IOWA
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2010
MAGAZINE R
Established 1999
IN THIS ISSUE:
Exclusive to Thunder Roads: Artist Edgar Mueller More than you can imagine Event Coverage Nate Ullrich’s Road King
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Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa www.thunderroadsiowa.com P.O. Box 29 Kimballton, Iowa 51543 (712) 249-5630 tt@thunderroadsiowa.com Owner/Editor Tina (TT) Schwarte (712) 249-5582 tt@thunderroadsiowa.com Editor Vernon Schwarte (712) 249-5630 vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com Josh and Pam Brown Regional Sales Representatives (SE Iowa Area) 563-571-1617 stampede196@yahoo.com Brenda Carney Regional Sales Representative (Boone and Surrounding Area) (515) 298-2346 Brenda@thunderroadsiowa.com Mindi Schooley Regional Sales Representative (NE Iowa) (319) 290-4706 mindi@thunderroadsiowa.com
CONTENTS On the Cover This month is the lovely Theresa Ullrich, with Nate Ullrich’s Road King. Check out the article about his bike and more pictures in this issue.
From The Woman’s Seat..............................................3 99 Counties On The Wall..............................................4 Thunder In The Sand....................................................6 Joker.............................................................................8 Military Riders...............................................................9 Biker Friendly .............................................................10 Girls Of Thunder.........................................................12 Will Ride To Eat.........................................................13 Soldier Valley Run......................................................14 Events........................................................................15
Richard (Murph) and Annette Murphy Event Coverage/Magazine Distribution vizslaboots@yahoo.com
TRM Staffer Sets Land Speed Record.......................16
Contributing Photographer Kandi Schlensig kandi@thunderroadsiowa.com 712-249-0713
NCOM News Bytes.....................................................22
Craig Little-Will Ride for Food Dude craig@thunderroadsiowa.com Layout and Design Warren Ells, Art Director Thunder Publishing Warrenlayout@yahoo.com National Founders Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 thunderroadscharter@charter.net
Thundercam........................................................20
Edgar Mueller’s Street Art...........................................24 Geneva’s Puzzle Page...............................................26 Baxter Cycle Motorcycle Rally....................................27 Hawgstock.................................................................30 Nate’s Road King........................................................32 Wild West Show.........................................................35
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF ITS CONTENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. PUBLISHER ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY AND IS NOT TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR ERRORS BEYOND THE COST OF THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE ERROR, SLANDER OF ANY GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL, FAILURE TO PRODUCE ANY ISSUE AS SCHEDULED DUE TO REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, ANY AND ALL SUITS FOR LIABLE, PLAGIARISM, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A PERSON’S NAME OR PHOTOGRAPH. OPINIONS AND CLAIMS MADE BY ADVERTISERS AND AUTHORS ARE THEIR OWN, AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE POLICY OF THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE OR THUNDER PUBLISHING. PUBLISHER DOES NOT PROMOTE THE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS.
The riding is still beautiful out and about with the leaves turning and falling. You simply have to just try taking in the smells, sights, and views to fully appreciate each area you are traveling through. Ok the smells are not all good in all areas, but this helps you to appreciate the others, right? : 0 ) The crops have also started begging for their own removal marking another end to their season, and with this we are well aware of the farm machinery out there for all hours of the day and night. Keep in mind hazard lights are not always used and sometimes no lights can be seen at all. At night our eyes do not see as clearly as during the day. In talking to others that put on way more miles than me in a year, I hear frequently that night speed should be slightly slower than daytime speeds simply due to sight distance. Also, I heard from a wise man once that the deer crossing signs are placed in an area for a reason, and to use extra caution in these areas due to being proven time and time again that the deer have a history of choosing to pass through that area. Not that these are the only areas that deer cross, but it is a KNOWN crossing point, and be careful. Those critters are moving around now and will be for a couple months. I just have to add agriculture has also been a fascination for me and if I was born in another time I would have been the woman working the farm along with my man. Ok, tt moment over, back to the subject at hand. The riding in October is different than riding in the summer months. When it says 80 degrees out there it is a cooler 80 then during the summer months, or so it seems. This is just a biker friendly reminder that our body temperature needs to remain close to or around the 98.6 degrees mark to maintain the proper functioning of all systems. Especially if you have any kind of existing medical condition you need to take steps to maintain a reasonable temperature. From packing or putting on an extra sweatshirt to investing in the heated hand grips and/or even the heated clothing line for the more avid riders to help prolong the riding season. Let’s all face it, we choose to live in the state that has four beautiful seasons and need to help protect ourselves from the elements. I myself have ridden home with six layers to keep my body warm on our travels across the state. Since then I have invested in a heated jacket and hand grips. I choose to ride as much as possible and have found if I keep my core body warm then I am able to enjoy the ride longer. Here is just a little tidbit about when our body gets too cold and what to do. Keep in mind that in severe cases
of hypothermia a medical professional should be seen or consulted. When your body temperature falls below 95 degrees you may notice your skin is cool to touch, coordination is not so fluid, and your speech may become slightly slurred. You may also see some shivering, slightly clumsy movement, not really showing any feeling or emotion (alright for some this may not change), and maybe becoming more irritable (again enough said ď Š.) The more your temperature drops the more severe the symptoms become. If you are out and about and start to feel any of the first stages of hyperthermia you obviously need to get yourself out of the elements, remove any wet or damp clothing, and get covered up with dry clothing and/or blankets. Remember that the room temperature is on average 70-75 degrees and the average body temperature is 98.6 degrees. This is a place for more heat loss. Take care of yourself; we were all only issued one body. This magazine is a monthly publication so we still plan to be out and about as much as possible. Thunder cam will go on, and we want to be able to catch and cover what we bikers do in the off season. Let us know your events, hang outs, and things going on in and around Iowa so we can take pictures and even help get more people to attend if you like. We also love the story and picture submissions, so keep them coming! It is officially Thunder Roads of Iowa’s tenth issue; and our fifth issue as owners. We could not have done this without you, the readers and advertisers. Thank you!
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99 Counties on the Wall 99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, the town. Visiting for a brief bit then drive on around, 94 counties to tour on the bike. A few years back, a headed up the street to the park. In the summer riding goal was to ride through each of Iowa’s counties, and middle of the park is a very tastefully what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month we will done bronze statue of John James feature a different county, and new things to go see, and hopefully spark Audubon and his dog “Zephyr,” meana little touring curiosity for our own state. ing a light west wind. On the south end Audubon County of the town is Albert the Bull, a world Audubon County was founded January 15, 1851. It is located on the famous thirty foot tall, forty-five ton, intersection of highway 71 and highway 44. This county was named with a fifteen foot horn span statue to after John James Audubon, a French-American. He has a very interest- salute the beef industry. ing story in itself. Audubon was born in Haiti. His father was a French On the road again following highway Naval Officer and privateer and his French mother was his father’s 71 south you will approach a town mistress and chambermaid both recently arrived from France. Audubon called Hamlin that is home to Darrell’s lost his mother to a tropical disease at only a few months old. He was Place. This is a highly recognized raised by the housekeeper until he returned to France with his father restaurant known for their hard to beat in 1788. Audubon and his half sister were adopted by his father’s wife tenderloin. Going further south is a where he was raised. At the age of place to park and stretch your feet on twelve Audubon attempted to follow in the five acre park with picnic tables and his father’s footsteps as a Naval Officer facilities available. Don’t forget to look unfortunately he was prone to sea closely for the plow in the oak. As the sickness and returned to hard ground story goes a farmer working in the field to further his talents. Audubon is well felt the call to help with the Civil war, known for his painting, cataloging, and parking his plow against an oak tree as descriptions of birds of America. He he left for his call to duty. The tree has was described as a very social, outgo- grown making the plow the heart of the ing, and excelled in all of his learning. tree. Even Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” He had a great love of the outdoors, has recognized this famous tree. hunting, painting, and studying nature. Also southeast of Exira is Littlefield He did not conform to society and with Recreation Area a secluded place this he was able to bring a new far beto rest and collect your thoughts. A yond his time look at the bird of North seventy acre lake good for fishing and America. The Birds of America is a well swimming, over 100 campsites for tents known book of Audubon’s. He spent and RVs, and even comes with live his life learning from everyone he met buffalo. along his journey in life. An interesting thing I had to Learning all of this about Audubon investigate further was “The Tree in should give a better understanding of Middle of the Road,” as the story goes the artistic aspect of this county. In a surveyor was marking the lines the northern part of the county is Grey, between Audubon and Cass Counties. Iowa. Grey is known for the “Heritage With a cottonwood branch to mark the Rose Garden.” This small town has an exact intersecting points, this is where extensive collection of roses that were the tree ended up growing in the middle brought across the prairie to this state. of the road. Not recommended travel As you travel south on highway 71, when it has rained recently, especoming from the north off of highway cially on motorcycles, due to the gravel 141, you will reach Audubon. The roads. downtown is alive with businesses To complete this county I need to mention the “The Little Mermaid including a barbershop with the old Park” in our town of Kimballton located at the intersection of Highway 44 fashion pole inside the window, the an- and Highway 173. Kimballton is a Danish settlement that is very proud tique barber chair, and even a very well of their heritage. The Little Mermaid was erected in 1978 as a tribute to kept Coca-Cola machine, which apthe fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. peared to still be functioning. As I was Audubon County has some of the most beautiful views and excellent taking pictures of the historic downtown riding along all of the highways that pass through this community. The the history of the shop caught my eye. people are welcoming and you will not go wrong on the eats. If you are When I turned my camera that way not into camping there are some Bed & Breakfasts available. To see the barber stopped his cutting to wave more information to plan your travels through Audubon County check out hello. That was an open invitation so http://www.auduboncounty.com. I grabbed a recent copy of Thunder Sources: http://www.auduboncounty.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Roads and entered the establishment. John_James_Audubon Upon entering you felt the open friendly Safe travels and see you next month with Benton County…… tt conversation with the gentlemen of Thunder Roads Magazine 4
From the Woman’s Seat There are more and more women riders in this world today, and I am very proud to be counted as one of these statistics. I bought my first Harley Davidson motorcycle, an 883 Sportster in March of 2006. I made it about 5 miles the first day in 38 degree weather and that was enough for me. A couple of years later I traded that 883 Sportster in for a 1200 Nightster and absolutely loved that bike. I got that bike all set up the way I liked it, and then fell in love with a pink/purple flamed 1200 Sportster and traded once again. (By the way, is for sale if any new female riders would be interested.) Don’t get me wrong, I love jumping on my husband’s 1973 Shovelhead or 2008 Softail but there is something about Sportsters that I love. We have gone on many trips, rallies and just day rides. I do not honestly know what feels better, the cool morning air on my face or the hot summer sun. I believe that every female deserves the opportunity of riding their own bike at some point. It brings great peace and pleasure. Some days, huge groups of us ride and others it’s just my husband and I. I remember my first ride when I was 13 and rode with my brother, then he let me be in control and I knew right then and there, someday I would have my own. I would strongly suggest sitting on at least 8-10 bikes and test riding at least 4-5 before deciding which bike is for you.
Letter To The Editor Hey Tina – We met you guys at the Walgreens in Sioux City last weekend and you gave us directions to a very scenic and beautiful drive back to Bellevue, NE. I want to thank you for your hospitality. Along the way we stopped (and left a few bucks) at Leather & Hawgs in Soldier and at Ricks BBQ in Missouri Valley as you had recommended. We were planning to either fight the wind on Hwy 75 or the construction on I-29 since we didn’t know any other way - so your suggestions were quite welcome. You guys are the embodiment of the camaraderie we have found in riding. God Bless You Both! Sandie and Gary Jeck Thank you both for the note, it reinforces with us that we are on the right path with our actions and the direction for our magazine. Our healthcare backgrounds I feel have given us the “helpful” attitude that is needed more of today in our world. We emphasize the “biker” way of life to be so much more than just hopping on and twisting the wrist. We want truly biker friendly advertisers to showcase for the riders in and around Iowa. We are tickled that we could give you a nice route, suggest a couple of stops for you, and then hear back that you liked what we recommended. Hope to see you on the road again someday. Ride Safe! Vernon
Amy S. Gruelke PS from TRMI: Thanks Amy for your submission, and we love to hear from everyone. Feel free to send us your words; it may help other bikers out there to better enjoy our beloved sport of motorcycling.
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Thunder In The Sand Conesville, Iowa Possum and crew from the Circle of Pride throw a few biker parties a year, with the last bash on Labor Day Weekend. This has been going on for years, and just seems to be getting better with every event. This year the event ran from September 2nd through the 5th, and what a party it was! Words and pictures cannot do it justice, and only ends up being just a taste of the fun that can be had in the sand on the Circle of Pride rally grounds just a couple miles north of Columbus Junction. Some of the regular features of the parties are the drag strip, Bob the bull, the multiple stages for entertainment, and of course the Possum Lodge. The drag strip is always a good draw with racing open to all, and the staff is so helpful in getting you the information and getting you into the right classes. Nothing better than running what ya brung, and finding out if you have what it takes to twist the grip. The bull always seems to be an interesting show, and a brief reminder that this party is not for the faint of heart. There tends to be some fun loving partiers that cut loose, and you can hear and see about anything you can think of here. On top of the three stages with DJ, comedian, and live bands throughout the event, this year boasted a performance by national recording artist Jason Brown. The crowd loved the crooning of this young man who can be seen at other Iowa and Midwest performances yet. Many other activities took place on the stages and on the grounds such as the rodeo games, an extreme motocross show, and contests aplenty. With multiple showings, the two men on motocross bikes doing tricks was an awesome sight. One can only wonder how many times the superman and 360 tricks they do had to be practiced, with both good and bad outcomes to get that good. Never did one of the bikes go down, and every show went off without a hitch, including a bunch of “oohs” and “ahhs”. No matter what you are in to, you can find something to keep you entertained at a Circle of Pride bash. For those that plan early, next year the parties will be the Hog Wild Rodeo that will be moved to Memorial Day Weekend, the 4th of July Bash, and then Thunder In The Sand again on Labor Day Weekend. Get your party face on and come hang out with the Circle of Pride! Vernon
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Was talking w/ a woman who is actually an experienced cook, but she said she had never prepared “country-fried” or “chicken-fried” (both terms means the same method of cooking) pork chops or steak, which was amazing to me, so here’s the simple recipe. COUNTRY-FRIED PORK CHOPS 101 8 Bone-In Pork Chops (Center Cut) 2 X-Large Eggs 2 Cups of Whole Milk 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour Dash of Nutmeg Salt & Pepper to Taste A quality margarine, such as “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”. Don’t use cheap margarine or else you’ll dang sure have cheap tasting chops. Let your chops sit out about 15 mins. to get to room temperature while you pour your milk into a glass pie plate or any bigger bottomed, shallow bowl. Crack your two eggs into your milk and beat gently w/ a fork. Add your dash of nutmeg. Now pour your 2 cups of flour into a highersided, big bottomed bowl. Get as large a skillet as you got (I always use one of those long, electric skillets), as then I can do all my pork chops at one time. Go ahead and take a chop in left hand and dip into milk bath. I always poke at the meat a bit while in milk bath to tenderize it and let it soak up, then again take your left hand and transfer the chop over to your right hand mid-air and then proceed onto the flour bowl. You keep your dip hand and flour hand separate so that you don’t end up with two gooey hands and drag a bunch of flour into milk bath. But while your chop is in the flour, pat it well and coat it good on one side then flip over and pat it again to coat well. Place on a plate and finish up dunking and dredging the remaining chops. Get your skillet up to medium hot, add 2 big tablespoons of margarine and melt down till sizzling. Arrange your chops so they all fit in your skillet but there’s plenty of room and no parts of chop are overlapping other chops. Salt & pepper uncooked side and then, gently life after one side has cooked for apprx. 4 minutes and make sure they are a true, golden brown, flip them, and salt & pepper the other side. You may need to add a few more pats of margarine around sides and kinda’ work up under chops to ensure that the just flipped side gets as evenly golden brown as the original side. Remove from skillet when done and plate up right away. Serve w/ fried apples or apple fritters or anything? apples! I’ll take a countryfried pork chop over a steak any day of the week!
*Note* If you dont have a long, electric skillet, then just do 2 batches, but be sure you place first batch in oven on low to keep hot. Don’t foil tent them or they’ll lose all their crispiness and just end up with a mushy top. SIMPLE AS 1,2,3......CHEESE “BISKITS” Only 3 ingredients: 1-1/4 Cups *Bisquick Brand Boxed Biscuit Mix 1/2 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese 1/2 Cup Water Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a silicone pad on a cookie sheet. Combine the biscuit mix and cheese in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until combined. Don’t over-mix. Just combine. Dough will be a bit moist. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto silicone pad and leave enough room for them to expand. Bake for about 10 minutes until they firm up but are nice and brown. Serve with honey butter. Just that simple, just that quick! *These are our daughter’s all-time fave. Hence, her nickname...”Biskit”. GRANNY OLLIE’S BUTTERMILK PIE 1-1/2 Cups Sugar 1 Cup Buttermilk 1/2 Cup Bisquick Biscuit Mix 1/2 Cup Real Butter; melted 1-1/2 tsps. Pure Vanilla Extract 3 Large Eggs Get your oven up to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a 9-inch pie pan. Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat for 1 minute with handheld electric mixer or if you don’t have a hand mixer, just beat by hand until all ingredients mixed well. Pour mixture into prepared pie pan and bake for apprx. 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick into center and if it comes out clean.....it’s done! Cool for 5 minutes and let pie solidify and firm up. Slice and serve good and warm. Take a can of Extra Creamy Whipcream and make little flower dollops all over the top and place a rasberry or blueberry in center of each dollop. This is truly a little slice of Heaven from my Granny Ollie, up in Heaven.
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Military Riders Three vampires walk into a bar. The waitress comes up to them and asks them what they’ll have. ? The first vampire says, (Transylvanian accent inferred) “I’ll have a glass of O Positive.” The second vampire says, “I’ll have a glass of O Negative.” The third vampire says, “I’m the designated driver. I’ll just have a glass of plasma.” The waitress turns toward the bartender and yells, “Gimme’ two bloods and one blood lite!” A couple was invited to a swanky masked Halloween Party. She got a terrible headache and told her husband to go to the party alone. He, being a devoted husband, protested, but she argued and said she was going to take some aspirin and go to bed, and there was no need of his good time being spoiled bynot going. So he took his costume and away he went. The wife, after sleeping soundly for one hour, awakened without pain, and as it was still early, she decided to go to the party. In as much as her husband did not know what her costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her husband to see how he acted when she was not with him. She joined the party and soon spotted her husband cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every hot chick he could, and copping a little feel here and a little kiss there. His wife moved on up to him and being a rather seductive babe herself, he lmmediately turned his attention to her. They were both getting turned on so agreed to go out to her car for a “quickie”. Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away and went home and put the costume away and got into bed, wondering what kind of explanation he would have for his wild behavior. She was sitting up reading when he came in and asked what kind of a time he had. He said, “Oh, the same old thing. You know I never have a good time when you’re not there.” Then she asked, “Did you dance much?” He replied, “Honestly, I never even danced one dance. When I got there, I met Pete, Bill Brown and some other guys, so we went into the den and played poker all evening. But I’ll tell you what, the guy I loaned my costume to damn sure had a real good time between all the dancing, groping, and trips to the parking lot!”. Q: Why did the vampire need mouthwash? A: She had bat breath. Q: Why wasn’t the vampire working? A: He was on his coffin break. Q: Why did the vampire’s lunch give her heartburn? A: It was a stake sandwich.
Two guys left the bar after a long night of drinking, jumped in the car and started it up. After a couple of minutes, an old man appeared in the passenger window and tapped lightly. The passenger screamed, “Look at he window. There’s an old ghost’s face there!” The driver sped up, but the old man’s face stayed in the window. The passenger rolled his window down part way and, scared out of his wits, said, “What do you want?”The old man softly replied, “You got any tobacco?”The passenger handed the old man a cigarette and yelled, “Step on it,” to the driver, rolling up the window in terror. A few minutes later they calmed down and started laughing again.The driver said, “I don’t know what happened, but don’t worry; the speedometer says we’re doing 80 now. ”All of a sudden there was a light tapping on the window and the old man reappeared.“There he is again,” the passenger yelled. He rolled down the window and shakily said, “Yes?” “Do you have a light?” the old man quietly asked. The passenger threw a lighter out the window saying, “Step on it!”They were driving about 100 miles an hour, trying to forget what they had just seen and heard, when all of a sudden there came some more tapping. “Oh my God! He’s back!” The passenger rolled down the window and screamed in stark terror, “WHAT NOW?” The old man gently replied, “You guys want some help getting out of the mud?”
Allan Kennedy is this month’s featured military rider. Allan lives in Hartford, Iowa and is an Army Veteran. In the service from 2009-2010, he was stationed at Fort Jackson South Carolina, and was a Fuel Supply Technician. He attained the rank of E-3 while serving our fine country. As far as riding, Allan has owned a few including a 1998 R6, 2003 R6, and now a custom 2006 R1, all from the Yamaha stable. His latest ride he got from a guy in Missouri, eight hours away! He could not find anything like it any closer, and he just had to have it. He had pictured his next bike in his mind, and when he came across pictures of this bike, he knew it was the one. He has had it custom painted, powder coated the rims, added carbon fiber fairings, GPS, and a trick single sided swing arm will be coming in the near future. Since the first bike, he has never been off of a ride. He states “there is nothing like getting on a motorcycle and just riding.” He is the Road Captain for a Des Moines based sport motorcycle club called the 100 Ryderz, as seen in a previous issue of TRMI. That group likes to take the back roads and highways with lots of twisties. When off the bike, Allan and a friend recently opened up a custom mobile shop called “Rogue Squad Customs”. They install custom LED light kits and aftermarket parts on all bikes. They should be fully up and running with the website and all by October and can be found at www.roguesquadcustoms.com If you see him out on bike, give him a nice Veteran’s wave, and if you get a chance, shake his hand and thank him for his service. Ride Free Thanks to our Military!
One dark night Bubba & Buck were walking home after a party and decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery, just for laughs. Right in the middle of the cemetery they were startled by a tap-tap-tapping noise coming from the misty shadows.Trembling with fear, they found an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at one of the headstones.“Holy cow, Mister,” Bubba said, after catching his breath, “You scared the crap outa’ us, we thought you was a real-time, ghost! What the hell are you doing working here so late at night?” “Those idiots!” the old man grumbled. “They misspelled my damn name!”
Life is good in the South.
On the night of a Halloween costume party a couple were arguing, having trouble picking suitable outfits. After a while the wife got mad and stormed out of the room. Fifteen minutes later she came back completely naked except for a lemon between her legs. The husband looked at her for a moment and then stormed out of the room himself. Twenty minutes passed and then he stomped back in, completely naked, with a potato around his penis. The wife gave him a weird look, and the husband quickly replied; “If you’re going as a sour-puss, I’m going as a dictator”.
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Biker Friendly Directory It’s important for you to know who your friends are out there when you hit the road! Welcome to our Biker Friendly Directory. The following is a list of our establishments throughout Iowa that want you to know that they’re here for YOU. Whether it’s a bike dealer, service shop, restaurant, bar or any other type of business that welcomes our biking community through their doors, you can count on our family of friends to always welcome you in. The staff here at Thunder Roads greatly appreciates our advertiser’s support each month- they are the sole financial supporters of this magazine.WE WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THEM! So please give them the support that they truly deserve for being with us & drop by to see them for a visit. Let them know that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know a business that would like to join our Thunder Roads family of Biker Friendly Places, please give us a call tt at 712-249-5582 or email tt at tt@thunderroadsiowa.com or Vernon at vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Thunder Illusions Photo and Video From Mild to Wild Des Moines, Iowa thunderillusions@gmail.com www.thunderillusions.com Dealers and Shops
Guthrie Auto Body John Beer owner 1804 State Street Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-332-2484 Moto-Cycle Parts, Inc. 909 Guthrie Street De Soto, Iowa 50069 motocyclepartsinc.com motocyclepartsinc@mchsi.com Shop Cell 515-250-4800 Shop 515-834-2786
Services Leather & Hawgs 316 Main, Hornick, Iowa 121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa Leather@netins.net www.leatherandhawgs.com Doc’s Bail Bonds Your 24/7 Prescription to Freedom in Minutes Adel, Iowa 50003 515-993-4773 Ulrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com Iowa Bail Bonds 200 4th Street Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 243-4411
XTreme Cycle & Off Road 206 E Main St Panora, Iowa 50216 641-755-4288 xtremecycle@netins.net
Rusty Duck Bar & Grill 723 Marshall Street Dexter, Iowa 50070 Tue-Sat 4-10pm 515-789-4142 Quick Rick’s Rib Joint 406 East Lincoln Highway (Highway 30) Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-600-6161 Tue-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm Beer Barn and Grill 226 State Street Kirkman, Iowa 51447 712-766-3395 Open Mon 4, Tue-Sun at 11
Riverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh IA, 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
Escape Lounge 8843 Northpark Ct, Johnston, IA 50131 515-276-2209
Struthers Brothers 5191 NW 2nd Ave Des Moines, IA 515-282-3634 www.struthersbros.com
BCS Computers 100 Industrial Road Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-747-3344 www.brubakercomputer.com
Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa (712) 792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com
\Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa www.bikerwear.com 319-241-0946
VIP CUSTOM CYCLES 1870 McLeod Place, Ste A Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 319-265-8477
14th Street Tavern 3418 East 14th Street Des Moines, IA (515) 266-3446 Open Weekdays 8am-2pm Sat 10am-2pm and Sun 11am-2pm
Phil’s 20oz Prime Rib Friday Nights 9956 Swanson Blvd Clive, Iowa 515-270-0959
J & S Custom Cycles Des Moines, Iowa 515-779-4632
TeeGee Studios Omaha, Nebraska 402-680-8944 glen@teegeestudios.com www.teegeestudios.com
Rumours Sports Bar & Grill 309 South 12th Ave. Place Marshalltown, IA (641) 752-5477 Steve Priske-Owner
The Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, IA 50120 (641) 475-3321 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-12am
Texas Roadhouse 8744 Northpark Drive (I-80 at 86th street exit) Johnston, Iowa 50131 515-251-4597
RJM Trucking Cedar Rapids, Iowa 319-360-5433
Roadhog’s Bar 104 East Main Street State Center, IA (641) 483-2126 Tracey and John Abate- Owners
Bars, Restaurants, Lounges & Clubs
Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com
M&M Garage 408 Market Street Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2425 mmgarage@iowatelecom.net
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Biker Friendly Directory
Porky’s Pub and Garage 5125 NE 14th St Des Moines, IA 50313 515-266-6983 Good Sons 2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102 Des Moines, IA (515) 681-5375 Tequila Bar Hwy 70 North Columbus Junction, Iowa 319-728-0948
RJ’s Lounge 109 North Main Street Conrad, IA (641) 366-2687 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-12am
Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015
Corner Tap 35 North Center Street Marshalltown, IA (641) 753-9925 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-2am
Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com
Goat Ranch Saloon 105 South Main Street Baxter, IA (641) 227-3502 O’Kelly’s 106 North Main Street Baxter, IA 50028 (641) 227-3013
Tattoo Bad Girlz Ink 1217 Willis Perry, Iowa 50220 515-465-2205 To buy ad space and list your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5582
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r e d n u h T f O Girls
Kristy Rosemeyer Odebolt, Iowa Black 2008 Harley 883 Sportster
Angie Jones Desoto, Iowa 2005 Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster
Are you from Iowa? Are you a Girl of Thunder? Email us your pictures (highest resolution possible) to vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Be
sure to include the year, make, and model of your ride and what town you April DeHass Bedford, Iowa 2004 Kawasaki 1600 Classic
are from!!! Look for more Girls of Thunder next month.
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The Club Car 13435 University Ave Clive, IA 515-226-1729 Lounge – Mon – Fri: 11AM – Midnight, Sat: 4PM – Midnight Dining – Lunch: Mon – Fri: 11AM – 5PM Dinner: Mon – Thu: 5PM – 9PM, Fri – Sat: 5PM – 10PM
and chunky with pieces of skin mixed in… delicious! When we had finally finished this banquet that we had embarked upon we had about half the pile of onion rings left uneaten. Now most places you can request a box or your waitress will offer you a box, here our waitress Tracy asked us if would like to take those home with us and we indicated to the affirmative, Tracy whisked our plate away and returned with the leftovers neatly boxed up for us! Just another example of the excellent service we experienced at The Club Car!The Club Car in Clive… I guess I’ll have to add this to my ever-growing list of favorite places to eat! Until next month, ride safe and eat hearty! Craig Little craig@thunderroadsiowa.com
The Train Car restaurant? My wife and I had been in Des Moines for an open house at one of my PS If you have someplace you think we should check out in your neck of the business suppliers and since we were in the big city already and it was almost 6PM we decided to find somewhere in town to eat. After driving around woods, shoot me an email. for nearly an hour she offers up a place she had eaten at during a conference for her work in Des Moines. “Let’s go to The Train Car restaurant!” The what????? I would surely have heard of a place that had a train car as a restaurant! Especially since we used to have that very thing in Panora! After navigating to University Avenue we made our way to the west side of I80/ I35, out past the new hospitals, to a strip mall on the north side of University that has Liberty Bank, Anytime Fitness and, not the train car, The Club Car Restaurant and Lounge. I can’t help but wonder which one was there first, Anytime Fitness or The Club Car… quite a coincidence, no? If you are coming from the Waukee direction it is found about 2 blocks east of the Jordan Creek Parkway intersection. In all fairness to my wife the entire place is set up with a train motif. When you enter the establishment you are met by a hostess that will seat you in either the lounge car or dining car according to your preference. The same food is available in both places as long as you are there during the lunch or dinner time periods. If you have problems making a decision then this establishment may not be for you, the menu here offers it all; appetizers, salads, sandwiches, steaks, burgers, seafood and pasta. Pretty much everything is available with your choice of fries, baked potato, mashed potatoes, rice or soup. A dinner salad can be substituted for an additional fee. The prices average out about $9.00 with a max of $26.95 for the Filet Mignon. We were seated in the dining car by the hostess and readily notice the train theme is everywhere around you from the scale model train cars sitting on tracks to the photos and paintings all depicting train related events. Scattered about are pieces of train memorabilia; luggage, lights, crossing signs, etc. After a short period our waitress, Tracy, arrived. The staff here is very friendly and customer service oriented. Tracy took our drink order and left us for a few minutes to finish deciding what to order. By the time she came back with our drinks and our complimentary loaf of bread we were ready to order. My wife had decided on a taco salad and I had decided to try something new instead of my usual steak or hamburger order, I ordered the club sandwich which is available hot or cold (I ordered cold) and for my side I ordered the mashed potatoes, I also ordered a dinner salad (if you have followed my series of articles you’ll probably notice a trend here) and we ordered a small order of Onion Rings from the appetizer menu. When Tracy arrived with our onion rings we were shocked to see that the small order was an 11”X7” platter HEAPED with homemade onion rings (I’m already regretting the decision of the salad), I mentioned to Tracy that maybe I shouldn’t have ordered that salad and she told me I could cancel it if I wished, I told her not yet. Shortly after we started in on our onion rings one of the other waitresses delivered some dinner salads to a neighboring table, these things are HUGE, filling a 12” dinner plate and piled at least 4” high… the next time Tracy passed by I cancelled my salad! We were nowhere near finishing our onion ring order when our main courses arrived, the taco salad came in an edible bowl which filled the better part of the dinner plate and the club sandwich was a triple-decker sandwich consisting of bread, turkey and cheese, bread, ham, cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, and finally bread with dressing slipped in throughout all held together by those nifty colored cellophane tipped toothpicks. I highly recommend the mashed potatoes, a mixture of creamy Thunder Roads Magazine 13
Midway Tavern’s 12th Annual Soldier Valley Run BBQ and Street Dance/Concert Pictures and Story by Annette and Murph We were treated to that wondrous sound of rolling thunder as we entered Soldier, Iowa on Labor Day Weekend. As we turned the corner, I looked to my right and it was nothing but the glint of chrome and the flash of color as far as the eye could see. When we entered town itself, you could add tents and campers to that picture. It’s a wonder how this small town comes together and makes itself available for biker events. I’ve been to two different events here in the last month and the people here are just great. The town’s Fire Department and Rescue not only help the residents, they cook up some pretty mean grub!! There was food available all day and through most of the night! My favorite fund-raiser booth was the young ladies from the Bobcats’ Softball Team from the COLU District. They were raising money to go to the State Games in California in August 2011. They were selling raffle tickets for a ladies leather jacket, (provided by Leather and Hawgs, of course), or a rifle. Bet you can’t guess which one Annette bought a ticket for! There were all kinds of winners on this day. Joyce Herrick from Mesa, AZ. Won the Super Glide, yeah Joyce! Now she won’t have to fly back home. There were lots of vendors with tons of goodies for sale. Buster and Joyce Koenig of Buster’s Leather Works was there as well as jewelry and clothing vendors and inside in their very own building was Leather and Hawgs right there in town. There was some hard working staff in that store that day! We also got to look at some tanks and pictures with custom painting and airbrush designs by GraphX. There were people lining up at the tattoo trailer where the owner of Ghost Rider Ink was kept pretty busy through the day, checkin’ out the pictures and making appointments. Just about the time we got done checking out the vendors, the Pink Ladies were just finishing getting set up to serve those frosty beverages!! Hope they made some good tips, cause they really worked hard for a good 12 hours straight. They sure served ‘em up!! And always with a smile. Now the music was getting started and we grabbed some seats and just visited here and there and met some new friends. The bands were awesome and we started out with Saucy Jack who kept us tapping our toes or hopping up to dance. During the break between bands we met some great people from the American Veterans M/C from Fremont, NE. and I just wanted to say once again, Thank You, to all our Veterans, current and past, for your sacrifice, dedication and courage in making sure we are able to remain free. The next band up was, of course, The Curtis Moore Band. This band lived up to its reputation, and more, as they played their hearts out. They proceeded to keep the audience Thunder Roads Magazine 14
dancing until they finished playing for the night. They even graced us with some of their own original music, it was truly awesome. I got to meet Curtis Moore’s lady, Rebel, what a classy woman she has! She set up a table and sold T-Shirts and CDs of The Curtis Moore Band music! If you didn’t get one that night, but are still interested, you can find him on MySpace. Had a great time, and met a lot of people from a lot of different walks of life that day. As many different kinds of bikes there were, there were even more different kinds of riders, but underneath it all, we’re still just brother’s and sister’s who like to ride “in the wind”.
Rallies & Events around Iowa Sept 24 Sept 25 Sept 25 Sept 25 Sept 26 Oct 1-3 Oct 2 Oct 2 Oct 9 Oct 9 Oct 23 Dec 11 Feb
Silver Eagle H-D Waterloo Fall Fest Leather & Hawgs End of Summer Customer Appreciation at Hornick Winterset Bike Night on the Square God’s Littlest Angel’s Poker Run Clinton, Iowa Walnecks Swap Meet Martinsville Fall Colors Ride-Ride the Iowa Border 1135 miles Tim @ 402-290-8347 Rips BAD Ride Iowa III Des Moines www.ripsbabride.com Pick your start site Chrome Divas Breast Cancer Ride Cedar Rapids M/C Mags Drop off Party Papa Joe’s Missouri Valley Silver Eagle Harley Waterloo Dyno Shootout Baxter Cycle Marne, Iowa Open House Christmas Open house Roosters Harley Davidson Sioux City Iowa Rips BAD Ride Chili Cook Off (Date to be announced) at Porky’s Des Moines, Iowa
This list is what we have found and what has been submitted. Before heading to any event, please check weather and make sure the event is not cancelled for some reason. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list, please email them with as much information as you have to tt@ thunderroadsiowa.com Thunder Roads Magazine 15
Thunder Roads Colorado Staff Member Sets Second Bonneville Land Speed Week Record
In 2008, team “Carpe Diem” set a Bonneville Land Speed August 18, 2010 - Colorado Springs, Colorado based Week record for the 350 cc Production Vintage class on a Team “Carpe Diem”, led by Thunder Roads Colorado Staff member Jerry Pokorny, has set a new land speed record in stock 1945 Triumph 3HW (ex-military dispatch riders bike). the 650 cc Production Vintage (pre-1956 stock motorcycle) Pokorny noted, “With so many classes of competition allowed by the organizers, there is a place for every special class at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah at the internationinterest. Since my passion is old vintage stock motorcycles, ally attended “Speed Week”. This record was set on a I have focused on getting the maximum performance from stock 1954 BSA A-10 “Golden Flash” averaging two runs them to see if the historic road tests “in the day” can be over two days on a 3-mile track on the salt lake bed. With less than 25 miles on a new set of pistons and barrels equaled or improved upon.” just installed a few days prior, the team decided to hold the A special “Thank You” goes out to team Carpe Diem sponsors Ridge Runner Restorations, R-Goods, Cycleworks, speed of the runs to less than half the potential for this vinTaint-Paint, Blast-Tech Inc., Dons Body Shop and Gold tage machine, thus averaging 52.202 mph for the initial reRush Signs and to the many old Brit bike enthusiasts and cord. Team owner/rider Jerry Pokorny indicated that other test runs that week indicated a “ton-up” (100mph+) potential friends who provided their advice and knowledge to make for Speed Week in 2011, after the engine is properly run-in. this record possible. The Bonneville Land Speed Week this year registered 381 Editors Note: On August 20, 2008, Team “Carpe Diem” cars, 178 bikes and 74 Class Changes; of which 486 Vehicles produced 183 Daily Records consisting of 109 Cars, 74 also set a new land speed record at Bonneville Speed Week on a vintage 1945 Triumph 3HW – a rigid tail and Bikes and a total of 158 Event Records accumulated over Springer front-end 350 cc overhead valve single. This bike 2,852 runs. was one of some 50,000 OHV and Side Valve machines Racers included entrants from North and South America, produced by Triumph for World War II use by dispatch Australia, New Zealand, Europe and many other parts of riders and truck convoy escorts in Europe as well as other the world making this truly an international “Olympics” of theatres of operation. land speed racing. Thunder Roads Magazine 16
Sturgis is a memory, the summer is going fast. We were able to come home, take a day to do laundry, and we were off to Hawgstock. Another wet Hawgstock but a great time as usual. Chief, Cat and the rest of the crew work their tails off and put on a quality event. Anyone that has been to the Hawgstock grounds in the rain is familiar with “the hill “. It is something that has to be navigated to get down into the rally grounds proper. One evening my wife and I were assigned to radio duty where there is one radio person at the top of the hill and another radio person at the bottom to direct the flow of traffic. Being hearing impaired, I needed Karla to listen and relay instructions to me so I could properly direct the bikes and four wheelers going up and down. It is a neat system and works well when everyone pays attention. Anyway, it was interesting to see how people took instruction - or didn’t - and the consequences that played out. A few of the attitudes would roar up, hit a spot, and start the fishtail dance up the hill coming close to wiping out and taking their buddies with them. They lost their balance. I then got thinking about life and how balance applies. How often do we ignore God’s instruction and direction, roaring off with an attitude to do something we think we know better about and end up losing our balance? Sometimes we recover; other times we wipe out and take people with us. We are all guilty of this at different times. We get so focused on ourselves, our wants and desires, or circumstances of life that everyone and everything else fades into the background as we fish tail our way along. Our lives are kind of like big teeter totters - we go too far one way and then swing back too far the other way, all the time striving to achieve that center or balance point in life. Actually, it is God who provides the balance, not me or my efforts. I just have to come to that realization and ask His help. Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. The Bible says that His strength is made perfect in the midst of our weaknesses of which I, like everyone else, have plenty. Years ago I worked with an old biker and painter. He was in Nam in the early days when we were there officially only as advisors. He had a reputation as being a bit crazy, very intelligent though a little bent, but we got along great and spent many an evening talking about everything. One day we were on the subject of God and religion and he told me that yes, he was a believer in God, but then proceeded to tell me his version of how things worked. It seems that he didn’t confine his beliefs to just what the Bible had to say but went on to explain how he added Buddhism, Native American Shamanism and then Aliens to the mix, stirred the pot, and that was his belief system. It was no wonder he came across as confused to people. He has been gone many years now but hopefully through Jesus, God helped him to achieve that proper balance. Scripture says that there is a way that seems right unto man but in the end is destruction. We have to acknowledge God’s control over our lives and He will show us the way. Jesus laid it out for us pretty simply when he said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and your entire mind and love your neighbor as yourself”. Be Blessed Mark
IF THIS WAS YOUR AD Thousands Of Riders Would Be Seeing It Right Now
Mark and Karla Cornick are Area Reps with the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Find our more about CMA and God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org.
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Bike: 2005 Harley Road Glide, custom paint by Mike Esse & Duffy Yanz Model: Sue Cowden Photo: Lynn Cowden
IOWA
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News Bytes CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS HOPE TO HUSH LOUD PIPES California is home to the largest population of motorcyclists in the country, and if legislators have their way, it could also soon be home to one of the most onerous anti-motorcycle laws in America. By a bare majority vote of 21-16 on August 30 the state Senate approved SB435 which will make it a crime to operate a motorcycle manufactured after Jan. 1, 2013 that fails to meet federal noise-emission control standards and that all new motorcycles sold after that date must display and maintain compliance labels from the Environmental Protection Agency. A similar bill last session would have required biennial smog checks for emissions violations, but after meeting resistance from bikers’ rights groups it has since been amended to target illegally modified exhaust systems. Supporters of the bill say that many motorcycle owners modify their exhausts to make them louder, but swapping a compliant tailpipe equipped with a catalytic converter for one without emissions controls produces more smog-forming pollutants per mile. Opponents of the measure counter that many aftermarket exhausts meet federal EPA emissions standards but aren’t labeled, and labeling on stock systems is often difficult to locate, meaning that lawabiding riders could be unfairly ticketed. SB435 has already passed the Assembly and its fate now lies in the hands of the state’s most famous motorcycle rider, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose office has not yet taken a position on the proposed legislation.
option of creating its own more restrictive noise ordinance. That opinion was clearly reiterated in Williamson’s letter on behalf of the EPA. “Thus, neither the NCA nor the regulations in Part 205 (of the EPA code) grant municipalities the authority to enact or enforce ordinances that supersede any limitations on their authority under state law,” he wrote. Town officials decided not to fight the Harley dealer’s request for a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of the noise ordinance. “The ordinance will remain unenforced until we have a hearing,” Fournier said, indicating that the town’s new noise ordinance will not be enforced until after the judge issues a ruling on the matter.
MASSACHUSETTS ENACTS RIDER TRAINING FOR JUNIOR MOTORCYCLISTS The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) announces that Senate Bill 2344, dubbed Ryan’s Bill, an “Act relative to assuring that motorcyclists between the ages of 16 and 18 are provided with adequate education relative to the proper safety and operation of a motorcycle.” has been signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick. Recognizing the additional burden formal training may require, MMA Legislative Director Rick Gleason states, “A weekend of formal training sets the stage for a lifetime of motorcycling enjoyment and the skills acquired through training can help a rider avoid a crash.” This new law does not make training mandatory, and only affects those under 18 who wish to earn their motorcycle license. MMA Chairman Dave Condon further clarifies that passage SOUND REASONING SILENCES N.H. NOISE ORDINANCE of Ryan’s Bill does not require a junior operator take a moAlthough North Hampton, New Hampshire voters approved torcycle training course. “A motorcycle permit in this state is a noise ordinance in May that prohibits motorcycles without good for two years. Therefore, a junior motorcycle operator an EPA sticker from being operated or even parked in town, can still ride on his\her permit beyond their 18th birthday, and take the road test offered by the Registry of Motor a lawyer for the federal agency has expressed that just Vehicles.” Condon further stated, “The MMA was very carebecause the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires a label on all motorcycle mufflers indicating the noise ful in not taking anyone’s choice away or interfering with a parent’s right to decide what is best for their child.” Conthe vehicle produces does not exceed 80 decibels doesn’t don also pointed out that current state regulations require mean a municipality has the authority to enforce that noise 40+ hours of formal training before a Junior Operator may level. “The Noise Control Act (NCA), which authorizes EPA to enact noise control regulations, states that ‘nothing in this obtain a license to operate an automobile. Motorcycle Rider Education Program (MREP) officials analyzed ten years of section precludes or denies the right of any state or political subdivision thereof to establish and enforce controls on information from the Massachusetts RMV and found that environmental noise,” wrote EPA Senior Assistant Regional just over 63% of those involved in fatal motorcycle accidents have never received any formal motorcycle rider Counsel Timothy Williamson in an Aug. 31 letter to North training and 22.5% of motorcycle fatalities were from riders Hampton Town Administrator Steve Fournier. “However, under the age of 21. The MMA supported the legislation in neither does it grant localities any additional authority to honor of 16 year old Ryan Orcutt of Brockton who died in a control environmental noise beyond that available to them motorcycle accident. under state and local law.” “The ordinance basically bans motorcycles from the town if they do not have an EPA label on their exhaust system even though the motorcycles SAVING TIME CAN COST YOU MONEY In the current economic downturn, cash-strapped states comply with the state’s noise level limit of 106 decibels,” said Seacoast Harley-Davidson in court papers challenging across the U.S. are charging huge fines for speeding violations and other traffic infractions. All across America, the new law. Even the town’s own legal counsel has indilegislators have one eye on road safety and the other on cated the ordinance is unenforceable, saying that the state depleted coffers, and depending on where you live a speedhas already determined the appropriate noise levels for motorcycles and that the town, therefore, does not have the Thunder Roads Magazine 22
News Bytes ing ticket can cost from under a hundred dollars to a couple thousand or more, reports AOL Autos. Drivers caught speeding in the states of Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire all are liable to be fined up to $1000, at a judge’s discretion, for a first-time speeding offense, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The severity of the financial penalty also may depend upon the number of miles above the speed limit when clocked and the number of points on a driver’s license, or if the offense occurred near a school or road works. A driver’s license may also be suspended, their vehicle impounded, or they may face jail time. Some states including Michigan, Texas and New Jersey, operate under so-called “driver responsibility” laws, which, in some cases, can result in a further fine of up to $1000 leveled a year after the conviction. Virginia, which until 2008 had some of the strictest penalties for speeders, repealed its driverresponsibility laws last year after a public outcry. Georgia, meanwhile, has just voted to add $200 to the fine of what it terms “superspeeders,” who travel more than 10 mph over the speed limit. Other states with fines of up to $500 -- which in many cases is then compounded with additional court fees -- include Maryland, Missouri and Oregon. ROAD DEATHS DECLINE WORLDWIDE Data published by an international transportation group revealed Britain has the lowest road death tally of 33 countries surveyed, topping the charts with just 3.8 deaths per 100,000 population, and the declining global fatality rate has been heralded as “a record decade for road safety.” The United Kingdom joins the Netherlands and Sweden as the countries with the safest roads, according to the report published by the Paris-based International Transport Forum, while Malaysia, Argentina and Greece rated highest of the 33 countries detailed in the survey. The United States ranked 27th with a traffic fatality rate of 11.1, nearly three times higher than the UK. Further data from the survey revealed motorists are least likely to be killed on Swedish, UK and Swiss roads, while the chances of being involved in a fatal crash were highest in Korea, the Czech Republic and Malaysia. The report found motorcycle accidents in the UK were down 23%, despite a 45% increase in the number of motorcycles on the road. Figures for motorcycles figured badly in the worldwide survey, however, with huge rises in fatal crashes in Finland and Slovenia. On the flipside, bikerelated deaths dropped significantly in Portugal and Korea. The report found motorcycle deaths were on the rise in many developing countries. “These increases are only partly explained by the rise in the number of motorcycles,” said Veronique Feypell-de La Beaumelle, ITF road safety expert. ITF Secretary General Jack Short hailed the overall figures as “a record decade for road safety,” adding: “Reducing fatalities around the world will be accelerated by rapid and effective transfer of knowledge, good practice and informa-
tion from the best performing countries.” Road deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2009: Malaysia - 23.8; Argentina 18.4; Greece - 13.8; Cambodia - 12.6; Korea - 12.0; Poland - 12.0; US - 11.1; Lithuania - 11.0; New Zealand - 8.9; Belgium - 8.9; Czech Rep - 8.6; Slovenia - 8.4; Hungary - 8.2; Portugal - 7.9; Italy - 7.9; Austria - 7.6; Luxembourg 7.2; Australia - 6.9; France - 6.9; Canada - 6.3; Spain - 5.9; Denmark - 5.5; Ireland - 5.4; Iceland - 5.3; Finland - 5.3; Germany - 5.1; Japan - 4.5; Switzerland - 4.5; Norway - 4.4; Israel - 4.2; Sweden - 3.9; Netherlands - 3.9; UK - 3.8 INDONESIAN CAPITAL LIMITS MOTORCYCLE TRAFFIC City officials in Jakarta are mulling over schemes to limit the number of motorcycles allowed in certain areas during peak hours to help unsnarl the city’s acute traffic jams. The Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association estimates there are about 35 million motorcycles in usable condition in the country, and in the capital city of 8.5 million people there are nearly one motorcycle for every person and growing by nearly a thousand new bikes every day. This extraordinarily high number of motorcycles has exacerbated the city’s already awful traffic, especially during rush hour, and plans are in place to begin banning bikes from a number of main thoroughfares in this mostly Muslim nation after the holy holiday of Ramadan, requiring riders to continue their journeys by public transportation. Motorcycle numbers have been increasing for six years throughout the country, driven by affluence and affordable credit schemes. Today, a new motorcycle can be purchased with an initial down payment of Rp 500,000 (US$50). WEIRD NUDES An 18-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran and his female passenger were thrown from a motorcycle when they veered off the road near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. According to newspaper reports, both sustained painful injuries due to total lack of safety gear; no helmet, no gloves, no boots… and no clothes! The naked riders landed in a ditch, and the Marine was knocked unconscious and awoke to charges of DUI, reckless driving, driving without a license, license revoked, expired inspection, no insurance and no helmet. His passenger walked nearly a mile for help despite a broken arm and leg, but was only ticketed for failure to wear a helmet. Apparently, riding in the buff is not a traffic offence in Onslow County as neither were charged with exhibitionism or failure to exhibit common sense. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Das Beste oder nichts (The best or nothing).” Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900), inventor of the motorcycle and the first automobile
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Marne, Iowa Man, it was hot! But the bikes just kept coming for Baxter’s 29th Annual Motorcycle Rally on August 21 & 22. Maybe it was the free donuts and coffee at the shop. Or maybe it was the fabulous sloppy joes served by the Fire Department on Saturday. Or maybe it was the free hot dogs and Marne Secret Recipe Beans on Sunday. Perhaps it was the fun run with stops for cheese and crackers, wine and beer tastings, and apple crisp and ice cream. Or maybe, just maybe it was all those crazy bikers enjoying a great weekend in Marne, and test driving the new Triumph models that came on the big demo truck. The folks from the Triumph corporate office were very impressed with Marne’s hospitality! Baxter sends out his thanks to the Scouts, Fire Dept. and Community Club for providing terrific food, Lanny Kite for cleaning out the park facilites prior to the event, Al Cranston for the sound system, Barb & Randy Fischer for the use of their awning, and Ed’s Lawn Equipment for the loan of Kenner’s Official Staff Vehicle. Kenner
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HAWGSTOCK As we wound down along the river southeast of Winterset, it was apparent from the roar that we were hearing; something awesome was going on. We pulled into Paul and Cat’s for the Hawgstock motorcycle rally, and the fun began. First, I want to say, “THANK YOU” to Paul and Cat, their staff, the security force and the EMS services that were second to none, they nailed it!!!! It’s been a long time since we’ve partied old school like this, and it sure was a blast!! I have been given the privilege of having seen Hawgstock come together before my eyes. I experienced the awesome beauty of Paul and Cat’s creation, before the crowds, and then during the huge party that becomes Hawgstock. While we all come for the party and camaraderie, there were many here before us preparing the way for this great big four day party. I saw just a small part of the preparation and planning that’s required to put on an event such as this and it boggles my mind to imagine the organization required to keep it all together. There are many people that volunteer to help Paul and Cat get this party together. These volunteers come from all walks of life and help in many different ways. From the vendors to the bands, it seems that each year brings more and better, if you can imagine, than the previous year. The food was awesome. I think I had something from each one of the food vendors. We ate at the Crazy Lady’s Café, where you could find the best coffee and biscuits and gravy, and Foxy’s Bar with an awesome Taco Salad, and you cannot forget the Texas Roadhouse, is that where we got the Cactus Blossom and the awesome Ribeye Steak sandwich? There is also the local booth that was turning over all its profits to local charities, what a place for a great cheeseburger! So many booths and almost not enough time to try them all!! On Saturday morning the Winterset Kiwanis and the Winterset Fire Department were there and they had these great breakfasts with all you can eat prices. To go one step better, they offered this same deal for a free will offering on Sunday morning. Wonderful food served up with the most wonderful smiles, thanks guys and gals of Winterset, the food was great! Just in case you’re thinking that all I did was eat while I was there, let me tell you about our neighbors at the booth we had set up for the magazine. My booth mates were Kenny from A.I.M. and a local guy named Michael Chapman doing airbrush body painting, talk about talent! There was also a young veteran who was selling AMSOIL lubricant products for motorcycles. We all had a great time chatting up the visitors to our booths and Michael’s booth was the source of a lot of entertainment! Our neighbors across the way were BandD Concessions, sure wish I had tried the fried cheesecake. There was also a gentleman offering adult viewing material and another local rider manning the Bikers Against Diabetes booth. We had plenty of visitors at our booth to check out the magazine and many who wanted to know where they could find one in their area. If you’re not finding it around your home territory, contact TRMI and let us know and we’ll make sure they get there. This was my first year at Hawgstock and I couldn’t have been more surprised at the amenities offered. Can you believe this, HOT showers!! Available 24-7, they were even stocked with extra shampoo and soap, if you forgot your own. To make things even Thunder Roads Magazine 30
better for the gals was the long counter with plug-ins and a big mirror. Top it off with the individual kits with shampoo, soap, toothbrush, paste and a washcloth that were provided by the Christian Motorcycle Association and a person couldn’t have asked for better. Oops almost forgot, the very lovely always smiling ladies that acted as attendants! Not only were they there to move things along, they were essential in keeping things sanitary for the next person. I think I will sign up for a shift as a shower helper next year. You should have seen the smiles on the faces of the brothers and sisters as they exited that shower building, oh and did I say there were 8 showers! The bands that played throughout the weekend were incredible! My personal favorite was Cold Filtered, wow they sure had a lot of energy to share with the crowd. The field events were awesome, with one couple winning more than a couple of events, seems like somebody must practice! We also had a wedding on Saturday morning and the bride walked up an aisle of motorcycles and the ceremony was performed on the main stage. There was so much going on, I’m sure I missed more than I saw, but there’s my job for next year. All I know is that, come hell or high water, we will be back next year, and we hope to see all our brothers and sisters from this year back also. I can’t say enough how incredibly enjoyable Paul and Cat made this whole adventure. If you happen to see Paul or Cat make sure that you give them a big brother handshake and a sister hug for all they do for all of us. Ride safe and see you next year. Menlo Murph and Annette
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Nate’s Road King
About 10 years ago, I started to have problems with my stock Evo, and at 33,000 miles I just replaced the power plant with an aftermarket motor. From there on, I went through a 2 year period of constant break downs and headaches with that bike, before finally getting it back to a reliable ride. Now don’t get me wrong... I know that break downs and roadside issues are all part of the biker lifestyle that I live for, but in recent years, my career as a freelance photographer has brought on many more responsibilities, one of which means that I have to stick to my word when a magazine editor asks me to cover an event for them. While most bike magazine editors know the “broke down and stranded” routine, it still pains me when I have to explain that my scooter didn’t make it, therefore, I don’t have the story or photos that they’re expecting. So, come summer of 2005, my Evo was just shy of the 100K mark, when I wandered into a local Harley shop and noticed a black carbureted Road King sitting on the floor. I’ve always liked the idea of having saddlebags to lock up my cameras, but I’m not a big fan of full fairings, so the Road Kings have always caught my attention. Plus, I’ve tinkered with the carburetors on all my other bikes, and to this date, the fuel injection idea still doesn’t sit well with me. I really wasn’t looking to buy a new bike, and I’ve still got some sore opinions of the company from my Evo deal, but I’d been looking at other bikes, and sore opinions aside, I still felt that the Harleys had the best looking bike on the road. It was June of ‘05, and rumor had it that all the big twin ‘06 models would be fuel injected. Needless to say, the fuel injection rumor didn’t come to be until the ‘07 models, but I still didn’t know this at that time, and when I couldn’t get that bike out of my head after a week, I had to go pick it up. My photography work has given me the pleasure of meeting and working with a lot of talent through out the motorcycle industry, and anymore, it’s a regular occurrence for me to spend a weekend photographing $50K to $100K custom bikes. So the day I rode my new Road King home, one thing stuck in my head... “I’m riding a bone stock turd!” It was a great bike, but I still spent the rest of the summer on my Evo, which at that point, the only things left stock on it were the swing arm, triple trees, and transmission. I had big plans to tear down the Road King the coming winter, but for the summer of 2005, my wife had a nice new Road King at her disposal! Finally in early ’06, the Road went up on the lift, and within a couple days, parts were scattered all over my garage. I started with tearing apart the forks and front end to have it all powder coated flat black. My good friend Patrick hacked off the caliper mount on the right leg and I spent all evening sanding everything out, before I sent it all over to Bob Miller at Hobby Machine for the powder coat. Patrick also operates a part time paint and fab shop called Hollywood Customs here in eastern Iowa, so he was happy to do the paint work, and even more happy to do it at my said price! Pat’s dad Mike also offered to help out with the body work, so while the two of them slaved hard in the shop, I ran the wheels down to Taurus Cycle, where our long time friend John Earhart relaced them and had a local shop powder coat the rims, hubs, and rear pulley a traditional red. My original idea with the bike was just flat black paint and front end, with spokes and white walls. But after a few too many nights of drinking and talking about a flame job at Pat’s shop, I decided to go with a traditional hot Thunder Roads Magazine 32
rod inspired look; therefore the wheels had to be red. While waiting for the paint and wheels, I called upon Joe at Fortune Cycle, who sent out the brake rotors to be polished, and later on helped out tremendously with a few small problems. I also called my good friend Sleepy of Sleepy’s Cycle in Low Moor, Iowa, to track down a fairly inexpensive air ride system, because I just had to have the slammed look in the rear. Sleepy also cut me some really good
deals on a few other necessities, and for what he couldn’t readily find available, I called on Phil and Lynn at Black Magic Customs for some help on parts too. Unlike most bikes that I tend to photograph for magazine features, this bike doesn’t have any major frame modifications or major engine hop ups. But this just goes to show that a clean and simple factory Harley can turn just as many heads as a low and long wide tire chopper. Plus, it gave me a chance
to work with a lot my friends in this business, and it’s great to know that all these folks were there to help me along the way. I can’t thank them enough! But when it comes right down to it, the best thing about these photos you’re looking at is the hot redhead straddled upon it, who also happens to be my wife Theresa. She’s the greatest wife a man could ask for and she’s supported me through out all the ups and downs in this business. I’ve worked with a ton of models for shoots in magazines like BIKER and EASYRIDERS, and Theresa’s willingness to put up with modeling for me over the years has given me the experience needed to pull it off. More photos of both my Road King and Evo’s, along with various bikes I’ve photographed over the years can be seen on my online portfolio at www.natanic.com But, just to give you fair warning, it’s not a G-rated web-site. See ya on the road! Nate Ullrich
Don’t Miss A Single Issue Have Thunder Roads Delivered To Your Pad! GET YOUR THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE OF IOWA, STILL FREE, BUT THE SHIPPING WE HAVE TO CHARGE YOU FOR. Send Check or Money Order for 1 Year of 12 Issues for $30. Mail to: Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa P.O. Box 29 Kimballton, Iowa 51543 NAME______________________________________________________________________ STREET OR P.O. BOX______________________________________________________ CITY________________________________________ST___________ZIP______________ PHONE_________________________________ Thunder Roads Magazine 33
S K I N A R T
Wild West Show Pictures and Story by Annette and Murph We started out on a beautiful day for a ride, to go see a Wild West Show at Big Barn Harley Davidson in Des Moines. The weather was perfect, warm with a light breeze and they couldn’t have had better weather for their event if they had ordered it. We arrived amidst many, many other riders who pulled into the rider’s only parking area. After checking in with one of the owners, Dan Moellers, we proceeded to gawk and drool over the multitude of bikes that they had lined up inside and outside. There were plenty there to gaze at, just about any style, color, or size could be found. We also found out from the wonderful ladies at the reception desk, that they can’t keep enough copies of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa in stock. When we informed them we had brought extra copies, they were ecstatic. After some browsing, we wandered over to the chuck wagon to taste test the “cowboy” chow. That was some of the best “chow” I’ve ever had! Of course, when I found out it was from Smoky D’s, I knew why!! This was Murph’s first taste of Smoky D’s, and he agreed that it was certainly quality “chow”. Even better, it was free! Big Barn really knows how to put on a shindig! After filling our bellies, we turned our attention to the Wild West Show that was just beginning. We were treated to feats of trick riding and shooting. I was so wrapped up in the show that I almost forgot to take pictures! The 3 time World Champion Gun Spinner even managed to get a volunteer from the audience, whom he led to believe was going to be a part of his show. She showed great relief to find that he really wasn’t going to shoot the apple off of her head, while he was blindfolded with his back to her!! The fact that he gave her a welder’s mask, might also have had something to do with it!! While I was so impressed with the 2009 World Champion Mounted Shooter, I did remember to take pictures, but that proved not to be so easy a task as I had presumed. Ever tried photographing a moving horse at a run with your subject bouncing around and spinning and standing and shooting all at the same time? Well, I tried,
but I’m sure I didn’t near do those feats justice! Ending the show standing on the horse, twirling a huge lariat out to its full length put me in mind of the Rodeos that I used to attend as a kid. He had that lariat spinning around him and the horse by the time he was done! Add to that the card shark inside and the old-fashioned clothing picture booth, things were happening all over the place. All the staff were working hard to keeping things moving smoothly and assisting all the customers that came to the show and stayed to check out the bikes and all the accessories that go along with them. When we went to say goodbye to Dan and his partner Keith Zoellner, Dan started telling us all about some new and exciting things that are going to be happening. A union between Smoky D’s and Big Barn is going to produce all kinds of fun in the future. Smoky D’s has moved to its new home in the building just above the Big Barn and will be hosting many new future events with Big Barn. Dan gave us a “nickel tour” and took us up the new shuttle path to Smoky D’s and took us through the yet to be opened Smoky D’s, where we got to meet the owner Darren Warth. Darren has won multiple awards for his BBQ and has now opened a restaurant/bar with carry-out and catering. We can’t wait for the grand opening; oops I think I’m drooling. What a great day! Beautiful weather, great food and entertainment provided by Big Barn Harley Davidson. At least, I think they must have ordered the weather; they did such a great job of providing everything else! See ya at Smoky D’s.
ride for children
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Thunder Roads Magazine 35
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