Gophers and Cheese

Here's my last batch of photos from the Polar Devils Vintage Racing last Saturday.  It was all fun and games until the vehicles started breaking down and the cops showed up.  Isn't that always the way??? I found a good spot to get a lot of the photos you see below, far away from the crowd, but found it odd when the cars and bikes stopped going by.  It was about 12:30 and the event was supposed to go from 10-3.  I walked back towards the starting line area and overheard people saying the event was shut down for lack of permits and saw a Sheriff on a snowmobile that seemed to be telling people to leave (last photo) so I headed out.  I have since heard it was due to COVID restrictions, not permit issues. I'll admit that it was nice to be out - to see, hear, and smell motorcycles and hot rods again.  Hopefully it was a small taste of things to come but, in the mean time, stay safe out there and try to look forward to fun days ahead.

While they weren't actually racing each other, occasionally seeing cars and bikes side-by-side on the track reminded me of Moto Mania.  This event actually had a bit of that Moto Mania fun-and-free-for-all vibe.  The only real restriction was trying to limit it to pre-1955 vehicles.  That didn't stop one or two newer models from sneaking onto the track but most seemed period correct.

Here are more photos from the Polar Devils Vintage Racing on Saturday.  There was a wide array of unique vehicles, all set up for snow and ice.  Towards the end of this set, you'll see Kevin Baas riding around on his knucklehead with a checkered flag.  I initially thought he was just holding it but I later saw a video where someone tossed the flag up in the air and it amazingly landed perfectly in his forks, as you'll see in the photos.  He rode a few laps like that.

After a few bitterly cold weeks here in Minnesota, the weather on Saturday could almost be described as beautiful, even though it was still below freezing.  It was sunny and felt warm(ish) but I was layered up.  The event drew a good-sized crowd, including families.  While it was outdoors, I still did my best to keep a safe distance from others.  I took most of my photos farther down the track, away from the crowded starting line.

On Saturday, February 20th, I headed just south of the cities for the first motorcycle event I've attended in over a year, ice racing on a frozen lake.  Under the banner of the Polar Devils, vintage (pre-1955) motorcycles and hot rods took to the ice for a little fun.  Over the rest of the week, I'll share a bunch of photos so check back daily.

2020 sucked. Don't get me wrong, there were some good things about it, but it was bad for motorcycle-related stuff.  Most events were cancelled, blah blah blah...  I don't have to tell you.  You know. Anyway, I went to my first motorcycle event in over a year yesterday (Polar Devils Vintage Racing) and have the itch to post some photos because I took a ton.   Look for those over the coming days.  The blog has not been well maintained (obviously) and probably won't be again.  It's extremely time consuming. If you want current stuff, just follow me on Instagram (@gophersandcheese) or Facebook.  That said, this blog remains a great place to archive and organize large groups of photos from past events so you may still see a rare post here and there (no promises).  If you want to relive local events from 5-10 years ago, then look no further - this is the spot. The store (Cheese Shop) is closed for now so I removed the links.  If you just can't...

I threw the banana ski on the Evil Monkey (my 1976 Honda Z50) and rode around on Saturday.  The snow was deep so I carved a track with my snow thrower.

I wasn't sure if I was going to attend the 2019 Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Minneapolis this year so I didn't apply for a press pass.  It had nothing to do with the show (I've attended every year since 2007) and more about this winter bumming me out.  The best thing about this particular show is it's timing - right in the middle of winter, when you can't ride (unless you have studded tires).  At least you can walk around, look at bikes, and sit on bikes.  It gets you looking forward to Spring.  I made the last-minute decision to go and took my son.

After watching Flat Out Friday live streaming last night, I think I was inspired to get outside and ride.  I carved a track in the backyard with my snowthrower, put my studded tire on the Evil Monkey, and had a blast.  My daughter took the riding photos.

The Mama Tried Motorcycle Show isn't just a bike show, it's a full weekend experience.  When you consider the show itself, Flat Out Friday , a visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum , multiple concerts, and ice riding on Slippery Sunday (weather permitting... and it did not cooperate last year), you really can't ask for more.  I'm bummed I'm missing it this year but I hope everyone that attends has a blast.  The last few years will be hard to beat, but the show seems to get better every year.  Have fun everyone!  I'll leave you with some photos of One (Metallica tribute) and Weedeater at last year's show.

Wrapping up my photo coverage of last year's Mama Tried Motorcycle Show .  This year's show is only a few days away!

Lots more photos from Mama Tried 2018. If you're anywhere near Milwaukee, the 2019 show is this weekend!

Here's a bunch of photos from the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show in 2018.  Remember that this year's show is THIS WEEKEND!  I was lucky enough to have early access so you'll see a lot of photos during setup and without the crowd.  Once the door opened, it got packed.  The Rave Eagles Club was an outstanding venue and I think it made for some great photos but I'll let you be the judge.  I took way too many photos to try to organize them by bike. They're pretty much in the order I took them, revisiting some bikes over and over and over again.

One last post from Flat Out Friday 2018 and then we'll get onto the big show.  I''ll start with a center-track, almost-up-the-nose selfie.

More Flat Out Friday 2018 photos!!!  It was a fantastic experience taking photos from inside the track.

Flat Out Friday 2019 is only a few days away and it's an awesome way to kick off the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show .  Here are a bunch of photos from last year!... starting with a birdhouse.

Mama Tried and Flat Out Friday is this coming weekend (2/15-2/17/2019) in Milwaukee, WI.  I guess it's about time I post photos from last year.  I had a blast (as usual) and took literally thousands of photos.  Unfortunately, I can't attend the show this year but I had lots of fun looking through the pics from last year.  You can look forward to seeing a few hundred posted here over the next few days starting... now. I took the following photos at the Mama Tried bike night at the Harley-Davidson Museum Thursday night before the races and show began.

If you've been following the blog for a while, you should know I'm a fan of Zac Doom ( Heavy Clothing , Full Tilt Boogie Chopper Show , Show Class Magazine , and Heavy Thursdays at The Joint ).  It sounds like he was just diagnosed with West Nile Virus that resulted in encephalitis.  I've always hated mosquitoes (they sure seem to like me though) but the worst I ever got was a bunch of itchy bites (I have a bunch right now).  What Zac got is WAY more serious and his friends set up a Go Fund Me to help support him (link below).  Here are a couple of photos from the G&C archive:

I rode my Road King to Heavy Thursday at The Joint earlier this month.  This year marks 10 years since I bought it.

I've been attending the Rockers Spring Social, hosted by Ton Up Minneapolis , since it started in 2013.  It's always a great show if you're into cafe racers, vintage, and garage-built bikes.