NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
VERY BUSY DECEMBER KEEPS MEMBER HOPPING!
December, 2000 was a very busy month for Chapter B members. Between birthdays, float making, parades, anniversaries, shopping, baking, parties and Christmas our group was heading in 20 different directions at one time! All of our group wishes each of you a Happy Holiday Season!
PARADE OF LIGHTS ENTRY IS A HIT!
The Annual Parade of Lights was held on December 2, 2000 in downtown Grand Junction. Ten bikes and one Trike participated in the parade! Our entry was a Gold Wing Rider's dream of Santa's annual ride. Decked out in garland and lights, each bike took on the role of one of Santa's reindeer, with our very own Rudolf in the lead! The group pulled Santa's sleigh, full of goodies for all good boys and girls!
It was a treat to listen to all the applause and comments as our entry passed the crowd. We were quite a hit with young and old alike.
FLOAT PREPARATION WAS FUN FOR ALL
Preparing our entry for the Parade of Lights this year was a group effort and fun for all involved. Once the design was chosen everyone pitched in to make our reindeer decorations for the bikes and build and decorate the sleigh. Maynard's house was the site for float construction and for three weekends we all worked like Santa's Elfs to be done in time for the parade. (We won't talk about what we ate like....but we ate well!)
CHRISTMAS PARTY HIGHLIGHTS
December 14 was a wonderful winter night for a Christmas Party! All the members of Chapter B were decked out for the big night, the weather was cold and crisp, the wine was great, the food was wonderful and the company was the best! The party was held at the beautiful new winery on the Redlands,Two Rivers Winery. After appitizers, wine and a wonderful dinner, we held our annual, "Steal a Gift From a Friend" gift exchange. We had a ball as usual! The gift hits of the year seemed to be a traveling tool box and some great candle holders! Poor Birney Cox made about six trips to the Christmas Tree, and Jan Baker ended up with a tire gauge, but it was sure fun!
OFFICERS FOR 2001 YEAR

The officers for 2001 were announced at the Christmas Party. They are: Dan and Ann Maynard, Directors, Mitch and Deanne Elliot, Assistant Directors, Sandy and Farrel Harris, Treasurers, Boyce and Jan Baker, Educational Leaders, Dean and Chris Talbot, Ride Coordinators. We look forward to a fun, safe and active year in 2001.WEINER ROAST IS A ROARING SUCCESS!
The first annual Weiner Roast and Bonfire Sing Along was held November? at Mike and Maureen Johnson's home! Everyone had a great time. The food was wonderful, the fire was wonderful and the setting was great! The only negative aspect was the no-show of the guitar player! Mike and Maureen have promised to do it again next year and we can't wait.
FIRST OUTING OF 2001 Dean and Chris Talbot announced the first planned outing of 2001. Meet at Taco Bell on Horizon Drive at 5:30 P.M., January 19 for a trip to The Outlaw in Parachute! Bring your car, sled or Goldwing and dress appropriately! More info will be available after January 1. Watch your e-mail or listen for the phone
COUPLE OF THE YEAR ~ ~ DEAN AND CHRIS TALBOT
Chapter B's nomination for COY is a couple that abound with the spirit of comradery and the love of motorcycle riding. They are the first to volunteer for every and all activities that they can squeeze into their busy schedule. But most of all they have a love and appreciation of fine dining and ice cream eating. They have organized the monthly dining or restaurant review events. They are always ready to grab the helmets and take off. This year has seen them not only buy a new bike, but decorate the bike with more wildlife than abounds in the mountains of Colorado! Chapter B values the contributions of Chris and Dean Talbot and nominates them for Couple of the Year!
JOE WEYER ~ ~ INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR
Chapter B's nomination for IOY is an individual dedicated to the sport of motorcycle riding. He has always stressed and exhibited the principles of safety and education. HE has relentlessly volunteered for any and all activities as an organizer and as a volunteer. He has served on the Board of Directors for 3 years and for the last 3 years has organized our Christmas party which has turned out to be a roaring success and an event that no one wants to miss. At times our Individual of the Year appreciates the challenge of keeping his Harley running or tires on his Suzuki! Always up for a ride and ready to help out fellow Club members, Chapter B nominates Joe Weyer as Individual of the Year.


FEBRUARY, 2001 NEWSLETTERFEBRUARY IS HERE!
It is hard to believe that January is over! February is only 28 days long and March means "Let's Ride!".
The January meeting was HUGE! Forty-two wingers attended and we all enjoyed visiting and eating! Linda and Rich Fuller presented the COY award plaque to Dean and Chris Talbot.
Chapter Q is planning a Mall Show on March 31 and has asked Chapter B to join them in displaying our bikes and spreading information about GWRRA. There will be more information available at the next couple meetings.






FIRST EVER GAME NIGHT IS A SUCCESS!
January 20 marked the beginning of something that could get clear out of hand. We hosted an evening of fun and games among some of our wacky friends in GW. Tom and Sue, Leo and Karen, Bruce and Gail, Joe and Carol, and Dean and Chris took the challenge and showed up with tons of goodies, (What else would Wingers do?)
We divided up so as to avoid couples involved as partners. Nobody needs to go home mad at his or her significant other because of a game. We played Pictionary, Guesstures, Poker, Trivial Pursuit, and Sequence.
We learned a lot about each other like:
~Don't play Trivial Pursuit against the men especially if Joe is playing.
~Dean does a great job of conveying a jock strap in Guesstures.
~Sue Papin isn't a good sport about Sequence losses.
~Carol is a great actress or she used to be a stripper.
~Poker playing isn't very exciting if it is penny ante.
~None of us can draw a lick.
~Gail has a real poker face.
We had such a great time, we laughed 'til we thought we'd split. We will definitely have to repeat this performance. Stay tuned for your next opportunity to have a laugh.


What's in it for me? From the Chapter Educator
I was a chapter director and willingly stepped down so others could put their particular spin on our chapter. The chapter is alive and growing because of the participation of its members. When Dan Maynard asked if I would be willing to be the chapter educator; I asked myself why I might take on this job. My answer follows.
I started riding at about fourteen, on a Cushman Eagle scooter my dad brought home. I loved the sensations associated with riding. I progressed through a Kawasaki 175, a Yamaha 650 Special Twin and a V 65 Magna. My wife was on the back of every bike I owned except the Eagle. I was told by nearly everyone I knew that, "that bike is going to be the death of you". When Jan and I bought my dream machine, a 1994 GL 1500 Aspencade in red, I decided it was time to see how others felt about living with the love of your life being a thing that would kill you. I went to my first GWRRA meeting. Jan wouldn't go -- said it wasn't part of her scene with motorcycles.
I learned about reducing risk by being a better rider and by learning how to avoid trouble. Emmitt Pittman and several other members got me to enroll in an ERC. In one day, I learned more about riding motorcycles than I had managed to learn by myself in 30 years of riding. I thought, "It really is a wonder that I haven't killed myself yet." Joe Weyer got me a subscription to Motorcycle Consumer News and my education continues. (This month has a great article about the Gl 1800 but the feature I would direct your attention to is the Mental Motorcycling article, "Myth & Truth" written by Brenda Bates.) In it, she explores the urban myth of motorcycle as "murdercycle". She concludes with two quotes, "Most of our worst fears never happen." And, "Fear is the price you pay for adventure." What I hope to do in this position as educator is to help all of the friends I have come to know in GW and new members to come, be most able to manage the risk of the ride and to cope with the safety issues involved in our sport.

ANNUAL VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY!!!
On February 10th we will be having our annual Chapter B Valentine's Day Party. This year instead of a Progressive Dinner with a sit down formal meal, we will be having a potluck dinner. The event will be held at Mesa County Human Services in the Harmony Square Building, right next door to Human Services on North Avenue and 29 1/2 Road. We will gather at 5:30PM and have food, fun and merriment. What else for Chapter B??? Anyone who has not called to volunteer a dish and wishing to attend, please call Joe and Carol, Talbots, Rahns or Papins and let us know that you are coming and what you would like to bring. See you there!

NEW BIKE IN THE CLUB!
This is the first of what is likely to be several articles on new bikes arriving at the homes of excited club members. Joe Weyer shared this about his new bike:

"There is a new bike in our garage. I don't have any pictures of it yet. It has been ridden and not cleaned for just over a month. Very dusty and not very pretty.
Just over 400 miles and not yet broken in. The cold weather since New Year's has been a deterrent, even with a good electric jacket. On December 22 I took delivery of a brand new 2001 Harley Davidson ElectraGlide Classic. This replaces my 1991 HD, same model, with 10 years of improvements. 36,000 miles over 10 years was enough for that one. We did some fine trips on that bike, including Sturgis, New Orleans, Memphis and Saint Louis, Wyoming and Montana.
Ten years of improvements bring the HD to about equal to the GL1200 in terms of reliability and features, though not performance. The new HD engine is a twin cam version of the 1930s design V-twin. The standard 88 CU IN produce about 60 HP with a redline of 5200 RPM.
The new bike has a few upgrades. Along with the metallic blue pearl paint is a luggage rack, rear speakers, bag inserts, rider back rest, and a center stand. I had the engine upgraded a little. The bike uses the second generation fuel injection from HD. I now have a spare set of pistons and cylinders as a result of upgrading the engine to 95 CI and upgrading the EFI programs. So far the MPG is about 47.5. As the engine is broken in, I expect to see some increase. The bike is too new to tell much about future performance but it seems to be a much tighter, quieter, better put together piece. Carol says the new one is much quieter than the old one with about the same level of passenger comfort. Not quite the Gold Wing but good enough for many of our trips. Knitting this summer will tell. We are looking for opportunities for rides to test the first impressions.

Joe


ARE WE READY TO RIDE?
March is usually the month that the bikes come out of winter mode and we all try to blow of the winter cob webs with early spring rides. Be sure to read Boyce's Education article, "Enemy Edges", and get your bike in a safe condition to ride! We will look for you out there!

MALL SHOW THIS MONTH Chapter B will be joining Chapter Q, from Montrose, in a Mall Bike Show at Mesa Mall on March 31. Chapter Q has made the arrangements and we are looking forward to the opportunity to show our bikes with them, and recruit new members for our clubs. If you have not yet signed up to show your bike, please contact Dan and Ann ASAP!

ANNUAL VALENTINE'S PARTY - - HUGE SUCCESS!!!
The Annual Valentine's Day Dinner and Party was a great success! Our groups sure knows how to cook! The party was held in the conference room at Tom's Office. It was a great area for our group, lots of room for visiting, eating and games. For those who have not played "Mad Gab", you don't know what you are missing! This crazy game gives a whole new meaning to "he said what?"


SUE HOPPER, BIKE ARTIST, TO VISIT GRAND JUNCTION Sue Hopper, who was featured in Wing World last month, will be visiting Chris and Dean Talbot on May 8th and will be taking appointments to paint bikes. Sue's work is wonderful. Dean and Chris's Bike, Trailer and Helmets have wonderful examples of her art. If you are interested in having her work on your bike, call Chris and Dean for information.


ENEMY EDGES

You're on your way home from a rally, riding your big touring bike on a crowded two-lane highway. Sunday traffic has been congested, and you're getting frustrated with the slow progress. Now traffic has come to a complete stop in a construc-tion zone, with cars ahead as far as you can see. You start thinking about passing the cars ahead a few at a time, and moving up to the front of the line. There isn't much room at the left side of the new paving, but there are long periods of time when opposing traffic is apparently being held up by the flagger.
You finally bump down onto the old paving in the opposite lane, and accelerate past several cars. When oncoming traffic appears, you choose a space in front of a slow-mover, brake hard, turn on your right turn signal, and ease the bike back into line on the new paving.
But suddenly, just as your front tire reaches the edge of the new paving, the bike starts falling over, and you can't seem to maintain balance. You push hard on the left grip to keep the bike up and push the front wheel up over the edge, but you quickly lose the struggle and the bike slams over onto its right side. Fortunately, you aren't moving very fast, so you just tumble off between the cars without getting hurt. But dropping your bike is a big embarrassment, and you know without looking that there will be expensive damage.
You should have known that raised pavement edges are a special hazard to two-wheelers, and very common in construction zones. Remember that two-wheelers balance by countersteering the front wheel. If you allow your front tire to ease up next to a raised pavement edge, the tire becomes trapped by the edge and you lose control of balance. It is preferable to avoid crossing a raised edge at all. When you must cross a raised pavement edge, it is essential to attack the edge at a minimum angle of 45°, not try to ease over it at a narrow angle. In this situation, you would have been wise to stay in line and avoid crossing the edge. And when you did pass, you should have swerved away from the edge of the new pavement, and then pointed the bike back towards the edge at an angle to bounce the front tire up and over. "MARCH 2001 · MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWS"(Try this magazine, it has tons of good stuff and no ads.) -Boyce

REGIONAL RALLY INFORMATION
REGION F RALLY IN CORTEZ, COLORADO - - MAY 25 - 27, 2001.
Lodging Information for Cortez, CO:

Super 8 Motel, 970-565-8888, East Main, .49/tax
Econo Lodge, 970-565-3474, East Main, .00/tax
Budget Host Inn, 970-565-3738, East Main, 65.00/tax
Holiday Inn, 800-626-5652, East Main, .00/tax
Anasazi Motor Inn, 800-972-6232, S. Broadway .00 - .00
KOA, 800-562-3901, HWY 160, 15% discount with advance reservations

Cortez is a very popular destination. Ask for the GWRRA Rate and make your reservations early. These prices are valid until April 15. Call Dan or Ann for more information about Region F Rally!


E-mail:
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