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GWRRA National
President Emeritus
Anita Alkire
Directors
Jere & Sherry Goodman
Rider Education Directors
Bob & Althea Berry
Member Enhancement Directors
Larry & Penny Anthony
Director Training
Clara & Fred Boldt
Deputy Directors
Bob & Nancy Shrader
SC District
Directors
John & Karen Higgins
Assistant District Directors
Jon & Donna Horning
Melissa Timbs
COY & MFA Coordinator
Webmaster
Dave Timbs
Membership Enhancement
Coordinators
Jean & Rich Kitko
District Treasurer
Mary & Mike Coral
Senior District Educator &
Member Enhancement
Social Director
Jean & Rich Kitko
District University Coordinators
Don & Rhonda Weed
District Couple Of The Year
Dan & Veronica Gilbert
District Ambassadors
Buddy & Kim Summer
The Official Publication of the GWRRA Tri County Wings, Charleston, South Carolina ................................. January 2020
TRI COUNTY WINGS TRI COUNTY WINGS
Gold Wing Road Riders Association
Gold Wing Road Riders Association
South Carolina District
CHAPTER “SC-G”
BERKELEY • CHARLESTON • DORCHESTER
The “G” Force! Friends for Fun, Safety and
Knowledge
NEXT CHAPTER GATHERING January 4th
Meet and Eat at 8:30 AM Gathering at 9:00 AM
Golden Corral Buffet & Grill 4968 Centre Pointe Drive,
North Charleston, SC
Chapter “G” Officer Team
Chapter Directors
Kevin & Becky Thornton
Assistant Directors
George & Gloria Servant
508-868-7217
Chapter Treasurer
Anita Fender
843-478-0989
Chapter Ride Coordinator
Vacant
Membership Enhancement
Coordinators
Sherri and Mike Pawlak
2019 Couple of the Year
Sherri and Mike Pawlak
2019 Individual of the Year
Anita Fender
Chapter “G” Support Team
Activity Coordinator
Anita Fender
Goodie Shoppe
Gloria Servant
Newsletter Editor
George Servant
Webmaster
Mike Melton
Web Editor
Inside this Edition:
Article____________________ Page Chapter Director ......................... 2 Christmas Parade Pics .................. 3 Assistant CD ................................. 4 Rider Ed ........................................ 5 Tech Tip of the Month ................ 6-7 Recipe of the Month ...................... 8 What’s Happening This Month...... 9 Calendars .............................. 10-11 Birthdays & Anniversaries .......... 12
Chapter Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/
groups/262035834162728/
Chapter Website:
http://gwrra-sc-g.org
2
From our Chapter Directors
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a nice Christmas. Our Christmas Party was a success. We
raised close $850 dollars for 180 Place. The manager at Sticky Fingers was so
impressed of the work that we had done to raise the money that he took 10% off
our bill and donated it to 180 Place.
With the New Year means new beginnings. Please check newsletter and calendar
carefully, for meets and eats as some restaurants have closed. We are also looking
at changing the location of the gathering, so if anyone has a suggestion of where
we might have please let us know. Until then we will still be meeting at our usual
place.
George and Gloria have been passing a survey around to see what ideas we can
get for the chapter. As soon as we get the results in, we will be sharing them with
the chapter.
We encourage everyone to come to the team meeting. We would love to have
your input on ideas for the chapter. We will be meeting at Perkins in Summerville
at 4pm. The first Sunday of the month.
Until the next one. Ride Safe, Ride Often, Ride Free.
Kevin & Becky Thornton
Chapter Directors (Pending Paperwork)
Kevin and Becky Thornton 843-425-8900
3
A big Thank You to Kevin and Becky for all their planning, organizing and
hard work to give us all another successful Christmas Party this year!
4
Assistant Chapter Directors
George & Gloria Servant George - 508-868-7217
Gloria - 508-345-5228
email - [email protected]
Assistant Chapter Directors
George & Gloria Servant George - 508-868-7217
Gloria - 508-345-5228
email - [email protected]
A Letter to the Editor Oh yes, that’s me. Every month for the past three years, I have done my best to submit
the next month’s newsletter about a week or more before the next month begins, even from our
road trips across the country. In theory, this should allow for pertinent information to be
received by our members prior to the next Chapter Gathering and all the other events in the
upcoming month.
The process goes like this: we used to set a deadline around the 15th of the month for
submissions to me to allow sufficient time to put it all together. A few months ago, we stopped
setting a deadline as no one submitted anything on time anyway, and then only after a reminder
or two from me a few days later. More recently it has become increasingly more challenging to
put the newsletter together on time because of the lack of cooperation.
Once the next issue is finished on my part, it is submitted to Mike Melton in order to add items
only he can access to wrap it up (future calendars, Birthdays & Anniversaries, etc.), reformat it
from Publisher, add the final copy to the chapter website and email to an extensive mailing list.
For whatever reason, this takes several days to a week to accomplish.
So here it is, December 27th and all I have so far is Rich Kitco’s monthly District Educator
article, which was sent on the 23rd. I have nothing from our Chapter Directors, nothing from
Mike on a tech tip (if that was intended), nothing from a Ride Coordinator, no pictures of our
Christmas Party, no Recipe, no January Birthdays & Anniversaries, no February calendar, you
get the idea. While I fully realize that people have lives outside the Chapter, like work,
sickness, family & holidays, we have a full month to do this.
To make matters even more frustrating, in the past 12 months, I have heard from only four
people commenting on anything in our newsletters and two of those were from other chapters.
On the other hand, I have received over a dozen phone calls asking for information that was
already in the current newsletter, most times in more than once place. In the past year, we have
already eliminated several features including Member Interviews, For Sale, the Goodie Shop,
etc., due to lack of interest.
That leads me to ask the following questions “Does anyone even read the newsletters?” and
“Why do we produce a newsletter anyway?” Maybe the time has come to move to a different
format. Perhaps sending more frequent gmails or texts makes more sense in the future.
In conclusion, I suggest that unless there happens to be some level of interest and increased
cooperation in the future, I regretfully submit this will be my last newsletter. Thanks for
listening to anyone who may actually read this.
Submitted by
George & Gloria Servant
5
District Rider Educator Rich Kitco
6 Ernie Court
Irmo, SC 29063
843-240-3392
A Safe New Year
Happy New Year to everyone. Happy Safer New Year.
As we look ahead to a new year and what some consider a fresh start to a new
riding season now is a good time to prepare to make it a safer riding season.
Now is a good time to plan to take a riding course, ARC (Advanced Rider
Course) or a TRC (Trike Rider Course). Did you have any close calls while riding
this past season? Have you ever taken a riding course? Experience, aka “been
riding for years” is no substitute for rider training.
As an example, I thought I knew about counter-steering on a motorcycle.
Reading safety articles in bike magazines and trying out the suggestions gave the
basics but I was never able to master the technique. I thought I was doing it, but
until taking several ARC courses then becoming a GWRRA course instructor now it
is second nature when riding. To the point that I am amazed at how much easier it
is to ride in curves when using counter-steering. Think about it, do you have a skill
that is lacking and may need refinement?
Don’t forget the co-riders. Have they ever taken any training? Or do they just set
on the back seat and hope you know what to do? GWRRA has a very good Co-
Rider Course that helps the passenger be part of the ride, not just there for the
ride. Also the ARC and TRC can be taken 2 up to give the co-rider the whole
experience and become a BETTER passenger.
So when the Districts hold courses plan to attend. Courses can be found at
District Rally’s and at Wing Ding. Talk to the District University Coordinator and
they can schedule a Co-Rider Course for your Chapter. The opportunities are
there but it is up to YOU to make the commitment to be a safer and more proficient
rider in the coming year. Richard Kitko, SC Senior District Educator
6
Mike’s Tech Tip for the Month
So, this month I want to recap some of the tech tips from the past, and bring a couple of them to the fore-
front with hopefully, more understanding.
In May, I wrote about the Dunlop tires, and how the E3’s are still available, just not through your Honda
Shops. You have to go to a Victory dealer to acquire these. And Dunlop has admitted they have had sev-
eral issues with folks who run the E4’s and pull trailers. So, something to keep in mind.
In June, I wrote about battery failures and what some of the signs of a dead battery (dead meaning, it will
not take or hold a charge). I have some updated news on that in a few minutes. But the discussion was
primarily how to identify symptoms and be able to diagnose your problems quickly, so you can get back
on the road to ride, which is what we purchased these steeds for.
In July, I wrote about symptoms and issues with tires, and how the Gold Book saved a member. A new
tire, with less than 2,000 miles on it, picks up a nail, and ruins a ride. But using the Gold Book, they were
able to get assistance, someone gave them a tire (which was replaced later) and another member put the
new tire on the rim. Folks, I can talk about several opportunities where the Gold Book has saved some-
one… maybe in another article.
In August, I wrote about some of the things we can do during our semiannual maintenance days. We
teach you how to work on your bike. We show you how to do some of the things, and then we share some
of the methods that work best for us. We seem to always have a couple of folks there that are very knowl-
edgeable about what can be done, and it can save you a bundle of money by doing the work yourself.
That includes brakes, oil change, air filter change, coolant and many others. Heck, we even work on
electrical problems from time to time. So, I hope to see more people coming out to the maintenance day
pot luck. And if you don’t have any maintenance needed on your bike, come help others and learn for
the future events. This is part of our family of friends, and helping our family.
In September, I recapped on some battery issues and safety concerns. Added some lessons learned
about the experience of a battery failing… suddenly… and some of the explanations as to why.
In the October newsletter, I talked about some of the controls, that are not so commonly
obvious, unless you run across them by accident, or read and read and read the manual
(or both). Some of these include how to turn off the cruise control, or what could keep
the cruise control from setting. I also talked about the LED lights, both head lights and
tail lights, and the affect they have. Like I said, impressed me enough that I went and
installed LED low and high beam lights, and a full array of LEDs for the tail lights of both
my bike and trailer. It truly makes a difference.
So, really, what is my goal in talking about all these tech tips, safety ideas, and the such? Am I such a
smart person? By no means (in fact, I learn as much from you the readers and I do anywhere). No, my
purpose is to help you to enjoy your very expensive toy, and get many miles of riding safety. I’m con-
stantly looking for new ideas, tricks for the bike, and the such. So, if you have an idea for something to
write about, let me know. I’ll do a little research on any subject you may find interesting.
Now, I want to expand on the battery discussions from earlier. Recently, I was getting ready to ride in a
parade. I parked the bike, left the radio on so we could enjoy some Christmas music (to help get us in the
mood) and decorated the bike. There was only one issue. I left the radio on too long, before starting it,
which took the battery below the 12.3 volt threshold where my steed would crank. Then someone offered
me a jump pack, to jump start the bike, and let it charge as I ride. Only one issue… once the bike was
started, I removed the jump pack to prevent damaging it, only to
find my voltage was still below the 12.5 volts needed for the injec-
tors to work correctly. I listened to it sputter, watched my gauges
shut off, the radio, intercom and cb shut off, and I knew it just was-
n’t going to work.
So, the others went on to ride in the parade, while I looked at my
beautifully decorated bike and trailer, know that others were not
going to get to enjoy my labors. So I did two things. I hooked up
7
the jump pack, hoping it would charge the battery some, and took all the excess decorations off the bike.
The jump pack did not seem to make much difference, so I then called upon and old friend, who offered
to bring me the battery out of their bike, so I could get home. What an awesome friend he is also.
I did learn a couple of new things during this process. First of all, my first problem occurring at the pa-
rade was on Saturday. I got the bike home, put a set of gauges on it so I could observe it, and everything
seemed to be working fine. I made sure I got a good charge on my battery, but left the loaner in the bike
to give it plenty of time to charge up full. I then rode the bike Sunday for about 80 miles, and again Mon-
day morning. After riding to Summerville, as I was pulling into the gas station, the bike gauges shut off
again, the engine started sputtering, and once I turned the bike off, it would not crank. Luckily, I had my
original, fully charged battery, in the trailer. So I again, swapped out the batteries and got home.
Once I got home, I really dove into the electrical diagrams and asking lots of questions. I was concerned
my alternator may be going out, but wasn’t sure how to check. I put a meter on the battery poles to moni-
tor the charge status. I rode the bike with this meter strapped to the gas tank. I check with many sources
about things to look for. And here are some lessons learned.
For one, I didn’t know a starter could hang, and drain the battery. Apparently, it has become a common
thing with some of the bikes. I’m still learning about this, and don’t know if there are any noises to go
with this, but something to think about. I also learned, when the bike is first cranked, there is a delay be-
fore the alternator starts charging. And the voltage will vary, based on the charge level of the battery,
but… make a note… it should NEVER be over 15 volts. I had a pretty regular 14.1-14.6 volts during the
charge. But after all this, I never identified an alternator issue.
Now, my last tip of something I learned from all this. First, I went and ordered my own jump pack to keep
in the bike. But, I learned something from the manufacturer as I was discussing the leads for my battery
tender (which is usually fused to low for the jump pack). I purchased a replacement set, which will not
only work with my jump pack, but also with the battery tender.
Now, what was so important of a lesson to learn? In the recent past, I had heard that extended use of a
battery tender could affect the life of the battery, so I asked the dealer I was working with about this.
Their first question was, how old was my battery tender, of which mine is at least 13 years old. Here was
the lesson I learned. Older battery tenders tend to maintain a charge of 14.5-15 volts across a battery.
What the battery manufacturer explained is a battery should only be charged to a max voltage of 14 volts.
And the battery tender should shut off, until the battery falls below somewhere around 13.2-13.5 volts,
and then turn back on.
By overcharging the battery, with the older tenders, it does affect the life of the battery. Now I don’t un-
derstand the difference between the alternator putting out 14.5 volts regularly while riding, other than, as
the battery comes up to strength, the regulator gets closer to the 14.1 volts. But, the big difference is, it is
only charging while you are riding. Not 24/7 as what happens on the battery tender.
Some of the newer battery tenders decrease the charge level closer to the 14 volts, which does not affect
the battery life as bad. So which one do you have, and how do you know? Well, here comes that trusty
volt meter again. A quick was to test it, is to let the radio and/or headlights stay on for about 4-5 minutes,
so there is some drain to the battery. Connect the volt meter to the battery poles, and connect up the bat-
tery tender and turn it on. If it goes over the 14.5 volts, you have one of the older systems, and it is sug-
gested you replace it.
So, there are my tech tips to start of the 2020 New Year. I hope to see all of you, on your bikes, at our
North/South dinner on January 1st. And, keep your eyes open for updates, as we may have a memorial
ride planned around that also. We will see.
So, from me to you… Happy New Year, and let’s have a very safe 2020 riding
year, and let’s save a bundle by doing some of our maintenance ourselves.
May God Bless each and every one of you.
Until next time, ride safe, ride often, and be thankful for the ride,
Mike Melton
8
Gingerbread Dog Treats
Ingredients: 2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Oil
1 tablespoon Gluten Free Flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ginger
More flour for rolling
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Add eggs, oil and molasses to a medium bowl
and beat until combined.
3. Mix together gluten free flour and spices in a
smaller bowl until evenly distributed.
4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients
until a dough forms.
5. Flour the counter or a large cutting board, roll
the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes
with cookie cutters, reroll the scrapes and con-
tinue cutting into shapes.
6. Place cookies on a baking sheet 1/2 to 1 inch
apart. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate pan, flip cook-
ies, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and
bake for another 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a
wire rack. Store in a closed container for up to two
weeks.
Important Note: Do not use gingerbread spice that contain nutmeg, clove or allspice.
Nutmeg is toxic for dogs. Clove and allspice contain a compound called eugenol, which
is toxic for cats, but may put dogs at risk. Cinnamon and ginger are safe for dogs.
Submitted by Gloria Servant
Recipe of the Month
9
What’s Happening This Month and Beyond Here are some things that are coming up in the future. Submit info for this page to
North/South
Potluck Dinner On New Year’s Day, our dinner will be held at
Messiah Lutheran Church, 1106 Yeaman’s
Hall Rd in Hanahan. Chapter will provide a
Boston Butt, a Ham and Kraut. Members are
asked to bring a covered dish and dessert.
Plan to arrive between 1 and 1:30 PM, we’ll
eat at 2 PM. All are welcome, and bring a
friend.
Chapter G Gathering
Golden Corral Buffet & Grille 4968 Centre Pointe Drive, North Charleston, SC
January 4th Meet to Eat at 8:30 AM Gathering at 9:00 AM
Weather permitting, we may have a ride
planned following the Gathering. Look for
updates in upcoming gmails.
Team Meeting Our next Team Meeting will be at Perkins
Restaurant, 1700 Old Trolley Rd, Summerville
on Sunday, January 5th at 4 PM. We break to
eat when the food is served. The meeting is
open to all members who would like to see
what it takes to run a chapter, or who has a
ride or activity they would like to share with
the team.
Meet to Eats The first Meet to Eat will be on Thursday,
January 9th at Ms. Rose’s Fine Food, 1090 Sam
Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston. The second one
will be on Tuesday, January 21th at Icehouse
Restaurant, 104 E Doty Ave, Summerville. We
will eat at 6:30pm for both events.
District
All Members Forum Saturday, January 11 from 9 AM to 5 PM at the
Whitmire Community Center, 1222 Glenn
Street, Whitmire, SC.
Catered lunch consists of Baked Chicken,
Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato
Souffle, Peach Cobbler, Rolls and Tea.
Cost is $10. If interested, contact Mary Coral
no later than January 1st @ 803-261-0109
Super Bowl Pot Luck John & MJ are again, hosting our Super Bowl
Potluck dinner. Everyone is asked to bring a
covered dish, and there is always enough
food. Everyone can root for your favorite
team, or the team you choose for the night.
Pot luck starts at 5:30ish (kick-off is
approximately 6:30pm EST). You must RSVP
t o a t t e n d . C o n t a c t t h e m a t
Please, Please… only park on the street.
Parking is NOT allowed on the grass..
10
January 2020 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter “G”
Upcoming Events
2 FEB - Super Bowl potluck dinner/game watching
Meet To Eat
Eat at 6:30pm
9 JAN - Ms. Rose’s Fine Food, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston
21 JAN - Icehouse Restaurant, 104 E Doty Ave, Summerville
THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER ‘G’ Everything on this calendar is subject to change. Check our online calendar for the most up to date info at www.gwrra-sc-g.org
1 JAN - North/South potluck dinner. We eat at 2pm. Come out for games, great Northern & Southern recipes, and just a fun time. All are welcome.
Bring a friend or another family member. The more the better.
4 JAN - Chapter Gathering - Golden Corral, 4968 Centre Point Dr, North Charleston, 8:30am eat, 9:00am meet.
5 JAN - Team Meeting, Location and Time to be updated soon.(Open to all members)
Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour.
9 JAN - Meet to Eat, Ms. Rose’s Fine Food, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston, Eat at 6:30pm.
11 JAN - District All Members Forum in Whitaker, SC. All are encouraged to attend.
21 JAN - Meet to Eat, Icehouse Restaurant, 104 E Doty Ave, Summerville, Eat at 6:30pm
25 JAN - District Plaque Capture Ride, look for details in a “G”Mail..
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
27 28 29 1 2 3 4
5 6 \ 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 1
Meet To Eat Team Meeting
Meet To Eat
SC District Plaque Capture
Chapter ‘G’ Gathering
District All Members Forum
North/South Potluck Dinner
Martin Luther Kind Day
11
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
26 27 28 29 30 31 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
February 2020 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter “G”
Upcoming Events
8 Mar - Daylight Savings Time, roll clocks forward
19 - 21 Mar - FL District Rally
16 - 18 Apr - SC District Rally
Meet To Eat
Eat at 6:30pm
13 FEB - Brecks Steakhouse, 8510 Rivers Ave, North Charleston
25 FEB - American Legion Post 166, 116 Howe Hall Rd, Goose Creek
THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER ‘G’ Everything on this calendar is subject to change. Check our online calendar for the most up to date info at www.gwrra-sc-g.org
1 FEB - Chapter Gathering - Golden Corral, 4968 Centre Point Dr, North Charleston, 8:30am eat, 9:00am meet.
1 FEB - Team Meeting, Golden Corral, immediately following the Chapter Gathering.
2 FEB - Superbowl Pot Luck, meet at 5:30is
13 FEB - Meet to Eat, Brecks Steakhouse, 8510 Rivers Ave, North Charleston, Eat at 6:30pm
22 FEB - District Plaque Capture Ride, unless we hear otherwise. Look for details in a “G”Mail.
25 FEB - Meet to Eat, American Legion Post 166, 116 Howe Hall Rd, Goose Creek, Eat at 6:30pm
Meet To Eat
Meet To Eat
Chapter ‘G’ Gathering &
Ride
Team Meeting
SC District Plaque Capture
Super Bowl Pot Luck Dinner
Chapter ‘G’ Gathering
12
THE BULLETIN BOARD
FRIENDS FOR FUN, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE
THE BULLETIN BOARD
FRIENDS FOR FUN, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE
JANUARY
BIRTHDAYS
VARIOUS DISTRICT
EVENTS
19-21 March—FL District Rally 16-18 April—SC District Rally
30 April-2 May–TN District Rally 30 June-4 July–Wing Ding
Well, it’s the year 2020. What is our best safety tip for you going into January?
Don’t ride this month. It is too dangerous. There will be extreme cold weather, icy roads, maybe
even snow. The days are dark longer, and the lights affect your sight. So, our safety tip this month is
do not go out on your bike/trike… it is too dangerous.
Note: If you are new to Chapter ‘G’, or if we've missed your birthday or anniversary, please send an email to Mike Melton at [email protected]. Include your name, birthday (Month/Day, no year needed) and anniversary (also Month/Day no year needed).
JANUARY
ANNIVERSARIES
Franklin & Sadie Simmons .... Jan 1
Lupe & Di Carrera ................ Jan 27
Rosemary Funsch .....................Jan 4
Lupe Carrera ...........................Jan 8
John LeBlanc ............................Jan 10
Gloria Servant ..........................Jan 17
Harvey Becker .........................Jan 18
Cathy Tulluck ...........................Jan 19
Guy Lamb ................................Jan 26
Craig Miller .............................Jan 26
