[PhilBoncer]

It may be snowing in other odd places, but it's 65°F in freaking Minneapolis, MN! (Which is good, because that's where I am right now, for a new job assignment.)

I may have to buy a car for staying the winter, though. It's been 30 years since I owned a car for the purpose of transportation.

Here's how I got here, on Thursday:

PhilB

 

[ray916mn]

Congrats! Pretty easy city to get around without a car. If you're not in the city proper, you've got about another month or two for the snow to make riding impossible. Once it snows, even though it is possible to ride after the roads are clear, the salt will destroy your bike unless you cover it in grease and don't wash it.

You're more than welcome to use my shop if you need it while you're in the area.

 

[wwahl]

I lived in Duluth MN and graduated from UMD. My commute vehicle was a BSA Spitfire with universal trials tires all year round. This was back in 1957 - 1961. You can bike year round by just gritting your teeth. After learning that lesson I moved to the Seattle area. Year around motorcycling is no problem here.

 

[58 burst]

Get a car it will be safer & warmer !!

 

[JACKIE TREEHORN]

Lots of cool little events that go on, I'm sure Ray can fill you in bether than me, as i think a lOT of the places I went to when i lived there are gone. I always liked 3rd Thursday at the Blue Cat motorcycle shop. Little get together, some neat hardware shows up. Depending on where you are, I can gI've you some fun recommendations for eating/ drinking. Northeast mpls, and lowertown st paul are some of my favorite spots. As for riding, following the river, and hitting some alphabet roads on the 'Sconi side always fun. Too bad you came at this time of year, you're a few months late to really get to enjoy MN. Which is why I moved to somewhere that it's always like that.:laugh:

Feel free to pm me with any questions.

 

[PhilBoncer]

Lots of cool little events that go on, I'm sure Ray can fill you in bether than me, as i think a lOT of the places I went to when i lived there are gone. I always liked 3rd Thursday at the Blue Cat motorcycle shop. Little get together, some neat hardware shows up. Depending on where you are, I can gI've you some fun recommendations for eating/ drinking. Northeast mpls, and lowertown st paul are some of my favorite spots. As for riding, following the river, and hitting some alphabet roads on the 'Sconi side always fun. Too bad you came at this time of year, you're a few months late to really get to enjoy MN. Which is why I moved to somewhere that it's always like that.:laugh:

Feel free to pm me with any questions.

Kind of funny you're in San Diego, since that's where I'm from, originally. I grew up in Carlsbad, and most of my family is in the San Diego area, although I moved to NH a few years ago.

The job project here is supposed to run at least 6 months, maybe longer, so I should still be here in the spring to enjoy the area.
I sent you a PM to ask for info; I'll send one to Ray as well.

Thanks,
PhilB

 

[PhilBoncer]

Congrats! Pretty easy city to get around without a car. If you're not in the city proper, you've got about another month or two for the snow to make riding impossible. Once it snows, even though it is possible to ride after the roads are clear, the salt will destroy your bike unless you cover it in grease and don't wash it.

You're more than welcome to use my shop if you need it while you're in the area.

PM sent. Thanks for your offer! My job project is in Eden Prairie, for the next 6 months, maybe longer.

Thanks,
Phil

 

[JACKIE TREEHORN]

While I'm not the best guide for the west side of town, I can give you some good spots in both downtowns. Decided to respond in your thread instead of a pm, so the current loclas can add in. Here's my hit list.

St Paul

My favorite steak place is Mancini's. I concede it may not be the best place, but it is a landmark in St Paul, and has a real old skool vibe to it. Plus, my grandpa did the plumbing in it way back when, so there's that. Lots of history there.

Fun bar/restaurants
Lucky's 13

Ox cart (great patio in the summer)

Brunsons pub

Shamrocks (ask for a "westy")

Sweeney's

The Gopher bar (a real St Paul shit house bar, hold on to your hat, the drinks are stroooong, and the employees/ clientele are great people watching)

Carbones pizza on Randolph Ave is another St Paul landmark

Places to visit

I love the science museum, and the MN historical museum. Always something cool there.

Minnesota music cafe- always some good music in there.

Lots of old Chicago mob connections, Google for interesting spots to see.




Minneapolis

I'm a Nordeast guy. You can go down there, walk around, and take days finding all kinds of fun bars/ interesting spots. It's a real cool, old skool town. If you have a bicycle, there's trails that can take you anywhere. Along the riverfront on Washington ave, there's some real cool artsy stuff to see.

Jimmy's- My favorite bar around. Id move it here if i could. Working class joint, lots of fun people, a jack and coke is a jack with a splash of coke just to say it's there. And you can get cheesy poofs and cocktail weeners to complete your fine dining experience.

Psycho suzies- fun place

Tony Jarros- see Jimmy's above. Have a couple greenies/ call Uber

Draft Horse- hole in the wall/ food is fan_tas_tic. I feel like Anthony Bourdain in there. The cheesy broccoli is so good, I'd send for it here if I could

Mayslacks - no one beats Stan's meat (you'll get if you go there ) great sammies, bands play there, cool vibe

331 club- some good bands roll through

Mckenzies downtown- just a hole in the wall with absolutely fantastic burgers/sammies

Bunkers music bar and grill- some crazy good local bands go there. Sunday nights you get a lot of blues rock stuff. A must see

My favorite Italian place is in Ramsey, it's called Buena Serra. It's not much to look at, but it's got real good food.

First Ave - MN music landmark, lots of good music. Bunch of other good venues I can't remember the names of for music down there. Grab the city pages, it tells where stuff is happening.

You should try and get a hold of the DOOM guys on Facebook. Bunch of ducati wierdos, they get together for races and stuff like that. John Meyer is the dark lord of DOOM, I'd bet they would like to meet a guy that has your stories. I'm sure Ray can hook you up.

I'm forgetting a bunch, feel free to ask aboot anything. And if you're in SOCAL, look me up. I usually have two of the three in the fleet running. You're welcome to go for a ride with me out to Julian or Idyl wild.

Good luck, stay warm (sucker:grin2

 

[gamingthemarket]

There are several freeze, thaw, freeze cycles that run Dec. until April. The roads will be shit until we get the first series of strong spring rainstorms. I have made the mistake of taking the bike out in March while there is still snow on the curbs. A two hour ride can lead to a two hour cleanup. We are a few weeks from the first major snow, which typically generates 400+ accidents in a single day. I do not advise riding when it is below freezing with any moisture present. Even in a car, it is easy to slide through intersections and freeway interchanges. The idiots out here will barely see a Harley on a good day because they are always on their phones. They are blind to naked sportbikers. Be very careful at intersections. Everyone will do every illegal dumb move you can imagine. They love to jump lefts off a green, make illegal rights, park in the middle of blind corners, and wait in intersections. Then there's the cyclists. I hit one my second summer here. Ride safe.

 

[JACKIE TREEHORN]

@phil Bonner - Whatever became of your MN experience? Color me interested in your experiences of my hometown.

 

[PhilBoncer]

@phil Bonner - Whatever became of your MN experience? Color me interested in your experiences of my hometown.

I'm still here, the job project is still going. I ended up buying a car to get through the winter -- a 2002 Mini Cooper S, which handled it all admirably. I stored the bike over the winter at MotoPrimo. Just got it back out, and am ready to go riding some places.

I've been enjoying my time here. Good people, fun places. I mostly stayed at an airbnb in Minnetonka; now I'm a bit northeast of there, about where the 55 and the 100 meet. It was a real winter, definitely colder than it gets in NH.

Don't know how much longer I'll be here; might be just a couple more weeks. Or maybe they'll hire me to do some more things. We'll see.

PhilB

 

[JACKIE TREEHORN]

I'm still here, the job project is still going. I ended up buying a car to get through the winter -- a 2002 Mini Cooper S, which handled it all admirably. I stored the bike over the winter at MotoPrimo. Just got it back out, and am ready to go riding some places.

I've been enjoying my time here. Good people, fun places. I mostly stayed at an airbnb in Minnetonka; now I'm a bit northeast of there, about where the 55 and the 100 meet. It was a real winter, definitely colder than it gets in NH.

Don't know how much longer I'll be here; might be just a couple more weeks. Or maybe they'll hire me to do some more things. We'll see.

PhilB

Make sure to hit some of the alphabet roads on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi, some real fun riding. Also some good roads if you head south of stillwater on the MN side. Lots of cool little towns to stop and grab a bite or a beer. I think it's Co Rd O south of Prescott WI that's a real good one.

 

[MarcoGtv6]

Do the Welch to Vasa run just west of Red Wing and the alphabets behind Stockholm and Pepin on the WI side....and all ways expect gravel lurking behind corners.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cavman 69]

are still in town? if so you NEED to go the Blind Lizards Mortorcycle Ralley on Nicolette Island in Minneapolis this weekend Father's Day. it's the get together of the year....

 

[ray916mn]

Bauhaus Brew Labs vintage bike night after 6PM Thursday.
AMCA/VJMC Vintage Bike show at the MN State Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday
Blind Lizard Motorcycle Rally on Nicollet Island on Sunday morning

 

[PhilBoncer]

Thanks all! My job project is winding down; but I'll be here for about another month.

See y'all around,
PhilB