Words from your Chapter Director GL1800 Rear Suspension

Words from your Chapter
Director
We went down south of the border Oct. 20th
to get our bunnies back. We only had five people go
down with us. I want to thank them all for going!
(We did get our bunnies back.) That afternoon, we
had our annual end of the season potluck feast of
Prime Rib & Steelhead. There seemed to be plenty.
But, we only had 19 people and four were guests.
The rest of you missed out….it was very good! Tom
Knapp brought home-made cheese cake, very
good!!! We gave him a job, to make it for our rally
this coming year, we’ll see what happens!?
October 27th, was our dinner ride to Famous
Dave’s. It was a joint affair with Ch. “L”, Ch.
“M”, Ch. Or.”H” and Ch. “R” was also invited. We
had 19 Ch.”L”, 7 Ch. Or.”H”, and six for Ch. “M”
show up. It was a lot of fun, good food, good
friendships & visits and lots of laughs. Have you
tried their “Deep fried Pickles” yet? Thank you,
everyone that came!
I want to thank the five people that
volunteered to call our members to try to get more
of them to our monthly gatherings. We had a lot of
“thank you” reported & I think it will work. I’m
looking for someone in our group to come up with
some sort of a game we can play at our gatherings.
Something short & fun, to help us all to remember
“Fun, Safety & Knowledge”!
My thought for the month:
“We have met the enemy, and he is us. The
hardest person to lead will always be yourself.
Human nature seems to endow us with the ability to
size up everybody except ourselves. We are harder
on others than we are on ourselves. We judge others
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according to their actions, while we tend to judge
ourselves according to our intentions. When we do
the wrong thing, we let ourselves off the hook
because we believe our motives were good, and the
problem is, we are usually willing to do that over &
over before requiring ourselves to change!”
I got this out of my “Word of the day” & I
thought it hit home!
Thank you and be safe.
Lloyd Finley
Ch. WA.”L” C.D.
GL1800 Rear Suspension
Discussion
This is from a response by TOM FINCH of Tailwind trailers
The Honda GL1800 rear suspension is quite unique.
The spring is linear but the linkage is not. It is a
very well thought out design.
Think of a chain tied to a fixed point like a wall.
Just picture a chain about 6 feet long and the anchor
point on the wall is about waist high. You hold the
other end in you hand and walk backward away
from the wall so as to pull the chain out straight.
At first, when you are near the wall, there is very
little opposition to you stepping backward as the
chain hangs almost straight down. As you approach
the 5-foot distance, the chain starts to straighten out
and it really is hard to continue stepping backward.
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Interestingly, you cannot pull the chain totally
straight with your bare hands. As you struggle to
hold the chain near straight, a 30-pound child can
grab the chain in the middle and their weight will
pull you back toward the wall. However, as the
chain sags, it soon reaches a point where you can
easily oppose the child's weight pulling down on the
center of the chain.
The Wing suspension is a little like the chain
hooked to the wall, but it only has two links in the
chain. In the following images the "chain" is made
up of the blue link and the bent link. The "wall" is
the cross bar that the center stand mounts to, and the
force tugging on the other end of the chain is the
swing arm as the wheel is forced upward by load.
The child's weight is representative of the spring of
the rear shock.
As the suspension setting approaches zero, the
suspension settles and the chain is allowed to
approach straight because the opposition (spring
preload) is reduced. The nearly straight chain
quickly straightens further when the wheel is
pushed up by a bump and soon the bump can not
overcome the resistance of the spring because the
two-link chain is too straight and lacks the leverage.
This situation gives a harsh ride.
Now on the other hand, if the setting is at max or
25, the chain is forced to be in more of a state of
sag, on our Gl1800 this means the two-link chain
will have a greater angle between the two links,
making it easier to "Move away from the wall."
When the "chain" has more sag, the two links have
a greater angle between them, the suspension has
more leverage against the spring.
As you can see in these images the section of the
"chain" that is attached to the Swing Arm (the bent
link) is made into a lever which rotates compressing
the suspension cartridge (shock absorber and
spring) as it does and since this lever rotation is
resisted by the suspension cartridge, the
suspension's resistance to movement is maximum
when the "chain" links approach straight near the
swing arm's upper limit of travel.
In the view below, forward is to the left. (Sorry for
the reversal but only photos I had. TF)
The following two views are not to scale and are
sketches. The top image is with the suspension set
near zero and the lower image is with the
suspension set near 25 (maximum).
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This is truly an ingenious system which can be
tailored by the engineers to achieve a large amount
of non linearity, making it take a very high force to
actually bottom the suspension out and preserving a
low spring rate at the other end of the travel. That is
why the suspension compliance is actually higher
(softer ride) when running the suspension setting
higher, yielding a better ride on the rough stuff.
(After reading this article I set my suspension to
maximum (25) and I can report that while the rear
feels a slightly firmer over the small bumps but it
actually does feel softer over larger bumps and pot
holes. The other effects I've noticed are more
cornering clearance and the rear of the bike sits
higher but I've become used to the higher stance
after just a few rides. Tom Denny)
How to Winterize Your
Motorcycle1
For many motorcyclists across the country, the end
of fall marks a crucial maintenance time for their
cycles. Some fortunate riders enjoy year round
suitable cycling climate. If you are not one of the
fortunate, you need to follow a few important steps
to protect your cycle over the winter months ahead.
The following steps are helpful guidelines to assist
you in winterizing your motorcycle to assure come
spring, you can get back on the road with little
trouble.
1. Gather up the tools necessary for winterizing
your bike. You will need, cleaning cloths, spark
plug wrench, a trickle battery charger, four or
five quarts of high quality oil, new oil filter, oil
can or device to get oil in the cylinders, chain
1
“How to Winterize Your Motorcycle” WikiHow to do
anything. Vers. 25. 19 June 2012. 29 Sept. 2012
<http://www.wikihow.com/Winterize-Your-Motorcycle
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
lube (if you have a chain drive), fuel stabilizer,
spray can of WD40, a breathable motorcycle
cover, kitchen plastic wrap, rubber bands, vinyl
or plastic gloves, items to clean and wax your
bike. Lastly a nice location for the bike to spend
the winter, a heated secure garage would be
ideal. Avoid wind, dripping water, vermin,
mildew, and chemical fumes.
2. Give your bike a thorough cleaning. A gentle
wash detergent and water will suffice. By
removing road grime and insects you will
protect the finish of the bike. Avoid spraying
water directly into the opening of the muffler. If
baffles get wet and are not dried prior storage,
internal rust could result. Likewise avoid
moisture in the air cleaner housing. If the
housing becomes saturated, it could act as a
choke, making cycle difficult to start. Dry
completely with a good chamois. Clean and
polish all aluminum and stainless surfaces with
the appropriate metal polish. Finally finish up
with a coat of good wax polish on all painted
and chrome surfaces. Clean the chain (if you
have one). Spray off all the built up residues
with WD40. Lube the chain.
3. Add a fuel stabilizer to the gas tank. Fill your
tank with gas as full as it can go. This is very
important. As fuel ages, more volatile
components tend to change, leaving sludge and
gummy substances that can affect the
carburetor. Run the bike so the gas and fuel
stabilizer get to the carburetor and fuel injectors.
Then turn off the fuel and run it dry
4. If you have a carburetor, drain your float
bowls. Shut off the gas petcock and drain the
gas from the carburetor bowls. Consult your
manual for location of drain screws. Of course if
you have a fuel-injected bike, there isn’t
anything to drain.
5. Once the engine is warm, you can change the
oil and filter. Oil chemistry changes over
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periods of extended storage. Old oil can develop
acidic qualities, which can corrode engine parts.
6. Using an oil-squirting device, put oil over the
stationary tubes on the front forks. Get on the
bike, hold the front brake and bounce the bike
up and down to work the front suspension. This
will keep the rubber seals from drying out and
protect the exposed fork tubes.
7. Remove spark plug wires, and carefully with
a spark plug wrench remove the plugs. With
your oil-squirting device, get some motor oil in
the cylinders. Approximately one teaspoon of
oil will work well. Tuck the plug wires away
somewhere safe so they do not arc, then spin the
motor with the starter for a few revolutions to
get the oil spread around. Remember to keep
your face away from the spark plug holes. Oil
will squirt out! Clean and gap the plugs and put
them back in. Replace plug wires.
8. You may want to remove the battery. Some
batteries may require charging every four weeks
with a “Battery Tender” type of charger. Built
up sulfates on the plates can ruin a battery
during cold storage and inactivity. A thin coat of
Vaseline to the terminals on the battery can
prevent corrosion. This small step will mean an
easier spring start up and no extra cost of battery
replacement.
11. Clean and treat all leather with a high
quality dressing.
12. If your storage location is bare concrete, we
suggest using a piece of plywood, MDF, or
old thick carpet. This will insulate the bike
from becoming damp. We also suggest storing
your bike with all the weight removed from the
wheels. A bike stand or some blocking works if
you have a wheeled lift. A center stand and
some blocking will work too. Do not store your
bike near any ozone emitting devices, such as
motors, freezers, furnaces or electric heaters.
The gasses created by the above will deteriorate
rubber parts.
13. With a clean cloth, wipe good quality light
machine oil over all the metal surfaces,
except the disc brakes. Spray a little WD40 in
the tail pipe(s). Cover your tail pipe opening and
the air intake with plastic wrap and a rubber
band. You can also cover drain hoses as well.
This will prevent any opportunistic pests from
making a cozy winter home in your bike.
14. Do not run the engine for short periods of
time over the storage period, this can lead to
condensation due to engine and combustion
byproducts in the oil
Courtesy of Joyce LoParco
9. If your bike has a liquid cooling system,
check it’s level of anti-freeze with a
hygrometer. Drain, flush and replace antifreeze
if necessary. We suggest this replacement be
done every two years. Do not leave the
antifreeze level low or empty, this could lead to
rust or corrosion of the cooling system. Check
all other fluid levels at this time.
10. Lube your cables. Lube suspension and pivot
points. Lube the drive shaft (if you have one).
Check the air cleaner and the fuel filter. Look at
brake pads. Give your bike a good once over.
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
48 in 24
By Jerry Denny
I first had the idea in 2011, ride in all lower
48 states, during one long trip. People thought I was
nuts. No one wanted to ride along, so on May 31st
of 2012, I started my ride.
I left TriCities, Wa., heading east on Hwy
124. Outside of Pasco, Wa. it started to rain. I
continued east on Hwy 12 along Idaho’s Clearwater
river and through Cougar Canyon. Still raining.
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Entering Montana I rode over LoLo pass and into
Butte. I continued to Billings, Mt. where I stopped.
The next day I went over the continental
divide. It was cold for most the morning. I kept
riding until I reached Bowman, North Dakota.
Day Three: I rode through North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska and into Iowa. These states
are mostly flat.
Day Four: I headed north into Minnesota
then headed east through Wisconsin. I stopped at a
small town “Wisconsin Dells,” population 2,600,
which had a Starbucks. Thinking this was a bit
unusual I rode through the town to find eight large
amusement parks all with a different theme. I
continued east to Rockford, Ill.
Day Five: I started out by riding through a
toll plaza in the Fast Pass lane, how big is that
ticket! Getting back on the Illinois toll road I asked
about the possible ticket. They gave me the web site
address where I could pay the toll from the day
before. Continuing on through Indiana, then north
to Sturgis Michigan. South to Ohio to I-90 another
toll road through Ohio. This road was ok because
they had Starbucks in the travel plazas.
Day Six: I went north east through
Pennsylvania into New York. I stopped at
Binghamton N.Y. Most of New York is hilly.
Day Seven: I rode through Vermont, which
is now one of my favorite states. In New Hampshire
I hit a thunder storm with buckets of rain and some
hail. No overpasses to get under. Reaching Maine, I
made a right turn a headed down the east coast
stopping short or Providence R.I..
Day Eight: continuing south I rode through
Providence, New York City then into New Jersey.
The day started out with fog so I caught a late start
but did reach Delaware.
Day Nine: woke up to a flat rear tire. I had a
plug kit and a small compressor, but I opted for
calling a free tow using the phone number on the
membership card. The tire, which was only two
weeks old was ruined by a screw and nail. So a new
tire and oil change I hit the rode again, heading
north instead of south. I finally was heading the
correct direction but with a very late start. I rolled
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through Baltimore, Washington DC and Richmond,
Va..
Day Ten: Taking I-60/I-64 west I rode into
West Virginia, then south on I-77. There are two
tunnels in WV, each about a mile long going under
mountains instead of over. I reached South Carolina
and stopped in the southern part. I stayed an extra
day to let the massive rain storm in the Florida pan
handle move north.
Day Eleven: heading south through Georgia
then to I10 in Florida reaching western Florida.
Day Twelve: I headed west to Alabama,
Mississippi Louisiana, then north back into
Mississippi.
Day Thirteen: found me in eastern Missouri
after riding in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Finishing up two weeks on the road I went
west through Missouri into Kansas, stopping in
McPhearson. I stayed there visiting my daughter
and three granddaughters until July 5, 2012.
Leaving on the 5th I headed back east to
Wing-Ding for the last day. I returned to
McPhearson on the ninth of July for a couple days
rest.
Day Nineteen of riding counting the four
days traveling to and from Wing-Ding, I headed
south to Oklahoma and Texas then west to Raton,
New Mexico.
The next day saw me riding west in northern
NM., I arrived at the four corners Monument,
played tourist for a short time then rode around the
monument before heading west again. I stopped in
north central Arizona for the night.
Day Twenty-one: I rode southwest to
Flagstaff AZ. Turning west on I-40 into California.
Hitting Needles CA., I turned north on I-95. I rode
through Las Vegas, stopping in Mesquite, NV.
Early the next day I rode through the Virgin
River canyon and up to Utah. I stopped at a
Starbucks then at a cycle shop for another oil
change. Back on the road I went through Salt Lake
City I turned right on I-80 and went to Evanston,
Wyoming.
Day Twenty-three: heading west I rode to
Winnemucca, NV., then north on I-95 to Ontario,
Oregon. This was the longest day going 715 miles.
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Day Twenty-four: going west on I-84 to I-82
To Hwy 395, I made my way back to the Tri-cities.
Total mileage for the trip was 11,390 miles.
I skipped over the part about the semi
missing running over me by a couple feet and the
semi tire blowing and a piece landing in front of
me. I didn’t mention the 100 plus degree heat or the
wet and very cold days in the mountains, because
they don’t really matter.
Only the ride matters when it’s all done.
Calendar of Events
November
Sale items are listed for THREE months. If you sell
your item sooner, please email the newsletter editor. If
you need your item listed longer, you need to email and
request an extension.
[email protected]
11/1-Thurs- Coffee 9:00 Li’ Randy’s 1st and WA.
FOR SALE
11/2 - Fri - ICE CREAM
11/3-Sat- Buckley WA
11/7 Wed Staff Meeting 6:30
4131 W Hood, Kennewick
11/ 7 - Wed- DINNER GATHERING
11/10-Veterans Day Parade – West Richland WA
participate in this parade.
$5.00 all you can eat breakfast at the West Richland Moose
11/10 Regular Meeting /
Chef’s Restaurant, Pasco on 20th infront of Albertsons
1200 Noon
2001 Quick Silver motorcycle tow behind cargo trailer. Black
with blue and rose pinstriping. Very clean and nice condition.
Well cared for always. Body dimensions: 30” wide, 60” long,
36” height. Wheel to wheel width 48”. Total over-all length 8
ft. Total weight 205 lbs. Body has 24 cubic feet of storage.
Full shelf for smaller items. Large diamond plate ice box
keeps food and beverages cold. Bottle opener on side. New
tires on 12” chrome wheels. Spare tire with cover. 1 7/8”
coupler. Torsion suspension. New shocks. Great to tow behind
motorcycles, trikes, vehicles. Asking $1,995.00 or best
reasonable cash offer. Tri-Cities, WA. (509)585-2129.
Suzanne and Mike Kasko. WA-L. email
[email protected].
Scheduled Ride after the meeting, Come ready to go.
Needs a ride leader and a place of destination.
December
12/5 Wed Staff Meeting 6:30
4131 W Hood, Kennewick
12/8 WA-D Festival of the Lights
12/8 Regular Meeting
Chef’s Restaurant, Pasco on 20th infront of Albertsons
8:00 Breakfast,
9:00 Meeting....
Month: 1/3
12/8 Christmas Dinner
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
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1994 KwikKamp Belair queen tent trailer. New tires and
wheels. Lube and grease recently performed. Canvas has been
water proofer. Covered Ice box and covered propane tank on
tongue. Swivel hitch - 1 7/8". Good wires. Black box and
vinyl cover. (needs new zipper.
Final Touch on Gage Blvd at roundabout estimates $100 $125.00 to repair and replace.)
Asking price AS IS - $1,900.00.
Price with repaired zipper - $2,600.00.
Call Mike and Suzanne Kasko 585-2129 for more info. Can
see at their home in Kennewick.
Month: 2/3
For sale: Comfort-max sheepskin covered gel pads with
memory foam sized for Goldwing as seen in Wing World,
Ortho Deluxe and Jumbo. As good as new, very little use. See
website for more details.
http://www.amspecialtiesusa.com/gelpad.htm
$175.00
Please call Don at 509-585-3756
AWARDS AND DRAWINGS
Month: 1/3
Breakfast Ticket
50/50 Drawing
Show for the Dough
Oops Award
Good Guy Award
Puzzle
Nov 05
Nov 06
Nov 06
Nov 08
Nov 09
Nov 11
Nov 14
Nov 23
Nov 24
Nov 28
Nov 29
Gary Domas
Santana Denny
Joyce Didway
Sharon Winter
Chad Domas
Randy & Lynnette Downing
Gene & Pam Myers
Russ Akers
Danny & Nancy Sanders
Duane Shults
Joe & Sharon Winters
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
Christine Eide
Jay Ahlers Chpt WA-R
Steve Collins, Not Present, Next
Meeting $25.00
Joyce Hull
Christine Eide
Don Eide
Mark Blake
Jim Young, Chapter R
John Smith
Llyod Finley
Tom Didway
Jay Ahlers Chap-R
Georgia Finley
Christine Eide
John Smith
Tom Denn
Tom Watson
Chuck Hull
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Thanksgiving
Find and circle all of the words related to Thanksgiving that are hidden in the grid.
The words may be hidden in any direction.
AUTUMN
CANDIED YAMS
CELEBRATION
CORNUCOPIA
CRANBERRY SAUCE
FAMILY
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
FEAST
FRIENDS
GATHERING
HARVEST
HOLIDAY
MAYFLOWER
MEAL
PARADE
PILGRIMS
PUMPKIN PIE
STUFFING
TURKEY
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Washington Chapter “L”
Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
Lloyd & Georgia Finley
Chapter Director
509-948-2063 / 509-783-9789 h.
Mike & Janet Turner
Assist Ch. Director
509-845-1069 c.
Phil & Joyce LoParco
Assist Ch. Director
509-546-1166 c./ 509-582-6994 h.
Tom Denny
Chapter Educator
509-582-8779 h.
Joyce Hull
Treasurer
509-586-0350 h.
Christine Eide
Secretary
509-539-6509 c.
Don Eide
Membership
509-531-7849. h
POSITION OPEN
Couple of the Year
--POSITION OPEN
Individual of the Year
--Tyler Denny
Newsletter Editor
509-582-8779 h.
Donna Whiteside
Sunshine Person
509-943-9828 h.
Bob Goodman
Ride Coordinator
509-967-8986 c.
Terri Watson
Special Events
509-545-9286 h.
Joyce LoParco
Phone Tree
509-531-9939 c./509-582-6994 h.
Georgia Finley
Historian
509-94802965 c./ 509-783-9789 h.
Mike Messinger
Web Master
509-582-4560
Joyce LoParco
Public Relations
509-531-9939 c./509-582-699 h.
http://www.gwrra-wa-l.org/
Gold Wing Road Rider Association
Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge
http://www.gwrra.org
Region “I” Staff
http://www.bigskyregioni.org/
Region Directors
Assistant Directors
Assistant Directors
Assistant Directors
Rider Educators
Instructor Coordinators
Motorist Awareness
Treasurer
Membership Enhancement
Coordinator
Leadership Trainers
Region I Ambassadors
Region I Ambassadors
Couple of the Year Coordinators
Couple of the Year
Webmaster
Newsletter Editor
Mike & Peggy Hudnell
Dale & Shirley Dufner
Terry & Cheri Huffman
Russ Laurie Parpart
Bob & Becky Minor
Tim & Martie Mitchell
Dave & Sheila Chavez
Erv & Phyllis Granahan
Dan & Carmen Weakland
John & Dianne Kester
Tom & Mozelle Edwards
Hank & Marilyn Smith
Dan & Carmen Weakland
Mike & Janet Turner
Scott Bowman
Shirley Duffner
Washington District Staff
http://www.gwrra-wa.org/
District Directors
Assistant Directors
Assistant Directors
District Treasurer
Membership Coordinator
Rider Educator
Asst. Rider Educator
Asst. Rider Educator
District Leadership Trainer
District Stores
District Webmaster
District Coy Coordinator
Couple of the Year
District Ambassador
District Newsletter editor
Susie & Frank Hutchinson
Reggie Baumer & Chuck Porter
Wally & Anna Wallingford
Susan Remer
Gerry Alexander
Bob Minor
Randy & Debbie Reid
Tom Denny
TBD
TBD
Rebecca Minor
TBD
Mike & Janet Turner
Jerry and Judy Thompson
Brad and Dee Kane
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