Gold Wing Road Riders Association

Transcription

1 Gold Wing Road Riders Association Chapter AB-A A (Calgary) Newsletter October, 2013 Wing Wag FALL COLOUR Text By Gord & Brenda Stevenson B renda and I have been back into motorcycles since 2007 after the typical 20 year hiatus raising kids. Since then we have been doing about 16,000 kms per year; typically a combination of a long trip, a few long weekends, and some commuting to/from work. This year I changed jobs, and had to ration vacation days so a long trip wasn't in the cards. We decided to plan some long weekends instead. What a blast! This won't be a typical trip report. I just thought there may be some value in sharing a few highlights. Trip #1: May long weekend. The BC club holds a Victoria Days rally in Salmon Arm BC. We attended last year with Jim and Dorothy, and this year with Jim & Dorothy and Eric & Gilles. Aside from a nice ride with some nice people, we have really enjoyed the early start to the riding season. It makes us feel like we had a good long season even with the inevitable weekend rainouts in June. Gilles has already done a very good review of the trip this year in an earlier publication. Trip #2: A coworker from Enbridge (my new gig) somehow was convinced to upgrade his ride from a 3 year old pristine Cruiser (5000 km and never been in the rain...clearly unacceptable) to a new Gold Wing. The Wing was purchased through the dealer in Kalispell, so of course a trip was in order to pick it up. Mark (yes, new Calgary GWRRA member) convinced his son to drive him down on the Wednesday, and I rode down to meet him on Friday the day the Calgary flood started. Then two things hap- (Continued on page 2) Coming Events What s Inside Oct 21 Nov 11 Nov 30 Jan 13 Oct Monthly Meeting (Changed date due to Thanksgiving) Nov Monthly Meeting Christmas Party (No December Meeting) Jan Monthly Meeting How We Spent Our Summer-con t 2 How We Spent Our Summer-con t 3 News & Notices... 4 Meetings Information... 4 Classifieds... 5 Calgary Area Team Listing... 5 August Meeting... 6 Christmas Party... 7 Article Update: Safety Alert... 8

2 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 2 (Continued from page 1) pened: his paperwork was held up causing him to be unable to cross the border for a few more days, and the Calgary downtown was closed so there was no point in me rushing home. Well, Mark's new Wing needed to be broken in so we visited Missoula, Lewiston, Sandpoint, and back to Kalispell before heading home. Highway 12 from Missoula to Lewiston (through Lolo) was particularly fun, as was the Thompson Pass in Idaho. Mark had a couple of thousand miles on the new Wing, bugs all over it, and a smile that wouldn't quit. Just don't ask him about installing CBs. Trip #3: Mark (on his new Wing), and Brenda and I spent the Canada Day long weekend doing the Revelstoke, Creston, Sandpoint, Kalispell, Calgary loop. BC's roads south of Revelstoke (Nakusp/Kaslo) on the way to Creston are always fun. And we found a new gem, the Yaak Loop between Sandpoint and Kalispell on the west side of lake Koocanusa. Here is a route description of the Yaak Loop from Montana/The-Yaak--Lake-Koocanusa.html. All I can say is "do it". From Hwy 2 (east of Bonners Ferry, ID or West of Troy, MT) is FS rd 508, Yaak River Rd., it is well marked and you can only head North on this road. Head north on the main road to Yaak, MT. Once in Yaak, continue straight ahead and follow the signs that keep you on FS rd 92 - stay on the pavement and you'll be fine. (There are a few short cut roads that are gravel but it's easy to take a wrong turn and go many miles in the wrong direction). You will begin to climb over the pass and then descend to Lake Koocanusa. At the bottom of the hill you will have your choice to go left across the bridge and right onto Hwy 37 or stay to your right on Libby Dam/Yaak rd. FS 92/FS 228 (can one road have so many names) head generally south and you'll find Libby, MT. Trip #4: Friday to Jasper; Saturday through Grande Cache and Grande Prairie to Whitecourt; and home on Sunday. I always wanted to know what was up around Grand Cache/ Grand Prairie and now I know. It was a pretty good ride, although it was a long day. Trip #5: Region J Rally in Westlock. The roads in that area are not exciting, but it was fun anyway. We took a day trip up to see Slave Lake, which has very nicely recovered from the major fire a few years ago very impressive! And then we did the Stars Poker Run that had been organized as part of the Rally. That was fun. Just don't order a grilled cheese sandwich at the restaurant in Smoky Lake! Otherwise it's all good. Trip #6: Jim and Dorothy led us on a fun filled trip through BC. Revelstoke, Vernon, Creston, and home. We never tire of the beautiful roads in BC. Twisties, twisties, twisties. One minor little problem, and this brings me to our Safety Moment. After 1600 kms of torturing our bikes, we were almost home before Our bike developed a vibration while heading north on the Deerfoot. Hummm...better check the tires when we get home. It got worse, and worse. Ok, better pull it over now would be good. When I put the bike up on the center stand and had a look underneath, I was shocked to see that 4 of the 5 studs holding the back wheel on had broken off and were gone! Rescue Plus was kind enough to summon a tow truck, and after the club meeting ended, the cavalry (Ron and Carol, Jim and Dorothy) arrived to do the diagnosis. After getting a lecture from Ron about the merits of torque wrenches it was decided that the bike needed a replacement final drive and rear wheel. Fortunately those are the parts replaced when bikes are modified into trikes, and we found some take-off parts in Alberta, Brenda drove up to Edmonton to pick them up. She points out that it was way past Edmonton and makes jokes about picking us up grilled cheese sandwiches in Smoky Lake. What a good wife. Ron installed the final drive before the weekend! How good is (Continued on page 3)

3 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 3 (Continued from page 2) that! Thanks Ron! I already had the tool to reprogram the TPMS sensors, and we were back in business. BTW, the tool to program TPMS sensors is available if you have a Wing and need to change a wheel or the order of the sensors. Good thing the bike was fixed quickly because a day trip with the Enbridge IT Security Team was on the schedule for the following weekend, and Mark and I needed to teach them how to group ride. It was easier than you would think. There were a variety of bad boy bikes, but security guys are smart and secretly like discipline. Trip #7: Jim and Dorothy joined Brenda and I on a Labour Day long weekend trip. I will be a little more explicit about the route because it incorporates things learn from other trips and really worked out well. Leaving after work on Friday, we travelled to Kalispell through Cardston, St. Mary, and Browning. We chose to avoid the Going to the Sun Road because it was approaching dusk as we reached St. Mary and we thought it would be better to use that route on the way back. Normally we do take the GTS road so I had forgotten how fun the alternative route is. There is a nice stretch of sweepers and hills south of St. Mary that are a blast. I could do without Browning, but the rest of the trip through East Glacier, Essex, and West Glacier is a really nice ride. If we do it again, we will avoid Browning and take the short cut on Hwy 49 direct to East Glacier. We did that road years ago and it was quite spectacular. We stayed at the Super 8 in Kalispell, on the GWRRA discount of course. We used that hotel several times this summer and it has been good. For future reference, Calgary to Kalispell is hours without any dilly-dallying, plus any stops so it s aggressive if leaving after work but making that effort sets you up nicely for the rest of the weekend. On Saturday, we did the Yaak loop, only in the reverse direction starting at Libby Montana. East on Hwy 37, north on NFD 228, north/west/north/east/west/south/yada/ who-really-knows on NFD 92, up over the pass, and down the other side to Yaak. Yaak is not on the map, but apparently it used to have a post office. I guess nobody did the paperwork to get it listed as a hamlet, but there are two bars across the road from each other. From there the road gets better and is variously called the Yaak River Road, and eventually highway 508, which rejoins highway 2...and then you carry on northwest to Sandpoint. At Sandpoint we stayed at the Howard Johnson, another reliable place with the GWRRA discount. Very cost effective. On Sunday, we took highway 200 southeast to Thompson Falls, a really nice ride of about 90 minutes along the river. After topping up, we turned west and did the Thompson Pass (up and over, with twisties and sweepers), a road that Mark and I discovered on Trip #2. It is 30 miles of fun ending at Murray Idaho, where there is a great little destination restaurant/bar called the Bedroom Goldmine Bar. Yes, it used to be someone's home until the owner decided to dig a Goldmine in his bedroom. The main shaft is still there at the back of the bar, covered by a glass floor so you can see down into it. They serve fantastic pizza. Note to self: they open the restaurant at 11am Idaho time (noon Montana time) and not a minute before. Thirty miles back up and over and we were back to Thompson Falls. Highway 28 then took us northeast to Flathead Lake just south of Kalispell and back to the Super 8. Monday we did the Going to the Sun Road, and returned to Calgary. Overall, the trip was about 1800 km and a lot of fun. If you like to ride this is a pretty good route. That might be it for the year. Maybe one more? We will see. By the way, Ron I bought that torque wrench and checked your work. You tightened the lug nuts correctly. WW

4 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 4 Mexican West Coast: Anyone interested in riding the west coast of Mexico between December 29 th and January 18 th please contact me (Jim Bleaney) by at shaw.ca or by telephone at my cell number Greeting Cards: If you know of any member, their spouse, or immediate family who would appreciate receiving a greeting card from our Chapter please contact Judy Istvan, address nucleus.com. Judy will arrange to send the appropriate card on behalf of the Calgary Chapter. Veterans Food Bank: Please remember the men and women who committed themselves to ensure the freedoms that all Canadians enjoy every day of our lives. Bring your non-perishable food items or monetary contributions to the Monthly Chapter Meetings and help support the Veteran's Food Bank. Thank you to all who choose to support this worthwhile cause. WW DAY/DATE MEETING SCHEDULE October October Monthly Meeting (changed due to Thanksgiving) November November Monthly Meeting Monthly Meetings Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month. This is a time to share information and to meet old and new friends who like to ride together for FUN, Safety and Knowledge. See you at the next meeting at the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. 6:30; Meeting at 7:00 PM. November Christmas Party Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge Come ride with us...everyone Welcome! For the latest updates on what we are doing and where we re going, check out our website: Rain, snow, or shine, we meet for breakfast every Sunday morning about 9 AM. This is a great year round way to stay in touch with your GWRRA friends. So, if you have missed the opportunity to join us for breakfast recently, why don t you come on over to the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E.

5 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 5 Classified Ads The Classified ads are free to all members and associates of the GWRRA. While advertised items do not have to be Gold Wing related, we do insist that all ads pertain to motorcycling. Ads will appear on a space available basis for one month. Should you wish to continue to run your ad for a second or succeeding month, you must resubmit or renew your ad. Deadline for submission is the 25th of the month preceding publication. To post an ad or if the item is sold or the offer withdrawn, please contact Lisa Miller at: goldwing calgary.com CALGARY AREA STAFF Chapter Director Ron Syroishka (403) Chapter goldwing calgary.com Assistant Gary & Susan Premech (403) Chapter Directors assistant chapter goldwing calgary.com Quartermaster Barry Lammle (403) goldwing calgary.com Newsletter Editor Lisa Miller (403) goldwing calgary.com Treasurer Eric Roberts (403) goldwing calgary.com Ride Coordinator Vacant (???)???-???? ride goldwing calgary.com Rider Educator Kim Coubrough (403) rider goldwing calgary.com Rider Course Terry Burrill (403) Instructor goldwing calgary.com Special Events??? (???)???-???? Coordinator goldwing calgary.com Webmaster Bill Haggerty (250) goldwing calgary.com Membership Tracy Boyda (403) Enhancement goldwing calgary.com Coordinator GWRRA TOLL FREE NUMBER (CANADA & US) NATIONAL LEADERS Executive Director Jere & Linda Goodman (???)???-???? Asst Natl Director Rider Ed Milt Sorensen (403) Region J Directors John & Leslie Waite (604) District Directors Vacant NOTE: addresses in this publication are displayed in a manner that will deter automatic address harvesting programs. This step is taken to reduce unsolicited to any addresses we post. We regret any inconvenience caused for our legitimate visitors. REMOVE ALL THE SPACES IN THE ADDRESS TO MAKE IT WORK.

6 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 6 Gary Axelson earned his Levels 2 patch and it was presented to him by Kim Coubrough our chapter s Rider Educator Darcy Leslie earned his Levels 2 patch and it was presented to him by Kim Coubrough our chapter s Rider Educator September 50/50 Winner Janine Tremblay

7 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 7 Our annual Christmas Party is coming up! Saturday, November 30, 2013 at the Austrian Canadian Club Street NE Doors open at 5:30 Buffet Dinner at 6:30 Dancing to Follow $40.00/person Cash Bar Tickets will be available at the October 21 st and November 11 th Monthly Meetings, and are also available by calling Gary Premech Ph or Ron Syroishka Ph

8 Wing Wag October, 2013 Page 8 This Article has been reprinted from the GWRRA Web Site at the Request of Kim Coubrough, Rider Educator for GWRRA Calgary Chapter AB-A We have received a number of questions about the October 2013 Wing World Trike Tracks article specifically on page 53. The author who is not a Rider Educator, not a GWRRA Trike Riding Course Instructor, and not a participant in the Rider Ed Program claims that trikes can swerve at highway speeds while simultaneously braking. Hard braking mixed with a yank on the handlebars can spell disaster on a two-wheeler. A rider can brake hard or swerve, but not at the same time. Trikes are different. Because you can put force into a turn without leaning the bike, a trike is much more capable of maneuvering around sudden road danger. Do not assume that the author intended the reader to believe that a Trike Rider could simultaneously apply hard braking and yank the handlebars in a swerve at highway speeds. If you try this your life will be in grave danger! It is NOT safe to swerve and brake at the same time. For those who believe a trike won t roll over, think about the national campaigns warning of SUVs doing so in the past. They were heavier and had a wider wheel base than a trike. We have seen it happen in one of our classes in 2013 when a student failed to follow their training and braked while swerving at low parking lot speeds (~25 mph). A swerve is a measure taken when other defensive techniques and options have failed. A swerve is NOT a turn. Please DO NOT attempt applying brakes during a swerve. You can apply brakes immediately before or after a swerve. Just separate them. We teach in our GWRRA classroom portion of the Trike Rider Course (TRC), as well as all of our other Riding Courses, that you should Never swerve and brake at the same time!. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Evergreen Safety Council also teach trike training with similar advice. If all of the available traction (there are many dynamic factors involved) is being used to prevent the vehicle s tires from sliding sideways in the swerve, any application of the brakes during this swerve could exceed the total traction available and the tires could lose their grip. The result could be as forgiving as a slide, and as catastrophic as a high side accident where the trike ejects the rider (and co-rider) as it rolls over. The likelihood increases if the factors are greater: higher speed, greater amount and speed of the swerve, poor road conditions, less experience and training for the rider, solid axle vs. independent suspension, ride height (conversion dependent center of gravity), loading, etc. For those who may have been successful doing this in the past, recognize you were not at the traction limit in your swerve when you applied some braking. It will not be successful with a hard swerve and hard braking. The laws of physics involved do not discriminate based on luck, experience, or the number of accident-free miles ridden. Understanding the limits of the Trike, the environment and the Rider and staying within them is the key to reducing the inherent risk involved in our chosen pastime. Take a Riding Course to learn about the risks and practice avoiding them under the watchful eyes of a trained instructor in a controlled environment in the near future!