The best time to ride a motorcycle in Iowa

Iowa's calendar runs on the farm year, and riders feel it. Spring is planting, when tractors and tanks crawl along county roads. Summer is heat, humidity and wind across open country. Fall is harvest, when combines and grain trucks own the roads at dusk. Winter is snow, wind and salt.

The whole state shares roughly the same season, with the far south a bit ahead in spring. Wind is the constant: on the open prairie a steady crosswind is normal and gusts are common. The best motorcycle roads in Iowa guide lists the best season for each road.

Spring is green and cool, and it's also storm season. Severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings come with warm fronts in April, May and June, so check the radar before a long ride and know where you'd shelter. Wind can be strong even on clear days.

Planting runs through April and May, and it puts tractors, planters and anhydrous ammonia tanks on county roads, slow and often wide. Pass only when you can see far ahead. Winter also leaves potholes and gravel at intersections, so the first rides call for patience.

July and August are hot and humid. Ride early, carry water, and take breaks in the shade of the river towns. Hot afternoons can build thunderstorms fast, and strong straight-line winds sometimes come with them.

Two events shape summer traffic. RAGBRAI brings thousands of cyclists across the state for a week in late July, filling the roads and towns on its route, so check the route if you're riding that week. The Iowa State Fair in August fills Des Moines.

Fall is Iowa's best riding. Humidity drops, wind eases a little, and the northeast bluffs and the Loess Hills usually peak in October. The Great River Road and IA 9 are favorites, so ride early on weekends.

Harvest runs from September into November. Combines, grain carts and semis share the roads, often slow, wide and working into the evening, and they track mud onto the pavement at field entrances. Deer move more as the season goes on, especially at dawn and dusk. Iowa's gun deer seasons come in December, after most bikes are stored.

A good fall plan: start with the Loess Hills in late September or early October, then head to the northeast bluffs around Decorah, Lansing and McGregor as the color builds through October.

The Iowa overview covers each region in more detail.

Most Iowa bikes are stored from late November through March. Snow, blowing snow, ice and salt make the roads a poor bet, and the wind chill on a bike is brutal. If a dry, mild day comes along, watch for salt and sand in the corners and ice on bridges, and wash the bike afterward.

Storing it? Fill the tank with stabilized fuel, put the battery on a maintainer, change the oil, set tire pressure and cover the bike. In spring, check tires, brakes, fluids and lights before the first ride.