Charles City Car Show

... just a small sample of all the cool classics that showed yesterday.  There was pro street, rods, drag cars, stockers - totally cool.  One of the best shows I've seen in this town for quite some time.  Nice weather and damn good burgers.  All the drag cars went on trailers(hidden behind buildings) near the outskirts of town.
Cool scene Daddy-O . . .

So Punk - Ricky & Shea (in Chucktown)

I was honored to have some of my bestest bros come for a visit.  We sweated it out (sorry I don't have air conditioning) and had some fun wrenchin', ridin' and wipin' our brows.  Coolest cats this side-o-the-Missouri.
Big Noot said . .  . "Hey, Rick(he calls me Rick), ah . . . . those guys are alright - I like 'em."  Well dad, you think I'd hang with some squares??????  Jeeeeez !   Thanks for makin' our day and comin' to our small town. 

The annual Custom Antique & Rod Association Car Show is today around central park (photos comin' soon on next post)

Kearney & Trecker Mill

Made in Milwaukee.  Our friend Jeff Wiley does everything BIG !  

Buses, Bonneville and Big Inch Strokers !

Moved Torque Fest again . . .

Dubuque Fairgrounds is cool too . . . should be a great venue . . .

Ricky's coming . . .

Whenever you have guests coming to visit . . . it's a good reason to clean up the garage and get organized.  So, you kinda look like you know what yer doin' . . . . . (and a good reason to drink up all the spare beer) since they don't drink anymore . . . just bikes, rods and good stories !

Stars and Stripes Forever . . .

Now a . . . classic photo

 . . . for your enjoyment.  Carb fix.

Bacon's Knuck . . . (use Prestone 50/50)

Wonder how that front end works . . . ?  Sweet ride !

Bernard Allison

 . . . made a stop in our lil' town and bluez us out with total jams.
So cool . . . on a hot night.

John Tibben - AMA Hall-of-Famer from Iowa . . .

Leo Payne wasn't the only motorcycle racer from Iowa, helped by Mike Wilson (in the early days).  Flat track racer John Tibben earned the National #60 way back in the late 1950s.  A great 1/2 miler and short track racer . . . Tibben was one of the best.  I watched him a few years ago ride at Davenport.  Amongst all those fearless, young hot shoes . . . Tibben ran mid pack on this very same bike seen above.  He made his moves through the pack, being smooth and carrying corner speed.  The field got stretched out - and John held on the third position (in a field of 12).  I was impressed.  A hall-of-famer forever.  See his machinery in the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

Cooler in B&W . . .

Some photos are somewhat cooler in black and white . . .

( for hot days . . . )

FLH Bagger thing . . .

This motorcycle was at the J&P deal.  Nice stock bike.  The stripe job had no rhyme or reason where it was going . . . but, the line quality was good.  It's like the guy can pinstripe ok - but, didn't really care - and just plastered it with lines and jazz . . .

Bacon's Water Bubbler . . .

Let's all get wet . . .

Al's Ironhead Sporty Chop . . .

Al always knows what he wants.  He built this rider last winter.  Late model ironhead with early-style gear cover and Morris Magneto.  Does his own welding, paint, motor, fabrication . . . always working on something.  Awesome custom right outta the backwoods of Iowa.  Cool scoot dude . . .
Look for it in a future Ironworks !

Daniel just called me . . .

I call him that (so does his dad) . . . seems to go with him more than "Bacon" - but, that nickname is ok too.  He's on his way to Born Free 4.   He'll have the only engine like it . . . that Drake.  Cat's outta the bag and it's runnin' . . . You gotta appreciate his skill with motors.  So many bike builders use a hammer and crow bar to get their mill outta the wooden crate.  Good Luck to all the Born Free 4 builders.  From what I've seen, it will be quite a display of workmanship. (Dan's motor not pictured above, you'll see it soon enough)

Mike and Margaret Wilson (and my dad)

Yesterday (Sun. June 24th), me and my dad (the original Noot) met with Mike and Margaret Wilson of the famed Wilson's Harley-Davidson(and Honda) dealership of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  They are the pair that the legendary Leo Payne adopted as his parents (he adopted them) - and the stories just rolled for about 2 hours.  Mike is very knowledgeable and sharp to all the racing history of Payne.  Margaret is a Golden Life Member of the Motor-Maids. She was voted most popular member in 1958 by all AMA clubs.  Mike sold Leo the very same bikes on display that went on to legendary status.  He has since restored them and donated the machines for everyone to enjoy.

Countless times we went to leave, (the museum was closing) and Mike would pull us back in to show us carbs, pipes and other trick things they had done to the bikes.  He was very proud in the fact that Leo's motorcycles always looked stock, or as a motorcycle should - but, they were the fastest bikes in the room.
He told us how he would tell Leo, "No, you made that part too light, too flimsy - it has to be light, but, safe."

There was a time in 1967 when Noot was in Cedar Rapids and his '62 XLCH had a leakin' head gasket.  He went to Wilson's dealership - and Mike gave him this special head-bolt wrench and instructed him to "Tighten it down, don't lug the motor, and you should make it home."  That was the first they met (this was the 2nd).

Mike showed me on Leo's street dragger how to feeler gauge the throttle disc for more torque - which I never knew - and I'm eager to try it on my '61.

Mike told me of the time he went 110-120mph on his Gold-Wing . . . racing a semi through the mountains of Washington. He looked back and Margaret's front wheel of her FXR was right on his rear fender the entire race.

It was awesome to talk with them - and all the way home - I couldn't keep thinking about it.  Their enthusiasm towards the sport of motorcycling makes some of the things I do seem - "not like much."  The golden days of motorcycling will never be again.  And when you talk with these legends of the sport - it gives you a slight feeling of what it was really like to live through and be a part of it.

Just as we were about to leave - it happened again.  Mike dragged us over to show us this new hard-cover book of Motorcycle Drag Racing by John Stein.  It was covered in plastic, so we had to rip it open (we bought the copy), but only after Mike and Margaret signed the edition for us.  (way cool dudes !)  This book looks awesome.  Very well done . . . and of coarse Mike's name is in it !  

 Thank you to the Wilsons for sharing this with us and we hope to see you again real soon !  Crazy !