Women on wheels in central Illinois

DECATUR, Ill. | If you watch the TV show "Sons of Anarchy" on FX, you see women are never invited to meetings and don't wear the patch. They're relegated to the background at best. Granted, the show is about over-the-top outlaws, but basically, that part is accurate.

Women on wheels in central Illinois

Tracie Cook, left, of Petersburg, Ill., and Tracy Cooley, of Springfield, pose on their motorcycles near Niantic, Ill. The two women are trying to start a local chapter of the national organization Women on Wheels.

Sports team license plates for motorcycles are now on sale

SPRINGFIELD | Motorcycle license plates featuring professional sports teams from Chicago went on sale Friday.

Daniels leads 700 in final motorcycle ride as governor

INDIANAPOLIS | Seated atop his Harley-Davidson, Gov. Mitch Daniels led a pack of nearly 700 roaring motorcycles from the Statehouse to French Lick on Friday on his annual ride to raise money for Indiana National Guard families.

Many new state laws take effect Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS | The Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly approved and Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels signed 161 bills into law this year. Most take effect Sunday.

Bikers bask in mild Illinois winter

Gary Trimmer, of Mount Zion, Ill., puts four new tires on a Kawasaki ATV at World of Powersports in Decatur, Ill.

Bikers bask in mild Illinois winter

Aaron Davis, of Mount Pulaski, Ill., replaces the spark plugs on a new Spyder at World of Powersports in Decatur, Ill. For mechanics, the unseasonable warm weather has been cause of a busy season, but also a profitable one.

Bikers bask in mild Illinois winter

DECATUR, Ill. | Warm weather usually brings with it the familiar roar of exhaust pipes as motorcycle riders awaken their slumbering bikes for another season. This past winter never really saw a stop to the riding season, though, and it's been cause for both joy and caution.

Motorcycle mamas: Women bikers take to the road in record numbers

Deanie Wright, a retired NIPSCO worker who owns an embroidery shop in Merrillville, had never been on a motorcycle — either as a driver or a rider. She was 64 and sewing for members of motorcycle groups, listening to them talk about their love of the road.

Candidate financial disclosure among 23 laws Daniels signs

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mitch Daniels signed 23 bills into law on Friday, including a measure sponsored by region lawmakers promoting government transparency.

End to ban on Sunday motorcycle sales headed to governor

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mitch Daniels, who routinely travels the state on a motorcycle painted with images from the state flag, soon will decide whether motorcycles can be sold on Sundays in Indiana.

House committee OKs Sunday motorcycle sales

INDIANAPOLIS | A plan to permit Sunday motorcycle sales in Indiana is zooming toward the legislative finish line.

Lawmakers may lift Sunday motorcycle sales ban

INDIANAPOLIS | If a Hoosier wants to buy a motorcycle from a dealer on a Sunday, he or she must buy all the parts separately and walk them to the service area for assembly before being able to ride off.

Indiana legislative session likely a ticket for a wild ride

INDIANAPOLIS | Lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Wednesday for an 11-week roller coaster ride of a session whose twists and turns could leave some Hoosiers wanting to throw up when it's all over.

Hammond man's bike featured in Snap-on calendar

Gary Gleason's love for motorcycles started with an orange mini bike the Hammond resident owned as a youngster. As an adult his ownership of an orange custom chopper has netted him an exclusive slot on the 2011 Snap-on Tools calendar.