Once again, it is time for Wings Over

Transcription

1 GWRRA Chapter NC-I Asheville, North Carolina GWRRA Region N gwrranci.org NC District Chapter NC-I Next Meeting: Eat at 9 am, Meet at 10 am, Saturday, October 23, 2010 September 2010 GWRRA Chapter NC-I Meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at J&S Cafeteria, Westridge Market Place, 900 Smokey Park Hwy, Enka NC, (828) Visit gwrranci.org for the latest information. Chapter Directors Al & Jean Warren cd@gwrranci.org bigal47@bellsouth.net (828) Assistant Chapter Directors Dave & Dianne Smith acd@gwrranci.org wehaulit@bellsouth.net (828) Chapter Educator Charles Cox rider-ed@gwrranci.org erickinnc@gmail.com (828) Ride Coordinator John Williams rides@gwrranci.org williams4822@bellsouth.net (828) Treasurer Linda Gilliam LRGilliam11@aol.com (828) Activities Coordinators Open Technical Advisor Phil Hendricks pbhwing@yahoo.com (828) Newsletter Editor newsletter@gwrranci.org wil_higdon@charter.net (828) Webmaster webmaster@gwrranci.org wil_higdon@charter.net (828) No meeting in September! Once again, it is time for Wings Over the Smokies (WOS), and all of the visitors that come to Asheville to visit, check out the latest chrome parts available for their beloved Wings, and to RIDE the twisties in the mountains. What a treat for them, and what an opportunity for us. We get to be some of the hosts of this grand gathering in the mountains of WNC. We really hope that you ll be out for the fun and friendships. Most of you have already told us that you are willing to work almost any time, or given us a specific time that you are available. We really appreciate the help of every one of you, and we believe that you will all get more out of it, as you participate in the fellowship among likeminded riders. This is what makes the most money for our chapter our work during WOS. Unlike most districts across the country, NC still pays each chapter for their work during the rally. If you haven t been to one before, be sure to spend as much time as you can out at the WNC Ag Center. Let me change gears a little bit here, and let s talk about riding. I don t know what each of your attitudes are toward riding freeways or back roads, but I would like to share a little of our feelings about where we ride. I know that some of you have been a little aggravated that I would always ask to take the Chapter Dir ectors Country Roads back roads to someplace, rather than the quickest way there. And you are perfectly free to have your own opinion about it. The freeways were definitely designed with Al & Jean Warren rapid transit of the automobile in mind, although sometimes, when you see a 10-mile backup on I-26, you have to wonder about whether that was accomplished. When Jean and I began to ride again, about 7 years back, we also began to discover the back roads of the countryside once again. It had been years since we had really spent a lot of time riding through the country, smelling the fresh air (and sometimes NOT so fresh) of the countryside. Perhaps a field of new-mown hay would assail our olfactory senses, or the scent of autumn in the air, as the leaves dry and fall to the ground. Each season presents some new scenery to us, and often we had not taken the time to look before. As we slow down and ride the back roads of our country, we often pass people in their yards who will look up and wave to us as we roll by. You don t get that on the freeway. Because there are so many more opportunities for cars to be making sudden turns, or pulling out of driveways, or other dangerous moves, it is necessary to ride at a slower pace, and to keep the senses all on the alert, which serves to enhance the experience of the ride. We have found that our pace of living takes a definite turn for the better when we hit some back roads. In closing this month, I wanted to quote to you a part of an article (Continued on page 5) Page 1

2 Dave & Dianne Smith few days ago. Hi All, WIL!!! I can t believe that you are doing this to me. I just finished writing my August article a Ok, I guess that I can t put all this on Wil. But it does seem like the riding season is fast approaching the rear view mirror stage. I have noticed that when we are out in the evening that it is getting cooler and at times a jacket is required. I have also noticed that the odometer is creeping up which means tires, oil changes and more general maintenance. Another sign that the riding season is winding down. My big event for this month is the Mt. Airy ride or as will be referred to here as the Mayberry ride. This is going to be a really fun event. If you haven t made your reservations yet you had better do so soon while there are still rooms available. The dates again are Fri. night Oct 1 and Sat. Oct 2. We will be staying at the Mayberry Motor Inn. Phone # 336/ or Al and Gordon are planning on leaving Friday sometime in the early afternoon riding the scenic back roads of our beautiful state and arriving sometime before dark. They have a limited number of riders that can go with them so contact Al right away if you want to ride with them. The rest of us will be meeting at J&S (yes, same place as NC-I meetings) and hitting the road at 6:30pm. Please do not be late or we may not be there. It will involve riding at night and the temps may drop a bit so come prepared. Yahoo says that it Assistant Chapter Dir ectors Ride to Mayberry (Mount Airy) is 175 miles so it will probably take around 3 hrs to get there. The plan is to ride an hour and then take a break, maybe dinner, depending on what the group wants to do. The route will be 40E to 77N for the most part. Saturday morning we have a trolley tour lined up. The trolley will be picking us up at our motel at 9am. Everyone will need to be checked out of their rooms before boarding the bus. This is due to the fact that the motel has an 11am checkout and the trolley will not be returning to the motel until 11am. The staff needs time to clean the rooms and hitting them with all of our rooms at once will overwhelm them. They have been very good to us and we need to be fair with them. I know what you are thinking so here is the deal. I have arranged for a late checkout for Dianne and I. Therefore, if you have items that you do not want to leave hanging on your bike (helmets, jackets, truck bags, etc.) you can leave them in our room. This way everyone has a secure place to store items without our group tying up a bunch of rooms. Mayberry Inn has a cold breakfast; however, Aunt Bee s restaurant is located across the street and does serve a hot breakfast. The two hour tour will take us past all the major attractions in Mayberry. We will be able to stop the trolley and get off at any time we choose to take pictures and ask questions. Texting is allowed on the trolley. LOL. I am still working on lining up a tour guide. At present we are looking at a cost of less than $10 per person if we Page 2 fill the trolley up. I am going to open the tour to other people staying at the motel if I need to, in order to fill up the trolley and keep the cost down. After the tour you will be on your own to explore the town, restaurants and other sites that were observed on the tour. Me, I am planning on going to Floyd s Barber Shop and getting a haircut. No jokes here, John. At a time to be determined by the group we will meet back at the motel for the ride home. Depending on the time we will be taking a combination of back roads and interstate home. This event is going to be a blast. We have a good group already signed up to go and if you are planning to go and haven t notified me, you need to do that. So now you have all the details. One other thing to take note of. Wil & Mel are signed up to go, therefore, this is your opportunity to ride with the GWRRA NC-I newsletter editor and webmaster. Hey Sharon Stanley wasn t available so take advantage of this great riding opportunity and just Go 4 It! Dave & Dianne Smith Assistant Chapter Directors P.S. Yesterday's ride for Scott Parker raised $640, of which $135 of it came from chapter NC-I. Stephanie and Chris (Dianne s daughter & son-in-law) want to say bushels of thanks to NC-I for helping to make the event a success. GWRRA Chapter NC-I Sponsorship Your ad in this newsletter will be sent 12 times a year (once a month) to our chapter members, GWRRA chapters all over the state of North Carolina, the NC State Directors and others. It will also be posted on the Chapter NC-I Website: gwrranci.org. Your support is greatly appreciated and will help Chapter NC-I to operate throughout the year. Thank You. Pricing: Business Card Size = $60 (Basic Rate) 1/4 page = $105 (12.5% Discount) 1/2 page = $185 (23% Discount) Full page = $32 ($33% Discount)

3 Charles Cox Chapter Educator GWRRA Road Captain/Group Riding Course Overview Ithought I would do a follow up or tag to the Road Captains course recently conducted by John Williams of Chapter I, Asheville; on Saturday September 4, There was a good turn out for the course. For those unable to attend the Road Captains Training, you missed a great training opportunity. I would highly recommend it to you when offered again. John made a great presentation to a very seasoned group of GWRRA riders. There were numerous questions on various aspects of the program which the instructor handled quite eloquently. The class room training concluded with the Road Captain Quiz and follow up discussion. Next came the second section of the training where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, or where the class room training is put into play and everyone gets to put what they have learned in class to practical use on a road course. The ten bikes were organized into two groups consisting of Bikes, Trike s and a Silverwing. There were two (Al & Charles) new instructors (having been trained last year) for the road course. John was watching every aspect of the road course training, well most every move, to ensure everyone got the maximum benefit from this part of the training. A few of the bikes were not equipped with CB radios, given this fact, hand signals (see page 4) became quite important in communicating movements to be executed. A riders meeting was held with each group, the route, stops and change of lead and sweep were explained and the initial lead and sweep riders assigned. At each change of the Lead and Sweep the new lead was required to hold a riders meeting. This was a seasoned group of riders who exhibited a high degree of professionalism throughout the course. The above is just a VERY short overview of what the course covered but I thought it was a good lead into Group riding. Group Riding Motorcycling is primarily a solo activity, but for many riding as a group whether with friends on a Sunday morning ride or with an organized motorcycle rally it is the epitome of the motorcycling experience. Here are some tips to help ensure a fun and safe group ride. Arrive prepared. Arrive on time with a full gas tank. Hold a riders meeting. Discuss things like the route, rest and fuel stops, and hand signals (see diagrams). Assign a lead and sweep (tail) rider. Both should be experienced riders who are well-versed in group riding procedures. The leader should assess everyone s riding skills and the group s riding style. Keep the group to a manageable size, ideally five to seven riders. If necessary, break the group into smaller sub -groups, each with a lead and sweep rider. Ride prepared. At least one rider in each group should pack a cell phone, first-aid kit, and full tool kit, so the group is prepared for any problem Page 3 that they might encounter. Ride in formation. The staggered riding formation (see diagram) allows a proper space cushion between motorcycles so that each rider has enough time and space to maneuver and to react to hazards. The leader rides in the left third of the lane, while the next rider stays at least one second behind in the right third of the lane; the rest of the group follows the same pattern. A single-file formation is preferred on a curvy road, under conditions of poor visibility or poor road surfaces, entering/leaving highways, or other situations where an increased space cushion or maneuvering room is needed. Ride in Formation Avoid side-by-side formations, as they reduce the space cushion. If you suddenly needed to swerve to avoid a hazard, you would not have room to do so. You don t want handlebars to get entangled. Periodically check the riders following in your rear view mirror. If you see a rider falling behind, slow down so they may catch up. If all riders in the group use this technique, the group should be able to maintain a fairly steady speed without pressure to ride too fast to catch up. If you re separated from the group, don t panic. Your group should have a pre-planned procedure in place to regroup. Don t break the law or ride beyond your skills to catch up.

4 For mechanical or medical problems, use a cell phone to call for assistance as the situation warrants. Make it clear to all participants; each person is responsible for the safety and operation of their own bike. Never become a lemming: Ride your own bike! If you notice the group spreading out, or getting sloppy in formation, don t hesitate to tell the group to close it up or get the formation straight. This is especially true for the DRAG, because he/she has the best view of the group. The groups safety is as much the concern of the DRAG as the LEAD. Spend some time looking at the bikes that are going to be in your group, keeping an eye out for any obvious safety problems. Ride your own ride, don t over ride your abilities, if the pace is to fast for you don t ride faster or at a speed you do not feel safe at. It s not worth the risk. Sample Questions Who selects the Drag for each group? a. The chapter Director b. The Chapter Educator c. The Rider Leader d. The individual group leaders When do you, as Lead, call for a single File? a. Only on secondary roads b. Whenever you deem it best for your group c. When entering a major highway d. when coming into a break area Someone develops a brake problem during the ride. What should be done? a. Place at the rear of the group, just in front of the Drag b. At the front of the group, just behind the Lead c. Get off of the road and get the bike towed in d. In the position of the Lead or Drag North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Facts Motorcycles represent about 2 percent of all registered vehicles in NC, but account for 10 percent of all fatalities on our roads. Charles Cox Chapter Educator Page 4

5 Country Roads (Continued from page 1) that appeared last month in Country Extra, a magazine some of you may be familiar with. Their motto is For those who live in, or long to live in the country. We enjoy it s great pictures and folksy articles. This last issue had a little article written by a lady named Nancy Hilton, from Illinois, and she had become so frustrated with the daily battles on the freeway that she sought out a different route to work. She recorded some of her thoughts about the country roads, It s time to update the Gold Book Service Directory. The following is a list of the codes with the services you may be willing to provide: A. Truck or trailer available to transport a disabled bike B. Will accept phone calls (No collect calls, please!) C. Tent space available D. Sheltered sleeping space or lodging available E. Tools available F. Tour guide (local area) Our World Class Educational Program has many avenues to educate both our motorcycle community and the general driving public. The GWRRA Rider Education Program (REP) is intended to make the motorcycle riding environment safer by reducing injuries and fatalities and increasing motorcyclist skills and awareness. The REP does not propose to have all the answers. However, our close-working relationship with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), as well as additional GWRRA programs and studies, has and I thought that they were so expressive of what Jean and I have talked about, that I wanted to close with some of her words: Today I often explore country roads. If I pause for a photo of some beautiful crop of corn or an open sky, invariably someone will stop to ask if I need help. This is the essence of these roads. Everyone s a friend or a neighbor, which calls for, at the very least, a smile and a friendly wave. A country road is more than dirt and oil The deadline to register or make changes to your selections for the Gold Book Service Directory is October 31, National News GWRRA Rider Education Program provided a wealth of information for use in establishing a comprehensive Rider Education Program. Through Commitment, Education and Application, we can reduce our accident rate significantly. Listed below are several benefits of a fully implemented GWRRA Rider Education Program at the District and Chapter level: Increased rider knowledge Increased rider safety skills Prevention of accidents Reduced injuries Reduced fatalities Page 5 and rock. It s a meditation, a pathway to communion with the earth and communication with fellow travelers. No matter the time of day or sparkling night, it s always a great pleasure to travel down country roads. (Cue John Denver s Country Roads ) So, our recommendation? As soon as WOS is over, get out there in the country and enjoy the ride. Just remember BE SAFE! Al & Jean Warren Chapter Directors National News It s Time to Update the Gold Book Service Directory Please make sure you re not left out of the Gold Book by checking the codes you have listed in your membership record. You must have at least one code checked and the letter B, (Will accept phone calls), to be listed. You can check your membership record at and then click on Manage Your Membership. Or if you prefer, you can contact Member Services at , Mon. - Thurs., 6:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. MST, and they will be happy to assist you. The 2011 Gold Book will be delivered with the March 2011 issue of Wing World magazine. Improved general public image of motorcyclists Enhanced enjoyment of motorcycle riding Enhanced motorcycle safety through Motorist Awareness public presentations Both the motorcycle and motorist community are already realizing many positive benefits from the GWRRA Rider Education Program. Through the efforts of the Rider Education Officers and volunteers throughout the world, we will reach our goal of establishing the safest motorcycle environment possible.

6 Most of us have seen the Sport Bike riders dodging in-and-out of the traffic. Some may give a proper signal and some may not. The end result is that speeding in traffic is extremely dangerous to both the Rider and/or Co-rider and the vehicle operators. These not withstanding, all speeders are not just Sport Bike riders. Others ride Cruisers, Touring and Sports Touring motorcycles. We must remember that as we get older we lose reaction response time. Additionally, our eyesight changes a lot and not for the good. If you were Wings Over the Smokies is just around the corner, as is our opportunity to donate blood to help save lives. Blood donation is completely safe and is nearly painless, and we encourage everyone who is eligible to please join us in helping meet the goals set for us by the Red Cross this year. The Red Cross started providing blood for patients in 1940 and we look forward to continuing the fine tradition that has been set by previous Wings Over the Smokies rallies. Did you know? Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person like you who makes the choice to donate. When you make a blood donation you join a very select group. Currently only 3 out of every 100 people in America donate blood. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Five million patients in the U.S. Region N Speed Kills to read as many accidents reports as I do, you would discover that many riders are going into a turn to hot and lose control and get killed. The other condition is that many are running wide into the turn and don t know how to correct this action. Also, there is the peer pressure of others on the ride. Peer pressure can be a very dangerous thing because it has caused many a rider to ride beyond his or her abilities. Some have played follow the leader and made it; some have not. Morgues are being filled because of this game that some people like to play. Don t let this happen to you! Your family is depending on you. Page 6 To correct this trend we first need to realize that we all don t have the same riding abilities. We need to stop fooling ourselves and take an ARC, ERC, TRC or SRC course. Now there are those that say I ve been there and have done that; why do I need to do a rider course again? The best answer that I can give them is that a person continues to learn until we end up in the morgue. In closing, slow down, ride your own ride and don t let others influence your riding. Nor th Car olina District The Gift of Life: Donate Blood need blood every year. Less than 38% of the population is eligible to give blood. Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from volunteer donors. Blood platelets, critical for cancer patients, have a shelf life of only five days. Adults have a total of about ten pints of blood in their body. Only one pint is given during a donation. Only 7% of people in the population have the universal donor blood type O negative. Donors can give blood every 56 days. Platelet donors can give every 7 days. Gold Wingers are such giving and caring people, won t you consider Paying It Forward by giving the Gift of Life at Wings Over the Smokies? From its beginning, the American Red Cross has formed a community Kyle T. & Mitzela Craig GWRRA Region N Educators of service, of generous, strong and decent people bound by beliefs beyond themselves. The American Red Cross blood donor embodies this principle. Please join us in our mission to maintain a safe and stable blood supply by making your blood donation at the rally. Gold Wingers are such giving and caring people, won t you consider Paying It Forward by giving the Gift of Life at Wings Over the Smokies? We are pleased that for the first time at Wings Over the Smokies, the Red Cross Bloodmobile will be on site both Friday and Saturday. Our hope is that with the addition of an extra day we will be able to obtain blood donations far exceeding the normal donations that we have had in the past. Red Cross personnel will be on site from 9:00 AM until 1:30 PM on both Friday and Saturday, with a goal of 25 units of blood donated on Friday, and 30 units donated on Saturday. Please consider making the gift of life.

7 GWRRA Chapter NC -I Calendar Western North Carolina GWRRA Chapter Meetings Asheville Chapter NC-I: 4th Saturday of each month. Eat at 9:00 am, Meet at 10:00 am J&S Cafeteria, Westridge Market Place, 900 Smokey Park Hwy, Enka NC, (828) Call Al & Jean Warren at (828) for more info. gwrranci..org Waynesville Chapter NC-G2: 1st Saturday of each month. Eat at 4:00 pm, Meet at 5:00 pm Fat Buddies Ribs & BBQ, 193 Waynesville Plaza (off Russ Avenue), Waynesville NC. Call Thomas & Dina Towey (828) for more info. gwrrancg2.org/ Hendersonville Chapter NC-M2: 3rd Saturday of each month. Eat at 8:00 am, Meet at 9:00 am Golden Corral, 2530 Chimney Rock Hwy, Hendersonville, NC. Just east of I-26 Exit 49-A (Old Exit 18A). Call Larry & Kathy Vorbrich at (828) for more info. Check the Chapter NC-I Calendar at gwrranci.org for the most up-to-date information on event changes and new events. September 23-25, Thursday-Saturday - Wings Over the Smokies - North Carolina District Rally, Western Agricultural Center, Fletcher, NC September 25, Saturday - Chapter NC-I Meeting - No meeting. We will be working at Wings Over the Smokies. October 1-2, Friday-Saturday - Chapter NC-I Mayberry Ride - Ride to Mount Airy, North Carolina. See page 2 for details. October 2, Saturday - Chapter NC-G2 Meeting - Eat at 4:00 pm, Meet at 5:00 am. Details above. October 9, Saturday - Chapter NC-I Second Saturday Ride - Departure point & destination to be announced. October 11, Monday - Columbus Day October 11, Monday - Chapter NC-I Cook s Night Out - Eat at 6:30 pm. Jukebox Junction, 6306 Pigeon Rd, Canton, NC 28716, (828) October 16, Saturday - Chapter NC-M2 Meeting - Eat at 8:00 am, Meet at 9:00 am. Details above. October 23, Saturday - Chapter NC-I Meeting - Eat at 8:00 am, Meet at 9:00 am. Details above. October 31, Sunday - Halloween November 2, Tuesday - Election Day November 6, Saturday - Chapter NC-G2 Meeting - Eat at 4:00 pm, Meet at 5:00 am. Details above. November 8, Monday - Chapter NC-I Cook s Night Out - Eat at 6:30 pm. French Fryz, 2109 Hendersonville Road, Skyland, NC 28776, (828) November 11, Thursday - Veteran s Day November 13, Saturday - Chapter NC-I Second Saturday Ride - Departure point & destination to be announced. (Weather permitting. Second Saturday Rides may be on hold until Spring.) November 20, Saturday - Chapter NC-M2 Meeting - Eat at 8:00 am, Meet at 9:00 am. Details above. November 25, Thursday - Thanksgiving November 27, Saturday - Chapter NC-I Meeting - No meeting due to holidays. December 11, Saturday - Chapter NC-I Second Saturday Ride - Departure point & destination to be announced. Page 7

8 Gold Wing Road Riders Association GWRRA Chapter NC-I Asheville, North Carolina gwrranci.org 153 Whitney Dr Asheville NC Gold Wing Road Riders Association Chapter NC-I Asheville, North Carolina gwrranci.org No meeting in September! Next meeting: Eat at 9 am, Meet at 10 am, Saturday, October 23, 2010 J&S Cafeteria, Westridge Market Place, 900 Smokey Park Hwy, Enka NC, (828) Chapter Directors Al & Jean Warren cd@gwrranci.org bigal47@bellsouth.net (828) Assistant Chapter Directors Dave & Dianne Smith acd@gwrranci.org wehaulit@bellsouth.net (828) Chapter Educator Charles Cox rider-ed@gwrranci.org erickinnc@gmail.com (828) Ride Coordinators John Williams rides@gwrranci.org williams4822@bellsouth.net (828) Treasurer Linda Gilliam LRGilliam11@aol.com (828) Technical Advisor Phil Hendricks pbhwing@yahoo.com (828) Activities Coordinators Open Chapter Couple Open Newsletter Editor newsletter@gwrranci.org wil_higdon@charter.net (828) Webmaster webmaster@gwrranci.org wil_higdon@charter.net (828)