052.MOLLY GILBERT
Empowered, Invincible, Sexy, Fun, Rock ’n Roll. These are just a few of the adjectives the one and only Molly Gilbert uses to describe her solo moto adventures around the country. She’s a real badass on two wheels and off.
What I like most about Molly’s traveling philosophy is that she doesn’t really have a destination in mind, and isn’t concerned about how many miles she’s ridden. It’s more experiential for her. Just go with the flow and the feeling. It’s the journey, not the data. I dig that.
When not on two wheels Molly is doing some damn good work for the world as the Director of Business Development at the PRIDE Institute. I’ll let her explain below:
Having years of personal, long term sobriety, which for me means I haven’t chosen to take a drink or drug for 34 years, I decided that although I loved the field of educational administration – something I have been involved with for my entire career - I knew I wanted to give back in a more tangible way. I had a best friend who had worked 10 years at a treatment center that was the first in the nation to offer substance abuse & co-occurring mental health treatment exclusively for the lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender community, right here in the Twin Cities! I had sponsored quite a few guys who were in treatment or had graduated from there, so was very familiar with it when they started to look for someone to fill my current position there. I had always viewed it, reputation-wise, as sort of the happier, louder, ‘gay version’ of Hazelden. (As an alum of Hazelden, I think it’s OK for me to say that…)
You see miracles take place at every treatment center, but the healing on so many different levels one sees at PRIDE is beyond my wildest expectations. The talent, genius, devastation and hope I am privileged to see in these clients eyes, is a gift unto itself.
As an Ally in the community that understands the processes of both addiction and recovery, I offer a unique perspective and background to my role as the Director of Business Development. I represent PRIDE Institute to many & varied organizations nationally & internationally, constantly working with physicians, urgent care/ER Rooms, prison staff and sadly, psych wards to inform them that there is an option of care for those in the LGBTQ+ community who may be struggling.
Having started in part as a response to the AIDS Crises in NYC back in the mid-1980’s, PRIDE takes a holistic approach in serving the LGBTQ+ population, offering Dual Diagnosis licensure, 24-hour nursing care in a retreat-like setting with a nationally recognized clinical staff. We offer trauma-informed care specializing in Crystal Meth and Sexual Compulsivity programming, with specialty groups such as Body Image, a Sexual Health program, HIV/AIDS Programming, a 3 day Chosen Family immersive weekend and PRIDE Sober Support Program. It’s a safe alternative to mainstream treatment programs that do not understand or address issues specific to LGBTQ+ individuals, and I find it to be immensely rewarding. As someone with a strong background in Higher Ed, I have a true passion for helping others learn and expand their minds
051.ROBERT KOLSTAD
Robert Kolstad: Public Defender, Activist, Teamsters Local 320 member, former big rig mechanic, and founder of The Experimental College of the Twin Cities. EXCO is: “a collective dedicated to supporting community initiated educational opportunities as a means for social change. Classes organized through EXCO are spaces of learning where people share their talents in an inclusive, open, non-hierarchical, and non-coercive setting.”
His winter Saturdays, are spent much like every other Saturday. Hanging out teaching folks how to work on motorcycles. Every year they work on a new build, last year’s emerald green and gold Triumph Bonneville is gorgeous. You may have seen it at the Bearded Lady or Konawerk’s at Grumpy’s where they brought home a few awards.
050.MIKE OSTROWSKI
Mike Ostrowski is a mellow soft spoken man of labor. He's been working the night shift as a Truck Mechanic for over 10 years. While we're all working, he's dreaming, and winter is when he makes those dreams a reality. This year it's a 2007 Harley Sportster 1200 that he is transforming into a Street Tracker with the help of his friend Troy Knutson. Troy is a fabricator and welder, who is kind enough to let Mike work out of a corner of his shop. The most innovative thing I was taken by is their plans for the oil tank. It is going to be re-located to the backbone of the frame (i.e inside frame tube) to allow for a single mono air shock setup. The upgraded Forks are off a Kawasaki ZX-10, and the Triple clamps from speed merchant stock sportster. 19" mag wheels front and rear fitted with Maxxis DTR-1 tires. Soon to come, a mounted aluminum subframe w-tail section, and their own custom exhaust design. Most likely 2 into 1 into 2. There's also plans to spice up the motor, but Mike is still sorting that out.
I love his design aesthetic. Like his previous winter project. A 2008 Triumph bonneville tracker with a killer custom exhaust made by Troy.
Keep an eye out for their Harley Street Tracker. Full on Hooligan style. It's gonna be sweet.
049.TOM OLSON
Tom Olson is a Honda man. 100%. He grew up riding the iron range trails with his brother Mike on a trail 90 similar to the one he's sitting on now. So when he got the bug to start riding again after a long hiatus - he had to get a Honda. This was before the vintage shops in town were around, no Blue Cat to help sort out a bike with problems. So he was on his own with this 450. That rebuild turned into an obsession and Tom started his collection that now includes some pretty sweet machines. My favorite is the XL 250R. Before the obsession could really take off though, he needed a shop. So he sold the new garage to his Wife and Kids under the guise of "a roller rink with a disco ball and we can have fun parties!" Garage was built, tools moved in, bike up on the lift, Tom's birthday rolls around he opens the box to find a disco ball only to respond with "what's this for?" -- "Roller parties Dad!" Classic!!
The garage is homebase for The Rusty Fenders, Tom, his brother Mike (from season one), and their friend Scott. They get through the winter with a few projects and kids running around playing music, ping pong, and dancing. This year Tom finished up an awesome 450 appropriately named "The Hooker" for it's classic exhaust. After his daughter took a photo of him hauling ass down the road on it, he said "I felt so cool, tucked in, throttle open... then I saw the picture... and I'm a giant on a mini-bike!" So, this winter he's transforming a size appropriate XR650L into a street bike. It's looking pretty damn cool so far. We'll have to check back in when it's done!
048.MOTORRAD
"When we're not working - We're riding". Rain, snow, or shine, the MotorRad crew is out there somewhere hitting corners. Over winter it’s more thriving than surviving. Once the ice is set, on a small lake just north of the cities, they plow out their course. Each year a different design inspired by a Moto GP track. This year it’s Philip Island. They're on the ice every Saturday.
During the week they spend time at their shop near the heart of old NE MPLS. Getting the TTR125’s ready for the next weekend rip. Turning screws, fixing levers, gluing grips. It’s a nice space for the four long time friends to toil away with tunes and cold beer.
They’ve been riding together since the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Adam Popp, former international Pro Vintage road racer. Rode for M3 Honda Racing on their infamous CR750, and still holds the Daytona track record for fastest lap on vintage. Always will. They changed the track since then.
Shawn Sheely, former national pro bmx and downhill racer who has always ridden motos - now spends more time on motos, but still enjoys the occasional downhill bomb or local mountain bike enduro. When not obsessively scrolling ebay for something new.
Scott Bodecker is not competitive, but rides motos and bikes and has a great collection of both.
The fourth partner Gene Oberpriller of One on One Bikes wasn’t able to make it out.
047.WELLES & GEO
I'm really honored to have met these two fine folks. Welles & George are Minneapolis Moto Royalty. I've been hearing stories about them since I moved here. They've had such a positive impact on the culture of this city, and some of the incredible people that we all ride with today. They are kind, funny, and share a deep love, knowledge, and passion for two wheeled machines.
Welles is a sculptor who now works in fundraising for the arts.
George is an Iowa farmboy, former professor of sociology and criminology, who worked as a research analyst after he left teaching. He soon left the "life of the mind" to work in the "life of the machine", as a buyer and parts man for Harley Davidson. Retired, he collects and restores vintage HD's and European motorcycles. His restorations are in private collections and museums around the world.
How Welles met George:
I bought my first bike in the summer of 1985. I had a Yamaha RD 200, no motorcycle experience, and I struggled to keep the 2 stroke engine in good working order.
I soon discovered inadvertently through the RD's super sensitive acceleration, that it was a wheelie monster. I was petrified every time I pulled a wheelie and kept stock still on the bike, which led to many long and spectacular wheelies, almost always unintentional.
The day I met George my bike had broken down, and I walked it over to some mutual friends' place for help. These moto boys, with their beautiful Bonnies, were constantly talking about George - how cool he was, what a genius he was, what amazing bikes he had - and I thought, pfffft- who cares?
So when I showed up with my dead bike they called Geo. He was the super cool genius everyone said, and I felt like a complete idiot. We tinkered on the bike which he brought it back to life without the slightest effort on his part. When I drove off, in attempt to regain some my self esteem, I pulled one of the very few deliberate wheelies I have ever done, and it was a half block beauty. 3 years later we married.
George's bikes -
1938 Harley 61" knucklehead
1942 Harley 74" knucklehead
1948 Harley 74" Panhead
1952 Vincent Black Shadow
1961 BMW R69S
1969 Triumph Bonneville
1973 Honda CL350
1978 Vespa P200
Welles's bikes -
1965 Solex Moped
1971 Gilera 106
1974 Triumph Daytona
1977 Batavus Moped
1978 Vespa Piaggio Bravo Moped
1987 Neval (Dnepr M-10) 650 with driven sidecar
046.JEREMIAH KANNE
It’s 22 degrees outside and there's no heat in this garage. Just a corner full of frozen flat track trophies and the soft hum of a fluorescent overhead light. “I don’t mind the cold.” Says Jeremiah Kanne. “It’s just my bad back, I gotta sit sometimes.” Come winter, most riders roll their bike into the garage, slide some carpet under the tires, hook up a tender to the battery, and call it done until its about 40 degrees out. Not Jeremiah. He’s one of the crazy ones who never misses a beat. Winter just means it’s time to change tires. “We gotta put these extra fenders on the front and back though, cause when you bump into another rider out on the ice, well… its all traction. If you catch someones pants with studded tires… it’s not pretty.”
Jeremiah grew up riding and racing dirt in the Mille Lacs area. Moved west for school living in California and Washington before coming back to Minnesota. As a successful tattoo artist he’s able to craft his schedule around his outdoor lifestyle. Splitting time between his place in the city and his property up north where he just finished building a small cabin with his own two hands. Of course the dirt track, complete with table tops and switch backs, was done first, you know, dude has his priorities straight.
When not fishing for salmon and steelhead he’s on the ice training for the John Larson Memorial Race, a seven hour endurance run, two guys, as many laps as possible. So the next time you’re out driving the back roads enjoying the snow covered landscape from the warmth of your Sunday cruiser. Look to your right, out to the middle of that frozen lake, and wave to the hooligans fun-hogging and flogging throttles wide open with frozen eye lashes and icicles in their beards. Here’s to the crazy ones. The ones grabbing Winter by the balls, and throwing a big fat Johnny Cash middle finger to the sub-zero windchill.
045.JEFF & SARAH BLANCH
Friendly conversation and laughter fill the warm garage of Moto Mutz and Ton Up Minneapolis members Jeff & Sara Blanch. A couple that started riding together just two weeks after they met. Jeff gave Sara her first bike. No stranger to the Minneapolis scene Jeff has been a Moto Mutz member for 20 years, and comes from a family of motorcyclists. His father was a well respected photographer and moto-enthusiast. After returning home to Minneapolis from the war he bought a few Harley Davidson’s. One for himself and one for his wife. Beautiful black and white photos from the era decorate the walls of their kitchen.
Continuing family tradition on two wheels, their daughter Noelani also rides. In place of the HD’s they all prefer to saddle up on European machines. Jeff on the one and only Triumph Street Triple and Sara on the timeless Ducati Monster. These machines are not just for looking pretty in town, they’ve done their fair share of traveling together. Most recently making the trek around Lake Superior. Preferring to take it easy and enjoy the scenery and their time together, not everyone shares their pace, but that’s cool with them. While you boogey ahead to tangle with the State Police they’ll be kicking back soaking up the vistas.
Over winter, the bikes get tucked away for maintenance and as active do-it-yourselfers they team up on projects like a recent kitchen remodel. Independently Jeff explores welding and metal work making lamps and things, while Sara likes to make quilts. A nice creative destress outlet from her day job as a nurse in the ER. They both share the chicken duties tending to their flock of five.
044.POOTER FITZGERALD
While most folks toil away in their garages, Pooter Fitzgerald is partying pro-level status from his heated, total secure, indoor clubhouse with enough room to fire up the dirt bike and pull a few wheelies in-between Far Cry sessions with his buddies. Which makes sense, this dude is a full throttle personality stoked on life. Born and raised on the east side of St. Paul, 16 days after high school graduation he shipped off for 4 years in the Navy. Spent a year in Florida on his mountain bike, a few years in Kansas as a jet mechanic building Learjets, and now he works outside everyday on the rails for BNSF. “I fucking hate cubicles.” But he loves two wheels. He still remembers his first BMX bike, and rides his bicycle to work year round. No finicky vintage machines for this man. Turn key speed and performance required. Stunt rider, flat tracker, super moto, motocross, ice racing, and Jedi-level scooter racing, jumping, drifting you-name-it-if-it-can-be-done-on-a-scooter he can do it better, faster, bigger than you.
He is also responsible for one of my favorite bikes of 2015. A super clean custom HD Sportster with the 883 EVO engine. Fitted with a Roland Sands exhaust, raw brushed aluminum tank, and just the right amount of black powder coat. Looks good, sounds good. This winter he has already finished cleaning up a 2000 955i Triumph Speed Triple with the help of his friends at Blue Cat, and is getting ready to put some fresh studded knobbies on his new Honda 250 for some quality ice shredding. In the meantime it’s all Far Cry and High Life.
043.HAI TRUONG
A lot of words have been written about Hai Truong. The Celebrated Chef and owner of Ngon Bistro in Frogtown has been heavily covered in the press over the years. Most recently with a multi-page spread in the Start Tribune where we learned about his childhood moving from from Vietnam at a young age, growing up in the restaurant business, studying economics and sculpture at the University of Minnesota, only to quit his job as a stock broker and return to the creative fire of the kitchen. His kitchen. His restaurant. That his wife designed, and he built.
So last night when I’m standing in the middle of his Moto Chateau with his son buzzing around excitedly, screaming “I want to help! What can I do?”… His Motorhugger crew chatting over cold beers warmed by the propane heater… all I could think of was Matthew Crawford’s book Shop Class as Soulcraft. I think Hai really represents the spirit of that book.
“The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on. Boasting is what a boy does, because he has no real effect in the world. But the tradesman must reckon with the infallible judgment of reality, where one’s failures or shortcomings cannot be interpreted away. His well-founded pride is far from the gratuitous “self-esteem” that educators would impart to students, as though by magic.”
“When the point of education becomes the production of credentials rather than the cultivation of knowledge, it forfeits the motive recognized by Aristotle: "All human beings by nature desire to know.”
Hai has an insatiable desire to know, to make, to be creative. His hands are never idle. He can point to any one of his vintage collection of bikes or cars, and say “it runs” (well, if it’s not in pieces). Some are even beautifully customized like his all aluminum Norton with hand tooled leather named Margaret Thatcher.
This winter, he’s got his attention focused on a pre-unit triumph that he plans to run at Bonneville in the near future. Maybe I’ll tag along, and photograph the man with beer in hand as he points to the machine. “The motorcycle runs. Fast as hell!” Then capture that big hearty chuckle. Right before he snaps a signature selfie with his son in the background and posts it up on instagram.
042.NICK HUBER
When your first word is 'airplane' it's not surprising that by age 16 you're flying gliders and by 18 you have your private pilots license. Since day one Nick Huber has been driven to fly. His dream became his passion, and he turned that passion into a profession. Living in Seattle Nick built up his hours flying the night shift on Cargo runs. Eventually graduating to Private Corporate Travel in small super fast jets. Nick loves speed, fast planes, fast motorcycles, and he was even a competitive cyclist. After an intense health scare Nick was unable to fly for a few years. So, he moved back to Minneapolis and got to work with his family at Huber's Imported Car Service. I don't know what the motorcycle scene would be like here without him.
He's the Mayor of Moto in Minneapolis. Knows everybody here in town, and keeps 'em tight by organizing regular events at Bryant Lake Bowl, his garage, a frozen lake, or dirt track. With his easy going smile and hearty laugh Nick pulls all walks of life together over a shared love for two wheels. Also a master mechanic - with a quiver full of the finest machines of desire. Moto Guzzi, BMW, Triumph, Suzuki, Kawi, Honda, Husky, and Bultaco, and Yamaha. The Suzuki isn't his though, that's his wife Suzanne's bike - she likes to rip around the dirt track! Currently on the lift is his latest project an R50/2 with an upgraded R75 motor complete with these super cool tear drop side cases. Can't wait to see him fire it up, grinning ear to ear, and roll on down the road with his signature vintage goggles white and gold checkered helmet, and that big ole happy smile.
