Harley Owners Group - Space Coast Chapter 2860 APRIL 2012 Heck I hate paper work, I am supposed to be retired. ONNIE MASSEY DIRECTOR Director@spacecoast-hog.com BOB PARKER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Asstdirector@spacacecoast-hog.com Next Meeting, ΩΩ Saturday April 14th 11:00 am. Meet and greet starts at 10:00 a.m. Road Capt Meeting @ 10:30am Check the HOG Line at 321-255-2803 for update of Chapter activities www.spacecoast-hog 1
From the Directors Desk "WINDS OF MARCH" Well, March has truly held the tradition of being the month of wind. Along with the rain, it has made for some very interesting riding, but as seen by the participation of our dedicated "GROUP", neither wind nor rain has held us back. Already we have four Keynote rides behind us. Thanks to the member s participation, we brought home a Chapter Challenge and were recognized twice for being the Group traveling the longest distance. Just goes to show we have members that strive to make Space Coast HOG the best. Several great rides for March and April have been planned, remember, if we have a ride planned that is in conflict with another ride or event, you may choose which one to attend. The Group makes every effort to accommodate members and not make schedule changes, but unforeseen circumstances do happen where a ride or event must be changed. Our Webmaster Ed Crampton, is the Chairman for our Keynote event which will be taking place in September. We will be conducting a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House. Several members have already volunteered to assist Ed to make this year s Keynote the best. If you want to add your name to the volunteer list, contact Ed at webmaster@spacecoast-hog.com. If you have any ideas for the day of our event, please feel free to share them with us. New members that are going on a group ride for the first time with our Group to an area unknown to them, please remember that the ride ends at the destination and there is not always a group ride back. Do not let this deter you from going on the ride, just let the Road Captain know, and he/she will ensure that you are introduced to someone who you can follow home. We are not going to leave anyone behind. We have thirty-one (31) members signed up for the continuation of our Rolling Thunder ride to New York City. If you are still interested in going to Rolling Thunder, let us know. You must find your own accommodations in DC due to the block of rooms set aside have been filled. Don't forget to purchase your picnic tickets for our Ladies of Harley annual picnic. Tickets are available on each ride, or from Carolyn Huffman and Kathy Cote. Our April meeting will be held at the picnic. Quote: A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life wrote a check payable to "The United States of America" for an Amount "up to and including his/her life." That is honor, there are too many people in this country who No longer understand this. " God Bless our Troops, Veterans and the USA" Ride Safe and Ride Often Onnie D. Massey 2
On March 15th and 16th, John Graham and Don Stadtler rode in the Iron Butt Associations Florida Mountain 1000 Rally. The route was a little over 1000 miles and needed to be completed in 24 hours or less to be a finisher. There were 10 mountain related bonus locations that required you to take a picture of the bonus site along with your rally flag in the picture to prove you actually visited the site. The starting and ending location was in Jacksonville. The 10 bonus stops we visited were the Mount Carrie Wayside in the Osceola National Forest; the Mount Pleasant Cemetery near Quincy; the Mount Carmel Methodist Church in Mt. Carmel (elevation 99 ft.); Britton Hill (Florida s highest point at 345 ft.); Mount Pedro Baptist Church in Micanopy; Sugarloaf Mountain (elevation 312 ft.); Mount Dora Lighthouse; Mount Plymouth; Highpoint Tower in Cocoa; and, Switzerland, Florida. The Iron Butt Association puts on a Florida Rally each year around Bike Week each with a different theme. It s a fun time and you meet all types of long distance riders. Might want to consider next year. We would like to offer our friends at Spacecoast HOG chapter a discount on parts and labor for services performed on their cars and trucks. We are a full service facility located in Suntree/Viera. 2000 AUTO located on Wickham Rd in Suntree is offering a 15% discount to Spacecoast HOG members, on parts and labor for your automotive repairs and maintenance. This discount is not available along with other coupons or discounts. Appointments are preferred. Call 321-259-2000 for additional information. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Tom Hakimi Sales Manager 2000 AUTO 321-259-2000 321-432-2559 Mobile www.2000auto.com www.facebook.com/2000auto 3
Bike Week in Daytona has an amazing international flavor. The amazing part is that so many people from around the world share our passion for the uniquely American Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as well as the biker lifestyle they inspired. Just walking around one hears a variety of languages spoken. We asked a friendly passing biker to take our photo. Turns out he was from France. We ran into several members of the Oslo, Norway HOG chapter. And my personal favorite was meeting up with members of the Bosporus HOG chapter from Turkey. Turkey is special to me because a long time ago (we won t say how many years) I spent five years there working for the Air Force. I met some great people, made lifelong friends, and married my lovely wife Nihal. Today we both enjoy riding our Harley and participating in our Space Coast HOG chapter events whenever we can. Two of our long-time Turkish friends, Zafer and Beste (Harley riders also) were visiting us in Florida, and mentioned that several of their friends, HOG members all, were on a motorcycle tour of Florida. We decided to meet up with them at Bike Week in Daytona. It was a great opportunity to share this Harley-Davidson experience and meet new friends. Isn t that what HOG is all about? After a few cell phone calls we caught up with several members of the Bosporus chapter at Destination Daytona. There s nothing like that feeling you get when you run into an old friend thousands of miles from home. There s the happy surprise, followed by warm greetings and then introductions all around. This well-traveled group has seen much of Europe and the Middle East from a Harley saddle, and what better way to start your motorcycle tour of Florida than Bike Week? We enjoyed the exhibits at the Daytona Speedway, made the HOG pin stop at the Harley pavilion, and joined the festivities on Main Street. I was invited to ride with them as they toured Brevard County, so I offered to show them some of the Space Coast that can t be seen from I-95. The following day we met at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center. A few of the members, Bulent, Orhan and Kadir, were from my wife s home town of Ankara, so we decided to catch up on what s happening back home over lunch at Grills in Port Canaveral. After lunch we rode through Cocoa Beach and south on coastal highway A1A to Pineada causeway, then west to our home in Viera. We spent a relaxing afternoon talking about old times, mutual friends, and planning our Space Coast riding excursion. I was presented with pins and patches, and made an honorary member of their chapter. Now I don t speak Turkish very well, but that has never been a problem since most of the Turks I ve met do quite well with English. When language does fail, falling back on the familiar topic of Harleys and riding brings us to a common understanding. We met at Space Coast Harley Davidson in Palm Bay, Florida the next morning, and after some serious shopping, headed for the Atlantic Ocean. We rode east on highway 192 to Melbourne Beach, then south on A1A. I ve made this ride many times, but introducing our new friends to the natural beauty of Florida s east coast made it special. The weather wasn t perfect, but the few brief rain showers didn t seem to dampen the enthusiasm. By the time we got to Vero Beach, where we stopped for lunch, the Florida sun was back. After lunch we headed east on highway 60 to pick up I-95. Here we parted company, the Turks heading south for the Florida Keys, while Zafer and I rode north to drop off his rental at Space Coast Harley-Davidson. It was a perfect day. I always enjoy Bike Week, but this one was special. We had the opportunity to share it with old friends as well as make new friends while enjoying our favorite pastime riding our Harley. Our next trip to Turkey will probably involve Harleys, along with the special camaraderie of our extended HOG family. Ride safe, or as the Turks say iyi yolcuklar. Rick Knutson 16 Mar 2012 4
L O H Annual HOG Picnic April 14, 2012 12:00 to 4:00 Fisherman s Landing, US 1 Grant, FL Come enjoy barbeque from Me Maws Music by Doc Holiday And join in the 1 st Annual Corn Hole Tournament Tickets are $2 And must be bought in advance from Carolyn Huffman, Kathy Cote or at the March meeting Carolyn (259-0777/543-7730) Kathy (403-1137) 5
The Safety Corner When I have a passenger for the first time I give them a briefing. I want them to enjoy the experience. I encourage them to talk to me, especially if they want me to slow down or stop. I assure them that I do not want them to be afraid nor do I want to scare them. I ask them not to move around too much while we are moving. If they do move around I ask them to do so slowly or at least not suddenly. I ask that they do NOT try to help me through the turns - that they do NOT lean in anticipation or when we are in a turn. They are told that they can get on and off only while I am on the bike with both feet down and the bike is in neutral. I tell them to their feet on the passenger pegs and never, ever, try to touch the ground with their feet for any reason. I assure them that I will not be showing off, although I hope to show them off. I promise no head-snap take-a-ways. If they are enjoying themselves, then I want everyone else to know about it, particularly at rest stops! I explain that we wave at all motorcyclists approaching us from the opposite direction and even suggest how they may want to do it. I ask them to wave to anyone that shows any interest and especially to those who may show concern or disapproval but always with good taste and decorum. (OK, at least good taste.) I tell them that I have never had an accident and not to be concerned. (OK, I know what you are thinking, but ignorance is bliss) I tell them to always wear a helmet. And that after putting on our helmets, I ask them to remind me to buckle my strap. As discussed in the January meeting our keynote ride will be Ronald McDonald House which will be held September, 22 nd 2012. As you know our goal is 10,000.00. To achieve this it will take all of us to embrace each other as a team of Volunteers to make this happen to be able to help families in need. 6
Rolling Thunder 2012 May 23 thru 29 Below is lodging info for Space Coast HOG members going to Rolling Thunder. Leaving May 23rd from McDonald's at Wickham & I-95 at 8:00am. Returning to Brevard either the 28th or 29th. First stop Santee, SC: Super 8 Motel, 1-803-854-3456, rate $55.00 + tax for May 23rd. Rooms in Brian Van Alstine's name...or Space Coast HOG. Second stop Gloucester, VA: Hampton Inn 1-804-693-9393, rate $77.00 + tax for May 24th. Say your with Space Coast HOG at the rate indicated or Onnie Massey's name. Third stop Alexandria, VA: Courtyard Marriott Alexandria Pentagon 1-703-751-4510, Rate $99.00 + tax for May 25th & 26th. Rooms in Onnie Massey's name or Space Coast HOG Before riding off to New York we will be bedding down in New Jersey at the Ramada plaza May 27 th Located at the Newark airport. Room our 79.00 + tax which includes parking and breakfast for 2, the rooms Are under the name of Mickey Goshen. We are arranging an additional ride to New York City to see the 9/11 Tower Memorial Plaza. From there Some are going to Knoxville, TN then the Dragon on the way home. Others will go directly home from DC or New York. Sign-up sheets will be available at the next few meetings... Please contact Onnie Massey or Brian Van Alstine with lodging issues. The HOG LINE It s a unique telephone number our sponsor/the dealership provides. Call it---- Use it---i do my very best to record messages for all my fellow HOGs to hear the information on each and every ride. So, as a courtesy reminder to current SCHOG members or as instructions to all the new folks who recently joined: Before heading out always check the HOG Line: 255-2803 7
April 2012 For up-to-date information, please call the HOG line at 321-255-2803 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 Board Meeting (1) 4 5 Full Moon Ride (2) 6 7 History Hunt II (3) 8 9 10 11 12 15 Lake County Primary (5) 22 Traveling Viet Nam Wall (8) 29 Memorial Ride for Officer Barbara Pill (10) 16 17 Day Off Ride Long Point Café (6) ** Long Doggers 18 19 ** Long Doggers 23 24 25 26 Leesburg Bike Fest 26-29 April 30 31 ** Long Doggers Compiled and Written by Al Boileau Activities O 8 13 14 Chapter Meeting/Picnic (4) 20 21 Road Captain Training (7) 27 28 Chapter ride to Leesburg Bike Fest (9) SCHD = Space Coast Harley-Davidson (RIDE TIMES = KICK STANDS UP = SCREW IT LET S RIDE!) 1. Board Meeting (MB) Turtle Creek Golf Club, Jimmies, 1279 Admiralty Boulevard, Rockledge, @ 6:30 pm. Activities meeting to follow. ALL MEMBERS WELCOME! Dinner is at 5:30. 2. Full Moon Light Ride (CL) Join Tom Hakimi for a ride to Riverside Café in Vero Beach and on the way home enjoy the moon reflecting on the Indian River. Meet 5:45 pm at SCHD, leave at 6:00 pm. Approximately 40 miles to destination. Road captain Tom Hakimi 3. History Hunt II (CL) This ride is organized by our own Don Stadtler. If you missed the ride last year, you missed a good one. Teams of 5 will set out in different directions to gather historical information. You will visit approximately 20 30 historical markers located through out Brevard and Indian River Counties gathering clues. Once you have gathered all your clues you will be directed to an eating establishment where all the teams will gather. If you do not have a team of 5, don t worry we will make teams before every one sets out. You should arrive about 7:30 am to form teams and get a briefing from Don. Leave from SCHD at 8:00 am.. Approximately 135 miles to destination 4. Chapter Meeting and Picnic (OP) Meet @ 9:15 am in the parking lot at SCHD for a ride to the Chapter Meeting and Picnic, Road Captain Jim Glazar. If you want to take your cage or just go directly to the picnic, it is located on US1 in Grant at Fisherman's Landing, 11 miles south of SR192 on the river side. This event is being put on by Ladies of Harley, it promises to be the best yet. If you are a chapter member there is no reason that you should not be there. There will be food/games/fun!! In an effort to get a head count we are asking that you buy a $2.00 ticket it shows a commitment on your part and it helps us know how much food to prepare. Contact Carolyn Huffman, loh@spacecoast-hog.com or Kathy Cote, hospitality@spacecoasthog.com to purchase tickets. 5. Lake County Primary Event (CL) Support our sister Chapter with their primary event Annual April Fools Poker Run, $10.00/hand, $6.00 lunch of dogs or burgers. Food proceeds will support the Shriners and the Poker run proceeds will support the Haven of Lake & Sumter County a domestic and sexual violence haven for women and children. Meet I-95 and Wickham Road, McDonalds at 7:45 am. Leave at 8:00 am. Pick up north group at I-95 and SR 50, Cracker Barrel 8:30 am. Approximately 120 miles to destination. Road captain Grover 6. Day off Ride (CL) This week it is along the beach to Long Point Café. Meet 8:15 am at SCHD, leave at 8:30 am. Approximately 30 miles to destination. Road captain Nick Galluzzi 7. Road Captain Training (CL) Want to help your chapter and have fun while doing it? Why not become a Road Captain? We will provide you the training you need to safely lead a group of bikes along the interstate or through back roads or city streets. All that is required is a desire to learn and have fun. If you are already a RC remember that you must attend at least one training course per year so why not this one! Check the web site for further details. 8. Vietnam Moving Wall (CL) The wall will be moved from Brevard Community College, Cocoa Campus to Wickham Park. Meet at Pineda boat ramp at 7:45 am, leave at 8:00 am. Approximately 20 miles to destination. Road captain Jim Glazar 9. Leesburg Bike Fest (CL) Follow Bob Parker to Leesburg to experience a small town bike fest that has grown up. Venders, people, bikes and more, Leesburg has it all. Meet I-95 and Wickham Road, McDonalds at 7:15 am. Leave at 7:30 am. Pick up north group at I-95 and SR 50, Cracker Barrel 8:00 am. Approximately 120 miles to destination. Road captain Bob Parker 10. Memorial Ride For Officer Barber Pill (CL) Show your support for the Pill Family, a police escorted ride of 1-2 hours long is being planned. Recommended donation is $25/bike for the ride and whatever you want for the food. Plans have not been finalized so check the web site for updates. **Long Doggers Bike Night every Thursday @ 7:00 4260 Minton Road, Palm Bay** Other Events 2012 May 23 rd - Rolling Thunder, Washington DC (CL) Closed events are those chapter events which are open to chapter members and one guest per member. (MB) Member events are events that are open to only H.O.G. members (OP) Open events are those chapter events which are open to chapter members, National H.O.G. members and other guest as desired