May 2015 Newsletter

MAY 2015
Mendocino County Harley Owners Group Chapter #3387
HOG WASH
Special points
of interest:
 Director’s Thoughts
 Forms of Communication
 Wrenchin
 Gunnink’s Award of Excellence
 Gunnink’s Summer Bash
 Looking for lost MCHOG’s
 Safety Tips
 Upcoming Meetings, Events and
Activities
 Sweetheart Ride
 Officer Information
Here it is May and the prime riding season has begun.
Members have been out and about on some longer trips
seeing the country and loving the experience of doing it on
their Harley’s. We are lucky to live where we do, scenery
and roads that only enhance the experience of riding our
Harley’s.
There are some general and local realities to keep in mind.
One that comes immediately to mind are bicycles. For
many of the same reasons, the bicycling community enjoys
our area as much as we do. They bring certain realities to
the experience that we must keep in mind. They are slower,
they often ride in groups, and many of them are totally and
perhaps willfully ignorant of the rules of the road.
For instance, they are to ride in single file. How often do
you come up on groups that are riding 2 or 3 abreast? And
they represent a hazard to motorized traffic even when
they are riding in the opposite direction. How many times
has a car following bicyclers in the opposite lane swung
wide into your lane as if you were not there?
2600 N. State Street
Ukiah 95482
707- 462-1672
Jim & Suzanne Gunnink,
Owners
www.gunninkshd.com
This is why awareness of these “other” two wheelers is so
critical. When we ride in the group it is required that we signal those riding behind us of the presence by a vigorous
overhead motion. They are a preeminent hazard, a clear
and present danger to us on Harley’s.
Another hazard is gravel. On last weekends ride to Occidental, I took a line that went through some gravel on
Westside Road. I swear my bike slid three feet. Phil S, riding behind and offset to me missed it and told me it was
more a wiggle then a slide, with maybe 12 inches of offset,
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Director’s Thoughts
Cont. from page 1
but from the saddle it felt like three feet.
Brent, riding two up with Olivet experienced
it too. I was not actually sure what it was, I
did not recognize it before riding through it.
Phil and Brent informed me it was gravel.
So it reinforces the need for real focus and
awareness on road condition when riding
our Harley’s.
ments in events.
In Officer news, Teresa A., has decided to
step down from the LOH position. As most
of you know, her recovery from being rear
ended in her cage some months ago is progressing slowly and she feels her medical
requirements will prevent her from being on
top of the responsibilities of the position.
Finally, a reminder that we are riding in the KJ H., has volunteered to assume the posiUkiah Memorial Day Parade again this year. tion. We are grateful for and pleased by her
So plan on being there. We will want to put willingness to step in. Seems as the march
our members who are veterans right up
to youth continues as our young members
front for this event and want a strong turn- increase in number and they assume roles
out. Veteran or not be there. Details will be in the club. KJ joins Falecia B., and Kira B.,
and Aaron B. as NextGen members actively
announced as soon as available.
working roles in the club. If I failed to mention someone who should be noted my only
In a more direct MCHOG context, we are
looking forward to a great year. The support excuse is that I am not young and prone to
forget stuff.
by Jim and Suzanne and the entire GHD
staff continues to be amazing. I know it is
well appreciated by the membership. I
Check out the calendar later in this issue
hope all of you feel as special as I do every- and COME ON OUT to a ride and have fun,
time I walk into the dealership and interact including heaping good natured abuse on
with anyone there. We will continue with
yours truly for my love affair with pavement
our BBQ's at the dealership this year, and
or other transgression that so moves you.
will be there for every event GHD schedules
such as open houses, anniversaries, and
Bob Raschke
anything else that the GHD team impleDirector
Various forms of communication to find out about
meetings, events and activities:
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
Newsletter: Hog Wash
Facebook : Mendocino Hog Chapter
Wall calendar in lounge area at Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson
New Hotline Number: 707-621-8640
Contact a MCHOG officer
Website: www.mendocinohog.com
Email notices
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It occurred to me that our newsletter has up to now ignored this
area of the Harley experience. I
for one very much enjoy this part
of the experience. So I invite all
members to submit articles based
on this theme to future newsletters.
Wrenchin...
to think about drilling out with
tools that I have. Wire brush and
plastic brush to make sure I am
not blocked by dirt in the allen.
Still no luck. Okay previous guy
must have attacked with a
straight tool so he was in at an
angle. Only got in shallow. Bottom of hole should be good. Tap,
tap, tap with ball peen on the
I recently had an experience
end of my wobble extension. Sucwhen the compensator exhibited
cess, tool seated deeper and the
signs of failure on my 09
bolt was removed. Previous tech
FLHTCU. This bike was purchased
obviously a gorilla.
used last summer. This job requires a complete R&R of the primary. A lot of bolts to remove.
Reinstalling the inner primary one
of the bolts let go before 15 ftlbs. Rated at 25 -27. I know it
The first sign of trouble was at
was less than 15 lbs because I
one of the long allen bolts at the
adjust my torque wrench increfront of the primary. I could not
mentally on bolts going into aluget a purchase on it with my alminum. The gorilla strikes again!
len's. Closer inspection showed
This mount has a bushing style
the head to be all screwed up.
dowel which precludes a timesert
Tried to drill out for an extractor
( learned that after purchasing
to be used but to no avail. Finally
the timesert, another story), but
decided to slot the bolt head with
an old school helicoil worked.
my cut-off wheel although I was
nervous using that tool near the
chromed outer primary. But suc- 3 bad bolts in one job!!! Then I
cess, I was afraid the head would had my revelatory moment, when
break when I twisted the slotted I cleaned up the surface of the
screwdriver with wrench on the
outer primary where the derby
square shank but it backed right cover mounts I realized that all 5
out.
bolt holes had been timeserted.
In 10 years with my 04 Road
King I had one derby cover bolt
So, no big deal, one fastener
hole timeserted. And I was emscrewed up on a 6 year old Harbarrassed by that one.
ley, It happens. To take the inner
primary case off you must remove the starter. Two allen bolts
All in all I am happy with the
that you must access from the
bike. But if I ever buy used again
right side of the bike. Tool exten- you can be damn sure I am going
sions required. Forward bolt rea- to pop the derby cover and check
sonably accessible but rearward
those holes for Time-Serts before
more difficult. The solenoid post I buy. BAN GORILLAS FROM
is in the way. Need a universal
WORKING ON HARLEY'S!!!!!
and or a wobble extension to
Bob Raschke
best get at it. Oh hell, another
Director
messed up bolt head. No chance
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If you have changed your email, mailing address or telephone number
since you filled out your membership
application then it is time to update
this information with the membership officer. If you have missed
newsletter or texts regarding MCHOG
events this may be the reason.
Please remember in order to stay in
touch please make sure we have
your most current information.
Mary Ann Gonzalez-Ott
Membership Officer
Ride
Safe
We sure have been having some wonderful
weather lately and as a
result more opportunities to get out and ride.
As you're out there enjoying the ride remember you are also sharing
the road with many others with varied driving
skill levels. Keeping
this in mind here are a
couple tips to ride by.
signed jackets with rugged padding and breathable mesh material provide protection as well
as ventilation for riding
in warm weather. You
also want to choose
effective eye protection; don’t rely on eyeglasses or a bike’s
windscreen. Use a helmet visor or goggles.
And keep in mind that
car drivers who have hit
a motorcycle rider often
Wear the right gear.
say they just didn't see
Simply wearing jeans, a
them, so try to wear
T-shirt, and sandals are
gear that is bright in
recipes for a painful
colors.
disaster on a bike. Instead, you should
choose gear that will
Be defensive. I recently
protect you, protect you ran across a study that
from things like wind
found that in collisions
chill, flying bugs and
involving a motorcycle
debris, and, yes, possi- and a car, car drivers
ble road rash should
were at fault 60 percent
you slide out. For maxi- of the time. Be extra
mum protection, go for alert, especially in this
a leather or other rein- age of epidemic phone
forced jacket, gloves,
use and texting behind
full pants, and over-the- the wheel. Keep an eye
ankle footwear, even in out for cars suddenly
the warm summer
changing lanes or pullweather. Specially de- ing out from side
streets. Don’t tailgate;
it's critical to keep a
safe following distance,
both to ensure you have
enough stopping distance and so you have
time to react to obstacles in the road. An object that a car might
easily straddle could be
a serious hazard when
on a bike. Stay out of
blind spots of cars and
trucks. I remember
something I heard
somewhere one time
and I live by it every
time I get on my motorcycle..."always ride as
though you are invisible
but never ride to be invisible."
Follow these easy safety tips and get out and
ride.
Many aspects of safety
come into play when
riding in a group, but
none as important as
each individual's riding
skill within the group.
By this I'm referring to
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HOG WASH
Ride Safe
Cont. from page 6
maintaining your physical riding
position in the group as the group
is moving down the road. In our
chapter we will normally ride in a
staggered formation keeping approximately a 2 second following
distance, unless instructed by the
road captain to change into a single file formation. Such a change
in formation will be the discretion
of the road captain based on road
conditions. Back to riding in the
staggered formation. To ensure
the group moves along smoothly
and safely each rider must be
aware of his/her own riding space
in relationship to their riding
companions. Whether your riding
position happens to be near the
center line or near the outside
edge of the lane, you as a rider
must be sure to (hold your line.)
Imagine there is a line splitting
the lane in half, making a right
half and a left half within the
same lane. Each rider should stay
within their half of the lane at all
times. By maintaining your riding
position in your half of the lane
others in the group can ride more
confidently. It's everyone's responsibility to adhere to this rule
so the group can safely and
smoothly travel down the road.
How can you manage doing this?
Practice, practice, practice. Anytime you are out riding by yourself use this as an opportunity to
practice this riding skill. You'll
find that as you practice you'll
develop more confidence and
become better at holding that line.
It can only make you a safer rider.
Allen Ott
Safety Officer
Upcoming Meetings, Events and Activities
Calendar dates and times can—and do—change.
Ride and meeting alerts are sent by email. If it’s raining, we don’t ride. Call the hotline 707-621-8640
for up-to-date information.
May
August
16 - Fallen Rider Memorial Run, Redding
24 - Memorial Mendocino Coast and Mountain Ride
25 - Ukiah Memorial Parade, Downtown
30 - Gunnink’s Harley– Davidson’s Big Summer Bash
16 - Blackberry Festival, Covelo
June
12/13/14 - Redwood Run, Piercy
14 - Coast ride to Bones BBQ Restaurant, Gualala
20 - MCHOG BBQ, Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson
28 - Ride to Granzella’s Restaurant, Williams
July
4 - Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson closed
11 - MCHOG BBQ, Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson
17/18/19 - MCHOG Annual Campout, Spark Plugs, Oregon
Gunnink’s will be closed in August for
Sturgis. They are attending the rally.
September
4 - Ukiah Chili Cookoff, Downtown
12 - MCHOG BBQ, Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson
13 - Avenue of the Giants, Hwy 101
19 - MCHOG Annual Poker Run
General Membership meetings are the first Thursday of the month.
Officer meetings are the last Thursday of the
month.
Dates and times of all items on the calendar are
subject to change
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Sweetheart Ride to Granzella's
We had a great turnout on
Saturday, February14th for
this ride. And, amazingly
enough it was all couples.
In my memory this was the
first time the club had an
all couples ride.
Of course the weather was fantastic and
everyone appreciated the comfort in such
balmy temperatures. Even hugging the
North Shore of Clear Lake was comfortable
on the way out to William's so no unhappy
pillion riders due to the cold, We had two
RC's on deck, Jason B., and Chuck B., so
Jason took lead going with Cindy on the pillion. The other members on the ride were
Kira B. and Cody (forgive me if it is Cory I
am having a brain missed gear), Brent and
Olivet M. (road to Hwy 53), CJ and KJ H.,
Bryon and Vicky B., Rick and Barbara C.,
the aforementioned Chuck with Jeannie B.,
and Dona and myself.
It seems the chapter “fleet” is changing to
include more and more riders with CB
equipped bikes. We try to take advantage
of that so I rode sweep,
able to stay in touch with Jason on fast
movers coming up and other matters of
group and group safety riding. Rick and
Barbara were on their new to them trike. A
fully loaded beauty that came to GHD with
2k miles, just broken in. Original owner was
a prominent Ukiah area auto dealership
guy so you know it was loaded and just not
ridden enough! Rick is a lucky boy. In an
aside, another member scored Leif M,s
(yeah that Leif M., Service Manager at
GHD) bike last fall so some people are extremely lucky and his initials are Greg W.
After a nice ride out to Williams we enjoyed
a nice lunch at Granzella's. It seems that
Vicky B. has a love of pics of Marilyn Monroe, yeah the wife of Arthur Miller and also
Joe DiMaggio, and she found a new MM
photo in the gift shop to add to her collection. Jason and Cindy B. went to points
south from there for an extended Valentine's Day weekend, and the remainder
headed back the way we came. It was actually shirt sleeve weather for some of us
on the ride.
Ride safe, ride often, and ride with the
chapter!
Bob R.
Director
Got everything?
Let’s Eat!
Let’s Ride!
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2015 MCHOG OFFICERS
Sponsor:
Jim and Suzanne Gunnink
462-1672
[email protected]
[email protected]
Director:
Bob Raschke
894-3296
[email protected]
Asst. Director:
Linda Armstrong
349-6085
[email protected]
Treasurer:
Cindy Bartley
671-5404
[email protected]
Secretary:
Karen Kerr
468-9296
[email protected]
Membership:
Mary Ann Ott
485-5115
[email protected]
Head Road Captain:
Mike Armstrong
349-6086
[email protected]
Webmaster:
Kira Bellach
489-7077
[email protected]
Road Captains
Jason Barley
671-5421
[email protected]
Photographers:
John and Terri Cook
272-9613/349-5590
[email protected]
Chuck Boyd
459-9055
[email protected]
Historian:
Vacant
[email protected]
Activity Directors:
Bryon and Vicky Barrett
391-5216/391-5212
[email protected]
Ladies of Harley:
Mary Ann Ott
485-5115
K.J. Hutchins
367-8219
[email protected]
Safety Officer:
Allen Ott
485-5514
[email protected]
m
Sgt. at Arms:
Rick Caporgno
744-1136
[email protected]
Editor:
Linda Armstrong
349-6085
[email protected]
Publicity:
Falecia Barrett
391-4354
[email protected]
Grillmaster:
Aaron Barrett
391-4353
[email protected]
1448 Wild Oak Court
Lakeport, CA 95453
HOG Wash
Mendocino County Harley Owners Group Chapter #3387
For up-to-date
information on MCHOG meetings,
events and activities
call the new Hotline Number
707-621-8640
HOG Wash is published by the Mendocino County Harley Owners Group Chapter #3387, 1448 Wild Oak Ct. Lakeport, Ca. 95453. Contents © by
Mendocino HOG. The terms Harley, Harley-Davidson, HOG, and Harley Owners Group, the names of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle models, and
the HOG logo and the Harley-Davidson logo, are licensed trademarks of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and are used by permission.