Jeopardy-winning, rock-n'-roll-playing, James T. shares his moto experiences both on and off the road.
Tell us about your riding experience. How long have you been riding, and how many bikes have you owned? How did you first become interested in riding?
My first bike: a Suzuki 50 step-thru at age 14. Most fun I've ever had! My friend had a Honda 160 Dream and lived on a farm where the highway in front was closed for a year for reconstruction—it was our 12 mile playground! I'm now 68, so I've been riding for 54 years. I've owned every Japanese make, a Harley, Moto Guzzi, Victory, and now ride a Triumph. All were like people, with different personalities and all.
Have you taken any long moto trips? Tell us about them: where did you go, where did you stay, who did you ride with?
Every year I take a solo ride to get away from…I mean, let my wife have some alone time. My favorite trip was riding the entire border of Michigan along the Great Lakes. I try to stay at Airbnbs, which is a wonderful experience in itself. Also southeast Missouri and Northern Arkansas have great backroads. Make sure to hit Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It's like being in a European village.
Tell us some more about you. Where do you live? What kind of work do you do?
I'm a retired truck driver from Polk City, Iowa. I've tried for years to get the city to add an "A" to the water tower so we could be "Polka City" but no luck. I'm also an ongoing, long-haired rock n' roll hippie trying to revive the genre. Wanna join me?
What are your hobbies, what do you enjoy doing when you're not riding?
I'm a Rock n' Roll Jeopardy winner and music collector and listener. But, not many good ol' rock bands left and I'm sad about that.
Tell us about your experiences with Twisted Road, as either an owner, as a rider, or both. What do you enjoy most about being part of our community?
I flew to Vegas once and rented a beautiful Harley and rode the region. Took a carry-on bag with a few essentials & no clothes. Bought some $2 tourist t-shirts and 2 pairs of thrift-shop jeans then brought them home for shop rags.
What are your favorite rides near your hometown?
Northeast Iowa is called Little Switzerland. It's got beautiful scenery and each little town has a church with a high steeple seen for miles. A ride up one side of the Mississippi and down the other is a bucket-list destination.
Last question: where do you hope to ride one day?
From the northwestern tip of Washington along the Pacific Coast to Baja California.
