2013 - Issue #4 - Autumn
COGnitions Random thoughts and ramblings from your Area Director I can’t believe October is just around the corner. It seems like just a few weeks it was spring and I had the bright idea of posting the pool pump & filter onto Craigslist. I’m gonna have to hold on to them until another spring. Between reading the stories in the newsletter and online in the forum it seems many members have been getting some great rides in this year. Other commitments have kept me closer to home this year. The big new within COG is that the location of the 2014 “Silverdammit” National Rally will be Johnson City, TN. I’m real excited about this location. The rally committee has been working on the planning of this event since August 2011, and several locations were identified as possible candidates. I’m purposely not mentioning them since they may end up being used at a future time. You can book rooms now. Online registration will open November 1. The core information is posted on the rally web pages, so stop on by. There is more detail later in this issue. Since July COG Northeast has gained 25 new members listed in this issue. It’s nice to see the club continue to grow near the tail end of the season. While organic new member growth is important, COG strives to keep you in the club. We find members enjoy the club more when they get involved. Join in for a rally, ride or social activity. Recently one member just found out there were several more members in his region of the NE Area than realized and may now decide to re-up membership. Hopefully things will work fro the best. Another thing to do is host and activity yourself. It’s not hard to do and now you have almost all winter to plan it. The staff is here to assist too. Our Exec Director was on the road for a loooong extended trip, and the task to review candidates was delegated downstream. COG Northeast member Matt Needham recently took over the merchandise role for the club after a fairly intensive search. Congrats to Matt and a huge thank you the others that expressed interest. After interviewing and reviewing the candidates, it came down to one enthusiast person who lives close enough to the previous Merchandise officer to drive over and get a pick up load of containers. Ken is still considering candidates for the Marketing position. You will need to touch base with him very soon, if you have not done so already. Please check out the rally price changes posted on the rally page that went into effect with the 2013 rally. Fee discount will only be given to members, including spouses, SO, and children. The Member+Associate is only $5 more annually, and will allow member discount pricing for entire immediate family. This is a significant savings and your associate gets many COG perks too.
ule Event Sched Pages 6-7 photo courtesy Bob Barbanti #7134
Until next time—Ride safe
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS Staten Island, NY Christopher & GinaMarie McNicholas #11112/A Fairfax, VA Michael Hill #11117 Merrimack, NH Bill Vandersyde #11118 Front Royal, VA Jim Barnes #11142 Woodbine, MD David Daigle #11149 Oceanside, NY Kevin Remsen #11153 Lynbrook, NY Onofrio Amendolaro #11154 Rockville, MD Ken Hollies #11157 Essex, CT Christopher Elwood #11162 First things first, a warm welcome to Hillsdale, NY David Smith #11173 our newest NE area COG members! Thompson, PA Jeff Tomeo #11175 York, PA John T Gingrich #11177
New Members
Adrian, MI Randall Wilkins #11188 Orangedale, NS Andrew Tubman #11191 Rockville, MD Ed Jesinsky #11192 Wallingford, CT Steven Pitchford #11202 Wyoming, RI Mark Wilson #11205 Manchester, ME Noli Santos #11216 Cardinal, ON Valerie Beaudoin #9318A Queensbury, NY Garry Nelson #5439 Purcellville, VA Ty Rudder #11221 Leer-Loga, Germany Rutger Kisjes #11229 Gardners, PA Walter Roman #11230 Belleville, ON Jaime Cairns #11233 Wallkill, NY Cindy Barbanti #7134A
AAD for MD
The August MA/ME/NH/VT Meet & Greet included some good food at Famous Legends Restaurant and a great ride afterwards
NORTHEAST AREA NEWS is published 5-6 times a year for Northeast Area members of the Concours Owners Group. Submissions are welcomed and members are encouraged to share their COG experiences. Email: necogeditor@gmail.com Snailmail: Tim Anderson, 1040 Ocean Avenue, New London, CT 06320. Many of the opinions stated in this publication may make no sense to those of sound mind and may just be conveniently ignored. If you use any of the information in this rag to incur damage to yourself, your bike or any innocent or not so innocent bystanders it is you own
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Editor’s Corner Tim Anderson #9470 Its been a great summer and I’ve enjoyed numerous COG rides and events. The Ride & Event Schedule still boasts a full plate of events over the next few months, so get out there and participate before the snow starts to fly! And when the weather isn’t conducive to riding, it’s a great time to make plans for next year. If you have ideas for events or rides, contact your AAD for assistance in setting them up, and get
Like to meet new people, find new roads, and have lots of fun? Have some good ideas for riding or social events in your area? Then we have the opportunity for you! The Assistant Area Director (AAD) position for MD is open, so we are looking for a new face for this important position. Here’s your chance to make a difference in COG and create some good times in your own neck of the woods. Contact Steve Smith at 203-720-7575 or nead@cog-online.org if you want to learn more about serving as an AAD in MD. Thanks!
them entered on the online calendar. That way everyone can plan what events they will do in 2014, and I can get them listed in the Newsletter as well. One event that should be on everyone’s calendar is the COG National, our 25th anniversary, next June in Johnson City, TN. I’ve long wanted to get down to the great riding in that area of the country, so next year will be my perfect opportunity. See the article on Page 4 for more details on the National, and get those reservations made soon!
2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Around the NORTHEAST News from your Assistant Area Directors (complete list of AADs on back page) MA/ME/NH/VT Greg & Tracey Habel #7010/7010A September, already?! It’s hard to believe that Fall is just around the corner. I love this time of year, the weather is great - not too hot, not too cold, and Mother Nature puts on a great show with the foliage as we head into Fall. We have been having fun over the past few months and put more smiles and miles on ourselves and our bikes. I personally am having the most fun ever thanks to my new friend Boris (my 2012 Can-Am Spyder). In July we had our monthly Meet & Greet at the Quabbin Reservoir. This was a “bring your own” bag lunch picnic theme. We had a great time with the 22 attendees and enjoyed a beautiful day together with a ride that followed lunch which circled the reservoir.
Mike he even offered to lead the new route! We really appreciate when local members assist with the routes because they know their local roads better than us. Thanks guys! The following weekend Kevin Martin led a day ride up to Newport, NH with a lunch stop at the Fabulous 50’s Car Hop.
about the awesome Fall rally coming up the end of September that Terry & Scotty are hosting. We will be there! Thanks guys for putting this on again, attendance is looking great; Greg & I are really looking forward to this event and all of the shenanigans that go with it.
We have just added 2 new items to the On Saturday September 7th we met up calendar to round out the season. We with Kevin while he was leading anwill be having an October 13th (Sunday) other ride, this time up to Ludlow, VT for lunch at Village Pizza. We had 15 people attend for the Meet & Greet. Some Break time during the September Meet & Greet ride to Ludlow, VT on September 7th. of us met the group at the pizzeria while others met Kevin in the morning for the scenic ride Meet & Greet at Rebecca’s III in Upton, to Ludlow. We joined the group for the MA with a ride to the Vanilla Bean in 2nd leg of the ride which took us Pomfret, CT afterwards. On Saturday, through VT and into NH to Kimball’s November 9th we will have our end of for an ice cream stop. HOLY SMOKES! season social at the Horseshoe Pub in Greg & I SHARED a KIDDIE cone (akaHudson, MA. This is the time to bring 1 pint of ice cream on a cone). Good us your ideas, ride routes and wish lists value and great ice cream. for the 2014 season. As I am sure you all have heard, next year’s SiverDammit 25th Anniversary Rally is going to be held in Johnson City, TN. Bring it on!! Room booked, and the preparation begins! Greg & I are very excited that we will be the Chairs to the Hospitality portion of the Rally team for this grand event. We will be putting our agenda and team together over the winter months. If you would like to get involved please let us know as we will be looking for volunteers to help us out.
The Habel’s July Meet & Greet gang before touring the Quabbin Reservoir.
August’s Meet & Greet was held at Famous Legends restaurant in Raymond, NH with a short ride planned for after lunch. During lunch a few of our local members, Mike Benham & Bob Dallon, suggested some improvements to Greg’s route as there were some known traffic spots. Before we knew it, the two of them were re-working the route and
2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn
We are now preparing for the VT/NH roaming un-rally coming up the weekend of Sept. 13-15. If you can’t join us this weekend; maybe you’ll join Kevin Martin on the 21st for the Cooperstown, NY overnight. Thanks Kevin for all of the great rides and events you have hosted this year for our area! What, still not enough for you? Well, how
Reminder: Please be sure to register online at on the N.E. events calendar at www.cog-online.org , if you plan to attend an event. This will help us to make reservations for lunch and plan accordingly to keep the ride group size at a safe number. If you have an idea for a ride or are interested in hosting an event, please contact us and we will be glad to help you put it all together! Ein Prosit! Tracey & Greg
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Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Around the NORTHEAST (continued from page 3) CT & RI Brian & Andrea Felice #9125 Hello all! Thanks to all who have participated in our lunches & rides here in RI & CT. It was so great to see new members come out to our June, July & August events! And the best part is they enjoyed themselves enough that they want more! COG continues to expand! September's calendar is full so were hoping to get an event on the books in October, keep your eyes out for it. We would also like to take this opportunity to ask all of you CT folks out there for some input. Since we are fairly clueless as to what's out & around CT for rides or good meeting places, we would love some suggestions. Just email me at (bdfelice1@gmail.com) with either good route and/or restaurant suggestions that will lend themselves well to a small group of up to 20 or so. We are looking forward to the Fall Rally in Lake George and hope to see lots of you folks there. Brian and Andrea Felice Metro NY/NJ Terry Faherty #792 Well folks, summer is already winding down into fall but there's still plenty of good riding weather out there. One might say that fall is the perfect time to hit the roads. Temps are cooler and gear gets a bit less tedious to wear. As you read this the Long Island meet and greet has come and gone. A big thanks to Roger Mercer for hosting. Remember folks anyone can host a ride in COG, just give me a holler and we can get it on the calendar. The Fall Rally will be kicking off in Lake George probably right after you receive this. This is Scott Sorger and I's sixth foray into the
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great white north, let's hope the weather makes it a good one. Hope to see you out there. It's not too early to start thinking about the International Motorcycle Show at the Javitz since it's coming in December. There have been some requests to move the COG festivities to Friday evening rather than Saturday afternoon to avoid the bigger crowds. Please if you have the chance and plan on attending shoot me an email or forum PM and let me know if you have a preference. Unfortunately for me I had to cancel my plans to attend the Dog Days Rally to deliver my son to college, so I'm really jonesing for the Fall Rally. Ride safe all!
2014 Silverdammit National June 16-20, 2014 – Johnson City, TN COG will host the 2014 “Silverdammit” National Rally the week of June 16-20, 2014 in Johnson City, Tennessee. The rally marks the celebration of the group’s 25th anniversary, and will include many social activities, information seminars, guest speakers, technical sessions, and a banquet dinner. This will be a joint venture of the NE and SE COG regions, so plan on being there to make this the best National ever! The Holiday Inn of Johnson City, at 101 W. Springbrook Drive, has been selected to serve as the rally headquarters. There will also be nearby tent and RV camping available to rally attendees. The rally area offers many nearby tourist attractions for attendees to enjoy. Room reservations are being taken now and 82 rooms are already booked!
To get the discounted rate, room reservations must be made by calling the hotel directly at: 423.282.4611 Event registration opens November 1st. Rally pricing will follow the 2013 format. Member discount pricing for spouse/significant other and family only if member has Member + associate membership. Johnson City is a perfect venue to celebrate COG’s big event. Conveniently located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Johnson City is a very motorcycle friendly community, and the surrounding region offers some great riding. The twisty, scenic mountain roads surrounding Johnson City is sure to please sport-touring and other riding enthusiasts. Johnson City Convention & Visitors Bureau maintains the “Southern Dozen” web site that promotes a “series of 12 of the South’s greatest motorcycle rides that start and end in Johnson City, taking riders to historic sites, unique caverns, famous music venues, wolf habitats and more.” Additional self-guided rides will be planned, including a dual sport ride. The rally team has been working on this event since summer 2011. Bob Dombrowe, the rally committee chairperson, says “we are working diligently to make this the biggest and best COG National Rally ever.” Details online at: http://concours.org/national/ nationalrally2014
2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Event Reports COG Dog Days Ride Report 22-25 August 2013 Patrick Sprague—Member #1887 A merry band of Coggers on a various assortment of excellent machines dodged the rain to gather at the Inn at Snowshoe at Snowshoe, WV for another great Dog Days event. Most— some seven riders—were riding the dual-sport routes, while four or five others meandered the paved passages of the Mountain State. From the ubiquitous sign-in sheet (and my iffy memory), I have Andy Martin, Roger Somero, Tommy Hofsis, Paul Vangellow, Dusty Schilling, Wayne Tenney, Paul Anderson, Brian Jordan, Robert Antonelle, myself, and Richard (sorry, I couldn’t decipher the last name) in attendance. It seemed that this COG ride was “dominated” by Suzuki motorcycles, with two Wee and one Vee Stroms present. I don’t recall seeing the bike that started it all, the ZG1000. Times do change. My late Thursday arrival (dark!) was greeted by a bunch of good friends, already staving off the cooler temps with some colder liquids in the parking lot. Friday morning we had breakfast at the Inn, gassed up just 300 yards down the road, and rode off towards a beautiful sunrise. With recent rains in the area, dirt roads produced NO dust, and were not muddy, either. Avoiding the slipsliding on Watoga’s moss-covered park roads we took a more direct route down to Hillsboro, then the least used paved road in WV to Renick, and over Cold Knob to Richwood. Rumsey’s is a very good restaurant just west of Richwood where we enjoyed lunch. We had really nice weather while eating on the verandah near the river. Skirting alongside the Canaan Backcountry we found our way to Webster Springs, then through Bergoo, over more dirt roads to Mingo Flats and down route 219 to Snowshoe. A pizza joint across from the Inn offered some decent hot food, and brewskis to go!
2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn
We lucked out weather-wise on Friday, as two areas we rode into showed it had rained heavily only minutes before, but we remained unscathed. Saturday provided a stellar day for riding, as did Sunday: cooler morning temps, giving way to the upper 70s. It was like Autumn riding but without the fall colors, and more daylight. Saturday’s DS ride went some 320 miles in two states and I don’t think anyone wanted to get out of the saddle. Lunch at the Fireside Café in Franklin, more mountain passes over three branches of the Potomac River, and back to the Fireside for pie. This area has been called the “birthplace of rivers”. Rain falling just near Bartow, routes 28 and 250, will end up in the Mississippi, via the New and Kanawha Rivers, and rain falling on the north side of the same mountain forms the Potomac watershed, eventually to join the Chesapeake Bay and on to the Atlantic Ocean. This topography makes for some interesting roads, or lack thereof. We will likely return to the Inn at Snowshoe again for a “Dog Days” event. The venue was very good and the riding in the area is about the best. We are very fortunate to be able to get together, ride our motorcycles over these beautiful mountains, and enjoy each other’s company. Thanks to everyone who could be there!
Valve Adjustment/Tech Session August 24, 2013, Brandon, VT Daniel Celik—Member 8850 I chose August 24th to dig into my valves for the first time rather than be out riding. To ride successfully one has to take care of his/her ride! I had never dug into my engine before, always being a bit intimidated by it. I did not want to shell out a load of money to my shop, plus I wanted to learn for myself and gain the experience. The 24th was a beautiful travel day for my guide, WillyP (Pat) to join me. Pat arrived at my home at 10 AM after his 3 hour trip from New Hampshire—true dedication of a COG member! After discussing Connie issues, we dug into the project. I had stripped Connie
of her outer cladding the day before so she was ready for the job. Pat instructed me to remove the upper valve cover. It did not come off at first but Pat recommended that they sometimes need some aid. Out came the rubber mallet and after a few good whacks, the cover loosened. We looked at the Clymer manual to check the clearances for the valves. I never knew that there were intake and exhaust specific valves but Pat showed me how they worked, and that there was a difference in the valve clearance for each side. Pat recommended that we use two sets of feeler gauges because it was easier to get a more true reading of the valves. I proceeded with some help from Pat loosening the bolts and turning the set-screws either way. We found that two valves were right on and the rest were either a bit tight or a bit loose. In the end they were all adjusted to within the specs. We broke for the lunch I had prepared, along with the help of my wife Laurie, a nice summer picnic spread of hamburgers, chicken, salads and others. We discussed bikes, politics, and more bikes! While the bike was apart I decided to install the Mondomoto driving lights I had purchased. We spliced into my powerhub and ran wires under the fuel tank area. In no time at all the lights were mounted, wires run, switch mounted, and the lights worked! Pat decided it was time to go and rightly so after an 8 hour wrench session! We said goodbyes and wished him a safe journey back to New Hampshire. It was a great day and really reemphasized to me the true meaning of COG membership.
Daniel learns the art of valve adjustment.
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Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
RIDE & EVENT SCHEDULE Time listed is START time. Visit www.cog-online.org for updates. (MA/NY) Sat-Sun 21-22 September Cooperstown NY Ride (Overnight) Kevin Martin & Doug Gray are teaming up to host an overnight ride to Cooperstown, NY and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Meet at either of the locations below for a Group Ride out to Cooperstown. Group Ride #1: Meet Kevin at 7 AM for breakfast at Churchill’s Diner on Rte. 20, Sturbridge, MA area (450 Main Street Fiskdale, MA 01518). Leave for the Westfield Dunkin Donuts, NLT 8 AM. Group Ride #2: Meet Doug at 8:30 AM at the Westfield Dunkin’ Donuts (127 N Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085) for a group ride out to Cooperstown. Can be an overnight event or just a day ride – rider’s choice. The ride is 200 miles of great back roads and scenery, stopping overnight in Cooperstown at the Lake Front Hotel, 10 Fair St. Cooperstown, NY 13326 (607) 547-9511, walking distance from town and the Hall of Fame. Please sign up on COGMOS so we’ll have a headcount for the ride out to Cooperstown. Online calendar has hotel rate details. The return trip on Sunday will be 230 miles through rolling farmlands and the Catskills, with a stop at "Sweet Sue's" restaurant for lunch. Bailout spots available for a quicker ride home. The Lakefront Hotel: www.cooperstownlakefronthotel.com KEVIN MARTIN, 978.459.6275H, cog145@verizon.net
(VA) Sun 22 September 8 AM Breakfast and Ride, Marshall, VA We'll meet at the Marshall, VA VFD, 4160 Rectortown Road, at 8 AM for breakfast, then, weather permitting, ride ~ 200 mile ride to visit the Muntzing Equinox Arch (www.rogerberry.info/Sculpture/maysville/ Maysville_01.html) in Maysville, WV, have lunch in Franklin, and end at US 33/ I-81 in Harrisonburg, VA. PATRICK SPRAGUE, 540.743.4874H, 540.743.5132W, pesprague@comcast.net
(NY) Thu-Sun 26-29 September 5 PM NE Fall Rally 2013 Another Terry & Scott fantastic journey. Join us in Lake George for a weekend of COG shenanigans. Motel Montreal, 3 Lake Ave, Lake George NY. Lake Ave. is located just south of the RT. 9 and 9N split at the north end of Lake George Village. See details on page 8. TERRY FAHERTY, 718-227-2099H, 917-837-6634M, tmcefah@aol.com
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(WV) Fri-Mon 27-29 September COG in Canaan We are holding our annual COG in Canaan weekend again this year, Canaan Valley Resort, 230 Main Lodge Rd., Davis, WV. They gave us a great rate like last year at $59.00, and we may be in their new building if completed. If you have been to Canaan you know it is one of the best areas on the east coast for riding. If not you need to experience it. We have a block of rooms under Concours Owners Group - when calling mention it to get our rate and be in the same area as our group. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Full details online. JOE CYPRYCH, 724-7961401, cyprych@windstream.net
Bridge Fire Hall, 18 West Locust Street, Union Bridge MD, GPS N39-34.056 W7710.799. Route sheets will be handed out for a 150 mile self guided ride that will end at Hanover, PA. The ride will take you on some of the FINEST motorcycle riding roads in the area. Come out and show your support for Sport Touring at it’s finest. You will ride in MD and PA. If you would like a copy of the ride in GPS format ahead of time, contact me. RUSSEL FLEMING, 410.374.9687H, fleming@qis.net
(MA) Sun 13 October 11:30 AM Meet & Greet at Rebecca’s Place
We'll meet at Quaker Steak and Lube, 800 W. Broad Street, Henrico, VA (Richmond) 804-217-9464 at 6 PM. Contact person is TIM STEELE at 540-649-7007 or svo68@hotmail.com
Join us for lunch at Rebecca's Plac118 Main Street , Upton , MA e 3 in Upton, MA and the optional ride. Bring a friend to introduce them to COG! For those interested in a ride after lunch we will ride through the beautiful backroads of south central MA to the north east corner of CT for a rest stop at the Vanilla Bean in Promfret, CT, then back to Upton near 495. GREG HABEL, 508-4442235H, COG7010@verizon.net
(NY) Sat 5 October 9 AM Color in the Catskills Rally
(ON) Tue 15 October 6 PM Easter Ontario Meet & Greet
(VA) 2 October 6 PM Meet and Greet and Eat
Come join us for a ride up to the Hunter Mountain for the Color In The Catskills rally. This is actually a BMW rally that a lot of us visit. I will be taking a scenic ride up to Hunter to visit this event. I will be leaving the Pilot Travel center, 239 Rte. 17K, Newburgh, NY for this ride. On Rte. 17K just west of I-84, exit 6. Meet at 9 AM, stands up by 9:30 AM. A return ride may be possible. But folks are free to meet at Hunter if they prefer, or leave from Hunter on their own. BOB BARBANTI, 845.895.1130H, 845.206.7406M, ny.neaad@yahoo.com
(ON) Tue 8 October 6:30 PM South Central Ontario Meet 2nd Tuesday each month at Mohawk Inn, 9230 Guelph Lane, Campbellville, ON, just North of 401. All welcome, friends, wives, girl/boy friends. Many hungry people arrive earlier to get their dinner - road house food, salad, wings, burgers, fish & chips, etc. A mainly social function to meet other riders, shoot the breeze, plan rides. DAVE CLANCY 905.389.7681H dnclancy747@gmail.com
(NY) Sat 12 October 11 AM Newburgh Meet & Greet
Meet and greet every 3rd Tuesday of every month at Woody's Place, 8575 County Road 15, North Augusta. Open to everyone, arrive early for something to eat, special menu for bikers. Plan rides and events and just shoot the breeze. KEN FADER, 613-865-7995H, kensc14@gmail.com, RICHARD BEAUDON, 613-657-3294H, sailor_rich@sympatico.ca
(NJ) Sat 19 October 9 AM Meet, Greet & Ride! Meet and Greet at the Red Lion diner, 1753 Rte. 206 in Southampton, NJ. Meet at 9 AM for breakfast, then take a nice ride in South Jersey. Route will run through the Pine Barrens toward Cape May for a late lunch/ early dinner at The Pilot House (really good seafood!) Coming from the north, take I-295 to exit 52A, toward Columbus. Take Columbus Rd to 206, and turn right to head south. Diner is 13.4 miles south at the Rte. 70 Circle. From the Garden State Parkway, take exit 88 to Rte. 70 East. Follow Rte. 70 for 34.3 miles to the Rte. 70/Rte. 206 Circle. All are welcome to attend, looking forward to seeing you there! CHRIS FRANCESCHINI, 856-366-9430H, sowieso@comcast.net
Join us for lunch at our monthly meet and greet at the Neptune Diner, 82 Rte. 17K, Newburgh, NY. Meet some of the COG family and have a great time. Chance of a short ride afterwards. All are welcome to attend. BOB BARBANTI, 845.895.1130H, 845.206.7406M, ny.neaad@yahoo.com
(MD) Sun 13 October 9 AM C14 Riders & Friends Ride Meet for breakfast at 9 AM at the Union
2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
RIDE & EVENT SCHEDULE (continued from page 6)
(VA) Fri-Sun 25-27 October 2 PM "No Frills" Camp and Ride Gather with COG friends at One Wheel Only, 421 Beylor's Ferry Road, Rileyville, VA (540743-4874) for a weekend of riding and camping. For those seeking hard roof lodging there are motels and B&Bs in nearby Luray, VA. Bring any food and libations you wish to have. We will provide the campground, campfire, bathhouse, propane grill & propane, plates, cups, utensils, condiments, water, coffee, tea, coolers, & ice. Several restaurants are in nearby Luray, some offering take-out or delivery. Suggested ride routes, on and off pavement, are available for your riding fun and exploration. Attendance limited to the first 50 COG members and their guests. Donations will be collected at OWO to go toward the OtP fund to help the next Yank heading east. PATRICK SPRAGUE, 540.743.4874H, 540.743.5132W, pesprague@comcast.net
(VA) Fri-Sun 8-10 November 5 PM Brrrrrrr Ride, Natural Bridge KOA This ride and camp was started by Guy Young several years ago and is a perennial favorite. We will gather at the Natural Bridge KOA just off I-81 and Rte. 11 to camp on Friday and Saturday nights. For those not wanting to camp, the KOA has cabins available with heaters (sort of) that will keep the chill off. For reservations, call KOA at 540-291-2770. New KOA owners Ken and Carrie Conger are looking forward to being our hosts. Local hotels for those that require them: Budget Inn: 540-291-2896, Relax Inn: 540-291-2143. Saturday morning breakfast: meet at 8 AM at the Pink Cadillac Restaurant, located on Rte. 11 a mile north of the KOA entrance. The ride will take us on some awesome roads with a lunch stop, then back to the camp for dinner and COG camaraderie. Hopefully there will not be a fire ban in VA and we will be able to have a campfire this year. If you made reservations last year for the KOA this year, please call to confirm your reservation. Any questions or comments please contact me. PATRICK SPRAGUE, 540.743.4874H, 540.743.5132W, pesprague@comcast.net
(NY) Sat 9 November 11 AM Newburgh Meet & Greet (see 12 Oct. info)
(MA) Sat 9 November 12 PM End of Year Social Come celebrate another wonderful riding season for our area at the Horseshoe Pub, 29 South Street, Hudson, MA. Bring ideas and a friend! Help us plan 2014 with activities you would like to see. GREG HABEL, 508-444-2235H, COG7010@verizon.net
(ON) Tue 12 November 6:30 PM South Central Ont. Meet (see 8 Oct. info) (ON) Tue 10 December 6:30 PM South Central Ont. Meet (see 8 Oct. info) (NY) Sat 14 December 11 AM Newburgh Meet & Greet (see 12 Oct. info) (VA) Sunday 15 December 9 AM Williamsburg Ride for Pancakes We'll meet at the Capitol Pancake House at 802 Capitol Landing Road, Williamsburg, VA and go for a ride. More details on the online Calendar. PATRICK SPRAGUE, 540.743.4874H, 540.743.5132W, pesprague@comcast.net
(NY) Sat 14 December 2 PM International Motorcycle Show
hoping to celebrate another great riding at a CT location to be determined... Bring ideas to help plan the 2014 rides!
(DC) Fri-Sun, 10-12 January International Motorcycle Show The Washington, DC show runs from January 10-12, and is held at the Washington Convention Center located at 801 Mount Vernon Place, Washington, DC. The promoter has activated on online discount code for COG members. Use the code CONCOURS to receive $3 off the general admission price. Info on the Motorcycle Show can be found here: http://www.motorcycleshows.com/
16-20 June 2014 COG 25th Anniversary National Rally The Concours Owners Group will host the 2014 “Silverdammit” National Rally the week of June 16-20, 2014 in Johnson City, Tennessee. The rally marks the celebration of the group’s 25th anniversary, and will include many social activities, information seminars, guest speakers, technical sessions, and a banquet dinner. More info on Page 4 and online at: http://concours.org/national/nationalrally2014
The NY show runs from December 13-15, but COG members plan to meet on Saturday December 14. Interested parties will gather for our usual late lunch/early dinner on Saturday. Jacob Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street, NY. As usual, meet at the Connie in the Kawasaki area around 2 PM, leave promptly @ 2:30 PM. We’ll head out for some chow at a TBD location. Keep your eyes on the forum or this calendar page for additional details. The promoter has activated on online discount code for COG members. Use the code CONCOURS to receive $3 off the general admission price. Info on the Motorcycle Show can be found here: http://www.motorcycleshows.com. TERRY FAHERTY, 718-227-2099H, 917-837 -6634M, tmcefah@aol.com
(VA) Sun 15 December 9 AM Williamsburg Ride for Pancakes We'll meet again at the Capitol Pancake House at 802 Capitol Landing Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Phone 757-5641238. Great pancakes and other breakfast fare. Weather permitting, we'll take a ride over the Northern Neck of VA, leaving the Capitol about 9:30 AM. Come on two or four wheels as the weather is a craps shoot in December. PATRICK SPRAGUE, 540.743.4874H, 540.743.5132W, pesprague@comcast.net
(CT) TBD Date End of Year Social
Start planning your 2014 Ride Events, and post them on the online calendar for inclusion here!
No date available at press time, but we are
2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn
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CT, RI Brian & Andrea Felice #9125, 401-828-3354 bdfelice@cox.net
PA (South East) & NJ South Jim Ansbro #8443 215-805-0909 bluecon06@gmail.com
VA/WV Pat Sprague #1887 540-743-5132 psprague@shentel.net
Web Editor Wayne Geiser #4627 978-851-2710
Metro NY/NJ Terry Faherty #792 718-227-2099 tmcefah@aol.com
NY (Central) Rob Romano #10584 607-227-3899
ON (Greater Toronto Area) Dave Perkins #5932 416-691-2191 cog5932@rogers.com
NY (Hudson Valley NW) Bob Barbanti #7134 845-895-1130 ny.neaad@yahoo.com
New Jersey
PA (Western) Joe Cyprych #4665 724-796-1401 cyprych@windstream.net
DE, East MD Bob Chappell #1283 302-791-0582 cog1283@comcast.net
ON (Eastern)
PA (North Central) Duane Shaffer #9189 570-726-4676 dkshaff@kcnet.org
Maryland TBD
QC (Montréal)
wayne@mypowercouple.com
Newsletter Editor Tim Anderson #9470 860-444-7544 NECOGEditor@gmail.com Assistant Area Directors: (AADs) VT, NH, ME, MA Greg & Tracey Habel #7010
508-444-2235 COG7010@verizon.net
ensoniqdude@yahoo.com Chris Franceschini #9283
856-366-9430 sowieso@comcast.net
ON (Eastern) Ken Fader #8534 613-865-7995 kensc14@gmail.com Richard Beaudoin #9318
613-657-3294 sailor_rich@sympatico.ca
NE AREA STAFF
Area Director (AD) Steve Smith #3184 203-720-7575 nead@cog-online.org
Christian Dupuis #10098
450-427-0182 d1user@mac.com
photo courtesy Kevin Martin #145
COG NE Fall Foliage Rally — September 26-29 in Lake George, NY! It’s time for another of Scott & Terry’s Excellent Adventures!! The boys are bringing us back to Lake George, in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Pack your electrics as mountain temperatures can be very cool in the Fall. Lodging: Rally Headquarters: Motel Montreal, 3 Lake Ave, Lake George, NY, 518.668.5439 www.lakegeorgemotelmontreal.com. Room block cut-off is 9/7/13; Room rate $47.50/night+tax+fees and requires a 3-night minimum stay. Call ASAP as a limited block of rooms will be held. Mention Concours Owners Group to get rooms held in our block. Back-up Lodging: Lake Haven Motel, 442 Canada St, 800.347.0543 or 518.668.2260. www.lakehavenmotel.com. This motel is next door to Motel Montreal. Registration: $45 per person. COG Member discounted fee: $35 per person for COG members, their immediate family or significant other. Register online through the COG Calendar or mail in form on page 7. Online/Mail-in registration ends 9/15/13 and walk-in fees apply, which are $5 additional to standard fees. Register early Banquet dinner seating limited to first 100 registrations received. Rally fee covers Saturday dinner, door prizes, and other rally expenses. Wristbands may be used to identify registered attendees. Refund Policy: Rally fee paid less $5.00 before 9/15/13; no refund after 9/15/13. Events: There will be a Saturday evening banquet. Riding: Sample self-guided ride routes download available from online member library or from link at event listing in the COG calendar of events. General Questions: Scott Sorger: 518-223-0544 (516-509-8392) or Terry Faherty: 718-227-2099 (917-837-6634). Registration Questions: Steven Smith 203.720.7575 or nead@cog-online.org. Rally web page: NE Area online Calendar of Events at: www.cog-online.org
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2013 - Issue #4 – Autumn