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One day closer to spring, is exactly what I tell myself every morning when I get up. It has not been that long since I have been on two wheels, but it also seems like it has been forever. I have always found it strange that the summer seems to fly by, but the winter drags on and on. Not a thing in the world we can do about it, so just hold on tight to memories from years past, and look forward to the upcoming bike shows and swap meets. As of print time, there are a couple of events yet in January that are good to hit. January 31st in Des Moines, is the 36th Annual Wild Wade’s High Performance Swap Meet. Wade puts on a good show with a variety of car, bike, ATV, and all sorts of collectables and hard to find parts. Also on January 31st in Rock Island, IL, is the Parts Girl Promotions Swap meet hosted by Joe and Kim. As far as swap meets go, these folks put on about the best around for finding parts for new and old. More parts, less other stuff, well worth the time to check out. Joe does another show in Cedar Rapids on March 6th. Another show in the month of love is the Capital City Bike Show and Swap Meet on February 13th-14th. Tator’s long standing show will be back again, so you can stop down, get a new magazine, register for a Tall Corn Run card, and just check out the sights.
the website at thunderroadsiowa.com, and the Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa Facebook page. Something else new and exciting happens this spring; the 18th – 20th of March in Omaha at the CenturyLink Center, the 61st Annual World of Wheels Motorcycle Show will be held in conjunction with the World of Wheels Auto Show. The show this year is sponsored by Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa, and we are accepting applications for the Bike Show now until the day of the show. For more information, email Vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com or call 712-249-5630. The registration fee is $50 for the weekend and that includes a couple of weekend passes. ISCA and CASI will be responsible for classifying and judging all bikes in competition and awarding the prizes. If you think your bike has what it takes, let us know!
February is the month of love! I suppose they intended this to mean loving another person; a spouse, a significant other, someone that you have a romantic interest in, well I say it does not have to be a person that you love. You can love your bike, love your biker life, and love your biker brothers and sisters. We put a little deal in the magazine with some of the reader comments, just to share a little bit of the love of the biker life that we all enjoy so much. Happy The planning for the Tall Corn Run is going full bore with Valentine’s Day! Share the love with the ones you love, many more Check In Sites being added weekly. The official other half, other bike, whatever it may be. start of the run is April 1st, but the program has created quite the buzz. As of now, you can register and get your Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa is put into your hands cards at Okoboji Harley-Davidson in Okoboji, Ernie’s thanks to the sponsors of the magazine. The people that Harley-Davidson in Algona, Big Barn Harley-Davidson in make this thing go around every month are some special Des Moines, Metro Harley-Davidson-Can Am-Suzuki in folks and we greatly appreciate the support. If you see a Cedar Rapids, and Wieblers Harley-Davidson in Davenport. business on our pages, stop in to see them and let them Inside the magazine is a map page of these locations, and know that TRMI sent you! Thanks to all of the sponsors, it more will be added before the run starts. We have some is greatly appreciated, and we wish you all well. great prizes that will be given away every month, and even more big prizes to be given away at the end of season party Vernon and Melanie Schwarte TRMI at Okoboji Harley-Davidson on October 15th. You may want to pencil that date in your calendar if you can make Quote of the Month: “If you have only one smile in you it to Okoboji. More information will be coming, so keep give it to the people you love.” Maya Angelou your eyes peeled on Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa,
On the Cover
For the Valentine’s cover, my lovely wife and partner Melanie adorns one of Joe Chance’s motorcycles, his prized 1948 Panhead. February 22nd is her big 40th Birthday, so wish her a Happy Birthday if you see her! Joe is the master painter at Creative Concepts in Harlan, and has a bad ass man cave as you can see. Joe will be slinging the paint for one of the TCR prizes to be given away in October. Watch for more details on the Tall Corn Run! Happy VD! 4 - TRMI FEBRUARY 2016
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CMA Notes
This was one of those “places to go, things to do” weekends, so Saturday morning found us in the Cedar Rapids area, watching with envy as bike after bike roared by on the highways. Everyone was bundled up like they were running the Iditarod, but they were RIDING! December in Iowa, with the temperature about 50 degrees around noon, a slight breeze from the south, and full sun. What an unexpected beauty of a day! Unfortunately, we were in the car instead of on the bikes. Even though I was pretty sure there was no opportunity for a ride in my near future, I still found myself running down a mental list of things that would have to be done before we could ride: Did Mark get the pad put back on my seat after he installed the back rest? Since he had been so busy during bow season, had he even grabbed a moment to plug the bikes into the trickle charger? Knowing how we’d been caught off guard by the beautiful day I only hoped the riders that were out had at least taken the time to check the air pressure in their tires before taking off – not exactly a full “T-CLOCK” check, but better than nothing.
done. Then, the religious leaders came along and added more stuff to the lists till the people were absolutely overwhelmed with rules. So it’s not surprising that Mark 12:28 records this question being asked of Jesus: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” It’s obvious that Jesus was fully aware that none of us quite get our dirty socks to the hamper because here’s how he distills books full of commandments down to something we can all remember: “The most important commandment is this: . .’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Of course, the Bible does give more detail on how those play out in daily life such as when Jesus tells how to show your love for God: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” And how to show love for your neighbor: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” So for a bit of self-inspection, just remember that all the big things of life are divided into these two categories: “Love God” and “Love your neighbor”. If what you’re thinking or doing doesn’t fit under one of these headings, there’s going to be a problem. Get with God to make it right and you’ll avoid some major wrecks in life. Blessings to you – Karla
Mark and Karla Cornick are Area Reps with the Christian Most of us have heard about the major points on the Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and T-CLOCK checklist (Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org . Kickstand) that we’re supposed to inspect on our bikes before we ride. But have you ever wondered about where that came from? It started out with a group of guys who had seen some unbelievable bike wrecks caused by issues that would have been avoidable if they had been discovered prior to the ride. They decided that if the bikers knew the most important areas to inspect, it would cut back on accidents, so they made a list on a whiteboard of the top accident causes so the bikers could memorize them : “low air pressure, worn tread, object embedded in tire tread, broken hose, throttle sticking, loose cables” etc. Then one of their wives came in and saw the list. “We can’t even get you guys to remember to throw your dirty socks in the hamper, so what makes you think anyone will remember this?” The guys waited till the trouble-maker left before reluctantly admitting she was right. Then, one of them noticed that the first 3 items fell under Tire issues; then next 3 items under Controls issues; and so on. That prompted the reorganization of the list into categories under the easy-to-remember acronym T-CLOCK. Or at least, that’s how I heard the whole T-CLOCK thing came about. Believe it or not, we were in the same information-overload position spiritually speaking until Jesus came along. Because the Lord God cared about the well-being of his people, he had provided lists of what SHOULD be done, what should NOT be done, and what should be done if you had already done the thing that should NOT be 6 - TRMI FEBRUARY 2016
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The Biker Friendly Business Directory is a list of establishments throughout Iowa that sponsor the magazine. You can pick up your copy here every month. Let them know that you saw them in TRMI. If your business would like to advertise in Thunder Roads Iowa Biker Friendly Business Listing and become a part of the network, please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa. com
Biker Accessories 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
Churches Rebels In His Hands 600 16th Avenue Council Bluffs, Iowa Mark and Lora Schiller Pastors 712-329-9901
Dealers Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com
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Big Barn Harley-Davidson 81 NW 49th Place Des Moines, Iowa 50313 515-265-4444 www.bigbarnhd.net
Metro Harley-Davidson 2415 Westdale Drive SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 319-362-9496 www.metro-motorsports.com
Wiebler’s Harley-Davidson 5320 Corporate Park Drive D Davenport, IA 52807 563-355-6437 www.wieblers.com
Brenny’s Motorcycle Clinic 4426 State Street Bettendorf, IA 52722 (563)359-7222 www.BRENNYS.com
Nishna Valley Cycle HONDA – YAMAHA – KTM Atlantic, Iowa 50022 1-888-577-6406 www.nishnavalleycycle.com
Zylstra Harley-Davidson 1930 E 13th Street Ames, Iowa 50010 515-232-6223 zylstrahd.com
Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa 712-792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com
Okoboji Harley-Davidson 1005 Eastview Avenue Okoboji IA, 51355 712-332-7700 ww www.erniesharley.com
Entertainment
Ernie’s Harley-Davidson 2613 Hwy 18 East Algona, IA 50511 515-295-7951 www.erniesharley.com
R/J Performance HWY 63 North Ot Ottumwa, Iowa 52501 641.684.8400 www.rjperformance.com
Fenders Cycle and Motorsport 1109 E Army Post Road Des Moines, Iowa 50315 515-256-9062 www.fenderscycle.com
Route 65 Harley-Davidson 1300 S Jefferson Way Indianola, Iowa 50125 515.962.2160 www.route65hd.net
Fenders Honda 100 South 16th Street Ames, Iowa 50010 info@fendershonda.com 515-233-4727
Uptown Motors Sales, Inc 310 Cleveland St Muscatine, IA 52761 563-263-2944 www.uptownmotorsales.com
Loess Hills Harley-Davidson 57408 190th Street Pacific Junction IA 51561 712-622-4000 loesshillshd.com
Werner Cycle Works 14410 Frontier Road Exit 440 I-80 Omaha, NE 68138 402-894-3050 www.wernercycleworks.com
McGrath Dubuque Harley-Davidson 145 N Crescent Rdg Dubuque, IA 52003 563-557-3735 www.dubuqueharley-davidson.com
Whipp Sales and Service, Inc 701 S 8th Street Clarinda, Iowa 51632 1.800.477.0195 www.whippsalesandserv.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 Celebrations DJ & Karaoke Services Newton, IA 641-521-8036 Any Occasion /Rally or Event EmCee Facebook/Ray Johansen(Celebrations) Specializing in Weddings & Receptions National Motorcycle Museum 102 Chamber Drive Anamosa, Iowa 52205 319-462-3925 Nationalmcmuseum.org Okoboji Classic Cars Museum and Restoration Shop 810 Jeppeson Road West Okoboji, Iowa 51351 712-332-802
Food and Drink Amigo’s 280 North 1st Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 515-576-0142 Amigosfortdodge.com
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Barney’s 203 S Mill Street Wadena, Iowa 52169 563-774-2525 Barney’s Wadena on Facebook
Durango Depot 736 Burtons Furnace Road Open 3 to close Best Scenic Road With the Best Food! 563-552-2291
Baxa’s Sutliff Store & Tavern 5546 130th Street NE Lisbon 319-624-2204 Cold Beer, Delicious Food, Good Music & Great Times!
Fro’s Pub ‘N Grub 309 Cedar St, Wilton 563-732-3977 Fro’s Pub n Grub on Facebook A Surprise Around Every Corner
Beach Pub Along Highway 22, Buffalo,IA Open Daily 10am-2am Join Us Weekly For HomeCooked Sunday Breakfast
Goozman’s Westside Bar & Grill Harlan, Iowa 712-755-2259 Goozman’s Westside on Facebook
Bikerz 313 Main Ave. ClearLake, IA 50428 641-440-4255 Noon-2am 7 days a week
Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, Iowa 50120 641-475-3321 Mon-Sat 10-2, Sun 12-12
Montgomery Street Pub 207 East Montgomery Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-2165 Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015 Pearl Street Social Club 110 Pearl Street SW Shellsburg, Iowa 52332 319-436-7100 Find Us On Facebook!
Bootleggers of Millville Hawkeye Bar & Grill Awesome Stop, Great Staff, Fantastic Food 110 North 4th Street Tops in Scenic River Rides Mapleton, IA 51034 Check us on Facebook 712-882-1226 563-252-7775 Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m. ~ Sun 12:00 p.m. Buck Snort 113 4th Street Neola, Iowa 51559 712-485-9090 The Buck Snort on Facebook C&L Sandbar 103 North Noyes Street Mondamin, IA 51557 712-646-2300 or 712-216-0975 Hours Daily 11-close Catfish Charlie’s On the Mississippi River 1630 E. 16th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 (563)582-8600 www.CatfishCharliesDubuque.com Cindi Mae’s 101 Main Street Earling, Iowa 51530 712-747-6262 Cindi Mae’s on Facebook Cruisers Lounge 411 Main Griswold 712-778-4111 Mon-Thurs 3PM-Midnight Fri-Sat 3PM-2AM Sunday 11AMMidnight Desperados 105 E 5th Street Atlantic 712-243-7087 Home of Cold Beer, Good Times, Pizza & Wings Dolly’s Bar & Grill 109 N. Pine Street Auburn, Iowa 51433 712-688-2220
Iron Saddle Saloon 39 S Main Street Dayton, Iowa 50530 515-547-3311 J.R. Willie’s Gateway to the Beautiful Hill Country Colesburg, IA 563-856-5095 Open Daily Mon-Sun 11AM Home of the Willie Whopper Just 1 More 515-570-4206 403 3rd Ave Under the Water Tower Jamaica, Iowa Knickers Saloon 2186 Central Avenue Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563-557-0887 365 Days a Year Knickers Saloon on Facebook
Sparetime Bar & Grill 136 West Main Street Ute, Iowa 61060 712-885-2226 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-
Stumpy’s Bar & Grill 423 Main Street Duncombe, Iowa 50532 515-543-4222 Stumpy’s Bar & Grill on Facebook
Pizza Ranch DENISON 510 HWY 39 North Denison, Iowa 712-393-3333 Check Us Out on Facebook Open 7 Days a Week
Suds –N- Jugs Bar & Grill 807 Iowa Avenue Onawa, Iowa 51040 712-433-4880 Nightly Food Specials
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
Knuckleheads Anamosa, IA 319-462-2724 Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill Like on FB Knuckleheads Pub & 228 East 4th Street Grub Waterloo, Iowa 50703 Open M-F 11-2, S-S 10-2 319-235-8865 The Knucklehead Burger “Git IT IN YA” www.partyattheeagle.com Lampe’s Pub 608 Iowa Avenue Dunlap, Iowa 51529 712-643-5781 Open 7 days a week at 11 AM
Scooters on Broadway 475 NE Broadway Des Moines, Iowa 515-288-1053 scootersonbroadway@hotmail.com
Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com
Shenanigans Pub-Dubuque 3203 Jackson Street Dubuque, Iowa 563-513-4001 Open 364 - 3 pm - 2 am
Minden Bowl Café & Lounge 209 Broadway Street Minden, Iowa 51553 712-483-2937 Minden Bowl on Facebook
Sidetracked 206 West Union Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-8534
Come for the Food, Stay for the Scenery
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Slaby’s Bar & Grill Plainview, Iowa 563-843-3443 Home of the Famous Jumbo Grilled Pork Tenderloin
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The Back Forty 317 Main St. Macedonia, Iowa 51549 712-486-2687 facebook.com/thebackforty The Edge 3157 Joliet Avenue Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-2229 The Edge on Facebook 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 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 Thirsty’s on 3rd 2202 W 3rd, Davenport (563)424-1123 Follow Us on Facebook Daily Thirst Quenching Deals Timerz Pub & Eatery 324 E 7th Street Logan, Iowa 51546 Timerz Pub & Eatery on FB Food & Fun Available 7 Days/Week
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T.J.’s Pourhouse 100 E. Washington Street Exira, Iowa 50076 712-268-2353 Open M-SAT.@11, SUN.@ NOON
SR Gunsmithing AGI Certified Gunsmith Scott Rule Council Bluffs, IA 402-850-5787 scottrule@q.com
Hoker Trucking NOW HIRING Dixon, Iowa Hokertucking.com 563-843-2763
Main Street Bikes and Trikes 522 Main Street Granville, Iowa 51022 712.727.3515 www.shopmsbt.com
Tobey Jacks Mineola Steak House Mineola, Iowa 712-526-2078 Open 7 Days a Week Check Us Out on Facebook
I ns ura n ce
Irwin Locker & Catering 502 Ann Street Irwin, Iowa 51446 712-782-3215 irwinlocker@gmail.com
Motorcycle Medic 3176 Highway 30 Woodbine, Iowa 51579 712-647-2818 Open Tues-Sat Noon-6PM
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 Vista Pub 7205 Vista Drive West Des Moines, Iowa 515-528-2186 Vista Pub on Facebook Whitetails Bar & Grill 101 N. Main St. Marble Rock IA,50653 641-397-9900 Mon.- Sat. 7am breakfast -2am Close www.whitetailsbarandgrill.com Wilson’s Tap and Recreation 1008 Story Street Boone, Iowa 50036/ 515-433-1395 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 Locked and Loaded Outfitters 612 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-235-4867 www.LockedandLoadedOutfitters.com McCunn Specialty Firearms 74980 Richland Road Massena, Iowa 50853 www.mccunnguns.com 712-779-GUNS 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
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Matt McCall Insurance Agency State Farm Insurance 102 East South St, Tipton 563-886-6120 www.mattmccall.net
Peebles Plumbing & Heating Luxaire & Mitsu 613 Main Street Griswold, Iowa 51535 712-778-2417
Oakland Insurance Agency Motorcycle, Home, AUTO, Commercial, Life, Health Specializing in Teen Drivers Shane Baker 712-310-7475 shane@oaklandins.com
Sandbothe Firestone 1106 Main Street Griswold, Iowa 51535 712-778-2223 Sandbothe Firestone on Facebook
Legal
Southwest Iowa Sandblasting Mike Magers 65162 Oxford Rd Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-249-3995
Hupy and Abraham sc, pc Lawyers for Bikers 800.800.5678 Hupy.com
Shops & Fabricators
IowaBikerLawyers.com Leehey Olson Law, PC Riding & Defending Your Rights for Over 30 Years 877-209-9452
Bent Wrench Cycles 911 7th Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-235-2453 Bent Wrench Cycles on Facebook
Photo and Art
Butterfield’s M.C. Parts 8025 Blondo Street Omaha, NE 68134 402-391-3768
Ullrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com
Chuck’s Cycle Service and Repair S&S and Drag Specialties Dealer 714 East 7th Street Washington, Iowa52353 319-461-5278
Services A+ Affordable Heat, Air, Refrigeration & Geo Thermal 22274 Old Lincoln Hwy Crescent, Iowa 51526 712-329-9901 BCS Computers 100 Industrial Road Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-747-3344 www.brubakercomputer.com
Creative Concepts Collision 422 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712.755.2231 Dead Heads Engineering, Fab, Repairs & Sales 426 Railway Street Gillett Grove, Iowa 51341 deadheadsmceng@gmail.com 712-835-3353
CJ Now Plumbing Sewer & Water Specialists 309-786-2002 Serving the Quad Cities Area On Call 24-7
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F & J Racing 701 N 3rd Ave Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 641-752-8651 www.fandjracing.com
Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab 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 SS Collision, CycleWorks & Graphics 2902 11th Ave SW Spencer, Iowa 51301 712-262-3959 www.sscollision.com Steffens Cycle Shop LLC 1311 E 7th Street Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-243-3076M-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 Skin Mechanix INKorpar8ted 117 No. 16th Street Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712 256-2847 Check Us Out on Facebook
To buy ad space for your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5630 or email vernon@ thunderroadsiowa.com
REGISTRATION/CHECK-IN SITE FOR THE TALL CORN RUN
HetzStudio.com (563)263-2803 Muscatine, IA Full Custom Paint, Pinstriping & Airbrush
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99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, drive on around, 31 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 we will revisit each county as a featured article. We 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. Montgomery County Montgomery County is located in southwestern Iowa. The population is approximately 10,700 but has declined since its peak in 1900, due in part to urbanization and decline of family farms. The county seat is Red Oak, and it was founded in 1851. Montgmery County was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while trying to capture Quebec City, Canada.
reaching Grant we noticed Pilot Grove Park and Camping on the north side of H-14. A nice campground and park for families if you enjoy primitive camping…gives you the opportunity to experience the outdoors, while not having to travel too far from modern conveniences. A short jaunt later and we had arrived in Grant. Grant is another Iowa diamond in the rough, with a little place called The Hayloft on Hwy 71 that you just have to see for yourself. We ordered a couple of sandwiches to go and enjoyed ourselves while we waited. This place is amazing…it’s like walking into a museum of rural history. We wandered around looking at everything and lost track of time…so long in fact that the lovely lady who prepared our food came back to let us know it was waiting at the counter. If you are ever around Grant, stop by the Hayloft and get yourself a bite to eat, or a cold beer, and spend some time checking out the décor.
We continued down 71 heading towards We started our tour of Montgomery on a cold January our next morning…fueled up on coffee and ready to find some stop, when cool places for bikers to visit. Our first stop took us we just to Elliott. Cruising down the main street, we noticed had to pull that much like other rural Iowa towns, Elliott is quiet over. Right and small. We noticed the Coe Creek Café was open, along the and seemed to be the place to be if you were looking highway for vittles. Patrons say that the staff is courteous and north of attentive, and the food is awesome. Whether you prefer Tenville diner style fare, or a slice of juicy prime rib, you’re we spotted sure to find something to satisfy. One notable aspect a bald of Elliott is eagle. that while the We soon realized there was in fact a pair of eagles as town is quite they flew together over the creeks searching for some small, they grub of their own. We continued on and arrived at our actually have next destination, Villisca. If you hit Villisca and are 2 exits off of in need of sustenance, stop by TJ’s café. If you’re like Hwy 48. many Iowans, you enjoy a good tenderloin, and TJ’s was voted having one of the best in our great state by “Our After Iowa” magazine. By far, the greatest attraction offered checking out by Villisca is Elliott, we shrouded by headed down a tragedy that H-14 towards occurred on Grant. This June 10, 1912. is a nice road Sightseers for riding… and smooth and paranormal lets you investigators experience alike flock some of the to the small gentle curves house on and rolling 2nd Street hills that whether to Iowa has to search for offer. Before evidence of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook www.thunderroadsiowa.com 16 - TRMI FEBRUARY 2016
ha haunting, or to satisfy their cu curiosity surrounding the unsolved murders. The home was owned by J.B. and Sarah Moore, who along with their four children and two overnight guests were v violently murdered by an unknown assailant(s). Two adults and six children were found dead that morning, at the hands of an ax wielding butcher. Tours and overnight stays are available by contacting Martha Linn at 712-621-1530. Leaving Villisca we took H-46 west and found it to be a great road for riding. We headed off towards Stanton and shook off the creepy crawlies left behind from the Ax Murder house.
state and it’s not uncommon to see an abundance of wildlife roaming the park. Many of the park’s hills and valleys were once campsites of Native American tribes and artifacts were uncovered when the dam was being constructed. There is a lakeside restaurant and concession stand as well as boat rental, bait and tackle, and firewood available on site. The lake is 137 acres and 44 feet at its deepest point, many hiking trails, swimming, and picnic sites as well. The park is a great place for family in southwest Iowa.
We found Stanton to be a small town with a lot of community pride. A Swedish community, they have a great Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center. The cultural center is housed in the old school, which is actually the oldest public building in Montgomery County still in use. Stanton is also home to the world’s largest Swedish coffee pot and coffee cup…something I have never seen before. We met some friendly residents and chatted a while about bikes and rat rods, as well as what goes on in the sleepy little town. There is a local bar on the main drag that has been owned by the same woman for forty years, so if you need libations, stop by Virginia’s. The place for vittles in Stanton is also on the main street. The Cast Iron Cafe boasts a lot of homemade grub and a pie case to die for, not to mention some damn friendly folks behind the counter who share the love of riding. Deciding that we had spent far too much of our day bullshitting, we headed east towards our next stop. Viking Lake State Park is one of the most popular state parks in southwest Iowa due to its accessibility and variety of recreational opportunities. A large portion of the 1,000-acre park has been left in its natural
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From the park, we headed to Red Oak. Red Oak became the county seat in 1865, and the community was officially founded in 1869 when the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad arrived. Red Oak is the smallest town in Iowa history to have a streetcar system, and also has ties to the Underground Railroad. Red Oak is a prime example of a community proud of its history. Downtown renovations, the impressive court house, and the Heritage Hill Tour are examples of this. If you like old houses, you need to take time to do this driving tour. Some of the architecture is simply amazing… proof of the booming industry that occurred in Red Oak with the arrival of the railroad. There is a new “farm to table” restaurant downtown that you need to try…”Sauced”. They serve up some good grub. If you are looking to quench your thirst, stop by the Red Oak Tap. Connie and Rod are some of the friendliest folks you can find, and they run some great beer specials that you won’t want to miss. Find details on the Tap in our biker friendly listing, and tell them TRMI sent you! Our tour of Montgomery County was a lot of fun, but as you know, there are more counties in this great state that we have yet to delve into. Next month Pinky will nose around Muscatine County and let you know what’s shakin in her neck of the woods. Melanie J Schwarte Melanie@ thunderroadsiowa.com Sources available upon request.
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Nancy Larson 2015 Harley-Davidson TriGlide Glenwood
Ashley Olsen 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R Cedar Rapids
We want you on our pages! If you are an Iowa Girl of Thunder, send us a quality image, your name, year and model of bike, and where you are from to: vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com Vanessa Odens 2004 Harley-Davidson 883 Sibley 18 - TRMI FEBRUARY 2016
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HistoryBackofto theMotorcycles Future... At th l d reached h d a point i t iin our the close off th the 90’ 90’s we hhad journey where Harley Davidson was still coming on strong, Japanese bikes were twisting the throttle and climbing the ranks, and Indian was creeping back onto the scene with some solid bikes. The 2000’s wouldn’t slow manufacturers down either. Harley Davidson brings the fuel injected V-Rod to the table in 2002. The V-Rod also combined overhead cams and liquid cooling and delivered an ass kicking 115 horsepower. The Sportster line of bikes received updates to its seating positions, frames, and engine mountings, as well as the addition of the XL Forty-Eight in 2010. The touring editions at Harley also had some work done; improving transmissions and creating a new frame that provided a longer wheelbase to improve seating position and maneuverability. 2006 brought us the all-new FLHX/I Street Glide to the touring family as well. The biggest change for Harley this decade was quite possibly the addition of the 2009 FLHTCUTG Tri Glide Ultra Classic. Harley’s first threewheeler for public purchase. Harley Davidson wasn’t the only company hard at it during this time. After purchasing Indian Motorcycle Company from a London based private equity firm (Stellican), Polaris Industries Inc. took over production and relocated from Kings Mountain, N.C. to our very own Spirit Lake, Iowa. While a modest number of Indian Chiefs had been produced in North Carolina, the resources of Polaris and the move to Iowa proved to be stellar for Indian. Indian not only began production again, but they introduced the powerful new Thunder Stroke 111 V –Twin in 2013 at Daytona Bike Week. In 2014 Indian unveiled the Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage, and Indian Chieftain all equipped with the powerful Thunder Stroke engine as well. The Indian Roadmaster would soon follow, and then the Indian Scout, and the Chief Dark Horse. Indian came back with a vengeance…and with the mind-blowing power behind these new bikes that has even the most expeditious riders shaking their heads.
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h i along, l f ti th bj t off our affection ff ti att chugging perfecting the objects every turn…and we all thank you for that, but what do these guys have up their sleeves for us in the future? Over the years concept bikes have emerged that look to the consumer to be straight out of the mind of H.G. Wells. But what ever happened to these bikes? Well, just as in the early years, development stages didn’t always progress past the prototype stage. Many of these concepts proved to be nothing more than cool ideas… ideas that appear feasible on paper, but lack the ability to actually function on the road. Despite this fact, some of them are still worth a look. The Nuclear Fusion Motorbike 2050 is a concept designed by Romain Herment. This concept bike uses nuclear energy as a power source. Herment calls it the Motorbike 2050 Version 2…..makes me wonder what kind of explosion Version 1 ended in. This futuristic bike uses two inexhaustible natural elements (deuterium and tritium) to allow for a sustainable ride should dark days come to the fuel industries.
The Lamborbiker is a tribute to Nicolas Tesla and Ferrucio Lamborghini. This bike takes its name from invention and design…and with good reason. The Lamborbiker has hubless wheels and smooth clean lines, but is far from the prototype stage, as all design has been done via computer, and even the engine design has only gone as far as 3-D imaging thanks to specialized software.
The Fallout is a concept bike that was conceived as a tribute So the to the classic chopper. The Fallout, sports a single sided industry just keeps swing arm that meshes with the Bimota sourced frame in Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook www.thunderroadsiowa.com
order to create a completely unique “HubCentered” steering motorcycle. It has short bobber style handle bars, chopped exhaust, and a long tank to bring out chopper aesthetics that bikers know and love. Combined with a bit of futuristic body styling, this becomes old school biker meets hover craft. With all of these potential avenues for the motorcycle industry to take, how do we even know what is feasible, and what is imagination running rampant onto paper? Well we know this for sure…times are definitely changing, and those changes affect us all in one way or another. The most likely adaptation the motorcycle community will see in the near future is hybrid bikes. The concept of an electric bike may not be your cup of tea (or bottle of beer as it may be), but it is none the less, part of our future. As we look at hybrids today, many of the electric cars actually get better gas mileage than your two-wheeler. Pretty crazy to imagine, but true. There are positives and negatives to the idea of hybridization of motorcycles. The internal combustion engine has been around for more than 100 years, and we have done pretty much everything to perfect its original design. Bringing up the old adage, “If it ain’t broke…” Also, oil companies really don’t want everyone plugging in versus filling up…big oil doesn’t know how to be poor, nor do they want to be! Also, your bike makes noise…. good noise…noise that makes the cage drivers pay attention when you’re out on the road. Hybrids are clean, therefore good for our planet that we are slowly destroying. Electric engines have total linear power availability…electric bikes can go from 0-100 mph in one gear if you want to. The choice will soon be yours to make. From the infancy of the motorcycle to the possibilities of what the future may hold for our two-wheeled friends; the motorcycle has come a long way. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they were designed, such as long distance travel, navigating urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off road conditions. No longer must riders endure back breaking rides that can heat the nether regions upwards of 300 degrees. Not to mention, we can travel hundreds of miles before succumbing to the magnetism of a gas station. Today motorcycles are the most common type of motor vehicle in the world…200 million motorcycles (33 bikes per 1,000 people) to be exact. Not bad for the idea that stemmed from Roper’s twisted imagination and a shitty bicycle so many years ago. Bikes today are affordable, trustworthy, comfortable, and above all still the coolest thing since sliced bread. Melanie J Schwarte Melanie@thunderroadsiowa.com Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook
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From: November 1946 Harley Enthusiast Magazine
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Metro in Cedar Rapids is the registraion site for the Tall Corn Run for that metro area. Stop in and register for your card and tell Mandy, Kylie, and Jessica hello from Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. The gals are posing with the Metro Motor Madness Raffle Bike. This customized Street Glide will be given away later this year with proceeds going to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. The red powder coating really sets off the pearl white paint, and even includes the UIHC logo on the horn cover.
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sets off the pearl white paint, and even includes the UIHC logo on the horn cover.
February is a welcome site on the calendar. As it blows its way into Iowa it will be bringing with it the Capital City Swap Meet. It’s a Valentine’s Day weekend dream come true for bikers, an entire weekend devoted to doing what we truly love, sniffing leather, digging through greasy parts and back slapping buddies. With plenty of opportunities to buy love trinkets that do not wilt or create fat asses.
And let’s not forget the Knucklehead that is leading the pack through the campaign mud hole. On a positive note the Knucklehead currently holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon and believes in and has practiced traditional marriage, repeatedly. The Knucklehead brags that on day 1 of his presidency “the illegal immigrants will be getting out of this country and getting out fast”. With no clear definition of how, I envision he will be chasing them toward the Needless to say, as the swap meet throttles down on us, border by launching golf clubs at them from his private I am regretting my decision to rebuild my brain instead helicopter. of the bike during the winter off season. I am sick of the political rhetoric this great country calls an Election. If Then there is the wall that the Knucklehead plans this was a Rally Event it would be called a shit slinging to build. I’m sure it will turn out to be a skyline of contest. skyscrapers and fancy motels. Mexico is paying for it so I hope they put his name on it. Since everything So that my warped brain fully understands who is gets lost in translation so I’m expecting it to read “The who in the race to the White House, I have given what Dick”. The Knucklehead has been quoted with saying the American polls determined to be the top four “I will be so busy working my butt off in the White contenders in the race nicknames. These nicknames House; I will not have time to maintain my current are not supported by or intended to humiliate any hairdo.” Since he has spent millions on advertising in specific motorcycle maker. I am a biker so nicknames order to talk out of his ass this could get interesting. You come naturally and because of the legacy these names should know that I have dreams about Knuckleheads. have built they are easy to remember. My first dream is to someday own a garage full of them. My second dream is to curl up my knuckles and So we will start off with the candidate that I refer to as shove them squarely into the head of this beauty queen the Pan Head. This candidate openly opposes same blooper before he ever reaches the White House. I’m sex marriage then later decides that those decisions undecided which head I’m aiming for. should be left up to each state. The Pan Head opposes legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational Lastly we have the Evolution; he is the oldest dude use, then later decides those decisions should also in the race but the most up to date with what this be left up to each state. The Pan Head was born in country needs. Evo voted against the use of force in Canada and isn’t sure if he can legally be in this race, Iraq twice, yet never blamed those who fought those he vocalizes opposition to immigration then supports wars by continually advocating for better benefits bringing hundreds of thousands of foreign workers for our Veterans. Evo has funded his campaign by into the United States each year. I call him the Pan Head asking for “beer money” from average citizens instead because someone needs to help that dude make up his of soliciting big corporate monies from real estate mind about things. A good whack upside his head with tycoons. The Evolution has been quoted in saying “I a frying pan might work; personally I would use a cast believe that the middle class and the working families iron skillet. who produce the wealth of America deserve a decent standard of living and that their incomes should go up, Then we have the Shovelhead who has all ready spent not down.” Additionally Evo believes it is time to crack 12 years living off this country. The Shovelhead knows down on police brutality and reduce the number of how everything works behind closed doors and people in prison. In the event that this election causes under the desks at the big house. She has had several me to go postal, Evo might be the only chance I have to chances and just like the guy campaigning for her they continue living a biker’s lifestyle of freedom and get a have all been blown. She has dug a hole big enough to pay raise! bury the dress, she needs to use her head and realize its time to throw in the shovel. Then again a shovel to Shifty LaRue the back of the head might also do the trick.
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late-model bikes to enjoy the festivities. Just about anyone in the area with an older bike brought their old iron to the town square to show it off. Ron Ronfeldt and Joe Chance had quite a few bikes on display, and have always been big supporters of Bike Night through the years. “Woody” Robert Wooden made the trip over from Kearney with his ‘37 Indian Chief Bobber. The bike and smokin’ hot Leah even had some ‘lens time’ before the event with Nate Ullrich from Clinton. Nate and Woody met in the middle for a calendar shoot for Natanics Pin Ups that you can check out lyfebehindbars. com. “Landshark” Mark LaFleur and J. Ditty Hopkins rode down from the Jefferson, South Dakota area to join the fun. These guys did not jump on their “Roar Into Harlan” Bike Night is held the third Thursday of every month from May through September. This particular Bike Night was interesting, as the entire town of Harlan was on board in getting the bikes to the Town Square and love seeing the buzz it creates. Each Bike Night has a different theme, and last July’s theme was Antique Motorcycles. Event organizers thought that an old-bike-themed night was the perfect time to have an Iowa celebrity who digs old motorcycles, so they arranged to have Frank Fritz on hand to check out the old rides and to experience what a Western Iowa town has to offer. Frank made the trip over from LeClaire, and took time out of his busy filming schedule to be at the event. He was quite the draw for the small-town Iowa bike night! The Shelby County Fair Parade was the same evening, with the parade going down the west side of the Town Square and Bike Night on the east side. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest nights in Harlan Town Square all year! The Antique Bike Night was not just for vintage rides, as there were plenty of riders who came in on their
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latemodel baggers to make the trek. They rode their 1948 Indian
Chiefs. Sharky’s ‘48 had a sidecar attached! A trip like this on old machines is not for the faint of heart, and Landshark is no Spring Chicken by any means! He’s far from looking at the ‘root side’ of the grass, but the love and passion he and Ditty have for riding these old motorcycles clearly shows! There were a good number of other Vintage Riders from all over Iowa, Nebraska, and even one dude who rode in from Illinois who wanted to check out the gathering.
The folks of Harlan are already busy gearing up for another season of “Roar Into Harlan” Bike Nights. Check it out on the third Thursday of each month from Mat through September. Vernon
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3 - TRMI 34 TRM RMI FEBRUARY FEBR FE BRUA UARY RY 22016 016 01
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ABATE of Iowa’s Share the Road Program By D.L. Peterson A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa Share the Road Coordinator Everyone that has ever slung their leg over a bike knows to well what sharing the road is all about. My time spent as Share the Road Coordinator for A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa has really opened my eyes to just how many people have never heard of A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa or how many have never heard of the Share the Road program.
ways, A Share the Road presenter can go to the class or the Drivers Ed instructor can show the video’s that have been supplied to them. I personally feel that a live presentation is the best way to get this accomplished, a video is incapable of answering questions and is also unable to tell real life stories that make a presentation real to the students that are there. A.B.A.T.E.’S Share the Road is mainly seen at high school driver’s ed. classes but this presentation should be seen by everyone that travels the roadways. Watching out for motorcycles is a message that all drivers need to hear.
Share the Road is seen by an average of 11,000 students each year which is only about 20 percent of the students that take drivers ed each year. A.B.A.T.E. currently has 42 active presenters. Two of which are Goldwing riders and one Hog member. It is not a requirement that you must be an A.B.A.T.E. member in order to present Share the Road. The only thing we ask is that A.B.A.T.E. A it is presented as Brotherhood Aimed A.B.A.T.E.’S Share Towards Education the Road. Being our main goals are to educate the motorcyclist and nona Share the Road motorcyclist’s alike. Our Share the Road program was presenter brings started long before I was involved with A.B.A.T.E. and like you a satisfaction any worth while program was brought to life and sustained and feeling of by a number of very dedicated people. accomplishment not often felt. The The Share the Road program was slow in it’s acceptance in realization that you the early years. It wasn’t until a sunny day in 2002 that the have connected real drive behind Share the Road was born. Six friends out i h a student d and d kknow that h what h you are presenting is for a ride just enjoying life, when the unthinkable happened, with a white van whose driver had fallen asleep came across the making a real difference is something you will feel for a life time. center line. After the van came to rest three of the riders were dead and two were taken by life flight to the hospital. I started with Share the Road because of those six friends that just wanted to have a good ride on a sunny day and I Two tickets would be issued to the driver of the van that day. One for failure to maintain control and one for drifting continue doing it for the satisfying feeling that it gives me. But we need help; there are many areas in the state that we left of center. The fine for those two tickets was $36.00 a can’t get to, which is the reason for this article. If you feel piece. A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa thought this was unacceptable and went to the State legislature and drafted house file 2267 Share the Road is something that would interest you please which was passed into law with only a couple no votes. One contact us, we will get in touch with one of our presenters. of the things this law accomplished was it is now mandatory You can contact me at dlpeterson@abateiowa.org . Ride that a Share the Road presentation be seen in every drivers safe and always remember Share the Road. ed. class in the state of Iowa. This can be done in two
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frame like on an FXR or Bagger. These have visible shocks that mount in the traditional position, between the top of the swing arm and the rear section of the bike. These provide far and away the best handling, and are the easiest to adjust and tune because all of the parts are right under your nose. Finally we come to the “soft tail” design. This is where there is also a rear swing arm, but its motion is controlled by two dampers hidden underneath the frame. They are correctly known as “dampers” because unlike shocks that get shorter while absorbing a bump, dampers get longer. To lower a bike that has dampers, it is necessary to make them longer for example. If you start with a motor like a 750 Honda or an old Triumph, the options are somewhat limited. Either a rigid frame, a plunger frame (where captive springs over the rear axle provide some shocks), or a weld-on hard tail are the typical choices. It’s necessary to pick an engine and transmission before you buy a frame. 4 spd/Shovel frames are one breed of cat, 5/6 spd Evo frames are a different breed. “Unit” bikes like Sportsters and Iron heads are also unique because the transmission is permanently connected to the engine. It’s also important that all related items you purchase “So you want to build a bike?” Part I stay in the same family tree, like primary drive systems. I will probably build a Sporty or Buell powered chopper I can’t really explain what compelled me to build my own next time, simply because it will be so easy to bolt the bike. For one, I’m tall, and have a lot of it in my legs. single unit in. Yes, there are Panhead bikes out there with The standard Harley frame has my knees at the end of the 6 spd trannys and primary belt drives and other exotic tanks, and I’m too close to the handle bars. Just didn’t feel combinations- but if you’ve never built a bike before, natural to me. As I watched some of the “master builders” you shouldn’t go that route. Bikes like that require an on TV in the mid 2000’s bash motorcycle parts together experienced fabricator, high-end mills and lathes that turn with a dead blow hammer I figured, if those monkeys out one-off adaptors and motor mount plates, etc. Leave could do it I could too, and I couldn’t do any worse than that stuff to Billy Lane. they were. I learned a lot along the way, and I’m hoping to share some of those lessons with you in case you want Now it’s time to choose wheels and tires. I’ve ranted to build a bike of your own. What I ended up with is a on big tire bikes before, and I’ll do it again here. Rear unique bike that fits me like a glove, and there will never tires between 180-230 look great on the back of a hotbe another one like it no matter where I ride. For me, that rod Harley build. They don’t require tons of offset in the was worth it, but if I knew then what I know now, I’d drivetrain, and result in an enjoyable and rideable bike. probably do a number of things differently. Stay tuned to My decision to run a 200 tire with chain final drive meant this two part article, and hopefully your build might go a that an Arlen Ness ½” spacer went between my engine and little easierprimary case, and a longer compensator was also needed. This decision placed my transmission over to the left ½” First we have to establish what is meant by ‘”building” from where it would be found on a stock bike. I bring this a bike. Traditionally this means taking a naked frame, up for two reasons- first of all a half inch isn’t much; it’s and uniting it with an engine and transmission that have had a negligible effect on the balance and handling of the never all been assembled together, and creating a running bike. Its rock steady at 70, and you can take your hands motorcycle. Even though that’s how I went about it, I’d off the bars even at low speeds and it tracks like a Union probably do it differently next time. It’s far easier to start Pacific loco. No problemo, Amigo. But I’ve seen huge, with a licensed and titled motorcycle and do a weld-on wide spacers for sale in catalogs that shove the whole hard tail than to create a bike that wasn’t there before. mess way over for a big tire. Those bikes got a reputation Trust me, I know this now. I’ll get into that a lot more next for poor balance and handing. To me, that wasn’t worth month, when we cover the DOT process of getting an Iowa it. The other reason I mention it is because that decision license plate hung on a hand-built bike. made an immediate financial impact on my bike building budget. I had to have a spacer turned for the front chain It’s time to decide what to build. If you go American sprocket, and the other parts I mentioned weren’t cheap V-twin, there are many choices of aftermarket frames either. In retrospect, I’d have probably just bought a available. Rigid frames provide a simple build because 180-tire frame and not done all the offset work. I ran there are no rear shocks or dampers to deal with, nor simple chrome spoked wheels. They look nice, are easy any axle pivots, not even a rear swing arm. The obvious to service, and they’re very strong. But on the topic of downside is that there is no rear suspension. Legions of wheels, here’s another rule of thumb: Don’t take anything gray-beard riders have ridden rigid bikes for years and for granted, even if it’s a new part. I bought my rims from lived to tell about it, I had one too. But they’re not for a reputable company, but the inner sleeve that determines everybody. Next choice would be a shock/swing arm the bearing run-out of the rear wheel was wrong, way 36 - TRMI FEBRUARY 2016
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wrong. I have owned wheel barrows that had less bearing lash. Out came the spacer, and onto the lathe it went. The lesson is- buy the right tools to do the job. A dial indicator gauge is mandatory, so are snap gauges and a really good torque wrench. It’s no time for guess work. In terms of the front tire, again- keep it simple. I saw a picture of a bike last week that had enormous front and rear rubber. No idea what the intent was, but it was stupid. In the real world, front tires have less aspect ratio that rear tires for a reason- they do vastly different things than back tires. Don’t run a back tire on the front, ever. No matter what you see on Facebook.
certified welder, I’d discourage anything like that on your first build. There’s no room for error between your handle bars and the front rubber. On that note, one final word about springers. There is one manufacturer that has a poor reputation. I don’t write this column to get sued, so I’m not naming the brand. But a simple Google search will give you all you need to know, and so will asking around at your local independent bike shop. So until next month, happy building! Mark Mullins President, North Iowa MAG
Now, the final choice this month is front suspension. No decision will do more to affect the entire personality, handling and enjoyment of your bike than this one. Telescopic forks, inverted forks, girders and springers are the choices here. Telescoping forks are found on over 90% of all motorcycles. They work great, and were designed for the job. Inverted forks simply take the thicker part of the two tubes and mount them up into the triple trees. They offer better handling and less sprung weight than their traditional cousins. The downside is they can’t be oil charged (the oil would run out) and they are more expensive than traditional forks. But if you desire superbike handling, they are the only way to go. Girders are about like they sound, parallel steel lattice legs that pivot on a rocker assembly. Springers are similar, but they have a pair of springs or two pair of springs that limit travel and rebound, sometimes backed by a shock. I have seen some really sweet of home-brewed girders with semi elliptical springs, etc. Neat stuff to be sure, but unless you are a Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook
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This month’s featured Military Rider is David Kardell of Atlantic. Dave served from 1972-1974 as an E-4 in the United States Marine Corp. He served at 3rd Am. Trac. Bn. 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California. Dave’s MOS was a 3531 Motor Vehicle Operator, aka truck driver, and became the Battalion Commander’s Driver. His Father and Uncle were both in the Army, so continuing on with the tradition of serving was nothing new for Dave. Ten years after getting out of the USMC, Dave missed the service life so much he signed up for three more years with the Iowa National Guard, also working as a truck driver during that time.
ride as much as they can with friends and family, and usually do at least 250 miles on a weekend when they get the chance. Dave even did his part to keep riding a part of their family by giving his Heritage Softail to his son, who is well on his way to making it his own. Thank you Dave for your service and friendship! We can do what we do because you did what you did! If you see Dave out on the road on his bagger, give him a wave, or shake his hand and say thanks if you get a chance. Ride free! Vernon and Melanie
Dave’s riding started with a mini bike as a kid, and then while in the service he rented a small Kawasaki on the weekends to ride in Southern California. His first real motorcycle that he owned was a BSA that he chopped, and then on to different Hondas and Yamahas, and a 650 Triumph Chopper. A Honda 750 that he chopped came next, and he rode that bike around for a number of years until he got the itch for a more comfortable ride and had a Gold Wing, that regrettably died in a fire. Four years ago he got his current ride, a 2008 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. He also picked up a 2006 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail, and loves to ride both of them. Overall he has been without bikes for about eight years of his life, same story different page, doing without while raising a family and making the kids come first. He got back onto two wheels when the kiddos were bigger, and had a better job to be able to afford riding again. He picked up a bike that was really cheap at the time and it was an offer he could not refuse. His bagger he picked up at Mason City and his Heritage Softail he got in Paton at Bent Bikes and fixed it up. He looked for a long spell for his current bagger, as he did not want a red or black bike, so after about a year of looking for the perfect ride for him, he settled on his silver glide. He has added a few things to the bagger, but likes it pretty much the way it is so does not have any big plans for changing it. Dave and his better half, Bobbi, go on vacation every year on the bikes with some friends and family. Last year they took a trip to Arkansas, and this year they are looking at heading to the Colorado Springs area. They are both active in ABATE of Iowa District 3 in the Atlantic area. They 38 - TRMI FEBRUARY 2016
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you have time to lean you have time to clean!” these people live it!!! I noticed them not only cleaning the tables but the window sills and any other surface that presented itself! I mentioned the massive menu and that is exactly what it is! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such an extensive menu! They serve American food, Italian food and gourmet pizza. The American menu covers sandwiches, comfort food and appetizers. The Italian menu similarly has sandwiches and appetizers and also includes a wide array of pasta dishes as well as seafood and steak and chicken selections. The pizza menu is typically divided into a section of build-your-own pizzas and a selection of specialty pizzas. There is a large salad selection and several deserts available. Every day there is a new special list made! (It’s even dated so you know you’re looking at the current one.) After much debate I finally settled on the Spaghetti. It comes with your choice of ground beef, meatballs or grilled chicken; I chose the ground beef. I was served 303 2nd Street, Coralville, IA, 52241 an enormous mound of spaghetti in a large bowl coatMonday - Sunday 11 am - 10 pm (319) 338-7400 for reservations, pickup or delivery ed in marinara sauce with a large quantity of ground beef throughout. Attention to detail is the norm at Monica’s. The plate is served with a large spoon that Well, I finally made it! I’m east of Des Moines by a is perfect to use for wrapping your spaghetti around quite a ways, just shy of Iowa City in the suburb of your fork. (I personally don’t use this but many do and Coralville. Being unfamiliar with the area I jumped I usually see them askon my cell phone ing for a spoon to acmaps app to check complish it). The sauce for restaurants in the and beef are seasoned area. You would not to perfection and the believe how many pasta is cooked perplaces there are to eat fectly! It was a delight in the Iowa City metro to eat! One of those area!!!! You can find dishes that is so good just about anything you you don’t want to stop could think of! There even long enough to was everything from take a drink until it’s American to Vietall gone! I would be namese listed. Many remiss in my duties if of them were chains I didn’t check out the which eliminated desert selection as them right away. The well so I ordered up predominant genre the Hot Fudge Chocowas Mexican with an late Cake! This was a approximate ratio of 2 wonderful chocolate Mexican restaurants to cake with a volcano of every 1 of other types. hot fudge inside! I also One name jumped had a couple of scoops out at me and whetof vanilla ice cream ted my taste for Italadded so as to offset the heat of the hot fudge with the ian... Monica’s! Amazingly, the GPS directions were cold of the ice cream... Kind of a yin/yang thing!!!! right on the money and easy to follow. (I have had mixed success with GPS directions!). Once inside we Monica’s in Coralville, it’s refreshing to be served by were met by the Mater’d who seated us at our table people that really appreciate you being there! And if and explained the menu and the daily special. I was that wasn’t enough... The food is top shelf across the especially impressed by his greeting, “Welcome to board!!!! You can check out more info as well as the Monica’s, we are happy you chose us!” It was given full menu and history of Monica’s on their website with true genuineness and recognition that we had many places to choose from and had chosen Monica’s www.monicasonthestrip.com. over the rest and they appreciated it! As we began the review of the massive menu our waitress came to Until next month, ride safe and eat hearty! inquire of our drink orders. The entire staff is friendly, Craig Little craig@thunderroadsiowa.com helpful and genuinely appreciates you being there. PS If you have someplace you think we should check Another thing that impressed me was the attention out in your neck of the woods, shoot me an email. to cleanliness. If you’ve ever heard the saying “If
Monica’s
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Little Thelma comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine’s Day. “Sincee Valentine’s Day is for a Christian saint and we’re Jewish,” she asks, “Will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine? Thelma’s father thinks a bit then says “No, I don’t think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a valentine to?” “The whole Isis group,” she says. “Why them,” her father asks in shock? “Well,” she says, “I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough ghh love to give them a valentine, they might start arrtt to t think that maybe we’re not all bad, and maybee start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and then they sent valentines to them, they’d love everyone a lot. And then they’d start going all over the place telling everyone how much they loved them and how they didn’t hate anyone anymore.” Her father’s heart swells and he looks at his daughter with new found pride. “Thelma, that’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard. “ “I know,” Thelma says, “and once that gets them out in the open, the Marines could blow them to pieces.” Roses are red, but there are also pink, white and yellow varieties Violets aren’t blue, they’re violet, hence the name I’ve got OCD. And my poetry skills are also lacking. A man tells his wife that he’s going out to buy cigarettes. When he gets to the store he finds out it’s closed. So the guy ends up going to the bar to use the vending machine. While there, he has a few beers and begins talking to this beautiful girl. He has a few more beer and the next thing he knows he’s in this girl’s apartment and having quite a pleasurable time. The next thing he know it was 3:00 AM. “Oh my, god, my wife is going to kill me!” he exclaimed. “Quick give me some talcum powder!” She gets him some and he rubs it all over his hands. When he got home his wife is up waiting for him and she’s furious. “Where the hell have you been?” He says, “Well to tell you the truth, I went into a bar, had a few drinks, went home with this blonde and I slept with her.” “Let me see your hands!” she demands. He shows his wife his powdery hands. “Damn liar, you were out bowling again!” A Guy is driving his girlfriend home when she decides she wants to go to her friends instead. Her friend lives out of the way so she tells her boyfriend that she would get naked for him if he drove her. The guy says ok and the girl takes off all her clothes. The boyfriend is so busy looking at her that he crashes the car and gets stuck between the steering wheel and the seat. He tells her to go get help and she replied that she couldn’t because she didn’t have any clothes on. He replies, “Take my shoe and cover your snatch with it, and go for help!” She takes the shoe and runs to the closest gas station. She finds the clerk and says, “Help, my boyfriend is stuck! Can you help us?” The clerk replies, “I’m sorry, I think he’s too far in.”
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Clintoon Clinton n dies and of course goes straight to hell. When Wh W hhe he gets there the Devil greets him and offers o him three ways to spend eternity. They go to the first door and the Devil shows him Newt Gingrich, hanging from the ceiling with fire under him. Bill says “Oh no! That’s not how I want to spend all eternity.......” They go to the second door. The Devil shows him Rush Limbaugh chained to the wall being tortured. Bill says “Oh no! Not for me!” T They go to the third door. Behind it is K Ken Starr, chained to the wall with Monica L Lewinsky on her knees giving him a blowjob. Bill thinks and decides, “Hmmm, looks okay to me. I’ll take it.” The Devil then says, “Good. Hey Monica, you’ve been replaced.” The Seven Most Important Men in a Woman’s Life 1. The Doctor - who tells her to “take off all her clothes.” 2. The Dentist - who tells her to “open wide.” 3. The Milkman - who asks her “do you want it in the front or the back?” 4. The Hairdresser - who asks her “do you want it teased or blown?” 5. The Interior Designer - who assures her “once it’s inside, you’ll LOVE it!” 6. The Banker - who insists to her “if you take it out too soon, you’ll lose interest!” 7. The Primal Hunter - who always goes deep into the bush, always shoots twice, always eats what he shoots, but keeps telling her “Keep quiet and lie still!” One day this girl was talking to her friend and she said to her, “My boyfriend bought me flowers for Valentine’s day this year so I guess I have to put my legs in the air for him.”, and her friend replied, “Why? Don’t you have a vase?” Jonny asked his friend, Tony, whether he had bought his wife anything for Valentine’s Day. ‘Yes, ‘came the answer from Tony who was a bit of a chauvinist, ‘I’ve bought her a belt and a bag.’ ‘That was very kind of you, ‘Jonny added, ‘I hope she appreciated the thought.’ Tony smiled as he replied, so do I, and hopefully the vacuum cleaner will work better now.’ I said to you, “Oh, please be mine; Be mine forever, Valentine.” I must have seemed like quite a fool, Although I thought I was being cool. I swore that we would never part, As I put my hand upon my heart. Had I been thinking with my head, I’d probably have fled instead.
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everywhere you go when the weather is nice somebody is doing a “poker-run” or a toy run. We seem to be a pretty generous group. I think that it’s high time for the public in general to appreciate us. Don’t forget, we pay road use tax (gas tax) and pay yearly for license plates. This gives us a right to be on the roadway. It is my opinion that we motorcycle riders are currently under attack like never before. Not only do the politicians want to tell us how to dress, in some states they’re allowed “motorcycle only checkpoints”. Talk about discrimination! But this time the onslaught isn’t coming from the politicians or law enforcement. This time it’s coming from everyone. Everywhere you look you see someone staring at their hand. The cage drivers are looking at email, or texting, or watching YouTube. No Kidding. I’ve seen it. For While sitting in my garage, some reason people think you wishing for better weather I can’t see them in their car. Ask started looking around at all the the guy you saw eating a booger. magazines I’ve accumulated Anyway, I’m telling you the lately. I read all sorts, especially truth when I say that scares the chopper magazines. One of my crap out of me. Can’t blame the favorites seems to have some police, they can’t be everywhere, sort of derogatory view of what so what’s the answer? I believe they term ‘baggers’ or basically that we bikers are the answer. I touring bikes in general. I have think that licensed riders have always had affection for a light, the most ‘skin in the game’. great handling, and loud rigid I believe that we should be bike. Less weight = more power, empowered by the state to issue I get it. My first motorcycle was distracted driving citations. a basket case Honda 100 that my Think about that. We have to pay attention to the other brother and I had to put together. We also had an old drivers on the road, just to protect ourselves from them, Gemini 80. I’ve had a lot of bikes since, as I expect and if the illegal texters know that bikers can issue a most of you have too. In my garage is my Streetglide, citation I’ll bet they’d get better at looking for us on the my wife’s 650 VStar Classic and a 1983 Honda CM200T road. It’s a definite win-win. Tell me what you think. that I’ll fire up one day and teach my son to ride on. peter@riderpromotions.com I’d absolutely love to have a 10 year old Triumph Bonneville for short jaunts, but it hasn’t been in the cards quite yet. Also, ABATE of Iowa’s Lobby Day is February 11th. Take the day off and join us in Des Moines to remind I’ve found out over the years that most folks who ride our employees who they work for. motorcycles are good folks. If somebody breaks down pretty generally somebody always stops by to help. This has been my experience in every state I’ve traveled, and even had total strangers come by with their pickup and haul me and my bike to the next town. Bikers also raise money for charity nearly every weekend. Almost
Officer Biker
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Jan 30 Super Pre-Game Party Wieblers HD Davenport! Jan 30 Zero Run Big Barn Des Moines Jan 30-31 Colorado Motorcycle Expo Denver, CO Jan 31 Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Rock Island IL Jan 31 36th Annual Wild Wades Swap Meet Des Moines Feb 5-7 IMS MINNEAPOLIS MOTORCYCLE SHOW Feb 11 ABATE of Iowa Lobby Day Des Moines Feb 13 Chili Cook Off Metro Cedar Rapids Feb 13 ABATE D15 Ton-O-Slush Donahue Feb 13-14 Capitol City Custom Cycle Show & Swap Des Moines Feb 12-14 IMS CHICAGO MOTORCYCLE SHOW Feb 19-21 30th Annual Lincoln Bike Show Lincoln, NE Feb 26-27 Omaha Chapter AMCA National Swap Meet Fremont NE Feb 27-28 47th O’Reilly Rod & Custom Bike/Car Show Monticello Mar 4-6 World of Wheel Chicago Mar 4-13 Daytona Bike Week Daytona, FL Mar 6 Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Cedar Rapids Mar 6 Benefit for Lisa Dilley-Axtell Council Bluffs Mar 13 Swap Meet Metro Cedar Rapids Mar 18-20 World of Wheels TRMI Motorcycle Show Omaha Mar 19 ABATE D15 Two Wheel Trauma Genesis Heart Inst Davenport Mar 19-20 36th Annual Motorcycle Expo Sioux Falls Mar 26 Easter Egg Hunt Metro Cedar Rapids Apr 2-3 29th Annual Donnie Smith Bike Show St Paul, MN Apr 9-10 North Iowa Motorcycle Expo Mason City Apr 16 Rumble In The Sand Outlaw Drags Conesville Apr 23 ABATE D15 Blessing of the Bikes & Run Davenport Apr 23 Bike Blessing Big Barn Des Moines Apr 29-30 Vintage Torque Fest Dubuque Apr 30 Sleeping Angels Fun Run Boone May 7 Goozman’s Westside 40th Anniversary Party Harlan May 7 Pancake Breakfast Metro Cedar Rapids May 21 ABATE D15 Ride for Awareness Bettendorf May 26-29 Redneck Revival Conesville May 29 Midway Tavern’s Annual Neal Denny Memorial Poker Run Solder Jun 4 Vintage Rally and Bike Show Anamosa Jun 4 2nd Suicide Awareness Benefit/Ride&Drive Waterloo Jun 10-11 Open House Big Barn Des Moines Jun 11 8th Annual Bell Tower Festival Poker Run & Cycle Show Jefferson Jun 11 Rigid River Run Dubuque Jun 17-18 Rumble In The Sand Outlaw Drags Conesville Jun 18 ALR Post 731 Ride Into the 90s to Barnstormers Des Moines Jun 18 Hometown Heroes Run Rockwell City Jun 24-25 Conesville Two Rivers Music Festival Conesville Jun 25-26 J&P Cycles Open House Rally Jones County Fairgrounds Monticello Jun 30-Jul 2 ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally Algona Jul 1 Buffalo Days Ride In Bike Show Buffalo Jul 8-9 CVMA 39-3 Benefit Cruise Elkport Jul 9 ABATE D15 Taco Run for Children’s Therapy Center Wiebler’s HD Davenport Jul 9 9th Annual Freeman Ride Avoca Jul 29-31 Central Iowa Hawg Rally Norwalk Jul 30 Solidarity Ride (8 Seconds That Night) Metro Cedar Rapids Aug 4-6 9th Annual Across the Border Raid Bedford Aug 5-6 Mikey Jones Memorial Dragfest Cordova, IL Aug 8-14 South Dakota Party Aug 13 ABATE D15 Too Broke to Go to Sturgis Rodeo Donahue Aug 14 ABATE D15 Too Broke to Go to Sturgis Mex Memorial Fun Run Donahue
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Aug 19-21 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 26-28 Aug 27 Aug 31 Sep 1-3 Sep 1-4 Sep 2-4 Sep 10 Sep 16-17 Sep 17 Sep 17 Sep 23-25 Sep 21-24 Oct 2 Oct 15 Oct 15 Oct 15 Oct 22 Nov 11-12 Nov 25 Dec 10 Dec 17
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12th Annual BTW Trike In Kellogg Tour de Shelby County Harlan Baylee’s Bike Run for Lupus Davenport Spydermania III Atlantic/Council Bluffs Jami Jam V: Ride For Mental Health Action & Awareness Terrill New 2017 Model Party Metro Cedar Rapids 45th Davenport Fall International Meet Redneck Revival Conesville Midway Tavern Soldier Valley Run BBQ, Street Dance Soldier 4th Annual Ride for U of IA Children’s Hospital Davenport Rumble In The Sand Outlaw Drags Conesville The Hunt of a Lifetime Buffalo ABATE D15 Leaf Run Davenport 4th Annual Dubuque Ink & Art Expo Bikes Blues & BBQ Fayetteville, AR ABATE D15 32nd Annual Toy Run w/USMC Reserves Davenport Tall Corn Run End of Year Prize Drawing Okoboji HD Rumble In The Sand Outlaw Drags Conesville ABATE D15 Harvest Run Davenport Hog Roast Metro Cedar Rapids ABATE of Iowa STEAM Marshalltown Black Friday Metro Cedar Rapids Santa Visits Metro Cedar Rapids Holiday Open House Big Barn Des Moines
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