GOLD WING ROAD RIDERS ASSOCIATION MINNESOTA DISTRICT REGION E AMERICA S HEARTLAND CHAPTER R NEWS Monthly Newsletter

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1 GOLD WING ROAD RIDERS ASSOCIATION MINNESOTA DISTRICT REGION E AMERICA S HEARTLAND CHAPTER R NEWS Monthly Newsletter September 2017 Chapter R Team Directors Robin Pettit & Fred Rennpferd Robin Fred robin.pettit01@gmail.com Assistant Director Vicki Holst turncrest@kmtel.com Rider Education Dean Plank cdplank@yahoo.com Motorist Awareness & Asssistant Directors Ricky & Bonnie Johnson johnkren4fun@hotmail.com Membership Enchancement Wade & Carolyn Nelson kc0aku@msn.com Treasurer Al Horejsi achorejsi@live.com Sunshine Coordinator Barb Beeman bbbeeman@charter.net Historian Ed & Karen Sharpsteen efsharp9@hotmail.com Socials are held at the Pizza Ranch in Austin, MN, on the third Saturday of the month beginning at 6:00 pm for the months February-July, September & October. January Social at Dick & Barb Ochs home. August BS Session New Richland City Hall, New Richland, MN 11:00 am November Chili Dump/Calendar Planning Dick & Barb Ochs home 3:00 pm December Christmas Party Owatonna Hy-Vee Club House 12:00 pm From your Chapter R Directors Robin Pettit & Fred Rennpferd Hello Chapter R Friends, If you haven t heard, Wing Ding 40 will be held in Knoxville, TN on August 29 through September 1, The International Couple of the Year are Randy & Kathy Reese from Region H (Texas District). Congratulations to them and thank you to Bob & Renee Hicks for representing Region E during the Couple of the Year selection process. Also, John Henry (Chapter Q) and Amy Peterson (Chapter O) carried the North Dakota and Minnesota flags at the Wing Ding opening. There is a group of Chapter R friends leaving for the Black Hills this weekend for a fun-filled week of riding. Safe travels to all of you and remember to take pictures! On Saturday, September 16 th is Chapter G s Chilly Chili get together. Registrations and donuts start at 9:00 and their group ride leaves at 10:00. At noon, their chili feed begins followed by games and drawings. Last year, Chapter R won all of their 50/50 drawings! Their event will be held at Lakewood Hills Park in White Bear Lake. Their flyer is later in this newsletter. - Continued on Page 2 Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge

2 - Continued from Page 1 Then Saturday evening is the September Social at the Pizza Ranch in Austin starting at 6:00 pm. Please join us! Dean Plank is leading Chapter N on a rescheduled ride to the Ronald McDonald House on Sunday, September 17 th. If you would like to go along, you can either meet Dean at the Kwik Trip in Rochester (3531 9th St NW) near Hwy 14 & West Circle Drive at 9:15 or at the Kwik Trip in Zumbrota (100 Jefferson Dr) at 10:00. If you collect pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, this would be a good time to deliver them. Saturday, September 23 rd is breakfast at Olivia s in Owatonna. Plan to meet there at 9:30. Maybe it will be a nice day and we can go for a ride after. Is there a volunteer to lead it? Please let us know. Finally, Saturday, September 30 th is Marek s annual dessert potluck at their home in Wabasha. Bring a dessert to share and Joe & Jan do all the rest. I m sure they will need a head count so they know how much food to prepare. We ll pass around a sign-up sheet at the September Social. The days are getting shorter, the temperature is a little cooler and old man winter will be here before we know it. Be sure to get as much riding in while you still can and be careful for the farmers when fall harvest starts. Robin & Fred Chapter Directors GWRRA Anniversaries Blaine Benson Brenda Benson September 01, 1998 September 01, 1998 September 02 September 15 September 17 September 20 September 27 September 28 September 29 September 29 Dean Kittleson Carol Bremseth Peggy Espey Darlene Jensen Bonnie Johnson Brian Denny Barb Beeman Butch Espey Martin & Darlene Jensen Gale & Carmen Heidecker Ed & Karen Sharpsteen Bruce & Barb Beeman Tom & Kathy Scheid Butch & Peggy Espey September 05 September 06 September 06 September 07 September 08 September 18 Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 2

3 GWRRA Directors Ray & Sandy Garris Jere & Sherry Goodman MN District Directors Joe & Jan Marek From your Chapter R Educator Dean Plank Recently I had a friend come to me and ask me what I thought about a motorcycle purchase. So I decided to ask some questions. What type of bike were they thinking about buying? And how experienced they were as a rider? I found out that yes, they had ridden, but only dirt bikes and the largest they had ever had ridden was 250CC. Plus, it had been almost 25 years since they had rode. He told me he was actually thinking about buying a full dress either a Harley or Goldwing. The cold reality is that motorcyclists are 30 times more likely to die in a crash than people in a car, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). And nearly half of all motorcycle deaths are the result of single-vehicle crashes. So I did some research and came up with nine things to consider when buying your first motorcycle or even if you hadn t ridden in a while. 1. Don t buy more bike than you can handle. I told my friend you haven t ridden in a while. Bikes today with the fuel injection (even the smaller one) are more powerful and faster than the motorcycles were years ago. When shopping for a bike, start with one that fits you, i.e. when seated you should be able to easily be able to rest with both feet flat on the ground (not on your tiptoes). Handlebars and controls should be within easy reach. If buying a bike with a center stand, choose a model that you can get easily on and off the center stand. If it feels too heavy, then it probably is. 2. Invest in anti-lock brakes. Now available on a wide array of models, anti-lock brakes are a proven lifesaver. No matter what kind of rider you are, ABS can brake better than you, says Bruce Biondo of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Safety Program. The reason is simple: Locking up the brakes in a panic robs the rider of any steering control. This can lead to a skid or crash, which could result in an injury. ABS helps you retain steering control during an emergency stop. 3. Hone your skills. As Honda s Jon Seidel puts it, There is nothing we could say or advise more than to go find a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) riding course in your area. That s critical, absolutely critical. Being part of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, we can also get an Experience Riders course, a Trike Riding Course, plus several seminars to help us learn to be better riders. Most single bike accidents are inexperienced rider trying to maneuver corners faster than they are capable of doing. 4. Use your head. Yes, helmets are an emotional topic. A full-face helmet, approved by the Department of Transportation, is the best choice. Modern helmets are strong, light weight, and comfortable, and they cut down on wind noise and fatigue. Keep in mind that helmets deteriorate over time, and may not be safe even if they look fine. The Snell Memorial Foundation, an independent helmet testing and standards-setting organization, recommends replacing a helmet every five years, or sooner if it's been damaged or has been in a crash. If you enroll in the levels program of Rider Education in GWRRA helmets are strongly encouraged. 5. Wear the right gear. Jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals are recipes for a painful disaster on a bike. Instead, you want gear that will protect you from wind chill, flying bugs and debris, and, yes, lots of road rash if you should slide out. For maximum protection, go for a leather or other reinforced jacket, gloves, full pants, and over-the-ankle footwear, even in summer. Specially designed jackets with rugged padding and breathable mesh material provide protection as well as ventilation for riding in warm weather. 6. Be defensive. A recent study found that in collisions involving cars and motorcycles, the driver of the car was at fault 60% of the time. So you need to be extra alert, especially in the age of cell phones and texting behind the wheel. The best way to explain this is have your head on a swivel, don t continuously look forward. When I ride, I am constantly checking my rearview mirrors and looking side to side. Another good practice is to not tailgate. If you are too close behind a car and especially a semi, you may not have time to avoid a road hazard that the car or semi can straddle. - Continued on Page 4 Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 3

4 - Continued from Page 3 7. Avoid bad weather. Slippery conditions reduce your margin of error. Rain not only cuts your visibility but also reduces your tires grip of the road, which can make cornering difficult. Remember the most dangerous time to ride in the rain is right when the rain starts, as the rain can causes the oil residue to rise to the top, making the roads surface very slippery. I know we cannot always avoid riding in the rain, but a good practice is to slow your speed. When riding in strong winds, be proactive anticipating the potential push from the side by moving to the side of the lane the wind is coming from to give you some leeway in the lane should a gust nudge you. 8. Watch for road hazards. Motorcycle tires have less contact with the pavement than a car. So sand, leaves, or even pebbles can cause a bike to slide unexpectedly easily resulting in a spill. Bumps and potholes that you hardly notice in a car can pose a threat to motorcycle. If you cannot avoid them, slow down as much as possible. Another road hazard on a motorcycle are railroad tracks. They should be approached as close to a right angle to reduce the chances of a skid. 9. Last but not least CHECK your bike. Before each ride, do a walk around, complete your T- CLOCS, checking your lights, controls, horn, and making sure tires are inflated to the correct pressures. Dean Plank Chapter Educator GWRRA MN Chapter R Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 4

5 From your Chapter R Motor Awareness Coordinators Bonnie & Ricky Johnson SEE MOTORCYCLES When motorcycles and other vehicles collide, it is usually the other (non-motorcycle) driver who violates the motorcyclist s right-of-way. There is a continuing need to help other motorists think motorcycles and to educate motorcyclists to be aware of this problem. WHERE WE ARE Several factors combine to cause drivers of other vehicles to overlook motorcyclists and subsequently violate their right-of-way: *Motorcycles are a small component of the total traffic mix. Therefore, their visual recognition is reduced. *Motorcycles appear out of nowhere and motorists aren t watching for them. *Motorcycles are smaller visual target and are more likely to be obscured. *Automobiles have blind spots and can hide motorcycles. *Research shows drivers who also ride motorcycles and those with family members or close friends who ride are more likely to observe motorcyclists and less likely to collide with them. Motorist need to mentally train themselves to see motorcycles. *Precipitation, glare, and cargo can further impair a driver s view and obscure motorcyclists. *Distractions have become a real problem too. *Light patterns can make it more difficult to identify motorcyclists in traffic. WHERE WE WANT TO BE Motorists should be aware of motorcycles and take special care to identify and acknowledge their presence. Motorists should avoid distractions and compensate for visual obstructions. Motorcyclists should compensate for unaware motorists by increasing their conspicuity, lane position, riding with headlights on during daytime and wearing brightly colored and retro-reflective protective apparel. Both drivers and motorcyclists need to become more aware of the visibility problem. Educating drivers to become more aware of motorcycles and to consistently consider their presence. Getting drivers to consider the possible presence of motorcycles and the need to look for motorcyclists, situations where motorcycles may be obscured. I have several different brochures that you can hand out to your friends and relatives to educate them on seeing motorcycles. If you are willing to speak to a driver education class, mature driver programs, or other community organizations, please let me know. I really liked these ideas for places we could educate and promote motorists awareness of motorcyclists to the public - billboards, visitor centers, media, motor vehicle departments, bill statements, banks, grocery stores, gas pumps, etc., where there are captive audiences. I plan to contact the national Motorists Awareness Coordinators and see if we have posters already made or if I need to create one. Information for this article came from MSF Motorcycle Safety Foundation Website. LOOK TWICE! BE SAFE! Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 5

6 Upcoming Chapter R Events September 7 Roy s Supper Ride to Buckley s Bar & Grill in Walter s, MN. Leave Albert Lea Hy-Vee at 5:30 pm September 9 15 Black Hills Trip September 16 September 16 September 17 September 23 September 30 October 1 October 7 October 11 October 14 October 21 October 21 October 26 October 31 November 4 Chapter G Chilly Chili Run - see flyer below for times September Social - Austin Pizza Ranch 6:00 pm Chapter N Ronald McDonald ride - more details later Breakfast at Olivia s in Owatonna. Meet there at 9:30 am. Marek Dessert Potluck - Wabasha, MN at Noon Dean s Fall Leaf ride - leave Rochester Mill s Fleet Farm at 9:30 am COY/IOY Day Camp Dick s Supper Ride to TB3 s in Freeborn. Meet there at 6:00 pm Ricky s Fall Leaf Ride - leave Stewartville Kwik Trip at 8:30 MN/ND Fall Ops Meeting October Social - Austin Pizza Ranch 6:00 pm Robin s Supper Ride to Jake s Pizza in Wells. Meet there at 6:00 pm Happy Halloween Mystery Supper - party room at Carol Smith s condo in Albert Lea Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 6

7 2009 Honda Gold Wing Blue Metallic Heated seats and grips $12,500 OBO Contact Ben Kluender Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 7

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10 BACK TO OUR ROOTS IOWA DISTRICT RALLY SEPTEMBER 29 & 30, 2017 MCGRATH POWERSPORTS 4645 CENTER POINT RD NE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA MOTELS AVAILABLE: COMFORT INN & SUITES 2025 WERNER AVE. NE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA ROOMS ARE BLOCKED UNDER HONDA GOLDWING $99.99 PLUS TAX MARRIOTT 1200 COLLINS RD NE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA ROOMS ARE BLOCKED UNDER GOLDWING ROAD RIDERS ASSOCIATION $94.00 PLUS TAX RESIDENCE INN 1900 DODGE ROAD NE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA $ PLUS TAX COUNTRY INN & SUITES 4444 CZECH LANE NE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA ROOMS ARE BLOCKED UNDER GWRRA IOWA $99.99 PLUS TAX Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge 10