The Place to be in Western Iowa on Labor Day
THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE OF IOWA A US VETERAN OWNED COMPANY www.thunderroadsiowa.com P.O. Box 29 Kimballton, Iowa 51543 (712) 249-5630
Letter from the Editor ....................................... 4 Journey For Justice ......................................... 6 Bright Ass Lights .............................................. 9 Biker Friendly Listing ..................................... 10
Owner/Editor Tina (TT) Schwarte (712) 249-5582 tt@thunderroadsiowa.com
99 County Tour ............................................... 12
EDITOR Vernon Schwarte (712) 249-5630 vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Nitro’s .............................................................. 16
EVENT CORRESPONDENCE/SALES Susan Mast SC/SE Iowa 319-931-4546 susan@thunderroadsiowa.com Richard (Murph) and Annette Murphy West Central Iowa 641-524-4808 vizslaboots@yahoo.com Adam Ratzlaff Intern/Ad Sales 712-304-0498 adam@thunderroadsiowa.com
CMA ................................................................. 13 Yellow Ribbon Run ......................................... 14 Military Rider ................................................... 17 Girls of Thunder.............................................. 18 Will Ride to Eat ............................................... 19 Thunder Cam .................................................. 22 Thoughts From A Soldier/Biker..................... 25 Day Trips with Doc ......................................... 26 Joker’s Wild .................................................... 31 Blessing of the Bikes ..................................... 32 From the Woman’s Seat ................................. 36 Mississipi River Rally ..................................... 37
Harv and Sue Hunter Central Iowa 515-205-7410 harv@thunderroadsiowa.com
On Labor Day weekend, the place to be is Conesville in Eastern Iowa. The Circle of Pride Motorcycle Club hosts Thunder In The Sand. This is the biggest biker bash in the state, Don’t miss the drag strip, mechanical bull, and Possum Lodge. See you at the party!
Mark Swearingen Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro 402-651-2471 mark@thunderroadsiowa.com Netty Kawecki Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro 402-657-1734 netty@thunderroadsiowa.com CONTRIBUTORS Nate Ullrich natanic@hotmail.com Craig Little-Will Ride for Food Dude craig@thunderroadsiowa.com Day Trips with Doc 515-975-3893 Poppa45doc@yahoo.com NATIONAL FOUNDERS Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1421 Chapmansboro Road Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 thunderroadscharter@charter.net
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 LLC. 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 Iowa Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa LLC, Thunder Publishing LLC. 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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Can you believe it is August already? That means that we are well over halfway through the 2011 riding season, and that is almost depressing. Not to get disheartened though, as we still have all of August and September, some of October, and then who knows after that to ride yet. Take advantage of the time, and get some more miles on! Some big events are still up and coming such as the Across the Border Raid the first weekend in August on the 4th through the 6th. You have to plan accordingly for the Labor Day weekend as well and you can hit a multitude of events. A couple of the more popular events to attend is Midway Tavern’s Soldier Valley Run in Soldier Iowa the 3rd and 4th of September, and then of course Thunder In the Sand in Conesville. This is held the 1st through the 4th, and is the biggest, most wild biker party in Iowa. East, West, or South, things are going on all over to finish up the riding season with a bang. Thunder Roads is growing and you can see this by
looking at the staff list, the distribution area within the state, and seeing TRMI staff out and about at all the major events. We have been increasing distribution every month, and reaching more bikers with every issue. We want to make a presence at as many events as we can, and that starts with you! Let us know where your events are going, so that we can get them on the list of events on the back cover and make a presence if we can get away. Let us know your bike nights if they are not already listed and then smile pretty when we are there to take your picture. As we are THE biker magazine “About Iowa, For Iowa, and From Iowa”, we want to give you the Iowa interest stories, places to go, and things to do in and around Iowa. If you go into your favorite businesses, ask if they carry Thunder Roads. If THE Iowa biker magazine is not there, don’t just ask for it, demand it! Let us know where you should be able to get the latest issue of Thunder Roads. We are looking for painters! No not house painters, but we sure as hell need a good one of those. We are looking for custom painting for bikes. We are looking at a painting competition, sort of a Thunder Roads best of Iowa type of thing. If you are the best, are you ready to put your airbrush where your mouth is? If interested and you do custom paint, or know of anyone that does, shoot an email to vernon@ thunderroadsiowa.com with their contact information. Look for more information on the contest next month.
Right now, the real estate in Iowa and Nebraska that borders the river is inundated with flood waters. It has been for some time, and there is a constant threat that if more levees break, it will become worse. It is expected to last at least through August. Over the years we have seen some doozies. In 1993 it was a mess, another round in 1998, and then in 2008 we had issues with flooding. Those were all caused by rain that fell in the worst times, at the worst places. Now Iowans are suffering greatly on the west side of the state due to flooding from manmade issues. I have seen the flood waters in each of these events 4 - TRMI AUGUST 2011
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personally, and I think the latest is by far the worst, simply due to the amount of affected area. The damage to buildings and farm ground is immense, and the economic impact of this will be felt for years. I know you probably have all heard about it, but we just wanted to say that our thoughts and prayers are with you, and ask that everyone keep the people of western Iowa in yours. As a parting note, we would like to thank all of our advertisers and distribution points for the magazine for helping Thunder Roads grow. We could not do it without the advertisers, so please frequent them as much as you can, and let them know Thunder Roads sent you. Ride Safe! tt and Vernon
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Quite a while back we were made aware of a group of people that basically trample on the memory of our soldiers. These people desecrate the memory of fallen soldiers, bikers, and anyone this group does not like. Frustrated by the fact that these people are allowed to do what they do, we have done our part whenever we can. We have participated in Patriot Guard missions, supported our troops and fallen bikers whenever possible. As time went on our frustration grew with not being able to do much to help remedy the situation. This spring the Supreme Court in their infinite wisdom decided to give this group basically a free pass to do whatever they want. We realize we were not alone in our increasing frustration level. Others around the country were also at wit’s end with watching this activity and what it was doing to family members of fallen soldiers. A radio personality named Charley Barnes showed his disapproval of the decision and wrote about it on his popular blog from radio station K99 in Colorado. We read Charley’s original blog about the Supreme Court decision (http://k99.com/what-is-wrongwith-the-supreme-court/), and were in 100 percent agreement with him, but unable to do anything due to not knowing what exactly was possible and legal. Charley was able to get the information needed to find out for sure exactly what could be done to combat this insanity. Charley and three friends decided to take actions. Journey for Justice was born with Charley and his three friends making a trip to Kansas on June 5th. Charley once again posted on his blog (http://k99.com/my-ride-to-westboro-baptistchurch-a-huge-success/) about their trip and the word spread like wildfire. It was amazing how
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four bikers from Colorado could make a profound impact on this organization’s daily activities. They made a difference. As word got out about what Team Colorado accomplished, the cause was born. Two weeks after the initial visit the blog had been read by thousands across the globe. Team Missouri 4 headed down, followed by Team Iowa 2, led by Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. We were able to modify plans to make sure that we could get to Kansas the weekend of June 25th and 26th. We knew it was our opportunity to stand up for what’s right. We went alongside six new and old friends to make our stand. We felt this was our way to exercise our first amendment rights and let them and the Supreme Court know that we the people do not agree and will not sit idly by and let them make a mockery when we pay our respects to the fallen heroes. More information on the Team Iowa 2 trip can be found at http://k99.com/the-journey-4-justicecontinues-team-iowa-2/ This is a basic outline of what we did, what happened, and our effects to this organization. Small things do make a difference. If you are interested in joining the cause and exercising your right to carry a flag in a peaceful non-confrontational way, look up Journey for Justice on Facebook, or go to journey4justice.com to find out more about this movement. These sites outline exactly what we can legally do to make a stand. WE cannot make a difference, if WE sit idly by. Vernon and tt
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Bright ASS Lights Making Your Rear End Visible It’s hard to believe that Sturgis is just around the corner. We’ve been scheduling a lot of appointmentss for people getting their bikes serviced and customized with accessories to make the trip. One of the smallest items, but actually, extremely important safety related pieces riders have been replacing is their factory taillight. I’m not going to say that your factory taillight isn’t good enough or effective; but I will say that a lot of the new LED taillights out there will attract more attention. If you want to change over to an LED taillight in your ride, don’t go the more cost efficient (aka cheap) way and just replace your bulb with an LED bulb. I’ve noticed they are not as effective as the full board LED assemblies. I’m not going to cover all of the different companies out there that make these assemblies but I will concentrate on three of the top contenders; Kuryakyn, Harley-Davidson, and Bright Ass Lights. Kuryakyn has been out there the longest with the LED technology in taillights for motorcycles. Over the years they have evolved and developed newer and better versions of their lights. Starting with the basic LED taillight they have a full board of LED’s that run under your our choice of the low profile red lens or smoked lens. From there they also give you the option of going with the “Deluxe” version which has a decorative chrome strip that runs down the middle of the lens. If you want to take the next step up from basic then they have their Panacea Taillights. These lights are probably one of the neatest setups I have seen and have always drawn a lot of attention. The Panacea assembly appears just the same as the basic LED tail light but upon installation there are added benefits. When in just regular running mode it appears as just a regular full board LED taillight but when you activate your turn signals a flashing amber arrow appears on the appropriate side of the taillight. You have either an additional turn signal light or for those of you that wish to strip off the external turn signals, you still have that ability of having them without the look. The brake light itself can also be changed from the simple solid on to a three-pulse and then solid bright LED. The three-pulses are a huge eye catcher and that is what usually draws people to this taillight.
have a simple small bar and shield emblem that sits in the center of the taillight to show everyone that it is a quality H-D accessory. The newest to the game (at least to me) is Bright Ass Lights. Launched in 1996, their parent company had great success in emergency, warning, police and fire vehicles. After having many local customers approach them about m doing custom assemblies for their personal d vehicles; this company is not a huge advertising v company and likes to keep things simple by c word of mouth and simply placing their display w into i dealerships. I first saw one of their displays while I was on a motorcycle trip down to Naples w Florida back in April. The farther south we F got g the more and more I was seeing it in every dealership we stopped in. It wasn’t a month d after returning home that the company called a me m at work wanting to know if they could send me m a display light just to see if there was any interest in the area. Within one week of having i the t display on my counter we sold a few to local customers that have seen them before, intrigued c a few to thinking about upgrading their taillights, and blinded hundreds (including my boss) the first day. They even have a warning on their website to not look directly into the light at close range. Their basic light is the traditional square back red or smoked lens but also offer a low profile version too. The BAL-1 taillight which is the basic and the same as my display model has 4 Super-LED’s that have multiple run mode and attention getting brake patterns that can be easily changed without having to take anything apart. They carry a 5 year warranty and are proudly made in i the USA! They fit all 2000 and newer models with the square back style taillight m but b also fit 1999 and older bikes with the purchase of an appropriate wiring harness p they have available. The BAL-2 which is the t 12 1 Super - LED’s, is the brightest LED DOT approved taillight on the market and carries a the t same warranty as the BAL-1. With W vacation season in full swing and lots for f vehicles on the roads; the better seen you are, a the safer you become. Stop in Carroll Cycle Center with any questions you have about improving your ride and safety. LED Taillights, a smart investment for any rider. Ride often, ride safe… Ride on!
Tony Darveau
Harley-Davidson caught up to the LED scene a few years back and came out with their taillight. With a board of 20 long- life LED’s this was one of the brightest I had seen. It has great styling and options and the price point on it is on the lower side of the market. Instead of doing the basic solid red or smoked lens they made them so that it’s only red where it needs to be. They offer the traditional red lens with a chrome housing which is the top seller and a smoked lens version with chrome or black housing. All of the taillights www.thunderroadsiowa.com
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Biker Friendly Directory It’s important for you to know who your friends are out on the road! The Biker Friendly Directory is a list of 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, 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. 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 e-mail vernon@ thunderroadsiowa.com Attorneys Richard Lester www.on-a-bike.com 800-on-a-bike Bail Bonds Doc’s Bail Bonds Your 24/7 Prescription to Freedom in Minutes Adel, Iowa 50003 515-993-4773 Iowa Bail Bonds 200 4th Street Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 243-4411 Biker Accessories Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa www.bncbikerwear.com 319-241-0916 Jose's Custom Leather 2715 Kanesville Blvd Council Bluffs, Iowa 712-256-5579 www.joses_Leather@yahoo.com
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Lazy Mule 2715 Kanesville Blvd Council Bluffs, Iowa 712-256-6939
Winterset Bike Night 3rd Saturday Night Each Month May through September
Leather & Hawgs 316 Main, Hornick, Iowa 121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa leather@wiatel.net www.leatherandhawgs.com
Food and Drink 4th Avenue Grill 115 N 4th Ave Logan, Iowa 712-644-3200
Dealers Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com Big Barn Harley Davidson I-80 Exit 135 Des Moines, Iowa 515-265-4444 www.bigbarnhd.com Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa (712) 792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com Hawkeye Harley-Davidson Coralville, Iowa I-80 Exit 240 (319)545-7495 www.hawkeyehd.com Open 7 days per week Heartland Harley Davidson 155 S Roosevelt Burlington, Iowa 52601 319-754-1100 www.heartlandhd.com Nishna Valley Cycle HONDA-YAMAHA-KTM Atlantic, Iowa, 50022 1-888-577-6406 www.nishnavalleycycle.com Werner Cycle Works 14410 Frontier Road Exit 440 I-80
Omaha, NE 68138 (402) 894-3050 www.wernercycleworks.com
14th Street Tavern 3418 East 14th Street Des Moines, Iowa (515) 266-3446 M-F 8am-2pm Sat 10-2 and Sun11-2 Amigos 280 North 1st Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 515-576-0142 B&M Bar and Grill 110 @ Main Street Panora, Iowa 50216 641-755-2455 Beer Barn and Grill 226 State Street Kirkman, Iowa 51447 712-766-3395 Open Mon 4, Tue-Sun at 11 BJ’s Bar & Billiards 110 Ida Waterloo Iowa Home of Full Throttle Thursdays 319-234-9810 Doc’s Roadhouse 309 East 7th Street Logan, Iowa 51543 712-644-3636 Open 365-8 am to Close
Hog Stop BBQ 3621 9th Avenue Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-EAT-BBQS hogstopbbq.com Huffy's Mule Barn 802 Main Street Anita, Iowa 50020 712-762-9995 www.huffysmulebarn.com Lampe’s Pub 608 Iowa Avenue Dunlap, Iowa 51529 712-643-5781 Open 7 days a week at 11 AM Larsen's Pub 4026 Main Street Elk Horn, Iowa 712-764-4052 Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com Montgomery Street Pub 207 East Montgomery Street Creston Iowa 50801 641-782-2165 Nitro’s Bar & Grill 310 Main Street Gravity, Iowa 50848 641-418-0004 Home of Sunday-Funday Off Sides Pizza 1119 Thomas Street Redfield, Iowa 50233 515-833-2900 Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015
Do Drop Inn 403 3rd Avenue Under the Water Tower Jamaica, Iowa 50128 515-314-0783
Pearl Street Social Club 110 Pearl Street SW Shellsburg, Iowa 52332 319-436-7100
Escape Lounge 8843 Northpark Ct, Johnston, IA 50131 515-276-2209
Phil’s 20oz Prime Rib Friday Nights 9956 Swanson Blvd Clive, Iowa 515-270-0959
Events Across the Border Raid Bedford, Iowa August 4-6, 2011 Circle of Pride Conesville, Iowa T.I.T.S September 1-4
Good Sons 2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102 Des Moines, IA (515) 681-5375 Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, IA 50120 (641) 475-3321 Mon-Sat 10-2,Sun 12-12
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Quick Rick’s Rib Joint 406 East Lincoln Highway (Highway 30) Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-600-6161 Tue-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm
Riverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh IA, 50557 515-359-9998 riversidetap@gmail.com Ruby's 114 NE 2nd Street Stuart, Iowa rubyspub.com M-F 4, Saturday 10 am, Sunday 12
Rusty Duck Bar & Grill 723 Marshall Street Dexter, Iowa 50070 Tue-Sat 4-10pm 515-789-4142 Sambetti’s Bar and Grill 1430 2nd Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50314 515-245-9780 Mon-Sat 11a-2a, Sun 11a-7p Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill 228 East 4th Street Waterloo, Iowa 50703 319-235-8865 www.partyattheeagle.com Shorty's Playhouse 210 Mulberry Street Little Sioux, Iowa 51545 712-649-2138
Thomas Street Tap 1109 Thomas Street Redfield, Iowa 50233 515-833-2379 Wet Goods Food & Lounge 113 N. Chestnut Street Jefferson, Iowa 50129 515-386-2111 Wilson's Tap and Recreation 1008 Story Street Boone IA 50036 515-433-1395
F & J Racing 701 N 3rd Ave Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 641-752-8651 www.fandjracing.com Guthrie Auto Body John Beer owner 1804 State Street Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-332-2484 J & S Custom Cycles 3630 Merle Hay Road Des Moines, Iowa 515-779-4632
Guns and Ammo Shooter's Outlet 114 Main Street Arcadia, Iowa 51430 712-689-2772 Tues-Fri 2-7, Sat 8-3 www.shootersoutlet.net Medical Metro OB/GYN, LLC 201 Ridge Street, Suite 307 Council Bluffs, IA, 51503 (712) 256-8505
M&M Garage 408 Market Street Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2425 mmgarage@iowatelecom.net Metal Ink 911 7th Street Ste 102 Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-235-2453 www.metalink.org Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab 70 Washington Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2220
Open Noon-2:00 AM 7 Days a Week
Photo and Video Sidetracked 206 West Union Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-8534 Sparetime Bar & Grill 136 West Main Street Ute, Iowa 61060 712-885-2226
Ullrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com Shops and Fabricators
Three Fires Diner 906 Madison Ave. Bedford, Iowa 50833 712-523-3393 The Hole On the Greenbrier Golf Course 2519 Highway 71 712-268-2209
Batt’s Cycle 1006 Linn Street Boone, Iowa 50036 515-298-0375 www.battscycle.com Bike Pit Motorcycle Services 2694 5th Ave, Building B-Unit 2
The Sandbar 103 N. Noyes Mondamin, IA 51557 712-646-2300 Open 7 days a week at 10 a.m. Texas Roadhouse 8744 Northpark Drive (I-80 at 86th street exit) Johnston, Iowa 50131 515-251-4597
Marion, IA 52303 319-651-8835 Jason.Bikepit@yahoo.com Butterfield's M.C. Parts 8025 Blondo Street Omaha, NE 68134 402-391-3768 Doubletake Cycles L.L.C. 2632 9th Ave Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-355-1961 www.doubletakecycles.com
Paint By Golden Pin Striping, Airbrushing, Complete Bike www.paintbygolden.com 402-214-1609 Throttle Shop LLC 1988 Arion Avenue Arion, Iowa 51520 712-674-3325 throttleshopllc@gmail.com Trike Your Bike 503 1st Avenue North Altoona, Iowa 50009 515-957-8920 trikeyourbike.net
XTreme Cycle & Off Road 206 E Main St Panora, Iowa 50216 641-755-4288 xtremecycle@netins.net Services BCS Computers 100 Industrial Road Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-747-3344 www.brubakercomputer.com Hippie Boy Designs Graphic Design/Website Design 712-898-5220 hippieboydesign.com RJM Trucking Cedar Rapids, Iowa 319-360-5433 Southwest Iowa Sandblasting Mike Magers 65162 Oxford Rd Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-249-3995 Tattoo Bad Girlz Ink 1217 Willis Perry, Iowa 50220 515-465-2205 Crave Tattoo 201 S 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 51501 515-576-8289 FB Crave Tattoo, Inc.
To buy ad space for your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5630 or email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Trustworthy Cycles 3781 Balk Road Fulton, Illinois 61252 563-249-1777 Specializing in Making the “Old Iron” Trustworthy Twisted Grip Cycle 2444 L Avenue (I-29 & 25th St. Exit)
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-256-7323 Aaron@twistedgripcycle.omhcoxmail.com
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Head over to the east side of the county then you can check out Lake Anita State Park. Here is a nice little camping area 99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one with a small lake, and a good spot to enjoy the outdoors. down, drive on around, 84 counties to tour on the bike. A few Then after you tootle around the lake and check things out you can stop by Huffy’s Mule Barn and quench your thirst. years back, a summer riding goal was to ride through each On some back roads you can then travel down through and every one of the counties of Iowa, and what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month we will fea- Cumberland and stop by the Middle of Nowhere. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, this is the place where you ture a different county, and new things to go see, and hopecan get DVD entertainment, a cold drink, grab some food, fully spark a little touring curiosity for our own state. get a gallon of milk, and even get your smoking supplies at the tobacco shop. Cass County is located in Head west into Griswold and if southwest Iowa at the you are here on a Sunday morning, intersection of highway 71 and you can stop at Dusty’s for some highway 6. Its north border lies good eating. This is the type of parallel with interstate 80 and it is place with a breakfast buffet that about the halfway point between you can get your fill, wait a little Omaha and Des Moines if you’re bit and then they put out the noontraveling between the two. This ish time buffet. One buffet leads area of the state is known for its right into another, and it’s all good rolling hills and has some quite food. Other days of the week you impressive views while riding can stop at the 411 Main Street Bar around in the summertime. If green which is kind of a unique building is your favorite color, you will that was basically abandoned. It see it here with trees, crops, and was cleaned up, cleaned out, and is grass everywhere. It has a nice now home to a biker bar. combination of hills and valleys, straight and curvy roads, as well as some ridges that allow you to see for miles on a clear Head north a bit to Lewis and find the Hitchcock House, a day. National Historic Landmark. This is just west of town on about a mile of gravel, but is a stark reminder that Iowa was Atlantic is the county seat of Cass County and among other right smack in the middle of the Underground Railroad. things, is known for the Coca Cola plant. The red background Much of our history of the civil war times is captured and with white waving stripe on an Iowa shaped sign welcomes shown during numerous presentations available at this you into town. This may be your first indication that if you historic homestead. You can find more information to check want to find a Mountain Dew or Pepsi here, it may be a little this place out at hitchcockhouse.org tough. Red trucks can be seen all over as Atlantic is a major hub for Coca Cola’s production and distribution. Atlantic Cass County Bottling is a huge draw for the town, as they are host to has a wealth the second largest Coke gathering in the United States in of history and September every year. This year it is the 23rd and 24th and beauty, take brings in some of the biggest Coke memorabilia collectors a trip to see from all over. it sometime, and then join Up the road a short jaunt, is the town of Marne. Some of the us next month cool things to see in this town would be stopping by to see the for Cedar guys at Nelson Machine and Forge. These cats are a pleasure County. to talk to as well as masters of metal. Steve has been a biker for years, and has some cool stories to tell. He has done all Vernon sorts of work to about every brand of motorcycle over the years. Broken engine cases, trashed tranny cases, and even frame repair are no problem for this shop. They do the repair to major structural components before turning the wrenches loose on a rebuild or refurbish project. On top of bike work, they also specialize in fabricating some of the coolest iron sculptures, fences, and even industrial parts. The Roadhouse Bar is a local watering hole for bikers that also have a claim to fame of being a stopping point for bicycles on RAGBRAI. Ten years ago they changed the route to exclude Marne at the last minute, and the bicyclists showed their support of Marne despite this. Every year, there is a large group that makes the unofficial stop by the Roadhouse to party it up. You certainly cannot leave town without stopping to see the folks the Baxter Cycle. A good time to stop would be August 20- 21st this year as they have their open house and Triumph demo truck. Make sure you check out the back room with a lot of antique British cycles. This is a sight to see. www.thunderroadsiowa.com 12 - TRMI AUGUST 2011
99 Counties on the Wall
Well the 4th of July is here and gone and by the time this comes out many of you will be making final preparations for Sturgis. The summer is flying by again and the home projects are on the back burner, as usual, as we try to squeeze all the good out of any decent riding weather we have. Is it just me or are there a lot more bikes on the road this year? I mean bunches. I see so many sport bikes, dual sports as well as cruisers, many young pups, and so many more women riders. It’s great, but it got me thinking of some of the things that have made the motorcycling community special and how to go about protecting and passing on that uniqueness; the brotherhood of the road and willingness to help each other out and the sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. We all crave that in life. Some of it is learned; some of it seems to be just absorbed. I like what Will Rogers said about people learning things. He said, “ There are three kinds of men: the ones that learn by reading, the few that learn by observing and the rest who just have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
then heads off in a direction that leads away from a Christcentered focus. A faulty map and set of directions can get you lost or injured temporarily, but faulty spiritual directions can have the everlasting consequences of an eternity lost. Make sure your hope is in the one that truly knows the way and paid for you to get there. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Blessings, Mark 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.
Anyway, we have the need for mentors, graybeards that have experienced life and are willing to pass that knowledge along. On our own it is sometimes difficult to discern what the right way is and what just the hard way is. All of us, at different times, have had the circumstances of life buck us off. At those times we need to get up, dust ourselves off and keep moving. We can’t just lie there in the ditch. Albert Einstein told his son that “Life is like riding a bike - you have to keep moving to keep your balance.” The trick is not only to keep moving but to make sure you’re headed in the right direction. Whether you realize it or not we are all immortal beings, spiritually living forever. The body dies but our soul goes on. The big question then becomes, where do you spend eternity? Jesus gives us the directions when he tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him. Our ultimate destination should be heaven. Beware of any person or religion that takes a bit of the Bible’s truth, mixes it with another teaching or prophet, and
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Run supporting the troops, troops The 9th Annual Yellow Ribbon Run, was held July 10, 2011 at Werner Cycle Works in Omaha. This was the first year I had done this run and let me tell you I was in complete awe of the whole experience. The sign up for the run was from 9:00 – 10:30 am. We arrived on site shortly after 9:00 and the number of bikes and people already there was very overwhelming. I just could not believe the numbers this run drew from all over the country, but it sent chills to see the support for the troops. The first 500 riders received a t-shirt and pin with a yellow ribbon. They had 700 yellow wrist bands available to riders as they registered, and these ran out about 10:00 and then switched to marking an “X” on hands. The last count we heard from the registration table was just short of 1000 bikes. The ride left shortly after 10:30. We decided we wanted to be towards the back of the pack so that we would have full view of all the bikes involved. It is amazing that they were so organized in getting all of those bikes off without incident, but I guess after doing this for 9 years you get a system down. The “early” bikes were lined up in neat rows and the rest of the riders parked in an organized fashion throughout the parking lot with carry over into the parking lot across the street. Waiting for the end of the pack seemed to take forever but I think the heat index that day played a big factor into the patience level of most. The ride departed from Werner Cycle Works and headed to the SAC Museum. The ride was escorted and protected by the local Police departments, as intersections were blocked to allow the giant group to roll all together. At the museum the bikes lined up again in an orderly fashion and this was just amazing. We then headed to Offutt Air Force Base for the guided tour of the base. We were taken in front of the officer’s quarters and around to the parade grounds, home to the US flag and each State flag. It was an awesome site for us civilians that are not normally allowed on the base. After Offutt the ride continued back to Gretna to the American Legion Hall for a hog roast. Aside from the heat index that day, I have to say this was a truly amazing experience. The support for the troops, the amount of bikes and riders, and the fact we didn’t have to stop for lights or intersections was fun. Made you feel like royalty having the intersections blocked off. It was also very impressive to see the people that lined up along the hi-way just to show their appreciation and support to all the riders involved. Check it out next year in early July, and be a part of a wonderful experience.
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Nitro’s Rally Gravity, Iowa July 7-9
North of Bedford, south of Corning, just a tish off of Highway 148 lies the sleepy little town of Gravity, Iowa. For the second year in a row, Dan Kernan, aka Nitro has held a rally here at his place. Nitro’s Bar and Grill in the heart of the town is a biker hangout every day, and has become pretty well known for “Sunday Fundays”, so starting up a bigger scale party just came naturally to Dan. Nitro’s Rally has bikes, a poker run, bikini bike wash, bands, and of course some typical biker style entertainment. This little event is a glimpse of how southern Iowa likes to party, and it will keep growing in the future. Next year look for some new and exciting changes to make this one of the coolest parties of the year.
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MILITARY RIDERS
not like to talk about that time much. Something about an ex something or other and getting ditched in Vegas. I guess I can see why he tends to keep quiet about that. His current ride, one pictured here he snagged at Ernie’s in Algona. He said as he was driving to the dealership, that he told his wife he had a good feeling that today was the day for a new bike, that he could just feel it. When he saw the chrome and red paint, he knew it would be his.
This month we present to you David McGaughy of Fort Dodge. He spent 12 years in the United States Marine Corp and Marine Corp Reserves from 1986 to 1997. He then signed up in the Iowa Air National Guard in 1999 and has been in for 13 years now. He is currently a Master Sergeant in the Air Guard and on active duty as a recruiter. David went to boot camp in San Diego, California and attended artillery school at Ft Sill, Oklahoma. After that he served as a Primary Marksmanship Instructor at Quantico, Virginia and from there became a Marine Recruiter here in Iowa. Since being in the Air Guard, he has served at the 132nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines and is now stationed at the 133rd Test Squadron in Ft Dodge.
David is the president of the American Legion Riders chapter locally, and they host a Sgt JJ Bonnell Poker Run every Memorial Day Weekend. David’s bike is a rolling tribute to Sgt Bonnell and all in uniform serving our great land. He adds “I first came up with my paint scheme when I had my 02 Dyna Wide Glide, and my boss at the time was a Vietnam Veteran. I told him about it and I asked him if I got the paint job, would he go with me out to the Wall. He said yes. So when I got it done, he said damn, I’m going to have to get in shape. I said for what? Well if I’m going to ride out there on your bike I’ll need to be in shape. Which in turn I told him I wasn’t planning on him riding bitch, and that I wouldn’t have a problem if he just wanted to ride in his car. Check out Rolling Thunder (every memorial day in Washington DC.)” If you see David out and about on his bike, check it out and 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!
As far as any strong ties to military serve from his family, David’s father retired as a Captain of the Navy in 1976, so he is a self described “Military Brat”. He credits his father’s service to his calling to the military, and states his service in the Marines really meant a lot to him, and he decided to make it a career. He said it really is a great way of life. David has been on bikes quite a bit of his life. He has been on a Honda 450 Nighthawk, the crotch rocket phase with a CBR 600, and is now on his third Harley Davidson. His first was a 2002 Dyna Wide Glide, then on to a 2005 Road King, and now a 2007 Street Glide draped in custom paint. He has been without bikes for a few years, but says he does www.thunderroadsiowa.com
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of Iowa
Kayla Cook 2012 Triumph Street Triple R Atlantic, Iowa
Lori Cook 2010 Triumph Thunderbird SE 1600 Atlantic, Iowa
Bobbie Wallace 2007 Triumph Bonneville T100 Exira, Iowa
This month’s Girls of Thunder, Triumph Edition, Brought to You by
Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa
Baxter Cycle
Come See August 20-21 for thier 30th Annual Triumph Demo Truck and Open House! 18 - TRMI AUGUST 2011
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Swiffer Baxter What ever bike is available! Marne, Iowa
Three Fires Diner 906 Madison Avenue Bedford, IA 50833 712-523-3393
will ride to eat
Comfort Food At Its Best! Lynnette and I were on a ride with a group of friends and we stopped by Baxter Cycle in Marne, IA. (As a side note Baxter Cycle is a “must see” stop if you are in the area, the staff there is VERY friendly and helpful and the things you will see there will blow your mind! But that’s a story for another day!) While there I noted that they had Thunder Roads Iowa Magazine on display. I proceeded to go to the parts counter and introduced myself (a gutsy move on my part... what if he doesn’t like my articles!?!?!?). The parts man’s name is Jeremy, we had a pleasant chat (turns out he does like my articles... who knew?) during which he told me about a diner in Bedford that I should check out if I was in the area. The diner is named Three Fires Diner and is owned by his mother, oh, and the food there is all home cooking! The two main things I took away from that conversation were mom and home cooking! Who can resist that? Well fast forward a month and guess what... an invitation to attend a rally at Nitro’s in Gravity, IA presents itself and Gravity is just 6 miles north of Bedford... mom and home cooking are still heavily on my mind so the mold is cast, we’re on our way to Three Fires Diner! The diner is really easy to find, if you are coming from the north it’s on the west side of Hwy 148 about 3 blocks after you turn back south towards the business district, in fact it’s right in front of the high school! We arrived a little after noon on Saturday and walked in, the sign above the counter said” seat yourself” so we set out to decide where to sit. The outer perimeter of the dining room is lined with booths and tables and chairs fill the center. We chose a smaller booth since it was just the 2 of us. I notice on the wall some pictures and an autograph and find we have been preceded in enjoying the food here by Adam LaRoche of Atlanta Braves fame (I’m not really a Braves fan but that’s cool none the less). Now onto the real reason we’re here... the food! Three Fires Diner has a menu that includes several varieties of burgers, sandwiches, chicken and noodles and fried chicken along with a variety of salads. The menu had listed a specialty burger that captured my attention, the Three Fires Burger. This burger is described as a ½ pound American burger with
pepper jack cheese, their signature sauce, grilled onions and pickled jalapeno peppers. This burger can be ordered mild or hot (guess what I picked!?!?) and includes a side. As you probably guessed I ordered mine hot with everything which added tomatoes and lettuce. For my side I ordered the mashed potatoes and gravy (that mom and home cooking thing heavily on my mind again). My burger arrived and I noticed one of the jalapeno peppers had fallen off so I popped it into my mouth... HOLY CRAP, that was hot!!!! This is going to be a great burger!!!! And it was, the meat was juicy and tender, the tomato and lettuce were fresh and the special sauce was REALLY spicy! It was one of those burgers that you want to put down to take a drink but find you can’t because it’s too good to stop eating! (You know what I mean!!) Even after the burger was gone my lips continued burning until dessert. That’s the kind of burger I LOVE! The mashed potatoes did not disappoint, they were definitely homemade and the beef gravy was delicious. Lynnette ordered the hot beef sandwich and asparagus spears as a side. The hot beef showed up with very tender pulled beef covering a pile of those homemade mashed potatoes and an open faced sandwich of homemade bread cut at least an inch thick. This was all covered with a liberal coating of that delicious beef gravy. Lynnette described this as comfort food at its best! The asparagus spears were coated in butter and were deliciously crisp. The prices seal the deal, my sandwich was $7.95 and Lynnette’s hot beef was $5.95, definitely an awesome value! After we finished our meals it was desert time, Lynnette decided on the raspberry lemon desert which was obviously homemade and awesome and I had a turtle sundae (mainly for the ice cream to help cool my lips). I expected the sundae to show up in a standard plastic cup but this came in an old fashioned malt glass... nice touch and a delicious sundae! If you’re in the area or passing through Bedford this is the place to stop and eat. Mom and home cooking... and at these prices, how can you beat it!?!? Until next month, ride safe and eat hearty! Craig Little craig@ thunderroadsiowa.com PS If you have someplace you think we should check out in your neck of the woods, shoot me an email
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Thoughts From a Deployed
Soldier/Biker The job the American military does isn›t the most glamorous, the most popular or even the best paying. It›s the job those few of us do, one of which we are the most proud to do and will gladly do when it’s necessary, Being a Reserve Soldier. Many call us weekend warriors; those who feel that way fail to realize we are the first called to the front lines. We are your neighbors, brothers, sisters, and many others around your home town you rely on for strength, support and many other things on a day to day basis, take that away and life as you know it is tough. Magnify that indefinitely for those of us being deployed over and over in defense of our country and you can still never grasp the toll it takes on us, the Soldier, and our families. It›s the strength of family that keeps most of us Soldiers going while we are training and mobilized to these foreign countries. It’s the letters and packages from home we get while gone that mean the most and often bring a wide range of emotions out of people who normally don›t show much emotions.
real time contact with home. Once deployed that communication slows but is still rather easy to have with Internet and some phone options available, only complicating the stress and emotions a Soldier has deal with.
Speaking of stress, as a bike rider the best way for me to lessen my stress is to put knees in the wind! For the majority of this spring I have only had two weeks of riding, and that was while on a break in training the first part of May. I could ride a month straight and still not lessen the stress I have had to deal with so far on this mobilization. Being in the states and on Active Duty posts there are a lot of bikes of various kinds. The ones that matter to me are the Harley›s and the sounds of the exhaust as they roll by while I am out training. Seeing so many Harley›s around post makes me jones for my Belle, a 1972 FX shovelhead custom chopper, Which if you got the may issue of Thunder Roads of Iowa you saw the photo of her with me. Riding has become one of three things that help to reduce my stress, the other two being, spending time in the gym and talking to the girlfriend. All three are great, but there is nothing like riding solo for hours and just feeling the wind in my face and the rumble of the bike under me as the miles roll by. What is better than that!! The process a Reserve Soldier goes through to Well, we all know of another favorite stress release, mobilize in support of the war isn›t a short and easy and right now having that form of stress release one. It can take several months of early mornings would be awesome. However according to the Code and late nights going over training from learning to of Conduct that mobilized soldiers are held to that›s drive, kicking in doors, shooting straight to making going to have to wait until I get my two weeks leave sure all your legal and medical papers are up to or return home next year. Riding is the one I can write date and current. The last thing you want to do is about in a family magazine. With riding in my blood, deploy and find out your money is being taken for it›s very difficult to be around so many and yet unable a paperwork issue. We spend the majority of the to ride myself. The freedom of the open road, the early days of mobilization in the classroom being mind clearing effects of the wind in my face are very put to sleep by endless power point presentations much needed right now. I am very proud of the job I and monotone speakers. Our mornings start on the do in the military and I would much rather take this average at 0500 or for normal people 5:00 a.m. with fight to them in their back yard as opposed to mine! personal hygiene and/or Physical Training. When But as I›m here in training unable to take advantage PT is done it’s usually done before personal hygiene, of the sun and blue sky›s on my bike, it makes those there is no use showering and cleaning up just to times when I am able to ride all the more special. go out and sweat to clean up again. Once PT and Until I am stateside and can ride again. hygiene have been completed its time for morning chow (breakfast), after which the training begins Cliff and lasts until on average 1700 or 5:00 PM. The end of the training day usually occurs at the same time evening chow (supper) starts. As for lunch, well it can be either from the chow hall, an MRE; a Meal Ready to Eat, the army›s brown bag lunch, a gut truck; meals on wheels set up that you can buy various food items for a hefty price or poagie bait; food, snacks and sweets that are brought along by the Soldier. That short over view of how things are for a soldier being mobilized is just a very broad view of what happens. There are a lot more details and issues that are thrown at a soldier that causes a great deal of stress to be placed on the Soldier. For some the stressors that arise back home, make things worse. While going through the mobilization process it’s very easy to keep in contact with friends and family back home, as the training is done on one of many Active Duty Posts around the country which means constant www.thunderroadsiowa.com
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day trips with Doc Greetings Brothers and Sisters, Here we are, another month has past and we are finally getting some solid riding weather! Thank the good Lord for that! I have been washed thoroughly many times over by getting caught in the MONSOONS of IOWA because I just can’t stay off my scooter. Many are the times I trusted the weatherman and his predictions, which by the way, I now call them a misprediction, how can they be wrong so often, and keep the job? I know my rear end would be in the gainfully unemployed line by now, had it been me telling these fibs!!!
west on 92! All the way to state hi-way 71 I rode with that moon over my shoulder, guiding me westward. I turned north on 71, the air was cooling off more now, making it a more pleasurable ride and I was feeling GOOD! Passing through all those little towns, I wondered how many sleepers had I woke up as I went by? Hoping they were cussin at the sound my 3inch pipes were blasting out, for all to hear! I say who needs an iPod when you have that for music? I approached a truck stop just south of I 80 and pulled in for fuel, the ole boy behind the counter laughed at me when I went in to pay, he announced that there was a storm coming from the NW I myself have been about as busy as a three legged cat in a area, and he was sure I was gonna get drenched! Yea, box full of fresh sand! My business has had me running all that figures, cuss Mother Nature out once and she spent over the central part of the state, so this ride is one I took the rest of the summer pouring down on me at every while I was putting in some overtime, and It is also one I opportunity, and yet I still rode on. After coming to the enjoyed at night, I call it the “Lone Wolf” cruise, you’ll interstate I thought maybe I should do the “Express” route see why shortly!!! home! Even though I don’t like riding the super slab, I headed east on it… for awhile anyway! I had spent the day in a very stressful situation, and I now know while they refer to our legal system as “The Penile By the time I hit the Adair exit, and having watched System” as it seems to me that if you’re not a Rockefeller, the lightening to the north of me, as It flashed every so or Bill Gates, they are trying to “hose” you! Can I get an often I decided that I could beat it back home and turned Amen?! What I mean to say is, you better have your own north again to find old Hi-way 6 aka Whitepole Road, Bank of America in your list of credentials so you can home of the “Progressive afford the best Attorney. Anyway it was NOT a good day Dinner” for those who are for this Guy! interested! Now this is where the ride got cool, as I decided that I needed to cut out for a ride around 7:30 the moon was still as big one night, knowing that this is what Mother Nature and as bright as it could was waiting for, me to shut off the brain, and get into a ever be, but that storm situation I may soon regret, but I went nonetheless was tracking on my north side also! I guess I was The air was thick and humid; it almost seemed as if it was riding right on the storm thick enough to slow me down while riding. I noticed front, cool air, no bugs, all the heavy scent of corn pollen in the air as I rode west of the critters were home in the town I live in, would it cause allergies to surface and anticipation of the rain, and clog up my head… I didn’t care! I just needed to blow the ME, all alone on the road smoke of a day gone to crap out of my skull! And what still. better way to do that but to RIDE it out? I couldn’t come up with one, so there I am, thundering down the dark And that is just where it blacktop, trying to get lost into the night. Old hi-way 6, stayed, all the way back past Redfield to the Pitzer hi-way, a long stretch of straight county road, and I was the only one on it! Just what the good DR. had prescribed! It was warm riding out on the flats, and descending into the river valley brought on that familiar cool that goes along with a river, and relief was coming to the brain pan at last! I smiled at the scent of fresh cut grass, the kind that smells like a cool watermelon that was just cut opened. And another of apples turning ripe on the tree, and yet another scent of some farmwives flowers, carefully tended to in her gardens! Ahhhh, there goes the last of that dust from the day, and hi-way 92 came into view, and I went west. That’s when I noticed the big orange moon low on the horizon behind me, and as big as it looked in my mirrors, I thought I could reach out and grab a fist full of it like it was a cheese wheel! So bright was the moon I could have switched off my head lamp and still been able to see. And I just kept the wheel pointed 26 - TRMI AUGUST 2011
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home, God’s moon was a shining on me from the south, and that storm, with the flashing lightening on the north, let me tell you it was a magnificent show, no matter which side you watched, streaks of lightening zigzagging across the sky, and me there to create the only thing missing… Thunder, loud and bold and as obnoxious as I could, and we raced each other for the 40 or so miles back home, with Mr. Moon, full as it could be, smiling at me and my best friend, 1340 cc’s of raw power! I arrived back to my driveway, and was still dry, happy to be so, and my sanity intact, well as much as I could still have, but that’s another story!!! Until next month…Till the Tanks run out of gas… Doc I heard of a place in Iowa that has no stop lights, where there is more leather being worn at soccer games, than Hagar knits and dresses, where they never leave a brother or a sister stranded and broke down! Roads with long sweeping curves, and smooth ribbons of asphalt that are lined with trees that make a shadowy canopy over the road, and everywhere you turn there is a friendly smile, welcoming a weary rider! In the very south east corner of Iowa, it is said it does exist! Now if the “BEER LADY” would just contact me, I would like to set up a ride with her and her crew!!! Poppa45doc@yahoo.com 515-975-3893
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Big Barn Open House by Annette Murphy Heading over to the Big Barn Open House and the weather is, once again, a bit iffy. Is Mother Nature gonna drop a load of rain or is she gonna chase the clouds away & let the sun shine? A bit of deja-vu since it seems as though it has been this kind of weather at just about every event that we have been to so far this riding season. Upon arrival, I could see that it wasn’t going to matter to those who wanted to come, cause they were rolling in, one right after another. Big Barn had the inventory lined up row upon row upon row! Boy, were there some beauties & some I even sat on to see if there was a “fit”! Big Barn had their Jump-Start machine set up & as I walked by they tried to get me on it to try it out and even offered to take my picture on it for me for the magazine. I told them I would come back after getting some pictures. I did go back later, but made sure that someone was already on it when I went back. It’s stationary, but starts & allows a person to shift the gears. For a beginner this is nice. It lets you work out the coordination factors without having to worry about balancing or popping the clutch. I will try it sometime, but not when other people are watching! Some of the vendors were set up outside under tents with all kinds of goodies on display. Drag Specialties not only had lots of merchandise for sale, but also had a couple of their own bikes on display. Other vendors included IMT Innovative Metal Technologies & Dakota Digital. Thomas Trailers had some awesome pull-behinds on display & 2 of the most beautiful 5th-Wheel cargo haulers that I’ve ever seen were brought in by #1 Imperial R-V Center from Ankeny. Man, talk about riding in style, if you do some serious traveling, those babies would be the way to go. Once I made it inside, I was greeted by Joanne and she helped me refill their magazine rack with more Thunder Roads of Iowa magazines, YEAH! As I wandered through the vendor tables, I realized that some of the faces were familiar. The B.A.D. Ride folks were there with information on their ride in October, next to them was the H.O.G. table & next to him was a table that was new to me, but quickly grabbed my attention! Two of the cutest pups were hanging out & wearing bandanas with “adopt me” on them. This table was AHeinz57 Pet Rescue & Transport, wow that’s a mouthful! Then, right across the way from them was the American Legion Post 175. They were selling T-Shirts & some other items & just there to help people remember their Veterans. Battitstinis Custom Cycles had a nice display of merchandise & so did Cardo Gear. Laura Klock and daughters Erika and Karlee, the first mother, daughter, daughter trio in Bonneville Land Speed Racing History to hold records at the same time, were there with Brian Klock. They are awesomely nice people with some cool history & merchandise to match! It can’t be a Big Barn Harley-Davidson Open House without that most wonderful food provided courtesy of Smoky D’s. Check them out sometime when you’re at Big Barn, they’re right at the top of the hill as you turn in to Big Barn, YUM YUM! Well, time to go, got another event going on & the sun is still shining & the open road & wind are calling my name. Be safe and have fun! www.thunderroadsiowa.com
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Fifty-one years ago, Herman James, a North Carolina mountain man, was drafted by the Army. On his first day in basic training, the Army issued him a comb. That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair.
girl about to jump off a bridge so he stops. “What are you doing?” he asks. “I’m going to commit a suicide,” she says.
On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush. That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth.
While he did not want to appear insensitive, he didn’t want to miss an opportunity he asked “Well, before you jump, why don’t you give me a On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap. Kiss?” The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years now…… So, she does. ************************************* A Department of Safety Officer pulled over motorcycle owner for a weapons check because of an NRA sticker on the bike.
After she’s finished, the biker says, “Wow! That was the best Kiss I have ever had. That’s a real talent you are wasting. You could be famous Why are you committing suicide?”
“My parents don’t like me dressing up like a girl......” When the officer approached the bike, the man behind the handlebars handed the officer his ******************************************** driver›s license, insurance card and concealed carry Two rednecks are drinking in a bar. permit. One says, “Did you know that elks have sex 10 to 15 times a night?” The officer took all the documents, looked them over and “Aw crap...” says his friend, “and I just joined the American said, «Mr. Murray, I see you have a CCP. Legion! Do you have any weapons with you?» 911, can I help you? The rider replied, «Yes I do. I have a 357 handgun in a hip holster, a .45 in the left the saddlebag and a .22 derringer in Hello! Help! “Send someone over quickly!” the old woman screamed into the phone. “Two naked bikers are climbing my boot.» up toward my bedroom window!” The officer looked at the biker and asked, «Anything else?» «Yes. I have a Mossberg 500 12 gauge and an AR-15 in the “This is the Fire Department, lady,” the voice replied. “I’ll have to transfer you to the Police Department.” sidecar.» The officer asked if the man was driving to or from a shooting range and the man said he wasn›t, so the officer bent over and looked into the driver›s face and said
“No, it’s YOU I want!” she yelled. “They need a longer ladder!” ********************************************
«Mr. Murray, you›re carrying quite a few guns. May I ask what you are afraid of?»
While riding solo I find that my mind wanders. I started thinking about my wife and how lucky I was that she The biker locked eyes with the officer and calmly answered, married me. «Not a damn thing.» Then I wondered what attracted her to me (I know it wasn’t ******************************************** money). Guy walks out of the rest room, Girl says, “Hey dude, your So I asked my wife if she was attracted to my chiseled face garage door is open.” Guy asks, “Did you see my Harley?” or to my muscular physique. Girl says, “No, I saw a mini bike with two flat tires.” A tough looking biker was riding his Harley when he sees a She said it was my sense of humor that attracted her www.thunderroadsiowa.com
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Blessing of the Bikes 2011 Regardless of a person’s religious beliefs, simple fact of the matter is that sometimes us bikers could use every bit of confidence on our side while on the road. Therefore, folks from ABATE of Iowa’s District 21 have held their annual Blessing of the Bikes every spring, just to add a little piece of mind and maybe a nod from the big man upstairs while tooling down the road behind bars. This past June 5th folks gathered on downtown Fulton, Illinois to partake in the event. The small town lies directly across the Mighty Mississippi from Clinton, Iowa, and is home to many District 21 members and supporting businesses. The Main Street through downtown was closed off in front of Large 1’s Pub for motorcycle parking only starting in late morning. Father Downie, who has officiated nearly all 21 Blessings, once again held the honors this year. Sunny skies and 80 degree temps made for one of the greatest turn outs in the 21 years running, with over 200 bikes parked in downtown Fulton that afternoon. The every so lovely bartenders at Large 1’s Pub offered up some cheap drink specials to quench the thirst, and fresh pizza slices for sale out front. Before the blessings were started a short prayer was spoke and Larry Jones took the microphone for a solo rendition of the national anthem. Father Downie started at 1PM sharp, and walked through row upon row blessing every single bike on hand and the bike owners standing nearby his or her scooter. With Holy water in one hand and a bottle of drinking water in his other to help aleve the summer heat, Father didn’t stop until each and every bike has his personal blessing. The event will once again be held the first Sunday in June next year, so make plans now. For more info check out the link for District 21’s web site at www. abateiowa.org. Nate Ullrich (www.natanic.com)
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From the Woman’s Seat Maybe they just can’t help it?
“So it’s great to see you, what are you up to these days?“
Recently, my husband and I were being seated in a restaurant next to two older ladies. I was wearing a Harley Davidson shirt. One of the ladies said to me, “Harley Davidson, huh?”
“Oh, you know, same old: family stuff, working, and riding my Harley every chance I get.“ “You betcha,” I said cheerfully.
“Harley - you ride a Harley? My buddy’s brother was cut in At which point her voice turned cold and she said, “ half when he crashed his bike into a guardrail last summer.“ My son was killed on a motorcycle and I had that damn bike (Stunned silence.) parked in my backyard for years til they finally came and got it.” I honestly don’t know what to do with these conversations, but I do know that having someone report a gruesome death I was immediately sorry for my bright tone. She continued related to my hobby is a real downer. to tell me the story of how he was killed, and how having the bike in her yard for so long was really depressing. This I mean really: what would they say if they told me their kid encounter left me feeling very sad. And forgiving: the just got his driver’s license, and I immediately reminded thought of her having to stare at that wrecked bike for years them of the carload of teen-agers who were all beheaded just got to me. And besides, I don’t begrudge old ladies their when their car over-turned last week on a dark country road. stories - old people have earned the right to say what’s on their mind. Or that their hobby was knitting, and I immediately told them I knew of no less than three people who died bloody Another time, I was visiting with a friend whom I hadn’t deaths being impaled by knitting needles. talked to in many years. We’d been talking about bikes and After all, a person isn’t going to stop knitting because three riding for a little while, and eventually he told me that he freaks got their eyes poked out, and no one is going to stop would like to ride but he had a cousin who was killed on a bike. For this reason, my friend’s family was terrified of driving simply because there are horrific accidents. bikes and didn’t want him to ride. And yet, most people are more than willing to share a story about someone they know who was killed on a motorcycle. This story was shared in the context of a real conversation about riding and staying safe, so it didn’t feel like such a knee-jerk reactionary tale. I can only think of a few reasons why they would do this: 1. They are genuinely frightened for me because they blame the motorcycle for their loved one’s death rather The thing is, bikes wouldn’t be as dangerous if other drivers would learn to share the road. Meaning: they didn’t turn than the individual circumstances. left in front of us. They’d look twice before moving into 2. An accident is the only connection they our lane. They’d stay on their side of the road, especially personally have to motorcycles and so it’s the only thing they can talk about once the topic turns to bikes and riding. in corners. And they’d look for us as they were approaching 3. It’s a Pavlovian response and they simply cannot the red lights so they didn’t rear-end us! shut themselves up fast enough. Of course, I’m not exactly a confrontational person. I’m much more likely to wave off the story with a sympathetic Bitching aside, I don’t always cringe (at least not grunt, and then go write a 700-word rant on my blog, rather outwardly) when these stories are shared. Sometimes, I’m than put my hands on my hips and say, “What exactly is actually quite moved. A couple of examples: your POINT in sharing that story?” Fortunately, I haven’t met anyone who pressed it much farther than giving me their standard “one-liner just for shock value.” If they did, I would probably have to switch the subject to knitting, and the horror stories that go along with it. Bio Janet Green began her biker chick adventures at the age of 15 with a lime green Honda Express and a purple metalflake helmet. Several decades later, she now rides an HD Super Glide Custom and blogs about her adventures at www.bikerchicknews.com.
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MISSISSIPPI RIVER MOTORCYCLE RALLY DAVENPORT, IOWA JUNE 15-18 Susan Mast 2011 marked the 17th anniversary for the Mississippi River Motorcycle Rally, held in Davenport, Iowa. The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds opened its gates to thousands of motorcycles and classic car enthusiasts on June 15th - 18th. The diversity of this event is incredible. This is an event for everyone to enjoy and is very family-friendly. If you’re planning to visit this event in the future, allow plenty of time. There are hundreds of motorcycles and classic cars to view. Food vendors are on hand to offer everything from hamburgers to crab rangoons. Tents housing merchandise vendors provide a chance for attendees to shop and take home a souvenir or two. Camping space is also available. A variety of inflatables were also set up to entertain the children. Among the scheduled attractions were the Dwyer & Michael’s Classic Car Show, the River Rat Bike Show, which was hosted by Steve Hartson of SH Customs, a fashion show, BBQ challenge, memorabilia auction, Scooter Girl competition, and concerts, to name a few. Recognized on Saturday was Dan Karwath of Redington Shores, Florida, who rode an amazing 1,320 miles to attend the Rally. For more information about this event, visit the website at mrmrally.com
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Events Around Iowa 2011
Iowa Bike Nights Monday Fireside Grill Altoona Johnny Mac’s Des Moines Tuesday Legacy Sports Bar and Grill Waukee Gathering on the Grounds Iowa State Fairgrounds J&P Cycles Cruise Nights (Selected Tuesdays) Anamosa Ron Dawg’s House Des Moines Victory Lane Des Moines Samz Sports Bar Muscatine Wednesday Beer Barn and Grill Kirkman Amigos Fort Dodge Roar Into Harlan Downtown (3rd Wednesday) Harlan O’Kelly’s Pub Baxter Hooters West Des Moines Quaker Steak & Lube Council Bluffs Legacy Sports Bar & Grill Waukee Rusty Duck Dexter Boss Hawgs BBQ Des Moines Skatterkats Davenport Lynn’s Des Moines Spanky’s Bar & Grill Emerson Latitude 41 Bar & Grill Johnston Mullets Des Moines Joe’s Night Hawk Waverly Thursday Trophy’s Bar & Grill Des Moines Daytona’s All Sports Bar Des Moines Screaming Eagle Bar & Grill Waterloo Beach House Humboldt Rides Bar and Grill Fort Dodge BJ’s Full Throttle Thursdays Waterloo Cedar River HD (1st and 3rd Thursdays) JR’s Bronson Grid Iron Grill & Sports Lounge Webster City Knuckleheads New Market Tapz Pub Clive Big House Harlan Michelle’s Des Moines Woody’s Roadside Tavern (3rd Thursday) Albion AJ’s Des Moines Square One Clive Ridgemont (BACA) Windsor Heights Friday Knoxville Bike Night (1st Friday) Knoxville Throttle Down to “O” Town Osceola Fatboyz Saloon (2nd & 4th Friday) Grimes Bike Down to I-Town (3rd Friday) Indianola Ferg’s Grand Junction Hicklin Powersports Dinner Rides(4th Fridays) Grimes Saturday Winterset Bike Night (3rd Saturday) Winterset Do Drop (Under the Water Tower) Jamaica Sunday Haverhill Social Club (3rd Sunday) Haverhill Ickey Nickel Sioux City Daytona’s All Sports Bar Des Moines Team 36 Mitchellville Before heading to any event, please check weather and make sure the event is not cancelled. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list,please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Jul 30 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 4-6 Aug 5-6 Aug 5-6 Aug 8-14 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 19-20 Aug 20-21 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 27 Aug 27 Aug 27 Aug 27 Aug 27 Aug 27 Aug 27 Aug 26-28 Aug 26-28 Aug 28 Aug 28 Sep 1-4 Sep 1-4 Sep 2 Sep 2-5 Sep 3-4 Sep 9 Sep 10 Sept 10 Sep 11 Sep 9-11 Sep 9-11 Sep 16-18 Sep 17 Sep 17 Sep 16-18 Sep 18 Sep 24 Sep 24 Sep 25 Sep 25 Oct 1 Oct 1 Oct 15
Angel Ride to Save the TaTas Amigos Fort Dodge, Iowa Iowa Bikers for Boobs Run Boone, Iowa Team Sue’s 2011 Poker Run Glidden, Iowa Across the Border Raid Bedford, Iowa 2012 Model Rollout/Demo Rides Big Barn HD Des Moines Papa Clutch Customs Open House & Sturgis Layover Black Hills Motorcycle Gathering ABATE D15 Rodeo “Too Broke for Sturgis” Donahue, Iowa Combat Vets Motorcycle Assoc Patriot Ride Moline, Illinois Viva Sturgis BBQ Leather & Hawgs Hornick, Iowa AHeinz57’s 3rd Annual Poker Run w/ RESCUE INK Des Moines Josh Davis Memorial Poker Run Perry, Iowa ABATE D5 Leukemia Lymphoma Benefit Ride American Victory Rally Spirit Lake, Iowa 30th An Baxter Cycle Open House/Triumph Demo Rides Marne 10th Heartland Hemophilia Run Papa Joe’s Missouri Valley ABATE D21 Rodeo Miles, Iowa ABATE D17 Fall Rally St. Ansgar, Iowa Make-A-Wish Ride Council Bluffs, Iowa Bob Ezarski Memorial Run Aredale, Iowa Old School Bike Show and Rodeo Musca ne, Iowa Harleys and Hot Rods, Cruise for Kids Jesup, Iowa Werner Cycle Works 3rd Annual Bike/Car Show Omaha, NE Fall Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines, Iowa Cruise Night Heartland HD Burlington, Iowa Route 65 HOG Chapter First Annual Fun Run Indianola, Iowa Shake, Ra le, and Roll Parkinson’s Benefit Run Colo, Iowa Ladies Only Poker Run Spare Time Ute, Iowa Screaming Eagle Community Ride Waterloo, Iowa 4th An IA Lincoln Hwy Assn Motor Tour Council Bluffs to Clinton 7th Annual BTW Trike In Kellogg, Iowa QC Ride for the Cure Milan or Parkview, Iowa Children’s Miracle Network Poker Run Ida Grove, Iowa Davenport An que Motorcycle Rally Circle of Pride Thunder In the Sand Conesville, Iowa Vintage Flat Track Motorcycle Races Davenport, Iowa Iron Horse Bike & Music Fes val Sabula, Iowa Midway Tavern Soldier Valley Run BBQ, Street Dance Soldier Vintage Flat Track Motorcycle Races Knoxville, Iowa AMA Pro Flat Track Grand Na onals Knoxville, Iowa Shane Scroggs Memorial Car-Cycle Ride & Cookout Clarinda Anamosa Hill Climb and Swap Meet Anamosa, Iowa Davis Motorcycle Rally New Hampton, Iowa Loess Hill Motorcycle Rally, Pacific Junc on, Iowa Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall West Des Moines, Iowa End of Summer BBQ Leather & Hawgs Hornick, Iowa Annual Cancer Benefit Poker Run & Cheshire Grin Kirkman, Iowa State Line Rally Keosauqua, Iowa J & P Cycles Swap Meet Anamosa, Iowa Leaf Run The Quarry Davenport, Iowa CR Chrome Divas Fight Like a Diva Breast Cancer Awareness Ride Motorcycle Show & Field Events Penn Center Methodist Church Dirt Bag Biker Bash Cedar Rapids, Iowa RIP’s BAD Ride Toys for Tots Leather & Hawgs Hornick, Iowa Hero’s Day Big Barn HD Des Moines, Iowa
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