On Labor Day weekend, August 30th-31st, the place to be is at the Midway Tavern Soldier Valley Run BBQ, Street Dance Soldier. This is a town wide party that lets the bikers take over and have a great time. The information on the cover shows a little of what happens in the Scenic Loess Hills. Join us for the party, we will be there with bells on! See you on the road!
This riding season has been interesting to say the least. I usually end up with right around 25,000 miles a year, but thus far way off the norm. I realize there are a lot of riding days ahead of us, and hope the weather cooperates. Another reason for the different feel this riding season is the events. It seems that many have been rained out, have been cancelled, or have just quit having biker events. I am not sure if this is due to too many events, too little income to spend on going to events, or just people that are not digging the motorcycle world any longer. The motorcycle culture has certainly changed over the past decade, but then everything does change. There are good and bad things about this, but as you are reading this, you are still part of the biker community, so for that, I thank you for sharing the passion of two wheels with us! On the note of sharing the passion for the biker world and motorcycling, we wanted to make sure that you all know that we are truly About Iowa, For Iowa, and From Iowa. We highly encourage submissions of all types. We love to hear and see the women on two wheels controlling their own, and are always looking for Girls of Thunder. The recipes page is always looking for more biker favorites to eat and drink. The Thunder Cam section of the magazine always needs more pictures of bikers having fun and cool things of biker interest right here in Iowa or people with Iowa ties. Any event coverage photos and articles
are welcomed as well. We do look at all submissions, and will run time/space/content dependent. So on that note, get us YOUR IOWA stuff! We want to read your stories, see your pictures, cook your recipes, and share that with the best bikers in the world, right here in Iowa. This Labor Day weekend brings around yet another cool party at the Midway Tavern in Soldier. This event has been one of my favorites for years as it is such a laid back fun time. A giant biker party on Main Street of Soldier, Iowa cannot be beat. It is in the heart of the Loess Hills and is a good destination and a great place to run out of to see the hills and curves of western Iowa. The cover this month tells more about what is going on here this whole weekend, with the biggest parties on Saturday and Sunday nights. As we are fond of this event, the town, and the riding in the area, Melanie and I decided that this would be the perfect place to get hitched! My soon to be wife Melanie is the daughter of Mike and Pat Wohlhutter from Harlan. My new in-laws are the owners of Metal Ink in Harlan and will for sure ride over for the event. I am sure if you follow me on Facebook or have seen me out riding you have seen some of their handy work. The Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa crew will be there to party and celebrate with us and they would love to meet you! WE would like to extend this invitation to come to Soldier on Labor Day weekend, have a kick ass time, join along in our celebration, enjoy the food, enjoy the party, enjoy the riding, and just enjoy. Hope to see you there! Vernon Ride on my friends! Quote of the Month: Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed, and rearranged, to relocate us to the place we’re meant to be. Author Unknown
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TRMI AUGUST 2014 - 5
I guess it’s my turn to write a little about myself and how I got into the motorcycling world as well as Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa.
seen my car, well at least the way it is going to look when it is done. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later. I could ramble on forever about stuff like this.
I’ll start with some of my past. I guess you could say Harley-Davidson has been in my life as long a I can remember. My dad may not have had as o until I was 14, but that never stopped us from one stopping by Harley shops and checking stuff out. H always said that he never wanted to ride or buy He a anything for a motorcycle until he could afford a Harley-Davidson. Long story short, in June of 1999 he was finally available to purchase the 1999 N Nighttrain which I am proud to now call my own. A After that it was hard to separate him from the bike a we took numerous trips and a even hit up Sturgis a and c couple of times, which I w would like to hit again, b that would require but a occupation change. an A Anyway, getting back on t track…I started at Carroll Cycle Center in March of 2004. Having only been around bikes for 5 years, I went in thinking I knew a bit but found out quickly that I didn’t know squat. Thankfully I picked up a lot in a short amount of time thanks to all the other guys around the shop and a couple of great customers that were very patient with me. In the summer of that year my mom and I decided we wanted to get a bike also and went for a 2004 Nighttrain. After that season of riding I decided I wasn’t as into owning a bike as I thought and sold my half to her so that I could dump the money into my 4 wheeled love, my Camaro. Yes, I am sorry to say I am a cage lover. I’m probably one of very few people that have their car painted on their bike. If you’ve seen my bike then you’ve
I don’t remember exactly when Vernon and I first met. I know it was long before the magazine came about back when he was one of my regular pain-in-the-ass customers. LOL…just kidding Vernon. Anyway, when they started doing the mag I thought it was pretty cool and after one of my first Harley-Davidson dealer shows I gave them a bunch of info I had gotten from the dealer show so that he could write an article with it for the mag. From there it slowly progressed to me writing an article each month to inform everyone about the new, up and coming P&A and boom, here I am. However, it seems to get a little harder and harder each month to find that one thing that is going to catch your attention and would be useful to a majority of the readers/ riders out there. With all of the new tech and trinkets out there it’s hard to pick just one.
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As for what’s coming up in my life. I recently asked my girlfriend (July 2014 Cover Model) to be my wife while we were on vacation out in Las Vegas. After working on all the wedding stuff and planning back here I’m starting to wish we would have just done the deed out there lol. That however would have made for a couple of ‘not so happy’ mothers and I would rather go through this than that. Thanks to all of you that read my article each month and I hope that many of you find them useful. It’s always nice to hear people give compliments or come in not knowing me or that I wrote the article but start inquiring about some of the topics because they read about it in Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Tony
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TRMI AUGUST 2014 - 7
CMA Notes
Another glorious, sleepdeprived Freedom Rally at Algona is history. And it was glorious. The weather, for a change, was cool. The rain held off long enough to not hurt the crowd, and even what did fall didn’t last long or run everyone off. Now if Harley Davidson would just come out with a new product that was connected to their rev limiters. It could work off an atomic clock and anyone hitting their rev limiter after 2:30 in the morning would trigger some sort of hammer device that would come up and knock the operator in the head. Did I already mention sleep deprivation? But enough about the rev-tarded individuals.
It was good to see Vernon and some of the TRMI staff out and about as well as many old friends that we don’t get to touch base with as often as we would like. Also, thanks to all who came down to the CMA tent to hang out, have a bike blessed, eat, or catch a service with us. One evening around the camp a friend made the comment about so many of the events folding up or changing and how sad it was. It made us recognize how we are truly blessed to have such a quality site and event such as the Freedom Rally, in Iowa. That individual’s longing for the way things were is a pretty common human desire. It’s the same with our personal lives as well. The tendency is to spend so much time looking back or wishing forward that we miss out on the present. We all have those things that would distract and try to derail us from the joy that God meant us to experience, something He put in us that sometimes seems just beyond our reach. God created each of us with a unique personality with hopes and dreams, the ability to experience excitement and joy. It doesn’t mean we will never have problems or issues but where we get into trouble is when we lose sight of the fact that He is with us through it all. Many times we allow the world with all those distractions to influence that personality. The culmination of hurts, hidden and played out through alcohol, drugs, promiscuity etc… or even religion and the false veneer of respectability can crowd out the true you. God wants the true you to fellowship with Him, the you He created, full of joy, in tune with Him and firing on all cylinders. The book of John tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus came that we might have life and more abundantly. God is able to perform miracles. Don’t give up when life takes you down a different path than you expected. Don’t lose trust in Him thinking you blew it or that it’s too late, or that it’s over. Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near” and also in verse 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”. His wisdom and thoughts are so much higher than ours and what we can imagine. The oft repeated phrase “God helps those that help themselves” actually isn’t in the Bible and is just wrong. Jesus helps those that can’t help themselves, those that are honest enough to admit they need a savior. We just have to come to him trusting he really cares. Like the song says, “His love never fails – He never gives up – He never runs out on you”. 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. 8 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
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Biker Friendly Directory Dubuque Harley-Davidson 145 N Crescent Rdg Dubuque, IA 52003 563-557-3735 www.dubuqueharley-davidson.com
Werner Cycle Works 14410 Frontier Road Exit 440 I-80 Omaha, NE 68138 402-894-3050 www.wernercycleworks.com
Edwards Motorsports and RV’s 1010 34th Avenue Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-366-8400 www.fullthrottleia.com
Whipp Sales and Service, Inc 701 S 8th Street Clarinda, Iowa 51632 1.800.477.0195 www.whippsalesandserv.com
Biker Accessories
Ernie’s Harley-Davidson 2613 Hwy 18 East Algona, IA 50511 515-295-7951 www.erniesharley.com
Wiebler’s Harley-Davidson 5320 Corporate Park Drive Davenport, IA 52807 563-355-6437 www.wieblers.com
Backroads Biker Leather Shoppe 305 N Main Street Everly, Iowa 51338 712-834-2999
Fenders Cycle and Motorsport 1109 E Army Post Road Des Moines, Iowa 50315 515-256-9062 www.fenderscycle.com
Zylstra Harley-Davidson 1930 E 13th Street Ames, Iowa 50010 515-232-6223 zylstrahd.com
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. Let them know that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know a business that would like to advertise in Thunder Roads Iowa Biker Friendly Places, please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
www.backroadsbikerleathershoppe.com
CoolBikerStuff.com 1606 P Avenue Milford, Iowa 51351 877-816-2200 Follow us on Facebook!! Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa Find Us On Facebook 319-241-0916
Harley-Davidson of Mason City 706 South Federal Avenue Mason City, Iowa 50401 WWW.HARLEYOFMC.COM 800.205.7082
www.hunterdetail.com or 712-882-4243
J&P Cycles 13225 Circle Drive Anamosa, IA 52205 www.jpcycles.com 800-318-4823
Nishna Valley Cycle HONDA – YAMAHA – KTM Atlantic, Iowa 50022 1-888-577-6406 www.nishnavalleycycle.com
Leather & Hawgs 316 Main, Hornick, Iowa 121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa leather@wiatel.net www.leatherandhawgs.com
Okoboji Harley-Davidson 1005 Eastview Avenue Okoboji IA, 51355 712-332-7700 www.erniesharley.com
Your amazing Complete Detail Cleaner. Find us at a Dealer, Event or Order Online
Dealers Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com Brown Motorcars 330 NW 49th Place Des Moines, IA 50313 www.brownmotorcars.com 515-282-0123 Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa 712-792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com
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Book Em Dano’s 33 S Main Street Denison, Iowa 51442 712-263-9818Mon-Sat 4-2 Dancers Nightly 5-1:30
Leer’s Cycle Center 101 Fletcher Avenue Waterloo, Iowa 50701 1-800-870-6058 www.leerscyclecenter.com Loess Hills Harley-Davidson 57408 190th Street Pacific Junction IA 51561 712-622-4000 loesshillshd.com
Hunter Detail Home of Hunter’s Bug Kutter
Entertainment
R/J Performance HWY 63 North Ottumwa, Iowa 52501 641.684.8400 www.rjperformance.com Route 65 Harley-Davidson HWY 65/96 South Indianola, Iowa 50125 www.route65,com 515-962-2160 Trike Your Bike 503 1st Ave North Altoona, Iowa 50029 515-957-8920 Trikeyourbike.net Uptown Motors Sales, Inc 310 Cleveland St Muscatine, IA 52761 563-263-2944 www.uptownmotorsales.com
Knoxville Raceway 1000 N Lincoln Street Knoxville, Iowa 50138 www.knoxvilleraceway.com 641-842-5431 National Motorcycle Museum 102 Chamber Drive Anamosa, Iowa 52205 319-462-3925 Nationalmcmuseum.org National Sprint Car Hall of Fame/ Museum One Sprint Capital Place Knoxville, Iowa 50138-0542 www.sprintcarhof.com 641-842-6176 Vintage Sound 93.1 FM Muscatine’s Premier “B Side” Station Request Line (563)263-9393 www.Vintage931.com Listen ANYWHERE with free mobile app
Food and Drink
4th Avenue Grill 115 N 4th Ave. Logan, IA 51546 712-644-3200 Find us on Facebook Barney’s 203 S Mill Street Wadena, Iowa 52169 563-774-2525 Barney’s Wadena on Facebook Beer Barn and Grill 226 State Street Kirkman, Iowa 51447 712-766-3395 Open Mon 4, Tue-Sun at 11 Bikerz 313 Main Ave. ClearLake, IA 50428 641-440-4255 Noon-2am 7 days a week BJ’s Bar & Billiards 110 Ida Waterloo Iowa Home of Full Throttle Thursdays 319-234-9810 Booneville Bar&Grill Waveland West Café 35653 Ute Ave Booneville, Iowa 50038 575-987-2237 Breezy Hills Winery 31735 Tamarack Rd. Minden, IA 51553 712-485-2083 www.breezyhills.com Broken Throttle Saloon 621 Highway K45 Whiting, Iowa 712-455-1096 We are on Facebook Buck Snort 113 4th Street Neola, Iowa 51559 712-485-9090 The Buck Snort on Facebook Cadillac Jack’s 106 Main Street Baxter, Iowa 50028 641-227-3611 Cadillac Jack’s on Facebook C&L Sandbar 103 North Noyes Street Mondamin, IA 51557 712-646-2300 or 712-216-0975 Hours Daily 11-close
4 Way Good Eats Where Friends Meet Wed - Sun 7 a.m. to close Luxemburg, IA. 563-853-3451 Full menu of All Homemade Goodness!
Captains Quarters 807 Main Adel, Iowa 50003 M-F 2-12, Sat 10-2, Sun 12-12 515-993-4417
411 Main/Rocket Joe’s 411 Main Street Griswold, Iowa 51535 712-778-4111
Catfish Charlie’s On the Mississippi River 1630 E. 16th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 (563)582-8600 www.CatfishCharliesDubuque.com
FB 411 Main Street Bar & Rocket Joes
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Cede’s Bark Bistro 519 W. Main St. Sac City, IA 50583 712-662-8072 2 Wheel Thursday $2 Beers Chopper’s 601 Rhomberg Avenue Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563-556-9666 Open Noon-Close 365/Year Dew Drop Inn Bar & Restaurant 109 Main Street McClelland, Iowa 51503 712-566-9360 Mon-Sat 11:30-Close Doc’s Roadhouse 309 East 7th Street Logan, Iowa 51543 712-644-3636 Open 365-8 am to Close Dolly’s Bar & Grill 109 N. Pine Street Auburn, Iowa 51433 712-688-2220
Hawkeye Bar & Grill 110 North 4th Street Mapleton, IA 51034 712-882-1226 Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m. ~ Sun 12:00 p.m. Hazard County LoungeIowa’s Premier Night Club
(above the BBQ Shack) 203 Main St. Lohrville. Iowa 51439 Open M-S 4pm-close. Sunday 12pm-close (712)-465-3278 Huffy’s Mule Barn 802 Main Street Anita, Iowa 50020 712-762-9995 www.huffysmulebarn.com Iron Saddle Saloon 39 S Main Street Dayton, Iowa 50530 515-547-3311 J.R. Willie’s Gateway to the Beautiful Hill Country
Come for the Food, Stay for the Scenery
Colesburg, IA 563-856-5095 OPEN M-F 10AM S-S 7 AM Home of the Willie Whopper
Do Drop Inn 403 3rd Avenue Under the Water Tower Jamaica, Iowa 50128 515-314-0783
KC’s Tavern 120 North Main Bridgewater, Iowa 50837 641-369-2017 KC’s Tavern on Facebook
Durango Depot 736 Burtons Furnace Road Open 3 to close
Keasey’s Hideaway Lounge 911 Court Street Adel, Iowa 50003 515-993-3001
Best Scenic Road With the Best Food!
563-552-2291 Ferg’s Bar & Grill 806 Hwy 30 Grand Junction, Iowa 50107 515-738-5416 Where Good Friends Meet George And Dales Bar & Grill Downtown East Dubuque,IL Open 11 am 7 days a week Wed Bike Night 815-747-8810 Good Sons 2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102 Des Moines, Iowa 515-681-5375 Goozman’s Westside Bar & Grill Harlan, Iowa 712-755-2259 Goozman’s Westside on Facebook Greaser’s Drive-In Hwy 52 South Guttenburg, Iowa 52052 563-252-1027 Open Tues-Sun 11-9 Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, Iowa 50120 641-475-3321 Mon-Sat 10-2, Sun 12-12
Kelly’s Irish Pub & Eatery 563-344-0000 2222 E 53rd Street #10 Davenport, Iowa 52807 Great Food, Great Service, Great Atmosphere
Knickers Saloon 2186 Central Avenue Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563-557-0887 365 Days a Year Knickers Saloon on Facebook Knuckleheads Anamosa, IA 319-462-2724 Like on FB Knuckleheads Pub & Grub
Open M-F 11-2, S-S 10-2 The Knucklehead Burger “Git IT IN YA” Lampe’s Pub 608 Iowa Avenue Dunlap, Iowa 51529 712-643-5781 Open 7 days a week at 11 AM
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
Slaby’s Bar & Grill 6020 New Liberty Road Plainview, Iowa 52773 563-843-3443
Off Sides Pizza 1119 Thomas Street Redfield, Iowa 50233 515-833-2900
Softail Saloon & Grill 811 Hwy 9 Superior, Iowa 51363 712-858-4500 Softail Saloon on Facebook
Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015
Sparetime Bar & Grill 136 West Main Street Ute, Iowa 61060 712-885-2226
Pearl Street Social Club 110 Pearl Street SW Shellsburg, Iowa 52332 319-436-7100 Find Us On Facebook!
Sportsman Bar & Grill 103 1st Street Pisgah, Iowa 51564 712-456-2222 FOOD, FUEL, FUN
Pines Steakhouse Oinkers Lounge & Grill 1500 E 7th Street Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-243-3606 M-F 11AM-, S-S 4PM-
The Chrome Spur 105 2nd Street Schleswig, Iowa 51461 Chrome Spur on Facebook
Pizza Ranch DENISON 510 HWY 39 North Denison, Iowa 712-393-3333 Check Us Out on Facebook Open 7 Days a Week Pizza Ranch HARLAN 613 Court Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-755-2262 Check Us Out on Facebook Open 7 Days a Week Red Oak Tap 419 E. Reed Red Oak, Iowa 51566 712-623-4788 Riverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh, Iowa 50557 515-359-9998 Email:riversidetap@gmail.com 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
Los Altos Greenfield, Iowa 641-221-9081 Stuart, Iowa 515-523-8000
228 East 4th Street Waterloo, Iowa 50703 319-235-8865 www.partyattheeagle.com
Lugger’s 201 N Main Street Kimballton, Iowa 51543 712.773.8620
Shenanigans Pub-Dubuque 3203 Jackson Street Dubuque, Iowa 563-513-4001 Open 364 - 3 pm - 2 am
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Sidetracked 206 West Union Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-8534
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The Edge 3157 Joliet Avenue Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-2229 The Edge on Facebook The Getaway Where to Go When You Need a Break!
221 Main Street Vail, Iowa 51465 712-677-2200 The Home Plate Diner 304 E. 30th Street Des Moines, Iowa 50317 515-262-7000 The Lounge 1005 Chatburn Ave Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-755-5050 The Lounge Harlan Iowa on Facebook
The Onion Grove Bar & Grill 502 Lombard St, Clarence (563)452-3030 Check out our fun on Facebook!! The Roadhouse 105 Washington Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2272 Home of the Marne Burger The Sawmill Bar & Grill Now with a Full Menu 401 Main St New Market, IA 51646-3079 712-585-3601 The Wagon Wheel 521 E 7th Washington, Iowa 52353 319-653-3637 Wagon Wheel Tap on Facebook
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T.J.’s Pourhouse 100 E. Washington Street Exira, Iowa 50076 712-268-2353 Open M-SAT.@11, SUN.@ NOON Tobey Jacks Mineola Steak House Mineola, Iowa 712-526-2078 Open 7 Days a Week Check Us Out on Facebook Uncle Harley’s Bar & Grill 202 W Mayne, Blue Grass (563)381-1717 Great Pizza & Food Bikers ALWAYS Welcome Vic’s Main Tap 304 Broadway Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2122 Opens M-F 3, Sat 10, Sun 3 Wilson’s Tap and Recreation 1008 Story Street Boone, Iowa 50036/ 515-433-1395 Woobies 134 W. Main St. New London, IA 52645 319-367-2211 Woody’s Roadside Tavern 100 West Jefferson Albion, Iowa 50005 (641) 488-2220 Woody’s Roadside Tavern on Facebook
Guns and Ammo 2A Firearms Training Training to Protect Your 2nd Ammendment Rights 641-439-6660 Craig.2aft@gmail.com Dales’ Guns Buy-Sell-Trade-Gunsmithing 109 Main Street Ute, Iowa 712-885-2671 rustyshot2000@yahoo.com Locked and Loaded Outfitters 422 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-235-4867 lockedandloadedoutfitters@gmail.com
Shooter’s Outlet 114 Main Street Arcadia, Iowa 51430 712-689-2772 Tues,Wed,Fri 9-5, Thurs 9-7, Sat 8-12
www.shootersoutlet.net
Healthcare/Wellness Road Weary Muscles?? Stephanie Warren, LMT Suzanne & Co Salon, Davenport, 563-355-4200 eve & wknd appts available
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Tame Your Mane at MY BARBER 7th & Fillmore, Davenport 563-322-8762 Biker Owned & Operated
Insurance Matt McCall Insurance Agency State Farm Insurance 102 East South St, Tipton 563-886-6120 www.mattmccall.net
United Stop & Shop 810 Hwy 175 Stratford, Iowa 50249 515-838-2833 91% Premium Nolead 6:00am - 10:00pm
Legal Hupy and Abraham sc, pc Lawyers for Bikers 800.800.5678 Hupy.com
Shops and Fabricators Butterfield’s M.C. Parts 8025 Blondo Street Omaha, NE 68134 402-391-3768
IowaBikerLawyer.com Pete Leehey Law Firm, P.C. Riding and Defending Your Rights for Over 29 Years 977-209-9452
Chuck’s Cycle Service and Repair 714 East 7th Street Washington, Iowa52353 319-461-5278
Photo and Art
Creative Concepts Collision 422 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712.755.2231
Ullrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com
Custom Paint Specialists 2905 Delaware Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50317 515-971-4579 Facebook.com/CPSpaint
Services BCS Computers 100 Industrial Road Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-747-3344 www.brubakercomputer.com Ben Franklin/Radio Shack 106 N Wilson Jefferson, Iowa 50129 515-386-4122 Hometownvarietyinc.com Forbidden Angels Promo Girls 515-505-4888 fmp_operations@yahoo.com Forbidden Angels on Facebook
Creative Industry LLC 200 N Jefferson Way Indianola, Iowa 50125 creativeindustryiowa@gmail.com 515-689-7844 cell Dead Heads Eng, Fab, Repairs & Sales 426 Railway Street Gillett Grove, Iowa 51341 deadheadsmceng@gmail.com 712-835-3353
70 Washington Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2220 Pike Run Services 320 Main Nichols, Iowa 52766 Shop 319-723-4244 Cell 319-330-4541 Revolution Cycles 120 South Main Street Baxter, Iowa 50028 641-507-9250 www.rev-ia.com Steffens Cycle Shop LLC 1311 E 7th Street Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-249-5876 M-F 9-5 Most Sat 9-12 Or Call Waderich’s Towing 420 S Main Street Denison, Iowa 51442 Phone 712-263-3687 Cell 712-263-9685
Tattoo Crave Tattoo 201 S 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 51501 515-576-8289 FB Crave Tattoo, Inc.
To buy ad space in our directory, call 712-249-5630 or email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Elite Auto Upholstery & Embroidery
Specializing in Motorcycle Seats 1313 Walnut Street Des Moines, Iowa 50309 515-276-4392 F & J Racing 701 N 3rd Ave Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 641-752-8651 www.fandjracing.com
HetzStudio.com (563)263-2803 Muscatine, IA Full Custom Paint, Pinstriping & Airbrush
Main Street Bikes and Trikes 522 Main Street Granville, Iowa 51022 712.727.3515 www.shopmsbt.com
Sound and Service Bike/Car/Home Audio and TV 712 Quint Avenue Carroll, Iowa 51401 712-792-5403 Southwest Iowa Sandblasting Mike Magers 65162 Oxford Rd Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-249-3995
Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab
Metal Ink 911 7th Street Ste 102 Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-235-2453 www.metalink.org Moser’s 4-Way Service Center Motorcycles.ATVs.Jet Skis Harley-Davidson Certified Luxemburg, Iowa 563-853-3390 Moser4way@iowatelecom.net
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TRMI AUGUST 2014 - 13
Rockin’ the Highway
Well here we are in the middle of July already. It’s hard to say that the summer is half over already. I swear every year the summers get shorter and my list of things to-do gets longer. Well last month I just so happened to add quite a bit more to my to-do list; I asked that hottie on the cover of last month’s issue to marry me and she said yes. So that is going to add quite a bit, but I will still try
Stereo. From what I have seen and heard about this new radio, it is definitely the way to go. The only downfall I have seen with it is, like the new model baggers it does not contain a cd player. So what this means for you, um, let’s just say “more experienced” riders, is you will have to embrace technology a bit more. One way to do this is with a USB flash drive or some kind of MP3 player that can plug into the USB on the radio. To me this is one of the greatest ways to listen to music. My car is equipped with a hard drive that I can store a great amount of music on. I have it loaded and set on random. This factor eliminates commercials and songs that, well, I’ll just say are not my kind of music. Now this radio does not have that built in hard drive but as I said before all you need is a flash drive to plug into it. Then you can have as many songs as you want depending on the size of the flash drive you get. If you prefer to use an iPod or other mp3 device, that will work just as well. This leads me to one of the best things about this
and get out the best I can. Hopefully all of you have been able to get out there and log a lot of miles this year. Depending on where you are located has had a lot to do with the weather and if you have been able to ride much. I am thankful, however, that it hasn’t completely dried up like we have seen the past couple of years. Anyway, this month I am bringing attention to a new radio that can replace your old worn out Harmon-Kardon and older radios. Now I know that they offer refurbishing services for these radios for around $275-$450. Well, if you are looking for a reasonably priced upgrade for a decent price then take a look at the new Jensen HD1BT Performance radio. It is set up to use your factory hand controls
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on the bars for everything from volume, to scrolling through songs. If having stuff plugged in and/or having cables going into the port are something you want to stay away from then they have you covered as well. This radio, unlike the factory Harley one, comes equipped with Bluetooth capability. No buying an additional module to add this ability. Simply sync whatever device you want and you are set. Now as far as I know you can even play/pause the tracks and even scan through them with the radio controls. Biggest downfall to this route is that of course not having it plugged in will drain the battery on your device. If you still are not feeling the love with being able to do this then maybe having a SiriusXM Satellite Radio module built in will help. I know many cross country truck drivers that have a subscription to SiriusXM that would love to be able to listen to their favorite station on their ride just as well as in their rig. Again, Harley has an additional module that you can add to your current radio, but for the same price as the Harley module, you can buy this bolt in, plug-n-play, install in under a 12 pack radio that does way more than that old radio ever thought of doing. In order to use the SiriusXM however, you will need to purchase an antenna for it, but that is nothing compared to the savings you can receive. For those of you with Ultras, Trikes, Limiteds and motorcycles equipped with CB communications, I’m sorry, but this will not work with your factory headsets that plug in. However I do know there are companies out there that have Bluetooth wireless headphones and headsets that you can link together as well as to the radio so that you can carry on conversations and listen to music. So if you are thinking about upgrading, replacing, repairing, or even adding a radio, be sure to check out the Jensen HD1BT. If I owned a 98-13 bagger you would find one of these in it for sure. Tony Darveau Carroll Cycle Center
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Eastern Iowa is no stranger to a good biker party. Clinton sits directly on the Mighty Mississippi, and local motorcycle club Hells Our Home, hosts their annual Summer Bash every June. This year’s party was held on June 14th, with a fun run throughout the day that hit many local watering holes throughout eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Once riders made their way back to Clinton, rodeo games were held on the grounds, along with live music throughout the evening, and an overabundance of great food. Additionally, the club host a raffle each year, with winners being drawn at the Summer Bash, and the winner took home a large cash prize, with smaller cash prizes also being drawn and some framed motorcycle artwork by photographer Nate Ullrich. If you missed out on this year’s party, be sure you don’t miss it next year! The party is open to the public, and takes place the 2nd Saturday in June every year. It’s held at the H.O.H. clubhouse at 110 Main Ave, in Clinton, and you can call Tramp for more info at 563219-4457. Nate Ullrich www.Lyfebehindbars. com
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99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, drive on around, 49 counties to tour on the bike. A few years back, a summer riding goal was to ride through each one of the counties of Iowa, and what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month I will revisit each county as a featured article. I will tell you about new things to see, places to ride, and give you a little spark of touring curiosity for our state of Iowa.
happened into town when they were having their FAIRfest. This is a festival they have every year in June and they have forty, yes I said forty live bands over three days! Unfortunately I showed up in the middle of torrential rains and things were on hold but I was hungry so I found some neon lights and headed into a cool little café on the west side of the square called Georges.
Jefferson County Iowa The downward slide, fifty counties in Iowa down and fortynine to go. Over the halfway point. It should be easy sailing from here on out but Jefferson County was hard on me! It chewed me up and spit me out with wreckless abandon with its rain, hail, wind, wrong turns and dark skies making it almost impossible for me to take a good picture! My day in Jefferson County was still interesting, as well as a lesson in patience and using a map…how many times can I go through the same tiny town until I realize where the heck I am trying to go? It was almost like a Pollock joke, but it turns out three is my lucky number! Where it all started? Jefferson County Iowa is one of our smaller counties founded in 1839 and named after Thomas Jefferson. It is in Southeast Iowa in the bottom two tiers of counties. The county seat is Fairfield Iowa, not to be confused with the Maharishi Verdic City, but we will get to that in a bit. I came into Jefferson County from the northwest corner on county road V63. As you can see from the picture, it is a big, old, flat, wide road with large shoulders in case you have any problems you have plenty of room to get out of the way. The entire day the radio was rattling that there were horrible storms coming so I spent spen my day trying to stay just a st step ahead of it. Sometimes I succeeded, s sometimes I did not! I kept on keeping on right into Fairfield. Fairfield is the county seat of Jefferson County and for f r such a small town it has a fo lot lot to offer the free thinker. I 20 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
One really confusing thing about Fairfield’s square is that it is a one way square but only on three sides…so if you happen to start out on the two way side and don’t realize that the other sides are one way this can put you in a precarious driving situation, but I digress. Georges is an eclectic little cafe that offers hometown food like your mom would make, sometimes with a new age twist! Fairfield as a town is all about Transcendental Mediation so most of the people that live there are really laid back! Fairfield also offers the First Friday Art Walks. Every Friday all year long you can find street vendors rs peddling their wares be it art orr
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ethnic food. I want to take a trip back in January to see how store there north of Fairfield. They had great seat covers in many are really out there but the towns people assure me every possible color! It really was amazing to see all of the that it is a happening place to be! beautiful things that can be done with leather. The rain was letting up and I decided it was time to keep on moving so I hoped on H46 east to W40 north through Lockridge to H28 west to W21 north. I just kind of zig zagged my way through county. The roads were a little rough here and there but it is Iowa so what do you expect? W40 had some fun hills, twists and turns so make sure and check that one out! While zig zagging through the countryside I did see some neon through the trees off of Hwy 34 and happened upon a great leather goods store, well store might be too simple of a word, it was kind of a leather mecca, Overland Sheepskin Co. They have a huge online presence but have a brick and mortar
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Oh, skipping back to the Maharishi Verdic City. This is Iowa’s newest incorporated town. It is a group of likeminded Transcendental Meditators. They really would prefer that outsiders stay away but it is fascinating to me that some guy who made the Beatles chill out back in the day and fascinates todays movie stars such as Jim Carey is right here in southeast Iowa! Last but not least it all came full circle and I ended up at the Polishville Association and Community Center. There is a cemetery and a grotto to check out‌however it is down four miles of gravel, so please be careful. It is right off Germanville Road on 136th. Strange that Polishville is right off of Germanville Road, but I digress! I took some wrong turns, wandered around a bit aimlessly, but I can assure you that no one was hurt in the making of this article. Next month will be much more focused and direct, thanks for hanging in there with me! See you in Johnson County and the Iowa City area! Sources Available Upon Request DRing dring@thunderroadsiowa.com
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“Just Because You Can Bolt It On, That Doesn’t Make It Right” I believe there are four important parts to motorcycle safety- 1: Road conditions 2: Driver awareness 3: Competent riding skills 4: A safely equipped motorcycle. This month we’re going to focus on that last one. When the TV chopper building craze ended in the latter 00’s, I was glad we’d seen the last of the beach ball-tired monstrosities they were all cranking out. I laugh when I think of how many of those must be lurking in the corner of a McMansion garage somewhere. They weren’t easy to ride, maintain, or insure. Not to mention, the resale on them has plummeted. Now we are seeing a resurgence of “hipster” culture, and the latest rage is all about vintage-look 60’s bikes. I think they’re great to look at, but there is a lot more to putting a modified bike on the road than lining up the bolt holes on an aftermarket or vintage part. Careful consideration must be made as to how each and every mod affects the weight distribution, handling, and stopping distance on that bike. For example, the Hipsters just love those old ventilated mechanical brake hubs, and I do too. But a weaker motorcycle brake has yet to be invented. If you’re running mechanical drums, maybe a marine anchor should be included in your road kit. And any mods that may be over your head should be done by a competent shop. I can’t stress that enough. If you ask them about rake and trail calculations and you get a blank stare, then turn around and run. Rake is the angle of the fork assembly when compared to 90 degrees vertical. Trail is the distance between the front tire’s contact point and the place where the center-line of the goose neck would be on the ground. These are not the same thing. Motorcycles have a positive trail, meaning the tire contact point is out ahead of the goose neck plane. When bikes have extended fork tubes, the contact point is further ahead, and when fork tubes are cut down (as is the current fad) it moves closer. Long fork tubes make the bike have a larger turning radius, while shorter tubes make the bike turn quicker, sometimes too quickly. There are a number of reliable rake and trail calculators available on-line. Absolutely no significant alteration of the neck angle, fork tube length or ride height should be made without running the numbers 22 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
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through one. When you’re headed down a long grade with a Kenworth in your mirror, it’s a poor time to figure out your front end just started acting like the bad wheel on a Wal-Mart cart. Those wobbles are known as “tank slappers”. Many a rider in the 70’s came into town white as a sheet having survived the slappers and lived to tell about it. Conversely, if you feel like you’re sitting on a fish and the tail is wiggling behind you, you have a rear fork alignment issue, an off-center tire, or too much bearing lash. And ANY of these issues is a “stop right now” problem. If you build a bike from the ground up the first and only setting that matters is that the rear tire is precisely centered to the backbone of the motorcycle frame. This means just the tire, not the tire and belt pulley, or chain sprocket. This means your tire and sprocket might “look” off-center in your pretty little chrome swing arm, but that’s where it goes, trust me. If that means the tranny and/or the engine need to move to meet this line, then they move. When you get it all together, two florescent bulbs laid against both sides of your back tire make a great alignment tool. And that front tire better be dead center between them, or you need to start over. I’ve included a couple of pictures of bikes to try to show what I’m talking about. Sorry to pick on your super tall ape-hangers, mister, but wtf? I don’t mean to insult anybody that runs these (and I’m seeing a LOT of tall apes all the sudden), but I can’t imagine why anybody would do something to a bike to make it harder to control. And I’ve yet to hear a single reason that these are a positive modification to a motorcycle. One guy told me “You feel like a god when you run these”. Well, quite possibly you’ll get closer to the Almighty with bars like that. The second pic is of an old iron head barn find. Built during the 70’s, it’s a period piece of everything done wrong. I know the guy is going to tear it down and start over, so we’re going to be pretty harsh. The fork tubes are ridiculously long, and route through a dead stock set of triple trees, which were never meant to carry this additional torque. The neck angle is still stock, and you can see how the load has all been shifted to the lower neck bearing. The lower frame tubes are not even remotely parallel to the ground, showing once again how much load that goose neck and those skinny fork tubes are carrying. The seat is off of a much larger bike, and was designed to be backed by a sissy bar. As it stands, the passenger’s weight is all behind the rear axle. This must have been an abomination to ride. So once the mods are made, don’t just simply jump on the bike and barrel down to Bike Night. Bring the bike gradually up to speed, and then gradually decelerate. Take it up to 20, 30, 40, 50, etc. and bring it back down gently. Sometimes the wobbles show up under acceleration, sometimes under deceleration, sometimes only under braking. My bike is over eight feet long and has a raked and stretched frame, over length fork tubes, and raked triple trees. Believe me, I ran a lot of calculations on paper before I ever married these parts as a motorcycle, and it was a longer time still before it ever saw 70 mph. Even so-called stock bikes need to bear some of this in mind. When you guys on your cruisers load up your wife, the saddle bags and that rear center bag, you’ve completely changed the dynamics of how that bike handles. Please be safe and check your air pressures. And nobody will think less of you if you take a quick lap around town with that new load on before you hit that 300 hundred mile tour with the rest of your group. After all, it’s about getting there safely with the most amount of fun and the lowest pucker-factor. Have a great summer riding season! Mark Mullins, President, MAG Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook
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Gratitude
e s u o pen H
O
with Attitu de GRATITUDE: is a feeling or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive (Wikipedia’s definition). Most of us appreciate gratitude. It is my purpose to share some I’ve experienced lately.
Recently at a huge biker rally a friend of mine, who we will call Johnny, decided to surprise us and make the 4 hour ride to join us for the last day’s events. Unbeknownst to him we had planned on leaving that day to make way for an easier Monday. Well, we decided to stay and make his trip worthwhile and thus our Monday another one of those “sumbitch…I really should’ve planned this as a recovery day off”! So, we pushed on thru trying to show him all the cool things we experienced and more. At one point HE became the entertainment! He had us all busting our ribs when he jumped up at the chance to hop on some dudes bike that had the Vibe Rider installed. You should’ve seen the owners face blush when he finally told Johnny that he had seen enough as he couldn’t stomach a guy getting off on his bike! The chuckles and belly bursting by us all made Johnny’s smile even start to glow! That was by far
the funniest thing I saw the whole weekend. Two days later I got a very nice message from him thanking me, my wife, and the Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa team for making him feel like a part of something… something like family. He expressed how he hadn’t felt that emotion in quite some time. The sincerity of his message made me feel appreciated and seemed to make that “drag ass Monday” not nearly as rough. Another gracious experience I felt recently was the experience at the JP Cycles Open House. This, I also felt on a personal level like Johnny because of the Hard working, organized efforts by the entire J&P Cycles crew. I was emotionally charged on many levels from the variety of things they offered. They made me feel proud to be an Iowan by continuing to do the extra little things to make sure we all had a great time. They showed how appreciative they are to all Iowans and the support we give them. First for the Adult in me, I got a whole lot of variety to satisfy any Bikers needs. Vendors of all makes, models, parts, and edibles were there to fill your knowledge of questions, your bag of free samples & gifts, or just your appetite. Many were even offering free installs on already reduced prices right then and there! Superstars were brought in from hit series “Sons of Anarchy” and other shows signing autographs and sharing conversations. They also provided entertainment of the highest level with an American band favorite, “Hairball”. This, coupled with Budweiser products to enjoy during the show made it a perfect much needed date night with my favorite rides, my wife and FXST. I had so much fun Friday with the wife, but just couldn’t come close to catching all the sights I needed to see, so I did what any typical Biker family man would do. I packed up the whole family and took them there for Sunday’s events. Let me tell you there aren’t many things as cool as finding a place that can make you see your kids eyes bulge and mouths silenced. This was done by the awesome display of cool bikes, balloon & magic booth, food, and a variety of other kid pleasers. The biggest hit was the awesome Harley
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Stunt Show put on by Wheel Revolution. I talked to the pleasant gents after the show and they told me they loved how laid back Iowans are. Well they obviously didn’t pay attention to my kids as they were screaming and laughing the whole time at the variety of nutty, crazy tricks I always tell them that only I can do. How they get this reaction and I don’t remains a mystery. Mmmmh????
the information passed on were for only them. This is just another example of an Iowa company giving back. That’s why we live in the greatest state of all. Businesses and people alike all have hearts. I would like to end this with expressing my despair at the horrific sight of destruction bestowed upon them before they could even get the event cleaned up. A severe thunderstorm created a terrible mess on top of all the events clean up duties. I could see how wiped out they were from their hard work at the open house, and felt terrible thinking of how they now had to deal with this. Knowing them and their work ethic, they all pulled up their sleeves and got to it, bringing back the beautiful grounds and showroom we are so used to seeing. I call out on Iowan’s to take my word for it on their appreciation and return the favor to them. I for one am repaying their gratitude by purchasing a new set of Apes I’ve been eyeing up for my beloved 04’ Softail “Charly”. That’s my way of appreciating the gratitude they made me feel. Hope you all can find some parts needed as well to show yours. As stated from the definition in the beginning, “a benefit that one has received or will receive”. If you have experienced this for yourself or will indulge in the future, let it be known that J&P’s Open House is the place to go for years to come!!
It was also at this point I realized and put it all together. JP I appreciate you all!! Cycles does REALLY Appreciate us Iowans and what we have done to aid in their worldwide success. All this cannot Jeff “Sigs” Sigwarth be put together and given to us in a free manner without actually caring for who this work is for. I felt that and it motivated me to proceed to the store section to find some neat headbands to buy for the kids. I then found out that they were free as well!! So I went shopping for myself and boy did that feel justifiably good! So, with all that said, I really want Iowans to see and feel this gratitude as well, easily accomplished by venturing to their 2015 Open House. The hard work and organized efforts made me feel they were producing a miracle!! An event my ENTIRE family enjoyed! So thanks Angela Kearney and the J&P Crew for everything you did to make our time enjoyable. I would also like to add their generosity even extended to helping a fellow Iowan cause. This cause is Camp Courageous located in Monticello, Iowa which is open to all kids with disabilities which gives them a chance to change their lives. I do not have details of J&P’s donation but saw firsthand all the donation tubs and
After spending decades of my life doing time behind bars I thought that I had seen and done just about everything that the motorcycle lifestyle and community had to offer. As I rolled down
knuckles , transportation, and overnight accommodations to broke down bikers in need. I have been the one sitting along side the road watching, waiting and wondering when a two
memory wheeler lane thinking about would arrive to lend a the miles, the places, the events and hand, all the while dreaming it’s going people that I have shared the road with, my warped mind to be a hot chic wearing a string bikini with big, bouncy suddenly realized. I was wrong; I have not done it all! tattas and a toolbox. I am guilty of having way too much fun at a vast a-ray of bike rallies in and around Iowa. Have violated the terms of probation and broken the law in order to cross states lines just to partake in the biggest and most well known rallies in the country. I have allowed my beliefs, existence, and passion to be put on display in the motorcycle parade. I have paraded to prove to the government that bikers have a voice and they will be heard. I have paraded to stand united in a group of strangers, to show support for the sacrifices that servicemen and women have made in order to allow me my freedom. I have paid my respects to fellow riding buddies as they were given their last and final ride by the two wheeled parade of brotherhood. I have ridden to raise money to help fight cancer, buy toys, feed the homeless, help kids, aid battered women, Make a Wish and help the disabled. I have made contributions to society by helping to save schools, dogs, pussies, asses and boobies. I have been to bonfires, bike burnings, bike blessings and the burn out pit. I have been involved in biker competition keg tossing, cone racing, keg rolling, weenie bites, wet boxers, balloon tossing, bra slinging and wet tee-shirt contests, see why saving the pussies, asses and boobies was a priority. I have been to swap meets, bike shows, hill climbs, drag races, poker runs, fun runs, toy runs, bike rodeos, museums, open houses and customer appreciation days. I have eaten at some awesome places by joining supper runs, dinner runs, brunch runs and weenie runs. I have popped a ditch squat after eating at dives that give you the runs.
I have push started it, kick started it, pull started it, kicked the tires, and begged my higher power to make it start. I have picked gravel out of my skin and know what human flesh on hot pipes smells like. I have smoked the tires, dumped it, locked up the brakes, laid it down, and figured out that going over the handlebars isn’t the best way to get off. I have ridden along side veterans, brothers, newbie’s, sisters, weekend warriors, friends, family, outlaws, in laws, and law enforcement. I have ridden to support Wounded Warriors, fire fighters, nurses and cops. I have ridden with and without a lid always hoping that the brain injury ride never benefits me. I have spent hours walking ditches looking for bike parts, saddle bags, luggage, lids, and worn out leathers. I have appreciated the power and beauty of a thunderstorm while sucking up the humility of hiding under bridges, awnings, and in car washes. I have ridden through wind, rain, hail, sand storms, fog, and snow. I have ridden during the blistering heat, the freezing cold, into the sunset, along-side some amazing sunrises, and by the light of a full moon. I have chased rainbows, out run tornados, and I have hunted down bad drivers just to give them the finger. I thought that I had done and seen it all during my career of being a biker, but I was wrong! I have never been invited to attend a biker wedding! Congratulations Big V and Melanie, see you in Soldier! Shifty LaRue
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1923 Farm Journal
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Kelsey Gray makes this 2006 Softail Standard look like a show winner. The bike is owned by Billy Kohnekamp. Come see Kelsey slinging drinks with the best of ‘em at the Midway Tavern in Soldier. Dont miss the Soldier Valley Run on Labor Day weekend in Scenic Soldier, Iowa.
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Dave Ott from Waterloo is grateful for the time he served in the Marine Corps. All of his military experiences have translated into many doors opening up for him once he reentered the civilian world. And that was exactly what he had hoped for the day he signed his enlistment papers. Dave recalled riding around on a 125 Honda at about 15years old. Soon after graduating high school he was hired on at the Tractor/Harley Davidson dealership as a tractor mechanic. He soon found a desire to tear into the two wheel world and began working on the Harley Davidsons as well. Unfortunately, the business just couldn’t survive and the dealership eventually had to close. Mind you in 1973, Harley Davidson wasn’t very popular in these parts and the tractor side of business just wasn’t bringing in enough to sustain. Being without a job or money for college, Dave decided to enlist in the Marine Corps and serve his country while gaining education and experience. Serving both overseas and stateside, Dave is appreciative of everything he learned in his time with the Marine Corps. Dave was a recruiter in Waterloo and Decorah before spending a few years at Andrew’s Air Force Base. After receiving training, Dave spent most of his enlisted time in Beaufort, South Carolina before leaving the states. He completed two cruises onboard the USS Nimitz, was deployed twice to the Far East and twice to Europe. As a communications navigation specialist, he spent much time traveling and repairing damaged data link equipment. Dave was able to experience so many things he knows he never would have been able to as a civilian, and he is thankful for all of it.
Kathy took a grasshopper to the face and suffered some pretty bad injuries. Dave decided THAT would NEVER happen to his lady again and promptly traded his bike for ride with a fairing and windshield. They now cruise the countryside on a 2010 Ultra Glide to which he has already modified the engine, added an aftermarket front fender and upgraded the exhaust, along with many other little projects. Dave doesn’t plan on stopping until he’s made this bike his, but he doesn’t know what exactly that entails, it’s just a work in progress . Dave is a member of Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, serving as the treasurer for the Heartland Chapter. The Leathernecks are a nationwide motorcycle club comprised of both active-duty and retired Marines and FMF Corpsmen. The local chapter’s focuses on raising money for the many veterans’ causes out there & do a lot with the Iowa Veterans Home organization in Marshalltown. Visit the following links to find out more about the Heartland Chapter www.heartlandlmci.org and Leathernecks MC www. leathernecksmc.org Racking up over 34,000 miles on the bike already, Dave & Kathy love to take trips on the motorcycle. They aren’t able to do big trips every year, but always enjoy the 100-200 mile radius ‘staycations’ just as much as the big trips. In July 2014 they headed out to Glacier National Park for a week long ride and upon returning from that trip, Dave and a few of his Leatherneck brothers headed up to Wisconsin to help run security and have a good time at the 30th Annual Vietnam Veteran MC Twister Rally. He loves being on two wheels while giving back to not only the veteran community, but his entire community and is grateful he can do so.
Since that first Honda 125, Dave had always been drawn to bikes, although he hasn’t always owned one. Upon retirement in January of 1994, Dave jumped back onto a bike; he and his wife, Kathy, enjoy taking trips around the nation and adding more miles to their bike. On a trip home from Sturgis, upon their Super Glide, www.thunderroadsiowa.com 36 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
Dave, Thunder Roads Magazine & I thank you for your time in the service and continued support of our military men and women! ~Pinky Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook
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Ted’s Coney Island 2667 86th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322
will ride to eat
10:30 - 8:30 Mon-Sat 515-276-2558 3020 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312 10:30 - 9:00 Mon-Sat 515-243-8947
So, I finally get a much deserved day off from work! My feeble mind says “I’m going to sleep in!!!” My idiot body says “So you think!!!!” Well, as usual while my mind was peacefully sleeping, my body woke up at the normal time! So much for sleeping in... I do my best not to wake Lynnette, who is still able to sleep (her mind is apparently stronger than mine... ok... yes I know, you already knew that... ENOUGH LAUGHING ALREADY!!!!!!) I make myself some coffee and decide to watch some TV. While watching one of the morning shows they are talking with a gentleman about how to create Chicago Dog hot dogs. Man did those things look good!!!!! Fast forward a few days and we are heading out to find someplace to eat. Those hot dogs are still on my mind (as feeble as it may be, my mind will retain food images seemingly FOREVER!!!) I’m not sure where the gentleman was from that they were talking with, but I know where to get a good dog when you want one... Ted’s Coney Island!!!! Off we head to hot dog nirvana. This is obviously not our first foray to the Island. Ted’s has two locations in the Des Moines metro area, there is one near downtown on Ingersoll Avenue and one on the west side in Urbandale. Ted’s Coney Island West (the Urbandale location) is positioned in the same strip mall, along 86th Street, as Hobby Haven. That strip mall is the first one north of Cobblestone Market which is on the corner of 86th Street and Hickman Road. Our usual stop is at the Ingersoll location since it is just down the street from my eye doctor’s office. This time, we visited the Urbandale location simply for the ease of getting there. We have eaten at this location one other time... a momentous occasion! This was the site of the eating of my very first tenderloin. (I was shocked to not find 40 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
a monument or a statue or at least a plaque memorializing the event!!!!) Upon perusal of the menu my eyes fell upon a selection called the Shap Dog. This hot dog is described as a Chicago-style dog, what a coincidence!!!! The menu description is almost a verbatim transcript of the show I had watched! A poppy seed bun with mustard, tomato, onion, pickle, relish and peppers (your choice of hot or sweet... I had both!) and finally sprinkled with celery salt. Exactly the way it was made on the show. Well, my mind was made up, this was the dog for me. I ordered it with the basket which includes their golden french fries, onion rings and coleslaw. I need to spend a moment reflecting on the onion rings. Now I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of onion rings (well ok, food in general but I REALLY like onion rings!!!) and I have tried many different styles and flavors of onion rings. These are hands down my favorites!!!!! The rings all others are judged by!!! Make sure and get the basket so you
can have a sam-
pling if these perfect rings and see if you don’t agree!!! Lynnette decided to have one of their Gyros in a basket (we figured they must be good since all their advertising calls Teds the Home of the Gyro!) Our order arrived very quickly and I couldn’t wait to dig in!!! The Shap Dog does Chicago proud!!! This is a two-handed hot dog. The bun is literally overflowing with toppings. When you read the toppings list there are a couple of interesting items. You may note there is no ketchup listed. In Chicago it is considered a crime against humanity to put ketchup on a hot dog! (I learned that on the TV show LOL.) Also it lists tomatoes. Now, I assumed that would be diced tomato pieces. OH NO... these are half slices of tomato! I am struggling to find the proper words to describe the cacophony of flavors found with each bite! Try one for yourself, you won’t regret it! Lynnette’s Gyro consisted of thinly sliced beef (described as Gyro meat) on hot toasted pita bread,
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smothered with Ted’s “famous” Tsatsiki sauce, onions and slices of tomato. Lynnette said it was bursting with flavor in every bite!!! The meat was very thinly sliced and tender which was a nice contrast with the toasted outside of the pita wrap. She also described the “famous” sauce as having a cucumber flavor. While my Shap Dog was awesome and greatly complimented by the sides included in the basket (did I tell you how much I LOVE their onion rings???) no trip to Ted’s CONEY Island would be complete without a CONEY dog!!!!! My return trip to the counter yielded a Coney Island hot dog. This is a hot dog smothered in Ted’s “famous” chili (man, he has a lot of “famous” things!!!!), mustard, onions and a pickle slice. Almost the perfect way to complete the meal…I say almost because the perfect way to complete the meal would be to have a nice homemade chocolate chip brownie!!!! Oh... did I mention that return trip to the counter not only yielded a coney dog but also two of their homemade brownies!!! They are every bit as good as they sound and they ARE the perfect way to complete a
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meal at Ted’s Coney Island! It doesn’t matter which location you choose, the food at Ted’s Coney Island is worth the stop. It must be good... while we were there I observed an employee from a competing restaurant pull up in their establishment’s highly adorned delivery vehicle and come inside to pick up a to go order!!!!! That’s a testament to the quality of food you get at Ted’s!!!! 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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f o s l r i G
We want you on our pages! If you are an Iowa Girl of Thunder, send us your name, year and model of bike, and where you are from to v vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Alisha Knerr 1999 Sportster 883 Custom Muscatine
Teri Crabtree-Kinney 2013 CVO Break Out Iowa Falls
Kim Grisham 1965 FLT Harley-Davidson Panhead Springville 42 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
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I I I s e r u s a e r T a w o I n r e t s e W Iowa uide to Western A Travelers G oods F l a c o L d n a s e i r Brewe
are open Tuesday thru Saturday from six am to two pm. It really is a great place to start off any tour of Western Iowa!
From Manning it is a straight shot north on M68 clear clea up to Hwy 20 and on eastt into i t Sac S City Cit to t a greatt little litt place called Cede’s Bark Bistro. Don’t let Hungry? Thirsty? Follow me through Western Iowa! the bistro title worry So many people. So many places. So many ales. So many tasty morsels. Western Iowa has your culinary you. You and ale needs met, whether you know that you want do not need to lift and need or not! your pinky to eat at The State of Iowa tourism office in Des Moines Cede’s! divides all of us up into three distinct regions. Eastern Iowa has twenty-eight counties, Central Iowa They welcome has thirty-five counties and Western Iowa has the lion’s share of space with thirty-six counties. That is all on two wheels and a fair amount of ground to cover but I am the kind of girl who relishes a challenge. If you are willing to even your dog can poke around you will find some incredible places come in for and people. a treat! I In the little town had the pleasure of dining on the Daphne, of Manning Iowa an amazing quarter pound all beef hot on the corner dog topped with banana peppers, French of 4th and Main onions, bistro sauce and served on a poppy St. you will find seed bun. During the summer months you a lovely little will be delighted with an array of fresh place called vegetables that they cultivate from local Deb’s Corner produce farmers. The only way things could Café. Deb’s get any fresher is if you walked out to your Corner Café own garden, picked it yourself and popped is one of those it into your mouth without washing it! Once places that you you have been there more then once you might or might are family! not wonder into because of its Now is where you have some decisions unassuming to make, the next stop on the route is The nature. If you Rosemann Farm Sweet Farm which is two miles west take a moment and head on in and are lucky enough of Harlan Iowa on Hwy 44 and two and a quarter to have Jan as your server you will understand mile north on the west side of the road. Those what small town living is all about. Jan can tell you directions are simple enough but the history of the to get from Sac City to Harlan there building, how it used are about a million ways to get to be one of the most there. I appreciate M68 for its lack of beautiful and longest traffic and direct route to State Hwy bars in the area. You 30 which will take you to Denison can still see some of where you can connect with Hwy the old woodwork and 59 on South to Hwy 44 and over to stained glass! She the Rosemann Farm. It is two miles will take you in and of gravel to get to the farm but it is guide you to some well worth the trip! Things do not tasty fresh homemade get any more locally grown then vittles and if there is at the Rosemann farm! They have something on your fresh organic beef and pork. Salsa mind she will offer and bbq sauces made less then five you some guidance miles away and more spices then you or kind words. They 48 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
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could shake a stick at! They are the premier organic, natural food store in the area and the day I went there the bacon was less expensive then the local grocery store! After visiting with Ron and Maria at the farm it was time to seek out one of my favorite roads to ride in all of Iowa, F20L! If you get back onto Hwy 44 and head west to Hwy 30 and take that north to Woodbine you will see the signs for Willow Lake Park, do yourself a favor and follow them as they will lead you to F20L. A twisty, turny hilly little number that will deliver you into the bosom of Pisgah, Iowa and The Sportsman! You can’t miss this place as there is a big motorcycle hanging out in front of it on their sign. The Sportsman is one of my favorite places along the Loess Hills. You can fuel up, grab snacks for a trip, have a nice ale in the bar or sit down to a delicious meal with fresh potato salad like mom used to make. Another thing that makes The Sportsman special is that all during the growing season they have a well used bench in the gas station area with produce on it! It is essentially a produce swap bench. People with extra bring them in so the older folks who can no longer garden or the younger folks who haven’t figured it out yet can enjoy some home grown goodness! This is just another example of Western Iowans taking care of Western Iowans.
parlayed their love of home brew into a thriving business. Again I had to eat my words that I was not an ale drinker. After a few moments of chatting with me, Alex offered me some Morning Wood, an Oatmeal Ale brewed with coffee beans. With a huge amount of apprehension due to the fact that I do not care for oatmeal or coffee I took a drink, to my disbelief, not only was it palatable, it was delicious! Alex has been busting his hump to get his tasting room finished and you can now stop in and see him in Carson. Things are still a work in progress but they would love to host your event or be a stop on your fun run! One quick other interesting fact about C.I.B. Brewery is that their labels were almost all designed by tattoo artists, so things are not only orally stimulating they are also visually stimulating! My last little shout out on my Culinary/Ale trail
tour has got to go back out to the gentlemen at Keg Creek Brewing Company. I have to again thank them for taking a moment to talk to a “non” beer drinker and bringing her over to the dark side! If you get down to Glenwood Iowa don’t forget to stop in and see them and remember to tell them that Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa sent you! DRing@thunderroadsiowa.com
From Pisgah it was south down L20 to Missouri Valley where I connected with I29 which brought me to Hwy 92 and east into Carson, Iowa to the C.I.B. Brewery. Alex and his dad Charlie are both riders who Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook
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Blowin’ the Stink Off It all started off as a memory from my earliest conscious youth of some tattooed cat in the early fifties going round and round in an old “Wall of Death” contraption made entirely of wood where the rider would start at the bottom and wind up circling the inner diameter of this large barrel held fast to the wall as long as he kept the revs up. That was cool enough for starters. Thrills came when a stall would mean a quick descent. There are still a few daring souls out there doing this stunt today. Of course I am still always amazed that there are still a few people out there that have never even had a motorcycle ride. I can’t help being old school. When I graduated we didn’t even have pocket calculators (what’s a pocket calculator?). I often dip between the past and present cuz at sixty-five, the road behind is probably longer than the road ahead. Then again, I may live to one hundred and thirty. Tall tales, peculiarities, and road phenomena make the adventure complete. So, I share memories whether in song or story. Why….it reminds me of the last time I rode to Sturgis from the banks of the Mississippi River in Bellevue, Iowa. After rounding up Slow Joe, Jan, and Steel Belly, Driftwood Denny headed north out of Iowa to Minnesota into a realm of wetness and impending storms. I knew an old girlfriend who would put us up if we could just get there. The road was lightning struck, skeeter bit, and rain stained, but another six hours of riding would provide sanctuary. Our slipperiest moments came when the road morphed into a green pestilence of migrating frogs! Nothing but frogs as far as the headlights would shine in the foggy wet darkness of that Minnesota road. I don’t recall ever seeing that many frogs. I don’t know how many gave of their lives, but their fleeting glances are an indelible memory. Besides ice and snow, oil slicks, wet grass, loose gravel, and frogs we mustn’t forget our little short-lived friends-the “Fish Flies”! Call them what you will, they pile up mostly along the Mississippi bridges and river towns. May flies, shad flies, or Fish Fly pie pizza or dessert is not on the menu but they do demand some caution when cornering. They live forty eight hours with no mouth-long enough to breed and die. Another once in a lifetime thrill came on an isolated gravel road between highway 61 and St. Donatus, Iowa, north of Bellevue. I was on the old Shovelhead entirely minding my own business whistling a merry tune, watching every rock and rippled bump when out of the right ditch came a giant rack of antlers on the head of what I thought at first glance was the largest deer in the neighborhood. The buck halted there and I realized “It’s freakin ELK!” Fortunately we saw each other simultaneously and that big old Elk trotted alongside my motorcycle and our eyes met at about thirty miles an hour whereas I eased the throttle and he crossed in front of me and up the left ditch over a barbed wire fence and was gone. It was an escapee from a nearby game farm, and a chance encounter for me. All creatures great and small are a force to be reckoned with, so always try to be ready for what may cross our pathways. So whether you are riding solo, with your pals, or snacking with a recumbent buffalo… I wish you well on your long journey home. “Keep your hoses tight”
Another biker song by Denny Garcia Farmer Bought a Bagger E Farmer bought a bagger A Traded in his wife B7 Thought that motorcycle A E Would help improve his life E Little did he know A All the things it would entail B7 Big tits and britches A And x-rated e-mail E Verse When you add up parts and labor A And a maintenance routine B7 Plus all your fartin’ neighbors A E Who wonder where you been E You get a sum that makes a bum A The richest man on earth B7 Cuz Ridin Hogs and Jumpin’ Dogs A E Are really all its worth Chorus
A So when yer tearin’ down the road And yer nuts are comin’ loose B Please remember what I say A E Before you cook yer goose: E “A beginner needs a dinner” A “A novice likes a snack” B7 “An expert wants a full course meal” A “And old school is still lookin’ back” Verse E C Well his wife got too disgruntled A To be cryin’ at the bar B7 So she learned to be a welder A E And fabricated herself a sidecar E They kissed and made up Out on the road and A Everything was fine B7 She was staring far ahead A E He hugged the center line… Chorus
Peace and Love, Your friend, Driftwood Denny Garcia 52 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
“For all you Guitar Pickin’ Riders You can play it, ya can’t steal it.” DG
Repeat 1st Verse
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Cake or Bed? A rowdy biker is at home wrenching on his Panhead when his wife interrupts, Honey, could you fix the light in the hallway? It’s been flickering for weeks now. He looks at her and says angrily, Fix the lights now? Does it look like I have GE written on my forehead? I don’t think so. Fine, then the wife asks,Well then, could you fix the fridge door? It won’t close right. To which he replied, fix the fridge door? Does it look like I have Westinghouse written on my forehead? I don’t think so.
A bike biker is riding a new motorcycle on the hi highway. While passing a car, he knocks on the window. The driver of the car opens the window:‘Yes?’ Biker: ‘Ever driven a Honda motorcycle?’ Driver:‘No I haven’t’. The Biker drives on, until he sees the next car. While Passing it, he knocks on the window. The driver of the car opens the window:‘Yes?’ Biker:‘Ever driven a Honda motorcycle?’ Driver:‘No I haven’t’. Then suddenly there is a curve, the Biker sees it too late. He crashes off tthe road into a ditch. A car stops and a man runs to the unlucky Biker. Covered in blood and surely dying, the Biker Asks: ‘Ever driven a Honda motorcycle?’‘Yes I have. I had a Honda for 20 years’. The Biker says: “Tell me, where are the f’n brakes?’
Fine, she says. Then you could at least fix the steps to the front door? They are about to break. I’m not a carpenter and I don’t want to fix steps. He says, does it look like I have Ace hardware written on my forehead? I don’t think so! I’ve had enough of your ideas. I’m going A little old lady wanted to join a biker club. to the bar!!!! She knocked on the door of a local biker club and a big, hairy, bearded biker with tattoos all over his arms So he swings a leg over the Panhead, tears off to the bar answers the door. and drinks for a couple of hours. He starts to feel guilty She proclaims “I want to join your biker club.” about how he treated his wife, and decides to go home. The guy was amused and told her that she needed As he walks into the house he notices that the steps are to meet certain biker requirements before she was already fixed. As he enters the house, he sees the hall allowed to join. So the biker asks her “You have a bike?” light is working. As he goes to get a beer, he notices the The little old lady says “Yea, that’s my Harley over there” fridge door is fixed. and points to a Harley parked in the driveway. The biker asks her “Do you smoke?” Honey, he asks, how’d all this get fixed? She said, well, The little old lady says “Yea, I smoke. I smoke 4 packs when you left I sat outside and cried. Just then a nice of cigarettes a day and a couple of cigars while I’m young man asked me what was wrong, and I told him. shooting pool.” He offered to do all the repairs, and all I had to do was The biker is impressed and asks “Well, have you ever either go to bed with him or bake a cake. been picked up by the Fuzz?” He said, so what kind of cake did you bake? She replied, The little old lady says “No, never been picked up by the hellooooo..Do you see Betty Crocker written on my fuzz, but I’ve been swung around by my nipples a few forehead? I don’t think so! times.”
A drunk walks into a biker bar, and orders a drink. Looking around, he sees three men sitting at a corner table. He gets up, staggers to the table, leans over, looks the biggest, meanest, biker in the face and says: “I went by your grandma’s house today and I saw her in the hallway buck naked. Man, she is one fine looking woman!” The biker doesn’t say a word. His buddies are confused, because he is one bad biker and would fight at the drop of a hat. The drunk leans on the table again and says:“I got it on with your grandma and she is good, the best I ever had!” The biker’s buddies getting really mad but the biker still says nothing. The drunk leans on the table one more time and says, “I’ll tell you something else, boy, your grandma liked it!” At this point the biker stands up, takes the drunk by the shoulders looks him square in the eyes and says, “Grandpa, go home, you’re drunk!
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Motorcycle rider pulls into a diner in northern Iowa. Seats himself and asks the waitress for 2 headlights and 2 wheels. The waitress who had just worked all night wasn’t in a good mood said what are you talking about? The rider already tired, but happy to relax at the diner said” Just tell the cook he’ll know what I mean buy the expression 2 headlights and 2 wheels. By this time the waitress is pissed and yells back at the old cook,“I got this weird one out here who thinks you’ll know what he wants if he orders 2 headlights and 2 wheels”.Yeah I know what he wants,Yells the cook, He wants 2 eggs sunny side up and 2 pancakes. No problem.Well this just pisses off the waitress even more than before. SO, just as the breakfast is served to the rider, she walks up with a big plate of chili beans and slams them down on the table.“Here” she yells for all to hear,“ here’s you chili! But, the rider who didn’t order the chili answers back. What is this for? The waitress is ready for this yells back” I thought you would want to gas up before you took off”
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are the folks who really get it, the ones who today, are ready to put it all on the line for the benefit of others. As citizens I feel it is our duty to those who have given their lives in service to this country, to do our civic duty. Be informed voters, go to the school board and city hall meetings, and write our congressmen and senators, and even the president.
As I write this month’s article we are coming upon Independence Day; the day we Americans celebrate the bravery and determination of those great men who put their fortunes and lives at risk to establish a country where dissenting opinions are given value and even defended. In the world we live in today it seems to me that the government has forgotten that the government derives its power from the people, not the other way around. “…that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.” (Action of Second Constitutional Congress, July 4, 1776)
Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax: Everyone knows that the federal government sets minimum fleet miles per gallon requirements. Well surprise, surprise. Over the years this, coupled with runaway gas prices, has reduced the number of gallons of fuel being purchased. So now the lazy lawmakers who don’t want to do the work required to curb their spending are inventing a new tax. Under this proposed legislation a government issued GPS device could be used in individual vehicles to track vehicle miles traveled. Some proposals set this new tax at $0.05 a mile. Silly me, I thought that as Americans we were free to travel from place to place. Guess not for long. Where do they get the idea that driving is a fault that should be corrected by levying a new tax? Not to mention the whole invasion of privacy thing, after all, I haven’t forgotten about the NSA scandal. Have You? Right now this legislation is being considered in Maryland and California. I’ll bet that pretty close to there is where the red light and speed cameras came from.
On the Iowa state flag it says “Our liberties we prize, our rights we shall maintain.” From the start, it has been our Let’s make sure we are all right and duty to pay attention doing our part to make sure that we are holding up our end of to what is going on and get involved when things aren’t right. the deal. “…we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” (Declaration of Independence) Questions or comments: peter@riderpromotions.com Those who have served in our country’s military are owed our honor, our gratitude, our respect, and our help. These
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Seeing the Rally from a Different Angle The 30th Freedom Rally on the Fourth of July weekend this year was certainly memorable. At least what we can remember of it. As far as rallies go, it is the biggest and baddest party in Iowa, with so much to see and do that it almost makes your head spin. This year we were offered
a good zoom we could see things rather well. Thanks to the gals in the back 40 for the little extra peek of your goodies to us in the plane! Another noteworthy change to the rally grounds this year was seeing the new concrete slab in the car parking area that will be used for motorcycle safety courses and as an additional parking area during the rally. Getting a 160 X 260 slab thick enough to hold up to the abuse is no small task in time or funding. This is something that comes from support of ABATE and the rally, and the dollars are put right back into education. This alone shows the commitment to
keeping those on two wheels safe, and ABATE of Iowa is marching on to do just that. the opportunity to see the rally and the grounds from a different perspective. Steve Smith from Fareway in Algona, who is also an NRA Pistol Instructor, rider, all around nice guy, and a pilot, offered to take us up in his plane to check things out. We ran across Steve at the D7 Expo in April, and he made the offer and we were sure as hell going to take him up on it. We got things lined up to go just after noon on Friday the 4th. Melanie, Steve, and I went out to the airport to get into the 1964 Piper Cherokee and got to experience a cross wind take off with about 30 MPH winds. High temperatures, heavy winds, thermals, air pockets, and a little plane make for an interesting photo platform, but we got some cool shots. It was interesting to see the aerial view of the party and the incredible expanse of the rally grounds itself. Although we were a few feet above the ground, with
Rolling around the rally grounds and seeing people having fun is always a sight to see. It is interesting though how things have changed over the years. Back in the day in Humboldt and Rutland, the party was big and packed. People were almost on top of one another, well sometimes they were, but we won’t get into that in this publication. It was crowded on the old site, so the move to the Algona grounds was much needed. With the 130 acres of ground now, there is plenty of room for all the folks, and everything that they bring. Back in the day if you could not haul it on your bike, you did not need it. Now there are so many baggers, trailers, and support vehicles you can hardly find a simple bike, tent, and campfire only location. People bring pop up sun shades, swimming pools, slipn-slides, motorcycle campers, RVs
and full campers, and even a spot with a fully stocked bar! Grills, coolers, blow up dolls, Jello Shots, beads, and on and on are all things that people bring with to the rally to have a good time. It seems the days of simplicity are long gone, and the way of the rally now is to have a bigger, more elaborate camp with everything… including the kitchen sink. Not that these things are good, bad, or indifferent, but just an interesting observation about a changing of the times.
One thing that always shines through at the Freedom Rally is the rally goers’ ability to exercise their freedoms as they see fit. Rolling around in awe at seeing the interesting and sometimes creative attire or lack thereof is mind boggling. For the most part, people just look at the sights and keep to themselves about what they saw. This is what makes the biker world cool in my mind. Even if you see something that is “wrong”, people keep quiet about it and don’t try to be assholes to the others. The Freedom Rally becomes an exercise in doing whatever the hell you want. Ride, drive, walk, run, or get there however you want. Set up camp and just enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and everything the Freedom Rally has to offer. Roam around and see people at their creative best, having fun, and being bikers. See you there next year over the 4th of July weekend in Algona. Vernon
The rally offers all sorts
of things to see and do. Top name entertainment, vendors to sell just about anything you may want to buy, bike rodeo, beer garden, and many other organized games and events. On top of all of that, rolling around seeing the crowds’ ideas for entertainment is interesting to say the least. We have all sorts of body attire, things to ride, stuff to eat and drink, water cannons, pools, and even an interesting use of a Rukkus, a slip and slide, and a pool. People will do all sorts of things to keep themselves entertained on top of the scheduled events. This is yet another exercise of the freedom that comes along with the event bearing the Freedom Rally moniker.
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P.S. Thanks to all the ABATE folks that volunteer and help make the rally what it is. This event could not be possible without their hard work and dedication. If you are not a member, strongly consider it as these folks work toward education, biker’s rights, and keeping this party hopping every year.
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Tuesday
Thursday Continued
Desparado’s Wheatland Brooklyn’s Bar & Grill Ottumwa Lynch’s Bar Rockwell City Century Bar Alta Starr’s Two Wheel Tap Davenport Kitty’s Long Branch Saloon Atalissa The Outfield Richland Schneids Lowden Johnny’s Pub Lake Park
Ducky’s Lagoon Taylor Ridge IL Jesse’s Saloon Silvis IL Throttle Thursday Dillon Bros HD (1st Thurs) Omaha Clueless Bar & Grill Mason City OverTime Neighborhood Hub Sports & Pub Des Moines
Wednesday SOS Clubhouse Muscatine Slaby’s Plainview Wiebler’s HD (Alternating weeks) Davenport The Buck Snort Neola Greencastle Tavern Mingo Shenanigan’s Boone OP, Clear Lake Cadillac Jack’s Baxter Ride’s Bar & Grill Ft Dodge Shuey’s Shueyville Joe’s Nighthawk Waverly The Pour House Davenport Quaker Steak & Lube Council Bluffs Samz Sports Bar Muscatine 2nd Ave Bike Night (2nd Wednesday) Des Moines Joe’s Night Hawk Waverly Fro’s Wilton Dee’s Catfish Cove Davenport George and Dales East Dubuque The Edge Missouri Valley Overboard Des Moines Thursday Roar Into Harlan (3rd Thursdays) Harlan Ferg’s (Last Thursday) Grand Junction Krazee Kafe, Des Moines Chrome Horse Saloon/JP Cycles (2nd Thursdays) Screaming Eagle Bar & Grill Waterloo BJ’s Full Throttle Thursdays Waterloo The Wagon Wheel Washington Crossroads Tavern (every other) Kelley Crazy Coyote (3rd Thursday) Burlington 60 - TRMI AUGUST 2014
Friday Thunder Nites (2nd Friday) Newton May thru Sep Knoxville Bike Night (1st Friday) Knoxville Dubuque Harley-Davidson (Last Friday May-Aug) Zylstra Harley-Davidson Ames (4th Friday) Spanky’s Bar & Grill Emerson Bike Down to I-Town (3rd Friday) Indianola Woody’s Roadside Tavern Albion last Friday Biscuit’s Bar and Grill Buffalo Onion Grove Clarence Breezy Hills Wings & Wine-a-Ritas Minden Saturday Winterset Bike Night (3rd Saturday) Winterset Von Tuck’s/Dave’s Place Oelwein Taylor County Bike Night (July 26th) Gravity Gravy’s Bar and Grill Davenport Sunday Dolly’s Auburn The Edge Missouri Valley Haverhill Social Club (3rd Sunday) Haverhill Scooter Sunday 411 Main Griswold Team 36 Mitchellville Icky Nickel Sioux City Captains Quarters Bike Days Adel Avenue of the Saints (2nd Sundays) St Charles Cozy Café Des Moines (1st Sunday) 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. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list, please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
www.thunderroadsiowa.com
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Jul 25-27 CMA Iowa State Rally Des Moines Jul 26 Annual Zylstra Ride To Okoboji Ames Jul 26 Doc’s Roadhouse 13th Annual Benefit Poker Run Logan Jul 26 7th Brooke Barber Memorial Poker Run Mount Ayr Jul 26 Christmas in July Toys 4 Tots Ride Anamosa Jul 26 2nd Annual Onion Fest Clarence Jul 26 Lion’s Club Memorial Cruise Bike/Car Show Grand Junction Jul 26 Boot’s Fundraiser Poker Run Harlan Jul 27 Disabled American Veterans Ride Hog Stop Council Bluffs Jul 31-Aug 2 7th Annual Across the Border Raid Bedford Aug 2 2nd Annual Ride to Live 4 Gibbie Fun Run Boone Aug 2 Hogs 4 Paws Dubuque Aug 3 School Supply Ride Mason City Aug 4-10 South Dakota Party Aug 9 AtlanticFest Ride In Bike Show Atlantic Aug 9 Mighty Mississippi HOG MDA Hope Ride Dubuque Aug 9 4th Annual Josh Davis Memorial Poker Run Perry Aug 9 Too Broke for Sturgis Party at Zylstra Ames Aug 9 Poker Run for Emma Kiefer Gowrie Aug 9-10 ABATE D15 Too Broke to go to Sturgis Rodeo Donahue Aug 16 Backroads Biker Leather Shoppe Fall Classic Everly Aug 16 Roar Into Harlan Fun Run Harlan Aug 16 Lu Brown’s Hep C Ride Richland Aug 16 Bob Ezarski Memorial Run Hampton Aug 16 Iowa Make A Wish Ride Council Bluffs Aug 16 Deb’s Veterans Freedom Center Ride Dubuque Aug 16 Ladies Aux VFW Post 828 Poker Run Davenport Aug 16-17 33rd Annual Baxter Days Marne Aug 22-24 Party in the Pasture Softail Saloon Superior Aug 22-24 BTW 10th Annual Trike In Kellogg Aug 23 6th Annual Werner Cycle Works Bike/Car Show Omaha, NE Aug 23 AHeinz57’s 6th Ride Your Hawgs for Dogs Run Adel Aug 23 Vic’s Main Tap 6th Annual Fun Ride Audubon
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Aug 23 Old School Bike Show and Rodeo Muscatine Aug 23 B.A.C.A. Bike Bash Des Moines Aug 23 New Model Party Metro H-D Cedar Rapids Aug 23 Big Barn H-D Fall Open House Des Moines Aug 23 Challenge Run Dolly’s Auburn Aug 23 4th Annual Bill Vincent Memorial Ride Keota Aug 23 Poweshiek Animal League Shelter (PALS) Fun Run Grinnell Aug 23 Jami Jam III Milford Aug 23 Shake, Rattle, and Roll Motorcycle Ride Story City Aug 23 2nd Annual “Ride to Save a Life” Redfield Aug 23 VFW Poker Run Ottumwa Aug 24 Children’s Miracle Network Fun Run Ida Grove Aug 28-30 43rd Int’l Vintage Motorcycle Show & Swap Davenport Aug 30-31 Midway Tavern Soldier Valley Run BBQ, Street Dance Soldier Sep 5-7 Hogs4Dogs Benefit & Ride Ottumwa Sep 5-7 Davis Motorcycle rally New Hampton Sep 6 National Motorcycle Museum SideCar Rally,Anamosa Sep 6 Sidney’s Wish Poker Run Des Moines Sep 6 3rd Hope for Hayley ITP Benefit Ride Kelley Sep 6 Broken Spokes 2nd Annual Poker Run Davenport Sep 6 Ride 4 Tyler Dubuque Sep 6 2nd Annual Ladies Lovin Life Poker Run Creston Sep 11 911 Ride Mason City Sep 12-14 25th State Line End of Summer Rally Keosauqua Sep 13 7th Cancer Benefit “RIDE FOR THE TA TAS” Kirkman Sep 13 Celebrate Freedom Run Catfish Charlies Dubuque Sep 13 Monona CO Veterans Museum Benefit Ride Onawa Sep 14 Hill Climb and Swap Meet Anamosa Sep 19-21 Rumble in the Stalks Conesville Sep 20 Fall Open House Wieblers H-D Davenport Sep 20 Cedar County Heroes Memorial Ride Tipton Sep 20 20th Annual Zylstra Hog Roast Ames Sep 20 Greg Auburt Foundation Poker Run Adel
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Sep 21 Concours de Cornfield Antique Motorcycle Show Earlham Sep 24-27 Bikes Blues & BBQ Fayetteville, AR Sep 27 Carroll Cycle Center Open House Carroll Sep 27 Chosen Few MC End of the Year Party Cedar Rapids Sep 27-28 RJ Performance Fun Day Eddyville Raceway Park Sep 28 Fall Balltown Ride Wieblers H-D Davenport Sep 29 Big Barn H-D 7th Annual Summer Ride ends Des Moines Oct 2-5 Hog Rock’Toberfest Cave in the Rock IL Oct 4 2nd Annual Savanna’s Ride Dubuque Oct 4 Tailgate Party Wieblers H-D Davenport Oct 4 2nd Breast and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Ride Cedar Rapids Oct 4 Toys for Tots Mason City Oct 4 Ride for Freedom Wheatland Oct 5 Big Dog Wine Run with Dogs on Skis Tama Oct 5 30th Annual Toy Run w/USMC Reserves Davenport Oct 5 ABATE D19 Toy Run Denison Oct 5 Carroll Cycle Center Toy Run Carroll Oct 11 Knickers Annual Leaf Run Dubuque Oct 12 ABATE D4 31st Toy Run Des Moines Oct 16-19 Biketoberfest Daytona, FL Oct 19 Eagles Toy Run Atlantic Oct 31 Halloween Party Metro H-D Cedar Rapids Nov 7-9 ABATE of IOWA STEAM/BOD Mt. Marshalltown Nov 21 Carroll Cycle Center Ladies Night Out Carroll Nov 28 Turkey Run Clinton Nov 28 Carroll Cycle Center Guys Night Out Carroll Nov 28 Black Friday Metro H-D Cedar Rapids Dec 13 Carroll Cycle Center pictures with Santa Carroll Dec 13 Santa Metro H-D Cedar Rapids
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 Date/Name of Event/Location to vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook
www.thunderroadsiowa.com
TRMI AUGUST 2014 - 63
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