March 2016

GOLDWING
ROAD RIDERS ASSOCIATION
JOIN US FOR:
FRIENDS
FUN
SAFETY
KNOWLEDGE
Wayne & Shirley Schmidt
Chapter “E” Director
ILLINOIS “E”
SERVING THE COUNTIES
OF:
JERSEY
MACOUPIN
MADISON
MONTGOMERY
ST. CLAIR
Goldwing Road Riders
Association
Illinois Chapter ‘E’
‘Traildusters’
Litchfield, Illinois
America’s Heartland Region “E”
Directors: Bob and Nicki Fowkes
Illinois District
Director: Mary Adams
ILLINOIS CHAPTER “E” TRAILDUSTERS
March 2016
Monthly Meeting
* Miners’ in Gillespie *
Eat at 5:30 pm and Meeting at 7 pm
Second Thursday of each Month
CB Monitoring Channel # 1
Web Site:
www.GWRRA-IL.com
www.GWRRA-IL.COM
Goldwing Road Riders
Association
Illinois Chapter ‘E’
‘Traildusters’
Litchfield, Illinois
Chapter Officers:
Chapter Directors:
Wayne & Shirley Schmidt
[email protected]
Chapter Couple of the Year:
Jerry & Kathleen Rondi
217-835-2587
[email protected]
Assistant Chapter Directors
Rick & Maggie Filson
Quarter Master:
Kathleen Rondi, 217-835-2587
[email protected]
MAD Coordinator:
Rider Educator:
Nancy Kalaher, 217-851-2721
[email protected]
Road Captains:
Ed Essen, 217-825-8337
[email protected]
Jerry Rondi, 217-835-2587
[email protected]
Bill Morgan, 217-324-6926
[email protected]
Chapter Historian:
Sue Roberts
Treasurer:
Kathleen Rondi, 217-835-2587
[email protected]
Web Master / Newsletter:
Bill Morgan, 217-686-4926
[email protected]
Please support our Sponsors
Niehaus Cycle Sales, Litchfield
R&B Restaurant, Staunton
Geno’s 140 Club, Bethalto IL
Schewppe’s, Staunton
Frank’s, Cottage Hills
Highland Diner
For items to include in the monthly newsletter, please contact Bill Morgan at
[email protected], 217-324-6926 or at most coffee breaks or the monthly
meeting.
V1.1
www.GWRRA-IL.COM
Goldwing Road Riders
Association
Illinois Chapter ‘E’
‘Traildusters’
Litchfield, Illinois
Notes from your Chapter Directors:
We sure enjoyed the nice warm days in February. It was great to be outside.
At our last staff meeting we worked on the rest of the ride schedule. Hopefully, we will
have something ready for the next meeting.
Be thinking about whether you want to order any chapter shirts. We’ll have more about
that at our next meeting.
Thank you to all who came to the Dress Up Night at Castelli’s Moonlight at 255 in Alton.
We had nineteen members attend. Everyone enjoyed the delicious food.
Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day on Mar. 17th. Spring begins on Mar. 20th. We hope for
warm weather and more days to ride. Have a Blessed Easter on Mar. 27th.
Reminder: We have Niehaus tickets and our own raffle
tickets for the $500. Please do your best selling these.
Thank you.
Wayne & Shirley Schmidt
Chapter Directors
Past events: January 22nd & 23rd was the Illinois
District winter warm-up in Springfield. 9 members were
in attendance. Sue Roberts won $35 from the meet the
chapters contest. Also at the warm-up, Bill got 2nd place
in the brownies, Callie got 1st in the Indian costume
category, and Bill & Callie got 2nd place in the couples
costume category.
Bill & Callie also
found the hidden
medallions earning them free registration to the
summer rally. It was a great weekend with lots of
fun and information including the Illinois State
Police motorcycle summit presented by Motorcycle
Officer Joey Watson.
www.GWRRA-IL.COM
Goldwing Road Riders
Association
Illinois Chapter ‘E’
‘Traildusters’
Litchfield, Illinois
February 11th was our monthly meeting. At the meeting, we had a special guest; Illinois
District MAD Coordinator, Larrie Wiggand. Larrie talked to us about what we can do to
help make the general public more aware of motorcycles.
Future events:
March 10th is our monthly meeting. We will meet at Miners’ restaurant in Gillespie. Eat
at 5:30 p.m., the meeting will start at 7.
March 19th chapter “U” will be having a maintenance day at Ron’s house. If you want
to participate, contact Steve or Ron to make sure that they will have the tools and parts on
hand.
March 20th is the bike blessing at the biker memorial in Roxana. There will be a brick
dedicated this year for Judy. We will be leaving from Casey’s in Gillespie at 10:15 a.m.
and from the Walgreens at 111 and 140 in Bethalto at 11:00 a.m.
April 2nd is the Meet the Chapters kick-off in Watseka. Watch your email for
information on a chapter ride to this event.
April 14th is our monthly meeting. We will meet at Miners’ restaurant in Gillespie. Eat
at 5:30 p.m., the meeting will start at 7.
April 16th and 17th chapter “U” will be hosting trailering courses. Bikes on the 16th and
trikes on the 17th. Registration forms are available at the district website.
www.GWRRA-IL.COM
Goldwing Road Riders
Association
Illinois Chapter ‘E’
‘Traildusters’
Litchfield, Illinois
Keep your mind on the ride
It won't be long until we get a few nice days with warm temperatures and dry roads. Our thoughts will drift to the
motorcycles in the garage that have been waiting through the cold winter months. Although they haven't been out,
those motorcycles have been undergoing some changes. Inactivity, as well as activity, can play a role in degrading
your ride. Don't let it also be a part of possibly degrading your safety.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation came up with the acronym TCLOCS to describe the short pre-ride checklist of
your bike. Taking a few minutes before your ride could save you hours or headaches down the road. TCLOCS stands
for Tires, Controls and Cables, Lights, Oil and Fuel, Chassis, Sidestand and Centerstand. Here are some actions you
might want to consider for each of those items:
Tires – Are your rims free of dings? Are your spokes tight and straight? Check the pressure in both or all three of
your tires. Specific pressure from the manufacturer is based on cold readings so that is the only way to test them
accurately, before you take them out on the road. Consult your manual or the manufacturer's hotline for proper
pressure. If you own more than one bike, you might want to put the specific pressure for each one on a small index
card and hang it on your garage wall. While you are there, Make sure you have plenty of tread, and no bulges or cuts.
You should have more than 1/16th of an inch which is about the distance between Lincoln's head and the top of a
penny.
Control and Cables – A broken throttle or clutch cable can be an abrupt end to a great ride. Check our cables and
make sure they operate smoothly and don't bind. Apply the front brake and push the bike forward. The brake should
feel firm and the front wheel shouldn't move. Check the rear brake the same way.
Lights – Turn on your ignition and try the high and low beams. Do they come on? Does the brake light come on
when you depress the brake pedal and lever? Check the left and right turn signals, front and rear. A problem might be
a relay or bulb and don't forget to check your horn.
Oil and Fuel – Be sure the check the oil before every ride. Even new bikes and use a little oil.
Chassis – You don't want any surprises going into a curve, so sit on the bike and rock it, making sure everything
moves smoothly and relatively slowly. If the front and rear end behave like a pogo stick, you might want to see your
trusty mechanic soon. If you have an adjustable suspension, remember to set it properly for the load you'll be carrying
and the type of riding you'll be doing, according to your owner's manual.
Sidestand and Centerstand – Make sure the sidestand and centerstand are not cracked or bent. Check the spring or
springs. Are they in place? Do they have enough tension to keep the sidestand safely up? Don't forget to look at the
engine cut-out switch or pad, if so equipped.
Stay Safe,
Nancy
From the AMA website:www.americanmotorcyclist.com
Check http://mrp.siu.edu for the 2016 ERC schedule
www.GWRRA-IL.COM
Goldwing Road Riders
Association
Illinois Chapter ‘E’
‘Traildusters’
Litchfield, Illinois
Birthdays, Anniversaries and Coffee Breaks:
March Birthdays:
3/7
3/13
3/16
3/21
3/23
March Anniversaries:
Ed Essen
Doug Bunt
Linda Billehus
Brenda Dressel
Wayne Schmidt
none
Coffee Breaks:
3/2 Schweppes, Staunton
3/9 Geno’s 140 Club, Bethalto
3/16 R&B’s, Staunton
3/23 Frank’s, Cottage Hills
3/30 Maedge's, Alhambra
www.GWRRA-IL.COM
March 2016
Su
Mo
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
March 2016
Tu
1
8
15
22
29
We
2
9
16
23
30
Th
3
10
17
24
31
Fr
4
11
18
25
Sa
5
12
19
26
April 2016
Su
Mo
Tu
We
Th
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
Fr
1
8
15
22
29
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Feb 28
29
Mar 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Apr 1
2
Illinois Food Expo
B (Doug Bunt)
12:00pm Biker Memorial
(Roxana Park)
B (Ed Essen)
B (Brenda Dressel)
6:00pm CB (Schweppes)
6:00pm CB (Geno's 140
Club)
B (Linda Billehus)
6:00pm CB (R&B's)
B (Wayne Schmidt)
6:00pm CB (Frank's)
6:00pm CB (Maedge's)
7:00pm Monthly
Meeting
Sa
2
9
16
23
30
Illinois Food Expo
Chapter "U"
Maintenance Day