1 AMCA VIKING CHAPTER NEWSLETTER OFFICERS June 2017 [email protected]http://www.vikingmc.org PUBLISHED QUARTERLY INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Upcoming Club Events ………... 2 President’s Message & Editor’s Note ………….……….. 3 Meeting at Jack Crane’s ..….…. 4 Donnie Smith Show 2016 …...…. 5 Ride to Hollywood Roadhouse ... 7 The Lost Indian …………….….. 8 Tools for Teens ……….…….….. 9 Meets, Rides & Runs …….…..…10 Funtime ……...….……………... 22 Want Ads …………….......…..... 23 Classified …….…………...…… 24 WEB/EMAIL: Doug Nelson 612-559-9595 [email protected]DEPUTY JUDGE: Roger Rimnac 612-825-2550 [email protected]NEWSLETTER: Tim Gadban 651-235-5898 [email protected]CLUB HISTORIAN: Tom Jones 763-533-9163 Viking Chapter AMCA Inc. P.O. Box 18304, Minneapolis, MN 55418 PRESIDENT: Gary Kloss 763-757-1712 [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]VICE-PRESIDENT: Dave Moot 952-703-0373 [email protected]DIRECTORS: Ivar Natins 612-770-3818 [email protected]Ron Spargo 952-443-2020 [email protected]Bob Hopf 612-867-5654 [email protected]SECRETARY: Roy Williams 612-202-4905 [email protected]Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love June 16 & 17
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
Sunday June 18, 10am-3pm Blind Lizard Rally Nicollet Island, Minneapolis
Saturday June 3, 10am Ride to Hollywood Roadhouse (Hiway 7 & Co. Rd. 33) Meet at Bob Hopf’s.at 10am (ride at 11am) 8784 Knollwood Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 612-867-5654
Friday June 16 & Saturday June 17 AMCA Viking Chapter & Vintage Japanese MC Antique & Classic Motorcycle Show Progress Bldg., Minnesota State Fair Grounds
Friday July 14 thru Sunday July 16 President’s Ride & Rally Money Creek Campground 18502 Co. Rd. 26, Houston, MN 55943 507-896-3544
Wednesday July 12, 7pm B. O. D. Meeting Dave Moot’s Home 2400 Maple Ave South Bloomington MN 55431 952-856-2695
Wednesday July 19, 7pm Ice Cream Social Veteran’s Home 5101 Minnehaha Ave. So. Minneapolis MN
Saturday July 29 Bring Out Yer Dead Rally Sir Benedict’s Tavern 805 East Superior St, Duluth, MN 218-728-1192
Saturday August 5, 8:30am Viking Chapter Ride to Sturgis Hollywood Roadhouse 5475 Co. Rd 33, New Germany, MN 55367 952-353-2222
Friday August 18, 5-9pm Victoria Volkfest Ride-In Bike Show Main Street, Victoria, MN Contact: Ron Spargo 952-443-2020
Saturday August 19, 8am-6pm Gear-Head Get Together & Swap Meet Maple Lake, MN 612-756-2373 www.gear-headgettogether.com
Sunday August 20, Noon BBQ & General Meeting (Chapter Officers to be nominated) Lion’s Park 1601 82nd Street Victoria MN 55386
Wednesday August 30 (leaves at 8am) Ride to Davenport #1 Little Oscar’s Restaurant 23470 Emery Ave, Hampton, MN
Thursday August 31 (meet at 7am) Ride to Davenport #2 Freedom Gas Station, Prescott, WI Contact: Tom Jones 763-533-9163
Saturday September 9 (meet at 8am) Viking Chapter Ride to Wings & Wheels Kerry & Sue Rasmussen’s Home 9282 Stonebridge Trail No, Stillwater, MN 651-492-0735
Sunday September 17, 6am-2pm Viking Chapter Fall Swap Meet MN State Fair Grounds (No. Parking Lot) Contact: Tom Whittles 651-636-5492 Note: volunteers meet at Perkins Restaurant in Roseville at 5am - Co. Rd. B just East of Snelling near Target
Wednesday September 20, 7pm General Meeting (vote for Chapter Officers) Wild Prairie Harley Davidson 12480 Plaza Drive, Eden Prairie MN 55344 952-698-5000
Wednesday September 13, 7pm B. O. D. Meeting Tom & Judy Jones Home (Tentative) 6516 Ronald Place, Brooklyn Center, MN 763-533-9163
Saturday June 10, Noon Rockers Spring Social (Ton-Up Club) Club Jaeger 923 Washington Ave North, Minneapolis MN
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NOTES FROM GARY’S GARAGE
EDITOR’S NOTE
Well …. as many of you out there … I was there for the Summer of Love, with long hair, bell bottoms, a pouch full of weed and enough piss and vinegar to shock my seventy year-old self. I started with a 250cc BSA C15 although a little 125cc Honda was cooler at the time.
As far as I’m concerned 1967 was a seminal year … one that will not be eclipsed anytime soon. Just the music and the politics makes it stand apart in our history, I feel privileged to have passed through that time as a young man.
Which brings me to our summer show at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Our members are going all-out to decorate and psychedelasize the show … banners, posters and old bike ads will adorn the rafters … no brand will be spared. If you come for nothing else it would be the posters and the banners!
But then there are our motorcycles …. how many (of the ones you owned) do you wish you had back. I can list three. Motorcycle riding has spawned a large and ded-icated following … one that has evolved through the decades. Now, with the inter-est in vintage machines, a whole new sub-culture is emerging. Between the Mecum/Vegas auctions (and their outrageous prices) and the Craigslist listings there is a huge selection. If I was a youngster I would be looking at the very rea-sonably priced used Japanese bikes on Craigslist. What … a 1978 Honda GL1000 for $1200 … a 1981 Kawasaki 440LTD for $1050 … a 1980 Suzuki GS550 for $800 …. A 1984 Yamaha Maxim for $1000 …. and many of them meet the AMCA qualification of 35 years old, and the VJMC’s of 20 years old.
Our National Show is a unique event …. much love and attention go into the end result. For my money there is a vibe and energy (oops … echoes of the sixties) that permeates the show. You may not think of it when you walk in there but there is a lot of planning, care and work that goes into the show. From the outdoor swapmeet paddock to the Friday night banquet to the Saturday evening club ride to all the camaraderie and visits from dear friends I can’t think of a much more enjoyable two days.
Finally I think I can put the snow blower away! Spring is here, the trees are turning green, flowers are sprouting, and the bikes have been out on the roads! I hope everyone made it thru the winter OK and your bikes started up without any major problems. Are you prepared for a full summer season of activities? Looking at my calendar I can see that as usu-al I have more activities than I can possibly ever do in one summer. Now is the time to start choosing and prioritizing what to do and what will have to be put off for another time. In this part of the country our season is just too short.
The first thing on my “to do” list is of course the spring show at the State Fair Grounds. Sean O’Neil, Tom Whittles, and Dave Moot are all working hard to make this the biggest and best show yet. What is needed are BIKES, MORE BIKES, and volunteers. Old motorcycles are the reason for our club and old motorcycles are the reason for this show and meet, so we need bikes. I have talked to many of our members about bringing bikes to the show and a surprising number say they don’t have anything worth showing and getting judged. Getting a bike judged for an award is certainly a great reason for bringing a bike, but it’s not the only reason to bring one. Many if not most of us just bring a bike to display and show as an interesting part of history. A great many of our members don’t have “perfect restorations” but they still have some very nice, interesting, rare, or unusual bikes that we would all like to see, so come on, lets bring them out and fill the building. Volunteers are always needed for set up and take down. Set up starts around noon on Wed. June 14 and will continue till opening on the 16th. Take down is on Sunday morning and usually goes pretty fast so if you can spare the time, come on out to help us out!
To close I’d like to wish everyone a safe riding season with many happy (and dry) miles of good road! See you at the Fair Grounds!
By Gary Kloss
By Tim Gadban
The Viking Chapter welcomes our new members:
Robert & Nancy Nelson; Tim Hoekstra; Jenna Thompson & Billy Bison; Todd & Betsy Berg; Gerald & Pam Richard
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CLUB NEWS
General Meeting at Jack Crane’s Museum, March 15, 2017
Welcome to vintage British motorcycle heaven …. once again Jack Crane hosted our March general meeting for very appreciative Viking Chapter members. There were a couple of new additions to his collection (most notably the 1951 AJS 350 single racer) as well as his stunning collection of Triumphs, BSAs, Vincents, Ariels and Velocettes. Thankyou Jack!
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CLUB NEWS
Viking Chapter Display at the Donnie Smith Show, March 25 & 26, 2017. Back on the mezzanine baby …. only this time with better foot traffic access (open doors) and better lighting (thanks Sean.) No bet-ter entertainment than watching bikers bantering about what might have been! This event really serves to give the Viking Chapter some visibility and to promote our National Show in June. Many flyers passed out! Many thanks to Sean O’Neil and Ron Spargo for doing the lion’s share of organizing and coordinating.
Ooooh .. I’d like one of these!!
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CLUB NEWS
Viking Chapter Display at the Donnie Smith Show, March 25 & 26, 2017. (cont.)
Doug Rykel ……………………… 1913 Harley Will Peckels …………………….. 1927 Harley JD Rod Schmidt ……………………… 1935 Moto Guzzi GT17 Lee Fealy ………………………... 1942 Harley 45 Steve Anderson …………………. 1942 Harley 45 Military Jason Gohr ……………………..… 1954 Harley Hummer Tor Jorgen …………………..…… 1961 Triumph Trophy 1971 BMW R75/5 1979 Honda Greg Hammer …………………….. 1971 Harley Superglide Jim Koskovich …………………… 1965 Gilera 124 Stan Mewhorter …………………... 1966 Triumph TR6C Ron Spargo ……………..………... 1967 BSA 441 Shooting Star 1971 Honda CB350 Gary Kloss ………………………... 1970 Moto Guzzi Ambassador Phil Holbo …………………………. 1972 Yamaha SX2 650 Jeff Ricker …………………………. 1973 Honda CB450
VIKING CHAPTER BIKES DISPLAYED:
Club members who volunteered their time to set up, take down, transport and meet & greet:
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CLUB NEWS
Ride to the Hollywood Roadhouse, June 3, 2017
The first real day of summer …. hot, sunny and humid. Met up at Bob Hopf’s pad …. nice turnout this year (13 bikes and one dog.) Bob led us on a really great ride …. along twisty roads in bucolic farmland between Eden Prairie and New Germany. Then we arrived at the Hollywood Roadhouse only to find the greatest selection of craft beers and ethnic German cuisine this side of the Mis-sissippi. Proprieter and fellow club member Paul Joswick made sure we were all well taken care of. Upon returning to St Paul in the late afternoon I had logged 148 miles.
Rides & Riders: Steve Solnitzky - 1947 Indian Bobber; Craig Kotval - 1948 Indian Chief; Sam Niskanen - 1969 Honda 305 Dream; Greg Thoen - 1974 Honda CB750; Roy Williams - 1974 Honda 350; Dena Natins - 1975 Honda 400; Gary Kloss - 1976 BMW R75; Mark Jilk - 1981 Honda CB750; Scott Brown - 1985 Honda VF700F Interceptor; Bob Hopf - 1998 Harley-Davidson Heritage; Keith Peters - 1999 Harley-Davidson Road King; Ivar Natins & Gypsy - 2004 Ural Troyka; Tim Gadban - 2008 Tri-umph Bonneville T100
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CLUB NEWS
The Lost Indian by Craig Wokson
Growing up on a small farm north of Rogers Minnesota in the late sixties I was the only boy, and was expected to do most of the farm work, as Dad always worked several jobs in the city to make ends meet. Times were tough and there was never extra money, going to town to get things repaired was not an option, if something broke down I had to figure out how to get it working again and get my allotted field work done before Dad got home. Grandpa bought the place in ‘39, and never scrapped anything, tractors and equipment that were completely worn out took their place in the grove, so I had much opportunity to take things apart just to figure out how they worked. Dad had a small garage that was our shop, and was filled with everything imaginable, nuts, bolts, cans, boxes, you name it, and in the back corner camouflaged by more stuff was a motorcycle. It was old and faded with flat tires and old stinky saddle bags that generations of mice called home. I remember as a young boy sitting on it and working the hand shifter with a Indian head on it while Dad worked on some repair job nearby. Dad was a rather imposing guy, but supported my blossoming mechanical ability by giving advice, and allowing me to take stuff apart out in the grove, but, he sternly commanded that I was never to touch the motorcycle. This rule was burned in my mind by his equally stern periodic reminders, if I touched the bike my back side was gonna get it good! Years went by and the bike sat, silently calling me, The Eagles released the hit Hotel California and I pictured myself riding it on a "Dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair". By now I knew the bike was a 48 Chief, and a Roadmaster, top of the line. Teenage years came and went, my interests turned to cars and newer bikes, girls, graduation, jobs and trade school. Dad suf-fered several heart attacks and began to winter in Florida, leaving me to the beef herd and farm work.
Then in 1983, I hatched a plan, I was gonna gamble big, the day after Christmas when Dad left for Florida I rolled the Indian out into the light of day for the first time, according to its license plate, since 1958. My idea was to in secret, restore it completely and give it to him for Father's day when he came back for the summer. The years of sitting had not been kind to the Chief, the pipes had rusted completely through as well as the wheels, the rest of the chrome had not fared much better, even so, I tore into my new project filled with confidence. Since the internet was not around yet, I started my search for parts at swap meets, and learned a guy named Kenny Trimbo from Henderson MN had a lot of Indian new/old stock. Ken-ny rebuilt the motor and tranny for me, and he had a brand new muffler and pipe set-up that I bought from him. The rest of the chrome went to Browns Plating in Paducah Kentucky, Steve my brother in-law was a body man so he did the paint work for me, the seat was in good shape and was the only thing that didn't need any work. I got a tip from someone about a guy in Bloomington, MN who did wheels and tires, he made a brand new pair from scratch, and if my memory is right, I think he said that there were four different lengths of spokes in the wheels. I put the bike all together, got it plumbed, wired and running and had it hidden in my sister's basement.
When Dad came home from Florida in the spring she invited everyone over for a Sunday dinner and we surprised him with it then. For the next eight years, Dad rode it some, and I put a few miles on it, but I was getting married and buying a home so my priorities at the time had shifted you might say. One day I got a call from Dad, and he said that a guy from California had been after him for a while to sell the Indian to him, and wondered if I cared if he did. Dad was big into antique sprint cars, and wanted to invest more in that, so I told him I would be okay with the sale. Here's the part everyone has heard a thousand times, why did I ever do that!
I would love to buy the bike back, or at least correspond with the new owner, but I need help. Dad and most of his friends have long since passed, I don't have a VIN# for the bike, and just a few photos. Some unique traits the bike had were left hand shift, white grips, an unusual seat, and a uncommon location of the Roadmaster script on the front fender (see pics). It also was missing the tool box and the belt guard at the time of the sale. Dad didn't know anyone in California, so I am confident that someone from the Twin cities area knew both Dad and the buyer in California, hence my best clue, the picture of the bike in the back of the pick-up was tak-en on the day the bike was sold, January 1991. It looks to be a 89-90 Ford and probably belonged to the guy who was the go-between Dad and the West coast buyer, if I can find the owner of the truck in the photo, I will have the first piece of the puzzle that will hope-fully lead me to the bike. (Note MN Lic# 515-FRK)
Dad’s name was Charles "Chuck" Wokson of Rogers, MN, the bike was a 1948 Indian Chief Roadmas-ter, and my Name is Craig Wokson. I can be reached at [email protected] or 612-554-2283. Thank you all very much in advance for any help you can give me in my search for the lost Indian.
I am a retired physician and lifelong inventor/mechanic/artist who has made it my mission to promote teen technical mentorship. I have developed a program to foster this idea. I would hope that it will be a success and expand to become a larger one in the future, possibly at additional technology venues frequented by youth (perhaps again at the Minnesota State Fair, home shows and hot rod shows). I am hoping that you might care to be involved in some way. I have set up a Minnesota based non-profit whose goal is to give tools to teenagers 10-18 who show some interest in being creative and using their hands. It is called Tools4Teens. We buy fully stocked adult tool sets and bring them to maker faires, car shows and other events where we teach kids about tools and then give them tools. Each set is accompanied with contact information which makes mentors available to the kids to help think through their ideas and projects. 2016 was very successful as a pilot program. Our plan is to give out 1000 boxes in 2017 and begin a national movement to get kids back in the workshop. I am writing an article, hopefully to be published in Popular Mechanics or Make magazine encouraging others to start doing this kind of project and will be including specifics on easy ways to make it happen in each community. I have at least 6 shows scheduled so far, and many more event leaders who would like us to bring tools and mentors. We depend on donations from car shows and private individuals. I am reaching out to a number of Minnesota-based companies to consider being involved in this project with us. These youngsters are our future. At your convenience, look at our Facebook page which has pics and recent announcements and appearance dates: https://www.facebook.com/tools4teens/
Retail price to put such a box together is about $50. June 3rd 2017 will be the third annual Minneapolis-St. Paul MakerFaire held at the Minnesota State Fair grounds. Events like this are happening throughout the U.S. promoting do it yourself activities and Yankee ingenuity. Our goal is to get kids and adults back into the workshop being creative. Here in Minnesota, it has been hosted by Make Magazine and Leonardo's Basement. We have 9 stations throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul Maker Faire which feature various maker activities. Youth participants (10-18 years old) must complete 5 out of the 9 activities (printed on a task card) to be eligible for a free tool box loaded with useful tools provided by one of the big retail outlets (and maybe some safety goggles and work gloves with logo printed on them). With each activity completed and stamped on the task card, the participant proceeds to at least 5 activities. After completing at least 5 tasks, they arrive at the rewards station where they actually get their toolbox. Boy Scouts and Girl-Scouts who have completed certain mer-it badges will automatically get a tool-box with proof of their badge. Note: The Viking Chapter matches contributions from club members to donate to Tools4Teens.
Viking Chapter Contributors:
Roy & Kathy Williams; Dena & Ivar Natins; Ron Spargo; Ralph Westphal; Bob Hopf; Harvey Berquist; Tim Gadban; David Glen-
AMCA 2017 National Meets & Road Runs 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 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
