NE2023 - Issue 2

COGnitions:

Ramblings from the Northeast Area Director

Greetings COG Northeast

Hopefully many of you were able to take advantage of the mild winter we had and got some day rides in. I did, only a few times; other commitments conflicted with many nice weather weekends. I kept the monthly weekend CT Meet & Greet dates open and hoped to ride to them. The day of the late January CT Meet & Greet the weather was okay, but I had to take the truck to run errands right after lunch. It snowed on the day of the February CT Meet & Greet, and again no bike. I don’t remember why, but John and I ended up drive to the March CT BBQ M&G too.

I was determined to ride to the April meet & greet. The forecasted rain was supposed to hold off until after 3pm, and it was sunny and comfortable when I left home. Only Mitch and I showed up at the restaurant (great choice BTW). When it was time to depart, we noticed it was getting darker and the weather app radar showed the storm would be reaching us in 9 min or so. The storm was moving in south to north, and I was headed south. We geared up and headed out. I made it about halfway to home before running into the fringe of the storm, and as I continued it only got worse. Heavy rain and lightning forced me to take refuge in the local community college parking garage. After waiting for the worst of the storm to pass I headed home, still in the rain. You know what they say - A bad day of riding is still better than a good day at work.

Several of the Northeast perennial events already have been submitted to the event calendar. Kevin has a 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. Look at the listing in this newsletter or go to the online event calendar – it is the most up to date source. Although not on the COG calendar, John Purdy and I will be instructing an Experienced Ridercourse in Waterbury CT on June 17. Find out more about this at the college website: nv.edu/motorcycle

Don’t forget about NORTHEAST SPRING FLING RALLY coming up soon on the weekend of May 18-21 at Fairfield Inn & Suites in Cumberland, Maryland. Our room block there expired and is full, however there is alternate lodging a

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!

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James Roberge

Hal Reid

Bill Hammerash

William Hammer

Joe Gross

Derry, NH 13837

Lindsay, ON 13838

Ellicott City, MD 13846

Selkirk, NY 13858

Latrobe, PA 13866

Paul Cho Wilmington, DE 13867

few blocks away at a Ramada Inn, and there may still be rooms available. The online event calendar page lists the event information. Rallies like this is a great opportunity to meet many COG members over a few days. If you’ve never been to a club event, please come out to join us. If you're coming to stop by for a day, remember that most folks are out riding and do not return to the hotel until mid to late afternoon.

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 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 getting started or with planning and promoting your event, contact me or your local AAD.

This is your newsletter. Please consider taking photos whenever at a club activity and submitting them to our editor. You may also submit a ride report or story from your participation at a COG activity or even a non-COG motorcycle trip . If you have suggestions on how we can improve the newsletter (or any other COG related things), email your thoughts to me.

As a reminder, there is an archive of recent newsletters available in the COG Library. Access it by going to the club main website: www.concours.org and navigating to Resources > Library. An archive of newsletters going back to 2001 is available at: issuu.com/cognortheast

That’s all for now.

Steven Smith #3184 AD Area Director Naugatuck, CT 203-720-7575 nead@cog-online.org

Maryann Geiser #4627A

Around the NORTHEAST

News from your Assistant Area Directors Metro NY,

NJ

Greetings COGgers and happy Spring! Can't wait for the Fling in just over 2 weeks, I really need the break. Things have been tough on the home front for the past 2 months. Not much riding at all. Hopefully things will settle down soon. See you all on the road (I hope!).

Terry

MA/VT/NH/ME

Hello New England Coggers. As you read this, we’ve completed our Spring Social held at the Wamesit Lanes in Tewksbury MA, and our Coastal lunch Ride at one of my favorite seafood restaurants called Ray’s Seafood on coastal route 1A overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The Spring Meet & Greet Social was held on Saturday March 25th at the Wamesit Firewater Tavern & Sports Bar. Member attendance for this local event was very good with the following people attending;

Maryann & Wayne Geiser (Maryann is our Northeast Newsletter Editor)

Pat and Sherry Mulloy

Bill and Barbara King

Jim and Kris Gavin

Mark Williams

Richard Salkind

Lyle Cooper, our COG Membership Officer

Myself and my Wife, Amy.

I don’t recall anyone riding to this event as it was still a cold damp March day. This was our first time at the Wamesit for a Club Social, and even though we had a large table reserved for us away from the bar area, the

Tavern is a very large open room with the bar centered in the room with seating in the open areas. As a result, the room was busy and loud especially due to a scheduled Boston Bruins hockey game on the big screens, so we weren’t able to spend time talking about upcoming COG events like I had planned. The Bruins played well though! It was great seeing everyone.

On Saturday April 15, I met a group of riders at Dunkin’s in Groton MA for a scenic ride through southern New Hampshire, stopping on coast road Route 1A at Ray’s Seafood in Rye NH. That Saturday started out a cold day in the middle 40’s, then warming up into the 70’s in the afternoon. Quite a temperature swing on a day ride. Most of us started the day out with heated gear, then ended the day at Johnson’s Dairy eating ice cream in the

warm sun after storing our heated gear for the ride home…….all except Bill, he wears his heated gear all summer long, Lol. Ride participants were;

Bob Petit

Dave Fazzuoli

Jim Gavin

Rich Salkind

Bill and Barb King

John McQuade

Lyle Cooper

On a final note, if anybody has an idea on a good day or overnight ride, let me know and I’ll help you plan the event and get it posted on the COG event calendar. See you on the next ride!

Kevin

Terry Faherty #792

Kevin Martin #145

Concours Owners Group NORTHEASTAREANEWS

CT/RI

Well, the winter flew by. Mild in terms of both temperature and frozen precipitation. I was able to hike in the woods without the encumbrance of snow for a good part of the winter. Same as the trails, the clear roads allowed folks to ride at least part of every month over the winter. Our largest storm up in the Litchfield Hills was near the end of winter in March. We had about 18” of heavy, wet snow that decimated trees, toppling entire trees or snapping their trunks, leaders, and branches. However, the snow was localized and other areas not too far away escaped pretty much unscathed.

Before that, we had a lunch get together in February at Maggie McFly’s in Glastonbury, CT. It was actually flurrying snow so the five of us all caged it. Meal was decent and it was good to see some familiar faces as well as to meet someone new. Also, we had another Ride-to-Eat just a week or so ago in Thomaston, CT. Steve Smith and I rode the bikes. I think the forecasted rain dampened the attendance of others. I made it home after lunch with just a few sprinkles. Not so for Steve.

All that is in the rear-view mirror as May, one of my favorite months, has just arrived. A third Ride-to-Eat is on the calendar for May 13. This one is in Willimantic, CT. These events are a great opportunity to meet new folks, compare notes on bikes and riding, and generally just chew the fat for a couple hours. More will be scheduled throughout the riding season and beyond. Come on out and attend one (or more) of them.

May is also time for the Spring Fling Rally. This year’s version takes place in Cumberland, MD. A great central location with excellent riding “up the road” in PA and “down the road” in WV. Not to mention western MD itself. So pick a state(s) for a day’s adventure - you can’t go wrong. Unfortunately, due to a family commitment, I won’t be able to attend. There’s already ~40 signed up and still time to join the party and partake in some great rides.

Speaking of parties, the big event for me (and I’m sure others) in 2023 is attending the National Rally on the west Coast in Oregon. This will be my 2nd cross country road trip.

The first one was over 40-years ago on a Yamaha 650 Maxim. Now doing it with a bike 2X the cc displacement and almost 3X the rider age displacement. There are several more COGgers from the Northeast attending. And more from further south. In reviewing the attendees list, there will be a lot of long distance riders making their way to OR in early June. In preparation (and overdue), winter farkle projects were modest: brake light modulator, louder horn and a TPMS (external sensor). As a result of this sabbatical, I’m not posting/hosting any additional rides until return in early July. I’ll get some events on the calendar then.

Ok, that’s a wrap for me until next time. Spring riding in the Northeast is fantastic. Enjoy!

Ride Safe,

Mitch Atlantic Canada

Hello from the Atlantic region of Canada! It's been a pretty quiet spring for me so far.

It was nice to see The Motorcycle Powersport Atlantic show back again this year on March 03-05. The show had a 2

year hiatus, I didn't think it would ever return. Although it's seemed smaller than normal since some dealers were missing, it was really well attended.

My first ride this year on my trusty 2014 C14 aka Candy was on April 04 which is a tad later than usual. The weather has been quite weird here in April, we had some warm days about mid-month and it's been drier than normal. Now the weather is back to normal with a lot of rain in the next week.

The Annual Bike Blessing in Truro is on Saturday May 06. I'm not sure if I can attend but it's a good good way to start the season so let's hope the weather will cooperate.

The rest of the season is up in the air for me so we'll see what happens. I encourage anyone to create an event on the COG website, It's an easy process but I can help if needed.

Ride Safe!

Claude aka MotorcycleClaude

Greg Mitchell #8852

Claude Doucet #9011

Greater Toronto

Hello to our fellow COGnicenti, from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and much of southern Ontario. It seems Spring has indeed been thrust upon us with the weather steadily improving to seasonal norms.

We did have a spate of very mild temps earlier in April that coincided with our monthly meetings. Both were very well attended with about half the attendees arriving on their bikes. We announced at the meetings that our annual Tech Day would be held on Saturday, May 6, by Pete Jackson at his home in Trenton, Ont., about 100 miles/160 klicks east of Toronto. Pete and his wife Deb have hosted the event for about 6 years (excluding Covid) and we all look forward to getting together whether to work on our bikes in Pete’s spacious garage or simply to assist and socialize. It is a great way to get the riding season underway with lots of technical expertise available. See the COG calendar for details. For our US brothers and sisters, it is a bit of a hike with the nearest border crossing at Ivy Lea/Hill Island but there are some hotels in the area if you plan to stay overnight. Nonetheless, come on out if you can.

Spring Fling is fast approaching and there are five of us from the GTA planning to attend. It is a relatively easy day ride from Toronto. I’ve done a lot of riding in southern PA and most of WV, but very little in Maryland. I look forward to what the state has to offer. See you there.

A few of us will be going to the National in June. A couple are riding out to make a swing through the western states. I’ll be flying to Vancouver and riding down on a borrowed bike with some friends from the lower mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. This is a trip we had planned for some time but Covid in 2021 and conflicting schedules last year put the kibosh on getting together. The COG National gave us something to shoot for and we are planning to put in an appearance for a day or two. From prior trips to Washington and Oregon we know what is on offer and we have never been disappointed. Locally, Pete Bokkers hopes to organize a ride in late June to Alexandria Bay, NY, on the St. Lawrence River. A bunch of us

attended the Fall Rally there before Covid descended on the World and it was a great weekend. As soon as details are available, I’ll post it to the calendar. Bob Ferguson, who lives in Muskoka, about two hours north of Toronto, wants to organize weekend ride in the area at some point in the summer or early autumn. I hope this can be pulled together as the area offers excellent riding and accommodation. Details to be posted to the calendar as they come together.

Which is all I have for this time. Be careful out there as sand and salt might still be on the roads and are a significant hazard for motorcyclists.

E-gards!

Dave

S. Central PA/MD

If you live in the southernmost states in the northeast area, you experienced no winter whiteness. Most every week during the winter was ridable. While great, it does lessen the effect since there's nothing quite like taking your motorcycle out for a ride in the early spring. Here are just a few reasons why riding motorcycle is so great during this time of year:

After a long, cold winter, spring is a time of renewal and growth. The trees are budding, flowers are blooming, and the air is fresh and crisp. Riding a motorcycle through the countryside during this time of year allows you to fully experience the beauty of spring and all its glory. It’s your jump start on the riding season and a chance to Improve your skills. The roads are often less crowded, and the weather conditions can be challenging with cold mornings. The challenges can help you become a better rider. Riding this time of the year, keep a lookout for farm vehicles as they tend to their fields.

Being a COG member is a great way to connect with other riders who share your passion for motorcycles. Whether you're riding with friends or joining a group of riders for a spring ride, the camaraderie and shared experiences make riding even more enjoyable. So, if you're looking for a way to embrace the arrival of spring and enjoy the thrill of the open road, there's no better time to take your motorcycle out for a ride. Happy

E. Hudson Valley NY

Well… the summer is over, or so it would seem. I guess perspective is everything as we leave the perpetually sunny 80 degree days of NE coastal Florida to welcome the dawning of a chilly Spring in the Hudson Valley. In a few days we will be heading north to spend the next 4 months or so in our idyllic NE region. We have been in FL since October and have weathered two hurricanes among other things. We are looking forward to picking up where we left off, and reconnecting with friends and family that we’ve missed. We’ve had a few visitors -including some COG related friends- but having ready access to friends and family is something to look forward to.

I can’t say that riding down here is challenging in the classic sense. It is different, but not in a bad way. The luxury of being able to ride on two wheels at any time is a blessing regardless of location. There is something to be said for zipping along the coast with the surf a few feet off your port or starboard side (depending on your direction), while racing pelicans flying in formation, and you can feel the salt spray on your face. There are also many country roads if we escape our barrier island enclave and venture inland. Additionally, the fact that one is riding in February wearing mesh gear, and not dodging ice and snow has its charms. Also, we’ve been dual-sporting on very low displacement scramblers (see picture below) searching for dirt roads and lesser travelled paths in the seemingly endless supply of accessible state forests around here.

We’ve attended a few SE Area meet and greets, and were pleased to meet some new friendly folks, and connect with some people that we’ve met previously over the almost 20 years we’ve been a part of COG. The SE region has been nothing but welcoming, and we even by chance had to step in and help to host a ride-to-eat event. There are people down here really trying admirably to keep events on the calendar. I am happy that there are still people willing to step up and arrange

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Dave Perkins #5932

Steve Rutter #9715

Steve Cerutti #6763

RIDES & EVENTS

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

(MA) Sat, May 6, 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) Sat, May 6, 8:00AM

COG GTA & GTA East Tech Day

Pete Jackson is hosting his annual Tech Session at his home at 28 Dorthy Drive in Trenton, Ontario. Pete has a spacious shop with room for four bikes at a time. He has a compressor and a great selection of tools BUT he asks that you bring your own if possible. Please plan to bring your bike and get it ready for the riding season. Lunch and water/soft drinks will be supplied around noon. A donation is requested to defray expenses. Please register on the web site so we know how many to expect.

PETE JACKSON 416.254.6322 pj.ecotec@gmail.com

(ON) Tues, May 9, 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, May 10, 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

(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 May 9th for details.

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

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See May 10 for details.

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

Ludlow VT Lunch Ride

Join Kevin Martin for a ride into Southern Vermont, stopping for lunch in Ludlow. After lunch we’ll return via scenic Rte 100 and into West Dover where we’ll meander through Newfane and Dummerston. We’ll cross over the W. Dummerston Covered Bridge, riding toward Brattleboro and Rte 9 East. Back into NH, 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 May 9th for details.

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

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See May 10th for details.

(ON) Tues, Aug 8, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

See May 9th for details.

(ON) Wed, Aug 9, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See May 10th for details.

(WV) Thu - Sun, Aug 17 - 20

Dog Days of Summer

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 in the state! You'll enjoy the cool mountain air and the scenery!www.pocahontascountywv.com

We will be staying at the Marlinton Motor Inn, 21507 Seneca Trail, Marlinton, WV 24954 http://marlintonmotorinn.com/ Call the motel directly and ask for the COG 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

(OH) Sat-Mon, Sep 2-4, 6:30PM

Labor Day Weekend Ride

Join us for an unstructured weekend of riding and fun. The Lafayette Hotel, 101 Front St, Marietta, OH puts us right in downtown with lots of options for food, drink, and shopping. Rooms are held under "Johnstown Motorcycle Club." Call 740.373.5522 to get the group rate. This event is open to COG members and non-members and is not an official event.

JASON KAPLITZ gsjay@kaplitz.com

(ON) Tues, Sep 12, 6:30PM

COG GTA Meet & Greet

See May 9th for details.

(ON) Wed, Sep 13, 6:30PM

COG GTA East Meet & Greet

See May 10th for details.

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events so that members can get out and do the things that are at the heart of what our club was designed around – camaraderie and riding…and food.

The NE calendar seems to be filling up. I can’t wait to host a ride-to-eat. I’ve got my eye on a unique BBQ restaurant in the Catskills. The Spring Fling rally will be here before we know it, and I look forward to finding out what we have in store for the Fall Rally – which I understand is still in the planning stages. See you on the road.

Ride Safe, Steve C.

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