March 2013 August 2008 Alamo City Wings - gwrra-txh. · PDF fileAlamo City Wings Volume 32 Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge! Issue 03 Chapter H Officers Chapter Director Bruce

August 2008

March 2013

Alamo City Wings

Volume 32 Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge! Issue 03

Chapter H Officers

Chapter Director Bruce MacMaster 520-3061 [email protected]

Assistant Chapter Director Vacant

Chapter Educator Vacant

Secretary/Treasurer Charles Fleming 682-1446 [email protected]

Membership Coordinator Phyllis Ellis 695-4320 [email protected]

Chapter H Staff

Web Master Dean Davis [email protected]

Newsletter Editor Kathy Vallejo 827-4446 [email protected]

Technical Advisor Len Ellis - 695-4320 [email protected]

Chapter Photographer Dean Davis [email protected]

Activity / Ride Coordinator

Charles Fleming 682-1446

[email protected]

* From the Chapter Director *

The weather is improving all the time and we are seeing

some of the best riding weather in south Texas. It looks like

we might get an early spring so take advantage of the mild

days and come riding with us. We had ten people on our last

lunch ride to Cooper’s BBQ and subsequent ride to see the

eagles. Both parents and youngsters were visible. See our

new website for pictures. Speaking of the new website, Dean

put a lot of work on our site so it can be viewed on many

different platforms, from mobile phones to pads to old desk

computers. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Thank you Dean for a job well done.

There are eight of us that are off to Key West a few

days after our meeting. We will also be going to Daytona

Bike Week for a day. Anyone who wants to join us is

welcome.

Our meeting will be March 6th, the first Wednesday of

the month. Join us at Logan’s Roadhouse about 6:30 for

dinner with the meeting starting at 7:30PM.

April starts the rally/convention season with the

Texas District Officer’s & Staff

District Directors .............................................. David & Christina Vidrine .......... 281-709-3904

Asst. District Directors. ..................................... Mike & Robin Thacker ................. 281-686-8892

District Educators .............................................. Ricky & Karen Frazier ................. 281-615-4386

District Treasurer ............................................... Diane Shults ................................. 713-562-3994

Membership Enhancement Coordinator ............ Steve & Billie Fleming .................. 832-630-2038

Asst. Membership Enhancement Coord. ........... Jim & Alvalin Woodul ................... 254-458-2079

Entertainment Coordinator. ............................... Kenny Shults ................................. 281-642-4619

District Couple of the Year…………………….Mike & Robin Thacker…………...281-686-8892

COY Coordinators……………………………..Jean & Dave Simmons……………325-382-4469

District Trainer ................................................. Open ..............................................

Vendor Coordinators ......................................... Kenny Schults ............................... 281-642-4619

Webmaster ......................................................... Tom Sprague ............................... 858-755-6071

Newsletter Editor………………………………Christina Vidrine………………….832-217-5432

Volume 32 Page 2 of 13 Issue 03

Region H rally starting on April 4th in

Marshall, Texas. Chapter O’s rally will

be on April 13th. We have a ride

scheduled up to Fredericksburg to

support them and to see the

bluebonnets. The Louisiana District rally

will begin on April 18. The Texas

District rally will be in May. Let

everyone know if you are going to any of

these rallies so a group can go together.

As they say, the more the merrier.

Since we have not been getting

many articles for the newsletter lately,

I am recycling one I wrote about the

first time I went to Daytona Bike Week.

You can find it somewhere in the

newsletter.

Ride Safe and Often

Bruce A. MacMaster,

Chapter Director

Rider Education

CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

By Robert Vaughan

When Harry Hurt at the

University of Southern California

(USC) did his famous study of

motorcycle accidents, he found that

though clothes may not make the

man they certainly help protect him.

Covering yourself with leather or

another thick material such as

Kevlar or Cordura can offer a very

high level of protection.

Cycle magazine tested materials

for their abrasion resistance. The

two types of tests Cycle did gave

similar results. If you weigh 75

pounds and have a body like a milk

crate then your wardrobe would fall

into three classes: Denim and

lightweight leather for a minimum

protection, Cordura Nylon and

Kevlar for five times the

protection, and competition weight

leather for twenty times the

protection.

If, on the other hand, you have a

tendency to sit on grinding wheels,

you can stay seated twice as long

wearing Cordura Nylon or Kevlar as

you can wearing Denim or thirteen

times as long wearing competition

weight leather.

Road rash isn’t the most serious

injury motorcyclists’ face, but it’s

certainly one of the most painful.

While you may not look like a milk

crate or sit on grinding wheels, you

should know that the better

materials do give you something for

your money besides a flatter

billfold.

As a rule, riders buy non-

specialized clothing such as denim

and then wear it for a very


specialized purpose. The best

material for abrasion-resistance

should combine a smooth texture in

a thick layer to promote sliding,

some rigidity to discourage

adhesion, a flexible internal

structure to stretch under

abrasion, and enough thickness to

withstand sustained abrasion. A

deficiency in even one element can

spell injury.

However, even the best

materials won’t prevent injury if the

garment is not well made and

properly fitted. And, even if those

criteria are met, if the garment

isn’t fastened, it can’t do its job of

keeping the rider unharmed.

It’s worthwhile to put as much

money into the clothes we wear as

we do into the accessories we put

on our bikes.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

This is March and on March 10th we

change back over to Daylight Savings

Time and on March 31st we celebrate

Easter this year. Isn’t it amazing that we

are already into Easter?

Hopefully, I will get an article and

some pictures from someone who is going

on the Florida trip for the next

newsletter. Should be a great trip!

If anyone has pictures that they want

to share I’ll be happy to do a section with

pictures.

Be Safe and Have Fun!

Kathy Vallejo

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A DIFFERENT VIEW, PART II OR,

I RODE MY BIKE TO TRAILER

WEEK

By Bruce A. MacMaster

I had never been to Bike Week, so I

decided to leave rainy, cold Norfolk,

and head to sunny, warm Daytona. I

should have known the weather

would not go as I had planned when

I had to postpone my departure

date because of rain along the East

Coast. “No big deal – one day; Bike

Week is a whole 10 days.” The bike

was packed with a light load, since I

was staying with friends and

relatives. No tent, sleeping bag,

etc., was required. A little leftover

rain cleared as I reached I-95. I

usually don’t travel on interstate

highways, but since this was winter

and I was going to Florida, I took

the quicker route. “Why is it not

getting any warmer the farther

south I travel?” I asked myself.

THE RIDE SOUTH

My first clue that this would

be a different type of rally came

before I reached I-95. I saw a car

pulling a trailer carrying a bike.

“It’s a small bike,” I figured, “so it

would be a difficult trip that far

for the two people in the car.” But

once I was on I-95, more and more

bikes were going south on trailers,

up to six on one trailer. They were

even in pickup trucks. The first

ones I saw were Harley-Davidsons.

“Okay, the only way they could

ensure their arrival at Bike Week

was to truck the bike down.” But

bike sizes ran the whole gamut from

small dirt bikes to full dressers.

I was feeling really smug

about how we Gold Wingers ride our

vehicles, while Harleys ride in their

owner’s vehicles. Then the

unthinkable happened – I passed a

Gold Wing being trailered. I

excused that owner, since he was in

a RV and could not drive both

vehicles. I hoped his wife was not

along, or surely one of them would

have driven the RV and the other


the Gold Wing. Unfortunately, this

was not the only Gold Wing being

trailered, and not all of them were

behind RV’s. I even saw trikes

being hauled. “Maybe they are

coming from snow country and are

not riding for safety reasons,” I

hoped.

I was halfway through North

Carolina before I saw another

motorcycle being ridden. I worried

that I somehow missed the

instructions on how to get your bike

to Bike Week. Once I was in

Florida (especially the closer I got

to Daytona), more and more bikes

were being ridden rather than

trailered. Also, more and more

groups of bikes were parked on the

side of the road with owners over

them with tools in hand. I won’t

mention any particular brand, but do

the initials HD ring any bells?

THE DAYTONA 500,000

Like other motorcycle rallies,

the police were out in force to

maintain order. However, unlike

rallies we have all heard about, they

were not hassling the bikers. In

fact, I saw them stop more four-

wheelers than two-wheelers, even

though there were more bikes than

cars on many of the roads. On

Sunday, Main Street in Daytona

Beach was closed to all but bikes.

On Tuesday, I walked the six-block

area of Main Street where the

activities were concentrated.

Parked bikes filled the sidewalk the

entire way, one foot apart. These

must have been the bikes that were

trailered, since they surely did not

look like they were ever ridden. Or

possibly they were cleaned by the

bike wash businesses that were set

up along Route A1A. From the looks

of the women running the bike

washes, a clean bike would not have

been the only incentive. How these

women, dressed in bikinis, managed

to wash bikes in temperatures that

did not go above 64 degrees was a

mystery to me.

THE GOLD WING RALLY

The Gold Wing rally was held

at a local mall that seemed void of

permanent tenants. This worked

just fine for the vendors, because

it gave them indoor room to display

their wares and to install all their

goodies. The local GWRRA group

manned a registration booth and a

secure parking area for the bikes.

They also provided self-guided


tours of the area. I rode the one

to Kennedy Space Center. Instead

of going all the way down US 1, Gold

Wingers were detoured through a

wildlife refuge. That was the best

part of the ride-very few vehicles

and lots of wildlife. Due to all the

rain Florida had recently, there was

standing water on the sides of most

roads. The one I traveled was no

exception; therefore, most of the

wildlife was waterfowl.

Along, a straight stretch I

saw a log in the oncoming lane.

There were no cars coming, so I did

not worry that one would swerve

into my lane to miss the log. As I

approached the log, it miraculously

turned into a four-foot long

alligator. I don’t know which one of

us was more startled, but we passed

each other without incident. When

I stopped and turned around to

take a picture, the gator was gone.

I looked in the water on both sides

of the road (from the safety of my

Gold Wing), but could not find it.

Since I knew how fast it

disappeared, I was not getting off

the bike for a closer look. As I said

before, bikers have to be wary of

different animals in different parts

of the country.

My nose found the orange

groves scent before my eyes saw it.

This was the first time I smelled

orange blossoms on this trip. I lived

in Tampa many years ago and always

loved the season of orange

blossoms. I resisted the urge to

pick from a tree, but I did buy some

oranges at a stand. There is

nothing like the sweet taste of a

tree-ripened orange.

THE OTHER BIKE RALLY

This was the first rally I have

attended where the predominant

bike was a Harley Davidson and

most of the activities were

directed toward the stereotypical

Harley owner. Events were held at

bars with free beer, loud music, lots

of food and beauty contests. I

could see why some people do not

want bike rallies in their town. The

noise these machines make is

something quite different from the

quiet humming Gold Wing. Riding

behind a group of Harleys is a

deafening experience. A normal

takeoff from a stop is like a trip to

the racetrack. Now I know why the

parties were so loud-everyone has

to yell because no one has hearing.


I also noticed a difference in

the vendor items for Harley owners:

they were more for the owners

(clothes, pins, badges, etc.) than for

the bikes. Vendors that did provide

accessories for bikes also carried

more repair parts than do the Gold

Wing vendors. Don’t get the wrong

impression-no one hassled me. I

saw no fights. I know the newer

Harleys are more reliable, and I

know some nice people who own

Harleys. It’s just that a Harley

owner is “different” from a Gold

Wing owner, which is not to say

that’s bad. This would be a pretty

dull world if we were all alike.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I left before Bike Week was

over because severe thunderstorms

were predicted for the closing

weekend and I did not want to

travel with all those trailers in bad

weather. Also, I had seen all I

wanted. I missed most of the rain,

but there were many trailers

sharing the road. Oh, well. Overall,

I enjoyed the experience, but I

don’t know if I would go again. If

you’ve never been, by all means go.

You cannot get the flavor of Bike

Week by reading about it. Also one

person’s dislike is another’s like.

When you read about how many

bikes attended Daytona Bike Week,

remember that they are not all in

Daytona. Activities are up and down

the Florida coast, so not all areas

are stop-and-go solid bikes.

Besides, getting your bike

washed might be worth the trip.

MR. GORSKY On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11lunar module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words after stepping on the moon, “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” were televised to earth and heard by millions. But just before he re-entered the Lander, he made the enigmatic remark – “Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky.” Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival soviet cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs. Over the years, many people

questioned Armstrong as to what the

“Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky’” statement


meant, but Armstrong always just

smiled.

On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay,

Florida, while answering questions

following a speech, a reporter brought

up the 26-year-old question about Mr.

Gorsky to Armstrong.

This time he finally responded

because Mr. Gorsky had died, so Neil

Armstrong felt he could now answer

the question. Here is the answer to

“who was Mr. Gorsky.”

In 1938, when he was a kid in a small

mid-western town, he was playing

baseball with a friend in the backyard.

His friend hit the ball, which landed in

his neighbor’s yard by their bedroom

window. His neighbors were Mr. and

Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to

pick up the ball, young Armstrong

heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr.

Gorsky,

“SEX! You want SEX?! You’ll get sex

when the kid next door walks on the

moon!”

It broke the place up. Neil

Armstrong’s family confirmed this is a

true story.

EASTER


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MARCH

BIRTHDAYS

Ida Flores………………Mar 9

Bill Stein……………….Mar 20

Jim Kenney…………….Mar 22

Dean Davis…………….Mar 24

r

Easter always falls between March 22nd

and April 25th.

Right from ancient times, the egg has been

regarded as a symbol of rebirth in most

cultures.

EASTER


Ride & Activity Schedule

Date Start End Event Description

03/02/13 08:30 14:00 Breakfast Ride - pick a place and go

03/06/13 18:30 20:30

Chapter Meeting/Gathering at Logan’s Road House on IH 10, Meet around 6:30 p.m. for

dinner, meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.

03/10/13 08:30 14:00 Ride to Utopia for breakfast at Lost Maples Café – Utopia, TX and then ride in the area…


03/24/13 10:00 15:00

LUNCH RIDE – DESTINATION TO BE DETERMINED===We will meet at 10:00am and go for

a ride in the hill country and make our way for lunch around 1 to 2pm.


04/03/13 18:30 20:30



04/04/13-

04/06/13

REGION H Convention – Marshall TX- April 4 to April 7- see Region website for more

information

04/07/13 08:00 14:00

Meet at Mimi’s at La Cantera and IH-10 West for breakfast. Meet at 8:00am for

breakfast, or show up at 9:00am just to ride.

04/13/13 08:00 17:00

Chapter “O” Austins-Bluebonnet Convention in Fredricksburg, TX – Annual Bluebonnet

Ride

04/18/13-

04/20/13 Louisiana District Convention – April 18 to 20 – Check their website for more information



05/01/13 18:30 20:30





5/16/13

TEXAS DISTRICT CONVENTION-MAY 16th

thru May 18th

-Check WWW.GWRRA-TX.ORG

web site for details

05/17/13


thru May 18th



05/18/13


thru May 18th



05/19/13 08:00 14:00

Breakfast Ride - pick a place and go For those who did not go to TEXAS DISTRICT

Convention

05/23/13

ARKANSAS DISTRICT CONVENTION-May 23rd

thru MAY 25th

– Check the www.argwrra.org


05/24/13


thru MAY 25th



05/25/13


thru MAY 25th



05/25/13 08:00 14:00

Meet at Bandera Café (Bandera Road) for breakfast. Meet at 8:00am for breakfast, or

show up at 9:00am just to ride.

05/27/13 MEMORIAL DAY



06/05/13 18:30 20:30




06/16/13 08:00 14:00

Meet at Mimi’s at La Cantera and IH-10 West for breakfast. Meet at 8:00am for

breakfast, or show up at 9:00am just to ride.



07/03/13

WING DING in Greenville, South Carolina – July 3rd

thru July 6th

– Check www.gwrra.org


07/04/13


thru July 6th



07/05/13


thru July 6th



07/06/13


thru July 6th




07/13/13 12:00 14:00

Chapter Meeting/Gathering at Logan’s Road House on IH 10, Meet around 12:00pm for

lunch, meeting starts at 1:00pm.


07/20/13 08:00 14:00 Ride to Utopia for breakfast at Lost Maples Café – Utopia, TX and then ride in the area…



08/07/13 18:30 20:30





08/25/13 08:00 14:00 Meet at El Chapparel – Helotes at 8:00am for breakfast, or at 9:00am just to ride.


09/02/13 LABOR DAY

09/04/13 18:30 20:30




09/13/13

KANSAS DISTRICT CONVENTION – Abilene,KS Sept 13th

thru Sept 15th

– Check their web

site for details

09/14/13


thru Sept 15th

– Check their web

site for details

09/15/13


thru Sept 15th

– Check their web

site for details


09/22/13 10:00 15:00




10/02/13 18:30 20:30



10/06/13 08:00 14:00 Going to Brick’s in Bandera, TX for breakfast, then ride afterwards.





11/03/13 08:30 14:00

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS – AT 2:00 AM- MOVE YOUR CLOCKS BACK going back to

8:30 am departure


11/06/13 18:30 120:30




11/17/13 10:00 15:00



11/21/13 THANKSGIVING DAY-TURKEY DAY



12/04/13 18:30 20:30






12/25/13 CHRISTMAS DAY…


01/01/14 10:00 15:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR….POLAR BEAR RIDE- Meet at 10:00am, and take a ride for Lunch in

the Hill Country

Note: Unless otherwise indicated all Chapter "H" rides start at the parking lot behind the

Exxon and Whataburger located at Bandera Rd. & 1604 (Northwest San Antonio.) Rides

are subject to change. Changes will be communicated via the website, Newsletter,

and/or e-mail.

Chapter Director 6419 Red Jacket Dr. San Antonio, TX 78238

Documents

March 2013 August 2008 Alamo City Wings - gwrra-txh. · PDF fileAlamo City Wings Volume 32 Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge! Issue 03 Chapter H Officers Chapter Director Bruce