November 2011 Rat Tales

Official Newsletter of the
Cascade Moto Classics, Inc. RAT PACK
R.A.T. Contact Information
November
2011
R.A.T. BREAKFAST
FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Cascade Moto
Classics, Inc.
Janice & Kelly McCarthy
13705 SW Farmington Rd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
[email protected]
503-574-3353
Pack Leaders
Marty Johnson
[email protected]
Soren Winslow
[email protected]
www.rat-pack.com
NOV. 5th
DEC. 3rd
9:00 am
Peppermill Restaurant
17455 SW Farmington Road, Beaverton, OR
T.R.A.P. Report
Well, it's “frost on the pumpkin” time once again.
Just a few months ago I was wishing for warmer
riding weather. While some riders need to get
their bikes ready for hibernation, the rest of us
year ‘round riders need to watch for wet tar
snakes, manhole covers, dropped leaves, fog and
icy conditions. So be careful out there as you enjoy the cooler riding days ahead.
If you store your bike for the winter, check with
the shop and Liz if you need parts or advice. Most
of us know to drain the carbs (if you have them),
stabilize the fuel system and set up a battery tender system to keep the battery fully charged while
it sits through the winter. A good quality bike
cover will also help protect your bike from the elements. You might also know that fall and winter
are the best times to get service work done and
have those custom accessories that you need or
want installed before the spring riding weather
returns. Please call the shop ahead of time to set
an appointment.
As I look back over this year’s events and rides it
was a very good year. The open house events were
great. The Chehalis Rat Ride and Baker City Annual
TRAP Raid stand out once again as highlights for
me. I hope that each and every one of you can
look back at the fun you had riding and being with
your friends this year! A huge THANK YOU goes to
all that made the Movie Night at the Mortuary so
much fun. The food, drinks, movie quality and au-
dience participation make it an event not to be
missed! A good time was had by all and I can't wait
until next year’s!
So now that fall is here, get out and ride, enjoy the
changing colors and temps that make this time of
year so fun for being outside and seeing the seasons
change before your eyes. It seems to me that my
motorcycles enjoy cooler temps; they run better and
go quicker. The cooler air makes for more power and
I like it better than hot weather...I get too hot when
all geared up and riding. The cool temps are just
right for me and I plan on getting out there and riding all fall and winter just so long as there is no snow
or ice! :-)
And as I write this we are a week out from the After
Hours Vendor Special at Cascade Moto Classics, Inc.
It will be on Thursday, Nov. 3rd at 6:30 pm. I am
looking forward to seeing the Vanson Leather,
Firstgear, Scorpion and Schuberth items. Kenny
Dreer will have his Suzuki Nitro burning drag bike on
display also! So come on out after work or play.
Hope to see you all there.
Bye for now
and Be Safe ,
Marty
New R.A.T. Pack Members!
These members have recently
purchased their new Triumph
motorcycle from our shop!
Page 2
By Marty Johnson
Sonya Cline …………………....Bonneville SE
Jeff Moss …………….…………….Speed Triple
Ryan Seekins ………………..…..Tiger 800 XC
Ed & Elaine Mallett …………….. Tiger 1050
Larry Oberbeck ……………………....America
Tim Garmon …………………...Bonneville SE
Alex Toth ……………………………….Tiger 800
Kathryn Dekkers …………….Street Triple R
Doug Amende ………………. Street Triple R
Brett Clevidence …..….Thunderbird 1600
Roger Tobias …………….Thunderbird 1600
Get your 2011
RAT Patch today
only $6
www.rat-pack.com
Page 3
www.rat-pack.com
Continued from cover
NEW 2012 TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER
-Large Capacity Adventure Tourer
-Class-Leading performance
-1215cc Three-cylinder engine
-Shaft Drive
-Ride-by-wire throttle system
-19” / 17” Cast Wheels
-Cruise control, switchable ABS,
traction control as standard
-Best-in-class 950 watt generator
-Complete suite of accessories
-Comes in Sapphire Blue, Phanton Black,
and Graphite Grey
-Arriving May 2012
Page 5
www.rat-pack.com
TECH SESSION
Saturday, November 19th
9:00am-11:00am
Cascade Moto Classics, Inc. Service Department
A mechanic-led session using a bike on the lift in the shop
Limit: 12 Persons
Phone CMC, Inc. to Register
for this FREE Tech Session
Limited to first 12 Persons
PHONE:
503-574-3353
or stop by to
register
(Registration Required)
BASIC “DO IT YOURSELF” MAINTENANCE
-Adjust and lube the chain
-Check the sprocket for wear
-Change the oil and filter
-Air & check your tires for wear
-Check cables and wear points
Having the Movie Night at a new mortuary sure
didn’t scare anyone off. There were well over
50 movie lovers in attendance. We can’t tell
how many actually loved the movies shown, but
everyone had a great time. Thanks to those who
brought food and drinks to share. We want to
extend a big thanks to Brent Carnes for arranging this event for the 4th year in a row. Also
to Hustad Funeral Home for hosting us.
Page 4
www.rat-pack.com
The Further Adventures of Bettie Bonneville
It seems like just yesterday when I sat down with Janice at Cascade Moto Classics to sign the paperwork for
my new Triumph Bonneville T100. Like peeling back the layers of an onion, I am constantly presented with
new riding skills to sharpen, as soon as I master a current one. First, I had to get over the “brand new bike”
feeling and just go ride. Taking the Team Oregon Intermediate skills class certainly helped build my confidence
but it is mostly experience that turned out to be the biggest confidence builder of all.
Since this last spring, I have ridden to Sunriver Oregon and back. I have ridden around Hillsboro, West Union,
Beaverton, Troutdale, Clackamas, and Canby. I have taken new and unfamiliar routes to work. Even though I
am still a little nervous on gravel, I have been able to deal with those situations without incident. My driveway
in Canby is gravel, so I have had no choice but to learn to ride on it.
With members of the Brit Iron Rebels, Triumph Riders Association and a new friend from Facebook, we had a
great turnout at the Portland Scottish Highland Games this summer. This was the first year ever that the
Games allowed an area dedicated to British Motorcycles. We were nestled next to the Scottish Clan tents and
the Heavy Events. As people were strolling past all the tents they were inexplicably drawn to the shiny collection of motorcycles. The proud owners of the bikes were happy to share stories of motorcycle lore with the
onlookers. We hope to have a bigger and better turnout next year, and the positive feedback keeps coming.
Who can’t get excited about a nice Triumph motorcycle?
The next big event this summer that I was gearing up for was the Baker City Event. After arriving at the hotel,
it was exciting to see all the Triumphs lined up in the parking lot. We were greeted by the folks from Cascade
with a great spread of food and drinks. It was great meeting new faces from all over the Pacific Northwest. We
even had some people from Canada join us. We planned several day trips all around Baker City. I decided to
take the day trip to Idaho. I haven’t been to Idaho for several years and the curves in the canyon brought us
gorgeous scenery. As we rode, we wound around valleys, dams, lakes, rivers and saw quite a bit of wildlife. I
decided to soak my clothes in water to stay cool and it worked! After a few days of the Baker City Event it was
time to go home. We said goodbye to all our friends and loaded up our bikes.
Marty Johnson and I decided to take the scenic route home. We rode through Fossil, Maupin and over the
Mount Hood National Forest. On our way to Maupin as I was coming over a hill, I saw some animals by the
side of the road
in the distance.
I geared all the
way down. Just
as I was almost
where
the
group was, all of
the
deer
jumped into the
middle of the
road and stared
at me. They
stood and just
blinked their
big eyes at me. I
had to come to
a complete stop,
yell, wave my
arms and sound
my horn until
they moved out
of the way.
That was a close
call. Later in
the Mount Hood
National Forest, the world’s
biggest butterfly landed on my
visor. I had to
pull over to
clean off my
helmet because
it was coated
with gobs of
yellow
goo.
Thankfully, the butterfly was a lot smaller than a deer and that I was wearing a full face helmet. We stretched
the return voyage out over two days. It felt like the last few chapters of a good book that you just want to
read slowly and savor every moment.
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE…
I still get a kick out of the attention that
“Bettie Bonneville” draws. I was recently contacted by a local model/singer to borrow my
bike for a photo shoot. I felt a little like a stage
mom, washing and shining up my bike to get
her picture taken. As far as I’m concerned,
“Bettie Bonneville” was the focal point of the
photo layout. I have to say it feels great to be
back in the saddle riding a motorcycle. Like a
sailor finding his “sea legs” I have once again
found my wheels. It’s truly a dream come true;
riding my dream bike.
Cheers,
Deirdre Davis-Wright
Page 7
www.rat-pack.com
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
by Will Ammutt
Hey Buddy; Can You Give Me A Lift?
I spent a recent evening reading threads on the local motorcycle forum. There was one that caught my eye. A
forum member had just bought a truck and was riding his bike down from The Evergreen State to pick it up.
He was looking for some help in loading his bike into the bed for the drive back home. I’ll save you the suspense, he found someone to help him load it and that’s the end of the story.
Well, that may have been the end of the story for many on the forum but, for me, it brought back a flood of
memories. Forty plus years ago, when I was racing AMA Sportsman, loading up my bike and getting to the local tracks was a challenge. It was not like I could ride to the track; these were not street legal bikes and it was
about ten miles between my studio apartment and the raceway. I had no trailer, no truck or van. I relied primarily on my brother. He had a three rail trailer and raced two bikes in different classes. But my brother was
not always available to help me. In those instances I had to rely on my pals.
One time I went with my friend Glen. We towed his trailer (an optimistic description) with his VW Squareback.
Homemade
trailer. Low
budget. Predictable
outcome; disaster.
The short version is that a
key component of the
trailer failed,
dropping
my
racer onto the
Nimitz freeway.
It was not
pretty. To this
day I am especially careful
if driving or
riding anywhere
near a home
built trailer.
Aside from the
bike that was
the subject (or
some might
say victim) of
that evening, I
also raced a
British bike. I
had
another
buddy named
Mike. He raced
a
different
brand of twostroke than I
did but we both
had
BSA
twins. Mike had
a
pick-up
truck. It was an early 1960’s model step-side with a fairly short bed. His big Brit would just fit in the back, front
tire hard against the cab end and the tailgate firmly up against the rear tire. Back then, extra cash meant that
you had a buck or two to buy a hot dog and a Coke at the races. None of my friends had a real trailer or a
ramp. If it was Mike that gave me a ride to the track, we’d load my Beezer up using a 2x6 as a ramp. We’d
push. But Mike was a little different. He rode his bike up that board. I never had the cajones to try it but he’d
start his BSA and hit that 2x6 dead center and on the gas. The bike would be in the bed in the blink of an eye,
Mike grabbing the brake to minimize the crash into the front of the bed while the rear tire would spit the
board off of the tailgate. This is the kind of guy who chews nails and spits rust.
Another transportation option, when I could get him, was Jay. Jay was an easy-going guy. He was the only one
of my friends at the time who was married. He lived near the store where I worked and had a couple of cars.
On more than one occasion we loaded my two-stroke into the trunk of his 1961 Falcon two-door. The forks
and front tire hung out over the side of the car. I’m surprised we were never stopped by the cops. As dumb as
we were, we never tried this alternative transportation for the BSA. It certainly would have resulted in two
hernias and an oily trunk.
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE…
If I was unable to get any of these guys to help me, I could always call Vince. Vince and I met in college. He was more
into music and hemp than motorcycles but would usually be available on a Friday night if I gave him the money to gas
up his van and promised to buy him a greasy burger at the track. The only catch was the van itself. It was a 1949 Chevy
Sedan Delivery. The design for the rear access was a single door, hinged on one side. It was as if the Chevrolet factory
had overstocked side doors and now they had a use for them. Once opened, the clearance between the bed of the van
and the roof was just about an inch higher than the top of the handlebars and the door wasn’t much wider than the
bars either. It was a challenge to load the bike in without taking the skin off of your knuckles. If that wasn’t enough, I’d
spend the whole ride watching over the seat and out the back window for cops because the smell of Panama Red was
at least as strong as the smell of pre-mix. Needless to say, a call to Vince was the last resort.
To say that those were interesting days is certainly an understatement but, back then, it seemed routine. We did what
we had to in order to get to the track. In the intervening years I have lost touch with of all of those guys, except my
brother of course. I think I’ll log off the internet tonight and give him a call. I’m sure he has some good stories of his
own.
Friday 4pm to 9pm
Saturday 9:30am to 8pm
Sunday 10am to 5pm
Washington State Convention Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101
BUY TICKETS AT www.motorcycleshows.com/seattle
USE THIS SPECIAL COUPON CODE TO GET $4.00 OFF
LBU2012
Page 11
www.rat-pack.com
Bud Ekins (Left) and Steve McQueen (Right) on the same motorcycle.
Notice the difference in leg lengths. Steve was 5’6”.
This is an historic note about Steve McQueen and the movie “The Great Escape”. I noticed a photo in the
last newsletter and thought that the following might be of interest to you.
Most of you know Cliff Majhor, AKA the Sandy Bandit… he had done business with Bud Ekins in California
before moving to Portland, Oregon, in 1960. He used to tell these stories and had the personal relationship with Bud to back up his yarns.
Bud called Cliff from Germany while the movie shooting was in progress because the producers would
not allow Steve McQueen to make the jump for insurance purposes; it was too risky. Bud had done many
stunts for Steve in the past and was called upon again by Steve for help with this jump scene. Bud was
not sure how to make this look like a jump at speed with cameras rolling and get the whole thing right –
including the landing.
Cliff advised Bud to build a ramp in a shallow depression in the ground, leading up to a fence, but practice a few times first to get the approach speed and elevation right. A ramp was needed to obtain a
smooth approach and maintain the best control over the motorcycle. Cliff also confirmed with Bud and
McQueen that BMW motorcycles would not be capable of such a stunt; they would be dangerous. Both
Bud and Steve already much preferred Triumphs for stunts and difficult riding. So they got together and
disguised a Triumph TR-6 to look like a ratty BMW war bike with the valance fenders and black paint.
Bud made the practice runs and called Cliff again to get the ramp fine-tuned for length and angle. The
photos above are marked up by Cliff in his unique style of documenting events. They were taken from
press releases made by the movie company. Both have been signed and may still be in existence (?).
Les McConnell
Page 8
www.rat-pack.com
Page 9
www.rat-pack.com
13705 SW Farmington Road
Beaverton, OR 97005
Calendar of Events
Nov. 3
After Hours Vendor Special Event
6:30 pm See details inside!
Dec. 3
Rat Breakfast Meeting 9:00 am
Peppermill Restaurant
Nov. 5
Rat Breakfast Meeting 9:00 am
Peppermill Restaurant
Dec. 10
Holiday Open House Noon—5pm
Nov. 19
Triumph Tech Session—Limited Seats!
Dec. 16-18
Internation Motorcycle Show in Seattle, WA
Triumph is now attending the show! Discount codes
inside!