Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge

Transcription

1 Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge

2 Have fun out there and ride a lot! Bob and Nancy Harris CD s CA-C GWRRA Sacramento TIRED AND RE-TIRED I don t know about you, but I certainly am tired of replacing the rubber on my bike. It seems to me that a manufacturer could make a $ dollar donut that doesn t go flat at the slightest whim. Since 2001 I have had 6 catastrophic failures of tires on my Goldwings. In each case it has been tread failure of some type. I am not including nails, screws or large rocks as those are road hazards. My experience has not just been with one brand. In fact, my first tires wore out so quick it shocked me. Some said it was the fact that Honda purposely uses tires that provide a smooth and comfortable ride but wear out quickly. I thought 8,000 miles was a little too quick and a replacement set cost $253.00, plus labor. Getting to somewhere the tires could be mounted was hell as well. For a while, I was fortunate enough to get tires at cost (only about 18% cheaper than the internet prices but half of those were returned for failure as well. I have had one set of Avon tires split, two rear Metzeler tires bubbled, and two Dunlop Elite 3 tires fail. The Dunlop s did not go flat - the tread delaminated from the steel belted carcass. I will soon be presenting the latest failed tire to the sales department where the tire was purchased and they, in turn, should show it to the distributor who in turn will contact Dunlop to determine if they owe me a new tire. Dunlop will probably take care of the tire and now that they have a new version of the Elite 3 being introduced I will again become a Guinea Pig for a tire company. This is after I spent about $ to buy, mount new tires on a rim and get taxed just to be on the road again. The wheels of the distributor work slowly and I doubt that a response will come within 6 weeks. Some of our member riders have given up on motorcycle-specific tires and gone to the dark side by installing high quality, high speed rated, sports car tires on the rear of their GL 1800 s. The resultant mileage for them seems to run 30,000 miles or more and they claim that they don t have any handling problems while negotiating turns. Now this is not the correct thing to do in the world of motorcycles as manufacturers claim that if you use a car tire you could be in for a tire failure. If you were involved in an accident the fact you don t have an authorized tire you could lose a court case because they are not designed for the application. My question is how many times do I have to limp home on a severely damaged tire, just to be compliant with the manufacturer s directives? If you have had similar problems with tires let me know. Maybe we can gather some info and send it to the National Highway Safety Administration (that s where recalls start) for follow-up. I will be putting my thoughts on the government website soon and I will let all of you know how that turns out. Bob Harris CD CA-C GWRRA Sacramento Oh Yeah Nancy says HI!

3 District Director Review Vincent & Pamela Puterbaugh GWRRA California District Directors 2013 Life is but a Journey, please be part of ours! For three years, Pam and I served as California s Assistant District Directors under Bill and Rene Johnson and one of our monthly duties was to write an article for this very newsletter. Over the years, I got into the routine of dedicating certain issues to particular issues: in January, I would write about the upcoming officers meeting; in May, the topic was always the Region F Convention and July was about Wing Ding. The August article is perpetually dedicated to our own California District Rally and this year is no different. If this were a typical year, I would write about how the opportunities for early registration ends in a few short days on August 9th and how there are 5 sets of tires being raffled. If this was any other year, I would hype the professional Polynesian dance troupe performing during the Sunday night that is included in the cost of the dinner. Any year, other than this one, I would be bragging about the 1,000 turn ride we put together and how you needed to come to Visalia as it sits at the gateway to Sequoia National Park with some of the most unique scenery in the world. Lastly, if this was a typical year, I would remind you of all the educational opportunities that awaited you from the Advanced Rider Course to the Trike Rider Course to the myriad of seminars being presented. Although these are all compelling reasons to attend this year s District Convention, they shouldn t be your primary motivation. This week, California lost one of its newest Chapter Directors to cancer. CA-1F s Tom Klock went into the hospital at the beginning of the week, was released to hospice on Friday and passed away the following Monday. If you have been following the s that Pam has been sending out, you know of the uncommonly high number of our members that have passed away recently. These losses should serve as a reminder of the real reason we ever attend any of these events: to spend time with our friends. The excess of funerals that we have attended this year serve as a reminder of just how temporary our time on this earth truly is. While Tom was in the hospital, his chapter members spent shifts sitting with him around the clock so that he would not be alone and to support and spell his wife, Tammy. This is the sort of love you routinely find throughout GWRRA. If this was any other year, I would encourage you to come for all of the activities; this year we are inviting you to come spend time with friends. If you would like to send Tammy your condolences, her address is 896 Banock St., Spring Valley, CA and her address is cd.ca1f@gmail.com. If you would like to attend Tom s celebration of life, his memorial service will be held on August 3 rd at 4pm at Flinn Springs County Park, Old Highway 80, El Cajon, CA Hopefully, Pam and I will see many of you at Tom s service this Saturday and all of you in Visalia at the end of the month. Until then, ride well, ride often and be good to one another. -Vincent and Pamela Puterbaugh

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5 Amazing Team Challenge CA District Convention in Visalia August 30 September 1, 2013 For: Teams & Individuals, Motorcycles & Trikes, Experts & Novices Come and let s play at the District convention in Visalia! We are hosting a free obstacle course for you to practice your riding skills and to compete if you want. The Amazing Team Challenge is a fun-filled bike riding activity that will invigorate the young at heart as well as revitalize the more seasoned, mature riders. It is designed for teams as well as individuals to determine who will end up with the fastest times. It s all about fun, safety, and knowledge! GWRRA is presenting this riding challenge for the participants at the CA District convention. This is a timed, competitive event, involving a straight-away, right and left turns, a couple of 360 degree circles, a cone weave, stopping in a box after the timed run and a lot of fun. It is open to all riding skill levels it can be easy for the novice rider and humbling for the more advanced rider. After all, this is a riding organization so why wouldn t you all want to try your hand at it? If you are interested in participating, you may practice riding the course on the range at the parking lot adjacent to the Holiday Inn all day Saturday. The official timed event will be held on Sunday morning, 10am to 12:30pm, immediately following the Gold Angels demonstration team performance. Even if you don t plan to ride the event, come out anyway to cheer on your favorite team or rider! You may sign-up for this event when you register at the convention; look for the ATC registration table. Hope to see you all there! Jerry Gragg California District Educator Remember to: Sign-in, register, tally sheet, and liability release, Riders use proper riding gear, Safety inspection of your motorcycle, (TCLOCS)

6 Noland Mayo Rider Educator and Wingnut Recipient If you do not already have Noland in your speed dial for the WINGNUT he can be reached at (916) Now for Noland s article. TEAM RIDING This month has been full of surprises, one not being that I have the wingnut. My daughter was one of the guests at the last Chapter meeting. Yolanda is in the Navy on leave and will be rerouted overseas. My congratulations go to Paul Barber who could not be present, but Beverly, his lovely wife, accepted his Level 2 patch for him. Tom (Hammer) Whitson, who is officially our Chapter (MAD) Motor Awareness coordinator, was sworn in. Last, but not least, Gordon Flowers has accepted the position of Assistant Chapter Educator and was sworn in with the oath of office. Gordon will and has been a valuable member of this chapter. With Gordon s knowledge and ability I am happy to have Gordon back. The following was written a few months ago and I believe it should be republished again. Welcome to all new members of CA-C. This is a brief guide line for riding with the Chapter. In our chapter we often ride in groups. We meet our fellow chapter members and ride together for weekly dinner rides and a lot more activities. Much of the time we ride together in groups traveling to and from various destinations. Whenever we ride in groups someone is in the lead position, the Road Captain. Also working with the Road Captain is the Tail Gunner or rear drag bike. They work together securing lanes, etc. They also communicate with the rest of the team (group). We all need to remember that even those of us in the middle of the formation have responsibilities. We are responsible to pass on hand signals from the Road Captain, such as for single file, stagger formation, pointing out potholes and road kills, sand in the corners and other hazards. We need to be aware who we are riding with too. The burden is not all on the Road Captains. We cannot sleep because we ride in the middle of the pack. We need to maintain safe spacing with the other bikes around us, keeping in mind that we need to ride our own ride. We need to be aware of our surroundings and to always be prepared to react to the unexpected. Remember that just because our Road Captain is leading us, we are not excused from thinking for ourselves. We are all responsible for our safety. A good team member has several responsibilities. 1. Assumes a responsibility to ride with and work with the other team members for the safety and protection of the whole team while on the road, especially while in traffic.

7 2. Maintains steady speed and spacing. This will as I talked about the Yo-Yoing or straggling behind disrupts the rhythm and efforts of the other team members and reduces the benefits of riding as a team. 3. Stays alert and announces to the other team members any obstacle, condition or potential situation which could become hazardous to the team or a team member. 4. Should be aware of the other team members and maintain the formation (staggered) and a safe riding distance (spacing) between team members. Spacing will be determined by the road, weather conditions and visibility. Whether you ride as an individual or in a group, in order to survive on the road your motorcycle riding habits and techniques must be constantly thought of as defensive. When you ride in a group, your actions not only affect you, but the other riders as well. Therefore, it is important to recognize and remember that riding in a group is a TEAM effort. To be safe, you must rely on the cooperation and coordination of all riders in the group. One of the most stated is I never seen him. They came out of nowhere! That s probably the most common statements heard in motorcycle and vehicle incident. A lack of attention on the part of the driver does explain some of the incidents. The distracted driver, cell phones, unruly children, etc. All these can contribute BUT some responsibility belongs to the motorcycle. I believe motorcycling is a skill and with it takes practice. As the old say goes, practice makes perfect. PLP is one of the most effective ways to keep your skills sharp. Whether you are just beginning or have been riding for years, we all need practice whenever we can.

8 CA-C Rogue River Trip On a beautiful Saturday morning 17 members of the Capital City Wings departed Sacramento and headed to the Rogue River in Gold Beach Oregon. The skies were clear and the temperature was nice. We took Highway 5 north to Williams and turned east on Highway 20 and headed for Clear Lake. The temperature in Sacramento for the next three days was forecasted to be between 106 and 109. The first three days of our trip rarely got over 75. Shortly after passing Clearlake we came to one of the best parts of the trip. Avenue of the Giants is a small road that travels 32 miles paralleling Highway 1. The Redwood trees are almost 250 feet tall and some are as much is 15 feet in diameter. If you've never taken this route, it's highly suggested. Our first overnight stop was Eureka California. 80 miles north of Eureka we were having clam chowder for lunch in Crescent city. We arrived in Gold Beach Oregon at approximately 4 o'clock. Within 20 minutes of our arrival Rich James and Toby Piper pulled in to join the group. Early the next morning we were on Jerry's mail boat traveling at high speeds up the Rogue River. It was a great four hour, fast-paced ride with lunch in the middle. At the end of the ride Tom Fisk remarked to me that this was one of the best trips he has ever been on. "Ditto Tom"

9 The Value of Video! Rick McCusker You ve all seen the videos on the news. Somebody is doing something funny or really dumb. Most of these videos are taken with cell phones and because of their nature, find their way to a video sharing web site like YouTube.com. One of the first videos I watched after I bought my Goldwing was a very helpful instructional session on how to pick it up. Sure enough, the next day I was washing and waxing my ride when I made the mistake of pushing on the rear fender as I kneeled down to wash the rear rim. You guessed it, down it went. But, because I had watched that 5 minute video, I knew exactly how to pick it back up unassisted. There are lots of videos posted on YouTube that can show you how to take care of your two or threewheeled ride. Maintenance and repairs are two of the biggest categories for Goldwings. I ve also seen a video of something I will NEVER try on my Goldwing pulling the front wheel off the ground. Yeah, it s good for a laugh, but completely unsafe. A few of our chapter members have invested in a GoPro video camera and have installed a mount on the front of their Goldwings. Some have even put a separate mount on the back. Not only can you see where you have been, you can see what you left behind! I am now in the habit of filming almost every ride I go on. As they are large files, I have them stored on a portable hard drive and I watch them frequently. Why? I want to see things I missed. Things I have missed include cars turning, pulling out and road hazards. At least I think I missed them. Remember, the first thing that goes when you reach an advanced age is the memory! I look at the video record as a learning tool to be used to make me a better and safer rider. Regular review of my rides is something I have made a priority, and you should, too. In fact, I d like to see a video segment someday added to our agenda at our chapter meetings. The point is, video cameras able to be mounted on our bikes are falling in price and are readily available. They now have advanced features built in, like WiFi. You can turn them on and off, start and stop recording and switch modes all with a tiny remote! One I saw recently at Elk Grove Honda was very comparable with the GoPro 3 at less than half the cost. So, what are you waiting for? Get on the video bandwagon and record your rides. Not only for your entertainment, but for a safety review of your riding skills and style. Want to see some really stupid stuff? Look for dash cam videos from Europe. Most of the drivers over there are challenged in their driving skills and in some cases they record every moment in motion to prove who was at fault in the inevitable collision. Yes, there are a lot of them! Do a search for dash cam videos on YouTube and enjoy the fun!

10 My Dad purchased this "Unisport" vehicle in the early 1970's and had it attached to the front of his motorcycle (I believe a Honda). The old newspaper article shows a reporter taking a picture through his rear view mirror of my dad riding in his Unisport, as it passed by him on the freeway. As you can see by the article, the reporter had no idea what it was! The actual picture of the vehicle better explains just exactly what it was. Only a few were made and my dad was one of the few that purchased one. Unfortunately, I don't remember how long he had the vehicle, or any idea what he paid for it; nor do I know if he took any pictures of it (but I hope to find one in my parents' old photo albums). It was a lot of fun to ride in, and looked very funny attached to his motorcycle! One might think maybe it was the early version (1970's) of the Can Am Spider???? LOL Linda Passini

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13 I Love The Training Being a member of GWRRA has been both a joyful and a learning experience. First with the joyful experience: Three years ago Paul and I heard about a Gold wing picnic at Elk Grove park. The article said there would be Gold Wings lined up to view. Paul being a Gold Wing lover and me just loving a reason to get out of the house decided to stop by. We were met with smiles, hugs and introductions and Bob was even taking pictures that year and we had our picture taken with our bike. I love that picture and we have it in our office still today. Paul has always said that it was an expensive day for him as I wanted everything I saw. Jenny had just gotten her Can Am and I had to sit on it and instantly put it on my want list. As many of you know, I purchased one a year ago and I am now independent if I want to be. Now for training: TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING is what I used to say. Now I want as much as I can get. Just the other day we were on a ride with a group of friends. We were traveling along and suddenly I realized that Paul wasn't behind me. Oh dear, what to do? THEN, I thought about what I had been trained. First I slowed down to see if he would catch up and when he didn't I stopped. It took a while but finally the group in front realized something was up and came back. As it turned out, our tail had stalled at a stop sign and down went the bike. I felt so proud when I realized I had learned something. From now on it is I LOVE THE TRAINING! Beverly Barber

14 Birthdays & Anniversaries August 2nd Steve Cuthbertson August 13th Romeo Wright August 19th Harry Karnofsky August 22nd Linda Passini August 24th Rose Wright August 25th Chuck Lantznester August 26th Linda Karnofsky August 29th Barbara Jefferies August 30th Marilyn Kasper August 31st Lee Marshall August 16th Ken & Genny King

15 CA-C C Team Chapter Directors Bob & Nancy Harris sashadad@softcom.net Assistant Chapter Directors Membership Enhancement Coordinator Scot Smith Mary Kimbell-Smith scotrsmith@gmail.com mkimbellsmith@gmail.com Assistant Chapter Director Rocco jprocco3@comcast.net Assistant Membership Enhancement Coordinator Rocco jprocco3@comcast.net Chapter Educator Noland Mayo morweed@surewest.net Treasurer Cathy Flowers retiringyoung@sbcglobal.net Newsletter Editor Rocco jprocco3@comcast.net Chapter Auction Bob Stephens dadobiker@sbcglobal.net After Chapter Meeting Ride Coordinator Rich James rhjiii47@yahoo.com Chapter Stores Rodney & Anita Brooks carpet@softcom.net Webmaster Bill Palmer bpalmer210@msn.com Sunshine Coordinator Sharon Scoggins serenity789@hotmail.com Chapter Photographer Rocco jprocco3@comcast.net 50/50 & Raffle Tom & Barbara Jefferies tjeffer293@aol.com Wing Nut Spike Redding spikered@comcast.net

16 Meeting Date/Time Chapter Chapter Director Meeting Location 3rd Sunday CAC Bob and Nancy Harris Elks Lodge #6 (Sacramento) 8:30 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting Riverside Blvd. Sacramento 1st Saturday CA1A Lance & Dee Wilson Greenhouse Café 8:30 Breakfast 9:15 Meeting Commerce Center Drive 3rd Saturday CA1C Sherman & Dorie Jared Burgers ansd Beer 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting Dinah Shore Dr-Rancho Mirage 3rd Sunday CA1D Tim McShane Paramount Elks Lodge 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting E. Alondra Blvd. Paramount 2nd Saturday CA1F Tom Klock & Tammy The Broken Yolk Café 1851 Garnet Avenue San Diego 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting (Pacific Beach Area) 1st Sunday CA1I George & Norma Mocabee Covina Bowl 1060 W. San Bernardino Road 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting Covina Last Saturday CA1K Nadine Galli Home Town Buffet 6705 N. Fallbrook Avenue 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting Canoga Park 2nd Saturday CA1L Fred Rusty & Janey Angleton International House of Pancakes 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting Madonna Road San Luis Obispo 2nd Sunday CA1M Steve & Sandy Damico The American Legion 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting W Colton Ave Redlands 2nd Sunday CA2R Dave Wilson Vittles Restaurant 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting North St Anderson 2nd Sunday CA1Q Pat & Ellen O'Donnell Hof s Hut 7:30 Breakfast 8:00 Meeting gwrra-ca1q.org Knott Avenue Buena Park 1st Sunday CA1R Harold & Jan Jaffke Home Town Buffet 7:00 Breakfast 8:00 Meeting East 17th St Santa Ana 3rd Saturday CA1S Joel Jolitz Carrow s Restaurant 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting Harbor Blvd. Ventura (Park in back) 3rd Sunday CA1V Mike & Barri Critzman Maxwell's 7:30 Breakfast 8:00 Meeting Wika Road Apple Valley 1st Saturday CA1Z Danny & Ginger Merritt Home Town Buffet 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting Margarita Road Temecula 4th Saturday CA2A Greg & Kay Boyajian Old Salles Cafe 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting N. J Street Tulare 2nd Saturday CA2J Alex & Marcy Ageev Home Town Buffet 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting Diamond Blvd. Concord 4th Sunday CA2K Steve & Karen Palatino Benicia Grill II 8:30 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting N. Texas Street Fairfield 2nd Saturday CA2N Kenneth & Linda Stark Pine Tree Restaurant and Lounge 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting Hess Avenue Sonora (off Highway 108) 3rd Saturday CA2Q Steve & Jacque Foster Max s Diner 7:30 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting Crow Canyon Pl San Ramon 3rd Saturday CA2S Charlie & Deborah Porzio Home Town Buffet 8:00 Breakfast 8:45 Meeting Ranch Drive Milpitas 1st Saturday CA2W Steve & Teri Rippe Yosemite Falls Cafe 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting N. Cedar Avenue Fresno

17 August 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat San Francisco & Points South You Lead Dinner Ride Buca De Beppo 1249 Howe Ave 6:30 PM See Meetup Day Ride Chester Antlers Motel Lassen Park TBA Planning Dinner Ride Chapter Meeting Elk s Lodge #6 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting 9:00 Meeting Denny s 5:30 6: Dinner Ride Thai Spices 2401 Turner RD Lodi 6:30 La Mission Mexican Food 4439 Florin RD 6: Visit Chapter CA-2S San Jose 6:00 AM CPR & First Aid Class See Meetup for more details Day Tour Gunther s Old Sacramento Dessert District District District Underground Tour TBA 2801 Franklin Blvd 6:30 Convention Convention Convention

18 Capital City Wings Departure Locations L-1 Interstate West El Camino Blvd. Chevron Gas Station 2738 El Centro Rd (49er Truck Stop) L-2 Hwy Laguna Blvd. Chevron Gas Station 8296 Laguna Blvd. L-3 Folsom Power Inn Rd. Chevron Gas Station 8098 Folsom Blvd. L-4 Interstate Enterprise Blvd. Chevron Gas Station 4800 West Capitol Ave. L-5 Elk Grove Blvd & Interstate 5 Chevron Gas Station 9615 West Taron Drive L-6 Sierra College Blvd & Interstate 80 Chevron Gas Station 4211 Sierra College Blvd. (North side of freeway) L-7 Sunrise Blvd & White Rock Blvd. McDonald s Restaurant White Rock Blvd.

19 JBJ Cycles, Inc. is committed to excellence in Gold Wing service As well as repair, restoration, and trike conversions. We install genuine Honda parts and the finest after-market accessories East Chestnut Ave - Unit I Santa Ana, CA (714) Carmichael Honda Motorsports 7829 Fair Oaks Blvd Carmichael CA 95608