Do you know? Toby “Tut” Tutton - Throttler Motorcycle Magazine

02 throttlermotorcyclemagazine APRIL10 www.throttlermagazine.com

APRIL2010 ISSUE2 VOLUME3 

06 

10 

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14 

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THIS MONTH 

06 American Pickers 

Caretakers of treasures 

09 News 

Guiness Book’s fastest woman 

10 Do You Know? 

Toby “Tut” Tutton 

12 R/J Peformance 

Rick Canode speaks 

14 Helmet Hair 

Christine Sommer Simmons 

16 Spring has arrived 

Pointers to get your ride road ready 

18 Get informed 

Motorcycle accident tips 

20 Gravel roading 

Riding hard 

23 Nights & rallies 

Start planning places to ride 

24 James Stewart 

Motocross superstar 

Publisher & Advertising Sales: 

Roderick “Caine” Kabel 

roderick@throttlermagazine.com 

515.210.7066 

President & Accounting: 

Stacy “Fancy Face” Kabel 

stacy@throttlermagazine.com 

Vice President & Circulation: 

Scott “Kong” Chambers 

scott@throttlermagazine.com 

Advertising Sales: 

Ann "Bulldog" Standley 

ann@throttlermagazine.com 

641.745.5139 

Motocross Editor: 

Sean "Wide Open" Goulart 

Copy Editor: 

Cat “Technical Schmetrical” Wilkie 

Graphic Design: 

Adam "Knuckle Buster" Demers 

Editorial Contributors: 

Helmet Hair.com, Tony Tice, Kody Wisner, 

Alec “Chop” Brynnensen, Corey Walker 

Policies: All content is 2010 copyright THROTTLER MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE L.L.C., mailing address; 4832 Lockner 

Dr., Urbandale, Iowa 50322. THROTTLER MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE L.L.C. is published each month and distributed 

throughout the State of Iowa. Readers are permitted one free copy per month; contact the publisher for additional 

mailed copies at $3 each. 

THROTTLER MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE L.L.C. is not responsible for loss, damage or any other injury of unsolicited 

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appear. Statements of fact and opinion in articles written by contributing columnists and writers are solely those of 

the author alone and do not necessarily imply those of THROTTLER MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE L.L.C. Material may not 

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throttlermotorcyclemagazine 03

Sic, Man! Just sic Gearing up for the 2010 season 

It seems we’re stepping 

up a notch with our 

content unbeknownst to 

us here in the office. As you’ll 

read later, Throttler Magazine 

garnered a sweet interview with the 

fellas from the History Channel’s 

“American Pickers.” That’s not an 

easy feat to get accomplished. 

Especially, since we had to get 

through the PR red tape of the 

History Channel to get to the once 

un-famous pickers themselves. 

Frank and Mike were gracious enough 

to grant us a little time and glimpse into 

their Americana, their story is a great 

beginning to the year. 

Likewise, a recent assignment to our 

motocross editor Sean Goulart to interview 

rider Jason Lawrence had to be shelved 

2009 VICTORY 

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for now, in a good way, though. 

An e-mail from Sean read like 

this; “Listen, I got called on Friday 

from Cheryl at Yamaha/San 

Manuel Racing saying there was 

an interview opp at Fuel TV with 

James Stewart if I wanted it... Oh… 

Yeah! So I rode like a bandit all 

weekend and dragged my sorry ass 

to NYC today in the POURING rain and did 

the interview. It was mint.” 

This isn’t to say that we haven’t been 

aiming at the stars. It’s just that we didn’t 

quite think the caliber of articles would rise 

so fast for us. However, we won’t take the 

credit for it, either. All the credit goes to 

our great writers we call friends. 

All that said, don’t fret a bit about us 

ever losing our Midwest focus. Keep in 

mind Frank and Mike may be ginormous 

TV stars, but they are from the Iowa/Illinois 

area and getting an “exclusive” on James 

Stewart is a treat we just had to share with 

you all. 

That’s not all, folks. Surrounding ourselves 

with the elite of the industry, Kody 

Wisner, famed bike builder at J&P Cycles 

recently contacted us wanting to do some 

writing in our mag. Look for his articles in 

Ankeny - 515.9640611 

Perry - 515.465.5681 

2009 VICTORY 

KINGPIN 8-BALL 

Victory ® and Victory Motorcycles ® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection , 

and protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ©2010 Polaris Industries Inc. 

upcoming issues including a piece from 

him on his recent carb rebuild of the original 

“Captain America” bike he performed. 

Kody was the only person the American 

Motorcycle Museum trusted to do the 

work. Not too shabby, huh? 

Lastly, Sean Goulart strikes again in 

the coming months. Sean has struck an 

another exclusive deal for Throttler 

Magazine with his close buddies Vinnie 

DiMartino and Cody Connelly, formerly of 

Orange County Choppers (OCC) and 

their new endeavor of V-Force Customs. 

We’re hoping Sean can get us a little 

inside dirt of their departure from OCC 

and some great insight to their future in 

building custom bikes. 

So we’ve just tooted our own horn 

and jinxed us, right? Well, we’ll deal with 

any backlash later. We’re pumped about 

a sic 2010 season and hope you are too. 

As always, Ride Hard. 

R. Kabel and Scott Chambers 

P.S. Check out page 27 for a 2010 U.S. 

Helmet law pocket pal. Cut it out and stick 

it in your wallet to be legal and safe. 


Can you trust your employer in 

your workers’compensation claim? 

How injured worker 

Sharon almost gave away 

more than $200,000 

By COREY WALKER 

Corey@IowaInjured.com 

Sharon is a nurse who injured 

her back while assisting a 

patient at work. She was a hard 

worker and seldom missed work 

before her injury. The insurance 

company for the hospital where 

she worked paid for her medical 

care including surgery and then 

made her an offer to settle based 

upon her impairment rating only. Sharon 

did not know how Iowa’s workers’ compensation 

laws worked so she requested 

a book that was offered at no cost to 

Iowans hurt at work. She read the book 

and learned that the impairment rating 

given to her by her doctor is only one 

factor in determining how much compensation 

she should receive. Her case 

eventually settled, but had she trusted 

her employer and their insurance company 

and taken their offer, she would 

have given away more than $200,000. 

(Each case is different, and past results 

cannot be used to predict future suc- 

cess). Iowans are beginning to realize 

that they should learn about the workers’ 

compensation system and a new book 

is available at no cost which reveals the 

Iowa Injured Workers’ Bill of Rights 

which includes: 1. Payment of Mileage 

at $.55 per mile 2. Money for Permanent 

Disability and How it is Determined 3. 

Right to a 2nd Medical Opinion . . . The 

book reveals the other rights along with 

5 Things to Know Before Signing 

Forms or Hiring an Attorney 

and much more. Other Iowans 

call the book: “Very impressive” 

Dick Sturgeon Sioux City Workers 

Advocate. “Great job. I would 

recommend the book to others as 

it covers everything about work 

injuries” Lin of Indianola. The 

book which sells for $19.99 is being 

offered at no cost while supplies last to 

Des Moines Register readers. Why offer 

a book at no cost? Because after having 

represented hundreds of injured workers, 

Iowa Work Injury Attorney Corey 

Walker has seen the consequences of 

Iowans making costly mistakes. Finally, 

you can learn about work injuries in 

the comfort of your own home with no 

risk or obligation. If you or a loved one 

have been hurt at work and have not 

hired an attorney Call Now (800)-707- 

2552, ext. 211 (24 Hour Message) or log 

onto www.IowaWorkInjury.com. 


AmericAn PiCKERS 

Le Claire, Iowa’s Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are on a mission to recycle 

America, one treasure at a time. They’re part sleuths, part 

antiques experts, and part cultural historians. They are professional 

“pickers,” trolling America’s small towns and back roads to salvage 

rare collectibles and good junk from regular folks. 

By Roderick Kabel 

The History Channel’s American 

Pickers follows their adventures, giving 

viewers a glimpse at this little-known side 

of the antiques business. Their job: dig 

through junk piles, abandoned barns 

and neglected garages for hidden 

memorabilia. Sometimes they make a 

buck, sometimes they walk away with 

little more than the history of an item. 

They love their work, and the open road 

is their office. 

Buddies since the eighth grade, 

Mike and Frank have an entertaining 

rapport and an instinct for unearthing 

relics of historical, collectible, and pop 

culture value. Although buying and 

selling is their livelihood, the thrill is 

in the chase. Each treasure hunt 

leads them to fascinating, quirky 

characters — everyday people 

with stories about their artifacts and 

themselves that open a window 

into American life. 

Mike is a 20-year veteran picker, 

and owner of Antique Archaeology 

— a specialty shop in Le Claire that 

sells vintage objects, folk art, unusual 

antiques, collectibles, and more. With 

his formidable reputation as one of 

America’s top pickers, Mike’s clients 

range from interior designers, art 

directors, and photographers to ordinary 

people who just love old things. He’s 

been picking since he was four years old, 

and always gets a buzz out of the backstory 

behind every object he buys. Mike 

sees himself as the “guy behind the guy” 

in the antique industry. 

One of his passions is for early (pre- 

1950’s) American motorcycles. As a child, 

he recovered tossed bikes. He owned a 

bike shop for 11-plus years, worked as a 

bike messenger, and raced bikes for over 

20 years. He now recovers and restores 

many bikes for Antique Archaeology and, 

of course, on-camera for American 

Imagery from HISTORY’s original 

series, "American Pickers" 

Credit: ©2009 AETN / Photo 

Credit: Joey L 

Pickers. He rides a bagger/dresser Harley- 

Davidson, and owns a 1913 Indian, a 1941 

Harley Knucklehead, a 1948 Indian Chief, 

and more. He says he is also very interested 

in early European road racing bikes 

from the mid1970’s and the 1980’s. He 

spent two years on the hunt picking for 

early-American motorcycles for the 

National Motorcycle Museum, and has 

sold choppers he picked to the likes of 

Jesse James and Billy Lane. Currently, he 

rides a Kestrel road bike. He considers 

himself a collector of bikes, but at the 

same time, is looking to purchase bikes to 

make a profit for his business. 

Frank Fritz is Mike’s childhood friend 

and business partner. He worked as a 

fire and safety inspector for many 

years, but always had a passion for 

antiques, junk and anything with an 

engine. He now picks full-time with 

Mike, indulging himself in searching for 

the things he loves and can sell at a 

profit. Like all great doubles acts, the 

two friends have a chemistry that 

makes them naturally funny. Frank’s 

calm voice of reason plays off Mike’s 

intensity. Mike jokingly refers to him as 

the “bearded charmer.” American 

Pickers follows the highs and lows of 

the picking trade as Mike and Frank 

06 throttlermotorcyclemagazine APRIL10 www.throttlermagazine.com 

Mike Wolfe 

Frank Fritz

“We’re the caretakers of treasures and the stories behind them” 

get their hands dirty in search of weird 

and wonderful Americana. It takes amazing 

expertise to tell good junk from bad. 

Whether tracking down a one-of-a-kind 

Ferris wheel or sizing up a vintage Harley- 

Davidson, they must be prepared to verify 

an object’s history and judge its value. 

The pressure mounts as they strike the 

ultimate deal, find just the right buyer, 

and turn the item around fast. It’s not 

uncommon for them to contend with a 

farmer’s physical threats and verbal 

abuse one minute then be laughing over 

a beer with that same farmer the next. 

We recently connected up with Mike 

and Frank to get a little insight into their 

world: 

Throttler Magazine: We understand the 

two of you have been friends since 

grade school. What drew you two to 

become “pickers?” Why not bankers or 

doctors? 

Mike: I never felt like growing up. Being 

a picker allows me to be a kid, and fulfills 

that sense of enjoyment and thrill of 

the chase. 

TM: What’s a “picker,” anyway? What 

were the beginnings of your picking? 

Was it an interest in one specific thing? 

Mike: It’s being on the front lines of the 

antiques industry. It’s looking for the 

unusual and impossible. A lot of pickers 

start out as a collector and to feed 

their own passion they have to start 

their own business as a picker. Pickers 

are supplying the antiques industry, 

interior designer, etc. As a child I started 

picking — pulling bikes out of the 

garbage. 

TM: Are the two of you in business 

together, or are you together just for the 

TV show? Do you have your own separate 

businesses? 

Frank: We have our own separate businesses, 

but work together as well. Mike 

runs Antique Archeology, and I run my 

own. 

TM: What kind of person does a picker 

need to be? 

Frank: You need to be a people person, 

be able to listen to people’s stories, 

be involved and need to get to know 

and understand the people you are 

picking from. 

Mike: You need to love history, love the 

history of the item. Appreciate the life of 

the item before you. 

TM: What drives each of you crazy 

about the other? 

Frank: Mike gets too lucky with picking. 

His karma is extraordinary. 

Mike: Frank takes too long to go through 

picks. I’m more decisive. 

TM: Where did your interest in motorcycles 

come from, and what was the first 

motorcycle you picked? 

Mike: When I was young a kid and walking 

to school, I used to see older guys 

doing burnouts on bikes with girls riding 

on the back. I loved it. A Kawasaki 100 

was the first bike I got, in tenth grade. 

The first motorcycle I picked was out of 

Pennsylvania. It was a 1912 Excelsior Twin 

Belt Drive. 

Frank: I got my first mini bike when I was 

five years old. I own over 30 motorcycles 

now. My favorites are the 1970’s Honda 

750 choppers. I have seven of them. I 

bought my first Harley when I was 15 — 

that way I had a Harley to ride to high 

school when I turned 16. I still have the 

bike today — it’s a 1959 XLCH Harley. 

TM: What’s been the most memorable 

motorcycle pick for each of you over 

the years? 

Mike: A 1912 Indian Board Track Racer 

that I picked in Florida. It was an alloriginal 

bike with original paint, and a lot 

of history and age to it. 

Frank: In Minnesota I picked a 1971 750 

Honda Chopper that had been sitting 

there for 25 years. It was pristine. Picked 

it for $300, and still have it today. 

TM: How many motorcycles do you 

actually come across? 

Frank: I just came across a motorcycle 

yesterday (March 24), a small Indian. I 

run ads for motorcycles. I go look at 

50-100 a year, and end up buying 

approximately 40 or so a year. Sometimes 

I don’t even make a profit off the bikes, 

but I do it because I have a genuine 

love for motorcycles. 

Mike: I buy around 15 a year and come 

across around 30 or so per year. 

TM: What and where is the market for 

the motorcycles you find? Do you restore 

them? Leave them as is? Who buys 

them? 

Frank: Anyone and everyone. I deal 

and sell to the “general guy” to the 

extreme collector. I don’t restore, but I 

tend to get too involved in the bikes I 

buy. I like to ride them for like two weeks, 

put a few hundred miles on them. I do 

go through the bikes mechanically. Put 

new tires on. Clean it up. 

Mike: I mainly deal with collectors who 

are looking for pre-1920s bikes — which 

are impossible to find. I have sold antique 

bikes to museums in the past. I buy and 

sell — do not restore. 

TM: What’s the biggest disappointment 

you’ve had on a motorcycle pick? 

Mike: A 1912 Flying Merkel that had 

ended up having no motor in it. Bought 

for $25K, and drove a day or so to get to 

it — barely made my money back on it. 

Frank: A 1971 Harley Sportster — which I 

got burned on. When I got it home, I figured 

out it was in poor condition. All the 

cases and bottom end of it were blown 

out. Sold it and barely broke even on it. 

TM: How did the History Channel show 

come about? 

Mike: Frank and I started filming ourselves 

picking and on the road around 

four and a half years ago, and then 

posted the video clips on the Antique 

Archaeology Web site. Cineflix 

Productions saw the videos and then 

made a “teaser tape” and showed it to 

History. History liked what they saw, and 

the rest is history. Continues on page 8 


As the 

original 

Power to the 

Street! 

Randy “The King of Cubes” Torgeson 

apprentice to 

Doc Dytch in 

1970, Randy 

Torgeson has 

built racing 

engines that 

rocket all over 

the world. 

Offering 

cylinder head kits 

good for 80% more 

power, Randy 

manufactures incredible 

ductile iron Big Jugs 

from stock to 

5-1/8” bores. 

If the critical factor 

is your 

budget. do a 

little homework 

before you plan 

a project. 

But if your 

budget won’t 

handle big bore 

costs, Randy can offer a 

HyperPack or other 

Big-Bang-for-the-Buck 

options. 

We invite you to call 

for a consultation when 

you’re ready to go fast! 

515.266.6381 

www.kingofcubes.com 

“There’s no substitute for cubic inches!” 

American pickers 

TM: How has the show 

changed your lives, if at all? 

Has the show changed your 

business in any way? 

Mike: Fans are coming up to 

us, and even young people 

are digging our show. 

Getting more business 

leads. 

TM: Is there a “picking season?” 

Since you’re from the 

Midwest, do you go south or 

west for the winter? Do you 

pick year round? 

Mike: [There’s] no season for 

picking, but we do travel 

south in the winter. When it’s 

cold, no one wants to come 

out of the house. 

TM: How do the two of you 

pass the time while driving 

from pick to pick? What do 

pickers do for fun? 

Frank: When on the road 

we are looking at the scenery, 

talking about experiences, 

talking about the 

pick we are heading to or 

just left… 

Mike: We talk chics and 

bikes. (laughing) 

TM: What make/model of 

motorcycle manufacturer 


are most commonly found? 

Frank: Honda — biggest 

manufacturer. 

TM: What’s the most you’ve 

ever paid for a motorcycle 

pick, and what’s the least 

you’ve paid? 

Frank: The most was $24,000 

for an Indian. The least: paid 

$20 for a Suzuki GT 370 and 

$20 for a 1977 TZ Kawasaki 

1000 — which I made $800 

off of. 

Mike: Paid $55,000 for a 

1912 Harley Belt Drive. 

TM: What’s it like being 

celebrities now? Any troubles 

with the paparazzi? 

Frank: Everyone wants to 

take your picture! 

TM: Who’s the sexy babe 

you two call back at your 

shop? What role does she 

play? 

Mike: That’s Danielle, aka 

“Danny Diesel” — she’s our 

assistant, answers the 

phones, e-mails, etc. She’s a 

hot ex-roller derby woman. 

She gets paid to drive us 

nuts. (laughing) She’s from 

Iowa, too. 

Check out Mike’s company Web site, Antique Archaeology, 

at www.antiquearcheology.com and visit Frank Fritz’s official 

site at www.frankfinds.com

News & information 

Leslie Porterfield: Guiness 

Book’s fastest woman 

From a press release issued by 

Foremost Insurance... 

On March 12, 2009, Foremost 

Insurance sponsored Leslie Porterfield was 

accepted by Guinness World Records as 

the Fastest Woman in the World on a Motorcycle, a title that 

was previously held for over thirty years by motocross rider and 

stuntwoman, Marcia Holley. Holley’s record of 229.361 was set 

with a single engine streamliner motorcycle in 1978. Guinness is 

recognizing Porterfield’s time of 232.522, set in the 2008 BUB 

Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats on a 2002 2000cc Turbocharged 

Suzuki Hayabusa. 

“I couldn’t believe it when they called,” says Porterfield 

from her busy Dallas, Texas dealership, High Five Cycles. “It’s 

takes awhile after filing the paper work with the FIM (International 

Federation of Motorcycling) to get the record certificate, and 

then with Guinness — this has been going on for awhile and 

when they called I was just thrilled.” 

Porterfield first set the Salt Flats of Bonneville on fire in 2008 

by recording an overall land speed record of 232.5 mph in the 

2000cc modified class, the fastest record of any woman on 

two wheels. After that she was honored as the AMA Female 

Rider of the Year in 2008, was featured in the Discovery Channel 

documentary Speed Capital of the World: Bonneville and 

toured the world as a public speaker — all while owning and 

running her own motorcycle dealership, where she is also an 

appointed Foremost insurance agent. 

“Recognition such as this is an enormous achievement for 

any of the Foremost sponsored riders, but in Leslie’s case it’s 

especially sweet for us since she is also a Foremost Independent 

Agent,” says Randy Slotten, Marketing Director, Foremost 

Insurance Group. “She is an amazing and driven individual 

who has achieved great success in both racing and business. 

On behalf of everyone at Foremost, I’d like to congratulate 

Leslie, one of our own, for being accepted into the Guinness 

Book of World Records.” 

Porterfield was already a rising star in the professional 

motorcycle industry before Guinness came calling, as well as 

an advocate and role-model for the rising population female 

riders. Most recently, she has been a featured speaker at the 

Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows and the 22nd 

Annual AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast. 

While her crew begins prepping for the next round of 

speed trials, which begin in May in El Mirage, California, 

Porterfield is taking some time to focus on StandUp for Kids, a 

non-profit organization that assists homeless children in America. 

In June Porterfield and StandUp for Kids will raffle off a Honda 

CBR1000, with all proceeds going to the charity. After that it’s 

back to Bonneville, back to BUB and back to the hunt for her 

next accomplishment. 

“I don’t just want to be the fastest woman in the world,” 

says Porterfield. “I want to be the fastest person in the world. 

That’s what’s next.” 

Foremost Insurance is a leading insurer of motorcycles, 

automobiles, homes and more. To learn more about our products, 

find a Foremost Independent Agent near you or share 

your feedback, visit Foremost.com, our Facebook page at 

Facebook.com/foremostinsurance or our Twitter page at 

Twitter.com/foremost. 

For more information about Leslie Porterfield and other 

Foremost sponsored professional motorcycle riders visit www. 

foremostracing.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter. 

com/foremostracing. 

Foremost Insurance Group is a single source for personal 

property and casualty and commercial insurance. A part of 

the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies®, Foremost has 

been a leader in the insurance industry since 1952. Foremost is 

headquartered in Caledonia, Michigan. 

Reprinted with permission of the American Motorcyclist 

Association, www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. 

AMA Arenacross title going to the wire 

Courtesy of Feld Motor Sports... 

AURORA, Ill. (March 22, 2010) – Just hours before the penultimate round 

of the 2010 AMA Arenacross Series, the complexion of the AMA 

Arenacross class championship changed dramatically when the series’ 

most successful rider this season, Tyler Bowers, suffered a year-ending 

injury. As a result, the championship battle will be decided between one 

of Bowers’ Babbitt’s Monster Energy/TiLIBE Kawasaki teammates -- Josh 

Demuth or Chad Johnson. 

The showdown began last weekend in Dayton, with Johnson making 

a statement by capturing his second win of the season and gaining three 

points on Demuth, who finished second. Now, the deficit between the 

two riders sits at 22 points and with two nights of racing in store for this 

weekend’s season finale from Denver and the Denver Coliseum, the title 

is still up for grabs. 

Despite the unfortunate outcome for Bowers, the Babbitt’s team is 

still assured of sweeping the top three spots in the final standings, a true 

statement of how stellar the team has been this season. Regardless of 

who walks away with the number one plate on Saturday night, 2010 will 

go down as arguably the most impressive single-season performance by 

a team in AMA Arenacross Series history. 

While the AMA Arenacross Lites Eastern Regional Championship 

wrapped up its 2010 season last weekend with GPF/Babbitt’s Kawasaki’s 

Daniel Aulsaybrook claiming the title, the Western Regional Championship 

will crown its winner this weekend as well. Currently, Aulsaybrook’s GPF/ 

Babbitt’s Kawasaki teammate A.J. Catanzaro sits atop the standings with a 

comfortable 20-point lead heading into the final two races of the season. 

Should Catanzaro secure the Western Regional title, it would make a 

clean sweep of all 2010 AMA Arenacross Series championships for 

Babbitt’s-backed teams, a feat that has never been achieved before. 

This weekend’s race from Denver marks the series’ return to the 

Rocky Mountain state for the first time since the 2008 season. That season, 

AMA Arenacross Series veterans Kelly Smith and Brock Sellards raced to 

the premier class victories while Kyle Calderini boasted a clean sweep of 

the two nights of AMA Arenacross Lites class action. 

Advance tickets are available for this weekend’s Denver Arenacross from 

the Denver Coliseum Box Office, Ticketmaster charge by phone and 

ticketmaster.com. Tickets cost $2 more the day of the race. 

Tickets are available online at www.arenacross.com and www.ticketmaster.com. 

For more information on the AMA Arenacross Series log on 

to www.arenacross.com. 

KTM reveals electric offroad and 

supermoto motorcycle 

From a press release issued by KTM... 

(March 25, 2010) - KTM showed the first prototype of a “zero emission” 

motorcycle in October 2008, a project that was the result of the company’s 

cooperation with the Vienna Development Institute “Arsenal Research”. 

Now, 18 months later, the sports motorcycle manufacturer from Mattighofen 

in Austria is right on target for the release of the first series-ready KTM electric 

sports motorcycle. Under the title “Freeride” KTM will present two nearseries 

prototypes at the 2010 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, which in one year’s 

time will transfer the sporting spirit of the brand that is always “Ready to 

Race” into a series model fit for the 21st century. 

With its first zero emission motorcycle, the world’s leading producer 

of offroad motorcycles has developed an electrically driven sports 

motorcycle that proves that riding fun and environmental sustainability 

need not be in conflict with one another. The cornerstone of this development 

is the clear commitment to offroad motorcycle sports and the obvious 

intention to go on the offensive by further expanding the strongest 

part of the company’s business activities with a unique product that, as 

yet, does not exist in this format. This revolutionary development embodies 

completely new perspectives: Freeride also stands for the end of 

motorcycles fleeing the city and the accepted return of sporting motorcycle 

events in urban areas. 


Do you know? Toby “Tut” Tutton 

Tutton was born and 

raised in Northeastern 

Iowa in the quaint little 

town of Manchester 

which is nestled just 20 

minutes West of the Kevin Costner 

movie site for “Field Of Dreams.” 

The middle child — whom are often 

the most devious child — of Tim 

and Linda Tutton, Toby says keeping 

his roots close to him is what 

living in Iowa is all about. 

Graduating from West Delaware High 

School some time in the 80s, he spent a 

few years in college and then moved 

back home, later marrying his college 

sweetheart, Michele. 

Now with three beautiful daughters, 

Kenze, Kielyn, and Kaci he enjoys camping 

when the girl’s schedules allow and 

assisting his buddy Ken Edaburn polish off 

home brew when not riding eastern Iowa’s 

rolling hills. 

As a sales representative with 

Hutchison Lumber and Building Products, 

Tutton says the open road is nothing new 

to him. “Getting out and traveling the 

back roads of Eastern Iowa is what kept us 

excited in high school and looking forward 

to the weekends,” he says. “Most people 

think Iowa is flat. Half of that is true until 

you get towards the Eastern one third of 

the state. There’s hills, valleys, climbs and 

curves that can hold up to the best of riding 

anywhere. You just have to know 

where to find them.” 

As a self proclaimed outdoorsman, 

Tutton’s affection for hunting deer and 

turkey, fishing and outdoors cooking is 

what he claims helps to keep him level 

headed. Likewise, Tutton adds, “I take a 

ride when ever I can fit it in. Though, it may 

only be 20 to 30 minutes just to blow the 

corn cobs out of my ears.” 

“When Michele comes along we like 

to just pick a direction with no real destina- 

tion and ride. You really get to see some 

neat things and friendly people on those 

roads that are less traveled. Not to mention 

the oasis that you find along the way 

serving up great food and cold drinks with 

a friendly smile.” 

One of Tutton’s favorite places to ride 

is through Backbone State Park outside of 

Strawberry Point, Iowa. “It’s tight corners, 

curves and steep grades along countless 

bluffs and cliffs is always impressive. Plus, 

every time I ride through the park, memories 

of my high school antics there always 

makes me smile.” 

Tutton says, “I have to finally thank my 

brother, Troy — for once — for getting me 

hooked on motorcycles. After he retired 

from the Navy he brought a few things 

back home from Virginia a couple months 

ahead of time and his 2003 Silver Anniversary 

Harley-Davidson Road King was one of 

them. Which, ended up in my garage with 

the keys. And from what I remember, he 

also left his ‘consent’ that I could ride it 

occasionally. That’s all it took.” 

Occupation: Sales Representative • Hails from: Manchester, Iowa • Motorcycle: Kawasaki Vulcan LT 900 


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R/J Performance 

By Alec “Chop” Brynnenson 

Rick Canode has a motto: 

“How do we stay small 

and sell big? It’s simple: 

years of experience.” As 

the owner at R/J 

Performance Inc. in Ottumwa, 

Iowa, his mission is to offer his customers 

the latest in parts and products, 

at the best prices, with unparalleled 

service. “We pledge our 

best efforts to make your experience 

both beneficial and enjoyable. 

Once you give us a try, we’re 

sure you’ll be back for more,” 

Canode states. 

Rick hails from South Dakota originally 

and shortly after graduating high 

school he moved to Iowa. With a little 

coaxing from a few friends Rick found 

himself quickly immersed in the flat track 

racing circuit. And it soon wasn’t a big 

leap for him and riding partner Jay Beach 

(National number 84) to start their own 

business together. 

Opening in 1982 Rick soon bought his 

partner, Jay out in ‘84. Rick says that surviving 

the ‘80s was due to expanding into 

salvage for bikes which, they still do part 

time these days. 

In 1995 Rick took on the Polaris ATV 

franchise seeing how large the ATV business 

was getting. In 1999 he again took 

the leap to bring on a new franchise with 

Victory. His was one of the original 120 

dealers in the U.S. and in 2000 he added 

Years of racing and tuning keeps Rick Canode well grounded 

the Yamaha franchise and 2001 built a 

new store. 

“Building bikes and tuning them was 

my way of competing.” Once hired by 

Ronnie Jones (National number 16, out of 

Oklahoma City) as lead mechanic on 

the racing team, Canode knows what his 

customers want. Canode says he started 

at the age of nine or ten as a kid in S.D. 

riding motorcycles. “Mostly it was flat 

tracks and gravel pits we had to ride on. 

Back then, there weren’t the tracks we 

have nowadays.” 

Rick adds, “My son, National Number 

39 (in AMA dirt track), Matt Burton, has 

competed in the X-Games the last three 

years and also in the SuperMoto series.” 

Matt is also the Parts Counter manager for 

R/J Performance. 

“Service is always how we’ve driven 

our business, though. That’s what we had 

from the beginning and it was tough to 

sell. Moreover, that’s why we got into 

parts and selling bikes.” 

Along with parts and service, R/J 

Performance is a dealer for Victory, Polaris 

ATV, Ranger UTV, Yamaha ATV and motorcycles, 

KTM and boasts of a Dyno machine 

as well. 

Canode said, “We service all makes 

and models. It makes it tough sometimes 

but that’s what keeps us running. We 

pride ourselves in the fact that you don’t 

have to buy it from us for us to service 

your machine.” 

Likewise, Canode’s business machine 

is a smooth running one. Wife, Linda 

handles the title work. Darron Meinsma is 

the service manager, Jim “Jess” Schaffner 

is the sales manager, Terry Hurley is in 

sales, Martha Dennis is the book keeper 

and in the service department is Scott, 

DJ and Keith. 

“We’re all riders, too. You can count 

on our team knowing what we’re talking 

about and standing behind our work, 

parts and products,” Canode injects. 

Canode says that from day-one dealers 

have driven customers to his store for 

service and he’s not going to give them 

any reason to leave. “We don’t want to 

be like most dealers. We’re there 9-6 M-F 

and 9-3 on Saturdays. I tried closing one 

day a week a few years ago but it just 

didn’t work. We had too many people 

needing us,” Canode said. 

“I’m 54 years old and know nothing 

else. This is the life I love and have been 

around a motorcycle shop all my life. 

Everything at the shop I do isn’t for us to 

look good, it’s to provide our customers 

the service they need and expect.” 

With a successful business his own 

personal driving of 40,000 miles a year on 

the circuit has been cut down to 20,000. 

However, today he has quite a bit more 

on his mind than racing. 

This coming September 26th is his signature 

event at the Eddyville Raceway 

Park in Eddyville, Iowa. The “R/J Fun Day” 

has car and bike shows and is free to the 

public with public drag racing at $20 for 

unlimited passes down the strip. “Last year 

we had 800-900 people here and we’re 

expecting a larger crowd this year. We 

have family friendly events with food and 

music starting at 10 am and going until 5 

p.m.,” he says. 


“WE’VE bEEN ONE Of THE TOP 60 DEALERS IN 

THE NATION OuT Of 220 OR SO DEALERS IN 

THE u.S. WE'RE PROuD Of THAT.” 

Canode won’t say that he’s out 

to win Harley riders over with Victory 

motorcycles, though. He’s not that 

kind of guy or dealer. Canode says 

that to ride is to ride and it makes no 

difference what you ride as long as 

you do. “We’re very well known for 

our Victory’s. And when you can get 

customers to take a test ride on a 

Victory, the bike speaks for itself,” 

Canode said. 

“All I knew was Yamaha growing 

up. But it was never about a brand for 

us. When I got Victory in the dealership 

it was American made which, 

made us competitive in all aspects. 

We’re big into test rides.” R/J will have 

the Victory semi at their dealership 

this summer June 11-12 with all their 

models available for people to test 

ride. "We’ve been one of the top 60 

dealers in the nation out of 220 or so 

dealers in the U.S. We’re proud of 

that.” he says. 

The bottom line for Canode is, 

that, “you’ve got to take care of the 

customer when they need it, not just 

when it’s convenient to take care of 

them. There are so many other 

choices out there. You need to 

stand out.” 

“I’ve never been jealous of anyone. 

But it’s hard to compete with 

the big guys. I’ve seen some businesses 

get too big too fast and bad 

word of mouth travels faster than 

— RICK CANODE 

good does. Sometimes businesses 

grow big to survive but they spread 

themselves too thin. When customers 

walk into our store they get acknowledged 

right away. We’re very aware 

of that and never get complacent," 

Canode adds. 

“It’s not what can we sell you 

today... it’s what do you need? It’s 

not about sales, we want our customers 

to be happy.” 

Canode has advice for the 

beginner, too. He’s big on the riding 

schools and education. “I wasn’t into 

them a few years ago but I am now. 

People had the money to buy but 

didn’t know how to ride. My wife has 

taken a class and told me a few 

things about riding that I didn’t know,” 

Canode says. 

Canode also says to be sure the 

bike fits you and your abilities and an 

upgrade once your skills improve later 

is a good way to go about it. 

"For those who have riding experience 

they have a lot to choose from 

out there. So I always ask who’s going 

to be there for you down the road. 

We will.” 

Canode ends with, “It seems 

more and more people understand 

the service aspect. Our biggest thing 

is that we’re truly motorcycle people 

and enthusiasts who love the business 

we’re in. Our commitment is 

extreme.” 


Christine Sommer Simmons 

By Becky Shimek 

With only a shoe-string 

budget and zero 

blueprints, Cristine 

“Cris” Sommer 

Simmons set out 

with her pal, Jo Giovannoni, to 

spread the gospel about women 

in motorcycling. Not realizing their 

“naive efforts” would actually help 

change the face of motorcycling. 

Sounds pretty profound, but their 

magazine endeavor, Harley Women, is 

considered the first widely distributed 

magazine for women riders.* Both women 

went on to freelance notoriety in the 

world of motorcycle journalism, with Cris 

inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of 

Fame a whopping three times! 

Through music, film, and writing, Cris 

continues to place a spotlight on women, 

on motorcycles, and on how the two 

together make good sense. Her latest 

effort, The American Motorcycle Girls: The 

Early Year 1900-1950, takes a pictorial 

journey to the past showing evidence of 

female’s longtime love affair with motorcycling. 

We take a moment with Cris to 

learn more about her latest archival process 

and how she first arrived at the decision 

to write about the sport. 

Helmet Hair: The idea of women riding 

motorcycles was still not a “marketable” 

endeavor in the early 80s, yet you 

quit your day job to co-produce 

a magazine 

solely devoted 

to that 

lifestyle. 

What did you 

and Jo 

Giovannoni 

hope to accomplish 

with this 

pioneering feat? 

Cristine: I think Jo 

and I really followed 

our hearts on 

this one. We didn’t 

have any background 

at all in pub- lishing or 

even writing. Our lives were riding our 

motorcycles! We had an idea and knew 

there were other women out there riding, 

just like we were, and knew that 

there was a need for our “own” magazine, 

a magazine that would give us a 

voice, and that was Harley Women. So, 

we really were successful in the long run. 

Maybe success shouldn’t always mean 

how much money you make (because, 

believe me… we didn’t make any 

money!), but we lived our dream and I 

think that means as much as anything. 

When I think about it, maybe that’s what 

our message was all along. Have a 

dream and live it! 

HH: After Harley Women, you went on to 

The American Motorcycle Girls 

become a freelance journalist for numerous 

motorcycle magazines. Did that 

give you an opportunity to continue 

writing about women riders, or were 

you steered to more mainstream 

industry topics? 

Cristine: I wrote about what ever I 

wanted, which was very nice, but I 

remained true to heart and always 

had women riders as my main 

topic. I was lucky to be able to 

write a women’s column for Hot 

Bike Japan for 12 years. They 

were great and let me write 

about whatever was on my 

mind. I also got into vintage bikes and 

did some articles for other magazines on 

that subject. This was at a time when I 

was raising my three kids. So it was a 

great way for me to balance being home 

with my kids and be a full time mom, but 

yet keep my writing too. I always told 

people I made it through three kids without 

cutting my hair or selling my bikes! 

HH: Fast forward to the present where you 

are currently promoting your newest book 

“The American Motorcycle Girls,” a pictorial 

ode of early women motorcyclist. How 

were you able to identify, locate, and 

then ultimately interview some of these 

women (or their family members)? The 

process must have been moving for you. 

Cristine: It was a wonderful experience 


that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I lived this 

book everyday for over two years. Working 

on it was a true labor of love. I would be so 

tired at night and not want to stop, but had 

to sleep! I would even dream about it! That’s 

how fun it was. I scoured the Internet for 

information, looking through old newspaper 

archives and calling and emailing everyone 

I knew who was into old bikes. My husband 

and I are hopeless old motorcycle literature 

collectors and I spent countless 

hours looking through old 

motorcycle magazines. Many 

times I would match an 

unknown photo with a name. 

I contacted a few of the 

motorcycle museums who 

were helpful too. I made lots 

of calls and talked to lots of 

people. Having a background 

as a motorcycle journalist for 

so many years gave me a 

great list of contacts. I also got 

to know many of the families 

of these women, some of 

whom I am still in touch with. 

There are eight women featured 

in my book who are still 

living. I have met, or talked to all of them on 

the phone. Some have become close 

friends who I adore. My next project is to 

interview them on film and work on producing 

a documentary, which I’ve already 

started to do. One door closes and another 

one opens! 

HH: The women covered in your book 

demonstrated from early on that they 

enjoyed riding motorcycles just as much as 

their male counterparts. Even though these 

women paved the way to greater acceptance, 

does it surprise you 

that in the 21st century we 

still face some of those 

same hurdles? 

Cristine: I learned so much 

while writing this book. One 

important thing is that 

women were riding all along 

and we have never really 

stopped. There will always 

be stereotypes, in any culture, 

and women motorcyclists 

have gotten more than 

their fair share over the 

years. Overall, I think today’s 

women have been accepted 

in other traditional male 

sports such as auto racing, golf, basketball. 

Why not motorcycling? There’s no reason a 

woman can’t do anything she sets her mind 

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to. Many of these walls have been broken 

down. For example, look at the number of 

women racing at Bonneville on the salt these 

days. The amazing Laura Klock and her two 

daughters, setting land speed records. Others 

like Leslie Porterfield and Erin Hunter to name 

a few. There are well known women bike 

builders like Athena Ransom and Jody 

Periwitz, all doing what they love. Gender 

isn’t an issue like it was even ten years ago. 

How exciting is that? 

HH: Now that you have captured the past, 

are there any future plans to create a pictorial 

of modern day female pioneers who 

ride? You’d make a great candidate for the 

first chapter! 

Cristine: Ha! Thanks for the compliment. I 

have a few ideas for more books and my 

publisher is open to other books as well. I 

can’t say what they will be yet, as I am still 

in the planning stages, but I have 

. 

way 

more stories to tell and I’m far from done! 

Right now, my focus is getting these interviews 

done. We’ve lost so many of these 

pioneering women riders already. I think it’s 

really important to tell their stories and 

have people remember them. That was my 

goal when I set out to do this book and I 

think it worked! 

May 21 & 22 

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Hours 9- 4 

Free Demo Rides 


Spring season arrives 

By Kody Wisner 

If you’re anything like me you 

are not so patiently waiting 

for the weather to turn nice, 

so you can ride. Other than 

the roads being not so nice 

by having sand all over them, 

spring riding is probably my favorite 

riding season. The cold air just 

seems to make your engine crave 

more throttle and no bugs. Most of 

us have been stuck inside all winter 

watching biker movies to help 

quench the thirst for the open 

road, but before you pull your bike 

out, I have a few things you should 

check before putting any serious 

miles on your scooter. Nothing will 

ruin your first ride of the season like 

a major break down that results in 

your bike riding in the back of your 

buddies truck. 

Check your fluids. Make sure all 

your oils and fluids are topped off with 

the correct fluid. 

Check your battery. Make sure 

both the connections are tight. If your 

battery is not a sealed type, make sure 

the cells are full of fluid. Be sure to check 

for cracks and leaks, and that the vent 

hose is not plugged. 

Spring is in the air, let's ride. But wait one second... 

Check your final drive belt or chain 

for correct tension. If you have a chain, 

make sure it’s properly lubed. 

Tires. Make sure your tire pressure is 

correct, that there is proper tread depth, 

and that there is no weather checking on 

the sidewalls. 

Filters. Check your air filter if it has 

not been cleaned or replaced lately. A 

dirty air filter can not only damage your 

engine, it can greatly affect performance 

NOTHING WILL RuIN 

YOuR fIRST RIDE Of 

THE SEASON LIKE A 

MAJOR bREAK DOWN 

THAT RESuLTS IN 

YOuR bIKE RIDING IN 

THE bACK Of YOuR 

buDDIES TRuCK. 

and make your ride not nearly as enjoyable 

as you want it to be. 

Cables. Make sure all cables are 

adjusted correctly and that they have 

been lubed lately. Nothing will leave you 

sitting on the side of the road faster than 

a broken throttle cable. 

Lights and turn signals. Check to 

make sure all lights are operational, 

including, hi-lo beam, turn signals, tail 

light / brake light, license plate light, and 

even your speedo lights. 

Brake systems. Make sure that there 

are no leaks or cracks in your brake lines. 

Be sure to check your brake pads, running 

thin pads can ruin your rotors, and 

end up costing you a lot more than what 

a set of pads would have cost you. 

Nuts and bolts. Be sure to do a 

visual/physical check of hardware 

throughout your bike. 

Spokes. If your bike has spokes be 

sure to do a quick check to make sure 

your spokes are tight. If they are, be sure 

to adjust according to the manual, and if 

you’re not comfortable with doing this 

yourself, take your bike to a shop and 

have them checked by a professional. 

Last, but not least, make sure your 

license plate is not missing, and that your 

registration sticker is up to date. 

If you use this list to check out your 

bike, there is a good chance that you 

will catch a problem early before it’s a 

major problem that would result in your 

bike being broken for the first part of the 

riding season. 

P.s. All of us at Throttler magazine would 

like to wish J&P Cycles founder, John 

Parham a speedy recovery and send our 

best wishes to his family, co-workers and 

friends. 


Ride on in 

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Get informed 

By Corey J. L. Walker 

www.motorcycleaccidentbook.com 

While we all love riding 

our motorcycles, 

the reality is that riding 

a motorcycle is 

probably one of the 

most dangerous activities that we 

do. How can you avoid an accident 

or at least reduce the likelihood 

of injury? 

Riding Skill Training: The number one 

way to avoid a motorcycle accident is 

training. 92 percent of motorcycle riders 

involved in accidents have little or no formal 

training. Maybe you have been riding 

for many years and know how to ride, but 

taking a course at the local community 

college to brush-up on your skills may 

make the difference in avoiding an accident. 

Training is the number one thing that 

you can do to reduce your chances of 

both being in an accident and the severity 

of your injuries if you are in one. 

Be Visible: Another way to help prevent 

an accident is to make sure you have a 

headlight that works while your motorcycle 

is running. While the headlight on 

newer motorcycles automatically turns 

on with the bike, many older models and 

custom bikes do not. Research shows 

that just having a headlight on will more 

than double the chances that other drivers 

will see you. 

5 ways to avoid injury in a motorcycle accident 

Don’t Drink & Ride: We all know that it is 

a bad idea to drink too much and then 

ride a motorcycle, but it is worth repeating. 

Almost one-half of all fatal motorcycle 

crashes involve alcohol use by the 

motorcycle rider. Alcohol is a depressant 

and reduces your reaction time. While 

this affects you if you are driving a car, 

the balance and other physical requirements 

of riding a motorcycle are even 

more affected by alcohol. If someone 

pulls-out in front of you and you have 

been drinking, then your reaction time 

may be reduced enough that you are 

not able to avoid the accident. Even 

having a couple of beers with lunch can 

increase your chances of being injured. 

Vehicle Inspection: Statistically, only 3% 

of motorcycle accidents are caused by 

vehicle failures with most of them being 

single vehicle accidents where the rider 

loses control because of a flat tire. As 

we know, losing control at high speed is 

dangerous and often results in injuries to 

the rider. The lesson to be learned is to 

make sure that you perform the proper 

maintenance on your bike and that your 

tires are in good shape before you ride. 

A 30 second inspection of your tires and 

wheels before hitting the road can save 

your life. 

Helmet: There are only a handful of 

states that do not require riders to wear 

helmets. There are basically two competing 

theories when it comes to helmets 

and safety: One is that the use of helmets 

can help reduce or prevent brain injuries. 

The other is based on other studies that 

have found that wearing a helmet 

increases your chances of sustaining a 

serious neck injury. If you live in a state 

that grants you the freedom to choose, 

then wearing a helmet is a personal decision 

that you and/or your passenger 

have to make. 

For more information and a Free book 

about motorcycle safety, how to prevent 

an accident and what to do if you 

are in an accident go to www. 

MotorcycleAccidentBook.com or Call 

Now (800)-707-2552, ext. 815 (24 Hour 

Recorded Message). 

Notice: This article contains general statements, 

is not intended as legal advice or 

legal opinions and does not create an 

attorney-client relationship. Do not act or 

rely upon this information without seeking 

the advice of an attorney. This magazine 

is not responsible for the information in 

this article. 


Rusty 

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Gravel roading and Enduro 

Rick Coffman 

By Tony Tice 

back in the day, I’m talking 

about the late 60s and 

early 70s when I was 

spreading my motorcycle 

wings quite a little bit, my favorite 

past time was riding the gravel 

roads surrounding my home town. 

There were a few good roads that 

had lots of turns and elevation changes 

with positively cambered corners. As I 

gained experience on these deserted 

back roads, I found that sliding the bike 

around was a lot of fun and going out on 

the days after it rained was the best. 

Depending on the amount of rain, the 

road’s surface could be either, slick and 

muddy or just damp and full of traction. 

Originally my route followed a creek 

for the first couple miles, winding alongside 

the creek’s path, then, with a 90 

degree right hand turn suddenly veered 

away from the creek where for the next 

couple miles were nothing more than a 

series of 90 degree bends connected by 

short straight-a ways that allowed higher 

gears on a good day. 

Back then, my riding buddies and I 

used to rocket down these roads as fast 

as we could go, sideways and steering 

with the throttle, at every corner. Youthful 

abandon for sure. 

There was one series of turns that 

were especially difficult to get right 

because of the length of the first bend 

followed by the sudden full opposite lock 

bACK THEN, MY 

RIDING buDDIES 

AND I uSED TO 

ROCKET DOWN 

THESE ROADS 

AS fAST AS WE 

COuLD GO... 

— TONY TICE 

turn at the other end. I still have the scars 

on my legs from a steel “T” post when I 

got it wrong. 

When the conditions were right, it 

was a slow radius, up-hill, 5th gear, WFO, 

right hand, full lock slide with the front tire 

touching the grass on the inside of the 

ditch-line at the start of the turn and 

through the majority of the radii, then 

chop the throttle, change the side of the 

road you were on while braking and sliding, 

and then snap the bike full lock left as 

you crested the high point of the turn and 

braced for an immediate, positively cambered, 

very short radius, suspension crushing, 

90 degree left hander, (a blind 

maneuver). Trust was everything. 

Riding hard and fast anywhere possible 

Done correctly you would never stop 

sliding sideways; acceleration, top speed, 

and deceleration. That turn led to a 

steep downhill left hander into a gully 

and the entire road was cambered 

toward the creek to drain properly during 

the spring thaw. 

Then, it was steeply uphill with a semislow 

right hander grinding into a sharp 

right hander and then an immediate, 

positively cambered 90 deg, short radii 

left. And, then, the longest straightaway 

to a “T” intersection, choose your direction, 

both ways were just as fun. 

There was one home on this six mile 

looped section of road back then and it 

had 14 turns in the first two miles and, 

then a jump through the ditch into a field, 

follow the cow paths over a couple of 

small pastures, jump a small tributary 

creek, skirt a small pond, down some cow 

paths, dodge some trees by the creek, 

jump back into the ditch and onto the 

road. A half dozen more turns just like the 

ones before and a couple long straights 

and you made a lap. 

Nowadays, the political incorrectness 

of this is certainly entertaining. 

Back then, we rode Yamaha DT250’s, 

RT360’s, DT400’s, Honda XR250’s, Suzuki 

DS185’s, DS250’s, and eventually the best 

bikes ever for this activity, the Yamaha 

XT500 and Honda XR500. There was not 

much variety in bikes available then as 

there are now. 

Nowadays, there is a tremendous 

variety. All are much better equipped for 


this type of riding and there’s 

a name for it called Enduro. 

Bikes like the Honda XR650, 

Kawasaki KLR650, BMW R1200 

GS & GS Adventure, F650 and 

800 GS’s, Yamaha 250 R and 

X, and many other choices 

including bikes from Aprilia, 

KTM, Husquvarna, Husaberg, 

Suzuki, et all. 

All the current bikes have 

far superior brakes and suspension, 

most are fuel injected, 

some also have ABS. On 

occasion when I feel a little 

nostalgic, I’ll head that way 

and drift a couple of the 

deserted corners and savor 

the days gone by when someone 

with a cell phone wouldn’t 

lead to your arrest for having a 

little fun on the gravel. 

Rick Coffman of Des 

Moines, Iowa, grew up riding 

dirt bikes and bestowed his 

passion for riding to his two 

sons, Josh and Ryan. When 

they’re not on the dirt they 

can be found riding their 

matching Suzuki 600 and 1000 

GXSR street bikes. However as 

of late, the elder Coffman has 

found a new way to push his 

riding skills to the limits. 

Recently, Coffman went 

with Iowa Enduro Riders 

Association Club (www.iera22. 

com) on a trip to Mack’s Pines 

in Arkansas with his Honda 

CRF250X. Not knowing what to 

expect, Coffman knew his 

years of trail riding would at 

the least, give him an edge to 

keep up with seasoned riders. 

“I was amazed,” Coffman 

said. “I’m 51 years old and I 

was the youngest and slowest 

there. We road fast and hard 

all of the time. Up and down 

hills, over gravel and rocks. It 

was the best riding experience 

I’ve had in a long time.” 

Notwithstanding, Coffman 

also gives props to the members 

themselves for their 

camaraderie towards each 

other and obsession for their 

sport. “I was barreling down a 

path behind a few guys and 

approached a gnarly rocky 

hill. Half way up my front tire 

slid out but my back tire 

caught a rock which stood 

me upright again and I cruised 

on through,” Coffman said. 

Adding, “These guys are 

so good they saw most all my 

‘Whoa! Shit!’ moments and 

pointed out my recovery abilities 

with a grin. I was told the 

entertainment value brought 

on the trip was worth it.” 

Gravel roading and 

Enduro riding can be enjoyed 

by “almost” anyone, just be 

mindful of your environment. 

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To list your bike night or rally email: scott@throttlermagazine.com. 

BIKe NIgHTS ARouND IoWA 

Monday's Fireside Grill 

Altoona 

Rookies Sports 

Ankeky 

Tuesday's Victory Lane 

Des Moines 

Wednesday's O'Kelly Pub 

Baxter 

Latitude 41 Bar & Grill 

(Saylorville Lake Marina) Johnston 

Hooters 

West Des Moines 

Quaker Steak & Lube 

Council Bluffs 

Thursday's Trophy's Bar & Grill 

Des Moines 

Porky's Pub & Garage 

Des Moines 

Daytona's All Sports Bar 

Des Moines 

Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill 

Waterloo 

Full Throttle Thursday's - BJ's Bar & Billiards 

Waterloo 

Friday's Picket's Pub 

Johnston 

Ferg's 

Grand Junctions 

Knoxville Bike Night (1st Friday) 

Knoxvillie 

Throttle Down to "O" Town 

Osceola 

Fatboyz Saloon (2nd & 4th Friday) 

Grimes 

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Indianola 

Saturday's Booneville Bar 

Boonville 

Winterst Bike Night @ Breadeaux Pizza 

Winterset (2nd Saturday) 

Water Street Bar & Grille 

Cambridge 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND IoWA 

Apr 24 Dyno Shootout 

Waterloo 

May 1 – 4 Hawgstock Bikers for Burgers 

– Ride for Pink, Winterset 

May 29-30 Soldier Valley Memorial Day Rally, 

Soldier 

June 6 Customer Appreciation Day, 

Soldier 

June 10 – 13 South 40 Rally 

Van Wert 

June 12 Bell Tower Poker Run & Bike Show 

Jefferson 

June 16 – 19 Sturgis Mississippi River Motorcycle Rally 

Davenport 

June 17 – 19 Awesome Biker Nights 

Sioux City 

June 26 – 27 J&P Cycles Open House 2010 

Anamosa 

June 26 Leather and Hawgs 5th Annual 

Charity Run, Soldier 

July 1 - 3 ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally 

Algona 

July 16 - 19 Iowa State HOG Rally 

Waterloo 

July 24 Pre-Sturgis Rally and "Iowa's 

Longest Poker Run", Soldier 

Sponsored by Hugh's Jungle Room 

Aug 12 - 15 Across the Border Rald Bike Rally 

Bedford 

Aug 19 - 21 Hawgstock 

Winterset 

Sept 3,4&5 Soldier Valley 12th Annual Labor 

Day Rally, Soldier 

Sept 10 - 12 Davis Motorcycle Rally 

New Hampton 

Sept 25 End of Summer Customer Appreciation, 

Hornick 

BIKe NIgHTS ARouND MINNeSoTA 

Wednesday's 2-Wheel Wednesday @ Yarusso's 

St. Paul (Every 1st Wednesday) 

The Joint Bar 

Minneapolis (Every 2nd Wednesday) 

Thursday's Duluno's Pizza 

Minneapolis (Every 1st Thursday) 

Cowboy-Up Bike Night 

Plymouth (Every 2nd Thursday) 

Mad Jacks Sports Bar 

Brooklyn Park (Every 3rd Thursday) 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND MINNeSoTA 

May 3 Flock to Floyds 

Victoria 

June 20 – 25 Minnesota State HOG Rally 

Duluth 

July 30 - 1st Moonlit Road to Sturgis Rally 

Walker 

Sept 3 - 5 Rally Up North 

Brainerd 

BIKe NIgHTS ARouND ILLINoIS 

Thursday's Coziahr Harley-Davidson Bike Night 

Forsyth 

Sunday's Culver's Bourbonnais Weekly Bike Night 

Bourbonnais 

Sunday Bike Day in Paradise 

Des Plaines Cheeseburger in Paradise 

Texas Roadhouse Tinley Park Bike Night 

Tinley Park (2nd & 4th Sunday) 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND ILLINoIS 

Apr 3 Blessing of the Bikes 

Effingham 

Apr 24 Blessing of the Bikes 

South Barrington 

May 15 Frogs for Freedom Poker Run 2010 

Villa Park / Chicagoland Wildfire 

Harley-Davidson 

May 21 Womens Moonshine Ride 

Effingham 

June 4 – 5 Illinois State HOG Rally 

OFallon 

June 10 – 13 Hogrock River Rally 

Cave in Rock 

June 13 Bobstock 8 

Elk Grove 

June 25 – 27 State Rendezvous 

Altamont 

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Wednesday’s Quaker Steak & Lube 

Madison 

Thursday’s Harley-Davidson Museum Bike Night 

Milwaukee 

House of Harley Ride to Bike Night 

Greenfield 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND WISCoNSIN 

Mar 13 Cabin Fever Party @ Vandervest H-D 

Peshtigo 

April 25 The Giant Motorcycle Swap Meet 

Milwaukee 

May 8 Blessing of the Bikes 

Appleton 

June 18 Chopperfest 

Trego 

June 20 – 25 Wisconsin State HOG Rally 

Central 

June 24 – 26 Great Northern Bike Rally 

Crandon 

July 10 Block Fest 

Thiensville 

July 16 – 18 Thunder Fest 

Shawano 

July 16 – 18 British Biker Co-op 30th Annual 

Motorcycle Rally Blue River 

July 23 – 25 Devils Head Bike Rally 

Merrimac 

Aug 12 – 14 Biker Bash 

South Range 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND NeBRASKA 

May 28 – 30 Nebraska State HOG Rally 

Scottsbluff 

June 3 – 5 Nebraska-South Dakota GWRRA Rally 

S. Sioux City 

July 30 – 1st Angels Straw Bale Bikefest 

Specer 

BIKe NIgHTS ARouND MISSouRI 

Thursday’s Show-Me’s Sportbike Night 

St Charles 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND MISSouRI 

Apr 17 AMA Supercross 2010 

St. Louis 

May 20 – 23 Branson Motorcycle Rally 

Branson 

May 28 – 31 Mid-America Freedom Rally 

Buckhorn 

June 5 Bike Rally & Rodeo 

Kearney 

BIKe NIgHTS ARouND KANSAS 

Thursday’s Old Town Bike Night @ Emerson Biggins’ 

Wichita 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND KANSAS 

May 1 Blessing of the Bikes 

Olathe 

June 3 – 5 Kansas State HOG Rally 

Liberal 

June 10 – 13 Deadend Rally 

Peru 

Aug 20 – 21 Thunder on the Plains Rally 

Dodge City 

RALLy’S & eVeNTS ARouND SouTH DAKoTA 

May 1 J&L H-D Spring Open House 

Sioux Falls 

June 3 – 6 Ribfest 

Sioux Falls 

June 5 Bikers & Babes Rally for Miracles 

Sioux Falls 

June 11 – 12 South Dakota State HOG Rally 

Keystone 

Aug 9 – 15 Sturgis Rally & Races 

Sturgis 

A little touch of Elvis, a little touch of music, and a whole lot of friends 

New Location Opening @ 4995 Merle Hay Road 

Biker Friendly Atmosphere • I-80/Merle Hay Exit • Drink Specials • Happy Hour 

Live Music • Patio • Bike Night Thursdays 

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” 

Des Moines, IA • (515)254-3080 • www.hughsjungleroom.com 


Interview with James Stewart 

Above, photo credit to 

Dean Hyman - www. 

Motogroove.com 

By Sean goulart, MXNewsfeed.com 

It was an innocuous email 

from our friends at San 

Manuel Yamaha. James 

Stewart was coming to New 

York City to shoot some promos 

for his show “Bubba’s World” 

on Fuel TV and did we want a little 

one-on-one time with the twowheeled 

hero? 

Of course we jumped at the chance. 

We spoke to James about a number of 

topics, from two-strokes to neck braces, 

and although it was fairly quick, we found 

the champion to be laid-back, relaxed 

and easy to relate to. We hope you find it 

as insightful as we did. 

James Stewart on Racing: 

Throttler Magazine: When are we going 

to see you riding again, how is your 

health? 

James Stewart: The health is coming 

back, it’s tough you know with this injury… 

I’ve never really broken a navicular 

before but I guess it takes a while and I’m 

just trying to be careful to come back 

and hopefully at the end of the Supercross 

Series. If not, maybe the outdoors if we 

get everything lined up. 

TM: Now that’s our next question, are 

you going to make a commitment to 

ride the outdoors? 

JS: Well you know I think it’s more about 

budgets, and see if we can work everything 

to work it out. Yes, I mean I would 

like to ride them. I think maybe there 

might be a good chance this year over 

last year, because the Supercross Series 

has been, well not cancelled, but out for 

me, so we’re working on it right now and 

I think there is a strong chance that we 

might go racing but there hasn’t been 

any official announcement that yes we’re 

in or not, and we’re still waiting on a 

couple of things, but it looks good. 

TM: Would you like to ride the outdoors 

if given a chance? 

JS: Yes, I definitely would. Last time I 

raced the outdoors I went 24-0, I don’t 

expect to do that again, but I think I 

could be up there and let’s see where 

I’m at… 

JS on Neck Braces: 

TM: everywhere you look riders are wearing 

neck braces such as the Leatt Brace, 

Alpinestars BNS, eVS. Have you ever 

worn one and what are your thoughts on 

neck braces in general, I don’t think 

we’ve seen you wearing one? 

JS: I’ve tried them on and I’ve been trying 

to wear the Alpinestars one… you 

know I wore the Leatt back in the day but 

I don’t know, I just, there are studies that 

say it helps, but then there is nothing that 

it proves that it’s better for you to wear 

one or not, so I just think it’s kind of like 

people who want to wear chest protectors. 

If you want to wear it then, wear it. If 

not, then, don’t. You know I really don’t 

have an opinion about it. I think it’s one of 

those subjects that are very touchy. I just 

choose not to wear one. 

Photo, Yamaha Media 

Motocross Superstar 

JS on First Bike, Toys and Two-Strokes: 

TM: We know you have a Lamborghini, 

any thoughts on your next toy? 

JS: I’d like to get me a 2010 Motocross 

National Championship toy. You can’t 

ride it but it means a lot so hopefully 

that’ll be my next toy. 

TM: Do you ever still ride a two-stroke, 

just for fun? 

JS: I rode the ones at my ride day, the 

two-strokes, and it’s just not…it’s just not 

there anymore you know? The new 450’s, 

like especially the , are so good it’s hard 

to really want to ride a two-stroke for fun, 

the only thing that’s cool is the sound. I 

had one I rode at the ride days but I 

almost got smoked by a few dudes on 

250F’s when I was riding a 250 twostroke, 

so I said nah just gotta give it up, 

I just have to. 

TM: you gave one of your old bikes to 

your brother haven’t you? The KX250? 

JS: No actually. No that’s actually his 

bike, and a lot of people think that but if 

you know anything about factory equipment, 

you don’t get to keep it, you 

gotta send it back. So if you think my 

brother has my two-stroke 250 engine, 

that’s not even true, you gotta give all 

that stuff back, I wish…I would have kept 

it for myself! 

TM: What was your first bike growing 

up? 

JS: I think my first bike was a YZinger, it 

was a three wheeler. That’s the first thing 

I had, yeah I had a three-wheeler and 

then I got on a motorcycle, a PW50. 

TM: Do your friends really call you 


“Bubba”? Like do they walk up 

to you and say “yo Bubba!”? 

JS: No, no, no… a lot of my 

friends they know better than to 

call me Bubba and stuff. And I 

don’t mind it you know but people 

that are called friends they 

know my real name so no. 

JS on Fuel TV and Bubba’s 

World: 

TM: Now with Bubba’s World, 

do you expect to really show 

people what you are really all 

about, or is it your public persona? 

Are you going to give 

the fans a look into your home 

life and family at all, or how will it go 

down? 

JS: Yeah well I think you’ll know who my 

family is a lot more, you know it’s a reality 

show so it’s based on what happens and 

at that time I was flying cross country a lot, 

I wasn’t racing, I was doing a lot of different 

things and it’s kind of like with a reality 

TV show you gotta keep it real so maybe 

the next time it might be more about training 

and me getting back and the racing 

side of things, but at that time I wasn’t rac- 

ing… But yeah it gives an insight into a little 

bit of what goes on in my life but I think the 

cool part is you get to see my house, both 

of my houses, you get to meet my Dad, 

meet my Mom — a lot of people have 

never really talked to my Mom, my brother 

and some of the friends. So I think you’ll 

see how busy the Stewart camp is and it’s 

not just a motocross track where you go 

ride motorcycles. It’s a full-on operation 

out there so it’s pretty cool. 

TM: How did you get involved with 

Yamaha Media 

Watch Bubba’s World on FUEL TV on Sunday Nights at 9 p.m. for the next two months. 

Fuel TV? 

JS: Well you know we were working 

with Terence Michaels and 

he came to me with an idea of 

doing a TV show, I never really 

thought it would happen and 

we got in contact with Fuel TV 

and they said they were really 

excited about doing it. And I just 

thought with their side of being in 

the (action) sports world with my 

sport and everything I thought it 

would be a perfect fit! And obviously 

we did the show and they 

loved the show and Fuel TV is 

owned by FOX so then we did a 

lot of cool things with FOX in different 

channels and I thought it 

was the perfect match for what I wanted 

to do, a moto show. It wasn’t no dating 

show or nothing like that, so we just wanted 

to go ahead and keep it real and that’s 

how we came up with it. 

TM: Alright James, we wish you the best 

of luck in the upcoming year and we’ll 

be looking for you outdoors. 

Conducted at Fuel TV studios in NYC, East 

11th Street, March 22, 2010 by Sean Goulart. 

Copyright 2010, all rights reserved 



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02 throttlermotorcyclemagazine www.throttlermagazine.com

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