-ons gun rights, lists fiscal discipline as one of her top issues and was re-elected in a conservative district when Republicans took control of the House. Before entering politics she ran the family tire business, which was founded by her grandfather in 1949. Perhaps growing up in an auto-focused family led to her love of motorcycles. She is a co-chair of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus with Re-publican Walt Jones of North Carolina. In 2009 Rep. Giffords taped a video message encouraging people to ride their mo-torcycles to work, saying that she likes to ride motorcycles, but also likes that they leave a smaller carbon footprint than cars. She also sided with motorcycle riders who favor state legislation to ride helmet-free, as she does.Though early reports suggested Giffords was fatally shot, she miraculously survived being shot point-blank through the brain and her doctors are optimistic about her chances of recovery. The thoughts and prayers of America’s motorcycling commu-nity are with her and the other victims of this tragic assault.
NEW YEAR, NEW LAWSThe New Year rang in several new laws across the country affecting the motorcycle riding community, including the onerous new California anti-noise law that requires EPA-labeling for motorcycle exhausts on bikes built after 2012. Other less volatile laws also took effect on January 1st, including another California law that requires would-be motorcyclists under 21 to complete an approved safety course before an applicant can receive an instruction permit to learn to ride. Califor-nia lawmakers also passed a law to curb motorcycle thefts by outlawing possession of so-called “pigtails” which are homemade ignitions that allow a crook to start a motorcycle in as little as 20 seconds. Previously, burglary tools for the purpose of breaking into or stealing a vehicle other than a motorcycle were prohibited. Several states have recently enacted legislation requiring the completion of a mo-torcycle training course before being issued a motorcycle license endorsement, and this year Connecticut and North Carolina join the growing list of states tightening restrictions on motorcycle licensure for newbie riders. In Oregon, a new training requirement went into effect to mandate safety classes for new motorcyclists under the age of 30, and the law will expand over the next few years to include all new riders regardless of age. Already in the works for 2011, state legislatures are considering new laws to ban passengers under 8 years old in Virginia (House Bill 1850), allow Sunday motorcycle sales in Indiana (Senate Bill 108), and calls for a helmet law in Kentucky (House Bill 163). In Nebraska, Legislative Bill 62 has been filed to allow adult riders to opt out of the state’s mandatory helmet law with the completion of an approved motorcycle safety course.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ADVOCATES MANDATORY ABS FOR MOTORCYCLESA European Union Commission has presented its proposal for new framework regu-lation for motorcycles. It plans to mandate anti-lock braking systems (ABS) for mo-torcycles with more than 125cc displacement from 2017 onwards.
Although the first anti-lock braking system was installed on a motorcycle in 1988, only 16% of all newly manufactured motorcycles in Europe were equipped with ABS, and by comparison car manufacturers have made ABS standard equipment since 2004 which has contributed to a 49% overall decline in fatal car accidents in the EU.Experts regard anti-lock braking as a huge boost to safety. For example, a ben-efit analysis conducted for the European Commission calculates that the proposed regulation would reduce the number of fatal motorcycle accidents by more than 5,000 over a 10-year period.A study presented by Vagverket, the Swedish highways authority, in October 2009 showed that 38% of all motorcycle accidents involving personal injury and 48% of all serious and fatal accidents, could have been prevented with ABS. This active safety system allows motorcyclists to brake safely in critical situations without locking the wheels, and thus without having to fear an inevitable fall. Braking distance is also significantly reduced.The proposal is currently passing through the EU legislative procedure but will likely be adopted next year. The regulation will come into effect from 2017.In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has considered re-quiring ABS on new motorcycles sold in America, and will likely take up the issue in the near future. ECONOMIC UPTICK HAS AMERICANS BUYING LEISURE PRODUCTS AGAINPeople are buying expensive leisure products again, after they held back during the recession. A new report from Milwaukee’s Robert W. Baird and Company said motorcycle sales fell by half during the downturn, and ATV sales were just 30% of what they used to be. But Baird analyst Craig Kennison says many consumers now have a brighter out-look, in spite of high unemployment and a housing market that continues to be de-pressed. He said inventories for new leisure items are low, and there’s a strong demand for used goods. Kennison said Milwaukee’s Harley-Davidson Motor Co. slashed its production dur-ing the recession - and that drove up the prices for used bikes. But now, he says more folks are buying new Harleys with the help of trade-ins. And while it’s hard to prove, Kennison expects the same trend for cars, RV’s, and other big ticket items. He also said consumers are more confident about their per-sonal wealth, especially after the Bush tax cuts were extended. Had Congress not acted this month, Kennison said it might have been a disaster for discretionary spending. SURVEY SAYS; AGE UP, QUALITY DOWNBikers are getting older and they spend more at a motorcycle dealership they are happy with, according to a new ownership survey recently released by J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power’s 13th annual U.S. Motorcycle Competitive Information Study also re-veals that motorcycle quality has dipped to 2008 levels, with 152 problems reported per 100 motorcycles (PPM) -- an increase of 29 PPM. One half of owners surveyed reported that most of those problems (44%) are engine related, and the study sug-gests that gearshift problems, clutch chatter, and insufficient engine power have the greatest impact on overall satisfaction. The study cites a few no-brainers, like the fact that “Sales volumes and revenue of ancillary goods and services tend to be considerably higher -- by an average of $957 -- at motorcycle dealerships that provide a highly satisfying experience vs. dealerships that do not.”But the causal relationship between customer satisfaction and dollars spent is less ominous than their findings that the average rider age has risen from 40 to 49 since 2001, “an indication that many owners may soon exit the market”... combined with the study’s findings that first-time motorcycle buyers are on the decline, makes it all the more imperative that the motorcycle industry seeks to capture the interest of younger riders who might consider buying their first bike.
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FEWER BUSINESSES SELLING MOTORCYCLES, PARTS & ACCESSORIESThere are 10,428 retail outlets in the United States that conduct business related to motorcycles, scooters or ATVs, down by more than 25% from 13,973 such busi-nesses in 2009, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.These were the principle findings of the MIC 2010 Retail Outlet Audit, a summary of which the council sent to its members this week. The audit was completed in December 2010.The report broke down the total by the number of retailers that sell new major-brand vehicles -- 5,134, or 49.2% -- and the number of retailers not selling new vehicles, but specializing in parts, accessories, apparel, used vehicles or service: 5,294, or 50.8%. The MIC conducted its research by collecting information from all the manufacturers above, as well as from the trade magazines Dealernews and Motorcycle Product News. Because the study’s sources vary from year to year, the MIC warns that comparisons with previous years are subject to “considerable error.”The report further indicates that 58.8% of the new vehicle retail outlets carry only one of the 13 major brands. Slightly less than one-fifth are dual-line outlets, and 21.9% carry three or more of the major brands. The total number of franchises distributed among the 5,134 new vehicle outlets declined 5.6% to 9,182 from 9,731 in 2009. NO BONES ABOUT ITMost “experts” agree that riding motorcycles helps you to FEEL younger, but can riding actually make your body healthier and more youthful? A recent Medical College of Georgia study found that; “A daily dose of whole body vibration may help reduce the usual bone density loss that occurs with age,” on top of improving muscle strength and promoting weight loss... so it would appear that pulsating power from a motorcycle engine and the rumble of the open road will help aging bones get stronger.The extrapolation isn’t entirely far-fetched, and may lead to a healthy new excuse to ride; “Honey, I’m taking my exer-cycle for a workout.” WEIRD NEWS: CANADIAN BIKERS OUTRAGED OVER GOVERNMENT SPYINGMotorcycle operators in Quebec are outraged that the province’s automobile insur-ance board hired a private PR firm “to spy on us” and gather information about the group.The insurance board decided to monitor the group of motorcyclists earlier this year after learning that a coalition of angry owners had been formed to fight huge insur-ance rate hikes. The public relations firm National was granted a contract to inves-tigate the activities of the Front Commun Motocycliste, which had set up kiosks at a
Quebec City motorcycle show. “They give the impression of being organized, documented and especially very mo-tivated,” the firm stated in its two-page report after observing the group at the bike show. The report stated that the motorcycle owners were “dynamic and aggressive in their approach” with visitors. Members of the group were appalled to learn that the government would pay a pri-vate firm to monitor their activities. “We are outraged, flabbergasted and scandalized to learn that taxpayers’ money was used to spy on us. We are average taxpayers. We aren’t al-Qaeda,” said Éric Lessard, spokesman for the group. “The government is showing complete contempt for motorcycle owners.”The board denied spying on the group, telling the Globe and Mail newspaper that “There was a lot of anger and we knew protest groups were being formed,” accord-ing to a spokeswoman for the automobile insurance board, Audrey Chaput. “We granted a contract to the firm National to go out and listen to what the groups were saying and to feel the pulse of the movement.” Motorcycle owners have protested vigorously against insurance rate increases that have doubled since 2007 for owners of average-size motorcycles and more than quadrupled for owners of high-powered motorcycles considered more hazardous by the insurance board.
2011 NCOM CONVENTION IN ALBUQURQUEMark your calendar now for the 26th annual NCOM Convention, to be held Mother’s Day weekend, May 5-8, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque located at 330 Tijeras Ave NW in Albuquerque, New Mexico.This annual gathering will draw bikers’ rights activists from across the country to dis-cuss topics of concern to all riders, so reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate of $80.00 by calling (800) 233-1234. Airport/Hotel transportation is available.Registration fees for the NCOM Convention are $75 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $40 for the Convention only. All motorcyclists are welcome and encouraged to attend. Meetings, seminars and group discussions will focus on legislative efforts and litiga-tion techniques to benefit our right to ride and Freedom of the Road.To pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 525-5355 or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, popu-list, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.”Robert Anson Heinlein (1907-1988) American author and science fiction writer
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES - Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
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To start I would like to wish everyone a late Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The start of new Legislative decisions is upon us and we need to stay alert. There are many new people in the State House and we need to watch them closely. Lately, there has been much talk about a helmet bill and we need to keep a watchful eye to ensure it remains just talk.
I would like to encourage you all to join ABATE of Iowa if you are not already a member. After you join, make a point to attend your local meetings and see what ABATE is doing to protect your rights. Come and help us as we fight for Iowa to remain a helmet free state. Your rights are on the line here.
I hope you all have a good and safe year ahead,
Assistant State CoordinatorAbate of IowaSteven “Rambo” Schilmoeller
Mark and Karla Cornick are Area Reps with the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org.
It’s probably a fairly safe assumption that if you are reading this you sur-vived the Christmas holidays. There we are, in the middle of everything, focused on Christmas and the twelve gazillion parties and get - togethers and all of a sudden -bam - it’s over and time again to get the calendars out and start planning a new year. It’s time to start the process of deciding where to go, who and what to see, what worked and what didn’t. As the sage American philosopher Clint Eastwood so aptly put it, “A man’s got to know his limitations.’’CMA starts the New Year with regional and state meetings that are de-signed to get everyone on the same path. I was asked to put together a class for one of these on road captains for some of the new chapter offi-cers coming on and I got thinking about the journey of life and the parallels between the natural and the spiritual.In the beginning there is preparation and planning to get ready and to know where we are going. A good road captain knows the route; he has traveled the path and is aware of the dangers. He has great concern for his riders, he knows where they are, their ride levels and the condition of their equipment. He is a good communicator before, during, and after with words, signals, and by overall example. A good road captain also knows the value of having other experienced riders along to help watch and in-struct the novices. The safety and well being of the riders is important. You have to remember that Sportster tanks don’t go as far on gas as a Road King, and that ladies like more bathroom stops, which is okay because it promotes visiting and bonding along the way. Flexibility is important be-cause you have so many variables to take into account. No matter how well you plan there is the unforeseen that may manifest as break downs, illnesses, and the inevitable changing weather. The group needs to talk at rest stops to see how everyone is doing, if there are potential problems ahead, and what is coming up along the road.You may have seen the patch around that says “Jesus is my road cap-tain”. It’s important that we have him leading us in this journey. He has gone before us to scout the route. He came as a baby, lived life, was tempted in all ways that we have been and then he provided a safe way home. He is not limited in the ways of our natural Road Captains. Being omnipresent and omniscient, Jesus knows where we are at all times and that we are in different places. He can handle that and knows exactly what we need for our situation, whatever we may be facing.The book of Jeremiah says, “ For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’. He cares for us. So as we look forward to a new season, whatever your situation now or down the road, don’t forget where to look for help and direction. God is bigger than all your problems whatever they may be. He has seen it all before and has made a way for us all. Look to Jesus.Blessings,Mark
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ABATEUpdate
readers’ submissionsDream Rider
Like a loverSneaking looks
Through cracked doorsSeparating me
From dream filled desires.
Shafts of light Cut through
half dark spaceschrome and polish
Reflecting rhythms in my soul.
ImpatientlyShe rests
With haunting needTo find
Open air and flowing roads.
In reluctanceI resist
Mounting herand awakening
Memories of motion and sound.
My needsOutweigh cold
But iceAnd snow
Rule reason this day.
With remorseAnd determination
I avert my eyesStepping away
From her insistent calling.
Soon I lieTo her and I
We shall Once again
Share entwined adventures.
Behind the doorMy partner anxiously
AwaitsAs dreams of escape and explored
limits take me away.
EAR
Another year has ended,A new one just begun.
How many lives were given,For how many battles won?
It seems never ending,
The “casualties” of war.When will the World stand up and say,
“We won’t take it anymore”?
We all pray for miracles.Not just now, but everyday.It shouldn’t take a miracle,
To make war go away.
Why can’t we all just get along?How often someone says those words.
It takes a conscience effort,To be seen…and not just heard.
Dana Vincent
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From the Woman’s Seatride down to Hamburg, Iowa and back
to Omaha. It was a great time and all of the ladies were awesome. We bonded and
ended up doing a few rides together that year. During the following year I would meet a new lady rider who would come through the dealership just about every week if
not more. So for the 2nd annual ride I had a signup sheet a few months in advance, hoping to get at least 25 ladies signed up,
then when that number quickly got filled my goal was 50. But by the time May rolled around, I had just about 100 ladies wanting to join in on the ride!!!! It officially ended up being 50 ladies because it was soooooo cold! It was a great day though. We had a light breakfast, took some cool group pictures then had a police cruiser escort us up to 72nd and Harrison. What a great feeling that was. I had goose bumps seeing all of the ladies in my rear view mirror all the way down 72nd. It was an awesome sight to see. The day was great and the sun finally came out when we got to our final destination, Route 66 for our after party which we had an all women’s band “The Clincher” playing for us. It was such a great time. I cannot wait for our 3rd ride coming up in May 2011 on the 14th. I am so fortunate to have met so many great women. It is unbelievable when I think about how many of us are out there living our dream. It’s not a “men’s” only world anymore in the biker community. I often find that the women are doing more RIDING then the men. Don’t get me wrong fellas, I love riding with you too. It’s just a great feeling to know that there are so many of us out there and we are all sisters with a common bond. Keep riding ladies and keep building those friendships. It is never too late in life to start riding. If it is something you can dream about, it is definitely something you can make happen. I am so excited for future rides and being able to be involved in LOH (Ladies of Harley) this year. I was nominated by the Omaha/Council Bluffs chapter to be the LOH Officer. One thing I have learned about the biker community, men and women riders are the most caring generous people when It comes to helping people out in need. I plan on giving as much to the community as I can in my new position. I can’t wait to meet more of you lady riders and you always have a riding partner as long as I’m on two wheels. Peace Out, Ride Safe. G.
My name is Gretchen... (G for short). This year will be my fourth year riding solo. I ride a 2001 Fat Boy. This was the bike I started on and have loved every minute riding. I’ve always known that I would someday have and ride my own Harley. I had met a woman rider named Lisa a few years back and was so envious of her. I think I told her once “I want to be just like you”. She would tell her story about how she started riding and she seemed so confident and secure with herself, I knew in the back of my mind that someday I WILL riding. I think if you set your mind to something you will always find a way to make it happen. It may take a while but it is well worth the wait. I was a passenger for a couple of years and loved being able to go for rides. But after awhile (being the Miss Independent that I am) I just didn’t feel like waiting around for someone to take me out for rides. I wanted to go when I wanted to go. So I bought my bike, yes I did that first, took the Riders Edge class and have been riding ever since. What an experience that class was. I was the only female in the class. It was so cold that weekend and I think it was even sleeting during our riding time. I wanted to quit so bad. But I couldn’t be a wimp in front of the guys and my Bad Ass bike was waiting for me in the garage. So I passed the class and got my endorsement!! The first year I started riding I had no women rider friends. I always rode with the boys. Fortunately my riding partner was very understanding to my learning needs. He let me take my time and always had helpful advice. The more and more I became confident with my riding ability the more and more I started wondering…….where are all the ladies at, I know I’m not the only one out here. Having the advantage for working at the Hol-stein’s Harley Davidson dealership, I started noticing and meeting more and more lady riders. After talking with some of the ladies it sounded as if a lot of them were longing for a connection with other women riders also. So I had this idea of getting a ride together just for women to meet other women riders and maybe build friendships, support systems and have some riding buddies. Our first year we had 17 lady riders on our run. It was a beautiful day in May. We picked May because it is Lady Riders Month. With the help of my very first lady rider friend Marge (my very own personal GPS) who helped me with mapping out the route, we had a nice
Molly’s 30th Feb 5th
Live Music Feb 12th
Tim’s B-Day Party Feb 26th
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Well, ROAD M.C. was founded in Germany while some of our boys were stationed there. We are one of the older clubs still in exis-tence. Our chapter here in Iowa has become known for helping peo-ple in need. There are many ways to help others, and one way is to do benefits to raise some funds for those who need a little boost. We do a fundraising breakfast once a month, usually the second Sunday of the month, throughout the winter, and then a dance in the spring of the year. We used to give our profits to large foundations, such as Spinal Cord Research, Alzheimer’s, A plastic anemia, and Diabetes Association, but we decided to keep our profits closer to home, and help people locally that are having a tough time and a troubled time in life. We’re not a large chapter by any means, but we pull together and work hard at fund raisings. Our next breakfast is the 13th of Feb, and our last breakfast is the 13th of March. All of our breakfasts are held in Brayton, Iowa. If you are worried about finding it in Brayton, don’t worry, there are signs, and Brayton is a very small town. Our dance will be the 2nd of April and it will be at Uncle Jerry’s in Exira, Iowa. We are raffling off a Toshiba Laptop, with a Cannon printer, and 1/2 of a hog, and 1/4 of a beef, along with a live auction, and a silent auction. Travlin Light will be playing. I wish to thank everyone who has donated and trusted us to put their donations to good use. Come see us sometime! On behalf of ROAD M.C., ThanksMayor Erv
ROAD M.C.My boyfriend, Kevin (49 years old) and I (50 years old) decided to buy Harley motorcycles the winter of 2008. My initial motive was to be able to ride with my son, who has ridden motorcycles for years. June 2008, he was deployed to Iraq for 18 months with the Iowa National Guard. I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible when he returned. He loves his time on his Harley. I knew that he would spend many hours on his bike that first summer home.I had never driven a motorcycle; I had ridden a couple of times (as a passenger) which scared me to death! My boyfriend, on the other hand, had had a serious motorcycle accident at the age of 21, which left him in a coma for three months. He had not ridden since then. After he was released from the hospital, he said he drove his bike around the block and never got on another motorcycle again.So we started looking for bikes on Craigslist. I really did not know what I wanted. I just knew I wanted a Harley, and the smallest would be a Sportster. Kev found an ad on Craigslist for a sporty that was owned by a woman my size. She looked really cute on her bike! We went down to look at it. Here was the kicker. I needed my boyfriend, who had not ridden in 27 years, to test drive it. Down the driveway he went, wobbling to and fro, jumped the curb, and out of sight he went. The lady began
screaming, “He’s going to drop my bike!” I reassured her that all was fine, even though that was not how my stomach was feeling.When Kevin did return, he pulled in the driveway like an old pro. Once he was out on the road, he said it all came back to him and it felt great to be riding again!! That cold November day, I bought my first Harley Davidson motorcycle. It is a 2003 883 Sportster 100th anniversary model, gun metal blue. It has a lowering kit, forward controls, and handlebar risers so that the handlebars are closer to the rider. It fits me like a glove!Shortly thereafter, Kev also bought a 2000 1200 Sportster on Craigslist. This bike he test drove with snow on the streets! Now I needed to learn how to ride and he needed a refresher course. We turned to our local Harley Dealership and signed up for classes in April 2009. That was a long winter.After the snow melted, Kevin was out on his bike riding up and down the road, back and forth, back and forth. Then after a while, he would drive to one of the small towns close to us and just drive around practicing on stop and go, and turns. I was feeling a little left out. So I begged him to show me how to start and stop. I wanted to just go up and down the drive. I have a Miata that has a stick so I understood the basics of shifting gears. Bad idea! The bike took off and across the road and into the
ditch my beautiful, unmarked, not-a-scratch-on-it, Sporty flew. I skid across the pavement on my knee and left hip. And I cried.Kevin told me maybe I was not meant to ride. Don’t tell me I can’t do something!!!! I took that as a challenge, but I did wait to get on the bike again until after my safety class in April.The class was very exciting. We had 2 days of class work and we were ready to start riding! There were 5 guys ranging from 16 to 49, and myself. I had new chaps, gloves, helmet, and a leather riding jacket. I was soooo excited. The teacher was about my age. After the first hour, he pulled me off to the side and told me to get off my bike. I did, but I did not understand. Yes, I was having difficulty keeping the bike running, but I had paid $300.00 to learn how to ride! The teacher said I should never ride a bike!!! Determination was setting in hard. I WILL RIDE A MOTORCYCLE!!! And I will be good at it!! I spent the rest of that weekend watching Kevin, and engraving into my brain every instruction the teacher gave the guys.Monday morning I had Kevin get my Sporty out and take me to the farm yard. By the afternoon I was driving my Harley around the burn pile and up and down the farm drive. I rode every day, and as I became more and more confident, I ventured out into what used to be horse pastures, around the house, the barn, and the machine sheds. I was very happy. A girl friend of mine saw me riding in the horse pasture one day. She said I needed to be on the road, “it will be a lot easier”. What do you know!! It was easier on the paved road. I signed up for another safety class to be taughtin June.
The second class was being taught by a young man in his twenties. This class had other women that, for one reason or another, had flunked out of their first class. He was great. When I had difficulty with something, he would laugh at my response which was, “Am I done? Are you going to kick me out?” I passed the course with flying colors, and he said I am a good rider!! I live in the country so we would drive to one of the little towns or the state parks that are within an hour from our home. One day there was a strong wind from the south. I had a semi coming towards me (on a two lane east-west road) and my boyfriend was behind me. At the same instant that I passed a house on the south side of the road, the semi also passed me. What a rush. The house blocked the wind and I was leaning so hard that I was instantly driving on the gravel on the side of the road. Once again, the cardo-riders that we bought to be able to talk to each other, paid for themselves. Very calmly Kev said, “Karen, hand off the throttle, no braking, slow down, and get back on the pavement.” I would like to know what went through that semi drivers head when I left the road, or if he even saw me.The idea that you have to look the way you are turning was difficult for me to grasp. Kev would ride behind me and as I would turn
there would be a running commentary from him saying things like, “Don’t look at the ditch; turn your head, look the way you are turning.” We were riding with a friend of Kev’s one day. Kev was the leader, I was behind him, and the friend was behind me. We stopped at a T intersection. Kev turned left. I looked at the ditch and drove across the road right down into the ditch. His friend was messing with his earplugs and looked up and I was gone from sight! It’s a good thing I learned to ride in a horse pasture! I just rode down the ditch to the next driveway and got back up on the road. The early days were eventful for me. Kev says riding with me is never a dull moment. Once I pulled up to a stop sign and fell over. That was probably the most embarrassing. OK, OK! That wasn’t the most embarrassing moment. We were at a bar with friends, you know, new riding buddies. I had a drink but I was in no way drunk. The bar was on a steep hill, so that when I parked, the kickstand was uphill. I came out, sat on my bike, and when I stood it up, the bike and I fell downhill! That is my most embarrassing moment. I did learn that once the bike tips, you have to turn the bike completely off, and back on, to reset some switch. Then it will restart.Another time we were headed to a t-ball game for my grandson. Kev made a left turn and
Girls ride tooI was supposed to follow him. However, I overshot the turn, there was a car coming and cars parked on both sides of the road. Once I started my turn, I realized I could not make that sharp of a turn at my speed; on to plan B. I hopped up on the sidewalk. Kev looked in his rearview mirror and he couldn’t see me. He said, “Where are you?” I answered, “Look to the right, I am on the sidewalk!” He said “What the hell are you doing up there?” So if you see a biker riding on the sidewalk or through your neighbor’s flower bed, don’t be so quick to judge. Maybe he just couldn’t make the turn. LOL2000 miles under my belt was my goal that first summer. We rode to work, went to bike rallies, patriot guard events, and just wandered aimlessly. I actually put over 8,000 miles on my Sporty, and Kevin logged 13,000 on his that summer. My son came home from Iraq safe and sound to a new bike of his own. He is very proud of me, and is proud to introduce me to his buddies when we ride together. And I am very proud to be the mother of an American soldier!God Bless America,Keep it on two!Karen Shepard & Kevin Powell
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BACON LOVERS CHEESEBURGER MEATLOAF In large mixing bowl, combine:3 Hefty Handfuls of Thickly Shredded, Extra Sharp, Cheddar CheeseAdd in 2 Slightly Whisked Eggs (as a glue base)2 Tbls. Worcestershire10 Pieces of Thick Bacon, Fried Up Crisp & Crumbled1 Large Purple Onion; large chop1/2 of an 8 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce2 Pounds of Ground Round Dash of Garlic Powder & Dash of RosemarySalt & Ground Pepper to Taste1 Pkg. of Pre-Sliced Fresh Mushrooms4 Beef Bouillon Cubes Dissolved in 1/4 Cup Hot Water2 Tbls. Liquid Smoke (*optional)Mix it all up good. Transfer to a baking ban with higher sides than a cookie sheet. Line your pan with double foil for easy clean-up. Pat firmly to form a loaf shape. Bake in 350 degree pre-heated oven for 1 hour. 10 mins. before time to pull, pour remaining can of tomato sauce all over it to cover well and return to oven. When you pull from oven, allow to “rest” for no less than 10 minutes. Because you used the Ground Round, it will far less greasy and the bouillon gives it a good, hearty taste to offset the cheesy taste. * Remember...it’s the month for lovers...don’t let your “meat” loaf. :)
CURRIED SWEET POTATO LATKES (Basically, Russian style hashbrowns) 1/2 Cup of All-Purpose Flour2 tsp. Sugar, Splenda or Truvia2 tsp. Curry Powder 1 tsp. Baking Powder 1/4 tsp. Ground Pepper1 tsp. Brown Sugar1 tsp. Ground Cumin1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten1/2 Cup Whole Milk4 Cups of Grated, Peeled Sweet Potatoes3/4 tsp. Salt - 1/4 tsp. Ground PepperLight Oil for FryingIn a small bowl, combine the first (9) ingredients. Stir in slightly beaten eggs & milk until blended. Add grated sweet potatoes, toss to coat. Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into oil; press lightly to flatten out. Fry for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown & crispy, adding a tad more oil if needed. Drain well on thick paper towels.
BROWN SUGAR & SPICE GLAZED SALMON2 Tbls. Brown Sugar4 Tbls. Butter 2 tsp. Honey2 Tbls. EVOO2 Tbls. Dijon Mustard2 Tbls. Soy SauceSalt & Ground Pepper to Taste2 Salmon Fillets (apprx. 2 to 2-1/2 lbs. each)In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the brown sugar, butter & honey until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the EVOO, mustard, soy sauce & salt & pepper. Cool for 5 minutes. Place salmon in a foil-lined broiling pan; brush generously with glaze mixture. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from oven and after plating up, pour more of the glaze sauce over top of fillets. * Even if you’ve never really liked or even tried salmon before, you will absolutely love it if you make it this way.
LEMON LOVERS COOKIES FOR LOVERS3/4 Cup of Real Butter, Softened3 Tbls. Sugar, Splenda or Truvia2 tsp. Real Lemon Juice1-1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour1/2 Cup Cornstarch1 tsp. Grated Lemon PeelLEMON FROSTING: 1/4 Cup Butter, Softened1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar2 tsp. Lemon Juice & 1 tsp. Grated Lemon PeelIn small bowl, cream butter & sugar. Beat in lemon juice. Combine flour, cornstarch & lemon peel; gradually add to creamed mixture & mix well. Shape into 1-1/2 inch roll & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Unwrap & cut into 1/4 in. slices. Place on un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes. Cool completely.In small bowl, beat all the Lemon Frosting ingredients until silky smooth. Spread over totally cooled cookies & sprinkle with additional lemon peel. Let stand until frosting is set. * These are perfect w/ coffee or hot tea.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
TO ALL OUR BRAVE, PROUD TROOPS... YOU’RE IN OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS DAILY. God Speed You Home.
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A few years back, a couple by the names Earl and Julie Reichmann got together with some friends, and started what they called the Cast Iron Ride. Earl and Julie both ride Shovelheads, so the idea was a ride for 1984 and earlier bikes, and everyone was encouraged to ride at their own pace, rather than feel pressured to ride at a pace with others who wanted to hot rod it up from stop to stop.
For years, the event was always held on a Sunday in September in central/northern Illinois. Last year, Earl decided to ad the Saturday before, and start the ride at the Iron Horse Social Club in Savanna, Illinois. The Iron Horse is a beautiful watering hole with about 35 antique bikes on display, so it seemed like a natural spot to start. First stop from there was at Jim Long’s shop in Bellevue, Iowa. Jim’s shop is in a great location right along the Mississippi River,
and he’s been restoring antique motorcycles for over 30 years. His shop is literally like taking a step back in time!
From there, next stop was in Balltown, Iowa for lunch, and to take in Iowa’s highest point of elevation, which looks across the river into Wisconsin. From Balltown, everyone took the Cassville Ferry across the river into Cassville, Wisconsin, with
a stop in the old mining town of New Diggins, Wisconsin, before heading back to the Iron Horse for a nightcap.
Last year, the ride left the Iron Horse on Sunday morning, and continued to the Vintage Spokes motorcycle museum in Rockford, Illinois. This year however, Earl and Julie couldn’t make the trip, so Jerry from the Iron Horse took the reigns. Everyone enjoyed
Saturday’s ride so much last year, that it was decided to do the exact same route again. Only problem was that during lunch in Balltown, word spread that the Cassville Ferry was closed, so the ride redirected through Dubuque, and continued on towards New
Diggins and the Iron Horse.
Jerry also owns another bar just a couple doors down called Hog Dogs, where he supplied free burgers to everyone after the ride, and event T-shirts for only $5 bucks! He also rolled up the front doors of the building, so that everyone could sit around the tables with beers in hand, and watch the traffic stroll through
Main Street Savanna.
Sunday’s ride this year was also changed up a bit… The ride crossed back over into Iowa, and took a trip across Highway 64 to Anamosa for their hill climb. The National Motorcycle Museum and J&P Cycles are also located in Anamosa, so it seemed like a “no brainer” to point the ride that direction. The ride later returned
back to the Iron Horse Sunday afternoon, where local favorite the Cal Stage Band was entertaining the crowd.
The ride will likely take place again in early September 2011, and for more info you can check out www.castironride.com, or call the Iron Horse at 815-273-2600.
Nate Ullrich (www.natanic.com)
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By Gary WestphalenIt has happened to one of my bikes. It has happened to one of
Donna’s bikes. It may well have happened to yours. We fed them alcohol, and it made them sick.
It sounds like a great plan, at first glance. By converting corn and other crops grown on American soil into ethanol, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This alcohol is currently blended into most of the gasoline we buy. Regulations enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) state that each gallon of gasoline may consist of up to ten percent ethanol. Simple math suggests a corresponding savings of ten percent of our fossil fuel supply, along with a similar reduction of imported oil. Who could argue with that?
But alcohol is not gasoline, and many of its properties are downright detrimental to the operation of your motorcycle, and the longevity of its parts. Thunder Roads West Virginia first examined this issue in a series of reports last fall. In our October and November, 2009 issues (see Passing Gas Parts I and II) we uncovered the dark side of this clear distillate. There are five main points that make ethanol just plain unsuitable for most bikes.
Gallon-for-gallon, ethanol produces about a third less energy than gasoline. With a ten percent blend of ethanol, that means you will see a decrease in your engine’s power of about three to six percent, along with a corresponding decrease in mileage. If you’re driving a gas hog cage that only gets ten or twelve miles per gallon, you probably won’t take much note of the loss. But in a bike, where the difference can be quite obvious, you could lose as much as 20 or 30 miles from every tank of gas.
Ethanol has a lower flash point, which means it explodes at a
lower temperature than gasoline, yet it burns hotter. Inside your engine, this combination can lead to premature detonation – engine knock – which robs power and harms engine components. In our April, 2010 issue (see The $1,000 Fill-Up, on page 24) we brought you the story of a bike that had its head gaskets burned away. The service technician who rebuilt the engine attributed this to excessive heat in the cylinders, probably caused by ethanol blended gasoline.
The shelf life of gasoline blended with ethanol is questionable. While the American Petroleum Institute says ethanol does not affect the longevity of a properly stored tank of fuel, most other knowledgeable sources disagree. The American Automobile Association, which has done extensive testing related to this subject, refers to ethanol blended gasoline as a “temperamental product.” Others believe that an ethanol blended tank of gas remains viable for no more than 90 to 100 days after the mixture was first blended.
Ethanol is a powerful solvent. It can loosen rust and other contaminants that might otherwise lie undisturbed in your fuel system. It is able to dissolve rubber hoses, seals, plastics, and resins. Over time, ethanol can even eat away at soft metals like brass and aluminum. All of this dissolved material must then be pushed through your engine.
Finally, the worst behavior that ethanol brings to into your gas tank is its hygroscopic property, meaning it attracts water. In fact, ethanol would actually prefer to blend with water. When enough moisture has been drawn into the ethanol/gasoline blend, the ethanol will actually surrender its chemical bond with the gasoline, in favor of the water. Then, the alcohol and water mixture drops out of suspension with the gasoline, and sinks to the bottom of your fuel tank. This is a process called phase separation. When the alcohol and water mixture is pumped into your engine,
Alcohol Poisoning – What Ethanol is doing to your bike
the epa is proposing this label for e15 pumps. a skull and crossbones might
be more appropriate.
you will experience hard starting, a significant loss of power, and engine misfires. That’s assuming you can even get it to start in the first place. Additionally, since the ethanol provides about three rating points worth of octane, the remaining gasoline will be well below the octane rating your engine needs.*
Up until October 13th of this year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had allowed gasoline distributors to blend no more than ten percent alcohol, by volume, into the fuel supply. That’s the highest concentration of alcohol approved by any motorcycle manufacturer for use in bikes. But, under pressure from ethanol industry groups, such as an organization called Growth Energy, the EPA has changed its rules. Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers petitioned the EPA to allow for a blend of 15 percent ethanol, or E15 as it is called. The petition was submitted under the Clean Air Act, which says the petitioner must show that the altered fuel “will not cause or contribute to the failure of an emission control system to achieve compliance with the emission standards to which it has been certified over its useful life.” The act makes no mention of protecting engines from damage, nor does it address loss of performance, fuel shelf life, or the solvent and hygroscopic issues related to ethanol.
The EPA partially agreed with the petition, issuing a waiver of its regulations to allow for E15 to be sold for use in cars, light-duty trucks, and SUV’s from the model year 2007 and newer. However, the EPA has withheld approval of E15 fuel for cars from the model years 2001 through 2006, pending further testing, and does not plan to approve it for use in older cars, heavy duty vehicles, motorcycles, and off-road motors such as lawn mowers.
The problem is, while E15 fuel is to be clearly labeled and dispensed as such, that dispensing is going to be happening at the same pump islands you use to fill your bike. The first gas station to sell the high-ethanol blend was in Vinton, Iowa. Within a couple weeks of the rule change, E15 was being offered at the very same pump as all other grades of gasoline. Although it is pumped through a separate hose, E15 is selected in the same row of buttons as every other grade of gas. An uninformed biker could easily opt for this cheaper blend, without realizing the risks being taken.
The federal ruling prohibits the sale of E15 for use in bikes, and there are stiff penalties involved. A retailer that allows E15 fuel to be pumped into a vehicle not approved for its use can face a
$25-thousand fine, and the consumer could be fined up to $2,500 for a single incident, although the enforcement mechanism in unclear.
The full text of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement regarding the approval of E15 gasoline is available on our website at www.thunderroadswv.com.
But, even if the new E15 gasoline never comes near your bike, the problems presented by the ten percent ethanol blend remain. “This year we’ve seen more poor running conditions with fuel injected bikes than we’ve ever seen,” says Chuck Wiseman of JT Cycle and Hoodlum Garage, in Beckley. Chuck thinks the short time frame in which ethanol-blended fuel remains viable is the biggest problem his customers are facing. “A lot of our riders are weekends only, and sometimes the bike might sit for two or three weeks. I’m thinking that’s probably where the majority of it
came from. We did find bad fuel in lots of them, and the customer is like, ‘How can that be? The bike has only sat for a few weeks.’” Additionally, Chuck has found numerous bikes this year with plugged gas cap vents, which he also attributes to the presence of ethanol.
So, what can you do to protect your bike’s engine from ethanol damage? There are a few things.
First and foremost, make sure you buy good gasoline. There are still a few gas stations around selling gasoline that is not blended with ethanol. If you can find a station selling ethanol-free gasoline, patronize it religiously.
Ideally, the ethanol-blend you are probably going to have to settle for is reasonably fresh, since the lifespan of blended gas is questionable. It should also be the proper octane rating for your motorcycle engine. Consult your service tech or bike’s manual for the answer, but I’m betting your tech will tell you to run premium. Since ethanol accounts for about three of the octane rating points, the more octane the actual gasoline brings to the equation, the better.
Buy your gasoline from stations that pump the three different grades of gasoline through three different hoses. Odds are that the guy in front of you pumped the cheap stuff into his minivan. So, when you roll in and hit the Hi-Test button, those first few slurps your bike gets won’t be the top shelf juice you’re paying for. How much low-grade you get depends on the delivery system employed at that station.
I like this one: Don’t let the gas sit in your tank for very long. This is a good thing. The only way to keep a healthy turnover rate in that tank is to ride, ride, ride.
Those are all fairly common sense suggestions. They help, to a certain extent. But, even if you follow those suggestions, you may still have problems. Ethanol and water can still lead to phase separation, for example. Or, you can still end up with a tank of old gas.
The only other option is the use of a fuel additive. Some bikers swear by them, and others swear at them. There are very real reasons why some fuel additives will only make your ethanol problems worse. That’s the easy part. This issue gets trickier when you look at some additives that just might be what the doctor ordered. Are they salvation, or snake oil? Thunder Roads West Virginia will examine the subject of fuel additives in part two of Alcohol Poisoning in our January, 2011 issue.
If you can find a filling station with a banner like this, patronize it.
6 ThUnder roads® WesT VIrGInIa deCeMBer 2010 deCeMBer 2010 ThUnder roads® WesT VIrGInIa 7www.thunderroadswv.com
It has happened to one of my bikes. It has happened to one of Donna’s bikes. It may well have happened to yours. We fed them alcohol, and it made them sick.It sounds like a great plan, at first glance. By converting corn and other crops grown on American soil into ethanol, we can reduce our depen-dence on foreign oil. This alcohol is currently blended into most of the gasoline we buy. Regulations enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) state that each gallon of gasoline may consist of up to ten percent ethanol. Simple math suggests a corresponding savings of ten percent of our fossil fuel supply, along with a similar reduction of imported oil. Who could argue with that?But alcohol is not gasoline, and many of its properties are downright det-rimental to the operation of your motorcycle, and the longevity of its parts. There are five main points that make ethanol just plain unsuitable for most bikes.Gallon-for-gallon, ethanol produces about a third less energy than gaso-line. With a ten percent blend of ethanol, that means you will see a de-crease in your engine’s power of about three to six percent, along with a corresponding decrease in mileage. If you’re driving a gas hog cage that only gets ten or twelve miles per gallon, you probably won’t take much note of the loss. But in a bike, where the difference can be quite obvious, you could lose as much as 20 or 30 miles from every tank of gas.Ethanol has a lower flash point, which means it explodes at a lower tem-perature than gasoline, yet it burns hotter. Inside your engine, this com-bination can lead to premature detonation – engine knock – which robs power and harms engine components. In a past issue, we brought you the story of a bike that had its head gaskets burned away. The service technician who rebuilt the engine attributed this to excessive heat in the cylinders, probably caused by ethanol blended gasoline.The shelf life of gasoline blended with ethanol is questionable. While the American Petroleum Institute says ethanol does not affect the longevity of a properly stored tank of fuel, most other knowledgeable sources dis-agree. The American Automobile Association, which has done extensive
testing related to this subject, refers to ethanol blended gasoline as a “temperamental product.” Others believe that an ethanol blended tank of gas remains viable for no more than 90 to 100 days after the mixture was first blended.Ethanol is a powerful solvent. It can loosen rust and other contaminants that might otherwise lie undisturbed in your fuel system. It is able to dis-solve rubber hoses, seals, plastics, and resins. Over time, ethanol can even eat away at soft metals like brass and aluminum. All of this dissolved material must then be pushed through your engine.Finally, the worst behavior that ethanol brings to into your gas tank is its hygroscopic property, meaning it attracts water. In fact, ethanol would ac-tually prefer to blend with water. When enough moisture has been drawn into the ethanol/gasoline blend, the ethanol will actually surrender its chemical bond with the gasoline, in favor of the water. Then, the alcohol and water mixture drops out of suspension with the gasoline, and sinks to the bottom of your fuel tank. This is a process called phase separation. When the alcohol and water mixture is pumped into your engine, you will experience hard starting, a significant loss of power, and engine misfires. That’s assuming you can even get it to start in the first place. Additionally, since the ethanol provides about three rating points worth of octane, ther-emaining gasoline will be well below the octane rating your engine needs.Up until October 13th of this past year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had allowed gasoline distributors to blend no more than ten percent alcohol, by volume, into the fuel supply. That’s the highest concentration of alcohol approved by any motorcycle manufac-
turer for use in bikes. But, under pressure from ethanol industry groups, such as an organization called Growth Energy, the EPA has changed its rules. Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers petitioned the EPA to allow for a blend of 15 percent ethanol, or E15 as it is called. The petition was submitted under the Clean Air Act, which says the petitioner must show that the altered fuel “will not cause or contribute to the failure of an emission control system to achieve compliance with the emission stan-dards to which it has been certified over its useful life.” The act makes no mention of protecting engines from damage, nor does it address loss of performance, fuel shelf life, or the solvent and hygroscopic issues related to ethanol.The EPA partially agreed with the petition, issuing a waiver of its regula-tions to allow for E15 to be sold for use in cars, light-duty trucks, and SUV’s from the model year 2007 and newer. However, the EPA has with-held approval of E15 fuel for cars from the model years 2001 through 2006, pending further testing, and does not plan to approve it for use in older cars, heavy duty vehicles, motorcycles, and off-road motors such as lawn mowers.The problem is, while E15 fuel is to be clearly labeled and dispensed as such, that dispensing is going to be happening at the same pump islands you use to fill your bike. The first gas station to sell the high-ethanol blend was in Vinton, Iowa. Within a couple weeks of the rule change, E15 was being offered at the very same pump as all other grades of gasoline. Al-though it is pumped through a separate hose, E15 is selected in the same row of buttons as every other grade of gas. An uninformed biker could easily opt for this cheaper blend, without realizing the risks being taken.The federal ruling prohibits the sale of E15 for use in bikes, and there are stiff penalties involved. A retailer that allows E15 fuel to be pumped into a vehicle not approved for its use can face a $25,000 fine, and the consumer could be fined up to $2,500 for a single incident, although the enforcement mechanism in unclear.The full text of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement regarding the approval of E15 gasoline is available on www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/additive/e15/But, even if the new E15 gasoline never comes near your bike, the prob-lems presented by the ten percent ethanol blend remain. “This year we’ve seen more poor running conditions with fuel injected bikes than we’ve ever seen,” says Chuck Wiseman of JT Cycle and Hoodlum Garage. Chuck thinks the short time frame in which ethanol-blended fuel remains viable is the biggest problem his customers are facing. “A lot of our riders are
weekends only, and sometimes the bike might sit for two or three weeks. I’m thinking that’s probably where the majority of it came from. We did find bad fuel in lots of them, and the customer is like, ‘How can that be? The bike has only sat for a few weeks.’” Additionally, Chuck has found numer-ous bikes this year with plugged gas cap vents, which he also attributes to the presence of ethanol.So, what can you do to protect your bike’s engine from ethanol damage? There are a few things.First and foremost, make sure you buy good gasoline. There are still a few gas stations around selling gasoline that is not blended with ethanol. If you can find a station selling ethanol-free gasoline, patronize it religiously. Ideally, the ethanol-blend you are probably going to have to settle for is reasonably fresh, since the lifespan of blended gas is questionable. It should also be the proper octane rating for your motorcycle engine. Con-sult your service tech or bike’s manual for the answer, but I’m betting your tech will tell you to run premium. Since ethanol accounts for about three of the octane rating points, the more octane the actual gasoline brings to the equation, the better.Buy your gasoline from stations that pump the three different grades of gasoline through three different hoses. Odds are that the guy in front of you pumped the cheap stuff into his minivan. So, when you roll in and hit the Hi-Test button, those first few slurps your bike gets won’t be the top shelf juice you’re paying for. How much low-grade you get depends on the delivery system employed at that station.I like this one: Don’t let the gas sit in your tank for very long. This is a good thing. The only way to keep a healthy turnover rate in that tank is to ride, ride, ride.Those are all fairly common sense suggestions. They help, to a certain extent. But, even if you follow those suggestions, you may still have prob-lems. Ethanol and water can still lead to phase separation, for example. Or, you can still end up with a tank of old gas.The only other option is the use of a fuel additive. Some bikers swear by them, and others swear at them. There are very real reasons why some fuel additives will only make your ethanol problems worse. That’s the easy part. This issue gets trickier when you look at some additives that just might be what the doctor ordered. Are they salvation, or snake oil? We will examine the subject of fuel additives in part two of Alcohol Poisoning in our March, 2011 issue.
by gary westphalen Thunder Roads WV
www.thunderroadsiowa.com34 - TRM FEBRUARY 2011 www.thunderroadsiowa.com FEBRUARY 2011 TRM - 35
FEB 6 Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Rock Island, ILFEB 10 M/C Mags Calendar Girl Casting Call Quaker Steak Council Bluffs, IowaFEB 12 M/C Mags - Troops Love Children Collection Party Grant St Bar Omaha, NEFEB 12-13 Capital City Show and Swap Meet Des Moines, IowaFEB 15 Cabin Fever Dance Desperado’s Wheatland, IowaFEB 19 Hawkeye HD Chili Cook Off Coralville, IowaFEB 25-26 AMCA swap meet Fremont, NEFEB 26-27 Bike and Car Show Monticello, IowaFEB 26 ABATE D16 Wild Game Feed Evansdale, IowaMAR 6 Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Cedar Rapids, IowaMAR 4-13 Daytona Bike WeekMAR 13 Road MC Breakfast Brayton, IowaMAR 11-13 Lefty’s Cedar River Tattoo Expo Cedar Rapids, IowaMAR 11-13 World of Wheels Des MoinesMAR 18-20 AMA Arenacross Council Bluffs, IowaMAR 18-20 World of Wheels OmahaMAR 26-27 Donnie Smith Bike Show & Swap Meet St Paul, MinnesotaAPR 2 ABATE D14 TGIS Party Ottumwa, IowaAPR 2 ABATE D15 2 Wheel Trauma Class Davenport, IowaAPR 2 Road MC Dance Uncle Jerry’s Exira, IowaAPR 9-10 AMA Arenacross Des Moines, IowaAPR 9-10 ABATE D7 North Iowa Motorcycle Expo Mason City, IowaAPR 16 Blessing of the Bikes Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaAPR 16 START 2nd Annual 100 Day Poker Run Soldier, IowaAPR 16 Spring Run Off Ride Blue Port Junction Davenport, IowaAPR 29 Iowa Motorcycle Safety Forum ISU Scheman Bldg Ames, IowaAPR 29-30 Vintage Torque Fest Maquoketa, IowaMAY 7 Bi-State Motorcycle Awareness Ride Quad CitiesMAY 7 Spring Open House Hawkeye HD Coralville, Iowa MAY 14 3rd Annual Women’s Fun Run Holstein’s HD Omaha, NEMAY 14 ABATE D16 Motorcycle Awareness Ride Waterloo, IowaMAY 14 Revolution Cycle Open House/Band/Hog Roast Baxter, IowaMAY 21 Blessing of the Bikes Cedar Memorial Church Davenport, IowaMAY 27-30 Iron Horse Bike & Music Festival Sabula, IowaMAY 26-28 Circle of Pride Hog Wild Rodeo Conesville, IowaMAY 28-29 Midway Tavern 13th Annual Fun Run, BBQ, Street Dance Soldier, IowaJUN 4 National Motorcycle Museum Open House/Dedication Anamosa, IowaJUN 4 2nd Annual Loud Pipes for the Silent Cancer Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids, IowaJUN 5 Anamosa Hill Climb and Swap Meet Anamosa, IowaJUN 10-11 Bikes at Blackhawk Lake Rally/Rodeo Lake View, Iowa
JUN 15-18 Sturgis on the River Davenport, IowaJUN 16-18 Awesome Biker Nights Sioux City, IowaJUN 18 Spring Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaJUN 18 Fathers Day BBZ Hawkeye HD Coralville, IowaJUN 25-26 J&P Cycles Open House Anamosa, IowaJUN 30-JUL 2 ABATE Freedom Rally Algona, IowaJUL 1-2 Circle of Pride Independence Day Blowout Conesville, IowaJUL 7-9 Nitro’s Bike Rally Gravity, IowaJUL 9 Motorcycle Rodeo and Ride in Bike Show Missouri Valley, IowaJUL 9 3rd Annual Moose Riders Benefit Poker Run Cedar Rapids, IowaJUL 16 ABATE D15 Taco Run for CharityJUL 14-16 Iowa HOG Rally Pella, IowaJUL 23 END 2nd Annual 100 Day Poker Run Party Soldier, IowaJUL 23 Almont Run Clinton, IowaJUL 30 Slopfest Beachfront Bar Wever, IowaAUG 4-6 Across the Border Raid Bedford, IowaAUG 8-14 SturgisAUG 13 ABATE D15 15 Rodeo “Too Broke for Sturgis” Donahue, IowaAUG 19-20 American Victory Rally Spirit Lake, IowaAUG 20 10th Heartland Hemophilia Run Papa Joe’s Missouri Valley, IowaAUG 20 ABATE D21 Rodeo Miles, IowaAUG 27 Fall Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaAUG 26-28 4th Annual Iowa Lincoln Highway Assn Motor Tour Council Bluffs to ClintonSEP 1-4 Davenport Antique Motorcycle RallySEP 1-4 Circle of Pride Thunder In the Sand Conesville, IowaSEP 2 Vintage Flat Track Motorcycle Races Davenport, IowaSEP 2-5 Iron Horse Bike & Music Festival Sabula, IowaSEP 3-4 Midway Tavern Soldier Valley Run BBQ, Street Dance, w/ Hairball Concert Soldier, IowaSEP 9 Vintage Flat Track Motorcycle Races Knoxville, IowaSEP 10 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand Nationals Knoxville, IowaSEP 11 Anamosa Hill Climb and Swap Meet Anamosa, IowaSEP 9-11 Davis Motorcycle Rally New Hampton, IowaSEP 9-11 Loess Hill Motorcycle Rally, Pacific Junction, IowaSEP 16-18 State Line Rally Keosauqua, IowaSEP 24 Leaf Run The Quarry Davenport, IowaOCT TBD RIP’s BAD RideNOV 11-13 ABATE STEAM Marshalltown, IowaNOV 25 Turkey Run Clinton, Iowa
This list is what we have found and what has been submitted. Before heading to any event, please check weather and make sure the event is not cancelled for some reason. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list, please email them with as much information as you have to [email protected]