The 74th Annual Black Hills Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis South Dakota is just days away. We at Iron Trader News thought we’d provide some information that might help out those novices going for the first time or remind the grizzled veterans that there are things to do besides the same-old, same-old.

Every American motorcycle manufacturer and aftermarket parts company will be on hand to show you their products. Every campground and saloon will have nightly entertainment and other amenities to entice you to their establishment. Many events are free but most of the shows with big name acts or ‘special’ events will require a cover charge or ticket to enter. And be aware that, as they say, “stuff happens” so schedules may change.

We hope you party responsibly and ride safely because we want you to make it back alive so you can continue to enjoy ITN. And remember, if you want to get arrested the police will oblige you. Why be stupid and waste your hard earned money on fines and towing fees?

After you get done doing the tourist thing like visiting KlockWerks in Mitchell, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument, Wall Drug, Devil’s Tower, Hulett Wyoming and head to Sturgis here’s a list of highlights for each day at various venues. No, its not a complete list but it will help.

Sunday, Aug 3 2014
Buffalo Chip
*Collective Soul & Lynyrd Skynyrd
*American Hellriders Wall of Death “Motodome” – FREE SHOW-OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
*Baggers Magazine Winner Takes All Sturgis Bike Show Head to the CrossRoads
*Indian Motorcycle Day Reception
*Motorcycles as Art Industry VIP Reception
Easyriders Saloon
*Michael Lichter/ Sugar Bear Ride
*S&S Cycles presents the Circle of Honor.
Jackpine Gypsies
*Moto-X

Monday, Aug 4 2014
Buffalo Chip
*John Mayall & Zac Brown Band
*Legends Ride @ Silverado in Deadwood Legends Ride Escorted to Buffalo Chip
Full Throttle Saloon
*Bret Michaels
Jackpine Gypsies
*Hill Climb Races
*Pro AM Short Track

Tuesday, Aug 5 2014
Buffalo Chip
*Alice Cooper & Mötley Crüe
*Biker Belles Celebration! Presented by Harley-Davidson begins at The Lodge at Deadwood

Wednesday, Aug 6 2014

The Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast

9am at the Lodge at Deadwood, Deadwood SD.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the museum at 605-347-2001

or online at: http://www.sturgismuseum.com/shop/hall-fame-breakfast.
Buffalo Chip
*Florida Georgia Line & ZZ Top
Full Throttle
*Ted Nugent
Easyriders Saloon
*Baker Smoke-Down Showdown

Thursday, Aug 7 2014
Buffalo Chip
*Train
*Buffalo Chip Freedom Celebration
*Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show
*Victory Owners Ride at The Lodge in Deadwood, Party @ Buffalo Chip 5PM – 8PM
Full Throttle Saloon
*Jackyl
Jackpine Gypsies
*Gypsies Tour
*Pro-AM Short Track & Minisprints

Friday, Aug 8 2014
Buffalo Chip
*Cheap Trick
Jackpine Gypsies
*Pro Hillclimb

Motorcycle dealer activities:
Harley-Davidson
3rd & Lazelle Street, Downtown Sturgis, August 2-9, 9am – 5pm
*Genuine Harley-Davidson® Parts & Accessories Display
*2014 H-D Motorcyle Lineup
*MotorClothes Riding Gear and Apparel
*Women’s Area with JUMPSTART Rider Experience and Bike Lift Seminars
*Weber Mobile Grill Academy
*Craftsman Garage Station
Indian Motorcycle
*Indian Motorcycle Display, 3rd & Lazelle St., August 2-9, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily
*Indian Motorcycle Demo Experience, I-90 and Exit 30, August 2-9, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
*Indian Motorcycle at the Crossroads at Sturgis Buffalo Chip, August 2-9, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
*Indian Motorcycle Night at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Sunday, August 3, 8:30 p.m.
Victory Motorcycles
*Meet & Greet with Rick Fairless SATURDAY 8/2, 11AM – 1PM, 4th & Lazelle St
*Gunny Autograph Session11AM – 1PM; 3PM – 5PM TUESDAY 8/5, 4th & Lazelle St
*Brunch at the Demo Sites 9AM – 12PM SUNDAY 8/3; Hersruds’s Chev Exit 30 off Int 90 –
Buffalo Chip at the Crossroads – Rice Victory Dealership – Rapid City
*Owners Ride 2PM Registration The Lodge in Deadwood, Party @ Buffalo Chip 5PM – 8PM

Various Sources
Image: Marilyn Stemp
Posted by Sam Kanish

International Shipping is a challenge if you don’t understand the game. I have been involved with the Motorcycle Industry for some 20 years as a media person, however, I have been a U.S. Customs Broker since 1983. I’m heavily involved with U.S. Customs compliance issues, International shipping, & forwarding. Being part of a highly experienced smaller Brokerage, we are able to offer personal services that the larger forwarders cannot. The Fedex’s and UPS groups of the world are good to a point, but without a trusted group of agents that can watch your freight door to door, one just never knows…

Call me if you need assistance or just advice, I’m more than happy to help. Don’t turn away an opportunity to attend en EXPO in Japan or even the European countries because you aren’t sure hot to move your freight. My office number is 610-994-5069 and my email is jmcintyre@721logistics.com. Why am I different, because the motor sports industry is in my blood, so my level of care is well above the rest.

Iconic Namesake Covered

March 31, 2015, Three Rivers, MA — The iconic “Pegasus” winged horse continues to fly to new heights in 2015 as Mustang Motorcycle Products, LLC celebrates its 35th anniversary. New products and a new look commemorating this milestone kick off a yearlong celebration from the seat manufacturer. Despite the new look, expect Mustang’s core values of quality, comfort and customer satisfaction to continue! Merging these values with high-tech delivery, Mustang has made digital editions of both its Metric and American V-Twin catalogs available.

“We have traditionally launched our catalogs in Daytona as part of the Bike Week festivities, but we realize not everyone can escape to Florida in the spring,” says Mustang’s Business Development Director Marilyn Simmons. “So this year we are making the catalogs available in their entirety online as well as the printed versions.” Catalogs are available at Mustang’s big rig at most major rallies or you can request a free copy to be mailed to you from the website. For instant gratification, virtual viewing is available at http://www.mustangseats.com/Category/Seat-Catalogs

“Speaking of the catalogs and the associated aviation imagery, we owe a salute to the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California, for hosting our catalog shoot,” adds Simmons. “They have one of the largest collections of flying warbirds in existence and are motorcycle riders themselves. Director Jerry Wilkins even does the annual “Run For The Wall” ride from Chino to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC on his Harley every year.”

In addition to the two new catalogs being launched, Mustang’s social media campaign has also taken off. The first of the “5-For-35” seats giveaway on Mustang’s Facebook page was presented in conjunction with Daytona Bike Week. Four more free seats will land in lucky winners’ hands later this season (the Laughlin River Run is next up). More details can be found at: 

ABOUT PLANES OF FAME: In addition to being home to several P-51Ds, the only surviving flying P-51A Mustang in the world is based at Planes Of Fame, which made it the perfect venue for the catalog photo shoot. Click here for more details: http://planesoffame.org

ABOUT MUSTANG: Flying high for 35 years, Mustang has been making superior seats and related motorcycle accessories since 1980. We are proud of handcrafting the most comfortable seats in the world in our state-of-the-art facility in Three Rivers, Massachusetts. With an unwavering focus on quality and customer satisfaction, Mustang has grown to be the leader in the design and construction of aftermarket motorcycle seats. No one is more dedicated to building a more stylish, functional and comfortable seat than Mustang. Mustang earns its wings with riders around the globe with every ride! For more information about Mustang’s history click here: http://www.mustangseats.com/mustang/history-35thanniversary

ttps://www.facebook.com/events/760012367401762/

Hey there everyone, please check out Ken Conte’s 32nd episode of the 4Ever2Wheels podcast with Robert Pandya. Enjoy and share freely!

click on the this link: http://4ever2wheels.com/category/podcasts/

Well it’s April 3rd, 2016 in Sunny Philadelphia. I woke up early today to take a long ride on my pride & joy 2004 Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide. I’ve been riding for decades in cold temperatures, dealt with it the best I could year after year. Hopefully soon we are in the 70’s but for now, we are looking at 36 degrees with winds making it feel more like 20 degrees. So, why am I telling you all about this? On March 6th, Iron Trader News posted a new product posting regarding the Harley-Davidson Heated One-Touch Programmable Gear. Knowing this may be a product that us “North-easterner’s” could use, we requested a full suit from Jen Hoyer at H-D, IT ARRIVED, and my mission today was to put it to the test.

So, it’s 7am on this sunny, blustery, cold Sunday morning. I decided to try the suit in this manner. I didn’t want to add any extra outer shells of clothing, no extra socks, and no gloves over the glove liners. I literally wore a bathing suit & t-shirt, then added the sock liners, pants, jacket, and glove liners. By doing this, I was exposing the garments to the temperatures and winds. Attaching the motorcycle battery connection harness was a breeze, anyone can do it. The suit, piece by piece, simply plugs into itself. The wireless temperature control wrist device determines how warm, or hot you want the suit. Very easy to use…

Off I go. I left Philadelphia at 7:30am for a 2.5 hour ride. From my chin up, I was frozen. I did that for a reason, it better helped me judge the warmth from my neck down. I put the temp on the highest setting, expecting to feel an almost “hot” uncomfortable feeling, yet I didn’t. The suit is so evenly created, the warmth is spread evenly over every square inch making you feel perfect, as if you are riding in very pleasant weather. As I mentioned, I’m only wearing the sock and glove liners (with sneakers). An hour into the ride, doing great. 2 hours in, absolutely the same. By the time I returned home, I was in perfect shape, meaning, nothing hurt, no aching, fingers & toes were as if I were riding in summer conditions. Could I ask for anything more than that? The answer is no. The suit was perfect and I plan on using it continuously during my thousands of riding miles each year. Now, back out on the bike only this time, I’m adding my full face H-D helmet to really make the experience as comfortable as possible, as I’m sure it will be.

Great job Harley-Davidson, I can’t rate this product high enough on my list. If you want to review the original post, CLICK HERE.

If your next road trip takes you near the four corners area of the southwest, here’s a place you’ll want to stop. The Retro Inn, located in Cortez, Colorado, isn’t fancy, it isn’t posh and it isn’t sophisticated. But it IS super friendly, perfectly comfortable and quite reasonably priced.

We happened on the Inn toward the end of a road trip that looped north from Albuquerque along the Turquoise Trail, into Taos and up to Pagosa Springs, CO—making stops in Ojo Caliente and Abiquiu. After heading west to Durango, we turned back south toward Albuquerque via Mesa Verde, cruised through Shiprock, NM, and stopped at Chaco Canyon. Less than an hour west of Durango and close to Mesa Verde, the Retro Inn in Cortez was the perfect overnight stop.

The Retro Inn is a basic L-shaped motor inn, the sort of no-frills motel that was built when Esso gas station signs proclaimed, “Happy Motoring!” The inn’s owners have amped up its period style by adding a vintage camper out front complete with pink flamingoes. Fresh colorful paint is hard to miss and Elvis sits outside the lobby on a park bench.

They’ve numbered the rooms with year designations, from 1950-ish to 1980-ish, so ask for the room that represents your own vintage. Room interiors reflect their timeframe with pictures from each era prominently placed and there are two motorcycle themed rooms as well. And though the decorating approach in the rooms could more strongly reflect period style to emphasize retro-cool, it’s a work in progress, up and running under two years in this format.

More to the point, the rooms are quite spacious and impeccably clean. Everything is in perfect working order and neat as a pin. Rooms have microwaves and mini fridges, there’s ice for your cooler and a complimentary continental breakfast in the lobby each day.

A guest clubhouse is in the works, which will feature “vintage” Nintendo gaming, a pool table and foosball. There are park benches outside each room and a common courtyard that contains a giant chess set plus grills and picnic tables for guests to use. You can even borrow cooking utensils from the friendly staff.

So next time you’re rolling near the four corners looking for a biker friendly stop, you’ll find plenty of parking and a cheerful welcome at the Retro Inn.

RESOURCE:
Retro Inn

In addition to being a photographer / web guy, I am also partners in Johnny Mac’s Chopper House in Philadelphia. In addition to that, Johnny Mac & I own a trucking company, JM LOGISTICS PENNSYLVANIA, agent for A&S KINARD.  During Bikeweek of this year in Daytona, Marilyn Stemp (my commander & chief of ITN) sat with us along with Rod Woodruff (Woody) and discussed a plan to help move some of the East Coast motorcycles to the Buffalo Chip for the Michael Lichter “Motorcycles as Art” SKIN & BONES exhibit. So, after many months of planning & coordination, especially by Marilyn, its appears that we have pulled this off. Our stunning 53′ rig was outfitted to haul both motorcycles & freight out to the Buffalo Chip. Within it we have Richie Pan’s motorcycle and a huge crate of his artwork, a work of art motorcycle from Italy which flew in to the JFK airport via Lufthansa (in the black crate), motorcycles from Loaded Guns Customs in Maryland, 2 motorcycles from Chaos Cycle in NY, 2 bikes picked up in Pittsburgh from Chris Callen (Editor & Chief of Cycle Source Magazine), and  skid of Barbacue Sauce… long story.

JM LOGISTICS PA TRUCK HEADED TO STURGIS, AGENT OF A&S KINARD

The drive to Sturgis is 25 hours of non stop action, so with the DOT limiting the drivers to an 11 hour day, this will take several days to accomplish. At the Buffalo Chip, they are ready for our rig to arrive & unload so that Michael Lichter can begin his incredible photography of each motorcycle. This is an incredibly expensive project for our company, but we are all motorcycle enthusiasts, and to play a role in this years event was important to us. For the future, we will perfect our motorcycle shipping to handle loads to Daytona & Sturgis. If the numbers are good, we will consider more events such as Texas & Arizona. The images below show only a portion of the load, this is a 53′ trailer & is capable of holding more than 18 motorcycles safely.

RICHIE PAN’S INFAMOUS MOTORCYCLE

THE ARTWORK OF RICHIE PAN

SHIPPED IN FROM ITALY FOR THE EVENT

OUR THANKS TO DEPENDABLE CONTRACTORS EQUIPMENT SERVICE FOR ASSISTING WITH LOADING. http://www.yeswecanrepairit.com/

The day was long & hot, so above you see Johnny Mac with Angel taking a much needed brake.

If you have interest in our company & especially motorcycle transport to Daytona this fall, please contact us at:

jmcintyre@aandsintermodal.com

Book Review: Tiny Lego Wonders

I have a whole file devoted to instruction manuals. No, I don’t often use them, but yes, I have needed them from time to time! Tucked away in my file cabinet, they’re uninspiring, droll little sheaths of paper. But I’ve happened upon a new instruction manual, one that turns convention on its head.

Tiny Lego Wonders by Mattia Zamboni would look great on your coffee table, even if you couldn’t tell a Lego from a legume. As a life-long
Lego user, I was excited to open the book but was immediately
Captivated and distracted by the quality of the book itself. Gloss and matte textures contrast playfully on the cover, and it’s well bound to stay open happily once you’re ready to build.

Inside, you’ll find 40 sets of instructions for a variety of models, from race cars to construction equipment, cargo ships to spacecraft.
Each model has a clear and simple bill of materials, plus further illustrations for variations and modifications. Beautify and simply laid out, they remind me of everything I never got from the instruction manual for my, er, toaster.

The real deal-maker is the stark, elegant page layout, bolstered by solid photography and interspersed with the models set among excellent large-scale dioramas. Like the engineering of Lego bricks themselves, it provides a clear path to success while offering your imagination unlimited headroom.

It’s as pleasing to page through as it is to use for it’s stated purpose, but one word of warning: the models were largely designed around contemporary Lego bricks, which include some specific pieces that make these small models realistic beyond their scale. If you’re working from a vintage selection of bricks, be prepared to get creative or you may have to go shopping for some new bricks.

But hey, who doesn’t like shopping for Legos?

About the Author
Mattia Zamboni is a fan of computer graphics, photography, and LEGO. He is the co-author of the LEGO Build-It Book series (No Starch Press), has contributed to several other LEGO books, and has been a LEGO Ambassador since 2015. He works as a researcher in the robotics lab at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, and in his free time, he pursues his passion for 3D computer graphics. Check out his work at www.brickpassion.com

Tiny LEGO Wonders
Publisher: No Starch Press
Author: Mattia Zamboni
Print ISBN: 978-1-59327-735-2
Price: $24.95
Publication Date: July 2016
Specs: 208 pp., 4C, Hardcover
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

IMAGES:
TinyLegoWondersCover
SamplePages

Well it’s April 3rd, 2016 in Sunny Philadelphia. I woke up early today to take a long ride on my pride & joy 2004 Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide. I’ve been riding for decades in cold temperatures, dealt with it the best I could year after year. Hopefully soon we are in the 70’s but for now, we are looking at 36 degrees with winds making it feel more like 20 degrees. So, why am I telling you all about this? On March 6th, Iron Trader News posted a new product posting regarding the Harley-Davidson Heated One-Touch Programmable Gear. Knowing this may be a product that us “North-easterner’s” could use, we requested a full suit from Jen Hoyer at H-D, IT ARRIVED, and my mission today was to put it to the test.

So, it’s 7am on this sunny, blustery, cold Sunday morning. I decided to try the suit in this manner. I didn’t want to add any extra outer shells of clothing, no extra socks, and no gloves over the glove liners. I literally wore a bathing suit & t-shirt, then added the sock liners, pants, jacket, and glove liners. By doing this, I was exposing the garments to the temperatures and winds. Attaching the motorcycle battery connection harness was a breeze, anyone can do it. The suit, piece by piece, simply plugs into itself. The wireless temperature control wrist device determines how warm, or hot you want the suit. Very easy to use…

Off I go. I left Philadelphia at 7:30am for a 2.5 hour ride. From my chin up, I was frozen. I did that for a reason, it better helped me judge the warmth from my neck down. I put the temp on the highest setting, expecting to feel an almost “hot” uncomfortable feeling, yet I didn’t. The suit is so evenly created, the warmth is spread evenly over every square inch making you feel perfect, as if you are riding in very pleasant weather. As I mentioned, I’m only wearing the sock and glove liners (with sneakers). An hour into the ride, doing great. 2 hours in, absolutely the same. By the time I returned home, I was in perfect shape, meaning, nothing hurt, no aching, fingers & toes were as if I were riding in summer conditions. Could I ask for anything more than that? The answer is no. The suit was perfect and I plan on using it continuously during my thousands of riding miles each year. Now, back out on the bike only this time, I’m adding my full face H-D helmet to really make the experience as comfortable as possible, as I’m sure it will be.

Great job Harley-Davidson, I can’t rate this product high enough on my list. If you want to review the original post, CLICK HERE.

If your next road trip takes you near the four corners area of the southwest, here’s a place you’ll want to stop. The Retro Inn, located in Cortez, Colorado, isn’t fancy, it isn’t posh and it isn’t sophisticated. But it IS super friendly, perfectly comfortable and quite reasonably priced.

We happened on the Inn toward the end of a road trip that looped north from Albuquerque along the Turquoise Trail, into Taos and up to Pagosa Springs, CO—making stops in Ojo Caliente and Abiquiu. After heading west to Durango, we turned back south toward Albuquerque via Mesa Verde, cruised through Shiprock, NM, and stopped at Chaco Canyon. Less than an hour west of Durango and close to Mesa Verde, the Retro Inn in Cortez was the perfect overnight stop.

The Retro Inn is a basic L-shaped motor inn, the sort of no-frills motel that was built when Esso gas station signs proclaimed, “Happy Motoring!” The inn’s owners have amped up its period style by adding a vintage camper out front complete with pink flamingoes. Fresh colorful paint is hard to miss and Elvis sits outside the lobby on a park bench.

They’ve numbered the rooms with year designations, from 1950-ish to 1980-ish, so ask for the room that represents your own vintage. Room interiors reflect their timeframe with pictures from each era prominently placed and there are two motorcycle themed rooms as well. And though the decorating approach in the rooms could more strongly reflect period style to emphasize retro-cool, it’s a work in progress, up and running under two years in this format.

More to the point, the rooms are quite spacious and impeccably clean. Everything is in perfect working order and neat as a pin. Rooms have microwaves and mini fridges, there’s ice for your cooler and a complimentary continental breakfast in the lobby each day.

A guest clubhouse is in the works, which will feature “vintage” Nintendo gaming, a pool table and foosball. There are park benches outside each room and a common courtyard that contains a giant chess set plus grills and picnic tables for guests to use. You can even borrow cooking utensils from the friendly staff.

So next time you’re rolling near the four corners looking for a biker friendly stop, you’ll find plenty of parking and a cheerful welcome at the Retro Inn.

RESOURCE:
Retro Inn

In addition to being a photographer / web guy, I am also partners in Johnny Mac’s Chopper House in Philadelphia. In addition to that, Johnny Mac & I own a trucking company, JM LOGISTICS PENNSYLVANIA, agent for A&S KINARD.  During Bikeweek of this year in Daytona, Marilyn Stemp (my commander & chief of ITN) sat with us along with Rod Woodruff (Woody) and discussed a plan to help move some of the East Coast motorcycles to the Buffalo Chip for the Michael Lichter “Motorcycles as Art” SKIN & BONES exhibit. So, after many months of planning & coordination, especially by Marilyn, its appears that we have pulled this off. Our stunning 53′ rig was outfitted to haul both motorcycles & freight out to the Buffalo Chip. Within it we have Richie Pan’s motorcycle and a huge crate of his artwork, a work of art motorcycle from Italy which flew in to the JFK airport via Lufthansa (in the black crate), motorcycles from Loaded Guns Customs in Maryland, 2 motorcycles from Chaos Cycle in NY, 2 bikes picked up in Pittsburgh from Chris Callen (Editor & Chief of Cycle Source Magazine), and  skid of Barbacue Sauce… long story.

The drive to Sturgis is 25 hours of non stop action, so with the DOT limiting the drivers to an 11 hour day, this will take several days to accomplish. At the Buffalo Chip, they are ready for our rig to arrive & unload so that Michael Lichter can begin his incredible photography of each motorcycle. This is an incredibly expensive project for our company, but we are all motorcycle enthusiasts, and to play a role in this years event was important to us. For the future, we will perfect our motorcycle shipping to handle loads to Daytona & Sturgis. If the numbers are good, we will consider more events such as Texas & Arizona. The images below show only a portion of the load, this is a 53′ trailer & is capable of holding more than 18 motorcycles safely.

The day was long & hot, so above you see Johnny Mac with Angel taking a much needed brake.

If you have interest in our company & especially motorcycle transport to Daytona this fall, please contact us at:

jmcintyre@aandsintermodal.com

Book Review: Tiny Lego Wonders

I have a whole file devoted to instruction manuals. No, I don’t often use them, but yes, I have needed them from time to time! Tucked away in my file cabinet, they’re uninspiring, droll little sheaths of paper. But I’ve happened upon a new instruction manual, one that turns convention on its head.

Tiny Lego Wonders by Mattia Zamboni would look great on your coffee table, even if you couldn’t tell a Lego from a legume. As a life-long
Lego user, I was excited to open the book but was immediately
Captivated and distracted by the quality of the book itself. Gloss and matte textures contrast playfully on the cover, and it’s well bound to stay open happily once you’re ready to build.

Inside, you’ll find 40 sets of instructions for a variety of models, from race cars to construction equipment, cargo ships to spacecraft.
Each model has a clear and simple bill of materials, plus further illustrations for variations and modifications. Beautify and simply laid out, they remind me of everything I never got from the instruction manual for my, er, toaster.

The real deal-maker is the stark, elegant page layout, bolstered by solid photography and interspersed with the models set among excellent large-scale dioramas. Like the engineering of Lego bricks themselves, it provides a clear path to success while offering your imagination unlimited headroom.

It’s as pleasing to page through as it is to use for it’s stated purpose, but one word of warning: the models were largely designed around contemporary Lego bricks, which include some specific pieces that make these small models realistic beyond their scale. If you’re working from a vintage selection of bricks, be prepared to get creative or you may have to go shopping for some new bricks.

But hey, who doesn’t like shopping for Legos?

About the Author
Mattia Zamboni is a fan of computer graphics, photography, and LEGO. He is the co-author of the LEGO Build-It Book series (No Starch Press), has contributed to several other LEGO books, and has been a LEGO Ambassador since 2015. He works as a researcher in the robotics lab at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, and in his free time, he pursues his passion for 3D computer graphics. Check out his work at www.brickpassion.com

Tiny LEGO Wonders
Publisher: No Starch Press
Author: Mattia Zamboni
Print ISBN: 978-1-59327-735-2
Price: $24.95
Publication Date: July 2016
Specs: 208 pp., 4C, Hardcover
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

IMAGES:
TinyLegoWondersCover
SamplePages

Well it’s April 3rd, 2016 in Sunny Philadelphia. I woke up early today to take a long ride on my pride & joy 2004 Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide. I’ve been riding for decades in cold temperatures, dealt with it the best I could year after year. Hopefully soon we are in the 70’s but for now, we are looking at 36 degrees with winds making it feel more like 20 degrees. So, why am I telling you all about this? On March 6th, Iron Trader News posted a new product posting regarding the Harley-Davidson Heated One-Touch Programmable Gear. Knowing this may be a product that us “North-easterner’s” could use, we requested a full suit from Jen Hoyer at H-D, IT ARRIVED, and my mission today was to put it to the test.

So, it’s 7am on this sunny, blustery, cold Sunday morning. I decided to try the suit in this manner. I didn’t want to add any extra outer shells of clothing, no extra socks, and no gloves over the glove liners. I literally wore a bathing suit & t-shirt, then added the sock liners, pants, jacket, and glove liners. By doing this, I was exposing the garments to the temperatures and winds. Attaching the motorcycle battery connection harness was a breeze, anyone can do it. The suit, piece by piece, simply plugs into itself. The wireless temperature control wrist device determines how warm, or hot you want the suit. Very easy to use…

Off I go. I left Philadelphia at 7:30am for a 2.5 hour ride. From my chin up, I was frozen. I did that for a reason, it better helped me judge the warmth from my neck down. I put the temp on the highest setting, expecting to feel an almost “hot” uncomfortable feeling, yet I didn’t. The suit is so evenly created, the warmth is spread evenly over every square inch making you feel perfect, as if you are riding in very pleasant weather. As I mentioned, I’m only wearing the sock and glove liners (with sneakers). An hour into the ride, doing great. 2 hours in, absolutely the same. By the time I returned home, I was in perfect shape, meaning, nothing hurt, no aching, fingers & toes were as if I were riding in summer conditions. Could I ask for anything more than that? The answer is no. The suit was perfect and I plan on using it continuously during my thousands of riding miles each year. Now, back out on the bike only this time, I’m adding my full face H-D helmet to really make the experience as comfortable as possible, as I’m sure it will be.

Great job Harley-Davidson, I can’t rate this product high enough on my list. If you want to review the original post, CLICK HERE.

If your next road trip takes you near the four corners area of the southwest, here’s a place you’ll want to stop. The Retro Inn, located in Cortez, Colorado, isn’t fancy, it isn’t posh and it isn’t sophisticated. But it IS super friendly, perfectly comfortable and quite reasonably priced.

We happened on the Inn toward the end of a road trip that looped north from Albuquerque along the Turquoise Trail, into Taos and up to Pagosa Springs, CO—making stops in Ojo Caliente and Abiquiu. After heading west to Durango, we turned back south toward Albuquerque via Mesa Verde, cruised through Shiprock, NM, and stopped at Chaco Canyon. Less than an hour west of Durango and close to Mesa Verde, the Retro Inn in Cortez was the perfect overnight stop.

The Retro Inn is a basic L-shaped motor inn, the sort of no-frills motel that was built when Esso gas station signs proclaimed, “Happy Motoring!” The inn’s owners have amped up its period style by adding a vintage camper out front complete with pink flamingoes. Fresh colorful paint is hard to miss and Elvis sits outside the lobby on a park bench.

They’ve numbered the rooms with year designations, from 1950-ish to 1980-ish, so ask for the room that represents your own vintage. Room interiors reflect their timeframe with pictures from each era prominently placed and there are two motorcycle themed rooms as well. And though the decorating approach in the rooms could more strongly reflect period style to emphasize retro-cool, it’s a work in progress, up and running under two years in this format.

More to the point, the rooms are quite spacious and impeccably clean. Everything is in perfect working order and neat as a pin. Rooms have microwaves and mini fridges, there’s ice for your cooler and a complimentary continental breakfast in the lobby each day.

A guest clubhouse is in the works, which will feature “vintage” Nintendo gaming, a pool table and foosball. There are park benches outside each room and a common courtyard that contains a giant chess set plus grills and picnic tables for guests to use. You can even borrow cooking utensils from the friendly staff.

So next time you’re rolling near the four corners looking for a biker friendly stop, you’ll find plenty of parking and a cheerful welcome at the Retro Inn.

RESOURCE:
Retro Inn

In addition to being a photographer / web guy, I am also partners in Johnny Mac’s Chopper House in Philadelphia. In addition to that, Johnny Mac & I own a trucking company, JM LOGISTICS PENNSYLVANIA, agent for A&S KINARD.  During Bikeweek of this year in Daytona, Marilyn Stemp (my commander & chief of ITN) sat with us along with Rod Woodruff (Woody) and discussed a plan to help move some of the East Coast motorcycles to the Buffalo Chip for the Michael Lichter “Motorcycles as Art” SKIN & BONES exhibit. So, after many months of planning & coordination, especially by Marilyn, its appears that we have pulled this off. Our stunning 53′ rig was outfitted to haul both motorcycles & freight out to the Buffalo Chip. Within it we have Richie Pan’s motorcycle and a huge crate of his artwork, a work of art motorcycle from Italy which flew in to the JFK airport via Lufthansa (in the black crate), motorcycles from Loaded Guns Customs in Maryland, 2 motorcycles from Chaos Cycle in NY, 2 bikes picked up in Pittsburgh from Chris Callen (Editor & Chief of Cycle Source Magazine), and  skid of Barbacue Sauce… long story.

The drive to Sturgis is 25 hours of non stop action, so with the DOT limiting the drivers to an 11 hour day, this will take several days to accomplish. At the Buffalo Chip, they are ready for our rig to arrive & unload so that Michael Lichter can begin his incredible photography of each motorcycle. This is an incredibly expensive project for our company, but we are all motorcycle enthusiasts, and to play a role in this years event was important to us. For the future, we will perfect our motorcycle shipping to handle loads to Daytona & Sturgis. If the numbers are good, we will consider more events such as Texas & Arizona. The images below show only a portion of the load, this is a 53′ trailer & is capable of holding more than 18 motorcycles safely.

The day was long & hot, so above you see Johnny Mac with Angel taking a much needed brake.

If you have interest in our company & especially motorcycle transport to Daytona this fall, please contact us at:

jmcintyre@aandsintermodal.com

Book Review: Tiny Lego Wonders

I have a whole file devoted to instruction manuals. No, I don’t often use them, but yes, I have needed them from time to time! Tucked away in my file cabinet, they’re uninspiring, droll little sheaths of paper. But I’ve happened upon a new instruction manual, one that turns convention on its head.

Tiny Lego Wonders by Mattia Zamboni would look great on your coffee table, even if you couldn’t tell a Lego from a legume. As a life-long
Lego user, I was excited to open the book but was immediately
Captivated and distracted by the quality of the book itself. Gloss and matte textures contrast playfully on the cover, and it’s well bound to stay open happily once you’re ready to build.

Inside, you’ll find 40 sets of instructions for a variety of models, from race cars to construction equipment, cargo ships to spacecraft.
Each model has a clear and simple bill of materials, plus further illustrations for variations and modifications. Beautify and simply laid out, they remind me of everything I never got from the instruction manual for my, er, toaster.

The real deal-maker is the stark, elegant page layout, bolstered by solid photography and interspersed with the models set among excellent large-scale dioramas. Like the engineering of Lego bricks themselves, it provides a clear path to success while offering your imagination unlimited headroom.

It’s as pleasing to page through as it is to use for it’s stated purpose, but one word of warning: the models were largely designed around contemporary Lego bricks, which include some specific pieces that make these small models realistic beyond their scale. If you’re working from a vintage selection of bricks, be prepared to get creative or you may have to go shopping for some new bricks.

But hey, who doesn’t like shopping for Legos?

About the Author
Mattia Zamboni is a fan of computer graphics, photography, and LEGO. He is the co-author of the LEGO Build-It Book series (No Starch Press), has contributed to several other LEGO books, and has been a LEGO Ambassador since 2015. He works as a researcher in the robotics lab at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, and in his free time, he pursues his passion for 3D computer graphics. Check out his work at www.brickpassion.com

Tiny LEGO Wonders
Publisher: No Starch Press
Author: Mattia Zamboni
Print ISBN: 978-1-59327-735-2
Price: $24.95
Publication Date: July 2016
Specs: 208 pp., 4C, Hardcover
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

IMAGES:
TinyLegoWondersCover
SamplePages

Whether you just bought your bike, or have one that’s been sitting a while, Rouser Rob and this Back to Basics video will outline what you need to check before your next ride. Watch it now.

This next video goes along with checking your bike for wear items. Back to Basics by Biltwell demonstrates how to change your oil, using a Dyna as an example.

Post by Marilyn Stemp

Worldwide circumstances have conspired to ensure that this year’s 80 th anniversary
Sturgis Rally won’t be the stellar celebration once planned. That said, once August 7th
rolls around, the eight-decade occasion will most certainly be marked, if with less
fanfare.

As bikeriders, we appreciate the significance of an 80-year milestone in motorcycling,
especially one celebrated in western South Dakota where the aura of wild west rebellion
and revelry so synergistically dovetails with biking. I’d wager that’s part of the rally’s
allure for us cowboys and cowgirls on iron horses. But even the most fervent rider would
agree: the relative longevity of this motorcycle rally pales quickly compared to the much
longer and far more dramatic American pioneer heritage that’s rife in these parts.
On my annual treks to the Black Hills to cover the rally over several decades, I barely
caught a glimpse of the region’s frontier history. It was all about the here and now. But
in more recent years, as I started arriving early, staying later and finally moving to South
Dakota, my inner history nerd won out. Women’s letters on the westward journey,
soldiers’ diaries recounting military campaigns, even cowboy poetry became my reading
of choice. Each year, when rally work was wrapped up, the western horizon beckoned.
Yes, I went to Yellowstone, Cody and Little Big Horn, of course. But there were also
gold mines, ghost towns, sacred sites, buffalo jumps and rock formations both natural
and man-carved. So much to see!

I soon went full-on geek, sifting through the Historical Marker Data Base and
Waymarking.com before trips. I’d alter my route when I spied small brown road signs
reading “Lewis & Clark Trail.” I hated when circumstances demanded I leave a roadside
“point of interest” unexplored. One October I happened upon scenery so stunning along
Highway 20 south of Thermopolis, Wyoming, that I did a U-turn at the bottom of the
canyon just to ride it the other direction and back again.
So imagine my delight when I learned of a memorial commemorating the little-known
Battle of Slim Buttes so close to home; a mere 90 miles north of Sturgis, near Reva, SD.

The story goes like this:
In the late 1860’s Jonathan White was one of many former Civil War soldiers seeking
fortune and adventure in the West. Sharp scouting skills and an affable nature earned
him work as a civilian scout with the Army. By the 1870’s he’d met and become a
devotee of Buffalo Bill Cody, emulating Cody’s mode of dress and literally following him
around. General Philip Sheridan once said White followed Cody too closely, mockingly
nicknaming Buffalo Bill’s ardent admirer “Buffalo Chips White”
By the autumn of 1876, White was scouting for General George Crook, whose troops
were combing western South Dakota for bands of Native Americans in the months after

the Battle of Little Big Horn. On September 9 th , Crook got word that Captain Anson Mills,
who’d been sent to Deadwood for supplies, had captured a Lakota Sioux village near
the Slim Buttes, an area so named for its rocky formations. A counter assault was
expected and Mills wanted help.

When Crook, White and three cavalry companies arrived, Mills and his men were under
attack by Crazy Horse’s warriors, led by Chief American Horse. Thanks to the
reinforcements, the Army ultimately took control. Though there were heavy casualties
among the Natives, only three on the Army side were lost, one of them civilian scout
Jonathan “Buffalo Chips” White.

Based on remaining accounts, the good-natured scout was sorely missed. Among the
stories that persisted is one claiming he was so steadfast a friend that he once saved
Buffalo Bill Cody’s life. Friends like that come along but rarely.
Bike riders know about prized friendships, the ones we make on the road, the ones that
persist over decades. Riding together has a way of turning strangers into friends. That’s
why naming his campground after “Buffalo Chips” White made sense to Sturgis Buffalo
Chip owner Rod “Woody” Woodruff. Woody’s witnessed quite a few friendships made,
molded and multiplied over the Chip’s 39 years. I’d wager he’s also made a few friends
himself.

So when you’re next in the Black Hills, why not make new friends or travel with old ones
on your social-distance machines to pay respects to the grit and fidelity of “Buffalo
Chips” White? It’s an ideal destination ride for celebrating the steadfast courage of
those who tamed the wild west and the staunch friends they made in the process.
Comforting thoughts in these turbulent times.

* The Battle of Slim Buttes monument is located off SD Highway 20, ¼ mile west of the
intersection with SD Highway 79, about one mile west of Reva, SD.