HOG Tracks Newsletter. January / February 2013

Transcription

1 HOG Tracks Newsletter January / February 2013

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3 Winter Greetings to all of our Mother Road HOG Members! I hope everyone has enjoyed the recent holidays, and is off to a great start on the New Year! Also, the recent LOH Holiday Party was a perfect way to bring 2012 to a close. We had record attendance and everyone had a lot of fun. Our thanks to all the ladies who worked so hard to make this a big success. Well, we have definitely now moved into the much cooler weather. We are fortunate here in Arizona to have year round riding weather, while many riders in the rest of the country must winterize their bikes, put them away, and watch motorcycle videos until Spring. Here we can just change our riding gear, layer up, and we re ready to go. Although this cuts down on our ride destination options to the north, we still have plenty of favorite rides available to us in the south and west. Check out Dale s ride schedule for the 1 st. Half, which includes rides to a Lake Havasu Balloon Festival, Quartzite Car & Mineral Show, Death Valley overnighter, and much more. (Not to mention our annual New Years Day Brunch at the Avi thanks, Gina) As always, please let us know any ideas or feedback you may have. Remember.it s your Chapter. I look forward to seeing you all at the many upcoming rides and events in the New Year. Let s Ride Safe, Stay Warm, and Have Fun out there! Joe With the new year now here, we are fast approaching the annual election of new Chapter Officers for The (4) Primary Officer positions will be determined thru election, and all Discretionary Officers will be appointed based on interest in the position. We encourage all members to take an active interest in Chapter operations by serving as a Chapter Officer, and have a lot of fun along the way. Just contact Dale Webb or myself and let us know the position you are interested in, or drop it in the HOG box at MRHD. All submissions should be in by the end of January. Elections will be in February and results will be announced in March. The 2013 Officers group will take over effective April, Joe 3

4 WIN - A gift card to Mother Road if you can tell us where this photo was taken. All entries must be in by the first Friday in January Send entries to Sean Martin at silverstreak5426@yahoo.com Dan Weaver was last months winner of the $25 gift card. Merry Christmas to All! The Ladies of Harley have had a very busy month! This month marked our first annual Christmas Party which was very well attended. Thanks to the hard work of our designing women, the party on December 7 th was a resounding success. We enjoyed music, dining, dancing and great fun at the Kingman Elks Club on December 7th. The Elks club provided a nice buffet dinner that we ate at beautifully decorated tables with a variety of music and sound system provided by Terry Kelly. A cash bar was open for those who wished to enjoy a holiday cocktail and we ate and talked, laughed and enjoyed the evening. We started our good time with a moment of silence for those lost on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor with a very spirited and patriotic song by Madison Rising, a selection from their patriotic song album provided by Dale and Gina Webb. After dinner, we had a lot of laughs as Dan Weaver took to the stage as our auctioneer and with our own Zola as his Vanna White, sold a variety of gifts and interesting crafts to those attending. The bidding got spirited as some members really got into the idea of out bidding each other and the final proceeds allowed our group to donate a total of $700 to a local no-kill animal shelter, For the Luv of Paws. On Saturday, December 15 th we happily delivered the check to Cherie, owner of the shelter and she was very, very grateful for our donation. As she said, You have no idea how much this will help our animal shelter. In addition, members who brought a donation of food for animals and people gave Cherie those donations of dog and cat food for her animals. Our Christmas is complete and our hearts are full! A special shout out goes to Bunnie Weaver for creating the beautiful table decorations and to both she and Gina and Dale for getting everything all set up. The room was so beautiful and festive! A table was set up to display the auction items and it drew many comments and plans to purchase later at the auction. After all the auction items were sold, the dancing began and it was impressive to see some of the high steppers doing the Electric Slide with Dale Webb leading. They made it look so easy and so fun! This party was a fun event and is sure to be an annual tradition for our group as we were encouraged by the great attendance and fun that we all enjoyed. Another shout out goes to Gretchen of Mother Road Harley for setting up a giving tree for needy kids at the dealership. Many of the LOH women as well as customers picked names off of the tree and provided gifts for children to have a merry Christmas. LOH will have our meetings each month at Mother Road Harley Davidson dealership on the same day as the general HOG membership/bbq which is the second Saturday of the month. We can always use more women in our group and if you are interested in joining us, we meet at 1 pm in the break room after the BBQ. We have plans for more events throughout the year and so we can use more help. Many hands make light work, so if you can, come join our happy group! Our next meeting is January 12 th at 1pm. See you there! From all of us in LOH to all of you Have a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year. Ride safely and have fun! Pam Kelly 4

5 Clint Goodwin Well, I got my first bike, A Road King Classic about four years ago. My wife and I ride whenever we can and Mother Road is a frequent stop for us and for friends. We come up often for the BBQ Saturday event. I just retired this year, and prior to that time, I was traveling to Kingman for work. I had to complete an assignment over the course of a month. During the lunch break, I would stop by and say hello to Gene and friends at the dealership. It was during the lunch break that a beautiful, Sedona Orange Street Glide caught my eye. I always thought I would like a Street Glide, but that color kept pulling me back. During the next three weeks, I stopped by to see that bike oh, I mean Gene, during lunch. It really stuck in my mind. The next month s BBQ was on our agenda, and I showed my wife the bike when we got there. She could see how much I really liked that bike and actually said see what you can get for yours. She didn t have to repeat that! The BBQ was over and we left that day with 2 hamburgers, a hot dog, and a 2011 Sedona Orange Street Glide! I have since customized the bike with black mirrors, handlebars, forks etc. It is a lot of fun and we laugh every time we attend one of the BBQ s. My wife says, only a burger this month, Clint! Shaun Goodwin My bike is a 2009 FXDB, Street Bob. I have to say, I LOVE my bike. I didn t start off with this bike. In fact it is my first real motorcycle. My journey began when gas prices were soaring and I thought that it would be more economical to ride a scooter. I bought a Yamaha Vino, 125. It was my first experience on two wheels! I guess you could say I took to it like a duck to water! I put 2,500 miles on it the first three months! Any excuse to ride it would do. I noticed that I was smiling ear to ear whenever I was riding and that feeling was magic... BUT with a one gallon tank and 50 MPH top speed, I couldn t get further than the city limits. SO I asked my husband if he would ever consider getting a motorcycle. I was really surprised when he said, Yes! I ve always wanted one. No sooner were those words out of his mouth, than we were at Mother Road. Gene helped us try the bikes out for size, fit, comfort and educated us each week for about two months! (Thanks Gene!) The first bike I tried on was the FXDB. Love at first SIT! I kept coming back to it, but I knew I wanted the flat black. I love it because it is so lean and ready to roll! It has that minimalist street appeal. I then met the parts department and I have personalized my bike over the past three (going on four) years that I have had it! (Thanks guys!) I wanted to keep the lean, dark look, but face it I do love some BLING! When Harley came out with the Diamond Ice collection, they were talking to me! 5

6 Joe Melichar Director & Road Captain Regina Webb Secretary Dale Webb Asst. Director / Activities & Road Captain egs2003@frontiernet.net Terry Kelly Treasurer tkelly754@frontiernet.net Patrick Lilly Head Road Captain hhvvyfuel40@yahoo.com Charles Black Safety Officer cj@divewithchuck.com Rudy Blum Photographer rudster71@aol.com Sean Martin Editor silverstreak5426@yahoo.com Pam Kelly Ladies of Harley tkelly754@frontiernet.net Frank Musumeci Historian fmoose@citilink.net Charles Shores Membership chaz1@citlink.net Mike Rabe Webmaster mikerabe66@gmail.com 6

7 Kingman Name Home Cell Patrick Lilly Rudy Blum Dale Webb Charles Shores Rick Patton Dan Weaver Charles Black Gretchen Graber Kenny Imthurn Chuck Leslie Lake Havasu Mike Rabe Bullhead City / Laughlin Joe Melichar Terry Kelly Pam Kelly Bob Goble Golden Valley Mike Celsi

8 This is the first in a series of personal history interviews that will appear in alternating newsletters. NAME: Tony Campbell Tony is the General manager & chief cook and bottle-washer of Mother Road Harley-Davidson, as well as the Dealership Representative for H.O.G. Chapter Tony is wearing many hats for Mother Road now. Q. We are in the middle of the Christmas Season as we finish up with this personal history interview. I m sure that you are thankful this Holiday Season for all of the usual things, family, friends, and work, and all that goes with that. In regards to Harley-Davidson and the motorcycles business in general and Mother Road in particular, can you give the chapter members any news that as motorcycle enthusiasts we can be thankful for? A. H-D is in a financially strong position. As a Brand we sell over half the street motorcycles of 651cc and above. While other companies in the industry are sitting idle without much R & D, H-D is aggressively moving forward with new models and motors. I think we can look forward to many years of exciting new bikes. Q. You told me that you were born in the mid-west, St. Paul, Minn. and that you moved to Mesa, AZ with your family as a child. You also mentioned that you have been ridding bikes and ATCs since you were nine years old. Most of us who enjoy the sport have had early experiences with bikes as well. Can you identify the attraction, the allure, that riding motorcycles has for most of us? A. I think the ease of ownership and gaining experience are key. In my former life of BOATS, it really was a hassle to enjoy the sport. Loading the boat, trailering, launching, and parking, all before you get to enjoy it. RVs are similar. Both of those recreations are great once you get through the work, but with motorcycles, especially street or cruiser bikes, you start enjoying the activity as soon as the garage door opens. Then there is the freedom & serenity of riding and the social matter of rallies. Whatever you prefer. Q. You said that your first H-D bike was a 2003 FXDWG, for us non-professionals that is a DYNA Wide-Glide correct? A. It is. I actually won it in a raffle. Q. Was there something about that bike that makes it memorable as your first Harley? A. It was a 100-year anniversary model and that is always cool. Q. You said that the first long ride that you made was to Milwaukee for the 100th. H-D Anniversary, and that it was a memorable experience. I have a friend who will be riding his Ultra Classic west this summer, from Virginia to Washington. Washington will be the last of the fifty states for him to set foot and bike in; he has even ridden to the Artic Circle! Do you have a ride in mind; I guess a Bucket List kind of ride that you are someday going to make? A. I would like to do a Four Corners Ride, hitting the four corners of the US. I think it would be great to have the time to just take off, not knowing how far each day will be with no obligations to be anywhere at any given time. Those retired people have it made! Q. I found it interesting that your response to what is your most memorable H-D motorcycle experience, is NOT the, cruising down a two lane blacktop with the wind in my face, type of answer, but that in your professional position you have been able to assist people in getting into motorcycling. Another satisfying aspect that you mentioned is watching new riders transition from inexperienced to becoming comfortable, more skilled motorcyclists. Job Satisfaction is a powerful incentive. Would you say that witnessing the transition that you mentioned, as well as seeing many people progress from a Sportster to a Road King, as I did, gives you that job satisfaction? A. Absolutely. I enjoy riding, but with the limited time I have off, I usually hit the off-road side more, chasing my dogs in the mountains. When I get to ride the street it s usually short day rides so I try to relax on those rides, avoiding schedules. Q. One last question maybe two. From your lofty perch as an industry professional what do you see as the coming trends in the sport? A. I think emission control is our biggest hurdle on the performance side, so we will see a focus on getting motors to run more efficiently. I also think we need to really focus on where we will find new riders. We need to make it easy to start riding. H-D is working on that with the Riders Edge Training program and smaller, lighter bikes. Q. I m not a fan of the so-called Crotch-Rocket bikes, but they are a very popular kind of ride. Do you think that H-D will attempt to build this style of bike again, and put the Harley-Davidson signature on it? A. Well we tried that twice The Buell brand and MV Agusta were both owned & released by Harley recently. I think that they have figured out that we need to stick with what we are good at, building the best cruisers in the world. Tony, I would like to thank you for taking the time to chat and answer the questions that I put to you. I m also sure that the members of H.O.G. Chapter 1061 will also appreciate it. 8

9 January 2013 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 Knees in the Breeze Hog Meeting Balloon Festival & Fair Lake Havasu Lunch at Hooch s in Golden Shores February 2013 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 Quartzite Mineral and Car Show Hog meeting Valentine s Day weekend - LOH Event Havasu Landing Lunch Helmet Required