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AMCA VIKING CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
OFFICERS
December 2016
PRESIDENT: Gary Kloss 763-757-1712 [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENT: Dave Moot 952-703-0373 [email protected]
http://www.vikingmc.org
DIRECTORS: Ivar Natins 612-770-3818 [email protected]
David Glennen 612-616-5025 [email protected]
TREASURER: Dena Natins 612-770-4146 [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP: David Glennen 612-616-5025 [email protected]
CLUB HISTORIAN: Tom Jones 763-533-9163
WEB/EMAIL: Doug Nelson 612-559-9595 [email protected]
NEWSLETTER: Tim Gadban 651-235-5898 [email protected]
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Club Events ………... 2
President’s Message & Editor’s Note .……………...... 3
Membership Form ….....…...….. 4
2016 Davenport Run …..…...….. 5
Ride to Wings & Wheels …….... 7
The Learning Jet ….....……........ 10
Fall Swap Meet ……..………..... 11
Meeting at Fury Motors ..…....... 12
Fall Mystery Ride ……………... 12
Meeting at GoMoto ..………...... 15
Volunteer Dinner ………..…….. 15
Bikes 4 Kids ..………...….…...... 16
Meeting at Leo’s ..…………....... 17
Bob & Craig’s Adventure.…..... 18
AMCA 2017 Runs & Meets ….. 22
FunTime ……...……………...... 23
Want Ads …………….......…..... 25
Classified …….…………...…… 26
SECRETARY: Roy Williams 612-201-4905 [email protected]
Congrats to all new and re-elected Board Members!!
DEPUTY JUDGE: Roger Rimnac 612-825-2550 [email protected]
Viking Chapter AMCA Inc. P.O. Box 18304, Minneapolis, MN 55418
AMCA Viking Chapter welcomes the following new members:
Kevin Cooper David Stahnke Erica Bailey Tor & Almila Stansted
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Bob Hopf 612-867-5654 [email protected]
Ron Spargo 952-443-2020 [email protected]
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Note: Board of Directors (B.O.D) meetings are open to all members. When held at a chapter member’s home, please notify the host ahead of time.
UPCOMING EVENTS
For the Silent Auction bring a desirable item in good condition— art-work, books, posters, etc. (no swapmeet stuff - it doesn’t have to be a motorcycle related item). This auction benefits our club and also supple-ments our Charity Fund. So get off your kiester and donate that old knick-knack to a good cause! Bring your stuff to be bagged and tagged.
Tuesday Jan 17, 7:30pm National Meet Planning Committee Mtg. Dulono’s Pizza 607 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-827-1726
Friday Feb 3 thru Sunday Feb 5 International Motorcycle Show (IMS) Minneapolis Convention Center 1301 2nd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 612-335-6000
Wednesday Feb 8, 7pm B. O. D. Meeting Gary Kloss’s Home 11932 Jefferson St NE, Blaine MN 55434 763-757-1712
Wednesday Feb 15, 7pm February General Meeting St Paul Indian 2967 Hudson Road, St Paul, MN 55128 651-765-9988
Tuesday Feb 21, 7:30pm National Meet Planning Committee Mtg. Dulono’s Pizza 607 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-827-1726
Wednesday Mar 8, 7pm B. O. D. Meeting Davanni’s, 663 Winnetka Ave North, Golden Valley, MN 55427 763-398-0303
Wednesday Mar 15, 7pm March General Meeting Jack Crane Museum 1301 East Cliif Road, Burnsville, MN 55337 952-927-8126
Tuesday Mar 21, 7:30pm National Meet Planning Committee Mtg. Dulono’s Pizza 607 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-827-1726
Saturday March 25 & Sunday March 26 DennisKirk/Donnie Smith Show River Center Kellogg Blvd & 7th Street, St Paul, MN 55102 651-265-4800
Wednesday December 14, 7pm B. O. D. Meeting Tim & Robin Gadban’s Home 1375 Almond Ave, St Paul, MN 55108 651-235-5898
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NOTES FROM GARY’S GARAGE
EDITOR’S NOTE
Well here we go … heading into another Minnesota Winter. I know that by the first week of February we’ll all be yell-ing UNCLE! … that is if we have not already headed south. This past riding season we really have been blessed … except for a couple of torrential downpours on event days the weather was awesome, especially during our protracted fall. I think our Mystery Ride in October to Mike Ellis’s was a spectacular day. In John Eiden’s memory … after our club made contributions to John’s favorite charities we received a wonderful thank you card from his wife Annette. To quote: “Thank you, all members of the Viking Chapter Cycle Club. Thank you for your donations to Pavik Museum and St. Raphael’s School. What a wonderful tribute to John’s memory. Thank you also (in John’s name) for all the fun times he experienced with you fellows and gals - he always had such a good time on the rides - to Sturgis or just having coffee and talking. He will be missed. He loved his Harley - that also was a nice event when the cyclists came to the wake - that was the talk of the day! John will be missed, but we laugh at the stories being told.” God bless all of you, Annette Eiden On the following page you will find a copy of our membership form. You have quite a few options to join or maintain your membership. Either print it out and mail it … or go to our website and renew by credit card or Paypal … or …. visit Dave Glennen, who will have a membership table at our Holiday Party on January 14th. (see calendar for details) As my buddy Santa says “Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!”
Well the turkey leftovers are stowed away in the fridge, and the first real snow has come, and gone. I guess this means the summer (and fall) is over so to quote Charlie Brown “Sigh!”. I could have used a couple more months’ of good weather but I guess we did pretty good this year anyway. It’s time to start or re-start the projects I didn’t get finished or even started last winter. I’m really going to get going this year; I promise this year will be different! Lets see now the BMW’s need pushrod tube seals, the Triumph needs top end work, the Yamaha needs carb work, oh and the BSA needs, umm I really don’t know, it hasn’t run in at least 15 years I think. Wait a minute that’s the same list I had last winter with one or two additions! I’m loosing ground here so I really need to step up the pace. Looking back on the summer activities, one of the highlights was attending my first National Road Run. Put on by the Roosevelt Chapter up at Detroit Lakes MN, what a great time. Three days of riding, looking at bikes, eating, meeting people, eating, and generally just having a good time. For those who have never participated in a road run I would high-ly recommend it. Every morning we started with a breakfast meeting going over the map of the day’s route, with sched-uled meeting and lunch spots and suggested points of interest. The nice part of the ride was the choice to go with a large group, small group or just on your own, you pick your preference. At the end of the day we met at the hotel for dinner and to compare notes about any problems encountered during the day. Surprisingly, considering the ages of many of the bikes, we had fewer problems than I would have thought. Although my 70 Guzzi did present a burnt offering to the Gods, we were back on the road in a few hours with no major problems. Thank god for zip ties! To close, I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and best wishes for the next year! I hope to see you at our holiday party, take note of the new location and we’ll see you there!
By Gary Kloss
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2017 is almost here and that means it’s time to renew your Local Viking Chapter Dues. As of 2016 we no longer mail out re-newal notices so consider this our request for you to submit your $15.00 2017 Chapter dues.
Chapter dues renew each January for all members while the National dues renew in the month you signed up. Please take a few minutes and renew your Viking Chapter dues for 2017 today. Simply go the our chapter website www.vikingmc.org and click on “join the Club” then either download the renewal form and mail it in with your check for $15.00 made out to the Viking Chapter or click on “Buy Now” to go to the PayPal site. The Paypal site does charge an additional dollar but you save a stamp and the hassle of getting it in the mail. If you are planning on attending the Viking Chapter Christmas Party on January 14th, we will have a chapter dues renewal table set up for your convenience. If you have any questions or concerns about your member-ship status, please contact me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 612-616-5025.
A copy of the Dues renewal form is included below.
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CLUB NEWS
The Davenport Fall International Meet hosted by the Chief Blackhawk Chapter is an event that’s been on the AMCA Viking Chapter calendar for a very long time. It’s not surprising; there is something about the combination of a vintage show, dirt track racing, and one of the largest swap meets in the country that keeps enthusiasts coming back year after year. And then there’s the ride - taking the river road through picturesque little towns all the way up & down the Mississippi. It also, at least for me, is timed to signal the beginning of the end of the riding season. So it’s always on my short list. Usually I go down with Harvey and Tom leading an ever changing zig-zag path down and back; it takes a day each way (We were Harvey-less this year, which was weird). This year I was in a time crunch so I couldn’t spend those two extra days enjoying the scenery, so I blasted down there in the RV with my hybrid part-bicycle-part-motorcycle Motoped on the rear rack. I felt like I was cheating, but hey, better that than miss the meet. We camp out in the middle of the old drive-in field next to the track, where there is no shade from the relentless sun because… well… because it’s tradition, I guess. Old habits die hard. Over the last few years, things have changed somewhat. Most of it has to do with the Chief Blackhawk Chapter’s break with the na-tional AMCA, and their resulting loss of “National” meet status. This means there is no Sunday judging, and as a result people leave earlier than ever before. So if there’s a rainstorm on Saturday, the place is pretty much a ghost town by 3PM. As a result we shifted the ride from Friday to Thursday to get in a full day there on Friday, and ride back Saturday. Although this seems like a small con-cession, it means we have to miss the coveted North Buena Vista Catholic Church -chicken feed- on the way back, a fav. But I digress. To our astonishment, the Rusty Nail (the bar across the street from the fairgrounds where we hang out in endlessly) had gone out of business and had a new name, Rivertown Grille & Bar. As that’s where we spend all of our time, it could have been a dealbreaker, but we noticed that the alcohol was the same, and so decided it was ok. After some senior attempts at drunkenness we wrapped up Thursday night and hit the sack. Getting up on Friday, it was on to the 13 acre swap meet. In addi-tion to being a great place to find Harley & Indian parts there are quite a few ven-dors who cater to the really early motorcycle crowd. I’ve always been able to scare up a smattering of German & British in years past, but this year there was a notice-able increase in European parts - a nice change. The swap sprawls all over the grounds, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, there is more off in a corner here and there. I rode my Motoped full-speed through the spectators, wailing around the grounds. https://www.facebook.com/calebjspooner/videos/pcb.1071868772867304/1071855286201986/?type=3&theater. I really should have got my ass kicked, but there were no takers.
One of the greatest things about the swap is the people watching. You just never know who you’re going to run into. They’ll be walking, riding pit bikes or golf carts, or stranger. For example, because there is such an interest in American motorcycle culture in Europe, you’ll find a fair representation of the international community; avid Euro Harley fans trying to re-create our biker culture, complete with the trappings and tattoos. And being an election year, the politics were displayed prominently; mostly “Trump that Bitch” and “Hillary for Prison 2016” signs all over the meet. As it was obvious that these were intelligent folk, I decided not to en-gage in political discourse with them. The motorcycle display is nice, but it’s not their strong point. It’s about ¼ the size of theVi-king meet. There are always some nice Harleys and Indians, and this year more Japanese than I’ve seen at past meets. And nice Eu-ropean examples, like the African Corp military BMW convoy a couple years ago - wow. Great bikes to check out, but it’s over quickly. I skipped the races this year. They’re a lot of fun if you’ve never been, but the track has been shortened to ½ mile and it doesn’t seem as exciting as it used to be. But they still fly around those turns on a wing and a prayer, and I guess that’s always a thrill. I’ll be back next year, I’m sure. (Last year I got picked out of the crowd along with a dozen people and ended up winning a set of Milwaukee tools, so that was worth it!) I bugged out Friday night and hit town about 11PM. It’s nice to have a meet like this so (relatively) close to the twin cities. And I will be back next year.
Davenport Run – Sept 1, 2016 by Caleb Spooner
Rides & Riders: Tim Colestock , 1983 Harley Shovel Head; Jim Petsch, 2002 Suzuki SV650; Tom Jones, 2003 HD Sportster; Keith Braun, 2003 HD Ultra Classic; Bob Zick, 2004 Triumph Thruxton; Stan Mewhorter, 2004 HD Sportster
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CLUB NEWS
DAVENPORT RUN (more photos)
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CLUB NEWS
Ride to Wings and Wheels, Sept 10, 2016
The gang hits the tarmac!
Rides & Riders: Paul St. John, 1942 Harley 45; Kerry Ras-mussen, 1946 Indian Chief; Ivar Natins, 1946 Indian Chief; ; Mike Ellis, 1948 Indian Chief; Stan Mewhorter, 1971 Triumph TR6C; Dena Natins, 1975 Honda CB400F; Bob Hopf, 1976 Honda 750SS; Tim Gadban, 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100;
We met up and hobnobbed at Kerry & Sue Rasmussen’s place near Stillwater …. fairly small turnout this year. The weather was gorgeous and the ride was leisurely. Then, after some beautiful Wisconsin countryside we pulled into the Osceola airport parking lot which was packed with a variety of two and four wheeled wonders. Following our customary pancake and ham brunch in one of the airport hangars we dis-persed to enjoy the show of aircraft, motorcy-cles and custom/vintage cars … wonderful eye candy for the Viking Chapter vintage delinquents!! Several other club members had ridden or driven in on their own.
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CLUB NEWS
Ride to Wings and Wheels (cont.)
Viking Chapter bikes at the Show
Club member Ernest L. Owens takes first place in the Domestic Division with his gorgeous 1948 Indian Chief w/sidecar
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CLUB NEWS
Ride to Wings and Wheels (cont.)
Fairey Gannett ….. British sub hunter
….. Always knew these two were goin places!!
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CLUB NEWS
Wow - two aircraft related meets in the same month! This event was a gathering of vintage machines for a benefit that offset the
operating expenses of the Learning Jet, a non-profit organization that runs classes inside a converted Boeing 727 which was donated
for the cause. Steve Horvitz came to our general meeting at Jack Crane’s in March 2016 to ask the Viking Chapter to participate in this benefit along with numerous vintage cars and planes to raise money for the Learning Jet.
The inside of the fuselage has been gutted and turned into a classroom for high school students who want to pursue a career in aero-
space engineering. We got to tour the inside, of the plane, visit with some of the students and alumni and see their work first-hand. Of particular interest was the students’ work with large solid propellant rockets, some of which have been used for weather research.
Towards the end of the event Trophies were given out for the Viking Chapter vintage motorbikes.
The Learning Jet - Wheels Beneath Our Wings, Sept 17, 2016
Trophies - L to R: Ivar Natins, Mike Blackburn, Ron Spargo, Kerry Rasmussen, Dena Natins, Stan Mewhorter and Gary Kloss
Steve Horvitz in the cockpit
Rides & Riders: Ron Spargo, 1939 BSA M-20; Kerry Rasmussen, 1946 Indian Chief; Ivar Natins, 1946 Indian Chief; Ron Spargo, 1962 Triumph 3TA; Mike Blackburn, 1968 Honda 450 Police Interceptor; Gary Kloss, 1970 Moto Guzzi, 750cc; Stan Mewhorter, 1971 Triumph T100C; Dena Natins, 1975 Honda CB400F; ; Tim Gadban, 1978 Honda GL1000
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CLUB NEWS
The general overview of the Fall Swap Meet- Success! But turn the calendar back 9 months. It all starts with the application from the Fairgrounds. Fill out paper work- send checks- make phone calls- discuss options… and so on… The Thursday before the event, I like to drive by the Fairgrounds- and the outhouses are already in place (thank you Jimmys John-nys!) Friday afternoon, I get an Email from the Fairgrounds with the phone # of our contact at the Fairgrounds during our event. After watching every weather report for 2 weeks leading up to our Swap Meet, Mother Nature will give us a beautiful day… I love it when a plan comes together!
This is a social event. I’m sure that every one vending stopped by the tent for a roll and coffee and to visit. Richard Clarkow-ski and David Johnson from the Eau Claire area were on hand and a couple of South Dakota guys were there too. Every one had mentioned how much they enjoy this event. I think that it is on a lot of cal-endars. Then- by 2pm there were about 5 vendors left (and they were packing it in.) Jim Giesler- former board member- said he will be heading to Tucson soon. A lot of Viking members are heading south. We will not see a lot of members ‘til the Spring. All’s well that ends well!
*Note- 2 weeks after our fall swapmeet the Capitol City Car Club (AACA) and the Twin Cities Model A Ford Club hold there Fall Swap
and show. The event used to be a 2 day affair at the Fairgrounds Speed-
way- Swappers on the racing surface and show cars in the infield. Now the event is Sunday only from 7:00am to 3:00pm. The writing is on the
wall- things aren’t like they used to be, yet- as long as we can make a
little bit of money on our Fall Meet, I’m sure that we’ll keep doing it!
Fall Swap Meet, Sept 18, 2016 by Tom Whittles
Sunday morning comes along- 5:00 am, Per-kins restaurant the faithful begin to arrive. Soon 10 volunteers and it’s coffee and cakes… Just before 6:00am, we arrive at the gate to the north parking area. The parking area lights are on, a State Fair maintenance person unlocks the gate and there are 20 ven-dors waiting in line to get in! Super Man Bob Hopf sets up the gate and begins taking mon-ey while we get the tent up and the coffee going. Saturday evening- Bob Chatland calls “Tom! Save me a space will ya? Just save me a space! It’s not to late too get a spot is it?” I said “Bob- Just show up and we’ll get you settled in!”. By noon we had about 90 ven-dors. Bob hopf had brought 10 dozen rolls- Apple turnovers apple fritters and apple/cinnamon rolls… (the boxes were still warm- OMG). Command Center
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CLUB NEWS
Once again our gracious host Chris Hayne provided pizza and refreshments. Votes were cast for our new chapter officers who are: Dave Moot (Vice-President); Roy Williams (Secretary); Ivar Natins (Director); Ron Spargo (Director) and Bob Hopff (Director). The weather was foul …. rain & thunder … so nobody could ride that night.
Meeting at Fury Motors, Sept 21, 2016
Fall Mystery Ride, Oct 1, 2016
The first day of October was what you could call a “Perfect Fall Day” … temps in the low 70’s and nary a cloud in the azure blue sky. This year, because of extenuating circumstances, we came down to the wire for a route and a destination so hooked up with our sister club, the VJMC. There was a huge turnout and we wound up meeting at the People’s Organic Coffee Shop and then going on a ride around Lake Minnetonka, with our destination being warehouses containing Mike Ellis’s collection of vintage motorcycles, cars and memorabilia. Photos of his bikes and cars are on the following pages. Oh … and he fed us extremely well!
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CLUB NEWS Fall Mystery Ride (cont.)
Mike Ellis - Thankyou Mike - what a wonderful collection!
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CLUB NEWS Fall Mystery Ride (cont.)
First Polaris Mock-Up (serial # 000) for the new Indian Scout
Rides & Riders: Ron Spargo, 1939 BSA M-20; Ivar Natins, 1946 Indian Chief; Mike Crane, 1947 Indian Chief; Steven Solnitzky, 1947 Indian
Chief; Stan Mewhorter, 1966 Triumph TR6C; Gary Kloss, 1970 Moto Guzzi; Keum Johansen, 1972 Yamaha RD350; Roy Williams, 1974 Honda
CB350F; Craig Kotval, 1974 BMW R90; Dena Natins, 1975 Honda CB400F; Bob Hopf, 1976 Honda 750SS; Jack Freer, 1976 Honda CB750; Scott
Demko, 1977 Honda Gold Wing; Harold Dircks, 1979 Harley Sportster; Chris Smith, 1980 Honda GB500; Mark Jilk, 1981 Honda CB750; Bruce Mills,
1981 BMW R100 RT; Michael Wencl, 1981 Yamaha XS650 w/sidecar; Paul Chamberlin, 1981 BMW R100;Jim Petsch, 1982 Honda FT500; Craig
Chamberlin, 1983 Honda CL500; Tim Colestad, 1983 Harley FLHT; Jim Koskovich, 1994 Harley Ultra; David Wilson, 1996 Harley XLH; David Glen-
nen, 2000 Yamaha V-Star; John Ulrich, 2003 Honda Goldwing; Tim Gadban, 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100; Sean O'Neil, 2017 Suzuki SV650
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CLUB NEWS
Another very generous host for our general meetings is Marty at the GoMoto shop on Washington Ave South in Minneapolis. He
fed us pizza and cookies which always makes for a more productive meeting! BTW - Marty has done excellent work for club mem-
bers in the past.
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Nov 9, 2016
This event was scrapped last year and re-instated this year … Yay! Since the Old Country Buffet chain has been closed down, the Teppanyaki Grill in Fridley was chosen as an alternative. Very good choice! Anyone who volunteered at an event in the 2016 season qualified for a free meal on the club. Yummm …. at the end I waddled out to my bike to ride home!
General Meeting at GoMoto, Oct 19, 2016
Rides & Riders: Paul St.John, 1942 Harley 45; Kerry Rasmussen, 1946 Indian Chief; Cal Spooner, 1964 Honda Dream; Stan
Mewhorter,1970 Triumph T100C; Dena Natins, 1975 Honda CB400F; Roy Williams, 1976 Honda CB550F; Bob Hopf, 1976 Honda 750SS; Craig Kotval, 2008 Honda ST1300; Ivan Natins, 2010 Kawasaki Concord 14
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CLUB NEWS
Several volunteers from the Viking Chapter went out to the Mall of America to help repair bicycles that are due to be holiday gifts for needy children. Way to go gang!!
Bikes 4 Kids, Nov 15, 2016
Dang …. A Munchkin Harley!!!
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CLUB NEWS
A very well attended meeting!
The primary point of discussion and concern was the cold shoulder we are getting from the IMS organization regarding our partici-
pation at their Minneapolis Convention Center show in early February. Management and ownership have changed hands and be-
cause (in their opinion) we are not a viable cash cow in their show area we have been denied participation. The same fate fell to our
local sister VJMC club.
Obviously the new IMS management is unaware of the positive energy that our display of vintage motorcycles adds to the show. We
represent the HISTORY of the motorcycle and attracted many people … bringing out a curiosity and enthusiasm that would not oth-
erwise be there. Our past effort has been on a volunteer basis, so if it’s just about the money then it’s a sad day for them and us.
General Meeting at Leo’s South, Nov 16, 2016
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CLUB NEWS
And so we shall follow our intrepid adventurers to Chicago and points beyond, for their Route 66 fix in the first week of September. Left on Thursday Afternoon It was our goal to not ride on freeways as much as possible. Also Craig has this thing about not eating at any chain restaurant on road trips. Which worked out great. We found some great little diners. We rode to Hastings and then down Wisconsin side of the Missis-sippi to Prescott and south to Council Bay, then east to Mindoro. Stopped at Top Dawgs for burgers. They have 108 varieties. Then down 108 thru the famous Mindoro cut which is a deep cut through rock at the mountain top. This is the area where Sean had a crash and broke his collar bone. From there it was getting dark so we took 16 east to Sparta, where we stayed the night at the Scottish Inn. Funny, we did not hear a Scottish accent when we checked in. More like an east Indian accent. It was a little sketchy. I think the couple next to us was paying by the hour. Friday Morning Went south on 27 (stopped for garage sale). Craig waived to all the cute Amish girls in their buggies. Big flirt. Then it was to Cashton and on to Ontario through Wildcat Mountain. Stopped at Hillsboro at Barbies Cafe for breakfast. Bob and Barbie appeared to make a connection, but alas we had to hit the road. ( Hillsboro was like Mayberry and Barbie had old Andy Griffith shows playing on her TV in a loop. Took back roads east to Merrimac where we took the ferry across the Wisconsin river, south east to Madison. ( Bob had the best ice cream cone ever on the south side of the ferry. Sea Salt Caramel with cashews ) Took 18 and 12 to Fort Atkinson, White-water, Lake Geneva for dinner. We tried to go to the Playboy Re-sort but it had been sold and converted to a family resort. South to Woodstock (unfortunately no concerts going on). Turned on 14 to Palatine, Illinois where we stayed the night at Motel 6 (The light was on!) Saturday Got up early Saturday so we could get to the start of Route 66 on Michigan and Adams in Chicago before traffic got too heavy. It is a strange ride in downtown Chicago under the elevated trains. Dark and dirty. Stopped and took pictures under the Route 66 beginning sign. Some Asian girl wanted her boyfriend to take a picture of her with a real biker under the sign. So Bob obliged her. Due to construction we had to run a parallel street for the first mile. Then we were off on Craig and Bob's Big Adventure. We rode down Route 66, 201 miles to Spring-
field, IL. Ivar had thought about going with us but then decided not to because he thought about how slow Bob and I ride. It took us 12 hours to ride 210 miles because we stopped at so many cool places along Route 66. The first stop was in Romeoville at the White Fence Farms for their famous fried chicken, but they weren't open until the after-noon. While there we met a group from Holland who were all on a guided ride to California on new Harleys. The lead-er purchased the bikes new in California, had them shipped to Chicago, they all rode to California and then had them shipped back to Holland. I guess it saves the huge cash rather than buying them new in Holland. The reason we stopped was that Craig had played with his Route 66 soft-ware on his GPS so much, that he had to call the guy who wrote it and figure out how to fix it before we went any further. Bob smoked 5 cigars waiting for him.
Bob & Craig’s Excellent Adventure (on Route 66) by Bob Hopf and Craig Kotval
South on WI 35
At the Ferry
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CLUB NEWS
Saturday (cont.) We made a quick stop at Joliet prison to see Jake but they wouldn't let us in. We did get a picture by the gate they used in the movie where Jake came out to meet Elwood. First big picture stop was at Wilmington to see the Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad Drive-In. Here we caught up with the riders from Holland. They were riding the whole route in 16 days. Their guide invited us to ride with them and have lunch at the next town in Braidwood at the Polka Dot Drive-Inn, where there were sightings of Betty Boop and Marilyn Monroe.
We stopped for gas at Dwight. In this town was Amblers Texaco, the last original working gas station on Route 66. When we got to Pontiac, IL, we stopped at Route 66 Hall of Fame, which is home to Bob Waldmires converted school bus that he traveled up and down 66 mapping the Route 66 treasures that were fading away. He is a famous Route 66 artist and most notably for the artistic maps of the Route. Continuing on down 66, we stopped at Funks Grove, famous for homemade maple syrup, we each bought a bottle. They have been producing and selling syrup there for 5 genera-tions. We drove a few miles to Atlanta where we stopped for peach pie at the Palms Cafe, an origi-nal 50's cafe. There was another giant hot dog man there.
Bob & Craig’s Excellent Adventure (cont.)
Waiting for Jake
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CLUB NEWS
Saturday (cont.) We rode the rest of the way to Springfield where we stopped for the night because the next day we were going to go to the AMA Championship Finals. Craig booked us at the Ramada and it was fabulous. Parked bikes under the front canopy so no one could mess with them and we had free breakfast made to order. Sunday The race is on a mile track and the bikes reach speeds up to 125 mph. That is something to see. Anybody that loves motorcycles and racing should put it on their bucket list. And talk about loud. We tried to take movies on our phones but the deafening sound did not come through. With the tickets that Craig scored us, we had a free lunch at the track. The food was spectacular. After the race, we were going to keep going southwest down 66 to St. Louis, MO, but we knew at the rate we drove and stopped we would not get there until long after dark so we went straight west to Hannibal, MO. There is not much to see on that leg of the trip. We tried to eat at a retro restaurant Ivar told us about (Becky Thatcher's) but it was closed, so we found a BBQ joint call Big Muddy. Fantastic BBQ in a quaint little place where people at other tables actually talked to us. We went to room with full bellies and crashed. Monday Monday we got up and headed north up Highway 61 (The highway the Blues men took on their way from the south to Chicago. When we got to Dubuque, IA, we followed the west side of the Mississippi for a while. We were going to take a day and a half to get home, but while checking the weather station, we could see we were going to get rained on the next day, so we decided to hustle back the 445 miles in one day. We did manage to stop for a couple hours at Ana-mosa to see the bike museum. Finally made it there after years of thinking about stopping after Davenport, and it was well worth the stop. Along the way, we did have to stop at the Dairy Sweet in Dunlap for ice cream again. Bob made me stop every day for ice cream. We were headed north on a 2 lane and almost missed the Dairy Sweet. But Bob ham-mered the brakes as we went by and we turned around. It was surprisingly warm that day and the ice cream was melting fast. We tried to sit at a picnic table under a tree that a young family of 7 just vacated, and since the ice cream was melting fast, you can imagine what the benches looked like. As we rode all day, we could see the rain clouds building in the northwest. As we got to Rochester, we could see it had rained earlier as the roads were wet.
We got lucky because we did not need to put on our rain gear the whole trip. In the complete 4½ day trip we covered 1,330 miles.
Bob & Craig’s Excellent Adventure (cont.)
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CLUB NEWS
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Bob & Craig’s Excellent Adventure (more photos)
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CLUB NEWS
February 24-25 Omaha Chapter National Meet Fremont, NE (402) 660-5151 www.omahachapteramca.org
March 10-11 Sunshine Chapter National Meet New Smyrna Beach, FL www.sunshineamca.org
April 28-29 Perkiomen Chapter National Meet Oley, PA (610) 948-4553 Perkiomen Facebook Page
May 19-21 Southern National Meet Denton, NC (417) 838-4777 www.amcasouthernnationalmeet.com May 19-20 European Chapter Meet Raalte, Netherlands +44.1303.256266 www.amca-europe.eu
June 16-17 Viking Chapter National Meet St. Paul, MN (952) 443-2020 www.vikingmc.org
June 16-17 Fort Sutter Chapter National Meet Dixon, CA (916) 485-1721 www.amcafortsutter.org
June 20-22 Rocky Mountain Chapter National Road Run Black Hawk, Colorado 303-801-7387 www.rockymountainamca.com June 30-July 1 Rhinebeck National Meet Rhinebeck, NY www.rhinebecknationalmeet.com July 21-23 Wauseon National Meet Wauseon, OH (419) 929-0291 www.wauseonnationalmeet.org
AMCA 2016 National Meets & Road Runs
July 24-26 Evergreen National Road Run Sequim, Washington 360-698-1285 www.evergreenamca.org August 4-5 Yankee Chapter National Meet Hebron, CT (603) 401-8851 www.yankeechapter.org
August 25-27 AMCA Australia Chapter Meet BULLI Show Grounds 011-61-419-229-605 www.amcaaustralia.org
September 2-3 (Tentative Event) Motociclette Americane Chapter Rimini, Italy www.motocicletteamericane.it
September 11-13 Fort Sutter Chapter National Road Run Lake Tahoe, California (916) 485-1721 www.fortsutteramca.org
September 20-23 Smoky Mountain Chapter National Road Run Chattanooga, Tennessee (316) 461-1778 Smoky Mountain Facebook Page
September 29 - October 1 Chesapeake Chapter National Meet Jefferson, PA (410) 360-4211 www.ccamca.org
You see, when I was a boy, every morning was an adventure and a new be-ginning, but when we grow older, a little of us dies every night: killed by what ifs and if onlys, by mortgages and bills, dry rot and rising damp. And buried under the weight of all the possessions we gather around us, thinking that they define what we are.
When we travel though, we are children again. And when we travel by motor-cycle we have nothing to think of when we wake but throwing a few belong-ings into our panniers and riding off down the road, unencumbered by regrets and concerns. On a motorcycle, every day is still an adventure and a new beginning. On a motorcycle I am still a boy on a bike. - Geoff Hill
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FUNTIME
Harvey … is that you?!?
Ivar the Terrible
Evel Kotval
Safe Riding - 1930
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FUNTIME
Caleb Spooner finds his Ultimate Bike!!!
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WANT ADS
WANTED - Complete Sidecar suitable for a 1100 CC motorcycle. Any condition will be considered Call Craig 651 269 1755 [email protected]
FOR SALE - 1976 CB550/4. It has 22K miles on it and runs very well. It will need new battery altho it kicks starts easily. Tires look good but are probably old and due to replacement due to old age. It has some minor cosmetic issues but comes with a spare gas tank. It has a custom windjammer fairing. I am getting too old in my 70's to ride it and want someone who will be a new caretaker more than anything. I will have to check to set a fair price as I am out of touch on that issue but will get back to you in a few days. The bike is in Cornucopia Wisconsin about 65 miles from Duluth and near Bayfield or Ashland Wisconsin. Asking Price: $2000 Tom Mason Phone 715 742 3556
email [email protected]
TECH TIP FROM RON SPARGO - For those of you who were at the Chicken BBQ in August you may remember our past president and future vice presi-dent and all around good guy Dave Moot when he gave out his version of door prizes. One of the items that Dave gave me and several others is a very, very small vial of what he calls “petcock lube”. When asked what this stuff really is, Dave got “that smirk” on his face and insisted it really is petcock lube. He advised to disassemble the petcock and clean it very well. Reassemble the petcock using a very small amount of the “petcock lube”. He insisted it really does work and will not get washed out by gasoline.
So, a couple of weeks ago I found myself wondering where I’m going to find new petcocks for my trusty old BSA M20. The 75 year old petcocks are very stiff to turn and leak regardless if they on or off. Then I remember Dave’s gift of “petcock lube” and figure I’ll give it a try in spite of my doubts about it. Apart came the petcocks (all brass, no cork or fiber) cleaned in lacquer thinner and dried. I used a tooth pick to apply the smallest amount of lube to the mating surfac-es and reassembled them.
Much to my surprise, the petcocks work much easier and smoother than before and even after being in use for several weeks there are no fuel leaks! It works!! I’m Gobsmack!
After some internet research I found this stuff. It is called EZTurn Lube and has many uses in the aircraft industry. You can buy it on line at Aircraft Spruce. www.aircraftspruce.com; A 5oz tube costs $11.85 plus about $4.00 shipping. If you are going to service hundreds or even thousands of petcocks you can get a 1 pound can for about $30 plus shipping. I figured the 5oz tube will be all I ever need provided I don’t, all of a sudden, discov-er a lot of friends with stiff petcocks!
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www.diamondscoffeeshop.com
