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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
This Month…
EVENT: TRIATHLON SUPPORT (LAKE
SAN ANTONIO) Wildflower Tri (4/29-5/1)
EVENT: (CARMEL) Quail Motorcycle
Gathering at Quail Lodge (5/13-15)
EVENT: (LIVERMORE) Motorcycle Safety
Awareness Day, Carnegie Park, 300 South K St)
(5/21) 10 am-4 pm
NCVC MEETING: MANTICA (5/28*) 11:00 am
Perko’s, Hwy 99 & 120, Ph: 209-239-9002
* meeting date & location may change to 5/29 –
check NCVC Forum or call Don Medina
NCVC Newsletter
You have something you want to see in the
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter??? Send it
along to [email protected] and
we’ll get it in the next issue. You can also
send articles to any board member in the
club and they will get it to the editor.
Next Month…
EVENT: (FRESNO) Wayne Bright’s 70th B’day
Campout/BBQ @Ft Washington Campground
(6/17-19)
We’re especially interested in doing
personal stories about our members. You
don’t have to go into a lot of detail, but
knowing a bit about our members goes a
long way towards a more enjoyable
friendship. Get those pictures, campfire
stories, and humorous biking experiences
out and send them off to the editor for the
next newsletter!
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter is developed for the
Northern California Voyagers Club and is freely distributed
as a benefit of membership.
The NorCal Voyagers Newsletter is not a policy or
formal arm of the Northern California Voyagers Club, but
rather an informational source for it’s’ members.
Some or all of the opinions expressed in the NorCal
Voyagers Newsletter may not be those of the Northern
California Voyagers Club, its’ officers, sponsors,
advertisers, or the newsletter staff.
The NorCal Voyagers Newsletter reserves the right to
edit or correct any mistakes within information submitted
for publication.
The NorCal Voyagers Newsletter is not responsible for
the accuracy of content printed within these pages.
Any questions concerning content or information
contained in the NorCal Voyagers Newsletter can be
submitted to [email protected] for review.
The words “Voyager” and “Kawasaki” are registered
trademarks of the Kawasaki Corporation and are used for
reference purposes only.
Useful Internet Links
Northern California Voyagers Club
http://www.norcalvoyagers.org
American Voyager Association (AVA)
http://www.amervoyassoc.org/
American Motorcycle Association (AMA)
http://www.ama-cycle.org/
Page 1
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Club Info and Activities
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
How have you spent your winter? I know that
some have worked on their Voyager, Goldwing
or other motorcycle. The riding season has taken
a long time to arrive, but it is finally here.
a whole day adventure, there is a cost to enter the
Museum. NOTE if we change the meeting to
Sunday May 29, Castle Air Museum is having
Open Cockpit Day, plus their world-famous
Bomber Burgers. Thanks Bruce Kauffman for this
info. Call or email me by the 10th of May if you
want to have the meeting on Sunday or Saturday.
This month all weekends have events or rides to
participate in. May 6, American Supercamp was
in Vallejo, CA at the fairgrounds teaching bike
control on 100cc dirt bikes. May 7, in Modesto,
CA Marvin Deatherage’s brother directed a
Motorcycle Ride In.
Remember to wear your Club gear to the meeting
and to any club activities. There will be a $1.00
fine imposed if you aren’t wearing something
showing the NorCal logo. Of course if you’re a
new member you don’t have to worry. I will have
NorCal Voyager Club gear for sale at the meeting.
May 14, Quail Motorcycle Gathering at the
Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, CA. A display of
vintage motorcycles, this year’s theme celebrates
the Isle of Man TT Races. Cost $65.00 includes
lunch and program.
The See the USA with the AVA contest started
on April 1, 2011. There are four club members
enrolled so far. This year the cost is $15.00 per
person. Last year most of the NorCal Members
won a prize. So come and join the fun of riding
together and also accumulate points.
By Don Medina, NCVC President
May 13-14 AMA Pro Superbikes Races at
Infineon Raceway. I plan on going on Sunday.
Have you paid your club dues yet? It’s time, so
don’t wait too long. How about your AVA dues?
If you aren’t a member, think about it. Yeah the
cost is $35.00 per year; if you’re married it is still
$35.00. Then you get a ROK membership for
$20.00 instead of the usual $40. ROK includes a
towing package for your motorcycles. And no, it
does not have to be a Kawasaki motorcycle.
May 21 Motorcycle Awareness Day in
Livermore CA. From 10am to 4pm there will be
vender booths, free motorcycle safety inspection,
civilian motorcycle skills course and drawings
for free gifts. The club will meet between 9:009:30 am at Panama Red Coffee located on Main
St only a block away from the event. Last year
Trisha & I went and came home with some
prizes from the drawing. I also rode the civilian
motorcycle course and got some valuable
feedback from motorcycle patrolman on the
course on how to improve my technique. You
usually have to pay a lot of money to get this
kind of feedback, and this was free!
Bill Burns got his new-to-him 2003 Voyager,
and he has been riding. His longest ride was 35
miles. Bill said that he is transferring all of his
custom parts off the old Voyager to the new
Voyager. One thing that the new Voyager came
with is a back rest that matches the stock seat.
Bill is selling the back rest with seat.
May 28 Club meeting in Manteca CA. Perko’s is
on the corner of Hwy 99 and 120. The aftermeeting ride is to the Castle Air Museum. Plan on
Page 2
Roger Allen found his Valkyrie in southeast
Idaho. The last we heard, it had been loaded on a
transport soon to be delivered to Roger.
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Jerry Zimmerman is healing very slowly because
Jerry won’t sit still long enough for his ribs to heal.
Marvin, Ernie & friend before the club meeting
Deric with his CB900 Custom
Kirk & the Burgman 650
Brian with his 2000 Voyager 1200
We had two new members at the last meeting.
Deric Fiddler from Modesto, a co-worker of
Marvin, rode his CB900 Deluxe, with the two
speed aux transmission. Brain Williams rode his
2000 Voyager. It was fun meeting both of these
new members. Ernie Coughlin stopped by
during the pre-meeting tire kicking session. He
was on his way to pick up his son. We all had a
good time tire kicking before and after the
meeting. I hope to be seeing a lot of you at the
coming meeting. It won’t matter if it’s on
Saturday or Sunday it will be a bunch of fun.
Shirley is sporting a good looking new jacket
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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
April 29-May 2, we have the Wildflower
Triathlon support at Lake San Antonio. Riders
will carry race officials as passengers. This
event is pretty exciting and all camping, food &
even gas expenses are paid for.
April 16 Club Meeting Minutes
By Trisha Blue
The meeting was held at Perko’s Restaurant in
Manteca. Meeting was called to order by
President Don Medina at 11:44 am.
May 13-15 is the Quail Lodge Motorcycle Show.
Don & Trisha are going. Let us know if you are
interested.
Members in attendance: Don Medina, Trisha
Blue, Brian Coldicott, John De Muir, Marvin &
Shirley Deatherage, Deric Fiddler, Gert & Hank
Thompson, Wayne & Sandra Bright, Jim
Kramlich, Gail & Tony Curtis, Kirk Ehnisz and
Brian Williams.
May 21 is the Livermore Motorcycle Safety
Awareness Day. This free event is great fun and
a learning experience. Plan on attending!
Old Business: Tony Curtis is in his fourth
month of retirement and highly recommends it.
Guest: Irma Reyes
New Business: The Hearst Castle ride cancelled
due to rain will be rescheduled to either Nov 5-6
or Nov 12-13. Check your calendars and let us
know your preference.
Sergeant-at-Arms Marvin Deatherage reported
no activity.
Meeting was adjourned at 12:30 pm.
Submitted by Trisha Blue
John, Irma & Jim
A big welcome to our newest members, Deric
Fiddler and Brian Williams
Featherbed Railroad, Nice, CA
By Don Medina & Trisha Blue
Minutes from last meeting were read by Trisha
Blue. Approved by Gert Thompson; seconded
by Sandra Bright.
You’ve lived through this past winter, nothing but
rain. Seems like every time we have a club event
planned, Mother Nature has her idea of what we as
a club should do. That’s what happened for the
weekend of the Featherbed Railroad. The whole
preceding week the weather was nice, not real
warm, but not cold either, just weather. Thursday
dawned windy and cold, with a good chance of
showers (rain). Dale and Pam Bird are coming up
from Los Angeles; their plan is to stop in Morgan
Hill CA the first night.
Treasurers Report read by Wayne Bright. Our
starting balance was about $3900. We brought
in $200 in membership dues. Approved by
Tony Curtis; seconded by Marvin Deatherage.
Activities report led by Don Medina. Last
weekend was the Feather Bed Railroad ride. It
was a huge success and we are already planning
next year’s trip.
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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Owners Tony and Peggy, were up in Oregon
attending a seminar and weren’t due back in
Nice, CA and the Featherbed Railroad until 2pm
on the day we were to arrive. Tony relayed a
message to me via George Mack that check in
wouldn’t be until 3pm. We had eighteen
members coming, from Los Angeles, Fresno,
Grass Valley, Sacramento and the Bay Area,
some in cars but most on their motorcycles.
Pam & Dale get the long-distance award
Dale told me that the wind and rain were blowing
all the way north. There were a couple of times the
wind almost blew the BMW 1200LT with them on
board, off the road. That was Thursday. On Friday
Dale calls to tell me that he had ridden in this stuff
all day yesterday, he’s not looking forward to doing
this again today. I’m here on the coast and it’s cool
with nothing but sunshine. Not so in the south bay,
the wind is blowing mixed with rain.
First thing I want to do is thank Bill Burns, the
Featherbed Railroad was his idea about a year ago.
Because Bill and Betty had already been to the
Featherbed Railroad, they gave up there room so
other club members could experience the
Featherbed Railroad.
When Trisha and I left Menlo Park, we had
sunshine and cool temperatures. The ride up and
through San Francisco was quick for a Friday,
must be the price of gas at $4.20 per gallon.
Over the Golden Gate Bridge, looking to the left
is the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean, to the right
the white canvas of all the sail boats on the bay.
Yet in the middle of this part of the bay stands
Alcatraz, reminding us to be good. With the
light traffic we were in Santa Rosa by 5pm.
Trisha rides up next to me and signals that it’s
time to eat. We were in and out of the restaurant
in under an hour; while we were eating it had
been raining. By the time we were in the north
end of Santa Rosa, the side of the road was damp
showing signs of rain. Our ride north became
best the last twenty miles before Ukiah CA.
That’s when the four-lane highway became a
two-lane road. The road had been following a
river valley, and as we leave the valley the road
winds along following the natural terrain. All
the rain has the hills and valleys the lush green
you see in old Saturday Evening Posts pictures.
We had cool temps, a few clouds, a winding
road, early evening and light traffic as we
traveled though this wonderland called northern
California.
After arriving at the Featherbed Railroad, Diane
& Jeff Komoto, John De Muri & Michele Smith,
Kirk & Holli Ehnisz were all in the check-in
office, breakfast & activates room. Diane & Jeff
had opened some wine and brought out a bag of
homemade cookies. Before long they were
joined by Dale & Pam, Tony Curtis and Wayne
Featherbed Owners Tony & Peggy relax after serving up breakfast
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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Bright. Those that like wine enjoyed; those that
just liked homemade cookies enjoyed. Everyone
enjoyed the company and the tale of their own
adventure of getting to the Featherbed Railroad.
Tony & Gail had snow to ride through, Diane &
Jeff the extreme cold. Everyone else had an
enjoyable ride or drive.
A perfect row of motorcycles in front of Tulip Hill
Of course I miss the first two attractions, but
Tulip Hill Winery can’t be missed. There are
thousands of tulips of every color in full bloom
covering almost every inch of the winery
grounds. We stop to take pictures; some go into
the gift store and return with packages. As we
travel around the lake clockwise, we travel old
roads and new roads going most anywhere we
want. This is still the off season and there is
little traffic making our cruise pleasant. In
another 6 weeks this kind of leisurely tour
around the lake won’t be possible due to clogged
traffic.
Diane & Jeff enjoy breakfast with Sandra & Wayne in the background
We’re all at breakfast by 9am and what a treat!
We have a three-course meal to start the day.
The food, service and rooms are all terrific. As
we finish breakfast we ask Tony what local sites
we should see. Tony starts listing off things of
interest, but there are so many that when he sees
us with glazed eyes, he just says that we’ll see.
We stop in Kelseyville and some of the group is
getting hungry. We find Lu Lu’s and get ice
cream. Next door they have a coffee shop, and
half of the group needs caffeine.
A small section of the colorful grounds of Tulip Hill Winery
Sandra, Tony & Gail enjoy themselves in Kelseyville
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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Card they give you a $25.00 credit. Naturally, we
all signed up and eat lunch for free. The day had
warmed up and a small group of us rode into the
Bay Area. Trisha and I turned off at Niles Canyon
taking the slow way home to Half Moon Bay.
Nothing's better than a sunny day & an ice cream cone. Just ask Shirley!
We finally stopped for a tasty lunch in Lakeport at
an Irish café called Molly Brennans. We broke up
into small groups and made our way back to the
Featherbed Railroad. We had a couple of hours
for naps, a bubble bath soak in the hot tub, or for
the more energetic polishing of motorcycles and
even trailer repair. We all gathered and rode off
to dinner in Upper Lake. We had a great mean
with good service and it was a fun night out.
Sunday we had another great breakfast provided
by Tony and Peggy. After breakfast there was a
nice tire kicking break with many pictures taken.
We all left in mass except for Roger and Shirley.
We all headed to Cache Creek Casino which we
wanted to check out as a possible location for the
NorCal Christmas party. Diane Komoto
discovered that if we sign up for a Cache Creek
Don & George at Tulip Hill
Some of the caboose cabins at the Featherbed Railroad
A happy group before heading home Sunday
Tony & Gail with Kirk & Holli in background
Page 7
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
What's not to like? Cruising around Clear Lake with no traffic
An ice cream & coffee break in Kelsyville
Long Term Health Care, I got mine seven
months ago. The cost ended up being $126.11
per month for $3000.00 per month coverage for
five years. The cost was a bit more then I was
quoted before my phone physical. I have a back
injury that’s work related, and even though the
company is liable for all health care costs, it still
affected the cost of my Long Term Health Care.
Insurance Blues
By Don Medina, NCVC President
It’s been two months since I last told everyone
about my high blood pressure test at the doctor’s
office. Since then, I’ve been going to the gym
six to seven days a week when I’m in town. I
have made good progress; my weight has come
down from 181 to 176 lbs. and my blood
pressure has come down to 117 over 78. I had to
give up salt, which meant no more potato chips.
Why is this important? Aside from the obvious
health reasons, the answer is simple: MONEY.
You see, if it’s on your medical record that you
have high blood pressure, your health insurance
costs more, you are a bigger risk, you’ll need
medication and you will see a doctor more often.
This all costs more to your insurance company.
For me, I also have a Commercial Driver’s
License which requires a DOT physical every
two years. With high blood pressure they can
change that requirement to once every three
months or once a year. At $70.00 a physical,
that can get pricey.
Auto insurance, my new renewal statement came
in and my rates have dropped. No tickets, no
chargeable accidents.
I share this not to pat myself on the back, but to
let you know how to keep insurance costs down.
I use State Farm Insurance. Without Pirie
Jensen, State Farm Insurance would just be
good. Now add Pirie Jensen to State Farm
Insurance and it becomes great. I know many of
you have concerns about making an insurance
change, but call Pirie or speak to the women in
the office and let them know that you’re a
NorCal member. Even if you don’t change over,
you will be treated the way you’ve always
wanted to be treated by any business. If you
have doubts about the care Pirie provides, just
ask Roger Allen!
Page 8
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
The Last Five Months of Tech Tips Written and Tested by Bruce Kauffman
Howdy Nor-Cal Riders!
Have you ever yearned for a bit more cargo capacity on the Voyager XII?
Team Kauffman always tours 2-up so storage space always gets a bit cramped. I came up with two cargo
upgrades which created a total of 2.3 cubic feet of extra storage capacity; this simple write is about adding a 20
liter tank.
After thirty five years of racing & riding sport bikes, cruise control has never made it onto my list of desired
motorcycle upgrades. The very day I bought the ZG1200, plans were to remove this feature to make room for
the stuff I valued more. If this luxury is highly prized in your riding world, the following changes might not be
for you……
The tank bag mod is a non-destructive change and putting everything back to stock takes less than fifteen
minutes. The bag lets me have quick and easy access to maps, my wallet, air pressure gauge or what-ever
during a stop plus hold snacks, warmer gloves and a sweater.
Tank Bag
Step One:
Taking off the cruise control console from the fax gas tank to clear room for the tank bag had to be the simplest
task ever, simply remove the four screws from the underside and it’s done!
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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Step Two:
Choosing a tank bag could seem to be just as simple yet the important safety feature here is width. Do not buy
a bag that is too wide, unimpaired handlebar movement is essential!
Quick accessibility to the gas cap during fuel stops plus an easy on/off attachment method to simplify taking
the bag with me was also important. Features you might conceder are a clear map pocket, power to run
electronics, others offer brackets to mount gizmos such as a GPS.
My search was primarily focused on size, the width needed to be 8 or 9 inches to avoid handlebar contact and
the length could not exceed 12 inches to stay clear of the fuel door.
Search as I may, all the bags seemed to be either way too big or super tiny! There I sat wondering what to do
when my eye caught the RKA tail bag mounted on my ZX-10R….
I have used RKA products for many years now after meeting Rich & Kathy at the International Bike Show. My
first purchase was a tail bag for my 1999 ZX-9R. The tail bag I just recently bought for my 10R was a bit
smaller and to my surprise it fit the Voyager tank just perfect!
The new RKA tail bags use an attachment system that is quick to install or remove unlike the earlier bags. A
separate base pad secures onto the bike; the tail bag is then attached to this pad.
By purchasing a second mounting pad for the XII, my existing tail bag could now pull double duty and easily
transform in seconds between hyper-sport and long distance touring! The long mounting straps were cut off of
the pad as shown in this picture as I will bolt the pad onto the Voyager as explained next…..
RKA Tail Bag: 9.0 wide x 12.0 long x 6.5 to 11.0 tall
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NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Step Three:
Once the tank bag of choice is in hand, the next step is to figure out your mounting strategy.
I did not want the added logistic of routing straps around the fax tank or worse yet, the possibility of them
coming loose out on the road. By cutting out a thin aluminum plate a tad smaller than the RKS mounting pad, I
created a hard mount system which bolted directly to the fax gas tank cover by using the vacant cruise console
mounting holes.
Easy On & Off
The RKA bag is now easily mounted to the bike by inserting the Velcro straps on one side of the bag through
the mounting pad loops and back up onto the bag, same with the other side.
Page 11
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
Pirie Jensen
State Farm Agent
1871 The Alameda, Suite 120
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 985-2755
[email protected]
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Page 12
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
2011 Club Events Calendar
JAN 08 – Roger Allen's pizza party
JAN 29 – Meeting: Manteca (11AM),
after-meeting chocolate run
No events planned
MAR 18-20 - Hearst Castle ride,
18th meet in Hollister
MAY 01 - Wildflower Tri
APR 8-10 - Featherbed Railroad ride
& breakfast
APR 16 - Meeting: Manteca (11AM)
APR 29-30 - Wildflower Tri
MAY 13-15 Quail Motorcycle Gathering
at Quail Lodge, Carmel CA
May 21 Livermore Motorcycle
Safety Awareness Day
JUN 17-19 – Wayne Bright’s 70th
Campout/BBQ @ Ft Washington
Campground, Fresno
MAY 28* - Meeting: Manteca (11 AM),
after-meeting ride to Castle Air Museum
Date may change-check Forum
JUL 02-03 - Don & Trisha leave for
AVA Rally
July 8-18 Ray Walls Classic/Banff Canada
JUL 11-14 - AVA Rally, DeGray, Arkansas
AUG 02-04 - Western Regional Rally,
Wallowa Lake, OR
Aug 20-21 - Coast ride
SEP 23-25 – Half Moon Bay Ride-In
SEP 24 - Meeting: Half Moon Bay
followed by Club picnic and
anniversary celebration
JUL 30 - Meeting: Manteca (11 AM)
NCVC 11th birthday
OCT 08-09 - Ripley TN BBQ?
OCT 15-16 - Leaf Peeper ride,
meet 10/14 Lake Topaz
NOV 19-20- International
Motorcycle Show
Page 13
DEC 09-10 - Club meeting
& Christmas Party
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter
May 2011
The Last Page
And finally…
Thanks for reading the NorCal Voyagers Newsletter. We
appreciate the input from the club membership and hope
you enjoy this newsletter. If you have any comments,
additions, corrections, articles, submissions, please send
them along to: [email protected]
NORCAL VOYAGERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Sergeant at Arms
Activities Director
Web Admin.
Newsletter Editor
Don Medina
Tony Curtis
Trisha Blue
Wayne Bright
Marvin Deatherage
Vacant
Ron Aikins
Trisha Blue
If you have any questions about the club or
comments to the Board of Directors, please
use the following e-mail addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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