August - Concours Owners Group

SECOG Leadership Team
Vic Salisbury, AD for SE
Area, Sarasota, FL
941– 870-3433,
[email protected]
Thomas Mann, AAD
N. FL (Jacklsonville)
[email protected]
SECOG
Southeastern Area of the Concours Owners Group Newsletter
August, 2010
Winding Rivers and Roads
Bruce Barge, AAD
Cent. FL (Ocala),
[email protected]
Paul Heydemann, AAD S.FL
(Miami)
[email protected]
New site: Cherohala Motorcycle Resort Date: Sept 10-12
John R Carver Jr, AAD
E. GA (Greensboro)
[email protected]
Robert Elliott, AAD,
N. GA, (Cornelia)
[email protected]
On September 10th, the Southeast region of COG will again host it’s Winding Roads and
Rivers Rally. This time we have heeded that famous saying “Go West”. Due to scheduling
conflicts at IronHorse Motorcycle Lodge in Stecoah Valley, NC, we are taking the event west
to Cherohala Motorcycle Lodge in Tellico Plains, TN. Last years event was attended by 30+
members and guests. This area is home to a number of great roads and rides including the
Dragon and Cherahola Skyway. This time we will be on the other end of the Skyway and
this will allow you easier access to the local Olympia Dealer as well as the great bakery in
downtown Tellico Plains (breakfast and lunch). There are numerous trails as well for those
of you who want to bring along a dual sport.
Jack Ferguson, AAD
Atl, GA, (Ellenwood)
[email protected]
Reid Yeargan, AAD
S.GA, (Valdosta)
[email protected]
Jack McVickers, AAD
TN, (Holhenwald)
[email protected]
The website for the Cherohala Motorcycle Lodge is www.cycleresort.com. There are cabins and basic camping available. Cabins are small two person units with double bed or twin
beds. Rates are $45 per night single in cabin, $55 per night double in cabin. Tent rates are
$12 per night single and $18 per night double. There are no meals available directly on site
but meals can be catered. We are asking for participation in the Saturday night meal as this
will be our wrap up meeting, with awards and door prizes. The CML has received great reviews and has some nice amenities including free Wi-Fi and bike wash. Check out their
website for complete details. The owner is a Sport-Touring rider, so he will be a great
source of local information as well. He is also monitoring the discussion on the cog-online
forum and will be glad to answer any questions.
Jim Culp, AAD
SC (Iva)
[email protected]
David Hicks, Webmaster
[email protected]
John R Carver Jr, Editor
[email protected]
Inside this issue:
WRRR
1
National 2010
2
Run With The Wolf
4
Tax Relief RTE
50
Alaska & ED
Vic and Paulie
6
7
Iron Butt or Not
8
Wrenching Session
9
Registration is currently open and available at www.cog-online.org under the Southeast
Calendar in September. Onsite check-in will be held at the gazebo from 3-6pm Friday and
early on Saturday morning as well. Friday night we can gather around the fire pit and exchange stories and share adult beverages. The registration is going to be less for this event
because we are not having a specific rally shirt this year. Vic has promised that COG merchandise will be available for those who wish to purchase something.
11 Days
11
Ride safe and register soon. See you at the Resort, Robert Elliott – Rallymeister.
Registration Blank
13
2
2010
National, Tomah, Wi
Ride the Alphabet Roads
Beautiful scenery, fascinating roads and great people!
Sounds like a Concours Owners Group National Rally and
that’s exactly what it was. For me, the rally started with
Daytona Mike, Cesar (a new COG member and friend)
and I leaving Florida to meet up with Jim and Cindy Culp
at their home in South Carolina. After arriving at Jim and
Cindy’s, we relaxed and reflected on the first leg of our
journey. Saturday, we loaded up and headed for our next
stop, Nashville, where we spent the night. Jim led us over
a mix of twisties and highways.
Sunday saw us on the road early. We ran the slabs to
make time until we reached Salem, IL and took to the U.S.
highways. Boy, Illinois sure has a lot of cornfields! Seeing
the many small towns, some barely hanging on, reminds
you of our country’s roots. We decided to stop in Normal,
IL for the night. I hope you can appreciate the irony of
the five of us being in a place called Normal! After soaking our road-weary bones in the hotel pool, we got cleaned
up and had supper, then off to dreamland.
Monday morning we were back on the Interstate for a
while. We exited the slab at Troy Grove, IL which turned
out to be the hometown of Wild Bill Hickok! Our route
took us through more of small town America, seeing some
of the folks who work to feed our great country hard at
work. Another town we passed through was Dixon, home
of Pres. Ronald Reagan. As we crossed into Wisconsin,
we knew we were getting closer to our destination. We
were also amazed at the change in the terrain. Wisconsin
seemed to have the hills that Illinois was missing!
Shortly after entering Wisconsin, I managed to get us
lost…err, misdirected (GPS). After a stop to consult the
map (don’t leave home without ‘em!), we found another
route. As it turned out, our new path was a nice diversion.
We arrived at the Cranberry Country Lodge, headquarters for the rally. After getting out of our gear, we went to
register. The Rally Team was organized and on top of
things. We met old friends and made new ones. That was
a theme throughout the week and one of the best things
about a COG rally! Mike headed out to his hotel and the
rest of us headed for the campground at Fort McCoy. After setting up camp, we rode into the town of Sparta for
supper then returned to the campground and joined other
COG campers at the campfire. After a long day on the
road, even a sleeping bag and pad felt wonderful.
Tuesday morning came with the sound of a bugle call!
Holy Cow! Thanks, Jim, for the heads-up about that!
After breakfast, we discussed our route and hit the road.
Cesar, Jim and Cindy and I were going to ride the Great
River Road and see the mighty Mississippi! One of the
highlights was watching a string of barges enter the lock
at Lock and Dam #8 for the journey downriver. I had
never seen a lock on that scale before. After stopping for
lunch at the Great River Roadhouse we continued to Prairie du Chien where we headed east on Hwy 60 to 131 then
cut north. Our intention was to enjoy the roads and scenery and visit Wildcat Mountain State Park near the town
of Ontario. Man, does Wisconsin have some scenery! The
view from the observation point at the park was amazing.
After some photo opportunities, we remounted our bikes
and headed for “home”. After all, tonight was the no-host
social, a not-to-be-missed get-together at a rally! The
rally organizers had arranged for a bus from the campground to the lodge and back, but we elected to go directly
to the lodge as we might not stay until the bus left for the
camping area. We had been on the road about 9 hours to
cover slightly more than 200 miles. It was a long day!
The social was fun; mingling with our fellow COGgers and
just having a good time. There were also ‘a-l-l’ the bikes
to look at! We returned to the campground and another
campfire before calling it a day.
Wednesday, we awoke to the bugle call again. Sheesh,
no alarm clock needed here! Having fortified ourselves
with coffee we headed for the Lodge to meet Mike. Our
plan was to ride through the Wisconsin Dells and then
take in the town of Mineral Point before returning to
Tomah. The ride was great. We modified the route the
organizers had laid out to fit our needs. More great roads
and lovely scenery. Mineral Point is an old mining town
turned into an artist’s enclave and tourist destination.
There wasn’t much happening as it seems many of the
towns sort of shut down on Wednesday, much like used to
be done in the south years ago. We did enjoy walking the
town and learning some of its history. We stopped for a
refreshing drink in the Atomic Ice Café. Then we checked
out Shake Rag Alley and Jim and Mike had their turn on
stage at the amphitheater! Couple of hams, if you ask me!
Some of the buildings in the town are amazingly well pre-
3
served and the Opera House has been redone and is in
regular use. Bidding farewell to Mineral Point, we set out
for home base.
Mike alerted us to some impending bad weather but we
thought we would clear it before it hit. Entering the town
of Ontario, we stopped for a moment. A lady pulled up
beside us and told us not to go to Tomah. A tornado had
been reported! We went to the nearby Kickapoo Paddle
Diner to wait out the storm. The owners were very gracious and we went ahead and had supper there. After a
delay of several hours, the weather had cleared enough to
allow us to return to Tomah. We had missed Murph’s Ice
Cream Social and the bike show, but we were safe! Mike
returned to his hotel and Cesar, Jim, Cindy and I headed
for the campground. Upon arrival, we found the tornado
watch had been extended to 1AM! Cesar returned to
Tomah to ride out the storm in a room. The rest of us attempted to find a room but no luck. As it turned out, Jim,
being retired military, was able to secure lodging for us at
Fort McCoy! While we waited for the paperwork, the
weather outside looked like a hurricane! We made it to
our rooms and slept soundly and secure.
Thursday was way better than Wednesday night! We
returned to the campsite to see what damage had been
done. Just some water in the tents. We dragged stuff out
to dry and waited. After everything was secure, we headed
into Tomah to meet the rest of the group. Mike was going
on a ride with another group so we decided to do the
Cranberry Discovery ride. As we left, Cesar pulled to the
side of the road! Uh oh, broken throttle cable! When Jim
and Cindy came back to us, we escorted Cesar back to the
Cranberry Lodge. Thanks to Jim Miller and some others,
Cesar’s bike was repaired. Thanks also to the other COGgers who stopped to assist. Once again, great people! Jim,
Cindy and I rode to the Cranberry Discovery Center in
Warrens and enjoyed some history of cranberry harvesting. We ran into Calvin and Linda Underwood. This wasn’t the first time and I think they were following us! After
visiting, we were back to pick up Cesar and head for the
campground. It was time to get ready for the banquet!
We decided to ride the bus this time. The banquet was
superb. The speaker, Victor Wanchena, presented a humorous program on motorcyclist stereotypes. The dinner
was quite tasty and the camaraderie was excellent. The
rally organizers had secured a multitude of door prizes.
Hats off to them and all the vendors who provided the
prizes! Then, the announcement we’d been waiting for!
The location of the 2011 COG National Rally! And the
winner is…Vermont! All too soon, the evening was over.
We said our goodbyes to friends old and new and boarded
the bus. Returning to the campground we reflected on
what a good rally it had been. As always, they seem too
short!
Friday saw us up and packing our gear for the trip
home. Mike, Cesar and I parted with Jim and Cindy in
Nashville and continued on our way back to Florida. Cesar and I took our time. As we arrived in Sanford, we
were thankful for a safe journey and good times.
Congratulations and thanks to Jeff, Jim, Brian and all
their team for a great rally! Being involved some in the
2009 rally at Fontana, I have an idea what it takes to pull
this off. Well done, folks. And to those of you who said
“What? Wisconsin?” ,well, all I can say is you shortchanged yourselves! You missed some fantastic scenery,
roads and people! OK, the heat and the tornados weren’t
great, but no rally team has control over that! Thanks
again for a job well done!
Ride safe and see you next year in Vermont!
Submitted by Eddie Minter, COG#7073, Sanford, Fl
More
National, Tomah, Wi
Ride the Alphabet Roads
2010 National Rally--the Element of Reliability
My 2005 Connie and I have a love/hate relationship. I
love it, it hates me. At least lately anyway. It seems that
this Spring was the perfect time for everything that hadn't
already been replaced to give trouble. It was little stuff
like light bulbs and warped rotors; it was big stuff like the
cooling system and the carbs. The list of things to fix, service or replace got quite long, but considering the bike's
been a commuter all this time doing the hardest job there
is for a motorcycle (lots of small trips, lots of heat cycles),
I can't hold it against Kawasaki or the bike.
What began as a mid-Spring re-paint teardown and
thorough servicing became an ever more frantic race to
get the bike road-worthy in time for the trip from Georgia
to Wisconsin, aesthetics be darned. Steve Sefsic in Sunny
Florida rushed to the rescue and plied his considerable
skill to the carbs. Rich Riczinger, our recent tech editor,
overnighted the necessary last o-ring to set in the new
thermostat, just in time to get in two days' hard testriding. Defeated, the Connie rolled over--the odometer-to 50,000 miles trouble-free if not nearly finished with
her upgrades and I trepidaciously loaded for the trip "up
Nawth" alone.
Each day's ride would include some freeway and as
much secondary road as daylight allowed. My guidance
system is the map in the tank bag and a list of KOA campgrounds in case I can't get to a state park in time. Riding
whatever gray squiggly-line roads are nearby and in line
with a place to spend the night is usually the plan of the
day, only jumping on the Interstate to make time.
In the 1500 miles I rode to the rally in Tomah, I learned
several interesting geographical facts: The number of
stray dogs on any given back-road in Kentucky is directly
proportional to the twisty factor of that road. Ohio, with
its quaint little towns, is so flat that the interstate becomes more interesting than the side roads since there are
sun-addled drivers from Florida racing up north to liven
things up. The shores of lake Erie produce just as much
tent-drowning rain as any respectable Southern thunderstorm. Michigan's state rock is a pothole. The state
flower, a frost heave. The state song, something about
forsaken pavement and perpetual construction zones.
Along with many dairies, Wisconsin has at least one yak
farmer (yes, yak, with the hooves and the big dreadlock
'do).
V
4
Of course the Concours performed very well with no
fuel or overheating issues at all. Only the new neck bearings settled in farther than I thought they would, leaving
me with a nasty headshake before I reached Kentucky. At
the KOA campground in Corbin, KY, I decided I had to
tighten that front end up and asked where to buy the necessary tools not in my toolbox. Jerry Cooney, the owner
of the campground, instead rolled a gorgeous ZX10 out of
his garage, rolled my tired Connie in and let me use anything I needed from his vast array of tools. I fixed the
problem in short order and he wouldn't take any payment.
Kudos to a fine team at the beautiful KOA in Corbin!
The rally itself was as well-executed as anyone could
want. It's very obvious that the North Central is yet another region with outstanding leadership and competent,
enthusiastic members. Nobody got hurt in the severe
weather and those of us lucky enough to be at the rally
central building when it hit had quite the time waiting out
the weather, moving from the lobby bar to the parking lot,
taking pictures of dark, swirling clouds. The grub was
good and plenty of it, and rally central, the Cranberry
Lodge, made it clear that they were happy to have us. We
campers a few miles down the road at Ft. McCoy found
more than adequate facilities and a built-in alarm clock: a
loud reveille at 0500 hours every morning put an end to
any hope for sleeping in. Who needs sleep anyway, there
were twisty roads to ride!
amazing technical gadgetry and an irridescent blue C-14.
Ken McClurg, AD for the North Central region, led some
high-spirited rides through the best county roads to be
found, and quite a few whoppers of stories went around
the campfire every night, even the night we were all huddled under a tarp shelter watching the rain drown the fire.
When we all packed up and said goodbye 'till next year, I
headed a little farther west into some beautiful sweepers
on the county roads in Minnesota, culminating in a trip to
the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. Yes, there were free
samples. Yes, it's still kinda weird to be calling it food.
Finally heading towards home,I followed the Mississippi river road into Illinois and hurried East to run some
more twisties in Kentucky. I rode all day off the beaten
path until I nearly ran out of fuel for lack of gas stations
and heard distant banjoes, then it was only a short ride
towards civlization to find a state park for the night's
camping. The next day's ride found me close to Asheville,
visiting friends who quite possibly love their horses as
much as I love my Connie. They shake their heads at my
fully loaded, dirty motorcycle in the driveway, and I can't
understand the appeal of just one horsepower, but we
both love to ride! At least I was back in the land of sweet
tea and Waffle Houses.
As much as she protested and fought to stay home, the
Concours did very well up north and a good thing, next
year we're planning to go up the East coast to Vermont for
the 2011 National Rally! I hope to see you all there, but
make sure you have PLENTY of time to get your bike
ready, and then double it so when things go wrong you
still don't have to sweat it like I did.
Shucks, not even a year left, I better order Murph's radiator hoses now and get started....
Submitted by Jennifer Simons, COG #7653, Augusta, GA
RWTW
16th Run With The Wolf Rally
High Valley Resort, Suches, GA
I had been looking forward to this rally all winter. I so
look forward to getting back to the north Georgia hills and
riding those great roads. But more than that, I couldn't
wait to see the folks that come to the RWTW. This was my
4th in a row and I knew we would all have a great time.
The weather forecast for the weekend looked dicey as
we headed out Thursday morning. I met up with Steve
(SISF), Steve W., Jo Poole, and Brian (ZG shields) in Valdosta. After our usual stop in Gray Ga. for BBQ, we
headed on up north to Suches. The weather was perfect
for the ride up and remained excellent through Friday.
My '05 (previously Golddammit), sporting a homepainted "toothpaste blue with flowers," took home best C10 in the show (I swear I didn't bribe anybody, Tony
(TCro), your bike is amazing!) even though there were far
more well-farkled, clean bikes in the lot, including some
Our fearless leader and Rallymeister Jim Culp was waiting when we arrived. Right off the bat, Jim had to juggle
things around due to a mix-up over the use of the kitchen
over at Franks Place. No problem, we just used the Mustang cabin as “food headquarters and general hang-out
place' for the weekend. Jim and his crew really showed
how the Coggers can overcome and adapt.
With beautiful weather Friday morning, everyone took
off to carve up some twisties and see the scenery. A good
sized group stopped in Helen Ga. for some brats and beverage of their choice along the river. Then we all headed
5
back to Suches for dinner and the chats by the fire. After a
good days ride, that is always my favorite time, just hanging out. Many beverages and stories later, the evening
finally wound down and all was quiet at the High Valley
Motorcycle Resort. And it still had not rained.........yet.
and the light show was equally impressive. Don't know
how the campers kept everything together, but I don't
think we lost anyone.
Sunday morning came and the weather once again was
calm. A few stayed behind to enjoy another day of riding
as Saturday had been a wash-out. The rest of us headed
on back our separate ways. I had a great time as usual and
I will be back next year. Thanks again to Jim Culp and his
gang for keeping us all together and pulling off a great
rally. See ya'll at the WRRR in September.
Submitted by Reid Yeargan, S GA AAD, Valdosta, GA
The
2010 Tax Relief RTE
Cedar Key, FL
Saturday, April 17, 2010
There had been rumors that Jim “Millerized” Miller
would bring rain down with him and Rich Riczinger also
forewarned of his ability to bring the wet stuff with him.
Well...we should have paid more attention to them because Saturday morning the bottom of the clouds fell out
and we had a good ole “Gullywasher” all day long. Run
With the Wolf rapidly became Swim With the Wolf!! It
did hold off just long enough for a group of us to ride the
short ride to TWO for lunch. But the rest of the day was
just a deluge. Eddie Minter said that he swore he saw animals walking by in pairs!
Rain or not, Al Norcross and Jim Culp put together a
delicious Spaghetti dinner Saturday night and we all
crowded into the Mustang cabin to enjoy. It was a great
meal and hats off to Al and his Posse for putting it all together.
After the dinner the rain let up enough for us to head
over to Franks Place for the meeting and door prizes. On
the way over we were entertained with a mud bogging
demonstration by Jim Culp on his GL1800 Gold Wing. I
had no idea you could do that on a Wing. Pretty impressive stuff. The rest of Saturday night the storms moving
through were something to behold. The wind was howling something fierce (kind of appropriate for this rally)
Perhaps it is that the ride is organized by our clean living sweetheart of the North Florida Stooges, Jo Poole.
Perhaps it is just that the Good Lord above saves up his
meteorological hellfire and brimstone to rain down upon
Cedar Key for hurricane season, whichever it is, all of the
Cedar Key RTEs have been blessed with that quintessential bee-yew-tee-ful Florida Spring weather. Sitting outside the morning of this year's ride in shorts and a t-shirt,
watching the sunshiny curtain rise on a powder blue clear
sky, once again, it appeared to be a yet another great day
for a ride.
(The weather gods would indeed smile down all day
long on this ride-to-eat. The temps warmed into the low
to mid 80's and only a few clouds poked their heads in on
the show as I neared Ocala about mid-afternoon. It was
truly one of those frequent story book weather days to
ride in Florida that others elsewhere are so envious of.)
Heading to Al Norcross's house to meet up with a small
group for pre-ride coffee, I banked the Barfrocket onto
the on-ramp for I-75S and my wide grin pushed my
cheeks out against the cushy interior of my new HJC helmet. My bike has been down with terminal carb problems for several months now and it was Really Nice to be
back in the saddle again. Today's ride would be a great
first, other than around town, re-acquaintance with the
joys of riding. (Special thanks to Al Norcross and Steve
Seffick for helping extract me from carb hell. Thanks
6
guys!) I couldn't help but push the revs up past that
magic 6K Jekyll and Hyde point going down the on-ramp,
just to hear that great liter sized Kawi huffing intake
growl. Yep, it was still there.
There was a small crew of the usual suspects already at
Al's when I got there and after a cup of coffee, some jibberjabberin' and tire kickin', we were on our way North to
Cedar Key. Now, I don't know how this happened, I
thought we'd left in plenty of time and it's not that far to
Cedar Key, but it was almost like we rode in slow motion
(Hey! That's MY job! :) or maybe the clock was running
faster than normal but it seemed to take us forever to get
there. There certainly was no time left for our usual sidestand down respite at the turnoff to Cedar Key off of US19
and by the time The Pied Piper of Inverness and his 2
wheeled lemmings rolled onto Dock Rd., it was already
11:20. Time sure does fly when you're having fun on two
wheels! Consequentially, there was little time for the
usual very enjoyable tire kicking outside before we needed
to head upstairs to the feed trough.
best he'd ever had. I borrowed some of his cocktail sauce
for my sandwich and found it nicely flameingly spiked
with horseradish, just the way I like it. I did a short survey and found most everyone else was also very happy
with their meals. While there was an order mix up or two,
that's not out of the ordinary when you slam a small eatery with a party of almost 40.
A great time was had by all, basking in the scenic waterfront awesomeness, enjoying some good fresh Florida seafood and the fellowship of their COGger buddies and buddettes.
So, next year, about the time you really start to worry
and fret about writing that tax check or wondering why
that refund is so small this year, temper that with your
preparation to attend this ride. The artsy tourista island of
Cedar Key and the areas surrounding it are a laid back,
kindler, gentler slice of "Old Florida" and this RTE is always a great way to put a smile on your face after one of
the more stressful times of the year.
Submitted by Bruce Barge, Central FL AAD, Ocala, FL
Alaska
Each year the originator and organizer of this RTE, Jo
Poole, does a pre-ride recon to Cedar Key to determine
which establishment on Dock Row will be blessed by our
COGly presence. This year her magic 8-ball pointed her
and us to The Rusty Rim Pub (formerly The Captain's Table) and we entered the upstairs dining room to find it
pretty well taken over by the 38 attendees of this years
ride. Along with most of the usual "Florida Gang" it was
great to see the faces of a couple of "The North Florida
Gang" that I haven't seen in quite some time. (Hi Phil
Morales and Jose and Gloria Gonzalez!) Spying an empty
chair beside my old bud Doug Re, I knocked several people down making sure no one else beat me to it. Sitting
beside Doug is like having your very own personal 3 ring
circus ;^) and I wasn't about to miss out on that!
It is somewhat historically the case that Cedar Key eateries tend to rely most on their wonderful scenic settings
and ambiance to woo customers more than their service
and culinary prowess. That Was Not the case this year as
Jo really smacked the ball out of the park in selecting The
Rusty Rim Pub. The wait staff was sufficient in number
and friendly and the food was excellent. I had a great
Grouper sandwich that tasted as fresh as our waitress said
it would be. Doug said his raw oysters were some of the
or BUST on DS MC’s.
These pictures are from Ken Ford, our Executive Director,
and Darrell Hess on their trip to Alaska. They rode on their
KLR dual sport motorcycles. The last word was that they
were doing fine. Marcia, Ken’s wife posted a message about
them right after she left to head back.
7
from SE Area
Message Director,
Vic
Your
Wow, has it been smoking hot this year or
what? Record high temps have hit the
whole country, so when you are out there riding, keep hydrated and watch out for each other. The 2010 National is
in the bag and I understand it was a great event. Wish I
could have been there but it just wasn’t in the cards for
this year. I did see the pictures of the Membership Drive
give away bike, that was awesome! Thanks to Jim Miller
for all his work and congratulations to the winner, Chris
Lillie, I believe 47 members was his count!
to your club is COG On-Line. Its content is developing daily.
Check in with COG On-line frequently to see new schedules,
tech articles, information and news on your area, and also join
in on the many discussions on the forum. Be sure to setup
and/or update your profile. Click Here to go there.
Speaking of members, use of COGMOS is increasing
for members joining and renewing online. Make sure you
visit the “My Info” section and verify your membership
info is up to date. We also suggest checking the boxes that
display your name in the Profile instead of having your
“Alias” displayed. You control what is displayed in the
Member listing that only COG members have access too.
This can help other members who might be looking for
you and they have no idea what your Alias is. The online
member list is more current then the hard copy Membership Directory and an alternative to looking someone up.
Another suggestion for forum users, in your preferences,
to help others touch base with you, it would be helpful to
have “Enable Private Messages” and “Notify via email…”
set to yes. These default to no, but again, another useful
tool members can use to get in touch with you. You can
also choose whether or not if your email will be displayed,
just something to consider.
The Southeast calendar is a little empty for the moment, hopefully with cooler weather we will see the calendar start filling up. With the way a majority of our members are spread out in the Southeast, we need more member support to help keep COG viable. Our AAD’s just can’t
“cover” every square inch. So please let us know what
YOU can do to help improve OUR club. You don’t need to
become an AAD (unless you are interested in that), but
you can volunteer to organize and/or host a ride, tech session, social get together or any other idea for a gathering
you might think of. It only takes a few events to get things
rolling. If you are close to an AAD and nothing is happening, contact them to find out why and how you can help.
This is your club, and there isn’t anything too silly that
cannot be tried. If you have an idea or suggestion, contact
your closest AAD and/or myself, we will make it work.
Speaking of events, WRRR is on the horizon, new
venue this year at the Cherohala Motorcycle Resort,
Robert and company will have a great event to look forward too. A hard copy registration form is included or go
online to COGMOS in order to register. A few more
events are being worked on, the online Southeast Calendar of Events is kept up to date and is the place to look for
ride and other activity details and last minute changes.
For those not online, I can provide a hard copy of the ride
schedule if you send me a request for the schedule along
with a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Keep it Cool, and Ride Safe!
Vic
Internet Connection
Paulie
charged by a moose
on last day in Alaska.
Paul Heydemann, better known as Paulie, and his
friend Mary were on the last day (a Saturday) of their trip
to Alaska. They both saw the moose come up on the right
edge of the road and Paulie moved over to the left so as to
avoid it and put some distance between it and him. The
moose turned to go off to the right when all of a sudden
the moose turned and charged directly into Paulie on his
Concours, knocking him off the bike. The moose fell
down but shortly jumped back up and started prancing on
him with his front feet. After a few seconds, the moose
ran off and Mary rushed up to help as she had been following in an auto. At first she thought he was a goner, but
quickly saw that he was unconscious. His helmet had
been hit and had collapsed into his throat. Mary pulled
off the helmet, a decision she said she knew risked spinal
damage, but could not be avoided. Within a short time
others arrived and assisted in getting medical help, an
ambulance, and Paulie was transported to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. But not for long as within a couple of
hours he was evacuated via air to Seattle’s Harborview
Hospital.
By Monday evening Paulie was alert and talking but he
did not remember anything about the accident. Mary
said, “I always knew he had a halo, because he’s my angel”. Paulie was wearing a halo brace.
Later that week fellow COG members assisted Mary in
getting Paulie and her scheduled on a flight to Florida. As
for the Concours, there are many pieces laying off the side
of the highway near mile 46 on the Elliot Highway. Seems
it continued down the road, eventually ran off, down a
ravine, and hitting numerous trees along the way. Mary
did get the speedometer from it and brought it back. That
is somewhat of a keepsake as the odometer read 195,000+
miles. This was Paulie”s first serious accident in all those
miles.
Now earlier last week I got a phone call and it was
Paulie. He said he was doing good, still on the mend, and
was concerned about getting something to me for the
newsletter. He just has too much dedication. I told him
not to worry about the newsletter, it can go without him.
During the conversation I could tell he is doing pretty
good, but also he knows it is going to take some time for
him to mend. To keep up with the latest news on Paulie
and Mary, check the messages on the Forum on COGonline, or post a message to him while there.
Now an item somewhat similar to this, the deer season
in GA will start soon, so be on high alert, all the time.
8
To
Iron Butt,
or Not
tour began to rattle around in the void-between-myears. For the Cruiser Crowd and the un-initiated, an
Iron Butt is a long distance ride completed in a prescribed time period. The most common is the Saddle Sore Iron Butt ride – 1,000 miles in 24 hours.
The IBA, or Iron Butt Association, is the sanctioning
body and verifies/certifies (or vilifies in some cases)
Iron Butt claims as submitted by potential inductees.
As those IBA certified riders can attest, completing
an Iron Butt ride is akin to kissing a piece of frozen
metal, grabbing an electrified cattle fence or playing
goalie with nothing but your groin. Pure relief that
the ordeal is over!
I decided that getting the Iron Butt completed at
the beginning of the trip would give me the best
chance for success. I also decided that I needed to
get more information as I had only been re-riding for
one and a half years (25 year lay-off to raise the kiddos), I wasn’t forever young and as a semi gear-head,
there had to be some really cool stuff to buy. Enter
the IBA website, www.ironbutt.com, the portal for
learning how to do the Iron Butt ride.
Even if I wasn’t going to do an Iron Butt, surfing
through the Iron Butt site was very educational and
entertaining. Articles on riding gear, tools to carry,
“29 Tips and Techniques from IBA Veterans”, as well
as the official IBA Rides and Ride Rules can make a
neophyte sound like he (or she) knows what they are
Back in February of this year, I began to contemplate a western tour – ride out to Denver, up
through the Tetons, Yellowstone, through Glacier,
across the Plains and eventually wind up back home
in Columbia, TN. Time and mileage were two major
considerations (as well as convincing my wife that
she could “share” in my adventure) as my longest
trip to-date on the Conc was an 1,800 mile loop from
my home, up the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive,
and back home; all in three days.
The estimated total distance would be 4,500 miles
and I decided that two weeks in late June would be
enough time to ride and see the sights. Jan would fly
out and meet me in Denver and Minneapolis, so she
would be a part of the trip without incurring the pain
and agony of sitting on the back of the bike for endless miles. I would camp for eight of the 14 nights,
carry my cookstove and food and other necessities to
make for a comfortable journey.
So with the
odometer clicking in my head, the fun of planning
and gearing-up for the trip began.
After the initial mapping process was completed,
the thought of completing an Iron Butt during my
9
talking about when it comes to long distance riding.
It is also very sobering – can I really do this? Am I
physically able to go the distance? Is my bike in
good shape? What will my butt feel like after 1,000
miles on a stock seat?
participant is expected so as to defray his expenses.
You will have your choice of pork, chicken, or beef
BBQ, but you will have to let him know your preference ahead of time and that can be accomplished
when you register online for the event. Registration
After making some notes and re-checking the
map, I decided that, yeah, I can do this. I made a list
of bike maintenance items, riding gear accessories
and copies of the IBA Ride Rules and Forms. I also
decided that I would do about 1,100 miles to allow
compensation for odometer error (the IBA points
out that many Far East metric bikes have a 4% overage error, i.e., you thought you rode 100 miles, but
you actually rode 96 miles). I set a budget for gear
and didn’t go too far over, got my bike ready and
made sure I was ready mentally, physically and
spiritually (make sure you cover ALL the bases).
If you cannot register online, then do definitely
phone him and let him know your thoughts and deisires, (Ph 706-235-7009). The starting time is 9:00
AM and the preferred ending time is 3:00 PM. This
is done to insure that all get home in a timely manner.
So I completed my Saddle Sore Iron Butt ride –
Spring Hill, TN, to Goodland, KS – 1,100 miles in 22
hours. I have submitted all of the forms and documentation to the IBA and am waiting to hear if my
ride is verifiable. I really want that plastic license
plate bracket!! Actually, the trinkets and certificate
are way down on the list. The sense of accomplishment is tremendous, you have done something that
most of the motorcycle public only dreams about
and it was fun (lots of fun after the fact!).
Now if you attend, be sure to express your gratitude for Tom’s efforts. These things are not accomplished without an extra effort.
RTE
The Yesterday’s Restaurant
Rutledge, GA
So go ahead. If you haven’t done an Iron Butt,
start thinking about it. That Connie sitting out there
in the garage is raring to go!
Submitted by Larry Bolton, COG #8570,
Columbia, TN
W
Jose Gonzalez (right) and his friend, also Jose.
renching Session Planned
October 30, Rome, GA
Tom Sills, has volunteered to host a wrenching
session at his home in Rome, Georgia, and this
would be on October 30. Yes, the day before Halloween, the only day he can see clear. This is to be a
light wrenching session, no front end rebuilds or
valve adjusts. Mainly stick to fluid changes, brake
pad replacement, synchronize carbs, tire changes,
etc. Tom has an air compressor, a Morgan carbtune,
a tire changer, and he might have a lift by the time it
comes around. But there is no lift table to work
from, so be prepared to work on the ground. You
will need to bring your own tools, parts, and fluids.
There is an Advance Auto and a Kawasaki dealer
nearby, but I’d guess that they close at noon.
Tom will provide a BBQ lunch, with sides, drink,
and dessert, but a voluntary contribution from each
I arrived early and no one else was there, so one
thing done right. I waited a short bit and the first
riders soon appeared. This was Jose Gonzalez and
his friend, also Jose, from Florida, both on C14’s.
Boy did those C14’s sound good, both had changed
the exhaust. Yes, they rode from Florida for lunch.
We talked for a bit and a couple of other riders appeared. Robert Elliot (AAD) and Paige came in on
his C10. A few minutes later David Phillips (new
member) arrived on another C14, a red one this
time. Now I didn’t remember David, but later he
explained that he knew me prior through the LT riders group. Yes, a LT owner gave it up for a C14. We
talked for a bit and he seemed very pleased with his
new mount.
We stood around and talked for a bit and now it
was a bit after noon. No one else had arrived so we
went in, sat down, and were ordering when Jack Ferguson, (AAD) arrived on his C10. I’d sent Jack a
10
personal invite as he’s missed several recent events.
Jack came in, we got him a seat, he got his order in
and we started swapping stories. The main topic
was Jose and his friend riding such a long distance
for lunch. There were other topics discussed, but
none I’d repeat here.
:-)
R to L David, Jack, and Paige
A short time later the food arrived and we all
started eating. Seems each person there had ordered
something different. Afterwards we had a short discussion of what was good and what was not. Seems
the restaurant came out with a “thumbs up” for most
everything. We talked a bit longer and it was getting
warmer outside, so we decided to head off to our respective homes before the heat set it. Now all of us
were home within an hour, except for Jose and Jose.
I put out an email to Jose and got a reply the next
day. They had a good trip, got a bit warmer than expected, but they were home a little before dark.
Seems their friends and neighbors there were also
amazed that they had ridden so far, just for lunch.
B
iscuits n Gravy and More
is destroyed in a fire.
During the early morning of July 20, the popular
gathering place for breakfast during BikeWeek,
burned and it was reported to be a total loss.
For the future BikeWeek breakfast events we will
utilize Terrance’s Café and Deli (unless some other
site and directions are given later) at 204 Commonwealth Blvb, Port Orange, FL. Map below.
need
Help! AssistantWeArea
Directors
L to R, Joe Jose, David, and Jose G.
tcars, John
Alabama and Mississippi are in need of an area
director. If you live in either of those states please
do consider volunteering to become an Assistant
Area Director. It is amazing what you learn once you
step up to give of your time, energy, and how much
more fun you will have. Just contact Vic, the SE
Area Director. Contact info on the front page.
11
11
Days That Changed
My Life Forever!
First I want to give a little background of my motorcycle experience. I passed my Basic Riding Course in August of 2008 (while riding a 150cc scooter). In September
I got my first motorcycle, a 2003 Concours! Until the
month of the 2010 COG National Rally I had ridden my
Concours almost 20K miles all in FL and mostly for commuting. My longest ride was about 150 miles. My experience with twisties was the on/off ramps of FL’s highways.
I had joined COG in early 2009 but I had not done much
in the way of events that I would read on the COG forums.
This all changed when I was blessed to meet Eddie
Minter. I had seen his 2005 Concours in the parking lot
of a retail store and I just had to wait around to know who
owned it. I couldn’t have known how that meeting would
change my life! In December of 2009, I went on my first
COG ride to ‘3 Bananas’ restaurant in Crescent City, FL
for The Last Blast Year End RTE. My wife came along
and had a blast, as did I! Eddie M was a wonderful gentleman and leader of our little riding group and took us on
a scenic, enjoyable route to the RTE. This experience
would be the beginning of what I will call the COG experience: the camaraderie and helpfulness of COG members
to one another with the goal to enjoy riding our beloved
motorcycles.
Now begins my adventure to the 2010 COG Nat’l rally.
In preparing the Connie I enlisted the help of Eddie
Minter and Steve Sefsick (of Shoodaben fame). I soon
learned what the Concours could do (in terms of performance, handling and SPEED) courtesy of Shoodaben Eng.
‘exhaust cam sprocket’ and 2nd generation jet kit. Wow!
I never knew I could get that front tire off the ground!
Totally exhilarating! That 1st day after the modifications
were installed properly was an eye-opener (and another
story entirely). Also, a new rear tire and all fluids replaced had the Connie ready to ride!
As I stated above, this was a journey of many firsts. To
shorten a long story I will enumerate:
First long ride > 200 miles
First multi-day ride
First time riding out of state (previously all in FL)
First multi-state ride
First time riding through twisties
First time camping (since I was a young child)
First COG Rally (and National Rally)
First major breakdown on the road
Riding 3,602 miles in 11 days!
Along the way I met some interesting people (Michael
Dionne, Jim & Cindy Culp) that helped me learn a lot
about riding safer and having FUN on the ride as well as
the many individuals at the Rally in Tomah, WI.
Beginning early I met up with Eddie Minter to start the
1st day of riding. Later our group was joined by Mike
Dionne and Jim & Cindy Culp (in Iva, SC). I learned new
levels of Farkles for the Connie (who would’ve thought to
have a working wireless AP!) and to safely handle the
Connie at slow speeds on downhill slopes (keep those feet
up and stay off that front brake!). I also learned how
much fun it is to ride in 104° heat!
The 2nd day introduced me to twisties and how exhilarating/frightening they can be on our way to Nashville,
TN. The 3rd (toward Normal, IL) and 4th days introduced me to the beautiful landscapes and vast distances
one will pass by on their journey. I couldn’t believe how
relieved I felt to pull into the parking lot of the Cranberry
Country lodge that clear Monday afternoon. Little did I
know that my journey had just begun. Camping that 1st
night was an interestingly peaceful experience. I have
never seen so many stars in the sky!
The 5th day led us through the Dells and through Wildcat Mountain. The ride through the Cougar was a frightening and humbling experience. I could never imagine
that a 15 mph turn could be so difficult and that the Connie could lean over so much! (I learned this after taking
one of the turns too fast). I was told by the other riders
that the Connie can lean over even more.
The 6th day was another joyous, uneventful ride
through Wisconsin’s Alphabet roads until our lateafternoon return to Tomah, WI. Again, terrifyingly (for
me), tackling Wildcat Mountains’ Cougar (now freshly
wet) roads and surviving unscathed we stopped in Ontario, WI; while our lead stopped to take off his sunglasses, a large SUV pulled up and informed us that a tornado warning was in effect around Tomah and we should
proceed no further. Radar maps proved correct and we
found a nice restaurant to get a bit of grub and, literally,
wait out the storm. [We would later learn that a tornado
touched down 4 miles outside of Tomah]. Much scrambling, soaked gear, and riding through some seriously inclement weather found me in a hotel room that ended the
day’s festivities.
The 7th day proved the mettle of ‘the COG experience’
for me. Not more than two miles out from the Cranberry
Country Lodge my Connie would go no further. The twist
of the throttle did nothing to get me moving. Using idle
and gears 1-3 was a very slow ride back to the Lodge while
Eddie Minter took lead and Jim Culp followed behind.
Taking apart the Connie determined that the throttle pull
cable broke. After many calls to surrounding motorcycle
dealerships Ken McClurg (Rally team AD) came to my
12
rescue with a spare. With the help of Jim Miller, Brian
Snowberg and others we had an impromptu tech session
in the rear parking lot that afternoon. My Connie alive
and kicking I took advantage of the time and hit some of
the local spots to enjoy the wonderful Wisconsin cheese.
The Banquet was entertaining! With a nice buffet, entertaining folks and a wonderful prize raffle (I won $100 to
Roadgear.com!) the last announcement was the showstopper for the evening, as we all learned that the 2011
COG National Rally would be in Mt. Snow, Vermont the
announcement brought on many cheers from the crowd. I
was already imagining the ride there!
The 8th day proved to be anti-climactic, though the
good feelings of all could be felt as fellow Coggers departed, each going on their merry ways. I prayed for all to
have a safe journey home. Our humble band of travelers
re-traced our routes home over the next 4 days. Each day
allowed me to reminisce on all that occurred. I continued
to enjoy the generosity of fellow Coggers Mike Dionne and
Jim & Cindy Culp. Each provided a place to rest my
weary head after the long day’s ride.
I have to say I was NOT prepared for the experience! I
was not physically or mentally prepared and had no previous experience to compare these 11 wonderful days too.
Through the kindness, generosity and helpful nature of
COG members I not only survived the experience but was
enthralled by it. To say it was bittersweet would be an
understatement. Upon arriving home Monday afternoon,
just shy of noon I looked down at my odometer and realized I had completed 3,602 miles. I was exhausted, but
also relieved that I had gone the distance in eleven days.
Submitted by Ceasar Ocampo Jr. #8763 Casselberry, Fl
In
Winding Up, A Word
from your Editor
Folks:
First off, I want to publically say “Thank You” to all those
who submitted articles, pictures, and/or information for
this edition. It is only through your efforts that this is
possible, so I urge each and every one of you to document
or write something about what you like or have done.
This being my first attempt at laying out your newsletter,
well, it could have been better. Following in the footsteps
of Calvin Underwood is not that easy as he has done an
excellent job with the newsletter. With that said, I’m open
to suggestions from you on what we can do to make this
better.
NEW
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Give a Big Welcome to
these New Members
Kurt Lammon
Rick Gregory
Craig Maguire
Brian Hudson
Larry Corell
Tom Snavely
Cathy Jepson
Randy Riddle
Bill Whalen
Isaac Phillips
Kurt Dix
Robert Garcia
John Davis
Harry Hopkins
Eddie Bohanan
Kenneth Haberman
Elmer Floyd
Scott Wilson
John Price
Belson Jones
Amy Jones
James Wilson
Carolyn Wilson
William Bibby
Jerry Jones
Harley Bieber
Richard Tatum
Duane Trevino
Jim Haynie
Robert Long
Brandon Loftus
Michael Darr
Jim Brennen
Ronald Thomas
Larry Thomas
John Durante
Joseph Massimino
Gary Jarocha
William Manley
Tony Waters
Peter Mulcahy
Bill Selph
Chattanooga, TN
Lebanon, TN
Orlando, FL
Goose Creek, SC
Venice, FL
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte, NC
Whittier, NC
Lake Mary, FL
Roxboro, NC
W Palm Beach, FL
Parrish,
FL
Yulee, FL
Columbia, SC
Sevierville, TN
Port Orange, FL
Indian Harbour Bch, FL
Clinton, MS
St. Cloud,FL
Abbeville,SC
Abbeville,SC
Spartanburg, SC
Spartanburg, SC
Franklinton, NC
Winter Haven, FL
Cocoa, FL
Anniston, AL
Mebane, NC
Arlington, TN
Columbia, SC
Anderson, SC
Lakewood Ranch, FL
Canton,
GA
Knightdale,,NC
Sanford, NC
Ocala, FL
Jensen Beach, FL
Roswell, GA
Hernando, FL
Aiken, SC
Blue Ridge, GA
Nashville, TN
This is a listing of those who have joined COG since
January 1, 2010. If some new member happens to see
that they are not listed, DO CONTACT ME ASAP!
As you have noticed this edition is larger than some in the
past, but that is only due to the a large amount of input
from fellow members. Hopefully we can setup a schedule
where we can get things out in a more timely manner.
Now for those who have been members for awhile, be
sure to give these folks a hearty welcome and any assistance that they might need. If you don’t know how to provide what they need, contact your Assistant Area Director.
They are listed on the front page along with their contact
information.
As with the world around us, we are an organization in
transition and what we are in the future is dependent
upon you, the individual member.
As your newsletter editor, I give you a big Welcome! Be
sure to complete your online profile and check the website
often. It is our main method of contact, news, etc.
Thanks again,
John
tcars, (Take Care And Ride Safe)
John
13
Georgia Concours Owners Group
2010 Winding Roads and Rivers Rally
Cherohala Motorcycle Resort
Tellico Plains, Tn
September 10-12, 2010
Required 1st Rider Information,
Required 2nd Rider/Passenger/Guest Info
(Please Print)
(Please Print)
Name:
(circle appropriate)
Name:
last name
first name
last name
Street:
Street:
City:
City:
State/Province:
Zip
Phone:
E-Mail:
Zip
Cell:
E-Mail:
COG#
AMA#
COG#
Tag#
MC
AMA#
MC
Model
Tag#
Brand
Emergency
Relation
State/Province:
Phone:
Cell:
Brand
first name
Model
Emergency
Phone
Relation
Phone
Registration is $15.00 per member, $25.00 per non-member. Camping, room, or cabin and the Saturday
dinner is NOT included in the registration, they are your responsibility. More info at: http://www.COGonline.org and http://www.cycleresort.com/
Liability Release: I understand that the Concours Owners Group (COG) does not assume responsibility for my personal
safety in this event. I choose to participate in this event voluntarily, based on my own assessment of my abilities, the
routes, conditions, equipment, and facilities. I therefore assume all risks and responsibilities. I release and hold harmless
COG, its officers, agents, and all members, from any and all injury and/or loss to my person or property that may result from
my participation in this event. I further certify that my vehicle and I are in compliance with all applicable licensure, insurance
and financial responsibility laws.
All participants under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian sign the release below, circling as Parent or
Guardian. As the parent or guardian of the participant, and being informed or familiar with the risks normally associated
with motorcycle events, I hereby, consent to his or her participation in this event, and accept and adopt all the
representations and assumptions of risk set forth in the foregoing release.
st
1 Rider Signature: _____________________________________________________________ Date:
nd
2 Rider Signature: _____________________________________________________________ Date: ______________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _______________________________________________________ Date:
Make check/money order payable to: Concours Owners Group
Mail Registration and funds to:
For additional info:
[email protected]
Amount Enclosed _______________________
Victor Salisbury
WRRR 2010
Date: __________________________________
th
4952 80 Avenue Circle East
Sarasota, FL 34243
14
For Your Calendar
Sport Touring at its Finest
Concours Owners Group
Southeast Area
4952 80th Ave Cir East
Sarasota, FL 34243-4915
Note from the Editor: This newsletter has been sent via
e-mail to
all COGers with e-mail addresses.
Hard copies were mailed to non-email members only .
E-mailed
newsletters save your volunteer
editor time and resources. If you
have e-mail, it is important to keep
your ‘contact info’, e.g. e-mail address, up-to-date. Please make all
corrections on your COGMOS account (see March, 2008 newsletter
for instruction) or with Darrell
Anderson,
[email protected], who maintains the central membership lists. I don’t mind
mailing a hard copy to e-mail’less
members. Thanks for your understanding and co-operation.
From the Editor: Please sign on at
COG-Online (click here to see
11/08 SECOG News for instructions). This will greatly simplify
how I can send you your newsletter
from one central list of SE area
members.
We Thank You!
Vic Says ‘I hope
to see you at
the next SECOG
event’.
Ride Safe and
Enjoy
Winding Rivers n Roads Rally
Sept. 10-12
NEW SITE!! See Front Page
Monthly RTE Events
The North Georgia COG Members have a regularly scheduled dinner at Rocco's
Pub in Marietta, GA every third Thursday from about 7:30 till about 9 PM. We
can be found at the rear of the restaurant at a long table or on the deck. We
welcome anyone who would like to come socialize and meet some of the local
members. Contact Jack Ferguson or Robert Elliott for info.
Join the N. FL COGers for fun, food and fellowship on Third Thursday,
Monthly, at Bono’s Bar-BQue 9820 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville , FL 32257
904 268 2666 Contact David Sturgis (see Leadership Team) for information.
VISIT US OFTEN
CLICK HERE
FOR
SOUTHEAST
COG’S
WEBPAGE