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Thunder roads® Magazine of iowawww.thunderroadsiowa.com
P.O. Box 29Kimballton, Iowa 51543
(712) [email protected]
owner/ediTor
Tina (TT) Schwarte(712) 249-5582
ediTorVernon Schwarte(712) 249-5630
represenTaTives Josh (Stampede) and Pam Brown Regional Sales
(SE Iowa Area)563-571-1617
evenT Coverage/Magazine disTribuTionad sales
Richard (Murph) and Annette [email protected]
phoTographyKandi Schlensig
Thunder IllusionsRich
ConTribuTorsCraig Little-Will Ride for Food Dude
design & layouTBarbara L. Garner art director
naTional foundersToni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon
1528 Matlock DriveChapmansboro, TN 37035
Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) [email protected]
letter from the editor ..........................................2100 day poker run ..............................................328th annual rod & Custom show .....................499 Counties ..........................................................6live To ride, ride to eat .....................................7Joker’s wild .........................................................8Military riders ......................................................9biker friendly directory ....................................10girls of Thunder .................................................12will ride to eat ..................................................13what’s new for spring………………………......15ThunderCam .....................................................16March Calendar..................................................18bike down To i Town .........................................20Midwest Motorcycle show ................................21nCoM news bytes ............................................22abaTe update ...................................................24CMa ....................................................................24fron the woman’s seat .....................................26v Twin expo .......................................................27skin art ...............................................................28battle at the barn ...............................................29Marble run .........................................................29Kiss in the Kitchen ...........................................31day Trips with doc ............................................32alcohol poisoning ii ..........................................34event listing ......................................back Cover
Danielle Goike sits atop this 1946 Knucklehead owned by Tom of Auto-Gem.com She was at the V Twin Expo in conjunction with Jay from madcowcustomleather.com with some posters and calendars. They still have some calendars free with an order at the above websites. Danielle has been modeling now for about 10 years with countless photo shoots and runway shows. She has modeled for brands such as; A Bit Of Skirt, Maggie May Swimwear, and Six Luxe (which will be sold at Macy’s)! Adding to her photo shoot list is for clothing stores; Eden
Revolution, Swank, Incognito, Allure Kouture, and many more. She has also been featured in magazines such as Bride, StyleLine, Hour, 944, Real Detroit, and Detroit City Guide. A recent addition to her credits is appearing in Miley Cyrus’ “Who Owns My Heart” music video along with Katrina Carson’s music video “Beautiful”. Thanks Danielle!
All rights reserved. All content is covered by copyright and ownership of said right is retained by Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Photographs may be purchased on www.thunderroadsiowa.com Neither magazine or website materials may be reproduced, distributed, altered or posted to any other websites without the express written permission of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Publisher assumes no responsibility and is not to be held liable for errors beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Slander of any group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond our control, any and all suits for liable, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a person’s name or photograph, opinions, and claims made by advertisers and authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Roads magazine. Publisher does not promote the abuse of alcohol or other drugs, advocate any unsafe practices, or encourage breaking of any laws.
ON THE COVER
Phone 402.894.3050 I Fax 402.894.3055 I 14410 Frontier Road I Omaha, NE 68138www.wernercycleworks.com
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EVENT
March is always a blast of fresh air coming in to tell us that we have survived another one of these Iowa winters. We all know that any white stuff that comes out of the sky now will not stay around for long. The temperatures are starting to get out of the single digits and stay constantly into the double digits. Most impor-tantly don’t forget to turn your clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time on Sun-day March 13, 2011. Longer days, more sun, and warmer temperatures to come mean that riding season is on the tip of Mother Nature’s tongue! With thankful hearts we have not had to endure a winter like the one we had a year ago.This month we bring you some articles about some really cool summer long rides. Check these out, as it will help you find some new and interesting stuff to see and do right here in Iowa. I wonder if anyone can complete all of them listed in this month’s issue? That would be a cause for celebration at the end of the riding season for sure. The event listing on the back cover is also packed full of things to do for the whole year. If you know of any events not on the list, shoot us an email and we will get them added for the next issue. If you don’t know what is going on across the state, you won’t be able to rack up the miles. An-other thing coming next month is the bike night listing. We are looking for all of your bike nights across the state so get them to us as soon as you can to have them ready for our next issue. We like to have the most comprehensive list of things to do on our pages and on our website. It has been wonderful meeting people out and about at swap meets and shows the past few months. It goes to show that the biker spirit in Iowa does not die in the cold winter months, just takes a short break when it is really cold. We have chatted with a ton of riders that have ridden every month this winter, and our hats off to them. Riding for the love of riding is what it is all about. There are a
few more events coming up in the near future, so look us up if you are around, we would love to meet you and hear your stories.When we took over this publication last June, we inherited a Central Iowa Biker Day event that the former owner tried to organize. This event was held in Baxter, Iowa, and was really great times for all that were there. Revolution Cycles, O’Kelly’s, and the Goat Ranch all played a part in th at wonderful party, and maybe they will keep the momentum going. We have been asked quite a bit lately if we were going to do a second one of these events, and we have to respond clearly that no, we will not be hosting another event. We wish to help support the other wonderful events out there, but not compete with any of them by holding our own. We feel as a magazine, we should sponsor and be support-ive of the bikers, promoters, and organizers of these events. As you start to get out with the nicer weather remember to stop by our bike friendly advertisers and tell them that Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa sent you. This publication is funded by our advertisers, so frequent them whenever you can. We hope that everyone has a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and that we see you out and about on two wheels soon! Ride Safe! tt and V
100 Day Poker run
If you were ever in the western half of Iowa last riding season, you more than likely came across a 100 Day Poker Run booklet somewhere. The folks at Midway Tavern in Soldier are at it again, with the 2nd annual run. This is one of the biggest “book rides” that we have seen, and cov-ers quite a swath. It has kind of a cool background, so we thought we would tell ya about it.In 1998 the town folk in Soldier were building a Soldier Valley Veterans Memorial and needed a little bit of extra money to make the project happen. Soldier Valley is made up of the towns of Soldier, Ute, and Moorhead that are located in west-ern Iowa in and around the Loess Hills. They got together and decided to raffle off a Harley Davidson Motorcycle to raise the funds. The project was a success and gave the extra boost for the memorial, and then the idea kept on going. When the memorial was completed, they then kept the raffle going to help sup-port the Fire and Rescue Departments in the area. Over the years, while keep-ing the raffle going, but wanting to support the departments more, they came up with the idea of the 100 Day Poker Run, and the idea came to fruition in 2010. They dropped the number of raffle tickets to 200 total at $100.00 each to make that more appealing to the buyers, and then the books that sell for $10 each. The combination of the proceeds from the raffle and the books goes toward the Fire and Rescue departments in the end. The raffle has always been held in conjunction with a big Labor Day Party that includes the bike giveaway, a Loess Hills Poker run, a BBQ, and great music. A few thousand people come to hang out for this party and the town of Soldier opens their arms to the bikers that want to visit. Camping is available at the ball field in town, as well as many businesses and homeowners that will let you camp on any available spot. This year the bike being raffled is a Super Glide Custom that was purchased at the Carroll Cycle Center.
Here is how the book deal goes. The 100 Day Poker Run starts officially on April 14th. You can go into any one of the almost 200 supporting businesses in west-ern Iowa and buy your book for $10. Start by going out and about to the places in the book and hit as many as you like. You must have at least five stamps in your book, and then on July 23rd, there is a big party in Soldier to turn your books in and draw your hands. Prizes for the run are $1,000 for First, $750 for Second, $500 for Third, $250 for Fourth, and a separate $500 drawing for those that get all the stops in the book. This is the Pre-Sturgis Party and End of the Poker Run and is a great place to gather with other bikers. The Midway Tavern in Soldier also hosts a party on Memorial Day weekend and another on Labor Day weekend, so check them out if you are in western Iowa.
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January 2011 Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa headed out to the Quad Cities for the 28th Annual Rod & Custom Auto, Motorcycle, and Products Show. Many bikes, cars, and rat rods were present to oogle over, with something for just about everyone to enjoy. The show ran Friday Through Sunday at the QCCA building in Rock Island, a great place for an event such as this.Jim Hetzler was the 2011 Show Featured Artist. Jim “Hetz” Hetzler is a world class pinstripe and airbrush artist that has been painting since 1976. Jim and his wife Chris own and operate Hetz Pinstriping and JC Hetz Studio Signs and Graphics in Muscatine, Iowa. Another talent on hand was photographer Nate Ull-rich from Clinton, Iowa. He was displaying some of his framed works that are for sale, and talk about a diverse collection. From bikes, babes, beer, dogs, barns, and tractors, he has photographed just about anything you can imagine. Nate has had articles and photography published in many magazines such as “In The Wind”,” Easyrider”, “Biker”, and our very own Thunder Roads Iowa magazine to name a few. We will be hearing more from him in the future. It was also a place for the roll out of summer events across Iowa. Torqufest was present with a pre party. Thiers will be one of the first major events of the sea-son in late April in Maquoketa. The had some great music from their lineup playing that was easy on the ears. The Mississippi River Motorcycle Rally will be the new name for what used to be known as Sturgis on The River. This event is the 15th -18th of June in Davenport. A very special thanks to Glen & CJ of The Quality Group for putting this all together.
28th Annual Rod & Custom Show
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Candi HarringaRon AnthonyBob Ruthven
99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, drive on around, 89 counties to tour on the bike. A few years back, a summer riding goal was to ride through each and every one of the counties of Iowa, and what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month we will feature a different county, and new things to go see, and hopefully spark a little touring curiosity for our own state.
On a bright sunny day we were able to head out to explore Buchanan County to get the latest and greatest information. We chose to explore this county on the bikes in October to get the pictures before the snow flies. This way when we are all starting to feel the fever to get outdoors and did not want a reminder of the winter weather to take away from the feeling that Spring is vastly approaching. This county also has perfect timing for publication in the March issue that lines up with St. Patrick’s Day. I would like to let you know that some of the first settlers to this very county were indeed from Ireland. Seems kind of fitting to feature an Irish settled county in the month of clover. Buchanan County was named in honor of a senator that later became our fifteenth president James Buchanan Jr. His term was from 1857 to 1861. Three interesting facts were; he is our only president form Philadelphia, the last president to be born in the 18th century, and a lifelong bachelor. He was in fact engaged to an Ann Caroline Coleman that died on December 9, 1819 from overdose of laudanum, a concentrated tincture of opium. With lifelong encouragement to marry he would only reply “Marry I could not, for my affections were buried in the grave.” He even kept the letters from Ann with him wherever he would go until his death June 1, 1868. Upon his death the letters from Ann were burned per his instructions. Buchanan County was established in December of 1837 formed from part of Delaware County and Wisconsin Territory. As of 2000 census the population was 21,093 and 571 square miles. Taking a ride on the roads was almost therapeutic with the twists and turns leading to some vast open straight a ways. The traffic was at a minimum so you are able to enjoy the scenery. This area currently has Amish settlements, so be aware of the horse and buggy. Share the road and enjoy the changes in terrain.Quasqueton was the original county seat but was later transferred to the town of Independence in 1847 with barley fifteen people at that time living in the village. The Wapsipinicon River flows through this county. There is an impressive six story grist mill built in 1867 that once served as a source of electricity from 1915 to 1940. The original mill built in 1854 was used for wool processing. Some of the current building’s foundation stones was taken from the original mill. Currently the building has a vast array of antiques and a wealth of history of the area
displaying three eras of milling. Manual power using a primitive stone quern, water powered flat grinding process using stone buhrs, and the modernization of steam or electric power using the steel roller process. Tours are available from mid-May to Mid-September. Independence is definitely a place to stop and stretch your legs. Across from the mill is a place called Liberty Park that holds a quote that states “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.” Also among the town is Independence State Hospital that was formally called Iowa State Hospital for the Insane that is located on the west edge of town. The main building of the hospital was built in 1873 and has been recently restored and currently hosts tours. Also a unique tourist attraction is the Heartland Acres Agribition Center that is dedicated to exhibiting the past, present and future of agriculture. Spanning 90 acres, the facility is located off of highway 20 in Independence, Iowa.Some other points of interest found in this county is in Brandon which is located in the southwest part of Buchanan County that holds a Cowboy Breakfast each year in September. You will have to definitely check out the impressive giant frying pan created in honor of the breakfast. The frying pan that is located in town measures 14.3 tall and 9.3 feet wide and weighs 1020 pounds. Fairbank, Iowa brings us an interesting park. On the “Old Mill Property” which is now known as Bentley Park, has water on both side and adjacent to the damn. West of Hazleton is Amish country with many businesses to include bakeries, quilt shops, homemade furniture and more. Stop in to any Hazleton business for information and maps if interested. The Amish are
Buchanan County
very friendly people but request no photos please.Lamont is located in the northeast corner of Buchanan County. Lamont is home to Bossen Implement that is home to the widest selection of farm toys from around the world. A place for small and large kids, from the preschooler to the most sophisticated adult collector, which treasure high quality toys. Another interesting fact is that Iowa has 37 counties involved in “Clothesline of Quilts” project. This is the eight by eight foot size quilt on wooden blocks that is located on the side of the barns or outbuildings across Iowa. As of last report there are forty-seven in this county. There is so much more I would love to tell you about this county but will have to leave for you to discover. Get out and about and check out Iowa!
A few years back, Big Barn HD started a book ride to try to garner some interest for touring out and about in Iowa. They wanted to give the folks of this great state some ideas for places to go, things to see, and stuff to do, right here at home. This idea is right up our alley at Thunder Roads, so we had to tell you about it. It starts with a book of the places that are designated to fit with the yearly theme, and goes on from there. Travel to the places and show proof of the visit, and compete with other riders to hit all the spots. Not a race per se, but just a reason to go see some really cool stuff.In 2008 they started with the “Around the World” motif, which included places of worldly names around the state. Participants went out to places listed in the books, and got pictures in front of markers such as city limit signs or post offices in the respective towns. Some of the lessons learned on that maiden voyage of a touring book year was that to find all the towns in the book, the GPS unit sometimes needs to work overtime, or you better have some darned good map reading skills. Another story from the first year is about a gentleman that ended up staying the night in a car wash, stop in and ask Amy about this one, it will amuse you for sure. Not that the rest of us have not stayed in goofy spots before while out and about
on the bikes, but always amusing to hear of other’s escapades. “Little Black Book” was the given moniker for 2009. The name comes from the places to ride to being based upon people’s names. Shannon, Vincent, and George were just a few of the places to hit. Town names have to come from somewhere, and some of them are even common everyday names. Who would have thought that riding to “someone” could be so much fun?Last year’s book was based on the “Wild West Ride” theme. Riders kept giving feedback about the “perfect” ride and offering suggestion of places to go, so the list was populated with places of historical significance. As our state was officially established 165 years ago, there were numerous historical markers and monuments to find. They even added a couple of “Ghost Towns” to make it a little more difficult. Riders’ suggestions and history seemed to a popular theme, as the ride is growing each year, and 2010 was no exception. This year April 1st until October 1st will be one of Thunder Roads Iowa’s favorite books. “Live to Ride, Ride to Eat” is the name given this year. As you read in every issue, our very own Craig Little does just this every month, ride to a great place to get
some grub. It looks like the “Barn” helped us with some homework for new sites! Towns were chosen for this year’s book with a central theme of food in mind. Some of this year’s destinations are • Palmer’s Candy Shop in Sioux City; Sutliff Cider Company in Lisbon; or Breitbach’s, Iowa’s oldest family owned restaurant, in Balltown. Now here is how you can get in on this and the rules of the game. The ride is FREE and open to the public. People who are interested in participating in the summer ride may pick up the booklet at Big Barn anytime after April 1st. A ride booklet is required to participate. Participants will be asked to take a photograph in front of a landmark, business, or point of interest in each of the named towns. In the photo you must include three things; yourself, your bike, and the summer’s ride book. There is no set route, timeframe, or schedule to follow, just hit as many sites as you would like however you can. Go by yourself, with a group, or however you choose, just get out and ride. At the end prizes will be awarded for different levels of completion of the named sites with a grand prize of $1,000 gift card. For more information or details, you can call Big Barn at 515-265-4444. Ride and have fun! See you on the road!
Little Black Book Ride 2009
Winners: Diane Langner, Mike Dirks, Ron Anthony, Rob Boelkes and Ken Vanden Broek
Robin TiceRichard JonesNeil QuastadDiane WarrenJohn RomigJeremy Lehman
Winners:
Wild West Ride 2010
“Live to Ride, Ride to Eat”summer ride 2011, big barn harley-davidson
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Military Riders
This month we bring you Adam Sheppard who is currently serving in the Iowa Army National Guard. He now lives in Huxley, Iowa and he is currently a Sergeant and has been in the service since September 2002, and reenlisted while deployed, and will have completed 9 years this September. During his deployment, he served in Kuwait and Balad, mainly in Iraq. On either side of the overseas trip, he was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma for training and then in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin post-deployment. His MOS was as a 15T-Tactical Blackhawk Helicopter Repairer. He adds “I love being in the military and I was blessed to become a part of the 248th ASB located in Boone, Ia. I have met some very knowledgeable and kind people and it has changed my life. It is a great organization and our reputation for efficient, timely and safe aircraft maintenance is literally known worldwide.”When asked about his family’s military history, this fine man was quite animated. He replied, “My mother’s father served a short time, although not sure if there were any conflicts in his era. My mom’s brother was a bad boy that the state of Tennessee’s correctional system thought they could make a Marine. He too was a biker. On my dad’s side, my grandpa Shepard was apparently quite a stud. Back in the WWII days there was no Airforce, only Army Air Corp which is the organization that he flew P-38 Lightening for with a lot of success. Many missions accomplished as well as being shot down ironically by the late countrymen of his grandfather who had immigrated to the U.S. not many years before. He was captured and ordered to walk some 13 miles with a fractured femur. Grandpa Shepard then was held many months as a POW where he escaped from after being reintroduced to another U.S. pilot. As the story goes, they devised a plan and executed making it home. That’s good stuff there.” As far as rides, Adam started on a Yamaha Moped, then to a Kawasaki KE100, then a KX250, a Ninja, a couple of Sportsters, and now his 2009 Street Bob. He has had motorcycles since he was about 10 years old, and also had his share of mishaps. His 09 had a bit of damage to it, and if you look close at the picture, you will see a cast. He does tell us that he and the bike will be ready for the first break of spring though. His latest ride he found with a lot of modifications already done such as a 103” kit, forward controls, and pipes. On the topic of future additions, he said he would love to have a turbo on the bike, but also looking at creature comforts such as a windshield. Adam (D25 member) also wanted to note about one of the photos that “the Abate flag picture is with a few gentlemen I got the pleasure to serve overseas with standing in a hanger in Balad, Iraq in front of a torn down Chinook helicopter. Left to right: SFC Tony Aspengren, SPC Kyle Bosch, SSG Joe Price,
CPT Nick White, and myself. (All of us do ride locally in central Iowa.)”For this coming year, Adam has a lot of rides planned. He would like to hit an Easy Rider Rodeo, visit some family in Tennessee, and he says his friends keep raving about the Conesville parties, so he wants to hit that venue this year. He said that some of his best friends ride, including his mom, which are all his riding partners.If you see Adam out and about, 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!
T
A crusty old Marine Sergeant Major found himself at a Gala event hosted by a local liberal arts college. There was no shortage of extremely young idealistic ladies in attendance, one of whom approached the Sergeant Major for conversation.“Excuse me, Sergeant Major, but you seem to be a very serious man. Is something bothering you?” “Negative, ma’am. Just serious by nature.”The young lady looked at his awards and decorations and said, “It looks like you have seen a lot of action.” “Yes, ma’am, a lot of action.”The young lady, tiring of trying to start up a conversation, said, “You know, you should lighten up. Relax and enjoy yourself.” The Sergeant Major just stared at her in his serious manner. Finally the young lady said, “You know, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but when is the last time you had sex?” “1955, ma’am.”“Well, there you are. No wonder you’re so serious. You really need to chill out! I mean, no sex since 1955! She took his hand and led him to a private room where she proceeded to “relax” him several times.Afterwards, panting for breath, she leaned against his bare chest and said, “Wow, you sure didn’t forget much since 1955.”The Sergeant Major said, after glancing at his watch, “I hope not; it’s only 2130 now.”
A guy walks into a bar down in Kentucky and orders a glass of white wine.All the hillbillies sitting around the bar look up, very curious and skeptical of this stranger in their local bar.The bartender says, “You ain’t from around here, are ya?” The newcomer replies, “No, I’m from Minnesota .”The bartender says, “What do you do in Minnesota ?”The guy says, “I’m a taxidermist.”The bartender says, “A taxidermist? What in tarnation is a taxidermist? Do you do taxes?”“No, a taxidermist doesn’t do taxes. I mount animals.”The bartender grins and hollers out loud, “It’s okay boys. He’s one of us.”
How do you make 5 pounds of fat look good? Put a nipple on it.
Learn From Your Parents Mistakes.....Use Birth Control.
What was the original point & click interface? A Smith & Wesson.
Red Meat is NOT bad for you.Fuzzy Green Meat IS bad for you.
When blondes have more fun.....Do they know it?
A man came to visit his grandparents, and he noticed his grandfather sitting on the porch in his favorite rocking chair wearing only a shirt, with nothing on from the waist down. ’Grandpa, what are you doing? Your “winkie” is out in the wind for everyone to see!’ he exclaimed. The old man looked off in the distance without answering. ’Grandpa, what are you doing sitting out here with nothing on below the waist?’ he asked again. The old man slowly looked at him and said, ’Well....last week I sat out here with no shirt on, and I got a stiff neck that lasted a week. This here is your Grandma’s idea.
“Late again,” the 3rd grade teacher said to little Sammy.“It ain’t my fault this time, Miss Crabtree. You can blame this’un on my Daddy. The reason I’m three hours late is my Daddy sleeps naked! Now, Miss Crabtree had taught grammar school for thirty-some-odd years. Despite her better judgment, she asked little Sammy what he meant by that. Full of grins and mischief, and in the flower of his youth, little Sammy and trouble were old friends, but he always told the truth.”You see, Miss Crabtree, out at the ranch we got this here low down coyote. The last few nights, he done ate six hens and killed Ma’s best milk goat. Last night, when Daddy heard a noise out in the chicken pen, he grabbed his shot gun and said to Ma, “That coyote’s back again, I’m a gonna git him!’’ “Stay back, he whispered to all us kids!” “He was naked as a jaybird, no boots, no pants, no undies, no shirt! To the hen house he crawled, just like an Injun on the snoop. Then, he stuck that double barreled 12 gauge shot gun through the window of the coop.” “As he stared into the darkness, with coyotes on his mind, our old hound dog, Zeke, had done woke up and comes sneakin’ up behind Daddy. Then, as we all looked on, plumb helpless, old Zeke stuck his cold nose in Daddy’s crack!” “Miss Crabtree, we all been cleanin’ up chicken parts since three o’clock this mornin’!!!”.
A frustrated wife buys a pair of crotch-less panties in an attempt to spice up her dead sex-life.She puts them on, together with a short skirt, and sits on the sofa opposite her husband.At strategic moments she uncrosses her legs ... enough times till her husband says “Are you wearing crotch-less panties?”“Oh my, why yes I am” she says with a seductive smile.“Thank God for that... I thought you were sitting on the damn cat.”
The F.D.A. just announced the release of a new drug for lesbians with depression. It’s called: trycoxagain
March 12 > Rumley Bros
March 17 > for St. Patrick’s Day Ekles and Knudson
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It’s important for you to know who your friends are out there when you hit the road! Welcome to our Biker Friendly Directory. The following is a list of our establishments throughout Iowa that want you to know that they’re here for YOU. Whether it’s a bike dealer, service shop, restaurant, bar or any other type of business that welcomes our biking community through their doors, you can count on our family of friends to always welcome you in. The staff here at Thunder Roads greatly appreciates our advertiser’s support each month- they are the sole financial supporters of this magazine. WE WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THEM! So please give them the support that they truly deserve for being with us & drop by to see them for a visit. Let them know that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know a business that would like to join our Thunder Roads family of Biker Friendly Places, please give us a call at 712-249-5630 or email [email protected]
ShopS & FabricatorSBatt’s Cycle
American V-Twin Service1006 Linn Street
Boone, Iowa 50036515-298-0375
Twisted Grip CycleYour Dynojet & Tire Center
2444 L Avenue (I-29 & 25th St. Exit)Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
Throttle Shop LLC1988 Arion AvenueArion, Iowa 51520
Trustworthy Cycles3781 Balk Road
Fulton, Illinois 61252563-249-1777
Specializing in Making the “Old Iron” Trustworthy
Bike Pit Motorcycle Services2694 5th Ave, Building B-Unit 2
Marion, IA 52303319-651-8835
Guthrie Auto BodyJohn Beer owner1804 State Street
Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115641-332-2484
F & J RacingFred & Jackie Ingraham
701 N 3rd AveMarshalltown, Iowa 50158
641-752-8651www.fandjracing.com
XTreme Cycle & Off Road206 E Main St
Panora, Iowa 50216641-755-4288
J & S Custom CyclesDes Moines, Iowa
515-779-4632
M&M Garage408 Market Street
Audubon, Iowa 50025712-563-2425
Revolution Cycles120 South Main Street
Baxter, Iowa 50028641-507-9250
www.rev-ia.com
Metal Ink911 7th Street Ste 102
Harlan, Iowa 51537712-235-2453
www.metalink.org
Nelson Machine & ForgeGeneral Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab
70 Washington StreetMarne, Iowa 51552
712-781-2220
bail bondSDoc’s Bail Bonds
Your 24/7 Prescription to Freedom in MinutesAdel, Iowa 50003
515-993-4773
Iowa Bail Bonds200 4th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309(515) 243-4411
ServiceSRJM Trucking
Cedar Rapids, Iowa319-360-5433
Southwest Iowa SandblastingMike Magers
65162 Oxford RdAtlantic, Iowa 50022
712-249-3995
BCS Computers100 Industrial Road
Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115641-747-3344
www.brubakercomputer.com
biker acceSSorieSLeather & Hawgs
316 Main, Hornick, Iowa121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa
Crispy’s Biker ApparelCedar Rapids, Iowa
www.bncbikerwear.com319-241-0916
Biker Diva109 South John Wayne Drive
Winterset, Iowa 50273www.bikerdiva.net
photo & videoThunder IllusionsPhoto and VideoFrom Mild to WildDes Moines, Iowa
[email protected] www.thunderillusions.com
Ulrich PhotographyPO Box 1842
Clinton, Iowa 52733563-243-8715
www.natanic.com
dealerSBaxter Cycle311 4th Street
Marne, Iowa 51552712-781-2351
www.baxtercycle.com
Werner Cycle Works14410 Frontier Road Exit 440 I-80
Omaha, NE 68138(402) 894-3050
www.wernercycleworks.com
Carroll Cycle Center1327 Plaza DrCarroll, Iowa
(712) 792-1610www.carrollcycle.com
Big Barn Harley DavidsonI-80 Exit 135
Des Moines, Iowa515-265-4444
www.bigbarnhd.com
Food & drinkDMAKU’s Tiki Bar & Grill213 Antique City Drive
Walnut, Iowa712-784-2190
Sun-Sat Open at 9 AM
Sparetime Bar & Grill136 West Main Street
Ute, Iowa 61060712-885-2226
Doc’s Roadhouse309 East 7th StreetLogan, Iowa 51543
712-644-3636Open 365-8 am to Close
Off Sides Pizza1119 Thomas StreetRedfield, Iowa 50233
515-833-2900
Thomas Street Tap1109 Thomas StreetRedfield, Iowa 50233
515-833-2379
Montgomery Street Pub207 East Montgomery Street
Creston Iowa 50801641-782-2165
Sidetracked206 West Union StreetCreston, Iowa 50801
641-782-8534
Wet Goods Food & Lounge113 N. Chestnut StreetJefferson, Iowa 50129
515-386-2111
Do Drop Inn403 3rd Avenue
Under the Water TowerJamaica, Iowa 50128
515-314-0783
ToJo’s Jamaica Bar & Grill408 Main
Jamaica, Iowa 50178641-429-3007
Pearl Street Social Club110 Pearl Street SW
Shellsburg, Iowa 52332319-436-7100
Nitro’s Bar & Grill310 Main Street
Gravity, Iowa 50848641-418-0004
Home of Sunday-Funday
Rusty Duck Bar & Grill723 Marshall StreetDexter, Iowa 50070
Tue-Sat 4-10pm515-789-4142
Quick Rick’s Rib Joint406 East Lincoln Highway (Highway 30)
Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555712-600-6161
Tue-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm
Beer Barn and Grill226 State Street
Kirkman, Iowa 51447712-766-3395
Open Mon 4, Tue-Sun at 11
Phil’s20oz Prime Rib Friday Nights
9956 Swanson BlvdClive, Iowa
515-270-0959
Sambetti’s Bar and Grill1430 2nd Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50314515-245-9780
Mon-Sat 11a-2a, Sun 11a-7p
Texas Roadhouse8744 Northpark Drive (I-80 at 86th street exit)
Johnston, Iowa 50131515-251-4597
Escape Lounge8843 Northpark Ct, Johnston, IA 50131
515-276-2209
RJ’s Lounge109 North Main Street
Conrad, IA(641) 366-2687
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2amSunday 12pm-12am
Corner Tap35 North Center Street
Marshalltown, IA (641) 753-9925
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2amSunday 12pm-2am
Goat Ranch Saloon105 South Main Street
Baxter, IA (641) 227-3502
O’Kelly’s 106 North Main Street
Baxter, IA 50028(641) 227-3013
Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill228 East 4th Street
Waterloo, Iowa 50703319-235-8865
www.partyattheeagle.com
Rumours Sports Bar & Grill309 South 12th Ave. Place
Marshalltown, IA (641) 752-5477
Steve Priske-Owner
14th Street Tavern3418 East 14th Street
Des Moines, IA(515) 266-3446
Open Weekdays 8am-2pmSat 10am-2pm and Sun 11am-2pm
The Haverhill Social Club202 1st Street
Haverhill, IA 50120 (641) 475-3321
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2amSunday 12pm-12am
Riverside Tavern450 E Main St
Lehigh IA, 50557515-359-9998
Email: [email protected]
Good Sons2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102
Des Moines, IA(515) 681-5375
Papa Joe’s117 South 6th Street
Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555712-642-9015
Midway Tavern206 1st Street, Soldier, Iowa
712-884-2230www.midwaytavernsoldier.com
Lampe’s Pub608 Iowa Avenue
Dunlap, Iowa 51529712-643-5781
Open 7 days a week at 11 AM
tattooCrave Tattoo
201 S 12th StreetFort Dodge, Iowa 51501
515-576-8289FB Crave Tattoo, Inc.
Bad Girlz Ink1217 Willis
Perry, Iowa 50220515-465-2205
MedicalMetro OB/GYN, LLC
201 Ridge Street, Suite 307Council Bluffs, IA, 51503
(712) 256-8505
attorneySRichard Lester
www.on-a-bike.com800-on-a-bike
eventSAcross the Border Raid
Bedford, IowaAugust 4-6, 2011
Nitro’s Bike RallyGravity, Iowa July 7-9, 2011
Circle of PrideConesville, Iowa
Hog Wild Rodeo May 26-28Independence Bash July 1-2
T.I.T.S September 1-4
Mississippi River Motorcycle RallyDavenport, Iowa
June 15-18
To buy ad space for your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5630 or email
[email protected] - TRM MARCH 2011 MARCH 2011 TRM - 11
Are you from Iowa? Are you a Girl of Thunder?
Kathy Bohlmann1995 Harley Sportster Trike
Brayton, Iowa
Girls Of ThunderThe Master
GrillerLunch: Tuesday thru Saturday 11 AM to 1 PM
Dinner: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5 PM to 9 PM
142 S. Chestnut, Earlham, IA 50072
Truly Family Owned and OperatedIt’s Friday afternoon, my wife and family are going to a concert and I’m left to my own devices to find sustenance. “Now where did I put that note with the place to eat that Murph told me about?” “Found it!!!” The Master Griller in Earlham is the food destination for the night. The Master Griller is easy to find, just follow the main street, which is Chestnut Street, all the way through town and just before you get to the railroad tracks you’ll find it on the East side of the street. It’s under new ownership and as long as the new owners continue offering the service and serving the quality food I encountered during my visit I see great success in their future.When I walked inside I was met by the owner who let me know what the specials of the evening were and directed me to the dining room. Before we get to the meat and potatoes (pun intended) of the matter let me touch on the booths and decor. The entire building is done in a western theme which is very cool! The booths are amazing! They are truly “Man Sized”, these are big enough to seat 6 easily, even 6 guys my size! Also, through discussion with my waitress I discovered this is a REAL family owned and operated business, the owner that met me at the door is her dad and her mom also helps out with customer service in the dining room. Now back to the food! They have different specials each night, Thursday night is All-You-Can-Eat Pork Ribs (sounds like a Thursday night trip back is in order!!!!), Friday night is 8 oz Sirloin and Saturday night is Prime Rib. I chose the steak special (big surprise!) and found that you get 2 sides along with it. For my sides I chose mashed taters with white gravy and baked beans. The steak was done to perfection, tender and very flavorful, I enjoyed every bite! The baked beans were very interesting, I can honestly say I have never had any like them, they were your standard baked beans with a slightly sweet , but not overpowering, taste but the most interesting part were the diced peppers. These red, yellow and green peppers were mixed in creating a contrast that rates a solid 9 on the WOW scale! This brings us to the mashed potatoes and gravy, these are REAL mashed taters, no preprocessed stuff here, and the gravy... the only way I can do it justice is to say that they are using YOUR grandmother’s recipe! Awesome just doesn’t quite get there! As I was finishing up my waitress came by and inquired if I would care for any desert (she obviously doesn’t know me!!!), offerings were a lemon desert or a brownie... really no decision there... brownie all the way! These are definitely all home-made brownies, thick chocolate frosting and wonderful flavor... the perfect way to top off this meal! Price of the special? $10.99 Price of the brownie? $1.00 I actually felt like I had time warped back 20 years with prices this low! You can also order from the menu if you wish with a good selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and dinners of steak, BBQ and fish. Prices vary from $3.99 to $14.99. As I am leaving I notice they have a military tribute wall so naturally I had to stop and check that out! This display was started by the previous owner, I hope the current owners will continue the tribute. I don’t know if it can get any better...
awesome food and patriotism too!Great atmosphere, great service and most of all GREAT FOOD!!!! Oh and they cater too! The Master Griller, eat in, take out or have them cater... any way you can get it this food is worth getting!!!Until next month, ride safe and eat hearty!Craig [email protected] If you have someplace you think we should check out in your neck of the woods, shoot me an email.
Melissa Villhauer2006 Honda VTX 1300 C
Bedford, Iowa
Melita Clemons2004 Honda Sabre 1100
Clear Lake, Iowa
email us your pictures (highest resolution possible) to [email protected]
be sure to include the year, make, and model of your ride and what town you are from!!! look for more girls of Thunder next month.
www.thunderroadsiowa.com12 - TRM MARCH 2011 www.thunderroadsiowa.com MARCH 2011 TRM - 13
EVENT
Call Toni or Brian615-792-0040
What’s New For Spring?Can you feel it? Spring is right around the cor-ner. I don’t know about you, but the itch to get the bike out is getting really intense. With that little groundhog telling us that spring will be six weeks early that little itch becomes a big itch. If you have been like me…changing and adding things to your bike… you just want to get out there and see how well they function and get that “WOW” factor.So many new products have been recently in-troduced at the V-Twin expo in Cincinnati for the aftermarket crowd and the winter dealer meeting for the Harley-Davidson market. Both expos took place mid February. I personally have liked a lot of what I have seen hit the mar-ket and have already ordered a few of the new products for me. On the Harley side of things they released an all new luggage collection that has 3M Scotchlite Reflective Trim around every piece to give you enhanced nighttime
visibility. There are seven pieces available in total. Each piece also has a two year Harley-David-son warranty and many other features that make this the premium luggage. Harley also released a new three-pocket fairing pouch. This new pouch allows you to remove the left pouch so that if you have a fairing mounted GPS and you can still utilize both accessories.A new line of grips called “Get-A-Grip” have also been introduced. This style of grip has been out in the aftermarket side for a couple years. I run a similar set of Roland Sands Grips. The “Get-A-Grip” price point is nearly half of what I paid for mine! They really are a great grip and I predict these grips as being one of the most popular ones out there. They come in chrome or black and two different sizes for traditional cable driven models or just one size for the throttle-by-wire baggers. For those of you with the newer baggers (’08-Newer) and have the “Edge Cut” collection on your motorcycle, you can now have matching levers. This collection has been very popular with its mix of the deep black with the fresh look of the billet aluminum complementing it. If you get a chance to stop into the shop you should check out the new combination speedometer/tachometer display. Released last July, it was only available for 2011 Softail models. They just came out with it for other models as well. The functionality of this is great and it defiantly has the WOW factor. With over 600 different colors to choose from for the backlight you can set it to have the pointers be one color and the face a different. The screen also has a gear indicator and a fuel gauge for a quick glance at everything on your motorcycle. Do you remember a couple of months ago I had an article on the new LED lighting Harley has? They came out with a little bit different option now. Instead of the traditional chrome headlight they now have that same performance LED headlight available in a black version. This new black version is going on my bike. If your one that likes to go against the grain of what everyone else is doing or has done then this is one thing to get you there. People won’t know what to think. Now for female riders that like your bling, they came out with the “Diamond Ice” on both timer and derby covers for XL’s and Big Twins and also a small and large “Diamond Ice” Bar & Shield emblem that you can put on any smooth flat surface.As spring fever hits you with its mighty fist, come in and get set up for the riding season. We’ll show you the new products and help you make your bike be your signature. Soon the flowers will bloom and the birds will sing and we will RIDE!!!
Tony D Carroll Cycle Center
www.thunderroadsiowa.com MARCH 2011 TRM - 15
www.thunderroadsiowa.com16 - TRM MARCH 2011 www.thunderroadsiowa.com MARCH 2011 TRM - 17
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We Do Custom: Hats, Can Cozies, T/shirts, Patches etc.. We also Offer Leather Repair & Sewing..
(319) 241-0916
Without looking at your cal-endar, you are aware that the third Friday of April has arrived in Indianola, Iowa. With the low resonating purr of motorcycles enter-ing from the North, South, East and West; The Square comes to life with music, food and friendship. With the tens of thousands of visitors that attend Bike Night in Indianola, we are set to provide a lasting impression for our new found visitors.
The influx of company enhances our tourism exposure as many of the motorcyclists opt to stay overnight in one of our many accommodations. The third Friday of the month from April to Sep-tember is your special hometown invitation to the Midwest Largest motorcycle event. This event beckons to cyclists and avid fans from all ages. You will see beautiful artwork, classic styles and many new inventive forms of riding. Mark your calendar, and join us as we build friendships and create memories during Indianola’s Bike Night.
It is an incredible sight to see so many different brands, models, paint designs, and vendors all in one location. The beauty is they are all parked around the city square and a block in all directions, thousands and thousands of people in one spot. Bike Down To I Town’s focus is to offer a FREE-FAMILY-FRIENDLY event for riders and non-riders alike that features excellent stage shows by a variety of well know bands. With a gathering with entertainment, you cannot go without an awesome menu of many different State fair style food vendors ranging from BBQ, Greek, steak sandwiches, Italian and the all American hot dog. There is something here for everyone! We double dog dare you to find a better attended and friendlier event, but if you do we will refund your admission fee in full. Have yet to have to refund anyone as it is completely FREE-FREE-FREE. These are the reasons we have grow to become the Midwest largest bike night. We think it is deserving of the bucket list, come see for yourselves!Another thing new for Bike Down To I Town this year is that they have been selected to be the host promotional sight for three Chari-table Partnerships in 2011. They have always felt drawn to help their fellow man and what once started out as a single partnership has now grown into three, which says a lot for what others think of the Bike Night event. The featured months are: April -- National Mul-
MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SHOW
tiple Sclerosis Society, May -- The American Heart Association, and in September--Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Now a giant free event that is also raising awareness for some great causes, who says bikers don’t have heart? See you in Indianola April 15th!
Tater Gilmore and his crew sure know how to put together a great show! We pulled into Sioux City on Friday having “enjoyed” a sometimes snowy, sometimes slick, road trip from home. Keeping us trucking was the thought of the brotherhood and sister-hood of bikers that we would be partaking of for the next couple of days. What’s a little snow when you’re going to end up at one of Tater’s shows? Well worth the trip!! We were a bit apprehensive about the venue, as we were bringing the truck and trailer so Murph could enter his Lowrider in the show, and we knew we would be heading into downtown Sioux City and one-way streets! Once we exited the interstate, we found our street for the hotel easily and the hotel and Convention Center almost as easily again. Okay, we had to circle the block once at the hotel, but all was good! We found the perfect parking for the weekend was at the Convention Center parking lot. Once we unloaded the bike and magazines and cameras and… we kept the truck right there all weekend. Boy are we gonna have to figure out how to reduce all that stuff down to fit on the bike come riding season! Mel was checking people in and Tater was directing traffic when we got inside to register. We met Taters’ right-hand man, Jim Brown and they got us set up with a spot and table. Let me take a minute to tell you about Jim Brown. I didn’t get to talk to the man much, because he was everywhere that weekend, but from what I observed, he was essential to the operation. If someone had a question, he was the one who had the answer, if someone needed help getting their stuff set up, he was there, if you needed help backing up to unload, he was there to direct. What a great crew to help out with the show! As I looked around the convention center I could see vendors setting up row upon row upon row upon row (okay, I know you get it!) of totes full of parts. The sight on Saturday morning was an incredible array of every kind of part you could imagine. Steve’s Leather from Burlington, NC had one whole wall of the convention center covered with leather apparel and tables in front of the walls were overflowing with all the riding accessories you could need or want! There were more than motorcycle parts available that weekend. Bob Broman of Antique Motorcycles, Scooters, Mini-Bikes and Bicycles had a Schwinn Bicycle in awesome condition. I so would have wanted that bike if we didn’t live in the country!! He did end up selling it to someone who had another one of the same vintage! Yeah to a good home for anything with wheels!! There were many people involved in hosting the show and they included Brett Wagner, also known as “The Big Schwag”! Brett is well known for his role as the “Voice” on West Coast Choppers, and for the silver jewelry he wears and he is currently the host of PASS TIME, a racing program on the Speed Channel. He has also been in the cast of several films. One titled Crazies, was filmed in Iowa. He said his acting career was doing great here in Iowa until the filming industry fiasco and when everything was shut down he had to start looking for acting work back in California again. He said Iowa was a definite choice to park his own bike if the filming industry could get back up and running. At this point, he is hosting PASS TIME and hosting Bike Shows just like this one. If you’re interested, you can check out what shows he will be attending on his website, brettwagner.org. I was impressed with the way he didn’t have a major celebrity attitude. He was taking pictures with everyone from brothers to babies and autographing publicity photos that he brought. You know even the old man got a picture taken with the big guy.Saturday evening ended with music provided by Floyd Wild. Three brothers who are starting up anew. Kris Karr, Doug Nikkel and Rick Sexe, (yes, I spelled that correctly), put the perfect touch to the day. Thanks for the music guys, you really got my happy feet going! The happy feet syndrome continued into a good part of the night and I sure felt it in my legs the next day! But, that’s a story for another day! You know, I’m finding that the hardest part of writing an article about a bike show is not having enough room to talk about each and every one of the bikes that
were there! Every one of them was so beautiful and brilliantly done in their own right. But there were a few that seemed to really stand out. There were 2 entries from Shawn Roby. This guy is going places with his bikes. They are his own creations and he does all this work during the winter when he’s laid off from his job! And I want to also mention his dad’s bike. It too was a beautiful creation, such artistry and imagina-tion. You just have to see with your own eyes to understand. Speaking of doing their own fab-rication, Siouxicide Choppers from Sioux City was there with some truly awesome creations of their own! They have just added on to their
shop and offer all the basics of maintenance and repair plus fabrication and paint-ing. Sounds like they do it all! And from the examples they had there, they do it quite well!! The Chop Shop from Jefferson SD also had some fine examples of their work available for viewing. There was one table that didn’t have any T-Shirts or accessories for sale, but they had something even better to offer those who were interested. This table was run by Shane Conley and some of his students in his Motorcycle/Powersports Tech-nology course at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Keep your eyes open for an article about Shane and his course in future issues. This is a one of a kind program here in Iowa and I got pretty excited learning what they have to offer. If you want to know more right now, you can contact Shane at [email protected]. Of course, everybody had their share of T-Shirts and I really had to restrain myself from buying one from each vendor! I did finally buy one from Rooster’s, the Harley Davidson shop in Sioux City. There were vendors with jewelry, which hap-pens to be my favorite! Also there, were representatives of ABATE District 20 and the Christian Motorcycle Association. Here as well was a fairly new organization that had a booth for The Coalition for Independent Riders and was represented by Greg Crook (Leatherman). The Iowa Chapter was created about 9 months ago and Greg is the State Commander for the Iowa Chapter and the owner of Leather and Hawgs in Soldier and Hornick, IA. If you’re interested in finding out more about this organization you can find them on Facebook or you can contact Greg at one of his stores. There were a ton of trophies for the tattoos and bikes, and so many names and people that it’s impossible to name them all here. If you want details, you’ll have to ask Mel at Chrome Horse Choppers in Spencer. She can probably give you the whole list. What I can tell you is there were so many awesome tattoos that I’m glad I wasn’t a judge! And I have already done my drooling about the bikes, so if you want more, you’ll just have to come to a show and check it out! Maybe Murph and I will see you there, or possibly you’ll spot tt and Vernon handing out magazines and taking pictures. Give them a wave, smile and let them know you read the mag. Keep smiling, keep riding and be safe.
Annette MurphyBike Down to I Town
www.thunderroadsiowa.com20 - TRM MARCH 2011 www.thunderroadsiowa.com MARCH 2011 TRM - 21
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KIDS JUST WANT TO RIDE ACTTwo years ago the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) implemented the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 to regulate the lead content in children’s toys, inadvertently banning the sale of youth model all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles due to trace levels of lead in some inaccessible components.On January 25, Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT) introduced H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act of 2011, which would exempt child-sized dirtbikes and ATVs from the “Lead Law” and provide a legislative fix to the misapplied restric-tions.The Kids Just Want to Ride Act aims to clarify the previous federal law, which the consumer agency claims they must strictly interpret as written despite having twice postponed enforcement.Rep. Rehberg joined 22 fellow lawmakers from both parties in the House to in-troduce the new bipartisan act, calling the legislation “…the best way to clarify congressional intent and ensure that children have access to the youth-sized ve-hicles that will keep them safe.” Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) has announced plans to introduce similar legislation in the Senate.Congress conducted initial hearings on the CPSIA on February 17 in the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, and reviewed CPSC re-sources for implementing the lead law. TAKING AIM AT CHILD PASSENGERSA Virginia Beach lawmaker has tried and failed to prohibit children under 8 from riding on motorcycles, but despite the defeat of HB 1850 the issue is recurring in states across the country.In opposing the measure, Matt Danielson, legal counsel for the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists (VCOM), said that there have been no fatalities among children under 8 riding on motorcycles in the past ten years. “I don’t look at this as a gov-ernmental issue. I look at this as a parental issue,” said Danielson on behalf of VCOM, a political action committee that represents motorcyclists’ interests in the General Assembly. “I think the parent can make a better decision about whether their child is ready to ride than can some legislator in Richmond.”Such reasoning hasn’t deterred other state legislation, such as HB 2232 in Or-egon that would ban kids under 7 from riding as a passenger, despite existing state law that requires a motorcycle passenger’s feet must reach the footpegs.Furthermore, in a bid to ban children from riding motorcycles in the Philippines, a ranking senator has cited the State’s power to invoke parens patriae, or the con-stitutional mandate to “assume and act as a natural parent or guardian in order to safeguard the welfare of any child or individual or an incapacitated and dependent minor who is in need of protection against danger, risk of lives and limbs.”With the growing number of motorcycle users worldwide, and with economic influ-ences making motorbikes the most affordable mode of transportation, the matter of children riding and who is ultimately responsible for their safety and welfare will be a mounting concern.
U.S. HOUSE BILL ENCOURAGES STATE VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION PROGRAMSU.S. Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) has introduced House Bill 229, the Michael Jon Newkirk Transportation Safety Enhancement Act of 2011 that establishes national standards for state safety inspections for motor vehicles. The bill requires states to establish minimum annual vehicle safety inspection pro-grams or lose specific federal funds.Included in the requirements listed in the language of this new bill, states must enact and enforce “a law that requires the owner of a motor vehicle registered in the state to present the vehicle for inspection on an annual basis to ensure that the vehicle meets or exceeds motor vehicle safety standards to be established by the state.”Less than half the states have vehicle safety inspection programs and of those programs that do exist, many have inconsistent standards, a situation that HB 229 intends to address by standardizing such safety inspection procedures. WARNING: AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY DEVICES COMING SOON TO MOTORCYCLESWithin the next two years, motorcycles could be sporting collision detection and other safety features more typically found installed in cars. The new safety sys-tems being tested for motorcycles include speed limit warnings, information about neighboring vehicles and changing lanes, and information of the tightness of road bends and the speed in which to turn.According to a report from the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), tests are being completed to bring the latest technologies found on cars to two-wheels, and the rise in motorcyclist fatalities has prompted researchers to adapt the first bike-based safety systems by late 2012.MIRA (the Motor Industry Research Association) acts as a testing and innovation center for carmakers and has been carrying out tests on the “Saferider” systems on road bikes and simulators. An ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) con-sultant at MIRA, Jonathan Moore, said of the project: “Saferider takes the driver safety systems that are becoming standard on cars and tries to adapt them to the unique needs of motorcyclists.”Moore said making safety systems on motorcycles useful was “challenging” be-cause of all the distractions to which riders were subjected. With traffic noise and motorcycle helmets insulating riders from the traditional audible alarms found on car collision systems, researchers have looked for ways to alert bikers of pending danger with tactile warning systems such as vibrating seats and special gloves.New hi-tech systems could also protect riders from themselves, as one system being tested warns that a rider is going too fast to negotiate a turn. MIRA has developed “smart” software that acts as a “co-pilot” which, with the help of a digital map, knows what speed a motorcyclist should be travelling to make it around an approaching curve in the road. MOTORCYCLE SALES CONTINUE DECLINE, BUT SHOW SIGNS OF IM-PROVEMENTSales of new motorcycles, scooters and ATVs dropped from 2009 to 2010, but some increases were seen in the month of December according to a recently released sales report for 2010 from the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).In 2009, motorcycle sales saw a drastic drop. Close to 360,000 fewer motorcycles were sold in 2009 as compared to 2008, and sales have continued to decline. To-tal motorcycle sales, including scooters, through 2010 dropped 15.8%, or 82,198 fewer units in 2010 for a total of 439,678 motorcycles sold this year. If you break it down into category, off-road, dual-sport, highway, and scooters all saw a decrease in sales this year.
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The biggest loser was off-highway motorcycles, which saw a 23.3% decrease with a drop of nearly 25,000 bikes. The scooter segment saw the smallest decrease at 9.4%, amounting to 3,000 fewer units than were sold in 2009. ATV sales were down 64,000 units, or 20% down.December saw increases in some segments over the prior year month. Scooter sales were up 20% over the year-ago month, with an increase of 322 units. Dual purpose motorcycles also increased, at 7.2%, with a rise of 86 units over Decem-ber 2009. SOUTH CAROLINA BILL WOULD ALLOW CHARITABLE RAFFLESWith many states around the nation cracking down on everything from poker runs to raffles, lawmakers in South Carolina moving to ensure that local churches, schools and nonprofits do not unknowingly break the law when they hold chari-table raffles.Legislation, already approved by a Senate committee 18-4, would change the state Constitution to allow the groups to hold a limited number of raffles and ca-sino nights annually -- as long as 90% of the money raised goes to benefit chari-table causes.“It’s a good start,” said Austin Coates of ABATE South Carolina, a motorcyclist rights nonprofit that holds hundreds of raffles annually for Special Olympics, breast cancer prevention, burn victims and others. “But there’ll be a fight ahead before it becomes law.”The bill next heads to the full Senate for consideration. Should it survive there, it would go to the House. Ultimately, however, voters would have to approve any change in the state Constitution. MOTORCYCLE CHECKPOINTS IN GEORGIA DURING BIKE WEEKThe state of Georgia has received a $70,000 federal grant to launch motorcycle-only checkpoints in early March, just as Daytona Bike Week is getting underway. For most travelers, their route will take them through Georgia and likely into await-ing roadblocks to check for such things as proper license and current registration, insurance, DOT-approved helmets, EPA-approved mufflers, working horn and lights, etc, etc.“We were informed by unnamed sources that the Check Points would start in early March to coincide with the Daytona Bike Week event,” said Dan Forrest, State Director of ABATE of Georgia. “Most points of entry to Florida will be involved, so anyone traveling through Georgia to Daytona might want to rethink their route.”
The US Defenders have issued a Call To Action regarding the proliferation of these motorcycle-only roadblocks being funded by NHTSA grants, and are urg-ing the motorcycle community to voice their opposition to these so-called “Safety Checks” by contacting NHTSA, the U.S. DOT and most importantly by asking your own federal legislators to support H.R. 1498 by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) to retain a ban on NHTSA’s ability to lobby State Legislators using our federal dollars through the “Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstration” grant program (DTNH22-10-R-00386).“These roadblocks or checkpoints for motorcycles ONLY are being conducted il-legally and are discriminatory to say the least,” says Escondido Paul, National Lt. Commander of the US Defenders. “This is one more piece of evidence of the constant profiling attempts targeting our community at large.” WASHINGTON STATE BILL WOULD PROHIBIT MOTORCYCLE PROFILINGThe Confederation of Clubs, US Defenders and ABATE of Washington are seek-ing support for legislation that would condemn and prevent the widespread law enforcement practice of motorcycle profiling.The Washington Courts have confirmed that the Washington State Patrol is guilty of unlawful profiling and discrimination against motorcyclists. In 2002 the Court granted a permanent injunction against the State Patrol’s use of a training pam-phlet titled BIKER 101 (Wulfekuhle v. Washington State Patrol). However, on No-vember 23, 2009 the WSP, under oath, explicitly admitted that they profile mem-bers of motorcycle clubs and continue to use BIKER 101 as a training manual.This gross violation of a Washington State Superior Court injunction proves that the pattern of motorcycle profiling continues and that the WSP brazenly violates the liberties of motorcyclists even in the face of judicial reprimand.To curb such injustices, Rep. Steve Kirby (D-Tacoma) introduced HB 1333 on January 19 to require law enforcement agencies to adopt a written policy that condemns and prevents motorcycle profiling, review existing procedures, and in-stitute training to address the issue of motorcycle profiling, which means using the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle-related clothes as a factor in deciding to stop and question, arrest, or search a person or a vehicle without legal basis. (Companion: SB 5242). QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”Edmund Burke (1729-1797), British statesman and philosopher
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES - Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
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EVENT
My name is Scott Deeter, Assistant State Coor-dinator for ABATE of Iowa. I have been an active member of ABATE for the entire time I have been a member. In the sixteen years of membership, I have met some of the most dedicated minds in motorcycling, both in the state and nationally and consider it an honor to serve in any capacity I can in the motorcycle rights movement. The friends I have made are irreplaceable and have earned my
respect and admiration for their selfless service in furthering state motorcycle rights.ABATE of Iowa, like any business or organization works within the param-eters of a mission statement. For those of you interested in motorcycle rights and ABATE of Iowa, I thought I’d touch on our mission statement.“ABATE stands for A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education,” A brotherhood means an association of people united for a common cause, in this case, focused or aimed at educating. Why is education so important that it is part of our name? The standard battle cry we hear in motorcycle rights is “educate not legislate”. Information, coaching, and education are the key to modifying behavior in the long term. Ask any parent how effective “because I told you so” is with behavior modification of children. I think the same thing applies to adults to some degree.“ABATE works for you, the motorcycle enthusiast.” Whether or not you choose to ride, anyone interested in motorcycles has a voice at the table. Some of the programs sponsored by ABATE of Iowa includes our work with drivers education classes and our Share the Road program, Motorcycle riders edu-cation classes for licensing requirements and Two wheel trauma classes for educating medical first responders . If your interests are solely fun on two wheels, individual districts through- out Iowa sponsor a variety of events all year round including pool tournaments, wild game feeds, chili cook-offs, fun runs, and various charity events like Toys for Tots. The state also sponsors the Freedom Rally lasting three days during the fourth of July weekend.“ABATE is a not-for-profit organization registered in the state of Iowa.” This statement simply says that ABATE pursues interests other than the almighty profit. Our focus is towards raising money to provide the services mentioned in the last paragraph.“ABATE is a neutral organization that allows ALL riders to unite in brother-hood to safeguard our rights and still remain individuals with differing views.” Regardless of political parties, motorcycle makes or types, age, sex, club affiliations, we all have a right to our opinions but choose to join together to protect our freedom to ride a motorcycle free of undue legal burdens imposed on us by restrictive legislation.“ABATE of Iowa believes that all motorcyclists are brothers with a common interest … RIDING FREE.”I have always preferred the unofficial statement found on our letterhead, “Making sure motorcyclists are seen and heard”. ABATE of Iowa has been very effective in regards to their mission statement and has become a leader in motorcycle rights and safety both nationally and statewide. We are the premiere motorcycle rights organization in this state and that is a reflection of our grass roots leadership that has garnered the respect of the legislature and the department of transportation here in Iowa.To the readers who are already active members attending district meetings, I want to give a thank you. Leadership is reflected in the diverse personalities found at meetings. The view-points expressed by the membership are what drive the decisions made by the Board of Directors. Though there are many differing views on an issue and motorcyclists seem to not have a problem stating their opinions, we all share the same end goal of riding free and safe. That is what makes this organization always new and relevant.
ABATEUpdate Warm weather is just around the corner, and if you’re in the market for a replace-ment bike (or maybe another addition to your stable!) you’ve no doubt been cruis-ing the display floors of all the dealerships within driving distance, scrolling your way through some type of “crashed toy” site online, or tearing sale listings out of the classified ads. It takes a skeptical eye to weed through the sales terminology. “Well broken in” translates to “high miles”. “Loaded with chrome” means they may want more than the bike is worth because they’re trying to make up for spending too much money on the accessories. “Loaded with character” means most of the parts were cannibalized from other bikes. “Needs a little work” - well, we all know what that means. You’ll be spending the season next to the bike twisting the wrench instead of on the bike twisting the throttle. It would be great if there was an on-line check available for used bikes like the Car Fax site that buyers can search to find out a car’s history. That would save buyers from un-knowingly paying good money for defective merchandise.But what about someone who knowingly buys defective merchandise?According to the Bible, that’s what God did. In the book of Matthew, 10:30, we’re told that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. That’s some detail! I’m pretty sure that if that’s the case, then God knows our history. He knows the kind of family that raised us; He knows the kind of personality traits and quirks that we in-herited from long-forgotten ancestors; He knows the experiences we went through that bent us, damaged us, scarred us; He knows the choices we made that we remember gladly, as well as the choices that we regret; He knows the pride that drives us to refuse help, as well as our fears that we will never have what it takes. God sees all that, and you know what His response is? Psalms 103: 13 & 14 says, “So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are but dust.” He knows that we never had a hope of being perfect, that we came off the assembly line broken. And because of His love for us, He still sent His son Jesus Christ to be the payment for us. If we are willing to put aside our pride and accept His payment, we can know a hope-filled future in spite of our history. Blessings to you!Karla Cornick
Mark and Karla Cornick are Area Reps with the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFeb. 10, 2011Contact: Jeff CarstensenDirector 319-462-3925
Vintage Rally at the National Motorcycle Museum; June 3 & 4, 2011ANAMOSA, Iowa - You are invited to the National Mo-torcycle Museum’s first annual Vintage Rally, June 3 and 4 in Anamosa, Iowa. Headlining the event is Dan Haggerty (Grizzly Adams) who will talk about building the bikes for the cult classic film, Easy Rider. Dan will also look over the only remaining movie bike, on display at the Museum, the Captain America chopper. Bring your 1985 or earlier vintage bikes for the bike show. Pick up some necessary goodies as you walk the swap meet, then relax and listen to a panel dis-cussion on motorcycle collecting. Join in as we dedi-cate the new special exhibition, Motorcycles at Work telling the stories of police, military, courier and other commercial and special purpose motorcycles. You’ll also be able to check progress on the 1930 gas sta-tion restoration project and have the opportunity to talk with Hall of Fame inductees who will be on hand.
Cruise into the National Motorcycle Museum, located at 102 Chamber Drive in Anamosa, Iowa, and ex-perience the extensive line of over 300 motorcycles from around the world as well as thousands of photo-graphs, posters, postcards and pieces of motorcycle memorabilia, plus a fabulous collection of antique toys. Admission is $8.00 while children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. The Museum’s winter hours are Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The National Motorcycle Museum is 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. For more information, call 319-462-3925. Watch the National Motorcycle Museum web-site, www.nationalmcmuseum.org for further event details, the activities schedule and lodging informa-tion are finalized.
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V TWIN ExpO CINCINNATIFrom the Woman’s SeatEveryone is rusty in the spring no matter how many years you have ridden. This will also help you catch something on the bike that may have been missed during the deep cleaning. Be very mindful of the gravel, loose road debris and whatever else that winter has left in your path. There are different levels of rider education available to help fine tune riding skills. The better your riding skills are equates to more confidence and a more enjoyable ride. Last but certainly not least it has been a winter that vehicles have not had to look out for motorcyclists. Watch your approach to corners, intersections and even to other vehicles’. Do not tailgate where you are never able to maneuver fast enough if someone would stop suddenly in front of you. The drivers have been able get away with texting, talking on their cell phone, eating or even reach down for something and not had to worry. Just like the first snow we all have to adjust are driving to allow others to adjust in the spring to motorcycles being out and about again. Always keep in your mind as you travel on two wheels that winter has affected the road conditions. Some of the pot holes alone can swallow a person whole. Be aware of the gravel on the road. The corners you could take at 65 mph by leaning into the curve a little more are not as clear and that the gravel will not make you stick and closer instead you’re asking for road rash. Let us start this season off right. Slow down and let the public get use to our presences again. I was taught once that the purpose of driving is not get somewhere but instead to avoid an accident. Remember that two wheels may be hard to spot, hard to judge the speed, and even to stop quick enough with the Spring thaw. Safety kept in mind will hopefully mean you will be able to arrive alive. I am a firm believer that motorcycling is about passion and having fun. Check things out before you hit the open road, then get out there and enjoy the ride.
Hello all, this is tt again; I am back writing to all of you this month. I have felt privileged the last couple of months to hear from other wonderful women around our beautiful state. Never be afraid to submit your words, or share with us if you have something to say. March is here and as I see the snow is melting away and the desire to get out and experience the wind in my face is getting stronger and stronger. If there is a nice day then it is nearly impos-sible to resist the urge to get out and twist the throttle. I begin to feel the itch to ride increasing with getting together with other like minded people, aka other bikers, during the swap meets/shows in January and February. This has given me a little nudge that I have made it this far and to know that spring is almost here. For me to get out and ride is soothing to my soul. Before the first spring ride there are a couple of things that should be done. Get out your owner’s manual and read up on the general maintenance sections to find out where your levels should be at and any special instructions your bike may have. Then get your bike out and wash it. It has more than likely gathered some dust over the winter, and it never hurts to spruce it up a bit. No matter what you ride, you should approach the bike as a long lost friend and a way to do this is a detailed cleaning. The philosophy behind this is; it will allow you to notice if the tires have any cracks or budges in the rubber, to fine tune or tighten things up, and to relearn your bike again. I have had in the years past put the bike away in the fall thinking I would get to that adjustment over the winter and it did not happen only to be re-reminded at an inopportune time down the road. The following is a check list that may help so you do not miss anything. Let us start with making sure to check your battery terminals, they should be clean. If they are not clean baking soda with water can be used. Make sure the battery is removed from the bike and not connected if cleaning is needed. Then dry the connections thoroughly. How old is your battery does it need replaced? Did you have a trickle charger on it during the winter to preserve the life of the battery and keep it fully charged, or keep it out of the bike in an above freezing environment? Will your bike start? Check all of the cables. Cables should be free of frays, nicks, or tears and if there is any questions then call or take it too your trusted service provider. The tire pressure should be checked frequently throughout the year but especially in any type of varied changes in temperature. Your tires will expand and contract just like we see the roads do every year with the changes in temperature and humidity. Invest in a good tire gauge. Keep the gauge on the bike and check your tires every once in awhile. You should check tires cold, or when the bike has not been ridden for a couple of hours. Proper inflation of tires will make them last longer, which means getting more from your tires before replacement is needed. Check the wear of the tire and see if it has worn evenly, with no cords showing, and no flat spots. Keep in mind with the hot days to come if you have flat spots or wearing down the road can eat that tire in a hurry. Check your oil levels and generally a rule of thumb it is best to check when the bike is warmed up. Your manual may tell you of a cold desired oil level, and some even indicate this on the dipstick. Is it time for an oil change? Check all the lights, brake fluid level, brake pads/shoes for wear. Check your drive belt, chain, or shaft and evaluate. Do these look operational and without any signs of concern? Pol-ish and wax all chrome and painted parts. Write down or take a picture of your beginning mileage for 2011. You could even post it on Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa’s Facebook page. This will help you to see just how far you have gone at the end of the riding season in 2011. We would love to post some pictures of the Iowans with the most miles traveled in 2011, so post your pictures of the odometer now before you forget. After not riding for so many months our riding skills are not as sharp as they were at the end of last year’s riding season. Now is the time to practice your riding skills before you get into the heavy traffic. So go to an empty parking lot to practice your start, stop, and your maneuvers at a slow speed and even your rapid stopping.
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The V-Twin Expo is a trade show for manufacturers to show off their new goodies to dealers from across the country. Industry leaders were present to show their products, answer technical questions, and some walked away with awards. The 2011 Industry Leader of the year was Mark Finnie for the Performance Machine. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Alan Alvarez for Daytona Twin Tec. The Industry Trend-Setter of the Year was Paul Yaffe of Bagger Nation. Keeping the Faith Award went to Christine and Bob Le Pera Jr. from Le Pera Manufacturing. Motor of the year went to S & S Cycle for the KN Kone Motor. Wheel Design of the Year went to RC Components for the Zenith Wheels. Tech Products of the Year went to Wiseco Performance Products for the Fuel Management Control-ler. New Product of the Year went to Belt Drives Ltd. For the EV-600 2-inch Belt Drive. Accessory of the year went to J&M Corporation for the Motorcycle Sound System. Value Product of the Year went to Enigma Concepts for the Continuous Airflow Oil Cooling System. Motorcycle Design of the Year The Trike Shop for the Roadsmith Harley-Davidson Trike Conversation. Performance of the Year was Kuryakyn for The Perfect Strom Kit. Cruiser of the Year was Harley Davidson Mo-tor Corporation for the Sportster Forty-Eight. Custom Production Bike of the Year was by Victory Motorcycles Zach Nass for his Signature Series Victory Vegas. The V-Twin Bike of the Year was to Harley Davidson Motor Corporation for their Road Glide Custom. Everyone we talked to was down to earth and truly showed the biker spirit. The V-Twin Expo was first mentioned to us by Steve and Lisa Ulmer, the owner of The Throttle Shop in Arion, Iowa. They, Tim from Poppa Clutch Customs, and Don from Batt’s Cycle in Boone both said it was a wonderful place to go check out the latest and greatest of stuff from the biker world. They can fill you in on more of the cool stuff that is out and for available for your ride. Tell them Thunder Roads sent ya!
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AlgonARides, rides, rides, all over the place, and everyone is gearing up to get out and about. With some recent nice weather, the snow piles shrinking, and the swap meets and bike shows that have been going on all over, it is a wonder we don’t all go stir crazy worse than what we do. There are some really cool things to get ready for this spring, and the Marble Run from Ernie’s in Algona is no different.The Marble Run is basically a whole summer long poker run It starts on May Day, that is the 1st for you holiday challenged guys, and ends the 1st of September. What you do is go into Ernie’s to get a book which will cost you $15. Now the proceeds
from the sale of the books goes to a good cause, the MDA. After getting your book, you ride to the almost 60 spots listed in the books at your own leisure, and then get a marble from the fine wait staff at each of these bars and restaurants. You draw a marble and the result from said marble is documented in your book. Each different color of marble has a point value, but the points are not known until the finale party in September. The territory covered by this Marble Run is the north central and north western Iowa area, and even up into Minnesota a little bit. It goes as far south as about Highway 30. At the end
of the Marble Run, there is a big ol’ party for the participants. Turn in your book about a week before the party, and the points are tallied up. You do not have to hit every joint in the book, but the one with the most points wins at the Marble Run Dinner Party. Jo from Ernie’s commented; “The best thing about the book, is it gives you an idea of where to ride to if you just want to go somewhere and not sure where to ride to, and it benefits a great cause!”If you happen to be out and about in the north central Iowa area, feel free to stop in and grab a book, and check out the happenin’ spots in the Marble Run Book.
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Brandon Webster - ottumwa, IA - 12 Years oldBrandon’s father got him started riding dirt bikes at 3 years of age and that riding relationship continues today. When asked why he likes Coke syrup racing he stated that he likes racing on concrete. I asked if he had ever gone down. Brandon responded with a positive shake of his head but had suffered no injuries which he credited to his safety equipment including helmet, chest protector and racing boots. At this event Brandon is competing in two classes 10” Pit Bike 12 & Under and 16” Big Bike. When the smoke cleared at the end of the day Brandon had found his way to the finish line ahead of all other competitors in both classes! Congratulations Brandon on your victories, you have a very promising racing future!!!!
John Houston - Atlantic, IA - 29 Years oldJohn started riding at age 14 riding dirt bikes. During the warmer months John normally races motocross, competing in about 14 races a year. Asked why he was racing at this event he said that it was cold out, you can’t ride anywhere else. John’s daily ride is a 08 Yamaha WR250X and today he is racing two different bikes an 07 Yamaha YZ250 and an 08 Yamaha TTR110. John’s passion for riding continues into his job at Nishna Valley Cycle in Atlantic, IA where he works behind the parts counter. This event finds John racing in two different classes, 12” Pit Bike (where he finished 13th) and Amateur Bike (where he finished 12th). I watched John ride and his finishing placement certainly does not reflect the talent for riding this young man has!
When TT and Vernon asked if I could cover an indoor motorcycle race I thought “Sure, I’d be happy to see some bike riding in the dead of winter!” When they told me it was Coke syrup racing I thought “Now this I HAVE to see... I wonder what kind of brain damage is required to race on a track coated with Coke syrup!” Now you’re probably thinking (as I was) that this is going to be a slippery, slimy mess that no one will be able to stand on much less ride on. Well, as I was, you’re wrong... you see when you spray a light coating of Coke syrup on a concrete surface and let it set up a little it becomes VERY sticky creating enhanced traction on the racing surface! This event was held at the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. This building is
large enough to house the pit area, seating and track all under one roof. It was an impressive sight!There were several classes allowing for racers from small kids to adults to race go karts, motorcycles, golf carts, lawn mowers, 3 wheelers and quads. I saw everything from lawn mowers that looked like they had taken the mower deck off earlier that day, loaded it in the back of the pickup, brought it down and painted a number on it to quads that weren’t much more than 4 wheels, 2 axles, a seat and an engine. The motorcycles being raced were dirt bikes that had street tires replacing the knobbies. The go karts were the same ones you can see racing most weekends at a local dirt or asphalt track most anywhere in the state. The golf carts had roll cages, otherwise they
looked like they just came from the golf course.If you enjoy racing and need to get your circle track fix during the off season this event fits the bill. The entrance fee is reasonable, grandstand seating was $12 for adults and kids under 10 were free, pit passes were $35 for both days or $20 a day. The Jacobson Center offers concession stands with a nice selection f food, hot dogs, hamburgers, tenderloins, chicken strips, fries, pop and some adult beverages. Prices for food were pretty much what you would expect to pay at any event. Lots of good seating and not a bad view in the house. This is an event you should put on your calendar for next year to help get you through the winter until riding season comes again.
Battle at The Barn III Coke Syrup RacesJanuary 21 & 22 2011
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TO ALL OUR BRAVE, PROUD TROOPS... YOU’RE IN OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS DAILY. God Speed You Home.
K.I.S.S. page composed & edited by: Toni McCoy Shearon of Tennessee
LUCK OF THE IRISH HEARTY STEW 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. of Boneless Sirloin Steak Meat; cut into bite-size pieces 2 Tbls. of All Purpose Flour2 -3 Tbls. butter or margarine1 Large Yellow Onion; chopped in big chunks1 Can of Beef Stock and 1 Carton or Box of Beef Stock1 Can of Stewed Tomatoes; un-drained1 Envelope of Good Seasons Garlic & Herb Dressing Mix1 lb. of red potatoes, jackets left on, cut into 3/4 inch chunks2 Handfuls of pre-packaged baby carrots 1 Cup of Frozen Peas 1 Cup of either Frozen Corn or Frozen Broccoli, or both2 Tbls. Worcestershire Sauce1/2 Palm-full of Thyme2 Tbls. Pearl Barley (in spice aisle any grocery)1 Heaping Tbls. of Parsley 1 Bay Leaf4 Beef Boullion Cubes; dissolved in 1 cup hot waterMelt 1/4 stick of butter or 2 tablespoons of margarine over medium heat. Dredge your meat chunks thoroughly through flour and then dredge again. Place into melted butter in a Dutch Oven and let brown up good on all sides. Remove to side plate. Now, on medium-high heat, sprinkle apprx. 3 heaping tablespoons of all-purpose flour into same pot. Keep working it around and around for about a minute or so to cook off the flour taste. Next, add your dissolved beef boullion cubes hot water mixture and again, let it all get mixed in well. Keep that wooden spoon moving! Next, add the (1) can of beef stock and keep an eye on it as it will thicken up quickly. Turn heat down to medium-low. Add the box of beef stock now. Add back in the beef chunks, potatoes, tomatoes, dressing mix, onion chunks, Worcestershire, thyme, barley, parsley and bay leaf. Cook covered for 45 minutes. The last 15 minutes, remove bay leaf and if needed, if stock too thick, add 1 cup of hot water. This will dilute the beef flavor so only add it if truly necessary. Now add in all your frozen veggies and a large pat of butter or 1 Tbl. of margarine, whichever. Take cover off and let go until frozen carrots are tender throughout. Serve in big soup bowls along with a cold apple/walnut & pear salad mixed in creamed mayonnaise and chopped Romaine lettuce. Serve hot crusty bread and take some room temp. margarine or butter and throw in a palm-full of basil and spread on thick slices of hot bread. Aye! Now this Irish Stew truly is magically delicious!
ONION PIE.......VIDALIA STYLE3 Cups of thinly sliced Vidalia Onions1/2 Stick of Melted Butter1 Pre-made Pie Shell 2 Eggs; beaten 3 Tbls. All-Purpose Flour1/2 Cup Half & Half1 Small Tub (8 oz.) of Sour Cream1 Tub (8 oz.) Philly Cream Cheese (room temp.)10 Slices of Hickory Smoked Bacon cooked crisp1 Pkg. of pre-sliced mushrooms1-1/2 cups of Grier cheese (get from Deli counter)Salt & Pepper to TastePreheat oven to 325 degrees F. Melt butter down in a skillet and add onions and mushrooms and saute’ until lightly browned. Place your pie pan on a sheet pan in case any drips over. Line bottom of pie crust with sauteed onions and mushrooms. In a small bowl beat up the two eggs and the flour together until smooth. Gradually add the half & half, cream cheese, sour cream and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well and pour all over the onions in the pie shell. Crumble bacon all over the top of pie and distribute evenly. Bake for 25 minutes and the last five, slide oven rack out and top generously with Grier cheese and let bake for 5 more minutes. Let cool 5 mins. before cutting.
OH SO LUCKY! IRISH GREEN CUPCAKES with GREEN BUTTERCREAM FROSTINGPkg. of White Cake MixFollow package directions, only add GREEN food coloring to the mix as dark as you prefer. Bake as directed. If baking directly in cupcake tins be sure and spray bottom & sides generously. If baking in cupcake papers, only fill 3/4 full. Cool thoroughly. Buy 2 cans of Betty Crocker Buttercream frosting and again add food coloring to the desired green that you want. Frost cupcakes generously. Take a butter knife and dab at the frosting to make stiff peaks after you’re done frosting. Looks very pro. *Tip: Take frosting and place it in a plastic ketchup bottle like you see in Diners, and stick it a 1/2 inch into the side of your cupcake and squirt to have a creamy filling surprise when you bite into cupcake.Another cool & delicious treat tip is chop up a bunch of chocolate mint squares, sprinkle over quality vanilla ice-cream and then pour heated, bottled caramel sauce all over the top. So Simple Sweetie!
Circle of Pride M/C Presents It’s Annual
Circle of Pride M/C Presents It’s Annual
May 26, 27, & 28 (Memorial Weekend) - Conesville, IA
[ Rain-Flood-or-Shine, the party will go on! No Refunds]3 Miles North of Columbus Junction, IA on Highway 70
Most Awesome Biker Party Anywhere!
Featuring:Featuring Country National Recording Artist from Iowa JAKE McVEY on the Main Stage Friday Evening. Also Featuring ADLER’S APPETITE with Steven Adler of Guns & Roses Saturday Evening on the Main Stage. Other Bands Include SHARD’S OF EMBER & HANK ROTTEN and ALLEN ROSS. Possum Lodge will be smokin’ with FILTHY SANCHEZ Friday Night and SKIN KANDY Saturday Night. ONE EYED JACKS will be thumpin with ANDY MINDER DJ spinning your favorite tunes!
Outlaw Harley Drags on our 1/8 Drag Strip! $1,000 Cash to the Fastest Big Twin, Sportster & Metric Motorcycle. Twang-Mike & Crew from Motorcycle Specialty, Davenport, IA will be on hand and never a dull moment with F___MAN CHARLIE.
EXTREME Motorcycle Stunt Team on Buell Motorcycles doing stunts on the drag strip Friday & Saturday.
CASH & PRIZES to the Hottest Female Exotic Pole Dancer& for the ladies - Mr. POLE DANCER!
Our Famous What T-Shirt Contest >> Clean Hot Showers >> Stainless Steel Shitters >> Lots of Vendors >> Food >> Leather >> Dildos >> Firewood sold on grounds by Louisa County Duck Habitat >> Breakfast by Conesville Fire Dept >> Grilled Chicken & Pork Sandwiches by Columbus Junction Fire Department
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Day TrIPs with Doc
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Greetings fellow motorcycle enthusiasts. Did I just say that? OK scratch that. Bikers! Brothers! and Sisters of the road! Yea, much gooder! My name is Doc, I, am a, ahem, motorcycle enthusiast, (there I go again) well you know what I mean. Some prefer it that way, others were brought up in the old school tradition, like me, and I am a BIKER! I love to ride my machine, 986lbs of throbbing, rumbling, freedom! With an exhaust that can be heard for 19 blocks away when I am riding toward you, and then 5 miles away from you! Yea I am the one you hear out on the concrete ribbons at night thundering off into the distance, leaving most with the distaste of envy, as they turn over in their comfy beds! Uh, yea, did I tell ya I like to ride? Does it bother me that Ozzy and Harriet were shaken from their sleep because of me? I think NOT!!I believe that every person that is able to straddle a bike should at least try it once, that’s all it took for me and I was addicted, from the age of 4 yrs. I have had my fingernails packed with grease and dirt from helping pops and my older brother work on their rides! Dad had a “36 flattie with a side car, it still had camouflage paint on it from the day he conned the old man out of it at the military surplus! It was a magnificent machine, not one of these gussied up things you see on the roads today, but a real war horse of a Harley-Davidson! My fondest memories as a kid were to be in the car as we jetted down the road on Sundays, and I was the coolest kid on the block, blasting through town in the side car with the old man, grinning so big I was afraid my head would flip off from the wind rushing past!! And my brother had a “56 Panhead chopper he bought on a cold October day back in “66, I was lucky enough to go along to see the old bike shop and all it had stored away inside! WOW! All those Bikes sitting in a barn, way out in the country, and all those “old guys” sitting around trading stories of the road, I was so taken in by the whole scene, and the smell of gas, grease, rubber and leather, I couldn’t contain myself, and as they wheeled the Panhead out the door I had already had my mind set that I was going to make the trip back home on the back of “Bubba’s” bike!Yea, it took a lot of whining to my dad, and some black-mail tactics to my brother, but they both finally conceded to let me ride! Oh Man what a Ride it was!!! Colder than a well diggers rear end, and me with just a sweat-shirt on, but I hopped on the back and down that dirt road we went!!! If I live to be 500 years old I will never forget the feeling of “Freedom” as we careened down the highway, Bubba did his best to scare the bejesus out of me, but I held on, for dear life too, and I made the 40 miles or so back to the house, teeth chattering, and mother ready to whoop Bubba with the broom, but I was sporting a grin that told the whole story. And from that day on, I, was a Biker!!! The one car garage at our house was a “mini” shop where Pops and Bubba worked on the bikes, and if the door was open, and they were turning wrenches or just buffing the dust off them bikes, This kid was in there handing tools, cleaning parts off, and wiping
the dirt and dust off, all in hopes of another ride! I was a wanna be, but it was in my blood, and it was there to stay!!OK, now back to the purpose of this, I LOVE to ride! Have I mentioned this? There is no greater feeling of freedom, than having the wind in my face, the sun on my shoulders, and the cackle of two inch drag pipes thundering in my ears!! Simply put, I am no longer that wanna be kid from so long ago. I have ridden many different makes and models of bikes, and I have always came back to American made Iron, I now have an “82 Low Rider, powered by a thunderous shovelhead, as I said “Old School” I am and that’s just how it is! Oh sure these new bikes are fine works of iron and paint, but there is something special about “vintage”! And I choose to pilot that bike, instead of a newer one, maybe someday, but as for now, I’m “Old School”!! Bread and buttered from that fateful day on my brothers pan. Ok? Ok!What I am here for is to give insight to some of the best roads in this beautiful state to ride! As I have traveled many of them when working road construction with Pops and brother Bubba, or just cruising them and getting lost in the twists and turns and even long straight ribbons of asphalt and concrete. Iowa has some incredible scenery, absolutely beautiful to see, and what better way to view it than from the pilots seat of a bike? I have been asked if I would chronicle routes from which an “enthusiast” (there I go again), could ride to and then back in a day’s time. I am going to be choosing the best roads to travel, in search of the hidden and well preserved secretes of small town Iowa, along with eateries and gas-n-goes which are friendly to the...ahem...enthusiast, like myself. It does not matter whether you go it alone or in a group of brothers and sisters, the freedom of an open road calls too many of us, and an adventure to be experienced, friendly folks along the way who are happy to accommodate those who choose to experience firsthand, the wonder of what Iowa has to offer! Some of my riding buddies have said “Iowa”? What could it have that I haven’t seen elsewhere? Well just get yer bottom seat comfy in the saddle and hang tight to those grips my friends, because the ‘Old Schooler” is gonna show you what you never knew existed, and most of it is right in your own back yard!! With some careful planning and cooperation from my job, we are going to enjoy every mile and minute, every mom and pop shop, and every friendly face there is out there. Weather permitting; we want to make it a very memorable season for Thundering across Iowa, in our favorite mode of travel, piloting our two wheeled road jets to places we did not know about otherwise. Are there any pioneers of freedom who would like to tag along? Look for me, Doc, I might be solo, or I could be in a column of bikes roaring down the road, either way, I look forward to meeting anyone who is as much a fanatic about riding as I am. May we cross paths, swap info, and stories along the way...until the tanks run out of gas, let’s saddle up and ride!
www.thunderroadsiowa.com32 - TRM MARCH 2011 www.thunderroadsiowa.com MARCH 2011 TRM - 33
By Gary WestphalenIt has happened to one of my bikes. It has happened to one of
Donna’s bikes. It may well have happened to yours. We fed them alcohol, and it made them sick.
It sounds like a great plan, at first glance. By converting corn and other crops grown on American soil into ethanol, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This alcohol is currently blended into most of the gasoline we buy. Regulations enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) state that each gallon of gasoline may consist of up to ten percent ethanol. Simple math suggests a corresponding savings of ten percent of our fossil fuel supply, along with a similar reduction of imported oil. Who could argue with that?
But alcohol is not gasoline, and many of its properties are downright detrimental to the operation of your motorcycle, and the longevity of its parts. Thunder Roads West Virginia first examined this issue in a series of reports last fall. In our October and November, 2009 issues (see Passing Gas Parts I and II) we uncovered the dark side of this clear distillate. There are five main points that make ethanol just plain unsuitable for most bikes.
Gallon-for-gallon, ethanol produces about a third less energy than gasoline. With a ten percent blend of ethanol, that means you will see a decrease in your engine’s power of about three to six percent, along with a corresponding decrease in mileage. If you’re driving a gas hog cage that only gets ten or twelve miles per gallon, you probably won’t take much note of the loss. But in a bike, where the difference can be quite obvious, you could lose as much as 20 or 30 miles from every tank of gas.
Ethanol has a lower flash point, which means it explodes at a
lower temperature than gasoline, yet it burns hotter. Inside your engine, this combination can lead to premature detonation – engine knock – which robs power and harms engine components. In our April, 2010 issue (see The $1,000 Fill-Up, on page 24) we brought you the story of a bike that had its head gaskets burned away. The service technician who rebuilt the engine attributed this to excessive heat in the cylinders, probably caused by ethanol blended gasoline.
The shelf life of gasoline blended with ethanol is questionable. While the American Petroleum Institute says ethanol does not affect the longevity of a properly stored tank of fuel, most other knowledgeable sources disagree. The American Automobile Association, which has done extensive testing related to this subject, refers to ethanol blended gasoline as a “temperamental product.” Others believe that an ethanol blended tank of gas remains viable for no more than 90 to 100 days after the mixture was first blended.
Ethanol is a powerful solvent. It can loosen rust and other contaminants that might otherwise lie undisturbed in your fuel system. It is able to dissolve rubber hoses, seals, plastics, and resins. Over time, ethanol can even eat away at soft metals like brass and aluminum. All of this dissolved material must then be pushed through your engine.
Finally, the worst behavior that ethanol brings to into your gas tank is its hygroscopic property, meaning it attracts water. In fact, ethanol would actually prefer to blend with water. When enough moisture has been drawn into the ethanol/gasoline blend, the ethanol will actually surrender its chemical bond with the gasoline, in favor of the water. Then, the alcohol and water mixture drops out of suspension with the gasoline, and sinks to the bottom of your fuel tank. This is a process called phase separation. When the alcohol and water mixture is pumped into your engine,
Alcohol Poisoning – What Ethanol is doing to your bike
the epa is proposing this label for e15 pumps. a skull and crossbones might
be more appropriate.
you will experience hard starting, a significant loss of power, and engine misfires. That’s assuming you can even get it to start in the first place. Additionally, since the ethanol provides about three rating points worth of octane, the remaining gasoline will be well below the octane rating your engine needs.*
Up until October 13th of this year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had allowed gasoline distributors to blend no more than ten percent alcohol, by volume, into the fuel supply. That’s the highest concentration of alcohol approved by any motorcycle manufacturer for use in bikes. But, under pressure from ethanol industry groups, such as an organization called Growth Energy, the EPA has changed its rules. Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers petitioned the EPA to allow for a blend of 15 percent ethanol, or E15 as it is called. The petition was submitted under the Clean Air Act, which says the petitioner must show that the altered fuel “will not cause or contribute to the failure of an emission control system to achieve compliance with the emission standards to which it has been certified over its useful life.” The act makes no mention of protecting engines from damage, nor does it address loss of performance, fuel shelf life, or the solvent and hygroscopic issues related to ethanol.
The EPA partially agreed with the petition, issuing a waiver of its regulations to allow for E15 to be sold for use in cars, light-duty trucks, and SUV’s from the model year 2007 and newer. However, the EPA has withheld approval of E15 fuel for cars from the model years 2001 through 2006, pending further testing, and does not plan to approve it for use in older cars, heavy duty vehicles, motorcycles, and off-road motors such as lawn mowers.
The problem is, while E15 fuel is to be clearly labeled and dispensed as such, that dispensing is going to be happening at the same pump islands you use to fill your bike. The first gas station to sell the high-ethanol blend was in Vinton, Iowa. Within a couple weeks of the rule change, E15 was being offered at the very same pump as all other grades of gasoline. Although it is pumped through a separate hose, E15 is selected in the same row of buttons as every other grade of gas. An uninformed biker could easily opt for this cheaper blend, without realizing the risks being taken.
The federal ruling prohibits the sale of E15 for use in bikes, and there are stiff penalties involved. A retailer that allows E15 fuel to be pumped into a vehicle not approved for its use can face a
$25-thousand fine, and the consumer could be fined up to $2,500 for a single incident, although the enforcement mechanism in unclear.
The full text of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement regarding the approval of E15 gasoline is available on our website at www.thunderroadswv.com.
But, even if the new E15 gasoline never comes near your bike, the problems presented by the ten percent ethanol blend remain. “This year we’ve seen more poor running conditions with fuel injected bikes than we’ve ever seen,” says Chuck Wiseman of JT Cycle and Hoodlum Garage, in Beckley. Chuck thinks the short time frame in which ethanol-blended fuel remains viable is the biggest problem his customers are facing. “A lot of our riders are weekends only, and sometimes the bike might sit for two or three weeks. I’m thinking that’s probably where the majority of it
came from. We did find bad fuel in lots of them, and the customer is like, ‘How can that be? The bike has only sat for a few weeks.’” Additionally, Chuck has found numerous bikes this year with plugged gas cap vents, which he also attributes to the presence of ethanol.
So, what can you do to protect your bike’s engine from ethanol damage? There are a few things.
First and foremost, make sure you buy good gasoline. There are still a few gas stations around selling gasoline that is not blended with ethanol. If you can find a station selling ethanol-free gasoline, patronize it religiously.
Ideally, the ethanol-blend you are probably going to have to settle for is reasonably fresh, since the lifespan of blended gas is questionable. It should also be the proper octane rating for your motorcycle engine. Consult your service tech or bike’s manual for the answer, but I’m betting your tech will tell you to run premium. Since ethanol accounts for about three of the octane rating points, the more octane the actual gasoline brings to the equation, the better.
Buy your gasoline from stations that pump the three different grades of gasoline through three different hoses. Odds are that the guy in front of you pumped the cheap stuff into his minivan. So, when you roll in and hit the Hi-Test button, those first few slurps your bike gets won’t be the top shelf juice you’re paying for. How much low-grade you get depends on the delivery system employed at that station.
I like this one: Don’t let the gas sit in your tank for very long. This is a good thing. The only way to keep a healthy turnover rate in that tank is to ride, ride, ride.
Those are all fairly common sense suggestions. They help, to a certain extent. But, even if you follow those suggestions, you may still have problems. Ethanol and water can still lead to phase separation, for example. Or, you can still end up with a tank of old gas.
The only other option is the use of a fuel additive. Some bikers swear by them, and others swear at them. There are very real reasons why some fuel additives will only make your ethanol problems worse. That’s the easy part. This issue gets trickier when you look at some additives that just might be what the doctor ordered. Are they salvation, or snake oil? Thunder Roads West Virginia will examine the subject of fuel additives in part two of Alcohol Poisoning in our January, 2011 issue.
If you can find a filling station with a banner like this, patronize it.
6 ThUnder roads® WesT VIrGInIa deCeMBer 2010 deCeMBer 2010 ThUnder roads® WesT VIrGInIa 7www.thunderroadswv.com
The practice of distilling corn into a clear, highly volatile alcohol may have quite a rich history in the parts of the United States, but the plain fact is: your motorcycle engine doesn’t like moonshine. Yet, every time you roll into a gas station as much as ten percent of the fuel you pump into its tank is chemically identical to very pure shine. I’m talking about ethanol.In last month’s issue of Thunder Roads Iowa, we explored the properties of etha-nol that make it hazardous to the longevity of your bike’s engine. To summarize, ethanol-blended gasoline produces less useable energy, doesn’t last as long in your tank, is destructive to rubber and metal components of your fuel delivery sys-tem, and likes to absorb water. If enough water is present, the ethanol will abandon its relationship with the gasoline in favor of the water, and the water-ethanol com-bination will separate from the gasoline, dropping to the bottom of your gas tank.Once that happens, you have a mess on your hands. Your bike may miss and sputter, fail to start, or even suffer major engine damage. Obviously, preventive measures make a lot more sense than having to deal with these effects of an alcohol hangover in your motor. The problem is that there really aren’t a lot of things you can do. The best protection is to buy high quality gasoline at a station you can trust. The ideal station is one that touts ethanol-free gasoline. If you can find one of these, go there to fill your bike every chance you get. One of the big knocks on ethanol-blended fuels is that they don’t have a long life span. If you ride your bike infre-quently, this can become a real issue. It’s not uncommon for ethanol-water phase separation to happen within as little as a few weeks after you fill the tank. Frequent turnover of the gas in your tank not only means that you’re getting in a lot of riding, but helps avoid the issues of aging ethanol.Buy a high octane grade of fuel. The ethanol added to gasoline accounts for about 3 octane rating points. Since ethanol doesn’t have as much stored energy (and doesn’t deliver what it does have as efficiently as gasoline does in a motorcycle engine) discounting it from your calculations is a prudent step. Figure that 92 oc-tane blended gas you’re buying is really good for an octane rating of about 89, and you’ll be riding on the safe side.When buying your gas, there is a new threat to watch for. As detailed in last month’s article, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new rules allowing for the sale of E15 gasoline for use in 4-wheel vehicles from the model year 2007 and newer. E15 is not approved for, and is actually illegal to use, in older cars and all motorcycles. Even the EPA says E15 will flat-out destroy your bike’s motor.The use of fuel additives is really the only other option out there, and the debate about their value is a raging dispute. Additives have been called everything from a magic bullet to snake oil. Depending upon the make-up of the additive, both descriptions may have merit.“I strongly urge you to look at the ingredients (MSDS) to determine exactly what the additive is capable of doing,” says Gail Macri of Fuel Testers, a company that
sells kits for performing field testing of ethanol-blended gasoline. Macri adds, “The ‘claims’ by most gas additive companies about their products are exag-gerated, misleading at best, and more often, simply false information.”The MSDS Macri refers to is the Material Safety Data Sheet. The Federal Occu-pational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that an MSDS must be available to anyone who works with hazardous chemicals. The MSDS isn’t really a consumer-oriented document, but it does contain the ingredients listing for most commercially available chemical products. By reading the MSDS for any given fuel additive, you can find out what’s inside the bottle. That’s important information, because many fuel additives are alcohol-based prod-ucts, and will only make your ethanol problems even worse. The idea behind these products is that they will boost the octane rating of the fuel in your tank at the same time they absorb excess water. But adding more alcohol on top of the ethanol already in your fuel mixture isn’t going to fix things. Yes, you’re raising the octane rating, but you’re doing so by adding more ethanol, not more gasoline. Since we know that ethanol burns differently than gasoline, we also know that the extra punch this added alcohol provides isn’t happening at the opportune moment in the combustion cycle. It’s energy that results in added heat without added power. While an alcohol-based additive may help absorb a little more moisture, remember that the alcohol doesn’t get rid of the water, it just combines with it. That may keep the water molecules in suspension, but they still have to go through your engine.In fact, an alcohol-based additive is actually harmful for your engine. All of the major motorcycle manufacturers say their machines are not to be used with fuel containing more than 10% ethanol. Since there is already that much alcohol in the fuel you buy, adding more may bring the mix in your tank above the recommended limit. The bottom line regarding the use of alcohol-based fuel additives is simply this: Don’t do it.This brings us to a different set of additives that may provide some measure of help with some of the troublesome aspects of ethanol-blended gasoline. If that sounds like a hedged bet, it is. No additive even tries to make the claim that it resolves all of the issues presented by ethanol. But the class of additives that may prove helpful use a base of Naphtha, instead of alcohol. Naphtha is the lightest form of gasoline, often referred to as white gas. Those gallon cans of fuel you buy for your lanterns and camp stoves are filled with pure naphtha. Since Naphtha is a form of gasoline, it doesn’t share ethanol’s propensity to unblend. But the amount of Naphtha being added to your tank is so small that it doesn’t improve the fuel, it just doesn’t worsen it like an alcohol-based additive does. What’s important is what’s being carried into your tank by that Naphtha.In many cases, the active ingredient is an emulsifier, such as a detergent. (This is going to get a bit like a chemistry lesson, but bear with me.) It has to do with the electrical charge of the various chemical components. Gasoline is electrically
neutral. Water and ethanol are electrically charged, or polar, kind of like magnets. That’s why they attract each other. An emulsifier, when added to the mix, gathers up a few hundred water molecules into a ball, called a micelle, and then surrounds the ball as it bonds the whole thing to the hydrocarbon molecules of the gasoline. Think tiny water balloons, with the detergent forming the balloon skin. This way, the water molecules don’t get to leave the party early with those polarized ethanol molecules. The end result is a more stable mixture.“As for the products that claim to extend the shelf life of E10,” says Gail Macri, “while these may be true that gas will be usable for nine months, instead of two to three months, all those products do is keep water suspended in the upper pe-troleum layer to delay phase separation. They do not prevent water from being absorbed, and they do not remove water or fix fuel.”At this point, I do have to single out one particular fuel additive, for two reasons. First, because it claims to work differently than all other additives, but also because practical application in the field is indicating that there just might be something to this. The specif-ic product is called Star Tron. The MSDS states that more than 95% of the content in a bottle of Star Tron is Naphtha. So far, so good, but not unique. Where it gets interesting is the claim that the active ingredient isn’t a detergent or other emulsifier, but a proprietary mix of organic enzymes.Here comes more science. An enzyme is a protein, whose function is to vastly speed up a chemical reac-tion, which allows the affected chemicals to stabilize more quickly. In this case, says Star Brite, the compa-ny that manufactures Star Tron, it means the process of surrounding the water happens more vigorously, resulting in smaller balls of water.“Star Tron’s impact on the water molecule is to re-duce the cluster size to a size known as a colloid,” says Matt Cohen, Star Brite’s Fuel Engineer. “That’s so small it will stay in suspension without an emulsi-fier’s chemical bond, at least for a while. This is why, during operation where there is some fuel movement, Star Tron will act just like a detergent and move microscopic drops of water up into the fuel column where it is harmlessly burned off.”Size matters here. Cohen says that micelles of water may be large enough to displace fuel as a boundary layer lubricant between metal surfaces, which causes wear on pumps and close tolerance fuel system components. The smaller colloids of water, he says, do not.Another benefit, says Cohen, of using enzymes over detergents is that, “enzymes never become part of the reaction. They are ‘catalysts.’ They initiate or acceler-ate chemical reactions, but release themselves from the reaction and start a new
one, millions of times per second. Its takes only a few molecules to do what untold numbers of detergent molecules do.”Cohen says that the storage life of gasoline treated with Star Tron is greatly en-hanced, but can only offer a couple of theories as to why it works. There is a kind of “trust me” taint to the statement, although he says independent labs have confirmed the claim. Cohen points out, “It took scientists over 70 years to figure out how aspirin worked, so we have to beg your understanding on this one.”So let’s say you have a fuel tank where a partial phase separation has occurred. That is to say, a small amount of water and ethanol has left the party and dropped to the bottom of your tank. Can this load of fuel be salvaged? A data sheet supplied by Fuel Testers says no. “Removal of the bottom layer of fuel from the tank leaves
you with contaminated, octane deficient gas,” says the paper, supplied by Gail Macri. “Only advanced, costly, filtration/fuel-purifying in combination with replacement of chemicals will ‘fix’ phase-separated fuel.”Star Tron’s Matt Cohen says a tank of fuel that has suffered from a high degree of phase separation is beyond their product’s reach. However, he adds, “Given that water will separate from fuel, even E10, you can have water pooled on the bottom with some ethanol, but the fuel can still have ethanol in it as well. And this is readily restored by adding Star Tron and operating the vehicle.”“As you’re reading product claims, ask yourself, ‘If these ingredients are so effective to accomplish xyz, then why aren’t they already in all gas sold?’,” says Macri in explaining why the Star Tron claims don’t hold water with Fuel Testers. “Any new miracle chemical that is developed, that really does help gas in some way, the patent is immediately bought by a major gas company/refinery, and then becomes a standard ingredient in gas and may also be sold separately to other companies for use.”Even if you do have success with this or any other fuel additive, there is one aspect of ethanol-blended
fuels that no product on the market can counter. Ethanol is a solvent, and, says Matt Cohen of Star Brite, “It will eat up old rubber.” Keep an eye on your fuel lines.When it comes to the validity of marketing claims for any fuel additive, it would take an army of chemists and engineers compiling absolute proof to convince me one way or the other. Intelligent people on all sides of this debate make valid points, yet fail to reach consensus. So, I’m not advocating the use of Star Tron, or any other fuel additive. That decision is between you, your mechanic, and your bike. But all of the experts agree the best way to safeguard your bike is to store it with a full tank of fresh, high-octane gas, and to churn through that fuel supply on a regular basis.
by gary westphalen Thunder Roads WV
The shelves at your local auto parts storeare full of fuel treatments. some
of themare harmful to your bike’s engine, and willonly worsen your
ethanol problems. Knowwhat you’re putting in your tank.
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MECHANICS
MAR 6 Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Cedar Rapids, IowaMAR 4-13 Daytona Bike WeekMAR 13 Road MC Breakfast Brayton, IowaMAR 11-13 Lefty’s Cedar River Tattoo Expo Cedar Rapids, IowaMAR 11-13 World of Wheels Des MoinesMAR 18-20 AMA Arenacross Council Bluffs, IowaMAR 18-20 World of Wheels OmahaMAR 26 Fashion Show Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaMAR 26-27 Donnie Smith Bike Show & Swap Meet St Paul, MinnesotaAPR 2 ABATE D14 TGIS Party Ottumwa, IowaAPR 2 ABATE D15 2 Wheel Trauma Class Davenport, IowaAPR 2 Road MC Dance Uncle Jerry’s Exira, IowaAPR 9-10 AMA Arenacross Des Moines, IowaAPR 9-10 ABATE D7 North Iowa Motorcycle Expo Mason City, IowaAPR 16 Blessing of the Bikes Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaAPR 16 START 2nd Annual 100 Day Poker Run Soldier, IowaAPR 16 Spring Run Off Ride Blue Port Junction Davenport, IowaAPR 16-17 Indian of Omaha Open House/Test Rides Omaha, NEAPR 29 Iowa Motorcycle Safety Forum ISU Scheman Bldg Ames, IowaAPR 29-30 Vintage Torque Fest Maquoketa, IowaMAY 7 7th Annual Bike Blessing and Ride Crapo Park Bandshell Burlington, IowaMAY 7 Bi-State Motorcycle Awareness Ride Quad CitiesMAY 7 Spring Open House Hawkeye HD Coralville, Iowa MAY 7 Cedar Rapids Chrome Divas Motorcycle Awareness RideMAY 14 3rd Annual Women’s Fun Run Holstein’s HD Omaha, NEMAY 14 ABATE D16 Motorcycle Awareness Ride Waterloo, IowaMAY 14 Revolution Cycle Open House/Band/Hog Roast Baxter, IowaMAY 21 Blessing of the Bikes Cedar Memorial Church Davenport, IowaMAY 21 2nd Annual National Armed Forces Freedom Ride Cedar River HD Charles City, IowaMAY 21 Cedar Rapids Chrome Divas Toys for Tots RunMAY 27-30 Iron Horse Bike & Music Festival Sabula, IowaMAY 26-28 Circle of Pride Hog Wild Rodeo Conesville, IowaMAY 28-29 Midway Tavern 13th Annual Fun Run, BBQ, Street Dance Soldier, IowaMAY 28-29 2nd Anual Backwoods Bash Hwy 6 between Dexter & Redfield, Iowa JUN 3-5 Iron Horse Rockin’ the Midwest by BON Members Sabula, IowaJUN 4-5 Vintage Rally National Motorcycle Museum Anamosa, IowaJUN 4 2nd Annual Loud Pipes for the Silent Cancer Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids, IowaJUN 5 Anamosa Hill Climb and Swap Meet Anamosa, IowaJUN 11 The Freedom Run Scotty’s Saloon Grundy Center, IowaJUN 10-11 Bikes at Blackhawk Lake Rally/Rodeo Lake View, IowaJUN 12 Angels for Sam Benefit RideJUN 15-18 Sturgis on the River Davenport, IowaJUN 16-18 Awesome Biker Nights Sioux City, IowaJUN 18 Spring Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaJUN 18 Fathers Day BBZ Hawkeye HD Coralville, IowaJUN 18 Central Iowa’s Biker Rally Harvey, IowaJUN 25-26 J&P Cycles Open House Anamosa, IowaJUN 26 Cruise with the Crew Holstein HD Omaha, NE
JUN 27 Harley Owners Group Million Mile MondayJUL 30 Cedar Rapids Chrome Divas Backpacking to School RIDEJUN 30-JUL 2 ABATE Freedom Rally Algona, IowaJUL 1-2 Circle of Pride Independence Day Blowout Conesville, IowaJUL 7-9 Nitro’s Bike Rally Gravity, IowaJUL 9 Motorcycle Rodeo and Ride in Bike Show Missouri Valley, IowaJUL 9 3rd Annual Moose Riders Benefit Poker Run Cedar Rapids, IowaJUL 16 ABATE D15 Taco Run for CharityJUL 14-16 Iowa HOG Rally Pella, IowaJUL 23 END 2nd Annual 100 Day Poker Run Party Soldier, IowaJUL 23 10th Annual Special Olympics Benefit Poker Run Doc’s Roadhouse Logan, IowaJUL 23 Almont Run Clinton, IowaJUL 30 Slopfest Beachfront Bar Wever, IowaAUG 4-6 Across the Border Raid Bedford, IowaAUG 5-6 2012 Model Rollout/Demo Rides Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaAUG 8-14 SturgisAUG 13 ABATE D15 Rodeo “Too Broke for Sturgis” Donahue, IowaAUG 19-20 American Victory Rally Spirit Lake, IowaAUG 20 10th Heartland Hemophilia Run Papa Joe’s Missouri Valley, IowaAUG 20 ABATE D21 Rodeo Miles, IowaAUG 20 Make-A-Wish Ride Council Bluffs, IowaAUG 27 Fall Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaAUG 26-28 4th Annual Iowa Lincoln Highway Assn Motor Tour Council Bluffs to ClintonAUG 26-28 7th Annual BTW Trike In Kellogg, IowaSEP 1-4 Davenport Antique Motorcycle RallySEP 1-4 Circle of Pride Thunder In the Sand Conesville, IowaSEP 2 Vintage Flat Track Motorcycle Races Davenport, IowaSEP 2-5 Iron Horse Bike & Music Festival Sabula, IowaSEP 3-4 Midway Tavern Soldier Valley Run BBQ, Street Dance, w/ Hairball Concert Soldier, IowaSEP 9 Vintage Flat Track Motorcycle Races Knoxville, IowaSEP 10 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand Nationals Knoxville, IowaSEP 11 Anamosa Hill Climb and Swap Meet Anamosa, IowaSEP 9-11 Davis Motorcycle Rally New Hampton, IowaSEP 9-11 Loess Hill Motorcycle Rally, Pacific Junction, IowaSEP 14 Vietnam Wall Motorcycle Escort Altoona, IowaSEP 17 Beer Barn Cancer Research Benefit Run Kirkman, IowaSEP 16-18 State Line Rally Keosauqua, IowaSEP 24 Leaf Run The Quarry Davenport, IowaSEP 24 Cedar Rapids Chrome Divas Fight Like a Diva Breast Cancer Awareness RideOCT 1 RIP’s BAD RideOCT 15 Hero’s Day Big Barn HD Des Moines, IowaNOV 11-13 ABATE STEAM Marshalltown, IowaNOV 25 Turkey Run Clinton, IowaDEC 3 Cedar Rapids Chrome Divas “Santa’s Little Divas” Christmas EventThis 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 [email protected]
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