Chapter Director Loriann Robertson cd@gwrrawa-n.org

The WingNut Gazette

Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge.

Dinner Social May 2nd, 2017

Denny’s Restaurant 3525 Division, Spokane, WA

May 2nd, 2017 6:00PM to 8:00PM

Monthly Gathering Saturday May 20th

Golden Corral 7117 N Division

Spokane, WA 99208 8:00AM to 10:00AM

Couple of the Year

Kaye and Carl Maier

Individual of the Year

Ruthanne Vazquez

We are having a raffle for your choice of Heated Gear or $600. The cost of each ticket is

$5.00 and all the money goes to the Chapter. We have only 500 tickets for sale. There

are several Chapter N members that have tickets for sale.

The 2017 Brown Bag Auction brought in $1574!!

Past Years: 2016 @ $1123 ~ 2015 @ $2489 ~ 2014 @ $1390

Bean Bag Game June’s Pot = $223.00

Brown Bag Split the Pot

April Heads/Tails Not Played this Month

Golden Corral Meal Card

News From your CD!

Rob and I hosted a Social Dinner in my garage. We had over 30 people there. It was great. I want to thank all from coming and bring the food. It was a great time. I think we should do it again next year.

We also had our Brown Bag Auction; we had a great turn out. I need to give a special thanks to Kaye Maier for organizing the Auction and Steve Kienzle for being the auctioneer, are treasurers Bruce and Tina for taking care of the money, and Louise for make sure everyone had a door prize ticket. A special thanks to all who brought items for our sell. We would not have an auction without all of your help, thank you for helping us exceed our goals.

May 5 – 7 is the start of camping season. Our chapter has always had a “get ready for rallies“ camping out at Little Diamond Lake KOA. People start showing up Friday night to get camp set up.

Saturday everyone is on their own for breakfast. If weather is good, we will go for a ride to Sandpoint Id, We will leave the KOA at 10:00 am. Stop at Safeway in Newport at 10:30 am so others can meet up with us. We will be going the back way to Sandpoint by the Old Priest River Rd, then Lakeshore Dr. to have lunch at about 11:30 am – 12:00 at Spuds Waterfront Grill (102 N First Ave.) then back to camp. This will not be a long ride.

Saturday night we will be have a potluck. Tacos the chapter will supply the meat. Eat about 5:00 pm. Check out is Sunday 11:00 am

May 20 is are regular chapter gathering at golden coral.

May 26-27 Chapter L Desert Spring Fling at Benton-Franklin County fairgrounds

Friday. My plans are to leave after work about 4:30 pm (Rob is leaving earlier)

Saturday Rob and I are going to do the Reactor Tour. Maybe our group can get together for lunch and a short ride. Chapter L will be having a free Spaghetti dinner at 5:45 pm. Light parade at 8:45 pm

Sunday we are signed up for a riding class. May go on a Dam Ride depending on classes times, Dinner at 6:00pm

Check out Monday morning 9:00 pm. Go somewhere for breakfast on our way home.

May is a busy month for us. Should get lots of riding in. lets hope for good weather.

LoriAnn Robertson

From your MEC Coordinator

Our Membership has grown by eight (8) new members this year. How great is that! As with any group not all our members are active, and that's ok. If you know a member who is inactive invite them to a breakfast meeting, a dinner meeting, a campout or one of our rides. Sometimes they just want a little nudge from someone they know and like, like you. Sometimes they came to a meeting when they first joined and didn't care for something about another member or the meeting itself. You know what we probably don't do our meetings the same anymore, or probably that person isn't with us now, what ever the reason they should give us a second look. We all make first impressions. Sometimes a second look changes our opinions. None of us are the same today that we were 10 years ago. Most of us are better people, more informed, more interesting. a little wiser. Aged like a fine wine. If you have a prospective member invite them on one of our rides. Be sure to check with LoriAnn first so she can inform the ride coordinator. Thank you all for your participation in our meetings. As you brings your ideas you raise the level of our club. It's really all about You.

Kaye & Carl Maier, Membership

The following items are available in the Chapter Store:

1 Med Zip up Hoodie $33.00 (Your name can be done for an additional $3.50.)

I have 2 different hats (Safety Green & Black) with hook & loop closure on back that can be embroidered with the Wingnuts Logo on them, the Safety Green look would look best embroidered in Black, and the black Hat looks good embroidered in the colors of the Chapter Patch. I will have both samples with me for everyone to look at and decide what they want, can be either color or both if you wish, the price is about $11. May order after the June Gathering when enough members have looked at them.

Brown Bag Report Wow what a great turn out. You all came through like the great group you are. I did all that worrying

for nothing. I was so excited to see all the "brown bags" lined up on the table. I usually am very good at

taking pictures but this year, as I was new at being the chairman of this event, I just had my head down,

moving forward and getting the job done and missing any opportunity to take pictures. You know what I

had so much fun I might just do it again next year.....might, maybe, I'll think about it, not sure yet.

Please accept my Hearty Thank You one and all for all you contributed. We hit our financial goal for

the club, we had a tremendous turnout. We had many friends from Idaho, Tri-Cities, Bremerton, Bellevue, and other

Seattle area chapters. They took home some great gifts, and had a great time too. I think we all loved the potato bar on

Saturday night. Thank you to Lori Ann and Rob for their hospitality. The used clothing and bike parts did ok. There

were some things left over, however, on whole we sold several items that added to the club treasury. Again we thank all of

you who participated in that way too.

So until next year friends, be safe and think about what you can contribute to the Wingnut Brown Bag. Think about

chairing this event. You will enjoy it I promise.

Ready to Ride,

Kaye and Carl Maier

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As they signaled last year, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise an average of 10 percent per year over the last 20 years. Even though motorcycles account for less than five percent of registered vehicles in the US, they are traveling some 21 million miles each year. NHTSA reports that per vehicle traveled, motorcyclists were more than 26 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash.

Certainly, there are patterns to be found in the crash data for motorcycle incidents. Motorcycle collisions are more likely with fixed objects than other vehicles; however, about 75 percent of two-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles were motorcyclists colliding with vehicles in front of them. They are more likely to crash with other vehicles turning left, while the motorcycles were going straight, passing, or overtaking passenger vehicles.

Motorcyclists have all the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle driver on the roadway. This means they are entitled to their space on the road, no matter the size of their ride. This also means that they must follow the same road laws as other vehicles, including keeping a safe distance from other vehicles. During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May - and during the rest of the year - drivers of all other vehicles are reminded to "share the road" with motorcyclists, and to be extra alert to keep motorcyclists safe.

Thank You

Carl Maier, Motorist Awareness Coordinator

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. With warmer weather, it’s time to remind everyone to be on

the alert and to share the road with motorcyclists.

Riders who have been cooped up all winter are excited to be out on the road again, but that shouldn’t stop them from using caution.

Both motorcyclists and motorists need to be aware of their surroundings. Checking blind spots, mirrors and using turn signals are necessary when changing lanes and when passing.

Distracted driving has been on the rise, too. Distractions during driving could mean the difference be-tween seeing a motorcyclist or not when preparing to change lanes. Don’t let one text change anyone’s life forever!

Riders need to take precautions as well. Take a defensive driving course, wear protective gear and keep your bike in its best working condition. Also, be aware of any road hazards and dangerous weath-er conditions.

Most of all, enjoy your ride and make it home again!

Tips for a Long Distance Motorcycle Trip I don’t know what it is, but there’s something special about a long distance motorcycle trip.

Maybe it’s the excitement of getting to spend a good chunk of time exploring somewhere new. Or, maybe it’s the prospect of getting to spend a lot of time on a motorcycle. Whatever it is, I’ve taken many long distance motorcycle trips now, and one thing I definitely know is that I get just as excited now, as I did the first time.

Of course, planning for a long motorcycle trip takes a little more thinking ahead than a simple road trip or vacation by car might take. Why? It boils down to one simple reason: motorcycles have far less storage options.

Yes, if you have the latest Honda GoldWing Touring motorcycle with a trailer, you’re going to have to cut back a little less than the guy touring the country on a 250cc dirt bike. But, the planning tips below still work no matter what your ride.

And, if you’re anything like me, at the end of the trip you’ll walk away thinking about how much “stuff” you really don’t need to have a good time. The amount will probably surprise you. Hint: It’s far, far less than you expect.

THE BASICS NEEDED FOR LONG TRIPS Let’s talk about the basics, first. The things that you need to do before you even start thinking about a long trip on

your bike. Don’t worry – there are only three things, and they’re pretty easy.

GET A COMFORTABLE, WATERPROOF, MOTORCYCLE RIDING SUIT.

Getting wet sucks. Being cold sucks. And if you take a long enough trip, you’ll most likely encounter situations where you’ll be both wet and cold. Not only does being wet and cold really suck, it’s also unsafe. It’s hard to concentrate on the road when you’re soaked through to your undies. A riding suit helps with this. Get it now. Don’t think about it, go down to your local dealer and pick one up today.

If I only had the choice to bring one thing other than my wallet, a good quality motorcycle riding suit is what I would bring.

I’m not talking about those full leather suits. I’m just talking about a good full suit that you can slip over your clothes when the weather starts getting less than ideal.

INSTALL SOME WAYS TO ATTACH LUGGAGE TO YOUR MOTORCYCLE. MOTORCYCLE LUGGAGE RACKS, ETC.

Backpacks won’t cut it. They’re great for students going to class, or maybe taking a ride down to the park for a picnic, but they make really bad long distance travel partners.

You know that attractive person you dated in high school? The one that was really great to look at, but after you spent some time with them you found out that they were dumber than dirt, their voice annoyed the snot out of you, and frankly they weren’t that attractive in the first place?

That’s what a backpack is to a motorcyclist. They look great at first (hey! I can carry all of my stuff on my back!), but turns into a shoulder pinching, posture ruining, loud wind-flapping-ear- drum-popper at speed back attachment you wish you’d never brought.

When I first started touring, the first thing I bought was a $50 luggage rack for my motorcycle. I still own it and consider it one of the single best accessories I purchased for my bike.

GIVE YOUR MOTORCYCLE A CHECKUP.

Use your best judgment here, but in general if anything mechanically is “bugging” me about my bike – I’ll take it into the shop for a quick tune-up before a long trip. If I don’t have any worries, than I just do a general checkup (Tires, Oil, Lights, Brake Fluids, etc.).

I’d rather waste a couple of hours taking it to a shop beforehand, versus wasting the 2-3 days when I’m out touring and having a break down.

MOTORCYCLE PACKING TIPS Long motorcycle trips are an exercise in doing without. After you do a couple of trips, you’ll begin to find that “less

is more” is actually true – and quite empowering.

This leads to some long motorcycle trip packing tips:

CREATE A PACKING INVENTORY LIST.

For every item on that list, ask yourself if you didn’t take it, and found that you did need it, could you easily buy a replacement on the road without breaking the bank. If yes, remove it from the list.

Every trip you take, mark off the things you don’t use and don’t bring it on your next one trip. If you keep doing these two things, pretty soon you’ll have a lean, mean list.

BRING PARACORD (OR IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY, SOME BUNGEE CORDS)

Bring paracord and learn to tie the single knot every motorcyclist should learn: the truckers hitch knot. Why paracord versus bungee cords? It’s more versatile and takes up less space. Why bungee cords or paracord in the first place? On long trips one of two things always seems to happen to me:

1. I get about 100 miles in and something that I had packed comes loose and I need to tie it down to stop it from flapping in the wind. It’s a lot easier just to throw another tie on then trying to repack everything.

2. After sleeping, I start strapping on my gear to go and find that I can’t recreate my strapping system that I had meticulously created before leaving and I’m short one strap.

DON’T PACK “OUTFITS”, BUT DO BRING LAYERS.

You’re a motorcyclist. You’re taking a long trip exposed to the elements, with a much higher level of risk than the average driver. Don’t worry about looking good and having a perfect outfit for every possible scenario. Do worry about bringing things that you can layer, especially for those longer trips.

Our early fall Colorado Motorcycle Tours are a perfect example of why layering is critical – in a single day you can go from 80 degree, sunny weather, to 30 degree and snowing weather.

DON’T OVER THINK IT.

Really, don’t. I have to get on my soap box a bit here, we live in a very consumer oriented world – we can’t live without our gadgets, and that is sad.

Get out there, explore, and don’t worry about taking a crap load of stuff with you. You may have more fun than you’ve ever had – or at the very least create some really great memories. Aren’t creating memories really the reason we travel in the first place?

THE FINAL TIP: STOP BROWSING THE INTERNET AND JUST TRY IT.

Yes, that means stop reading this article as well. Look there is a ton of information out there, and it all sucks, or it’s all good depending on your experience. See that last word there? “Experience.”

You can read, plan, and debate the merits of this packing method versus that but it’ll never be better than building up good old fashioned experience by doing.

Have fun, ride smart, and most of all ride safe. OPEN ROAD JOURNEY

Dan Boone, Rider Education Director

Congratulations

Don Sundahl and Hope Crabb on the announcement of their Engagement

GWRRA Director Ray Garris director@gwrra.org

Region Director Don & Sharon Weber ponderosads@roadrunner.com 208-660-7836

District Director Garry Alexander dd@gwrra-wa.org 253-677-7812

Washington Chapter Gatherings Location Chapter Week Day

Auburn V 1st Tuesday

Bremerton B 1st Saturday

Toppenish M 1st Saturday

Walla Walla R 1st Saturday

Vancouver X 1st Saturday

Lynden H 2nd Tuesday

Enumclaw Y 2nd Friday

Kennewick L 2nd Saturday

Puyallup Q 2nd Saturday

Centralia Z 2nd Saturday

Aberdeen D 2nd Sunday

Bellevue E 3rd Saturday

Spokane N 3rd Saturday

Longview P 3rd Saturday

Olympia I 3rd Sunday

Seattle A 4th Saturday

Port Orchard O 4th Saturday

Go to the chapters web page to found out place and time of there gathering.

Name Position Phone Email

LoriAnn Robertson Chapter Director 509-251-4443 mmloriann@gmail.com

Dave Betz Assist. Chapter Director 509-235-8518 david953@centurytel.net

Tina Eckhardt Treasurer 208-661-1315 allwood301@aim.com

Dan Boone Rider Education 509-981-0743 dan4077@centurylink.net

Steve Kienzle Ride Coordinator 509-280-3439 kienzle4@comcast.net

Chuck Grimm Webmaster/Newsletter 509-263-6594 chuckgrimm@gwrrawa-n.org

Kaye Maier Membership Enhancement 509-448-5235 kayelincoln06@gmail.com

Carl Maier Motorist Awareness Coordinator 509-448-5235 camaier@cybermesa.com

Don Sundahl Chapter Stores 509-487-5160 foxfour22@gmail.com

Ruthanne Vazquez Sunshine Person 509-468-1581 bikersmnr@comcast.net

2008 Rover Cargo Trailer

In excellent condition, garaged when not on road , upgraded most of lights to LED. Tires are as good as new, with spare. I added some carpet for the floor.

FOR SALE

We have decided to sell our motorcycle cargo trailer. It's a 1990 Road Runner with 14 cubic feet, has good rubber & pulls

great! If you are interested, please contact:

Ronnie Lopez

509-760-1060

$600.00

$1,400 ~ OBO Lee Hobbs

hobbswarren@gmail.com (509) 218-1702