2020 - Issue # 5
COGnitions: Ramblings from the Northeast Area Director Thanksgiving recently passed, and winter arrives in just a few dayss. Up to today’s snowstorm, the weather has been unseasonably mild and I have done more riding this fall than most of the summer. Several weeks ago, I met up with gMitch who posted an impromptu ride to the CT shoreline in the forum. A couple other rides I did were to scout out some possible new Connecticut meet & greet locations for next year – both BBQ joints. The food was pretty good at both. Most of us will agree that 2020 has been a disappointment for those who look forward to gathering with COG friends. Although a good number of the planned Northeast club activities and events were canceled, a few rides Steve Smith #3184 and a couple of overnight events still had attendees. The Winter Concourier should run Roger Somero’s article from the November Brrr Ride. Also look for Greg Habel’s Pandemic Riding Experience article. If you have ideas for 2021 activities, please begin preparing them to be posted on the COG Event Calendar. It is probably a good thing to fill our event calendar as we normally do, without worry about impact by the pandemic. I feel it is better to cancel an activity last minute if needed, than to wait until the last minute to plan and promote it. Contact me or your local AAD if you need assistance organizing an activity. The club has a new method to get activities on the event calendar, and we can help you get yours posted. In early December would have had the NYC motorcycle show had it not been canceled. The promoter announced the format of the show is moving to outdoor venues in the Summer and Fall of 2021. The locations of the IMS Outdoors were announced today. Here is a spoiler... the northeast locations will be in Brooklyn, NY and Carlisle, PA. (Brooklyn? Really?) No specific venues have been announced, but you can follow details here: https://www.outdoors.motorcycleshows.com/ This newsletter closes out the 2020 COG Northeast year. To the COG NE staff and members who organize club activities and events, I cannot say "thank you" enough for the creativity and passion each of you willingly share despite the many challenges thrown our way this year. This is a testament to the dedication, goodwill, and talent abundant within our membership. I am hopefully optimistic that we will have a better COG year in 2021. I wish you happy holidays and a happy, healthy new year.
photo courtesy Bob Barbanti #7134
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
New Members
Robert Dallon Sandy Kramer First things first, a warm Robert Thornton welcome to our Aaron Dudla Newest NE Area COG members! Steven Williams John Spring John Gorsky Roger Retzke Jack Braddon Seth Schartner Chris Westcott Steve Klatt Wayne Croteau Harold Sullivan
13245 13250 13251 13253 13254 13260 13266 13271 13272 13294 13290 13292 13295 13298
Lee, NH Silver Spring, MD Clifton Springs, NY Stillwater, NY Waterford, NY Buxton, ME Tolland, CT Raymond, NH Centerville, VA Westerly, RI Lindsay, ON Stratham, NH Wyncote, PA Randallstown, MD
Concours Owners Groupsm
NORTHEAST AREA NEWS Published 5 times a year for the Concours Owners Group and distributed to Northeast Area members. Past newsletters are archived in the club’s online member library at https://concours.org/library Also available at: issuu.com/cognortheast Written (most formats except Works) & photo (most formats) submissions are welcomed and members are encouraged to share their COG experiences. Please send to: Email: NECOGEditor@gmail.com Snail Mail: COG NE Newsletter c/o Maryann Geiser 139 Kennedy Rd Tewksbury MA 01876
RIDES & EVENTS January 5, 2021
© 1989-2020 Concours Owners Group Join Greg & Tracey, and all of your COG friends for a Zoom virtual social for the latest in club news, planning for 2021, and good cheer. This is a good opportunity to catch up with old friends and perhaps met some new. The Zoom call will take place on Tuesday, January 5 th from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. Please register at https://concours.org/event-4089664
sm
Questions or comments can be directed to Greg at cog7010@verizon.net or (508) 444-2235. A Zoom meeting invitation will be sent to all those who've registered the day prior to the meeting. Tracey and I are looking forward to “seeing” you. Greg
Area Director NE Newsletter Editor
Naugatuck CT Tewksbury MA
203-720-7575 978-851-2710
nead@concours.org maryanngeiser@gmail.com
Greg/Tracey Habel #7010 Steven Rutter #9715 George Griffith #6377 Tim Traylor #12811 Steve/Sue Cerutti #6763 Terry Faherty #792 Dave Perkins #5932 Derek Pugh #11636 Christian Dupuis #10098 Claude Doucet #9011
AAD MA/VT/NH/ME AAD S. Central PA/MD AAD Northeast PA AAD US Capital Region AAD E Hudson Valley NY AAD Metro NY/NJ AAD Greater Toronto AAD Eastern Ontario AAD Greater Montreal AAD Atlantic Canada
Hopedale MA Elizabethtown PA Benton PA Waldorf, MD Copake Falls NY Staten Island NY Toronto ON Ottawa ON Sainte-Martine PQ Middle Sackville NS
508-444-2235 717-361-1189 r 570-925-5010 301-535-6193 914-953-4154 718-227-2099 416-691-2191 613-222-9554 450-427-0182 902-252-5062
COG7010@verizon.net ruttersm@comcast.net gbgriff.gg@gmail.com ebonyzg1400@gmail.com Steveonlineusa@gmail.com tmcefah@aol.com perkins43@rogers.com concoursderek@gmail.com d1user@mac.com motorcycleclaude@gmail.com
OPEN POSITIONS—please inquire
2
AADs for Central NY, Southeast PA/Philly, DelMarVa, VA/WV, W Hudson Valley NY, Long Island NY, Central NJ, and CT/RI NE Webmaster
NE AREA STAFF
Steven Smith #3184 Maryann Geiser #4627A
2020 - Issue # 5
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Around the NORTHEAST News from your Assistant Area Directors
Atlantic Canada Hard to believe but it's now December. Since the last newsletter, I managed to organize the Last Blast Ride on November 1st. It was a long shot that anyone would attend Claude Doucet #9011 since I posted the ride at the last minute and it was so late in the season. The forecast for the ride was partially sunny with a high of 8C which is decent for that time of year. As the ride approached AndyB from Moncton NB contacted me and said he would be interested, which was somewhat surprising since he has a 2-2.5 hour ride just to get to the starting point.
Shubenacadie, Urbania, South Maitland, Old Barns, Lower Onslow, Wentworth Valley and many more. We took a break at the Masstown Market where we took the obligatory picture in front of the lighthouse then we picked up some homemade blueberry scones. As the day was getting late, we parted ways at Wentworth Valley and headed home. Of course, I hit rain the last 10 minutes of the ride but overall it was a great day. Thanks Andy!
On November 21st, I picked up a 2009 BMW F650GS (actually 800cc??), so my season continues. I've been looking for some time for the right bike. I want to explore gravel roads around the area and maybe find some fishing holes in the spring/summer. If you recall I had a 2009 Kawasaki KLX250s, but I found out quickly that it wasn't suited for my needs. With the BMW, I'm able to travel distances more comfortably but still do some exploring when tempted. So now, I leave the BMW on the trickle charger and take it out when the nice weather ( above 0C) decides to show up. Happy Holidays to all and I hope we can meet again soon. Claude
U S Capital Region
Greetings from the U.S. Capital Region! As we continue to adjust to the new normal, the sports world has found itself On ride day, I arrive at the meeting spot and having to retool there's AndyB just dismounting from his operations just like us. Two days after the Last Blast ride, we got a trusty 2012, heavily farkled C14. Anyone MotoAmerica did have freak snowstorm and we received about that knows Andy knows that he's a to cancel some dedicated (or crazy) rider. Come to find out 12cm of snow which is significant that early Superbike rounds, but in November. On the other hand, Tim Traylor #12811 over some coffee that it was 2C when Andy they did run their November 11th was freakishly warm with left home in the morning. event at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 18C. But after looking at the extended September. Shortly before the week of the forecast, I decided to put my C14 away for Andy and I had a great ride on some the winter. At this point I though my riding race, New Jersey Motorsports Park beautiful and twisty rural roads through announced that a limited number of fans season was over. communities like Hardwood Lands, would be allowed to attend the race, and since I already had a ticket, I decided to attend the race for the second year in a row. Just as I did last year, I decided to camp overnight, though this year, I decided to camp on Friday night as well in order to be able to view all of Saturday's festivities as well as the last race day on Sunday. The pannier- and top-case-equipped Concours 14 had no issue getting camping gear for two people (a member of my motorcycle club also rode with me to the race). NJMP is approximately 150 miles from Washington, DC, so it made for a nice ride up to the track. (Continued on page 4)
2020 - Issue # 5
3
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS (Around the Northeast - Continued from page 3)
involving Bradley Ward, who had to be airlifted from the track but is now recuperating and on the road to recovery. If you've never attended a MotoAmerica race, I'd encourage you to go. There's always a motorcycle corral to swap stories with other riders, and it's free parking for motorcycles. The ownership group of MotoAmerica includes three-time 500cc
world champion Wayne Rainey, and I think they do a great job in catering to the motorcycle-riding attendees at their events. Look for the U.S. Capital Region to host a ride to another MotoAmerica event in 2021! Stay safe out there! Tim
Once there, camp setup was a breeze, and we got to walk around and take it all in for a bit. The atmosphere was a bit more subdued than last year owing to the current state of affairs, but there were still good times to be had and good memories to take back. And, just like last year, I happened upon another Concours 14 at the track. And this one was the same color as mine: Candy Arabian Red. We swapped stories about farkles and good rides in the area, and hopefully COG will gain a new member in the Northeast from that exchange! The races themselves were action-packed in the middle of the pack, but just slightly anti-climactic at the front. Moto2-bound Cameron Beaubier won both races in the Honos Superbike class, and we had nearly a front-row seat for a rather nasty incident
Metro NY, NJ Boy oh boy! What a year! As 2020 rolls to a close let's hope that the 2021 riding season sees things coming back toward normal (I will NEVER accept the NEW normal!). First let me wish you all a safe and happy holiday season, and Terry Faherty #792 may the new year bring you and yours all the best. Thanks to the cancellation of the Progressive Motorcycle shows this year not much to report on. As I write this I should be at the Javitz center at this moment eyeballing all the shiny new bikes I can't buy....yet! As announced by Steve Smith the venues for the new reimagined outdoor shows were (Continued on page 5)
4
2020- Issue # 5
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS (Around the Northeast - Continued from page 4)
announced and to much chagrin, Brooklyn is the destination in September. We're waiting to find out the exact location but as a lifelong city dweller, and having worked in Brooklyn for 14 years, there ain't too many possible locations for it. Off the top of my head Floyd Bennett Field has the necessary space for such an event and the roads are not totally congested being far away from the more congested areas. We can only wait and see. My twisted mind is already thinking of possibilities. Perhaps holding some rooms at a Staten Island hotel and arranging a bus trip? It all depends on what the response is. As of this moment the rallies cancelled are in the process of being rescheduled for 2021. Keep your eyes on the forum and facebook for updates. Hope to see you out on the road next year! Terry
MA, ME, NH, VT Tracey and I sure miss seeing our COG friends post COVID although we did feel comfortable attending or Greg & Tracey Habel hosting a few #7010/7010A rides in 2020. Thank you Kevin Martin, Lyle Cooper, Ed Dyer, and Bob Dallon for hosting rides in 2020 while doing their best to help keep everyone safe. Bob, who resides in NH, hosted his first 2 rides. I appreciate Bob hosting due to his knowledge of his frequently travelled areas. With our bikes are all winterized we are making plans for winter repairs and regular maintenance. This season I noticed some final drive oil weeping from one of the seals and I’m also due for a front tire, brake and clutch fluid changes. With more time on our hands we hope to reorganize the garage to open up more space for wrenching and eventually back into home brewing. This year marks a first - 2 cars, 2 bikes, and a snowblower all fit in our 2 car garage! The old large workbench was sold to soon be replaced with a rolling workbench.
2020 - Issue # 5
5th
Join us on Tuesday January at 7 pm for a 45 min Zoom safe social to catch up with your COG friends, and plan for future events. Email or call us so we can send you the Zoom specifics.
forward to the end of this for all of us and those we know and love. I extend to all of our American cousins a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Take care, wear a mask, and stay safe...
As always please help us out to estimate attendance and group ride sizes by signing up on www.concours.org, the Concours Owners Group Facebook page, or drop us an email (cog7010@verizon.net), phone-call (508-444-2235), text (508-444-2235) etc. Hope to see you there!
And now, some seasonal humour!
Stay safe, stay healthy, and ride smart. Greg & Tracey
Greater Toronto Season's Greetings to you all!! It is going to be a very different Christmas in Ontario and most of Canada. The premier of our Province has strongly suggested/ borderline decreed that Christmas celebrations be limited to those Dave Perkins #5932 living under the same roof thus precluding welcoming family and friends to the festivities. This is in response to a dramatic surge in both positive tests for Covid-19 and, sadly, deaths both in Ontario and throughout the nation. Though the spread of Covid in Canada is at a slower rate than the US it is stretching our health resources to the breaking point. So reducing our Christmas footprint is a small sacrifice this year. On a positive note, to date no one in the two COG groups in the GTA has reported contracting the disease. The annual International Motorcycle Show, held in early January, was "postponed" in November until later in 2021. Cooler heads prevailed amongst the show organizers. COG GTA has had a booth in the show for over 20 years and we hope to continue our association when the show is rescheduled. Details will be provided when the new date is announced as the show is popular with riders from New York and Pennsy. And with that I say adieu. I am looking
Merry Christmas, Everyone!! Dave Disclaimer: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or the secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. In addition, please also accept our best wishes for a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2021, but not without the due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make this country great (not to imply that this country is necessarily greater than any other country or area of choice), and without regard to race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual orientation of the wishers. This is limited to the customary and usual good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. "Holiday" is not intended, nor shall it be considered, limited to the usual Judeo-Christian celebrations or observances, or to such activities of any of any organized or ad hoc religious community, group, individual or belief (or lack thereof). Note: By accepting this greeting you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. This greeting freely is transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. This greeting implies no (Continued on page 6)
5
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS (Continued from page 5)
promise by the wisher to actually implement and of the wishes for the wisher her/himself or others, or responsibility for the consequences which may arise from the implementation or non implementation of it. This greeting is void where prohibited by law.
Eastern Ontario 2020! A lot of things can be said about 2020 but “it was a great year for social events” sure won’t be one of them! The world went into lockdown mid-March and thus the Eastern Ontario mid-winter social which was scheduled for Derek Pugh #11636 early April was canceled due to Covid-19 … one by one other COG events were canceled around the world. Although events weren’t happening this doesn’t mean your COG executive wasn’t working. Everything from a new website to event planning (once we can socialize again of course) has been happening. Zoom meetings have become our best friend haven’t they! In fact I thinking I will make the Eastern Ontario mid-winter social in March a Zoom call. Depending on vaccine timelines and restrictions being eased… there might be an actual ride planned late summer.
ride. I did and had a great summer of solo day rides. Unfortunately with safety in mind, I didn’t do any multi-day trips. Different parts Ontario are currently in various levels of restrictions but unfortunately the biggest motorcycle restriction of all has once again arrived…. WINTER! It’s now time to start your winter maintenance and farkling! With our mild early winter I have had new tires and front wheel bearings installed as well the oils have been changed. Sadly the temperatures are dropping this week and its getting unpleasant to work in my unheated garage so sadly the cover did go on but come warmer weather I hope to finally install the rear switchback lights I got so long ago…. but have yet to install. Here’s to hoping that 2021 allows us to gather again. So until then, please stay healthy & safe. Derek
2020 may have curtailed events and group socialization but I hope you all remembered that Motorcycling is perfect Social distance activity!
We ride more than two metres away from each other
We wear personal protective equipment
We’re not stuck in a box breathing other people’s air
We avoid crowded areas like, well, the plague
So, with this in mind I hoped the riders of Eastern Ontario (and elsewhere) got out to
6
2020 - Issue # 5