VOLUME 1 ISSUE 8 AUGUST 2010
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Where There’s Bikes...There’s Going To Be Thunder Upcoming Events - Midway Tavern’s Soldier Valley Run Conesville Thunder In the Sand - Bike Nights Galore
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Wow, we have already approached August, and it seems like at a rapid rate of speed. The 4th of July was not too long ago and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. We landed at the Abate rally in Algona, Iowa. Meeting a great deal of people and taking some great pictures. I personally like the fireworks on both Friday and Saturday nights, it was a great show. Everyone knew the rain was coming but this did not deter a great many to enjoy the music, company of new and old friends, and just living the biker lifestyle. The rain started Sunday morning; making the ride home Sunday a wet one but worth the enjoyment had on Saturday night. Did you know that the rain gear weatherproof lining wears out after awhile? Why, yes it does, and I did find this out the hard way. It was still a great day to be riding despite the rain and all. I also wanted to share about meeting some truly great people that I would say are the definition of “Biker Friendly.” We found ourselves in Soldier, Iowa one afternoon and met up with the owner of Leather & Hawgs and we were truly impressed with his spirit. Greg is a retired educator with two shops; one in Hornick and one in Solder. He also has many years as a leatherman, which is where the shops got their start. Here is a place you can get your leathers, shirts, and riding accessories and he will even personally stitch on patches or make repairs to leather goods as needed. Make sure you stop by either one of his locations and say that tt with Thunder Roads sent you. Once you meet him you will make it a point to stop by when passing through. I have learned in my travels that just because you have a business that sells to bikers, that this does not make you biker friendly, which is very disappointing but true. At Thunder Roads we are always searching for the ones that are truly biker friendly, the ones you want to stop by their businesses to say hello. We want the businesses that believe in customer service and truly care to take time to talk with you as a person. We all have these places that we like to frequent, so if you can, send me a note about why your place should be listed as a biker friendly establishment. These are the ones we want to advertise with us and get the word out about their establishments so others can enjoy and patronize their businesses. There are a great many events going on this month across the state. Hawgstock in Winterset is gearing up with their rally the 19th22nd, which will surely be an awesome bash once again. The folks down at Across the Border Raid in Bedford are also putting on the final touches for their event the 12th-15th. Although not in August, but Labor Day weekend there are two large events on opposite ends of the State. The Midway Tavern is having their giant annual bash in Soldier September 4th and 5th, and the Circle of Pride MC is
hosting their huge Thunder In the Sand event September 2nd-5th at Conesville. There will also be some great poker rides, benefit rides, and bike nights as well as the new HD roll outs begin. Check out our web site www.thunderroadsiowa.com, or our face book page under Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa to hear the latest and greatest of Iowa events. If you are out and about and stop at a business in our magazine, let ‘em know you saw their information on our pages. The advertisers allow us to keep going and bring you the content every month. Also, if you have any ideas for the magazine, let us know, we are always looking to the Iowa bikers to find out more about what you want to see. Until next time, ride safe……. tt
Thunder Roads Magazine 2
CONTENTS
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
On the Cover
Editor Vernon Schwarte (712) 249-5630 vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com Sunshine and Jason Kluver, Regional Sales Representatives (Des Moines Metro) (515) 402-3021 sunshine@thunderroadsiowa.com Mindi Schooley Regional Sales Representative (NE Iowa) (319) 290-4706 mindi@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 Tim Gessert Regional Sale Representative (West Central Iowa Area) 712-249-0130 tim@thunderroadsiowa.com Randy Nelson Regional Sales Representative (Western Iowa) 402-290-1376 randy@thunderroadsiowa.com Contributing Photographer Kandi Schlensig kandi@thunderroadsiowa.com 712-249-0713
The June Biker Babe Contest Winner is Brandy Parcel of Baxter. Brandy is a wife, a mom of two girls, and has an interesting nickname. Her friends call her Donkee’, ask her about it if you see her around. She rides her own Harley Davidson 883 Sportster, and Comes from a family of riders herself. She proclaims herself as just one of the guys, but sure as heck looks a lot better than any guy I know. Thanks Brandy.
From The Woman’s Seat..............................................3 99 Counties On The Wall..............................................4 Sturgis On The River.....................................................6 Joker.............................................................................8 Military Riders...............................................................9 Biker Friendly .............................................................10 Girls Of Thunder.........................................................12 Wing Ding...................................................................13 Events........................................................................14 CMA...........................................................................15 TorqueFest 2010........................................................16 Thundercam........................................................20 NCOM News Bytes.....................................................22 Iowa Biker Day............................................................24 Geneva’s Puzzle Page...............................................26 Sturgis Directory.........................................................27 Riding To Eat...............................................................28 Cody Rodenborn.........................................................30 Old Settler’s 150th.....................................................32 ABATE Freedom Rally................................................34 VIP Custom Cycles....................................................36
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Event Coverage/Magazine Distribution Richard (Murph) and Annette Murphy Annette@menlo.lib.is.us 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
Thunder Roads Magazine 3
99 Counties on the Wall
99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, drive on around, 98 counties to tour on the bike. A few years back, a summer riding goal was to ride through each of Iowa’s counties, and what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month we will feature a different county, with new things to go see, and hopefully spark a little touring curiosity for our own State. Allamakee This month’s feature county is the farthest northeastern county in the State. It borders Minnesota to the North and Wisconsin to the East across the Mississippi river. The County Seat is Waukon, with a few other well known towns of Lansing, Postville, and Harpers Ferry. A common nickname for the area is “little Switzerland” due to the bluffs, rolling hills, and green as far as you can see views. This area is truly beautiful to ride, drive, bicycle, or walk. The area is the only entire county in Iowa that was spared from glacial activity in the last ice age; this is what makes the lay of the land unique. This is referred to as driftless, as the area is mostly free of debris left by receding glaciers. Parts of neighboring counties, as well as major parts of Wisconsin and some of southeastern Minnesota are also included in the driftless area and a national wildlife refuge. Just getting to Allamakee County is a wonderful journey in and of itself. Many of the roads leading to and around this part of the state are ridge roads that follow the scenic hill tops and afford a wonderful view of the countryside. Hills, curves, peaks, and valleys make the ride a wonderful adventure. Crossing into Allamakee at Postville, then following the red dot road on the map to the river was a wonderful experience. It is certainly an interesting route at times, but well worth the trip. Heading east on B28, then to X26, the road went from pavement to gravel, not a favorite road surface, but some of the views are well worth the gravel dust. If you choose to forego the dust, the paved routes are also very nice, but just not quite as pristine feeling at the gravel path. Many of the roads, both major and minor ones, are great to ride with wonderful scenic views. Highways 76 and 9 are both worth traversing if you have the time, and
the desire to see some of Iowa’s best. Another county road in the northeast corner worth mentioning is A26, and that is all that is going to be said about it, you have to ride it to find out. Allamakee is also home to a couple designated scenic routes including the Driftless Area Scenic Byway and the Iowa Great River Road. The Effigy Mounds National Monument is also located here in the far southeastern corner of the county. This is Iowa’s only national park, and is home to the largest collection of mounds in the United States. These mounds were built by early civilizations dating back as old as 500 BC. These mounds were built by peoples for various reasons, some of which were burial sites, for residential purposes, or ceremonial in nature. Of the 206 mounds in the area, 31 are effigies, shaped to represent animals. This area is an interesting stop historically for Iowa, as well as offering some of the most beautiful views of the Mississippi river while traveling to the National Park. If you get to the area and want advice on where to go, what to do, where to eat, how to find good roads, or any information you could ever want on the area, stop in Waukon at the Allamakee Economic Development office and ask for Laura, she is a peach and will send you in the right direction. As far as from a biker perspective, you can stop at Waukon Harley Davidson and get a map that Daryl in the parts department will highlight for you to make sure you hit the right spots. He was an incredible wealth of information on the area, and a pleasure to chat with. If you cannot make the trip during prime riding season, Allamakee is truly a four season’s county for tourism and recreation. Motorcycling, bicycling, and boating, ATV riding, skiing, hiking, fishing, and just about anything you want to do can be done outside here. In doors the area is home to many historic and interesting buildings and unique shops. There are many quaint little eateries, and the people here greet you with a smile and are glad you came. If you get a chance, meander to Allamakee and check it out, it is worth the ride. Next month, Appanoose.
From the Woman’s Seat I saw something recently that caught my eye; as I was watching the American Legion riders assemble to go to one of the local events, with a constant light misting of rain falling down. I watched I saw a wife get off the back of the bike and help to back the bike into formation by pushing on the front forks while the husband guided the bike into place. This impressed me greatly that even a service man, trained to be tough, mighty, and self sufficient knew his own limits and accepted help. This made me think about what I do, what I have seen a lot of other women do, and how we can all work together better. I know for sure with me; a Marine Corps Veteran, Fire Fighter I, and Emergency Medical Technician I, Registered Nurse, wife, and everything else that I take on; that most of the time I am very stubborn/hard headed into accepting help from anyone, man or woman. I believe that a person’s attitude will either break or make a person. In order to gain confidence you need to gain experience; and in order to gain experience you have to be confident enough in your skills to keep doing what you are doing. The old double edge sword that is so hard to get past and grow. When you are new to something, you may feel insecure, and clueless, and then as time goes on, comfort levels build and things get better. This is not something awe inspiring, but just a thought to keep in mind. When you are riding, you may be new, intermediate, or a seasoned
rider, but those around you can be in all stages. We never know too much that we cannot learn from others, and if we do know a considerable amount, share that with those less experienced around us. I have over 40k miles logged on two wheels now, and I only continue to improve with each day on the road. I have learned a great deal riding a bike about working together, supporting each other, and yes asking for help. It does not make you less of a person to get help. It may even get you there quicker, safer, or more efficiently. In the past just about every time I chose to exhaust all my resources to figure something out before I would ask for help, but I have learned some of my limits. Now I know that I need a little help sometimes to push back up on the gravel or dirt areas, that riding through a bumpy wet yard to turn the bike around would be better done by someone else, or that advice given by others can be valuable even if the delivery is not the best. So learn your own limits, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, and if you are ever alongside me I will do what I can to help you to. Ok, ok you have heard enough of my ramblings. I am passing on what knowledge and insight I have gained in my travels, and if anyone has any insights they have learned drop me an email so we can help each other. tt
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Thunder Roads Magazine 4
Sturgis on the River 2010 Sweet Sixteen, and still rolling along!
Anyone around eastern Iowa, and pretty much around the entire Midwest region, has most likely heard about the Mississippi River Motorcycle Rally, also known as Sturgis on the River, held in Davenport, Iowa over Father’s Day weekend. The event started as a small gathering of motorcycle enthusiast in a little shopping district on the east side of Davenport called The Village, therefore the event was originally dubbed “Sturgis in the Village.” It quickly out grew the 2 block section of The Village, and was therefore moved to a larger location right on the Mississippi River, so the name was changed to Sturgis on the River. After dealing with a number of years in which downtown Davenport was succumb to the Mighty-Miss flooding out of her banks, it was decided 2 days before the rally in 2008 to move to higher ground. From that point on, the stake was claimed at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds on west Locust Street in D-port. The Fairgrounds lacks the scenic view of being right on the river, but offers a more centralized location with on site camping available. Things kicked off this year on Wednesday night, June 16th, with a little pre-party party. While vendors were still setting up, folks were already rolling in from all over the region to partake in the festivities. The party carried on through out the weekend with regular MC for the event, Brett “Big Schwag” Wagner from Monster Garage and Pass Time, who’s always around to hang with the crowds and host the nearly world famous Scooter Girl Contest. Now don’t worry, we’re not going to leave you faithful readers hanging on the Scooter Girl subject… We’re just saving the best for last! Johnny Lang from Strip Club Choppers had his traveling Roadhouse on display, while Red Barron Choppers has a number of killer toys on hand, and the J&P Cycles semi was offering up some unbelievable deals on new parts for your ride. The always-popular Wall of Death was running all weekend, while numerous poker runs were held, and vendors had everything related to motorcycle that a person could possibly imagine. New this year was a motorcycle swap meet and bike rodeo on both Friday and Saturday, while traditional favorites like the River Rat Bike Show and local radio dorks Dwyer and Michaels hosted their annual Classic Car show on Saturday afternoon. With numerous beer tents scattered about the grounds and 3 stages for a wide variety of live music, there was plenty to keep the socialites happy into the evening hours. Many local bands took to the stages including the Tailfins, Pash & Brew, Sleeping on the Couch, and the Sugar Nipples. Hey, you’ve got to love a band with the name Sugar Nipples! But come Saturday night, the weekend stars took to the main outdoor stage… Yes, local favorite Kings KISS rocked the close of the party, with a KISS tribute band in full make-up, featuring, get this, the King himself on lead vocals! Who says Elvis and KISS can’t share the same stage??? Now I know you’re still itching to hear about them lovely Scooter Girls, but we also have to mention the Leather and Lace fashion show, featuring a number of local hotties strutting down the catwalk wearing nearly nothing fashions donated by many of the weekend’s vendors. Now with the Lather and Lace show as a teaser, we’ll mention the fact that for weeks before the event, many local bars on both the Iowa and Illinois sides of the river hosted preliminary Scooter Girls contest, with all the Illinois finalist heading to the semi-finals on Thursday night of the rally, and Iowa finalist held on Friday night. Finals were then held Saturday night, which meant 3 nights in a row packed full-o-babes! With the Leather and Lace shows just doubling the pleasure. Unfortunately, Mother Nature pulled a fast one on Friday’s semi-finals, but they were rescheduled for Saturday afternoon, and things went off with out a hitch, with congrats going out to a long legged beauty named Lisa who took home the crown. The party will again be held next year on Father’s Day weekend, and you can get more info at www.sturgisontheriver.com or call 800-563-5263. And don’t forget that in January, a preview to the rally is held indoors at the Rock Island car show held at the QCCA Expo Center, where Dwyer and Michaels will be handing out their Classic Car Calendars, featuring many bikini clad Scooter Girls. Plus, the lovely ladies can typically be seen bouncing all over the place, so chances are you might be able to grab an autograph and sneak a peek at next years contestants! See you on the road! Nate Ullrich (www.natanic.com) Thunder Roads Magazine 6
INSIDE OUT BACON CHEESEBURGERS 1 lb. Ground Chuck 4 Tbls. Ranch Dressing, Divided 4 Slices of Premium Bacon, Cooked & Crumbled 4 Slices of Your Choice of Cheese 4 Hamburger Buns, Split & Lightly Toasted 4 Large, Crisp Lettuce Leaves 8 Medium Slices or 4 Extra Large Slices of Home Grown Tomatoes Mix meat and 2 Tbls. of the Ranch dressing. Shape ground chuck into 8 thin patties. Mix remaining dressing with the crumbled bacon. Spoon out 1 Tbls. of bacon/ dressing mixture onto center of each of 4 of the patties. top with a slice of preferred cheese and second (topper) meat patty. Pinch edges of patties together to seal tightly. Grill patties 7 to 9 min. on each side. When you do the first flip, generously sprinkle Worcestershire sauce all over patties. Fix up your toasted buns and enjoy!
1 Container of Sour Cream Combine ALL ingredients and chill for 2 hours to let flavors meld and either serve cold with your favorite chips, or cover with Saran wrap (leave a small section peeled back) and nuke for one minute, stir and nuke another minute. Tastes super either hot or cold !
PINEAPPLE FRUIT AND RICE SALAD 1 Cup of Uncooked Instant Rice 1/2 Cup Yoplait Fat Free Pineapple or Pina Colada Yogurt (from two 6-oz. containers) 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon 1 Cup Frozen (thawed) Whipped Topping 1 Medium Unpeeled Eating Apple, coarsely chopped 1 Medium Unpeeled Pear, coarsely chopped 1 Cup Seedless Grape Halves Cook rice as directed on package. Place cooked rice in wire mesh strainer or colander. Rinse with cold water to chill; drain well. In large bowl, mix yogurt and cinnamon. Fold in whipped topping. Gently stir in rice and remaining ingredients. Serve chilled. Feel free to add other ingredients you think might enhance the recipe.
LEMON BLUEBERRY & RASPBERRY PUDDING CAKE In a medium bowl, with electric mixer on high speed, beat 4 large egg whites and a pinch of salt until foamy; gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Add the unused 4 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 4 Tbls. melted butter and 1 Tbls. grated lemon zest; whisk until well blended. Whisk in 1-1/2 cups milk. Stir in 1/4 of the egg white mixture; gently fold in remaining egg whites in two additions until no white steaks remain. Divide 1/2 cup each of blueberries and raspberries among 4 little ceramic bowls (preferably with short handles). Pour batter over berries. Place dishes in large shallow roasting pan; fill with 1 inch of boiling water. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes; until tops are golden brown and spring back when pressed. Remove dishes to wire rack. Serve warm either with Cool Whip or with rich, vanilla ice-cream. This is the freshest, best tasting pudding cake. Nothing tastes like piping hot cake with fresh fruit and ice cream.
EASY & CREAMY HOT OR COLD SPINACH DIP 1 Cup of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise 1 Pkg. Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix 1 Pkg. Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
SUMMER RAZZMOPOLITANS 1 Tub of Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange Mix 5 Cups of Iced Water 2 Cups Cranberry-Rasberry Drink 1/4 Cup Fresh or Bottled Lime Juice Place drink mix in plastic or glass pitcher. Add cold water; stir until mix is dissolved. Add cranberry-rasberry drink and lime juice. Stir and refrigerate. Pour into sugar-rimmed martini glasses. (Add ice cold voka or rum if so desired). Garnish with fresh rasberries on a pick in glass
Thunder Roads Magazine 7
Military Riders
“Squiggy” and his wife, Joletta, are having hard financial times, so they decide she’ll become a hooker. She’s not quite sure what to do, so “Squig” says, “Stand in front of that bar and pick up a guy. Tell him a hundred bucks. If you’ve got a question, I’ll be parked around the corner.” She’s not there five minutes when a guy pulls up and says, “How much? Joletta says, “A hundred dollars.” Guy says “Dang, All I’ve got is thirty.” She says, ”Hold on.” She runs back to Squiggy and says, “What can he get for thirty dollars?” Squig ponders and says, “A hand job”. She runs back and tells the guy all he gets for thirty dollars is a hand job. He says okay, so she gets in the car, he unzips his pants, and out pops an astonishing HUGE pecker. Joletta stares at it for a minute, and then says, “I’ll be right back.” She runs back around the corner and says breathlessly, “Squig, you reckon you can you lend this guy seventy bucks?”. A little boy and a little girl attended the same school and became friends. Every day they would sit together to eat their lunch. They discovered that they both brought chicken sandwiches every day! This went on all through the fourth and fifth grades, until one day he noticed that her sandwich wasn’t a chicken sandwich. He said, “Hey, how come you’re not eating chicken, don’t you like it anymore?” She said “I love it but I have to stop eating it.” “Why?” he asked. She pointed to her lap and said “Cause I’m starting to grow little feathers down there!”. “Let me see” he said. “Okay”, and she pulled up her skirt. He looked and said, “That’s right. You are! Better not eat any more chicken.” He kept eating his chicken sandwiches until one day he brought peanut butter. He said to the little girl, “I have to stop eating chicken sandwiches, I’m starting to get feathers down there too!” She asked if she could look, so he pulled down his pants for her. She raised her eyebrow at him and said “Oh my, it’s way too late for you! You’ve already got the neck and the gizzards.” The football coach noticed that his star tackle, “Boner”, had so many women hanging around that he couldn’t possibly handle all of them. So one day he asked Boner “Just what the hell is your secret, kid?” Boner replies, “Well, Coach, whenever I’m about to have sex, I always whip it out and bang it on the dresser like a hammer. That numbs it up, and I can screw ‘em till they beg me to stop!” The coach went home early one day and went to the bedroom. He heard his wife in the shower. Seeing a window of opportunity, he tore off his clothes and started bangin’ the hell out of his “wanker” on the dresser. His wife stuck her head out of the shower and yells out, “That you Boner,, baby?”
This morning on Hwy. 12, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new Cadillac doing 65 mph with her face up next to her rear view mirror, putting on her eyeliner. I looked away for a couple seconds...to continue shaving; and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane, still working on that makeup. As a man, I don’t scare easily, but she scared me so much; I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand. In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone away from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs! splashed and burned “Big Jim and the Twins”, ruined the damn phone, soaked my trousers, and disconnected an important call. Damn women drivers! Ma was in the kitchen fiddlin’ around when she hollers out....”Pa! You need to go out and fix the outhouse!” Pa replies, “There ain’t nuthin’ wrong with the outhouse.” Ma yells back, “Yes there is, now git out there and fix it.” So......Pa mosies out to the outhouse, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin’ wrong with the outhouse! “ Ma replies, “Stick yur head in the hole!” Pa yells back, “I ain’t stickin’ my head in that hole!” Ma says, “Ya have to stick yur head in the hole to see what to fix.” So with that, Pa sticks his head in the hole, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin’ wrong with this outhouse!” Ma hollers back, “Now take your head out of the hole!” Pa proceeds to pull his head out of the hole, then starts yelling, “Ma! Help! My beard is stuck in the cracks in the toilet seat!” To which Ma replies, “Hurt’s, don’t it ?!” When little Tony Soprano returned home from elementary school, in his youth, he told his Dad he got an F in math. “Why?” asks the father? “The teacher asked ‘How much is 2x3’, I said “6’”, replies Tony. “But that’s right!” says his dad. “Yeah, but then she asked me “How much is 3x2?’” “What’s the f***ing difference?” asks the father. “That’s what I said!”, little Tony yells.
Master Sergeant Lee Potter resides in West Des Moines, Iowa. He is in the Air National Guard 132nd Fighter Wing based out of the Des Moines Airport. He originally enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served six years on active duty from 1983 until 1989. He had a brief stint out of the military, and then signed back up in the Air Guard in 1995 until now. He works on aircraft structural maintenance as his current job assignment. His military career has landed him in many different places including Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Okinawa, Japan, and Des Moines, Iowa. He has also spent time in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Qatar, and Iraq. When asked about family history in the military, he added that his father in law served in the Army in WWII and the Korean Conflict, an Uncle served in the Army in WWII, his oldest brother served in the Navy, next oldest brother in the Army, brother in law served in the Navy, son is in the Air National Guard, and youngest daughter will be joining the Marine Reserves in November this year. He also has numerous extended family members who are in the Army Reserves and cousins that were in the Navy. His motorcycle riding began on a Suzuki Enduro and he worked his way through a Yamaha 650 Special, a Honda Shadow, a Yamaha Royal Star Venture, and now on a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic that he picked up at Big Barn Harley Davidson in Des Moines. When asked why he chose his latest ride, he simply stated, “It said, Buy Me”, and that he liked the color scheme. As with many military persons, Lee spent a little time without a bike while he was in the service. He was stationed overseas, and with small kids, was not practical at the time. He got back into riding simply for the love of the ride and a little more economical on fuel. Lee’s big riding plans for this season include a trip to Macgregor, Iowa in September, and a trip to Daytona Beach for Biketoberfest in October. Most of his other riding is with the many military and church friends and family. He belongs to “Hopes Angels” from the Lutheran Church of Hope that he rides with. He also noted that his wife and 3 children are all licensed riders, and his wife has her own Suzuki C50 Boulevard. If you see him out on his Ultra, 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!
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her. Without missing a beat.... she said, “Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.” One day a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very sexy nightie. “Tie me up,” she purred, “and you can do anything you want.” So, he tied her up and went for a ride on his Harley.
Thunder Roads Magazine 8
Thunder Roads Magazine 9
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 and Minnesota 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. ALL of our regular advertisers can be found, in bold, throughout this listing. All of our friends listed are “Biker Friendly” & most of them ride too, so they know exactly what you want and need. 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 “Where there’s Bikes...There’s Going To Be Thunder- Thunder Roads”
Thunder Illusions Photo and Video From Mild to Wild Des Moines, Iowa thunderillusions@gmail.com www.thunderillusions.com
Ulrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com
5th Street Pub 128 5th Street West Des Moines, IA 50365 515-255-4550 Porky’s Pub and Garage 5125 NE 14th St Des Moines, IA 50313
Bars, Restaurants, Lounges & Clubs
XTreme Cycle & Off Road 206 E Main St Panora, Iowa 50216 641-755-4288 xtremecycle@netins.net Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycles.com Big Barn Harley Davidson I-80 Exit 135 Des Moines, Iowa 515-265-4444 www.bigbarnhd.com Overdrive Auto Auto Repair, Motorcycle Sales/Consignment 1021 Gilbert Court Iowa city, Iowa 52240 319-354-7503 Owner Shawn Harris Struthers Brothers 5191 NW 2nd Ave Des Moines, IA
Iowa Bail Bonds 200 4th Street Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 243-4411
Zylstra 1930 E 13th Ames, Iowa 50010 (515) 232-6223
RJM Trucking Cedar Rapids, Iowa 319-360-5433
Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa (712) 792-1610
BCS Computers 100 Industrial Road Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-747-3344 www.brubakercomputer.com Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa www.bikerwear.com 319-241-0946
M&M Garage 408 Market Street Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2425 mmgarage@iowatelecom.net
Dealers
Services Leather & Hawgs 316 Main, Hornick, Iowa 121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa Leather@netins.net www.leatherandhawgs.com
Biker Friendly Directory
Thunder Roads Cycle 4106 Rockingham Rd Davenport, IA 52802 (563) 323-3172 Des Moines Dirt Bag Customs Des Moines, Iowa 515-779-4632 Thunder Roads Magazine 10
Good Sons 2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102 Des Moines, IA (515) 681-5375
Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com
Murphy’s Bar and Grill 71 East First St Riverside, IA 52327 (319) 648-2888
Goat Ranch Saloon 105 South Main Street Baxter, IA (641) 227-3502
The Longest Yard 122 5th Street West Des Moines, IA 50265 (515) 274-1710
O’Kelly’s 106 North Main Street Baxter, IA 50028 (641) 227-3013
Tequila Bar Hwy 70 North Columbus Junction, Iowa 319-728-0948
Roadhog’s Bar 104 East Main Street State Center, IA (641) 483-2126 Tracey and John Abate- Owners
Dave’s Place 111 South Fredericks Oelwein, IA 50662 (319) 238-2324
Rumours Sports Bar & Grill 309 South 12th Ave. Place Marshalltown, IA (641) 752-5477 Steve Priske-Owner
Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015
14th Street Tavern 3418 East 14th Street Des Moines, IA (515) 266-3446 Open Weekdays 8am-2pm Sat 10am-2pm and Sun 11am-2pm The Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, IA 50120 (641) 475-3321 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-12am Riverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh IA, 50557 515-359-9998 Email: riversidetap@gmail.com
Events Hawgstock Motorcycle Rally Winterset, Iowa www.hawgstock.com August 19-22 Circle of Pride MC Conesville, Iowa Independence Day Blow Out July 1-3 Thunder in the Sand September www.circleofpridemc.com To list your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5582 or 712-249-5630
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r e d n u h T f O Girls
Diana Felice Des Moines, Iowa 2004 Harley Davidson Super Glide
Wing Ding Des Moines became the temporary home to thousands of Gold Wing Riders before and during this past Fourth of July weekend. The 32nd annual Gold Wing Road Riders Association rally was held right here in the heartland. The GWRRA hosts an event every year, and moves the location around the country. The downtown area prepared for about 14,000 riders converging on our capital from all over the world. The GWRRA is one of the world’s largest organizations that membership is based on a particular brand of merchandise. All of the members are Gold Wing or Valkyrie owners and riders. The group is a self described family that has a motto of; Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge. The large group has the common bond of riding their Honda motorcycles without the burdens about profit, religion, or politics. Those areas are purposely left out of their group, to keep the joy of riding in the forefront. The group boasts over 80,000 members nationally in 53 countries with 800 active chapters. They were founded in 1977 to promote safe and fun riding and to better the general public image of motorcycling. Some of the events that were included in the gathering were parades, light shows, fireworks, and poker runs covering some of the beautiful sights in Iowa. Classes and seminars are also held on topics as varied as the attendees. Event promoters added that Des Moines proved to be a great destination for Wing Ding and the residents and businesses really made an effort to welcome our attendees to their great community. The Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau went above and beyond in working with the outlying suburbs and even the State Dept of Transportation to get directional and welcome signs on the interstates and byways leading into the Des Moines area. Global Spectrum, the management company for the Iowa Events Center, did an excellent job in being the host facility and providing a great venue for our event.
Judy Clark Winterset, Iowa Kawasaki Vulcan 900
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 are from!!! Look for more Girls of Holly Darveau 2004 Nightrain Manning, Iowa
Thunder next month.
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Rallies & Events around Iowa
Iowa Bike Nights Monday Fireside Grill Altoona 523 8th st Tuesday Porky’s Pub Des Moines NE 14th st Victory Lane Des Moines 3801 Easton blvd Wednesday Roar Into Harlan Downtown Harlan 7-21, 8-18 O’Kelly’s Pub Baxter Latitude 41 Bar & Grill Saylorville Lake Marina Johnston Hooters West Des Moines Quaker Steak & Lube Council Bluffs Smoke in Your Eye BBQ Des Moines Legacy Sports Bar & Grill Waukee Rusty Duck Dexter Thursday Trophy’s Bar & Grill Des Moines Porky’s Pub & Garage Des Moines NE 14th st Daytona’s All Sports Bar Des Moines 4875 Merle Hay rd Screaming Eagle Bar & Grill Waterloo Friday Rides Bar and Grill Fort Dodge Knoxville Bike Night (1st Friday) Knoxville Throttle Down to “O” Town Osceola Fatboyz Saloon (2nd & 4th Friday) Grimes Bike Down to I-Town (3rd Friday) Indianola Ferg’s Grand Junction Saturday Winterset Bike Night @ Breadeaux Pizza (2nd Saturday) Winterset Water Street Bar Cambridge East Village Bike night 7-31 Sunday Haverhill Social Club Haverhill 7-18, 8-22, 9-19 Hicklin Powersports Dinner Rides Grimes 7-25, 8-8, 8-22, 9-12, 9-26
July 25 J&P Cycles Motorcycle Parts Swap Meet Anamosa July 28-31 Great River Days Muscatine July 30 SLOPFEST! Beachfront Bar Wever July 30-31 Mick’s Bike Day Pilot Mound, Iowa July 31 Ride Iowa Boone Aug 8 Panorama Days Poker Run Panora Aug 12-15 Across the Border Raid Bike Rally Bedford Aug 19-21 Hawgstock Motorcycle Rally Winterset Aug 21 9th Annual Hemophilia Poker Run Papa Joe’s Missouri Valley Aug 21 American Victory Rally Spirit Lake Aug 21 MDA Hope Ride Dubuque Aug 22 Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department Fun Run Brooklyn Aug 20-22 BTW Annual Trike In Kellogg Aug 24 American Legion Riders 663 at Porky’s Bike Night- Bike Wash Girl Auction Aug 28 Tour De Dubuque Aug 28 Shake, Rattle, and Roll to Fight Parkinson’s Colo Aug 29 Adams Cycle Fun Run Nevada Sept 4 M&M Garage Open House 11 am-? Audubon Sept 2-5 Thunder in the Sand Conesville Sept 4-5 12th Annual Soldier Valley Rally Sept 3-6 Iron Horse Bike and Music Festival Sabula Sept 11 American Legion Riders 663 at Hugh’s Jungle Room Bike Wash Sept 10-12 Davis Motorcycle Rally New Hampton Sept 10-12 Loess Hills Motorcycle Rally Pacific Junction Sept 24 Silver Eagle H-D Waterloo Fall Fest Sept 25 Leather & Hawgs End of Summer Customer Appreciation at Hornick Sept 26 Walnecks Swap Meet Martinsville Oct 1-3 Fall Colors Ride-Ride the Iowa Border 1135 miles Tim @ 402-290-8347 Oct 2 Rips BAD Ride Iowa III Des Moines Oct 9 M/C Mags Drop off Party Papa Joe’s Missouri Valley 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
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Why is it that riding season is so short? We just get out of the monsoon and now the days are already getting shorter. Isn’t life in general just like that? I, like most all of you, love to ride. I ride and de-stress, I think and ride, pondering life’s questions and mysteries. My mind often wanders off on its own. Sometimes it will be reined in, others times it forgets who the road captain is and just takes off. Anyway, I was wandering/thinking while riding on an annual memorial run. The grave site list grows longer every year. Brothers and sisters gone on ahead of us-some younger, some older, but all left us too soon. At each stop I replayed in my memory the times together, the rides, camp fires, rallies and different ways they impacted my life and the lives of their friends and family. This led to thinking about legacies and inheritance. It seems humankind at some point realizes its own mortality and for the most part wants to be remembered. Whether it is a pyramid or a building with your name on it, a plaque on a park bench or a patch on a vest, we hope somehow we have made a lasting impression on others. It’s sad, but unless we are famous or exceptionally good at something we may only be remembered, at best, by a generation or two. Our family and friends will retell the stories, look at the pictures, put flowers on the grave, offer a prayer or a toast and go on with life. But what can and does make a more lasting effect is your spiritual legacy or inheritance. The Bible shows us that Jesus, through his sacrifice on the cross, makes it possible for us to leave behind something eternal. What’s great is that He did it for all of us, not just, those who have been sufficiently cleaned up or dress a certain way. We don’t have to be a Billy Graham or Mother Teresa. He knows who we are and what we do, that we screw up, get knocked down, get up, and try again. Man likes to make rules and a lot of the time we make things harder than they need to be. Scripture tells us in the book of Romans that if we confess Jesus with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. A few years back we attended a brother’s funeral where the club chaplain gave a message about the past being history, the future being mystery and today being God’s gift to us and that is why it is called the present. It really hit home. We need to live today well, enjoy each other and the days that God has given us, however many they may be, leaving an inheritance that won’t fade and looking forward to a reunion with our loved ones with the Lord. Be Blessed, Mark P.S.We just finished a relaxing 4th of July weekend at Conesville. Not everyone was at Algona. Thank you to Circle Of Pride for all their hard work and continual improvements to the grounds and facilities. Come see us downtown at Sturgis or later in August at Hawgstock. Sit a while, get your bike blessed and visit.
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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Torque Fest 2010
There’s a small town on highway 20, just west of Dubuque called Farley, which is popular to stock cars fans around the region because of the Farley Race Track. But this past spring, things were changed up a bit for an amazing event that really took a lot of people by surprise. The traditional hot rod / rat rod scene has made a huge come back in recent years, and to the pleasure of us custom motorcycle freaks, the traditional bobber and choppers are right there with it all. Lucky for Farley, the area got a small taste of just how popular the scene has become back on Saturday, May 1st of this year. The event was called Torque Fest, and event organizer John Wells was unsure how things might go over, considering that the closest event of this nature is held near the Chicagoland area, so Iowa was in for a real treat. As it played out, John and his wife, their team of support, and the rodders and bikers who showed up in amazing numbers made an impact on Iowa that’s surely going to stick around for years to come! For a person who’s into flashy paint, an over abundance of chrome, and feather dusters for your dash at every stop light, this event is not likely to be your cup of tea. But for the guys and gals who bust their tails at work for 50 + hours a week, and try to take advantage of any spare time in the garage, then this is all about you. There’s nothing perfect about any of the rods, choppers, bobbers, or anything else on wheels at Torque Fest… It’s all about original ideas, grease stained fingernails, and cold PBR after a full night in the garage. Many of us surely recognize the craftsmanship that goes into any iconic work of art like the Roswell Rod, or the alien like lines of the Asphalt Angel trike, and what’s great is that both of these beauties were on display at Torque Fest. Along with many hand built custom bikes, which relive a lot of the classic style of the hot rod era. And there’s got to be something said about the open wheeled rods rolling through the muddy gravel and splattering an aesthetic line of mud along a primer covered rusty trunk lid. Yeah if Panheads, Shovelhead, and Ironheads trip your trigger, then you wouldn’t be disappointed. And if Gassers, Flatheads, flame throwers, and Cardinals nesting in a busted out Impala taillight gets you excited, then you’ll be leaving with a great big smile on your face! Oh, and we sure as hell can’t forget about the racetrack. In all honesty, ask yourself where in the world do you think you can find all the simple things in life, and just like the cherry atop the ice cream, you get to see many of these dreamy rust buckets tear it up on the dirt track. Yep from street to track, with no modifications what so ever. Well except for the months prior sweating over a single 60-watt swinging from the rafters and a Zippo for a flashlight! Aside from all the heritage and good times held this past May 1st, it must be mentioned that this is all done for the kids. You see, if the young ones aren’t in tune with this type of craftsmanship, then what do they have to look forward to as they hit shop class in high school? If we didn’t have amazing shows like Torque Fest, kids would be glued to
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their video games 24/7 and grow up with no sense of creativity. That’s why this event is geared for the family side of the lifestyle, and the little ones are more than welcome. There was even a model car contest, with the winner receiving a cash prize and another model car kit to keep the interest. So, it’s no surprise that proceeds from the fist annual Torque Fest all went to a little girl whose life has drastically been affected by heart problems. Her name is Hannah, and there’s a little spot on the web that tells her families story at www.helpinghannahsheart.com And it’s no surprise that John and his wife took a special interest to helping out Hannah, especially considering that she’s their daughter! I highly recommend reading Hannah’s story on their web site. Therefore a person can truly understand how an event like this not only pleases the masses, but also make a big impact on one couple who will do anything for their little ones! While everything went off better than expected for the 1st annual running of the event, once simple detail needed to be improved upon. And that is the fact that only after one try at it, the event has already outgrown itself. So it was decided to move it to a larger venue, which will next year be held about 30 miles south in Maquoketa, Iowa. The Jackson County Fairgrounds should be more accommodating for the crowds, which if they’re anything like other greaser events, it’s sure to grow exponentially! Plus, the fairgrounds also have a dirt track to kick up a crazy dust storm like this year’s Torque Fest. The event will be held on April 30th, 2011, with a cruise night before hand on the 29th. So make your plans now for what is likely to be one of the greatest things to ever hit the state of Iowa. Nate Ullrich (www.natanic.com)
We Do Custom: Hats, Can Cozies, T/shirts, Patches etc.. We also Offer Leather Repair & Sewing..
(319) 241-0916
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Model: Thunder Roads Biker Babe Winner Brandy Parcel Baxter, Iowa Bike: Sonny Jacobs Newton, Iowa Photo by Kandi
IOWA
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News Bytes RALLY RESCINDS DISCRIMINATORY NO-COLORS POLICY Following a “Call to Action” issued by the U.S. Defenders, a politically active arm of the Confederation of Clubs, a major motorcycle rally in the red hills of Oklahoma has rescinded a “No Colors” policy that would have prohibited entry to anyone wearing a patch, including HOG, ABATE and any club. The Hawg Lakes Motorcycle Rally published a no colors policy on their fliers, ads and website that quickly stirred an uproar across the country, due largely to an e-mail “Call to Action” conducted by the U.S. Defenders and the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs. Brook “Xman” Bullock, State Secretary of ABATE of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Defender Rep, sent out a nationwide call to action to “Please take your money and support to BIKER FRIENDLY rallies and events, not 2010 Hawg Lakes. Pass the Word.” According to the e-mail; “2R” (ABATE of Oklahoma State Coordinator) personally talked on the phone with Hawg Lakes and “the guy in charge said he was absolutely unwilling to change his policy. ABATE, HOG, BACA, and not any Club, no colors of any kind will be allowed.” Mark “Bus” Buskirk, Oklahoma Commander, U.S. Defenders wrote “Hawg Lakes Rally on July 29th will not allow you to wear your club colors on their property. So we the motorcycling community need to not go. They are stomping on our rights of freedom of speech.” Within days, the Call to Action was called off when Tiger Mike Revere, ABATE of Oklahoma Liaison to the OK Confederation of Clubs and member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists board of directors, reported that; “The Hawg Lakes event has RESCINDED its No-Colors Ban -- Score one for our side!!” MYRTLE BEACH SUED AGAIN OVER NOISE LAW As Myrtle Beach prepares to adjust some of the 14 ordinances passed in 2008 to quell the May motorcycle rallies, including their city-wide helmet law and four other ordinances being invalidated by the state’s high court, it faces yet another legal challenge that could require even more changes. Some residents and other motorcycle enthusiasts are suing the city again, this time hoping the Horry County Circuit Court will overturn the city’s noise ordinance. Under the final version of the noise ordinance amendment, which gained final approval in March 2009, no vehicles except emergency vehicles can be louder than 89 decibels when measured from 20 inches away from the exhaust pipe, at a 45-degree angle, while the vehicle is idling. Bikers also must have an EPA issued sticker that state their bike meets federal noise reduction laws according to the municipal ordinance, but not South Carolina state law. On June 15th, Virginia-based Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) attorney Tom McGrath filed suit in Horry County Circuit Court on behalf of local motel owner William O’Day, Horry County ABATE, and others who feel the city overstepped their authority in enacting muffler regulations that conflict with existing state law. McGrath’s challenge to the city’s helmet ordinance prevailed in the S.C. Supreme Court, with all five justices unanimously agreeing that the state has already covered the issue of who has to wear motorcycle helmets
and that the city could not make its own rules because there must be a uniform traffic code. The noise ordinance wasn’t included in the case the high court recently ruled on, he said, because the focus was on the helmet law. “They were issuing tickets left and right [under the helmet law],” he said. “No one we know had gotten a ticket under the noise ordinance. It’s still sitting there, and the city has bought decibel meters, so we assume they are planning to use them. We felt we shouldn’t let the ordinance stay on the books.” McGrath said he felt it best to give the Circuit Court the first chance to make the decision in this case. “Let’s see if the judge will follow the Supreme Court’s opinion,” he told the Sun News. Meanwhile, the city of Myrtle Beach has mailed out refunds to those who paid fines when they received tickets for not wearing motorcycle helmets. The city repaid nearly $14,000 in fines for 141 tickets it issued when the improper helmet law was in effect. MICHIGAN’S REJEUVENATED HELMET LAW REPEAL EFFORTS HB 4747 to repeal the helmet law was passed by the Michigan House of Representatives in March, and now awaits action in the Senate. Even though similar legislation has been approved by the state legislature the past two sessions, only to be vetoed by outgoing Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) both times, two out of the three gubernatorial contenders to replace her support giving adult motorcyclists freedom of choice. Herb Rials who lobbies for ABATE of Michigan claims to have the support of every candidate for governor minus one, he told FOX News in Detroit. According to the legislative analysis of HB 4747, proponents of voiding the 40-year old helmet law argue it is a civil rights issue. “Wearing a helmet, or not wearing one, they say, should be a matter of personal choice and not a legal mandate.” Supporters of repeal legislation, which includes ABATE, the Michigan Confederation of Clubs and both Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls, also argue that removing the helmet requirement would increase motorcycle traffic in Michigan and thereby stimulate the state’s sagging economy. “Our outdated helmet law is a barrier to motorcycle tourism,” argues ABATE’s Jim Rhoades. “Michigan is the only Great Lakes state with a mandatory helmet law. Surveys repeatedly show that an overwhelming majority of motorcyclists in neighboring states refuse to visit Michigan because of this law.” According to a study done by Michigan Consultants in Lansing, Michigan is losing millions of tourism dollars and approximately $1.2 billion in overall economic benefit because of this law. So if the House and Senate vote next year to kill the helmet law as they have in years past, there’s a good chance that a governor’s signature, not a veto, will be attached to the measure. CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION REINFORCES NHTSA LOBBYING BAN In response to statements made by NHTSA Administrator David Strickland that the core component of the federal agency’s motorcycle safety plan is to increase helmet use, five members of Congress have introduced a resolution urging the National Highway Traffic Safety
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News Bytes Administration (NHTSA) to concentrate on motorcycle crash prevention and rider education instead of lobbying state legislators to enact mandatory helmet laws. Introduced on July 1st by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), H. Res 1498 “supports efforts to retain the ban on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ability to lobby state legislatures using federal tax dollars and urging NHTSA to focus on crash prevention and rider education”. Since 1996, NHTSA has been prohibited by federal law from testifying before state legislatures in support of helmet laws unless specifically invited to do so, and H. Res 1498 reinforces Congressional intent. COULD A HELMET BE BAD FOR A BIKER’S HEALTH? Most countries around the world require motorcyclists to wear a crash helmet for their own safety, but could it actually be harming their health and affecting their riding? That is what academics are investigating in a new research project. A team of Bath University researchers will take onroad measurements to find how noise is transmitted from a helmet and how it affects the riders hearing and ability to concentrate. Dr. Michael Carley of the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering said: “The noise inside the helmet at the legal speed of 70 mph is higher than the legal limit for noise at work - more than enough to cause serious hearing damage. The issue isn’t noisy engines or loud exhausts as you may think. The noise is simply from the airflow over the helmet. “Ear plugs won’t help much either as the noise is transferred into the inner ear from the rider’s bones. This has been known for 20 years yet little research has been done on the noise and its effects.” The laboratory study will be split into two parts; the first will examine how noise is transmitted through the whole system of the helmet including the head. The second part will determine if noise reduces performance. Dr. Nigel Holt from the Department of Psychology at Bath Spa University said: “It is known that noise can affect perception and cognition but, so far, nobody has tried to examine how noise in motorcycling affects the performance of riders.” Riding a motorcycle requires great attention and concentration; anything that reduces performance may lead to more accidents. Dr. Holt added: “This isn’t about putting people off riding or wearing helmets; it’s about finding ways to reduce this damage so that riders can have a better riding experience. We hope the research will provide information which can be used in setting standards for helmets and to help improve helmet and motorcycle design.”
about 10%, he said in an interview from Tokyo. The company last year posted its first loss since the year ended April 1984 as sales tumbled 45% in North America and 25% in Europe, though sales in Asia excluding Japan may exceed a 14% growth forecast, so Yamaha expects to break even this year says Yanagi. Honda Motor Co., the world’s largest motorcycle maker, said in an April presentation it expects its two-wheeler sales in North America and Europe to drop less than 1% to 385,000 units in the fiscal year ending March 31. AUSTRALIAN POLICE SEEK TO DISMANTLE OUTLAW CLUBS As police in New South Wales move to have the Supreme Court declare the Hells Angels MC a “criminal organization” and subject to new laws that would dismantle the club and disallow members from ever associating with one another, representatives of the United Motorcycle Council met in Sydney recently to discuss their response and warn others that the same state law could be used against other clubs and groups in society. Authorities announced in early July that the “Hells Angels MC in NSW” would be the first target of the Crimes (Criminal Organizations Control) Act 2009, passed by State Parliament in April last year, which allows the court to declare criminal organizations and control members under orders determined by the court. The UMC, comprised of 17 motorcycle clubs -- from rival “bikie gangs” to religious and family clubs – is raising funds in anticipation of a legal challenge to the ban. Mark “Ferret” Maroney, UMC chairman and member of the Vietnam Veterans MC, said; “These laws are unjust, they’re unnecessary and they go against the rule of law...where people are being discriminated against by the clothes they wear and their lifestyle.” Similar legislation in South Australia has been ruled illegal, but is subject to a High Court appeal.
MACHO MUNICIPALITIES Think you’re a manly man? Maybe...but do you live in the manliest city? From the research experts behind the popular “Best Places to Live” studies, the Combos “America’s Manliest Cities” study ranks 50 major metropolitan areas, using manly criteria like the number of home improvement stores, steak houses, pickup trucks and motorcycles per capita. Charlotte took the top spot this year, beating out Nashville as last year’s winner. Portland, Oregon ranked last in this year’s study. AMERICA’S MANLIEST CITIES: 1. Charlotte, NC; 2. Columbus, OH; 3. Kansas City, MO; 4. Nashville, TN; 5. Baltimore, MD; 6. Milwaukee, WI; 7. Chicago, IL; 8. Indianapolis, IN; 9. Washington, D.C.; 10. DEBT CRISIS IMPACTS GLOBAL MOTORCYCLE SALES Philadelphia, PA. Yamaha Motor Co., the world’s second-largest motorcycle maker, said sales in North America and Europe may fall QUOTABLE QUOTE: “The world is a dangerous place, not twice as much as forecast, as a spreading debt crisis because of those who do evil, but because of those who dampens demand. “From May, there has been a sudlook on and do nothing.” den impact from the Greek crisis,” Chief Executive Officer Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Scientist, humanist Hiroyuki Yanagi told the Washington Post. Combined sales in North America and Europe may decline as much as 20% this year, compared with an earlier estimate for a drop of Thunder Roads Magazine 23
Baxter Cycle What a Ride!!! Baxter Cycle, Marne, Iowa is sponsoring the 29th annual Motorcycle Rally on Saturday & Sunday, August 21 & 22. All makes of motorcycles are welcome to enjoy the rally, plus you can enjoy an opportunity by Triumph Corporation to test ride their new models. Plenty of food, bike judging, field events and a Fun Ride that starts at 1:00 p.m. Saturday. Plan to attend. Baxter Cycle is located on I-80 between Omaha and Des Moines Exit #51, three miles south into Marne, the shop is on the North side of the street. Amazing, that tucked away in small town Iowa, population 149, is a fantastic Vintage and New Triumph & Royal Enfield motorcycle dealer Baxter cycle in tiny Marne, Iowa. They have a complete service and machine shop that can offer engine and transmission rebuilding, cylinder boring, quality valve jobs, static crankshaft balancing, component repair, exhaust thread, bead blasting and all types of welding. And one of the best mechanics teams around. Baxter has been in business for over 35 years with eight full-time employees. The main store has over 15,000 square feet and houses a showroom. Complete workshop, office, shipping department and one of the largest inventories of new and used parts in the world, including an extremely wide range of parts for Triumph, Norton, BSA, Matchless, AJS, Areil and Royal Enfield. Another warehouse three blocks form the main store with 4,000 square feet storing over 125 motorcycles in various stages from good, original motorcycles stripped down-parts such as motors, transmissions, frames, wheels, gas tanks and much more. Over the years, Baxter purchased more than 30 British dealer parts inventories thoughout the U.S. plus a network of 35 sources for parts in the U.S., Canada, England, New Zealand and Australia. So virtually any part, for any bike can be either purchased for fabricated. Triumph has recognized Baxter Cycle with top sales & customer satisfaction awards in the United States for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. They were the #1 dealer in the U.S for the new 1600cc Thunderbird model. First place after many years of racing at Daytona Bike Week Vintage Racing Class in Daytona Beach finally in 2010! Baxter entered two vintage racers this year in Daytona and also in Savannah a week earlier. Their Rickman Trident took 1st place in both Daytona and Savannah races with the Sealy Trident taking 2nd in Savannah and 3rd in Daytona. Geir Jacobson from Norway was the winning rider on these bikes. Not only is Baxter Cycle and award winning Triumph dealer for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 they are also one of the largest worldwide vintage bike dealers, shipping bikes all over the world. Grab a cup of coffee and a doughnut, then turn back time when you check out the back showroom containing scores of beautiful fully restored vintage bikes. Check out their website at www.baxtercycle.com.
COME TAKE A FREE TRIUMPH DEMO RIDE
CRUISERS
MODERN CLASSICS
Th e f a c t o r y D e m o Tr u c k i s r o l l i n g i n t o t o w n ! Wi t h 16 m o d e l s i n o u r 2 010 m o t o r c y c l e r a n g e , Tr i u m p h m a k e s a b i k e t o f i t a n y r i d i n g s t y l e . G r a b y o u r g e a r * a n d c o m e o n d o w n f o r a d e m o r i d e t o d i s c o v e r y o u r f a v o r i t e Tr i u m p h m o d e l .
TO F I N D O U T M O R E O R TO B O O K A D E M O R I D E , v I S I T U S O N L I N E AT R I D E AT R I U M P H . C O M *Riders must be at least 25 years of age and possess a valid motorcycle operator’s license.Riders and passengers must wear a DOT certified motorcycle helmet, shoes, long pants, eye protection, long sleeve shirt, and gloves.
rideatriumph.com
AUGUST 20 - 22
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URBAN SPORTS
BAxTER CyCLES 311 4th Street Marne, IA 51552 712-781-2351 www.BaxterCycles.com
Iowa Biker Day Baxter, Iowa June 26th 2010 Article and Pictures by Kandi Schlensig Kandi@thunderroadsiowa.com A great day of weather set up the events in Baxter, starting with the fun run sign up with the Women on Wheels at the Goat Ranch Saloon at 10am. Despite a few traces of the heavy rain from the night before, a few swings of the mop later and we were ready to get started. We were given a map and a list of the stops to be covered during the day, with the last bike to be in by 4pm. Donations to the Susan G. Komen foundation were accepted from those unable to make the fun run with us, and after registration we were off on the ride. It was 87 degrees when we pulled out of Baxter at 11am and the sun was already shining hot. The first stop was at the Haverhill Social Club. The staff behind the bar was happy to serve us cold refreshments and share some local history behind the town and their establishment. And to our enjoyment, they were eagerly awaiting a fresh supply of TRMI to hand out to all the customers. Thanks guys! We were off again to the next stop in Marshalltown, at Rumors Sports Bar & Grill. After a cold glass of tea, it was time to move on to the next place, to get our forms signed and meet some new friends. Each of the following stops at RJ’s in Conrad, Flatheads in St. Anthony, Road Hogs bar and grill in State Center and Morgan’s Main Street bar in Colo was a place for a new group or pair of riders to join us. With a full ride in and our forms in hand, we welcomed the air conditioning of O’kelly’s Steak and Pub in Baxter. The Women on Wheels were at hand to greet us and we drew from the deck to get our poker hands. The prize table was full of donations from several locations. The drawing for leather saddle bags donated by Budweiser and O’Kelly’s was won by a local gentleman. After we had collected our prizes and cooled off, it was back outside to the evening agenda of the biker babe contest, the burn out pit, and dancing to the music of the Harvest Band. The evening sun gave way to a nice cool breeze that made it a perfect night for dancing and catching up with friends, as well as making new ones. The biker babe contest was a hit with the crowd as well as the babes. The girls “earned” votes in the form of dollar bills placed in the jar in front of them. The band emceed the competition and encouraged the voters to fill the jars, while the girls strutted their stuff. The top vote getter was Brandy Parcel of Baxter. As her prize for winning the biker babe contest, she will be on the cover of Thunder Roads of Iowa Magazine and also a calendar girl shot. Thanks to all the contestants, they are all winners in our eyes. We would like to thank those who came out and spent the day, and the evening with us. We had a total blast! Be sure to get your copy of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa and look for your smiling face or your hot ride pictured inside. Thunder Roads Magazine 26
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Will Ride to Eat Don’t Order a Salad The Rusty Duck Bar and Grille in Dexter, IA; the name itself conjures up visions of the local bar/café on main street in Small Town, USA… and that’s exactly what it is; a bona fide piece of Americana! Situated a couple of blocks south of White Pole Road in the town of Dexter (population 410 according to the sign at the edge of town), The Rusty Duck sits quietly on the east side of the street; it’s simple brick front hiding the culinary pleasures to be found inside. Once you enter the south door you are greeted by a whiteboard announcing what the specials are for the night. Don’t expect the standard bar food here! The specials consist of concoctions developed by the chef/owner that he creates sometimes by expanding on a standard gourmet dish or by creating something completely unique. The specials change frequently so you can expect variety and they generally mistake; knowing how hungry I was and, this not being my cost in the area of $12.99 to $15.99. On the night of our visit my wife had a plate called Chicken Catalina which she first rodeo, knowing that bar burgers are generally in the 2 described as a grilled Chicken Alfredo with Italian Ham and to 3 ounce area, I decided to order a salad also; oh, and not a small dinner salad, no way, I ordered the house salad! Big mistake! I was just finishing my salad when our entrées arrived… I almost choked on it! The “burger” I had ordered was, in reality, a behemoth of a sandwich that required its own platter (you read it right, platter, not plate)! The steak fries also required their own platter! Eating this burger was one of the biggest challenges in eating I have ever faced. I made a valiant effort to pick this monster up and eat it as I normally would only to find that many of its toppings ended up on the plate and no amount of smashing could bring this thing down to a size that would fit in my mouth (you can ask anyone who knows me… I have a big mouth!). After a couple of failed attempts at taking a bite I placed the Ultimate back on the platter and broke out the knife and fork. Let the record show, I DID FINISH IT ALL! In the future I will wait on ordering “extra” food until I see what the main course will bring! I can always have dessert. Be sure and put The Rusty Duck Bar and Grille on your vegetables cooked in. The meal included garlic bread and “ride to” list but make sure and pack a little extra appetite in a salad. If you order one of the specials you will not leave your saddle bag! the table hungry, in fact you will more than likely be taking leftovers home. My wife said it was amazing! When looking at the specials menu I didn’t see anything there that struck my fancy so I resigned myself to order from the standard menu. I was feeling pretty hungry and a burger called the Ultimate looked enticing. The description said it included mushrooms, bacon, cheese, onions and peppers… sounds good to me! The standard meal, for $10.99, includes french fries. I opted to upgrade my “fries” to something called steak fries which are potato slices with the skin left on cut to varying thicknesses and fried up to perfection. Now, I should have been suspicious as to what I was getting into when the waitress asked how I wanted my burger done; you see, your typical bar burger only has two levels of doneness… well done and hockey puck! I told her I would like it done medium (thinking this would safely keep me out of hockey puck range) and then came my Thunder Roads Magazine 28
Road Rash - Ouch! Kevin G. Charleville Hopefully you will never experience the pain and suffering of this terrible byproduct of skidding along the pavement with your body. However, it does happen to some unfortunate few. Road Rash is basically severe abrasions, the loss of layers of skin. Years ago, a good friend of mine swerved to miss a deer that had darted out in front of him, dropped his bike down on the concrete deck, and skidded on the pavement for awhile, then onto the gravel shoulder. Needless to say, he spent about a month in a hospital burn unit. Burn unit you say? Yes, a burn unit. For those of you who already know, I do not have to tell you that severe road rash victims are treated and cared for like burn victims. In my career I have seen many road rash victims. Not only from motorcycle accidents, but bicycle, ATV’s, sledding, and cars/trucks. The most vulnerable areas are the legs, arms and back, however, they can occur anywhere on the body. Usually, the severity of the road rash depends on the speed one was going, the type of pavement, and the amount of protective gear you have on. Like mentioned above, we treat these as if they were burns, (first, second, third degree). We use a sterile dry dressing to cover the wound ASAP. This is to help prevent bacteria from entering the vulnerable open area. We normally do not remove foreign material from the wounds, this may cause the victims unnecessary pain, the hospital will remove them. We do not use any burn creams or oils because this may cause additional burning and pain. If the pain is severe enough, we will use pain management. So, how do we help prevent such a terrible thing from happening to us? Ride safely and be constantly aware of road hazards, (goes without saying), wear appropriate protective gear, (Leather, Denim, Kevlar is the best protection), and take an approved motorcycle riders safety course. These courses are very informative and they help teach you ways to stay and/or get out of trouble. My friend above did survive his unfortunate ordeal; however it did cause him to quit riding. It is a beautiful summer, ride safe, ride free, and please take care of the children. God bless our servicemen and veterans. Thunder Roads Magazine 29
Cody Rodenborn, Yet Another Fort Dodge Racer This young man, at a mere 21 years old is a breath of fresh air in the world of motorcycling. His love for the sport and dedication to racing is inspiring to the younger generation. It is nice to see this level of dedication commitment to riding and racing. His father Alan is the owner of Racing Unlimited in Fort Dodge, a Polaris and Kawasaki multi-line dealership, so motorsports has almost been bred into him. Cody has worked at his father’s shop as a technician for the past 6 years, so he eats, sleeps, and breathes the motorcycle life. Cody started riding motorcycles at the age of five, and started racing a few years later when he was nine. He races two distinct forms of machines, motocross and roadrace. On the dirt, he races a Kawasaki KX250F. He races when time and money allow, which means you can see him out and about racing at least a couple of times a month in north central Iowa, the Des Moines area, and occasionally Cedar Rapids and Milleville, Minnesota. He is one of many racers that have come from the Fort Dodge area. Laughing, Cody states it must be in the water, because some big names in motorcycle racing have come from this area. It must be due to the great support of the sport, and the available venues in the area. Cody’s other racing avenue is via a roadracing bike that is currently a rare, purpose built RS125 grand prix single cylinder bike. He competes in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association’s (AHRMA.org) “Sound of Singles Two-Stroke”, a modern bike roadracing class. This group promotes and sponsors vintage as well as modern, motorcycle racing across the nation. Cody’s bike at a mere 165 pounds is a specialized machine to help Cody ride to victories and high national rankings in places like Daytona International
Speedway, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and Roebling Road Raceway in Savannah, Georgia. Roadracing is another venue for Cody to remain competitive in the racing world, and he does so with a little less frequency than the motocross events. Alan ads that the motocross venues and events are quite prevalent in the State of Iowa, but that road races are more of a unique sport for Iowa based racers. Cody is certainly doing his part to keep interest and the sport of motorcycle roadracing alive in Iowa. At either venue, Cody races in the “A” (local pro) classes. This in baseball terms would be the minor leagues of racing. This equates to a lot of the expense of the big boys, with much less payout for placing high at events. This is another reason that Cody is unique, in that he does not necessarily wish to advance to a higher level of competition, but intends to keep doing what he is doing, simply because he and the family love it. Alan is a former motorcycle drag racer, who later got into roadracing by building bikes and motors for other racers, so Cody comes about it naturally. The love of power sports and racing ring true with the Rodenborns. Racing Unlimited sponsors Cody, as well as Andrew Cowell who owns a metal fabrication business, in Bolivia, NC. Andrew is originally from Australia, but has now chosen the U.S. as his home. Cowell is a long-time AHRMA racer, and is likely to ride again this season for the Racing Unlimited team. Cody is a self proclaimed “average kid” that just likes motorsports. Motorcycles whether dirt, road, or street, ATV’s, snowmobiles, and about anything with an engine is what he likes to play on. He plans on continuing to race as long as he can, and to always enjoy power sports. You can look for the Rodenborn family at tracks here in Iowa or in Pennsylvania and Alabama yet this year. Root on another Iowa boy racing for the love of the sport! Story by Vernon and pictures submitted by Alan Rodenborn and Breck Bonnell/SevenTwoSix Photographics Thunder Roads Magazine 30
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Old Settlers 15Oth Celebration August 28, 2010
3 time world champion gun spinner
2009 world champion Mounted shooter
I-80, ExIt 135, DEs MoInEs, IA º
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REDFIELD, IOWA JUNE 25, 26 & 27 A lot of events were occurring throughout the weekend during the Old Settlers 150th Celebration in Redfield. There was a street dance with Stone Thro that brought out lots of riders and many other people, as did the hog roast to benefit at the Madren home. This benefit was for 3 year old Sophie Dredge who was burned in a kitchen accident. Sophie is in an Iowa City Hospital right now & her parents are very grateful for all the community support that they have received. There is something inspiring about how a small town pulls together for those in need. There were lots of big appetites once the street dance was over. Hope they collected plenty from everyone. On Sunday there was a poker run hosted by the Thomas Street Tap with lots of memorial items available regarding a recently fallen fellow rider. A good time had by all for the weekend, with lots of different bikes, from the new to the old, and many riders. Annette Murphy Thunder Roads Magazine 32
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515.265.4444
ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally The 26th annual Freedom Rally was a great meeting of friends old and new on a glorious 4th of July weekend. Great weather was had, well up until about the time to leave on Sunday, but the amount of fun had over the rally time was worth a little rain getting home. Bands, events, impromptu parades, and bikers having fun made it interesting to say the least. Check out some of the pics, and plan on being there with us next year if you missed it.
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VIP CUSTOM CYCLES
1870 McCLOUD PLACE NE, STE A our customers and we need to know that they are safe and CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52402 satisfied.” 319-265-8477 VIP offers more than just repair and customization. They offer VIPCUSTOMCYCLES.COM a pick-up and delivery service for customers and bikes, insurVIP Custom Cycles opened off of 1st Ave, SE in Cedar Rapids ance estimates, winter bike storage, parts sales and their newin 2004 in a 2400 sq ft shop with a focus on building custom est idea-a parts consignment area which is open to the public. bikes and maintenance. That focus changed when the phone The consignment area is constantly changing offering everybegan ringing off the hook with the advent of Orange County thing from tanks and fenders, to tires and grips. If you are Choppers and the impression that anybody could build a looking for light covers, windshields, engine guards, rims, and custom motorcycle from the ground up in their own garage. so much more-this is the place for you. If you have parts you The focus of VIP quickly changed to repair and working closely want to get rid of-just give Cory a call. Customers decide the with customers who wanted to personalize their bikes, but selling price for their old parts (which must be clean and usneeded a vision and the experience of a professional shop to able) and get a check for 60%when the part sells. make it happen. In addition to VIP’s winter storage, a limited number of spaces In 2007, with several incredible customization projects to their are now available –free of charge- to active duty military percredit and a customer base growing by leaps and bounds, sonnel for storage of their bikes during overseas deployment. the business relocated to a 7000 sq ft shop at 1870 McCloud “It’s the least we can do to honor the incredible sacrifice made Place NE, Ste A, in Cedar Rapids. The shop now houses by these people.” A small thing to many, but one less head4 mechanic bays, winter storage and a parts consignment ache for our brave soldiers. Way to go Cory! shop. Guru mechanic, Lee, is also a master of fabrication and Cory’s passion away from the shop is 50’s cruiser cars. Cory uses his 30+ years of experience to get the job –whatever it owns a bright green ’54 Chevy which- believe it or not-incorpomay be- done. Lee is obviously passionate about his work. rates a lot of motorcycle parts. Although he has many skills and talents in the shop-he is well The shop itself is amazing. It has an atmosphere that you known around town as the premier carburetor man. Having a can’t mistake… original - just like the bikes they work on. carb problem? Go see Lee-he WILL take care of you and get From the pool table and barber chairs in the “lounge”, to the your carb back in fine form. wall of famous bike builder autographs, to the numerous HD I found Cory and Lee to be brutally honest, down-to-earth decos, the big ape and Marilyn Monroe-VIP has an atmoguys. They won’t hesitate to suggest alternatives to customer sphere that feeds the biker soul. I found VIP to be an extraorideas that they know will cause problems down the road. dinary business with a down to earth owner and mechanic. They also take the time (a rarity these days) and have the They look forward to each new job and each new customer skill and experience to help a customer get his or her desired like meeting a new friend. Stop in and check this place out sound, look or overall effect. The staff at VIP will not let you do and tell Cory you saw him in Thunder Roads. anything to your bike that isn’t feasible or safe, even if it means Pictures and article by Mindi@thunderroadsiowa.com sacrificing some income to the business. “Our business is Thunder Roads Magazine 36