Once a week or so during the winter, Steve Lee of rural Rock Rapids takes the cover off his 1998 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide-Glide stored in his garage and goes through a workman-like process of checking the air pressure in his tires, looking for any suspicious leaks, and brushing off any dust that may have accumulated. Then, he’ll throw a leg over it, grip the handlebars in a mock riding position, and give the throttle a turn.
“It’s pure joy,” he said. “There’s nothing like the feeling of a Harley-Davidson on  the open road. The sound, the rumble, the feel; it’s one of the greatest feelings ever.”
Lee, like thousands of other bike enthusiasts, takes his riding seriously. Having to winterize his “second love,” as he calls it, to storage when the cold Iowa winds start to blow, is “like breaking up with girlfriend for three months every year, then getting back together for nine.”
His wife, Dana, can forgive his wandering eye, though. She knows the thrill of riding herself. Though she doesn’t have a bike of her own, someday, she says, she will. Until then, their Dyna will do.
“Ever since we took our first ride, this has been the bike for us,” she says.
“Yeah, we were vacationing in California and decided to rent a motorcycle and go through the mountains,” Dana remembers. “Steve hadn’t ridden a Harley before, and they asked him at the place whether he had or not. He stretched the truth a little, but it was worth it.”
After riding the bike for a few hours, they ended up back at the shop with the same opinion; they had to have one — now. Before buyer’s remorse could set in, the Lee’s were the proud owners of their first Harley-Davidson. Steve rode it back to Iowa a few days later and the celebration was on.
Like family
Justin Means, sales associate at Zylstra Harley-Davidson/Buell in Ames says that the family aspect of riding is one of the key reasons that motorcycling has hit the mainstream across the nation. Twenty years ago, driving a motorcycle into your garage wasn’t exactly the thing neighbors wanted to see — or hear.
But that’s all changed in recent years.
“It’s not just with Harley-Davidsons, but anything with two wheels, basically,” Means said from the showroom floor in Ames, one of three Zylstra dealerships in the Midwest, including locations in Elk River, Minnesota and St. Charles, Ill. “March has been a stellar month (for sales), which is odd for the winter. It just tells you that people are wanting their motorcycles, and it’s not just the long-time bikers; it’s business people, baby boomers, women, and sometimes just people who rode for a long time, quit, and now want to get back into it.”
Owning a Harley-Davidson extends well beyond just having your name on a certificate of ownership. For most, it’s simply a way of life.
“I think, especially here in Iowa where people work hard, long hours, owning a bike is a great way for them to break away and just relax,” Means said. “You can have a bad day at work, but once you jump on your bike, all that leaves you. It’s truly an experience.
“When someone buys a bike, it’s like saying, ‘welcome to the family. Biking is a great way for friends to get together. I’ve seen instances where one family member comes in and buys a bike, and pretty soon you see the other six family members doing the same thing.”
Go with what fits
For some, owning a Harley — any Harley — is the pinnacle of their riding experience. Throwing a leg over a 1600 cc powerhorse with the world-famous winged brand on the tank is indeed many a biker’s dream. But H-D doesn’t have the market cornered, said Craig Ruegsegger of Altoona (above).
While the lifelong rider admits it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have a Harley in his stall, he’s far from being a one trick pony, instead choosing Yamaha FJR1300 Sport Tour bike as his ride of choice.
Having grown up riding a number of different bikes, Ruegsegger knows what he likes. With his current ride, which includes hard bags, an electric shield that can be raised or lowered, and a GPS system, Ruegsegger has nearly everything he wants in a bike, he said.
“It’s got good wind protection, grips, and plenty of power. That bike gets up and scoots when you want it to.”
Finding the perfect ride can be a time consuming — and expensive proposition. Whether it a Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Buell, Kawasaki, Suzuki or, yes, a Harley, Ruegsegger said it’s important to go with what you like, not necessarily what’s trendy.
“Everybody, at some time or another, wants a Harley,” he said. “But there are tons of Harleys and Harley clones out there, and some people just don’t realize that sometimes a Harley might not be for them, and that there is something better out there.
“I’ve just always ridden bikes that I love. And the feeling you get from riding a bike that you love is something that you can’t quantify.”
Ruegsegger has the SaddleSore and Bunburner awards to prove it. The awards, given out by the Iron Butt Association, a 24,000-member group that is dedicated to safe, long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding, are nothing if not testaments to a rider’s enthusiasm for the sport.
The SaddleSore is given to a rider after he or she completes a 1,000-mile ride in 24 hours, while the Bunburner goes to a rider who can throttle it up a notch and chalk up 1,500 miles in 36 hours or less. Ruegsegger accomplished both in 2005 over Father’s Day weekend.
“I started in Altoona, went to Davenport, Illinois, Kansas City, then home,” he said. “I slept a little bit, then drove to the corner of Minneapolis and back.
“The real challenge were the fuel stops. I had to plan for 12 stops and had to time myself at each one. I think I added up that I spent about two hours just pumping gas.”
Industry boom
So far, the motorcycle industry has remained relatively recession-proof, despite the downturn in nationwide economic conditions. Skyrocketing gasoline prices have dealt a blow to an already-struggling auto industry and a resolution is nowhere in sight.
According to Energy Information Administration (EIA) predictions, high crude oil prices will keep gasoline prices above $3 per gallon, with more record spring and summer prices on the way. While that may be terrible news for the auto industry, motorcycles are quickly becoming the transportation mode of choice for many.
Means said that, despite a much smaller fuel cell size, some cycles can get up to 60 miles per gallon on the highway, and 45 in the city. Over the course of an extended period of time, the fuel savings quickly justify the cost of purchasing a motorcycle. The savings, he said, can be staggering.
“People are really wanting to get going, get outside, and get riding again,” he said. “It’s just been a zoo here as far as people coming in. So, the winter and gas prices have actually worked in our favor.”
The long, harsh winter in the northwest quadrant of the state hasn’t been as much of a driving factor in getting people to open their wallets, said Luke Talbert, head of sales at Sioux City Yamaha. While ATV sales are on the rise, motorcycle sales have leveled off in that area. Ironically, one of the biggest influencing factors has nothing to do with motorcycles.
“Economy-wise, we’re in a downswing and banks, due to the housing and sub-prime financing situation, have really tightened their belts,” Talbert said. “They’ve had to raise the bar as to who they’re giving out loans to. They’re just not loaning money to people who have any kind of mark on their credit.”
Des Moines-based Radical Cycle has felt the same effect, said General Manager Phil Flores.
“People are keeping what they have, as it’s tougher and tougher to get someone approved (for a loan),” Flores said. “I think we’re doing good job of adapting, though. We were once thought of as strictly a custom build shop. We still do that, but our business has gone from that to more of the performance work, the full service dealership.”
Being able to adapt to change will be key, Flores said.
“More and more people are keeping their used Harleys and tricking them out, instead of trying to upgrade,” he said. “Some, like the yuppies who watched the TV shows and said, ‘I’ve got to get me a chopper,’ now, when they want to upgrade to something else, they’re stuck with something they paid 40 grand for. They didn’t realize how riding a chopper can beat you up, they fall apart, and aren’t for long rides.
“That whole market has changed and we’re changing with it.”
From the rider side of the equation, Ruegsegger said that, while gas savings may be a determining factor in some motorcycle purchases, after it’s all said and done, many riders don’t get out enough, or use their bikes for commutes, to actually save much money.
“The gas price thing might be a little overrated for that reason,” he said. “Or, if you’re like me, you’ll take it out and ride 200-300 miles over the weekend anyway, and not really save anything.”
Not just for men
There has also been an uptick in the number of women riders, currently the fastest growing demographic in the nation. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, the number of female riders has been rising each year, growing 36 percent from 1998-2007. Currently, there are over 25,000 licensed female riders in the state of Iowa.
Talbert said they’ve seen a steady increase in female riders, and Yamaha is doing a good job of promoting the sport to women.
“A lot (women) are jumping on the mopeds or 250s,” he said, “and there’s been a slow progression of them moving up to other models. Yamaha has done a good job of addressing the female riders by marketing the clothing and accessories for them. That’s been huge for women.”
A community
Currently, Iowa has more than 200,000 licensed motorcycle operators and more than 125,000 registered motorcycles. That number is expected to continue to rise in coming years, giving motorcycling an even bigger presence on the motorsport stage.
The number of statewide bike rallies and events has also gone up, and while the annual Sturgis Bike Rally remains a huge draw, it’s by no means the only option for motorcycle enthusiasts, especially for those with can’t make the August trek to the Sturgis, nestled at the base of the Black Hills.
In Iowa, riders can enjoy a number of events without even leaving the state.
There are now so many events being held, it’s can sometimes be hard to plan which ones they want to, or can, attend, said Flores.
“From now until September, there is something every weekend,” Flores said. “The biker community is huge here in Iowa, and Des Moines, especially, is just unbelievable, which is a great thing.
It’s not uncommon to see three or four bike nights every week during the summer in Central Iowa, Flores said. And while each event or rally is different in some way, the bottom line, he said, is that the riders who participate are simply motorcycle enthusiasts wanting to share a common experience.
“It’s just a bunch of people having fun on their bikes,” Flores said. “They work hard for their money, and most of the time, when people get together like that, and are having fun, it’s easier to give back, too, and raise money for good causes.
“The industry can’t change the community, other than what they ride. If you can’t find something to do in the summer on a bike, you’re not looking very hard.”
Love of the road
While the motorcycles may be as different as the thousands of riders, there will always be a common thread amongst their owners — a love for riding.
“I just love getting out and seeing the state, finding roads that I’ve never been on before,” Ruegsegger said. As a freelance writer by trade, when inspiration is hard to come by, he grabs his pen and paper and hits the road.
“I’m able to make so many observations when I’m out there riding,” Ruegsegger said. “I might make it onto a decent stretch of road that I enjoy and it might lead to some creative prose that I can incorporate into an article.
It’s just me, the bike and my thoughts. I absolutely love it.”
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