Age: 65 (turns 66 Friday).

Training: "You're always fixing things on the farm, so it was a natural. I got to be pretty handy when I got my own car because I was burning those tires off pretty regular."

Status: Girlfriend of 11 years, Dawn Williams.

His commute: He usually drives rather than bikes from his Brooklyn Park home to his shop in Blaine, because he often is "hauling parts all over the place" during the day, but primarily so he can bring his two Shih-Poos (Shih-Tzu/poodle mix), Allie and Ruby, to work. "Some of that might change with this gas [price] thing."

On his need for speed: "I don't have to go 100, but I like going from 20 to 70 [snaps fingers] like that. To me, there's a point where it diminishes. I like that acceleration, that torque, that brute horsepower."

On whether he fits the biker image: "I've never worn a black leather jacket in my life. And right now I don't even wear black shorts. I wear my hair long, and I used to use Brylcreem, and I was very Elvis Presley. But I never did feel real hood-y."

BILL WARD