February 2016 Newsletter

Gold Wing Road Riders’ Association
News from the California District
~~
Newsletter Editor:
February, 2016
Linda Harmon
Volume VIII—Issue II
IN THIS ISSUE:
Directors Message
1
ADDDon & Beth Kuellmer
2
District Educator
Linda Harmon
3
District IOY/COY
Coordinators—Don I& Beth
Kuellmer
4
District COY
Bob & Linda Harmon
5
District IOY
Liz Sprenkle
6
Steve & Alma Sprenkle
Assistant District MEC
7
New District Game Rules
8
MAP Coordinators
Bob & Linda Harmon –Pro-tem
9
Medic First Aid
Bob & Linda Harmon
10
Meet the District Staff
11
Sponsor—JBJ
12
Advertising with the District
13
Sky Med Advertisement
14
Sponsor—Schapiro & Leventhal
15
Sponsor—Law Tigers
16
Upcoming events
17
Hello California,
Wow!!! What a ride! We had the best time at Officers
Conference. If you weren’t able to attend…I’m sorry.
We weren’t sure what to expect, or how everything was
going to work, (especially since we weren’t able to
begin set-up until 1am), but with everyone’s help, it
was a great success. We were honored to be able to
serve California, by installing some wonderful new officers. California is in good hands. Be sure to thank
your Chapter team (officers and support staff) for all
they do for your chapter, but better yet, join the FUN
they have by volunteering to assist in any area…You
can’t have FUN if you don’t participate.
If you weren’t at Officers Conference, you may not know that this year’s Rally theme is Football. We are already having a lot of FUN with this. One of our slogans is “ Don’t be Sidelined…
Participate”. Your chapter has chosen an NFL Team for the District Game and also to represent your chapter at our California District Rally…Yes, we can call them Rallies again, because
our goal is FUN.
We also introduced our new mascot and retired Dude to a life of leisure with Vince and Pam.
Our mascot is a bear, and he wore a turtle hat in honor of Dude. We had many good suggestions for a name for our mascot, but we settled on “Huggy-bear” or “Huggy” for short. This
being appropriate since this year’s theme is “The Year of the Bear-Hug”. Little did those who
suggested this name know how special that name “Huggy-bear” is to the both of us. Our first
Foster baby, which we dearly loved, but had to release after 8 months, was named Huggybear, and has always had a special place in our hearts. As soon as that suggestion appeared
(numerous times), we knew that was the name. Huggy is looking forward to spending a lot of
time having FUN with you all throughout the year.
As we start this year out riding, we hope to see many of you out supporting chapters, attending gatherings and rallies. Our first rally is coming quickly…The Valentine’s Run with CA-1I,
Feb. 13. Hope to see you all there. There will be the announcement for the Chapter of the
Year and possibly another big surprise.
We look forward to a great year. Thank you California.
Nancy & Bob Clark
Page 2
Greetings California! What a great Officer’s Conference we had (after we got there) in
sunny and warm Bakersfield. It seems to be getting harder and harder to ride to these
events. This time I had a full truck of things that I needed to bring. Guess it is time to
invest in a trailer. However, the need to carry all those items kept us dry. As I drove
through the storm, Beth was engaged with the weather maps on her iPhone, watching
the blue dot move through the predominantly yellow with quite a few red colored
squalls thrown in for good measure. Everything stayed dry in the bed, packed in waterproof containers and plastic trunks before sliding under the bed cover.
But, back to the Conference. We have a lot in store for you this year. Almost every
chapter has a rally or other fund raising event slated for the year, and, if you attend as a
chapter, you score points in the District Football Game. Attending another chapter’s
gathering moves you down the field and towards a touchdown. We have a lot more in
store for you, and are looking at getting out seeing you much more this year.
As the Northern California ADDs, we will be concentrating our efforts further north while
Bob & Linda Harmon will focus towards the south. And, we are going to get out and ride to your chapter even more than we have been in
the past. So, look out, we are coming! But it looks like it may be a while before we can ride our Goldwing to your event.
I know we all do our T-CLOCS on a regular basis, but when is a T-CLOCS not enough? Well, I sure found out today, but not in as devastating
manner as one of our chapter member’s did last fall. I had been feeling something strange in the bike, getting progressively worse, like a
wear point that was giving out. The front end was in good shape, but when I did a flick of the handle bars from one side to the other, the
entire bike shook and oscillated for a few seconds. I also had felt something vaguely familiar from previous bikes under certain conditions,
a wallowing effect that seemed to always hit on 580 westbound in a particular stretch of road in downtown Oakland. Then, I got caught in
an eroded pavement seam on 680 and had to wrestle the bike out of it. I took it to Jody at Unlimited Motorsports in Livermore, where I had
purchased some take off parts from a Wing that had 8 miles on it when he triked it out. I had him replace the swing arm bearings, some
bushings and bolts on the rear shock pivot arm and install a Progressive Rear Spring on the shock, then the shock on the bike. When I
picked it up, the almost 200K miles on the original shock were replaced by a wonderful new shock, but the oscillations remained, as well
as the handling issues. Neither comfortable nor reassuring. So, this morning I rode up to visit Don Allen at Wingnut in Fairfield to see what
he thought. He was stumped for about 20 minutes, then came to the same conclusion that he had with our member’s trike – the frame
had cracked. This explained the familiar feelings that I was getting in some turns – frame flex – something that the 1800 does not experience under normal conditions. So, I rode home and removed the accessories that the dealer would charge me to have removed and replaced and then rode it to Tracy to turn it in for a frame replacement – on Honda under the lifetime warranty of the frame. BTW – Don Allen
indicated that it was the 5th 2002 or 2003 that he had seen with this problem in the past few months. And, the service manager at the
dealer indicated that this was not their first one in recent times, either. So, I found out when a simple T-CLOCS is not sufficient. If you have
an early 1800, the frame recalls have not fixed the problem. So, be on the lookout for issues not easily explained by fork bearings, swing
arm bearings, shocks, front springs and other known wear points on your Goldwing.
Now to the brake recall – immediately prior to taking mine in for this service, I was bleeding my rear brakes every week when they were
getting to the second or third pump before getting solid. I took mine into Tracy and they had me in and out in a little over 2 hours – while I
was ogling the bright shiny new bikes in the showroom (no Goldwings though) as I patiently waited (tap, tap, tap). They were very professional and completed the job quickly. And, the brake pedal was still solid when I took it back there for the frame over a month later. So,
the brake recall seems to cure both air entry and (hopefully) the brakes locking up on you issue.
Until our tire tracks cross again, Ride Often and Ride Safe
Your ADDs, Don & Beth
Page 3
As promised at the Officer’s Conference, here is a highlighted article by Mike Burke,
CA2N.
Steering and Riding At Slow Speeds
Steering is the easy part, right? Not always. When driving above 15-20 mph, the motorcycle's wheels act like gyroscopes. These spinning masses of wheel and tire combine
to create a gyroscopic force. How do you overcome this force to get your bike to turn?
You don't.
When you attempt to push a spinning wheel to the right or the left, the wheel, and the
rest of the bike attached to it, will lean in the opposite direction. This is called countersteering. Turn the bars left, and lean right. It is the only way to steer a motorcycle when
going over 15 mph. This is not a technique to learn in a moment of panic, it only works
if you practice it. Unless the action is second nature, you will return to your old habits
during an emergency.
Riding at Slow Speeds - Riding fast is fun. Unfortunately to even get to where we can drive fast, we often have to sludge
through traffic, urban areas or neighborhoods where slow riding is necessary. Slow riding tricks include:
Proper posture - Sit comfortably on the bike and keep your knees against the tank. Try not to move around too much as this
transfers weight around and provides steering input to the bike. And keep your feet on the foot pegs. The same goes for the
Co-rider.
Sighting - Failure to look ahead is one of the most common errors with slow speed riding. A good way to practice this is setting up cones about four yards apart and slaloming though them. Vary the distance between cones if your bike can't make it.
As you are going between two cones, you should be looking at the path you want to take in the next gate, which should be
about 3.0 to 5.0 ahead. Many riders look 3.0 to 5.0 feet ahead, which causes them to be shaky. Looking the proper distance
ahead gives your mind enough time to plan a route, so you don't have to make so many last-minute corrections. Force yourself to look far ahead.
The Front Brake - Under normal conditions, the front brake is an invaluable tool for keeping your bike under control. However,
at very slow speeds while the front wheel is turned, the front brake can be too strong to provide a smooth stop. I tend not to
use the front brake at very low speeds. The rear has more than enough power to stop you at these speeds, just be careful not
to shift around to get your foot on the brake pedal (if it isn't already, as it should be), or you'll upset the bike's balance.
Clutch Slipping - Another major key to slow speed control is the clutch. Most motorcycles have wet clutches, which means
that the friction plates are bathed in oil to keep them cool. This means that slipping a clutch is not a problem for a short time.
When riding at a speed that is slower than your idle will let you go, control your speed by pulling in the clutch past the friction
point to disengage the engine from the rear wheel. The friction point is the point that the clutch just starts to 'grab' and transfer power to the rear wheel. When you feel unsteady because you are going so slowly you feel you almost have to put your
foot down, then let out the clutch a bit to speed up until you're steady. You can do this for quite some time without hurting the
clutch.
All of these slow speed maneuvers are practiced during our PLP (Parking Lot Practice) sessions. Plan on attending 2 or 3 of
them to hone your slow riding skills.
Mike Burke, CA2N Rider Educator
Page 4
Congratulations to all of the 2016 Chapter COYs and IOYs. At the District Officer’s conference, we distributed 16 sets of COY and 14 sets of IOY medallions and Certificates of Selection. These acknowledge all the extra efforts
that the COYs & IOYs did for the chapter operations team to enhance the experience for all participants, whether they be regular JAMs (Just A Member),
one of the Chapter Operations Team members, or the guests to the chapter
from another chapter or maybe from another district.
Many of you have already received your notification at a chapter event. If you
have, that is great. Others may not have received the word as your CDs are
waiting for the next chapter gathering or event to announce their selection
and acknowledge your accomplishments and contributions to your chapter.
As the COY or IOY, your contributions are well received and your continued support to your chapter will be even
more important to the success and Fun that your chapter is planning for 2016. And, we are very interested in
knowing what you do for your chapter and the GWRRA too. As we know who you are, we will be contacting you
next month to see if you are interested in representing your District as the COY or IOY. So, stand by, your ride
might just be starting!
Page 5
Hello from the California District Couple of the Year and the Southern California ADD’s. Officer’s Conference is over and the real work
has begun. We have been looking at schedules for meeting and
events and trying to plan how to reach each and every chapter. We
feel strongly that we should make a sincere effort to get to every
chapter. That plus having a football goal in front of us has made it
more fun. We have even decided to try splitting the travel group to
reach multiple chapters during their meetings. We are even going
to cross several chapters on the same weekend. Look Out! We are
Coming!
We feel that the new District Directors have started creating a path that will lead to more fun for everyone. They really feel that having fun is the pinnacle of our activities. Spending time together with those
we have socialized with and created relationships really is fun. We are finding that many times, Gold
Wings is not our only shared love. We enjoy the time spent traveling to the chapters as much as the time
spent with chapter members. This will be a fun year!
One of the great American past times is football and that is the theme for the year! Super Bowl is just
around the corner and people are gearing up for that game. Each chapter has selected a team so let the
games begin! I understand the excitement even though I am not a super football fan. Our chapter selected the Seattle Seahawks. We have very creative people in the chapter so watch out. Who knows what
we will come up with? I remember the table decorations last year. They were so creative, this year could
be better! Hope every chapter is able to find their creative bug and create a masterpiece.
During the breakouts, there were discussions about what the Chapter Directors, Chapter Educators, and
Membership Enhancement Coordinators can expect for the upcoming year. There are many ways to assist your chapter to grow and have fun, just communicate with one of these officers and get involved.
Being the Couple of the Year is totally involved. You cannot sit back and watch others have fun and that
is not fun. Jump into the middle of the action and support your Couple of the Year! You will be surprised
at the amount of fun to be had.
Until we see you again,
Bob and Linda Harmon
California District Couple of the Year
California Assistant District Directors
Page 6
Hello everyone this is your District Individual speak…I mean
typing and you’re reading…anyway it’s that time of year again where
you buy presents and send cards to loved ones. No, not Christmas,
(obviously) I’m talking about Valentine’s Day. A day to do a little
something, extra, for that special someone. Now we all think of February 14th as being romantic and sweet but I bet you didn’t know
that it wasn’t always this way.
It’s the 5th century and it’s the middle of February in Rome. The
streets are lined in preparation for the festival of Lupercalia. That’s
right the festival of fertility dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of
agriculture, and the Roman founders, Romulus and Remus. The
festival would begin when the Luperci, an order of Roman priests,
gathered at the sacred cave believed to be where the infant founders of Rome were raised by the she-wolf, Lupa. Here these priestly
guys would make two sacrifices, a dog for purification, and a goat
for fertility. The priests then cut the goat’s hide into strips and
dipped them into the sacrificial blood. Sounds normal right I mean sacrificing animals was a common
practice to atone for sins, and ask for things etc. well, here is where things get a little bit weird. The
priests would then take these bloody strips of goat hide and go around gently slapping both crop fields
and Roman women. Yes the priests hit the women with bloody goat hides. The women actually welcomed the touch because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year (makes sense,
right?). According to legend, later that same day, all of the available young women would put their
names into a large urn and the city’s bachelors would each choose a name from this urn. The two would
then be the next tributes in the hunger Game……I-I mean they would paired for the year, many of these
matches ended in marriage.
I’m sure you are all wondering how hitting women with bloody goat hides and pulling names from giant
urns relates to Valentine’s Day, well I’ll tell you. The Christian church decided to place the St. Valentine’s
Day feast in the middle of February to offset the festival of Lupercalia in an effort to “Christianize” the
pagan celebration. Now this is just one theory there are others, one of which being the commemoration
of the anniversary of Valentine’s death. So Happy Valentine’s Day everyone and remember don’t hit your
significant other with objects that are meant to be eaten.
Elizabeth Sprenkle,
District Individual of the year 2015-2016
Page 7
Hello California,
We hope this finds you well, the officers conference is over and we
are officially the District MEC. We had a great time meeting all of you,
as well as running into friends we haven’t had the chance to see in a
while (since the district convention, back in September) we look forward to serving you to the best of our abilities, please if you have any
questions do not hesitate to contact us with email at [email protected] or Alma’s phone 619-585-9112.
Are you smiling yet? Take a moment and think of something that
made you chuckle…., if not, then ….please picture this; you go out all
day looking your best and guess what you do not see any one that you know. But if you were to go out
for five minutes looking like crap guess what? Suddenly it is a family reunion you see everyone that you
know. We hope that gave you something to smile about.
Until next month
Alma & Steve Sprenkle
District Membership Enhancement Coordinators
Remember our motto:
“You don’t stop having fun
when you get old, you get old
when you stop having fun”
Page 8
Welcome to GWRRA District football game
Rules for Scoring!!
The object of GWRRA District football game is: To have “FUN”, visit friends, make new ones, get to know them (attend a
breakfast gathering), and ride safely (riders meeting) to see them!
“Friends for fun, safety and Knowledge”
The goal is: To get as many points and touch downs, as you can
All chapters will receive a football game board and 30 NFL stickers. All chapters will have a different NFL logo. Each sticker
represents 10 *(20) yards and 1 *(2) point. You, (at least 2 households or 15% from the chapter whichever is more), must
visit a chapter gathering to receive the 10 yards* and 1 point* (15% of Chapter on back of the game board)
When you visit a chapter, an officer from that chapter (Chapter Director (CD), Assistant Chapter Director (ACD), Treasurer,
Membership Enhancement Coordinator (MEC), or Rider Educator (RE)) will initial a sticker and place it on your game board.
(You may visit that chapter’s gathering as many times as you would like, however, you can only receive a sticker/point (s)
from that chapter’s gathering once).
You may also get a field goal (3pts.) By attending a chapter’s rally/event [sticker to be applied behind end zone]
To receive more stickers for yardage points, you must visit other chapters.
At the end of the field, you’ll have 10 pts and a touchdown worth 6 pts, for a total of 16pts
But don’t stop there! Go back to the other end of the field, visit more chapters, and go for another touchdown!
*Important: If you are a CA-1 chapter visiting a CA-2 chapter you receive 20 yards, 2 points. If you are a CA-2 chapter visiting
a CA-1 chapter you receive 20 yards, 2pts.
The game ends August 31, 2016. Game board must be received by September 10, 2016, in the event of a tie, the winner
will be chosen by a coin toss.
If you have any questions, please contact Steve and Alma Sprenkle,
District Membership Enhancement Coordinators via phone 619-585-9112 or
Email us at [email protected]
Example to determine 15%: 2015 Average Per Meeting = 31 * 15% of 31 = 4 person from 2+ households.
Page 9
As an officer in GWRRA one is constantly working with people. With all
the various encounters with people you receive various reactions from
people. While reading a school newsletter, I ran across the following
story about the law of the garbage truck. We feel this is very fitting and
very true to dealing with people. Enjoy the story. The Law of the Garbage Truck by David J. Pollay
One day a man hopped into a taxi and took off for the airport. They
were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car pulled out right in
front of the taxi. The taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and
missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started
yelling at us. The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. In addition to waving he was very friendly.
The passenger was taken by surprise and asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your
car and sent us to the hospital!' That is when the taxi driver described 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and
sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move
on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake
up in the morning with regrets, so.... Love the people who treat you right. Hope for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Have a garbage-free day!
Are you wondering what this has to do with Motorist Awareness? Some drivers can be more aggressive
that others and that can lead to Road Rage. This rage can lead to aggressive driving which can be dangerous to everyone. This behavior can lead to distraction by taking your eyes off the road, hands off the
wheel and mind off the driving which can provoke another’s irritated or violent behavior. The loser is the
one that internalizes the anger and frustration and lashes out against others. Someone may be hurt in
the end. Taking the philosophy of don’t take it personally will improve your day.
SMILE!!
Life is ten percent what you make it
and ninety percent how you take it!
Page 10
Winter: Beware of the Cold
Adapted from Katherine McCarthy of HSI
It’s not just in the winter months that people are exposed to cold stress,
but it is a lot more likely… especially in the more north and south regions
of the world. Those who are exposed to extreme cold or work in low temperature environments may be at risk of cold stress.
The CDC explains that extreme cold weather is a dangerous situation that
can bring on health emergencies in susceptible people, such as those without shelter, outdoor workers, and those who work in an area that is poorly insulated or without heat. What constitutes cold stress and its effects can vary across different areas of the
country. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for “cold stress.” Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat
can more rapidly leave your body.
Types of Cold Stress:
Hypothermia - When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. A body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the
victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person
may not know it is happening and will not be able to do anything about it.
Cold Water Immersion - Cold water immersion creates a specific condition known as immersion hypothermia. It develops much more quickly than standard hypothermia because water conducts heat away from the
body 25 times faster than air. Typically people in temperate climates don’t consider themselves at risk from
hypothermia in the water, but hypothermia can occur in any water temperature below 70°F. Survival times
can be lengthened by wearing proper clothing (wool and synthetics and not cotton).
Frostbite - Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and
color in the affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage body tissues, and severe cases can lead to amputation. In extremely cold temperatures, the
risk of frostbite is increased in workers with reduced blood circulation and among workers who are not
dressed properly.
Chilblains - Chilblains are caused by the repeated exposure of skin to temperatures just above freezing to as
high as 60 degrees F. The cold exposure causes damage to the capillary beds (groups of small blood vessels)
in the skin. The redness and itching typically occurs on cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes.
HSI wants you to stay safe from the effects of cold stress. Help ensure your safety and your employees
safety by taking winter prep courses.
Page 11
District Directors
Bob & Nancy Clark
661-943-5663
[email protected]
District Educator
Assistant District Directors
Don & Beth Kuellmer
925-487-5750
[email protected]
Assistant District
Educator
Linda Harmon
661-810-5157
[email protected]
PLP Trainer
Bob & Linda Harmon
661-810-5154
[email protected]
[email protected]
District Trainer
Steve & Teri Rippe
559-298-2456
[email protected]
Motorist Awareness Program
Coordinator
Mike & Elma Maury
858-485-7216
[email protected]
Membership Enhancement
Coordinators
Assistant District Directors
Convention Coordinators
Vincent & Pamela Puterbaugh
[email protected]
[email protected]
Treasurer
Darlene Herrera
Cell 626-466-7068
[email protected]
Medic First Aid Coordinators
Linda Harmon
661-810-5157
[email protected]
Convention Vendor Coordinator
Michelle Walsh
760-519-9767
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Couple of the Year
& Individule of the Year Coordinators
Chapter of the Year Coordinators
WEB Master
District Artist
Lady Ride (SiG)
Coordinator
Steve & Alma Sprenkle
858-688-0029
[email protected]
District Store Manager
JoAnn MacLean
661-251-5420
[email protected]
Couple Of the
Year2015/2016
Bob & Linda Harmon
661-256-9106 [email protected]
[email protected]
Ric Ewing
925-787-6012
[email protected]
Individual Of the Year
2015/2016
Liz Sprenkle
858-688-0029
Ruth Burke
209-536-1318
[email protected]
District Photographer
Jim Miller
760-275-0314
[email protected]
Diane Hibden
310-638-2830
[email protected]
Page 12
California’s oldest independent Goldwing facility
Full Service Maintenance
-
Suspension upgrades - Tune-ups
Trike Conversions
- Electrical
Accident repairs
- Lighting
Trailer sales
- Oil change
XM Radio install
- GPS hookup
Audio systems
- Brakes
Tire installation
- Safety Check
No motorcycle too old here!!
1018 E. Chestnut Avenue
Unit I
Santa Ana, CA 92701
www.jbjcycles.com
Page 13
It Pays to Advertise in Wingin through California
Full Page Ad
$200.00 year -(includes listing on CA District Web page)
1/2 Page Ad
$125.00 year
Business
$ 75.00 year
Please submit your advertisement artwork via e-mail to:
[email protected].
Checks made payable to GWRRA – CA can be mailed to: Diana Hibden
6910 Coachella Ave., Long Beach, Ca 90805
Page 14
Call Bruce & Pauline
Bruce & Pauline Pokallus
503-577-3616—503-577-3613
email: [email protected]
www.skymed.com/bppokallus
Page 15
Page 16
Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge
GWRRA CALIFORNIA
DISTRICT
GWRRA National Divisions:
Bob & Nancy Clark
District Directors
42010 55th St. West
Quartz Hill, CA 93536
661-943-5663
[email protected]
Visit us on the web at:
www.gwrra-ca.org
Upcoming Events 2016
February 13th – CA-1I
August 30-Sept 3—Wing Ding
March 18-20 – CA-1R
September 10—CA-1S
April 9th – CA-1A
September 23-25—California District
April 24th – CA-1Q
October 1—CA-2N
April 30th – CA-1K
October 8—CA-1M
April 30th – CA-2Q – Garage Sale
October 16—CA-1V
May 6-7th – CA-2S – Garage Sale
October 22—CA-1F
May 14th – CA-2K
November 12—CA-1C
May 21st – CA-2W
November 19—CA-1Z
May 27-30th – Region F – Albuquerque,
June 11th – CA-1D
June 25th – CA-1L
GO TO: WWW.GWRRA-CA.ORG AND
July 7-9—Reno Rendezvous
CLICK ON CALIFORNIA RALLIES TO
July 30—CAC
DOWNLOAD EACH