Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa May 2024

Going into May, I think we officially have the riding season of 2024 upon us! It seems about time. May is in fact Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and I think we need to do our part to help promote that within our riding community. With some warmer stints of weather through the late winter months, followed by more cold and dreary weather, it seems mother nature was properly confused, but hope that is behind us now.

With the earlier days of warmth, people got out and about, and sadly we have already lost a number of riders this season. It is painfully obvious that no one cares to watch out for us out on the roads, so we must be wary of the common causes of motorcycle crashes and fatalities and take an active part in our own safety. Knowledge is key, and I feel that we need to all know more about what is happening, take our safety into our own hands, and not just make the blanket statement that it is automatically the drivers of vehicles that cause all of the crashes, because that simply is not the case. Don’t get me wrong, shitheads in vehicles do cause us issues, I have been the victim of that myself, but that is not the only cause of motorcycle traffic crashes.

Here is some data from the USDOT:

• 6,218 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2022, which represents 15% of all traffic fatalities.

• The fatality rate for motorcyclists was 22 times more than the passenger car occupant fatality rate in 2022, per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

• 35% of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2022 were speeding, compared to 22% of all passenger car drivers. Motorcycle riders 21 to 24 years old involved in fatal crashes had the highest speeding involvement at 51% in 2022.

• Of the 2,254 motorcycle riders who died in singlevehicle crashes in 2022, 42% were alcoholimpaired.

Just from these few statistics, it appears that a considerable number of the crashes involved riders that were speeding or impaired. That is significant from a statistical basis, and also, a couple of the things that we as riders can do to help curb the incidence of crashes and fatalities. Slow it down

and be wary of riding or riding with people that tend to become impaired. The two things can combine and be exponentially more problematic for those that ride that way, and anyone around them.

Other things that we can do are to make sure that we have and are riding with people that are properly trained and licensed to ride motorcycles. NHTSA also has documented that thirty-six percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2021 were riding without valid motorcycle licenses. If you don’t have a license, go get one. If you are new to riding, or need a refresher, go take a riders education course. Education is the one thing in this world that the government cannot take away from you, so learn as much as you can, and in this case, learning more about riding and being safe on two or three wheels could save your life!

On top of being responsible riders and stewards of a safe motorcycle community, we can also reach out to the other aspects of users of the roads, and encourage them to watch out for motorcycles. Especially here in the month of May, there will be plenty of “watch for motorcycle” and “distracted driving kills bikers” types of messages and images on social media. Feel free to snag those and share the hell out of them!

If we work at being safer ourselves, and work at spreading the word of watching for us on two wheels, hopefully the motorcycle community can suffer fewer losses this year doing what we love.

For this month of May, we have also added the Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa Bike Night list inside the back end of the magazine. Then on the next page is the always present Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa Event List. If you know of anything to add to either one of these lists for confirmed bike nights or events, please email the information to vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com. We appreciate the help trying to keep the most comprehensive list available for the riders of Iowa!

Ride safe, ride often, rinse and repeat! Vernon

It’s a good day to sit and hammer out this month’s article as the rain and wind buffet the house and surrounding trees. The rain hasn’t stopped in days and the winds are supposed to reach 50 mph later this afternoon. Thank God for a nice warm and dry house.

Our house, as Karla has previously mentioned in her articles, looks like a combination M*A*S*H unit and Rutledge Flea Market site with our dog still recovering from back surgery and his stuff having taken over every room in the place. Even the yard has multiple canopies set up to protect Bram - okay, mainly us - as we accompany him outside several times a day. It looks a bit like our campsite at Algona or Conesville. I can’t believe those yard canopies have lasted all winter long and are still standing when it seems that any puff of wind and rain at the rallies completely destroys whatever canopies we have set up. Sometimes it’s been a considerable puff - think Algona a few years back when the tornado went through. Thank you again ABATE of Iowa for the permanent shelter erected on CMA’s site.

I guess the anchoring system in the yard has proven itself. The canopies are not only ground-staked but tied to each other, a fence and a play tower. Much like things in our lives, during the times we are not securely anchored we get damaged and blown away by everything that comes our way. That is a good analogy about the importance of our lives being firmly secured in the Lord, the Bible and even in each other.

The older I get the more challenges or storms seem to crop up and the more I have to learn to adapt and overcome with the realization that my strength may not be sufficient. I can’t just cobble something together and I might need some help holding things together. Kind of like being at the gym when a young person sees you doing a weight exercise a bit differently than the norm. I know it’s not right but just wait buddy; the time will come when you have to learn to work around all the past injuries and figure out how to go forward without causing further damage. The problem, or maybe the wisdom, of the situation is that we finally understand we can’t do everything on our own.

Unfortunately for us as individuals and for us as a country, we lose sight of the important things we should be anchored to while being distracted by the unimportant or blatantly false and corrupt things. It seems to me that the health and prosperity of a country is directly proportional to the integrity and godliness of its leaders. A pretty scary thought as we see how things are today! Adolph Hitler made the comment, “What good fortune for those in power that people do not think.” His comment is still very applicable in that most people are too distracted or rudderless in this current woke society to know what is being done to them today. They mindlessly believe the rhetoric being fed to them. Theodore Roosevelt, in a 1901 address at his home in Oyster Bay, stated, “Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure for ourselves what life would be if these teachings were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals: all the standards and resolution with which we strive to raise ourselves”. He

went on to state that “Our republic has no surer foundation than the Bible and that to decrease the circulation and use of the Bible would seriously menace the highest interest of civilized humanity.” Boy, are we seeing that played out today in a big way. How sad that we have lost the wisdom that those who came before us knew so well. It is vitally important for us to remember our Godly heritage; the good, the bad and the ugly that comes from following or not following God. We can’t intelligently, complacently of just plain ignorantly let ourselves be robbed of these amazing things the Lord has provided for us. Jesus taught in a parable recounted in the book of Luke, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit”? And the book of Deuteronomy tells us to “Lay up God’s words in your heart and in your soul, to teach them to your children, to diligently keep his commandments and walk in his ways. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you shall hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah your God, and the curse if ye shall not hearken unto the commandments but turn aside out of the way to go after other gods which ye have not known.” As Bob Dylan said, “You’ve got to serve somebody”. What gods are you serving today and what is your anchor latched on to? Let’s make sure we are anchored in Jesus.

Blessings, Mark

Mark and Karla Cornick are with the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org

The Biker Friendly Business Directory is a list of establishments throughout Iowa that sponsor the magazine. You can pick up your copy here every month. Let them know that you saw them in TRMI. If your business would like to advertise in Thunder Roads Iowa Biker Friendly Business Listing and become a part of the network, please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

Biker Accessories

Crispy’s Biker Apparel

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Find Us On Facebook

Dirty Biker Design

122 S. John Wayne Drive

Winterset, Iowa 50273

www.DirtyBikerDesign.com 515-444-9050

USA Fluid.Com

641-745-9360

Voice Only, NO TEXT Talk to Fready Dealers

Baxter Cycle

311 4th Street

Marne, Iowa 51552

712-781-2351

www.baxtercycle.com

Big Barn Harley-Davidson

Heartland Harley-Davidson

117 S Roosevelt Ave

Burlington, IA 52601

319-754-1100

www.heartlandhd.com

Indian Motorcycle of Mason City

Mason City Powersports

12499 265th Street Mason City 641-423-3181

Masoncitypowersportsinc.com

Metro Harley-Davidson

2415 Westdale Drive SW

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 319-362-9496

81 NW 49th Place

Des Moines, Iowa 50313 515-265-4444

www.bigbarnhd.net

Edwards Motorsports and RV’s

1010 34th Avenue

Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-366-8400

fullthrottleia.com

Harley-Davidson of Carroll

1327 Plaza Dr

Carroll, Iowa

712-792-1610

www.carrollcycle.com

www.metro-motorsports.com

Route 65 Harley-Davidson

1300 S Jefferson Way

Indianola, Iowa 50125

515.962.2160

www.route65hd.net

Storm Lake Honda

3040 Expansion Blvd

Storm Lake, Iowa 50588

StormLakeHonda.com

712-732-2460

Zylstra Harley-Davidson

1930 E 13th Street

Ames, Iowa 50010

515-232-6223

www.zylstrahd.com

Entertainment

Food and Drink (Popular Poker & Fun Run Locations)

Ambro’s Roadhouse

917 Guthrie St De Soto, Iowa 50069 515-468-2236

Great Food!

Ambro’s Roadhouse on Facebook

Bloodline Irish Pub

214 Public Square

Greenfield, Iowa 50849

Bloodline Irish Pub on Facebook

Catfish Charlie’s On the Mississippi River

J.R. Willie’s Gateway to the Beautiful Hill Country Colesburg, IA 563-856-5095

Open Tuesday - Sunday 11AM Home of the Willie Whopper

Johnie’s Tap 112 NE 2nd Street Stuart, Iowa 50250 515-523-1146

Find Us on Facebook

Just 1 More 515-570-4206 641-757-0159 309 Railway Jamaica, Iowa 50128

1630 E. 16th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 (563)582-8600

www.CatfishCharliesDubuque.com

Desperados

105 E 5th Street Atlantic 712-243-7087

Home of Cold Beer, Good Times, Pizza & Wings

Flaming Office

201 W High Street Toledo 641-484-2255

Outdoor Patio, Happy Hour 5-7

Flaming Office on Facebook & Google

Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street

Haverhill, Iowa 50120 641-475-3321

Closed Mon-Tues, 4-Midnite Wed-Thur-Fri, 10-Midnight Sat, 11-Midnight Sunday

Book Em Dano’s

33 S Main Street

Kilroy’s Bar 1119 Thomas Street Redfield, Iowa 50233 515-833-2711

Hours and Event Updates on Facebook!

McCanns Tap NE 14th & 54th Des Moines, Iowa 50313

Bike Parking

M-F 2:00-2 S-S 11:00-Close

Mi Casa Family Restaurant 512 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-755-2258

Enjoy Drinks at the Full Bar!

Denison, Iowa 51442

712-263-9818 Mon-Sat 4-2

Dancers Nightly 5-1:30

Okoboji Classic Cars

Museum and Restoration Shop

810 Jeppeson Road

West Okoboji, Iowa 51351

712-332-8029

Iowa Legendary Rye

707 N Main Street Carroll, Iowa 51401

Iowalegendaryrye.com

Jake’s Station

107 West HWY 59

Hancock, Iowa 51536

712-741-BEER

Like Our Page Jakes Station on Facebook

www.thunderroadsiowa.com

Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230

www.midwaytavernsoldier.com

Montgomery Street Pub 207 East Montgomery Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-2165

Northside Rec 511 Main Street Coon Rapids, Iowa 50058 (712) 999-2337

Find us on Facebook

Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street

Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555

712-642-9015

Pearl Street Social Club

110 Pearl Street SW

Shellsburg, Iowa 52332

319-436-7100

Find Us On Facebook!

Riverside Tavern

450 E Main St

Lehigh, Iowa 50557

515-359-9998

Email:riversidetap@gmail.com

Shootout Saloon

3571 310th St Dexter

1 Mile West of Bonnie & Clyde Shootout 712-249-0041

Secluded Bar in the Woods

Sidetracked

206 West Union Street

Creston, Iowa 50801

641-782-8534

Stumpy’s Bar & Grill

423 Main Street

Duncombe, Iowa 50532 515-543-4222

Stumpy’s Bar & Grill on Facebook

The Exchange

171 S Elm Street

Avoca, Iowa 51521 712-343-2609

Lang’s Pizza, Cold Beer, Sports

Western Iowa Ice

514 East Street

Shelby, Iowa 51570

402-681-6521

Ice Delivered to Your Location

Wilson’s Tap and Recreation

1008 Story Street

Boone, Iowa 50036/ 515-433-1395

Guns and Ammo

Thunder Guns

The Yankee Clipper

312 SW Maple St

Ankeny, Ia 50023

515-964-9484 yankeeclipperbar.com

Vic’s Main Tap

304 Broadway

Audubon, Iowa 50025

712-563-2122

Opens M-F 2-Close, Sat 9-Close, Sun 2-Close

201 4th Ave

Portsmouth, Iowa 51565

712-249-5630

Find us on Facebook

Thunder Guns West

1101 Chatburn Ave STE 103

Harlan, Iowa 51537

712-235-2632

Find us on Facebook

Hobbies & Collectibles

Treasure Island Diecast/Facebook Hot Wheels, M2, Matchbox, Jada Ertl, Lightning, Harley, Maisto

Buy-Sell-Trade

641-521-8036 rayaustinhd@gmail.com

www.treasureislanddiecast.com

Insurance & Financial

TheBikerLawyers.com

The Biker Lawyers, P.C.

Riding & Defending Your Rights for Over 30 Years

877-209-9452

Photo and Art

Ullrich Photography

PO Box 1842

Clinton, Iowa 52733

563-243-8715

www.natanic.com

Quilting

Bam-Bam Quilting

724 E Benton Winterset

kerneskimmie@gmail.com

515-468-0264

Find us on Facebook

Shops & Fabricators

BS & Bikes

300 E 17th St S Suite 700

Newton, IA 50208

641-521-8448

Find us on Facebook

Butterfield’s M.C. Parts

8025 Blondo Street

F & J Racing

701 N 3rd Ave

Marshalltown, Iowa 50158

641-752-8651

www.fandjracing.com

Mean Machine Cycles

Elkhart, Iowa 50073

Custom & Full-Service HD Repair

Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat by appt only 515-367-7336

Motorcycle Medic

3176 Highway 30

Woodbine, Iowa 51579

712-647-2818

Omaha, NE 68134 402-391-3768

Open Tues-Fri 9-6, Sat 8-12

Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab

70 Washington Street Marne, Iowa 51552

712-781-2220

Road Rage BikeWorks

401 High Street Avoca, Iowa 51521

712-307-6111

Road Rage BikeWorks on Facebook

Thunder Road Cycles

4106 Rockingham Rd

Davenport, Iowa 52802

563-323-3172

Thunder Road Cycles on Facebook Trailers

State Farm

Clark Ahrenholtz, Agent

2114 12th Street Harlan, Iowa

712-755-5724

Clark.ahrenholtz.jb69@statefarm.com

Legal

Hupy and Abraham sc, pc

Lawyers for Bikers

800.800.5678

Hupy.com

Chuck’s Cycle Service and Repair

S&S and Drag Specialties Dealer

307 E 5th StreetWashington, Iowa52353

319-461-5278

Cycle Clinic 2209 ML King Pkwy

Des Moines, Iowa 50314 cycleclinicdm.com 515-288-6954

Lacaeyse Trailer Sales

4192 HWY 146 Grinnell

Trailers & Truck Accessories

641-990-2674

www.lacaeysetrailers.com

The Biker Friendly Business Directory is a list of establishments throughout Iowa that sponsor the magazine. You can pick up your copy here every month. Let them know that you saw them in TRMI.

If your business would like to advertise in Thunder Roads Iowa Biker Friendly Business Listing and become a part of the network, please email

vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

not so USELESS RAMBLINGS Lady Liberty Weeps

Lady Liberty took her place on Ellis Island in the New York harbor on October 8th, 1886. She was given to the citizens of the United States as a gift from France to symbolize the friendship between the two nations. The idea came in 1865 with the end of the Civil War. French sculptor FredericAuguste Bartholdi designed Lady Liberty with the help of Alexandre-Gustav Eiffel, who would go on to build the Eiffel Tower. They wanted to complete it by 1876 as that would mark the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. However, it was not finished until 1885 because of funding issues.

The idea of the statue came from Edouard de Laboulaye, a man so dedicated to the eradication of slavery that he co-founded the French Anti-Slavery Society. The idea for establishing a monument specifically to honor the emancipation of slaves in America was discussed between Laboulaye and Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor. Laboulaye was also a U.S. Constitution expert so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities to believe that the 1865 signing of the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution would be very important to an abolitionist and likely fueled Laboulaye’s desire to have the monument built.

I believe that it is common knowledge that there is a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty with the following inscription:

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”

This quote is part of a poem, The New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus, written in 1883. It was chosen as part of a contest. The plaque was added in the early 1900’s and the statue took on new meaning; a message to immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, a welcome to a better life and freedom.

Visitors to the island aren’t able to see the base of the statue from their vantage point on the ground. You would need to be in the air or use a drone to be able to get a glimpse of her feet. No, I do not have a foot fetish; this is about what is by her feet. This may not be common knowledge, but you will find broken shackles and chains at Lady Liberty’s feet.

I have to admit that I just learned most of that, especially the shackles and chains part, because I saw a video on social media that prompted me to investigate. The video was credited as being part of the 2022 Viareggio Carnival in Italy. The video showed a parade float surrounded by spectators lining the streets. On the float was a black Lady Liberty, down on one knee, head bowed as if weeping. She was dressed in an orange prison styled jumpsuit and she was wrapped in heavy chains.

I’ve had to return to the social media platform and find the video again. My search returned multiple instances of the video from many different angles and many differing captions highlighting almost as many opinions about what it all means. The most prominent opinion seems to go along with the original thought behind the creation of the statue. One caption reads, “The Italians state it’s a symbolic representation of a black woman in prison garb with chains on. Displaying black people are still slaves & prisoners in their very country.” A comment on that video is, “This means so much more than what we know.” and I would have to agree with that person.

Honestly, when I first saw the video, I missed the fact that Lady Liberty was depicted as black, but it does make perfect sense considering that the original idea of the statue came from someone that was fighting for the emancipation of slaves in America. But then let’s consider the commenter’s statement. “This means so much more…”

When France gifted the statue to the United States, she was supposed to represent equality for all. Obviously, that is what the country was supposed to be founded on, right? I mean it literally says that in our founding documents; “... that all men are created equal.”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, equality, freedom… Do we really have any of those in this country anymore? Sure, you’re alive, but is it really a life? What does liberty mean to you and do you really have it? You’re pursuing happiness, but I feel that a lot of us keep getting close to it only to have the goal posts moved another 30 yards.

Equality. There’s a misnomer. If we are truly equal in this country, it’s because we’re all equally fucked! And freedom is nothing more than an illusion anymore. There is very little freedom left in this country. You are “free” to do as you wish, just so long as you have the right permits and pay the right amount of taxes to do it.

We have allowed ourselves to be governed right back into the shackles and chains that lay at the feet of Lady Liberty. Whatever the message was supposed to be from the Italian creators of that float, all I can see is that we are all just slaves to our government once again.

Our ancestors escaped the burdensome rule of the crown and formed a new nation where they could be free. Over the years we have lost sight of that vision and have allowed this nation to become an oligarchy.

There are 535 members of congress; 100 members of the Senate and 435 members of the House of Representatives. There are 3,000 prying members of the World Economic Forum and 194 member states of the World Health Organization. Like it or not, the WEF and the WHO greatly influence the 535 that we have allowed to govern our nation. There are currently over 333 million people in the United States that are being ruled, not governed, by a small group of outright assholes. This is the very definition of oligarchy.

Oligarchy: a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.

Democracy: control of an organization or group by the majority of its members.

Republic: a form of government in which political power rests with the public through their representatives.

In a republic, citizens have the right to vote and participate in decision-making. The government’s authority is derived from the people’s consent. When was the last time you had

a vote in any of the decision making that’s been happening in DC? Bills are passed in the middle of the night within hours of being introduced to the Congress. Thousands of pages of governance dropped on their desks, mere hours to read through and understand what it all says before a vote is taken. You and I don’t have a clue what is in these bills; our voices were not heard before a vote was taken, before we were governed. This is not a representative government anymore. There is no longer any consent of the governed.

I do find it pretty ironic that Italy and other countries can see what’s happening to our nation, but a large portion of our own population is completely oblivious to it. I’m certain that if Lady Liberty could move, she would take a knee, put her face in her hands, and weep for the people of this country.

- David McCoy

-

david@thunderroadsiowa.com

- FaceBook.com/TRMIDave

- FaceBook.com/TRMINSUR

- © Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa

- Volume 15 Issue 5 May 2024

- www.ThunderRoadsIowa.com

Thunder Bay Grille

6511 N Brady Street

Davenport, Iowa 52806

563-386-2722

Mon–Thur 11 AM - 9 PM

Fri - Sat 11 AM - 10 PM

Sun 9 AM - 8 PM

When I was over on the east side of the state for some business, I had to meet up with one of my great friends that lives in Clinton, Justin Petrick. I try not to hold it against him that he does not ride a motorcycle, but he does work in the gun industry, part of which is building custom made, hand fitted 1911 style pistols, so I give him a pass on the nomotorcycle thing. He suggested we go to Thunder Bay Grille for some vittles, and I thought that was a great idea. Melanie and I were there with Jeremy and Donna last fall, and had great meals, but got into the food before we got any pictures taken, so had to come back to this place if we were going to do a review anyway. JP to the rescue thinking Thunder in the name of this place was a perfect fit for an article in TRMI.

nuggets of goodness are breaded in tempura batter and fried golden brown and amazing. Paired with their sweet/ heat raspberry chipotle dipping sauce, these things were fabulous. Next came the salads that were fresh greens with some extra variety of leafy substance, which went well with the appetizer.

Our meals then arrived and JP opted for the Bison Smoked Meatloaf. They have a number of bison meals on the menu, and I must say that the meatloaf sounded odd but interesting. Meatloaf is one of those things that seem to be awesome or suck entirely, and good thing for JP, it was the former. He stated it had a good grind to the meat, and was rich and had a distinct smoke flavor. The parmesan mashed potatoes and beans were decent sides, and the only issue may be that he should have ordered some of the extra demi-glace on the side for the potatoes and meat. Overall a “would re-order” type of meal.

I opted for the Chicken Jambalaya which included chicken breast, andouille sausage, Cajun spices, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and rice, served with fresh cornbread. I sat the cornbread aside, as I feared a butter topped muffin, but it looked good. I am just opposed to eating anything butter tasting, so passed on that. The Jambalaya though was a mix of savory with a bite of Cajun spice that was just perfect. The meat and rice blended perfectly with the Cajun sauce, and paired with some of the artisanal bread brought to the table, made for a filling meal.

From running around all over the state with other business on this particular Saturday, we did not have a chance to meet up until right at eight o’clock at night. Although it was a bit past the normal supper time hours, there were still quite a few people in the place, which is usually a good sign. We were immediately seated and then greeted at the table by the waiter, who stated they were regrettably out of Prime Rib for the night. Although understandable considering the time, it was easy to find plenty of other wonderful options for our meals.

We started off with cold drinks, and ordered some fried cheese curds as an appetizer. These creamy white cheddar

We ended up sitting long enough and chatting after our meals that we heard the staff cleaning up, throwing out some lyrics to different songs, so figured we better not wear out our welcome and split. Overall, it was a great dining experience with an attentive staff, mid to upper end menu options, rustic cabin type of vibe, and great food. Worth a try if you are in the northern part of Davenport, as it is just south of I80. If you do swing in, tell them Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa sent ya.

Vernon

If you have a WRTE location for us to visit, please let me know at Melanie@thunderroadsiowa.com

For his 90th birthday a man’s friends decided to give him a visit from an expensive, high-class call girl. The evening of his birthday, she appeared at his door, and when he opened the door she said, “Happy Birthday! Your friends have sent you a gift! I’m here to bring you super sex. So what will it be?” The man thought for a moment, and then he said, “Sweetie, at my age, I think I’ll have the soup.”

What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah’s Witness? Someone out knocking on doors for no apparent reason.

A Greek and Italian were debating who has the superior culture. The Greek says, “We have the Parthenon.” The Italian says, “We have the Coliseum.” The Greeks says, “We had great mathematicians and philosophers.” The Italian says, “We created a world empire and established Pax Romana.” And so on and so on for hours, until finally the Greek lights up and says…. “We invented sex!” The Italian nods slowly, thinks, and replies, “That is true—but it was Italians who introduced it to women!”

Ole and Lena were celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary. After the guests left, Lena looked at Ole and punched him real hard in the shoulder. “That’s for twenty- five years of bad sex.” Ole thinks about it and then reaches over and Punches Lena hard in her shoulder, “That’s for knowing the difference!”

A woman decided to give herself a big treat for her 70th birthday by staying overnight in a really nice hotel. When she checked out the next morning, the desk clerk handed her a bill for $250.00. She demanded to know why the charge was so high “I agree it’s a nice hotel, but the rooms aren’t worth $250.00 for just an overnight stay - I didn’t even have breakfast!” The clerk told her that $250.00 is the ‘standard rate,’ and breakfast had been included had she wanted it. She insisted on speaking to the Manager. The Manager appeared and, forewarned by the desk clerk, announced: “This hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference center which are available for your use.” “But I didn’t use them.” ‘Well, they are here, and you could have.” He went on to explain that she could also have seen one of the in-hotel shows for which they were so famous. “We have the best entertainers from the world over performing here.” “But I didn’t go to any of those shows.” “Well, we have them, and you could have.” No matter what amenity the Manager mentioned, she replied, “But I didn’t use it!” and the Manager countered with his standard response. After several minutes’ discussion, and with the Manager still unmoved, she decided to pay, wrote a check and gave it to him. The Manager was surprised when he looked at the check. “But Madam, this check is for only $50.00” “That’s correct I charged you $200.00 for sleeping with me.” “But I didn’t!” “Well, too bad, I was here, and you could have.

Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, “Where did you get such a great bike?” The second engineer replied, “Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, ‘Take what you want.’” The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, “Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn’t have fit you anyway.”

Two kids are in a hospital each lying on a stretcher next to each other outside the operating room. The first kid leans over and asks, “What are you in here for?” The second kid says, “I’m getting my tonsils out. I’m a little nervous.” The first kid says, “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I had that done when I was four. They put you to sleep and when you wake up, they give you lots of Jello and ice cream. It’s a breeze.” The second kid then asked, “What are you in here for?” The first kids says, “A circumcision.” The second kid replies, “Whoa, good luck buddy. I had that done when I was born and I couldn’t walk for a year.”

A man walks into a hardware store and says “One mousetrap please, and hurry, I have a bus to catch.” “Sorry” says the salesman “Our traps are not that big.”

A Rabbi and a Catholic priest are having lunch in a restaurant. The priest’s food arrives, a scrumptiouslooking ham entrée. The priest attacks his lunch, savoring every bite of the ham. Noticing the rabbi eyeing him, he asks, “So tell me, Rabbi Goldblum, have you ever had any pork before?” The rabbi hesitates. “Well, it’s not for me to say...” The priest pushes on. “Oh, c’mon, Rabbi. We’re both men of God here. We can tell each other our sins. Nothing to it.” “Umm... well, yes, as a matter of fact, I did have pork once.” Smugly the priest teases him, “And a fine meat it was, wasn’t it? Hehe.” “Yes.” A few moments pass. The Rabbi asks the priest: “Tell me Father, have you ever had sex with a woman before?” “Why of course... well, before I took holy orders, that is.” The Rabbi smirks, “Better than pork, eh?”

Seeing her friend Sally wearing a new locket, Meg asks if there is a memento of some sort inside. “Yes,” says Sally, “a lock of my husband’s hair.” “But Larry’s still alive.” “I know, but his hair is gone.”

Just as she was celebrating her 80th birthday, our friend received a jury-duty notice. She called the clerk’s office to remind them that she was exempt because of her age. “You need to come in and fill out the exemption forms,” the clerk said. “But I fi lled them out last year,” she replied. “You have to fi ll them out every year.” “Why? Do you think I’m getting younger?”

Reuben received a bill from the hospital for his recent surgery, and was astonished to see a $900 charge for the

anesthesiologist. He called the doctor’s office to demand an explanation. “Is this some kind of mistake?” he asked. “No, not at all,” the doctor said calmly. “Well,” said Reuben, “That’s awfully costly for just knocking someone out!” “Not at all,” replied the doctor. “I knock you out for free. The $900 is for bringing you back around.”

Miriam meets Arnold at her dance class, and they agree to see each other again at the weekend. When they meet they get on so well that she invites him back to her place. After a few drinks things start getting steamy – and that’s when Miriam notices some odd behavior in Arnold. First, as soon as takes his shirt off he goes to the bathroom to wash his hands. Five minutes later when he takes his trousers off, he goes to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he returns Miriam says “I bet you’re a dentist.” This surprises Arnold. He replies, “Yes I am, but how did you know?” “It was easy” says Miriam, “you keep washing your hands after each procedure. So shall we go to the bedroom?” After they make love Miriam says “You must be an extremely good dentist.” “Well…yes, I am” says Arnold modestly “But how did you know?” Miriam replies “Because I never felt a thing.”

member or a very close friend!” “Not exactly,” the woman said. “I’m Sarah Cohen in 302! Nobody here tells me anything.”

Isaac arrives in London from Canada and takes a job working on the shop floor of HYMIE’S SUPERMARKET. One day, a customer asks him where he can find half a head of lettuce and Isaac tells him that they only sell whole heads of lettuce. But the customer is insistent and gets Isaac to consult with Hymie. So Isaac goes into the back room and says to Hymie, “Some idiot wants to buy a half a head of lettuce.” As he finishes his sentence, Isaac turns to find the customer standing right behind him, so he quickly adds, “And this gentleman offered to buy the other half.” Hymie approves the deal and the customer leaves satisfied. Later that day, Hymie says to Isaac, “I was very impressed with the way you got yourself out of that tricky situation earlier. We like people who can think on their feet here. Where are you from?” “I’m from Canada, sir,” Isaac replies. “So why did you leave Canada?” Hymie asks. “Because too many yentas and hockey players live there,” replies Isaac, smiling. “That’s quite surprising,” says Hymie, looking angry. “My wife is from Canada.” Isaac replies, “You don’t say? Who did she play for?”

On his way to work one morning, Nathan arrives at the train station a bit early. While he’s waiting for his train, he notices a new machine on the platform - the sign on it says it’s a state-of-the-art talking weighing machine. So Nathan stands on it, puts in a $1 bill and the machine says, “You weigh 160 pounds and you are Jewish.” Nathan can’t believe what he’s just heard. So he gets on it again and inserts another $1 bill. “You weigh 160 pounds, you are Jewish and you’re waiting for the 7:35am train to take you to your job at the Bank.” He is totally shocked, but he’s determined to beat the machine. He goes into the men’s room, ruffles up his hair, puts on a pair of dark sunglasses, removes his tie, takes off his jacket and drapes it over his arm, and puts a first aid plaster on his chin. He then goes back outside, steps on the machine and puts in another $1. The machine instantly says, “You’re still Jewish and weigh 160 pounds. You’re also an idiot, you just missed your train.”

A woman called a local hospital. “Hello,” she said. “ I’d like to find out if a patient is getting better, doing as expected or getting worse.” The voice on the other end of the line said, “What is the patient’s name and room number?”

“Sarah Cohen in Room 302,” the woman answered. “Just a moment, let me look at her records. Oh, yes. Mrs. Cohen is doing very well. In fact, she’s had two full meals, her blood pressure is fine, her blood work just came back as normal, she’s going to be taken off the heart monitor in a couple of hours and, if she continues this improvement, Dr. Weiss is going to send her home Tuesday at noon.”

“Thank God!” the woman said. “That’s wonderful! Oh! That’s fantastic, what wonderful news!” The nurse said, “From your enthusiasm, I take it you must be a family

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table and she didn’t miss them until they had been driving about twenty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around — in order return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her — the more agitated he became. He just wouldn’t let up one minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her Glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, “While you’re in there, you Might as well get my hat and the credit card.”

An elderly man in Miami calls his son in New York and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing. Forty-five years of misery is enough.” “Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams. “We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the old man says. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her,” and he hangs up. Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone, “Like heck they’re getting divorced,” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this.” She calls her father immediately and screams at the old man, “You are NOT getting divorced! Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back! , and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up. The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. “Honey,” he says, “They’re coming for Mother’s Day and paying their own airfares.”

If the Glass is Half Empty, Time for Another Round.

If you have been around me you know. If you have listened to me on various radio stations over the years, you know. Hell, if you have suffered through the words on the printed page I have laid down for this mag over the last decade and change, you have noticed a pattern. At least I hope you have. I get passionate about “stuff” but for the most part, I mean, by and large, I am pretty much a “glass half full” kind of guy. Now, sometimes that glass is just water (I try to stay hydrated) but often times, it’s filled with beer, or a good bourbon, hell sometimes there is a beer and a bourbon, depending on what is going on and the kind of day I’ve had or the night that is underway. Let’s be honest, it’s rarely a glass of beer, unless it’s in a bottle but mostly it’s a can. A can of beer. American beer, and don’t come at me and tell me this Double IPA with fruit wood, apricots, and dung beetle wings is the beer I should try. No…I like my plain, boring ass blue smoothie and yes, some call it Iowa Water and dammit I am in love with that beer and I will have another.

Again, I am a good natured fella, a bit sarcastic and many times a smart ass, but I am a happy smart ass and if I flip you shit, it means I genuinely like you. Unless you’re a moron, vote for morons, think sports is what’s really important, or even better, mock my lifestyle and the shit I care about, then you will likely find out how much of a smart ass I am really deep down. I am kidding, just kidding, we are just having fun! That is what this magazine is really about to it’s very core, is or at least what I always thought it was, a place to have fun. Of course we take our love and dedication to the lifestyle of riding. We have incredible marketing partners that are lawyers. And these are the good lawyers, the kind you want, they know stuff happens and when it does, get these guys on your side, they ride, they get it, and that is just part of the cool stuff in this monthly. Hell, we have pages dedicated to jokes and one of my favorite parts, other than that, how can I say this in a tasteful manner…um, well…the attractive females that bless us either on the cover or between the page. I mean, if you are into hot chicks on or around bikes, as it turns out, I am into that sort of thing.

Side bar, if you always wanna be around a hot babe when you are riding, bring your own. Works every time for me.

Back to what I was saying about Thunder Roads, I just love finding out about great new joints when they write about food, man it’s the best. I know it steers quite often towards pork tenderloins because the boss of bosses I a man beast of a tenderloin consumer. To be clear, I am not in any way, shape, or form, mocking that because I love me a good tenderloin and have consumed a good many over the years, enough to make an educated opinion on them so I enjoy his feedback on these pages quite a bit.

Let’s pause and address something by the way. Can we stop with the massive, flat loin that is way too damn big just to be big?

Bigger isn’t always better. 20 inch damn loin with a cheap ass Hamburger bun is NOT a selling point for me, geesh, come on. I also hate those over cooked, paper thin, over breaded loins that often fall into that same category. I’ve been around, tried a lot, and I bet I speak for the masses. Oh, and let me expand on this, I LOVE cheese on my ‘loin. Not picky, it can be American Cheese (that’s right, AMERICAN, no pinko commie cheese on my plate dammit) Pepper Jack is a nice touch, a good cheddar, I like it a lot but there is nothing more annoying that a normal slice of cheese in the middle surrounded by 15 inches on non-cheese pork tenderloin. How flipping stupid is that?

Ether cover the entire damn thing in cheese like I expect it to be, or make the damn thing a normal size, thick, meaty, juicy and cheesy and let’s move on.

Often on the food reviews, I dig It when I learn about a small joint in a cool town that I now want to ride to because they have a killer cheeseburger, wings, a Philly or steak special. I have done some dumb shit in order to try a good burger so I know of what I speak and I do have some specific rules when it comes to what I look for in a burger as well and those monster huge burgers with multiple patties, so many toppings you can pick it up without stuff popping all out are just not for me. Not even sorry. I choose a burger place like I do a pizza joint. Prove to me you can excel at the basics then we can move on from there. Can you make a killer pepperoni pizza? Good, then we can expand. Same with a burger. Get me a nice, juicy, not over or undercooked burger, with a good bun, cheese to my request and let’s rock! I am very exploratory when it comes to food. I do like trying all kinds of stuff, be it new or interesting but dammit do the basics right before I trust you to take the next step.

No, food isn’t what I really wanted to dive into this month, but I find myself more and more making my rides about food. Well, food and cool roads with neat scenery. I think who I am riding with has become more important the older I get as well. I used to love being a part of a pile of bikes running around and stopping all over, but now it’s not as appealing. Give me a couple of bros, keep my circle small, and let’s go find something good to eat! Discussing a new place, a new haunt, a small town event is really part of the enjoyment that gets me through a week sometimes, looking forward to putting work crap behind me and gettin on my bike with my bride, some friends, and just going is part of the riding lifestyle that just works for my soul.

You see, May is National Motorcycle Awareness month and that is what I was going to sit down to address and in years past, that is something that I have written about. By no means does this mean I don’t think it’s important. It is, pisses me off we need to have HAVE a month dedicated to being aware that there are motorcycles out. I know what happens in May, all across the country everyone finally gets decent weather and riding is under way. Yea, we should be aware every damn month, but I guess we have to work with what is given to us.

The reason I may be a bit snarky as I am in my home office, Air Pods slamming a new riding playlist I have been adjusting for the bike (I named it RIDING MOFO!)

I dropped a pile of tunes that I am just burned out on and found a few new tunes to blend in, kind of giving it a test run on this Saturday morning, but you see the playlist is working!

It’s working in my mind in a way that makes me unable to wait to get on my bike, as I crank this out, on time, before deadline as always. (Horseshit, I am late as usual) my bike, while in the driveway, under its protective cover, the seat is in the house getting a new skin which is badly needed but it doesn’t matter since the wind is higher than local posted speed limits! It’s been so damn windy for the last week, month, hell I’ve lost track and it’s really annoying me. I need to get out and ride. I just wanna ride…even to work. Any saddle time would be better than none but when the wind is 45mph and more it’s just a pain in the…

Well, it’s a pain.

Now I am also hungry and really want a burger…or pork tenderloin. I need to ride somewhere, see friends, and get something to eat, anywhere in this great state. It will cleanse my soul.

But since I can’t, that glass we talked about? Just guess what I am about to fill it with.

Todd “Crash” Davis

Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa

Iowa Bike Nights and Dinner Rides

Tuesday

Mom’s Maxwell (2nd & 4th Tuesday)

Wednesday

Back Forty Bike Night at the Barn Des Moines (2nd Wed May, Jun, Jul, Sep)

Benolas Baxter

Cruise Night Britt (3rd Wed Jul-Sep)

Pete & Shorty’s Clarksville

Supper Rides Harley-Davidson of Carroll (2nd Wednesdays)

Dinner Rides Zylstra HD Ames

Thursday

Edwards Bikes on the Hundred Block Council Bluffs (3rd Thursday)

Roar Into Harlan (3rd Thursdays)

Stumpy’s Bar & Grill Duncombe

Metro HD Cedar Rapids (2nd Thursday May-Sep)

East of Omaha Bike Night Griswold (1st Thurs May-Sep)

VFW Post 9662 Des Moines (Every Thurs Apr-Oct)

Screamin’ Eagle Waterloo (May-Jul)

Chommy’s Bar/Grill Eldon (3rd Thursday)

Thunder N2 Atlantic Bike Night Atlantic (2nd Thurs May-Oct)

Tip Top Lounge Ames (start Jun 1)

McGrath Powersports Cedar Rapids (Last Thurs May-Aug)

Maggie’s Rumble Room

Capt. Roys Vintage Bike Night Des Moines (1st Thurs)

Friday

The Talk Shop Lounge St. Charles (Every Friday)

Kilroy’s Redfield (1st and 3rd Friday)

Cruze N’ to Corydon Bike Night (3rd Fri May-Aug)

Bondurant Bike Night at the Rails (4th Fri May-Sep)

Thunder Nites Newton (2nd Friday Jun-Aug)

Off Point Pub Davenport (Every Friday)

Burt’s Dog House Boxholm (Every Other Friday)

Wet Spot Runnells (Every Friday)

Mean Machine Cycles Elkhart (4th Friday May-Aug)

Tavern 36 Mitchellville (1st Friday)

Saturday

Dirty Biker Design Winterset (2nd Sat May-Sep)

Happening’s Bar Steamboat Rock (3rd Sat Jun-Sep)

Sisters Place Carlisle (Jun 8th Only)

Ambro’s Roadhouse DeSoto (2nd Sat May – Oct)

Sunday

Just 1 More Jamaica (Starting in May)

This list is what we have found and what has been submitted. Before heading to any event, please check weather and make sure the event is not cancelled. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list, please email vernon@ thunderroadsiowa.com

Apr 27 BACA Pancake Breakfast Metro HD Cedar Rapids

Apr 27 Bike Blessing Big Barn HD Des Moines

Apr 28 Sgt James C. Kearney, III Memorial Run Emerson

May 3-4 Vintage Torque Fest Dubuque

May 4 13th Annual Sleeping Angels Fun Run Boone

May 4 4th Annual Iowa Paralyzed Veterans Poker Run Donnellson

May 4 18th Annual Chrome Divas of Cedar Rapids Ride

Cedar Rapids

May 4 Annual CMA Bike Blessing Crapo Park Burlington

May 4 Blessing of the Bikes American Legion Newton

May 4 International Female Ride Day BBHD to DBD

Des Moines

May 4 International Female Ride Day Everywhere

May 5 Biker Sunday Morningside Bible Church Sioux City

May 5 6th Annual 1st Baptist Bike Blessing Muscatine

May 5 40th Annual Spring Auto/Motorcycle Swap Meet

Monticello

May 5 Blessing of the Bikes D17 Nashua

May 10-18 Test Ride Days Route 65 HD Indianola

May 11 Bikes, Coffee, Trophies Pleasant Hill

May 11 Clean, Fast, & Loud Tour Pleasant Hill

May 11 Mother’s Day Event Big Barn HD Des Moines

May 11 Niki’s Memorial Ride Algona

May 11 Vicki’s Peculiar Fight Bike/Vehicle Poker Run #66

Pacific Junction

May 17 Drive Inn Movie Night HD of Carroll

May 17-18 Rust Resurrection Traditional Hot Rod Show/Swap

Conesville

May 17-18 Demo Days Big Barn HD Des Moines

May 18 Mean Machine Dyno Shootout Elkhart

Jun 1 D6 Honor Our Heroes Ride Iowa Veterans Home Marshalltown

Jun 1 Iron Warriors 17th Annual Support the Badge Ride

Des Moines

Jun 2 Shootout Saloon Sunday Funday Dexter

Jun 2 Motorcycle Hill Climb Anamosa

Jun 2 Blessing of the Bikes Marshalltown

Jun 7-8 Summer Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines

Jun 8 8th Annual Veterans Assistance Ride American

Legion Newton

Jun 8 Clean, Fast, & Loud Tour Road Rage Bikeworks

Avoca

Jun 8 Chosen Few MC 55th Anniversary Party

Cedar Rapids

Jun 8 5th Annual Motorcycle Rodeo Missouri Valley

Jun 8 Sarak Mok Memorial Bike/Car Show Johnston

Jun 8 Rock N Ride HD of Carroll

Jun 8 Patriot River Fest & Poker Run LeClaire

Jun 8 12th Annual Chasin’ Tails Run Run Nevada

Jun 9 Ride to Iowa Firefighter Memorial Coralville

Jun 15 Roar Into Harlan Fun Run Harlan

Jun 15 Father’s Day Event Big Barn HD Des Moines

Jun 15 Little Trojans Poker Run Atlantic

Jun 21-22 Summer Event Big Barn HD Des Moines

Jun 22 1st Annual Petty Ride Jesup

Jun 22-23 Harleys In The Heartland Poker Run Runnells

Jun 29 5th Annual Eagles Bug Run Creston

Jun 14-15 Rumble in the Sand Conesville

May 18 D16 Annual Awareness Ride Cedar Falls

May 18 Spring Hog Roast Zylstra HD Ames

May 18 B.A.C.A. 15th Annual 100 Mile Ride Pleasant Hill

May 19 Northwest Christian Church Bike Blessing Council Bluffs

May 19 Iowa Thunder Ride Des Moines

May 20-21 15th Annual MRF Bikers Inside the Beltway

Washington D.C.

May 23-26 Redneck Revival Conesville

May 24-26 Bagger Racing League Hastings, NE

May 25 CVMA 39-2 11th Annual Patriot Ride

Metro HD Cedar Rapids

May 25-27 Midway Tavern’s 26th Annual Veterans Memorial BBQ, Poker Run, & Street Dance Soldier

May 26 Dale Michel Memorial Poker Run Woodbine

May 26 Annual Motorcycle Fun Run Lake Park

Jun 1

Jun 1 D18 Memorial Ride New London

Patti’s Riders 4 Thrivers Poker Run Council Bluffs

Jul 3-6 ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally Algona

Jul 4-6 Iowa Hog Drags and Nostalgia Reunion Humboldt

Jul 5-7 Good Guys Heartland National Show Des Moines

Jul 6 17th Annual Freeman Ride Avoca

Jul 12-13 11th Annual Combat Vets Chapter 39-3 Benefit Ride/Cruise Elkport

Jul 17-21 Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally

Jul 19-21 43rd Annual British Biker Cooperative Rally and Bike Show Blue River, WI

Jul 20 7th Annual Cruizin for a Cure Charity Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids

Jul 20 11th Annual Ride 4 Time With Friends of Mine

Poker Run Baxter

Jul 20 Clean, Fast, & Loud Tour Pleasant Hill

Jul 20 D18 Hospice Ride Burlington

Jul 20 Summer Celebration Big Barn HD Des Moines

Jul 20

Kids Night HD of Carroll

Jul 20 11th Annual Ride 4 Time Annual Poker Run Baxter

Jul 23

Dirty Biker Design RAGBRAI Bike Night Winterset

Jul 25-28 Omaha Bike Week Ralston, NE

Jul 25-28 H-D Homecoming Milwaukee, WI

Jul 27 1st Annual Memorial Ride for Andy Wiese Council Bluffs

Jul 27 Pine Lake Festival Bike Show Eldora

Aug 2-11 Black Hills Motorcycle Rally South Dakota

Aug 10 AtlanticFest Bike and Car Show Atlantic

Aug 16-18 20th Annual BTW Trike In Kellogg

Aug 17 Hell on Wheels #7 Donnellson

Aug 18 6th Annual Cancer Sucks Car, Truck, & Bike Show Council Bluffs

Aug 18 D18 Quad Picnic Blakesburg

Aug 23-24 Charlotte Days Car & Motorcycle Show Charlotte

Aug 28-Sep 1 Redneck Revival Conesville

Aug 29-31 53rd Annual Motorcycle Swap Meet Davenport

Aug 31-Sep 1 Midway Tavern’s 261960th Annual Soldier Valley Poker Run, BBQ/Dance/Concert Soldier

Sep 8 Motorcycle Hill Climb Anamosa

Sep 13-14 Fall Event Big Barn HD Des Moines

Sep 14 Mean Machine “Smalltown Throwdown” Burnout Contest & Stereo Battle Elkhart

Sep 14 Fall Hog Roast Zylstra HD Ames

Sep 14 Defiant Souls MC Old School Motorcycle Rodeo Muscatine

Sep 15 18th Annual World-Famous Butterfield’s M-C Parts Hot Dog Daze Omaha, NE

Sep 15 Two Rivers Vintage Motorcycle Club Concours de’ Cornfield Earlham

Sep 18-21 Bikes, Blues, BBQ Motorcycle Rally Rogers, AR

Sep 20-21 Rumble in the Sand Conesville

Sep 21 Bike Night & BBQ Cook Off Stuart

Sep 22 D18 Toys for Tots Ride Burlington

Sep 26-29 40th Annual MRF Meeting of the Minds

St Louis, MO

Sep 28 Apple Fest Car and Bike Show Woodbine

Oct 25-26 Spooktacular Event Big Barn HD Des Moines

Oct 31-Nov 3 Lone Star Rally Galveston, TX

Nov 1-3 Iowa Steam Council Bluffs

Nov 8-9 Veteran’s Day Event & Holiday Event Big Barn HD

Des Moines

Nov 29 Black Friday Big Barn HD Des Moines

Dec 14 Holiday Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines