NE2023-Issue 1

COGnitions:

Ramblings from the Northeast Area Director

Greetings COG Northeast

Happy New Year COG Northeast. This is our first newsletter of 2023. An archive of recent issues is available in the COG Library. Access it by going to the club main website: www.concours.org and navigating to Resources > Library. A complete archive going back to 2001 is available at issuu.com/cognortheast

This is your newsletter. Consider submitting stories and photos from your participation at a recent COG activity or even a nonCOG motorcycle trip. If you have suggestions on how we can improve the newsletter (or any other COG related things), email your thoughts to me.

While talking about sharing your thoughts On February 9th, the club sent an email blast to all members with a link to a COG Satisfaction Survey. It’s a relatively short and easy survey. The club is hoping for enough member participation to provide a significant sample size. If you have not already completed the survey, please consider taking it before the February 24th deadline. If you did not receive the link, email me and I can provide it. It will take time to review and analyze the collected data. The results will be communicated to members once a report is complete. Have patience we’re volunteers.

A good portion of the Northeast Area has been having days that are very mild and unseasonable. A few weeks ago, I attended the CT BBQ Meet & Greet at Woods Pit BBQ. It was a sunny day with a high temperature close to 50 degrees. A few were able to ride there, but I ended up having to take the truck as the lunch meet up fell between two other commitments where I needed more than 2-wheels.

photo courtesy Bob Barbanti #7134

Steve Smith #3184

Concours Owners Group NORTHEASTAREANEWS

New Members

First things first, a warm welcome to our Newest NE Area COG members!

Daniel Foley

Somerville, MA 13798

Carl Wright Avon, CT 13803

Mark Scissons Perth, ON 13811

Deborah Crokaert

Bournemouth, UK 13814

Pierre Bokkers Stratford, ON 13818

Jesse Benton New Market, MD 13827

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The next day was overcast, in 40’s and not as nice as the day before, but I was determined to get out for my first ride of 2023. I met up with John Purdy for a lunch ride, and he led us southeast to the Guilford CT shoreline. We hugged the shoreline most of the way to Westbrook before heading toward the Connecticut River, stopping in Essex for a tasty lunch at Olive Oyl’s Carry Out Cuisine, located in an old gas station. We followed the river north to Chester, stopping at Simon’s Marketplace for cookies. Heading toward home we enjoyed the twisties of RT 148, then cut through backroads in Durham before heading west on RT 68. Then winter arrived for a few days when the temperatures plummeted below zero, but then the next day it popped back up again to the 40’s. Yesterday the temp here in Connecticut almost hit 60 degrees. It was a workday for me, but hopefully some of you were able to enjoy it.

I am so excited to report that COG Northeast staff gained a new AAD in January. A few weeks ago Kevin Martin, COG #145, a past AAD, offered to jump back in the saddle again to fill the role of Northern New England covering MA/VT/NH/ME. Kevin had this role years ago, before the Habels took over. He has hosted many rides and rallies over the years and brings a vast amount of experience. Please welcome Kevin back and be sure to offer him assistance by hosting an activity.

Don’t forget about SPRING FLING Jason found a new and interesting location for this year’s event. We will be staying at a nice Fairfield Inn & Suites in Cumberland, Maryland the weekend of May 18-21. Check out the details later in this newsletter or online in the event calendar. If you have not registered for, do it now before forgetting. Also, book your rooms ASAP. We have a limited number of rooms in our block at the special price and. The room block discounts end on April 18th .

Other planned 2023 events… A few of the other perennial events already have been submitted to the event calendar. Kevin has a Coastal Lunch Ride, Quabbin Reservoir Ride, and a White Mountains National Forest Weekend already planned. Jason has posted up Memorial Day Weekend, Dog Days, and Labor Day Weekend events. You can stay tuned to see if activities get posted to the calendar closer to you, or please get involved. Plan it, and they will come. Getting more events on the calendar begins with YOU. COG is a grassroots club, and it is member

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Around the NORTHEAST

News from your Assistant Area Directors Metro NY, NJ

Greetings fellow northeast COGgers! We're halfway through the winter and so far I've only gone two weeks without getting the scoot out for a bit of a spin. Here's hoping the snow demons continue to stay at bay but we all know how March can be!

The Spring Fling is on the calendar and I'm already registered, are you? Looking forward to a weekend of COG hijinks after our long winter's nap. Let's get out there and ride folks. As soon as March decides to lean towards spring the calendar should start filling up so keep your eyes on the calendar for upcoming events. The "final farkle" for the new scoot will be a new seat come springtime. I'm waiting with bated breath for Sargent to officially announce their offering for my Tracer. I was about to buy a Corbin but I think I prefer the Sargent just for ease of use. Still on the fence till I see it though. By the time you read this a new survey will have gone out to members. Make sure you fill it out and have a voice in the club's direction.

Keep thinking warm thoughts and see you on the road!

Terry Greater Toronto

I hope and trust everyone had a pleasant Christmas and New Year’s.

Our big event over the winter is the North American International Motorcycle Super Show, AKA the Bike Show. It was back on the rails this year after a Covid-induced twoyear hiatus. This annual event was a nice break from the winter malaise of the Great White North. I will state that the show was a shadow of its former self with about 25% of the available 400,000 sq ft of floor space unoccupied. Some major exhibitors were absent. GP Bikes, a local

bike and accessory dealer was a no-show as was Kawasaki Canada who used this show as a showcase for the new model year. There were fewer vendors as well. In fairness I’ll call it a rebuilding year for the show. As the Covid threat continues to abate perhaps interest in the show will increase and exhibitors and vendors will return.

COG GTA had a booth in the show once again though we were stuffed into a corner rather than on a main thoroughfare as in previous years. Nonetheless, with our 10’ X 4’ COG banner and a similarly sized unit from Kawasaki proudly displayed we made the best of the situation. Martin Schulz provided his pristine 2002 C10 for display. Dave Gingerich supplied his table for the available literature and a couple chairs for the comfort of the booth staff. We had Concouriers for people to browse through, COG literature and Steve Smith supplied a QR code which I printed. It gave a direct link to the COG site. And as in previous years we had a contact sheet for post-show follow-up. Members from the GTA and GTA East group staffed the booth. Despite our location there turned out to be a fair amount of traffic passing by. And a lot of interest in the bike and COG. Many former owners and members stated how much they liked the Connie, some even looking for one to fit their

nice ride to our Acton meeting on a warm summer night. Thanks to both of these fellows for their interest.

current riding style. Nonetheless, we urged them to provide their contact info. The booth staff were knowledgeable of the Connie and were able to field most of the questions. In all we had about 25 folks provide their contact info. I am still in the process of following up. About a half dozen have responded to me and agreed to be added to our distribution lists. Our hope is that they will become members in the near future. We had two American COGgers drop by the booth. Rich Puswald from New Jersey saw the calendar entry on the calendar; he and his wife drove to Toronto and made a week-end of it. Lon Blauvelt from Michigan dropped by to say hello. I've added Lon to our distribution list. It might be

Another item we had on the table was a picture of Richard de Jong. As I stated in the last update, Richard passed away on November 1, 2022, from complications of his prostate cancer. Richard had been instrumental in the establishment of the COG booth at the bike show, starting in the late 1990’s. It was he who had the large COG banner made up circa 2003 which we displayed every year on stanchions that he had made himself. With his passing I inherited these items. We dedicated the booth to him this year. He was a good man and good friend. We will miss him.

And Ground Hogs’ prognostications notwithstanding, whether in concert or conflict, temper your late winter and early spring riding with due diligence. The salt and sand used on the roads during the winter can be like riding on Teflon so be very careful out there; spring and good riding weather will be with us soon enough. Until then, stay safe...

E-gards!

Dave

Terry Faherty #792

Dave Perkins #5932

MA/VT/NH/ME

For those new Northeast Members who may not know me, my name is Kevin Martin, and I live in Dracut Massachusetts. As you can tell by my Membership number, I’ve been a COG Member for quite a while. Actually September 2023, will be 34 years for me. Wow, where does the time go.

I’m writing this introduction to provide newer Members in the Northern New England States some information about me and to tell everyone that I’ve decided to fill the open position of AAD for; Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, & Maine. You veteran Coggers probably know me pretty, so you can skip to the end of the introduction to read about new events if you like.

I joined COG in 1989, a couple of years after I purchased my first new Concours in 1987, a beautiful candy apple red model which I kept for nearly 8 years until I upgraded to a 1994 model. After that, I owned a 2004 and 2014 C10, then upgraded to a 2009 and 2012 C14. Primarily because of bad knees, (which I’m in process of correcting), I sold my C14 and moved into a plush 2018 BMW K1600 Grand America with all of the amenities including floor boards. In some ways I still do miss my C14, but stretching my legs out on those floor boards on long rides is a nice feature for these old knees, plus the powerful smooth 6 cylinder engine of the K1600 is awesome. As the Club motto says; “Join for the bike, stay for the people”. So you don’t need to own a Kawasaki Concours to be a COG member, and many of don’t because over the years we’ve moved into other models and manufacturers, but in almost every case we maintained our membership because of the friends we’ve made. That’s why I’ve been here for nearly 34 years, how about you? Anyway, I’ve been hosting COG rides and events since 1995, then later volunteered for the AAD position in 2000. I held that position for 11 years, at which time I turned over the AAD baton to Greg and Tracey Habel at the start of 2012. Greg and Tracey did a great job during their tenure, and held the AAD position until the end of 2021. Even though I retired from being an AAD in 2012, I continued to lead local rides throughout the years and even hosted an occasional rally from time to time. With the help of other COG volunteers, we even successfully hosted the 2011 Green Mountain

National Rally in Vermont. As I recall, we had over 300 attendees at that National.

As you all know, our Area Director Steve Smith has been looking for someone to replace Greg & Tracey for a couple of years now, and as it turns out, my life situation has changed for the better, giving me a little more free time and flexibility now that I’m retired from full time work.

I’ve always planned to continue to host local rides and events, even if somebody else decided to volunteer for the AAD position, but since the position is still vacant, I’ve decided to help Steve out and resume the position again. Steve works hard as our Area Director, so after giving it some thought, teaming back up with Steve is my way of saying thanks for all you do.

I’m looking forward to another fun riding season this year. I’ve already posted several local rides and a couple of meet and greet events, with more in the works for later this year.

First, I’m planning a Springtime Meet and Greet Social for March 25th at the Wamesit Lanes in Tewksbury MA. We’ll be gathering for lunch in a reserved area of the Firewater Tavern. Please be sure to register online so I can give the Tavern an accurate head count a few days before the start of the social. The Wamesit Lanes is a large entertainment facility with candlepin and tenpin bowling lanes, and arcade for kids, and a large sports bar called the Firewater Tavern. Their website provides a virtual tour of the facility, go to; https://wamesitlanes.com for more information on the Wamesit. More details about the planned social is provided in the online calendar, see you in March!

Second, over Christmas we had a family gathering in Conway NH. My daughter recommended we stay at the Golden Gables Inn on route 16 in Conway. Amy and I found the Gables to be a very clean and comfortable Inn with reasonable rates. The complex is fairly large with multiple buildings, an outdoor pool, and seating area in the rear of the facility for summer activity. I thought it might be a good place to stay for a weekend so we can ride areas of New Hampshire and Maine that we normally couldn’t do on a day ride from Massachusetts. The Inn doesn’t have an onsite restaurant or bar, but it’s located in Conway center, so there are lots of places to dine a short distance from the hotel. Their summer rates kick in after Memorial Day, so I selected Thursday 6/1 and Friday 6/2/2023 for our event. If anyone is interested in attending, I recommend you book your room as soon as possible as the Golden Gables books up fast for the summer. For more information about the Golden Gables Inn, go to their website at; https://goldengablesinn.com/

Details about this weekend event can also be found in the COG online calendar. Hope you can join us for our White Mountains event. Also, if anyone is interested in leading their own ride or hosting an event, let me know and I’ll happily help you through the entire process, it’s really quite easy. Have fun and ride safe.

Best Regards, Kevin Eastern Ontario

Greeting from the great white north! Been a relatively mild winter so far with some rapidly changing weather, 5 days ago we had 2 days of deep freeze (-30c plus wind chill), 2 days ago we hit +5c and today were hovering around 0c with lots of rain (freezing rain warnings across all eastern Ontario! No real snow accumulation till mid-January but now with almost three feet of snow in my yard and a snow covered laneway I don’t see myself riding for a while yet!

COG was represented at the North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW held in early January. The Toronto Motorcycle Show is roaring back to the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place, February 17 - 19, 2023 and the Montreal Motorcycle Show, is at the Palais des congrès de Montréal February 24 to February 26, 2023 so events are trying to get back to pre-COVID times happily. Time to start planning your spring maintenance and farkling! I was able to get some maintenance done last fall but a new farkle has arrived over the winter and will need installing,

Farkles and maintenance for the bike are great but we as riders need to remember we have been out of the saddle for months and will be rusty come that first ride. Every spring I have a traditional first ride that starts out on slower roads with only slight curves. After several Km’s I the speed and curves increased gradually. When I felt comfortable I turn and hit the highways. It was a perfect season start. By the time I got home I was feeling very comfortable riding but knew I was still rusty. Do what works for you at your own speed!

In June I hope our Southern Ontario COG family has their Tech day again in Trenton and if so will host a ride to meet-up, all are

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Kevin Martin #145

Derek Pugh #11636

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welcome. If you have an idea for a ride or meet up please suggest it, I would be glad to help.

Hope to see you all out on our great roads of Eastern Ontario; I’ll be sure to wave!

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support, not the COG Board that creates events.

Planning an activity is easy. If you’re not sure where to begin, consider watching the “How to Host COG Events: Webinar” video that is in the COG Library, Ride/Rally Hosting section. Basically… 1) Select a day and location. 2) Submit the quick, easy web form which makes it simple to get the information to the events gang. Then COG will get it posted to the official calendar, and members can begin registering and chatting about it on the club’s social media spaces. If you need a bit of assistance planning and promoting your event, contact me or your local ADD.

That’s all for now.

Derek

RIDES & EVENTS

Time listed is START time. Visit www.cog-online.org for updates and more details.

(ON) Tues, Mar 14, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

COG GTA Monthly Meet & Greet second Tuesday. We'll meet at The Red Harp Pub 137 Mill St. E, Acton, ON from 6:30 - 8:30 for a casual get-together of COG members and like minded riders. All are welcome.

DAVE PERKINS 416.691.2191 perkins43@rogers.com

(ON) Wed, Mar 15, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

COG GTA East Monthly Meet & Greet second Wednesday. We'll meet at Royal Oak Pub, 617 Victoria St. W., Whitby, ON from 6:30 - 8:30 for a casual get-together of COG members and like minded riders. All are welcome.

DAVE PERKINS 416.691.2191 perkins43@rogers.com

(MA) Sat, Mar 25, 12:30PM

Spring Meet & Greet Social

Please join us for a meet and greet social at the Wamesit Lanes, 434 Main St (route 38), Tewksbury, MA 01876. We will have lunch at the Firewater Tavern. We have reserved seating, so please register at least a few days before the event so we can give the venue an accurate count.

KEVIN MARTIN cog145@comcast.org

(ON) Tues, Apr 11, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

See March 14th for details.

(ON) Wed, Apr 12, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See March 15 for details.

(MA) Sat, Apr 15, 9:00AM

Coastal Lunch Ride

Starting at a Dunkin at 788 Boston Rd. (route 119) in Groton, MA, we’ll head for the coat with a stop at Ray’s Seafood Restaurant, 1677 Ocean Blvc, Rye, NH, for lunch and end at the Mobile-On-The-Run in Tewksbury. This 120 mile ride has beautiful ocean views and great food. GPS files are available here: https:// concours.org/EventArchive/#283 Please register so we know how many to expect.

KEVIN MARTIN cog145@comcast.org

(CT) Sat, Apr 15, 12:30PM

Forget About It RTE

We will meet at Rozzi's, 265 Watertown Rd, Thomaston, CT 06787 . A long time eatery that serves breakfast all day if that is your style. Please register so we can get an accurate headcount.

GREG MITCHELL gmitchell04@snet.net

(MA) Sat, May 1, 8:00AM

Quabbin Resevoir Ride

Starting at Johnson's Restaurant,164 Boston Rd., Groton, MA 01450 we will be riding to the Quabbin with a stop for lunch in Belchertown at McCarthy’s Pub. This is a 177 mile ride expected to take 5 1/2 hours (not including stops).

KEVIN MARTIN cog145@comcast.org

(ON) Tues, May 9, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

See March 14th for details.

(ON) Wed, May 10, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See March 15 for details.

(CT) Sat, May 13, 12:30PM

Pre-Mother’s Day RTE

Let's celebrate our Mothers. Where would we be without them. Saddle up, bring along a Mother, and head to Willimantic Brewing Company, 967 Main St, Willimantic, CT 06226 . Heck, I'll pick up the tab for any "certified" Mother. GREG MITCHELL gmitchell04@snet.net

(MD) Thu - Sun, May 18 - 21 Spring Fling in the Queen City

Please see all the details on page 8.

(WV) Fri - Sun, May 26 - 28 Memorial Day Weekend Ride

Join us for an unstructured weekend of Fun! The Quality Inn - New River, 103 Elliott's Way, Fayetteville, WV 25840 ,is located smack dab in the middle of some great riding! The motel has a pool, Bar & Restaurant onsite and a Dairy Queen next door! Book your room online or call. No block held.

https://www.qualityinnnewrivergorge.com/en/ This event is open to Concours Owners Group member and non-members and is not an official event of COG. JASON KAPLITZ gsjay@kaplitz.com

(NH) Thu - Sat, Jun 1-3

White Mountains National Forest Weekend

Join Kevin Martin for 3 days of fun riding in the White Mountains. We’ll be staying at the Golden Gables Inn, 1814 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH 03860 . The rooms are exceptionally clean, the complex is very well kept, and the rates are reasonable for the area. I thought the Gables Inn would be a nice place to host a weekend ride in the White Mountains. Thursday & Friday (June 1 & 2) are available, according to their Booking Website, and offer their lowest weekend rates. If attendees decide to room share with friends, depending on room type, you could potentially share a room for less than $100 per night, a bargain for this area. They also offer a 10% discount for AAA and AARP Members. Book rooms at 888.422.5346 or https://goldengablesinn.com/ KEVIN MARTIN cog145@comcast.org

(NH) Sat, Jun 1, 8:00AM

White Mountains National Forest Ride

Meet Kevin Martin for a day of riding up into the White Mountains, ending the ride at the Golden Gables Inn in Conway NH. Ride will start at 8AM at Johnson's Restaurant and Dairy Bar, 164 Boston Rd, Groton, MA 01450 GPS routes will be available. You are on your own to make your way home if not staying for the weekend.

KEVIN MARTIN cog145@comcast.org

(OR) Mon - Fri, Jun 12 - 16

Coasts, Craters & Curves National Rally

Hidden in the lush green south west coastal mountains of Oregon, Canyonville is a quaint little town surrounded by amazing roads, stunning scenery and bucket list attractions. The mild June climate, an average high of 78° with low humidity, is perfect for all the fun outdoor activities, like motorcycle riding. With both lodging and camping options near each other, and a free shuttle to move between them, it's easy to gather up your friends and riding buddies for food, riding and adventures. See the link below for all the details

https://concours.org/national/2023-Rally

(ON) Tues, Jun 13, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

See March 14th for details.

(ON) Wed, Jun 14, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See March 15 for details.

(MA) Sat, Jun 24, 7:30AM

Ludlow VT Lunch Ride

Join Kevin Martin for a ride up into Southern Vermont, stopping for lunch in Ludlow. After lunch we’ll return via scenic Rte 100 and follow into West Dover where we’ll meander through Newfane and Dummerston. We’ll be crossing over the W. Dummerston Covered Bridge, riding toward Brattleboro and Rte 9 East. Once back into New Hampshire, we’ll be stopping for a break at Kimball Farms before ending the ride in Groton MA at Dunkins on Rte 119 & 225. Ride starts at 7:30 am from Johnson’s Restaurant, Rt-119 Groton MA, is about 242 miles and 7 hours long not including stops.

KEVIN MARTIN cog145@comcast.org

(ON) Tues, Jul 11, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

See March 14th for details.

(ON) Wed, Jul 12, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See March 15 for details.

(WV) Thu - Sun, Aug 17 - 20

Dog Days of Summer

Come join us for the annual Dog Days of Summer weekend in Marlinton, WV. Pocahontas County is the mountain playground of West Virginia offering some of the best motorcycle riding

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in the state! You'll enjoy the cool mountain air and the scenery!www.pocahontascountywv.com We will once again be staying at the Marlinton Motor Inn, 21507 Seneca Trail, Marlinton, WV 24954 http://marlintonmotorinn.com/ You must call the motel directly and ask for the Concours Owners Group group rate. Phone: 304.799.4711. Limited food onsite, pool, & bar. GPS files for the area are available for download at https://concours.org/EventArchive/#136

JASON KAPLITZ gsjay@kaplitz.com

The Concours Owners Group would like to invite you to the 2023 "Coasts, Craters and Curves" national rally in Canyonville, Oregon June 12 - 16.

Hidden in the lush green southwest coastal mountains of Oregon, Canyonville is a quaint little town surrounded by amazing roads, stunning scenery, and bucket-list attractions. The mild June climate, an average high of 78° with low humidity, is perfect for all the fun outdoor activities like motorcycle riding. With both lodging and camping options near each other, and a free shuttle to move between them, it's easy to gather up your friends and riding buddies for food, riding, and adventures.

You can register for the rally and book your rooms now. Visit the rally web pages for complete details: www.concours.org/national/2023-Rally

photo courtesy Kevin Martin #145

Spring Fling!

Spring Fling in the Queen City

May 18-21, 2023

With a desire for new adventures, I’m glad to announce that this year’s Spring Fling will be in Cumberland, MD.

Full event details and & online registration: https://concours.org/event-5065658

Located in western Maryland, Cumberland is away from all the traffic and congestion of the east side that some of you may be familiar with. You’ll be able to ride all the great roads north of Cumberland heading into Bedford, PA (home to past Flings). The Appalachian Alps of West Virginia are just a short ride south. If you must look at the map now, find Seneca Rocks, WV and then look for routes 250 or 33. Both run east to west and are by far two of the best in the region! Oh, don’t forget Historic Route 40. Don't worry, we'll have some nice example routes available for download as the event gets closer.

For those looking for a little history while at the Fling be sure to visit the Western MD. Railroad and the Allegany Museum. You might even want to book a train ride from Cumberland to Frostburg, MD or take the Potomac Eagle in Romney, WV.

As done in the past, we’re forgoing a Banquet giving folks the opportunity to eat where and when they want. Some suggestions would be, The Crabby Pig, Oscars, Ottaviani’s, and don’t forget Ice Cream at the Queen City Creamery! Here is a link to the regional tourism website.

We’ve secured lodging in the heart of town so that when you’re not riding you can easily explore the town.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Cumberland

21 Wineow St, Cumberland, MD 21502; phone: 301-722-0340

Special group rate: 139 USD per night (king or double queen) Book your room early as there are a limited number of rooms in our block. The last day to book a room at the group rate is Tuesday, April 18, 2023

If calling the hotel to book your room, mention Concours Owners Group to get rooms in our block at the discounted rate.

To make your reservations online, use the link below: Fairfield Inn and Suites Cumberland COG Group

If you need help making reservations, contact the hotel directly.

Jason, COG #32