The Bear Facts! The OFFICIAL Journal of GWRRA Region F’s Capital City Wings! Please Join Us At Our Next Meeting—April 19, 2015 Chapter CA-C “Capital City Wings” meets the 3rd Sunday each month Elks Lodge #6, 6446 Riverside Blvd. (@ Florin Rd.), Sacramento, CA. Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge—What Else Is There? Volume 11 In This Issue: April 2015 Issue 4 At a Flea Market??? …….. 5 What’s In Your Bag?....... 2 Team riding ………………….. 6 Bakersfield or Bust! ……. 3 Down & Dirty ……………….. 7 Where Did Time Go? ….. 4 The Wave …………………….. 8 BREAKING NEWS! CA-C WINS MAJOR AWARD!!! ………. 9 1 What’s In Your Bag? Or…. What the heck is this and why is it here??? I don’t know about you, but I have a ton of stuff in my bikes’ bags and trunk. If you open my trunk you might be surprised what you find. I just went out and looked in my Goldwing’s trunk and found the following, in no order of importance: 1. Automatic Electronic Defibrillator with extra battery and pads. 2. Mid-sized first aid kit with CPR mask (in case of mid-sized heart attack ) 3. Flashlight (with dead battery or close to dead) 4. Ink pen 5. USB cable (for a phone I don’t have anymore) 6. 2 pairs of gloves (different weights) 7. Map of Northern California 8. Spare glasses (clear in case I ride in the dark ((some say I ride in the dark regardless). 9. 2 Asthma inhalers (not needed since the Doc told me it’s not asthma, I just breathe weird) 10. Hydrogen peroxide wipes (best windshield bug cleaner ever) 11. Micro towel (likes bug soup made by peroxide) 12. Q-Tips?? (lens cleaner for smart phone and Go Pro as well as for wax collecting) 13. Altoids (in dust form from rattling around in there forever) 14. Old pieces of candy (useful in case of low blood sugar) 15. Set of metric hex wrenches (in case the set in the left bag are not enough) 16. Set of old ride maps from last year (the ones no one reads after I spent hours printing them) 17. Flyer from last year (used to write down an email address of someone but not their name) 18. Sun screen I stole from a fellow ‘winger on some trip. 19. High tech battery jumper (the type that catches garage benches on fire) I guess it’s time for me to reorganize this mess so I can put more stuff in it the next time I go to a chapter rally or function. Now I clean this out once in a while - not just to make room for more crap but in a way it reminds me of the rides I have been able to go on with all of my friends. Why not take a look in your trunk and find out what baggage you are carrying and clean it out. As you throw that stuff away you can remember for a moment the fun times you have had with your friends. I guess that’s not such a bad thing to do with your own personal baggage you carry around each day inside of you. Just do an inventory, deicide what you need to keep and reflect on the rest as you throw that old baggage away. Have a GREAT Spring Riding Season! Bob Harris and Nancy Schotzko-Harris CD’s CA-C GWRRA Sacramento 2 Bakersfield or Bust! T his is the article I have rewritten for the last three months in a row. As many of you already know, we backed out of our Visalia contract when the Marriott refused to honor our contract rate for more than our minimum of 75 rooms. If we had kept our District Rally (yes, I said rally—but more about that later) at the Marriott in Visalia, the first 75 people to make a reservation would have received the $94/night rate and everyone else would have paid their rack rate of $119/night. We don’t know if the Marriott booked another large group that weekend or if the economy has improved enough that the hotel just felt that they could get away with it; either way, Pam and I could not support a two-tiered price structure. With no alternative hotel in mind, we started looking for another site to host our event. Hotels that meet our needs in terms of geography as well as having the facilities to conduct all of our classes and have enough rooms to accommodate all of us are a small number to begin with. After you subtract the hotels that really don’t want motorcyclists (many hotels still view all of us as undesirable bikers), and our options shrink even further. We reached out a second time to our friends in Mammoth, but the best they could do for Labor Day Weekend was (before taxes) $129/night. By this time Pam and I were starting to get a little worried. We have to work one to two years out in order to secure everything we need and now we were under six months. Originally, the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield declined to put in a bid for this year’s event because their meeting rooms were scheduled to undergo remodeling during the month of September. On a whim and partly out of desperation, we called the DoubleTree and explained our situation. They still had their renovations scheduled to begin September 1st, but because of our long standing relationship with the hotel, they agreed to postpone their remodel until the following week just to accommodate us. They also agreed to match the hotel rate we had at the Marriott even though their going rate for that weekend is $189/night. While I am sure that Pam and I would have eventually found another venue for our event, we are not sure that it would have been as nice as what we have! The hotel is now accepting our reservations and will honor the $94 rate for three days before our event as well as three days after. Earlier, I referred to our convention as a rally. At some point in time, it became politically incorrect to call our events a rally for fear that the Infernal Revenue Service would audit us and we would not meet the educational threshold for exemption (evidently, conventions are for education and rallies are for fun). Our motto is “Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge” and while education is paramount to our organization and one of the core values Pam and I hold dearest, there is a reason that “Fun” is listed first. Our event will still have the full slate of classes that we have always offered, but, as always, the fun will be there as well. Speaking of upcoming events, the Region Rally in Tucson is coming up over Memorial Day weekend and we have received a couple of questions regarding what the $30 daily credit is all about. The answer is simple: for every room-night you spend there, you get a credit of $30 to apply towards anything at the resort other than paying for your room. In other words, if you are eating at the resort, charge it to the room and $30 of it is free. Buying a souvenir at the gift shop? Charge it to the room and use your credit for that as well. Not going to be able to use your credit one day because your chapter is going out on a ride? No worries, your credits roll over so you won’t lose them. Here is a money saving tip I got from one of the locals: their lunch sandwiches are so large that even Goldwing riders could split one and not go away hungry. If you haven’t yet registered for the event, go on to the Region webpage and do so as this year’s rally is going to be awesome! Until next month, ride well and ride often. Vincent and Pamela Puterbaugh 3 Where Did Time Go? Tom Whitson Assistant Chapter Director O n February 21, 2015 some of use took a ride to Alameda to tour the USS Hornet (CVS 12). While on the tour, it brought back memories of when I was stationed aboard the USS Bennington (CVS 20) and the USS Yorktown (CVS 10). As you can imagine as I went below to the lower decks seeing the berthing quarters (sleeping area), chow hall as well as all the oth- at your local store and get a soda or candy bar—free! Going to a movie only cost 50 cents and that paid your way in and you had enough er compartments of the Hornet. When I got home from the tour, I started thinking of the time and experience I had aboard the ships I was on. That got me thinking of my life growing up and the time I had. Back then you could ride your bicycle all over town, from the time you left your house to dinner time and you only had to call home and let your parents know where you were. When I say “call home” I mean you had to use a friend’s parent’s phone in the house to call. You didn’t have to worry about bring shot at or being kidnapped. Soft drinks were in a glass bottle and you even got money back when you returned the bottle - heck you could collect enough bottles turn them in money to buy popcorn and you saw 2 movies and a cartoon. After really looking back, I had a really good time growing up, even with all the butt spanking. If you would just slow down and take a look back to when you grew up, those experiences are what made you who you are today and it was a very short journey to where you are today and you too, will say, WHERE DID TIME GO? 4 Motorist Awareness At A Flea Market??? Ken Knox W hat is Motor Awareness? It is our way of getting the driving public, two, four or 18 wheels to "LOOK TWICE" for motorcycles. We all need to share the road together. Three weeks ago, our chapter asked Denio's Farmers Market of Roseville, Ca to donate a spot at their next flea market. We assured them that we were not selling anything or collecting money in any way. Our goal is to sation with people from every walk of life. Having the a Goldwing in the display drew a lot of attention. One person was in his leather vest and braggged about being the president and safety officer of his M/C club. He told “Hammer” and I how most members were so well trained in safety that they could split lanes at almost 100 miles per hour. They could ride in a group so tight, they could they could share water on the move! Several people had a sincere interest in motorcycle awareness. Ernie Scoggins came to help and spent several hours talking with interested members of the public. At an event like this you can't just talk about motor awareness. The conversations included everything from motorcycle awareness, summer riders, motorcycle safety, bikes they used to own, and how do I get my license. Several GWRRA membership applications were handed out. We talked with a lot of people and it was truly a fun ad exciting day. make the general driving public more aware of the increasing number motorcycles on the road. To our surprise, we received their response the same day. They were delighted to have us and suggested that we might be able to return on a regular basis. On Saturday March 7th at 5:30 am, (yes that's 5:30 am), Tom “Hammer” Whitson and I headed out for Roseville. I took my wing and my trailer. The gates opened at 6 am and we were escorted to a 20' x 20' space. There was more than enough room for the bike, trailer and a 10' x10' tent. We could have included another bike. We were setup in less than 30 minutes. As it turned out, we didn't need to show up so early. For the next two hours we looked for coffee and donuts. About 9 am the shoppers started strolling by our well-stocked display tent. For the next 6 hours we were engaged in conver- I would like to thank Denio's Farmers Market of Roseville for donating this free space for this event.. Special thanks to Tom “Hammer” Whitson and Ernie Scoggins for helping man the tent. 5 Team Riding Noland Mayo Assistant Chapter Educator I recently read a column on Team Riding responsibly. In our chapter, we usually do things 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. Wherever 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 spend a lot of time working together securing the 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 the hand signals from the lead bike, such as for single file, staggered formation, pointing out potholes and road kills, sand in the corners and other hazards. We need to be aware who we ar e riding with, too. The burden is not all on the Road Captains. We cannot ‘sleep’ because we ride in the middle of the pack. All riders 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 always be prepared to react to the unexpected. Remember this — 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. 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 tem or 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 effect 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 saw 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. 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, and especially, while in traffic. 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 6 Down & Dirty! R Jennifer Hughes iding a motorcycle of any type for most any reason can and should be fun and having someone coach you can provide a fresh perspective. My daughter Lauren rode behind me occasionally but it wasn't until she was grown and graduated from college that she decided that she wanted to ride her own ride. I enrolled her in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider course to get a good foundation. We then went out on many rides with Jennifer gettin’ some air time! On a beautiful California March Sunday, we rented bikes and borrowed gear from the school. After a track side session focusing on our goals, safety and an outline for the day, we mounted up and started with laps on the oval track getting a feel for the bikes and varying traction profiles of the dirt. Building up our skills we practiced tripod cornering, slow speed handling, braking with a focus on the rear and a light touch of the front and finally some follow the leader around the track, berms, hills, ramps and loose dirt. This class had six women students from 14 on up. After this fun and interesting day, I am confident that when we get to that "last mile" of dirt road or gravel parking lot, my daughter will handle it fine, even on her Honda Shadow street bike. For myself, I had a blast and even caught some air, something I don't attempt on my GoldWing although I have and will take it out on goat trails and dirt roads. I have no connection with SuperMoto schools other than as a student and a very happy customer. Lauren Hughes just the two of us, usually with me leading and watching in the rear view. Coaching her, suggesting things she should watch for and just sharing the joy of riding with her allowed me to relive much of my early riding days. She now safely rides in groups, with me and on her own. It's my contention that riding in the dirt makes one a better rider on the street. So when Brok McAllister from SuperMoto schools http:// supermotoschools.com/ made a presentation about the "Fast Girls" dirt bike training class to the http:// goldcountryriders.com/ Women on Wheels chapter in Sacramento last fall, I knew what I would like my daughter to attend so I gave her a "gift certificate" with the intention of attending with her and brushing up my dirt skills. 7 The “Wave” Carl Blattenberg A few days ago, while riding in the Auburn/ Grass Valley area, something happened that was seemingly unimportant. It was a perfect day for motorcycle riding. The air was calm. The sky was clear. The temperature was and freedom that I still get when riding. A rider approaching from the opposite direction waved at me. I thought " what the.... That's weird. He doen't know me and I don’t know him." I did not know anyone who rode a motorcycle at the time. Then it happened again and again. So I figured, “why not?” The next time it happened I returned the wave. Bam! I got it. There was an invisible spark of connection between us. Whether a salutation or a salute, it was a connection and recognition between two riders sharing a unique experience. It is amazing how by merely taking a hand off of the handlebar and extending it a few inches and adding a little wrist movement can be such a big deal. I realized I belong to a community that is informal and unspoken—yet very special. It is one of the special perks that many will never experience. mild and the roads were good. Of course this kind of day brought out a lot of motorcyclists. And as bikers often do, we waved to each other. Those small gestures got me to reminiscing. One day, soon after I bought my first motorcycle I was enjoying that incredible feeling of exhilaration 8 We Won! I n a completely unexpected and total surprise announcement, the Putlizer Prize Committee has awarded the Capital City Wings newsletter “The Bear Facts” their prestigious award for 2015. Calling this award well deserved was the PPC Chairman, Alfred E. Newman. “We don’t just hand out this award to anyone, they’ve got to earn it.” He also said, “The Bear Facts has definitely lowered the bar for our award criteria and other publications are going to be challenged in their efforts to match that of ‘The Bear Facts’ staff. The Putlizer Prize Committee is a world- renowned group of semi-experienced journalists and they know mediocrity and shoddy journalism when they see it. More information is available from the PPC by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: PPC 12345 Hwy. 161 Cove Fort , UT 84637 Or by visiting their web page: www.slooflirpa.com When reached for comment, Rick McCusker, the Editor of “The Bear Facts” said, “I plead the fifth…” 9 2nd Mel Mayo 11th Ken & Diane Knox 9th Rocco 20th Rick & Joyce McCusker 16th Sharon Scoggins 25th Guy & Linda Lee 21st Bill Palmer 26th Bob & Nancy Harris 25th Bill Fox 10 2008 Goldwing Trike — $30,000 Call Debbie—(209)607-2237 85,800 MILES HANNIGAN TRIKE KIT CB RADIO FRONT FENDER CHROME TIP FRONT FENDER MUD GUARDS FRONT TIRE RING OF FIRE LOWER COWLING CHROME COVERS CHROME TIMING CHAIN COVER HIGHWAY PEGS BUILT IN GPS FRONT VENT CHROME LIGHTS TURNING SIGNAL FLASHING LIGHTS COLOR MATCH BATTERY BOX COVERS LED LIGHT KIT SEQUENTIAL REAR TURNING SIGNALS TRAILER HITCH RACP-PACK LUGGAGE KIT LARGE FLAG HOLDERS AND FLAGS MITCHELL CUSTOM SEATS FRONT WINDSHIELD VENT DRIVER’S BACK REST CHROME LUGGAGE RACK ANTENNA FLAGS TRUNK LIGHT MOLDING BEARCLAW FARING CHROME SCOOP MASTER CYLINDER COVERS HEAVY DUTY FRONT SHOCKS OPERA LIGHTS CHROME UPPERVENTS CHROME MIRROR ACCENTS NOLAN HELMET SMART HOTSHOT BATTERY CHARGER ALL SERVICE RECORDS PAINTINGS, STRIPING, MURAL 11 Capital City Wings Departure Locations L-1 Interstate 80 @ West El Camino Blvd. (2738 El Centro Rd—49’r Truck Stop) L-2 Hwy 99 @ Laguna Blvd. (8296 Laguna Blvd.) L-3 Folsom Blvd. @ Power Inn Rd. (8098 Folsom Blvd.) L-4 Interstate 80 @ Enterprise Blvd. (4800 West Capitol Ave.) L-5 Elk Grove Blvd & Interstate 5 (9615 West Taron Drive) L-6 Sierra College Blvd & Interstate 80 (4211 Sierra College Blvd. North side of freeway) L-7 Sunrise Blvd & White Rock Blvd. (11250 White Rock Blvd.) 7343 Home Leisure Plaza Sacramento, CA 95823 www.norcalktm.com (916)714-1350 12 A p ri l 2 0 1 5 Sun 5 Mon 6 Tue 7 Dinner Ride Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 15 16 Dinner Ride 17 18 24 25 Day Ride Baja Burrito 9015 Bruceville Rd. Elk Grove 6:30 PM 12 13 Business Mtg. 14 Spaghetti Factory Denny’s 7727 Laguna Blvd. 7900 Collegetown Elk Grove Dinner 5:30 6:30 PM Meeting 6:00 19 Chapter Mtg. 20 21 Dinner Ride 22 23 Bento Box Deadline For Newsletter 6446 Riverside 1420 65th St. @ 8:30 Breakfast Folsom Blvd. 9:00 MeetIng Sacramento Elks #6 26 Day Ride 27 28 Articles 29 30 Dinner Ride Vallejo Ferry Mystery Dinner To San Francisco L2 @ 6 PM L4 @ 7:30 AM 13 May 2015 Sun 3 Day Ride Mon 4 5 Dinner Ride Wed 11 Fri Sat 1 2 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 Dinner Ride 15 16 Day Ride Business Mtg. Denny’s 7900 Collegetown Dinner 5:30 Meeting 6:00 17 Thu Strings 9500 Micron Sacramento 6:30 PM Charles Schulz Museum Santa Rosa L4 9 AM 10 Tue 18 American Graffiti Celebration Petaluma L4 9 AM Sam’s Hofbrau 2500 Watt Ave. Sacramento 6:30 PM 19 20 21 22 Chapter Mtg. Elks #6 6446 Riverside 8:30 Breakfast 9:00 MeetIng 24 Overnighter 25 23 Overnighter Occidental L4 8:30AM 26 27 28 Dinner Ride 29 Wimpy’s Marina 14001 W. Walnut Grove Rd. Walnut Grove Occidental 31 14 30 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 California GWRRA Chapters Meeting Chapter Director Meeting Location 3rd Sunday CAC www.capitalcitywings.com CA1A www.ca1a.org CA1C Bob and Nancy Harris 209-744-8560 Lance & Dee Wilson 661-992-7701 Jim & Karen Miller 760-275-0314 Cliff Kennish 323-582-4398 Tammy Burmeister Elk’s Lodge 6446 Riverside Blvd.—Sacramento Greenhouse Café 1169 Commerce Center Drive—Lancaster Burgers & Beer 72-772 Dinah Shore, Rancho Mirage Paramount Elks Lodge 8108 E. Alondra Blvd.—Paramount The Broken Yolk Café 1851 Garnet Avenue—San Diego Denny’s www.gwrra-ca1i.org CA1K George & Norma Mocabee 626-945-5988 Ken Freeland www.ca-1k.org 818-403-6729 CA1L w.gwrra-ca1l.org CA1M www.ca1m.org CA1Q gwrra-ca1q.org CA1R Bob & Barbara Dowdy 805-226-9175 Barb Tait 909-910-4640 Robin & David Black 562-502-6682 Michael & Gayle Davis International House of Pancakes 212 Madonna Road—San Luis Obispo Pepper Steak 26589 Highland Ave. Highland American Legion Post 295 5646 Corporate Dr., Cypress Hometown Buffet www.gwrra-ca1r.org CA1S 949-916-4761 Joel Jolitz 1008 East 17th St., Santa Ana Carrow’s Restaurant www.ca1s.org 805-216-6661 CA1V www.gwrraca1v.org CA1Z Mike & Barri Critzman 760-245-9218 Ginger & Danny Merritt Maxwell's 17772 Wika Road—Apple Valley Home Town Buffet www.gwrra-ca1z.org 951-285-3597 40390 Margarita Road—Temecula CA2A Greg & Kay Boyajian Old Salles Cafe www.gwrraca2a.org CA2J CA2Q 559-638-4931 Alex & Marcy Ageev 925-497-4480 Steve & Karen Palatino 707-426-4847 Kenneth & Linda Stark 209-450-6742 Don & Beth Kuellmer 2082 North J St., Tulare Home Town Buffet 2050 Diamond Blvd.—Concord Benicia Grill 4760 East 2nd St., Benicia Pine Tree Restaurant and Lounge 19601 Hess Ave., Sonora Black Bear Diner www.gwrra-ca2q.org 925-487-5750 5100 Hopyard Rd., Pleasanton 2nd Sunday CA2R Dave Wilson Vittles Restaurant 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting w w w .gw rra-ca2r.org 530-275-5521 2385 North St., Anderson 8:30 Breakfast 9:30 Meeting 1st Saturday 8:30 Breakfast 9:15 Meeting 3rd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 4th Sunday 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting Last Saturday 8:30 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting 2nd Sunday 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 2nd Sunday 7:30 Breakfast 8:00 Meeting 1st Sunday 7:00 Breakfast 8:00 Meeting 3rd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting 3rd Sunday 7:30 Breakfast 8:00 Meeting 1st Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 4th Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:30 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 4th Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 9:00 Meeting 3rd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 Meeting 3rd Saturday 8:00 Breakfast 8:45 Meeting 1st Saturday 8:30 Breakfast 9:30 Meeting CA1D www.gwrra-ca1-d.com CA1F www.gwrra-ca1f.org CA1I w w w .gw rradeltaw ings.com CA2K www.gwrraca2k.org CA2N w w w .goldcountryw ings.org 546 Baseline Rd. Glendora Denny’s 8330 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Canoga Park 2401 Harbor Blvd.—Ventura (Park in back) CA2S Charlie & Debra Porzio Hometown Buffet www.ca2s.org 408-710-6227 212 Ranch Drive—Milpitas CA2W Steve & Teri Rippe Yosemite Falls Cafe www.ca2w-gwrra.org 559-298-2456 4020 N. Cedar Avenue—Fresno 24
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