Monday, May 7, 2012

A Big Day for William (Will) Franklin Nordlie

  Autobahners have watched Will grow from the toddler in the side car (below) to the young man he is today (left).  He will be part of the Graduation Ceremony at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls later this month.  He is very excited and will be having a party to celebrate his achievement.  He would like you to join him.
  Will and his older sister Nell grew up riding with their dad (Dale Nordlie) - first on the back of a bicycle, later as sidecar kids. From the time he was little, it was clear that Will was a special- needs child, but he loved riding just like other kids.  Dale rigged up a child safety harness in the sidecar and Will would squeal with delight and kick up his heels when it was time to buckle up.    He knew a ride was coming!  Over the years, Will rode often with his dad from trips around town to an occasional longer ride. 
  This May, Will, who just celebrated his 19th birthday, is to graduate from Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls.  Dale writes, “We're not quite sure what will be in his educational future, but we're certain he'll find time to be the sidecar pilot!”


YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR CELEBRATION OF HIS ACHIEVEMENT!
SATURDAY, MAY 19TH, TUTHILL PARK (LOWER PICNIC SHELTER), 3600 S. Cliff Ave. SFSD.  Just east of Cliff Ave, South of I-229.
2:30 to 4:00 PM, 
We'd love to see you there!
Dale Nordlie & Romy Klessen



PrezSez, April 2012, by Gary Johnson

Hello Autobahners! What in the world is up with this weather? The best March ever and my Beemer is down. My beemer is in an undisclosed location in Yankton County, very dismantled and awaiting a new driveshaft, clutch plate, brake rotor, and numerous other parts. Lucky for me the Kymco 250 is running and has new rubber on the rear. Saturday, former prez James Anderson & I rode to Sioux City to join the Big Sioux Riders for breakfast and to get a jump on the Bak Open House. There was a great turn-out from our club, fabulous weather, good food, and new bikes to ride. I guess I probably put about 250 miles on the scooter.  Lots of bike events are coming up and the spring fever is "full on". Get the "Seafoam" out, check the tires, sell whatever you can to come up with some gas money, and ride 'em, if you got 'em!! Gary (Broken Bike) Johnson.

Member Profile – Bill Claussen, Hardwick, MN

       I started my motorcycle life in 1958 when I bought my first bike a 1945 45inch Harley.  Over the next 50 years or so I‘ve owned about 14 or 15 bikes – some good some not so good – but I think I enjoyed them all.     
       I‘ve worked construction all my working life so until retirement riding has been limited.  I went to my first BMW Rally with the Autobahners.  I was much impressed with the Rally and the riders.  Much
different than the old days of the Sturgis Rally
       The next year I joined the Autobahn Club and enjoyed the club and the members and hope to have
many more years of membership.
       (Bill has attended several MOA and RA National Rallies,  Bear Tooth Rendezvous Rallies,  Top o’the Rockies Rallies, Falling Leaf Rallies and many others.)

Ed.Note:  Among the
bikes Bill has owned are
a ‘48 Harley 74 cubic 
inch, Harley Sprint,
Harley Sportster, &
several  Hondas,
including a 750 and a
Gold Wing.  He has had
three BMW‘s.  His first a
R1100RT.  Then a ‗04
R1200 CL, and a ‘81
R100RT.   He currently
owns the RT,  his ―K
bike‖ – a  Kawasaki
Concourse, and a Honda
NT700.)

Larry Hawes will celebrate #70!!!!

No, that's not 70 bikes, although he's well on the way, but his 70th birthday on May 11th.

There will be cake (& maybe ice cream) at the Wednesday night supper this coming Wednesday Night at Gateway Lounge.

Join Autobahners for supper, surprise Larry, and indulge in a little desert afterwards!!!!  "Roasting" of the birthday boy will be allowed!!!

See you there,
Mary

Sunday, May 6, 2012

BMW's & Bifocals by Tom Meister


       I have put off getting bifocals for a long time just because I didn‘t want to mess with them.  My glasses were finally in the same shape as my riding boots, not good.  It was time to throw in the towel and get new glasses with bifocals.  (I should have gotten tri-focals.)
       This last Saturday I wanted to go for a ride and decided to go to Sioux City and pick up a few things at Menard‘s.  (Don‘t know why but on Highway 20 at Holstein, IA, they were flying the American flag.   If over a quarter mile double row of flags in a twenty mile wind doesn‘t make you
proud to be an American, nothing will.)
       Spring was in the air, everyone and their dog were shopping.  I bought two out of three items that I wanted.  Went out to the RT and removed myjacket and helmet from the saddle bags and loaded them with my items.  When I went to insert the key in the dash, thanks to my new to me bifocals,
I missed the slot by a mere half inch.  The key hit the flat part of the dash, twisted and fell down some where into the fairing.  No problem, right? Wrong!!!  I looked & looked & looked.  My hands were in more places than two teenagers on prom night.  Got on the bike and pushed the forks up and down trying to make the key fall to the pavement.  Nothing.  After ten minutes I finally gave in, hoped my spare key was still in its triple-top-secret-hiding-place on the bike and it was.  After unwrapping the key from a carefully wrapped match box, I very carefully inserted the key into the
dash.  I had to try one more time to look for that #!!!# key.  The sun must have moved just enough that I could see a glint of chrome down beside the headlight bucket.  Alright!!  Should have gone to plan B right away but no I had to reach my big hand in and try to slide the key up to where I could
grab it.  On the third try it slipped and fell out of sight again.  At this point I could have kicked King Kong‘s butt.
       That did it, the RT wasn‘t moving until that #!!!# key was in my hands.  Time for plan B which should have been plan A in the first place.  Went back in the store and bought the neatest extend-a-magnet made.  It was a combination LED light with a small flex end magnet on the end of an
extended twelve inch shaft.  Even with this work of art it took over a dozen tries to finally snag the little bugger.  I must have been on camera and looked like I was hot wiring the bike because before I was finished a young store employee came out to see what the problem was.  A pickup next to
me left during my little problem solving ordeal and before I left I looked over and saw three brand new inch and a half stainless steel hose clamps laying on the pavement.  Life is good!!
       When I got home I moved my BMWMOA Anonymous Book from a locked storage area to my triple-top-secret-storage-area.  Have to be ready for the next screw-up.  Happy Trails, Tom

Friday, May 4, 2012

Polk City Ride In this Weekend

 Autobahners will be taking in the Polk City Ride-In this weekend (just north of Des Moines).  They will leave from Grandma Max's after breakfast on Saturday.  They will be camping at the Corp of Engineers Camp Ground just outside Polk City on Saturday night and riding into the Ride-In around noon on Sunday.  Bikes of all ages and brands will be parked around the town square for you to look over.  After "kicking tires" and enjoying a hot dog and pop they will be heading for home.  The Ride-In is promoted by the Barnsturmers Club.


Vintage & European
Motorcycle Ride-In

Sunday, May 3, 2009
1 – 4 pm

Polk City, Iowa
N41' 46.301 W93' 42.817

Refreshments served.

No pins, no T-shirts,
no charge. Just fun!

www.bahnsturmers.com

BMW R90S Rider Safety Film Part 1

BMW R90S Rider Safety Film Part 2

Man Sues BMW and Corbin for Priapism


A man is suing BMW and seat-manufacturer Corbin-Pacific because a four-hour motorcycle ride gave him an erection that would not go away.
The civil suit, filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, alleges the plaintiff, Henry Wolf, developed a severe case of priapism after a long ride on a 1993 BMW motorcycle. Priapism is a medical condition where a penis becomes erect and does not return to a flaccid state.
Wolf claims he rode  the motorcycle on a four-hour trip – two hours each way – on May 1, 2010. Soon after, the man claims, he developed a case of priapism. He blames the condition on the motorcycle seat which is describes as “ridge-like”.
The man claims the condition caused emotional distress. Court documents state:

Plaintiff now suffers from priapism (a long lasting erection), and has been experiencing continuing problems since his motorcycle ride. He is now unable to engage in sexual activity, which is causing him substantial emotional and mental anguish. Plaintiff is distraught and distressed because of this. Defendants, and each of them, are liable to Plaintiff due  [to] their negligent design, manufacture and/or installation of the seat on Plaintiff’s motorcycle

[Source: County of San Francisco Superior Court of California case #CGC-12-520316 via CourthouseNews.com]