Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa August 2020

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To say that this spring and summer mm mer have been weird, odd, off, f&*$ed *$$eed up, and strange would be the understatement of the decade. There have been so many things, ngs g, people, events, coincidences, politics, media stunts, and what not going goofy, that it will make a person’s head spin. While typing this out, we are a week out of Algona from being ingg in at the Freedom Rally, and so ffar ar sso ar o good, without symptoms of being ein ing sickly and quite happy about that. Not saying that we won’t come down with the ‘Rona or whatever, but so far we seem to be in the clear. If we do get it, it won’t be the end of the world, and if it would happen to be the end of the world, well, then I guess it didn’t really matter then anyway. I guess that is my way of saying I am over it. I am not over taking care of myself, trying to take care of my family, or watching out for those around me that I care about. I am still going to wash my damn hands (like I always have done), I am still going to clean my house, my office, my vehicles, the gun shop, my cell phone, and so forth to keep from spreading any bugs that may have accumulated (like I always have done), I am going to stay away from people that appear, act, sound, or look ill at all (like I always have done), as well as if I don’t feel well or know that I am coming down with something will steer clear of others (like I always have done). So basically, I am going to be more vigilant about trying to not catch or spread disease, all while carrying more guns and ammo. Cannot be safe enough in this day and age. So, although I am over the hype of disease, protests, politics, social media, MSM, and idiots roaming around us every day, I am dead set on getting some more miles on two wheels while I still can this season. With things cancelled, postponed, or downsized, there has not been a lot to get out and about to, and when places were closed to get food or drink, it was a double whammy for fewer miles so far this year. I am set on changing that in the next couple months, and hope I can run into some of you while I am out and about. There have been some bad ass things going on this year though. The oldest kid of the house is basically off to college now. Graduated high school, in a modified fashion

of course, but he will be off to start his education and his life. We will miss Sabin when he is not around so much, but also kind of nice to kick one of the baby birds out of the nest to fly on his own. Soren the 12-year-old and Violet the 9-yearold twerps still here have found some great things to cause more gray hair on this aging gray beard, both of them are on two wheels now! Actually, teaching them to ride feeds my soul and it is good to know that I have now taught all three of the FTs in the household how to ride a motorcycle. These two have been on their dirt bikes making a path in the yard, and we don’t even give two shits about the grass they kill. That green stuff will grow back! It is fun to be able to watch and direct them and then see them gain skill and confidence on two wheels. I hope that it instills a lifelong love of two wheels in these little shavers and that they can then pass that on to their own kids. We all need to be better stewards of the lifestyle and bring the younger generation up to appreciate the joys of riding. I don’t know yet if it will take with these three, but I hope I can be a good example of a biker, a rider, and enthusiast, or whatever it is called these days. Get that thing in the wind and ride! Vernon vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com Quote of the Month: “Funerals are a constant reminder that chasing most of the things we are chasing is an embarrassing way to spend a portion of our lives.” Mokokoma Mokhonoana

On the Cover Green and Gold bike with a fiery red head? Who the hell would photograph that? Well, Mark Fountain of Fountain Photography takes the honors with that task. Megan is showing off this bike built by Joe Nielsen that he snagged as a dealer trade in. It started as a 1980 FXE and turned into the beauty you see here. Sadly enough, after the shoot the bike was stolen and stripped, but the beauty will now live on forever on these pages. 4 - TRMI AUGUST 2020

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You know how every now and then you have a day that’s so beautiful that you wish there was some way to bottle it up so that later you could pull the cork and take just one quick whiff of it? Well, yesterday was one of those days. Not too hot with a nice breeze, bright sunshine, and I had the day off. Perfect riding conditions! We headed off northwest with a couple friends and a loose destination of a little pub & grub we had heard about in Libertyville and spent about 6 hours meandering some of Iowa’s prettier back roads. But all good things must come to an end, and when we got home it was time to hit the chores. Mark went outside to work on the yard while I headed off to throw a load of laundry in I recently heard someone before tackling some weeding – specifically, finishing the weeding of our brick pathway in the back yard. Back when we were young and had more time than money Mark had picked up a hot tip about a place that was giving bricks away. He hauled a number of loads home and we ended up with enough bricks for him to lay a nice walkway to the dog pen on one side of the back porch and a decent-sized patio on the other side. describe their situation If you’ve ever had a brick sidewalk, you know a more like this: “Before I appropriate name would be “weedwalk” because that’s accepted Jesus Christ what you get. Every teensy, tiny crack, every join between as Lord of my life, I the bricks, every hole in the bricks fills with weeds. I had was a spiritually dead, weeded the patio earlier and it wasn’t too time-consuming, drunken womanizer. but the sidewalk was turning out to be a booger. So I quit drinking and running after women. As I hunched over the bricks, digging at the weeds with But guess what – I was a knife, my brain must have been working away in the still spiritually dead. That’s when I discovered that it’s not background because I finally realized what the difference what you don’t do that brings you to life spiritually. It’s was between the two jobs. We had been weeding the accepting what Christ has already done by his death and patio by hand all along – pulling out each weed by the resurrection that brings you to life spiritually.” roots when it was fairly young and tender. However, the sidewalk was another story. I had not actually weeded it I wish I had understood that when I was young. Instead, for quite a while so Mark had been going out with the weed I spent a lot of time trying to stop doing the wrong things, eater and just whacking those babies off even with the hoping something would change in me. But the more I bricks. So while the sidewalk looked good from a distance, failed at “being good”, the more frustrated I became and the roots were just going down deeper into the soil, would fall back into the old rut of self-medicating. Trying spreading out, and developing into a strong, intertwined to do it on my own just strengthened those negative roots system. Needless to say, clearing the sidewalk of weeds and dumped me back in the “repeat” cycle. It was an now required a LOT more effort than if I had just done the incredible relief to finally understand that my relationship job right to begin with. with God did not depend on me accomplishing anything good. And yes, he did begin the process of weeding things The Bible speaks of both making sure we don’t let weeds out of my life that weren’t good, but now instead of a big take root in the spiritual soil of our souls and of providing empty hole where a tangle of weed roots from my past good places in our lives where the roots of godly things can had been removed, I had fresh soil. I had God’s word to grow. We’ve all seen people who have “gotten religion” and guide me and fresh hope for the future. Our beloved Don gone from one extreme to the other overnight and cleaned “Moose” Kirchner would often quote from Jeremiah 29:11, up their act – for a few months or so. I’m guessing they “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, used the same weed-eater method that Mark used: they plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give cleaned up the outside so it looked good but the root that you a hope and a future.” That verse was true for me, true caused the problem to begin with was still there beneath for Moose later, and is true for you today, no matter when the surface. To be fair, many people don’t realize that’s you are reading this. what they’re doing. I know that when I was young I tried to clean up on my own. And yes, I did curb some of my Be blessed and give thanks for God’s goodness – Karla more destructive habits, but it didn’t produce a permanent change. I needed to have a whole new root put in me. A Mark and Karla Cornick are with the Christian root called Jesus Christ. Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and about God’s plan for your life at www.cmausa.org 6 - TRMI AUGUST 2020

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Edwards Motorsports and RV’s The Biker Friendly Business Directory is a list of establishments 1010 34th Avenue throughout Iowa that sponsor the Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 magazine. You can pick up your 712-366-8400 copy here every month. Let them fullthrottleia.com or edwardsrvs.com know that you saw them in TRMI. If your business would like to Indian Motorcycle of Des Moines advertise in Thunder Roads Iowa 1500 E Army Post Road Biker Friendly Business Listing and Des Moines, Iowa 50315 become a part of the network, 515-256-9062 please email Indianmotorcycleofdesmoines.com vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

Biker Accessories Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa Find Us On Facebook Leather & Hawgs 121 1st Street Soldier, Iowa leather@wiatel.net (712) 884-2701 www.leatherandhawgs.com

Dealers Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com Big Barn Harley-Davidson 81 NW 49th Place Des Moines, Iowa 50313 515-265-4444 www.bigbarnhd.net Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa 712-792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com

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Indian Motorcycle of Mason City Mason City Powersports 12499 265th Street Mason City 641-423-3181 Masoncitypowersportsinc.com Loess Hills Harley-Davidson 57408 190th Street Pacific Junction IA 51561 712-800-3500 loesshillshd.com Metro Harley-Davidson 2415 Westdale Drive SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 319-362-9496 www.metro-motorsports.com Nishna Valley Cycle HONDA – YAMAHA – KTM Atlantic, Iowa 50022 1-888-577-6406 www.nishnavalleycycle.com Route 65 Harley-Davidson 1300 S Jefferson Way Indianola, Iowa 50125 515.962.2160 www.route65hd.net Storm Lake Honda 3040 Expansion Blvd Storm Lake, Iowa 50588 StormLakeHonda.com 712-732-2460

Entertainment Book Em Dano’s 33 S Main Street Denison, Iowa 51442 712-263-9818 Mon-Sat 4-2 Dancers Nightly 5-1:30

Bea’s Place 108 N Main St Baxter 641-227-2080 Check Us Out on Facebook Food, Live Music, Bike Nights Bloodline Irish Pub 214 Public Square Greenfield, Iowa 50849 Bloodline Irish Pub on Facebook

Celebrations DJ & Karaoke Services Newton, IA 641-521-8036 Catfish Charlie’s Any Occasion /Rally or Event EmCee On the Mississippi River Facebook/Ray Johansen(Celebrations) 1630 E. 16th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Specializing in Weddings & Receptions (563)582-8600 www.CatfishCharliesDubuque.com National Motorcycle Museum 102 Chamber Drive Desperados Anamosa, Iowa 52205 105 E 5th Street Atlantic 319-462-3925 712-243-7087 Nationalmcmuseum.org Home of Cold Beer, Good Times, Pizza & Wings Okoboji Classic Cars Museum and Restoration Shop Firehouse Bar 810 Jeppeson Road 1211 5th Street West Okoboji, Iowa 51351 Downtown Sioux City, IA 712-332-8029 712-224-1020 Open Daily at 12:00

Food and Drink

(Popular Poker & Fun Run Locations)

Ambro’s Roadhouse 917 Guthrie St De Soto, Iowa 50069 515-468-2236 Great Food! Ambro’s Roadhouse on Facebook American Legion Post 111 1101 W 4th Street S Newton 641-792-3353 Open to the Public 7 Days a Week Newtonamericanlegion111.org Amigo’s 280 North 1st Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 515-576-0142 Amigos Bar & Restaurant on FB

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Flaming Office 201 W High Street Toledo 641-484-2255 Outdoor Patio, Happy Hour 5-7 Flaming Office on Facebook & Google Goozman’s Westside Bar & Grill 1019 7th St Harlan, Iowa 712-755-2259 Goozman’s Westside on Facebook Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, Iowa 50120 641-475-3321 Tues-Sat 10-2, Sun 12-12 Iowa Legendary Rye 707 N Main Street Carroll, Iowa 51401 Iowalegendaryrye.com

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J.R. Willie’s Pines Steakhouse Oinkers Lounge & Grill 1500 E 7th Street Gateway to the Beautiful Hill Country Atlantic, Iowa 50022 Colesburg, IA 563-856-5095 712-243-3606 Open Daily Mon-Sun 11AM M-F 11AM-, S-S 4PMHome of the Willie Whopper Just 1 More 515-570-4206 641-757-0159 309 Railway Jamaica, Iowa 50128

Polk City Pub 217 W Broadway Polk City, Iowa 50226 515-984-9388 Open @ 11:00AM / Closed Mon.

The Place2B! 116 N. Federal Ave Mason City, IA 50401 M-F 3p-2a S-S 2p-2a Find Us On Facebook

McCanns Tap NE 14th & 54th Des Moines, Iowa 50313 Bike Parking M-F 2:00 Sat & Sun 11:00

Riverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh, Iowa 50557 515-359-9998 Email:riversidetap@gmail.com

The Yankee Clipper 312 SW Maple St Ankeny, Ia 50023 515-964-9484 yankeeclipperbar.com

Mi Casa Family Restaurant 512 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-755-2258 Enjoy Drinks at the Full Bar!

Sandbar 103 North Noyes Street Mondamin, Iowa 51557 712-646-2300 Facebook Sandbar Mondamin

Twisted Corn Tavern 1405 Walnut Street Dallas Center, Iowa 50063 515-992-3868 Twisted Corn Tavern on Facebook

Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com

Sidetracked 206 West Union Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-8534

Vic’s Main Tap 304 Broadway Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2122 Opens Sun-Fri 2:30, Sat 9:30

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

Stumpy’s Bar & Grill 423 Main Street Duncombe, Iowa 50532 515-543-4222 Stumpy’s Bar & Grill on Facebook

Old Timer Tavern 401 S Center Street Marshalltown Mon-Sat 6am-2am, Sun 12pm-2am Outdoor Patio-Live Entertainment 641-753-9854 and Facebook

Sugar’s Diner & Lounge 2725 E Kanesville Blvd Council Bluffs, Iowa 712-322-3600 Check us out on Facebook

Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015

The Exchange 171 S Elm Street Avoca, Iowa 51521 712-343-2609 Lang’s Pizza, Cold Beer, Sports

Pearl Street Social Club 110 Pearl Street SW Shellsburg, Iowa 52332 319-436-7100 Find Us On Facebook!

The Open Road Bar & Grill 501 Ann Street Irwin, Iowa 51446 712-782-4545 The Open Road, Bar and Grill, LLC on FB

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Insurance & Financial

The Pastime Lounge 114 S 4th Street Cherokee, Iowa 51012 712-225-0219 Facebook/Patio/Food

O’Malley Wealth Mgmt. 5623 NW 86th Street Suite 400 Johnston, Iowa 50131 515-490-0930 State Farm Clark Ahrenholtz, Agent NMLS# 1679997 2114 12th Street Harlan, Iowa 712-755-5724 Clark.ahrenholtz.jb69@statefarm.com

Legal Hupy and Abraham sc, pc Lawyers for Bikers 800.800.5678 Hupy.com TheBikerLawyers.com The Biker Lawyers, P.C. Riding & Defending Your Rights for Over 30 Years 877-209-9452

Whiskey Barrel Pub and Eatery 112 E Jefferson Street Prairie City, Iowa 50228 515-630-9639 Whiskey Barrel Pub and Eatery on FB

Photo and Art

Wilson’s Tap and Recreation 1008 Story Street Boone, Iowa 50036/ 515-433-1395

Ullrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com

Guns and Ammo

Services

JLM Shooters Supply 6931 Douglas Avenue Urbandale, Iowa 50322 jlmgunshop@gmail.com 515-331-1577

Jason Roberts, LLC Haul It, Dig It, Doze It Code931993@yahoo.com 641-740-1411

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Shops & Fabricators Butterfield’s M.C. Parts 8025 Blondo Street Omaha, NE 68134 402-391-3768 Chuck’s Cycle Service and Repair S&S and Drag Specialties Dealer 714 East 7th Street Washington, Iowa52353 319-461-5278 Cycle Clinic 2209 ML King Pkwy Des Moines, Iowa 50314 cycleclinicdm.com 515-288-6954 F & J Racing 701 N 3rd Ave Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 641-752-8651 www.fandjracing.com Mean Machine Cycle Parts Elkhart, Iowa 50073 Stereos, Bars, LED Lights, Air Ride Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-12 515-367-7336 Motorcycle Medic 3176 Highway 30 Woodbine, Iowa 51579 712-647-2818 Open Tues-Sat Noon-6PM Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab 70 Washington Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2220 Road Rage BikeWorks 401 High Street Avoca, Iowa 51521 712-307-6111 Road Rage BikeWorks on Facebook

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The Vic Shop DeSoto, Iowa 515-339-4313 Facebook.com/TheVicShop VICTORY & INDIAN ONLY Thunder Road Cycles 4106 Rockingham Rd Davenport, Iowa 52802 563-323-3172 Thunder Road Cycles on Facebook

Tires Sandbothe Firestone 1106 Main Street Griswold, Iowa 51535 712-778-2223 Sandbothe Firestone on Facebook

Trailers Lacaeyse Trailer Sales 4192 HWY 146 Grinnell Trailers & Truck Accessories 641-990-2674 www.lacaeysetrailers.com

SHOP EQUIPMENT Shop Tools Outlet Powersport / Auto Lift Supplier Marshalltown, IA 50158 888-288-6657 www.shoptoolsoutlet.com

To buy ad space for your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5630 or email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

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Scooter Tramp 2 years off 25 Sturgis…

RAMBLINGS

With Sturgis happening this month, I figured it was a good time to ramble about my thoughts and experiences in Sturgis over the years… Long before I had a bike, I recall one of my dad’s friends talking about going to the 50th anniversary. I had a good idea what Sturgis was all about, but listening to his story really stuck with me. A few years later, the movie Running Cool (not the bob-sled team movie) was released, and featured a couple bikers leaving Sturgis to ride down to South Carolina and help out an old friend. As cheesy as production was, the storyline behind the brotherhood was great.

with the motorcycle museum about displaying my photos, and a friend recently opened a bike shop (Sasha’s Sturgis Cycle Shop) 2 blocks from the museum, where I’ll also have photos on display.

But back on track… It’s amazing how over the last 25 years the town has changed, the rally has changed, and my priorities during the rally have changed. Sure everyone goes there to socialize, see the sights, and party, but for me I wanted to photograph the event and bikes for national publications. It took a few years, but in 1998 Easyriders featured my first photo with them from Sturgis. From there, I went on to cover various aspects of the event for BIKER So come 1995, at 20 years old, myself and good and In The Wind for many years, along with numerous bike friend Pat were on our way out west for the first time. I features all over the Black Hills. But now-a-days my main was riding a 600cc Honda Shadow and he had an 883 Sportster, so there were a lot of gas stops to be had, but we focus during the rally is wrenching on bikes. My decision saw a lot and learned a lot that first year. Most notably the to give up a fulltime job has left me the need to take disappointment that we’d expected to just see Mt Rushmore advantage of the work readily available during the rally, rather than partying. And most national publications are peering from the mountains as we approached Rapid City, gone or don’t rely on event coverage like they used to, so but it makes for a good laugh that we seriously thought that was how we’d be seeing it! I’ve been back to the rally there no reason for me to sling a 20 pound camera bag over every year since then, along with a handful of trips outside my shoulder all week long. of rally time. Hell, I was up there in June already this year, So much has changed for the rally, from bikes and and as I write this (July 6th) I’m leaving tomorrow for another trip. Long story short, I’ve been working out details people, to the bars and campgrounds, and even Main Street has gone from 4 blocks of bike only traffic to 5. Like it or

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not, the people have gone from die-hard riders strapping a tent on the handlebars, to RV’s and toy haulers. There’s a lot less antique bikes and old choppers, with far more big wheel baggers with neon and ridiculous sound systems, but to each their own. If ya know me personally, then ya know where I stand on these things, but we’re all entitled to an opinion. Bars have changed drastically too… I remember the old Night Owl, The Pyramid, and the Camel Road House being some of my favorites and all of which are gone now. Even the original Broken Spoken has been leveled. Sure there’s a big sign over a temporary bar where it originally stood, but it’s definitely not the same! Luckily the Dungeon still rocks, and although the Knuckle Saloon wasn’t around the first few years I was there, it’s become a favorite. And the motorcycle museum now sits at the corner of Junction and Main, making for a far better location rather than an old grocery store out by the interstate. Beer prices… I’ll refrain from this subject. Police presence… Again, I’ll exercise my right to remain silent. But despite all the changes, the memories and stories are still in abundance.

the accommodations of the Sturgis Graybar Hotel, but is it really even a rally experience if you can’t visit that jail at least once??? So all this rambling is just a small glimpse of my personal experiences, and if I truly couldn’t handle the way many things have changed, then this year wouldn’t be my 26th year in a row. We all have our own experience with Sturgis, or any rally for that matter, and the majority of us tend to go back. Is it really the rally itself though? Or the parties? Or the beautiful riding through the Black Hills? Or the fact that great friendships are made there, and many of those friendships are rekindled only at that rally? Well, if you’ve been there, then you know it’s all of the above, and then some. Sturgis is something that every motorcycle enthusiast should experience at least once!

In closing, I’d like to point out one other notable change… The photos you see here are all from my photo albums from 1995 and 1996. Yes, photo albums with physical printed pictures in them! Digital photography has changed my Sturgis experience drastically, but for this story That first year was also my first ever helicopter ride I wanted to show only photos from my first 2 years. Which over Main St, and in the dead of night a tree damn near fell means I’m flipping through old photo albums and scanning on Pat’s tent! Some of the branches snagged his Sporty, them with a flatbed scanner. Oh, and by the way, I’ll be but narrowly missed him. The following year Pat’s Sporty changing tires again at the Buffalo Chip Garage during suffered a minor electrical fire on I-90, and since we’re on the rally this year. It’s a free section of the Buffalo Chip, the subject of Pat’s break-downs, I’d also like to point out with no change for admittance, and we’re set-up in direct his 3, yes THREE, different break-downs in Sioux Falls line of sight with the bikini bike wash, so feel free to stop over the years, all with “Super Nate” coming to his rescue! by and say “Hi!” I’ll have Natanic’s Pin-ups 2021 biker babe calendars for sale in the garage too! (Yep, another The 100 ci RevTech in my Heritage took a shit on shameless plug) me near Clear Lake on the way home in 2002, and I’ve rolled the odometer over 100,000 miles on my Heritage Nate Ullrich – www.Natanic.com and Road King (both of which I bought new) riding to Sturgis. A handful of friends, myself included, have visited

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Event POST PONED unt il 2021

Deena Hoden Council Bluffs 2020 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail

Rebecca White Earlham 1997 HD 1200 Custom Trike Candace Cole Altoona 08 Sportster 1200 XLC & 02 Honda CBR 954 RR 16 - TRMI AUGUST 2020

We want you on our pages! If you are an Iowa Girl of Thunder, send us a quality image, your name, year and model of bike, and where you are from to: vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

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can go without hitting Missouri, but that is part of what makes it a good destination ride.

Charleston Board of Trade 1962 253rd St Donnellson, Iowa (319) 835-9486 Open 7 Days a Week Kitchen Hours: 11am-9 PM, Winter Hours May Vary Bar Hours: 11am-close

The Lee and Van Buren counties are beautiful and have lots twisty river roads and hills. Its official address is 1962 253 Street Donnellson, Iowa, but it is actually south of Donnellson in the small unincorporated burg of Charleston. Located off two hard roads but a bit off the beaten trail you will find an assortment of trucks, cars, bikes and side-bysides in the parking lot. Kind of a bring-what –you- ride type of place. This is a family friendly establishment that is open every day and has great daily specials. On this visit I chose to indulge in a juicy burger, stacked high with all the fresh toppings I could handle (almost enough to be considered its own salad) and a generous helping of crispy fried sweet onion rings that were almost too good to share.

Like a veritable Phoenix rising from the ashes came what is currently known as the Charleston Board of Trade. When I originally became acquainted with this place it was the Prairie House, a good destination stop for lunch on a day ride. Unfortunately, fire claimed it in July of 2009 and I have to admit that it dropped off my radar until recently. Reopening in 2012 as the Charleston Board of Trade, the Benner family, as in {Benner burgers} run the show. This is truly a fun place to be and it is more than just a restaurant / bar but rather a gathering place for a myriad of activities. It is about as far south east in Iowa as you

This is one of those places that meant to be fun. They host holiday parties, game days, big rack or horn shows and there might be girls’ line dancing, karaoke or race nights going on when you show up. The décor reminds of a cross between a Machine Shed restaurant and a Cabela’s with all the rustic decorations and mounts. My kind of place with antlers and dead animals hanging everywhere. This place does have buffets most days and even has a second smaller room available. For those of you looking for a great riding area and a good meal in a place with a bit different character than the same old, put this place on your list. Happy Trails. Mark

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For our August calendar viewing pleasure, we have Megan alongside Frankie Corritore’s Speedking Chopper. Set in a pool hall type of setting, Mark Fountain of Fountain Photography captured a look of days gone by. This brute of a bike with a 120 Inch stroker with big bore jugs sounds ever so cool with the cocktail shaker mufflers on upswept pipes. The paint and styling of this motorcycle was heavily influenced by bikes from 1960’s biker B movies and magazines of that time. It was built by Matt and Frankie musing their skills and knowledge of the bikes and basic tools in a home garage.


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Backk in 1941 when h a particular l bouncing b b baby b boy b made d his entrance into this great wide world, little did his proud momma and papa know that Wendell Behrend would indeed fulfill all of those hopes of grandeur that every parent has for their newly born offspring. Now, I am sure that by now you are wondering just what epic achievements that this self-proclaimed “dirt farmer” has under his belt. Well, just sit back and enjoy a little of what I had the privilege to hear first-hand, from a guy whose friends consider him a chopper pioneer.

T Texas. He spent h his military l career as a medic, d according d to Wendell his job was to “pass out aspirin and Band-Aids”, as he just missed being deployed to Vietnam by a mere 7 days when his 2-year term was fulfilled.

Over the years Wendell has ridden various bikes, including a couple of Triumphs, but he recalls the bike he cut his teeth on as a 1949 Harley Davidson 45 Flathead. There were fond memories of a 61 cubic inch 48’ that he rode home from the Black Hills as well. Next in line was a 1972 XLCH with a kickstart only, followed by a 1986 FXRT that he put 66,000 Wendell moved to Sturgis, South Dakota at the young age miles on. The piece de resistance, however is his 1950 of 6 to live with his grandparents. He even had the privilege Panhead in Plum Crazy that he purchased in a small town in of delivering the Rapid City Daily Journal to none other South Dakota that isn’t even on the map anymore. Wendell than the legendary Pappy Hoel. Believe it or not, Wendell’s would take this $150 basket case and transform it into his brother even bought a Hummer from Pappy when they were first chopper masterpiece. growing up. Wendell recalls the early days of the Sturgis Bike Rally, when a whopping 200 bikes would crowd the You see, Wendell had graduated in 1959 and drove his 56’ streets of Sturgis for the hottest Biker party of the 1950’s. Ford out to L.A. He knew some people out there from his Sturgis days. While in Los Angeles he drove a delivery In 1963 Wendell was drafted and remembers that he was in truck. On his delivery route he stopped to see Big Daddy the reception center when the announcement was made that and President John F Kennedy had been shot. At the reception asked center he was ‘invited’ to stand outside in the rain for two him hours “with his new haircut”. Wendell was stationed at Fort about Riley, Kansas and completed basic training in Houston, some

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fork dimensions and length, gaining intel for his chopper builds. Wendell even got to go for a ride on Big Daddy’s 3-wheeler known as Hitler’s Revenge. All over California Wendell collected ideas, motorcycle parts, and chrome. Then he headed to his shop to complete the chopper. Back then he just used a variety of files, torches, and a good vice to get the job done right. He completed the “sanitizing” himself as well… a nickname for the process of cutting the bar out above the head and cutting the side car loops and extra tabs off. He even did the paint…in his basement. Eventually Wendell said goodbye to his chopper for $2,000 and started on a 49’ bobber project. Wendell has spent years modifying bikes, taking 3,000 to 5,000-mile trips across the country, and winning awards for his bikes entered in shows. Today Wendell still rides when he is not too busy tending to his dirt farm. Heck, he even has a barn full of Harley parts that the ground hogs have safely buried for him at home should he get a hankerin’ to build another radical chopper to take to bike night. I always knew that Wendell was a cool cat, but until sitting down with him and a few friends to reminisce, I had no idea the wealth of knowledge he had to offer the motorcycle world. Just goes to show you, sometimes the sharpest friend you’ve got might be where you least expect. Thank you for your time and for your service, Wendell, from all of us at Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa! Melanie J Schwarte melanie@thunderroadsiowa.com

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olling into August R and the Freedom Rally is nothing

but a blur. If you didn’t make it out, let me tell ya, you missed a really great party. To make sure you don’t miss out again, mark your calendars now so you are at the 37th annual rally on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July 2021. We are still rolling strong with our rider ed classes, and we are already gearing up for a big month in September. At ABATE we are getting ready for our state elections for several of our higher up positions, and also the annual Meeting of the Minds. This is the Motorcycle Rider Foundation’s (MRF) yearly meeting with all the SMRO in the United States attending. This is where the very top movers and shakers in the motorcycle rights community come together to discuss what is going on in each of the 50 states, as well as in D.C. and Canada and Europe. These great minds will come together and talk about topics that would in any way affect the motorcycle community as a whole. Motorcycle profiling, automatous vehicles, the national highway bill to name a few, and any other issues that may encroach on the motorcycle community in the United States and beyond. As with ABATE of Iowa, the MRF can always use more members to help in the ongoing fight for motorcycle rights at

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the nation’s capital. Both groups are great groups to be involved with and they need to continue expanding membership numbers to help defend the rights of all motorcyclist no mater what you ride. We all want to continue enjoying the road, and ABATE and the MRF are two groups you can count on to help you maintain your freedoms on two wheels.

Iffunyoutrip.are heading out to Sturgis, have a safe and David Duffy ABATE of Iowa State Coordinator

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The Book of Motorcycles, Trail Bikes, and Scooters 1965

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Learning How to Ride a Motorcycle As I was learning how to ride a motorcycle, I thought it would’ve been very difficult, in fact at first it was. I had to learn all the different parts of the bike from the shifter all the way to the clutch, and had to show Vernon what was where before I was allowed to actually get on and ride my DT 100. Within a week of being away from practicing I had forgotten completely how to ride a motorcycle, but a short time later I was back to where I’d been before, and in fact better than I’d been before. Now I was ready to ride. Once I’d gotten on, I was a bit nervous, but also excited. When I got on, I was having a bit of trouble kick starting it, so Vernon showed me if you give it a little throttle that you would be able to get it started much easier. This was a good tip that helped me learn to start my motorcycle better. Using the clutch was my first major problem. Whenever I tried to get my bike to take off, the clutch got in the way like a giant brick wall, and in fact I was having more trouble with that than I was when I was learning all the different parts on the motorcycle. When I was trying to learn the clutch, it took me a few days maybe even weeks to master it. After a long while of making a lap and stopping and then starting up again until I got the hang of the clutch, I was finally able to start it and take off without much trouble. Vernon told me that dumping the clutch is a bad habit to develop for when I am out on the roads. Because I got the clutch down now, I had to work on my speed from starting up, so I wouldn’t jerk forward after letting go of the clutch. So once again I was doing laps around the yard. By the time I got that all figured out, my sister Violet had a motorcycle of her own so she was driving around with her electric, no kick start or clutch Yamaha 50. So now she was already a step ahead of me because she knew how to shift into second, and I only knew first. So now Vernon said to me that “To be able to shift into second, make sure you are going fast enough and then pull in the clutch and release the throttle. Then shift up once, release the clutch and pull the throttle a bit.”. The first time I went to shift from 1st gear into 2nd I was excited to go faster, because fast is fun. Once I started going fast, I noticed that it is harder to stop, and Vernon reminded me that, “the faster you go, the more it hurts when you crash.” Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook

Then after that I fully knew how to ride a motorcycle, and me and my sister now enjoy riding all around our backyard. Some scary parts about riding at first is riding around other cars and also sharp turns. Some of the fun parts are knowing how to drive a motorcycle and the fact that you know how to ride. Some places I want to go are poker runs and events where you get to ride your motorcycle across the state, and just about anywhere I want to go. I also encourage anyone who has the opportunity to ride a motorcycle to give it a shot and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! Don’t let being nervous and other people ruin your chance, and opportunity to ride. Also, anyone new to riding I do suggest paying attention to your surroundings because it is not like a car at all, because if you hit something it will be a lot worse. Soren Future Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa Editor

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Thund under un u nd deer Ro R Roads oad ds Magazine Maga Ma gazi zin in nee of of Io IIowa owa on on Facebook Face Fa aceebo bookk

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While watching TV with his wife, a man tosses peanuts into the air and catches them in his mouth. Just as he throws another peanut into the air, the front door opens, causing him to turn his head. The peanut falls into his ear and gets stuck. His daughter comes in with her date. The man explains the situation, and the daughter’s date says, “I can get the peanut out.” He tells the father to sit down, shoves two fingers into the father’s nose, and tells him to blow hard. The father blows, and the peanut flies out of his ear. After the daughter takes her date to the kitchen for something to eat, the mother turns to the father and says, “Isn’t he smart? I wonder what he plans to be.” The father says, “From the smell of his fingers, I’d say our son-in-law.” A manager hired a new secretary. She was young, sweet and polite. One day while taking dictation, she noticed his fly was open. While leaving the room, she courteously said, “Oh, sir, did you know that your barracks door is open?” He did not understand her remark, but later on he happened to look down and saw that his zipper was open. He decided to have some fun with his new employee. Calling her in, he asked, “By the way, Miss Jones, when you saw my barracks door open this morning, did you also see a soldier standing at attention?” The secretary, who was quite witty, replied, “Why, no sir. all I saw was a little, disabled veteran, sitting on two duffel bags!” A man and a woman meet in an elevator. “Where are you heading today?” the man asks. “I’m going down to give blood.” “How much do you get paid for giving blood?” “About $20.” “Wow,” says the man, “I’m going up to donate sperm, and the sperm bank pays $100.” The woman angrily gets off the elevator. The next day, the man and woman meet in the elevator again. “Fancy meeting you again. Where you off to today?” “Sperm bank,” she says with her mouth full. A lady walks into a fancy jewelry store. She browses around, spots a beautiful diamond bracelet and walks over to inspect it. As she bends over to look more closely, she inadvertently breaks wind. Very embarrassed, she looks around nervously to see if anyone has noticed her little accident and prays that a sales person doesn’t pop up right now. As she turns around, her worst nightmare materializes in the form of a salesman standing right behind her. Cool as a cucumber and displaying complete professionalism, the salesman greets the lady with, “Good day, Madam How may we help you today?” Very uncomfortably but hoping that the salesman may not have been there at the time of her little “accident!” she asks, “Sir, what is the price of this lovely bracelet?” He answers, “Madam, if you farted just looking at it, you’re going to shit when I tell you the price.” Why are blondes removing their breast implants? Because Dr. Fauci said we need to flatten the curve.

time it is the Seventh Symphony, ny, b but ut llike ikee ik the previous piece, it is beingg played backwards. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backwards. The expert notices that the symphoniess are being played in the reverse order er in which they were composed, the hee 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th. B Byy the next day the word has spread, read re ad,, ad and a crowd has gathered around nd th the he grave. They are all listening to the S Second econ ec ond on d Symphony being played backward. ard rd.. Just Ju ust s then the graveyard’s caretaker ambles amb mble less le up to the group. Someone in the group asks him if he has an explanation for the music. “I would have thought it was obvious,” s,”” th s, thee caretaker says: “He’s decomposing.” g.”” g. A Canadian guy, an American gu guy, guy y a Japanese guy, and a Middle Eastern guy walk into a bar. They all have a couple of beers, and get to bragging. The American guy boasts, “I’m so lucky, I have 4 beautiful children, one more and I would have a basketball team.” Not to be outdone, the Canadian guy retorts, “I am luckier than you, I have 5 gifted children, one more and I could form a hockey team.” So, the Japanese guy chimes in with, “Well, I surely have both of you topped. I have 8 children. Just one more and I would have a baseball team.” Pausing, briefly, the Middle Eastern guy replies, “Well, I am betting I have all you fools beat. My harem houses 17 wives, one more and I would have a golf course!” A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender, “If I show you a really good trick, will you give me a free drink?” The bartender considers it, and then agrees. The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny rat. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a tiny piano. The rat stretches, cracks his knuckles, and proceeds to play the blues. After the man finished his drink, he asked the bartender, “If I show you an even better trick, will you give me free drinks for the rest of the evening?” The bartender agrees, thinking that no trick could possibly be better than the first. The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny rat. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a tiny piano. The rat stretches, cracks his knuckles, and proceeds to play the blues. The man reaches into another pocket and pulls out a small bullfrog, which begins to sing along with the rat’s music. While the man is enjoying his free drinks, a stranger confronts him and offers him $400 for the bullfrog. “Sorry,” the man replies, “he’s not for sale.” The stranger increases the offer to $500 cash up front. “No,” he insists, “he’s not for sale.” The stranger again increases the offer, this time to $700 cash. The man finally agrees, and turns the frog over to the stranger in exchange for the money. “Are you insane?” the bartender demanded. “That frog could have been worth millions to you, and you let him go for a mere $700” “Don’t worry about it.” the man answered. “The frog was really nothing special. You see, the rat’s a ventriloquist.”

A tourist in Vienna is going through a graveyard and all of a sudden he hears music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source. He finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: “Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770- 1827.” Then he realizes that the music is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades a friend to return with him. By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This The Lone Ranger and Tonto were at the bar drinking when 34 - TRMI AUGUST 2020

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in walks a cowboy who yells, “Who’s white horse it that outside?” The Lone Ranger finishes off his whiskey, slams down the glass, turns around and says, “It’s my horse. Why do you want to know?” The cowboy looks at him and says, “Well, your horse is standing out there in the sun and he don’t look too good.” The Lone Ranger and Tonto run outside and they see that Silver is in bad shape, suffering from heat exhaustion. The Lone Ranger moves his horse into the shade and gets a bucket of water. He then pours some of the water over the horse and gives the rest to Silver to drink. It is then he notices that there isn’t a breeze so he asks Tonto if he would start running around Silver to get some air flowing and perhaps cool him down. Being a faithful friend, Tonto starts running around Silver. The Lone Ranger stands there for a bit then realizes there is not much more he can do, so he goes back into the bar and orders another whiskey. After a bit a cowboy walks in and says, “Who’s white horse is that outside?” Slowly the Lone Ranger turns around and says, “That is my horse, what is wrong with him now?” “Nothing,” replies the cowboy, “I just wanted to let you know that you left your Injun running.” A woman walks into a bar, and guy says, “Can I buy you a drink.” “Sure,” said the woman. After a few moments of conversing she finally asked, “So what’s your occupation?” He says “I’m a Carpenter.” ....”To what extent of carpentry do you work?” asked the woman. The man states: “Well, I actually work extensively with Wood.” “1st, I get you Hammered.” “Next, I Nail You” “then, I Screw all your friends.” A man goes to his doctors and, twitching his fingers and stuttering, finally manages to say, “Doctor, I have a sexual performance problem. Can you help me?” “Oh, that’s not a problem for us men anymore!” announces a proud physician, “They just came out with this new wonder drug, Viagra, that does the trick! You take some pills, and your problems are history.” So the doctor gives the man a prescription and sends him on his merry way. A couple of months later, the doctor runs into his patient on the street. “Doctor, Doctor!” exclaims the man excitedly, “I’ve got to thank you! This drug is a miracle! It’s wonderful!” “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” says the pleased physician. “What does your wife think about it?” “Wife?” asks the man, “I haven’t been home yet.” A man pulls over at a crappy diner in the middle of nowhere. He goes inside and orders himself some chili. Well after eating that and hanging around he ended up needing to use the bathroom. So he looks around but doesn’t find it. Going to waitress he asks and she says “It’s around back.” So he goes back there and finds himself standing before an outhouse. He really needed to go No. 2 bad after eating the chili. So he goes in and sits down. After doing his business he looks around and finds no toilet paper. But there was a sign on the wall that reads: Anything placed through the hole will be cleaned vigorously. So, the man used his hand to wipe himself and stuck his hand through the hole. On the other side a kid smacks the man’s hand with two bricks and the man yanks back his hand and sticks it in his mouth, Thus Cleaning it vigorously. A husband and wife are in bed watching “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. The husband asks for sex. The wife says, “No.” Her husband asks, “Is that your final answer?” She responds, “Yes.” He says, “Then, I’d like to call a friend.” A man was driving home and was stopped by a traffic cop. He said, ‘You’re weaving down this road, ‘What is in that Water Bottle?’ The man said, ‘Plain water.’ the Cop took a sip and said, “This is red wine.’ The man looked at him, raised his eyes heavenward, and said, ‘THANK YOU JESUS, YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN.’ What do you call a Chinese man on the beach? Wai Yu So Tan? Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook

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booming, dirt bikes, side by sides, UTVs, ATVs, if it was recreational and outdoors, boom it was happening.

Wasn’t it all supposed to be over? What we thought we would be able to control, is no longer in our control. What we were told in May, April, hell even way back in March, turns out not to be the case and it’s to a point where we are all just sticking a big middle finger at the entire situation. Yea, I am sick of Rona, you are, your business likely is, your family, your friends, your social distance circle, all of us are just sick and tired of the bullshit. Do this for a while and we can let you do what you want. Wait, you didn’t do it correctly, now you need to do this more but with that you need to do some of this too and then we might be good. Hell, we don’t know if that is working but (insert demographic) didn’t do what they were supposed to do.

Some high school sports started up, then some got shut down. Some club events started, but the results were mixed. Very few concerts have been held, some great, some not worth the effort and with a future looking even darker, what is going to happen? What if big time sports, never really come back or come back to the way there were? Are you willing to put up with the bullshit the NFL is suggesting, should they actually let fans into a game? Essentially you are signing away all your rights to enjoy that game. Would you even care? Screw baseball, only a few purists actually missed the games that were cancelled, the sport is dead, hemorrhaging fans year after year. The NBA has battled rapidly declining ratings all season and there wasn’t a wicked hue and cry when they stopped that…same with hockey.

We might have thought our kids’ baseball was the most important thing in the world, right up until But You don’t care about GRANDthe time it was taken away and MA! we were forced to not have a choice. But in fact, we did persevere, we moved on, we One of my favorite narratives, if we don’t do so, Granny adjusted and many didn’t really care if it ever did come is gonna get it. If you don’t fall in line and follow the back. We found out we can live without club sports. We lock step of what we command and demand, clearly found out we can live without pro sports, we sure as you don’t care about grandmothers and you’re an evil hell learned we can live without professional athletes POS. Put granny in a bubble, cuz I got shit to do. pontificating on the issues of the day, or whatever issues the national media tells us we need to care about. Certain events have taken place, some gatherings as well, and while there were some spikes…it wasn’t the But what if they don’t come back? Baseball, hockey, raccomplete devastation that we were told would happen. ing, soccer is one thing, but football? Be it high school, The public is restless, people want their lives back and college, or pro, is completely another issue. People are rebelling against the bullshit. The ever-changing complain about football all the time, the millionaires data that is being presented to us to seemingly control playing a sport, the kneeling or whatever, many claim us, our lives, our property and our business models. to not pay attention, but somebody is lying. They have rebounded in the ratings and now, starting this year, I pontificated about this earlier this year about what I games in bars will be counted for viewers. (No, ratthink is a possibility. Now, it might be next level hapings didn’t count people watching games on TVs that pening. When the lock down happened, I noticed were out of their homes, things about how many people something kinda cool coming out of it, or at least while watch football at a bar? They didn’t count before, but it was going on. Families were spending more time they will this year) Attendance at many college games together. Sure, they may have been forced to, but it is up, all NFL and crowds at high school games never became the new normal of what life would be like. You waived. People care. couldn’t go out to eat, you didn’t have plays, shows, movies, softball, soccer, golf, baseball, drama, bowling, But what if we can’t care because there will be either or any other extracurricular “things” going on that we NO games or the games will be far differently played thought were the most important things in our lives. than what we currently care about? No pro sports, college basketball or baseball, high schools were shut down, they even went a few weeks What if sports just go away? What about the economic without racing. No concerts, no bike nights, car nights, engine that powers it? People bitch all the time about game feeds, banquets, whatever your forte…just pick how we need football, but maybe we don’t get it this something and it was canceled. And we were with our year? families more and more. Movies? Do you miss them? What if a packed theater is Then people decided, screw it, I need to do somea thing of the past? Very likely the case. thing. Well, camper sales skyrocketed, boat sales were Utter bullshit.

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Hell, people don’t waste time on Network tv shows any longer, in our “on demand”, binge a season over the weekend mentality, why do I have to sit down at 8pm Central on a Tuesday to watch some program, I can’t even pause to take a leak during? We are saying “screw that” and more often are dialing up Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and more, hell, the networks KNOW this, which is why they all have their own streaming platforms now available for sign up. Mess around at a theater and spend 70 bucks? Nah, stream that bitch into my home theater, with my own food, drinks, and better seats. I don’t need theaters. Similar to why I don’t need football stadiums. I can enjoy that and if the powers that be decide we can’t have football, sure people will lose their collective shit, for about a month, then we will move on. We may never see concerts the way we did either, and being a live music fan, I am not sure how to process that. Just know that speaking with industry insiders, the future looks rather bleak. Beyond bleak. I am mentally not ready to deal with that fall out just yet. A world without live music seems like a shitty goddamn world. But, maybe, like with sports, we move on. I have brought up to “sports guys” about this sports thing going away, they refuse to look at it from a big picture view and just keep saying, “We will figure it out, our lives must have sports.” But what if we don’t. Todd “Crash” Davis

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Friday Centerville Bike Nights (4th Friday May-Aug) R Place Pub & Pizza Kelley (2nd Friday Jun-Sep) Stampede’s Mason City J&P cycles Anamosa (Jun 19, Jul 17) Firehouse Bar Sioux City (Jun 19-20) Friday Night Bikes Prairie City (3rd Fri Jun-Sep) Blood Run Bar Larchwood Before heading out for any of the scheduled events on our dinner ride/bike night list and our events listing, please call ahead to make sure they are still happening. With all of the closures happening as of late, many events have been forced to reschedule or even cancel all together. But with or without events to attend, tearing up some pavement has always been a bikers preferred form of social distancing. Ride safe and ride often!

Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa Iowa Bike Nights and Dinner Rides Wednesday The Buck Snort Neola Bikes and Cars (2nd Wed) 2nd Ave Bike Night Des Moines (2nd Wed May-Sep) Amigos Fort Dodge American Dream/Hangout Omaha Bea’s Place Baxter Twisted Corn Tavern Dallas Center (1st Wed) Cruise Night Britt (3rd Wed Jul-Sep) The OP Clear Lake Whiskey Barrel Pub & Eatery Prairie City (Apr-Sep) The Pump Tama (Every Wed through September) Supper Rides Harley-Davidson of Carroll (7-8,8-19,9-9) Dinner Rides Zylstra Harley-Davidson Ames

Saturday Happenings Bar Steamboat Rock (3rd Saturday May-Sep) Ambro’s Roadhouse DeSoto (Last Sat May-Aug) Route 65 BBQ & Open House (3rd Sat ) Road Rage Dog Daze Open House (2nd Sat May-Sep)

Sunday Just 1 More Jamaica (Starting in May) Road Rage Fun Run at The Exchange Avoca (4th Sunday May-Sep) Oakland Acres Golf Club (Start in May) This list is what we have found and what has been submitted. Before heading to any event, please check weather and make sure the event is not cancelled. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list, please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

Thursday Edwards Bikes on the Hundred Block Council Bluffs (3rd Thursday) The Buck Snort Harlan Bikes and Cars (4th Thursday) Stumpy’s Bar & Grill Duncombe Wild Hogs Saloon & Eatery Walford (3rd Thursday) Metro HD Cedar Rapids (2nd Thursday May-Oct) Des Moines Vintage Bike Night (1st Thursday May-Sep) McCann’s Tap Des Moines (Every Other Thursday) Harley-Davidson of Carroll (1st Thurs May-Sep)

East of Omaha Bike Night Griswold

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Before heading out for any of the scheduled events on our dinner ride/bike night list and our events listing, please call ahead to make sure they are still happening. With all of the closures happening as of late, many events have been forced to reschedule or even cancel all together. But with or without events to attend, tearing up some pavement has always been a bikers preferred form of social distancing. Ride safe and ride often!

Aug 29 Aug 30 Sep 3-6 Sep 4-7 Sep 5 Sep 10

Jul 25 Jul 25 Jul 25

9th Annual Sleeping Angels Fun Run Boone Union Trades Solidarity Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Harley and Hot Rod Summer Celebration Bike and Car Show Big Barn HD Des Moines Jul 25 Pine Lake Festival Motorcycle Show Eldora Jul 25 Volga City River Run Volga Jul 25 ALR Posts 737 and 146 Joint Charity Ride Waukee Jul 25 Des Moines Police Burial Association Poker Run Big Barn HD Des Moines Jul 25 Ride for a Cause 2020 Alta Jul 26 Jones Co Toys for Tots Christmas in July Anamosa Jul 31-Aug 2 Heartland Rally by Christian Motorcycle Association of Iowa Fort Dodge Aug 1 CVMA 39-2 Patriot Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Aug 1 Sturgis Pre-Soak Mean Machine Cycle Parts Elkhart Aug 5-15 Demo Days Big Barn HD Des Moines Aug 7-16 80th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally South Dakota Aug 8 LT Ride for Babies Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Aug 8 10th and Final Josh Davis Memorial Poker Run Perry Aug 14-15 Rumble & Truck Yeah Conesville Aug 14-16 Baxter Cycle 40th Annual Open House & Auction Marne Aug 15 TJ Memorial Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Aug 15 B.A.C.A. Iowa Biker Bash Bondurant Aug 16 Western Iowa Bikers Winner Takes All Poker Run Dow City Aug 21-23 16th Annual BTW Trike In Kellogg Aug 22 Kyle’s Mile 7 Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Aug 22 5th Annual Hell On Wheels Chopper Show Franklin Aug 22 Deputy Burbridge Poker Run & Car Show Council Bluffs Aug 22 Iowa Area Audio Championships HD of Carroll Aug 23 Rumble to Recovery (620 Fund Ride) Metro HD Cedar Rapids Aug 29 Cruising for a Cure Metro HD Cedar Rapids Aug 29 Corn Dog Classic Poker Chip Run hosted by JAVELAN LHHD Pacific Junction Aug 29 8th Annual Chasin’ Tails Fun Run Roland Aug 29 Un-Forgettable Ride for Alzheimer’s Association Charles City

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Sep 12 Sep 12 Sep 12 Sep 13 Sep 18-19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 20 Oct 8 Oct 9-10 Oct 16-17 Oct 17 Oct 31 Nov 6-7 Nov 11 Nov 27 Dec 5 Dec 12 Dec 12

Riders for Thrivers Annual Poker Run for Project Pink’d. Omaha NE Angels for Sam 14th Annual Benefit Motorcycle Ride Des Moines Redneck Revival Rally (Over 21) Conesville Midway Tavern 22nd Annual Soldier Valley Fundraiser Poker Run Soldier MS Moments Heid Ride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Metro Motor Madness 620 Foundation Motorcycle Drawing Metro HD Cedar Rapids 9th Annual Warrior Ride Preston 2nd Annual Operation 22 til Freedom Poker Run Council Bluffs Teufelhund Veterans Group Support Ride Anamosa Hillclimb Anamosa Rumble In The Sand Conesville Ride for the Donkeys with Tim & Tickle LHHD Pacific Junction Chrome Diva BOCA Ride Cedar Rapids 5th Annual 22 Veterans Suicide Awareness Association Poker Run Council Bluffs Joyce’s Joyride Metro HD Cedar Rapids Boys and Girls Club Chrome for Kids Ride and Raffle Metro HD Cedar Rapids MSHeidRide Big Barn HD Des Moines Hot Dog Daze Butterfields Motorcycle Parts Omaha, NE 620 Foundation Check Presentation to Children’s Hospital Metro HD Cedar Rapids Swap Meet & Flea Market Conesville EOY Drags Conesville Fall Frenzy Big Barn HD Des Moines Halloween Spooktacular Big Barn HD Des Moines Veteran’s Day Event Big Barn HD Des Moines Veteran’s Day Breakfast Metro HD Cedar Rapids Black Friday Event Big Barn HD Des Moines Chrome Diva SLD (Santa’s Lil Divas) Cedar Rapids Santa at Metro Metro HD Cedar Rapids Holiday Open House Big Barn HD Des Moines

2021 Feb 27-28 Mar 7 Apr 11

52nd Rod & Custom Bike/Car Show Monticello Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Cedar Rapids Parts Girl Promotions Swap Meet Rock Island, IL

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