…we admit it. Our visit at Juneau Avenue was far from being overly extensive. But H-D’s big new museum is scheduled to open later this year, so our short obeisance should do for this time. And besides we have something planned for tomorrow, something very fast.

So quickly look for a hotel,over the street into the next still-open-but-will-close-soon-diner

and there it is: the full 8-dollar-all-you-can-eat-sushi-shrimps-dumpling-wantan-fries-salad-seafood-program.

Belch. Good nite. Get a-snore. And sweet dreams of motors, oil and gasoline.

Viola is located in Wisconsin anyway, and so we did it:

Stay overnight somewhere.

Get the scooters ready.

Roll.

Up the road.

And kazoom - we are there.

Harley Davidson Inc., 3700 W Juneau Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A quick pic.

And off we scoot.

Viola, Wisconsin - and then some miles off the main road: the fastest, most horsepowered ranch worldwide: S&S Cycles.

After a short coffee-talk in the S&S-showroom/museum…

…Scott Sjovall is our welcome-committee and he is showing us around. With Scott being the vice-president in charge of product-development even the most secret doors opened for us and we felt we could boldly go where no mere mortal has gone before.

The endurance-test bed under natural conditions - and with a datastring attached to the computer (which they keep indoors))

Now it’s time to change the rubbers

Pros at work made the tire-job a quick one and we rolled out from the ranch double quick, Milwaukee bound. Thanks to all ladies and gents at S&S Cycles, you have treated us nicely!

In a double sense: truck and bikes. Despite of the winterly images around us, studded tires are no longer the choice of the thinking rider. But, as we are far from there, why not go to Viola, Wisconsin. Rumours go a trustworthy, world class bike-shop is located over there. Maybe they have some kind of garage, where we can change the studded rubbers for regular ones. And here’s the plan: Let’s go.

Tell them that you carry wheat-beer like the law told you to. Then you will be treated well.

You will be accommodated at Senada & Als Bed & Breakfast Butterfly Inn,

Bob Chantland will have Waggonwheel-Pizzas being brought when no Call-a-Pizza is available, Al’s wife Senada will serve you family brewed Slivovitz from Sarajevo, you will play the “Hooking”-Game with Al in his basement,
And at night you will lay down your head in wonderful rooms,

and be served the Muffin-before-breakfast-Muffin and well tendered steaks with stuffed mushrooms.

That’s how life can be as long as you have the Chantlands on your side.

The average reader of these electronic pages may not have been too often in contact with the name of the city of Montrose, Minnesota, but the dedicated aficionado of slightly-beyond-sell-by-date motorcycles will feel forced to circle the city of Montrose on his map or globe with a fat red marker, after having seen what follows now - and will try to pay the Chantland Bros. a visit when in the US the next time. Please note that it is absolutely and definitely necessary to bring along a well-assorted collection of german wheat-beer to get even close to what comes next:

Motorbikes of any age, spread over what seems like millions of square feet.

Two identical Indians, as bought from a dealer’s garage, one with a mileage of 2 (in words: two), the other with … that’s right: 8 miles on the odometer!

A Harley Sportster K-Model - but with an Ariel-engine, whoever may have had such an idea:

A drag-bike with two Triumph-engines:

A dragster with a Vincent-engine with compressor.

The - to quote Mr. Bob Chantland, father of the infamous Chantland Bros. - Holy Grail of the worshipping of american motorcycles: a Cyclone - with motor (Spare-motor availabe on request)

Also there at the same location:

We close this chapter with a legend that comes in a believe-one-get-one-free-package: for an american celebrity known from the TV-Screen, the Chantland Bros. are re-constructing a Brough Superior - yes, Mr. Knowsbest, it’s the machine that Lawrence of Arabia used to race against a mate on a plane, over 70 miles and Lawrence won. Talking about reconstruction: discovering that most of the original parts were too shot to stand a single ride anymore, Sid and Scott Chantland are building everything, from screws, bolts, even a whole tank from scratch. So far we are able to show the frame (Left side in the foreground).

Aren’t you all glad now that Sid always keeps a couple of mouse traps handy to discourage the mice from nibblin’ on a couple of low mileage Indians and TV celebrity Brough Superiors?

You’re not gonna believe this. We are rolling from Duluth to Montrose in Minnesota, home of the legendary Chantland brothers - at least it sounded legendary when Paul talked about those good ol’ days, when they met at a bike show somewhere in the US of A. Paul was kinda thirsty when he saw this guy with a glass full of wheat-beer… but first:

organize neat souvenirs…

Improve vision…

zoom through numberless villages…

finally we are there - at the barycentre of wheat beer in Northern America. For a welcome drink we looted the wheat beer stock.

And then Sid Chantland showed us his collection of antique … wait for it … mousetraps!

And cheers …

We received a lot of letters in the last hours: why a post about Aerostich? Because this Duluth, Minnesota (N 46° 46.190 W 92° 07.175) based outfit American-made the special overalls (not the jackets, btw, these are by Canada Goose) for the Ice Road Riders, to the specifications from the Wrecking Crew. On the last trip to Patagonia, we also used Aerostich equipment, and based on the good experiences made there, we came back for more.

Better than 30 hours in the truck: late check-in, early check-out. Sleeping in the hotel gives the Wrecking Crew strength and pleasant odoriferousness.

Smelling good is important, because today the Wrecking Crew pays an official visit to Aerostich , manufacturer of fine motorcycle-suits and international distributor of motorcycle accessories. The Wrecking Crew were welcomed by charming Lynn Wisneski, standing in for Aerostich’s boss Andy Goldfine, who was out fishing. Lynn took the visitors on a nice and entertaining guided tour along the production lines of the famous Roadcrafter motorcycle-suit.

It’s quite logical that at Aerostich there are some details from the design and the production that are not meant for the general public. See our entertainment-programm in the meantime.

For all those who might not be so familiar with Aerostich, for example because of the lack of a motorcycle: it might give you an idea how famous the Roadcrafter among bikers is that it was copied with duct-tape by an obviously slightly misguided fan:

To get an idea, here’s the original:

And then there it was again: the road called for us - erm, it roared. Time to say goodbye. And thank you. To Lynn and all the others at Aerostich, the guys and gals that kept us warm at 40 below.

And then:

Fingertipps that were cut off and sacrificed in the proper inuit-way are renewable. Here you see a fingertip shortly before it’s eclosion.