Congratulations to 8-year-old Reagan Imhoff of New Berlin, Wisconsin, for being chosen as the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s 2014 National Goodwill Ambassador. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company, who has been the national sponsor for MDA for the last 34 years, made the announcement on February 5. Reagan has served three years as Wisconsin’s MDA State Ambassador and is now working with The MoCo in her hometown of Milwaukee… Fox Powersports, owners of Grand Rapids Harley-Davidson in Hudsonville, Michigan, has expanded its business by acquiring Chicago Harley-Davidson and Lake Shore Harley-Davidson in Illinois. Fox Powersports owner and CEO Daniel DeVos (of Amway fame and fortune) purchased the dealerships from Revolution Motorsports of New Orleans, who also own Harley-Davidson dealerships in Louisiana, Tennessee and North Carolina… Also in Michigan, on February 18, the House passed HB463 that no longer requires license plates to be mounted on “historic military vehicles” regardless of size, weight or age. The law allows the owner to keep the plate inside the vehicle. Good news for all WLA riders out there; you can carry your plates in your bags. However, the House also snuck through HB5191 that requires operators or riders of ORVs to wear a helmet even if they are operating them on their own property… The man responsible for getting the Illinois helmet law struck down has died of cancer. Donald “Frosty” Fries, 70, of Belleville, Illinois, along with the financial help of motorcycle dealer Rich Nebelsik, fought a ticket he received when he waved the police over for assistance at an accident, and they arrested him for not wearing a helmet. The ticket was eventually thrown out on the grounds it was unconstitutional. Mike Gallagher, membership director for ABATE of Illinois, said riders owe Fries and Nebelsik a debt of gratitude. “We’re not against helmets; we’re against the government telling us what we have to wear.”… On February 14 Deana and Christian Manning wanted to get married somewhere cool. They got married at Harley-Davidson of Indianapolis in the middle of one of the most memorable Midwest winter storms. The weather was so bad that many of the guests just could not make the ceremony. Christian is a rider with a bike of his own, and Deana is just wild about Harley-Davidson. She was able to walk down the aisle flanked by the motorcycles she loves. You might see them in Sturgis this year, as that is where they are celebrating their honeymoon… The Muskegon Motorcycle Gang has finally gotten their answer on how long Clinton Lovelace, 27, will spend behind bars for killing two of their brothers and injuring three others when he crossed the center line on Highway 151 near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Circuit Court Judge Gary Sharpe sentenced Lovelace to spend eight years in prison, and an additional seven years on probation for the May 31, 2012, accident that saw him plow into 10 of 12 motorcycles sending bikes, parts and bodies in all directions. The group was just spending some time touring Wisconsin and Michigan when the accident occurred… Just a shout out to Scott Horinka of Effingham, Illinois, who just had to contact me in mid-February just to let me know he was going to take his custom Shovel out for a nice ride. Here I was in the office looking out the window at a whiteout and temperatures in the low teens, and he is all jacked up to go for a ride. Well, folks, I held my tongue and we talked awhile about motorcycles, and all the while I was just hoping he didn’t have a happy button on that handlebar. I was wishing him a great ride and hoping he had to work up just a little sweat trying to kick that scoot with some 60W in her. Hope you had a great ride, Scott; call me up again sometime, brother… The 2013 Legacy Quilt, which raised more than $334,000 for the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund that supports children who have suffered loss of a parent while on active duty since 9/11 in their pursuit of a college education, was such a huge success that two new quilts have been made for this year’s American Legion Riders Legacy Ride. The Legion Riders of Shellsburg Post 166 (Cedar Rapids) are the sponsors of this year’s quilts. The Iowa quilt is made of T-shirts donated from Harley-Davidson dealerships in Iowa, Texas, Illinois and Missouri. Contact any dealership in Iowa or Post 166 and purchase a ticket. The drawing will be held on August 16 in Indy on the eve of the Legacy Ride… A study has concluded that riding motorcycles improves cognitive function. Twenty-two men aged 40–50 who had not ridden for at least 10 years were split into two groups. Half rode every day for two months and the other half: no riding. Tests were given before and after, and the riders posted higher marks by 50 percent and reported fewer mistakes at work and feeling happy, happy, happy. They found that riding a motorcycle requires a high level of alertness and rapid problem solving. Conclusion: As data showed, you can improve your mental condition simply by riding your hog… That’s it for this month, brothers and sisters. It’s all about you, the Midwest biker. Ride fast, but ride safe.
