2008 Newsletter of the Viking Chapter Antique Motorcycle Club of America Inc. Published Quarterly March 1st, June 1st, September 1st, December 1st

http:www.vikingmc.org

President Paul Davidson 952-941-4997 Davidsonp9@msn.com

Vice President Tom Broich 651-645-3571

Treasurer Linda Schunk 952-831-5065 tekki3@earthlink.net

Secretary Craig Kotval 651-452-7394 aquila1975@comcast.net

Newsletter Ivar Natins 612-866-6069Editor on Chief idn@comcast.net

Graphics and Greg.Claflin 612-529-5812Layout gsclaflin13@msn.com

Club Historian Tom Jones 763-533-9163

Directors

Kerry Rasmussen Ron Spargo651-492-0735 ronspargo@mindspring.comkerrysuesfarm@msn.com 952-443-2020

John Ulrich Roger Rimnac 651-686-6974 motorog1@yahoo.comJohnulrich_55123@yahoo.com E-Talker 612-825-2550

Deputy Judge Web Master Jerry Richards Sean O’Neil 651-482-0096 612-870-0766 trudijr@visi.com moneil2@comcast.net

vikingamca@yahoo.com

DECEMBER

The Winter SchedulePlease note: Chapter B.O.D. meetings are open to allmembers but please be sure to notify the host aheadof time so they’ll know how many members will beattending.

December 10, 2008 B.O.D Meeting 7:00pm (Wed.) Diamond’s Coffee Shop 1618 Central Ave., Mpls, MN.

December 17,2008 General Meeting (Wed.) no meeting scheduled

January 7, 2009 B.O.D. Meeting (Wed.) no meeting scheduled

January 10,2009Holiday Party/General Meeting (Sat.) 4:30pm-9:00pm Richfield Community Center 7000 Nicollet Ave.S. Richfield, MN.

Febuary 11, 2009 B.O.D. Meeting 7:00pm (Wed.) Festival Foods 401 West 98th St. Bloomington, MN.

Febuary 13-15, 2009 Cycle World Show (Fri.-Sun.) Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, MN. If interested in displaying a bike orvolunteering to work the Club’s booth,Please contact:Roger Rimnac at 612-825-2550

Febuary 18, 2009 General Meeting 7:00pm (Wed.) Kline Motorsports 2610 N. Highway 61 Maplewood, MN.

March 11, 2009 B.O.D. Meeting 7:00pm (Wed.) To be announced

DADADADADAVIDSON’S HARD TVIDSON’S HARD TVIDSON’S HARD TVIDSON’S HARD TVIDSON’S HARD TALESALESALESALESALESHello fellow Viking Chapter members,

Well, another riding season has come to an end which this year seemed much tooshort with not as many rides as I would have preferred. However, it does mark the start

of the fun and exciting project/restoration season for most. Hopefully I will complete my Panproject this off season which is months past schedule due to parts availability and time. Tohelp push the project along I moved it into my family room in front of my fireplace and TV tomostly provide motivation but also comfort from a semi-heated garage.

We had a couple of enjoyable year ending rides which a number of club members participated.The annual Fall Mystery ride organized by Rick (I finally can ride) Wyatt was a nice scenic routeon a gorgeous day which of course includedthe customary stop for grub. Several of usmade the annual trek to Davenport to find allof those lost treasures we so desperatelyneed. We were blessed with great ridingweather to and from as well as during themeet aside from a rain storm openingmorning. Thanks to Paul Miesel fortransporting the treasures back home andthe much enjoyed ice cream on those hotafternoons.

In Davenport I attended the annualPresidents meeting which National explainedthe new club structure and tax exempt status.This past year National created the new AMCAFoundation to bring the AMCA into compliancewith IRS regulations for nonprofit corporationsto allow acceptance of charitablecontributions and donated vehicles.Contributions to the AMCA Foundation are now tax deductible just in case any of you care todonate any of your bikes.

I also had the pleasure to meet the founders of the new Two Rivers chapter in West DesMoines, Iowa, Steve and Sandee Dowdy. Welcome them to the family if you have the opportunity.

We were again blessed with a wonderful day for our fall BBQ in Chaska which made for largeattendance of which many took advantage of the fine weather to ride. Even our chapter safetyofficer Bob Zick found the time and strength to attend after his unfortunate mishap with a curbbut fortunately he seems to be his same old self. Get well Bob, the rides are not the samewithout you. We also had three new members join after seeing the picnic notice on our website and decided to ride out to see what we are about.

Ivar and I did the shopping at Cub this year due to our longstanding shopper, Gloria Peters,being out of town. What a site it was. We had so much piled into each cart I was certain thatthe wheels would collapse resembling a cartoon scene. All of the burgers, dogs and chickengot eaten this year with no complaints so it was either satisfactory or people were

Shake your Re-Cycle gently to “Watchthe snow fly”.

too full to speak. Thanks to Jerry Richards and the Chef’s crew fortheir fine job sweating over the grill.

Our final garage-Get-Together this year was at the Schunk’s residenceand what a great night it was. I think Rick must have made a deal withthe weather gods to shoe horn in this fine day between some ratherdismal days. We had a great turnout with a number of new membersin attendance. We all got to watch Rick assemble his new Vincent

and enjoy Linda’s tacos in a bag along withplenty of motorcycle bull.

Don’t forget our Holiday party 4:30 SaturdayJanuary 10 at Richfield community center. Iexpect an enjoyable time as usual. Whoknows’ you may get lucky and win a greatprize! Hope to see you there.

Happy riding!

JACK CRANE TO OPEN MUSEUM IN JANUARYJack Crane will open his private museum of British Motorcycles toViking club members and their guests on the first four Saturdays ofJanuary 2009. The hours will be mornings only from 9 am until noon.The dates are: January 3, 10, 17 and 24 Admission is free to clubmembers and guests, and Jack will provide free coffee and donutstoo! The address of the museum is 1301 East Cliff Road in Burnsville.Take the Cliff road exit off 35 W and head east. The museum is ina commercial building. Jacks cell phone is 952-212-8126.

Viking Chapter/VJMC Fall Swap Meet2008

by Tom Whittles “The Swap Meister”

The swap meet at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Sunday,Sept 14th was something to cheer about friends! It was successful

enough to actually turn a profit! The Viking set-up and 1st shiftvolunteers met at a nearby Perkins at 4 AM for breakfast. This year theVJMC helped with promotion and provided additional volunteers. Oncewe stumbled (damn early) to the fairgrounds, we found vendors Ronand Terry Bass, who had waited overnight at the gate. Ron & Terry arealso great vendors at the June National Meet.

The vendors and buyers began to arrive! Dave Moot’s Dollar Table ofTreasures was very popular. Bob’s Cycle Supply had a tent full ofgoodies. Even cranky old Harvey Berquist was happy when he sold afaded 1962 BMW for about $2600 to some guy named Sid. I enjoyedan opportunity to visit with longtime member Gene Yerigan when hevisited “head quarters” for a cup of coffee. We totaled about 3 rows ofvendors. Although bound to stay until 2:00 as advertised, the vendorsstarted to pack-up around noon when the feeding frenzy slowed. Therain came at 1:15 and the event wrapped up. Comments like “I hopeyou keep doing the fall meet”, and “I’m looking forward to next year”were heard, seriously.

For the past few years crowds have been low, so food vendors werenot interested in vending at this event. Ceasing the opportunity intypical Viking fashion, volunteers served coffee and delicious donutsand sweet rolls for a small (donation). These donations helped uscover event costs, and then some. Ironically, since there was lessfood making less trash, we received a $100 refund from theFairgrounds as well.

Ah, a veritable oasis.

RAM? Dude that’s my Ford.A Note from the Editor

by Ivar Natins

After many years of painstakingly preparing countless issues ofRe-Cycle, Paul Meisel is stepping down as Newsletter Editor. He

has left behind some seriously big shoes to fill, but I’m game to giveit a try. Greg Claflin will be staying on as our graphics and layout guy(at least until I piss him off) and the timing of the four issues each yearwill stay the same.

This is my first complete issue and it was a bit of a challenge. The latesummer and fall in Minnesota is a great time to get out and ride, andthe club does exactly that. We had so many events to cover and articlessubmitted I had to prioritize the content for this issue. Club and timespecific stuff comes first. Human interest/product news/safe riding/book reviews/etc. comes second. The March issue (as the groundhas been covered in snow for the last three months) tends to be a bitlight in content. Anything that got pushed out of the current newsletterwill appear in the March issue. I just wanted to let you know whathappened so our members don’t wonder where their article went, getupset, or stop contributing. Hmmmm, contributing to the newsletter?Now there’s a thought….

MysteryBiker

Recognize this guy?I don’t know dude,that ‘70s chopperking and queen seatdoesn’t look like avery comfortablelounge chair.

For the answer turnto page 7

Stan Mewhorterchecking the talley

sheet.

Kerry Ramussen and Dave Moot checkout Joe Anania’s Ducati cafe racer.

The Chaska ChickenBar-B-Que

by Greg Claflin

I don’t know how the “Bar-B-Que Gods” work it, but they never seem tofail to give us the best weather for our annual chicken bar-b-que and

this year was no exception.

Most members try not to miss this event and it was a perfect day to eat alittle bar-b-que and visit with other members you may not see that oftenduring the year.

I ask you is there better way to bring members together than FOOD? WeViking Chapter members do need to keep up our traditions and after all,eating is one of them.

Even though I’ve ridden down to Chaska for years, it seems I never failedto miss dinner. Everthing was pretty much gone by the time I got thereand any member looking for me would usually find me scrounging throughthe left-overs. This year was an exception,

I finally made it in timefor dinner and I tell youonce Jerry sets thatchicken down andsays “It’s ready!”, itdisappears real fast.

Jerry Richards andcrew did not fail toperform their usualgrilling magic and withthe food thatmembers brought, Idon’t think anyonewent awaydisappointed.

After dinner, PaulDavidson opened thegeneral meetinggoing over the pastyear’s events and

discussingupcoming ones. Inconcluding themeeting,nominations weretaken for boardpositions that wereexpiring and fournew members wereintroduced, three ofthem joining the dayof the Bar-B-Que.

I’m not sure whetherthey were attractedto the antique bikesor the smell of foodin the air.

Either way, theyshould fit in justfine.

The Old Bike Ride to Davenportor “What a Long Strange Trip its Been”

by Greg Claflin

My best guess is I’ve been riding down to the Davenport Meet forabout 6-7 years now. I actually went on the “Old Bike Ride to

Davenport” before I joined the Club. I enjoyed the commeraderie andbesides, the members I rode with made me feel like I was part of thegroup, so I joined the Club shortly after returning.

In years past, generally we’ve taken one of two routes. One takes usthrough NW Illinois stopping for refreshments at the Iron Horse Saloon inSavannah Illinois and the other route goes through Iowa stopping at the“oldest bar and restaurant” in Balltown.This year, we went through Illinoisand stopped in Savannah at the Iron Horse to check out the antique bikesthey have on display.

On the way down, we usually stop at a bar in a small little river town abouttwo blocks long on a dead end road.This year the one road to town wasunder constuction and closed, partly due to road reconstruct and part ofa limestone cliff giving way. Undeterred, Tom Jones who was in the lead,

Dave Moothelps Jesus tothe Table ofTreasures. He’sshorter than Iimagined.

Once again, unsatisfied with coffee & donuts, 7 Viking lasses gatheredfor lunch during the meet. The lady’s luncheon has become an annualFall Swap Meet Sunday event. This year Linda Schunk, Cheryl Whittles,Gloria Peters, Sue Stoehr, Lola Jensen, Val Potter, and Kathi Rimnacmet at Benihana’s for a great time. Email Sue Stoehr to get on the listfor next year if interested. It’s never too early to plan for a great time.

Gee, these “Lemon Drop Martinis” really hit the spot. Beats greasy bike parts every time...Waiter, I think I’ll haveanother and could you bring a pillow for my friend..

skirts around the road closed signs and off we go dodging movingconstruction equipment along the way. After a couple of miles of twistinggravel and choking dust, he finally pulls over and says “Hey we’ve another10 miles of this, I know a shorter route do you want to try it?” How manymiles? Only two, but its a real narrow road. OK, let’s give it shot.It was then I was introduced to the infamous “Dugout Road” or as I like tocall it “Washout Road”.

Tom Jones and Harvey Burquist had been talking about this little path foryears and it always seemed to me by the tone they used, it was a road oflast resort and now I can see why. Slightly bigger than glorified tightlytwisting dirt bike path, parts of it were actually gravelled. On one side was

a fifteen foot limestonecliff and the other, ashear 25 foot drop toyour choice of either aswamp or railroad tracksand no shoulder in caseof judgement errors.Thankfully even thoughthere were some nearspills on my part, we allmade it.

Arriving in town, thebartender wassurprised we took thebackway into town andtold us someone lost an2003 Indian on it theprevious week. Afterrolling his bike down ahalf mile of railroad track,the luckless owner

finally found a spot where he “thought” he could get it out but wound upburning up his clutch in process.

Leaving town,Tom, Harvey and I took the lead with Joel Hamel, KeithBraun and Mark Raffy pulling drag. About a mile out of town, Tom, Harveyand I notice our three companions are no where it sight, so do a u-turnand head back. It turned out Joel’s R-90 Guzzi took a spill as he wasgetting ready to leave and wouldn’t start. The best consensus of thegroup after a bit of head scratching and wire checking was that he blewfuse. Once that was accomplished we had a hell of a time figuring outjust where the fuses were located until some guy wanders up and askswhat the trouble is. As luck would have it he had a full factory servicemanual for just that bike and it was sitting in his shop only half a blockaway. The fuse box turned out to be behind the headlight and sure enoughone of them was blown and this is the strangest part, Mark Raffy justhappened to have just the fuse we needed.

The rest of out trip down went without incident and on the return trip theweather was perfect. It was only the second time coming back fromDavenport that I’ve been going, that it didn’t rain.I guess God was looking down on our little group, smiled anddecided to give us a break.

If you like old bikes,at Davenport you’ll

think you’ve died andgone to heaven.

Antique Bikes on a Stick by Ivar Natins

August 23rd was Motorcycle Awareness Day at The GreatMinnesota Get-Together. It also happened to be the day the Viking

Chapter had been invited to display their Old Iron at the Biker’s InNeed Foundation booth at the fair. Founded by local television stationchief meteorologist Dave Dahl after surviving a nasty motorcycle crashin 2005, the Biker’s In Need Foundation is a way to help allmotorcyclists out by supporting awareness through education.Thefoundation hopes to provide safety information, help bikers becomeaware of different insurance coverage options, and provide grants for

those in immediate need. For more information, visit them atwww.bikersinneed.org.The entire event went off like clockwork. Theriders listed below met at Tom Whittles’ place near the fairgrounds.

Cheryl Whittles hadpastries, hot coffee andsome relatives visitingfrom out-of-state so wecould meet-greet-eat.We balanced 3motorcycles on Tom’strailer and rode/drove tothe fairgrounds inprocession. After aquick security check atthe Dan Patch Avenuegate and we were ridingthrough the grounds tothe booth. The folks at

the Biker’s In Need Foundation covered all of our expenses (exceptgas). Our entry fees, the entry fees of any of our guests, parking for any

trailers and towvehicles, and since ourbikes went on displayright in front of HeritageSquare, I guess theypaid for their parking aswell.

Attendees (listed oldest to newest-the bikes):Paul St.John 1942 Harley 45Tom Whittles 1946 Harley 45Ivar Natins 1946 IndianSteve Doeden 1948 IndianTom Nordemeyer 1950 Ariel SquareJohn Schiffman 1967 Honda 305Stan Mewhorter 1970 Triumph T100CSteve Hall 1975 NortonJohn Ulrich 1972 Moto GuzziPaul Davidson 1973 Honda 750Tom Whittles 1975 Harley SS 175 and 1976 Harley SS 250In addition to our line-up of machines, the St. Paul Harley trailer wasthere, and a large display rig from Polaris Victory flanked the stage.Around 2 o’clock the Minnesota Department of Public Safety MotorcycleMounted Police performed maneuvers, showed off some of the coollights and other gadgets on their bikes, demonstrated how a little guycan pick up a dropped bagger (on both sides), and spoke in generalabout their duties across the state. We followed their presentation byhaving each member briefly describe their motorcycle, its personality,and its significance in history. This was a great way to attend the fair.We only needed to be around the booth for about an hour (a bunch ofus hung-out talking to the onlookers anyway) so there was more thanenough time to enjoy the rest of the fair, oh, and find something to eat.Plan on riding “Your” favorite old scoot to the MN State Fair next year aswe’ve been invited back, and the event promises to be biggerand better.

Paul St. John tells it like it is.

Tom“Jones”Nordmeyerbelts out hisrendition of“It’s NotUnusual.”

Appreciation DinnerBy Paul Meisel

Our annual appreciation dinner was held at the Old Country Buffet in Highland Park. The turnout was high as usual – almost 50members!

This event is held to recognize volunteers throughout the year, whether they helped at the Cycle World Show, our club swap meet, outnational meet, our chicken BBQ, or any of the other events which our club participates in each year. Dinner was paid for by the VikingChapter to recognize and thank all volunteers.Club president Paul Davidson proudly wore our new club shirt. It was blue denim with gold lettering. Very sharp! Paul also passed outrecognition certificates to members.

Past Chapter secretary Deb Riggs stopped for a bite.

I think there was something in the iced tea!

John Ulrichcomtemplating another

helping.

Paul St. John in a “food stupor.”

Many happy diners.

Speaking of Great Get-togethersYou won’t want to miss the upcoming Holiday party slated for

January 10th, 2009.Great food and good company.

This is a good time to get together and catch up with other membersyou may not see that often during the year. You also won’t want tomiss fantastic buffet put on by your fellow Club members.

Remember the Holiday party will be held on Saturday, January 10th,from 4:30 - 9:00pm at the Richfield Community Center located at:7000 Nicollet Ave. S., Richfield. MN.

Fall Mystery Ride 2008By Rick Wyatt

On Sat, Oct 4 a small but intrepid group of Viking members gatheredat Rick Wyatt’s house for coffee, donuts and the annual fall mystery

ride. We had ten members on eight motorcycles, including Lucy (ownerof the infamous Diamonds Coffee Shop) on her Buell and Bob Steckriding the only certifiable old bike (1973 Honda 750). We were followedby my daughter Jennifer in her restored 1966 Toyota Land Cruiser –just in case.

Some say “the shortest distance between two points is a straightline”.

With motorcycles I say “the shortest distance between two points isBORING!” Those of you who have been on previous mystery ridesknow that this is the basis for laying out this ride. Since our destinationeating establishment was northwest of my house, we got to the end ofthe block and predictably, turned east. What followed was a 45 mileride exclusively on county and back roads that took us north and eastto the outskirtsof Forest Lake. We then headed west, winding throughthe Carlos Avery Game Preserve and the Cedar Creek Wild PrairieManagement Area. Both of these areas are known for their wildlifeand pristine prairies that have never been settled or plowed. A fewmiles further west brought us to our destination, the Rum River Inn inSt Francis, MN.

The Rum River Inn building dates back to the late 1800’s and wasoriginally a hotel that included a bar and restaurant. This is one of myfavorite places to eat in this neck of the woods, and as always, thefood didn’t disappoint. We were all able to sit in one area with a niceview of the trees turning color along the Rum River. After lunch severalmembers expressed a need to get going, so I gave them instructionsfor a quick route back. Dave Rademacher, Paul and Doris St John, mydaughter and I took the scenic 30 mile wandering route around northernAnoka Co. back to my house as originally planned.

A great day, good food, and a good ride was had by goodfriends. What better way to cap off the riding season. Hope tosee you all here next year.

MidAmerica Motorcycle Auctionby Trudi Johnson-Richards

Photos by Dena Natins

The Viking Chapter members volunteered to move bikes for theMidAmerica Fall auction on October 11, 2008 at the Minnesota

State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Members handling these valuablemachines were: Joe Anania, Mike Blackburn, Tom Broich, PaulDavidson, Carl Eide, Dave Flory, Mike Gavin, Jim Giesler, Craig Kotval,Paul Meisel Dave Moot, Ivar Natins, Kerry Rasmussen, Jerry Richards,Roger Rimnac, Rick Schunk, Ron Spargo, John Ulrich and TomWhittles. MidAmerica Auctions. The Viking Chapter received acontribution for assisting at the auction.

Dena Natins, Kathi Rimnac, Cheryl Whittles and Trudi Johnson-Richards staffed the membership table. MidAmerica Auctions (RonChristenson and Sandy Doll) paid for 10 national and chapter duesfor new persons who joined the AMCA and Viking Chapter. DenaNatins took photos of the event.

Viking Members displayed their motorcycles:Joe Anania 1972 Ducati 250 CaféMike Blackburn Ducati Jupiter 450Tom Broich 1978 Yamaha SR 40Dave Flory 1960 Triumph T120Jim Geisler 1992 Yamaha TDMTrudi Johnson-Richards 1952 Harley-Davidson Teleglide 125ccIvar Natins 1946 Indian ChiefRon Spargo 1950 BSA B34 and 1939 BSA M20

VintageNewUsed

OEM/NOS

ChopperBobber70’s

Old School

Buy or Sell at these Upcoming events

ST. CLOUD ARMORY1710 8th street St. Cloud, Minnesota 56303

SUNDAY JANUARY 4th • 9:00 to 3:00

ANOKA ARMORY408 East Main street Anoka, Minnesota 55303

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1st • 9:00 to 3:00

ST. PAUL ARMORY600 Cedar street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

SUNDAY MARCH 1st • 9:00 to 3:00

Admission $5.00 Kids under 12 FreeVENDORS: 10 x10 Space $35 ea

Sunday Setup 7:00 - 9:00USED BIKE CORRAL $20.00 EACH

Pre-Register By Calling 612-308-9034E-Mail gringoswaps@gmail.com

www.motopsycoswapmeets.com

ST. PAUL ARMORY600 Cedar street St. Paul, Minnesota 56101

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30th • 9:00 to 3:00

SWAP MEETAll Motorcycle Makes & Related Items

Photos from the auction.

00.81$0104

00.81$5204

00.02$116

00.52$106

00.03$107

00.04$5612

00.54$0112

2XL - 4XL &

TALL SIZES NAME $5

ADD $2 FRONT BACK FRONT BACK OVER POCKET (Print Name Here)

Bloomington, MN 55437

MAIL PAYMENT (Payable to Viking Chapter A.M.C.A.) & COMPLETED ORDER FORM TO: GRAND

TOTALLinda Shunk 5065 Nine Mile Creek Circle

DESCRIPTION (Sizes Available) PRICE

ALL Items are Light Denim Blue

PRICE EA. SHIP $8

PICK-UP AT

A GENERAL

MEETING

TOTAL $

Mens Shirt - Long Sleeve (S - 4XL)

Mens Shirt - Short Sleeve (S - 4XL)

Womens Shirt - Long Sleeve (S - 2XL)

Sweatshirt (S - 3XL)

ITEM NO. SIZE QTY.

Hooded Sweatshirt (S - 3XL)

Jean Jacket (S - 3XL)

Nylon Jacket (S - 4XL and LT - 3XLT) ( )

CUSTOMER NAME

STREET ADDRESS

CITY/STATE/ZIP

TELEPHONE NO.

LARGE LOGO - 9" $30 SMALL LOGO - 3.5" $6

EMBROIDERY

ITEM NO.

So What Will the “Best Dressed Bikers” be Wearing in 2009?Official Viking Chapter Logo Wear of course...

Now’s the time to order yours. For the next few months you can order a Viking Chapter Logo (shown at right) professionally embroidered on a wide variety of high quality apparel items. Simply select the item, size, and the size and location of the various embroidery options; then send Linda this completed order form and the dough. You’ll be “Putting on the Ritz” in just a few weeks. Samples of each apparel item in a variety of popular sizes will be available at the January Holiday Party for you (or that special enthusiast) to examine and try on. Order forms will be available at the party as well.Can’t make it to the Holiday Gala? Visit the apparel section of www.VikingMC.org to preview a full color image of the embroidery pattern on light blue denim, as well as, each apparel item offered.

WAY COOL!

This edition’s “Mystery Biker” is none other than Tom Nordmeyertaken in August of ‘75 striking his best “Then Came Bronson”look.

Jerry keeping score.

Hot babes recruit new members.

Another gem goes on the auctionblock.

Viking Chapter AMCA, Inc.Antique Motorcycle Club of America, Inc5065 Nine Mile Creek CircleBloomington, MN 55437

Got My Head “In Gear”By Ivar Natins

One of the most interesting GeneralMeetings I’ve attended was hosted by

Daryl Schneider of Twin City Gear on theevening of October 15th. We had a pretty goodsized turnout and a few of us chose to brave thechilly evening on two wheels. There was a tonof sandwich makings, salads and other snackswaiting for us to munch on until the businesspart of the meeting started.

Although the food, conversation, and businesspart of the meeting was good (always is), thingsreally got interesting once Daryl grabbed abunch of us for a complete tour of the TCG shop.The great smell of cutting oil, machine lube,metal filings and cold steel filled this 22,000 sqfoot facility. Established in 1946, TCG employsabout 16 folks and specializes in cutting manytypes gears in large and small volumes. Spur,bevel, worm, helical, you name it. One gear theywere about to start work on was so big a specialcasting had to be made for the raw gear blank.We were shown all sorts of hefty old metalworking machines in excellent workingcondition. Daryl explained the operation andfunction of each one and fended off a thousandquestions from the peanut gallery. He explainedthe operations of indexing mills, screwmachines, broaching machines, and grinders,all designed or setup specifically for cuttinggears. Now, I know my way around a small mill,lathe, and drill press (sort of, at least enough tobe dangerous) but this stuff, man it was reallyneat. The only thing better would have been achance to run the stuff myself. “Got Insurance?”So thank you TCG and Daryl for being a greathost, and don’t be surprised if next time I hidein the chip dumpster until everyone leaves...

On Your Mark... Get Set...BE CREATIVE!

Here’s your chance to let your artistic ability(or those of a close personal friend) shine.

The theme of our 2009 National meet is:“Competition Bikes” and we need logo/designideas for event T-shirts and pins. MotoX, GP,Flat Track, Trials, Hill Climb, Drag; you name it.Bring a presentable rendition of yourmasterpiece to the Holiday Party for display sowe can let the general membership vote on theirfavorite. Please keep in mind the limitations ofsilkscreen printing and enamel pinery (newword). In this case, less is more.Can’t makethe Holiday Party? Send your submissions toour fearless leader C/O Paul Davidson 9330Overlook Trail Eden Prairie, MN 55347 byJanuary 7th.