Cognitions By Steven Smith #3184, Northeast Area Director Issue 5, 2005
Many of you have probably noticed the absence of recent Concourier issues this year. Our new COG Executive Director has had to deal with this and a number of important club matters that have been festering. I am happy to report that a new Concourier editor, Bob Burns, was recently appointed and he hopes to have things back on track shortly. He is retired and says he will have lots of time to devote to the publication. Bob is presently relocating from CA to OR and will resume working on the next issue as soon as he unpacks and plugs in his computer. After serving COG in New Hampshire and northern New England a number of years Tony Shelver has decided to resign as AAD. He has provided a brief explanation is his NH area report. He hopes to be able to still plan a trip or two, so we will be on the watch for them. I would like to thank Tony for his years of service and appreciate all that he has done to enhance the COG experience in his region. This does leave a void in the COGNE with point of contact and event coordination for northern New England. If there are any members out there in these states that would care to get involved, please contact me.
Northeast Area News
I am still also looking for someone to assist with the NE Area web site. These web pages were created using Dreamweaver and Fireworks and the right candidate should have and know how to use this web development tool. My hope is to continue to use the already created templates to maintain a consistent look & feel to the web pages, in addition to creating new pages for upcoming area rallies and events. In the last newsletter I solicited for NE regional rally ideas for 2006 and the good news is that a few people raised their hands and offered to host an event. We have tentative plans for a repeat spring rally in Wellsboro, a summer event in West Virginia, and a fall event possibly in the NY/PA Delaware River or Catskill Mountains region. As dates and details are firmed up, more information will be provided in future newsletters and on the COGNE web site. The AADs are busy getting their 2006 ride & event schedules together. Remember that the AADs can not plan and host all the activities - They need your help too!! If you have an idea for any type of club activity contact your AAD or myself and we will help you make the event happen. Day rides, weekend trips, meet ‘n greets, social gatherings at a restaurant or a member’s home… or anything else you can think of to do. The International Motorcycle Shows (IMS) are coming our way again in January 2006. The Washington, DC dates are Jan. 13-15; and the New York City show is Jan. 20-22. There is usually an impromptu COG luncheon gathering of COGgers who attend on Saturday. Someone is already scoping out possible eateries in Manhattan, including the location used last year. Hopefully we will have more details by the next newsletter. In any case, the COG crowd meets at the Kaw booth near the Connie in the morning to begin passing the word. For more information on the shows,check their web site: www.motorcycleshows.com As many of you know Kawasaki’s GTOC (Good Times Owners Club) was revamped and re-branded to ROK (Riders of Kawasaki). As part of this change ROK has a renewed focus on affiliate owner groups. We saw first evidence of this when two representatives from ROK attended our National Rally in Centralia this summer. More recently, ROK hosted a meeting of representatives from affiliate owner groups (AVA, COG, VROC, ZRXOA, ROK) to learn more about how these organizations function. They decided to coordinate it with the 2006 Kawasaki National Dealer Meeting, September 15-17, 2005. The event took place at the Coronado Springs Resort & Conference Center, Disney World, Orlando, FL. The cost of airfare and the hotel was covered by ROK. I was very fortunate to have been asked to attend these meetings on behalf of COG. Like any annual sales kick off meeting, there was a mixture of business and pleasure planned into the meeting schedule including a night of partying in the streets of MGM Studios, complete with food, beverages, and live entertainment - even a few of the ride attractions were running for our use. Kawasaki managed to cram a lot of stuff into a short period of time between Thursday evening and Saturday night. I had high hopes to be able to report on a new Concours on display at the Product Showcase, but not this year. I did manage to get up close and personal with the new ZX-14 and Ninja 650R. I also had a chance to see the 2006 Concours sitting proudly among the other bikes displaying its all new blue color. I wrote up a long trip report to [hopefully] be printed in the Concourier for all to read. Please keep your mailing and email address current with COG. You can send in updated information to the membership director or myself. If you are online you can choose to receive the newsletter electronically - check out our newsletter web page for more info. One last thing… it looks like you are stuck with me for a couple of more years (see below). Thanks to those who nominated me and I hope I can live up to your expectations. Until next time, ride safe. Steve
Northeast Area Election Update As you all know, the term of an Area Director (AD) is two years. Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, this is an elected position and the person who is selected to hold this spot is chosen by the Area members. This was an election year for the Northeast Area, and its members have spoken. With no opposing candidates, present NEAD, Steve Smith (COG #3184),
will retain that position for the next two years. His new term will become effective January 1, 2006. It's been a pleasure working with Steve over the years on varied COG related matters, and I look forward to continuing that relationship as he provides the leadership the NE Area has shown it expects. Congratulations Steve! Guy B. Young COG Executive Director
NH AAD Report / Resignation - by Tony Shelver, COG #2647 It’s been an interesting year. Some of you may have noticed a change in ride format and also the type of rides I’ve put on this year, with fewer events, but more of them as weekend / multi-day events. Some of my experimentation worked well, and some of them were, shall we say, less successful (at least in terms of attendance, if not enjoyment)! For me some of the highlights have included:
the Covered Bridges and Back Roads ride, where we tried out the new riding format quite successfully, as well as covered some good roads
the Tech Day at the Whitehorse Press, very well attended despite the rain: thanks to Jeff Adams for hosting this, and the Press for the lunch and facilities
the Northeastern Exposure run: not well attended, but the roads were awesome, and as ever I enjoyed riding with Dick, Donna and Craig
My interest remains in multi-day events, with a more ‘ride-yourown ride’ style of riding. If anything, my enjoyment of technical roads and events is even greater than last year, and any events that I host in 2005 will probably reflect this. I’d rather put on a few well-planned and researched events than regular day rides. As you may recall, last year I published a request for an NH COGger to take over my duties as Assistant Area Director. That obviously didn’t happen. A change in personal circumstances freed up some time for me to carry on as the Assistant Area Director for NH COG a little longer and organize some rides, even though there weren’t as many as I would have liked to have hosted. Thanks to those who stepped up to the plate to organize some events, they were very successful and helped lighten the load. Ongoing work commitments and 100% travel, as well as yet another change in personal circumstances is affecting the amount of time I have available to devote to COG. Additionally, I believe that my riding interests no longer reflect those of the current COG membership profile. For these reasons, I believe that it is time for somebody else to take over as NH AAD. The Concours Owners Group is a great organization, and deserves the best, and I’m not sure that I can provide that anymore. I believe that somebody new will be better able to grow the region and organize great events. I’ll assist the new AAD in getting up to speed, and will also volunteer to set up the odd ride or event next year, so the transition should be pretty smooth and not too time consuming. Please contact me or Steve Smith if you are interested. The Connie life - Does it get better than this?
- photo by Maine member, Scott Kaplan, #3512 Page 2
Northeast Area Officers Area Director Steven Smith, #3184 Naugatuck, CT 203-720-7575 nead@concours.org
Webmaster Open position Inquire within Newsletter Editor Louis Caplan #2894 703-978-9844 Nighthawk700@yahoo.com
Assistant Area Directors Vermont New Hampshire Maine Open position Inquire within Massachusetts Kevin Martin, #145 Dracut, MA 978-459-6275 cog145@verizon.net Connecticut Jonathan Coler, #5379 Rocky Hill, CT 860-257-4009 joncoler@yahoo.com Metro NY/NJ Jim Clark, #2113 Valley Stream, NY 516-872-3694 NY Hudson Valley Mike Flynn, #4493 Bedford Hills, NY 914-239-3721 Keltwolf@optonline.net
Northeast Area News Newsletter Staff: Louis Caplan, Steven Smith The Northeast Area News is a publication for Northeast Area members of the Concours Owners Group. Submissions are welcomed and members are encouraged to share information about a wide variety of topics on motorcycling. The preferred method is via e-mail, so the editor doesn’t have to do a lot of typing, but any type of legible submission will be gladly accepted. Digital images are welcome, but please do not embed them in the document. Submissions may be edited to
Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh (Western PA) Joe Cyprych, #4665 McDonald, PA 724-796-1401 Cyprych@hky.com DelMarVa & Philly burbs (PA/NJ) Bob Chappell, #1283 Claymont, DE 302-791-0582 cog1283@comcast.net Maryland/Southern PA Russell Fleming, #599 Hampstead, MD 410-374-9687 Fleming@qis.net Mid-Atlantic States Patrick Sprague, #1887 Luray, VA 540-743-4874 (home) 540- 743-5132 (work) 540-743-3229 (fax) PSprague@shentel.net Atlantic Maritimes, Canada Ian Rennie, #5525 Saint John, NB 506-635-2124 IanRennie@mac.com Greater Toronto, Canada Craig and Lynn Scott, #6054/A Guelph, Ontario 519-823-1545 clscott@golden.net Eastern Ontario, Canada Ranald MacDonald, #2349 Greely, Ontario 613-821-1206 macdonrg@rogers.com
best fit available space. If you would like to have your material returned, please include a SASE. Please send submissions to:
Steven Smith 39 Alison Ave Naugatuck, CT 06770-3566 nead@concours.org Many of the opinions stated in this publication may make no sense to those sound of mind and may just be conveniently ignored. If you use any of the information in this rag to incur damage to yourself, your motor or any innocent or not so innocent bystanders it is you own fault...you were warned! Copyright 2005 © Concours Owners Group
N O R T H E AS T AR E A N E WS
The General’s Ride - by Patrick Sprague, #1887
Ride to Glide Ride -by Mike Flynn, COG #4493
Nice weather and Southern Hospitality greeted the troops arriving at new Market, Virginia for this Civil War theme rally. New Market is not only one of the rural crossroads which is rich in Civil War history, the area is also rich in excellent motorcycling roads, and our riders took advantage of both.
September 17th was my Ride to Glide Ride. The weather wasn't looking so hot, as Katrina was pounding the south.
Registration of our mechanized cavalry began early Monday morning and folks headed out on self-guided rides towards West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The fall foliage was just beginning to come on. With no leaf peepers yet and school in session, reports came back of nearly empty roads. Tuesday evening Mr. Scott Harris, Director of the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, gave a very informative talk and PowerPoint presentation of the battle of New Market, where the VMI cadets were thrust into battle. Several rally attendees visited the battlefield and museum while in New Market. We hosted two charity benefit events during the rally. Wednesday evening, Russell Fleming orchestrated the sidecar rides while I drove my Ural Gear Up rig for over two hours, giving rides to the battlefield and back - a four mile trip. It is a real act of faith to be a sidecar passenger, because you are essentially a parcel sitting at guard rail level. Thanks to the many passengers One of the many Ural Sidecar rides for charity who donated a total of $126.00, which went to the American Red Cross to benefit hurricane disaster victims. Thanks also to the folks who donated money, but decided to remain standing in the parking lot. You know who you are. Russell began selling “Bug Splat” bull’s-eyes Thursday morning and decorated headlamps with them. That evening, Deb Booher of Dayton, Ohio was declared the winner. A big Thank You goes to Deb for very generously donating her winnings to the charity. A total of $120.00 was sent to the New Market Area Library Fund. Forty-six rally guests attended the Country Theme banquet on Thursday night. Huge bowls of veggies, fried chicken and ham, bread and drink were brought to each table. I believe the troops enjoyed the vittles. In keeping with the Civil War theme, some
Dawn gave way to cloudy skies, but dry roads. Wal and myself geared up and struck out for the Somers 7/11 meeting spot. Wal is my partner in crime from the Honda V-4 website. Much like COG, they are focused on 82-86 Honda Sabre and Magna's. At the 7/11, we met Jeff (also of the V-4 group). After taking a caffeine break, and waiting around for some COGgers to show, it was time to head out. While the sky wasn't blue, it wasn't nasty. Hitting some of my local roads, we warmed our tires nicely before heading up to the Bear Mountain Bridge. Heading due west, we picked up NY17 to make time to the airport.
The “Ride to Glide” crew
Once there, we found the place empty, except for another V-4 guy (Big Al). After walking around for a few minutes, a car pulled up, and things were looking good. With the partly cloudy skies, I was looking forward to getting airborne. That was not to be though. After talking to Scott, from Valley Soaring, it was pretty apparent that we would be staying on the ground. Many factors go into gliding, and the weather is a large part of the equation. Meeting back at the bikes, there wasn't a Connie (let alone a Kawi) to be seen. Jeff bailed out to family obligations, while the rest of us geared up for the ride to Busters. The ride from Randall to Busters was a mix of my roads and suggestions from Backroads, and they were fun indeed! We had some great backroads to whet our appetite for lunch and beyond. Busters itself was great! Outside deck dining overlooking the lake, fantastic food, bountiful soup/salad/hot buffet, and some top quality chow. The chicken fell off the bone, and the ribs were moist and juicy. It was a crime to leave this place, but we were exceeding the bike's weight limit. After Busters, we busted south on NY55, which would run us right into NY97. We were a bit north of Hawks Nest, but the road is even more fun up there! After running One of the many gliders the Nest, we rolled into Port Jervis. Passing where the Hawks Nest Café used to be was strange. I had only been there a few times, but they were good times. I split off from my V-4 buddies at this point to head east towards home. I mixed in I-84 and US6 until I got across the Hudson. Now on my own turf and alone, I hit some of my private stash of roads, working my way home.
The General’s Ride “Recruits”
seven attendees were returned five dollars each for riding a blue or gray Concours to the rally.
As a recap, I had a great time at another COG event (even if it was MY event). There were a total of 4 bikes there, and not one was a Kawi. Also, the V-4 guys outnumbered COG guys. Can we do better next year?
Any rally requires several people doing a lot of work to make it a (Continued on page 4) ISSUE 5, 2005
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Vision & Evaluation Skills and Exercises - by Tony Shelver, COG #2647 Probably the biggest component of going fast and safely on the road (and I’m referring to cornering, not twisting the throttle on straights) can be achieved by focusing on just two distinct disciplines: vision / evaluation skills, and cornering lines, given reasonable bike control skills. The MSF uses the acronym SEE (Search, Evaluate, Execute), and it’s interesting that of the three areas, most riders emphasize on improving skills that are primarily in the ‘Execute’ area, whereas IMHO possibly the greater safety and over-the-road speed benefits come from doing the first two well. The focus on doing these well is (1) to place the bike on the correct trajectory at the entrance to the corner, and (2) to set speed to allow constant acceleration through the corner once leaned over, or ‘slow in, fast out’. Rule of thirds: In a set of bends, an entry into a corner usually starts with the exit from the preceding corner. If you find yourself rushing corners, you may want to try the ‘rule of thirds’. Imagine breaking up the distance between the logical apexes of two corners into equal thirds. You will typically accelerate the bike for the first third, go on steady state throttle for the second third, and decelerate and place the bike on the correct line during the last third. For the first third, you will be focusing on maximizing traction and acceleration, while getting a general idea of the next corner and where to place the bike on the road. During the second third, holding a steady throttle and speed allows the brain to focus on searching and evaluating the next corner(s) and environs, and deciding the safe entry speed and optimal line, as well as identifying potential turn points, without being panicked by WFO acceleration. This isn’t good race-track strategy, but the road isn’t the track… The eyes have it: look as far up the road as possible: I tend to focus on the ‘vanishing point’ (VP), while scanning the territory beyond it for possible clues: gaps in the tree line, telephone poles, glimpses of the road and any vehicles multiple corners ahead and so on. Keeping your eyes out on the VP rather than closer in has a number of benefits. Firstly, you buy yourself time to adjust speed and trajectory. Secondly, the sense of speed greatly reduced, thus reducing the anxiety that can trigger those suboptimal ‘survival reactions’ so beloved of Keith Code. Thirdly, the movement of the VP translates directly into throttle and brake action: if it’s moving towards you, roll off or brake. If it’s moving away, roll on. The chin has it: Turn your head so that your nose is pointing in the same direction as your eyes. If you’re in a 180 degree bend, this means that you should have your head twisted right over your shoulder. I find it easier to move my entire upper body inside the bike and facing into the corner, as this reduces the neck angle and also moves weight inside of the bike, which is optimal. Some texts talk about pointing your nose: I tend to point my chin where I want to go, as this keeps my head up and eyes focused on the VP. You go where you look: We’ve all heard about target fixation, going where you look and so on. Well, it works. However, as a result, I’ve often noticed myself drifting to the inside when my attention is focused through the bend and on the VP, and I’ve seen other riders do the same thing. If you’re having problems with crowding the inside of a corner (the yellow line on LH corners is a particular problem) and having to make mid-corner adjustments, rather than hold the preferred wide line out into a delayed apex, there is at least one trick you can use. My favorite is to slow down a little and identify a series of turn points and road markers on the corner entry and presumed apex while scanning the road. I then point my head at the first marker Page 4
while using peripheral vision / glances to scan the road ahead, and then snap my head to the next marker when I’m sure I’m going to hit the first one. And so on. Once this ‘connect-the-dots’ style of riding has me consistently on the correct line, I revert to scanning the VP. Remember to reassess your markers as the corner develops. Peripheral vision / scanning: Obviously while you’re focusing on a distant point you still need to evaluate the road surface. Most of the race schools use an exercise where you look at a fixed point, then move your mental focus to other objects in the field of vision, or in developing a ‘wide view’, mentally broadening the field of view. It’s worth working on, as you can move your mind quicker than your eyes. I’m not particularly good at this, so I also use quick eye-scans of the area ahead, while still keeping my chin pointed at the VP. YMMV. Entry speed judgment: A really good exercise on a clear, quiet, traffic-free road with a lot of good corners is to try and run the entire set using only one or two gears, and no brakes. The goal is to go as fast into each corner at an ‘efficient’ pace, while still retaining sufficient reserve so that you can roll-on the throttle through the bend as you lean the bike over. Best done on a racetrack, be ready to accelerate or brake if you are overdoing or under-doing things. This is also a great exercise for throttle control. I’m not recommending this as a standard riding practice, as I believe that use of both brakes are essential to rapid, safe over-theroad travel. Enough for now: road positioning and cornering lines is another whole big topic. The best part of most of these exercises with winter on the horizon is that you can do them in your car and keep the skills fresh for spring. (Generals Ride - Continued from page 3)
success, and many thank-yous are in order. Thanks to my lovely wife Sharry for her support and for putting up with many boxes of stuff in our dining room for several months. Thank you to our COG Industry members who generously supported the Generals with door Rally Hosts Sharry & Pat Sprague prizes. Everyone received a door prize, about twelve people received two! If you haven’t already done so please thank the donor of your prize. Most of the door prizes came with a stamped addressed postcard for this purpose. Thank you to Steve Smith for handling the pre-rally registration, maintaining the rally web page, and being our North East Area Director. Thank you to Guy Young for his work with the AMA in obtaining insurance for our events, and for being our Executive Director. Thank you to Russell Fleming for handling the on-site registration and AMA details, and for organizing the charity benefit sidecar rides and Bug Splat “50/50”. Thank you to the management and staff of the Quality Inn/Johnny Appleseed Restaurant who worked hard so that we could enjoy our rally. And Thank You to the attendees of the Generals Ride. We wouldn’t have a rally without you! Folks came from several states but our Northern Neighbors can be especially proud having sent thirteen riders from Canada. And, by evidence that my truck and trailer remained parked all week, we had a safe group of riders as well. N O R T H E AS T AR E A N E WS
MA AAD News -by Kevin Martin, COG #145 Well another summer riding season has passed, and in another month or so it will be time to make plans to store the old Connie in the garage for the winter. But don’t panic cause the fall can be one of the most enjoyable seasons... cool mornings with comfortable daytime temperatures, so enjoy it while you can. I didn’t get a chance to publish a report for the last newsletter, primarily because I was so involved with all of the work associated with running the Mid Summer Bash up in Stow Vermont. To that end, thanks very much to all who attended and helped make that Rally the success it was. Also, a very special thanks to the sponsors who provided door prizes during the banquet. In an effort to try to catch everyone up on past activities in and around the Massachusetts area since my last report in the June Newsletter, here’s a brief run down of the events: Cooperstown NY overnight ride - This ride was hosted by MA members Doug Gray (#5578) and Dan Olszewski (#5829), both of East Longmeadow. The guys did a great job coordinating this weekend ride. The day started with everyone meeting at the Ludlow MA Dunkin Donuts, right off of the Mass pike. Attendees for the ride included members; Dave Fazzuoli, Mike Benham, Steve Renault, Doug Gray, Dan Olszewski, Yours truly, and non-members; Ron Riddell & Dave Humphrey. Doug lead the group out to NY via some great secondary roads with Dan riding at the back to make sure no one got lost. Predicted weather for that weekend was hot, hot, hot! and the forecasters were right on target, as it turned out to be one of the hottest weekends of the summer. Don’t know what the official temperature was, but I recall that Saturday afternoon in Cooperstown was real close to the 100 degree mark. Prior to getting to Cooperstown, the guys took us for lunch in Worcester, NY at Lisa’s Main Street Café which is owned and operated by Lisa & Dave Frederick. Lisa’s Café resides inside their Worcester White House Inn, which is a renovated turn of the century building, that Lisa says is haunted. You’ll have to stay the night to verify that reputation though. Lisa Frederick is the good looking one in the middle of the rag tag bunch of bikers in the picture below. Lisa’s Café is a must stop for lunch if your ever in the Cooperstown NY area. After lunch it was only a brief ride to Cooperstown, home of the baseball hall of fame. This was my first time in Cooperstown, and I was amazed at how busy this little town was. Obviously a very popular spot for tourists during the summer months. Well I couldn’t ride all the way to Cooperstown without going to the hall of fame, plus I needed to get out of the extreme heat. The Baseball Hall of Fame was larger and more modern than I had expected, and the air conditioning worked great. It was quite an experience touring the hall, even though I’m not an avid baseball fan, and I’m glad I took the time to visit. Only Steve and Dave Humphrey joined me at the hall of fame, as the rest of the guys had been there before. ISSUE 5, 2005
After spending the afternoon in Cooperstown, it was time to locate our lodging for the night in the nearby town of Oneonta. True to Doug’s word, the next morning we headed back via more awesome back roads though western NY and the Mass Berkshiers. The only incident we had that entire weekend, was when Doug stopped off at some National Park for a break. I guess the main event for that park was a 3/4 mile walking trail down to some falls. Well Ron and I decided not to take the trail, figuring that if you have to walk 3/4 miles downhill to the falls, you eventually have to walk 3/4 miles uphill back to the parking lot. So Ron and I chose to do bike security detail. Well, I should have gone, cause when the guys got back, Dan apparently slipped on the rock and fell into the stream with his riding gear on – boots and all. Wish I was there with my camera. The good news is that it was so hot, that Dan dried off real quick, but it’s a good thing he was riding in the back cause he probably smelled like swamp rat ! Way to go Dan ! The next ride was my Lake Sunapee NH ride that I hosted on September 19th which was a repeat of the same ride I tried to do at the end of August but we had to abort due to heavy rains half way up to the lake. Attendees for the Lake Sunapee ride were members; Bill Hamilton, Bud King, Fred Kresse, Bob McClary, Dan Crovo, and guest Jim Dunlea. The riding weather on the 19th was markedly better than the weather we ran into the first time around. It was a nice cool day with clear skies, couldn’t have planned it any better. We met at Bickford’s restaurant in Acton MA, just down the road from Moto Market, and after loading up on breakfast, we headed north for New Hampshire. I scheduled this ride on a Sunday hoping to avoid the Saturday traffic, and it worked out well. Most of the day we had some of the best secondary NH roads all to ourselves. This alone made for a great ride. After about a 3 hour ride up to the Lake, we stopped off for lunch in Sunapee then took more great roads south eventually ending up at Kimball Farms in Jaffery NH for some ice cream. I think the guys really loved Rt-137 South into Jaffery. By the time you all read this, I will have had my Mount Greylock ride, and hopefully we won’t get fogged in like we did last time with visibility of about 5 or 6 yards riding up to the summit. Not fun. There’s still a few more rides planned between now and when the snow flies, so keep checking my website or the COG Members Ride Schedule Database for updates. Because weather changes so rapidly this time of the year, I’ll post any last minute changes a few days before the ride plus send out an email to local members. If your email or internet challenged, make sure you call a couple of days before the ride if your not sure if it will be cancelled due to foul weather. For more information on all of the events mentioned above, check out the Northeast Area Home Page or my COG Massachusetts Home Page at www.masscog.org. That’s it for now. Page 5
Northeast Ride Schedule - view the most current event info at www.concours.org/ne/schedules.htm Recurring Events
(VA) “Fall Foliage at Hungry Mother”
(PA) Shrewsbury Family Restaurant Brunch
(ON) S. Central Ontario Get-Together Monthly Dinner Gathering: Meet at 6 pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Mohawk Inn, located on the northwest corner of Hwy. 401 at Guelph Line, Exit 312, next to the Mohawk Raceway & Slots Entertainment Facility. 9230 Guelph Line, Campbellville, Ontario. 905.854.2277 www.mohawkinn.com Join us for dinner and socializing. All Welcome. SPECIAL EVENT - Swap meet night. Bring motorcycle accessories, clothing, magazines, anything motorcycle related to sell or just show off. Craig & Lynn Scott 519.823.1545 clscott@golden.net
10/21-10/23/05 - Meet at Hungry Mother State Park west of Marion, VA to camp. Ride the wonderful local roads, and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage of Appalachia. Breakfast at a to-bedetermined restaurant in Marion on Saturday at 8AM. Clyde Watson 804.675.0513 / cswatson@mindspring.com
11/20/05 - Meet at 10am for brunch at Shrewsbury Family Restaurant. The restaurant is located 2 mile south of Shrewsbury, PA at the intersection of Susquehanna Trail and Keller Drive. We will make a ride up depended on the weather. GPS 39-43.842 W076-40.120Contact: Russell Fleming 410-374-9687 or fleming@qis.net
(CT) Meet, Eat, Ride
11/01/05 - 1st Tuesday of each month for an informal gathering of dinner & conversation. Meet at 6:00PM at the Cromwell Diner, Cromwell, CT (860-635-7112). Directions to the Diner: I-91 to exit 21, 3/10th of a mile west of the exit on the left. Weather permitting, an impromptu ride will follow dinner. All bikes (PA) Meet Greet and Ride Sundays and riders welcome. Contact: Jon Coler We will meet at the Kings Restaurant located in 860.257.4009 / joncoler@yahoo.com Imperial PA. at 10:00 am and pick a destination (VA) Brrrrrrr Ride with who ever shows up, or I will have a ride planned. Kings is located right off the Imperial 11/11-11/13/05 - Gathering once again at the exit of routes 22-30. Need directions or more Natural Bridge KOA off I-81 and RT 11. Camp info, contact Joe Cyprych. cyprych@hky.com on Friday and Saturday nights. For those not or 724.796.1401. Hope to see you there. wanting to tent, cabins are available at the KOA. Call 540.291.2770 to reserve one.
Calendar of Events
(PA) Hanover Breakfast Ride 10/16/05 - Meet for breakfast at 9 am at Robert’s Family Restaurant in Hanover PA. The restaurant is located at 871 Baltimore Street or on route 94 on the south end of town. If you cannot make breakfast be in the parking lot at 9:45 to ride. Greg Puterbaugh a long time deliver truck driver knows all the fun back road of MD, PA and DE. Greg has laid out a BACK ROAD TOUR of York and Lancaster Counties of PA. Come out and enjoy a day of back road riding and have fun with friends. Russell W. Fleming 410-374-9687 or fleming@qis.net (CT) Connecticut Lighthouses 10/22/05 – Can we see them all? This is an ambitious all day scavenger hunt in search of all the lighthouses along the Connecticut coast. We can’t sight them all because motorcycles don’t float, but we’ll see a good number of them. Bring your camera. We’ll stop for lunch along the way. Contact: Jon Coler 860.257.4009 / joncoler@yahoo.com
(CT) Oh! Whatta Ride!! The Dairy, The Moose & The Bean 11/26/05 - Meet at Marcus Dairy in Danbury, CT at 8:30AM. Ride departs at 9:00AM. We will ride skirting between the CT/NY border stopping at The Wandering Moose Café for a brief 15 – 20 minute break and some light fare. We’ll then head along the CT/MA line to The Vanilla Bean in Pomfret, CT. These restaurants are renowned motorcyclists’ favorites. Route sheets available. Directions to Marcus Dairy: www.marcusdairysupersunday.com Jon Coler 860.257.4009 or joncoler@yahoo.com (CT) Meet, Greet & Ride
12/10/05 - Meet at 10:00AM at Town Line Diner, 80 Town Line Plaza, Rocky Hill, CT Motels in the area are: Fancy Hill Motel, 4852 (860-242-4196). Those who gather will decide S. Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, VA (540) on a route or we can choose from route sheets I 291-2143 Natural Bridge Inn & Conference will have available. In the event of Center, RT 11 and RT 130, Natural Bridge, VA snow/sleet/ice, this ride will be canceled. 540.291.2121 Red Mill Inn, 50 South Red mill Directions to the Diner: I-91 to exit 24 (RT 99), Road, Natural Bridge, VA 540.291.1704 north off exit, Left onto Town Line Road. Budget Inn, I-81 Ext 180 US 11, Natural Entrance to Plaza on left. Contact: Jon Coler Bridge, VA 540.291.2896 Meet for breakfast 860.257.4009 or joncoler@yahoo.com 8:00AM Sat. at the Fancy Hill Restaurant at (VA) Breakfast and Ride, Williamsburg 4832 S. Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, VA 12/18/05 - 12/18/05 - We'll meet at The Capitol 540.291.2860. After breakfast we will ride Pancake and Waffle House, 800 Capitol some favorite scenic roads before returning to Landing Road, Williamsburg, VA (757) 564the KOA. Pat Sprague at 540.743.4874 / 1238 at 8 AM. After a great breakfast at the psprague@shentel.net Capitol we'll go for a ride at 9 AM, weather (MA) Quabbin Reservoir Ride permitting. Contact: Pat Sprague at 11/13/05 - Meet at Bickfords, Nagog Park, 540.743.4874 or psprague@shentel.net Acton MA (RT-2A) about 1/2 mile from Moto Market @ 9am. We’ll head west via RT-62 & These are only the upcoming events on the NE 32 stopping at the Reservoir Summit off of RTschedule. All events are listed in the online ride 9, for view of the Quabbin. After a short break we’ll ride to lunch at Harley‘s Restaurant at the database: www.concours.org/schedule To receive a paper copy of the complete ride Jct of Rtes 9 & 202. Contact: Kevin Martin schedule, please send a SASE to Steve Smith. 978.459.6275 or cog145@verizon.net www.koakampgrounds.com/where/va/46144.htm
Parking lot view of the monthly GTA dinner gathering
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MD/PA Report -by Russell Fleming
COG #599
It is very nice being a member of the Northeast area of COG because there is always something going on someplace. Living in Maryland and having a good friend in Cambridge, Ontario Canada I had the pleasure to go up to Canada and ride his ride on July 10, 2005. We met in Paris, Ontario for breakfast. It was nice to see about 25 Coggers show up at one time. Brian Jordan hosted an excellent ride. He showed us different places where he lives. His route sheets were made so that you could get from point A to point B without any problems. This is the reason why 7 of us rode 450 miles to have fun in 1 day. July 24 The COG/BMW CAMARADIE ride was held at Frederick. There was 52 bikes in the parking lot. Trevor Angel and a friend from Australia were there. Everybody started calling the ride an international ride. Two people were there from Washington State. They were working in the D.C. area and were able to attend the ride. We had people from MD, PA, NJ. VA, and WV. 25 Concours, 15 BMW, 4 FJR’s and a few others were in attendance. Here is a short story written by one of the attendees: On a warm Sunday morning, the NE COG/BMW groups got together for a “Camaraderie Ride.” We started the day with an exceptional buffet meal from Golden Corral in Frederick, MD. As I walked around and started introducing myself to others, it was apparent that MD was not the only place that COG members were coming from for this ride. I remember one gentleman, who left his house at 4:30am to ride 180 miles from northern PA, so he could be at the ride by the time it started. Another gentleman, also from northern PA, rode down the night before, got lost in Frederick, rode an extra hour around Frederick at midnight, just trying to find his hotel for the evening. I even ran into a group of guys from NJ.
So after a hearty breakfast we head right out onto the route. The first road was 8 miles of twisties, both up and down hill, but we looked at that as just the warm up section. Second we had the straights, and the L----O----N-----G sweepers. Those sweepers provided enough of a break after working through the twisties. Shippensburg Road, PA. Now this is a road that can either be very enjoyable, or have very disastrous consequences. For twelve solid miles of climbing through the PA mountains, you can either hit this road at 25 MPH and stay with the SUV in front you through the corners at 5 MPH and have a very scenic very enjoyable ride. OR, you can attack this road at 50-60 MPH and have all the fun in the world on the switchbacks and the U-Turns. If you take option B, plan on your rear tire leaving the ground at least once. I know mine did and it was quite the eye opening experience. There were many spots in the road where you couldn’t see the rise that was about to give you a jump, but it was attention getting when it did. I talked to several people after the completion of this segment, and all said that they were starting to get worried whether the ride was getting any better or not, and that pretty much sealed it for them. After Shippensburg Road, you go through another section of freshly paved PA mountain roads going about 60 MPH and just cruising through. The scenery was great, the road was fun, just relaxed winding through the mountains, till you got to the other side where lunch awaited. Lunch at the Mountain Gate Family Restaurant provided a buffet of mass proportions and didn’t leave any room for the ‘ol lady’s cookin when you returned home. There was plenty of service and sweet tea to go around, and more desserts than one should have to know what to do with. This was the ending point of the ride, and getting home was up to your own imagination… or GPS, which ever you prefer. - Robert M. Hall, COG# 6968 Charles Rice hosted a fantastic ride. With a rating of 1 – 10, I gave it a 12. The attendance wasn’t good, with only 4 people. Charles ISSUE 5, 2005
picked some very enjoyable roads twists and turns and whoop-dedoes. The train ride was a real treat and the trolley ride was even better. The conductor had over 66 years of experience. He topped the ride off with a private tour of the restoration and repair shop. After spending 3 hours at the train and trolley we made our way to Greencastle and the Antrim House restaurant. The buffet had seafood, chicken, ham and all the other goodies with home-made desserts. Charles has agreed to redo the ride sometime next year, and hopefully will get better attendance. Keep watch for next year’s schedule of rides. Thank you Charles for a very enjoyable ride. Check out the Northeast website under ride reports to check out photos of the ride. Up Coming Event: November 20 Brunch Ride Shrewsbury Family Restaurant - see the ride schedule for details.
Hudson Valley News -by Mike Flynn, COG #4493 Fall is here in the Hudson Valley, making the riding much more comfortable. With that brings falling leaves, forcing us to be more vigilant. The rising cost of gas has also seen a rise in people commuting by bike. Even with its downside, there is still the benefit of having more bikes on the road. The families of these newer riders are now aware of bikes. That is a good thing. This riding season has seen a plethora of rides. The Northeast has seen diner rides, meet and greets, camping trips, regional rallies and event type rides. There should be something for everyone here. As always, if there is something you'd like to see, let someone know. Even better, put on your own ride. It's not that hard, and your AAD would be more than willing to help out. Speaking of different type of rides, in the last newsletter a ride survey was sent out. The NE staff is asking your opinion. Tell us what you like or dislike about the events planned. Suggest different events you want to see happen. Tell us what works, and what doesn't. Shoot me an snail mail, email, or phone call: PO Box 58, Mamaroneck, NY 10543, keltwolf @ optonline.net, 914.263.5440.
Looking Towards 2006 - by Jon Coler, #5379 Is it autumn already? Where did spring and summer escape to? Time passes when you’re having fun and the 2005 riding season holds true to this cliché. The 2005 riding season flourished. As I reminisce over this current season’s motorcycling I find my face forming smiles as my thoughts delight in the wonderful roads traversed, the many scenic, breathtaking vistas encountered and the delicious cuisines sampled. Yet, nothing surpassed the magnificence of having shared the tremendous experiences of the 2005 season with good friends. As I muse over past events of this current season, my cognizance of early fall reminds me it is the time to start thinking of the forthcoming season. Some rides of 2005 are definitely “keepers,” however, there are always an abundance of areas to explore and new places in which to venture. Members’ participation this season was and continues to be astounding. As I begin assembling a collage of ideas which will form next year’s ride schedule, my thoughts are directed toward involving as many folks as possible in the process. I have a really cool idea, which if folks participate in it, will add a nice, refreshing twist to the way monthly ride-ins and rides evolve. (Continued on page 8) Page 7
Our Newest Northeast Area Members Craig Clive, #7039 Ellicott City, MD
Theron Sparrow, #7105 Middletown, NJ
Thomas Wright, #7125 Narysville, PA
Julie Grodski, #7064 Suffolk, VA
Daniel Celik, #7108 Brandon, VT
Robert Barbanti, #7134 Wallkill, NY
G. Brian & Christy Kennedy, #7082/A Rocky Gap, VA
James & Susan Smith, #7110/A Chittenango, NY
Chelmsford, MA
David Adams, #7084 Afton, NY
Timothy O'Connor, #7114 Holbrook, NY
(Looking Forward - Continued from page 7)
John Maloney, #7128
More scenes from the General’s Ride
My idea brings members' involvement to a new level. It is my hope that the outcome will result in a more satisfying COG experience for all. My idea is to offer individuals the opportunity to adopt a calendar month. During that month, the individual(s) who volunteer(s) to adopt a specific month will plan the Tuesday Night Ride In location and ride that follows - and then plan and lead the ride for the end of the month ride. My goal is to diversify the schedule as much as possible and offer folks the opportunity to express their riding desires through the development of the ride schedule. This makes available the ability for folks to be involved and share their riding goals and destinations with the group. Pretty nifty, eh? If you are interested in adopting a month for 2006, I would ask that you let me know as soon as possible. I would like all scheduling plans by November 15, 2005 in order to fold your adopted month into the 2006 schedule for CT in a timely manner. Most months for 2006 are still open as of this announcement. The riding season spans (ideally - keeping in mind that icy/snowy weather cancels a riding event) March through the end of December. I have forms made in a MS – Word format that can easily be completed electronically and returned to me via e-mail. For those wishing to adopt a month, blast me an e-mail with the words “adopt a month” in the subject field and I’d be happy to send you a form. Okay, on your mark, get ready, get set - choose a month now and let me know. Best wishes and safe riding to one and all. Page 8
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