PLEASE NOTE:

The St. Charles bike show dates have changed to Feb. 11-12

Here's a Sampling of the Bike Show Issue's Features:

Paint Fest
Panel Jam 2011
?Back in 1992 I organized an association of pinstripers called PINHEADS, which stood for (Pinstripers International Network of Historic Exotic Artistic Design Stylists.) Before that there was a group of sign painters gathering together to help each other gain knowledge and preserve many of the techniques used throughout history in their field, they called themselves "Letterheads." When a group of pinstripers got together at one of these events naturally they became known as Pinheads. . . . Page 8

Motorcycling in Arkansas
?From the top of the Crescent Hotel to the bottom of the "Pig Trail" on Arkansas Highway 23, the Eureka Springs Backroads Route from Harrison, Arkansas, is a memorable route you will want to take. This 132 mile (roundtrip) ride has 571 curves to keep you occupied, with the estimated time at just under five hours. . ..Page 10

?St. Charles Harley-Davidson
Opens New Store
?St. Charles Harley-Davidson just opened a brand new facility right next door to their Big St. Charles Motorsports dealership. The new 36,000 square-foot Harley dealership provides twice the space for new Harleys, more service, more parts and accessories, more motorclothes, and more parties. Still in the easy to find location on the north side of I-70 at the Cave Springs Overpass Exit 225, the new St. Charles Harley officially opened their doors December 12. It's good to see the expansion of a Harley dealership despite the current state of the economy. . .12

Ladies Who Ride-Sara Shope
?WOW, readers of Wide Open are in for a treat this month with service women and motorcycle rider extraordinaire, Sara Shope! In an early morning phone interview while she was on her way to work on a military base, we spoke. Sara is a motorcycle rider and has been most of her life. She started riding as a kid with her older brother and 2 boy cousins on her grandfather's farm in Cedar City, Utah. They rode little Hondas around the farm helping to put out irrigation and exploring the property. The more we talked I could tell she was a pretty skilled rider and I attributed it to starting off riding with these 3 guys. When she was a little older, Sara rode quads and dirt bikes in Oregon. In 2000 she had a period of time she hadn't ridden and she was seeing her now-husband John, when he offered to let her ride a brand new Road Glide to go to a friend's house to watch a fireworks display. She has been riding since then and makes me jealous telling me the different bikes that she has access to ride. .. .Page 14

Kansas CIty Veterans Rides to Remember
?The National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri was one of the destinations for one group of Kansas City motorcycle riders and veterans in observance of this year's Veterans Day. Luckily for Kansas City area riders, we had three Veterans Day rides on three different days, this past November. The weather was nearly ideal for a layer of leather to keep you quite comfortable. . . Page 16

Jeff Fritz's Bagger
?The old phrase goes "you can never have too many friends." Well, in my personal opinion, it is a huge bonus if one of those friends is an accomplished custom motorcycle builder. Jeff Fritz, or just plain Fritz to his friends, happens to be a guy with just such an added bonus. Fritz has the good fortune to be buddies with Paul Harper, Chris Campbell, and the crew down at Turkey Creek Cycles (TCC). Not a bad choice in friends at all... . .Page 19

Wide Open Bike Shows 2012
?Ok folks strap in and hang on, it's that time of year again. As your read this, our Kansas City show is either a couple days away, or if you are slow to pick up your issue, it might be underway. If you happen to miss out on Kansas City you can always catch us at our St. Louis Show in February on the 11th and 12th. Remember now, we have a new home for our Kansas City show at the Overland Park International Trade Center in Overland Park. Don't worry though, both shows will have FREE parking. . .Page 26

Facelift
?The gorgeous bagger you see before you has a very interesting history. That history begins with some names from the not-so-distant past. Names like Kim Suter and KC Creations. While these names are very familiar to many of you, and most of you also know that Paul Harper was the man in charge of many award winning builds out of this shop, some of our newer readers may need to be brought up to speed.. . .Page 30

Bagillac
?Damn I like this bike!
With every new trend that comes down the pike in regards to custom motorcycles, an unavoidable pitfall sooner or later stymies many builders. In their quest to push the design envelope, sooner or later form becomes secondary to function.. . . Page 34

Plus a whole lot more...